Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.
Applause goes for my precious beta readers: ImaginationJunkie1412, Duesal Bladesinger, Minatochan2 and also a big thank you for the Awesome Authors Coalition members.
Original upload date: 22th of December 2014
Last update:
Chance for a Prophecy
Chapter 31. – The Keyword is Teamwork
Before Naruto stilled and rolled to the other side of the bed one last time, the orange covered diary was back in its previous place. The blond slowly cracked his eyelids open as an impudent sun beam slipped through the heavy curtain's gap to land directly on his closed eyes. It happily bounced on his face, disturbing his formerly peaceful sleep.
An annoyed groan bubbled out of him when his eyelashes slowly fluttered open, and the beam stabbed into his irises. Naruto immediately turned, covering his whole head with his best weapon against the sun: his pillow. However, soon something cold and wet intruded under his warm cover.
Naruto peered out from his shelter, tracing back the thin, black line to the source: a toppled ink bottle. He immediately bolted from his bed only to land face down on the hard wooden floor. With an annoyed grunt, he slowly rose, nursing his throbbing forehead before snatching the almost empty bottle to put it back in its proper place under his night lamp.
His eyebrows crinkled when he noticed that something was off. He was pretty sure that he hadn't switched it off, but the lightbulb was definitely dark now. Scratching his head, he shrugged off the dilemma, before heading into the bathroom, grabbing a towel from his chair on the way. Who cared? He had more important things to concentrate on. For example: breakfast.
Our time traveller happily munched his early breakfast. His mother sat at his right, his father opposite to them. The sweet smell of freshly baked pancakes lingered around his nose, then moved further until it reached every single corner of the house, only to turn back where it came from with increased power.
His lips instantly turned upward when the smell stroked his nostrils once more. It was as he had always imagined. Having a real family and enjoying breakfast together. Sharing small smiles, chatting about general things. Having Jiraiya's face plastered on their window with a goofy smile…
What?
An annoyed grunt sneaked out from Naruto as his godfather leaned closer to the glass, his skin touching the surface, and to add more to the already abstract scene, he started knocking on it continuously. A low growl bubbled out from Kushina as Minato let out a sigh, strolling to the window to let in their newest companion.
"I hope it's important," Kushina hissed between her clenched teeth, threateningly fingering the handle of a sharp knife as the toad summoner hopped next to her, already grabbing a dry piece of toast.
"Of course it is," Jiraiya assured her, simultaneously spraying crumbs across the table, to Kushina's displeasure. Her grip tightened around the handle, something that didn't go unnoticed by Minato. To save the day—or most likely the sennin's balls—he stepped in.
"Why are you here, sensei?"
The named man finished his toast with a loud gulp and oiled his dry throat with a sip of coffee that he had snatched out from under Minato's nose. "To steal my godson and..." Clearing his throat, he finished the whole cup before continuing. "... And you."
"So, where are we going now?" Naruto demanded. His only answer was a mischievous smile.
Minato glanced at his son with a raised eyebrow but received only a shrug from him. With a sigh, the Hokage rose from his seat. "And what do you want to do with us at that place?"
"You'll know soon. But first, I have a little present for my godson. Now, shoo-shoo." He grinned and waved a dismissive hand at his former student, all of his attention now glued on Naruto. In the next blink, a small package was in front of the the time traveller, wrapped in plain brown paper.
Narrowing his eyes, he hesitantly reached out for his present. "Not that I'm not flattered, but you've never been the giver type. First the summoning contract, then this? Why all these presents all of a sudden? "
A sour smile spread across Jiraiya's face, averting his eyes from the questioning blue ocean. "I'm trying to make up for lost time," he murmured to the table.
Naruto eyed his silent godfather for a second before his fingers slipped under the paper, slowly tearing it open. A blindingly coloured something blinded him for a moment.
Blinking out his surprise, he tore away the whole wrapping with a heavy snap, revealing the contents, something that made his mouth drop, and an invisible force stung his eyes. Naruto hesitantly unfolded the package with trembling fingers, slowly lowering its content into his lap.
"What is it?" Kushina curiously asked, leaning above her son's shoulder, but as soon she spotted her relative's distant expression, she retreated back to Minato's side.
Naruto silently sat, but his soul was far away from the heart of Konoha while gently stroking the familiar fabric. He ran his fingers along the black side, then played with the zipper, listening to the familiar noise it made.
He drifted away from his village towards distant lands, into his memories about a small shop where he had originally received the same looking, orange pullover. He hadn't been more than fourteen when he had first glanced at his mirror image to lock his gaze on the same black pattern on both sides of the zipper. His hand clenched into a fist around the fabric, as he clung to the memory, before he had had to deal with the weight of the world, when he had been able to laugh carefree. Almost carefree, he corrected himself.
"You don't like it." The toad wrinkled his nose in disappointment.
Naruto blinked back to reality from his stupor, and he slowly raised his head to meet with Jiraiya's worried eyes. "No, I love it! Thanks," Naruto quickly reassured him, immediately wrapping it around his shoulders, his previously blank expression gone and replaced with a wide grin. "But now I have to find orange trousers too—to complete the attire, ya know." He poked his black slacks and sent a cheeky smile to his father.
"Orange?" Kushina raised an amazed eyebrow, but in the next second, she was next to her son to land a smacking kiss on his cheek. "So what came from Konoha's Yellow Flash and the Red-Hot Habanero? The Orange what?"
A small, nostalgic smile pulled Naruto's lips upward as he slowly rose and tugged on his vibrant, orange attire. "Konoha's Orange Hokage, Dattebayo! "
The three men silently strolled along the thin path toward the edge of the village, following the curves of the dirt road that led them toward their mysterious destination. They passed several training grounds, and they were already far from the last numbered one. The path led them deep into the woods, under the shadows of ancient trees that were old enough to have seen the Shodai's—or even his grandfather's—first steps.
Naruto glanced at the back of his godfather as he led them further and further into the wilderness. He took a suspicious glance at a hollow tree they had passed when the dead leaves rustling echoed inside the empty shell of the once royal oak. In the next second, his face softened as a small rabbit dashed across the path as soon as it thought it would be safe enough.
"I've received news from Ame," Jiraiya suddenly stated, making both blonds pause on their way.
Naruto immediately whirled around to face with his godfather, his eyes wide, gaping like a fish out of water.
As the perfect opposite to Naruto's reaction, Minato gradually turned and raised an eyebrow at the sage, silently demanding the rest of the news.
However, Jiraiya wasn't eager to just burst out with the rest. He took his sweet time, drawing out the moment and with it the tension until Naruto was ready to tear out his golden locks in his frustration. Or kick Jiraiya hard enough to go flying and land in the middle of Ame, preferably in front of his spy's door. Or in the middle of a female bath house filled with angry women. Of course, none of these happened as the rest of the information came with the sage's next exhale.
"Danzou is dead. Shisui is on the way to Konoha together with the remains of ROOT." Naruto sucked in a harsh breath before his godfather continued. "It seems Hanzou got rid of him because of a mysterious shinobi, who appeared from nowhere, ruined an important meeting, and Danzou and his minions were accused of treason."
Jiraiya sent an accusing glance towards Naruto, who somehow couldn't shake off the urge to avert his gaze. "Speaking of which…" he continued. "...why the hell were you in Ame?"
Naruto gulped and stayed in the safety of silence for several long moments. Bracing himself, he straightened his composure and faced with two pairs of demanding eyes. "To save Yahiko and Nagato."
Suffocating silence followed his announcement. Only the thick wood's fauna continued its ballad over their heads to ease away some of the tension that was gathering around Jiraiya. Then, it stopped as soon as it had come as the sage had let out the exhale he until then couldn't get rid of.
"But—but they're dead!"
"No, they aren't." Naruto shook his head. "In my timeline, Danzou and Hanzou ambushed them during that meeting. Yahiko killed himself to save the others, and that was the day Pein was born. Nagato lost himself. But this time, they're safe and sound."
"But that can't be." Naruto raised an eyebrow at his vehemently protesting teacher, silently observing the reaction.
But it was Minato who asked the until then unspoken question. "Why are you so adamant that they're dead?"
"Yeah, how would you know that?" Naruto blurted out, crossing his arms.
Jiraiya stayed in silence, his gaze fixed on the land under his feet, stubbornly repeating the same sentence like an insolent child. "They're dead. They died before the war ended."
He finally raised his head to stare into the younger's skeptical pools and hardened his gaze. "I am a spy master. I have been a spy master since I knew my chakra nature." Naruto's brows furrowed as the white haired man narrowed his eyes and collected his memories. "I wanted to go go back to Ame after the Second Shinobi War had ended to check on them, but then Hanzou was in charge, and the nation was already under a heavy blockade. No one could get in or out. But I didn't give up. I had sent a toad into the hideout we had built together. It was completely destroyed, and our markers were—and—" Jiraiya suddenly snapped his mouth shut and gritted his teeth. "I'm an idiot."
Naruto narrowed his eyes, stepping closer to the suddenly silent sage. "What happened?"
"I received a message about the death of three shinobi who fought to bring peace. And one of them possessed the rinnegan."
"From who?" Minato finally stepped into the circle, but he received no answer for a long and tensed moment.
"I never knew the sender," Jiraiya whispered.
"And you believed it? Just like that?" Naruto snapped and moved to grab Jiraiya's shoulder to shake it, but Minato's hands on his own stopped him from finishing the motion. The blond made a side glance at his father, who was slowly shaking his head. 'Leave it,' he said without words. Letting out an annoyed grunt, Naruto folded his arms in front of his chest and took a step backward.
Nobody said another word for a lengthy while, each man too occupied with his own thoughts, Naruto silently cursing his godfather's naïveté, Jiraiya wordlessly whipping himself for his own foolishness, while Minato was rolling the events over his head several times until something clicked.
"Why?" Both men snapped their heads back to the loudly wondering Minato. "Why would someone want you to believe they're dead?"
No answer came for another long section until Naruto suddenly paled. "The rinnegan," he whispered and explained further as suddenly he was in the middle of attention. "He wanted to separate Nagato. That bastard Madara still kept an eye out on his own."
"His own," Minato repeated confusedly, and Naruto was more than eager this time to clear some parts of his past.
"Nagato's eyes aren't his own. They belong to Madara, and he somehow transplanted them into Nagato while he was little. In the future, he desperately wanted them back. Nagato should have used a reanimation jutsu on Madara with the Rinnegan, but instead he was resurrected by the Edo Tensei. A slip in his plans. He was immortal and invulnerable, but that state wasn't good enough to became the Juubi's jinchuuriki." Naruto clenched his hands into fists, anger flooding in his veins, fogging his mind.
Jiraiya blinked and immediately glanced at his once student in the hope that he'd be able to provide the explanation that Naruto seemingly wouldn't give. Minato shot a quick, telling glare at him in reply. Something that seemed very much like 'I'll tell you later'. Slowly nodding, Jiraiya retreated a step backwards.
Minato's brows connected into one coherent line under his forehead protector. The Juubi. He was fortunate to understand what Naruto was talking about. It seemed that stealing his diary wasn't a bad idea.
Naruto's building rage suddenly stopped before it could escalate into burning fury as it disappeared after Kurama flicked a single tail. "Concentrate, brat. The messenger is the only thing that matters now. It could have been only one man."
Letting out a breath together with his frustration, Naruto clicked his tongue in displeasure. "You're right." The blond narrowed his eyes, disregarding the curious glances around him. "The messenger is the key to solving this puzzle," he mused loudly. "Madara could only have sent out Zetsu. He had no one else beside him during that timeline."
"Maybe," Minato whispered, casting a slide glance at his son.
No other words were exchanged as they were silently thinking over the new revelations. They continued their way toward their destination. It wasn't a long walk, thank kami; the awkward silence was suffocating for all of them. They finally rounded a thick bush to face their final goal; a lonely, long forgotten training ground greeted Naruto. No one else was around. Only the fauna clattered inside the untouched nature.
Jiraiya strolled to the centre of the clearing and plucked a small scroll from his pocket. The youngest suspiciously eyed his godfather's slow movements as he rolled the fine paper open and smoothened the small wrinkles on the yellowish fabric. Finally, Jiraiya glanced up to meet two pairs of questioning eyes. "What?" he asked half heartedly with a cheeky glint in his eyes. His only answer was two raised pairs of eyebrows.
Naruto wrinkled his nose with displeasure and a small amount of uneasiness. Only one glance at the seal's design was more than enough for him to recognize his own handiwork: the fine strokes, the way he always curled some typical parts of certain characters. Thousand sleepless nights flashed in front of his eyes, the uncountable memories of his clones as they exercised the kanji, swirls, symbols on every available surface. It was one of his first works here in the past, one of his finest barriers that concealed anything and everything. No noise, no scent nor any trace of chakra was able to escape its isolation. He had made it to protect his people from the cursed sharingan user.
Blinking away his memories, Naruto glanced up at his father. They didn't need to exchange any words; they both knew what was going to happen next. Jiraiya cleared the amused grin from his face, and with a flicker if his chakra, the barrier came to life around the two blonds, separating them from the sannin. He slowly nodded and settled down cross-legged, his eyes carefully glued inside the purple glow.
Two blonds stood straight in the middle of a faintly purple barrier. Each carefully breathed as their eyes narrowed, silently scrutinizing each other.
A gust of wind grabbed Naruto's hair, playfully tugging his locks, ruffling his clothes, and his gaze snapped to focus on a lonely leaf that had innocently floated into his sight. The autumn sun glinted on its crimson edge, and for a moment, time has paused, and the details increased. The streaks were sharp, and all of autumn's warm colours were suddenly there: the golden yellow, the vibrant orange and the rich, ruby red. All the flaming sun's vigour, endless power and royal serenity, both opposites compressed into one tiny, little, fragile leaf.
Another gust of wind, a blink and the small miracle was gone.
Together with his father.
Naruto immediately hurled around, a kunai already in hand to block the incoming attack on his torso. Two blades met with a high cling, but while the steal's vibration reached Naruto's palm, Minato was already in his previous place, carefully observing his slowly turning son.
Minato furrowed his brow at the other side of the purple barrier. His scowl deepened when the blond didn't move as he swept his leg to the side on the soft grass to have better footing. However, in the next second, he had to dodge a sneaking clone that rushed out of the ground to grab his knees. And with that motion, hell broke out on the clearing.
Blond devils rushed over the place, ready to beat the crap out of Minato, who desperately kicked and hit every appearing clone he found within his reach to escape from the whirling hurricane. Once, he even tried to bite. It was a childish but successful attempt to get rid of a clone by biting down on an arm that had suddenly tried to choke him from behind. With a surge of chakra, Minato triggered his technique to teleport himself to the farthest available point in the blocked area.
He was finally able to get a lungful of air after delivering a well aimed punch to a stowaway and dismissed the clinging clone.
However, he had no time to rest. A lonely copy charged at him, fiercely trying to distract the Kage with all of the willpower he could gather and solidify into a salvo of punches. Minato made a disapproving growl and aimed at the buzzing clone's face with a kunai that suddenly appeared in his palms. Minato let his grin grow as his target's blue eyes widened, hands coming up instinctively to defend his head from the unavoidable attack. It was too fast for any living person to even follow the motion, not to mention dodge it, except one: the attacker himself. Or at least until then, he thought so.
In the next heartbeat, Minato froze, his hands still grabbing the handle of the weapon as it, instead of disappearing inside the dispelling clone's leftover chakra-enchanted dust, suddenly stopped as it hit something different. Something solid. Something living.
Naruto let out a low growl and tightened his grip on the frozen kunai, crimson essence dripping on the green grass under the tensed duo. Minato narrowed his eyes, and another weapon slipped into his other palm, disregarding his son's flowing blood. Both of them knew that this duel would end differently than the previous ones. A flicker of his chakra and he reached for the marker at his son's back to be there a blink later.
However, before he could launch his attack, something else suddenly happened that stopped Minato as another power rose from under his son's skin, stopping the weapon in midair, knocking the weapon out from his hand. It flashed only for a fraction of a second, but it was enough to burn a white orb in the middle of Minato's vision. The kage, this time, leaped away to gain some space between them, suspiciously eyeing his opponent.
Naruto shot an annoyed grimace at his still bleeding palm, then shook his hand to get rid of the irritating wet feeling. Narrowing his eyes, the time traveller lowered his centre of gravity just slightly into an unfamiliar stance. Letting out a calming exhale, Naruto did the most unbelievable act one could have made facing the fastest shinobi walking on the Earth.
He closed his eyes and stilled.
Minato stared at his relative for some time, his gaze flickering to his open palm where he had grabbed the kunai's blade to stop it. His muscles tensed as the until then well-hidden part of his son slowly surfaced. It almost burned his senses, not because of its intensity, but because of the sheer heat it was emitting. The kyuubi's chakra was potent and restless, wriggling under Naruto's skin as it came to life, crawling its way until it settled down around the wound. He could literally see as the tissues knitted together and as new skin was growing to shroud the previously open gash.
The light breeze tickled Minato's skin over his tensed muscles. Sweeping his legs farther apart, he suddenly charged, disregarding his safety for a second. Whatever his son was planning, he wouldn't let him finish it. It was too dangerous. He was strong—much stronger than he had ever imagined.
Setting back his arm and aiming a punch directly at Naruto's face, Minato launched his attack, but it didn't reach his son once again. He leaned to the right to avoid the counterattack, satisfied as the hit passed beside his cheek. Then he felt it on his face. It was like a hard slap but with enough force to knock him off balance, and he stumbled across the field until he finally found his footing, none too gracefully.
The kage's eyes suddenly widened as he finally gazed at his son's face. His once skyblue irises were glittering in a golden shade with horizontal pupils and the unmistakable reddish marking was outlining his eyes.
Sage mode.
Raising an eyebrow, Minato lifted his hand to brush his stinging cheek. His son's posture was relaxed and confident; only his eyes shined with a well subdued laughter while he coolly observed his father nursing his throbbing face.
Minato couldn't help himself and let the proud smile spread across his features. "You're good."
Naruto raised one single eyebrow and smirked. "Thanks. Now stop playing around."
Minato let the proud smile transform into a sheepish grin, but it soon faded as his face became serious.
They stayed motionless for some time once more, neither daring to make the first move because both felt that this time, everything would be different. This time, there would be no lying, no deceiving and no holding back. And finally: there would be no turning back. There was an invisible pressure silently hovering above their heads, threatening their life like a guillotine above a condemned neck.
In the end, they both settled into silent agreement. They nodded and bolted into action. And this time, they fought seriously.
A dangerous jutsu flared to life between Naruto's hands as he thrusted his palm toward his father to catch him with his release. Sharp wind chakra howled toward the kage; it shaved everything flat that barred its path, be it an ancient tree or a giant rock. Another Jutsu came to life, a wall of wind bursting against the attack, fighting for the upper hand before failing. But the attempt wasn't fruitless. The two attacks extinguished each other, and their power soon disappeared, leaving behind nothing more than the faint scent of ozone.
Meanwhile, the fighters didn't patiently wait for their turn. They punched and jumped, hurled and twisted. They kicked and cut, and a kunai's blade glinted in the sunlight like a playful wink.
Hiraishin triggered continuously. Hundreds of three pronged kunai laid all across the battlefield as safe landing points or as a start to an attack. On the other side, clones lay hidden beneath the surface or were disguised as rocks, bushes or even kunai, ready to launch themselves at Minato.
An ancient tree creaked, crying one last time under the pressure of a powerful jutsu before it cracked and tumbled to the side, burying its own youngsters under its branches. A golden pair blurred back to existence on the clearing as its last leaf stirred.
Two rasengan roared toward each other, dispersing no further than a hairline before they could collide.
Both men's breathing was harsh, as their bodies had been pushed to the very edge, scratching their limits before they resorted to their aces.
Finally catching his breath, Naruto narrowed his eyes and stilled once more, reaching out to the endless source around him to replace his fading senjutsu reserves. The world opened for him even more, despite the faintly glowing barrier.
He was there, but he was also everywhere around Konoha. He could see and feel as his mother was gently stroking her round tummy, his own younger version unconsciously shifting inside to get closer to her warmth. He felt as Kakashi slipped into the ANBU headquarters, his movements as graceful and silent as a cat's. Suddenly shaking his head, Naruto pushed the currently distracting sensations to the side to focus entirely on his father. It lasted only for a second, nothing more, but this fraction could have easily cost him his victory.
Minato, not aware of his son's small distraction, bit his thumb and slammed his hand onto the soft meadow to call for backup and disappeared inside the chakra enchained cloud.
The soft dust wasn't in a hurry to dissipate, but the filtering, harsh cough and the following argument pulled Naruto's lips upward into a sincere, nostalgic smile.
"Brat! You became a Kage and forgot about us? Only call us when you're in need?"
"Shut up, Pa! I'm sure he's got a good reason for not visiting us. Now, Minato-chan, where were you? Forgetting about your sensei? Not even visiting us for dinner?"
"I'm really sorry for not visiting you, but I was really busy. You know, village stuff, Kushina's pregnancy and—"
"What?! Kushina-chan is pregnant?!" Naruto let out a chuckle when he heard the unmistakable noise of a hard slap on someone's crown, most likely Minato's. Somethings never change.
"Who was that," Fukasaku whispered, after Naruto's chuckle finally died down inside the thick fog.
"The reason why I need your help."
"Why didn't you start with that, brat?"
"Someone's attacking Konoha?" Pa asked, voice alert.
"N—no. I'm in the middle of a spar."
"You're taking things too seriously, Minato-chan. Calling us for a simple spar." This time Shima spoke, her voice a little higher than what Naruto remembered. "Wait. Can you feel it, Pa? This chakra signature? Someone's using senjutsu out there! That chakra… Brat!" she suddenly snapped. "You've taught sennin mode to Kushina-chan?! You know how dangerous it could be! Especially in her state! What were you thinking!?"
"That thing out there has a hell of a chakra signature. But I'm sure it's not Kushina-chan," Pa countered with a deep frown. At least, Naruto could imagine him frowning easily.
"Shima-sensei, Fukasaku-sensei. Please just—"
"Concentrate, brat! We've got a fight to win," Shima snapped once more to finally end their bickering.
The last of the soft dust cleared after a long, resigned sigh to reveal Minato's form with two smaller toads on each of his shoulders. Naruto's eyebrow rose as he noted Minato's similar appearance, the obvious marks of nature on his face, the same reddish markings, the same golden pupils as his own. His sage mode was perfect thanks to the elder pair who had already reached for the lingering senjutsu around them, luring it out from the grass, the trees and even from the soil.
Naruto cocked his head to the side and let the grin spread across his face. "Well, that's news to me. I didn't know you were also a sage."
Minato shrugged awkwardly with his two companions on his shoulders and mimicked the expression. "I'm not that good with sage mode. Not as good as you but better than Jiraiya. It wastes too much time for me. I prefer hiraishin to this. But..." His grin faltered, and his expression hardened. "...but, it seems I have to use everything I've got up my sleeves to beat you."
An amused snort escaped from the younger of the two. "You're good and fast, but you won't be able to beat me. I won't hold back this time."
Fukasaku narrowed his eyes. "So much confidence. You're Minato-chan's brother, aren't you? Where did you learn the sage arts, brat?"
"Ah, well, it was—" Naruto opened his mouth to say more, but Minato's casual wave stopped him. "We can chit-chat later, Fukasaku-sensei. We've got some serious business."
Naruto eyed his father for some time before nodding, silently thanking him for saving him from what would probably have been a lengthy explanation. The less people knew about where he really was from, the better, even Ma and Pa. And, they were actually family. They had given him and hundreds of others much needed shelter; they had given them a roof to lay under and food; and most importantly, they had given them hope, hope that not everything was lost, that Madara couldn't touch them in that small, safe paradise. It gave his heart a pang, but he knew the distraction was necessary. They'd have time to build up the same bonds. He would make sure of it. Believe it.
Naruto let the wide smile erase the previous, sour grimace from his face and moved to a very familiar stance, to the basic pose of the frog kumite.
Pa raised an eyebrow, and his lips turned upward. "You're Jiraiya-chan's pupil. I would recognize that influence of our basic stance from a thousand."
Our time traveller let out a low chuckle, broke the stance and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah. Ero-sennin taught me one or two."
But even under the slight embarrassment, Minato could see the pride, feel the honour and the gratitude as his son stole a glance at the named sage, still sitting cross-legged on the other side of the barrier, his eyes focused entirely on him and only on him. Soon all eyes were glued on the sennin.
Jiraiya grinned and waved to them both playfully, encouraging them to continue their battle.
"Right," Ma agreed, her eyes stuck on their opponent, who, just like a good pupil, moved back to his previous form. The toads shared a glance and launched into action side by side with Minato.
A rasengan appeared in Minato's hand, this time forged from senjutsu, and it continued to grow until it was bigger than himself.
Naruto let out a growl from somewhere deep inside himself as he had to duck and roll to avoid another attack. His father was deadly, even without sage mode.
'Kurama,' he thought, and the bijuu's reply was instantaneous. Golden chakra flared under his skin and edged closer to the surface until it finally reached its limit and exploded into flapping, golden flames, overwhelming everything else. The inhuman power gently, almost tenderly embraced him, soothing his protesting muscles and fueling his almost drained reserves.
The village leader narrowed his eyes and almost opened his mouth to voice his awe, but his motion faltered as their eyes met for a moment. It perfectly ruined his mood to praise his relative. Determined red eyes glowed in the sunlight with a power that could move or demolish whole mountains. Naruto was dead serious this time. So, he shut his mouth. A small smile still found its way toward Minato's lips before he launched into action once more.
Jutsu after jutsu struck; razor sharp wind chakra howled; electricity chirped; and, golden flames of pure energy roared. Naruto tensed his muscles, and whispering an almost silent, "sorry", he dispersed the two old toads with a well aimed touch of their necks from a chakra-made arm. A flicker of chakra into their systems was more than enough to distract the summon and force out an instant reverse summoning.
Minato immediately whirled around, but this time he was too slow. Naruto was on his heels with a rasengan in his hand. The kage darted, and their forms blurred from time to time until they finally separated.
Naruto looked smug this time, a foxy grin on his face, his breathing only slightly faster than normal.
Minato swept his legs further apart, readying himself for the upcoming attack. And, it came with his own speed. He could see nothing more than a yellow flash before, in the next heartbeat, he felt the ice cold touch of a blade at his jugular. His son nicked his neck to weight his victory, and Minato could've sworn than he was grinning from ear to ear. "It's over, Dad."
A sly smirk spread across the Kage's face, and Naruto somehow sensed the approaching danger, so he prepared his muscles.
Minato reached out for his own marker. It was easy to feel it as it pulsed with the rhythm of his son's heartbeat. Not rushed but not really slow, somewhere between the two, slightly faster than his own.
A single muscle tensed deep inside Minato's stomach, and he was gone. Their positions flipped as this time, Naruto's throat was exposed to a kunai's sharp blade. "It's over only when I say so," he playfully teased, leaning closer to his son's ears so only he could hear his low voice.
Naruto let out a sound, something between a sigh and a chuckle. He slowly raised his hands in a motion that most would take as the universal sign of surrender, but Minato knew better. His son was far from giving up.
Another power rose once again under his son's skin, familiar and warm. It continued to grow until it perfectly blended with the Kyuubi's chakra, and it took a moment for Minato to realize what this familiar feeling was. It was nature, the limitless senjutsu that suddenly circulated everywhere.
The flora around them twitched. The remains of the devastated forest creaked, and the last surviving leaves quivered at the edge of the barrier before, suddenly, the burgeons snapped, and new branches grew in seconds to resuscitate the once majestic forest.
Naruto looked over his shoulder; their gazes met; and, Minato took a step backward from his son when the power flashed up inside him once more. The golden fire flared around Naruto, his chakra dazzling him for a second, before his vision cleared. It was glowing and pulsing and flipping and blazing. Naruto pupils flickered between fox-like slits and toad-like horizontal eyes, eventually morphing together into one united black cross.
Minato this time let his mouth drop open in astonishment. Then gravity stoutly pulled his still raised arm with the kunai in hand and he submitted himself to its power, letting his hands fall limply to his side. His mind was empty, too shocked to try to found words to describe his raging emotions. He continued to stare until Naruto's narrowed gaze loosened and his son raised a questioning eyebrow.
The Kage braced himself and took a step back toward his son to whisper into his ears. "You surpassed the Yondaime Hokage. Your father is proud of you beyond words." He paused once more, his own face softening. "And me, too."
Naruto stiffened, hands frozen awkwardly in the middle of the motion. Minato hesitantly waited for a response that never came. Pausing for another heartbeat, the hokage licked his lips and continued. "But, you were foolish. You hid your real identity from me. You hid your feelings, and I still don't understand all of your motives, but…" Minato shut his mouth with an audible snap and let in a deep breath from the fresh air, and his tension lessened by a fraction. With an exhale, his stiff muscles loosened after the small motion, and his voice mellowed with warmth. "But your current actions disappoint me."
Opposite to Minato's relaxing body, Naruto stiffened, his muscles screaming in protest to the sudden strain. Guilt and shame burned up the remaining part of his rational mind that still wanted to argue, to protest that his father was wrong, but this time he forced down his stubbornness, let it lay subdued where it was. The kage gulped down his own remorse over Naruto's inner turmoil and didn't stop to give him time to process his ruthless words. It had to be done.
"I understand that you were trying to keep us safe and sound from the very beginning, even before you knew who you were. You've placed everything else ahead of your own well being; you think that your duty is to shoulder the world's burden all on your own. And that was foolish. You're powerful but you have been acting like a green genin out of the academy. You were Kakashi's student. You've forgotten your first lesson as a ninja. Tell me, my son. What's the most important thing for a shinobi?"
His father's demanding tone made him flinch, and he couldn't shake off the feeling of the searching blue eyes on his back. Naruto gradually lowered his still raised hands, and he let them fall limply to his side. His shoulders hunched. His head suddenly felt too heavy with the unbearable density of shame to uphold its weight, so he gave up fighting against the gravity and let it slump on his chest. He stayed motionless for an awkward minute and licked his lips that were suddenly drier than the dunes in Suna. "The most important thing for a shinobi is teamwork."
He heard as Minato let out a humming sound in satisfaction, and when gentle hands landed on his shoulders to turn him around, he let them guide him until he was face to face to his father. He still hadn't raised his head from the ground.
"Who's in your team now, son?"
"You. Mom. Jiraiya. Kakashi," he obediently answered like a good student to his teacher.
Minato placed a finger under his chin to force his head up and finally tore Naruto's guilty gaze from the soil. Blue eyes bore into his own in uncertainty. "Your team wants to help you. Why are you still fighting against it? Let us help you." Naruto didn't answer, nor reacted beside a wince. Minato sighed and turned toward his last resort. He didn't want this conversation to be like this, but it seemed he had to crack his son's stubbornness with force.
"I knew about Obito, and it hurts. It hurts more than I can even describe, to know how much pain he's inflicted upon you. I want to help. Let me help you. " He studied his face for a second, before continuing. "Please."
This finally forced Naruto out of his locked shell. His father's pleading voice was like a kunai stabbing into his heart. He didn't answer immediately, instead squeezing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth to channel down his raging emotions. It was a hard decision to make. Tossing his previous intentions to the side and endangering the lives of others—involving them in a fight that wasn't even theirs—or sticking to his original plans and trying to handle everything alone. But he had already dragged them along his way. He sunk back to his very core where Kurama had silently observed the exchange. Naruto glanced up at his partner in his own wordless version of a request, but this time no help came from the fox. It shook its head and retreated to the shadows.
This decision is his and only his to make. He watched as the last leaf stilled on a tree and left his seal with a sigh. He cracked his eyes open and was lost in his father's searching blue gaze.
And he found his answer there. A small smile tugged his lips upward, his posture straightened as a big chunk of his burden suddenly leaving his shoulders.
For the first time in years he was freed from his encumbrance. Because, for the first time since he had gotten there, he was not alone, and he finally understood it, really understood it. He felt it under his skin, in his pores, in his very core that he wasn't alone anymore in this fight.
"Help me." Naruto exhaled softly. "Help me, please. I don't know what I should do." When he looked to his father, unbridled emotion shined through.
The eyes are the mirrors of the soul, and that was exactly how Minato suddenly felt himself, looking into his son's unblinking stare, gazing into a mirror that showed Naruto's true self, with his every emotion finally uncovered for the first time, his posture straight without the burden he had chosen to carry on his shoulders, and finally he was able to see the trust in his eyes. Not the faint, formless shadow of it as it had been before, but this time he could see real, unconditional trust.
Blinking once, Minato tried to readjust his eyes and tear his sight from the bright, blinding emotion, but he caught a glimpse of another scene that captivated his gaze. His own face's reflection was staring back at him in his son's blue eyes, with the same flaming faith reflecting from his own identical orbs.
A pair of strong arms pulled them suddenly closer and into a fierce hug. Blinking out his stupor, Minato glanced at the widely grinning toad summoner, and he caught a glimpse as the last shards of the faint purple barrier dissolved into thin air. "You idiots," Jiraiya muttered, tightening his grip around the two blonds. "Sometimes this is the only way you can really understand each other. Fighting."
Naruto let out a snort and squeezed his godfather's arms but restrained the cheeky comment what was about to slip out. Instead he murmured a low "Thanks," into Jiraiya's shoulders.
The air in Minato's private study in the Hokage mansion was as heavy as the attendants' mood. Naruto's brows were furrowed, and his features mirrored an unusually serious expression as he stared at the giant map of the elemental nations on the wall, wheeling a small red pin between his fingers. He took a step closer and pushed the pin into the faint mark of a small city in the middle of the Land of Iron. "Here. Obito showed up in front of me at the inn during the Kage Summit."
"Exactly when?" Jiraiya asked, a small, red paper tag in his hands.
The time-traveler narrowed his gaze in concentration and trailed into the middle of the room, eyes traveling up to the ceiling where a web of colorful strings were attached to almost every corner of the small room. Each one represented a shinobi, and at every point where their roads met, the cords were tied together, creating a web-like pattern.
Naruto trailed his fingers along the vicious red cord and stopped where it was connected with several others. An important event, an intersection in Naruto's future timeline what they were currently trying to remodel. A small paper tag hung from the node with the mark of "Kage Summit". "Exactly during the summit while Zetsu and Sasuke were dealing with the five Kage." Naruto let go of the stings, letting them twang, and reached for the end of an orange cord to tie it to the red one.
Sarutobi let out a breath and slowly shook his head. "This is already too complicated."
"I still don't get why we're doing this," Naruto muttered, folding his arms and glaring at a place where several cords met and ended, but his own sprung. Slowly unfolding his tangled limbs, he placed his hand on the orange line, and followed it into the middle of the room until he reached the jam he was glaring at with a force that could turn it to ashes. Many stings ended there, but he selfishly disregarded most of them and fixed his gaze on two: a golden yellow —his father's thread of life— and another red one, paler but still cheerful, nothing like Obito's vicious and sinister crimson tone— his mother's thread of life.
This was the event where the Fates, the Parcas, ended hundreds of lives, ruthlessly terminating their lifespan with a simple cut after having measured the value of their lives on the night of the Kyuubi attack and his birth.
Minato mirrored his predecessor and let out a sigh, slowly trailing his hand along the red string until he reached his frowning son in the middle of the room, his hand still attached to the intersection. He gently placed his own hand on his son's, careful to not rupture anyone's chord. "We are looking for connections between the events and the places, and this is our best chance to figure out Obito's whereabouts. He thinks he is smart, but he is still only a child. His moves are calculable around this time. He is the most active around his hideout, and we are closer and closer to find his exact location with every event and place you can recall."
Naruto made a slide glance at the map, running his eyes along the countless red pinheads as they concentrated at the north region of the land between Takigakure and and the future Otogakure.
"And then what? I think we already know pretty accurately where he is." Naruto muttered, slipping his hand out from under Minato's to trail next to the map.
Minato stubbornly followed his son to settle down beside him and pointed at the map. "This place is known as the Mountains' Graveyard. Obito must be somewhere here. I can send troops there."
Naruto hardened his gaze and shook his head. "No. Obito is too powerful and obsessed with revenge. I don't want to involve people who have nothing to do with this. This is my fight." Minato narrowed his eyes and smacked his son. Nursing his throbbing crown, the Uzumaki quickly corrected himself. "Okay, okay. Its our fight. Happy now?"
"No, but that's a bit better," Minato stated coldly and let out a sigh. He glanced over his shoulder when a snort stabbed the room and trailed back until his gaze met with a sneering blond clone, who until now soundlessly observed as their timeline slowly evolved from nothing. The Hokage narrowed his gaze at the Kyuubi. "And what is your opinion, Kurama-san?"
The bijuu stretched his borrowed face into a smirk and fluidly stepped next to the duo, passing the Sandaime, who let out a shaky breath as their clothes brushed against each. "I'll never get used to this," the old man muttered, rubbing his eyes.
Kurama disregarded the old leader's remark and casually tossed his answer to Minato. "It's either we hunt him down before, or we get him at Naruto's birth. We are well-prepared for each version. We know every single detail of the birth, and I've also prepared my counterpart with them. He—I hated to be manipulated like a puppet. He won't let it happen this time. He will be prepared. Also, we are powerful enough to be able to get rid of Obito at his own doorstep if necessary."
Naruto narrowed his eyes and spat at Kurama. "I don't want to kill him. I want to save him."
"You can't make every single bad guy abandon their goals and save them from their own doom, you fool. You've already twisted this timeline so much that we can't be sure that Obito will attack on the night of your birth. You are risking your life, Minato's life, Kushina's life."
"I did it with Zabuza; I did it with Nagato; and, you can bet on it that I will be able to talk some sense into his thick head if I get the opportunity."
"Deal with it, Naruto. You weren't able to do that in our own time. We have to be sure that this time he won't slip out from our grasp. He has to die." Kurama growled and shot a glance at Minato before continuing. "For the sake of your family, for the sake of the future, for the sake of every shinobi on earth, you can't let it happen again. Sometimes you have to believe in the greater good."
"We've already had this conversation. One or a hundred lives for the lives of thousands. The lessening numbers change nothing. I won't follow that path"
"You can't save him, Naruto!" Kurama snapped.
"But I know that I can do it this time!"
"How?" Kurama snarled and took a warning step toward the blond. "How can you be so sure of it. Your stubbornness is dangerous this time, you idiot."
"Because I saw it." Naruto picked up the gloves and took his own step toward his clone until their faces were inches from each other. Straightening his posture, he gained precious millimeters and rose above Kurama. "I saw it in his eyes before he died. The shame. The regret. It was there. I wasn't imagining things."
Kurama shut his mouth with an audible click, restraining the remark that was about to bubble out from him. Instead he focused on Naruto, eyes searching for something in the endless blue abyss that only he could see. His troubled frown morphed into a wide and satisfied smirk as he found it.
"You idiotic, stubborn, confident brat. Where have you been for all this time?"
Naruto blinked in confusion and stared at the fox for further explanation. When it didn't come, he grunted in frustration. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Kurama didn't rush to answer, but the crimson eyes softened with a shade. "Your confidence, " he exhaled slowly, not leaving the thing he had found in Naruto's eyes— not even for a blink.
Naruto stared at his companion for some time, his gaze and mind completely focused on Kurama, disregarding the tensely observing people around him. Kurama opened his mouth once more, and Naruto could feel his hot breath on his skin. "Your confidence in the people around you. Your confidence in yourself. I thought you'd lost it during the war."
The blond continued to stare into the fox 's unblinking eyes. Then, suddenly, he relaxed his gaze, his mouth slowly curving up into a wide, confident, and cheesy smile.
"So, what do you think we should do, Kurama?"
"What do you want to do, Naruto?" Kurama asked back.
"We're going to kick Obito's ass and pound some sense into his thick skull," Naruto answered, the same grin on his face.
Jiraiya joined in the scene, an equally wide grin on his own face. "That's my godson. Now, lets discuss the tactics." The sage grabbed Naruto's shoulder to guide him to another map on a table on the other side of the room.
"I'm glad you're back," the fox muttered, not audible to anyone else besides him. His eyes flickered toward Minato's silent figure as he eyed his son, Naruto enthusiastically explaining one of his awesome plans to Jiraiya. The fox's gaze traveled below Minato's eyes until it landed on the small smile on his face and within a second, Minato sensed his eyes on him, and their gazes connected. Kurama unblinkingly stared back for some time, but his eyelids soon faltered, and he dipped his head in respect and gratitude to the suddenly stunned village leader. The demon didn't offer a second glance, though. He trailed to the other side of the room to join his partner.
Author's Note:
I've got no real excuse for my long absence, only that both my work and my personal life became extremely crowded, and somehow the words didn't come when I actually had time to write. It was a mix of lack of time, lack of inspiration and with the manga so close to its end maybe motivation.
I know that everything is escalating maybe a little too fast, and I've still got a lot of things in my head, but I didn't want to overflow this story with fillers. :)
For planned update dates and the progress, click on my profile.