A/N: A great influx of reaction to the last update.
PuppetMaster55: That was something I had to debate over for a time. Jiraiya's already taught Naruto quite a lot in the old time line, and while in this AU he might be able to offer some help or advice he has ultimately served his goal. The only thing left to do for Naruto at this point was be a companion/friend to fight for, and his death served a purpose in the end: Denying Orochimaru both access to many of his jutsu's and access to his own chakra for some time to come.
This is one of the things that Naruto will have to realize can and will happen as he attempts to influence the things to come, and that like skipping a stone across a still lake the ripples can't always be predicted.
Lunatic Pandora1: Alas, for now it is.
TankerMDK: That's an issue I've been meaning to do something about for a while now. When I was starting this story I didn't have the definite frame of time in mind and used the massacre as the nearest defining moment for sake of ease- but time after time it's been a problem as I added more chapters.
The massacre occurred roughly six or so months before Naruto arrives, but encase I didn't actually have him say it Danzo was supposed to have been meeting with Orochimaru in secret before that point. I believe he said something about the Uchiha all having their eyes ruined by Itachi during the incident which is why he was limited to a few instead of the ten in canon. How far back that was going on is in the air right now since I don't want to contradict it in a future chapter.
tragicmat1: Thank you :)
Lednacek: That in it self is the problem with the genre of time travel stories, and this one in particular. Naruto's at a point where there really isn't any big event taking place for a few more years, at least within Konoha. Unless I suddenly do a serious time-skip to bring us up to the Chunin Exams the focus has to be either upon the characters of the time or try to find something to fill the time with.
Once the major settings start to appear the characters should already be well defined so it'll be easier to describe some of them in a more passing environment while centering around an easier group.
As for Danzo... well noticed! The Kazekage should have been a little more rushed on issuing Danzo's execution date.
Bobboky: Hahah, thanks :)
Crystalzap: Indeed. But Jiraiya knew this could happen, and he chose to take the risk at stopping Orochimaru now before he could go any further and cause so much damage and suffering. We'll probably get a scene once Naruto learns of his death that will be a flashback to the conversations they had together and what ultimately pushed him to act so soon.
Adventure Writer 28: Thank you very much :)
"Close, but angle your arm a little more when you block my next strike- it'll leave you less vulnerable to a counter with the same arm." Naruto spoke firmly as Sakura grew more used to his annual instructional matches.
Her sensei was due for arrival in the next half an hour and it made sense to spend that time practically instead of waiting around with one of the books she was told to buy, putting the knowledge she was gaining to use.
And besides, after what the boy across from her had done to that incompetent kunoichi her parents first hired roughly a week ago, she was more than willing to listen to his advice. His somewhat harsh attitude at the time and his skill seemed on par with the chunin Hokage-sama gave her.
Nodding her head to what he had just said Sakura stepped back and waited for him to charge forward, and after a few moments he did just that- from the side. He stepped quickly a few feet to her side and struck out with his left hand angled toward one shoulder.
Blinking at this new tactic Sakura absorbed the blow and found herself knocked down to her knees with the strength behind it. "Ow!" she said loudly, raising her good hand up to rub at the sore spot tenderly and giving him a sharp look.
Naruto shook his head. "You were starting to get a little too comfortable with my earlier motions. Don't forget! Just because you're picking up one definition of your opponent doesn't mean he or she won't have a backup in hand for when they see an opening." he told her in an entirely unapologetic tone.
The kunoichi-in-training frowned at his logic but couldn't disagree with it. Instead she countered with a question. "How do you know so much already?" her voice was irritated. Naruto shrugged and offered a hand to pull her back to her feet.
Seeing an opening of her own she reached forward with both hands and yanked him down to her level. Cute. Her confidence could use the boost... he thought to himself once he felt the pressure redouble, and allowing his expression to shift to one of surprise he leaned into it on the full tug.
Her awkwardly delivered counter-attack managed to see him on his way to the ground after another moment and eating the tall grass this spot was chosen for, making the landing not exactly terrible save for one factor- he left his mouth open too long.
An instant after and he was spitting it aside with a scowl on his face. "Bleh! What kind of underhanded sneak attack was that?" he demanded. She suppressed a giggle at the look and pushed upward to her feet with a more pleasant if determined expression.
Hopping to his own feet Naruto changed tactics again on her. "Alright, come at me then! Let's see how well the last week is helping your offensive taijutsu." he said after a moment with some irritation mixed into his voice, and catching her startled look he mistook it for one of apprehension.
"Don't worry about knocking me around, just focus your attention to my movements and try to keep an eye on your own in the process. Learning to read a block is just as important as reading a strike." he told her more naturally.
"Yes, a very good note to consider... and one she should have picked up from me, child." spoke up a low feminine tone from behind his back. He turned slowly around and saw a woman he didn't really recognize standing there with her arms crossed, but the large dog at her side in addition to the twin markings across her cheeks helped him place her.
Kiba's mother? he guessed. Before he could say anything Sakura bowed respectfully and greeted the elder kunoichi. "Inuzuka-sensei." she said softly. The other woman tsked and stepped forward, revealing the small boy standing in her shadow. The younger Kiba hadn't really caught his attention as much until now, a slight scowl on his features and no pup in sight.
"I don't have as much time today as I usually would, so we'll concentrate on your offensive tactics as the boy was saying." Tsume Inuzuka told her firmly, flicking her rather feral looking eyes back in the other twos direction. "You, go play with Kiba or something until we're done here. Keep at eye on them Kuromaru." she ordered in an equally firm tone.
Naruto blinked at being so easily dismissed but accepted it after a few moments consideration, nodding his head and waving good bye to Sakura. He approached Kiba as Kuromaru silently trotted at his side, as if keeping an eye on the jinchuriki wary for an attack. This effect was not missed by Naruto.
Fukasaku rested on his haunches before the Hokage, a grim expression etched into his features. The appearance of the toad had caused some apprehension for Sarutobi to begin with, but as the silence drew out longer and longer his unease grew with it.
At last Fukasaku opened his eyes and broke the silence. "Who is Naruto." it may have been intended as a question, but the way it was spoke fell clearly as a statement, the tone almost deadened.
Sarutobi's eyes thinned as he leaned forward. "What has happened that you would ask that name?" he questioned in turn. The small toad looked up at him flatly and rose up as hi as his height would allow.
"Jiraiya-sans last words spoke of a 'Naruto' and this village. He spoke of asking 'Naruto' why this had happened. And he spoke of a prophecy before his final breath fled. So I ask you again, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who is Naruto." the voice had grown heavy with emotion as the toad went on.
The Hokage let out a low moan of anguish at that news. "I will seek him out myself if you would remain silent." Fukasaku added with equal amounts of frustration and sadness.
Ah... ah, Naruto! I warned you this would happen, I told you not to give away the truth so easily... and look at what it has cost this world so dearly! Jiraiya should yet still breath nearly a decade longer... Sarutobi thought, closing his eyes and raising one hand to block sight of the few tears gathering in place there.
The aged toad let him have several minutes of quiet to resolve his feelings over Jiraiya-san's loss before saying again, "Who is Naruto." and this time, the Hokage answered. His response did little to ease Fukasaku's mind however.
"Minato Namikaze's son."
Kiba gave him a sidelong glance as Naruto and he entered the park a little ways off. "When did you get so proficient?" he demanded at last. The jinchuriki returned his sidelong glance as Kuromaru settled down on his front paws before the bench they sat down on, lone ear perked back and just as interested by the answer.
"What, you didn't think I spent all my time pranking, did you? I mean, I had to develop some skill to keep out of the ANBU's reaching hands and the other occasional threat around." Naruto evaded quickly.
Kiba sensed the lie at hand. "C'mon! What other threat's around that could bring a slacker like you up to the skills you've been slinging around so casually the last few months? Huh?" his brash tone was apparently just as firm at eight as it was at twelve and beyond, but he seemed more curious than angry.
"... Promise not to tell your mom?" the jinchuriki asked. Kiba spared a flicker of attention down to Kuromaru before nodding his head, knowing how intelligent the partner dog was and hoping to have his own some day.
Naruto sighed theatrically before saying "You'll have to defeat me to find out!" and sliding off the bench, striding into the open land a few feet away and turning back toward him. You're still way, way too young to know. And besides, unlike Sakura you'll definitely get the training you need along the way, Kiba. he thought.
Kiba frowned. "No fair! You're way too fast for me to catch up to, and I don't even have Akamaru yet!" he complained. Naruto's eyes widened at the name. "A-akamaru?" he murmured back.
Kiba's eyebrows met together at the tone. "You think it's a bad name? I've been struggling to find a good one for once the new litter is born in a few months. Mom said I might get a pup of my own soon!" his excitement over the possibility altered his tone quickly, and inside Naruto breathed a sigh of relief.
For a moment I thought he might have come back somehow too. Oh yeah, he's waiting on an answer! he thought before smiling. "It's a great name." he said, but anything else he might have had in mind vanished at the sight of a small figure moving rapidly across the landscape in leaps and bounds toward him.
Kuromaru stirred as the creature approached and Kiba turned toward it as well. Before the toad had even reached them Naruto recognized him, and his mouth grew dry at why Fukasaku was here alone. Is Jiraiya hurt? he wondered. Within ten seconds the toad landed before him and settled in silence, looking Naruto over in consideration.
When Kiba made to approach Kuromaru reached up with a paw and shoved him back into the bench, whispering rapidly to stay put and shut up. Annoyed the young Inuzuka did as instructed and Naruto leaned down, eyes wide and concerned. "Toad-sama?" he asked softly.
Fukasaku frowned at the honorific and asked "Are you Naruto?" quietly. "Yes." he answered. "... " pausing to look over to the other two the toad turned and pointed at the Hokage Tower. "We've much to say, Naruto Namikaze. Come."
Two weeks after Jiraiya's death and at last his funeral was coming about. The stasis jutsu used by the Great Toad Sage had preserved his body long enough for that, at least, even though it also served to keep the wound that ran across his throat intact.
He was laid atop a bed of sunken stone a short distance away from where he had died, features set not in the agony of his wound and exhaustion but that of a distorted grimace, as though attempting to laugh away his pain and only partially succeeding.
Six burning staffs rested along either side of the body as the community of toads gathered around, and with them stood a handful of humans. The Hokage Sarutobi had a far more natural grimace set as he looked upon his former student with regret and sadness, outfit more in-tune with his battle clothing.
Beside Sarutobi stood his summons, Enma, silently regarding the fallen Sannin with crossed arms and a low scowl. On the other side a younger Shizune stood in place for Tsunade, who had been unwilling to come to yet another funeral for a loved friend, and though Shizune did not recognize him by memory she knew him on sight from the descriptions.
A single paper bird rested high in the air above the toad oil fountain and relayed the sight far across the distance to it's master, and so took notice of the unwanted cobra looking out from the ground on the edge of the area.
And perhaps most important of all stood a far more matured Naruto. His henge flickered around the edges from time to time as his body was racked by quiet sobs, and the tears ran freely and shamefully down his face. On the far left side the Great Toad Sage rested and motioned for them to speak what they would before the final ceremony was performed upon the body.
"You prevented much tragedy from occurring by this sacrifice, Jiraiya-san, though it would have made my heart ache so much less if only you had asked my aide before embarking on your final journey. I wish you had accepted the offer of Hokage so long ago, that you had lived to the fullest that could have yet come to pass... " closing his eyes Sarutobi turned and retreated some distance away, unable to face the body of his once-student any further.
Enma spoke firmly and surprisingly softly. "Well done, Jiraiya. You accomplished what should have been done several years ago." and with that walked over to Sarutobi's side again with a grim look.
Shizune looked around at the others and waited to see if one of them would speak up and at length contributed her piece to the funeral. "I, um, I and Tsunade-sama wish we could have been there for you, Jiraiya-sama. Her pain burns too much to see you off at last... please forgive her!" bowing her head she joined the other two.
Naruto stepped up closer to the body and dropped to his knees, whispering to his once teacher. "I'm so sorry you had to pay this price, that it was you I had to lose to realize how serious life still is in the past... just as it was before, you gave me what I needed to survive and fight onward... and you've done it again, and you shouldn't have had to! I'm sorry Jiraiya, I'm so damn sorry I ever mentioned what I knew to you now!" his voice was hoarse by the time he was done, and he bowed his head entirely and rested it against the stone before growing still.
Each of the toads paid their final respects to him in turn before it was time for Shima and Fukasaku to do so. "You died making sure this world was a better place. We don't often agree on something, but on this we do, Jiraiya- you finally succeeded without us. If only the price of your victory hadn't been so high." they each retreated to the Great Toad Sage's side.
At last he himself spoke. "You only had the time to raise two students, Jiraiya-san, and one is gone beyond our reach; the other nearly so as well. Your prophecy will yet hold true if given the chance... and the hope it bares is soon to shine. Rest in contentment." and with that spoken slowly and carefully as he felt out each word the further in he went, the toads gathered before the fountain were given the gesture to go ahead.
One by one each ran a small container down into the oil and carried it over to the sunken stone where it was slowly poured over his body. After three rounds his body was beginning to lose it's color yet not the shape.
By seven the gray had overcome all others entirely and the texture was beginning to shift as well, but at twelve pourings the effect had at last come to pass. Jiraiya of the Sannin, the Toad Sage, student, teacher, friend, foe, had become one with Mount Myoboku for ever as the only human to retain their natural form when turned into a statue through the sacred oil.
His burning shrine would never go out, no matter how the outside world was changed.
The trip back to Konoha was taken the long way around for Naruto and Shizune. Sarutobi opted to return through the one-week portal the smaller toads could utilize and returned, allowing his tiring Shadow Clone still in the hidden village of the leaf to relax at last and vanish.
For the first two weeks of the journey neither talked much. It was only as Shizune paused at a junction that would take her back to the town where Tsunade was resting at that Naruto spoke to her.
"Tell her I'm sorry. I never meant for Jiraiya to die so early... and that if she ever wants to know who to blame, I'm as much at fault for his death as Orochimaru was." he said quietly. She looked torn between asking what he was talking about and simply bolting.
"If she wants to know more than that... Tsunade will have to come to Konoha and ask me herself. I hope she never does... it'll be safer for her that way." he added in the silence that followed. The kunoichi's eyes narrowed at that.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she questioned harshly. He paused in answering and looked her in the eye, an unwelcome expression of dismay on his face.
"... Protect her as dearly as you can, Shizune. Don't take chances, don't waste your life on something so worthless as a fight you can't win, just take her and leave, do you understand me? I won't lose another loved one to idiocy!" his voice rose in pitch as he carried on until he was finally shouting, and unconsciously the fox's dark red chakra began to gather around his back and shoulders.
Shizune blinked at his choice of words and he tore his vision away from the shocked expression, frustration rising. "I won't get another go at this again." he growled lowly before turning and shunshining as far as he could go over the landscape.
She was left staring as the dark red chakra gathered further around his body and eventually a low, piercing howl rang out from the direction he had been heading in. "What... what are you, Naruto Namikaze?" she whispered, bewildered.
About ten weeks since it began and the increase to their apprentice's chakra levels and physical stamina was very impressive, Kakashi considered, watching as the duo clashed again for the twentieth time in an hour.
No longer were they dealing with weighted backpacks and had instead progressed up to five and then ten pound weighted clothing. Sasuke alone at the time had an additional thirty pounds between his shirt, wrist bands and ankle bands, but it was Lee-san that progressed even further to the forty pounds marker.
The exercises, learning how to adjust their movements with the additional and more naturally placed weight would help them in combat situations down the road, and again as Sasuke bounded up a tree somewhat sloppily but easily to gain a better vantage point for going after his eternal rival from the air it made his sensei smile wryly beneath the mask.
Soon. So soon it's making my skin crawl in anticipation, but soon you will be ready for the First Gate, Sasuke. And when your Sharingan awakens within you as well each new Gate that follows will push you to your limits as a shinobi. Kakashi thought cautiously, aware how dangerous this plan was but knowing when it paid off the success would be worth every moment of pain.
End Chapter Sixteen.