Rise from the Dark, Step from the Shadow

by MadScrivenings

Crazy Naruto AU. Semi-crack. My first poor attempt at a story. Plot bunnies and other problems like grammar, poor writing, bad ideas, and other stuff galore. Sharingans, girls like Naruto, there is an insane slug summoner, crazy plans, secrets, and hatred. NOT NARU/HINA Not a crossover, no matter who I add from other universes. Sequel Out.

6. Chapter 6: Gates, Truths, and Powers

CH: 5 Gates and Truths, Powers unleashed

AN: Yes, I am back! I really wish I could mess with this story on the weekdays and make more, longer chapters, but the only time I have to do so is on Saturdays and Sundays.

Also, only four things I want to cover. One is that Narumi is weak because most characters who are pampered from berth are weak. There are very few examples where they aren't regardless of how strong their parents are. Most powerful people had either a bad background or aren't living with their real parents and grew up with a strange background.

Two, Minato and Kushina will come to play. Simply, my story would fall apart if I suddenly had Naruto's blood parents rush up to him and start kissing his $$ major hardcore like.

Three, the dreaded pairing. I thank all of you who have voted, and dealt with that nasty business. So the important moment, what's the pairing. Well... that's for you to find out. So no more bitching in the comments(I can already feel the hate building for this) and I won't have to bore you with these long Author Notes.

Four, in regards to Naruto killing everybody and generally being a blood thirsty bastard. What is it you want people. First you want Naruto to just off Hinata and then get shit done. Then you want Naruto to go nuke-nin and biju bomb the shit outta Konoha. Now it's like a conglomerate of that with a pairing thrown in and the few people who like Hinata like me and are desperately trying to save her. It's all a mess.

Anyway, read the story or give me some comments on my bad story and grammar and whatnot. I look forward to all comments.

PS: Ole Plums said last chapter was crappy. And I AGREE. There is just the simple problem with completely changing everything in a fic. It's that it is very difficult to do so AND keep the story good. There are so many consistency problems that must be planned for and fixed and it makes the people's fics on this site that can do so amazing. I am not as good as those people. Also, the problem with making a character powerful is that until he is fighting people who are his power level you have to lower his levels or raise others. I raised rather then downgrade.

This is my first fic. So don't judge too harshly.

"Hello" normal talking

"Time to die" mental thoughts

"I like donuts" biju/demon/jinchuuriki using biju chakra

"I shall lace the donuts with poison" mental thoughts of biju e.t.c

PS: I don't condone rape. It is a horrible thing and can and will happen both ways. It isn't only bad men who do it, if a woman wants to she can simply knock out the person she wants and tie them up or threaten them with a gun, and don't say men would enjoy it because that is very sexist and inconsiderate of all victims of rape and sexual abuse.

…...Hinata's perspective...

The onlookers stared in awe at the momentous clash of taijutsu happening before their very eyes. The two fighter's chakra rolling off the two in tidal waves. Each successive increase in chakra making the battle that more astonishing. One such onlooker happened to be Temari who stood next to me as I winced with each strike that neared Naruto-kun. My index fingers pressing against each other in a display of nervous energy.

"He's amazing," I heard a voice say and realized it was my own.

The girl next to me looked at me and nodded before replying in a her own smooth tone, "Who exactly is Naruto? He is your teammate right?"

I eep'ed mentally before answering, "He is Naruto Namikaze, son of the Fourth and the red death of Konoha, Minato and Kushina Namikaze." I blurted this all out, not a thought towards consequences or all of the information I had provided the older female. I noticed a look of realization overtook the Sabaku child before she exclaimed, "So he is the... container," she finished weakly.

"Yes," I mumbled. I was completely out of both my safe zone and my element in not only this conversation, but the entire exam. I had easily breezed through the first nine questions in the written portion due to my bloodline which was a skill given to me by my family. I didn't do anything during the team part because Gaara kept himself and I safe the whole time while Lee completely trounced the team he found. Another victory I got from someone.

I winced once more at the powerful strikes Lee was throwing at my Naruto-kun. My... Naruto-kun. How I longed to say those words aloud next to the person in question. To be as strong as my father wanted. But I doubted the possibility of both with each passing day. Not only was I weak of skill, but also of mind. Nothing that I have ever done to prove myself to my father or Naruto measuring up to their standards.

I had even deluded myself in to thinking something had grown between myself and Naruto in this very forest in what seemed so long ago. Then I had stopped his heart, literally. I hadn't even thought the attack was going to land nor get near him. Then before I knew what I was doing, I was trying to save Naruto without dieing myself from all the accidental kissing that was required to resuscitate him.

I then bore witness to all my teachers around me scolding Naruto for almost dieing in their own strange way of caring. I wondered why he was so apathetic through it all though. Even I could see they care that each woman was conveying through their eyes, yet Naruto reminded me of a whipped animal who no longer responded to the whippings. Just layed there and took it like he thought he deserved it.

The paradox of blaming and caring at the same time for the boy of my dreams, and all that just for my own mistake. Naruto's beautiful blue eyes, the only thing you could see of his face even if it was only small slits, showing the defeat he felt. I did nothing to help after that either, my own insecurities stopping me.

I was brought back to reality when the Suna-kuinochi snapped her fingers in front of my eyes. "I think your teammates is about to lose," was her words.

My pulse suddenly dropped before hitting overdrive. I gripped the handrail tightly, staring at Naruto-kun and screamed, "Go Naruto-kun!" Nothing around me mattered. Just the only thing that gave me hope, my love, on the ground his eyes staring glazed at the ceiling. The mask he always wore was smashed and the blue eyes it always hid bare to the world, crying blood most likely because of the shards from his mask that peppered his face. The bowl-cut ninja seeming lost to his fatal move he was unleashing on the prone boy.

…...Naruto's perspective...

I growled as Lee hit his 5th gate. I couldn't push anymore chakra through myself or I'd risk my muscles exploding. Before I could react I was punched into the air, my mask inexplicably destroyed beyond all repair. Another blow and I was on the ground listening to my bones crack and feeling my eyes clench in pain. Long over now was my sudden battle euphoria. Just the sad fact that a boy who could only use chakra when he released his body's gates was going to kill me.

All my work, all my training, all my sweat, blood, and spine breaking effort(pun included). It all meant nothing, nothing at all. The best part was that my sad monologues were becoming a common occurrence for myself. Even though I thought I was so self sufficient, not needing another person to support me, I always collapsed and was left to pity myself like a loser.

But regardless of my notation of my disappointing self-deprecation, I could add another mark to my long list of failures. A failure of a son, a failure of a jinchuuriki, a failure of a ninja, and most of all a failure of a human being. Hell, I wasn't even human anymore, just some sad half-breed.

I closed my eyes in an attempt to cleanse the blood dripping from my eyes before opening them to watch my end as a way to gain some final forgiveness for being such a failure.

Then like a beacon of light, of hope, a ray of strength from another soul of related history. My memory syncopating the similarities. The horrible backgrounds of uncaring families, of working ourselves into the ground for nothing, not even a glance. No love, acknowledgment, something to hold, love, touch, cherish. Of siblings being favored, of quiet nights contemplating why we stay, why we continue living and don't just end it all.

I then felt it, the feeling I have always heard of. This strength of will, the want, the fire pulsing in my veins to protect and prove myself to another. The feeling was incredible, and it now made my sudden feelings, my sudden connection to Hinata. My soul already knew I had found my solution, I just didn't understand. I now knew... I knew my will of fire and it burned strong even as the rain poured. It's spark having always yelled at me, even now.

And to believe I found this self realization all because of Hinata yelling, "GO NARUTO-KUN!"

…... Kyuubi's perspective...

I giggled at the thoughts that went through the head of my container, my love. It was all going so swimmingly. My little Naruto had realized the kindred backgrounds of his little teammate and himself. Yet he didn't even question where he got the knowledge of the Hyuuga's background. The perks of his half-demon blood was delicious, mighty and potent, with limits he didn't even know. Just a little accidental mind reading during a couple interactions between the two, a little kiss that creates the and seals the connection, the sudden death and reanimation of demonized Uzumaki blood, and voila. The memories came, and I collected and with-held them, and when I felt the time was right, released them and sat back to watch the show.

The show of course was already so good, but now, now it was riveting. I only needed a few more pushes and then Naruto would have reached the second goal I had made for him. Just a few more cards, and a few more pawns that needed to be collected and crumbled and all would be ready for stage three, for the revenge.

…...Naruto's perspective...

My chakra flared, and my hand raised to catch the falling foot. Lee stopped cold, not a sound in the room other then the wind being displaced by the chakra rolling off of myself and Lee. I yanked the boy downwards, ignoring my already mending broken arm, unbalancing him and slammed my left elbow into his face. The chakra covered "chakra-less" ninja flew backwards along the ground before returning to his feet.

Lee dashed forward, the air waves cracking from his intense speed. My sharingan whirled and I ducked low before launching my arms onto the ground behind me and released a frontal donkey kick into Lee's now blocking arms, the two of us seeming to freeze-frame for a moment before regaining our wits.

Lee grabbed my legs and yanked me towards him, his fist flying towards my face. I twisted my head aside in mid-air and Lee's jab barely glanced my ear, sending a ringing through my skull. I headbutted the green ninja, worsening the ringing and causing my forehead to bleed, the blood mingling with my blood tears, that weren't really tears at all but cuts from my mask imploding on my face.

The two different sources of hemoglobin streamed down my face and I formed a massive amount of chakra, nearly all I had left, into one final and dense rasengan.

Time slowed as I threw my hand forward, the chakra construct filled with flecks of red blood that fell from my face into it. The blood altered the color making an evil looking purple rasengan that throbbed with power. In one full movement my attack blasted towards a still stunned Lee and the ninja was sent flying back into the wall. It was there Lee hung, implanted into the thick stone wall some thirty feet above the floor before falling forward only to be caught by his sensei.

I fell to my knees and rested on them and stared around the room. Looks of fear and hate somehow super imposing themselves over the looks of awe and wonder. I sat there just watching, the blood flowing from my head staining my hair red. Unknowingly my sharingan twitched, the tomoe attempting to morph into something before returning to the normal three tomoe, seemingly haven gave up. If the people in the crowd had looked closer, they might have seen the craziness my eyes held.

But the only one who held my gaze was Hinata. Her up curled lips. The joy she had at my victory, a real step towards proving that I exist, that I am human. That I am better than my father.

…...Hinata's perspective...

I watched the proctor lift Naruto's arm as he yelled, "Winner!" I applauded along with a few other people, my claps easily rising above other people's claps, even Narumi's own enthusiastic thunder. Then Naruto was lead away to the infirmary along with Lee who was carried by Gai and the board flickered.

Kiba and Gaara's names came up and the two quickly traveled to the ground floor. The battle was quick and painful with Gaara shattering Kiba's arm with his sand and threatening to the same to his nin-pup's entire body. Gaara won.

The board flickered again and this time the names Narumi and Karin flashed. The two kuinochi jumped down and after a few punches, Narumi simply rushed the other red head and beat her into submission with her haphazard street brawler style. Before Narumi was called winner though, the red-headed Namikaze strangely bent down and whispered something into the grass-nin's ear and said said grass-nin's face went red.

The board continued doing it's job and then proclaimed the names Sasuke and Karui. After a slightly intense battle, Sasuke won and Karui was left to stalk away glaring at her hands while lost in thought.

I gulped at what was coming next. My cousin leered at me, his eyes showing his brimming anger. I shuffled down the walkway, already moping internally at my incoming defeat that shall surely come. Neji faced me and glared and I flinched. He then spoke, his voice low and condescending.

"You should forfeit Hinata-sama. You and I both know fate has slotted you to lose and I to win," Neji finished with a dark grin.

With every word I fell further into my own pit of worries and anxieties. Then I noticed the drops of blood under my feet. The blood from Naruto-kun. I thought about the confidence I had gained to help Naruto-kun and abruptly clenched my fists.

"NO, Neji, I will not forfeit. Nothing you can say will make me give up like you. Now proctor start the fight please." I said clearly and coherently, without nary a stutter. I then dropped low and steadily into my Jukenpo stance. For once I wouldn't hesitate or second guess myself. Neji reciprocated the action and the proctor yelled begin.

Neji was off like a rocket and he and I were exchanging blows, blocking and attacking in some sort of synonymous and deadly dance. I reveled in my sudden strength, and then I actually hit Neji. A strong hit to his stomach and he slid backwards. Neji seemed to become livid from my attack and his speed became monstrous and his body flew forward, his blows savage and brutal.

I struggled to return his ferocity and then the tides were turned and I could do little to stop his ferocious charge. His strikes were like lightning and thunder, neither far from each other. With one final rush from Neji, I was thrown to the ground, dozens of my tenketsu closed. I groaned as blood trickled from my mouth.

From where I was on the ground I could see the proctor preparing to name Neji the winner, the smug satisfaction on my cousin's face apparent. I surged to my feet, anger coursing through my body, from head to toe, and my chakra flared to visibility.

"NO! I will not lose! Not to you Neji! Not to the world or anyone else! You have forced me to this! For years I have been forgotten, treated as a weak heiress and a failure of a Hyuuga. You will not take this small victory from me!" I roared, all securities, all thoughts of consequences meaning nothing to me anymore. I had to win at all costs.

I put my hands together in the forbidden Hyuuga seal reserved for punishing only the worst crimes or mistakes by branch members and Neji fell to the ground, clutching his skull. The smug look was gone now as he writhed on the floor. I stopped after a few seconds and the boy faded into unconsciousness. I was the victor! Not him! I was! As soon as the proctor yelled victor, I ran to go find Naruto-kun.

…...Naruto's perspective... Naruto: age 4...

I clutched my stomach as my back was kicked by the old smelly cook. His daughter stood in the back ground, barely visible through the curtains of the small restaurant. The girl was distracting my family with loud conversation, completely over-riding my own small pleas for help. I had simply asked to use the restroom and the old cook had said I could use the one they had in the back. I was pulled over the counter and as soon as I was close to the restroom the man tripped me and had started wailing on me.

For the next twenty minutes of my life I had to watch my Mother and Father happily talk with the old man's daughter, the only one noticing me being kicked being Narumi who said nothing and went back to slurping her noodles rather then look through the curtains cracks and watch me be beaten.

On the way home no one even glanced at my beaten form. No one noticed the harsh glares I received or the hushed whispers. My family just chatted together, Narumi between my mother and father, being swung back and forth and her face covered by a massive grin.

On that night I decided I hated ramen. I also decided I never wanted to see the Ichiraku ramen stand again.

…... Naruto: age 6...

I sat on the tree swing outside my own house, kicking the dirt and thinking about nothing. It was two A.M in the morning and my house doors were locked so I couldn't get in. Minato and Kushina hadn't noticed when they called Narumi and I in that I hadn't come in right away and locked the door. That had been at eight O'clock P.M. I had even knocked on the door for an hour with no response. So I just sat at in the light rain fall, kicking my feet in my shorts and t-shirt. This was the fifty-second time this had happened, I was counting. I didn't understand why they didn't notice I hadn't come in.

…...Naruto: age 8... October tenth...

I furtively glanced around myself in the back alley of one of Konoha's many streets. Lights sparkled above head and shadows were cast as looked about. I had been doing this every year since I was five, and the instinct to look around me before I did this was ingrained into me. As soon as I had made sure I was alone, I removed a few bricks from a wall and slipped into the hollow space of earth I had dug under them before replacing the bricks.

In the hollow space was a ratty mat and pillow, a small box with a candle and a box of matches, and another slightly bigger box clear of everything. I moved the one foot difference between myself and the box and plopped down. I ruffled through my jacket before finding a scroll and pulled it out. I unrolled the scroll on the box and sent a jolt of chakra through it.

After the smoke from the summoning dissipated, a slightly lopsided cupcake was shown. I reached into a pocket and pulled out a single candle and placed it onto the cupcake and grabbed a match from my match box. A quick flick and the match was lit and I topped the candle and the cupcake's candle with flame.

I shakily reached out my hand and picked up the red and orange cupcake. The thin paper cup it sat in feeling strange in my hand. The frosting on it slightly melting from the heat of the small space. My own harsh breathing filling the tiny bolt away. The loud fire works outside filling the air with their own explosions and the general chatter of the strolling civilians running through the streets and enjoying the on going festival of the Kyuubi's defeat.

I slowly intoned to myself in the dark hole, the earthy smell filling my nose, "Happy...birthday...too me, happy birthday...too...me, happy...birthday too... meeee, happy birthday too...me." I then just stared at the cupcake, not really feeling hungry anymore. I also knew somewhere across the village Narumi was being clapped at as she blew out 10 candles on a big cake, and then ripped into a mountain of presents she no doubt had.

…...Naruto: age 9...June 9th...(Itachi dies later this year)...

I wrapped my jacket around me as I walked around Konoha. The streets were dark and the streetlamps far and few in between. Every other alley seemed to be filled with the harsh grunts of older men and the sickening fake moans of street whores. The brightly lit buildings and their red lights proudly proclaiming what they were. A bar there and a strip joint there. An old alcohol store, a run down pharmacy.

I just pulled up my collar and walked slightly faster, trying to ignore the few times when I was younger when I had been thrown to the ground in the very alleys around her and forced to endure fake nails clawing my skin and fat wannabe pimps smacking me with their canes. Of the one time when an extremely drunk woman who was a kuinochi who had tied me up and done... unmentionable things to me. Her cracked lips touching my skin and her rough hands running up and down my body. Showers didn't come hot enough.

I walked faster.

Today was Itachi's birthday and I remembered a tea shop that sold a type of tea Itachi had once told me he liked. It was only a plus that the chop accepted anyone. I entered the tea shop and quickly selected the special variety of jasmine tea. I went over to the old woman sitting behind the counter, her name tag stating in swirly hand writing her name was Yukon Fumi. She didn't even give me a second look and handed me back the bag of tea leaves in a cheap plastic bag.

I nearly ran all the way to Itachi's home but I knew if I showed up earlier then eight O'clock that Itachi or if his mother answered would invite me in. This would cause Fugaku to have a miserable mood for the rest of the evening because he didn't like me and because Sasuke wanted to do anything to be like his father and would instantly copy the man and would generally ruin Itachi's birthday. I couldn't let my lowly presence do that to the man who was so nice to me.

I arrived at Itachi's house and stood there staring at the door from across the street for an hour, my hands clutching the tea bag like a lifeline. When I finally saw the door open and Itachi stepped out, obviously on his way to his apartment, I dropped down. Itachi didn't even blink before slowly raising his hand and poking me in the middle of the forehead.

"Hi there Naruto-kun, what are you doing out so late?" We both knew he was just asking that as a greeting, the two of us knew of my family problem but after I begged him to ignore it and not go attempt to assassinate the Hokage, we just didn't talk about it.

"I... I wanted to give you this," I lifted the bag so he could take it. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. You didn't need to get this for me," Itachi said. I tried to not glance at the obviously way more expensive gifts he had in his other hand, simply being glad Itachi liked my gift. Itachi then ruffled my hair, only the second time he had ever did so and began walking home, his hand gesturing me to follow him. I did and when we reached his house he invited me in and I got to stay the night, sleeping on his small couch.

I wondered as I layed there at night if it was sad I felt more liked here than I did at home.

…... Naruto's perspective... Present...

I groaned as I finally got out of the infirmary, less than twenty minutes and my over-powered healing factor had fully healed me and half my chakra had already refilled. I had used far too much chakra during my battle with Lee. On my way back to the way back to watch the remaining fights, I ran into Hinata who immediately latched onto me and made me flinched heavily though Hinata didn't seem to notice as she excitedly told me she had won. As soon as I got her off me, I congratulated her and the two of us made our way back to the main hall where everybody was gathering on the ground floor.

The Hokage stood up and walked forward to speak with the gathered genin who had won.

"Thank all of you who have participated in this event. Congratulations to all of those who have made it to the third exam. Before we all leave and head either home or to hotels I want to tell you all the real reason for this exam. This isn't some way to find out who is chunin material or a way for the villages to show off their power. This exam is a proxy for war. To show which Village is the strongest. To present to all other villages their military power and to stave off real war," Minato finished with a dark note.

As everyone began to file out of the building, I felt a hand clamp onto my shoulder. I whirled around to see my father looking at me, a regretful look on his face.

"Naruto, we need to talk."

…...Kushina's perspective... The day after Minato discovered his son's life...

I hummed as I put away some groceries for supper later tonight. I had never thought as a child that I'd be a wife, much less a mother of two children, and what cute little children I had. A son with his father's features, but his mother's eye and head shape and a daughter who was the spitting image of me. They were wonderful. When the two were younger, I had to stay home and watch the two and somehow Naruto was always hurting himself when playing. I swore every moment he left my sight he would come back with a bruise or a cut.

I would have thought the wounds more serious if I hadn't once been the jinchuuriki of the very biju in my children's guts. I knew the beast would heal his wounds in twenty minutes, give or take a second. Then something seemed to happen between my children and me. Narumi seemed to become so much very closer to me while Naruto just seemed to grow away. I had thought it was a phase, but now after a few years, I worried for him.

Naruto was very anti-social. I wondered if I should set up a play date for the boy with Mikoto's son. Give him another friend. I quickly shook my head. Mikoto and I had a falling out a few years ago when her eldest Itachi had died. Mikoto never told me why she was so angry at me, but the two of us never reconciled.

I had just finished putting away the last of the groceries when I noticed something strange. Minato's office door was open. He never left it open. I trailed in to see the room a mess. Paper here, pens there. Books torn and the floor scuffed. Kunai were thrown against walls and there were even a few clumps of hair on the floor.

This was extremely weird. Hair clumps and a messy room, trashed thoroughly. I needed to speak with Minato. As I exited the room I suddenly ran into Minato, his eyes were blood shot and his face haggard. I didn't understand why he looked so bad, he was perfectly fine yesterday.

"What happened to you, Minato?!" I yelped.

"Kushina-chan, we have failed Naruto," was all Minato said.

"What! How?" I exclaimed eloquently.

"When was the last time you hugged Naruto," Minato asked. "What does that.." I started to ask but was abruptly cut off by Minato yelling, "When was the last time YOU hugged Naruto?!"

I racked my memory attempting to find the answer to his question. I thought, and thought. I couldn't remember the last time I had hugged him.

"What about made him lunch for the academy when he was in it, or bought him something, hell when was the last time you talked to him?!" Minato yelled. His breathing was ragged and his exhaustion suddenly became apparent to me.

I tried to remember doing any of those things but I came up with nothing. My mind raced, searching for any dates, for any one time I could remember I had done those things for Naruto. Just an empty mind came up every time.

"Why can't I think of anything Minato! Why?!" I roared, wanting answers. Minato's voice was almost so quiet that I didn't hear what he said, "because we failed him, Kushina, because we failed him."

I collapsed to the floor and sobbed for my son, my thoughts filled with self-hatred. I myself had a lonely child hood but my parents had been dead. I also still had a great grandmother for awhile of it. But Naruto, he had two parents yet, he was ignored. Ignored to an extreme measure that it seemed almost unbelievable. All of the times Naruto had come home hurt suddenly became surreal, the bruises and cuts looking more like they had come from a knife and a fist rather then falling and rocks.

The hurt look I remembered seeing Naruto giving every time I handed a bento box to Narumi. The nights where I didn't remember if I had tucked in Naruto. The birthday parties where Naruto never seemed to be around. I wanted to puke, it was that sickening.

"Where's Naruto Minato?! Where is my child! I need to beg for forgiveness!" I wailed.

"I'm not done Kushina, go look at his room," Minato demanded.

I quickly dashed to my son's room and promptly screamed at the deplorable state of the room. I wanted to beat myself with a stick when I glanced at the shitty bed that rotted in the corner. The bare closet making the few clothes that more apparent. The old desk with the drawings on it falling apart.

Tears dripped from my eyes and I wondered what sort of monster was I.

…...Naruto's perspective...

"Naruto, we need to talk."

I glared at Minato. "What about," I hissed. The man seemed to be hit physically by my words. I grinned.

Minato suddenly forced a pitiful smile and said, "Well your mother is planning on training Narumi and I thought since your birthday is coming up and all that I could teach some of your father's old tricks."

"Cut the act old man, I know this isn't what you want to talk about so spit out," I growled dangerously. The nerve of the man, trying tho schmooze me over with his techniques.

The fake smile fell, "I... I am sorry son. I am sorry for what I did to you. For what you endured. If I had known, if I hadn't ignored the signs, if I hadn't been such a bad father..." I cut him off.

"I don't need your pity. I grew up without you watching over my shoulder as my ribs were kicked in by your civilians and I don't need you now or your wife Kushina. The two of you and Narumi can go die. Hell, it would save me the trouble of kicking your ass. Mark my words, one day we are going to fight, and when we do, you'll either be drowning in a puddle of your own blood or I'll be dead. Either way I will be out of this hell hole. Now if you excuse me Hokage-Sama I need to train for my next fight."

I ran away, ignoring Minato's words for me to come back. I had anger to blow off and this forest would do.

…...Minato's perspective...

"Well he's a handful Minato," I heard the slow drawl of my sensei. I turned my burning eyes to him and his face immediately sobered. "What's wrong Minato," he asked.

"Jiraiya-sensei, I have failed my son," I mumbled, the tears already flowing down my face. The only witness to my despair.

"How so?" Jiraiya asked seriously. I quickly explained what Kushina and I had done unpurposely. Jiraiya's face growing grimmer with each word. "That's one hell of a screw up Minato. How are you gonna fix this one?" "I don't know sensei, I just don't know," I replied.

Next chapter: Training with a Drunk Lady

AN: Whew, what a chapter. No more book to guide me so this was all free-type. I think it went pretty well. A little Kushina time, a little Minato time, and a whole lotta stuff occurred. Review and tell what's up.