Disclaimer: Not owning anything at all.

Minato was bristling with anger; some sonnova bitch has just managed to steal the Forbidden Scroll! Minato kicked the papers from the desk; he knew he should've tightened the security around the Manor. But no, he was lulled into safety with Sarutobi's soft words: 'Nothing will happen? Who will want that scroll, now?' How the fuck did he believe such words? More important, how the fuck did the thief get past Sarutobi? He was the third Hokage, for Kami's sake!

Minato sighed, dumping himself in the chair. He already sent his best shinobi's out to find the thief and the Scroll; but that didn't mean he could relax. The thief was found- it was a Chunnin Instructor at the Academy, Mizuki something. After a great deal of interrogation later, they found it was his mission, given from Orochimaru, to steal it. The Yondaime gritted his teeth; he ought to kill the mother fu…

Anyways, what was amiss in the whole situation was the Scroll itself. Ii couldn't be found, no matter what they did. The place where Mizuki said he hid it was empty; leading them to believe Orochimaru got his hands on it already. Damn him!

Minato sighed again, deciding it was best to check his home- it was Naru-chan's Graduation Day, and his bright blob of energy has successfully passed the test. Not that Minato worried, he though smugly. Like everything, Naruto probably did it leaving others breathless.

Finding a little bit of hope and light in this gloomy day, he continued on his way. But then, he remembered; what now? Naruto will begin doing missions; no doubt he will pass the other test. And, try as he could, he couldn't protect Naruto from everything.

D-Rank mission were easy, but soon, his boy will outgrow them and move on to harder. The one out of the village. The panic started to settle into his worried mind; what if that masked shinobi, which Minato dubbed as Madara, found him? What if Naruto gets kidnapped? Or worse, somebody, anybody hurts him? Kill him?

Oh hell no! Minato thought and quickly Hirashined to his home. Not noticing the smug looking Kushina, he tackled the blonde youth in orange T-shirt and white shorts.

Naruto looked up to his father, confused. When he saw the panic-stricken face he sprouted, he smiled. Minato eyed the hitai-ate on his forehead, sulkily.

"Hi dad! Look, I'm a ninja now!" Minato squeezed tighter, trying to find a way to drop Naruto from shinobi ranks. That would be for the best, right?

"Hey dad!" Said his little boy, only… He didn't open his mouth. Minato whirled around and his mouth fell; there it was, a perfect copy (clone!) of his adorable son, holding the Forbidden Scroll, no less. The clone was grinning foxily, twirling the Scroll between his hands.

"I think you lost something!" It threw the Scroll to Minato and then disappeared in a puff of smoke. Minato turned incredulous eye towards his wife, who simply giggled.

"Wha.. How… Who?" Naruto shrugged, still wearing the goofy grin:

"I found it in some old house, near the forest." Thank God, Minato thought. "And so, I opened it and started practicing the first te…" Wait, what? He opened it? Minato was just about ready to panic. "And when I did, I thought I better come home, coz it did seem familiar…" Of course it did, how many times had he seen this very scroll in Sandaime's house?

Minato sighed:

"Naruto… Why did you learn from it?" Naruto bended his head a little, giving off a very cute image. Minato so wished he could hug him, but now he had some problems to deal with.

"Ku-chan said so." Gah, the damn fox! "He said, for ours large reservoir of chakra, Kage Bunshin is much better than a regular one."

Kushina, who was silent up until now, said:

"True. I myself had problems with controlling Bunshins in the Academy."

Kushina flowed into the room, stood beside Naruto and hugged him to her chest.

"Oh, how proud I am! My angel, a Gennin! And he learned a Kage Bunshin in a day! Isn't it amazing, Mina-chan?" Minato, who let the nickname slide, took a look. The both of them were smiling expectantly, giving him shiny, heart-warming smiles. Minato chuckled, before he joined the group hug.

The next morning, he went personally to Sarutobi's house, delivered the Scroll and spent a quality time of half an hour in total between nagging for his slip and boasting about his boy.

Now, he mussed while walking back to the Tower, if only Naruto doesn't pass the second test….

Chapter XIV Preview: Sasuke was somewhere near the seventh cloud; he made it to Naru-chan's team! Yay for him! Now, if only he didn't get those two other perverts/creeps along the way. How dare that pale assed freak take his Naruto's time? The freak must be eliminated, if not for the sake of Naruto's innocence, then for his sane mind.

A/N: I am terribly sorry for the delay, and here, let me explain why I didn't update this week-end:

Saturday and Sunday were pre and election days in my country; we had Presidential, Parliamentary and Citizen ones, meaning three at the same time. It was such a ruckus, especially for me.

I was the unlucky one suckered into being in the comity to watch over and lead the elections. And to clean the mess after the they pass. Not to mention counting the votes, Oh God!, which I'm never, ever doing again. I don't care if the pay is good, my feet, hands, back, head and whatnot hurts like a bitch!

So, there you have it, the reasons I didn't update. I couldn't get near my home, nor my computer at all for the past two days. It was wake up, work, go home, pass out routine for me.

ReSpOnD tImE:

MugetsuIchigo: Now thanking you for reviewing officially!

OracionMist: I love all of your ideas! You know what- we should write a story together! Tnx for reviewing!

xXxLKxXx: Can't- Hinata has to be on a tracking team; but no worries, rivalry will stay. And I did have and idea like that for Sai…

eun-nao: I know! 3 Tnx!

jayley: Thank you! I love them all also!

Demon Enma: Well, I love Kiba, Shika and Chouji- I can't have them hating the Naru-chan! And about the Kyuu… We'll see exactly.