Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Chapter 2
A Chance
Namikaze Minato, Yondaime Hokage, looked up from his desk as the door opened. A huge smile lit his features at the sight of his sensei, Jiraiya, the Toad Sage. He stood up and walked around his desk to hug the man. "Sensei!" he exclaimed. "I am glad to see you. How are you?"
Jiraiya returned the hug. "Oh, fine, fine, Minato. You?"
The Hokage was holding him at arm's length now, hands on his shoulders. "I'm well, except for this stupid paperwork," he replied, gesturing behind him, dropping his hands to his sides.
Jiraiya chuckled. "Why do you think I turned down the job?"
Minato laughed at that, but then got down to business. He leaned on the edge of his desk and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Well, now, sensei, your message said you had someone to introduce to me. Have you finally brought your student to Konoha?"
"Aa."
"I have to say, I'm intrigued. Why now?"
"He's ready now."
The Yondaime laughed. "I should hope so, after three years with a Sannin." He gestured to the door. "Bring him in. I've been anxious to meet your new student since you first wrote to me about him. Anyone you decided to take on must be special."
Jiraiya looked at him with an unreadable expression on his face, his earlier joviality gone. Minato wasn't sure why, but he suddenly felt nervous. His palms were sweaty.
"Aa," the big man said softly. "He is, indeed, special." He raised his voice. "Naruto," he called, never taking his eyes from his other student's face.
Minato shot him a questioning glance at the name. Naruto…that was a name from Jiraiya's first book wasn't it? He was certain it was. He hadn't thought about that book in years, not since…he turned his mind abruptly from that train of thought and focused his eyes on the door. He had sensed the presence waiting there of course, and he was curious to meet this boy. Especially after what Jiraiya had said.
A young man, maybe fifteen or sixteen, walked in after a brief pause. His eyes were downcast and his gold, spiky hair stuck out in all directions, only restrained by a black headband. The Hokage blinked, his breath catching in his throat. The hair…it was very familiar hair.
What...?
Before he could get any further in his thoughts, the young man, Naruto, clenched his hands into fists and raised his head, looking directly at Minato. And Minato found he couldn't breathe at all.
Were it not for a few small differences, he could have been looking in a mirror. The boy's eyes were exactly the same shade of blue as his own, though the shape was different. The boy had wide, round eyes, while Minato's were narrower and slightly slanted. The boy's mouth was a little wider and he had four dark marks on his cheeks that resembled whiskers. But the shape of the face, the nose, the jaw line, they were all the same.
He was staring at the boy, and the boy was staring back, his face blank. But his eyes were full of something, some feeling, or maybe multiple feelings that Minato couldn't begin to identify in his own confused and shocked state. Minato didn't want to know what his own face looked like—it probably wasn't good. He should say something. He was the Hokage. There had to be a rational explanation for this. A reason why a boy who could be his double had just walked into his office, brought there by his teacher.
He tried to open his mouth, but found it was open already, so he closed it instead. His hands had fallen to his sides, bracing himself on the desk. He took in a great shuddering breath and tried again. His mouth opened properly this time, but nothing came out. Thankfully, Jiraiya decided to rescue him. Or at least, that's what he thought he was doing. It didn't actually help any.
"Minato, this is Uzumaki Naruto."
"Uzumaki…" the Hokage managed to croak out, sounding an awful lot like one of Jiraiya's toads. It would have been incredibly funny if it wasn't so damn serious.
"Aa," Jiraiya said softly. "Uzumaki."
Then the boy did something that neither of them expected. Minato thought he couldn't be more shocked, but he was wrong.
Jiraiya had disappeared into the office, leaving the door open for Naruto to enter when he was called. The boy stood, his eyes downcast, waiting.
Breathe. Just breathe.
He fought to keep his emotions under control. He had never been so nervous—or was he afraid?—in his entire life. Not when his mother had left when he was four, not when he had been chased out of that town by a mob when he was six, not when he had stood in front of Jiraiya for the first time and asked to be his student when he was eight. No, none of those things compared to the feeling he felt now.
Breathe. Just breathe. You're doing okay...
"Sensei!"
And Naruto was undone. It was all he could do not to rush into the office and throw himself at the man's feet. He'd actually taken a step forward before he realized what he was doing and stopped himself.
That voice—it shivered across his skin and made his blood sing. He could feel it in his bones the same way he heard it with his ears. He shuddered, fighting to keep his instincts in check. He would do anything, anything, that voice commanded him to do. If it told him to take his own katana and drive it through his heart, he would do so. In an instant. With a smile on his face.
He took another deep breath, which was a mistake. By now, the man's scent had wafted out the door and he got a huge nose- and mouth-full when he breathed. He bit his lip and clenched his fists. His body was shaking. He could smell the man, taste him in the back of his throat. It was warmth and spice and clean, fresh wind, and home. This man, his father—and there was absolutely no doubt in his mind at all this man was his father—was his home. Anywhere this man was, Naruto would be too. That was all there was to it. Even his mother's scent had not affected him like this. She had truly made him to be his father's son.
With this thought, with this bone deep recognition, a feeling of calm spread through him. The anxiety and fear of rejection were still there–if anything they had doubled–but that was something he could face. His instincts receded and the desperate need to be near this man, to grovel at his feet, disappeared. In the back of his mind, he was proud of himself for maintaing his control through it all. The two in the office had no idea of his struggle. That was good, because they were talking about him. It had felt like ages while he fought the sensations overwhelming him, but in reality it was only a few moments.
His father laughed, and Naruto smiled a little at the sound. Perhaps it would be alright. As long as he didn't scare his father too much, at first…yes, perhaps it would be alright.
"—show him in. Anyone you decided to take on as a student must be special."
A pause. "Aa." Jiraiya was speaking softly, but Naruto had no trouble picking up his words. "He is, indeed, special." Naruto's smile grew a little wider, but then he schooled his features in a blank expression and relaxed his hands. "Naruto." His sensei had called. This was it. Time to face his fear. He took one more breath, being careful not to breathe too deeply, and entered the room.
He kept his eyes down, not daring to look up just yet at his father's face. The man was leaning on his desk, Jiraiya standing next to him. His father was wearing dark pants, the bottoms secured with bandages wrapped around his ankles like gaiters. They disappeared into the tops of his dark shinobi sandals. He was also wearing some sort of white coat with red flames along the bottom. Naruto thought it was really…cool. It would probably be even cooler when he got up the courage to look at the whole thing.
He heard his father's breath catch a little. He had noticed something—maybe their resemblance? Naruto clenched his fists. Enough of this. Face the fear head-on, Jiraiya had said. So he would. He raised his head and looked at the man in front of him. He stared for a moment. Ero-sennin had been right. He did look just like his dad.
When their eyes met, he felt another strong sensation. He did his best to suppress another shudder that ran through him. His vision seemed to grow sharper as he took in every tiny detail of the Hokage's face. Everything else in the room, in the world, disappeared for a moment. That was all the time it took, although again, it felt like an age. He knew the image of his father's face was seared into his memory, like his scent and the sound of his voice, and that he could recall it in perfect detail at any time. Three connections made, two to go.
The Hokage stared back at him, his mouth dropping open a little. His arms, which had been crossed in front of his chest, dropped to his sides and gripped the edge of his desk. He had on a dark long-sleeved shirt that was loosely encircled at his wrists and elbows with pale cord. Over that, he wore a dark green vest covered in pockets of different sizes and shapes. Over all was the white coat. It had short sleeves and was held on by a simple red cord below his collarbone. The high collar stood up around his chin. Yep, definitely cool. He had a blue headband tied around his forehead, the metal plate bearing the Leaf symbol Jiraiya had taught him.
His father was still staring at him. He had closed his mouth and seemed to be trying to say something, but it wasn't working very well. He looked shocked and confused. Completely understandable for someone in his situation. The Toad Sage spoke.
"Minato, this is Uzumaki Naruto," he said.
The name meant something to the Hokage. "Uzumaki…" he repeated, his voice hoarse.
"Hai. Uzumaki," Jiraiya replied.
The Hokage looked more confused. Naruto could see it. He had spent a long time—his entire life, actually—thinking about this moment. What he would do, what he would say. What his unknown father would do and say. He had run through every scenario he could conceive of over and over in his head. The confusion and shock on his father's face was more than he could bear. What his father needed at this moment was information. Naruto would provide it. He would explain everything to him, right now. Well, mostly everything.
Naruto lowered his eyes again and dropped to his knees. He sat back on his heels and leaned his torso forward, his palms pressed to the floor and his forehead resting between them. It was a bow of complete submission.
"Yondaime Hokage-ue," he began, using the most formal and respectful title he could think of. "As Jiraiya-sensei said, my name is Uzumaki Naruto. My mother's name is Uzumaki Kushina." Well, it wasn't her real name, but it was the name she had used when she was in Konoha. "I am her gift to you in recognition of your skills as a warrior and leader of your people. Please accept this humble token of her esteem and respect." He paused. Silence. He pressed on. "I know I can be of use to you, if given the chance. If you allow it, I will serve none but you until my dying day. Only say the word and I am yours to command. It is my purpose, my dream, to follow you, and to give up my life in your service if necessary."
There. He had said what he wanted to say. More silence. He struggled to control his trembling, his fear of rejection making a tight ball in the pit of his stomach and leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. Please, please, he pleaded, to any god who might be listening, let him accept me!
Minato stared at the boy at his feet, unsure what to think. He was trembling, obviously trying to control some strong emotion. Without seeing his face, Minato couldn't really tell what it was. But he thought it might be fear. Given the boy's words…He glanced at the white-haired man standing next to him. Jiraiya's eyebrows were just about lost under his forehead protector-the only sign that he was equally shocked at Naruto's actions and speech. Minato stood a few moments longer, before coming to a decision.
He dropped to his knees and grasped the boy's arms, lifting him up. Naruto gasped at the contact, but kept his eyes down as he shifted his knees closer to his father to keep from losing his balance. "Look at me," Minato commanded.
Naruto's eyes instantly lifted to his father's face, glassy from unshed tears.
"You are my son?" the older blonde asked. Naruto hadn't come right out and said it, but it was obvious enough. "Mine and Kushina's?"
Naruto nodded.
Minato pulled him into an embrace. Naruto gasped again, eyes wide, tears finally spilling down his cheeks. He managed to lift his arms and clutch at the back of his father's coat. His face he hid in his father's shoulder.
"I am sorry, Naruto," Minato said, his own voice thick with emotion. "She never told me, I never knew. She just disappeared. If I had known…I would have found you. Please forgive me."
Naruto pulled back a little, wiping his eyes with one hand. "It is alright Hokage-sama," he said. "A gift is supposed to be a surprise, ne?" A wry smile twisted his lips.
Minato stared at him again. Why did the boy keep referring to himself like that?
"Gift?" Minato finally managed to say, after what seemed like a long time. "Humble token?" It was hard enough trying to wrap his head around the fact that he had a son—a son!—but that this son truly thought of himself as a tool to be used by his father at his convenience? His speech implied he did. It was a completely alien way of thinking to Minato. He looked up at Jiraiya.
Jiraiya only shook his head. "I knew the boy wanted to be of 'use' to you, but I didn't realize it went this far. It must be an idea his mother gave him."
"Kushina said she was from the former Whirlpool Country. I didn't think they had such notions there."
Naruto looked uncomfortable, but spoke. "It is the greatest honor of my mother's people, to bestow a child on another, to blend energies with another to create something new. It signifies a great deal of respect and trust. Such a gift is rare, and to be bestowed on a—" he broke off, and looked at Jiraiya, then looked down again, biting his lip.
"It's alright, Naruto," Jiraiya said smoothly. "I think one surprise for now, hmmm? We'll leave the rest of the explanations for another time."
Naruto nodded, looking slightly relieved. Minato glanced between the two. He was obviously missing something, but was content to trust his sensei and his newly-found son. For the moment anyway.
"Naruto," he said, "come, sit in the chair. I have some other questions for you." He rose to his feet and pulled the boy up with him. He gestured to one of the chairs off to the side of the room. The boy settled in, somewhat warily, Minato thought, while he took the chair next to him. He moved it forward so his knees were almost touching his son's and he leaned forwards. He wanted to be as close as possible. Jiraiya sat on the couch along the wall, facing the two.
"Naruto, how old are you?" the Hokage asked, watching his son's face closely.
"Fifteen. Almost sixteen," the boy replied calmly, a slight smile on his face.
"When is your birthday?" Minato asked, the question just occurring to him.
"October 10th," Naruto replied. His expression hadn't changed, but his body had stiffened slightly and he'd hesitated a moment before he answered.
Minato blinked. That was a very significant date in Konoha. Judging by Naruto's reaction, he was aware of it. The Hokage smiled softly, hoping to ease his son's tension. "It's coming up soon, then," was all he said.
As he had hoped, Naruto relaxed a little and nodded. But Minato's next question had him tense again.
"Where is your mother?" Minato had long ago given up hope of ever seeing his beloved Kushina again, and being Hokage, he really couldn't leave the village to search for her as he had wanted to do. But he still missed her deeply. If there was a chance he could see her again…
Naruto looked down, his smile gone. "I don't know," he said quietly.
"Don't know?" Minato repeated, surprise in his voice. "When was the last time you saw her?"
"She left when I was four."
Silence.
Minato was angry. His eyes narrowed at his son and his hands gripped the arms of his chair. "She left you when you were four?" he hissed. How could she do that? The Kushina he knew would never do that!
Naruto reached a hand out, hesitantly, and placed it on top of his father's. "Please don't be angry with her," he said. "It is her way. It is the way of all her people. Actually, it's surprising she stayed with me as long as she did."
His father relaxed a little, but was not to be so easily placated. "Why didn't she leave you with me, then? I would have been glad…no, overjoyed to take you."
Naruto shook his head a little and took his hand back. "That is by no means assured," he muttered. But before Minato could protest, he continued. "It is simply the way things are done," he explained. "I had to be ready and able to be of service before I came here."
Minato took a deep breath. "I don't pretend to understand that way of thinking at all, Naruto, but I will accept your explanation," he said. "For the moment." Naruto looked relieved again. "So what did you do after she left?"
Naruto shrugged. "Okaa-sama trained me to some extent before she left, but there were some things she couldn't help me with. She suggested I find Jiraiya-sensei. She said he might train me, or could point me in the direction of someone who would. So I traveled around, searching for him."
"When did you find him?"
"When I was eight."
Another silence. "You were alone, traveling on your own, for four years?" Minato was incredulous.
"Hai. Okaa-sama made sure I could take care of myself. And I didn't mind being alone. I inherited some of her…antisocial tendencies," Naruto replied.
"But you were a child!" Minato exclaimed. He didn't quite believe the last statement Naruto had made.
His son smiled ruefully. "I was never a child, Hokage-sama. And that is all in the past. I survived, I found Ero-sennin, and here I am."
Minato paused, his train of thought disrupted by the name Naruto had used. "Ero-sennin?"
Naruto looked sheepish and raised one hand to rub the back of his head in a nervous gesture. "Ano," he said. "It's just a nickname…"
He was interrupted by the Hokage's laughter. "I think it's perfect!" he crowed.
"Hey!" Jiraiya interjected. He had been sitting quietly, watching the two interact. "Don't you start using it, too. It's disrespectful!"
Minato only shook a finger at the Toad Sage. "The truth hurts, eh, Ero-sennin?" he teased. But then his expression turned fierce. "Besides, I owe you a little something for keeping the fact that I have a son from me for seven years! You only told me you had a new student three years ago!"
The man on the couch shifted uncomfortably. "I knew you wouldn't be happy about that. I only hope you forgive me. Naruto was adamant on that point."
Minato turned back to the boy beside him. Naruto nodded. "When Jiraiya-sensei told me he knew who my father was, I swore him to secrecy. I refused to let him tell you until I was ready to enter your service. A gift is no good if it is a burden instead of beneficial."
Minato shook his head a little. Again with those words. Gift, burden. He could see his son would not stop looking at himself that way overnight. Well, he had time to change his son's view. "And you feel you are ready now? That you will not be a burden?"
Naruto nodded. "Jiraiya-sensei said it was time. I know I still have things to learn, but he said that I know enough to be helpful to you."
Minato sighed. He could not get over his son's attitude. "You said your mother's people regard all children as gifts? That they are rare? And most are left alone before they are four?" Naruto nodded, his face blank. "It's no wonder the Whirlpool Country doesn't exist anymore," the Yondaime mumbled. There was a brief silence before another question came to him. "Why did she name you Naruto?"
Naruto smiled slightly again. "She told me it was the name of a character in a book that sensei wrote. This character had many qualities you both admired. She said that you told her if you ever had a son, you would want him to be like the character in the book."
Minato smiled broadly. Naruto's words brought back the memories he had suppressed earlier. Memories of Kushina and himself reading the book together, engrossed in the exploits of the ninja, Naruto. He remembered telling her how proud he would be to have a son like the ninja in the book. So she had remembered, and named their son to honor his desire.
His son had a big smile on his face too, the copy of Minato's own. He could see his father was happy and it made him happy. Minato had to laugh.
They were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," the Hokage called.
His assistant stuck her head through the door. "Pardon the intrusion Hokage-sama," she began, "but your meeting is in ten minutes and a few of the clan heads have arrived."
"Damn," Minato swore. "I forgot about that." He had absolutely no desire to sit in a stupid meeting and listen to bickering clan heads. All he wanted to do was sit with this splendid boy beside him and catch up on all the years he had missed. He didn't want to miss another second. But, he had a job to do. He turned to his son. "I'm sorry, Naruto, but I have a meeting to attend."
The teen immediately stood. "Of course, Hokage-sama."
The Yondaime looked up at him thoughtfully. "Before I can accept you as a ninja of this village, I will have to test your skills and abilities," he said.
Naruto grinned. "Of course, Hokage-sama."
"I'm giving you two hours to rest, get some food, and prepare. Then, I expect you to be ready to show me what you can do. I will come get you from your room at that time."
His son nodded. "Hai, Hokage-sama. I will not disappoint you!" He sounded eager and excited.
Minato smiled back. His son's grin was contagious. "Very good. I am certain you won't. Hisa-san!" he called. His assistant stuck her head in the office again. "Please show Naruto-kun here to the room prepared for him and kindly have some lunch sent in. Then return here. I have an errand for you before the meeting." She nodded and gestured to the blonde boy that looked uncannily like her boss.
The teen in question bowed to the Hokage and left with her.
The blonde man turned back to his teacher and slouched a little in the chair, dropping his head in his hands. "I feel like I've been fighting a hundred Iwa nin," he said.
Jiraiya got up from his seat on the couch and walked to his first student. He placed a big hand on his shoulder. "I know it's a lot to take in. It's going to take some time, for both you and him. His whole life has been focused on this day, on meeting you."
Minato looked up. "That is something I absolutely cannot understand. How could Kushina put that ridiculous notion into his head that he is some sort of gift to me? He speaks as though he is a tool for me to use. And never once, in all the time he was talking about her, or his life, did he mention love. He said she admired me, respected me. That he was a gift in recognition of my skills. Medals are given in recognition of skills, not children! Children are born from the love of two people. I loved Kushina. In truth, I still do. But he never said she loved me."
Jiraiya squeezed Minato's shoulder slightly, a serious expression on his face. "I know it's difficult to understand. I don't quite understand it myself. Once Naruto explains a little more about his mother and himself, it might be easier. Or it might be harder. I'm not sure."
Minato shook his head. "You are confusing me even more," he said wryly. "But I will put my questions aside until I speak with Naruto again. I trust you know what you're talking about." His expression turned serious again. "Now, we have some time before I have to meet with the clan heads. Fill me in on the information about Orochimaru you collected."
Naruto followed the dark-haired woman through the halls of the Tower. He kept his expression blank, but inside his emotions were roiling. She stopped in front of a door and gestured to it. "This is your room, Naruto-kun," she said. "Jiraiya-sama is in the room next door."
He nodded to her. "Arigatou, Hisa-san," he said and opened the door.
It was a simple, but comfortable room with wooden floors and a low table set in front of a couch well stocked with pillows. Through another doorway he could see what he supposed was the sleeping area, and beyond that, a sliding screen he thought led to a balcony. He saw his pack was already waiting for him in the center of the room. Hisa's voice startled him a bit when it sounded from behind him.
"Do you have any requests for lunch, Naruto-kun?" she asked.
He shook his head. "No, whatever is most convenient for you is fine, Hisa-san," he replied.
She smiled. "Very well then. Your meal will arrive in about half an hour."
He thanked her again and she left. As soon as the door was closed he gave in to his feelings. His body shook and he sank down onto the couch, clutching a pillow between his hands like it was a lifeline. He had been under tremendous stress, wound up so tightly the whole day, that he was now having trouble relaxing. He bent his head and allowed the emotions to wash over him. All the fear, the anxiety, the excitement. He had felt so many emotions that day, and had gone from feeling one extreme to the other, that he was utterly overwhelmed. He was not good at this.
He examined his feelings again. The fear of rejection was still there, but it was tempered with something else. Hope and joy. Finally, after almost sixteen years, he had met his father. His father was going to test him that afternoon. His father was giving him a chance.
The boy grinned and leapt up from the couch, the pillow falling to the floor. He pumped one fist in the air and began dancing around the room. "Yes, yes, YES!" he cried. His father was giving him a chance. A chance to show he was worthy. And he would prove it! He would be accepted by his father. Jiraiya-sensei would see that he hadn't wasted the last seven years with him. If he could show the Yondaime that he was a skilled warrior, that he would be a useful weapon in his father's arsenal, then maybe, maybe, it wouldn't matter to him what Naruto's heritage was. Ero-sennin had accepted him, and his father was Jiraiya's student, too, right? So surely the Sage knew what he was talking about when he said Naruto shouldn't worry. He had been right so far, after all. His father had been happy to find out he had a son. He had even hugged him!
Naruto stopped dancing at the thought of that contact. He stood stock still, savoring the memory of the feelings that had possessed him at his father's touch. It hadn't been as overwhelming as the reactions produced by the Hokage's voice or scent, but Naruto thought that was because it hadn't been direct skin-to-skin. It had felt like an electric current sweeping through him, originating under his father's hands. When the current had passed, he had felt totally and utterly content, something he had never felt before. All his life he had felt somewhat lost and a little empty, like he knew there was someplace he was supposed to be and he wasn't there. His father's touch had banished that feeling. It felt so right. Naruto had found the place he was supposed to be and it was by his father's side.
That sense of contentment had stayed the entire time Naruto was in the Hokage's presence. The lost feeling had returned now that Naruto was no longer next to him, but it was not nearly as strong as before. Naruto knew there was only one more thing to do, one last way to bind himself to his father, and the feeling would disappear entirely. But that was something that had to wait. He would have to be accepted by the Hokage first, and in order to do that, he would have to impress him. He had better start preparing.
Jiraiya knocked on the door of his student and, after hearing a muffled "Come in," he entered. Naruto was sitting on the floor of the sleeping room in front of the open sliding door, facing the gardens outside, although now he had his head turned to look over his shoulder at the door. He had changed into his training clothes, a much more sensible outfit to display his skills in. His new attire was simple; black pants and long-sleeved shirt and black shinobi sandals. The hems of the pants ended just above the edge of his sandals, exposing a little of the mesh protective leggings he wore. He also had on black fingerless gloves with a metal plate on the back of the hand. He had various pouches strapped to his waist and one attached to the side of his right thigh. His katana was strapped to his back.
He was sitting in a lotus position; he'd obviously been meditating. The remains of a lunch tray were left on the table, the plates neatly stacked, the water glass empty, the napkin folded and the chopsticks placed on top of it. His student was not really a neat person, but he was a very polite one.
"I don't want to disturb your preparations," Jiraiya started.
"No, not at all, sensei," Naruto replied, smoothly rising to his feet and coming into the sitting room. "I was getting tired of meditating anyway."
Jiraiya chuckled. Naruto was not one to sit still and be introspective. "Are you ready?" he asked.
The blonde shrugged. "As ready as I'll ever be, I think." He cocked his head at his sensei. "What do you think this test will be?"
Jiraiya shrugged. "He'll probably have you fight someone. A jonin most likely. You might have to retrieve something from the jonin's person or land a certain number of hits on them. Something like that."
They were quiet for a moment while Naruto mulled that over. "I think you should leave your kekkei genkai until the very last," Jiraiya said finally.
"Hai," the teen replied. "That's the plan. Actually, I would rather not use it at all."
The Toad Sage looked down at his student. "You can't keep it from him."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "I know that. I had hoped that I could just tell him about it. Maybe demonstrate one of the lesser abilities. There's no way I'll be able to show him everything I can do, anyway. At least, not right now."
"That's true," Jiraiya said. He shrugged again. "Well, all right. You'll just have to see what the situation calls for."
Naruto's expression changed. "I will do my best," Naruto said, determination etched in every line of his face, his voice deadly serious, and his eyes implacable. "I will make you proud of me. And I will prove myself to the Yondaime."
Jiraiya nodded. "I know you will," he said. When Naruto got that look on his face…well the white-haired man knew the boy had an iron will. When he set his mind to do something, he did it, as simple as that. Looking into those eyes, Jiraiya believed Naruto could do anything. Anything at all. It was almost frightening.
He reached out and ruffled the young blonde's hair, like he had done years ago with his father.
"Awww, geez, Ero-sennin," Naruto complained. And just like that, the determined look was gone, replaced by a very annoyed one. Naruto hated it when his sensei messed up his hair like that. He ducked away from the man's hand and ran his own through his spiky locks, trying to put them back in a semblance of order only he understood. Jiraiya chuckled. How he loved to annoy the boy.
There was a knock on the door. Naruto looked surprised. His father wasn't supposed to come for another 20 minutes and he wasn't expecting anyone else.
He walked past his sensei and opened the door. His father stood there, smiling at him. Naruto smiled in return and bowed. "Hokage-sama," he said. "Do you want to come in?" He stepped back, allowing the man space to enter the room.
"Thank you, Naruto," he said, taking a few steps forward. "I am a little early, but my meeting was over sooner that I expected, so I thought I would come see how you are doing." Jiraiya snorted. He was pretty sure Minato had purposefully cut his meeting short. His older student ignored him and continued speaking to Naruto. "Don't feel rushed though; if you have more preparations to make, please take your time."
Naruto shook his head. "No, Hokage-sama, I'm ready."
Minato nodded. Being prepared was a good trait for a ninja to have. "Then shall we go?" Naruto nodded and the older blonde turned to head back out the still-open door.
"Oy! Hokage-sama!" a cry from his son stopped him short.
"What?" he said, half turning and looking behind him.
Naruto was pointing at the back of his coat. "It says Yondaime Hokage!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide.
Minato looked confused and Jiraiya laughed. "Yes, it does," the owner of the coat in question said. The red kanji had been added to match the flames along the bottom after Minato had been named the Third's successor. Jiraiya knew he didn't really like the traditional Hokage robes, so wore the coat instead. The Toad Sage approved. It was much more him. "So?"
"It's the coolest thing I have ever seen!" the teen crowed, gesturing with his arms to indicate the entire room, or perhaps the entire world.
Minato laughed along with the older ninja. "You like it, huh? Maybe I'll have one made for you. Would you like to follow in my footsteps and be 'Godaime Hokage', hmmm?"
Naruto stared at him, eyes wide, mouth slightly open. "Godaime Hokage?" he murmured sounding utterly shocked.
Minato grinned. "I'm teasing, Naruto," he said. "I have no idea if you would even want the job. You'd have to like paperwork."
Naruto's face lost the shocked look and he smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
Minato turned back around to exit the room. Jiraiya dropped his smile as soon as the Hokage's back was turned and placed his hand on his young student's shoulder. He gave a gentle squeeze and the boy looked up at him gratefully. Jiraiya nodded and the boy nodded back, then took a breath and walked after his father. No words needed to be spoken.
Jiraiya sighed. He didn't think Minato picked up on it, but he recognized the sadness his younger student was desperately trying to hide. Minato didn't know it, and he hadn't intended it, but he had just wounded the boy deeply, with that jest about being Godaime Hokage. And the young blonde would never let on.
A village leader must be accepted by the people, and Naruto was firmly convinced that universal acceptance was something he would never have. Even though it broke his heart, Jiraiya wasn't so sure he was wrong.
The Yondaime led them to one of the training grounds outside the village walls. They had gone over the rooftops and through the trees, Naruto easily keeping up with his father's speed. Minato was pleased, Jiraiya could tell. They reached the spot and the Yondaime landed easily in a large clear space among the trees, Naruto and Jiraiya right behind him. It was one of the larger and less used training areas. No one else was around.
Minato shrugged off his jacket and handed it to Jiraiya. He faced his son. "Alright, Naruto, your task is to find me and take this bell." He held up a small silver bell on a string, jangled it once so it made a clear ringing sound, and then attached it to a loop at his waist. "Use any weapons or jutsu you want. If you don't come at me with the intent to kill, you won't get the bell." He grinned.
Naruto blinked at him. "You, Hokage-sama?" he questioned. "My opponent is you?"
Minato nodded. Naruto looked nervously over at Jiraiya. Jiraiya looked back, impassive. "I thought you said it would be some jonin," the young blonde said accusingly. Jiraiya just shrugged.
Minato laughed. "Well, I wanted to see what you could do against me. I am the Hokage after all, the strongest ninja in the village."
Naruto was looking at him with narrowed eyes. "You also don't want anybody else to see what I can do just yet."
Minato laughed again. "That too."
Jiraiya smiled. Looking underneath the underneath—very good.
"So my test is to hunt you down and take the bell away from you?"
Jiraiya noticed the way his young student had phrased it. Hunt him down, huh? Oh, Minato, you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. Naruto was absolutely the best tracker he had ever seen.
Minato nodded. "I had ANBU clear the area and stand guard at the edge of the grounds. No one else is here and no one will disturb us."
Jiraiya understood the hidden motives, although he wasn't sure if Naruto did. Not only had Minato wanted to keep his son's skills a secret, he was expecting some damage to the area and didn't want anyone else caught in it. He had high expectations of his son. Naruto would not let him down.
"Hokage-sama, can you phrase it as a command?" the young blonde asked, with a respectful bow.
Minato looked at him, his brows drawn. "What?"
"Can you phrase this task as a command?"
"You mean, command you to do this task?"
"Hai."
A pause. "Why?"
Naruto looked uncomfortable again. "Please, it will make me feel better about coming at you with intent to kill." It wasn't the exact reason, but it was pretty close.
Minato shrugged. "Sure. I order you to locate my position and take this bell away, using deadly force if necessary. You will start when I say 'begin'. Does that suffice?"
Naruto bowed again. "Yes, thank you, Hokage-sama."
"Very good then. Begin." And with a grin, the Hokage vanished in a swirl of leaves.
Jiraiya watched his remaining student. Naruto stood where he was, and slowly a grin spread across his face too. It wasn't the same sort of grin though. It was a lot more feral than Minato's had been. His eyes were dancing with excitement. It was the expression he wore when he was about to fight. One thing a warrior needed to have was a love of battle. Naruto had that in spades. He hated to kill—well, most of the time—but he loved to fight. It was, after all, what he had been born to do. Jiraiya grinned as well. Minato was in for a surprise.