A/N: You know, the original plan was for the training and Finals to be mostly the same as canon, with Naruto training only with Jiraiya, fighting Neji, and his Rinnegan only showing briefly later to show one path. But after reading some reviews and doing some thinking, I went a different way. And I like it better, and I'm sure you guys do too. So heads up. While some things will be like canon, I've also got tons of surprises in store.
Chapter 23: Summoning, the Bet, and the Finals
Jiraiya stopped and put Naruto down. "Ok, we lost them."
"S-so um, sensei?" The sannin looked at him. "W-what are y-you gonna t-teach me?"
'A stuttering problem? Huh, Minato never had that, except around Kushina.' "Well, normally I'd say chakra control, but if Kurenai is your sensei, I imagine she already taught you tree walking and water walking, right?" Naruto nodded. "Ok, then we can skip to this." He bit his thumb, did a few handsigns, and summoned a large orange toad, the same one he summoned earlier for his introduction appeared, with Jiraiya on top. "Gama, the scroll." The toad nodded and opened his mouth. From out of it came the scroll Jiraiya asked for, held in Gama's tongue. He handed it to Jiraiya, who grabbed it. "Thanks." He jumped off the toad and laid it in front of the boy. "This, my young protege, is a contract scroll. There are many for the different kinds of summons. Once signed, it allows one to summon the those animals."
"L-like that O-Orochimaru guy's s-snakes?" Naruto asked.
That caught Jiraiya off guard. "How'd you know that?"
"W-well, he a-appeared in the s-second round in d-disguise. H-he attacked a-another team, so we t-tried to help, b-but couldn't beat him," Naruto said sadly. "He put this seal over…" He paused and Jiraiya knew he was talking about the seal on his stomach that held the demon fox. "A-anyway, he a-also put a s-seal on Sasuke, but it was d-different."
'No doubt it was a curse mark. That snake is after the Sharingan.'
"Um, y-you should k-know, since y-your a sannin and all, t-that Orochimaru plans to a-attack the finals with his Sound v-village and the S-sand."
'An invasion? My spy network hasn't uncovered anything like that!' "How do you know this?"
"A S-sound genin w-went to me t-to take h-him to the Hokage. He defected a-after Orochimaru k-killed his teammates for s-some jutsu. According to h-him, it turned them i-into Lords First and Second."
Jiraiya was absolutely dumbstruck. 'Ok, Orochimaru by himself is bad. Him planning an invasion with the Sand and his own village is worse. But reanimating the former Hokage too? That's a nightmare!' "We're getting off topic." 'But this is good to know.' "Back to summoning, all you need to do is sign this contract, and you'll be able to summon toad allies like me."
"Oh, ok," Naruto responded, not sounding all that excited.
"Hey, where's the energy?"
"S-sorry."
Jiraiya sighed. "Look, it may interest you to know that toads are one of if not the strongest summons out there. And they come in different sizes from average, to large," he pointed at Gama, "to ginormous!" He stretched his hands as wide as he could. Naruto's interest went up, but Jiraiya wasn't done. "Plus, if the elder toads decide to, they'll teach you the ancient art of sage mode, a powerful state of enhancement known only by them, the snakes, and the slugs." Naruto's eyes widened and an eagerness to learn shone in his eyes. "But that won't be for years, so let's just focus on the summoning part." He opened the contract seal. "Just sign your name on the empty space with your blood, then add your fingerprints below."
Naruto approached the scroll and looked at the names. Most he did not recognise, but two stood out to him. Jiraiya's and the the one next to it, 'Minato Namikaze'. 'The Fourth Hokage signed this scroll too. And now I have the chance to follow in his footsteps.' He bit his thumb to draw blood and wrote his name, then applied his fingerprints. When he was done, Jiraiya closed the scroll and returned it to Gama, who ate it and puffed away. "S-so now w-what?"
"Now we practice summoning. Little warning though, summons may or may not accept you."
"W-what?"
"You see, you need to earn their respect. Summons aren't mindless animals or slaves. They are comrades whose respect you have to earn. With some summons it's easier than others. Toads, however, are very picky. If you don't earn the right to summon them, they'll just leave and all you'll have done is waste chakra."
"S-so how do I e-earn their respect?" Naruto asked, worried he might not be able to.
"Ask them. Just try summoning them. First put blood on your hand, them perform the hand signs Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, and Ram." He showed them to Naruto. "Then slam your hand to the ground. But first, let me see the seal on your stomach." Naruto froze. "Yes, I know about your burden, but I'm a seal master. I know the difference between a kunai and the scroll that holds it. Now let me see it so I can see what my former teammate did."
"Um, a-actually, Kakashi-sensei a-already took care of it," Naruto informed him.
"Kakashi? Huh, didn't think he had it in him. Then again, Orochimaru isn't an expert on seals, so…" He shook his head. "Well, just try to summon a toad."
Naruto nodded and did as Jiraiya instructed. "Summoning Jutsu!" He slammed his palm onto the ground. There was a small puff of smoke, but in its place wasn't a toad.
"Wow, an egg." Jiraiya commented. "I was expecting at least a tadpole on your first try, but an egg?" Naruto suddenly got depressed. 'Ok, I'm started to think there's more to his demeanor than genetics. He gets depress way too easily.' "You know, if you have time to sulk, you have time to practice."
"Y-you mean you s-still want to t-teach me?" Naruto asked.
"Hey, I'm not gonna give up on you because you messed up the first time. This is advance stuff after all. Or are you gonna quit?"
Naruto shook his head. "I n-never quit. N-not anymore." He looked to the ground. "Because that's our ninja way," he whispered.
"Who's this we?" Jiraiya asked. As a veteran shinobi and a spymaster, he had good hearing and could read lips.
"Oh, um…" The boy blushed. "H-Hinata."
"Hinata? Oh, the girl you were with," he said with realization. "So, what's the story?" he asked with a grin that made Naruto very uncomfortable.
"W-we're just f-friends," he answered.
"Oh, but you want more, right?" Jiraiya said. "Don't deny it. I know that look anywhere." 'It's the same look your father had when he thought of your mother.'
"Well, I d-don't know i-if she f-feels the same way, a-and I don't want t-to lose her f-friendship."
"Well, don't worry kid. I'm sure no matter if she loves you back or not, if she's a true friend, she'll always be there for you," Jiraiya assured him, making Naruto smile. "And if she doesn't love you back, then I'll turn you into a world-class womanizer like me! You'll have women lining up to be with you and your sex life will be amazing!"
Naruto instantly turned red. The s-word brought what knowledge he had of it to surface mixed with a certain lavender-eye'd girl. This made him do the only natural thing for him, faint.
Jiraiya roared with laughter. "You know, your old man reacted exactly the same way when I told him that after he told me about his feeling for your mom," he told the unconscious boy, knowing he couldn't hear him.
After a while, Naruto finally woke up again. By then, Jiraiya had calmed down. "Ok, enough playing around. Back to practice."
"Um, sensei? I have a question." Jiraiya raised his eyebrow. "C-could I use shadow clones to s-speed things a-along?"
"So you know that jutsu and it's secret?" Naruto nodded. "Alright, but tell me, how many can you make?"
"Well, the m-most I've e-ever made w-was about a hundred," Naruto answered.
Jiraiya did not look surprised. He expect a large number, since he was both an Uzumaki and a jinchūriki. "Well, only make about 10." Naruto nodded and made ten shadow clones and began trying again.
-
A few days passed, but Naruto did not progress very far. Even with the help of ten shadow clones, he only progressed to tadpoles with a hindlegs, and the finals were just around the corner. 'He won't have time to complete it this way. He needs to use the fox's chakra for this, but he seems reluctant. I have no choice.' "Naruto, take a break and come with me."
Naruto stopped and dispelled his clones, except the one working on the balloon. Hinata gave him a tip that helped him pass the second stage of the jutsu, and luckily shortly after, Kakashi sent a clone to check his progress and told him the final stage.
He walked over to where Jiraiya was. The man was standing at the edge of a chasm. "You're not making much progress," he said.
"S-sorry."
"You need to learn to access the fox's chakra on your own. It's not just gonna go away." He then looked over the edge. Naruto leaned over too, wondering what they were looking at. "You what one of the best ways to learn something is?"
"What?"
"A life or death situation. These positions push us to do our best, because if we don't, we die." Suddenly, he pushed Naruto over the edge.
Hinata was walking to where Naruto said he was training. In one hand was a bento for herself, and in the other, takeout from Ichiraku. Guess who that's for. 'I wonder how Naruto's training is coming. He wouldn't say what it was. I just hope Pervy Sage isn't trying to corrupt him. Bad enough Kiba had him make that Sexy Jutsu of his.' She activated her Byakugan and found him by a chasm. She ran over and arrived just as Jiraiya pushed him into it. "Naruto!" she yelled as she ran.
Jiraiya looked back, surprised to see her. She was about to jump in after him when Jiraiya grabbed her. "Hold on! It's not what you think."
"YOU PUSHED MY BEST FRIEND OVER A CLIFF!" she shouted as she thrashed, trying to escape his grip.
"He'll live. He just need to perform the jutsu I taught him."
Naruto screamed his head off as he plummeted. "Stop screaming!" the Nine-Tails shouted. "Listen. Perform the jutsu the toad sage taught you. I'll lend you some chakra so it works. Now do it before you die and take me with you!"
Naruto bit his thumb and did the hand signs. "Summoning Jutsu!"
Hinata was still trying to get out of Jiraiya's grip when both heard Naruto shout out the jutsu. Jiraiya let go of her and moved to the edge. He leaned over for a peek and quickly leaned back, worry on his face. Hinata herself suddenly got worried. "N-Naruto?" she squeaked out, hoping her fears would soon be alleviated.
"Oh all the… Why did he have to summon him?" Jiraiya said as he moved toward the forest.
Hinata let out a breath of relief. 'Naruto's alive.' "Wait, summoned? What do ya mean by that? And summoned who?"
"JIRAIYA!" said a voice that boomed from the chasm. The sannin started to run when suddenly, something jumped out of it and landed in front of him. Hinata gasped. It was a giant toad. It's skin was a rusty red, with bright red around the lips and eyes. It wore a large blue vest and had a sword at its side. Over its left eye was a scar and in its mouth was a pipe for smoking. "Jiraiya, what is the meaning of this?" the toad demanded. "Why did you summon me inside a chasm?"
Before he could say anything, Hinata shouted, "That is one big frog!"
This earned her a look of indignation from the summon. "I am not a frog! I am a toad! Big difference! Now explain, Jiraiya! Why am I here? And it better be a good reason!"
"Well, you see, Gamabunta, I'm not the one who summoned you."
"Could someone explain what's going on?" Hinata demanded. "Who is this?"
"That is Gamabunta, the chief of the toad summons," Jiraiya explained.
"That's right. I'm the strongest of the toad summons, besides the elders. Now answer my question. No one else could have summoned me. You're the only living summoner we have."
"Um, a-actually," said a voice from atop the chief toad. He looked up to see Naruto standing lying on top of him. "I s-summoned you."
"Hey! Get off my head!" he shook Naruto off. Hinata rushed to his side. "Now what's this nonsense about you summoning me? Jiraiya, explain this at once!" Jiraiya told him that he had taken Naruto as his student and that he had him sign the toad contract. He even summoned Gama and showed him the contract with Naruto's name. Hinata looked impressed at Naruto's feat. "I see. Interesting, but I do not accept him. Not yet anyway. He hasn't proven himself to me at all. He fell off my head so easily."
"What if he managed stayed on top of your head?" Hinata asked.
"Ha. If the little snot could actually stay atop my head til the sun sets, I might consider accepting him as my henchman."
"Henchman?" Hinata questioned. Jiraiya told her to forget about it and advised her to follow him.
Naruto accepted and climbed back onto the toad's head. "Ok, w-when do we…" Before he could finish, the chief toad jumped, nearly knocking Naruto off his head.
"Don't think I'll go easy on you, ya little snot!" Gamabunta started shaking his head, thrashing about in an attempt to knock Naruto off him. "Come on! Fall!"
Hinata and Jiraiya were atop a tall tree. Both were holding binoculars, since Jiraiya had a spare. "I hope Naruto will be alright." She turned to Jiraiya to find he wasn't even looking at Naruto's struggle. Looking in the same direction as him, she found he was looking at a bunch of women playing at a waterfall. A tick mark formed on her forehead as she pushed him off the tree. "Dirty perv." She turned her attention back on Naruto.
Gamabunta did everything he could to throw Naruto off him. He jumped around, thrashed his head, even jumped into a lake, nearly drowning the boy. Yet still he did not let go, using his chakra to maintain his hold.
Jiraiya returned to the top of the tree, grumbling about annoying little girls, and looked at Naruto's progress. "Looks like he's having a hard time," Jiraiya said with a smirk. "He must have used most of his chakra summoning Gamabunta."
"How can you say that and smile, you jerk!" Hinata shouted, ready to push him off again.
"Relax. Bunta won't kill him. If he wanted to, he would have stayed underwater and drowned the boy. Besides, the road to power is long and brutal. There are no shortcuts. If he wants to get stronger, he'll have to endure some pain."
"The villagers put him through enough pain," she muttered.
"What?"
"Forget about it," she said as she continued to watch her friend hang on for dear life. Meanwhile, Jiraiya wonder what Hinata meant by what she said.
The day went on, until the sun was about to set. "Looks like Naruto's at his limit. The boy's barely hanging on. I won't be surprised if he fell off anytime now," Jiraiya commented.
"He'll make it," Hinata said. "I believe in him."
"Such devotion. Makes me think you like him as more than a friend." Hinata blushed slightly, but didn't respond as she focused on Naruto. Jiraiya smirked, knowing he was right.
Gamabunta stopped for a moment. "Did I… win?" Naruto asked, too tired to stutter.
"No. And even if you did, that wouldn't guarantee anything. I said I 'might' consider accepting you, so you may as well give up."
"No," Naruto responded. "Even if… the chances are low… I'll do all I can… because I don't... give up."
"Fine! Don't blame me of you die!" Bunta jumped into the air, as high as he could, spinning fast like a top.
"Oh be fair Bunta. This is a matter of pride for him too," Jiraiya complained. The giant toad flew over them and landed in the area where the girls were. "No! Not there! That was a great spot for inspiration!"
"There are more important things to worry about right now! Like Naruto's well being!" she criticized as she rushed to where they landed.
Bunta was panting while Naruto felt himself slipping off. He did the only thing he could think of and made a couple of clones that grabbed him and pulled him back on. He stood up and raised his hands. "I… did it." Unfortunately, fatigue overcame him. The boy was unconscious and fell off Bunta's head.
"Naruto!" Hinata shouted as she rushed to catch him.
'She's not gonna make it. And with a fall like that in his condition, he'll die!' Jiraiya thought.
However, halfway through the fall, Gamabunta stuck his tongue out and caught him. 'So close, little snot.' Bunta placed the boy on his head. Hinata finally arrived. "He'll live," the chief toad assured her. "But he's exhausted. He used up all his energy trying to stay on my head. Best we take him to a hospital. What's his name anyway?"
"Naruto. His name is Naruto Uzumaki."
"Naruto Uzumaki, eh. Well, climb on and make sure he doesn't fall off." Hinata nodded and climbed on. The boss summon hopped off, not as rough as before so as not to make his passengers fall off. "Consider yourself lucky girl. I don't usually allow people to ride on me, especially those we are not contracted to."
"Thank you," Hinata said, holding onto Naruto. She looked at him and thought back to the years before, when their friendship had start. He was so shy, so timid, and had so little confidence in himself. How many times would he have given up if she hadn't been there to help him take the right path? 'Yet here we are. Not only have we braved missing nins, but you did all you could to earn the respect of a summons all on your own. How things have changed, huh Naruto.'
They arrived at the hospital and Gamabunta let them down. "Tell the boy when he wakes up, that I have decided to accept him as my underling. The toad summons will answer his call, so long as it is within reason." Gamabunta hopped off, leaving only a large footprint.
-
Jiraiya stared at the night sky. He felt Bunta land next to him. "He's Minato's kid, isn't he? I still remember how much the three of us celebrated when he learned he was expecting."
"What gave it away?' Jiraiya asked.
"I had my suspicions from the moment I saw him. They look so much alike."
"Really? I couldn't tell with how hard you were on him."
"Please, I didn't go easy on Minato. There's no way I'd go easy on his son. Besides, I wanted to see if he could leave up to his father's legacy."
"And?"
"He has that potential," Bunta said, "but only time will tell." Jiraiya nodded in agreement.
-
Naruto was out for three days. Hinata had given him the message from Gamabunta. The Finals were tomorrow and he was jumping from rooftop to rooftop looking for Jiraiya for some last minute training. He checked the hot springs first and was surprised to find he wasn't there. He kept looking until finally he saw the sannin sitting on top of the Hokage Monument sipping sake. "Jiraiya-sensei," Naruto called.
"Huh? Oh, Naruto, you're up. Nice work before. Bunta isn't easily impressed," Jiraiya praised. "So, something you need? Perhaps a signed copy of my book to study from."
Naruto blushed but nodded his head. "J-just some last m-minute training."
"Training? Sorry kid, but there's no time for that. The Finals are tomorrow and you don't even have a full day. So relax, enjoy today."
"B-but I need to beat Sasuke!" Naruto argued.
"Look, if you put on a good enough show, you can be a chunin even without winning the match. And even if you don't, you can always try again. There's no rush."
"T-that's not it."
"Then what is it?" Jiraiya asked.
"T-the Hyūga are m-making Hinata marry Sasuke."
"What? Damn, that doesn't sound good, but I don't see how beating him will change anything."
"W-well, I sorta, made a bet."
-
Flashback:
Naruto found Sasuke at one of the training grounds. It was evening and he had finished his last day of training with Kakashi. The Uchiha turned around. "What do you want?"
"T-to end the arrangement," Naruto answered, mentally berating himself for the stutter.
"And how do you intend to do that?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow.
"W-with a wager," Naruto answered. "U-unless your scared."
While the effects of his words lessened because of his stutter, it remain effective enough. "Name the terms."
"I-if I win our match, Hinata d-doesn't have to m-marry you," Naruto said, choking out those last two words.
"Fine," Sasuke said, not surprised. "And when you loss, you'll agree to a restraining order keeping you away from her."
"What?"
"Hey, you turned our battle into a cliché battle for the girl. It's only right that the loser should lose the girl completely, since I doubt she'll want anything to do with me if our engagement ends. It's only fair that lose her completely if, or rather, when you lose."
Naruto debated in his mind. Sasuke was strong. The strongest of their class and he had only gotten stronger since graduation. Plus he now had the Sharingan. Sure Naruto could finally use his Rinnegan, but all it did was allow him to use all chakra natures, only two of which he knew jutsu for, and seeing through his clones eyes, which limited the amount he could make. But still... "F-fine."
Sasuke smirked. "It's a deal. Spend time with her, while you can."
Neji and Tenten were returning from training when they heard the whole thing. "We should probably tell your uncle this, in case Naruto wins and Sasuke doesn't go through with his end of the bargain."
Neji contemplated that. Hiashi would make sure the deal was honored, no matter who won. And he wasn't eager to see Hinata be freed from her fate while his uncle was forced to remain in his to his death. However, he decided there was no harm in doing so. Because not doing so would mean he believed Naruto had a chance, which he didn't. He was the dead last while Sasuke was the top rookie of his class and an member of an elite clan. It was Naruto's fate to remain at the bottom and lose, leaving Hinata to her fate. Because fate is unescapable.
-
"So let me get this straight, you made a bet where if you beat the man engaged to your loved one, she's free, but if you lose, you can never be with her, even as a friend?" Naruto nodded. "That is a brilliant idea for one of my books!" Jiraiya took out his notepad. "The hero makes a deal to save his beloved, risking it all, and after a fierce battle against her would be fiance, he's victorious and the two lovers enjoy a night of heavy passion." He giggled perversely at that last part while Naruto blushed. "I'd like to help you, but like I said, there's no time. Best thing you can do now is practice some of your jutsus, strategize, or some physical conditioning, but that's it." Naruto looked down in disappointment. "Listen, the amount of jutsu you know doesn't matter. The true measure of a shinobi is his ability to endure whatever is thrown at him. So as long as you have the guts to never give up, you can win. Just remember, no matter how many times he knocks you down, you get right back up."
Naruto looked upon the toad sage and smiled. "Thanks, Jiraiya-sensei."
"Well, if you really want to thank me, you'll use that jutsu again for me."
Naruto blushed red. "B-but i-its s-so e-embarrassing."
"Come on, just a little please?" Naruto shook his head and ran off, Jiraiya following and pestering him to use the Sexy Jutsu again.
-
Naruto just finished getting dressed for the Finals when he heard a knock on his door. He opened it and saw Haku, wearing the outfit he wore when he pretended to be a Mist tracker nin, without the mask of course. "Hey Haku. W-what brings you h-here?"
"Just thought I'd walk you over to the stadium," he answered. "We haven't been able to hang out much lately."
"S-sorry."
"Don't be. We've both been busy. You with training and the exams, and me at the academy." The two walked out the door. "I saw Inari and his mother earlier. They're here to cheer you on."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Sadly, Tazuna couldn't make it. They said he's got hired to work on a big project in another country. The income will further help the Land of Waves recover from Gato's tyranny."
"I'm g-glad to hear h-he's d-doing fine," Naruto said.
Haku noticed the anxiety on his friend's face. "You seem nervous."
Naruto sighed. "Sasuke g-graduated as rookie of the year. I've gotten s-stronger, but…"
"You're worried you're not strong enough to beat him," Haku guessed. Naruto confirmed it with a nod. "Tell me, what does he fight for?"
"H-himself and revenge," Naruto answered.
"And you fight for those precious to you. And because of that, your will is stronger than his will ever be. I've no doubt you can win this," Haku said with the utmost honesty.
Naruto smiled, but before he could say anything he was glomped. "Did ya miss me?" the person asked.
Naruto looked up and saw a familiar redhead. "Karin?"
"That's right," she said, letting him go and getting off of him so he could stand back up. "And guess what?" She pointed to her forehead, where her headband was. But it had a different symbol.
"Y-you're a leaf ninja now?" he asked in shock.
"Yep! Your Hokage made a deal with the Hidden Grass. I don't know the details though. But now I get to live here with you!"
Haku cleared his throat. "Are you gonna introduce me?"
"Oh, s-sorry. Haku, t-this is Karin. S-she's an Uzumaki, like me," Naruto introduced.
"An Uzumaki? That is interesting. I'm Haku Yuki. And by the way, I'm a boy," he added, knowing she would make the same mistake everyone else made.
"I know," Karin replied.
"You do?" Haku asked, surprised. "Yes! Someone who can tell I'm a boy from my looks!" he cheered.
'Actually, it was your chakra that told me,' Karin though. She had used her sensory abilities to look for Naruto and for a moment thought she had misread Haku's chakra. "I can't wait to see you win!" she exclaimed.
"Karin, I see you've returned." Everyone looked to see Hinata approach them. She noticed her new headband. "And you're a Leaf ninja now?"
"Yep. Now I can spend more time with Naruto here," she said as she grabbed his arm.
"That's nice," Hinata responded as she grabbed his other arm and pulled him toward herself. Karin frowned and pulled Naruto too.
The two were about to play tug-a-war with him when Haku spoke. "If we don't get going, we'll be late." Hinata and Naruto quickly realised he was right and ran to the stadium where the finals were being held.
-
Alpha: Done! I considered adding the hospital scene with Gaara, but decided instead to have it mentioned in the next chapter. Now, let's see if I can get it right this time. Shadow Clone Jutsu! (Clone appears)
Alpha (Clone): Hey.
Alpha: It worked!
Alpha (Clone): Of course. It's me, err, I mean you, who is me but…
Alpha: Let's not make this complicated.
Alpha (Clone): Agreed.
Naruto: You finally got the jutsu down. And it only took you two days. Me it took a night.
Alpha: Excuse me for not having monstrous reserves of chakra! Considering I have no prior practice with chakra, I'd say that's quite a feat!
Naruto: Whatever.
Alpha: Come on, me. Let's go! I can finally play with someone on verses who could give me a challenge.
Alpha (Clone): You're on! I won't lose!
