CHAPTER TWELVE: Chance Encounter
"The Earth shook then split open, the sun falling softly into my hands."
Naruto walked the streets of Konohagakure confidently, a drastic change from who she once had been. She'd just arrived back in her village yesterday, after the arduous C-rank turned A-rank mission to Wave.
Her face was nearly stoic, apart from the slight furrow of her blonde brows. Behind her dark sunglasses, her blue eyes were shut.
One may wonder how the young teen could be walking through the crowded roads with her eyes closed, but to anyone who knew Naruto Uzumaki, the answer was obvious.
Bloodlines are a nifty thing, many would agree. She could see all of the people bustling around her, full of life- and glowing blue chakra. They shopped, conversed, laughed and joked. It was a drastic change from Wave- where sickly people stood on dirty, litter filled streets, silent as wraiths. Chakra only as bright as flickers, all those bony bodies, and children with swollen bellies. She considered it a blessing that such things were hardly seen here in Konoha.
Silently, Naruto thanked the god's she was home, at last. She thanked them again, that she'd had the chance to fix things before she'd come back. There was a bridge with her name to prove it. Then, she continued the search for her target .
It was last month when Anko had announced her promotion to Elite Jounin. For this reason, Naruto had no doubts in her mind that Anko had spent the whole month partying. After all, without Naruto, Anko's schedule would be free enough to celebrate most days and nights.
That morning, Naruto had awoken bubbling with excitement, eager to do some training with her sensei. It had been so long. She'd rocketed out of that insanity-inducing hospital room the very second her 24 hour surveillance period was up.
(' To ensure that they get necessary rest and care after such an arduous mission,' the nurse had explained. Naruto just figured it was more reason to get a promotion. Only genin had to do those stupid mandatory stays. Jounin did whatever the hell they wanted .)
In just a few days, she and her genin friends in Team 9 would be entered into the Chuunin Exams. The long-awaited Chuunin exams.
When Anko didn't show up to their usual spot on time, Naruto was unconcerned. When the woman didn't show up at all, she went to the T&I office to look for her. That had her just a teensy, tiny bit agitated.
When Ibiki said she wasn't there, Naruto checked her sensei's apartment.
Obviously, the woman wasn't there either. The girl might've been more than just a tiny bit agitated by then. She was very agitated, in fact.
Left with one option, the young sensor had decided to search.
Searching the streets of Anko's favorite side of town, where there was both a bar and a dango shop. Two of her favorite places, side by side.
When she felt that oh-so-familiar chakra, she clicked her tongue. Relief overtook her, Anko was in town, therefore safe. She'd missed her so dearly!
If anything got in the way of her seeing her sensei again, she'd be begging the Hokage for forgiveness, believe it.
The blonde halted in her tracks, right in front of a large bar.
A nice building, built from gray cobblestone. Which stood out in Konoha, everything around here was usually built from wood. Given the slowly setting sun, wall sconces on the outside of the building added a warm glow to the perimeter.
The place must've been packed, because there were people lingering outside, sipping sake on benches and enjoying the beautiful dusk of Konoha. The mahogany doors were propped open, inviting any wandering folks to venture inside.
Finished with her assessment, the girl began her march towards where her beloved sensei hid, inside the bar.
Naruto didn't even notice the broad-shouldered, old man with long white hair standing right outside the door. Well, she didn't notice, until he picked her up by her collar.
A strong hand snatched her by her collar, just before she could enter, plucking her from the soft ground.
Naruto felt the full force of her earlier agitation back in full swing. Lord third, forgive her, she might maul the man.
"Hey, little lady. Aren't you a bit young to be going in there?" Asked the man, who looked quite odd. His hitai-ate had horns and bumps, with the kanji for Oil on it.
He had red stripes down his face, which Naruto thought resembled tear-trails. Quelling her burst of curiosity, Naruto scowled.
"Check the neck-tie, old man. Have you went so senile you've forgotten something so obvious? I'm a ninja, that means legally-an-adult ." She said, her eyebrows kneaded together into a harsh expression.
The old man looked taken aback at her attitude, his head cocking slightly to the side.
Naruto looked down, noticing how her feet dangled above the ground.
"Mouthy little brat, eh? Learn to respect your elders you-" He didn't get to finish his dramatic lecture when a foot impacted with his crotch, forcing him to drop the 5-foot-nothing blonde.
"Learn to keep your hands to yourself, old geezer!" She shouted, folding her arms over her chest defensively.
Her face was schooled straight, looking impassively at the freakish elder. Inside, however, she was howling with laughter.
He straightened himself quickly, practically snarling.
"Listen here, kid, you're about a decade-and-a-half too young to even insinuate something like that. Do you even know who you're yelling at?" The white-haired man asked, eyes narrowed at her.
Despite the man's strong expression, Naruto couldn't feel any genuine hostility or anger coming from him. She was almost impressed, really. She'd have been totally pissed if some random teen kicked her in the groin.
Suddenly, that old bastard got a grin on his face.
"Watch and be amazed, brat! Behold," He paused for dramatic effect. Crickets. A lone blonde brow was raised.
His face faltered slightly, but he continued nonetheless. "-The legendary sage of Mount Myoboku, the one and only, Toad Sage Jiraiyaaa!" In the middle of the man's speech, he bit his thumb, puncturing the skin effortlessly. In a cloud of smoke, he summoned a behemoth frog beneath his feet.
When the smoke finally dissipated, he was standing atop the amphibian with a goofy smirk and his hands poised on his hips confidently.
Naruto's face went through a flurry of expressions, first disgust at his dramatics, then disbelief. Eventually, realization struck, and finally, she shifted into complete idol worship.
Forget his freaky looks and theatrical persona, this man is one of the three sannin!
She bowed her head for a moment out of courtesy only , before swinging her head back up. Her glasses fell down, sitting at the tip of her nose, showing bright blue eyes to the entire world. Bright blue eyes, completely full of stars .
"Holy shit, dattebayo! You're Konoha's seal's master! Oh my Kami, that's so wicked! You're literally the expert in all things seal-related, even outside of Konoha!"
Jiraiya, who had been snapped out of his showboating by the girl's sudden flip in personality, quirked a lone eyebrow and stared her down.
Then, it clicked. Blonde pigtails. Bright blue eyes. Bad attitude .
Naruto. It had to be her. But, where was the tomboy that Hiruzen had described in his letters? This girl was too….. Girly .
And not just that, either. This kid was an edgy teenager if he'd ever seen one.
Naruto Uzumaki was supposed to be a lovely little dunderhead with a hatred for authority, and a love for orange. A tomboy.
Well, this kid had orange ribbons in her hair, and an orange koshihimo on her top, but that surely wasn't enough for the Naruto he'd been told of. And orange lip-gloss , too.
What had changed?
"What's your name, blondie?" Skeptically, his eyes searched her for some sort of answer.
"Naruto Uzumaki, 'ttbayo!" A two finger salute and a smile on her face, it made Jiraiya see a little bit of the girl that had been described to him.
With a verbal tic like that, the girl certainly belonged to Kushina. But that left him with even more questions.
People typically don't just wake up one day and switch their entire look and personality. (Well, at least in his experience, they didn't.) He'd last received an update on Naruto over a month ago, and though it was vague, it said nothing about a change like this.
"Huh, interesting.." The man mused, the gears within his mind turning.
"You're damn right I am!" The girl replied confidently, clasping her hands behind her back. She balanced on the balls of her feet, tilting herself back and forth. Jiraiya wasn't sure if she was genuinely antsy, or just playing it up.
Jiraiya felt much less positive about this encounter, he had to admit. So much so, that he could hardly contain his sour mood. His sensei had some questions to answer regarding his godchild, that was certain.
He glanced at the girl again, noticing how this kid was acting more like he would've expected. Still, she looked rather well-rounded, muscular and dressed to fight, so maybe her change wasn't all bad.
"So, you're interested in seals, eh?" He asked, biting back all his other, far too personal questions. Questions along the lines of, 'Why do you dress like that?' and, 'Why did your Hokage lie about you to me?'
She faltered, which Jiraiya took immediate note of. To anyone else, it might've been subtle. Not to him, though. He was an expert in more than just seals, as Naruto would inevitably learn.
"And if I am?" The blonde asked curiously, her index resting on her chin. Her expression was one of faux-innocence. Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, staring at her.
The frog beneath his feet disappeared, and he was back on the ground as if he'd never left it. "So that's a yes." He concluded dryly. She didn't reply, her head dropping to the side in an attempt to heighten that innocent, naïve look.
Yeah, after being kicked in his family jewels and hearing her potty-mouth, he wasn't buying it. As if sensing the disbelief hidden by his stoic face, the girl chuckled, and produced a wide, foxy grin.
It was almost eerie, as if she could read him as well as he could read her.
"Listen, meet me tomorrow afternoon. There's a training ground 'round this area. Maybe I'll show you a thing or two." He relented, hiding his own excitement for teaching his goddaughter.
Somehow, it was like the girl could sense that too. She was practically vibrating with excitement, but for just a moment, her eyes narrowed, and she seemed to be staring right through him.
It was startling, truly. Shaking off that bone-deep feeling of unease, he stepped aside.
"Great, I'll see you then! In the meantime, I've got a drunkard to drag home." He watched as the blonde stepped inside the bar, disappearing for a few minutes. He was silently relieved she was dragging someone out, rather than being a patron herself. Shinobi laws be damned, kids just weren't meant to drink.
When she returned, dragging a purple-haired woman by the collar of her coat, he blinked in surprise. 'That girl is true to her word,' he thought to himself. She dragged the woman, who was loudly cursing, along the roads, before disappearing into the distance.
Maybe tomorrow he'[d have to lecture her on role models and good peers. That alcoholic didn't exactly look like one. Then again.. His own best friend was a mad scientist turned villain, his other best friend was an alcoholic and gambler, and well… He….
He was an established romance author and ninja! So maybe he had room to talk after all, he assured himself.
Shaking himself out of his stupor, he remembered he needed to speak with Hiruzen about her. And stat. Sighing, long and loud, he walked in the direction of the office leisurely. He pretended not to notice the way shinobi- and some civilians, whispered in awe as he passed. Subtle nods from the experienced ninja around took him back.
He was a famous face around here, he remembered with a rueful grin. In Konoha, he was known for his feats as a shinobi. As a soldier. He wasn't just Jiraiya the author here, he was Jiraiya the gallant. The sannin, the toad sage, even.
By the time he'd reached the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi had long sensed his entrance in the tower.
He'd activated the privacy seal as always, Jiraiya noticed the subtle pulse in chakra as he walked towards the room. Shadows blurred out the room and past Jiraiya, telling him that Hiruzen had dismissed his ANBU guards. At least his sensei still trusted him.
Hands tucked in his pockets, Jiraiya's posture was forcibly relaxed, though his face lacked his signature goofy grin.
"Sensei!" The hulking man greeted faux-pleasantly, eyes glued on the pipe his teacher took a long drag from.
"Jiraiya, how nice of you to stop by." Hiruzen returned easily, leaning back in his chair.
Without a smidge of grace, Jiraiya dropped into the chair in front of the Hokage's desk, knowing damn well this would be a long talk.
Despite his idiot persona, Jiraiya was a genius. Any spymaster, seal-master, and professional lady's man had to be.
And thus, he needed to get to the meaning of the mystery of Naruto. Why wasn't Hiruzen more clear in his letters? There had to be a reason.
"Well, I didn't visit just to exchange pleasantries, Sensei." Jiraiya ventured, preparing to raise the subject. Hiruzen didn't look the least bit surprised, he'd probably seen pin-sized holes in Jiraiya's body language, and knew something was up. He would expect nothing less of the legendary Professor. "What seems to be the trouble, my boy?" Asked the elderly man.
Jiraiya let the unanswered question linger in the air for a short moment, before ultimately spitting it out. "Naruto. Your letters about her? Hardly accurate."
Another beat of silence.
"What do you mean by that?" Hiruzen inquired, his eyes foretelling that he was genuinely curious. The reason for such blatant curiosity, Jiraiya had too many guesses and too few answers.
The white-haired sage coughed lightly.
"The way you described her- I was expecting a dunderheaded kid. A stupid brat." He started slowly, running his tongue across his teeth. "I know a chakra-enhanced kick when one hits me, and damn-"
"She kicked you?!" Hiruzen interrupted, surprise laced with humor. Jiraiya could tell when the old man was fighting off a grin, damn it.
There was nothing funny about chakra enhanced kicks, thank you very much ! Had Hiruzen forgotten that awful day Tsunade had tied both arms behind her back, and done their practice spars with only her legs?
Jiraiya had Not forgotten. He fought off a shiver.
"Right in the family jewels. I was trying to keep an obvious minor out of a bar, and that kid didn't have any of it. She was disrespectful, brash, and confident she could put me down. That bit, less surprising-"
He took a brief pause, raising both hands to gesture vaguely.
"But her clothes?! Shorts? Garters? The trench coat?!" His incredulity grew towards the end, along with the volume of his voice.
Hiruzen's eyes strayed away for a moment, a vague sign of guilt and genuine shame.
"Ah… Yes, the outfit is likely a result of her apprenticeship, she's probably picked up the style there."
Well, that led to even more questions. Very illuminating, sensei, thanks a million!
"Wait, apprenticeship?! You didn't put her on a genin team?!" Jiraiya questioned suddenly, blinking away his surprise. They both knew the implication of an apprenticeship, it was rare a genin ever had both. Kakashi was somewhat an exception, he had an apprenticeship first, then a team. But, despite that, Kakashi went down a road of self-isolation. He didn't want the same, or worse, for Naruto.
He remembered Hiruzen describing Naruto as a slightly lonely child, they'd agreed it would be rectified when placed upon a genin team… Speaking of Kakashi, they'd long thought she would be placed on his team…
So why hadn't Hiruzen done that?
"It simply wasn't an option." Hiruzen answered the unspoken question, but Jiraiya felt his anger rising to a simmer beneath his skin. So nonchalant about throwing away that agreement they'd made…
"So what? Did Kakashi refuse a team? She should've been placed with him. Or any genin team, but him preferably." Jiraiya interrogated roughly, mind flooded full of questions. He felt a touch of self-hate, knowing that had he been here, he'd have no such questions to ask.
"Complications after the take-down of Danzo prevented that from working out." Hiruzen answered simply, and vaguely. It was rage-inducing.
Biting his tongue, Jiraiya leaned back into the leather chair, exhaling through his nose. He needed to switch subjects- He needed something more insignificant so he could pry more info out of his teacher.
"And the coat? Someone should tell her not to wear that, she'll be mistaken for a T&I nin. That'd be isolating for an already slightly lonely child ." Jiraiya threw out, tossing Hiruzen's words back in his face.
Clearing his throat subtly, Hiruzen met Jiraiya's eyes with an even gaze. "Ah, fear not, she's not so lonely anymore. She befriended her chuunin teacher ages ago, her jounin sensei, and another girl of her age."
Were Naruto there, she'd have scoffed. She had more friends than that, thank you. She'd have started counting on her fingers and listing names.
"And the coat?" Jiraiya repeated, an unsettled feeling rising in his chest. The subject wasn't the insignificant bit he thought it was, if Hiruzen switched subjects rather than answering. His stomach churned, nausea curling deep in his gut.
Sighing, a long, dreadful noise, Hiruzen let the question linger. His answer floored Jiraiya.
"It's part of her uniform. She was entered into the Torture and Interrogation unit a while ago." The nonchalance was so forced, so practiced, so goddamn dishonest-
The simmer of rage rose to a full-fledged boil.
"What?! You put Minato's baby in Torture and Interrogation?! You know what that department does to people!" He hollered, a red color blooming in his cheeks. Jiraiya had never been great at managing his temper, let it be known. Hiruzen looked remarkably calm. "I didn't put her there. Her sensei and she came to that conclusion naturally. And from what I hear, she does wonderfully." He answered plainly. It was as if Jiraiya hadn't just screamed in his face.
You could hear a pin drop with the deadly silence that settled in the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen found himself grateful that he was such a patient man.
"What kind of sensei would approve that?! They never put genin in there anymore!" Jiraiya was truly in disbelief, and it showed. "Intel is one thing, they get paid psych leave for uncovering horrors. They get shrink referrals. T&I has none of that! They! They just torture, all day, no reprieve!" He squawked, utterly lost.
That… That was Minato's baby, Kushina's baby… How? Could a child from those two.. End up there? Who would allow that?!
Naruto had been such a sweet infant… Always giggling and babbling. It didn't make sense to him. Hiruzen was supposed to protect her, raise her up. But he stuck her in one of the worst funded, least reputable, most damaging departments in Konoha.
"Jiraiya, my boy, she is cared for there. She is never overworked, and her supervisors are some of my most trusted men. Inoichi Yamanaka and Ibiki Morino keep an eye on her. She's a shinobi, there was no preserving her innocence." The Hokage reminded his student gently. Jiraiya hated the warmth in his teacher's tone, like he was speaking to a frustrated toddler.
And yet, Inoichi's name did calm his nerves just a bit. He had little faith in Morino, but… Inoichi would surely keep Naruto safe, he was a family man through and through. He'd keep an eye on her mental health, it was his career.
There was silence. What had been done had been done. Hiruzen clearly didn't regret it, Naruto had already grown comfortable there, what was he meant to do now? The damage had been done.
Slumping slightly. "Who's her sensei?" He asked, hoping it was a name he knew. A name he trusted. "Anko Mitarashi." Was the immediate reply.
Jiraiya sucked his teeth, it sounded horribly familiar. "Who?" He asked, eyes flickering up to Hiruzen's face.
"She's one of T&I's best. She's a newly promoted Elite Jounin, a summoner, and very talented. She'll keep Naruto safe." Hiruzen eased, but something itched in Jiraiya's mind.
Suddenly, he remembered. "Orochi's old student." He breathed, the nickname slipping past his lips.
Hiruzen nodded solemnly. There was a low, husky laugh, one that sounded nearly broken. He wondered if he was the only one to see horror in all these things.
He wondered if Kakashi knew.
"Well, I'll be. Never thought my goddaughter would befriend any of Orochimaru's type." Jiraiya thought aloud. Though, he kept silent another thought. Maybe Naruto and himself saw something similar in those types of people.
"You'd be mistaken to assume Anko as a copy of her teacher. She's more like Naruto than him. Those two go together splendidly." Hiruzen told him vaguely, a thin smile on his face.
Throwing his head back, Jiraiya relented. Hiruzen was set in all these decisions, and if Naruto was as happy as Hiruzen implied, he had no place to intervene. Still, he'd learned from this. He couldn't let Naruto's life play out without him.
And if she was happy, he needed to see it himself. If she wasn't, he needed to change it.
"How's Naruto's skill-set?" He asked a less emotionally charged question, which Hiruzen found himself thankful for. "A very good question. For a fresh genin, Naruto's skills are exemplary."
That made Jiraiya sit up straight, eyes suddenly very focused. That, was some good fucking news. Finally. Thank god, thank kami, thank the pretty lady at the club down the road-
"A recent mission report revealed skills even I didn't know Naruto was in possession of." The old man shook his head, a true sense of amazement crossing his face.
Ever impatient, Jiraiya needed an answer. "Well, spit it out, what's the kid got going for her?!"
Taking in a deep breath, Hiruzen began. "Enormous reserves make it so Naruto can create dozens upon dozens of shadow clones. Her skills with kunai and shuriken are above average, and reports say she has mastered a specialty weapon of her own." Jiraiya nodded, leaning forward with clear intrigue.
"Her trap-making skills have always been far above average, even in the first year of the Academy. Her taijutsu is excellent, she knows the academy kata and the Hebi style through and through. She is not lacking in speed, agility, nor brute strength, making her a very balanced hand-to-hand combatant." Jiraiya's eyes were the size of saucers, Naruto knows the Hebi style?
That was invented by Orochimaru himself, which meant he and Tsunade knew it by heart. It was treasured by Orochimaru, as well as its other practitioners. It was a closely guarded secret, just like all good techniques or styles.
"I've been told she knows a few types of basic seals, learned from a friend of hers." Jiraiya just found himself glad to hear the word friend again. It would break his heart if she were alone.
"Multiple superiors of hers vouch she has excellent methods for information extraction, and can completely suppress her emotions, as well." Hiruzen continued effortlessly, recalling all of this from memory alone.
"Furthermore, her weapon specialization? It has 4 different chara-induced forms, which I figure makes her rather flexible. She possesses a rare kekkei genkai, which allows her to sense chakra. Reportedly, in her last mission, she was able to use all of these skills excellently, and showed superb conflict resolution skills. Along with leadership skills, as she led everyone on her team more than once. Lastly, she is actively learning poisons, and senbon usage." The man finished, nearly out of breath from such a long list of things.
It was beyond impressive. The girl had branched out, to say the least. Many shinobi will pick one or two things to master and build their career off of it. Not Naruto, apparently.
Hiruzen shook his head, "If she has any other proficiencies or pet projects, I'm not aware of them. Which would be a skill in its own right, you see."
Jiraiya… Well, Jiraiya was utterly baffled. His mouth dried a bit at the last bit, because yes, he saw. Hiruzen was supposed to know all of his shinobi in and out, and to hint Naruto might, maybe, have a chance of keeping any ability secret from the Hokage said enough.
IF she, a genin, even had a chance of doing such a thing, it was a true testament to her stealth. There were eyes everywhere in this village, all watching for the Hokage, if a genin could slip past all those… Well, they'd have to be talented.
Nevermind that, though. Jiraiya needed more facts, and less speculation.
"I need details. All of them."
Reluctantly, Hiruzen obliged. That talk went on for hours..
In a dirty apartment, somewhere in Konoha...
Similarly, a group of three teenagers and a drunk, also had a very, very long talk.
"Wait, you kissed Haku?! After.. After the thing Zabuza did?!" Ino asked, mildly outraged. That boy couldn't be any good for her friend, no matter how absolutely dreamy he sounded!
"Ino-chan! Don't judge the child for the sins of the father!" Tenten reprimanded, wagging her finger. Ino sent her a very, very dry look.
"Can you tell me a little more about," A hiccup interrupted her sentence. "This Zabuza guy, and his rippling muscles? His scarred six pack?" Anko inquired, so obviously intoxicated that the three girl's wondered if she even knew what she was saying.
Looks were exchanged.
"So that's a no. Fineeeee…. Yer no fun." Anko slurred, rolling onto her back.
In the apartment, all of them were sitting in a circle, in the only clear spot on the floor. Most of the rest of it was mildly messy, with clothes and weapons, and dango sticks, left laying on the dark hardwood.
Ino, despite the mess, found the place rather nice. Everything was purple and black, and she appreciated her fellow Purple Connoisseurs. Especially when they had such good taste for interior decorating… Ino's eyes lingered on the black velvet couch, and the various candles decorating the place.
Now if they could only get her to clean the place, it'd be perfect, the blonde thought.
A loud snore came from a few feet away. Ino sighed. Sounded like Anko wouldn't be cleaning anytime soon.
Tenten's eyes gazed down at the bottom of her empty teacup. "Jeez, Naruto.. I really can't believe your mission.." She waved her spare hand vaguely, lacking the word. "Went so wrong."
Naruto swallowed, immediately wanting to dispel that throat-clogging pity she felt from her friends.
Ino honed in on the conversation immediately. "Naruto, you know.. That sort of thing is really traumatizing.. You should seek out my dad for therapy, if he doesn't do it himself, he can get one of the best Yamanaka's to help. You'd be in great hands!" Ino not-so-subtly urged, very aware of all the damage that sort of mission could do to a growing mind.
She just wanted her friend to be okay.
But Naruto, she hated this… That feeling that their worry gave her? It was a bad taste on her tongue, something cloying in the back of her throat. It brought sweat to her skin and nestled in her stomach.
Since when… Did emotions hit her so strongly? Did her sensing improve?
She… Didn't like that, not one bit.
She waved her hands dismissively. "Guys! No, no, it's fine! I'm as strong as ever, yanno! I'm in T&I, I'm numb to gore and all that, the mission didn't affect me, really." She attempted to assure, but her friends were so obviously unconvinced.
She steadied herself, wiping away her uneasy smile. "Seriously guys. I already had a talk with Kurenai about it… Whatever damage might've been done, I'm good now. Kurenai really helped me."
Naruto was lying. Through her teeth. And maybe she felt a little guilty about it, because her friends trusted her to be honest always, but.. The pity was just too much.
And as long as Naruto didn't make a habit of lying about her feelings, it would be fine, right? They would all be better off.
Reluctantly, Ino eased, which Tenten took as a sign that things were fine. "Good, I'm glad she could help you." Ino and Tenten exchanged one last, solemn glance.
"I speak for both of us when I say we care about you, Naruto, and we want the best for you." Ino said, getting a firm nod of agreement from their brunette friend. "We love you." Tenten added seriously, affection in her words.
Naruto chuckled, cheeks heating up slightly. "I know, I know. And as much as I love you guys, I think I just saw a centipede crawl up Anko's wall. I can't sit here knowing there's one of those guys lurking around…" She said, forcing an expression of unease.
Ino squealed loudly, eyes wide and searching for the aforementioned bug.
So what, two lies don't make a habit, Naruto thought. "How about we clean this place up a little?" Naruto ventured, hoping they'd accept her change of subject easily.
Tenten, who had pulled out the stabbin' knife she hid in her shirt, gently put it away. "Cleaning it is then! Better solution than what I had in mind!" The brunette said cheerfully.
And clean they did. The three kunoichi began cleaning the place like they were getting paid for it, from top to bottom.
Were Anko not wasted and passed out, she would've understood the gravity of her student's mission. She'd have forced Naruto to get therapy, and saw past the thin veneer the girl put up.
But Anko would only remember the most docile bits of that story. For better, or for worse.
She certainly wouldn't know how she ended up on the floor, cuddled up with her three disciples, in her very clean apartment, the next day.
She did know, that her head was fucking pounding, and she was never going on a bender like that, ever again. By kami, she swore it.
Grumbling her incoherent woes, she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Like puppies," She mumbled to herself, eyeing the sleeping children on her floor.
If she smiled fondly, no one was awake to see it. Well, until she woke them, with a very harsh shout.
"UP AND AT EM, BRATS! I'VE GOT WORK AND YOU CAN'T SLEEP ON MY FLOOR FOREVER!"
Meanwhile, Jiraiya swore he needed to get hammered after this. Naruto's files were so, so lacking.
The papers felt heavy in his hands, thin as they were. Mission reports, anecdotes from teachers, report cards, it was all before him. And I was all so incomplete, missing, it told him nothing.
When did Konoha's shinobi system become such a mess?!
Scratch that, he didn't want to know.
Still, something needed to be done about this. A Hokage who didn't keep track of his shinobi?
Well, that didn't make for a very good Hokage at all. It was a treasonous thought, to think one's own Hokage may be incapable.
Grimacing, he wondered if maybe it was time for his sensei to retire.
Cradling his head in his hands, he resigned to going in blind with his goddaughter. Hiruzen might have told him what he could, but it didn't feel like enough. He wanted to be ready. Fully, entirely, ready. Braced for impact, even.
He wanted to know her. To know what to expect. To know if she was like… If she was like Minato. . He cut off his own train of thought. It wasn't a fair road to follow, for anyone involved.
Well, she should show up sometime soon, he figured. The small stack of files, he dropped beside him, forgetting they even mattered.
No use in sulking, he told himself.
Standing straight, he stretched his arms toward the sun, doing a quick routine of stretching forms to keep himself nimble.
Despite his growing age, Jiraiya didn't feel like the old man all the youngsters treated him as. At least his body didn't.
"I'm no old geezer yet!" He shouted to himself, triumphant. The sound of sooft footsteps approached slowly. Warily.
"Riiiight. Cuz you're as fresh as a spring chicken, huh?!" A sour voice remarked, stepping into Jiraiya's peripheral.
Jiraiya's eyes slid over to the approaching figure, he'd known she was coming. "Oi, brat! It's you!"
Naruto stared at him plainly. "It's me. Naruto Uzumaki, in the flesh." Her voice was skeptical, and Jiraiya wondered if her catching him talking to himself had caused that. She didn't have the stars in her eyes like before, that was certain.
She looked… Different today. Her hair was tied into two tight knots on each side of her head, bangs pinned back. She had no makeup on, but the shirt she was wearing looked less than suitable for jutsu training. It was like she'd grabbed it out of someone else's pajama drawer, poorly fitting and aged.
She wore all the same equipment as ever, with the addition of a large scroll thrown over her shoulder.
His eyes strayed to the sun, its position in the sky told him the time. Barely noon, yet not quite the afternoon. "You're here early."
She quirked a brow. "So?"
The tension was palpable.
Jiraiya hadn't taught a real student in so many years now, he wasn't sure if this kind of awkwardness was normal for modern day teacher-student meetings. He scratched the back of his neck. Was this a mistake?! Should he have reread her files before coming? Shit, what if-
"ARE YOU GONNA SAY ANYTHING OR JUST KEEP STANDING THERE?!" She raged, set off by seemingly nothing.
If he'd asked, Naruto would've gladly complained about the fact she got only a few hours of sleep, only to rush to this training field under the pretense she was late, for him to just stand there and mumble about her being early . She could've had her breakfast ramen, damn it!
The surprised man watched one of her eyes twitch furiously, and at that moment, he saw both Tsunade and Kushina standing before him.
Normally such a thing might bring a tear to his eye, or warm his heart with sentiment. Today, however, Jiraiya just felt a cold chill. With potential like hers and temper like two legendary kunoichi, he might've taken on a much larger project than expected.
As comedic as those tempers could be, he'd seen many Slug Sannin rampages, and he wondered if that rage could be put to good use.
Then again, as quick as she'd had that outburst, she'd flipped back into being completely normal. God, this girl was a puzzle.
"I'm not usually so temperamental." The girl spoke, tilting her head slightly. Her skin crawled, remembering she could sense whatever feelings that outburst had given him.
He hummed, deciding he'd cut right to it. She clearly didn't like waiting. No more speculation, he'd just get to know her. "Right. So. You're a genin."
She clicked her tongue. "Yup. Not for long though. Chuunin exams starting soon, and I'm gonna ace 'em." She didn't stutter, stammer, or falter. She confident as if her success was guaranteed. Jiraiya liked that.
"You know what a genin needs? A signature. Something to really wow the proctors and guarantee your promotion. Liiike a jutsu. A Flaaashy one." Jiraiya accentuated his words, trying to lure her into the glamor of ninjutsu.
Minato had loved ninjutsu. So did Jiraiya. But Naruto didn't look particularly interested. She had a sour sort of expression, as if she'd been denied something.
(Truth was, Naruto found ninjutsu extremely cool. But she couldn't put the novelty of ninjutsu over the promise she'd made. She was denying herself.)
"Ninjutsu is cool and all, but that's not what I need from you. I need seals, seal textbooks, things like that."
Textbooks? Jiraiya wasn't a textbook sort of teacher. "But you're entering the chuunin exams. Sure, some seals can be handy, but that's not gonna help you pass." He said, tone a bit chiding.
"I'll pass with or without any help from you." Naruto snarked lightheartedly. "This is something I have to do. Have to learn, 'ttebayo."
Jiraiya groaned internally. Seals weren't something he could just teach anyone. He could teach Naruto, but he needed to know why she wanted this. Why she was so stuck on the idea. Knowing this would be a long one, he suddenly decided to take a seat on the ground.
"If you want to learn seals from me, I'm going to need a better argument than that. Convince me." He said, uncharacteristically stern. He folded his arms over his chest.
"Convince you?" She repeated, looking a bit dumbfounded.
"Fuinjutsu is one of the most powerful art forms out there. It's a lifelong discipline, with the power to level entire countries in the hands of someone like you." Naruto's mouth ran dry.
"There was a kunoichi before you, Kushina Uzumaki, she had reserves that could power up seals of almost any size, any complexity. She could handle it. And that's what made the Uzumaki clan so powerful, those reserves, with such complicated sealing techniques?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "They were one hell of a force. She was one hell of a force. If you'd seen the girl in action.." He stopped with a whistle.
Finally, Naruto deigned to sit as well, a few feet across from him.
"And I'm an Uzumaki. An Uzumaki with the most powerful bijuu in me." Naruto dropped as if it were nothing, as if she hadn't just shared the most important secret about herself.
Jiraiya didn't play up any façade of surprise. They both knew. She knew that he knew. Why be dishonest? He'd had enough of that lately. "Exactly. Even if you weren't., sealing wouldn't be something I would just hand to you. So. Convince me."
Naruto took a deep breath. "Okay." She cleared her throat, and then began.
"I've got a whole list of arguments. Let's start with birthright. I am Uzumaki, I am the Yondaime's daughter. Sealing is in my blood. For that reason, you'll be squandering my potential as a soldier of Konoha, and as your student's child."
This time, there was nothing to feign. His surprise was genuine. That was like a Tsunade kick straight to the gut. "You- You know about that?!" His voice was ridiculously high-pitched, bordering on a squeal. That made two S-class secrets, she'd dropped like they were nothing.
She grinned, something mischievous and vulpine. "I'm smarter than this village thinks. Just another reason to teach me, really. Comparing me to Kushina, though? Subtle, if I hadn't known she was my mother, it might not have bothered me to hear you cite her like that."
He cleared his throat, dizzy. This girl was more than a puzzle, he could only watch as she abruptly stood up.
Naruto paced slightly, something about this scenario filled her with adrenaline. She was laying it all out, she was going to fulfill her promise, if she just did this right.
"I already know some seals. I know storage seals inside and out. I've started workshopping on my own already, with the help of some friends. You're not keeping the art from me, you either help me, or watch me help myself."
Jiraiya nodded, dazed and a bit delayed in his processing of all this. She. Knew. Her. Father. Father as in Minato. Minato Namikaze. As in, the fourth Hokage. Fuck.
Fuck.
"And I've got one more, my best reason yet. So stop sitting there all dumb and listen up." She demanded, halting suddenly. Her tone left no room for argument, he looked up at her.
"I've got someone in my life who's real important to me." She began, a deadly calm in her voice. "She means the entire world to me, truly. While you and the Hokage ditched your debts to me, Anko Mitarashi saw my potential and took me in." She took in a deep breath and finished her statement.
"We've only known each other since my graduation, but she's like my sister."
Jiraiya's stomach knotted, she threw that in his face like it was nothing. They both knew that morally, he should've been caring for her. He, or the Hokage, or any number of Minato's old friends. Yet, no one had done a damn thing. No one.
Except for Anko, Orochimaru's student.
"Furthermore, your teammate was her sensei." Jiraiya heard the slightest tremble in her voice, a break in her glacier tone.
"And he left quite the mess on her skin, a seal that no one has even attempted to undo, because it's too dark and ugly for anyone to dare to touch." She was so serious, she channeled her inner Inoichi.
He was convincing, he was emotionally charged and intelligent and Naruto needed to manifest his energy as best as she could.
Next up, she hit him on the logical, moral side of things. " Should it not be another sannin to clean up the mess of the other? You're not even doing the cleaning, you're just giving me what I need to do it." Next up, she appealed to his humanity, tacking off the interrogation techniques as she went.
"Anko suffers because of this. I promised her I would do this, that I would fix it. I just need your help." She pleaded momentarily, noticing that Jiraiya's eyes were completely fixated on her. She was the center of attention, and it affirmed to her that this was going well.
"With or without you, I'm going to do this. But if you help me.." She trailed off. "You can do a good deed, repay some of the debts you owe me, and help me get it done sooner. All in one. She swallowed.
"So. What do you say?"
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey! If I still have readers here, here's the long awaited update. I updated on AO3 sooner, solely because FFN is a bit annoying. Im deeply sorry for the hiatus, but a lot of things have been weighing on me. I've picked up the story again, though, and hopefully I'll be able to keep updating for a while.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO AUSTIN FOR LETTING ME KNOW THE FORMATTING ON THESE WAS MESSED UP HAHA