Naruto: A Little Help


Author's Notes: Hey, guys. Now that the revision is finally done and dusted, I am back to uploading newer chapters. I will try to keep this frequency going concurrent with my other story "Quirk: Chakra". Give it a read if you are interested to know how chakra might work in BnHA Universe as a legit quirk. That story is not an Isekai, neither does it has an OP OC and it will divert from cannon after a certain event.

Let me know if this is good, bad or average. Criticism of any kind appreciated her. Drop a review if you think somethings can be better or some tweaking or correction is needed.


Chapter 7: A Rising Prodigy.

Year Second of the Ninja Academy. First week. First sparring session. And I want a challenge.

In the previous year all I did in the spars was beat up little girls, Hinata-chan excluded. Both her and I were getting bored doing that. I had aced every test that year, aced the spars, aced the exam. Teachers were calling me a prodigy. And all this prodigy gets are a bunch of weaklings to fight against. Its not even much of a fight.

Having had enough of that the last year, I convinced Hinata-chan that we need a challenge and took her to the teacher to demand a challenge. Surprisingly, she didn't object at all. Almost looked like she was eager for better fights. All our time spent together must have had an effect on her, if her lost stuttering is anything to go by, even still it surfaced from time to time. She was more confident now and knew when to speak up for herself. I was proud of her.

Coming back to present, both of us approached the teacher for our demand. "Sensei, we want a challenge!", I called out with a nodding Hinata beside me.

The teacher turned to us and gave a small smile. "What is it exactly do you two want?"

"We want better opponents, not these weak, pathetic princesses." I said that out loud and many female classmates gave me the stink eye. "We don't care if we have to fight against boys. We want a challenge." Hinata stood beside me nodded again with determination in her eyes.

The teacher's smile widened and he was about to call someone when Hinata-chan spoke up, "Sensei, I want to fight against more than a single opponent. How about giving me a team of three?"

Hinata's demand would have been dismissed had she been any one other than herself, Clan heiress or not. It was just her unusual way of address that caught the teacher off guard and he relented to her, nodding thoughtfully, then turned to me. "I assume you want the same?"

I was surprised that Hinata-chan would make such a demand, though, but I didn't let it show and nodded with determination instead. The teacher sighed and turned towards the boys. "Kiba, Sasuke, Naruto, Shino, Choji, Shikamaru. Come here, you all.", They did so.

Ever since I have made efforts to get teachers to warm up to Naruto, his treatment have gotten better. Only Mizuki was still being a jerk. He will get what he deserves, though.

When the boys came and formed a line in front of him, he spoke, "Ichika-chan and Hinata-chan have requested a challenge. You all would be divided into two teams and each team will fight them individually. Understood?"

Only Naruto and Shikamaru had objections. The latter's got overhead by the former's. "Will I get to fight three opponents as well, later of course?"

The teacher became thoughtful. He was thinking something for sure. "That's a great idea. Listen up, everyone!" he called out to the entire class. They gave their attention to him, "I will be teaming up three students to fight against Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba, Choji, Shino and Shikamaru. If any of you wish to fight multiple opponents speak up."

None of them did. Everyone knew that they couldn't fight even one of these idiots, let alone a team of them. Same thoughts were going through Ino and Sakura's minds.

"All right. Choji, Shikamaru, Sasuke, you three will fight Hinata." he turned to them, all of them nodded. "Naruto, Shino and Kiba, you three will fight Ichika."

Naruto and Kiba paled at my dangerous smile. "Not her!" they yelled at the same time.

"Why not? Am I that scary?", I asked innocently. They clammed up. They wouldn't want to admit that they were scared of a girl. Reluctantly they nodded to the teacher.

"Alright, sensei." They replied dejectedly.

Minutes later the training ground was set up and eight teams of three were standing on the opposite side of the two of us. Hinata was going first and I gave her some pointers to her about her opponents' fighting styles.

She walked to the middle of the circle and faced Sasuke, Choji and Shikamaru. All of them bowed to each other.

"Begin!", said the teacher.

They all went into motion. Hinata was playing defensively while the other three were circling her in ready stances of their respective styles. Sasuke made the first move, followed by Choji. Shikamaru stayed back and let them fight.

Hinata deflected Sasuke's opening strike and swirled under his extended arm to deliver a kick to Choji's face. She then turned around and sent a barrage of palm strikes at Sasuke's torso, most of which were dodged or deflected. From behind, Choji tried to grab her in a choke hold while she was busy but her activated Byakugan alerted her and she slid out of his grasp, who then stumbled into Sasuke.

To his credit, Sasuke stood his ground and steadied Choji. Glancing at Shikamaru, he nodded his head in a signal to get his ass in the fight. Reluctantly Shikamaru went into action and engaged Hinata in a fist exchange, and immediately got knocked out of the ring.

'One down, two to go. You can do it, Hinata-chan', I thought, cheering inwardly for my friend.

Sasuke looked annoyed at seeing his ally, for the time being, get his ass handed to him. With Choji he flanked her from both sides and went on attack at the same time. Hinata used her natural flexibility to slip out and sent Choji flying with a palm strike to the face, knocking him out instantly. This only left Sasuke.

Both of them paused in their match and eyed each other. Byakugan met Sharingan. Then both of them launched at each other. Exchanging a lot of fists and palm strike, Sasuke switched his attack and went for a knee to the stomach, which doubled her over, but she still stood straight quickly.

After a brief exchange of devastating blows the two settled down and gained some distance. A beastly grin was plastered on both their faces. It looked out of place on Hinata-chan. They both were begging to go all out.

And they did.

The jaws of everyone present dropped, even the teacher's. The reason for that, was the fact that they were really going all out. Their hands were blurs. Their feet kicked up dust clouds wherever they landed. Following their attacks was difficult for everyone, barring Naruto, the teacher, and I.

This went on for three minutes, but the rate of their attacks was higher than 60/minute. This drastic improvement was due to me. I had recently introduced them to my Gamer ability and had them spend points they had built up. Sasuke and Hinata spent all of them on Vit, Sta and Dex, while Naruto, stupid idiot that he is, wanted to be "brainier with brawn" as he put it, so he wasted all of them on Str, Wis and Int. Suffice it to say, they had become monsters. Though I was still better than them. That is also the reason why Naruto and Kiba are scared of me. I am better than all of them combined. Because my Level was 12.

Back to the fight. Hinata-chan was panting heavily by the end. She had the lowest amount of stamina in our group of four. But she wasn't out yet. Both fighters took a pause to catch their breaths. Hinata-chan didn't wait for Sasuke to go on the offensive and made her move instead. She rolled towards him and gave his stomach an upward kick from the ground. This was a standard attack in the academy style of Taijutsu. She had decided she would master as many styles as she can, not just Gentle Fist. This gave her an advantage over Sasuke who was sent rolling out of the ring.

*clap clap clap clap clap*, rang out in the ground. All of the students were cheering for Hinata-chan. She became beet red at the praises thrown her way. Sasuke came back, they made the hand sign of peace and she shyly bowed to the audience before making her way towards me.

"Great job, Hinata-chan.", I told her. "That last attack would have caught even me off-guard."

She ducked her head in embarrassment. It seems I might have to get her used to receiving praises. She will be getting a lot from now on.

"That was an amazing display of skills, you two. Most surprising. Both of you get full marks.", the teacher said before turning to a sleeping Nara and an eating Akimichi. "Shikamaru, you get zero. You didn't even put any effort.", he told him with a twitching eye, "Choji, 30 marks for at least trying.", He said with a sad smile.

"Now!" the teacher suddenly yelled, "Ichika versus Naruto, Shino and Kiba. Come to the ring, please."

We arranged ourselves in the ring, facing each other. Naruto and Kiba were eyeing me cautiously while Shino was impassive. My Chakra Sensory skill told me his bugs were agitated, though. Oh yes! I have acquired many skills, one of them being Chakra Sensory.

The teacher was letting the suspense build up. He was really enjoying this. Unnecessarily, he asked if both parties were ready. We all told him we were. The crowd was going wild. Spotlights were focused on us. Cheerleaders were dancing in their Bikinis and Pom-Poms…

'Wait! Whaaat!?'

A window popped up, "Shino has caught you in his Grandiose Genjutsu". Shino can cast Genjutsu? Even if he can, this is a Taijutsu match. Ninjutsu and Genjutsu are not allowed. The ever stoic, law abiding Shino wouldn't cheat. Or would he?

I put up a single hand sign and dispelled the Genjutsu to find myself in a headlock by Kiba. Even after coming to my mind I didn't struggle. I simply grabbed his arm, and squeezed. His girlish scream was quite funny. We had stopped just before reaching the border of the ring. My vice grip still in place, I swung my arm around, taking a screaming Kiba with it and threw him back to the middle. Both Naruto and Shino were flabbergasted. They wanted to run, but my gaze kept them planted.

"I can't believe, Shino would cheat in anything. I would have expected this sort of thing by you two, though not the Genjutsu.", I told them as I made my way slowly over to them. They were struggling against their senses to just run but their bodies won't listen. Kiba was writhing in pain on the ground oblivious to the pain that was coming. "Prepare yourselves, bitches!", I screamed as I lunged towards them.

Dodging and deflecting their opening attacks I ducked under their defenses and grabbed both of their collar to throw them towards the middle as well. Cracking my knuckles, I approached them with an insane smile. What followed was nothing short of torture. Never did I let them leave the circle, nor did I throw them out. I didn't even let them lose consciousness until I was satisfied. Though, to their credit, they did try to put up a fight, which made this even more exciting.

When I was finished I turned around to the rest of the class. They were backing away from me in fear. Great. That's what I want. The teacher looked stunned and barely managed to call me the winner. "W-winner, I-I-Ichika-san!".

'What's with the suffix? Is he scared of me too?', I thought confusedly. 'To think I get the teacher to wet his pants. I'm definitely going to be approached for earlier graduation now.'

I walked towards the teacher and blankly regarded him, just to mess with him. "Sensei. I wanted a challenge. Next time it will be me versus the entire class. One-on-one or all at once."

As ridiculous that demand sounded, the teacher readily agreed with it. Nodding his head frantically, as if he didn't want to anger me and earn my wrath. Just to be sure I used Observe on him.

Name: Kitsuki Rota

Level: 19

Job: Chunin Academy Instructor

'Only Level 19? He might be the weakest Chunin I have met. Mere Genin are stronger than him. Pathetic', I thought.

This was another advantage with higher level of observe. Rather than getting all the information about the target at once, I only get selected info, which I can set before using Observe. Another skill I have is called "Beastly Smile", it just unnerves the target and make them susceptible for easy pickings. That's what I used against those three.

When I reached Hinata-chan, she was wearing an uneasy smile. "You know… You should have held back a little."

"Why hold back. I was having fun.", I replied with a bright smile.

"B-but hurting your friends is bad.", she said.

"Don't worry. This was just a Genjutsu I cast over everyone."

"But… This is Taijutsu only."

"That's what I thought at first, until Shino-kun put me under his Grandiose Genjutsu. That was cheating on his part, so I thought why not even the odds a little. I was holding back but the blows seemed to you as hard, while they felt them harder. But in reality, those were just love taps."

"You can cast Genjutsu over a wide area?"

"Yup."

"Even I didn't feel it."

"Yup. I just did a subtle one that your Byakugan would have seen through had it been activated."

"Oh… So that means they aren't hurt too much?"

"Physically, no. Mentally, though-", I was cut off by screams coming from Naruto and Kiba. "Yeah, not so great." I told her over the screams.

The matter was blown over and those three didn't get their own matches for the remainder of the day. After watching Hinata-chan and fighting my own match I had lost interest as I pulled up my status screen and started reviewing myself.

Status

Name: Yoshida Ichika (previously Junaid Ahmed)

Age: 6

Level: 12

Job: Toddler (+2% exp gain across the board)

Status: Healthy

Experience: 9876 101400

Attributes

HP 210

CP 125

Str 30

Vit 21

Sta 20

Int 20

Wis 19

Dex 20

Atk 30

Def 26

Lck 30

Points: 36

Titles

Little Sister (+100% rep gain with Fukushima)

Perks

First Born (+1 Vit/Level Up, +30% rep gain with Yoshida Yua & Yoshida Asa, +2% rep gain with Fukushima, +5% rep gain with Konohagakure)

Buffs/Debuffs

Skills

Observe (Active) Lv 68 99%(Shows selective info about target)

Language Comprehension: Japanese (Passive) Lv MAX (Helps you understand the language you learn as a non-native speaker)

Reading: Japanese (Passive) Lv Max (Helps you understand written words in Japanese as a non-native speaker)

Writing: Japanese (Passive) Lv Max (Helps you write words in Japanese as a non-native speaker)

Gardening (Active) Lv 35 66% (+4 Spd & +4 Dex while in use)

Cooking (Active) Lv 23 65% (+3 Spd & +3 Dex while in use)

Cleaning (Active) Lv 7 12% (+1 Spd & +1 Dex while in use)

Shuriken Jutsu (Active) Lv 3 33% (+1 Dex & +2 Spd while in use, Cost:2 CP)

Chakra Dash (Active) Lv 12 03% (+4 Spd while in use, Cost:20 CP/minute)

Transformation Jutsu (Active) Lv 15 93% (Cost: 12 CP, 1 CP/minute)

Clone Jutsu (Active) Lv 22 65% (Cost: 20 CP, No. of Clones: 5)

Substitute Jutsu (Active) Lv 5 22% (Cost: 25 CP, Size of Objects: 1 meter)

Shadow Clone Jutsu (Active) Lv 1 05% (Cost: 50% CP, No. of Clones: 1)

Chakra Throw (Active) Lv 45 46% (+5 Dex & +20% Dmg by thrown weapons while in use, Costs: 10 CP)

Tree Climbing (Active) Lv 7 11% (Cost: 5 CP/minute)

Water Walking (Active) Lv 0 23% (Cost: 15 CP/minute)

Intermediate Academy Style Taijutsu (Active) (Upgrade) Lv 20 00% (+3 Dex & +3 Spd while in use)

Extreme Pain Genjutsu (Active) Lv 10 78% (Cost: 20 CP/minute)

'A good number of skills I've acquired. I just need more… battle ready skills.', I thought to myself. I decided to see what every skill does.

Gardening: Helps you understand different plants better and to take care of them effectively. The higher your skill the higher chances of our plants not dying.

Cooking: Helping your mother has given you this skill. Learning from a master chef is quite rewarding. You can cook dishes better and faster with little chance of messing up the higher your skill is.

Cleaning: Helping around the house has gained you this skill. You will be able to do your daily cleaning chores faster and more efficiently the higher you skill level is.

Shuriken Jutsu: Taught by Uchiha Itachi. You can masterfully control the aim of every single thrown object to strike true. Higher your skill level is the higher chance of hitting true to target. Costs 2 CP

Chakra Dash: You were late for Academy. Inadvertently you used chakra to strengthen your legs. Now you have this skill. Speed increases two folds as you level this skill up. Costs 20 CP/minute

Transformation Jutsu: Learned from the 'borrowed' academy book. Allows you to cast a genjutsu on yourself to appear as something or someone else. Costs 12 CP for activation and 1 CP/minute to maintain.

Clone Jutsu: Learned from the 'borrowed' academy book. Allows you to create an intangible clone to fool idiots. Because seriously, only idiots will be fooled by this. Costs 20 CP per clone. Max Clones numbers 5.

Substitute Jutsu: Learned from the 'borrowed' academy book. Allows you to exchange locations with objects or living things around you, depending on skill level. Costs 20 CP for a 1 meter sized object.

Shadow Clone Jutsu: Learned by trying to create a variation of a Clone Jutsu from memory of your past life. Creates tangible, memory retaining clones of yourself. They are identical copies of yourself and can perform all the Jutsu you can. Costs 50% CP per Shadow Clone. Max Shadow Clones numbers 1.

Chakra Throw: Trying to hit a flying target you created this ability. Strengthening your arm(s) to throw with more force and speed. Costs 10 CP per throw.

Tree Climbing: Learned by trying to recreate this exercise from memory of your past. Allows you to stick to solid surfaces using Chakra. Costs 5 CP/minute.

Water Walking: Learning from memory of your past. Still a work in progress. Allows you to walk on liquid surfaces using a steady flow of chakra. Costs 15 CP/minute.

Intermediate Academy Style Taijutsu: Learned from the 'borrowed' academy book. Allows you to utilize intermediate kata of the Academy Taijutsu Style in battles. Requires upgrade.

Extreme Pain Genjutsu: Created this skill while experimenting with chakra. Allows you to put target(s) in a Genjutsu where they feel more pain than the should in reality. Also targets would perceive inflicted damage on anything as excruciating. Costs 20 CP for activation and 20 CP/minute to maintain.

'That's rather straightforward. I was thinking maybe it will just give me facts and move on. Also, why isn't it showing the skill levels and exp percentage?', I thought, 'Why does it have to mention how I learned a few skills in there?'

I was pondering this as Hinata-chan shook my shoulder. I turned towards her and she had a smile on her face.

"Looking at your skills again?", asked Hinata-chan.

I looked sheepish as I reply, "Yes."

"You were so out of it that you didn't even hear sensei dismiss the class."

"Class is over?", I said as I looked around. Only a group of beaten up boys were there, along with Sasuke with a teasing smile towards Naruto.

"Yes. Would you like to know who won?"

"Of course."

"Well…"

She then proceeded to tell me the specifics as we made our way towards the group of boys.

"Shikamaru went out of the ring?", I asked.

"Yes. He said it was the last match and he wanted to catch up on some sleep."

"Ha. That's Shika for ya."

"Oi! You were using a Genjutsu!", exclaimed a certain blonde idiot.

"What's your point?", I fired back.

"That's cheating!", he yelled to the skies.

Instead of answering him I turned to a still beaten up Shino. "Would you like to tell him yourself?", I asked the bug user innocently.

Shino looked guilty but it was hard to tell behind his over-sized overcoat. "Naruto, Ichika-san only did that in retaliation. Why you may ask? It's because I placed her in a Genjutsu at the start of the fight."

"What!? That was a Genjutsu?", Naruto couldn't believe this.

"Shino-san… cheated?", asked an equally disbelieving Hinata-chan.

"That's unbelievable.", said Sasuke with wide eyes. "Why, though?"

Shino was reluctant to answer but did any ways, "That's because… I was afraid of her. Why you may ask? That's because she is known for doing too much damage when she really fights."

I ducked my head in embarrassment. "Sorry, guys. I… got carried away."

"You got that right, you bitch!", exclaimed Kiba.

Contrary to popular belief. Calling some girl a bitch in Inuzuka clan is considered an honor. That means you are considered strong and can lead a pack. Calling any girl outside the clan a bitch would get him slapped around senselessly. That's exactly what I had done when he had called me that after losing a fight. Complaining to his mom and earned me that knowledge and she had apologized for the confusion. She then explained to me that this honor is only reserved for women of the clan. For Kiba to call me that was a testament to my strength.

I wouldn't have believed this if I hadn't heard Kiba calling his mother and sister bitches. And they had loved that title. Inuzuka and Aburame clan are weird. But nobody can argue against their usefulness and abilities.

All of us now knew of this title and tradition and didn't frown when Kiba called me that. He usually used other derogatory words when insulting a girl, he did that a lot by the way. He was actually praising my strength there.

"Be careful with your tongue when addressing a girl outside of your clan, Kiba. They may not know your traditions.", explained Sasuke.

"Yeah, yeah, your highness.", Kiba replied.

"Why did I put all of my points in Wis and Int? I can't beat you with that.", exclaimed Naruto. Since it was just us, it was okay to talk about my ability. All of us knew how to keep a secret. Kiba had benefited the most with it after all.

"Now that you are wiser, you can use your points in a balanced way. You have made your decision making better so it would be useful for the future.", I told him wisely.

"Whatever.", he replied indignantly.

"Alright. As an apology I will take all of you to Ichiraku Ramen!", I said turning to everyone.

Naruto, Kiba, and, surprising, Hinata-chan cheered. Shino excused himself as he had a training session with his father. We all went to Ichiraku where sister Ayame and uncle Teuchi served us bowls of hot and fresh ramen. Hinata sat beside Naruto and Sasuke sat beside her. I was on Naruto's right with Kiba on my right. I wouldn't have paid much mind to Sasuke's choice of seating if I didn't know what he thought of her.

Flash back.

I was a month before our first year exams. Sasuke and I were sitting after our spar under a tree, watching Hinata-chan and Naruto duke it out. I noticed Sasuke glancing at Hinata-chan quite a lot. Instead of beating around the bush to get my answer, I asked him directly.

"You have a crush on Naruto?"

He absentmindedly nodded, but then the information processed and he face planted. He quickly got up and glared at me. "What the fuck!?", he yelled.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud. His embarrassed and angry face was too much. I then calmed myself down and looked at him with amusement on my face. "Relax. I'm just joking. I know who you are looking at."

"*sigh* You noticed?", he asked.

"You might think you're slick and subtle but you're really not."

"So, what do you think. Will she like me?"

I placed a finger on my chin as if I was thinking very hard on the subject. "No. Not a chance." I told him bluntly, "At least, not in the way you're thinking."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that she has her eyes on someone else."

"Who?"

I motioned towards the sparring duo, "Isn't it obvious?"

He was seemingly thinking about this. "That idiot?"

"He may be an idiot in our eyes. But to Hinata-chan, he is her savior."

"U huh."

"I'm serious. And the last time I asked him, he is interested in her as well."

"So, I don't have a chance?"

"To be honest, you don't. But nobody can stop you from trying to ask her out."

"What would be her answer?"

"Your really not her type so she would politely refuse."

"So that idiot is her type?"

"As I said, he is her savior. All her life she has been depreciated by her clan. Her father has been very strict with her. It's her wish to find someone who can smile brightly in the face of adversity. Someone who can take away all the negativity in her life. Someone who can lead armies with confidence and boldness. She wants a sunshine in her life. You don't fit her ideals."

"And Naruto does? How?"

"He may not look like he can lead armies or anything. But he is a person who wears his heart on his sleeve. He smiles when he wants to. He says what's on his mind. There aren't many things that can scare him. He doesn't care about consequences when it comes to his loved ones. He may be rude but he is brave. He cherishes few things that he posses in life. Hinata-chan wants to be one of them."

"How do you even know this much?"

"We're girls. We talk."

"I see."

"Why are you interested in her, any way?", I asked, to which he became thoughtful

"Well… … … she has… a strong will… and-", I cut him off.

"When you can answer me honestly and without hesitation, only then will I allow you to even ask her out."

"You're not her boss."

"I know, I am her friend. I'm just looking out for her."

"Am I that bad? Would she not even consider me as a possible partner?"

"When was the last time did you smile, from the heart that is?"

He stayed silent.

"When did you stop dwelling on the past?"

Again he stayed silent.

"When will you stop brooding silently when among friends? You have a tendency to do so occasionally.

Once again he stayed silent.

"You see? All that negativity, pain, suffering. Hinata-chan have no need for such things in her already miserable life, through no fault of her own. Ask her out once you can get rid of these negative traits. But don't pester her once she declines. Understood?"

Silently he nodded and went back to watching the spar with thoughtful eyes.

Flashback ends.

After that conversation he has definitely improved his life for the better. I am glad he is not a brooding edge-lord like in the original story. Further improvement happened because of his crush for Hinata-chan. I had informed her of Sasuke's eventual proposal as a loyal friend. She had thanked me then and promised she would make the best decision when that time comes. I'm not sure what she means by that.

In class, two fan clubs were growing. One was dedicated for Sasuke, as expected. But I had quickly put an end to it by publicly claiming Sasuke as mine. I didn't mean it of course and I had explained to Sasuke why I had done that. This action had a similar but opposite effect on the other fan-club. Which was created for me. By the class boys.

The Uchiha was constantly under threat by the male populace of the academy. While his fan-club was limited to the class, mine was spread over the entire academy. This went on until the exams, after which I had threatened my fans to stay away from my, in public's perception, boyfriend.

Hinata-chan and Naruto had a field day when I had explained my actions to them.

Back to the present, we finished up our lunch, I paid for everyone's, including Naruto's seven bowls, and every one went on their own ways. Except Sasuke and Hinata-chan. I would have to ask Hinata-chan later about it, as she had bid me farewell before going with Sasuke.


Next day I was glad to find that they only had found a secluded spot where Sasuke had confessed to her and she had politely declined. Naruto x Hinata was still on. Sasuke seemed dejected in class and refused to talk to me until lunch break.

"What happened yesterday?", I asked him as I sat beside him under a tree.

"What do you think? She first explained why she must decline, then she explained that she loved Naruto and why. It was exactly as you had said."

"What are you going to do now? Act awkward around her?"

"No. I am trying to come to terms with it. I don't wanna lose her as a friend, you know."

"I see. Why don't we give dating a try? For real?"

He looked at me as if I had grown a second head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when it comes to our class fellows, we are dating, so why don't we do it for real?"

"Are you okay with a loser like me?"

"I'm okay with whatever. I don't really have a plan in mind. Neither do I have ambitions or anything like that."

"So, you're just going with the flow?"

"Pretty much."

Just then we were interrupted by our teacher from yesterday. "Good morning, Ichika-chan, Sasuke-kun", he greeted us.

"Good morning, sensei. Is there something you need?", I asked with a small smile.

"I am here to talk to you Ichika-chan, privately if you will."

I looked at him suspiciously. I know for a fact that he isn't a pedophile so I didn't worry about that. What I was worried about was a rumor going around in the academy. It said that there is a prodigy in this years batch. My batch.

"Of course, sensei."

"Why don't you follow me to the staff room?"

"Lead the way.", I replied as I turned to my friend. "Sasuke-kun, I will see you later. Please, think about what I said."

The teacher and I made our way to the staff room. Opening the door he entered and I followed him. At the back of the large table sat the Hokage of Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen, in his Hokage robe and his hat placed in front of him.

"Good morning, Ichika-chan. Please take a seat.", he offered with a kind smile.

"Good morning Hokage-sama.", I greeted him back with a deep bow. Ever since I have been reincarnated in the world, I've had a feeling his nature was subtly changing. And by the lack of weariness in his eyes, it was apparent. "Thank you.", I said as I took a seat.

"I have heard great things about you, Ichika-chan. You are quite different from the rest of your peers.", the old man said.

"I have an idea what you are about to ask me.", I told him.

"Oh? Would you tell me what I may be thinking?", He asked.

"My grades, abilities and skills are extraordinary and you would like to offer me a chance to graduate early. Am I correct?"

"Hmm. That you are, Ichika-chan. How about it then?"

"I would like to graduate with my friends. I cannot abandon them just because I am better than them."

"A good confident answer. Just what I would expect from you."

A moment of contemplative silence ensued.

"Well, that's about it. Your sensei here, informed me of your achievements and I wanted to offer you a chance. Though, I am curious about your growth. How did you get this strong?"

"Have you heard of one Might Guy? What am I asking. Of course you have.", I let the moment build up. "I'm just following his footsteps to become a genius of Hard Work. Nothing more."

"I see. What is your goal, then? Since you want to become strong, you must have some sort of ambition, right?"

I was about to say, 'to become Hokage' like a cliche thing but decided against it. "Since birth I have seen my friends being subjected to injustice and unfair treatment. Biggest example of that is my friend Uzumaki Naruto." I said as I gave a pointed look to my teacher. To be honest, he was at least tolerating Naruto because of his connection to Hinata-chan, Sasuke and myself. Others were respected because of their status and me because of my potential. "I want to eliminate that injustice from the world and to do that I have to become strong enough to be acknowledged by the general public, to deserve to stand atop others."

"Hmm. Continue." He told me as he noticed that I had more to say.

"Injustice in this village stems from fear and hatred. Hatred is an all consuming force that only leaves you with guilt at the end. Fear is a crutch for understanding something that is more powerful than oneself. To eliminate those things I have to first acquire influence and for that I need strength and merit. If I am not considered a prodigy in my younger years, acquiring either of those would be a monumental task."

"For someone so young, you have given this quite some thought.", he told me.

'Of course. Whenever I go into the sleep like state I can think through the day's events and plan accordingly. That's how I have leveled up my Wis stat, But you don't need to know that.', I thought before answering, "My mom has explained to me in great lengths how the world works. Her habit of doing so during too much work is sort of her stress relief. I find her ramblings quite informative, although a bit biased. That had allowed me to come up with possible solutions to her problems that I now call my own."

"Excellent. You have impressed me. I have an even better offer for you, if that's your answer."

I was intrigued. I tried to predict what he might ask but failed miserably. What is a greater offer than graduating early and gaining the title of prodigy at such a young age? The answer left me shocked.

"I can graduate you early, secretly, and allow you to train under a Jonin instructor of your choosing as a Genin. You can continue your studies and graduate officially with your class and be assigned an official team."

I… didn't know how to respond to that. Am I that great? Who am I kidding, I am great.

"Of course, you will be completing D-rank missions and might even be allowed to go on C-rank missions inside the village. Just like in a four man cell in a Genin team. And once you become a Chunin a place among the ANBU would be reserved for you, if you are interested."

"That's…", I stumbled on my words, "That's quite a bit of trust you are putting on me. A mere academy student."

"Definitely. The village, especially myself, can't allow for such raw talent to be wasted in the academy. You will be taught advanced techniques and your record will stay hidden, even from most Jonin or the members of the council, other than your mother, that is."

"Do I really deserve such preferential treatment?"

"Trust me. You deserve much more than that. Once you acquire experience and fortify your skills, you might even be considered for field promotions, and rise up the ranks like a spider."

That is a lot to think of. I don't even know if one night of 'dream' would be enough to think this through. This is beyond preferential. Why me? I'm just a loser from another world. What's so special about me. Yeah, I can do a lot more than children my age, but so can many others. I mean, look at Hinata and Sasuke. They are better than most. They deserve this more than myself. Why? And why the hell did he compare me to a spider?

"Why me? I not that special, with all due respect."

"Do you think I have made a wrong assumption? Am I just a senile old man who has lost his mind due to age?", he said with an amused smile.

"Yes", I said absentmindedly, then recoiled, "I-i mean, n-no, Forgive me for being rude." I quickly said with a bow.

"Haha. Don't worry. I don't easily take offense. Or have you forgotten how Naruto treats me?"

"Oh."

"Think about it. Take all the time you need, but please, do answer me once you decide on something. I shall take my leave." he said with a finality and got up to leave the room.

"I have one last question!", I yelled at his retreating form. He turned around and regarded me with curious eyes.

"Ask away."

"Is this offer negotiable?"

His amusement was quite annoying, but I didn't point it out. "Of course. If you have problem with anything we can come to an understanding. Though, I would advise to consult your mother about this." He told me and left. Leaving me stunned and thoughtful.

The teacher didn't say anything the whole time and left right after the old man, sending a proud smile my way before finally leaving.


'That girl is really something else. To be able to form such complex thoughts at that age. I might have to do an IQ test in the academy someday.', the aged Kage thought. He was currently making his way outside the academy building, with ANBU guards hidden in the shadows. His musing came to a halt when he reached the exit. Another ANBU appeared in a kneeling position in front of him. She was wearing the clothing similar to the other ANBU but her actions were mechanical and her mask lacked any identifier, like an animal or something. The Hokage remained silent, indicating that she can report.

"We have found a hidden bunker at the end of the rather bloodied trail. From the report of one of the Yamanaka ROOT agent, we have determined that our target is definitely in their."

"Very well." The Third said. He then proceeded to remove his hat and his robe in one swift motion revealing a battle outfit with Konoha headband on his forehead. "I will lead the attack. My student cannot be forgiven for his atrocities."

His robe and hat fell into one of the ANBU Guard's hands who stored it in a storage seal swiftly. All the hidden ANBU came out of the shadow at their leader's signal and went into action, performing a collective Shunshin to disappear from sight.


Back at the academy, Ichika was making her way to her class. I approached her with slight bit of hesitation. I was reluctant to ask her for help, since we have never really been friends. But she is a nice person. I can tell. She might be willing to help me, right? She doesn't even make fun of my forehead.

"Ichika… -san?", I managed to speak. She came out of her thoughts and turned towards me. Her eyes shining with recognition as if we haven't met in years. That was true to some extent. We don't really talk unless our parents meet for business deals. At best, we are just acquaintances.

"Sakura-chan? How can I help you?", she said coming out of her daze.

"Were you busy with something. Sorry if I have disturbed you.", I apologized when I realized that I have broken her out of her deep thoughts. Why am I so worried about her? Why am I breathing heavily? Why does my heart ache at the sight of her?

"Nothing important, really. And frankly, I needed a distraction. So, What can I do for you?", she asked as if it wasn't such a big deal.

"Well… You see. I-I need help… with something.", I tried to say with choked breaths. Why am I this nervous talking to her? So many questions.

"You want help with home work or something?", she asked with curiosity.

"N-no. I want help with… training.", I finally asked.

She looked like she was contemplating something. I hope it's not something devious. She has a tendency to do so.

"I-I have seen how strong you are and I was wondering maybe you can help me train myself. You are stronger than the strongest boys of our class.", I continued under her gaze.

"Ah! So you wanna know the secret to my strength?", she asked with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"N-no. That's not it!", I said quickly.

"Relax. I'm just joking. So you think you can keep up with my training regime?"

"You have a training re-", I cut myself off there, realizing something, "I'm sorry. Of course you have a training regime. That's how you became so strong."

"Yeah. So, do you think you can handle it? How about I give you a little preview, just so you are sure about this?", she offered.

I was a little scared of that, due to the way she put it. Her routine might be a bit too advance for a weakling like me.

"Would that be alright?", I asked.

"Yeah. Why not? Come to my home in the evening. Sasuke, Hinata-chan and Naruto will be there as well. We train together regularly."

"Really?"

"Yeah. How do you think we became so strong in the first place? All of us train are asses off."

"I see…" I trailed off in consideration. This was a revelation to me. How did I not think of this? Group training seems fun. But, would they accept me? "I'll be there, Ichika-san."

"No honorifics with me. Call me Ichika, plain and simple."

"Alright. Thank you, Ichika"

"You're welcome!"

With that she left to find Hinata-san and I walked to the class. Lunch time wasn't over but Ino-chan would be here already. As expected, when I entered the classroom Ino-chan approached me with a gentle smile.

"Why are you looking so serious?", she asked.

"Nothing. I was just thinking about training harder. Ichika-chan has invited me to join her training group."

"Really!? Can I come with you?"

"I don't know, I have to ask Ichika-chan first."

"Let's ask her when she comes back!"

Ino-chan has always been cheerful and upbeat. Even when she is scaring bullies away from me. Her smile was contagious as I found myself smiling back at her. We started chatting about everything and nothing as we waited for others to arrive.


"Alright guys, listen up!", Ichika yelled at the top of her lungs to get her friends' attention. "Two new people will be joining us for training today, and might even decide to join us permanently. However, we need to keep certain things secret from them until we are sure they are trustworthy. Keep silently upgrading your skills and stats and don't talk out loud. Use the Party Chat option to talk to each other. Understood?"

The group consisted of Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata, who were regulars, and Kiba and Shino, who occasionally joined them for training. Later joining them were Ino and Sakura. They were going to be here just for a preview of the group's training. They needed to see this before accepting membership to become regulars and they will be judged whether they are trustworthy enough to reveal Ichika's abilities to.

Both girls have been acting kind of embarrassed whenever the class sparred. Obviously feeling weak among the bests of bests. It was kind of self-evident, really. They never met the other girls eye-to-eye. Not wanting to be called out for being weak. Ichika had agreed to help them because she thought they may be potential allies in the near future. In her eyes everything would seem like a calculated gamble but she is actually thinking from her heart, as in more friends.

So, this meeting was going to be a sort of interview for these new friends.

"Understood!.", said everyone at the same time.

"What are we doing today, Ichika-san?", asked a stoic Shino. Back to his natural self rather than being awkward after their spar.

"Stamina training!", Ichika replied.

"We did that last week, though.", said Kiba.

"That's because you don't come here regularly. You are free to train on your own, but the group is doing Stamina training today.", Ichika said then continued under her breath, "And it will be a gruesome sight for the new comers.", she finished with a devilish laughter that sent chill down everyone's spine.

"What are you planning, Ichika-chan?", asked a timid Hinata.

"Nothing.", she replied plainly.

"Why don't I believe that?", said Naruto with a scowl.

"Believe what you want.", she replied with a shrug.

Thirty minutes into their training, the two expected guests arrived. Both had terrified expressions on their faces. The two girls were looking at blurs of motion going around the sizable back garden, horizontally on the walls, at speeds that untrained eyes would never pick up on. Immediately at their arrival from the back entrance to the Yoshida States, a blur of motion appeared in front of them.

"Hi, you two!", said and enthusiastic Ichika, landing directly in front of those two. The guests were startled by this and fell on their butts. "Sorry." said Ichika, not really meaning it.

"It's alright. We were just caught off-guard.", said Ino with an uneasy smile.

"Is this how you guys train?", asked a stunned Sakura.

"Nope. This is just a part of the thirty minutes warm-up routine!", Ichika replied with an enthusiastic smile.

In her vision, though, appeared a window with a message, "Naru: You know that's not true. Stop messing with them."

She replied, "Shut up, I'm having my fun."

Another message appeared, "Shin: We don't want to scare them off if they are to join us from now on."

She replied, "If they are scared by this then they don't deserve to get strong."

"What? Just a warm-up?", asked Sakura.

"Of course. This is Mad-Dash Warm-up, I came up with the name. We go around the walls using Tree Climbing Jutsu occasionally to not fall off, our momentum keeps us above the ground most of the time. We try to maintain a steady pace and try not to bump into each other as well."

"Mad-Dash. That sound scary. Do you think we can do it?", asked Ino.

"Depends. Do you know Tree Climbing Jutsu?", Ichika fired back.

"N-no."

"Don't worry. I'll teach you."

Further conversations were interrupted as the entire ground shook violently. All children present there stopped what they were doing and met in the middle of the garden. Looking around they found a Giant Snake in the distance. From the direction of Konoha's central park. The snake looked very beaten up. Probably it was injured even before being summoned. How though? Nobody knew.

Moments later it's head was chopped off by a black rod or something. It was growing exponentially during the slicing motion. One would think this was a blade, but in reality this is Monkey King Enma, Hokage's summon, transformed into a Bo-staff. Another tremor struck when the head of the snake hit the ground. Then an Earth Wall Jutsu was used to create a giant wall to separate someone.

This went on for long, all the while sounds of battle were erupting from that direction. A Jonin appeared telling us all to go inside and tell the other occupants of the house to stay inside until further notice. The sounds stopped after a while, giving way to complete silence, broken only by footsteps of passing Ninja, flying over the rooftops in a frantic hurry. The children were stunned by the sight of the giant snake disappearing in a giant poof of smoke.

Instead of ignoring that warning, Ichika thought it prudent that her friend's safety comes first. As she was thinking this, her mother and sister appeared from the house with concerned expressions. Quickly they both scurried the children inside.

We waited in silence until an alarm rang out, signaling that it is safe to come out now. The children made their way to the back garden and immediately upon arriving we saw Ino's father, Yamanaka Inoichi, standing there with worry and sweat on his face.

"Princess, are you hurt?", he asked frantically to Ino.

"Yes, daddy. I'm fine.", replied his daughter.

The Yamanaka clan head breathed a sigh of relief and regarded us with authority. "Good work following safety protocols children. And thank you for keeping my princess safe." he said as he bowed to the woman of the house.

"Don't worry, Inoichi-san. Your daughter, and all of the children are under my care. I won't allow any of them to get hurt.", Ichika's mother replied.

"By the way, an emergency meeting has been called. Hokage-sama has requested your presence, as soon as possible.", he informed her.

"Understood. I will be there in no more than five minutes.", she answered.

"If you would allow me, I can get you there faster than that. This is an emergency, after all.", Inoichi offered.

Yua thought about it for a while then nodded her head in affirmative. She didn't need to get ready or anything.

Inoichi approached her and gave a final look to his daughter, "Head on straight to home once you are finished with the training here.", he got a nod in return from Ino, "Yua-san, I am going to place my hand on your shoulder and use Shunshin.", he told the woman.

"Alright. Is it going to be nauseous?", the woman asked.

"Contrary to popular belief, this is completely safe. No side effects would occur.", he explained. As he placed his left hand on her right shoulder. "Shall we go?"

"Yes.", with that both adults disappeared in a Shunshin towards the Hokage Tower where the meeting was to take place.

The children remained behind along with Fukushima, thinking what to do next.

'That was a unique experience, at least for me.', thought Ichika.

'I'm glad my sister is safe.', thought Fukushima.

"Let's just get on with the training, dattebayo!" yelled Naruto, taking command.

"Alright, let's continue." Ichika agreed with her blonde friend.

The group of children then continued their training in contemplative silence. No one spoke, not even using Party Chat system. All of them thinking of ways to get more information regarding this situation.


"I'm glad you all made it on such short notice.", said the authoritative tone of the Third Hokage. He was sitting on his seat, flanked on one side by elders Koharu and Homura, while on his other side sat Danzo. His face was stoic as ever, giving nothing away, except for a feeling of guilt etched into his expression.

The council was filled on one side by the clan heads and high ranking Shinobi, and on the other side sat the civilians. Among them were Uchiha Mikoto and Yoshida Yua. They had exchanged glances to tell that the children were safe from harm, much to Mikoto's relief. She wasn't ready to lose another of her child.

The hall was deathly quite. The Hokage eyed every member with pain filled eyes. He was delaying the inevitable as he thought through his words. "I'm sure you are all wondering what happened earlier in the village."

His voice was fierce but he was not angry at the them, still the council members kept their mouths shut as to not incur his wrath. Some of them even knew of what this meeting was about.

"A week ago, I had a feeling that abductions were happening in the village. Those feelings were confirmed when Shukaku-san gave me his monthly crime report just two days ago. Almost every entry had the perpetrators listed as unknown. That is supposed to be very rare in our village, and yet someone was skilled enough to evade our security forces and a damned army of Ninja roaming the streets at any given time. This begged for some investigation, which was already going on by the combined efforts of Ino-Shika-Cho and their clans."

The council started murmuring, causing the aged Kage to pause. He let the information settle in for a moment, speaking when the murmurs died down. "We were unable to find the culprits. The ones responsible for almost fifty cases of abductions, theft, and much more. Breakthrough came yesterday when Shimura Danzo here," He motioned to Danzo, "Came to me with a lead. It was a faint trail of chakra being used. Since it was difficult to ascertain who's chakra that was, we began a widespread search. Danzo's personal body guards played a huge role in finding out the end of the trail. Just when I was informed of the discovery of a hidden bunker below the central park, I decided I will lead the search party from there on in. I had a suspicion that only someone skilled enough to match myself would be able to evade the Shinobi of Konoha."

Murmurs erupted with a vengeance, causing the Hokage to silence them with a raised hand.

"When I entered the bunker I was met with a gruesome sight, courtesy of the culprit. That culprit was none other than Orochimaru, my student."

This revelation caused many in the room to gasp, mostly the civilian side. Yells of disbelief filled the hall. Struggling to grasp the situation. Yoshida Yua and Uchiha Mikoto kept their silence, but their stunned faces said all. Mikoto was one of the the clan heads not informed of the situation. Many other, including Inuzuka Tsume, Aburame Shibi and Hyuuga Hiashi were stunned as well.

When the voices were silenced by the Hokage's raised hand, he continued. "The battle that ensued was quick. I was filled with rage at the brutal sight, so I didn't hold back against him. I had ordered the ANBU to only help when my life is in danger."

He then paused for building up suspense, just out of habit, he wasn't actually amused here. "Orochimaru is no more. He has been punished for his crimes and he will rot in hell for all eternity."

The entire council was silent. They had already figured out what had happened to the Snake Sannin. They were not really shocked by that. What they were shocked by, was their Hokage's unusual expression. He was looking ferocious as he spat his dead student's name out. His kind and gentle grandfatherly nature was nowhere to be seen. Replace by pure anger.

It was only for a few brief second until he schooled his expression. "The bodies of the abductees that were recovered have been sent to the hospital and their families are informed. Most of the victims were no older than 5 years. The only teenagers that were recovered, had disappeared years ago. Indicating that he has been committing these horrendous acts for a while. The crime records were scoured from the Uchiha Police headquarters, every single abduction report with the perpetrators written as unknown matched the profile of the late victims."

The council took that information in silence. They were just disgusted at the crimes that were committed by a Shinobi revered in their village.

Just then, the doors to the council chamber blasted open. A rugged and worn looking, tall, white haired man appeared with a thorned headband, with a symbol of oil written on it, on his forehead and a big scroll strapped to his back. He was panting and trembling with exhaustion. "Sensei… Is that… true?", he asked simply through his panting.

"Jiraiya." said the Hokage. Shocked that his other student came back so fast. Only half an hour ago had he sent a messenger toad of his back to him. To cover the distance between Konoha and Tanzaku Gai in that given time was amazing to say the least. It was a day's journey away, no less.

"Please… answer me.", insisted Jiraiya.

"First, take a seat, son.", told the Hokage, his face went back to being stoic, "Rest yourself. I will explain to you after you are calm."

Jiraiya did as he was told and a glass of water appeared beside him. He took the glass and began taking slow, steady gulps. Once finished he eyed every member present, especially Danzo, who was uncharacteristically looking guilty and stunned at the same time. His gaze finally went to his teacher with an inquisitive look. "Would you tell me now?", he asked with impatience.

The old Kage told his student all that had transpired, word for word. Jiraiya was appalled at his, now late, teammate. That was something that deserved punishment worse than death, but being a person who seeks peace and harmony, he couldn't bring himself to hate him. Try as he might, he just couldn't. Not like he could do anything anymore.

The council them proceeded to come up with plans to compensate the deceased victims families and to hold a funeral for them. The Toad Sage remained deathly silent through it all. No one dared interrupt his brooding. They then concluded the meeting and filed out of the room with their Hokage's permission. The only occupants of the room were the elders, the Toad Sage, ad the Hokage.

Jiraiya lifted his head to regard Danzo with questioning eyes. "What happened to you. You look like you are feeling guilty for stealing a child's lollipop."

All of them knew that this was just humor to distract oneself from thinking too hard about a disturbing subject. No one faulted Jiraiya for that. Danzo, however, raised his head.

"I have been made aware of the consequences of my actions. I am deeply ashamed.", was his simple reply.

"But that's not going to stop you from doing what you normally do, is it?"

"His work, though necessary, was slowly destroying the village. I just sat him down and explained things to him. He will indeed continue his work, but under my command from now on.", interrupted the Hokage. The other elders remained silent.

Jiraiya looked at his teacher with surprise in his eyes. 'He certainly has changed. The old him would never be this heavy handed. If he was the same he would've let Orochimaru go. And that might have come to bite the village's collective ass in the future.' unaware of the precise and accurate prediction of an alternate future, he made a decision, 'Alright, if he can change, so can I. No longer will I run from my responsibilities. This is my home and I will fight for it. Not to mention, I have a godson to take care of.'

"Sensei.", he said to his teacher, "Where is Uzumaki Naruto residing?"

The elders, including Danzo, became curious. Why was the Jiraiya asking for him? Who was he to him? Their answer came from the Hokage, who gave them all a pointed look, as if knowing what they were thinking of his surrogate grandson.

"Your godson is residing in the north district, close to the academy. You will like his residence. Some kind villagers have given our Jinchuuriki a nice place to call home."

Jiraiya saw the look of feigned innocence on his teacher's face and understood what must have happened. He stood up, and went through an open window rather than taking the door like a normal person.


'Today just proved to me that I am really going in blind from now on. To think the softie Hokage would kill his student, just because I changed somethings? Damn, it's like this is my first life and I have no idea of what's going to happen.', thought I, as I was making tea in Naruto's kitchen for my friends. 'Still, it would have been boring if I knew the outcome of every fight beforehand.'

I finished up and turned towards the living room and immediately fell back, dropping the tray in my hands to the floor. "Eek! A pervert!", I yelled involuntarily, not recognizing the male figure in front of me. Immediately following my yell, three blurs appeared in the kitchen from the bedroom, their stances poised for attack at a moment's notice.

The figure held up his hand in a placating gesture, cursing his habit of climbing through the windows. He didn't mean to terrify a bunch of kids. "Hey, hey. I'm sorry. It's just a habit of mine to come inside unannounced."

The children were having none of it. Even I stood up and readied myself for attack.

"Explain yourself, pervert.", said Naruto with a growl of anger. "What the fuck are you doing in my apartment? What did you do to Ichika-chan?"

"Listen here, kiddo. I'm sorry for barging in like that. Can we start over?", said the white haired man.

No one answered him. He sighed, "Look. I am here to meet you, Uzumaki Naruto.", he explained.

"So you are a pedophile who is interested in little boys, disgusting?", I said, to which he face faulted.

"Hey! Show some respect.", he yelled. His features were beginning to become clearer by the second. When I realized who that was in front of me I relaxed myself, my friends following my lead.

"You know of him?", asked Sasuke.

I nodded before replying, "The Toad Sage, Jiraiya, Pervert of the highest caliber, but not a pedophile, at least.", I added the last part as an after though. Which greatly annoyed the Toad Sage.

Others relaxed further when I told them who he was. He Turned towards me, "You know, this confusion happened because you immediately yelled 'pervert' after seeing me. You could have called me a thief and that would have been hundred times better."

"Who the hell is proud of being called a thief, dattebayo?", said Naruto.

"A Shinobi, that's who!", replied an indignant Jiraiya.

"Whatever, that's not important. Why the hell is the great Toad Sage here of all places?", I asked impatiently.

The Hermit sighed before he answered, "I was here to meet Naruto."

"Why?", I inquired further, narrowing my eyes. I knew why he was here. I was just curious as why he was here, right now.

"That is something I can only talk to him about in private.", he replied.

"Not happening. My friends stay, dattebayo!", Naruto said quickly.

"But, this is confidential-", he managed to say before he was cut off.

"We don't care. We are not leaving Naruto alone with you.", answered Sasuke for all of us.

A moment of silence ensued where all of us glared at the lone Sannin. Finally he sighed resignedly. "Alright. You brats win. Can we at least take this to the living room?"

With a nod from Naruto we all filed out of the kitchen and took our seats opposite to Jiraiya. He shifted uncomfortably under our gazes.

"Explain.", I said with arrogant authority.

"Haah… I was hoping I could tell him when he was alone."

"Not happening.", said Naruto.

"Fine.", was Jiraiya's reply. "You see… I am your godfather."

Our two friends were shocked at the revelation. I already knew of this and can just explain that my mom had told me about it. Naruto on the other hand was confused.

"What does that mean?", he asked the Sannin.

Before the Sannin could answer I interrupted. Hoping to make the old man feel more guilt for abandoning his charge for so long. Had he any idea how much pain Naruto has suffered?

"It means that he is the one who gave you your name, Naruto.", I explained which did make him understand the connection but not what it entailed. I continued, "It also means he is supposed to take care of you if something happens to your parents, which did happen, and he wasn't around to take responsibility."

My words had struck Jiraiya deeply, evident by the enormous amount of pain on his face. Naruto was in a similar state of mind, gaping at the white haired man.

"Re-really…?", he asked, choking on his words.

When Jiraiya nodded in confirmation with sadness filling his eyes, Naruto's tears began to flow. Immediately following that, he leapt towards the adult and wrapped his arms around him in a tight embrace. Unable to form words, he just yelled incomprehensibly in the man's chest.

Sasuke and Hinata were stunned at the revelation and further stunned at Naruto's immediate acceptance. Same with Jiraiya. He expected a punch to the gut at the very least. He deserved to be punished for neglecting his responsibility. Why was he accepted so suddenly by the godson he has avoided until now? As I knew of Naruto's true nature, I let it happen and quelled my anger at the absentee godfather. His overwhelming positivity is contagious.

After a sob-filled silence, they broke off, Jiraiya trying to hide his tears, and failing. I was going to tear into him further but held my tongue. It was not an appropriate moment. And after Hinata-chan had made me apologize to Ko-san, I am trying not to speak unnecessarily in my friends stead.

The duo then began talking about their lives up until now. We decided they needed their privacy and left after excusing ourselves. Naruto wanted to protest, but Hinata-chan told him that he needs this. The cryptic message was not understood by the others but Naruto nodded with a huge smile.