Naruto Uzumaki found himself with a rare week off, but his training under Might Guy had become so ingrained that he couldn't truly take time off. His relentless work ethic drove him to practice even during his limited breaks. Everything seemed relatively normal until he received an important report from Tsunade, marked as a matter that would significantly impact the village's fate.
The report outlined a mission to hunt down rogue jinchuriki, with the aim of bringing them back to the village peacefully if possible. Someone within the village had learned about these wild jinchuriki, and it was the village's responsibility to ensure their safety and protect them from a group known as Akatsuki. Naruto was included in the team for this mission but was well aware that he, too, could become a target in the future.
The mission was designed to target rogue jinchuriki, leaving those from other villages who had their tailed beasts under control, like Kumo and Suna, untouched. However, due to the lack of available ninja teams, Naruto's team would consist of Neji, Shino, Shikamaru, and their sensei, the legendary sage Jiraiya.
With the mission set to begin the following day, Naruto headed home to prepare. The first destination was the Waterfall Village, where they had reports of issues involving Fuu, making her a high-priority target. Afterward, they would journey to the Mist Lands to search for the missing jinchuriki and their tailed beasts. The group planned to return home and report on the mission's progress, adjusting their strategy accordingly. It was clear that Naruto would be away from home for an extended period.
Naruto spent the day meticulously packing and ensuring that he had everything necessary for the journey. He organized his belongings to avoid any potential mishaps. Only after he was fully prepared did he retire to bed, savoring his last night in a comfortable bed before embarking on this demanding mission.
Early the next morning, Naruto made his way to the designated meeting point. He had previously worked with all the members of his team, so he was confident in their abilities to collaborate effectively. However, Jiraiya was a wild card in this equation, but Naruto held the belief that a legendary ninja like him had to be incredibly skilled and impressive. He was eager to see what this mission would reveal about his new sensei's capabilities.
"Hey, guys!" Naruto greeted his fellow teammates with his usual exuberance as he approached the meeting point. He was the third person to arrive, and he couldn't help but grin when he saw that Shikamaru and Neji were already there.
"Hello, Naruto," Neji replied in his typical stoic manner, nodding in acknowledgment. He and Naruto had worked together on their previous mission to the bridge, and it seemed they had developed a mutual respect.
Shikamaru, on the other hand, couldn't resist his tendency to find things troublesome. "I wonder why they picked us for this troublesome mission," he mused, his hands casually resting in his pockets as he leaned back.
Shino, the ever-pragmatic one, chimed in as he adjusted his glasses. "I would guess it's because they couldn't find anyone else suitable for this mission. And, of course, they know they can trust us after the Konoha battle," he stated matter-of-factly.
Naruto's smile widened. He remembered their previous mission and how well they had worked together to save the village. It made him feel closer to his teammates than most people.
Just then, Jiraiya, their sensei for this mission, made his charismatic entrance. "Well now, what do we have here? A group of high-energy, capable youngsters ready for a great adventure," he exclaimed, exuding confidence with every step. "Ready to see the world and make your mark on it, I'm sure."
"Are you all ready?" Jiraiya inquired, casting a discerning gaze over the assembled group. His sharp eyes took in his pupils, Minato's kid, a talented Nara heir, an Aburame youth, and a Hyuga to complete the quartet of teenage boys. It wasn't a bad group by any means. He had been persuaded into taking this assignment by Tsunade herself, and now that he was here, he pondered how he could contribute to shaping the village's future and aiding its growth. Perhaps, he thought, he could help these four young ninjas on their individual paths.
"Of course we are," Naruto replied with the same energy as before. He was evidently eager, prompting Shikamaru to mutter something about it being troublesome. The rest of the group nodded in agreement with Naruto as they set out, heading north toward the Land of Waterfalls.
The group headed north as Jiraiya walked with them. He made oveservations about the group, they were interesting, a diverse group of teenage boys who all had their own personalities that were frankly different from each other. They were not in any threat of attack at that moment, and Jiraiya could deal with anyone who did something supremely stupid like that anyhow. He noticed that the Nara despire being lazy watched out for his teammates and secretly worked harder while hiding that fact. The Hyuga worked well with the others, too, despite seemingly being stoic and perhaps even unfriendly on the surface, the others were not bothered by him. The Aburame kid was also rather quiet, but the others seemed to include him for his opinion when they talked about most anything too. Then there was Naruto Uzumaki, fitting because while he looked like Minato, he had his mother's personality to the letter.
"Hey Naruto how is your ninjutsu coming along any cool moves you know?" Jiraiya said as he had a training task for the teenage boy to try out as they traveled. Something he should learn.
"Well, I don't know much ninjutsu Jiraiya sensei, just the multi shadow clone jutsu," he replied as he walked. He had mostly trained in taijutsu over the last couple of months and kind of left ninjutsu alone for maybe the future at some point.
"I see," Jiraiya commented to himself, "How about learning a new special powerful ninjutsu, that I think if you work hard, you just might be able to get down?"
Naruto's eyes lit up with curiosity and excitement at the prospect of learning a new, powerful ninjutsu. He looked at Jiraiya with enthusiasm and determination.
"Really, Jiraiya-sensei? That sounds awesome! I'm up for the challenge. What kind of ninjutsu are we talking about?" Naruto asked, eager to embark on this new training journey with his legendary mentor.
"A move of the fourth hokage himself, one he learned and got pretty good at, the Rasengan," Jiraiya said as he stopped and performed the jutsu to show Naruto the swirling ball of chakra in his hands. He knew this was an easy sell for him. He knew that Naruto would really want this one.
"Of course I want to learn it," Naruto said excited almost bouncing in his shoes as he was so energetic to learn about the move and how to work on it. "I will master this one before we get to the waterfall lands," he said boldly as he made a decree without really thinking about it.
The three others looked at Naruto and paused, each of them realized just how this would most likely end up, with Naruto most likely figuring it out somewhere around the time they got to the border. Still for each of the boys, they also were realizing something for the leaf to grow into what it should they were going to have to support Naruto in his dream of becoming hokage.
"Good, then when we stop for the night we can pratice a bit with the basic step, once you have that down then well, we can go and try the real thing, sound good?" Jiraiya asked as he waited for a reply for Naruto who nodded his head. He had made his promise to learn this before they got to the Waterfall and he would do everything he could to do so.
"Of course, I want to learn it," Naruto said, his excitement evident as he practically bounced in his shoes. "I will master this one before we get to the Waterfall Lands," he boldly declared, making a firm commitment without much thought.
The three others exchanged glances, realizing the ambitious nature of Naruto's statement. They understood that Naruto was likely to figure it out before they reached the border. However, they also recognized that supporting Naruto in his dream of becoming Hokage was essential for the growth of the Leaf Village.
"Good, then when we stop for the night, we can practice the basic steps. Once you have that down, we can move on to the real thing. Sounds good?" Jiraiya asked, awaiting Naruto's response. Naruto nodded enthusiastically, determined to fulfill his promise of learning the Rasengan before they reached the Waterfall.
As the group reached their campsite that night, Jiraiya had expected that only Naruto would be present to learn the Rasengan. However, to his surprise, all four of them were there, gathered around and waiting for him to begin the lesson. He looked at them with a mix of confusion and curiosity.
"Well, Jiraiya-sensei, we're all here to learn," Shino explained matter-of-factly. "So that when Naruto encounters difficulties, we can assist him. Besides, if each of us can master it, wouldn't that be advantageous?" Shino raised a valid point. While none of them were the ideal candidates for the technique, learning at least some aspects of it would provide Naruto with a support system. They could help him achieve his goal, and there was a chance they might even learn the technique themselves. Having an extra weapon in their arsenal wouldn't hurt.
Jiraiya observed the group of young ninjas before him, finding himself quite fond of them. They were different from what he had initially expected. Their unique friendship and solid teamwork were impressive, qualities that a village needed for a bright future. Each of them could rely on the others for assistance in areas where they might not excel.
Throughout the night, the group engaged in training. Shikamaru and Shino eventually had to bow out due to fatigue, but they had already made valuable contributions. Naruto, with their guidance, made significant progress. The biggest surprise, however, was Neji. He managed to master the first step of learning the Rasengan in a single night, his natural genius and curiosity propelling him to grasp the basics of balloon bursting swiftly. Afterward, Neji willingly assisted Naruto, and the two of them worked closely together. While they weren't particularly close outside of training, there was a deep respect between them, and they collaborated seamlessly.