Author Note: I want to say this once- this is my favourite story and I promise you that this story will break you, believe it or not...
Thirty eight years ago…
A small boy stared right in front of his father's eyes with great enthusiasm, was waiting for an answer.
"What did you say?" His father's eyes twitched.
"I want to go to the ninja academy," he calmly replied.
"But you are barely three!" the blonde man retorted.
"But 'kashi-baka graduated at the age of five!" The redhead argued.
"Not happening." Minato shook his head.
"Why?"
"You're three!"
"AND?"
Minato knows it's pointless to argue with his toddler. He should play smart. "I'll admit you to the academy when you can perform… um… two C rank techniques. Yes, two C rank techniques from two different Chakra natures."
"What's chakora nature?" the boy frowned.
"It's Chakra and is this the final question?"
"Depends."
"On?"
"Can't you hear me answer old man?"
"Hey, I am not old!"
"Then answer me!"
He let out a sigh. "Chakra is the life force that every believing teacher possesses. It is a mixture of spiritual and physical energy. They are called "Yin" and "Yang". Using hand signs you can control the release of Chakra from your body. The most common signs are boar, monkey, snake, mouse, bird, tiger and ram. There are five Chakra natures— wind, water, fire, earth and lightning. Look at this…" Minato opened a book on his table, turned a few pages and showed a picture to Naruto.
"You see," Minato began. "Water release is stronger than Fire release. However Fire release is stronger than Wind release which is stronger than lightning release. Then again lightning release is superior to Earth release which is stronger than water release. Do you follow?"
"There is no Chakra nature that is absolute. Each has a weak point and strong point at the same time." Naruto said thoughtfully.
"Indeed. However when multiple Chakra natures are mixed together there is a new form of nature that is born. Which we call bloodline limit or kekkei Genkai. Which means you can't have them unless you have them in your genes. Like the…"
"Boil, dust, magnet, blaze, storm, wood release… right?"
"Yes. Unfortunately for you, neither me, nor your mom possesses such a bloodline ability." Minato said.
"What about mom's chains then? Aren't they some sort of bloodline ability?"
"Not quite," Minato shook his head. "You see— Uzumaki have extremely dense Chakra and women are thought to have better Chakra control. Hence, they can physically manifest their chakra. You get it?"
"So I can't do that?"
"Depends," Naruto is indeed a quick learner. Minato opened a drawer and pulled out a chakra paper. He gave it to Naruto who stared at it curiously. "Channel some Chakra in it. Then I can determine what your Chakra nature is."
"'kay!" Naruto channeled some Chakra into the paper— perhaps too much of it as the paper plate into two equal parts. One part of it became so soaked that the paper actually disintegrated into hundreds of pieces. The other part was completely covered in mud. Minato was surprised— such high water and earth affinity is unheard of; at least not since the famed Senju Brothers. Although he expected it— Kushina had a high earth and decent water affinity. He himself has wind as his secondary affinity.
"So I have wind, earth and water?" The boy's eyes lit up.
"Exactly." Minato didn't bother to ask Naruto how he knew that. The boy was a genius. "Now, if you excuse me, I have a mission report to write."
"'Kay," Naruto jumped from the table and ran towards the door, however, he stopped for a short moment before turning back to Minato. "Hey, tou-chan?"
"Hmm?"
"Believe this— I will make my own super cool technique and soon surpass you." He declared with fire in his eyes.
Minato was stunned with such a look on his son's face. Only two and a half years old and can already channel chakra, possess multiple Chakra affinities, has the mind of an average teen and such determination….
"Say, son," he asked. "Why do you wish to be a Shinobi? What is it to you?"
Naruto stood there still for a moment. Then he said, "A Shinobi is the symbol of hope, defender of peace. He protects those precious to him and pursues his dreams by maintaining his ideals and principles. A shinobi endures pain for those around him. Shinobis hide their tears while everyone is smiling. He trades his tears, blood and soul for the sake of those who are precious to him. And to me," he paused and gave Minato a smile. "My family and village are precious."
'Oh… kami…' Minato's eyes were on the verge of coming out of their sockets. 'How did you get such strong words? Only those who lived for ages and saw the ups and downs of human life can say this.
Only if he knew how true he was.
Naruto was sprinting across the Uchiha compound, looking for three certain individuals. The clan compound is quite empty, not a lot of people are awake. He headed toward the clan's training field. After a good two minutes of searching, he heard a familiar battle cry. He followed the noise, coming close to the Naka river bank, he found just the people he was looking for.
"'Kashi-baka, Tobi-nii!" Much to everyone's annoyance, he jumped straight into the sparring circle.
"What do you want?" Kakashi, who was still in his taijutsu stance asked with an irritated voice.
"I want you to teach me two cool techniques!" he replied with a bright face.
"I refuse." he dropped his stance.
"Why? Don't tell me because I am a child." a tick mark on his forehead appeared.
"More like a baby," remarked Kakashi.
"What. Did. You. Say?" Naruto asked, murder in his eyes.
"You don't say the "B"-word in front of him." Rin let out a silent sigh and shook her head.
"Whatever," Obito shrugged, ignoring the mini-Kushina.
"You will show me TWO cool techniques." Naruto stated. "Now."
"Why do you want to learn two techniques specifically?" Obito closed in.
"Well, tou-chan said if I learned two C rank techniques then he would admit me to the Ninja Academy."
"Ask someone else." Kakashi said with a frown.
"That wasn't a question." Sated Naruto.
"No."
"Obito-nii?"
"Sorry kiddo," he said sheepishly. "I don't know many C rank techniques, most are D or E. Those that I know are fire styles which I don't think is your affinity. Right?"
"Rin-nee?" He used an unofficial A rank technique on her- Puppy Eyes Manipulation Technique.
"I can teach you one." She said with a smile. "Wind Release: Gale Palm."
"Cool. You're the best!" he gave a thumbs up, the Puppy Eyes Manipulation Technique never fails!
"Come here." Rin said.
"'Kay."
"Now, in order to do this technique, you must clap your hands together with chakra. Remember to compress air with enough concentration. Like this—" she demonstrated. A powerful gust of wind blew from her palms.
"Awesome!" He began mimicking her moves.
"Naru-kun, wait—" but it was too late. The boy clapped his hands together with compressed wind Chakra and stretched out his hands.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
What happened next stunned them all.
For a fraction of a second, nothing happened. However, the next moment an extremely powerful gust of wind came from the Uzumaki's palms and it was so strong that a tree in the path got uprooted and flew to the other side of the river. That was not all, the water of the river was momentarily divided, creating a good five metre wide path.
The members of team seven's eyes were comically wide and had their jaws hanging.
"Did I do it right?" Naruto asked with excitement.
"Rin," Kakashi said. "You might have just created a monster. That was no C rank and I dare to say it is at least B rank."
"WHAT?" Naruto jumped with excitement, his face beaming. "I made a cool technique? Take that Minato Namikaze, in your face!"
Team Minato sweat dropped.
"What are you going to name it?" Rin questioned.
"Umm…" Naruto put on a thoughtful face which caused Rin to jump and hug him tightly while squealing.
Kakashi sighed.
"How about Wind Release: Devastating Gale Palm?" suggested Obito, pulling the poor boy out of his misery.
"Cool!" Naruto jumped again. "Uzumaki Naruto's super cool technique— Wind Release: Devastatin Gale Palm!"
"It's "D-E-V-A-S-T-A-T-I-N-G", " Obito corrected him. "And the tree you just busted is Uchiha's property. So unless you want to get caught in an angry Fugaku-sama's wrath, you better run."
"That smut faced broody guy with an arrogant attitude?" Naruto inquired.
"That's very specific." Obito suppressed his laughter. "But yeah, that's him."
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Konoha Police Force headquarter, a certain smut faced broody guy with an arrogant clan head sneezed.
"Hey! What about the second technique?" Retorted Naruto.
"Um…" Rin gulped. Teaching the boy another C rank? A boy who converts C rank into dangerous B or possibly A rank? That's not a very safe idea. So she suggested, "Why don't you ask your mom? She's a seasoned Shinobi."
"Hmm," the boy gave it a thought before his face became serious. "Nah, she's too weird, even for me."
"WHAT. DID. YOU. SAY?" A booming voice was heard from somewhere in the background.
Naruto jumped again in surprise, with an astonishing seven feet that too. He began sweating heavily.
"Yo… mom…" he weakly began. "You see… we were just…"
"I see everything now." A fiery red haired woman with deep violet eyes came into view. She was wearing a green kimono and had a basket on her hands. The woman had a sweet smile on her face that was too disturbing to look at. She dropped the basket she had on her hands and ran towards the kid with blinding speed. She smacked hard on his head and began crushing him with powerful words. With each word he grew smaller and smaller in everyone's eyes. Team Minato and the raven haired woman sweat dropped on the immature act. Her companion, a raven haired onyx eyed beauty was desperately trying to hold her laughter.
"Kushina," the woman said. "I think that's enough."
"Eh? What? Oh, yeah, right." Kushina sheepishly scratched the back of her head. "Sorry… hehe. Just lost control for a bit."
"Just a bit?" Obito almost shouted. "I thought you were going to murder him."
"Yes, Obito-chan?" Kushina gave him a sweet smile, a bit too sweet.
"Nothing." He stretched a smile.
"Oh," Kushina showed them the basket. "I have brought dango for you three."
"So you actually eat other things besides ramen?"
"Kakashi," Kushina said flatly. "You say something?"
After taking a half hour break for food, Mikoto left. As her son, Itachi, is alone in the house. Rin noticed the desperation in Naruto's eyes as he waited for his mother to leave. Rin didn't want to teach Naruto anything, it wasn't that the girl didn't like the kid. But after seeing the boy's terrifying and dangerous talent... She doesn't want to take the risk. So, she decided it was better to talk before it was too late.
"Ano," she began. "Kushina-san," the said woman gave her a questioning gaze. "I was just wondering… did Naru-kun tell you about the agreement between him and sensei."
The boy's eyes widened in shock as he registered what happened. He stopped chewing dango.
"What agreement?" Kushina asked, half-interested.
"Nothing mom." He gave her a foxy grin, causing her to frown. "Dad just wants me not to read Jiraiya-oji-san's books that he keeps inside his secret box."
"What?" Miraculously, her hair floated much like the Kyuubi itself. "That man, Minato Namikaze, is a pervert?!"
"I don't know if sensei is a pervert or not," Kakashi stated sternly. But the baby is lying."
"What do you mean?" Kushina calmed down, confusion replaced by her rage.
Kakashi sighed. "Minato sensei told him he would let him admit in the academy if he masters two C rank techniques from two separate chakra nature."
"Huh?" Kushina turned towards Naruto only to find himself… missing? She used her Uzumaki sensing ability to locate him. He was already out of the Uchiha district, that kid is fast… wait… how can he be that fast?
"Um…" Obito cut her thoughts. "Is it just me or he really just disappeared? I mean no way a not-yet-three-year-old can pull out Body Flicker Technique?"
"I think he is ready for the academy." Rin suggested, still desperate to get rid of the boy.
Kushina meanwhile was fuming. Her toddler, not even three yet, wants to go to the academy? Does he have a death wish? "Naruto Uzumaki! Get back here you sneaky stupid little red mouse!"
Next Chapter: The Ultimate Prodigy