I DO NOT OWN NARUTO.

I OWN ALL THE OCs in this story.

This work is my own work and cannot be published by someone else without my consent.

Chapter 9

The True Strength of Shinobi

"Wait, WHAT?!"

"U-uumm, nii-san, m-me an-and Mi-inato-kun are n-now a couple…" said the redhead, with a cherry-red blush covering her pretty face. Beside her, the blonde in question stood with a small smile and a slight blush on his face.

Despite his outward composure, Minato couldn't shake the feeling of fear churning deep within him. It consumed him, gnawing at his confidence. Also, Naruto's blank expression did nothing to allay his concerns.

Naruto's face remained blank, and suddenly he unleashed his killing intent to the max, which had its unnatural effect on the surrounding plant and animal life.

Minato and Kushina were now sweating profusely. They were somewhat used to his intent to kill, but given the situation, and how important they deemed Naruto's approval for their relationship, they couldn't help but be worried. They did not want to lose what they had established, both with each other and with Naruto.

"Kushina…"

"W- WAIT, Nii-san! Please hear me out before you say anything. I just wanted to tell you that I really, really like Minato-kun. I know he was a little flaky in the beginning, but he's actually a very nice guy. And you know that better than anyone else, right? After all, he's your best friend. I trust him completely, so I hope you can unders…" Kushina's ranting was cut off in the middle as Naruto spoke again, this time much more loudly and firmly,

"KUSHINA!"

The said redhead immediately straightened up and shut her mouth, blushing embarrassedly that she had just said all that in public…

"W-what is it, nii-san" replied Kushina, ready to defend her relationship with Minato should anything go south.

With an unusual silly smile on his face, Naruto flashed a thumbs-up and exclaimed, "I approve!"

No one moved for a while…

Kushina blinked..

Minato blinked..

"W-what?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to say that I approve of your relationship with Minato." Naruto's face then adopted his usual indifferent expression as he continued, "Had it been anyone else, he would have long since disappeared under 'mysterious circumstances'."

"W-Wait a minute! So it was YOU who made all those annoying guys disappear!"

"That's right, thank you very much."

Kushina sighed, Naruto was a little too much on the overprotective side sometimes. Not that she minded it. She was perfectly happy now that she was with Minato, and Minato didn't disappear. So, it was alright with her.

Minato was inwardly celebrating that Naruto essentially got rid of his competition and approved of their relationship. Though he was inwardly scared just how did Naruto make those boys disappear.

"Then why did you try to scare us with your KI?"

"Oohh, that was just a little warning for my good friend Minato. You try to pull something funny, I will do some really unpleasant stuff to you. You understand, don't you buddy?"

Minato nodded so fast that Kushina was sure he had used his bloodline for that. Finally, Naruto gave them a small smile and said, "Congratulations on getting together! I always expected it to happen."

Minato and Kushina shared a relieved smile, and Minato pulled Kushina into a one-armed hug. The young couple was still a little red from their previous exchange.

—X—X—X—

"Alright you brats, time for you to get assigned to your teams. There are 21 of you, and you will be split into 7 different teams of 3 genin each. All the teams will be led by a jonin-sensei, who will coordinate your teamwork and guide you further in the shinobi arts."

Everyone was waiting anxiously for the teams that they would be assigned to, after all, it would decide their potential future as a ninja. Kenchi-sensei assured them that the teams would be divided as per their skills, to create efficient combat units.

Naruto, who now wore an Uzu hitai-ate on his forehead, was not worried about his team placements. His misadventures with Minato and Kushina were a perfect testament to their trust and teamwork dynamics, even 'The White Fang' would agree to that. There was no way that they would be split into different teams. Kushina had also taken the extra precaution of advising, requesting, begging, and threatening goatee Ji-chan to put them on the same team.

And soon Kenchi-sensei started announcing the teams.

Following the custom of the pact that was signed fifteen generations ago between the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans, Shikaku, Chouza, and Inoichi were put together in the same team, with Sarutobi Akimitsu. Akimitsu was a former member of the Hokage's personal ANBU, who had personally asked to be given the opportunity to train the young trio.

Next, Uchiha Fugaku was teamed up with Inuzuka Tsume and Aburame Shin. Naruto believed that they were a perfect team, with Fugaku being the genjutsu user, Tsume with her head on firepower, and Shibi, who could strategize and analyze situations better, effectively balancing out his two hot-headed teammates.

They were assigned to Jonin Uchiha Kiomi, the daughter of the legendary Uchiha Kagami. Kiomi was said to be a once-in-a-generation Uchiha, whose taijutsu and genjutsu were heaps ahead of her clanmates, her Sharingan was believed to be one of the most powerful eyes in history, which could copy techniques with a simple glance and recreate it the next second. Naruto himself was very fascinated by the Uchiha, and was a little jealous that he couldn't get to train with such an exceptional shinobi.

Kushina's best friend, Uchiha Mikoto was next, as she was teamed up Kurama Isamu and Tajiro Haru. This was a great team as Mikoto's sharingan was more ninjutsu-oriented than genjutsu, and teamed up with the Kurama clan's special genjutsu styles, would cover for the team's weaknesses, as Isamu was the best genjutsu user after Fugaku. Haru was a skilled weapons user, his bukijutsu having good potential.

They were to be taught by Nara Kaito, an elite jonin who teamed up with Uchiha Kiomi in the war. Kaito was believed to be an exceptional mastermind who could effortlessly navigate through any situation.

Up next, Hyuuga Hiashi was placed in a team with Sarutobi Hikaru and Aki. Their Jonin sensei being Kuina, an ex hunter nin and a war hero.

The next two teams were irrelevant in Naruto's mind, and just as Naruto predicted, he was placed in the same team as Kushina and Minato. But their sensei was somehow not revealed. Kenchi-sensei claimed that he himself did not know who their jonin sensei was. But whoever their sensei was, would definitely pick them up for their team meeting.

—X—X—X—

It had been 30 minutes since the team announcements and all the others had been escorted to their meeting places with their sensei. The trio was lying around in class, waiting for their sensei.

Naruto's impatience was growing, as he found it unacceptable not to know their sensei's identity. The lack of information was becoming increasingly frustrating.

Suddenly, he sensed a massive amount of chakra, so massive that he flinched. Beside him, Minato also had a similar reaction as he suddenly jerked, which quickly got the trio on guard.

Then all of a sudden, smoke erupted in the room, which made Naruto quickly activate his rinnegan, while Kushina and Minato took fighting stances.

The smoke dissipated quickly, revealing a sight that left them stunned - the most surprising thing they had seen in the past few months. Standing on the head of a medium-sized orange toad, was a large tan man. He had waist-length, spiky white hair that he were tied back into a ponytail, with two shoulder-length bangs framing his face. He wore geta on his feet and sported a light green t-shirt and pants, with a long red half-jacket over his outfit. Finally, he had two thin red lines running down from his eyes to his neck, as he stood in all his glory.

"Bask in my glory, brats! For I am, The Man, The Myth, The Legend himself… I am revered by all shinobi and adored by all the pretty ladies out there, for I am the legendary Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku!"

Yep, standing in front of them was Jiraiya of the Sannin, an S-rank shinobi.

Naruto didn't seem to mind Jiraiya's eccentric behavior. After all, he was from a clan of overly eccentric people themselves. What mattered to him was that he got the best of the best. Jiraiya was a well-known sealing master like him, had battled Hanzo of the Salamander to near death, and was a leading candidate for the next Hokage. Yes, he would do perfectly.

Kushina, meanwhile, had narrow eyes as she leveled a flat unimpressed look at the toad sage. She was disgusted and annoyed that their sensei seemed to be a pervert. But even she couldn't deny the power that he was radiating. She concluded that he did not even need to be intimidating, as it would be disastrous if he ever did that.

Minato, on the other hand, had literal stars in his eyes as he looked at Jiraiya. Minato had always idolized Jiraiya of the Sannin and couldn't believe that he would actually get the opportunity to be trained by his idol. And the toads, they were super cool! His sensei knew just how to get all the attention. Though he would never do something as attention-grabbing as that, considering the dangers, it made Jiraiya all the more awesome in his eyes. As he had prevailed even being such a flashy shinobi.

Jiraiya quickly analyzed their reactions.

'Hmm, the redhead, Naruto. He seems… excited. So that's what he wants…. Power. Perhaps a long term goal that he is obsessed with.'

'The other Uzumaki, Kushina. She seems annoyed, as expected. But her chakra is truly dense. Sensei said that her chakra can manifest chains like Mito-sama. But inwardly, she seems…content. So she wants family and friends.'

'The blondie, Minato. Oh Yes! He is the best one yet! A fellow fan, and quite a prodigy too. He will do nicely. Maybe I can impart some of my perviness too…'

—X—X—X—

When Jiraiya heard that he was supposed to be training a genin team, he was delighted. He used to be reluctant to the idea of training brats, but the three kids he took care of in Ame changed his mind. He discovered that he enjoyed teaching and passing down his skills and knowledge.

Contrary to popular belief, Jiraiya was not always about flashy show-offs. He generally used his eccentric behavior as a cover for his true intentions. Among all the Sannin and even the Sandaime, Jiraiya was the best in analyzing human behavior and psychology. So, he used his general flashy entrance to gauge the reactions of his students.

He immediately deduced that his team was going to be quite a handful.

—X—X—X—

The newly minted team stood on the academy roof, with Jiraiya leaning against the railing and the trio sitting on the steps in front of him.

"Alright, everyone. I think it's time for introductions. As you may already know, my name is Jiraiya. I am a student of the Sandaime Hokage. I like bathhouses, pretty ladies and a specifically shaped fruit. I dislike traitors. My hobbies include conducting research and writing. My dream is to one day create true peace in the shinobi world.", exclaimed the sage with a pervy grin on his face.

Naruto immediately narrowed his eyes, 'True peace… pfft! Like its possible. People will always be puppets to their own greed and fears. What this world needs is justice and consequences. How can such an accomplished shinobi have such a naive dream…'

Kushina also narrowed her eyes, but for a different reason, 'He is a pervert, for sure. I have to make sure he doesn't affect Minato and Naruto, or I will beat the perviness out of them 'ttebane. And what does he mean by bathhouses and research… Maybe I will create an anti-pervert seal for such cases.' She ended her thoughts with a devilish grin, thinking how her seal would deal with perverts.

Minato, instead was transfixed by what Jiraiya said, 'Peace, huh. Is it really possible? That we can all live in peace. If Jiraiya-sensei believes in it, then maybe it is possible. If I can help achieve peace, maybe Naruto can find some peace and happiness in his life too.'

"Okay, now you guys…"

"H-Hai, My name is Namikaze Minato, from the Namikaze family. I like Kushina and Naruto, I also like to work on sealing. I dislike traitors and bullies. My hobbies are reading and training. My dream is to become the Hokage and the fastest shinobi alive."

"I am Uzumaki Kushina, from the Uzumaki Clan. My likes are Naruto nii-san and Minato-kun, and also kenjutsu and fuinjutsu. I dislike traitors, bullies, and perverts. My hobby is to spend time with my family and friends and also to work on seals. My dream is to become the first female Hokage, 'ttebane!", she said, punctuating the perverts part with a not-so-subtle glare at Jiraiya, who just grinned proudly.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I am from the Uzumaki clan of Uzushiogakure." He said, pointing a finger at his whirlpool headband. "I like my family, friends, and Sakumo-san. I dislike bullies and people ruled by their fear and greed. My hobbies include training and spending time with my family. My dream…

…my dream is to bring justice and consequences in this wretched world of shinobi, and bring glory to the Uzumaki name."

Jiraiya frowned when he heard all this, 'That is definitely not the outlook of some fresh out of the academy Genin. He almost seems like a war-hardened shinobi. Sensei was right, there are deep pools of darkness under those golden eyes.'

Minato and Kushina sighed, ever since Kushina's attempted abduction, Naruto's outlook had only changed for the worse. They had attempted to sway him from his path, but he was as stubborn as a rock.

Jiraiya clapped his hands, "Alright brats, enough of that. Now, I would have taken some of my time to test your teamwork, but I have heard enough about you to know about your team dynamics. But that still doesn't give me an idea of what and how to teach you. So, we will have a 3 on 1 spar. You guys can go all out and show me all of your skills. I am already aware of your sealing prowess, so no fuinjustu. Remember, the goal is not to win, but to scope out your abilities, kay?"

All three of them nodded eagerly, excited at the prospect of facing a Sannin.

Naruto was particularly excited, he knew that Sakumo barely used a fraction of his true strength against him. Maybe Jiraiya can show just how strong S-rank shinobi are. He will need that knowledge if he wanted to beat the Kages.

—X—X—X—

Half an hour later, the trio was standing on training ground 7, facing their sensei, who had his arms folded with a laidback expression on his face.

This put the trio at unease, sensei had told them to come at him with the intent to kill. But he looked as if he was barely worried at all. Given that genin are no match for an S-rank, but shouldn't he at least be on guard?

They eyed a cloud which was covering the sun, awaiting the first ray of light.

As the ray fell, the three genin blurred.

'Tch, attacking a jonin head-on. How foolish!'

Jiraiya had already recognized their trick, but decided to entertain them. In a millisecond of time, all three of them had a kunai embedded in their hearts.

And then, they all popped into smoke.

The smoke was enough to blind Jiraiya's view, who suddenly found a katana piercing his chest, courtesy of Naruto.

And then, Jiraiya popped.

Naruto, quickly recognizing that he had been tricked, sensed Jiraiya about to jump at him. He quickly substituted with Minato, their transition being sealless, and smokeless, impressing Jiraiya.

What further impressed him was the fact that Minato was in a ready stance, like he knew what would happen. Minato quickly went through hand signs.

"Fuuton: Gale Palm" he declared, sending a sharp wave of high speed winds towards Jiraiya, who decided to give them a taste of their own medicine.

Suddenly in front of Minato, was not Jiraiya, but Kushina.

Minato stumbled, losing his concentration, which was enough for Kushina to pull out her sword, which she channeled Suiton chakra to, creating a shield of water.

After both of them landed, they gave each other a nod and jumped away, in pursuit of Jiraiya.

Jiraiya meanwhile, had substituted himself with Kushina, and found himself on the branch of a tree. But what he didn't expect was Naruto using the opportunity to unleash a shitload of shuriken on him.

Jiraiya however, had long since substituted with a shadow clone, leaving it to entertain the redhead.

Soon, Minato and Kushina landed in front of him, with Kushina sheathing her sword back, confusing Jiraiya.

Suddenly, hundreds of adamantine chains erupted from the ground beneath him, greatly surprising him that Kushina managed to do it undetected.

While constantly dodging the chains, Minato and Naruto jumped him with their taijutsu, assisted by Kushina, who actually had a shadow clone controlling the chains.

Jiraiya, while constantly dodging the chains, was facing the three prodigies in pure taijutsu…

… and he utterly crushed them in a mere minute. Even with Minato using his bloodline, his reaction speed could not match the speed at which Jiraiya disarmed them and threw them on the ground.

Naruto, Minato, and Kushina lay there on the ground, completely humiliated by their sensei.

'Is this the power of an S-rank… No, he isn't even going all out. Damn it, how far do have to go. I cannot use my rinnegan here, and fuinjutsu is not allowed. But still, what was that taijutsu…'

The three genin slowly stood up again, intent on not losing so quickly.

Suddenly, as if in a mysterious understanding, all four of them burst into high-speed hand signs.

"Katon: Phoenix Flower Jutsu" Jiraiya launched numerous small fireballs at each of them.

"Suiton: Water Encampment Wall" Kushina said, casting a protective layer of water in front of them.

Naruto, taking advantage of the water, used the 'Suiton: Violent Water Wave', sending aggressive waves of water toward Jiraiya.

Minato and Naruto then nodded at each other and in mutual understanding used the same sequence of hand signs.

"Raiton: Lightning Bolt Jutsu"

They soon saw the electrified water waves crashing into Jiraiya.

However, Jiraiya made no attempt to move or dodge.

That's when they realized, 'Something is wrong.'

However, they realized a second too late as they were suddenly hit on the back of their heads, knocking them out.

'To think that they pushed me this far… Truly a genius bunch.'

Suddenly, he heard a groaning sound, and looked over to see that Naruto was apparently still conscious. He soon stood up and whispered…

"Sensei, I request you. Show me a glimpse of your true power. Please, show me what is true strength."

Jiraiya thought against it, but relented. The kid needed to know just what kind of monsters are there in the real world.

Suddenly, Naruto was hit by visions. He straightened up and witnessed in pure terror, the true strength of Jiraiya of the Sannin. He saw himself being consumed by a toad's intestines, he saw himself being trapped in a genjutsu surrounded by toads, while his real body was killed, he had visions of being burnt by massive fire dragons and the whole surface of the ground, till the horizon crumbling upon itself as he stood on it.

The worst part was, that he knew he would die easily, rinnegan or not.

It was then he realized, that it was not a genjutsu, neither was it killing intent…..

….it was the man's presence. His mere presence was enough to give him visions of his death.

His thoughts were sent reeling as he took heavy breaths.

'Just how strong could someone get?'

'To think Hanzo took on three of them at once.'

'This feeling of helplessness. It reminds me of the invasion….

….I don't like this feeling.'

Those were his final thoughts as he passed out, drifting into unconscious slumber.