Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any related content. C:
Chapter 8: Bad Situation
Naruto: Original Soundtrack, Track No. 16
Bad Situation
A twelve-year-old girl roamed the streets of the Leaf aimlessly, her long, pink hair swaying mildly in the gentle breeze. She was lost in her own thoughts, narrowly avoiding oncoming traffic as she wandered across the bustling streets.
"Hey, watch where you're going!" a man shouted as the girl accidentally bumped into him.
"Sorry mister!" Sakura replied remorsefully, quickly picking up the items she had knocked out of his arms and handing them back to him.
She had drifted towards the academy, though there was no class in session today. She was about to continue on her way when she noticed three familiar faces waiting outside of the building. "Sasuke-kun, Naruto, Hinata!"
The trio turned towards her at the sound of her greeting and waved back. "How's it going, Sakura?" Naruto asked.
"Um… it's going," the pinkette replied, quickly trying to divert the attention away from herself. "Never mind me, what about you three?"
The genin could tell something was off, but they decided to wait a bit longer to bring it up. "Just waiting for Kakashi-sensei to show up for our next mission," Sasuke answered.
"Oh, that's great!" Sakura replied absentmindedly. "Well, uh… I'll be on my way then. Cya!"
"Wait!" Sasuke grabbed onto the pinkette's shoulders and turned her around, causing her to blush slightly at his touch. "We can all tell something is going on with you. You never let an opportunity to talk to me slip away, so don't pretend like nothing's wrong." Naruto and Hinata both nodded in agreement. Though they didn't know her as well as Sasuke did, they were still able to pick up on her odd behavior.
Sakura stood frozen for a minute, desperately trying to fabricate an excuse, but in the end, nothing came to mind. She decided to just tell them the truth instead. "Ever since you graduated, I've been lost. I chased after you for so long that I don't even remember why I joined the academy. I've been thinking about dropping out, since I don't know what I'm doing anymore."
Sasuke didn't think his early graduation had that much of an impact on her. He would never regret graduating early, but a small part of him felt guilty about leaving the pinkette behind, even if all she did was annoy him. He didn't know how to help her, but he decided to speak his mind anyway. "Look, I can't really help you with your motivation to become a kunoichi, but if I remember correctly, after Hinata was promoted, you had the highest grades in the class among all of the girls. You definitely have talent, even if you wasted a lot of it the past few years."
Sakura looked down at that comment, prompting Hinata to glare lightly at Sasuke while Naruto watched in slight confusion. The Uchiha just shrugged at his female teammate, not knowing how to handle these kinds of situations.
Hinata shook her head lightly and approached the sulking pinkette, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "What Sasuke was trying to say is you need to figure out what you are good at. If your grades in class are anything to go by, then you are clearly good at something. I remember Iruka-sensei saying that you had the best chakra control in our class, and that is a very important skill to have as a ninja."
"But my reserves are pathetic! I tire out after a few academy jutsu!" Sakura argued. "How am I supposed to get anywhere with that?
"Pervy-Sage always said we had too much chakra and too little control for genjutsu," Naruto offered. "Maybe since Sakura is the opposite, she would be good at it?"
"That's a good point, Naruto-kun!" Hinata complimented. "Asuma-sensei told us his friend was just promoted to jonin not too long ago. He said she's the best genjutsu user in the village. Her name is Kurenai, I think. I don't know that much about her, but maybe you can look for her for some tips!"
Sakura gave the three a small, but sincere smile, genuinely grateful to them for guiding her when she was lost. "Thank you guys. I'll try looking for her after lunch. I'm going to this dango shop that Ino kept talking about. You guys want to join me?"
The trio seemed hungry, and Naruto was about to accept her offer when Kakashi appeared in front of them. "Mission time!"
"Dammit, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto complained. "We were just about to go get food!"
"Well, I was planning on requesting a C-rank mission…" Kakashi trailed off.
"On second thought, I'm not actually that hungry," the blond replied quickly, eliciting a few giggles out of the girls.
"I'll see you guys later!" Sakura called as she made her way out of the academy grounds, waving goodbye to the trio. "Good luck on your mission!"
"Thanks!" Naruto shouted back.
The pinkette noticed Sasuke giving her a confident nod just as he left her field of vision, causing her to blush. Sasuke-kun believes in me! She continued daydreaming happily about her crush until she arrived at the dango shop, where she noticed a woman with long, curly black hair and striking red eyes sitting towards the back of the shop. Across from her sat a tall, bearded man wearing a darker edition of the standard flak jacket.
"So, what have you been up to lately?" the red-eyed woman asked.
"I began training Hinata in her fire affinity," the bearded man replied. "Splitting time between Naruto and Hinata might be more difficult, but Kakashi has his hands full right now, since Sasuke ended up copying his Chidori on their last mission."
"I see. He has to train the boy so he doesn't hurt himself," the woman surmised.
"Yep," the bearded man agreed. "Though I don't mind too much. Naruto and Hinata are information sponges. I can't believe how talented Kakashi's team is."
"Didn't you say you were getting your own team, Asuma?" the woman questioned.
Sakura's eyes widened in surprise as she finished ordering her food. Asuma?
"Yeah. Training those kids and watching them practice made me want to have a team of my own. I'll be picking up a team from this year's group, hopefully the Ino-Shika-Cho trio." Asuma pondered for a moment before asking, "What about you, Kurenai? You also wanted a team, right?"
Sakura couldn't believe her ears. Must be my lucky day. C'mon, Sakura, just go ask her!
The red-eyed woman, now identified as Kurenai, responded, "Kakashi would normally have priority for the team with the Rookie of the Year, but since he already has a team, I was thinking about taking that squad. Currently, the Aburame boy is at the top of this class, while the top kunoichi seems to be a perfect fit for me. I think her name was Sak-" The red-eyed woman paused and turned to Sakura, who had hesitantly approached their table. "And who might you be?"
"M-my name is Sakura Haruno, ma'am," the pinkette answered anxiously. "I asked Team 7 for some help, but since they're about to go on a mission, they told me to look for you, Ms. Kurenai, because they think my chakra control is good for genjutsu."
The woman chuckled lightly. "How convenient! I was just talking about you. Iruka mentioned you have a high aptitude for genjutsu. Your friends are right. I would be happy to help you out, Sakura."
The pinkette smiled brightly at the genjutsu mistress. "Thank you, Ms. Kurenai!"
Naruto stared blankly at the Hokage, blinking once. Twice. Thrice. "What the hell, Old Man! A delivery mission?"
"Pipe down, Naruto!" Kakashi scolded. "I didn't think you would want to catch the cat again, but since you don't want to do the delivery…"
"No, no! I'll do it! Actually, it's perfect for our skillset!" the blond replied quickly, prompting Sasuke to snicker and Hinata to giggle.
Kakashi sighed in exasperation. "Great. Now, let's pick up the package and be on our way. We'll be heading towards the Land of Rivers again, though this time we'll be near the border of the Land of Wind."
"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" Hinata asked, noting the blond's distressed expression as he stared intently at a specific direction.
The group had taken a break as the sun descended below the horizon. They decided to camp out in a small clearing before turning in for the night.
"I don't know," Naruto replied, continuing to stare in the same direction. "But something just feels… off."
Knowing that the blond's gut instincts were often right on the nose, Hinata activated her Byakugan, gasping in surprise as she focused on an unfamiliar figure speeding towards them.
Kakashi immediately turned around and asked, "What is it, Hinata?"
"There's a tall figure heading straight towards us. His chakra levels… a-are on a similar level to Naruto-kun and I, and he isn't a jinchuuriki like we are!" Hinata reported. "He's closing in fast!"
That doesn't sound good. I need to know more. Kakashi inquired, "Is there anything else you can tell me?
Hinata nodded and zoomed in more on the intimidating figure. "He has a massive sword on his back wrapped in bandages. He has a shark-like appearance as well."
"Shit. That sounds like Kisame Hoshigaki, another former member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist," Kakashi informed.
"You've got to be kidding me," Sasuke replied in disbelief.
Though Naruto was also worried about the incoming threat, his mind was somewhere else. Another one? What the hell is wrong with the Hidden Mist?
He wasn't allowed any more time to ponder, as the shark-like man jumped out of the tree line in front of the group. "Samehada told me there was some tasty chakra in this direction, but all I found was a bunch of brats with their teacher. How disappointing."
"I did not expect to see someone like you here, Kisame Hoshigaki," Kakashi stated, lifting up his headband to reveal his Sharingan.
"You actually know who I am. I'm flattered," Kisame replied sarcastically before taking a closer look at the squad leader. "Though that's not much of a surprise, coming from Kakashi of the Sharingan. Heh, this might be more interesting than I thought." The shark man grinned eagerly, looking forward to a good fight with the Copy Ninja. He glanced at the three genin and noted, "You three must be the brats who took down Raiga. Impressive, but compared to him, I'm on a much higher level."
"Whatever you say, sushi man," Naruto retorted.
Kisame's eye twitched once. Then twice. "You brat!" Though after taking a closer look at the boy, his anger morphed into excitement as he recalled his partner's description of their target. Blond hair, blue eyes, and a big mouth. Sounds about right. He grinned menacingly as he shifted into a fighting stance. "Heh. Today is my lucky day. You must be the tasty chakra Samehada was sensing. Hand over the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki, and I'll let the rest of you live."
Sasuke immediately jumped in front of his friends and snarled, subconsciously activating his two-tomoe Sharingan.
"What's this? Another Uchiha? And you look just like Itachi," the shark man noted, genuinely surprised by the sight.
Does he know Itachi? I better ask him some questions before he attacks. "What do you know about my brother?" Sasuke shouted back.
"Your brother, eh? Well, since you already know who I'm after, I guess I can reveal a little bit. He's my partner, though we split up not too long ago to gather more intel on the jinchuuriki. Who would have thought that one of them would be dropped into my lap, just like that?"
"If you want Naruto, you're going to have to get past me!" Sasuke declared firmly.
"Sasuke wait!" Naruto warned, knowing that none of them stood a chance against the shark man.
"If you so desperately want your brother to become the last Uchiha, I'll be happy to oblige you," Kisame responded as he charged towards Sasuke with Samehada in hand.
He's too fast! Sasuke thought as the serrated edges of the sentient blade closed in on him. Reacting swiftly, Kakashi pulled the Uchiha boy away from the blade before it could make contact with him. Team 7 regrouped a short distance away, the Copy Ninja positioned protectively in front of his students.
"I know you three are good, but this guy is still leagues above you," Kakashi stated. "I'll be doing most of the fighting, so just be ready to support me."
"Right," the genin chorused.
Kakashi nodded in satisfaction and gathered electrified chakra in his right hand. "Raikiri!"
Kisame just smirked as the Copy Ninja charged in. "That's not going to work on me." He swiped Samehada across Kakashi's body in an attempt to absorb the incoming attack. However, Kakashi dissolved into tendrils of lightning that latched onto the sentient blade, stunning both it and Kisame for a brief moment.
The shark man tried turning his body around as the real Kakashi broke through the ground behind him with several shuriken in hand. "Take this!"
"Too slow!" Kisame taunted as he freed himself from the effects of the lightning clone. He slashed horizontally with Samehada, blocking all of the star-shaped projectiles in one swift motion.
Two more clones burst out of the ground and launched shuriken at the shark man as the real Kakashi charged in with a Raikiri in hand. "Well played, Kakashi," Kisame complimented as the Copy Ninja drove his hand through his opponent's chest. However, the man quickly melted away into a puddle of water. "But you're not the reason why I'm here," a voice called out from atop a tree branch near the three genin.
The trio tensed as Kisame began charging in at them in an attempt to separate them. "Sasuke, combo with me!" Naruto shouted as he began weaving seals.
"On it," the Uchiha replied. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Kisame immediately countered with a Water Wall, annoyed by the minor setback. Damn Uchiha fire. I may have to resort to more ninjutsu. The shark man watched as Kakashi made his way back to his team, standing between him and his target once again.
"Good work, boys," Kakashi praised. The Copy Ninja began analyzing his opponent, whose expression grew more serious as the battle progressed. He noticed out of the corner of his eyes Sasuke beginning to activate the seals on his wrists and immediately put a stop to it. "Don't, Sasuke. You're not ready yet. Also, his sword can just absorb the chakra."
The Uchiha wanted to protest, but after quickly thinking it over, he realized Kakashi was right. The Kiba blades' cutting power comes from the lightning chakra imbued in it. If that shark blade absorbs the chakra, the sharpness is significantly reduced. Damn it.
"Lightning Style: Lightning Ball!" Kakashi sent the flurry of electrified orbs at Kisame, who slashed through them with Samehada. If he could slice through my lightning style, then why did he dodge the fire and wind jutsu? Kakashi decided to test his theory further.
"Water Style: Raging Waves!" Again, the shark man decided to use Samehada to negate the technique. So it's not just lightning style he could absorb. Alright, one more test. "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Kisame smirked as he cut through the blast of air. "Is that all you've got, Kakashi? How disappointing."
Kakashi didn't respond, electing to call out his next jutsu instead. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" A volley of small fireballs sped towards Kisame, who easily dodged the incoming projectiles, though hitting his target wasn't Kakashi's intent. So I was right. That sword is either weak to fire or doesn't like consuming fire chakra. "Sasuke, Naruto, I need you guys to combo again. His sword can nullify most chakra-based and elemental jutsu, but it seems it's afraid of fire."
"So you've figured out Samehada's weakness," Kisame stated. "I was wondering what you were up to. But knowing its weakness and capitalizing on it are two completely different things!" Before the two genin had a chance to launch their combo, Kisame flew through several hand seals. "Water Style: Water Shark Bomb Jutsu!" Using the remaining water from Kakashi's previous technique, Kisame created a shark-like water construct and launched it at the group.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall!" Despite the elemental advantage, the sheer power of Kisame's technique nearly broke through Kakashi's defenses. That was way too close. Even if I have a better array of ninjutsu than he does, he has significantly more chakra than I do. This isn't looking good.
Kisame charged in with Samehada in hand, attempting to take advantage of Kakashi's surprised state. However, Hinata quickly launched an Air Palm in the shark man's direction, forcing him to step to the side. Taking advantage of the timing, Naruto and Sasuke flew through their own hand seals.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Tsk. Annoying brats. I guess I'll use that. "Water Style: Exploding Water Shock Wave!" Kisame expelled a large amount of water out of his mouth, nullifying the combination jutsu and flooding the entire clearing, forcing Team 7 to the treetops. "Now, you're all in my territory!" Kisame exclaimed as he slammed both of his palms down on the water. "Water Style: Five Hungry Sharks!"
This is really, really bad, Kakashi realized. I can't use my mud wall without access to the ground. Damn it. The five chakra sharks circled the trees Team 7 stood on, slowly closing in on their targets.
Kisame noticed Kakashi's change in demeanor and smirked. "Giving up already?"
The Copy Ninja stayed silent, mentally preparing for a drawn out battle of attrition. It was then he detected a familiar presence nearby, relaxing slightly as it sped towards them. I don't know how he found us, but I'm not complaining.
Having grown tired of waiting for a response, Kisame commanded the sharks to target Kakashi. The water constructs launched themselves towards the Copy Ninja, but just before they made contact, a puff of smoke bloomed in between them and their target. "Summoning Jutsu!" a new voice cried out.
A long tongue extended out of the smoke and pierced through all five chakra sharks. Kisame was too preoccupied with the newcomer to reform them, keeping his attention on the cloud of smoke.
Naruto and Hinata's eyes widened at the figure they saw in front of them as the smoke faded away. From atop a medium-sized toad half-submerged in the water, the white-haired man announced, "From the north, to the south, and the east and west as well. Not even the spirits can defeat thi-"
"Pervy-Sage!" Naruto exclaimed happily.
"Damn you, Naruto! Don't interrupt my intro like that!" Jiraiya shouted. "I was just getting to the good part!"
"This is the first time we see you in years and that's how you greet me?" Naruto retorted with his arms crossed. "Some godfather you are."
"You ungrateful brat! I've been saving your ass from threats outside the village! What, did you think I would only do my 'research' the whole time?" Jiraiya fired back.
"Yes! Wait, huh?" Naruto replied intelligently.
Jiraiya just sighed as he turned his attention back to Kisame, who was watching the argument in amusement. "Speaking of threats, this man is a member of the Akatsuki, a criminal organization I've been tailing for the last couple of years."
"So you know that much, do you?" Kisame replied as he secured Samehada to his back. "It's a shame I can't kill you, as even I can't match the skill of one of the Sannin. I guess I'll have to retreat, seeing as the odds of this battle going in my favor are slim." The shark man jumped backwards into the trees before quickly disappearing from sight.
Jiraiya smirked at the retreating nin as his summoning poofed back to Mt. Myoboku. He pulled out a sealing array and activated it, allowing it to absorb all the nearby water. Gradually, the five Leaf nin were lowered until they were back on solid ground, the water nowhere to be seen. "Now that that's taken care o-OOF!" One of the twelve-year-olds barreled straight into him while the other stood close to him, looking at him with unshed tears.
"What took you so long, Pervy-Sage?" Naruto mumbled as tears fell from his eyes. "I missed you, dattebayo."
Hinata silently walked up to the two and joined in on the hug, prompting Jiraiya to wrap his arms around the two of them. "Since you know about me being your godfather, Naruto, then you must know about the Nine-Tails and your parents, right?"
"T-the Old Man said it would mean more if I learned about my parents from you," Naruto replied as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "But everyone here knows about both Nine-Tails."
Jiraiya sighed in relief as he released the embrace. "Good. That makes this much easier. I'll tell you about your parents in a bit, but I need to relay this information to you guys first. I've been gone so long because of the Akatsuki. From what I've gathered so far, they're hunting down all the jinchuuriki, but for what purpose, I do not know. Kakashi, I need you to relay that information back to Sarutobi-sensei. Tell him that my original mission parameters have changed, and that I still have more work to do in uncovering their motives."
"Understood," the Copy Ninja acknowledged.
"Master Jiraiya, that guy said my brother was his partner. Is Itachi really a part of this organization?" Sasuke asked pleadingly.
"I'm afraid he is," the Toad Sage answered. "The only members I know of are Itachi and Kisame, which is why I was able to find you guys, as I've been tailing them for a while. My former teammate Orochimaru was with them for a short period of time, but I assume he left to pursue his own endeavors." The Toad Sage turned back to Kakashi and explained, "I have to gain more intel on this organization before it becomes a real threat. Though I'm not sure what Sarutobi-sensei can do about it, I'm sure he can help out somehow. That's why I need you to relay the intel back to him after your mission."
"So you're not coming back with us?" Naruto asked sadly.
"I'm not," Jiraiya replied apologetically. "But until I figure out what they're motives are, I won't know how to keep the two of you safe from them. More specifically Naruto, since they shouldn't know about Hinata yet."
The group fell into a short period of silence as Naruto processed his godfather's words, until Hinata asked, "How long are you staying?"
"I can stay for about a day," Jiraiya replied after thinking for a moment. "That mea- OOF!"
Hinata had slammed a chakra-laced palm directly into the Toad Sage's abdomen, causing him to double over in agony. "That's for introducing Naruto-kun to adult content at six-years-old, Pervy-Sage!"
"Hehe… HAHAHAHA!" Hearing Hinata of all people use that nickname caused Naruto to fall to the ground in laughter, tears leaking out of his eyes as he held onto his stomach.
"Not you too," Jiraiya whined, prompting Kakashi and even Sasuke to chuckle.
The moon shone dimly over the small group as they prepared for bed. Sasuke and Kakashi had already turned in for the night, and Hinata had just entered the tent, leaving Naruto and Jiraiya alone outside. The Toad Sage could tell something was on the blond's mind. "A ryo for your thoughts?"
Naruto took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding. "When you talked about peace and hate before, I didn't really pay attention to it. A couple months ago, we ran into a rogue Seven Swordsman who hated the Leaf because a Leaf shinobi killed someone close to him, and because of what happened, I think I'm finally beginning to understand what you meant back then."
"So, you've gotten your first taste of the shinobi world," Jiraiya remarked. "I heard that you three did pretty well on that mission, so what's wrong?"
"I just wish there was another way to go about it," Naruto answered. The blond took another moment to think before asking, "How would you create peace, Pervy-Sage?"
"To be honest, I'm not sure," Jiraiya replied. "It's been on my mind for a while, but the hatred between the Great Nations is too deep-seated to just be simply removed. That doesn't mean I'm ever going to stop searching for the solution. Maybe if I can't find it before I die, I'll entrust that task to you!"
"But is there nothing we can do about it now?" Naruto asked impatiently.
"Creating world peace isn't something you can do overnight, Naruto," Jiraiya replied. "Don't stress over it too much. You're still a kid, so you should enjoy being one while you still can. I admire your want to cause change, but I'm sure you know you're nowhere near strong enough to do that yet. If all you do is obsess over a single goal, then what's the point in living life?"
"I guess that makes sense," Naruto mumbled. "But it would make me feel like I'm getting nowhere closer to that goal."
"Just trust me on this, Naruto." Jiraiya put a hand on the blond's shoulder as he explained, "I lived my whole life obsessing over goals, and until I began raising you, my personal life was irreversibly damaged, regardless of my skill as a shinobi. I have no doubt that you can be just as strong, if not stronger than me in the future. However, I don't want that to come at the cost of your friends, and I doubt you want that either."
Naruto nodded slightly, indicating his agreement with the Toad Sage. "I think I understand. It's just hard to not think about it. Thanks, Pervy-Sage."
"No problem, kiddo. You should probably head to bed. After all, poor, lonely Hinata has been waiting for you." Jiraiya smirked as Naruto's face began to heat up. The blond quickly scrambled into the tent, avoiding his godfather's gaze at all costs. Jiraiya's smirk melted into a soft smile as he heard the blond tuck himself into his sleeping bag. I pray that you turn out better than me, Naruto. Maybe one day, you'll have a loving family to call your own. Heh, that's a sight I'd like to see.
"So you're Sasuke Uchiha," Jiraiya observed, prompting the Uchiha to nod. "Kakashi told me last night that you have the same elemental affinities as Hinata, so I have a technique for the two of you to learn. Since I don't have a lot of time, activate your Sharingan."
The Uchiha did as told, prompting Jiraiya to fly through a few hand seals. "Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
The Toad Sage shot the projectile straight into the air so he didn't damage the surrounding flora. "That was the full sequence of hand seals. When you can, I would like you to teach Hinata the technique, and both of you will work on reducing the amount of hand seals you need to perform it." Once he got nods from the two, he continued, "Naruto, for what I'm about to teach you, we need a bigger area. Follow me."
"So, whatcha gonna show me, Pervy Sage?" Naruto asked cheerfully.
"Well, remember the jutsu I used last night?" Jiraiya replied.
"You mean the Toad summoning?" Naruto exclaimed in anticipation. "You're letting me sign it?"
"Of course! Who do you think I am?" Jiraiya responded as he flew through five hand seals. "Summoning Jutsu!"
The same toad that appeared last night poofed into existence and extended his tongue out, revealing the summoning contract. "Go ahead, open it," Jiraiya directed from atop Gama's head.
Naruto excitedly unrolled the scroll and took a quick glance at the names of the previous summoners, spotting Jiraiya's name and… "Minato Namikaze… wait! That's the Fourth Hokage! I forgot he also signed it!"
"Of course he signed it!" Jiraiya laughed. "He was my student, after all."
Naruto's excitement waned slightly, as he was reminded of the circumstances surrounding his birth. "Hey Pervy Sage, do you know why the Fourth chose me as the jinchuuriki? I know he used Hinata because it was the only way to save her life, but why me?" Naruto had asked the Old Man about it, but he honestly didn't know. He only mentioned seeing Minato sending Jiraiya a key to the seal. The blond hoped that Jiraiya, being the Fourth's teacher, had more insight into the man's reasoning.
"It's because you're his son," Jiraiya replied, causing Naruto's eyes to widen in shock. "I don't know what he knew that night, but Minato never did anything without a reason. Sarutobi-sensei and I found out that the Nine-Tails attack was not a natural disaster, but an intentional attack orchestrated by someone with the ability to infiltrate the village undetected. If I were to guess, Minato believed that that person would return in the future. That's why he sealed half of the Nine-Tails into you."
I'm his son? Naruto thought as tears began forming at the corners of his eyes. "Is that the only reason he chose me? Did he want me to be ostracized by the village?"
"Of course not," the Toad Sage answered. "I don't know everything that happened that night, but if I were to guess, he had no other choice. But one thing I know is that he believed in you completely. So much so that he gave me the key to release your seal, hoping one day I would be able to help you master the Nine-Tails' power. " Jiraiya paused for a moment, deciding to pivot the focal point of the conversation. "He and Kushina loved you dearly, even months before you were born."
"Kushina…" Naruto repeated. "Is that my mom's name?"
The Toad Sage nodded softly. "Kushina Uzumaki. She hailed from the Land of Whirlpools, where the Uzumaki clan once resided."
There's a whole Uzumaki clan?" Naruto asked in surprise. "Why didn't we ever learn about them?"
"To be honest, I'm not sure," Jiraiya replied. "I wasn't around when you entered the academy. But your clan is known for having powerful chakra and incredible sealing ability, as well as distinctive red hair. Their innate strength was the reason why three of the five Great Nations had to ally together to wipe them out around the time of the Second Great Ninja War. Your mother's chakra was exceptionally powerful, even amongst her own clan. It was her chakra in conjunction with the Nine-Tails' chakra that saved Hinata's life."
"Mom saved Hinata?" Naruto repeated. Jiraiya just nodded, giving the blond some time to process all of the new information. "My dad is the Fourth Hokage," Naruto whispered. He stared at his father's name on the summoning contract and declared, "My parents loved me, they believed in me. I won't let them down!" He bit his thumb and wrote his name down on the summoning contract before stamping all five of his blood-tipped fingers onto it.
"Do you need me to show you the hand seals again?" Jiraiya inquired. Naruto just shook his head, quickly going through the hand seals and slamming his palm onto the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"
The two waited in anticipation for the smoke to clear. Once it did, a small orange toad with purple markings greeted them. "Yo!"
"Awesome!" Naruto exclaimed. "What's your name!"
"The name's Gamakichi," the small toad replied. "Who are you?"
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the newest toad summoner!"
"Nice to meet ya, Naruto!" Gamakichi greeted. "Got a snack?"
"A… snack?" Naruto asked with a confused expression on his face.
"The toads all have their own personalities, just like us. Some of them ask for certain things in return for being summoned," Jiraiya explained. "Pray you don't summon Bunta."
The Toad Sage's comment confused Naruto further. "Who's Bunta?"
"That's my pops!" Gamakichi responded. "He's the Chief Toad. Anyways, if ya don't have a snack, I'll head back. Cya!"
The small toad poofed back to Mt. Myoboku, prompting Jiraiya to instruct Naruto further. "Keep trying to summon toads of different sizes. I doubt you can summon Bunta until you get a bit stronger, but learning how to summon different types of toads will help you gain better control over which you want to summon."
"Right," Naruto acknowledged as he weaved the hand seals again. "Summoning Jutsu!"
Team 7 and Jiraiya stood at the edge of the clearing as the sun dipped below the horizon, the former sending off the latter so he could continue his mission.
"When will we see you again, Pervy-Sage?" Naruto asked with unshed tears in his eyes.
"Hopefully soon," Jiraiya answered softly. "I can't say how long this will take, but now that they know I'm on to them, it's going to be much more difficult to obtain information." The Toad Sage took a good look at his two charges and smiled. "I'm proud of the two of you. You've both improved leaps and bounds since I last saw you. Keep getting stronger, and I'm sure you'll both reach your goals."
Naruto and Hinata smiled happily at the man's praise, their spirits temporarily soaring from his belief in them.
"Alright, I'm off now. Take care of them, Kakashi," Jiraiya requested as he leaped away from the group.
"Of course, Master Jiraiya," the Copy Ninja affirmed.
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei, you knew my parents, right?" Naruto asked curiously.
"So, Jiraiya finally told you," Kakashi assumed, receiving a quick nod from the blond.
"Pervy-Sage didn't tell me that much about my dad, since he was focused on telling me about the Uzumaki clan and my mom, so I was hoping that you had more stories."
"There's a lot to tell, but I'd be happy to tell you everything once we're back in the village," Kakashi responded. "I'd suggest telling your teammates about your heritage before the day is over."
Naruto nodded and ran over to his friends excitedly. The two turned their attention to him once they noticed him, prompting him to begin his announcement. "I don't really know how to begin, so I'll just say it. Pervy-Sage told me my dad is the Fourth Hokage!"
"Good for you," Sasuke congratulated calmly.
Hinata wrapped her best friend in a soft hug. "I'm happy for you," she whispered.
Though he wasn't complaining about the hug, Naruto noticed the lack of surprise in their reactions and felt slightly betrayed. "You guys knew?"
"Kakashi hinted at it before, but you were too busy drooling over his Rasengan," Sasuke answered.
"He asked us not to say anything," Hinata added apologetically, having spotted the slight look of betrayal on her friend's face.
"It's fine," Naruto replied comfortingly, realizing it was his own lack of awareness that led to him not knowing earlier. "No harm done. Plus, I also learned a bit about my mom!"
"Who was she?" Hinata asked curiously.
"Her name was Kushina Uzumaki, from the Uzumaki clan," Naruto answered proudly.
"I recognize that name," Hinata mumbled. "Oh! My mother talked about her a lot when I was young. I think they were good friends."
"Really? My mother was also friends with her. Every time you guys came over, she would tell my father that Naruto reminded her of Kushina," Sasuke added.
"Small world, isn't it?" Kakashi mentioned as he approached the three. "We still have a package to deliver tomorrow, so I suggest heading to sleep. I'll take first watch. Naruto, you're up after me, then-"
"No need, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto interrupted as he pulled a small sealing array out of his pocket. "Pervy-Sage gave me a barrier seal earlier today and taught me how to use it and create more. If anyone crosses it, it will alert me immediately."
"Neat," Kakashi remarked as he watched the blond set up the barrier.
"There," Naruto whispered as he finished configuring the seal. "Now we can sleep in peace!"
Naruto was stirred awake by movement coming from his left. He opened his eyes and watched Hinata exit the tent silently. He decided to follow her and quickly got out of bed, making as little noise as possible. As he made his way out of the tent, he noticed a sliver of the sun rising above the horizon. He caught up to the Hyuuga girl as she sat down on the edge of the riverbed and stared at the early morning sky. The blond plopped down next to her and asked, "What's up, Hinata?"
"Our conversation earlier today has been reminding me of my mother," Hinata answered, not at all surprised by Naruto's presence. "Specifically, when she talked about your mother."
"Hinata, if one day I am gone, know that you'll never be alone. You carry in you a piece of my best friend, and I have no doubt she will protect you."
Naruto pondered those words for a moment before realizing, "I know what she meant!" At Hinata's curious expression, Naruto explained, "Pervy-Sage taught me a lot about the Uzumaki clan and their history with the Leaf while we were training earlier. Apparently, only an Uzumaki with special chakra can hold the Nine-Tails, so my mom was brought to the Leaf village to be its jinchuuriki."
"She was a jinchuuriki?" Hinata asked in surprise.
"I was just as shocked when I found out," Naruto replied. "It was a high level secret that only a few in the Leaf new about. Kind of like your secret. I can tell you more about that later, but on the day of the attack, half of it was sealed into me, and half into you. I'm half Uzumaki, so only half of the Nine-Tails could be sealed within me without killing me."
Hinata took a moment to think about what Naruto told her and surmised, "My mother meant that some of your mom's chakra was sealed into me, right?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, but that's all Pervy-Sage told me about that. If I were to guess, I'd say my mom's chakra helped your body suppress the Nine-Tails' chakra, but I would have to know more about how it was sealed to be sure."
"I just wish I could thank her," Hinata lamented. "I couldn't have asked for a better person to grow up alongside, and if she didn't offer her chakra to me, I would have never met you."
Naruto's heart warmed after hearing the Hyuuga girl's words. "Thanks, Hinata, though I could say the same for you. I don't think I would have turned out the way I did without your help. I would have failed a lot of those written tests at the academy."
Hinata giggled slightly, knowing that to be true, even though she wanted to refute his claim. "And I would still be a shy, stuttering mess without you. We can go in circles on who helped who more, so let's just call it even."
"Sounds good to me!" Naruto replied cheerily. The two settled into a comfortable silence, watching a plethora of colors explode over the horizon as the sun emerged over the hills. "This reminds me of that morning, just before team selections," Naruto noted.
"Yeah," Hinata agreed. "That was an amazing day."
After a few moments of recalling the events of that day, Hinata began blushing a bright red, remembering a specific event that happened in the academy. Naruto noticed her change in expression and asked, "What's got you like that?"
"Nothing!" the Hyuuga girl replied quickly. The blond deadpanned at her, causing her to blush harder, but he decided to let it go for now.
"C'mon, we should probably head back before the other two wake up," Naruto suggested as he took Hinata's hand and pulled her up onto her feet. The two quickly made their way back to the campsite, where Kakashi was already up and cooking a simple breakfast while reading his book.
"Had a nice date?" he asked offhandedly, causing the two to blush and turn away from each other.
"Morning," Sasuke yawned as he made his way out of the tent. He spotted Naruto and Hinata with red faces and asked, "What's going on?"
"Nothing!" the two replied in unison.
"Right..."
Kisame sat on a large boulder next to a river, patiently waiting for his partner to shop up. A flock of crows descended from the sky and merged into a figure, bearing the same black cloak with red clouds he was. "Find anything interesting?"
The shark man laughed. "I found the Nine-Tails jinchuuriki, as well as your younger brother. I never expected that to happen on a recon assignment, but Samehada sensed tasty chakra, so I couldn't ignore it."
"Was Kakashi with them?" Itachi inquired.
"Yeah, and Jiraiya of the Sannin showed up as well, though I'm not sure how he found them. He might be onto us, since they seemed just as surprised as I was when he showed up," Kisame answered. "He already knows we want the jinchuuriki too."
"I see," the raven-haired teen replied. "We should report this to Pain."
The two sat down in meditative positions as their consciousness was transferred to a cave. Seven other figures were positioned in a semicircle, each one standing on a finger of a large statue.
"Report," a dark silhouette commanded in a deep voice.
"I found the Nine-Tails jinchuuriki, but he was under the protection of Kakashi Hatake, as well as Jiraiya of the Sannin," Kisame reported. "Jiraiya might be on to us. He already knows we want the jinchuuriki."
Silence filled the room for a few moments until the figure replied, "For now, continue gaining funds for the Akatsuki. Leave the Nine-Tails jinchuuriki alone, and go after him in a year to test his strength once again. As long as he is under Jiraiya's supervision, he will be the most difficult jinchuuriki to obtain."
"Of course," the shark man acknowledged.
"As for Jiraiya," the shrouded figure began. "When the time comes, I'll take care of him... myself."
"So this Akatsuki organization is going after the jinchuuriki." Hiruzen pondered the potential threat of the recently discovered organization. "It seems Jiraiya was right. The mission parameters have indeed changed, and for good reason. Team 7, you're dismissed. Thank you for getting this information to me, Kakashi."
The Copy Ninja nodded as he led his team out of the Hokage's office and towards the training grounds. "Sasuke, I'm going to prioritize helping you channel the Chidori through the Kiba blades. I've already called a favor with another friend of mine to help with your kenjutsu skills once we're done. Naruto, you have your Summoning Jutsu to work on, and Hinata, you have a taijutsu style to perfect. Even I have to up my own training, seeing as this Akatsuki organization is no joke. I know we just came back from a mission, but I bet none of you will complain about more training."
The three nodded in agreement, prompting Kakashi to eye-smile at them. "Great! Now, let's get to it!"
AN: Sorry about the late update. I've been really struggling with finding a way to make this chapter flow, but I wanted to get it out, since I'll be revising it in the near future anyway. My upload schedule from here on out won't be as consistent with summer classes starting.
The Akatsuki makes their first appearance, though not intentionally. Jiraiya makes a brief appearance too! Things are really going to start ramping up from here. Next chapter will cover the canonical start of Naruto. Meeting Konohamaru, the graduation of his original class, etc. And yes, the Land of Waves. Unfortunately, it is a necessary plot point for a future arc I have planned towards the end of Part I. Not gonna spoil too much though, hehe.
Keepingitreals9: Assuming all skills have been mastered to a competent degree, Sasuke is currently the strongest. Naruto and Hinata have better taijutsu and about equal ninjutsu, but Sasuke copied Kakashi's Chidori and is in possession of the Kiba blades. While before the Katabami mission Naruto and Hinata had much more stamina than Sasuke, the Kiba blades significantly reduce the amount of chakra needed for lightning jutsu used in conjunction with the blade. That means he will be able to keep up with his teammates much more easily, assuming he uses lightning and not fire jutsu. Naruto does have the Summoning Jutsu to be fair, so on a macro scale, Naruto could be argued as the strongest. Don't worry, Hinata will unlock more of her power soon. By the end of the Chunin exams, summoning aside, they should all be relatively equal in strength.
Edited 07/30/2024. There were a significant amount of grammatical fixes in this chapter. I fixed a lot of awkward wording as well.