This one took a while. Part of that was writer's block, part of it was real life demanding its fair share of my time and attention, and part of it was poor planning on my part. I had to completely restructure this entire arc. The way I wrote it initially was just plain bad. The pacing was off, the payoff was in the wrong spot, and the conclusion was unsatisfying. I ended up rearranging whole chapters and mixing them into something that I don't immediately want to hunt down and bury under the sands of Los Alamos. I'm still not in love with how it has turned out so far, but it's at least passable. If I spend any more time editing it I risk losing interest altogether, so this is what I have.

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Chapter 15

Yoda chose to tell Jiraiya the news first, as he knew exactly where his future Padawan was. Unlike Naruto, Jiraiya wasn't finished for the day after his own testing. Instead, he had a class to teach. Despite his controversial status within the Temple, Jiraiya was indisputably the most experienced and skilled chakra user left in the galaxy. As such, the Council had given him the task of teaching a small group of Knights and Masters how to use chakra. Their plan was to build a cadre of qualified chakra users to begin spreading the new (at least to the Jedi) techniques throughout the Order. He had just finished for the day and was still in the training room when Yoda found him.

"Master Yoda, it's good to see you again," Jiraiya said. "How did Naruto's test go?"

"About that I wish to speak with you," Yoda said. "But first, your class, how goes it?"

"Well, if you discount Quinlan's whining, Obi Wan's dry wit, and the merciless teasing from Master Ti, everything's going fine," Jiraiya said in a mock whisper, one loud enough to carry to the others. "Frankly, they all learn scarily fast. We just started on the henge today, and they'll all have it down solid in maybe ten days at this rate."

"Good," Yoda said, his ears twitching in amusement at Jiraiya's words. The man may have been respectful when it counted, but he generally treated formality as something that happened to other people. "A great boon to the Order, these new techniques will be. Now, speak privately we must."

A wordless glance from Yoda had the other Jedi quickly and quietly leaving the room. As soon as they were alone, Jiraiya fixed Yoda with a questioning gaze.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No. Naruto's test, went well it did," Yoda said. "Decided the Council has. Ready to become Padawans you two are. Walk with me, to find Naruto. Tell him as well we should."

"Considering that he's supposed to be in the crèche right now, that's probably the one place we can rule out looking for him," Jiraiya joked. Yoda's ears twitched as he chuckled in amusement.

"Indeed. Not in the crèche he is," he said. "But sense him I can. Come, much to tell you both there is."

With that, Yoda turned and walked off down the hall. Jiraiya followed him, curious as to what all Yoda needed to tell them. He was tempted to ask, but the Grandmaster was never one to reveal something before he felt it appropriate. If he wanted to wait until they were with Naruto, then Jiraiya supposed he could be patient until then.

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Naruto had been tutoring Barriss in droid mechanics for the last two hours. Of course, for him, tutoring meant something rather different than it did for most people. In this case, rather than go over textbook concepts or practice test questions, Naruto had Barriss disassemble and then reassemble as eclectic a collection of droids and droid components as he could find. His reasoning behind this was simple. This was how Anakin had taught him engineering, and if it had worked for him, then it should work for Barriss. While this was not exactly the most refined teaching model, for the most part, things were going well.

"Ouch!"

For the most part.

Barriss was waving her fingers in the air, trying to alleviate the pain of shocking them on a live capacitor. Naruto seemed torn between sympathy and amusement, though he was tending more towards sympathy at the moment. He has made that exact mistake several times before, and it fucking hurt. He gently pulled the partially dismantled techno-service droid away from his friend's flailing appendages. The last thing Barriss needed was a bruised elbow to go along with the electrical shock.

"Sorry about that," Naruto said, laughing nervously. "I should've warned you that could happen. You okay?"

"I'll be fine," Barriss said, grimacing slightly. "It was my fault, anyway. I'm just so- so useless at this. Why can't I get it?"

Her voice rose to a near yell with the last question. Naruto, who hated seeing any of his friends in distress, quickly circled around the worktable and grabbed Barriss by the shoulders. When he turned her to face him, he could see the sheen of unshed tears welling up in her eyes.

"Hey. You are not useless," he said firmly, trying to project happiness and calm. "Look at how many droids you took apart and put back together in the last few hours."

He gestured to the work benches around them. They were littered with over half a dozen various small droids, from mouse droids to probe droids. All of them were ones that Naruto had helped Barriss take apart, fiddle with, and then put back together.

"Could someone who's useless with electronics do all that?" he asked. Barriss glanced around, following his gesture. She sniffled a bit before looking back at him.

"I- I guess not," she said, before looking down. "But you did most of the work on those."

"No, I didn't. I just gave you a few tips and taught you some tricks you didn't know. This was mostly you," Naruto said, gently tilting Barriss' chin up to look him in the eyes. "I believe in you Barriss. You're awesome, and smart, and one of my best friends. I know you can do this. So stop letting these droids kick your ass and start believing in yourself. Got it?"

"… Okay," Barriss said, wiping her eyes and smiling. "Let's get back to it."

"Alright!" Naruto cried, eye-smiling with joy at her improved state. He walked back around the worktable and retrieved the techno-service droid that had shocked. He pushed it over to her, his eyes encouraging.

"Try taking its motivator apart again," he said. "And this time, watch out for the capacitors."

"Yes, thank you for the advice," Barriss huffed, rolling her eyes in an uncharacteristic show of sarcasm. After a moment, though, she paused and looked back up at him.

"Naruto," she said.

"Hmm."

"Thank you for doing this for me. For believing in me. You and Ahsoka, you're both such good friends to me. It's… it means a lot to me."

"You're welcome Barriss," Naruto said. "I said that I'd help you with this, and Naruto Uzumaki always keeps his promises."

"A good thing that is. A Jedi's word, unbreakable it should be."

Both Naruto and Barriss jumped upon hearing Yoda's voice from off to one side. Turning, they saw him standing in the doorway, Jiraiya standing behind him.

"Master Yoda! I- um, good evening," Barriss stammered out, trying to gather herself. Shaking herself out of her shock, she bowed to the Grandmaster.

"You look surprised, Naruto," Jiraiya said, a mock frown on his face. "You didn't forget my lessons on situational awareness and drop your guard, did you?"

"… Shut up, sensei," Naruto said, before turning his focus to Yoda. "Master Yoda, what are you doing here?"

"Naruto, be polite!" Barriss said, mildly scandalized.

"Calm yourselves, younglings," Yoda said, waving aside Naruto's lack of formality. It was a trait he shared with Jiraiya, and one Yoda did not feel was worth the effort of correcting. "With Naruto I must speak. News I have for him."

"Yes, Master," Barriss said as she began to gather her things. "I'll see you back at the crèche, Naruto."

"Hang on Barriss," Naruto said. He then focused the Force into his body and made his signature hand seal. With a poof of white smoke, a single Kage Bunshin appeared. "You can keep working with my clone. Is that okay, Master Yoda?"

"Fine that will be," Yoda said. "Good of you it is, to help a fellow clan mate. Now come."

With a reassuring glance to Barriss, Naruto turned and followed Yoda and Jiraiya out of the engineering lab. They walked down the hall a ways, before Yoda led them into an empty classroom. With a grunt of effort, the diminutive master pulled himself onto one of the chairs, gesturing for Naruto and Jiraiya to sit as well. Once they were all situated, Yoda began.

"As I told Jiraiya, decided the Council has that ready to become Padawans you both are," Yoda said to Naruto, answering his unspoken question. "In three days, leave for Ilum you will."

Naruto's eyes immediately lit up when he heard that. He recognized Ilum and knew its significance to the Jedi. There was only one reason for him and Jiraiya to be going there.

"You mean we get to make our own lightsabers?" he asked, practically shining with excitement. "Real ones?"

Jiraiya didn't say anything, but Yoda could sense the excitement within him as well. For all his wisdom and experience, Jiraiya was by no means immune to the allure of building a lightsaber. Yoda suppressed a smile at that. He could well remember his own giddiness at building his first lightsaber, so he did not begrudge them their enthusiasm. That said, he was still supposed to set an example, and Naruto's excitement was burgeoning on getting out of hand.

"Calm yourself, Naruto," he reproached. "An achievement this is, but a solemn occasion it is as well. A grave responsibility a lightsaber is, and centered you must be if to build one you are."

To Naruto's credit, he quickly reigned in his emotions to where they were merely exuberant rather than uncontrollable. Yoda nodded approvingly, while Jiraiya looked at his godson with pride. It was hardly the Jedi ideal, but it was a far cry from his near total lack of mental discipline back in Konoha.

"Starting tomorrow, meditate you will, on your lightsabers," Yoda continued. "When in the caves of Ilum, find your crystals you will. But no easy task will this be."

Jiraiya nodded, having expected as much. In his experience, powerful objects such as kyber crystals were rarely obtainable without difficulty. Naruto looked confused, and Yoda explained further.

"The Crystal Cave, a powerful Force nexus it is. Very powerful. Tested by the Force you will be. The search for your crystal, rarely straightforward it is."

"What sort of tests are you talking about, master?" Jiraiya asked.

"Visions many experience while in the Cave," Yoda answered. "Others, fears they must face, or flaws they must overcome. Impossible to say for sure it is. Only you can know what you may face."

"We have to meditate for three days?" Naruto asked. "How are we supposed to do that?"

"Impatience do I hear, youngling?" Yoda asked mildly. Naruto looked down, mollified somewhat. "Experienced Jedi, meditate for weeks they can. Guide you through this, Master Drallig will. Much experience he has, building lightsabers. Much you will learn from him, if open your mind is."

"Yes master," Naruto said, bowing his head. The prospect of learning from Master Cin Drallig, the formidable Jedi Battlemaster, more than made up for the horror of having to spend three days meditating. The man was renowned as one of the five best duelists in the Order, and it was his job to oversee the combat training of the entire Temple. Getting a chance to learn from him directly, even if it was just on lightsaber construction, was an opportunity Naruto would sooner cut off his own feet than pass up.

Besides, even though it involved sitting still, something Naruto doubted he would ever be comfortable with, meditating wasn't so bad anymore. The Force was a truly wonderful thing, and even Naruto, perhaps the most easily bored being in the universe, could often spend hours just feeling it flow through him, looking at its currents. Indeed, Master Leem had sometimes privately considered that the Force's ability to get Naruto to sit still and stay quiet may just have been its most amazing quality of all.

"Congratulations are in order," Yoda said. "Much progress you have made since arriving at the Temple. Remember, though, always humble a Jedi should be. Impressive this achievement is, but always more to strive for there is."

Naruto and Jiraiya both bowed their heads respectfully. Through a sort of unspoken understanding, both of them put Yoda into the same category as the Sandaime; a wise, kind leader, one worthy of respect. Much like Mace Windu, Yoda's very presence tended to get even Naruto to remember his manners most of the time, though for very different reasons. While Mace projected an aura of no nonsense toughness, Yoda radiated an air of inestimable wisdom and kindness.

"Now, time we have before I dismiss you," Yoda said. "Teach you I can, the basics of lightsaber construction. Further detail, Master Drallig will go into, but a head start we can get now."

With that, Yoda hopped off of his chair and walked to the holoprojector at the front of the classroom. A few swift entries into the computer terminal beside it later, and a diagram of a lightsaber appeared on the screen. As they watched, it rotated and disassembled itself into its individual components.

For the next hour Yoda ran through the various components that made up a lightsaber, from the simple diatium power cell to the complex intricacies of the focusing array. Though many of the parts were familiar to them, more to Naruto than Jiraiya, this was the first time either of them had seen what actually went into a real lightsaber. Initiates were not taught how to build lightsabers until they were ready to build their own. Pretty much all the components could easily be acquired in the Temple, and artificial crystals could be manufactured without too much trouble. The Council did not want overeager younglings trying to assemble potentially deadly weapons before they were ready for them. Success could result in severed limbs, or worse. Failure could cause a significant explosion, one only the crystal would survive.

There were over a hundred separate pieces, and he had little time to do more than list them and their basic function. Fortunately, one benefit of Jedi learning techniques was the ability to memorize large amounts of information quickly. Jiraiya also had experience doing so as a former shinobi spymaster, and it was a skill he had begun to teach Naruto over the last few months. Between the two techniques, both of them felt confident in their ability to remember the information later.

Finally, shortly after the sun had finished setting, Yoda called an end to the impromptu lesson. He dismissed them both with instructions to get plenty of rest for the next day. Master Drallig would not look kindly upon someone falling asleep during his lessons. For some unaccountable reason, Yoda looked at Naruto while saying this, prompting the masked blonde to scratch the back of his head, blushing slightly with embarrassment. So what if he had dozed off in his Republic government class a few times after late nights planning pranks or training with Jiraiya? It wasn't like those incidents really counted, did they?

Thankfully, Master Yoda declined to comment further, and sent them both to go rest. As they rounded the corner, Jiraiya squeezed Naruto's shoulder.

"I'm proud of you," he said to his godson. "You've come a very long way in not very much time, and I couldn't have asked for a better student. Kakashi and your parents would be proud of you too, I have no doubt."

Naruto was briefly rendered speechless by this, something Jiraiya considered an accomplishment on par with surviving ten rounds with Hanzo. His eyes began to shine with tears of joy at hearing the affirmation from his godfather. While Jiraiya was not stingy with his praise when Naruto worked hard and accomplished something impressive, he also was not exactly prolific with it either. Compliments were reserved for going truly above and beyond, and this one was made all the more special by Jiraiya's assertion that Kakashi and his parents would also share his pride in Naruto's success in the Temple.

This was only compounded because the Jedi, patient and skilled teachers though they were, did not really believe in praising accomplishments beyond simply affirming that one had, indeed, accomplished something. Naruto understood the reasoning behind this, and he even agreed with it for the most part. He had embraced the Jedi teaching that achievements should be their own reward; that need be no incentive to do your best other than the knowledge that whatever you were doing should be worth doing well.

That didn't change the fact that being praised by his godfather, the authority figure he respected most in the galaxy, still felt good. Naruto had received little enough praise in his life, and while he no longer went out of his way to look for it, he wasn't above basking in it when it was well earned.

"Thank you, Jiraiya-sensei," he said eventually, his voice thick with emotion. Jiraiya gave him an understanding smile, one that turned into a mischievous smirk after a few seconds.

"So, that young lady I saw you with in the engineering lab, Barriss, I think her name was. What were you two doing?" he asked, his tone suspiciously innocent sounding.

"I was helping her with our engineering class," Naruto said suspiciously. "She's my friend, and she's having trouble with that class."

"Oh, is that all?" Jiraiya asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "It seemed to me like you two may have been a little more than just friends."

"What!? Don't be crazy Jiraiya-sensei," Naruto yelled, waving his arms wildly. "We're just friends. I don't like her like that!"

Jiraiya eyed his godson thoughtfully, before deciding he believed him. While he had no doubt that Naruto would fervently deny having feelings for any girl, his prior crush on Sakura notwithstanding, he also knew him well enough to tell when he was being truthful. The boy had no feelings for Barriss beyond that of friendship and, if Jiraiya had to guess, a burgeoning sibling bond.

"Besides, I thought you weren't a pervert anymore," Naruto continued accusingly.

"I'm not," Jiraiya replied. "That doesn't mean I'm not interested in my godson's love life. I am a romantic, after all. And you may not have feelings for Barriss, but my senses tell me you have a crush on some lucky girl. Ahsoka maybe? You two did have quite the adventure together. You're practically inseparable, too."

"You're delusional. Ahsoka's my best friend, but I don't have a crush on her," Naruto said, rolling his eyes. "I haven't had a crush on anyone since Sakura-chan, and she's… gone."

A brief flicker of pain passed through Naruto's eyes before he shook it off. Dwelling on the past wouldn't change anything, he told himself. Jiraiya spotted it, but said nothing. He also noticed that Naruto really seemed to believe that he didn't have any romantic feelings for Ahsoka. Jiraiya wasn't surprised. Naruto's crush on Sakura had been built more on a childish misunderstanding of romance and a desperate desire for friendship. He was still too young to recognize his own feelings in that way. For that matter, he mused, so was Ahsoka. As he contemplated all the future teasing opportunities that particular situation was going to provide, he missed the twinkle of mischief that blossomed in Naruto's eyes.

"Anyway, you're not one to talk," Naruto said, shaking Jiraiya out of his thoughts. "What about you and Master Unduli?"

Jiraiya blinked at that, before narrowing his eyes slightly. He hadn't expected his teasing to be turned back on him like this. It was a good attempt, but still, the brat was way off the mark.

"What are you talking about, brat? Sure, Master Unduli is a brilliant, beautiful woman," Jiraiya said, genuine confusion in his voice. "I'm glad to be friends with her, but that's all we are. I may not agree with the Code, but she does, and that's her choice. Regardless, my heart has always belonged to Tsunade, even if I was a fool about it."

Now it was Jiraiya's turn to feel a flash of pain and bitter regret. Grateful, for once, for the emotional control techniques Master Yoda had taught him, he accepted his grief and released it into the Force. Jiraiya may not have liked the Order's stance on emotions in general, but he wouldn't deny that their techniques were useful for maintaining a clear head until he could properly deal with his feelings. It was just that last part the Jedi had issues with.

Naruto, sensing his godfather's distress, grasped the hand that was still on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. They spent a silent moment mourning the loss of their home, before Jiraiya gave Naruto an encouraging smile.

"Alright brat, I'm done teasing you. Go get some rest, tell your friends the good news," Jiraiya said.

"Okay, Jiraiya-sensei," Naruto replied. "See you tomorrow."

As soon as he was done talking, Naruto took off running down the hall. He was bursting with excitement, eager to tell all his friends his impending ascension to vaunted Padawanship. Without breaking stride, he summoned a Kage Bunshin. It peeled off down a side corridor before jumping up to the ceiling to crawl into a vent. It would sneak through the Temple in order to tell Anakin the news as well. Or at least he hoped so. His clones had occasionally deviated from their instructions before, wreaking all manner of unexpected havoc. Naruto could only hope this clone didn't go mad and try to jump scare a master or something equally ridiculous.

He had felt the clone he had left with Barriss dispel nearly an hour before, Master Leem having tracked them down and enforced their curfew. Fortunately, she had apparently already known Yoda was talking to him, as she had immediately identified the clone as such.

Sadly, by the time he arrived at the crèche, his fellow clan members had already gone to bed. Master Leem, however, was waiting for him in the common area.

"Good evening Naruto," she said. "I assume it's really you this time."

"Yeah, it's me, master," Naruto said, bouncing with excitement. "Did Master Yoda tell you the news? I'm going to be a Padawan! I get to build my lightsaber in a few days?"

"I heard something to that effect," Master Leem said dryly, before giving him the Gran equivalent of a gentle smile. "You have done very well as an Initiate, Naruto. I have no doubt you will make an extraordinary Jedi Knight in due time."

Naruto blinked at the unexpected praise. While Master Leem had always been kind and matronly, it had been the distant, reserved kindness that so often characterized the Jedi. She rarely displayed overt emotion or affection towards her charges, though she was known to be fiercely protective of them. To hear her express such faith in him meant nearly as much to Naruto as Jiraiya's words had.

"Thank you, master," Naruto said gratefully. Leem walked over to him and fondly tousled his hair.

"You're welcome Naruto," she said. "Now go to bed. I'm sure you have a busy day tomorrow."

Naruto was about to protest about how he was not tired, before he was cut off by an enormous yawn. Sighing, he swallowed his protests and walked off to bed. Less than a minute after laying down, he was fast asleep.

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The next day was both much harder and much easier than Naruto had been expecting. On the one hand, Master Drallig was a hard taskmaster, even when it came to meditation and lectures. Naruto, not being especially comfortable with either, found himself in the unusual position of being simultaneously bored near to catatonia and ready to burst with excess energy.

On the other hand, he was learning about lightsabers. Not how to use them, which he had already begun to learn, but rather the secrets of their construction. This subject landed neatly in the sweet spot between "cool weapons" and "interesting mechanics", and as such was something Naruto found fascinating, even with the lectures and meditation. Master Drallig, despite being nearly as stern as Master Windu, was also a pretty good teacher, and he quickly recognized Naruto's need for more hands on learning.

As such, once he was satisfied that both Naruto and Jiraiya had memorized all the different components of a lightsaber, and could identify them on sight, he switched tracks. He gave Naruto a pile of materials and had him set about assembling them into a lightsaber. Its crystal and power cell were both dummies, to prevent any dangerous accidents, but it served as a useful proxy for the real thing.

"You will assemble your actual blade using only the Force," he said, watching as Naruto carefully adjusted the energy modulation circuits on his practice model. "Normally this would be done aboard the Crucible, under the tutelage of Professor Huyang, alongside your clan mates as part of a Gathering. Your journey, however, will be different."

"How so?" asked Jiraiya, who was studying the technical diagrams on a holoprojector.

"You will search for your crystals and build your lightsabers the same way more experienced Padawans, Knights, and Masters do," Drallig replied. "You will enter the Crystal Cave with whatever supplies you will need to build your lightsaber, and you will face whatever trials the Force gives you to claim your crystal. Then you'll build your lightsabers within the Cave, using the Force to assemble them."

"That doesn't sound too different from the Gathering," Naruto remarked. "What's the big deal?"

"Aside from the fact that you will be building lightsabers alone, unsupervised, and far from any mechanical or medical assistance?" Drallig remarked dryly, earning an embarrassed flush from Naruto. "The biggest difference is time. Pulling the Crucible off its normal training route to host a Gathering for just you two would be inefficient and unnecessary. This way takes longer though, which is why Gatherings are typically held for larger groups. The Force nexus in the Caves also helps you form a bond to your blade while assembling it."

For the latter half of the day, he had Naruto and Jiraiya meditate on their future lightsabers. Not so much on the design, but rather on what a lightsaber meant to them. While the Jedi doctrine gave guidance on what a lightsaber symbolized and how it should be viewed, each Jedi had a unique relationship with their blade. For some, it was a rarely used tool, something they carried as an almost reluctant afterthought. For others, it was a weapon to defend the innocent and defeat the wicked.

Both Naruto and Jiraiya trended towards the latter view, to no one's' surprise. While Jiraiya believed in peace as only a warrior could, a view he had passed on to Naruto, neither of them were ever going to be labeled as pacifists. Naruto in particular held a deep-seated conviction that those who had power also had an obligation to use that power to help others. Jiraiya's beliefs were tempered by decades of experience and pragmatism, but at his core he felt the same way.

Thus, overall, the day's lessons had conspired to leave Naruto tired and hungry, but also excited, or rather even more excited than normal. This was the state he was in when Anakin walked up to him in the dining hall.

"So, I heard that my little brother is going to become a Padawan in a few days," Anakin said, sitting beside Naruto. "They're just letting anyone in these days, aren't they?"

"Well, they let you in, didn't they?" Naruto shot back, slipping easily into their usual banter. "Besides, what do you mean you heard? I'm the one who told you."

"Well yeah, but if I say it like I did, then I sound well informed and wise," Anakin defended, giving Naruto's shoulder a friendly bump.

"Pfft, wise? You?" Naruto asked incredulously. "Has anyone fallen for that yet? Like, anyone?"

"Don't worry about it," Anakin said, before hastily changing the subject. "Anyway, I came over here to invite you and Jiraiya to celebrate with me and my mom when you guys get back. She'd skin me if she found out I let you two become Padawans without giving her a chance to throw a feast."

Naruto, who was far more perceptive than most people gave him credit for, recognized the subtext of "I want to celebrate my honorary uncle and little brother's accomplishments, but I'm not going to say that out loud because it's embarrassing." He eye-smiled and nodded rapidly.

"That sounds great," he said eagerly, only just remembering to keep his voice down. "I'll see you then."

"You bet," Anakin said. "You know this means you aren't allowed to fail now. My mom will kick your ass if you do."

"Me, fail?" Naruto said, as if the idea was too foreign to grasp. "You're funny, Anakin. I'll see you when I get back. You can drool over my awesome lightsaber."

The two friends laughed, and Anakin hugged his younger brother. They were both guys, so the hug lasted only a brief second, but it conveyed what it needed to. Love. Encouragement. Happiness. All the pride that comes from watching someone you've mentored truly come into their own. All in all, it was a pretty expressive hug.

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The next day proceeded much as its predecessor had. Once again, Naruto and Jiraiya spent hours meditating on their lightsabers, interspersed with further lessons on how to actually build them without getting blown up. Master Drallig was very big on his students not blowing themselves up by accident. Given Naruto's somewhat checkered history when it came to his own safety, history Jiraiya was only too happy to relate at length, Drallig felt the need to repeat this lesson multiple times.

For once, Naruto wasn't minded to protest a repeated lecture. While he was fairly confident in his healing abilities, or rather the Kyuubi's ability to heal his body, he was not eager to test if they extended to fixing an acute case of being blown the fuck up. The darkly amused chuckle he heard from the seal did nothing to change his mind.

The third day's training was much the same as the previous two. The only difference was that Master Drallig had both Naruto and Jiraiya practice assembling a dummy lightsaber using the Force. It was delicate work, requiring complete focus and careful maneuvering. It was also made all the harder by the fact that the generic components they were practicing with were not truly theirs, especially the crystals. They had no bond with them, and so had less insight into how they wanted to go together. However, as Drallig told them, "If you can build these things with the Force, then you'll have no problem building your real lightsabers when the time comes."

After a long day of practice, both Naruto and Jiraiya were able to assemble a lightsaber with the Force with an acceptable degree of competence. Satisfied that his latest pupils wouldn't blow themselves to pieces, Drallig signed off on their trip to Ilum.

Early the next morning, Naruto and Jiraiya stood in one of the Temple hangers, waiting for their ship to be fueled and prepped. Jiraiya was giving his godson the stink eye, while Naruto looked supremely proud of himself.

"How? Just how, brat?" Jiraiya asked.

"How what, Jiraiya-sensei?" Naruto asked back, his voice a symphony of innocence. Jiraiya's left eye twitched, and he seemed to be restraining himself from throttling his student.

"You know damn well what, you cheeky little…" Jiraiya growled. "My entire room was painted orange when I came back to it after Master Drallig dismissed us. Every. Single. Square. Centimeter. Furniture included. How? And more to the point, why?"

"Oh, that," Naruto said casually. "Well, since I'm about to become a Padawan, I'm probably not going to be able to pull very many pranks in the future. So I decided I might as well get one last big one in before then."

"And you decided to target me?" Jiraiya asked. Naruto just gave a dismissive snort.

"Please, whoever said I just did your room?" he asked, seemingly offended that anyone would think he would aim so small. "You were just an afterthought, really. I had some extra time after I handled the rest. I really love my clones sometimes."

Jiraiya let out a long-suffering sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Do I even want to know what your main target was?" he asked.

Before Naruto could answer, a familiar female voice spoke up from behind them.

"I think I might have some idea of that," the voice said. Naruto and Jiraiya turned around to see Luminara standing behind them, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Earlier today, something happened during a Council session," she continued. "When the Council went to convene, they found that the entire inside of the tower had been painted bright orange. Various messages, such as 'Don't be so gloomy' and 'Cheer up, sourpusses' were painted around the tower as well. You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you, Naruto?"

"They take everything way too seriously," Naruto said, shrugging. "It's bad for their health. I figured I should brighten the place up a bit, try to lower their stress levels. I care like that."

Luminara cocked an eyebrow. Naruto almost thought he saw one corner of her mouth twitch upwards for a brief instant, but he dismissed it as a trick of the light.

"Is that so?" Luminara asked flatly. "And why paint Jiraiya's room? Was that also out of concern for his health?"

"No, that was just because he deserved it," Naruto said without hesitation, before switching to a stage whisper. "He's really annoying sometimes."

This time, there was no mistaking it. Luminara definitely almost smiled when he said that. Indeed, when Jiraiya made a choked sound and face vaulted, she seemed to have to repress a laugh.

"Yes, I had noticed that at times," she said casually, earning a betrayed look from Jiraiya. "Still, you shouldn't do such things. It's unfair to the cleaning droids having to clean up his room like that."

"What is this, pick on Jiraiya day?" Jiraiya asked, moping dramatically.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Luminara replied. "Now, I believe our ship is ready."

"Wait, what do you mean our ship?" Jiraiya asked.

"I am going to be supervising your trip to Ilum," Luminara replied. "Normally Master Yoda does this, but the Senate has requested his advice on their most recent trade negotiations, so he cannot leave Coruscant right now. He asked me to go in his place."

"I see," Jiraiya said. "Well, I look forward to your guidance, then. Now let's go, before Naruto explodes from impatience."

Indeed, Naruto was almost blurring near the edges he was twitching so fast from his eagerness to be underway. Luminara shook her head at his lack of patience, but led them aboard the ship, nonetheless. She took the pilot's seat and went through the takeoff sequence with practiced ease. Five minutes later, they were clearing the upper atmosphere. She prepped the navicomputer and laid in their course. As soon as the jump was plotted, she activated the hyperdrive. The white pinpricks of the stars smeared across the inky black of space, before dissolving into the swirling blue tunnel of hyperspace travel.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

That does it for chapter 15. It's not my best work, but for the life of me I can't seem to get it any better, so I'm trying to live with it. Ultimately, this arc is all about establishing where everyone is right now, character-wise, and I hope this helps illuminate that.

Any of you with a basic understanding of child psychology probably noticed that Naruto's approach to helping Barriss in this chapter and the previous one was not the best, and if anything it only reinforced her perfectionism and anxiety. That was deliberate. Naruto is not a therapist, he's an overeager friend who means well. Praise and encouragement are all well and good, but they hardly address the root of the problem and they weren't meant to. As I said last time, Barriss will be a recurring character, and her story will not be wrapped up all in one go.

As always, please leave a review if you have anything to say about the story. Or anything to ask me about the story. Or an amusing anecdote you just can't keep to yourself. I'm not picky. I welcome all comers to the review section. Happy Halloween, and see you next time.