Chapter 22
The red-haired Sharingan user was sitting in a meditative position. He had a calm look on his face. He had been in this state for the past hour. He opened his eyes slowly and looked at the boy lying in front of him.
"You're finally awake." Naruto said. He didn't sound relieved. The boy looked at him with half-opened eyes. Yen was badly injured after he got a beating from Naruto in their fight. He waited for the boy to say something.
"W-where a-are we?"
"We're in Tazuna's house." Naruto creates a seal-less clone who left the room to get Kurotsuchi. Not a minute passed, and the door opened rather forcefully, and his two teammates entered. Naruto stood up from the floor to leave and give them some privacy.
"Naruto-san!" He halted and glanced back at the Jounin.
"Thank you for healing them." She bowed her head in gratitude.
"Yes, thank you for healing me and my teammate Naruto-san." Roto bowed as well. Without uttering a single word, he left and closed the door behind him. He went downstairs to see Tazuna's daughter preparing lunch. Tazuna was sitting outside under the tree, drinking sake. Inari was nowhere to be seen.
"Do you want my help with something, Tsunami-san?" Tsunami shrieked.
"You were so busy with your work that you didn't notice me. Guess I startled you." Naruto said it with a blank look on his face. Tsunami took a deep breath to lower her heartbeat.
"Yes, you did." She glared. "And no, I don't need your help." Naruto didn't bother to insist and left the house.
He was walking around the village with a thoughtful look on his face. When he'd arrived here, people were starving and children were crying from hunger, and now he could hear children laughing. People were opening their shops. There were smiles on their faces. They were trying to return to their normal lives now that Gato and his gang had been dealt with.
"Are you noticing something?"
"Noticing what exactly?" Naruto questioned the Kyuubi. It was the first time he spoke after his fight with Gato. Naruto didn't bother to talk to the fox. There was no need for him to socialize with Kyuubi. If the fox wanted to speak to him about something, he would answer it. He knew Kyuubi didn't like mindless chatter.
"The people's expression towards you." Naruto sighed.
"Yes, I know. It's not in my hands to change their thinking."
"You humans are all the same. You fear those things that you cannot understand." It was really sad. But it can't be helped. The villagers cheered and hailed him as a hero after his fight with Gato, in which he massacred him and his gang. But deep in their eyes, Naruto saw the fear that was threatening to release. They looked at him with smiles, but their eyes were filled with fear of him. They feared he might massacre them as well if they disobeyed or misbehaved. They feared the power that he'd shown. It was not anything fancy. But they were civilians. They don't understand the arts of Shinobi.
"I think I should leave as soon as I can."
"So, you're running away? Just like you ran away from Konoha to Kiri?" Naruto shook his head in denial. Kyuubi was not wrong, but he was not trying to run away. He doesn't want to do anything foolish.
"The situation was different back then, Kurama. I was weak, and even though I want to deny it, some part of me wanted to run away from the mistreatment of the villagers." He couldn't lie to Kurama. The fox was sealed inside of him the day he was born. He knew everything about him.
"What you said is true. People fear the unknown; it's in human nature. That's why I don't plan to stay human for too long." Kyuubi's eyes widened. No words were spoken between them for a while. The nine-tail fox was thinking over and over again about what Naruto said.
"What do you mean by that? Even the sage of six paths was mortal. There's no such thing as immortality." Kyuubi's voice was low. It was filled with curiosity and trepidation.
"You will know soon enough. I'll find a way. You say sage of six paths was mortal, then how come he interfered with my life after a millennia?" The red head was becoming an enigma day by day. When he was a child, he wanted to become strong and learn cool techniques. A few years later, he wanted to know why his family betrayed him and left him alone. And now this?
"I don't like where this conversation is going, Naruto. I only became your partner on one condition, and that was to take revenge."
"You will have your revenge. I'm not strong enough, Kurama. There are enemies far stronger than me and far more capable than me." Naruto spoke calmly.
"You will gain strength; you will be stronger than anyone else when you're done with your training. The potential of those eyes is limitless. I want to see if you will be able to surpass the sage of the six paths." Kurama assured his container. He doesn't need to worry about how to become strong. He just needs time and training.
"I want to become stronger than him. If that Uchiha tablet was telling the truth, then I need to become far stronger than him."
"Nobody can deny the potential that you have, but the more power you have, the more arrogant you will become, and then it won't be too long before you will be consumed by your own power." Kurama said. He knew Naruto more than anyone else. He had seen him grow in front of his eyes after all.
Naruto took a deep breath and looked around. He found himself on the bridge. He looked down to see the clear water running. The sun was shining on its surface. He could see ships coming to wave. The fishermen were fishing on both sides of the river. Some even waved at him when they recognized him.
"People fear the unknown. I'm waiting for the day when my own people will fear me because of my power." Naruto said to Kyuubi: His voice was filled with sadness. But it was necessary. It's in human nature to fear the unknown, and he knew people would fear him after witnessing his power.
"Is that what you want?" Kyuubi questioned. He didn't want to misinterpret anything.
"No. I don't want them to fear me. Fear leads to hatred. They will try to control the power that I have. They will try to manipulate me. They will turn against me when they see that I'm not listening to them." Well, it could happen. The council of Konoha doesn't like Naruto much. They only see the power of Kyuubi. It was because of Minato that they hadn't turned him into a killing machine. But Minato will not be there forever. Naruto knew that much. His family cannot protect him forever. Although he didn't need their protection in the first place,
"Missing home, kid?" Naruto glanced at Kurotsuchi's grinning face.
"Do you want to get another beating from this kid?" Naruto said in his emotionless voice, It was enough to wipe the smile from her face. She clenched her fist and glared.
"I underestimated you. I'll beat your ass next time for sure." Naruto remained silent and resumed his staring. Kurotsuchi placed her elbows on the wooden fence and stared at the clear water with a serene smile on her face.
"The outcome will be the same no matter how many times you try."
"Getting cocky, are we?" She said it with a raised eyebrow. Naruto merely glanced at her and sighed.
"It's a fact that you're too stupid to realize." He was looking at her with a bored expression. His eyes didn't give away anything.
"Don't get used to it, Kurotsuchi-san. You're the granddaughter of Tsuchikage. Iwa and Konoha have a long history of conflict. Next time we meet, come prepared; I won't be lenient." Having said that, Naruto left a furious girl behind. She was still a child who could easily get riled up.
"You Konoha Shinobi are all the same. I thought you were different after you saved my teammates lives; I thought you weren't arrogant, and I came here to thank you for that, and that's what I got." Naruto halted in his steps.
"I didn't save their lives. There was no need for bloodshed. If you'd have been in my way, I would not have hesitated to cut you down."
"And Iwa would have let you live after killing the granddaughter of their kage?"
"Whatever." He said it without looking back, and he disappeared.
"Ah! Kakashi! You're back earlier than I expected. I hope the mission was successful." Minato leaned back in his chair. It was a very important mission. After the failed Kage summit, he feared an invasion from Iwa or Kumo. Amegakure was the only village under their suspicion. Iwa had used Ame as a battleground in past wars. He wanted to see if they were hiding there, waiting for the best time to ambush them. He waited for Kakashi to report his findings.
"The village is being heavily guarded, Hokage-sama. But there were no signs of Iwa Shinobi. The situation in the village is stable. It is not going through a civil war. People are living under good conditions."
"Did you see Hanzo?"
"No Hokage-same. I don't think Hanzo is alive. I asked some questions to civilians, and they never mentioned Hanzo once."
"So, who's leading the village?"
"They said their god protects them from outsiders, and an angel comes down from heaven to solve their problems." Minato raised an eyebrow at that.
"There's no sign of military artillery or check posts either."
"Well, that is some relief. But this 'god' and 'angle' character are giving me some concern." Minato leaned on his desk, looking worried.
"Anything about Akatsuki?" He glanced at Kakashi, who shook his head.
"No Hokage-sama. But Pakun, my summon, saw this angel. She was wearing a black cloak with red clouds, and people were calling her 'Konan-sama'."
"So, our guess was true. This organization is from Ame."
"You're still thinking about him, Nawaki." The blonde boy looked at his sensei sadly.
"I'm not thinking about him, Ero-Sennin." Jiraiya chuckled slightly and frowned.
"You are not very good at hiding your emotions, Nawaki. You're the opposite of your brother, and no, I'm not comparing you to him." Jiraiya knew Nawaki didn't like him being compared to Naruto. Nawaki scowled.
"Can you shut up and tell me when we are going to start my training? It's been a week since we left the village, and you haven't taught me a single thing."
"Now listen here, brat! I'm your sensei, and you will show me respect. I'm teaching you the Rasengan; it's not my fault you're not succeeding in it." Nawaki huffed and took out a balloon from his backpack.
"Whatever." Nawaki has yet to learn the Rasengan, but he is on the last step to mastering it. and it only took him a week.
Nawaki glared at the balloon with determination. Jiraiya was watching him closely. He was proud and amazed that it took him only a week to reach the final step of mastering the Rasengan. People need determination to achieve their goals, and Nawaki had determination.
'I won't fall behind. I'll become stronger. I'll bring you back, Sasuke.' The chakra fluctuated and burst the balloon; it was another failure.
"Damn it." Jiraiya grasped his arm, and Nawaki looked up at him.
"What's bothering you?"
"Nothing." Jiraiya squeezed his arm.
"Don't lie to me, Nawaki." Jiraiya spoke in a rare serious tone. "Stop thinking about Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura."
"I'm not thinking about them." Nawaki almost yelled and yanked his arm from Jiraiya's grasp.
"This training trip will be a failure if you behave this way. Do you think Sasuke will be thinking about you? He betrayed you and Sakura. Thinking about him will only harm you and no one else. He will get stronger and leave you behind." Jiraiya sighed and placed his hand on his shoulder.
"I'm not asking you to give up on him. But it's not the right time. Tell you what, on this training trip, we will also search for Sasuke wherever we go." Nawaki looked at Jiraiya, shocked. His eyes were filled with hope.
"Really? You truly mean it." Jiraiya gave nodded his head.
"Yes, but on this training trip you're going to learn to use Kyuubi's power."
"Do you think I could learn it? Mom said to never use the Kyuubi. What if I lost control?"
"Listen! Your father sealed half of Kyuubi in you for a reason. Your brother's sacrifice will be in vain if you don't learn to harness its chakra, and with your wood release, I don't think you will lose control easily." Nawaki nodded his head solemnly.
"I don't think I'll ever be able to pay him back for his sacrifice; he sacrificed everything just to give me a normal childhood."
"You don't have to pay him back for his sacrifice. You try to protect what is precious to you. That's what he wants you to do."
"I wasn't expecting you to come here so soon." The auburn-haired Mizukage said In front of her stood a thirteen-year-old boy with spiky red hair tied in a ponytail. He was wearing a high-collar black cloak that was hiding half of his face from view. Underneath it, he was wearing a dark red long-sleeve shirt and anbu pants.
"I don't have much time. I came here to bury his body; it was his last wish." His tone was serious. He took out a scroll and placed it on the table in front of him. Mei glanced at it and looked back at Naruto.
"Sorry for that! I should have checked myself after you defeated him here." Naruto shook his head.
"It's not your fault. You wouldn't have been able to find his body. And besides, you were busy celebrating. People tend to do stupid things when they are high on emotions." Naruto interrupted her. Mei raised her eyebrow.
"Are you mocking me?"
"What do you think?" He didn't wait for her to answer. He turned around to leave when the door to the office opened and Haku entered.
"Naruto-kun!"
"Are you a girl or a boy this time, Haku?" Haku blinked at the sudden, unexpected question.
"A girl," she said with a cheeky smile.
"Last time you were a boy," The girl wearing a white kimono with pink flowers on it shook her head and grinned.
"I was just messing around. How are you?" Naruto glanced back at Mei and started walking towards the exit.
"I'm fine. I'm on a training trip; I stopped here to drop Yagura's body."
"Oh! I thought you would stay here for some time." Naruto glanced at her strangely.
"I plan to stay here for a week to finish my water manipulation training."
"I can help you with that." Naruto glanced at her. Her behavior was strange. She was acting strange. "You are doing a good job restoring this village to its lost glory, Mizukage-sama." Naruto glanced back at Mei. The village was bustling with activity. Mei was doing a wonderful job of strengthening the economy. The people looked happy. "If you've got any other questions for me, feel free to summon me." Having said that, Naruto turned to Haku.
"I just need practice. I'll appreciate your company, though." The people of Kiri loved him, and he liked staying here. It was totally different from Konoha. There was no need to be on guard here.
"It will be an honor to serve the hero of Kiri." Naruto looked at her with a raised eyebrow. It was as if Haku had changed her personality.
"You have changed Haku. The first time I met you, you were as cold as ice. It seems the atmosphere around here is having a positive impact on you." Haku's smile thinned, but it didn't disappear.
"You can say that. At that time, I was just an animal locked in a cage. I didn't have precious people back then."
"You had Zabuza." Haku shook her head.
"He is like a mentor to me. He taught me how to fight. He saved me when I was starving to death. I vowed to myself to serve him like a tool for the rest of my life."
"And he was your first precious person; what has changed now? Is it because you've got a pretty place to stay? Are you not his tool anymore?" Naruto questioned her as he looked around the village. Haku stopped and grabbed his hand to stop him. He turned around and glanced at her. She stepped forward and placed her hand on his cheek.
"I've changed because of you. This place is alive and bustling because you saved it from Yagura." Naruto pocketed his hands. He was thankful for their loyalty and their love. It was a place where someone looked up to him. They looked at him with admiration and respect. It was the complete opposite of Konoha.
"I don't want you to change. It's not like I don't like the new you." There was a conflict going on in his eyes, with various emotions appearing and disappearing. Haku looked into his eyes, searching for something.
"Why? Why don't you want me to change? Don't you want me to be happy?" There was silence. She was staring at him, waiting for him to say something. They were now standing at the entrance of one of the training grounds. It was Naruto's favorite training ground in Kiri.
"Don't you want to see me happy?" She said it again. There was a long pause, and Naruto tore his eyes from her and started walking towards the training ground.
"It's not that." Naruto released her hand. He took a deep breath. "Are you keeping up with your training?"
"Don't change the topic! Answer my question, Naruto-kun." Haku said it forcefully. Naruto turned around and looked at her. She was looking at him with concern, worry echoing on her face. He still remembered the first time he saw her. She was emotionless, a face devoid of any emotion and warmth. It reminded him of himself.
"I'm afraid to lose you." He whispered, but she heard him. Her heart thumped in her chest. He was looking down, not meeting her eyes.
"Is that why you don't want me to change; you don't want me to feel emotions because I might get soft, which might get me killed someday?" She didn't get an answer from him, but she knew she was right.
"When I first saw you, you reminded me of myself. I…" He sighed and shook his head.
"Naruto-kun! What is it? You can tell me everything; you know that." Turning around, he stared into her eyes.
"I care about you, I..." He was never good at expressing his true feelings. No one taught him that. Putting his hand on his heart, he spoke. "I feel pain here when I think of losing you." His voice cracked, and his eyes turned misty. His arms fell limply around him. He'd never felt that strongly about anyone before. The feelings were foreign to him. Back in Konoha, there was no one who was this close to him. Almost all of them were, to some extent, involved in his suffering. On the other hand, he met Haku when he rescued her from Yagura's prison. She was someone who was never involved in his pain and suffering, but she was someone who had suffered and had seen the evil of their world. They shared something; they understood without saying much, but she was more adapted to feeling emotions and understanding human behavior.
Haku looked at him with surprise. Her eyes were slightly wide.
"As long as you feel that way, you will get stronger; you will get strength to protect your precious people. I'll always be with you, no matter what." There was a genuine smile on his face. He did believe those words to some extent, but he knew her first priority would always be Zabuza. Just like his first priority will always be Nawaki. His brother was innocent, and he was not so heartless that he would hold resentment towards his little brother.
Her loyalty never ceases to amaze him. Zabuza rescued her, trained her, made her stronger, and made her his tool. She gave him her loyalty. She was more loyal to Zabuza than to the village in which she was born.
Kana jumped back just in time to avoid the golden chains that hit the ground where she was before. She maneuvered around them and deflected some of them with her kunai. Her eyes locked on Kushina, who was standing not too far away from her with hands folded in front of her, as she tried to pin her down with her chains. These chains were persistent; they were like snakes following her around wherever she went.
"You need to be faster than that if you want to outpace them, you know!" Kushina said it loudly. Kana grunted and glared.
"I'm trying. We are doing this for two hours, and you're not even slowing down." She said that, and her focus on the chains slipped for a second, and that cost her a smack from one of them that sent her towards the ground. Then all the chains rushed towards her and strangled her. Kana lay there on the grassy ground, trying to catch her breath.
"You cannot defeat Naruto like this, Kana-chan." Kushina came and sat beside her. Kana looked annoyed. "How many times do you have to say that? You're my sensei; instead of trying to demotivate me, you should be motivating me."
"I'm not going to hide you from reality."You've sparred with Naruto. You know how strong he is."
"Yeah! I know. But it doesn't please me one bit. He's gone again, and when he comes back, he will be much stronger." Kana took a deep breath and glanced at Naruto's mother. "My goal is not to surpass him. I just want to stand beside him in battle and support him. I want him to realize that he can count on me in tough situations." Kushina smiled upon hearing that. It's been two months since he went on his training trip. She has taken Kana as her apprentice. She liked the girl. She was always trying to get Naruto's attention. She was the only one in this whole village who could talk to him without hesitation.
"Can I ask you something, Kushina-sensei?" Kana spoke in a hesitant voice.
"You can ask me anything, Kana-chan." The blue-eyed girl stared at the sky instead of meeting her sensei's eyes.
"Why did you abandon him?" She said in a low voice, hesitantly glanced at Kushina, and saw her smile disappear from her face. There was silence for a while before Kushina spoke.
"No parent ever wants to abandon their child, Kana-chan." Kushina spoke softly, her voice filled with emotions and regret. "He was kidnapped the day he was born. Minato has many enemies, and it was their conspiracy that cost us our son." Kushina looked at her sadly.
"Does Naruto know about this?"
"Yes, he knows." They unknowingly abandoned him and used him as a sacrifice to save the village. They weren't able to save him from the hatred of the villagers.
"If they were able to kidnap him, knowing that he is Hokage-sama's son, then why did they let him live?"
"That's a mystery, isn't it?" Kushina said. Was it a coincidence or a plan of their enemies? Naruto's loyalty to their village was questionable. He has never shown any interest in the village, aside from completing the missions ordered by the Hokage. Minato sent Naruto to Kiri. He lived there, formed bonds, and grew to like the village. He became the hero of Kiri. He came back to Konoha to report to the Hokage about the success of the mission. He left the village after the invasion. Why would he stay here when the only thing that this place has given him is hatred and resentment? On the other hand, Nawaki grew up loved by all. He was the Senju prince, the wielder of Mokuton, and the second coming of the first Hokage. Only a few knew about his status as a Jinchuuriki. He grew up in a loving environment because Naruto was declared Jinchuuriki to the world. He shielded the hatred that could have been directed at Nawaki.
"I've failed him, Minato, and I. We are not good parents, but we can only hope to find the man who was responsible for this atrocity or for Naruto to forgive us." Wiping the tears from her eyes, Kushina stood up.
"Let's go have some lunch, and then we will start your elemental manipulation in lightning." Kana nodded her head and stood up as well.
"All jinchuurikis have been located, leader-sama." Black Zetsu emerged from the ground in front of Pein. Rinnegan eyes slowly opened and he stared back.
"That's good. In a few years, we will start the hunt for the jinchuurikis. Have you found a partner for Kisame, Zetsu?"
"I've tried, but it is hard to find an S-rank rough shinobi. Uchiha Sasuke is a good candidate, but he is still weak. He's been training under Orochimaru, and I've been helping along the way as well. Give him a few years, and he will be able to compete with S-rank Shinobi." Uchiha Sasuke would be a good substitute in case Obito fails in his plans. His decades of planning will go to ruin if Obito fails. Besides, he could see Uzumaki Naruto becoming a throne in his plans at the rate he is progressing. He'd need someone to counter him in the future.
"What about Uzumaki Naruto? His loyalty to Konoha is zero. If we were to acquire him, we'd be able to get nine tails without a fight as well."
"It's not possible, I'm afraid. The brat has more potential than Sasuke, but he is only loyal to himself. Also, his younger brother, Senju Nawaki, is the true host of the Kyuubi. The Hokage spread false information when he sealed the Kyuubi in order for his child to grow up without hatred, and he named Uzumaki Naruto as the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi."
"The Yondaime's love for his village is without a doubt exceptional. Uzumaki Naruto might try to protect his brother from us; there's no doubt about that. Keep eyes on the jinchuurikis until we're ready for the hunt to begin."
Black Zetsu disappeared from the floor. Konan walked into the chamber.
"Anything I should know about Konan?"
"No. Nobody has tried to infiltrate the village again."
"It was foolish of me to stop the rain for a few hours. Were you able to identify the one who escaped?"
"No. They were Konoha shinobi, but I was not able to confirm their identities."
"No matter. We cannot remain hidden for too long. Our movements against the Jinchuurikis will put us in the spotlight anyway."
"Kuchiyose nu Jutsu (Summoning Jutsu)" Uzumaki Naruto reverse summoned himself to the world of eagles.
"Naruto!" Naruto heard the familiar voice of Shiro and saw her standing in front of him. She looked taller than before; her golden hair around her neck had lengthened. Her black beak looked sharper, and her blue eyes looked down at him.
"Shiro-chan. I'm here to train." He walked forward until he stood in front of her. She flipped her wings, which caused small gusts of wind to form.
"It took you long enough to come. I've been waiting for some time now. Where have you been? And for how long are you going to stay here?" Naruto jumped and landed on her back, between her wings.
"I was busy after the invasion. I went to Kiri to complete my water element training, then I went to my island where my clone was and dispelled him, which caused years of memories to flood back into my head and I lost consciousness. I stayed there for a week before coming here. And for your last question, I don't know for how long I'm going to stay here. I've got to do lots of training. When I go back, Akatsuki will be coming after me and my brother, so I've got to get strong enough to defeat them."
"Honestly Naruto! Sometimes you do stupid things. Letting your blood clone live for years? I hope you've not gone mad."
"Don't worry, Shiro-chan, I'm not mad. So, what's the plan? Have you prepared my training plan?" Shiro flipped her wings and took off. The land of eagles was a beautiful place. The place was covered with huge mountains and rocky fields. There are rivers flowing in various directions. Shiro landed on a field that was as huge as Konoha. It was surrounded by waterfalls. The ground was covered with green grass and small rocks.
Naruto jumped off and landed on the ground.
"No, I have not prepared anything. I thought I'd do it after you arrive here."
"That's okay. But there's something I was wondering about. Do you know Senjutsu? I want to learn it. Before I got you as my summon, Jiraiya of the Sannin wanted me to sign the toad contract, and he said they've got Senjutsu as well that he was unable to master."
"Every summoner has their own kind of senjutsu. But there's not much difference aside from the training to master it. Every summoning clan has devised a training method for their summoners to master the art of Senjutsu."
"So can you teach me Senjutsu then?"
"Yes! I can, but it will not be easy. It will take years for you to fully master it."
"Don't worry. I'll use my shadow clones to speed up the training."
"No! You will not. I won't allow you to use clones in your senjutsu training. It is very dangerous training, and if you're not careful, you will turn into stone." Naruto stared at her incredulously.
"Stone? Is this some type of joke?"Shiro sighed and pointed her left towards the far end of the training ground.
"Look over there. Can you see those stone statues of eagles? They were human summoners who tried to master Senjutsu but were not careful. Senjutsu is nature's chakra, and if you're not careful, that chakra will first turn you into an eagle and then into a stone. So, under no circumstances are you allowed to train Senjutsu alone. I'll supervise your training until you master the art. Am I clear?" Shiro spoke in a no-nonsense tone.
Naruto stared at various eagle statues with a serious look on his face.
'The bird is telling the truth. Listen to her. But I won't mind if you turn into a stone. I'll be able to get out of this damn seal."
'Don't amuse yourself so much. I'm not stupid enough to try something like that alone.'
"Alright Shiro-chan. I won't do anything without your permission. So, when do we start?"
Jiraiya stood there, gobsmacked.
Nawaki was standing on top of Gamabunta's head, the chief toad.
"Oi! Jiraiya! Where the hell are you? Why did you summon me?" Recovering from his shock, Jiraiya came in front of the toad. It was the first time Nawaki summoned the chief toad. Before that, he lacked chakra control to summon the toad boss.
Pointing towards the top of Gamabunta's head, Jiraiya spoke.
"I didn't summon you; he did." The toad tried to look up towards his head but couldn't see, so he shot his tongue, which wrapped around Nawaki and brought him in front of the chief toad. Nawaki had a look of triumph on his face, hands folded in front of his chest.
"Yes, that's right. I did; I'm your new summoner, chief toad."
"Are you serious, Jiraiya? He's not old enough to drink."
"Well, he's old enough to summon you. He's my new apprentice. He is Minato's son."
"Oh! Is he really? Gamakichi did told me about you." The chief toad looked at him up and down before throwing him to the ground.
"Hey! What the hell was that about?"
"I won't allow you to summon me again without drinking sake with me, brat. So, when you get the time, bring your ass to mount Myoboku as soon as possible." The chief toad puffed out its existence, and Nawaki turned towards Jiraiya.
"Hey Ero-sennin, what was that all about? Am I allowed to summon toads or not?"
"Stop calling me that brat." Jiraiya huffed before continuing. "You're allowed to summon them, alright; it's just Gamabunta being difficult. I'll take you there to drink sake when you're older. For now, let's focus on your Mokuton." Jiraiya took out some scrolls and opened one of them.
"Do you know there is a man in our shinobi ranks who can use Mokuton?" Jiraiya said.
Scratching the back of his head, Nawaki spoke. "Yeah, I know him. He gave me a few pointers when I was in Anbu. Why do you ask?"
"Well, before we left Konoha, I talked to him about your Mokuton training. And he gave me a few scrolls to help you with your training. I want you to read the scrolls, follow the instructions, and practice until I come back."
"And where are you going?"
"To do my research, of course. Tanzaku special hot spring, here I come." Jiraiya said this with a giggle and dashed towards the town. Nawaki sighed and sat under the tree before reading through the scroll.
'I wonder what Naruto-nii san is doing?' It's been two months since they left Konoha, and he was already missing home. He'd never been away from home for so long. After the invasion he thought he'd try to spend more time with Naruto now that he came back from Kiri but then his father told him about the training trip and he couldn't say no to that. He knew he need to get stronger. The villagers expect him to be as strong as the first Hokage because of the mokuton. They have high expectations. But he need to get stronger to bring Sasuke back to the village. In a few years, Sasuke will be stronger and he cannot fall behind.
Back in Konoha
"How is my son doing? Are you getting tired of this job yet or not?" Minato lifted his head from his paper work and looked at Tsunade, closing the door behind her. Minato frowned for a second before sighing.
"This job does require sacrifices, Kaa-san." Tsunade came around the desk to look outside the window.
"That was why I was against the idea when Sandaime offered you this position. You know, I never liked this position. The situation outside the walls is getting better, but we can never be at ease. I fear one day you will get yourself killed."
"The hokage's job is to protect the villagers, even at the cost of his own life."
"You've already sacrificed your son for this village. If you had refused this position, Naruto would have been given a different childhood." Minato remained silent. There was nothing he could say about that because she was right.
"You fulfilled your uncle Nawaki and your dad's dream. You've been a hokage for more than two decades now, and I think you should think about retiring now. When Naruto comes back to the village, try to spend as much time as possible; it will be good for the both of you." Minato sighed tiredly and leaned back in his chair.
"I can't think about retiring. There are foes unknown to us waiting for the right opportunity to destroy this village. And besides, there is no one suitable enough to become my successor." Tsunade frowned and shrugged her shoulders.
"What about Kakashi? Or Itachi? I'm not going to force you to make a decision. You're not a child anymore. I thought it would be best for you and your family, especially for Naruto."
"I know, but Naruto is not a child anymore. He has grown up. The only thing I can do is be patient with him and give him what he needs. If he wants to come back to us, then he will do so, and he knows that. And Kakashi is not ready; I know he is extremely strong and has experience, but I'd prefer Itachi over Kakashi due to various reasons." Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the last statement. She glanced amusedly at her son.
"An Uchiha as a Hokage? Kakashi was your student; I thought you would pick him. Nobody is more suited for this seat than him."
"The villagers chose their kage. Itachi and Kakashi are both good candidates and loved by the villagers, but there has never been a kage from the Uchiha clan. If I choose Itachi as my successor, he will make sure the future generation of the Uchiha clan grows to love this village and becomes loyal. I do not want a repeat episode of the coup in the future." Fugaku and Itachi had made a huge sacrifice for this village. They picked the village over their clan. They picked the villagers over their brothers and cousins. They deserve his loyalty, and they have it.
"Itachi will be a good kage, no doubt about that. He is loyal, loved by the villagers, and feared by our enemies."
Unknown Location
A single eye snapped open in the darkness. The lone figure sucked in air through his mouth and gasped. He looked around the room he was in. The room was dimly lit with candles. There was a table and chair in front of him. On his left was a door leading outside the room. He tried to move his body but found he couldn't. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw his whole body covered in bandages. As he tried to move, he felt pain shooting throughout his body.
The door opened, and a man wearing round glasses entered. He adjusted his glasses and stared at him. He stared back, trying to remember the face that was barely visible. He tried to move his legs and arm to get himself in a better position against the unknown when the man in front of him chuckled.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." He moved around the bed and came towards him. His hands started glowing with the familiar green glow of chakra as he examined his body.
"You're a tough bastard, you know that?" His lone eye stared at his face until his brain remembered the figure hovering over him.
"Where am I?" He demanded. The man chuckled again. "You're not in a position to demand anything. You should be grateful we saved your worthless life." The green glow stopped as he straightened and adjusted his glasses. "Ever since you left your village, your plans are crumbling, one failure after another. But recently, your pet dogs were able to succeed in the objective that we asked you to do, and in reward, we saved your life." There was a pause. "I want you to stand up and follow me out of this room." The one-eyed man glared before he stood up from his bed. He looked up and down his form. His right arm was bandaged severely. He followed the younger man outside the room, who led him to one of the clearings.
"Try to use Mokuton." After adjusting his eye to the bright sunlight, he stared at the man in front of him. "We used Hashirama's cells to adjust your body to your needs, and a cursed seal of number two." The bespectacled young man looked at him with amusement. He chuckled when he saw the furious expression of the crippled man in front of him.
"Why look so furious? It was necessary to save you and give you another source of power now that you cannot use your sharingans." The old man took a deep breath before unfolding his bandages around his body. After that, he went through some taijutsu katas to get used to the movements again.
"I feel more powerful than before. My chakra reserves have increased as well." Going through handseals, he clapped his hands together, and large, thick wood roots erupted from the ground. The old man's single eye widened at the jutsu. The young man standing not too far away looked pleased with the results.
"Now that you no longer need to stay here, I'd recommend you go back to the Akatsuki. After all, they are expecting you to join them soon. Your previous teammate survived, and they are in need of a single member to join him."
"I think I'll stay here for a while. I need to get used to my new body before moving out. This hideout is the perfect place for me to hide my movements until I'm ready to move out." The young man lost his smirk and scowled.
"I'm not asking you. I'm ordering you to leave. Uchiha Sasuke is here, and Orochimaru-sama doesn't want him to interact with you."
"And why is that, Kabuto? I can kill you here; take the sharingan that Orochimaru loves so much and leave."
"And where would you go? Do you know the way out? You do not have your roots dogs to protect you this time. They are all dead. Do you know if Orochimaru-sama himself is here or not? If I were you, I'd pledge my life to Orochimaru-sama, who saved your worthless life." Kabuto paused and pushed his glasses up.
"Sasuke is being trained to become the next host for Orochimaru-sama. He doesn't want his future host to be corrupted by your ideals. Now get out of here." Danzo was many things, but not stupid. The day he left the village was the day he started counting his remaining days in the world. He should have been dead after fighting with Fugaku. But why did Orochimaru rescue him and save his life? The stupid snake would never save someone out of generosity or out of the goodness of his heart. He was scheming something, and he will be used for something that he can't predict. He would have to tread carefully from now on. It doesn't matter if he saved his life or not. He will not be used in someone else's plans. The old man nodded his head. If Orochimaru have ordered him to leave, he cannot not stay here. It seems he'll be going back to the Akatsuki again.
"Make no mistake. We're not your friends, and if you ever try to come after Sasuke, Orochimaru-sama will hunt you down and kill you himself, Danzo."
End Chapter