Chapter Ten: Learning Legacies
Author's Note: As always, I'd like to start by thanking everyone who's left a like, comment, or review.
Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Bold: Technique (English Translation)
Italics: Thoughts
Horizontal Line: Flashback
(Scene Change): Signals a scene change
The sun poked its head over the horizon and draped its shining orange locks over the land and the closed eyes of one Uzumaki Naruto.
"Ugh," Naruto groaned as he instinctively rolled away from the light. "Stupid sun. Wish someone would drown you," he grumbled as he tried to fall back asleep, not noticing Jiraiya entering the room with a full bucket of water.
Jiraiya repressed his snickers as he tiptoed over to his godson, nimbly avoiding the sleeping form of Sasuke as he did so. "Time for your wake up," Jiraiya mischievously thought as he raised the bucket over the unsuspecting blond and tipped it. "Rise and shine, gaki!"
Naruto's eyes shot open at Jiraiya's yell and were greeted by a deluge of water while an embarrassingly loud yelp roused the house.
(Scene Change)
After a quick breakfast which consisted of glares sharper than a katana stabbed in the direction of a giggling Gama-sennin, Jiraiya found himself standing next to a pond and in front of his godson, who was still shooting daggers at him, probably planning revenge on the boisterous man who was still grinning like a loon.
"I hate you," Naruto muttered with a scowl, his eyes twitching.
"I bask in your hate," Jiraiya jovially responded before biting the thumb of his right hand, blurring through some hand seals, and slamming his hand on the ground. When Jiraiya's hand hit the ground, a loud 'poof' sounded as a thick, white smoke engulfed the Toad Sage.
Naruto watched with bated breath as the smoke slowly cleared away to reveal his godfather standing on the back of a crimson toad the size of a horse with blue markings. The toad was holding a large scroll in its curled tongue. "That's so cool!" Naruto exclaimed, his eyes shining as he circled the toad. "So I'll be able to summon toads like him?"
"Him and more," Jiraiya said as he hopped off the toad, landing next to it. "If I could get the scroll, please, Gama?" Jiraiya asked, holding out his hands.
Gama nodded before uncurling his tongue and allowing the scroll to land in Jiraiya's hands.
"Thank you," Jiraiya smiled before facing his godson. The Toad Sage's expression turned somber and nostalgic as he gazed upon the blond who was the spitting image of his father.
Sensing the change in mood, Naruto waited for Jiraiya to speak.
"It's been over twenty years…." Jiraiya began, his voice muted as he unconsciously rubbed the edge of the scroll with his thumb. "…since I let someone sign this scroll."
The cicadas were loudly buzzing as Jiraiya guided Minato to a training ground that overlooked a waterfall. He was doing so for two reasons; first, he wanted to offer his student an opportunity to sign the toad contract and be recognized as his official apprentice. Second, he knew a group of civilian women liked to cool off and play in the pool at the waterfall's base. He could just picture them now, their smooth skin dripping wet as they playfully splashed one another in their skimpy bikinis.
"You're thinking of something perverted again, aren't you, Jiraiya-sensei?" Minato dully asked with his hands behind his head as he trailed his teacher, though he already knew the answer based on Jiraiya's lecherous expression and the trail of blood leaking down the older ninja's nose.
Breaking out of his lecherous thoughts, Jiraiya shook his head and grinned at his student over his shoulder. "And what's wrong with that? I'm a young, handsome man; I'm entitled to my fantasies."
"You were young twenty years ago, Ero-sensei," Minato flatly said as he gave his teacher a deadpan stare with his calm blue eyes.
"Ugh," Jiraiya groaned as he felt like a metaphorical signboard with the word 'old' was staked through his heart, driving him to his knees in a depressed mood. His sadness only lasted a second before the sannin quickly popped to his feet and snapped, "I'm still in my thirties, damn it!"
"And maidenless," Minato responded matter of factly, causing another signboard to be driven through the lecher's heart and returning him to the dirt.
"So cruel," Jiraiya coughed, spitting blood from his hands and knees. Then, with a resiliency only known to the comically perverse, Jiraiya shot to his feet, his black eyes blazing as he demanded, "And what would you know, huh?"
Minato's blue eyes widened at the accusation before he recalled something that made a light blush bloom on his face. "Nothing," Minato quickly denied as he looked to his left. "Where were you taking me again?" he asked, trying to change the subject.
Jiraiya's eyes gleamed, his anger forgotten as he caught his student's face. "Ohhoho? Dost mine eyes deceive me? Is that a blush on my cool student's face?" Jiraiya leaned closer, invading the blond's space.
"No," Minato quickly denied as he turned away from his sensei. "Your age is affecting your eyesight."
Jiraiya ignored the crack at his age as he began circling his student, trying to get a good look at his blushing face. "Really? Then what's that red rising on your cheeks?" Jiraiya asked as he began playfully poking at his student's cheeks. "Are you coming down with a cold?"
Minato batted the finger away with the back of his hand. "No! It's just hot today!" He exclaimed though the excuse sounded weak to his ears as he walked away.
"Then what is it?" Jiraiya asked with faux concern towards his student's back as he quickly caught up with him. "If you're not sick, then what is it?"
Minato stopped and crossed his arms, refusing to look at his sensei. "Nothing."
"Really?" Jiraiya asked as he slung his right arm over his student's shoulders and leaned down to whisper into the blond's ear, "Would Kushina like it if you called her 'nothing?"
Minato's blush, which had only covered his cheeks, quickly darkened as it consumed his whole face. Seeing this caused Jiraiya to explode in laughter.
"Hahaha! Your face—it's as—it's as red as Kushina's hair!" the Toad sage gasped out as he hunched over his knees.
"Shut up! I like my girlfriend's hair!" Minato shouted, not realizing what he had just admitted to his pervert of a sensei.
"What?" Jiraiya asked, his chuckles dying down as he stood up straight. "Did you just call Kushina your girlfriend?"
Minato's blue orbs widened as his body stiffened. Unconsciously, the blond teenager nodded. Minato couldn't tell you what happened next. One moment, he stood on a dirt path, watching his sensei with anxious eyes. And the next moment, Jiraiya lifted him off of the ground and spun Minato around in the tightest hug he had ever had the misfortune of receiving.
"Oh, I'm so proud of you!" Jiraiya cheered with tears of pride falling out of his eyes as he held onto his squirming student. "You've finally got your girl!"
"Sensei. Can't. Breathe," Minato choked out, his face turning blue as he weakly kicked Jiraiya in the stomach in a vain attempt to free himself. His vision was darkening, and he felt like his soul was leaving his body. So much so that he swore he could see the image of an elderly man standing on a river bank. The elderly man was wearing a white kimono and warning the young man not to come over.
"Hmm? What'd you say?" Jiraiya asked as he stopped spinning and looked down at his apprentice, only for his eyes to nearly bulge out of their sockets at the sight of Minato's spirit escaping the blond's mouth and floating toward the sky. "Minato!" the Toad Sage gasped before quickly grabbing the young man's soul by its tail and forcing it back into his student's mouth. He was relieved when his student's blue eyes shot open, and he released a shuddering gasp followed by some deep breathing. "Are you ok, Minato?" Jiraiya asked concernedly, only to feel a sudden, crushing pain from his nethers. "Why?" the Toad Sage squeaked as he released his student.
"Because I nearly died, you damn Ero-sensei!" Minato snapped at his hunched-over teacher, who was cradling his testicles.
A few minutes later, after Minato had calmed down and Jiraiya had ensured that his testicles weren't shattered, the duo arrived at the training ground.
"So, sensei, why are we here?" Minato asked as he stood across from his cross-armed teacher.
"We're here because I wanted to offer you the chance to become my apprentice," Jiraiya proudly said, enjoying as he watched his usually cool student's eyes bulge in surprise.
"You want me to be your apprentice?" Minato asked, immediately understanding what that entailed as he imagined summoning toads in battle.
Jiraiya nodded."Yes, I want you to become my apprentice; I want you to be the next toad summoner. Do you accept?"
It took Minato less than a second to decide as he bowed deeply and shouted, "Yes! I accept! Thank you for the honor, Jiraiya-sensei! I promise to make you proud!"
"Excellent!" Jiraiya guffawed. "Now, let me summon Gama so you can sign the contract!
With a speed that made the young man look like a yellow flash, Minato practically teleported to his teacher.
Jiraiya chuckled at the eagerness shining in his new apprentice's blue eyes. "I'm positive that you'll surpass me one day," Jiraiya proudly thought as he prepared to summon Gama.
"And he did," Jiraiya sighed as he looked up into a similar pair of blue eyes housed in Kushina's round face. "And I'll make sure that your son surpasses you as well," Jiraiya mentally vowed as he unfurled the scroll before Naruto and pointed to the first blank space. "You're gonna sign the contract with your blood; bite the thumb of your dominant hand and write your name, then bloody your fingertips and press them underneath your signature," Jiraiya explained.
Naruto nodded as he stepped forward, though his eyes weren't on a blank signature space but the last occupied one that featured a strong signature with evenly spaced characters and sure brush strokes that spelled the name 'Namikaze Minato.' Unconsciously, Naruto traced the signature with the thumb of his right hand, following every curve, dash, and dot before reaching the bottom and placing his fingertips over Minato's. "Dad's fingers were bigger than mine," Naruto observed as his fingers didn't quite fill Minato's prints.
"Yeah," Jiraiya agreed, his voice sounding slightly rough. "But he signed it when he was a few years older than you."
Naruto hummed before closing his eyes and promising, "I'll make you proud, Dad." He held his fingers there for a few seconds before pulling away and opening his eyes. Silently, Naruto bit the thumb of his right hand and signed the name 'Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto." He then stepped back and waited for Jiraiya to continue with his instruction.
Jiraiya arched an eyebrow at the signature, finding interest in the hyphenated family names. "That reminds me, I must inform him about the Uzumaki clan. But that's a problem for later," he thought as he rolled up the scroll and returned it to Gama. "Now that you've signed the contract, it's time to summon. To use the Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique), you must offer a blood sacrifice-this can be done by biting your thumb-then, you perform the hand seals; the seals are boar, dog, bird, monkey, and ram, finishing by slamming your hand on the ground," Jiraiya described before adding, "Also, use as much chakra that you do for a Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone)."
Naruto nodded in understanding before going through the process and slamming his bloody hand on the ground; "Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)," the blond yelled as a tiny 'poof' was heard and a cloud of smoke that covered Naruto's feet appeared.
"I'm gonna have to teach him to stop calling out his techniques," Jiraiya noted with an exasperated expression and a head shake as he waited for the smoke to clear. However, his expression soon morphed into mocking amusement as he saw the tiny tadpole his godson summoned. "That's how much chakra you put into a shadow clone? A tadpole's worth?" Jiraiya asked as he stifled a snort.
"Shu—shut up!" Naruto shouted as he felt his ears burn and heat creep up his neck, doing his best to ignore the flopping tadpole below him. "It was my first time! Next time, I'll get it right!" Naruto yelled as he bit his thumb and repeated the summoning technique, only using enough chakra for two shadow clones this time. A slightly larger puff of white smoke surrounded Naruto's feet, and when it cleared, it revealed another red tadpole, which looked slightly larger than the previous tadpole if you squinted hard enough.
"Bwahahahaha!" Jiraiya burst out laughing as Gama simply shook his head in disappointment, though whether the toad's disappointment was aimed towards Jiraiya or Naruto was a matter of debate.
Naruto watched the two wriggling tadpoles, his eyebrows twitching as he felt a vein pulsing on his forehead from listening to his godfather's braying laughter. "I'll show you," Naruto growled as he rebit his thumb and blazed through the hand seals for the summoning jutsu, but this time he charged as much chakra to make a dozen shadow clones. He slammed his hand onto the ground and was greeted by the familiar white puff of smoke and a loud pop, but the smoke covered Naruto's shins this time.
The smoke dissipated, revealing a small, orange toad wearing a blue jacket. "Yo!" the toad greeted with a salute. "The name's Gamakichi!" The newly introduced toad took a quick stock of his surroundings, finding Gama, Jiraiya, a pair of wiggling tadpoles, and an unknown blond. The small toad quickly processed the situation; "Gama-oji's here, and he's holding the scroll, meaning Jiraiya-sama summoned him for a new contractor. Plus-"Gamakichi's yellow eyes flicked towards the tadpoles "-Jiraiya knows better than to summon younglings; Shima-O bāchan would tan his hide otherwise. Meaning blondie here must be our new summoner; let's mess with him," Gamakichi mischievously thought as he turned towards the tadpoles and gasped dramatically, "Ah! Aka, Hideo! What are you two doing here?!" the small toad frantically asked as he hopped over to the tadpoles and scooped them into his hands. "Were you kidnapped?" Gamakichi asked, watching Naruto's reaction out of the corner of his eye, and he was not disappointed.
"Kidnapped?" Naruto gulped as he shuffled his feet nervously.
"Tell me who did it, and I'll get Dad to come here and squash him; he's as big as a mountain, remember?" Gamakichi assured the two tadpoles as he held them up to his eyes.
"Squash him?" Naruto paled as he imagined a demonic-looking toad the size of a mountain falling out of the sky and squishing him like an ant.
"Or Dad could always use Suiton: Teppōdama (Water Style: Liquid Bullets) to drown the guy," Gamakichi offered, not noticing his Uncle Gama unfurl his tongue and place the summoning scroll in Jiraiya's hands.
"Drown?" Naruto squeaked, looking paler than a ghost against the snow. He had seen Sasuke produce a fireball bigger than Kakashi-sensei; what could a toad the size of a mountain spit? He shuddered to find out.
"Or he could—Ow! What was that for?!" Gamakichi demanded as a fleshy appendage smacked him on the back of his head. The young toad turned around to see his uncle retracting his tongue while giving his nephew a disappointed look.
Gama let out a short croak before pointing to the now confused-looking Naruto and then back to Gamakichi.
"But-" Gamakichi began to say before he saw Gama cross his arms and narrow his eyes, a posture that seemed to say, 'Try me. I dare you.'
Gamakichi gulped before he hopped over to Naruto and offered the blond a contrite bow. "I'm sorry, this is my first time being summoned, and by a new summoner, so I felt like messing with you—though, you should send these little guys back soon because I'm sure their parents are worried about them," Gamakichi raised his head after his apology, and nearly had his heart leap out his chest when he noticed the blond inches away from his face.
"So, you decided to prank me, huh?" Naruto sneeringly asked, crouching on the ground and doing his best impression of a Yakuza thug as he loomed over the tiny toad and stared coldly with his frigid blue orbs into Gamakichi's yellow ones.
"Um—yes?" Gamakichi stutteringly replied, shuddering under the blond's stare. "He's not gonna hurt me, right? It was just a joke!" Gamakichi nervously thought as he felt sweat beginning to gather on his forehead.
Naruto stared down the scared Gamakichi for a few more seconds before his sneering facade cracked, and a snort bubbled out of his lips, followed by a cascade of laughter, "You should see your face!"
"Eh?" Gamakichi uttered, his face a perfect picture mixture of shock and confusion before his mind caught up with the situation. "Hey! You tricked me!" Gamakichi indignantly shouted.
"And you tricked me, so fair's fair," Naruto retorted as he stood up with crossed arms.
"True," Gamakichi sheepishly chuckled before he felt the two tadpoles in his hands getting restless. "Oh, right. Hey, blondie, could you send these two home?" Gamakichi asked as he held up his hands, showing the wriggling, agitated tadpoles.
"My name's not 'blondie'; it's Naruto," the Uzumaki corrected as he stared at the two tadpoles. "Um, how do I do that?" Naruto asked after a few moments, scratching his head.
Gamakichi's sweat dropped. "You're really new at this, ain'tcha?"
Before Naruto could retort, Jiraiya stopped him with a clap to the shoulder. "Just think of dispelling the tadpoles as you do with your clones," Jiraiya explained.
"Gotcha," Naruto said before he closed his eyes and focused on sensing his connection to the toads. He could feel three tethers reaching outwards that were feeding from his chakra. Frowning, Naruto mentally examined the three links and found that two were smaller than the remaining one, like two thin strings compared to a thin chain. Naruto cut the two strings and opened his eyes, feeling satisfied as he saw the two tadpoles disappear in small clouds of white smoke.
"Good job," Jiraiya praised his godson before adopting a more edifying tone, "Now, what did you learn?"
"Um, how to dispel toads?" Naruto answered unsurely.
"True," Jiraiya nodded, "And what else did you learn about summoning toads? Specifically, the process?"
Naruto crossed his arms and thought about it. "I don't think he's asking me about the hand signs or the blood. Is he asking about the chakra costs?" The blond wondered as his blue eyes drifted towards Gamakichi, who was hopping over to Gama. Naruto recalled that he had used enough chakra for twelve shadow clones to summon the tiny toad; was that what Jiraiya was asking about? Shrugging, Naruto turned towards his godfather and answered, "Gamakichi cost more chakra to summon than the tadpoles."
"That he does. And how many clones were you thinking of when you summoned him?" Jiraiya asked, wanting to confirm something.
"About a dozen. Why?" Naruto frowned as he wondered where the Toad Sage was going with this. Jiraiya reminded him of Iruka-sensei when the scarred chunin tried to teach him something by prodding him with questions and hints rather than just telling him.
Sensing his student's frustration, Jiraiya decided to be more direct and asked, "Naruto, how much chakra do you put into your shadow clones?"
"How much?" Naruto repeated as he tilted his head and thought about how much chakra he put into a shadow clone. "Well, when I was first learning it, I was just thinking about splitting my chakra and forming a clone like the scroll said," Naruto said, thinking aloud.
"And how big was the split? Did you give the clones half of your chakra? A quarter?" Jiraiya asked.
"Don't remember," Naruto answered. "I was focused on doing the jutsu, so I didn't pay much attention to how much chakra I was using. Plus, what does it matter now? I can use the jutsu. Hell, Hokage-Jiji told me I could use it better than he could," Naruto snapped, his irritation starting to boil over.
"Calm down, Gaki," Jiraiya said in a soothing tone as he held up a hand. "It's great that you can use a jutsu like the Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone). However, I noticed you waste a lot of chakra when using some of your techniques. You summoning the first tadpole was my first hint," Jiraiya explained.
"Huh? How does summoning a tadpole mean I waste chakra?" Naruto asked, his irritation beginning to wane and be replaced by curiosity.
"Why, it's elementary, my dear student!" Jiraiya exclaimed as he held up his pointer finger. "The shadow clone technique, when performed correctly, creates a clone of the user with half of their chakra."
"Yes, and?" Naruto flatly asked, still not seeing what Jiraiya was getting at.
Jiraiya deflated. "Kid, do you not appreciate how much chakra you have?"
"What do you mean? Don't I have the same amount of chakra as Sasuke-teme? I mean, the bastard got the tree-walking exercise around the same time that I did," Naruto commented with a pout.
Jiraiya's eyes widened slightly at the boy's admission. "I sensed Naruto's chakra levels when I was in sage mode, and he's got as much chakra as Sarutobi sensei, and that's without the Kyuubi. If Naruto mastered tree walking at the same rate as the Uchiha, even if he used a few shadow clones, then his potential is virtually limitless." Jiraiya smiled at that thought, knowing his godson would have a bright future ahead of him. Though the Toad Sage also knew he had to keep his new blond student humble and hungry, and he knew just how to do it as his smile shifted into a smirk. "You've actually got more chakra than the Uchiha," Jiraiya began, seeing the excitement bubble in his godson's eyes, only for it to quickly pop when Jiraiya said, "But he doesn't waste his chakra, which makes him a better shinobi."
"The hell he is!" Naruto denied, pointing an accusatory finger at Jiraiya. "And I don't waste my chakra!"
"Really? And who's the one who just summoned two tadpoles?" Jiraiya teased, bending at the waist and pushing his face into Naruto's. "Is that how much half of your chakra is? An itty bitty, baby's worth?"
Naruto's cheeks flushed in a mixture of anger and embarrassment; anger from Jiraiya's teasing and embarrassment because the blond knew that the Toad Sage was right. Naruto clenched his fists and felt a twinge of pain from his right thumb-the wounds had healed, but the flesh was still tender. The pain reminded Naruto of his unsuccessful summoning attempts and his promise to his father just a short while ago. What would Minato have thought of how his son was acting? Would he be proud of his son acting like a petulant child? Naruto suspected Minato would be disappointed as a sudden shame bloomed in the blond's chest, causing him to turn his head and avoid Jiraiya's eyes. The blond then mumbled something.
"Huh? What was that?" Jiraiya asked as he cupped his ear with his hand.
"I said, 'How do I get better?" Naruto said louder as he looked Jiraiya in the eyes, the blond's blue eyes burning brightly. "I want to be the best. I want to make my father proud."
Jiraiya's grin softened as he leaned back and fondly gazed upon his godson. "He's already proud, kid." Jiraiya then placed his hands on his hips and said, "But if you want to be the best, then I'll help you, and we'll start now: I want you to make twenty clones, and they'll continue practicing waterwalking."
"Alright!" Naruto shouted as he placed his hands into the cross-shaped hand seal. The blond got engulfed in a large cloud of smoke that dissipated to reveal twenty grinning blonds. "Let's go, boys!" Naruto roared, getting cheers from his doppelgangers as they rushed onto the pond. However, he got stopped a few steps short as Jiraiya plucked him out of the group by his collar with one arm. "Huh? What gives?"
"They'll be working on water walking while you and I work on your taijutsu," Jiraiya explained before releasing the blond and walking a few feet away.
"Sweet!" Naruto exclaimed as he pumped his fist into the air and followed Jiraiya.
(Scene Change)
Haku hummed a gentle tune, a picnic basket in her hands, as she walked through the forest toward the pond where Naruto and Jiraiya were training. "I hope they're hungry," Haku cheerily thought as she glanced at the basket. She and Tsunami had another pleasant time working together in the kitchen while Kakashi worked with Sakura on grappling in the front yard. At the same time, Sasuke and a shadow clone of Kakashi accompanied Tazuna to the bridge. "Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone) is such a useful jutsu. I wonder if Naruto-kun can teach it to me?" the Yuki heiress wondered as she neared the pond, the sounds of fighting reaching her ears. "I thought they would be practicing waterwalking," Haku muttered, sounding confused before her senses screamed at her to leap to the side. Eyes widening, Zabuza's apprentice quickly jumped to her left, avoiding a blond and blue bullet shooting past her and crashing into a tree. Haku whipped her head around, her long tresses flapping in the wind, and nearly dropped her basket in shock when she identified the blond bullet as her boyfriend with his face down in the dirt. "Naruto-kun!" she gasped as she rushed and knelt beside him. She placed down her basket and channeled a bit of Hyōton chakra to her hands.
"That was a cheap shot, Ero-Senin," the blond groaned into the dirt, feeling dizzy from getting his bell rung. He swore he heard his girlfriend shout his name, but he was unsure because 'up' was now 'down' as far as his rattled brain was concerned, and voice recognition was on a lower rung on the ladder of needs than getting his equilibrium back. Naruto slowly rolled onto his back, fighting down his sudden nauseousness that threatened to expel his breakfast as he did so. With that task complete, the blond opened his eyes, though that proved to be a mistake when sharp shards of light streaming down through the trees lanced his retinas. "Shit," Naruto hissed as he quickly shut his eyes and was greeted by flashing spots on the inside of his eyelids. The Namikaze-Uzumaki heir wondered how long the pain would last when he felt a familiar pair of soft, cool hands on his temples and a sudden coldness soothing his throbbing head.
"How are you feeling?" Haku asked, sounding concerned as she examined her boyfriend and found torn and ruffled clothes, bruises and cuts up and down on his arms and legs, and a large shiner over his right eye.
"Never been better," Naruto weakly chirped, trying to assure her as he opened his eyes and found a confusing sight; three Hakus. "Hey, when did you learn Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone)?" the blond asked, his blue eyes trying and failing to focus on one of the Hakus.
"You have a concussion, Naruto-kun," Haku said as she stopped channeling chakra to her hands before sternly stating, "You will be taking a break from training for the day and resting while I monitor you for further symptoms."
"But-" Naruto began to protest, only to be cut off by his girlfriend's frown.
"-No 'buts.' I will not have my boyfriend turn his brain to mush." Haku's frown softened into a teasing smile as she bopped Naruto's nose with her finger, "Because it's my job to make your brain mush."
A smile and a light blush bloomed on the blond's face at Haku's words and her concern for him. He relished that she cared so much for his well-being but knew he couldn't let something like a concussion sideline him. "Thank you, Haku-chan. But I'll be fine. I've had concussions before, and they've always healed after a few minutes."
"Healed after a few minutes?" Haku parroted, her tone dripping with disbelief. "Naruto-kun," she began slowly, "A concussion is a brain injury. Those don't simply heal after a few minutes."
"Normally, you'd be right," Jiraiya announced from behind her. "But due to Naruto's heritage and tenant, he can recover from injuries that would sideline most shinobi for weeks in a matter of days and sometimes hours."
"What do you mean by his 'heritage?" Haku asked over her shoulder. "Is Naruto from a clan or something?" Naruto looked curious as well, or as curious as the recently concussed could look.
"When I thought, 'that's a problem for later,' I didn't mean 'later' in the day," the Toad Sage thought with a mild amount of exasperation before answering Haku, "Yes." Jiraiya then raised his hand, stopping any further questions from the duo. "I'll explain later—after lunch," Jiraiya said as he gestured towards the picnic basket.
The couple traded a look, communicating with their eyes before Haku agreed with a nod.
Later, the trio sat in the shade, enjoying a lunch of rice balls wrapped in dried seaweed, egg salad sandwiches, and tea, while Naruto's clones tried their best to water walk on the nearby pond with limited degrees of success if their dripping clothes was any indicator.
"So, Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone) can be used as a training tool?" Haku asked aloud as she observed one clone start from the shore and walk onto the pond. It got three steps before it teetered to its left, forcing it to balance on one foot and making it look like an unbalanced stork before the clone finally lost its concentration and fell face-first into the water with a splash.
"They can, but only by a few," Jiraiya answered before taking a bite of his sandwich. "This is a good sandwich," he complimented after swallowing his bite.
"Thank you," Haku said. "But what do you mean that 'only by a few?' Can't anyone who knows the technique use them for training?" Naruto's ears perked up at this question as he finished swallowing a bite of his rice ball.
"Yeah, can't Kakashi-sensei or–" Naruto comically shuddered before continuing,"-the teme use shadow clones to train?" Naruto asked, not liking the thought of dozens of duck-butted Uchihas getting Sasuke stronger.
"You don't have to worry about that," Jiraiya chuckled. "They can't use the shadow clone training method because they aren't built like you."
"And does Naruto-kun's 'build' has anything to do with his 'heritage?" Haku asked, stressing the word "heritage" as she narrowed her eyes at the Sage over the lip of her cup.
"Couldn't wait for our stomachs to settle, could you?" Jiraiya asked with a mock pout before sighing and asking Naruto, "What do you know about your last name, 'Uzumaki?"
"Um, not much," Naruto answered, frowning as he crossed his arms and looked up into the leaves above him. "All I know is what Jiji told me about it; it's a strong last name that he was sure I'd live up to."
"That's it. Nothing else?" Jiraiya asked, his eyebrow raised.
Naruto shook his head, getting the feeling that his Jiji hadn't been the most truthful with him, given Jiraiya's slightly slumping shoulders.
"Cagey old fart," Jiraiya thought with a tinge of exasperation and a sigh. "You couldn't tell him something about his clan?" Jiraiya straightened himself and began: "Well, Naruto, the Third was understating it when he told you that 'Uzumaki' is a strong name. The Uzumaki were one of the oldest clans in the Elemental Nations. They hailed from Uzu no Kuni, the Land of Whirlpools, and specialized in fūinjutsu (Sealing Techniques) and jutsu-shikis (technique formulas). They-"
"-Sealing techniques? Technique formulas? What are those?" Naruto asked, interrupting Jiraiya. Haku, too, looked curious. Though she knew what sealing techniques were, this was the first time she had heard of jutsu-shikis.
"Fūinjutsu is a discipline that focuses on sealing objects, living beings, chakra, and a variety of other things within other objects through the use of kanji and technique formulae. Fūinjutsu can also restrict movement or unseal objects from something or someone. Your seal is an example of sealing. Jutsu-shikis, on the other hand, is somewhat similar to fūinjutsu in that it also uses kanji and technique formulae, but its application is broader than fūinjutsu. For example, Yondaime-sama's famed Hiraishin (Flying Thunder God) is an example of a jutsu-shiki. The only limitation to jutsu-shiki is a person's knowledge and imagination, " Jiraiya answered.
"Really?" Naruto gasped with wide eyes, looking excited, wondering if he could learn how to write jutsu-shiki. Because if his dad used it to create something as awesome as the Flying Thunder God, he couldn't imagine what he would accomplish with it. Sensing his thoughts, Jiraiya decided to cool the boy's jets.
"Really, really," Jiraiya grinned with a nod before he warned, "But learning how to use fūinjutsu and jutsu-shiki requires a lot of studies; physics, biology, engineering, mathematics, etc. And from what Kakashi told me, the study bug on your team is Sakura, not you. If you wanted to make anything close to what Yondaime-sama made, you'd have to seriously hit the books."
"I don't care. It sounds too cool to pass up," Naruto said, undeterred by his godfather's warnings. "Plus, learning it would be a way to honor my family's legacy," Naruto added as he looked Jiraiya right in the eyes, his blue eyes shining with a stubborn determination.
"Guess we'll be adding calligraphy to his training schedule, followed by regular study sessions—it's a good thing he can make so many clones," Jiraiya thought as he held up his hand. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you. Now, where was I?"
"You told us that the Uzumaki clan hailed from Uzu no Kuni before we got sidetracked with their specialties," Haku helpfully supplied.
"That's right," Jiraiya said, giving Haku a thankful nod before continuing with the history of the Uzumaki clan, "As I was saying, the Uzumaki clan were known for their skills with sealing and technique formulas as well as their distinctive red-hair. Though their most feared and coveted trait was their powerful life forces and chakra, which made them a long-lived clan with members that could survive wounds and fight longer than your average shinobi—" Jiraiya then paused as a thought struck him, one that he shared aloud, "—Now that I think about it, their strong life-forces is, probably, why they specialized in fūinjutsu and jutsu-shiki; don't know why I didn't see that until now. I mean their village, Uzushiogakure, the Hidden Eddy Village, was nicknamed 'The Village of Longevity," Jiraiya shrugged as if to say, 'What can you do?' then took a sip of his cooling tea to wet his throat, leaving the couple to discuss his observation.
Naruto scratched his head. "How does living for a long time make you specialize in fūinjutsu and jutsu-shiki?"
Haku pursed her lips before offering, "Maybe it's because they lived so long that they had more time to develop them? Jiraiya-sama just told us that those disciplines take a lot of study to master."
"My thoughts exactly," Jiraiya said after lowering his cup. "Their strong-life forces and chakra also allowed them to use more chakra-intensive and physically draining jutsu-throw in Naruto's tenant-and the gaki is one of the few people on the planet that can use the shadow clone training method without severe drawbacks—though we'll limit the number of clones he uses so that we don't overtax his brain," Jiraiya quickly amended his statement at Haku's heavy stare.
Haku held the stare momentarily before grinning and throwing her arms around an oddly silent Naruto. "That's great, Naruto-kun! With this training method, you'll be one step closer to becoming Hokage," Haku cheered, kissing his cheek and getting no response. Haku frowned as she pulled back and noticed her boyfriend's pensive expression, "Naruto-kun?"
Naruto was pulled out of his thoughts by his girlfriend's soft voice. He turned to her and offered her an apologetic grin, saying, "Sorry, Haku-chan, I was just thinking."
"Thinking about what?" she asked, her frown receding slightly.
Naruto looked past her and into his godfather's eyes, sending the elder shinobi a pleading look as he answered, "I was just thinking; I know my dad wasn't an Uzumaki, so it has to be my mom, and I was wondering what she was like."
Jiraiya felt his heart clench at his godson's look before he softly stated, "I can show you." Jiraiya reached inside his vest and pulled out a hand-sized sealing scroll with blue edges tied with a red thread. He quickly untied and unfurled the scroll on his lap, revealing tiny lines of kanji and various other jutsu-shiki surrounding large kanjis for "Money," "Clothes," "Weapons," and finally, "Documents." Jiraiya then bit his thumb and spread the bloody appendage on the kanji for "Documents" while channeling his chakra into the seal. A small 'pop' like a weak party popper sounded, followed by a small puff of white smoke that obscured Jiraiya's hand. The smoke quickly dissipated and revealed a photo about the size of his palm that showed signs of weathering, from its yellowing paper to the watermarks staining its borders. Wordlessly, Jiraiya handed the photo over to Haku to hand to Naruto.
Naruto took the photo with a silent thanks and felt tears well in his eyes as he examined it.
The photo showed a handsome blond man wearing a standard Konoha uniform and a white haori with red flames on its hem. The man had spiky hair, blue eyes, and an angular face smiling toward the camera as he embraced a beautiful redheaded woman from behind, his hands on her protruding stomach. The woman was wearing a long, green maternity dress, shinobi sandals, and a single barrette which she used to keep her long, ankle-length hair out of her violet eyes and rounded face. The woman was also sporting a grin as she held up a 'peace sign' with her free hand while the other rested on the man's hands.
"Otou-san, Kaasan," Naruto whispered as he felt his tears streak down his cheeks and drip off his face with a few splattering on the photo. Naruto rapidly blinked his tears away, trying to avoid breaking down into a sobbing mess as he turned over the photo, but his efforts were for naught. On the photo's back, scrawled in an elegant and feminine hand, was a message that read:
To Jiraiya (Ero-senin),
Hope you're doing well. Wanted to send you our first family picture. Can't wait to see you back in the village.
See you soon,
Minato, Kushina, and Naruto
A sob wrenched its way out of Naruto's throat as a surge of sadness poured down on him like a waterfall, causing him to bow his head as he clenched the photo and mourned what could have been. Naruto doesn't know how long he cried; grief elongates minutes and shortens hours when trapped by its grip. However, he was aware that at some point, Haku wrapped her arms around him and brought him to rest on her chest as she murmured into his ear that she was there and everything would be alright. And at another point, Jiraiya had sat on his other side and placed his large, warm hand on his back and began rubbing it, and it was this action that made Naruto's grief begin to fade, for as he sat there sobbing in their arms, the young blond felt something he had never felt before. A warm feeling centered in his chest made him feel accepted, protected, wanted, and loved; for the first time in his life, Naruto felt like he had a family.
It was sometime later that Naruto's sobs subsided, and his breathing calmed. "I'm sorry," Naruto said as he pulled back with a frown, his eyes red-rimmed.
"It's ok, Naruto-kun," Haku assured with a soft smile as she threaded her fingers through his hair. "Someone once told me, 'Sometimes when you need to cry, you need to cry," she said as she recalled what Naruto had told her on their first date.
The corner of Naruto's lips twitched as he sent his girlfriend a thankful look before he recalled the photo in his hands. Reluctantly, Naruto moved out of Haku's arms, turned towards Jiraiya, and offered him the photo, "Sorry. I think I got it a bit wet."
Jiraiya held up his free hand. "Keep it. It's yours now," he said, his voice sounding rough. The old man coughed into his fist before asking, "Would you like to learn about her?"
Naruto nodded as he clutched the photo to his chest.
"Alright, your mom, Uzumaki Kushina, was a splendid kunoichi. Skilled and beautiful, she was one of the best ninjas that Konoha had ever produced. Hell, if it weren't for your dad, she would have been a front-runner for Hokage," Jiraiya said, watching his godson's eyes widen with wonder.
"My mom could have been Hokage?" Naruto asked as he gazed at the photograph and studied his mom's smiling face.
"Yup," Jiraiya nodded. "She could have been. In fact, she told me that it was once her dream to become the first female Hokage."
A surge of warmth permeated Naruto's being at that revelation as he stroked his mother's image with his thumb, feeling a connection with her based on their shared dream. However, he did wonder why she chose to give it up and asked Jiraiya as such.
"She fell in love with your father," Jiraiya answered as he looked over Naruto's shoulder and at Minato's smiling face. "After that, Kushina decided she wanted to have a family, saying it was the best decision she ever made because she didn't have to deal with paperwork."
"Paperwork?" Naruto parroted, a confused look on his face as he looked up towards his godfather. "Why would paperwork be a problem?"
"Naruto, don't you know how much paperwork is involved with running a village? You had to have seen all the scrolls and documents that the Third has to read through and sign daily, right?" Jiraiya asked, wondering if his new apprentice knew what being a Hokage entailed.
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Of course I do, but why wouldn't I just use clones?" Naruto asked as he pointed towards the dripping shadow clones practicing on the pond, idly noting that less than half remained.
"Because it's a waste…of…chakra," Jiraiya began strongly before trailing off as he realized who it was he was talking to. "Nevermind," Jiraiya said with a shake of his head. "Where was I?"
"You said mom was a skilled kunoichi who could have been Hokage if she didn't fall for dad," Naruto rapidly said as he bounced in his seat, excited to learn more.
"That she was; she was also a hyperactive knucklehead who could barely sit still with a penchant for pranking; sound like someone you know?" Jiraiya rhetorically asked with a grin.
"My mom liked pranks, dattebayo?" Naruto asked, his verbal tick coming out due to his excitement.
"Yup, and she even had a similar tick," Jiraiya laughed. "Whenever she'd get excited, she'd say, 'dattebane.' You should have seen her when she learned she was pregnant with you, 'dattebane' this and 'dattebane' that. I swear, no one could understand her that day."
"That's cool!" Naruto exclaimed with a grin. "So I'm like my mom?"
"In everything but looks except your face, that's all Kushina," Jiraiya answered.
"I can see what he means," Haku agreed as she snaked her arm through Naruto's and rested her chin on his shoulder as she closely studied the photograph. "Your face is round, like hers, and you've got a similar eye shape, though you obviously get your eye color from your father and your hair." Haku's brown eyes then focused on Naruto's father and closely examined his image, feeling as if she had seen his image somewhere else. The feeling was niggling at her brain like the man was important, beyond being her boyfriend's father. Wanting to get rid of the feeling, Haku decided to ask Naruto, "Your father looks familiar; was he someone important?"
"Hmm? Oh, yea, my dad was Yondaime," Naruto nonchalantly stated as he turned towards her. "Did I forget to tell you that?"
"…You did," Haku slowly said as her mind tried to process this information. "Did Zabuza-sama's clairvoyance see this?" she wondered briefly.
Elsewhere, Zabuza was packing up his hideout when he sneezed, soiling his neck bandages. "Damn it," he grumbled. "And I just packed my bandage rolls," he sighed as he whipped out a kunai and went to open up one of his taped-up boxes.
"Is something wrong?" Naruto asked, bringing Haku out of her thoughts.
Haku looked into her boyfriend's eyes, seeing his care and love for her, and decided she didn't care who Naruto's father was. "It's nothing," she said before tenderly kissing him. "I love you," she said as she pulled back, her cool breath ghosting over his lips, causing him to shiver.
"I love you too," Naruto replied, a soft smile on his face as he gazed into her chocolate-brown eyes.
Jiraiya observed the two lovebirds with a nostalgic grin, remembering when he'd caught Naruto's parents having similar moments. "You'd be proud of your son, Minato, Kushina; only thirteen, and he's got himself a keeper," Jiraiya thought with a silent sigh before the perverted portion of his mind chimed in, "And he'll have more than one, being the last Uzumaki." Jiraiya couldn't contain the perverted giggle that burst from his lips at that thought as he imagined the great material his godson would provide him.
Unfortunately for the old pervert, Naruto and Haku heard that giggle.
"Ero-senin," the couple growled as they rose, glaring daggers at the toad sage.
Jiraiya looked at the menacing couple before dashing into the forest, yelling, "You'll never take me alive!"
"Get back here!" they yelled as they chased after the unrepentant pervert, leaving a group of confused clones behind.
"What about training?" one clone asked, voicing their thoughts.
They looked at one another before a clone on the shore shrugged and said, "Guess Boss will pick it up tomorrow."
"But what about the picnic basket?" another clone asked, pointing to the basket lying on its side near the base of a tree.
"Guess Boss will pick it up tomorrow," the shore clone said, repeating himself.
"Is that your answer to everything?" A clone standing next to some reeds asked.
The shore clone smirked, "Guess Boss will pick it up tomorrow."
"…I walked into that one," the clone besides the reeds sighed with slumped shoulders.
"Yes, you did," the shore clone commented. "Now, let's finish our water walking training while Boss and Haku-chan try to hurt the pervert."
"What do you mean 'try?' Don't you think they can do it?" the clone next to the reeds asked.
"Did you not see that shiner Boss got?" the Shore clone scoffed. "It'll be a while until he can lay a finger on the perv," the clone stated before channeling chakra to his feet. "Thankfully, we don't have to feel that."
"You're a bit of an asshole," the clone next to the reeds stated as it crossed its arms.
"If I'm one, so are you," the shore clone said.
"…I walked into that one," the clone besides the reeds sighed with slumped shoulders.
"Now, who's repeating himself?" the shore clone asked as he took a tentative step onto the pond and felt his foothold firm.