Summoning Jutsu!
"So, let me get this straight," Jiraiya said, completely shocked. "A man with Wood Release made a waterfall for you—which you somehow managed to stop. Right?"
"Hmm." Naruto nodded, tugging at her skirt's hem. "Just another day for the future Hokage, 'ttebane."
"That's...absurd." Jiraiya sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Yeah, but I'm just that cool." She tugged her skirt a little lower, trying to adjust to the unfamiliar clothing.
"Keep doing that, and it will eventually come off. Then people will start calling me a lolicon."
"Which you are." Naruto deadpanned.
"I am not!" He declared, a little too loudly.
"Yeah, ask your balls that," she retorted with a mischievous grin.
Jiraiya shuddered as he recalled her earlier, less-than-gentle treatment of his...sensitive areas.
"Where are we heading again?" Naruto asked, trying to change the subject.
"To the forest," Jiraiya replied, his voice filled with mysterious excitement.
"Why?"
"You'll see."
They continued walking, the forest canopy above them casting dappled shadows on the path. Jiraiya's demeanor shifted as they reached a clearing. He pulled out his huge summoning scroll, its size almost comical compared to Naruto's small frame. Naruto's eyes widened as she realized his intention.
"Really?! You're gonna let me sign the toad contract?"
"At ease, maggot." Jiraiya smirked, unrolling the scroll with a flourish. "I hope you know the drill."
Naruto nodded furiously, biting her thumb eagerly. She started writing her name—
"Not just 'Naruto Uzumaki,'" Jiraiya stopped her.
"Huh?"
"Write 'Kushina-Naruto Uzumaki.'"
"But..." She sighed, feeling a mix of emotions as she added the additional name. "'Kushina-Naruto Uzumaki.'"
"There," Jiraiya said, rolling the scroll back up and leaning closer to her. "Now go for it."
Naruto took a deep breath, her heart racing. "All right, here it goes—" She flew through the hand signs with practiced ease. "Summoning Jutsu!"
A massive summoning array covered the entire clearing. Jiraiya's eyes widened as he noted the intricate pattern. It was way, way too big for a normal toad summon, heck, it was bigger than the Boss Toad—
Smoke engulfed the area.
Then, everything was silent for a moment.
"Eh," a grumpy, old and booming voice echoed. "Hagoromo, is that you, buddy?"
"Geezer Toad Sage!" Naruto, who was now on top of his head, yelled.
"Who?" The ancient toad, towering larger than the Valley of the End, rumbled.
"It's me, Nar—oh shoot, you don't know me yet."
"Who?"
"Geezer Sage!" Jiraiya, now at the bottom of the toad's massive feet, yelled up.
"Who?"
"It's me, Jiraiya!"
"Who?"
"Fukasaku's student!"
"Who?"
"...ugh. The Noisy One."
"Who... ah, the Noisy Boy." The ancient toad nodded slowly. "What are you doing in my toilet?"
"Wait… don't tell me…" Jiraiya took a step back, horror dawning on his face. "Kushina… what the hell did you just do?"
"What?" Naruto, still atop the toad, yelled down. "Did you say something, Pervy Sage?"
"Kushina… do you see anything unnatural around?"
"You mean aside from the big-ass toad?"
"Uh-huh."
"Uhm… ah-huh! There's some steam coming from down there. Is that quicksand? Boy, I didn't know quicksand was supposed to be that yellow, 'ttebane!"
"Oh, shit." Jiraiya gasped, flying through hand signs. "Sorry about this, Geezer Sage!"
"What? Who? What are you doing in my toilet?" the ancient toad asked again.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Ouch, that hurt a bit." The ancient toad spoke again, sounding more annoyed than hurt.
"The fuck." Jiraiya sighed, exasperated. "Oi, Kushina!"
"What?"
"Can you Rass-and-gun his head?"
"Why? And it's 'Rasengan!'"
"He says it itches there."
"Why should I do it?"
"Come on, kid. Don't ask any more questions," he yelled.
"...fine. You owe me one," Naruto yelled back, concentrating.
"That bitch…" Jiraiya muttered, waiting impatiently. "Just do it already!"
"My chakra control is sloppy! Gimme a sec… there! Massive Rasengan!"
"That moron!" Jiraiya gasped as the ancient toad's face wrinkled in pain. "You'll kill him!"
"Huh? Oh, yeah!" Then the toad disappeared with a huge puff of smoke.
Then...
"Pervy Sage! I'm falling! Catch m—" Thud.
When the smoke cleared, Jiraiya saw Naruto sitting in a yellowish, foul-smelling puddle, looking thoroughly disgusted.
"Ew, this quicksand stinks too much." Naruto said, sniffing at her surroundings. She extended a hand towards Jiraiya. "Hey, Pervy Sage! I'm stuck and can't weave hand signs. Get me out of here—wait! Where are you going?!"
Jiraiya began to walk away, savoring the moment with morbid satisfaction as she yelled from the puddle. Hey! Don't blame him! He's the one who's going to get yelled at by the Hokage for the huge pile of poop in Konoha and for probably killing the Geezer Sage by Fukasaku…
Come to think of it, it's too much. He turned back.
"Hey, Kushina! Tell you what, I'll help you out of this 'quicksand' of yours but..."
"Huh?"
"But in exchange for that, you will…"
Her eyes widened in horror. "No way!"
"Oh, yeah." Jiraiya smirked. "Hotsprings peeping adventure."
"No need, 'ttebane! I'll help myself—"
"—getting out of this poop?"
"Poop?" She froze.
"So let's start from the beginning." Jiraiya smirked. "You see, a child like you, who is not only a Jinchuriki but also a full-blooded Uzumaki, has immense chakra reserves—"
"That's why I summoned the Geezer Sage!"
"Yep. I'll help you with your chakra control and in exchange you—"
Naruto bit her lip, then froze. "Ew…" she spat. She gave him a puppy-dog look.
"Not working on me." Jiraiya said firmly.
Naruto groaned. "Fiiine! Just get me out of here."
Jiraiya smirked, knowing he had won.
o—O—o
A 10-year-old Minato was training in the forest, his determined eyes focused on mastering the Body Flicker Technique. Each time he executed the move, he vanished and reappeared a short distance away, a blur of speed. He was already good at it, but he aimed for perfection. Sweat dripped from his brow, and his breath came in controlled, steady puffs as he pushed his limits.
Then, he heard it.
"Come on, Pervy Sage, just finish up already!"
Minato froze, his curiosity piqued. He crept towards the sound, carefully parting the dense bushes until he had a clear view of the scene. What he saw left him stunned.
Kushina Uzumaki was hanging upside-down from a rope, her legs stuck to it using chakra. She moved with remarkable finesse, her chakra control evident in every movement. The forest around her was serene, sunlight filtering through the canopy and casting dappled shadows on the ground. Birds chirped softly in the background, creating a peaceful ambiance that contrasted sharply with Kushina's frustrated yells.
As she walked along the rope, her concentration slipped, and she fell with a thud. "Ouch! The fuck, 'ttebane?!"
Jiraiya, standing nearby with an amused grin, clapped his hands. "Better than last time, Kushina. You're getting there."
Kushina pouted, rubbing her sore backside. "Now what, Pervy Sage?"
"Time for some calligraphy lessons," Jiraiya said, still smiling.
"Fuck," Kushina cursed under her breath. "Can't you research it yourself?"
"I can," Jiraiya replied. "But Sensei told me to teach you Sealing Arts."
"Gramps did?" She sighed heavily, picking up a stick and beginning to draw kanji on the ground.
Minato, hidden behind the bushes, watched with wide eyes. Why was Jiraiya-sama training her? Was he her Jōnin-sensei? He didn't think so. The way they interacted seemed different, more personal. His mind raced with questions, his heart pounding in his chest.
"You better teach me the Flying Thunder God technique, Pervy Sage," Kushina said, her tone half-demanding, half-pleading as she focused on her kanji.
"Tobirama Senju's technique?" Jiraiya asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes and no," Kushina replied, shaking her head. "My dad perfected it."
"Your dad, huh?" Jiraiya mused, frowning slightly. "Must be a genius to perfect it."
"Oooh, you have no idea, dattebane!" She grinned widely.
"But first, master Level Seven Sealing Arts," Jiraiya said, his tone serious now.
Kushina wiped sweat from her forehead, determination in her eyes. "Then it's time to cheat like a pro!" She declared, forming a cross hand sign with her fingers. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Minato gasped as hundreds of clones popped into existence around her, each one identical and ready for action.
"Yosh!" they chorused, wearing identical foxy grins as they began to draw kanji on the ground with sticks.
Jiraiya chuckled and settled down under a nearby tree, pulling out a scroll to write on. "Show off," he muttered, though there was a note of pride in his voice.
Minato felt a pang of jealousy. Here he was, training all alone with E-rank techniques, while Miss Uzumaki was getting special training from Jiraiya-sama himself. She must be special, he reasoned. She had the Shadow Clone Jutsu and was learning the Flying Thunder God technique. Was it because she was related to the Senju? The irony wasn't lost on him. He, too, was related to the Senju, the grandson of the Second Hokage, yet he relied on stipends and trained alone.
Shaking off his envy, Minato clenched his fists. "Time to train harder and surpass everyone that came before me. I'll do it alone if I have to. I'll create my own incredible jutsu." A determined grin spread across his face. "Maybe I'll name it Supersonic Death Dance Thunder Step Yellow Flash Barrage! Yep, that sounds like a cool name."
With renewed vigor, he returned to his training, the sounds of Kushina's energetic clones and Jiraiya's encouraging words fading into the background as he focused on his own path to greatness.
TBC