A/N Okay! Back at it again! This story will be the project I focus on in my free time for the foreseeable future. Although I don't really have much free time, so expect sporadic updates. Eventually, however, I believe this story will grow to a respectable length. Feel free to skip to the story, below is a short explanation of the butterfly effect and an example, I've also written down some key features you can expect from this story onward.
Let me do a quick rundown of the Butterfly Effect. In fan-fiction, this is when a - usually - small thing in the timeline happens differently, but it has far reaching consequences because that small change led to other small changes. The changes to the timeline spread in a ripple like fashion. They're oftentimes small, but they give rise to the "alternate universe". AU for short.
To make an example: How do you think Hinata would turn out if she never meets Naruto early on or in the academy, I can tell you she never does in this fic. Would the loss of Naruto's ever present confidence and positivity make her an even more withdrawn person? Or would she perhaps grow into her role as a clan heir without Naruto's presence acting like a crutch to her? It's difficult to say. Effects like this will be explored.
This story will feature: A worldly and fairly strong Naruto right of the bat. Detailed action. A well set up plot. A good amount of research on my part, I don't think you'll spot too many errors. A Time-skip. Foreshadowing. An actual plot. Some gore at times. A pretty large and varied cast of characters. A slight Alternate Universe caused by the Butterfly Effect. Good dialogue. Some character growth.
This story will not feature: Consistent updates, I'm very sorry about that. Little to no Cliches, if I actually end up doing a Cliche move, you can be damn sure I'll at the very least do a new spin on it. No Gary Stue. No Plot-armor, no prophecy stuff. No character-bashing. No Fan-girl fawning. No Fem-Kyuubi. No twelve year old's in serious relationships. There will be no time-travel. No Deus Ex Machina Jutsu. And lastly, there will very rarely be people shouting out their Jutsu before they use them. I just don't think it translates well into written form.
Now! On with the show!
Legacy Ascending
Prologue
Thump. Thump. Thump.
A young boy with clear blue eyes looked up inside the apartment. Three slow knocks, so soft one could hardly hear the raps. Truth be told, in Konoha there was only ever one person who actually knocked on his door, as the housekeeper would simply barge in. By an easy process of elimination, the boy concluded this could only be one person.
The youngster stepped over to the front door and opened it carefully. In front of him was a formal white-robed old man, standing at the second story porch of his apartment.
"Hello, Naruto-kun." The old Hokage's eyes crinkled with merriment.
"Jiji." The single word was filled with warmth. Naruto pushed the rest of the door open and gave the grandfatherly figure a hug. This breach of etiquette was something the old man didn't mind in the slightest. Therefore, Naruto never noticed the concealed ANBU squad watching them.
"Let's go inside Naruto-kun, I have important news." The Hokage said friendly, and took great amusement from how Naruto's eyes became bulbous at the mention of anything "important". He nodded quickly and took the Hokage by his sleeve; Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled and followed amiably.
The one-room apartment Naruto inhabited was a bare place, but he didn't mind that so much, he thought of his new home as pretty nice. The place only had the essentials, but he didn't mind. Compared to the orphanage, Naruto loved the apartment. He could handle being a bit lonesome, at least no one was mean to him here.
None of that was on his mind now, however.
Naruto's eyes were firmly glued to the old and venerable village leader as they sat down by the kitchen table, eager to know what the Hokage considered important. Sarutobi Hiruzen met his eyes and noted how the young boy held his gaze, Sarutobi was unsurprised. A normal child would not gaze so expectantly at him like Naruto was doing just now, but Uzumaki Naruto was not a normal child.
Indeed, Naruto was far removed from normalcy.
Not so much because of who he was and what he represented, in essence, that was not truly the issue. The real problem was how others perceived Naruto and his status. The child had by no means experienced a good or nurturing childhood so far, and it was Sarutobi's great fear that if left unattended much longer, something in the boy would break. That would not only be reprehensible morally, but neither could Hiruzen afford to have Konoha's only Jinchuriki snap.
If Naruto became unstable, he would be useless in the future. An unhinged Jinchuriki would only be a liability to Konoha.
A slight twitch on his furrowed forehead was the only thing that could clue someone in on the Hokage's increasingly morbid thoughts. With a resolute intake of breath, Hiruzen ended that train of thought. Today, he was here to help Uzumaki Naruto, the boy. Not the Jinchuriki of Konoha.
Hiruzen met eyes with the boy again, and was reminded of someone else for a brief moment. Even the gaze was familiar, the way Naruto was openly studying him with curiosity, the resemblance to his late father was uncanny. Naruto kept up the gaze even when the silence between them grew. He did not fidget or otherwise show any sign of impatience.
Hiruzen had taken note early on when Naruto had shown himself to be a rather quiet child, he only rarely made requests, he never cried, and lately seemed to not wish any attention on himself. Every time Hiruzen had come to the orphanage to pay a visit, the boy had seemed more and more withdrawn. This had for a long time now greatly displeased the famed Professor of the shinobi, although he was a hardened war veteran accustomed to making decisions between a greater and lesser evil, he nonetheless considered the treatment of the child in front of him deplorable.
Removing him from the Orphanage had been a very good idea, and he was glad he had pushed through with it despite the resistance certain circles had displayed. That gambit however, had been an easy ordeal compared to the trouble he had gone through with to see this next plan come to fruition. In truth, Hiruzen was still anxious about the events that were about to unfold, but he just couldn't see any other valid option.
Naruto had no guardians or adopted parents, he had no real friends or people who looked after him, no one to teach him anything. The lack of any adult role model and true friends were bad enough, but the outright disregard many of the villagers treated him with made Konoha a toxic environment for Naruto. None of the reprimands and fines he issued seemed to shake the ones repeatedly causing the boy problems. Which had driven Hiruzen to this last act of desperation. A gamble, really. One with high stakes.
Hiruzen hoped it would all be for the better in the end, but the uncertainty remained.
"Hmm, I think a cup of tea would do me good right about now," Hiruzen announced and stood back up. "How about you, Naruto-kun?" Hiruzen made sure to ask Naruto, very few people cared for the boy's opinion and wishes. It truly upset the wizened old man, neglect to such a degree could do far more than simply shatter a person's self-confidence and sense of worth - as if that alone was not bad enough.
Hiruzen's smile was just a tad melancholic when Naruto accepted a cup of tea with a self-conscious smile. All the more reason to realize the plan, Hiruzen mused.
While pouring water, Hiruzen tried to make some small talk.
"It's nice to do normal things once in a while. I have not brewed my own tea in years . . . there is a satisfaction in that, you know, in doing things yourself, even mundane things."
Naruto seemed to consider this, before he ventured to tell the grandfatherly figure how he made his own ramen by adding hot water to a premade cup every morning. The Hokage hummed in amusement. "Very good Naruto-kun, although you seem to be short on stock." The old man was referring to the near empty shelf of ramen cups.
Naruto dipped his head twice. The Hokage sighed and carried two cups filled with steaming tea to the table.
"On the topic of stocking up, Naruto-kun, I do have some more stipend money for you." He reached into his robes and pulled out a yellowed convolute and laid it next to Naruto's teacup.
"Thank you, Jiji." Naruto told him; however, there was a slight frown on his face.
"Something that bothers you?" The Hokage asked with a curious glint in his dark eyes. Naruto looked up, then down at the convolute again, before finally asking: "So soon?"
"Ah, yes, it has not been quite a month yet has it? Well, this will be the last time you get a stipend. Now, don't look so frightened. There has been a change in arrangements for you, don't look so glum. This is good news."
"How?" Naruto asked, he failed to see this as anything good. The Hokage hummed lowly to himself, before taking a sip of the tea. His face writhed in an expression of dislike, definitely not his best blend. He cleared his throat and began speaking:
"You will not live in the village very much longer Naruto-kun, you will be in someone else's company, a strong and capable man, who'll look after you and make sure that you grow up right. Of course, you will return someday, it's not like this is the last time we will see each other." The Hokage interrupted himself with a low chuckle. "This is only for a certain amount of time, a handful of years at most."
Naruto however, was not reassured. How could he leave Konoha, his only home? Leaving the only place he knew seemed horribly scary to him, he was still nervous about going for groceries down the street.
"I don't understand." The boy's voice was clearly upset, and his eyes shone with evident confusion.
The Hokage's eyes softened and he stretched a hand over the table to give a comforting squeeze on his shoulder. "It's partly my fault Naruto-kun; I have not been able to give you as much as I would have wanted to. However, this is to help you, believe that."
Naruto nodded hesitantly, Jiji was the only person Naruto could really trust. "But why?"
At this, a bone-weary sigh escaped the old man's lips. "People here, they just do not understand, they never did, and it's impossible for me to rectify anything, these conceptions of you have become the truth to them. I should have somehow made things clearer that day . . . Listen, Naruto-kun, staying in Konoha is just not a good solution for you, I'm sure you have noticed how everyone treats you the same way. This plan was the best I could do, even right now the council is conversing behind my back because they are in disagreement. Fortunately I am the Hokage, and when I make a decision, there is very little they can do to oppose it. I hope, that when you come back, people will see the error of what they have been doing. If not, then at least you will be of an age where you can handle it better."
The Hokage took a slight pause, Naruto now looked only more perplexed.
"There are things I shall not tell you today Naruto, in a few years maybe, but not now, it is not something a child should know. Let it be enough that I truly believe this is the best course of action for you."
Another pause ensued, and in his absentmindedness Hiruzen took another sip of the tea.
"Ugh, dreadful stuff, maybe some tasks are better left to others after all." He said and peered over at the child in front of him. Naruto was looking intently into his swirling tea cup, he had always seemed a rather contemplative boy.
"What about the Academy, Jiji? I was just about to enroll, I'm sure I could have made some friends and . . . and things would have gotten better, right?" The sad yet hopeful voice tore slightly at his conscience.
"Yes, they might have, but this plan is a safer bet." Hiruzen knew that Naruto's peers would no doubt carry the same bias against him.
Hanging with his head, Naruto tried to stymie the sudden pressure behind his eyes. Continuing the conversation from there was tough, but Hiruzen forced himself to carry on.
"You'll leave in two days, so be prepared to have what you need then, I imagine you at least won't have much luggage." The old man's eyes contained some of that earlier amusement for a small moment. Naruto dabbed angrily at his eyes with the sleeve of his T-shirt, before he tried to shove the envelope from earlier over to the Hokage, but a tanned and gnarled hand stopped him. There was power in that hand, Naruto could practically feel it.
"Please Naruto-kun, take it, consider it travel expenses." The Hokage peered at him Naruto quickly relented and felt very self-conscious again. The two sat together for a few more minutes, quietly drinking their tea. Until Naruto was bitten with a question that worried him. He took a quick look at the Hokage before he asked.
"Who'll be with me?" The Hokage looked at the boy over his teacup and smiled. A deep and warm smile.
"He is called Jiraiya of the Sannin."
xXx
Naruto had just finished what would be his last meal at Ichiraku ramen for a great deal of time, and for that reason, he had tried to eat enough to last him until he got back. Even as he hobbled down the road, his tummy feeling as if it would explode, he did not regret. He waved to the two ninja guards at the gate entrance as he passed, they actually waved back, and it lifted his mood somewhat.
Even though he trusted Jiji, he was still very much scared of leaving Konoha. Until recently, the village had been his entire world, Konoha was all he knew of. Despite the reassurances he had been given, he was still afraid of leaving everything, and the unknown world out there frightened him. However, he would still go, even though he didn't understand why, if he trusted no one else he still believed in the Sandaime.
"You look like a kicked puppy, hunching like that, what got in your panties?"
Naruto looked up; and standing there was Jiraiya, the toad sage. Jiji had told him a few stories about the veteran ninja, suffice to say Naruto was properly awed by them. If the few stories they had brushed past were true, then the man was already a hero in Naruto's eyes. Like the Hokage had described, twin streaks of red markings went from his eyes in a straight vertical line to his chin. His hair was white and long, and he was clothed in what Naruto deemed to be a red and white bath robe, with geto sandals to complete the look. Naruto was slightly intimidated by his looming height. The meeting would have been scary, but Jiraiya had an easy smile, and his eyes were open and honest.
"You don't look like much kid, then again, neither did he, I suppose." His voice was deep but friendly. Naruto looked himself down; he wore shorts and a t-shirt, and nothing more apart from his sandals and a backpack with some essentials. Glancing approvingly at his backpack, Jiraiya asked:
"Are you ready to go then, kid? We can get to know each other on the road; we have all the time in the world! It'll be great fun, just the two of us." For a moment, the large man seemed like a giddy child, and Naruto's already good impression of him rose. He might even be a friend one day, the thought made him smile. Naruto followed Jiraiya out of Konoha with a lot of his worries already put to rest.
He had no idea what laid in wait.
xXx
The two walked through the abundant lush green forests surrounding Konoha, Naruto was watching the scenery with large eyes; he had never been outside of Konoha before, everything past the walls was a new world to him. He would have run off to explore had it not been for Jiraiya, who had told me him there would be plenty of opportunities to do so later. The first few days Naruto spent his breaks exploring the nearby greenery, when they made camp those evenings he would also take a look around. Young as he was, Naruto was easily excited when he discovered something of note, like animal tracks and droppings, signposts, abandoned cartwheels, rusty kunai and shuriken left behind and so on and so forth.
Although Naruto's interest in the forestry eventually faded somewhat, he was kept occupied enough while travelling. With questions, riddles and lots of talk. It was good practice for him; Naruto rarely had anyone to talk to in Konoha.
"But how do you do it?" Naruto asked on their fifth day away, Jiraiya was showing off some rudimentary chakra control while walking.
"Oh, it's quite easy, at least to me, but I am the great Jiraiya-sama of course, simple chakra control is nothing to the great Toad sage of Mount Myoboku!" The toad sage exclaimed proudly, wagging his eyebrows. By now, Naruto had realized the man had a flair for drama and was overly proud to boot.
Naruto, now finally in the presence of someone who actually seemed to like conversing with him, was drawing up questions constantly. The bottomless pit of ignorance he carried within him was finally seeing some of its questions answered. At first he was slow and hesitant to ask, afraid he might draw Jiraiya's ire, as he had always done with anyone else, other than the Sandaime. But slowly and surely, Naruto opened up when he realized Jiraiya didn't mind questions or conversation in the slightest. To the contrary, he seemed to approve.
So, his new guardian had deemed it fit to give a demonstration of chakra control when the two had wandered onto the topic of chakra. Currently, Jiraiya was balancing several chopsticks on his fingers, perhaps not so incredible. But when he flipped his hand around and the chopsticks defied gravity itself to stick to his fingers, Naruto was well and truly impressed. He had been quick to try himself, and had promptly demanded to know the secret when he failed. Clucking to himself like a chicken, Jiraiya explained the theory behind the exercise.
"No, I can't do it." Naruto claimed after several attempts with no results, he shoved the chopstick back into his pocket. If he was completely honest with himself, Naruto was disappointed. He had wanted to channel chakra since the very first time he had heard of shinobi. But even after listening to Jiraiya's explanation and guidance, he still couldn't get a feel of his chakra at all. Jiraiya had described it as a very small, but warm core of energy. Something a minority of people could feel inside of them if they purposefully looked for it. Maybe he just didn't have whatever it was.
"Don't I have any chakra then?" There was a guarded tone to Naruto's voice, which Jiraiya caught. The kid seemed unconcerned on the surface, but he wanted to channel chakra as much as any other boy. Jiraiya was certain of that.
"No, every individual produces it to at least some degree. Most never notice it, it's too small to be noticed, which is probably a good thing. If they accidentally managed to mold chakra and used it unknowingly . . . with a very small and undisciplined chakra reservoir the incident could seriously maim them, or worse. But you have it, lots of it. I'm very sure of that" Jiraiya ended his tirade in a firm but not unkind voice.
"You just have to keep trying, giving up after a couple of tries is a bad habit. Try your utmost and give yourself some time to learn. I promise you there isn't a thing you can't do if you give yourself a chance. Show some guts."
Naruto nodded rapidly and soaked up the words. He was enjoying having someone to talk to, he felt reassured and motivated to try the exercise again.
"Listen, a great deal of time over the years is going to be spent walking about, It'll be a big part of your life here on out. So try and get used to it. It's better to have things to do and think about when travelling, try and find things to take your mind off the road you're on. Like this small exercise in chakra control, if you're bored then don't complain about it, instead find things to keep you occupied."
As the words washed over Naruto he seemed to become more introspective, several times now he had already begun to think the journey monotonous and boring. Jiraiya's words made him feel guilty, and determined to try and not waste any time being bored. Surely he could find some things to do.
"Anyhow," Jiraiya said, and Naruto noticed how his voice was more carefree now. "We'll arrive in Tani in a couple of days, honestly, the trip has taken a while. . . Of course, the reason we're going so slow is because your toddler legs are so small." The toad sage spoke with an amused glint in the eye. Naruto leapt to his defense immediately. "My legs not small!"
"Aren't small, is the word you'd use there. And don't outright deny stuff like that, sure way to lose your argument, brat!"
"I'm not a brat either!" Naruto puffed out indignantly.
Jiraiya laughed heartily.
"Oh, is that so? How old are you then, five years? Six?"
"Five and eight months!" Naruto told him heatedly, but felt an embarrassing red shade latch onto his face. "Where are we going again?" Naruto grumbled, mostly to get past the age comment.
"Tani, a village in river country. It's a good five day walk from Konoha to Tani, but still, would have been there by now if it weren't for the extra baggage." The last part he added sourly, and Jiraiya threw a mocking look at Naruto. The toad sage held up a hand to stem any outcry Naruto might have.
"Listen brat; keep at it with the chakra exercise, I'd recommend starting with a leaf first, it's easier that way."
Naruto nodded and decided to get started immediately.
However, Jiraiya quickly discovered that their already slow pace slowed down to a crawl when Naruto began focusing on the task. Jiraiya solved that problem by throwing Naruto up on his shoulders; he barely weighed anything to the sage. Other than a brief moment of surprise and resistance, Naruto did not object. That's how the two of them traveled down the road, Naruto sitting on Jiraiya's shoulders. Now trying to make a green leaf stay stuck to his skin with chakra, Jiraiya dished out some pointers occasionally.
Strange how it took Naruto a few months to actually realize he was receiving hands-on-training in the shinobi arts from a master.
xXx
It took Naruto a while to get used to life on the road, it was different from living in Konoha, and it was, to his great joy and surprise, a lot more fun. In Konoha he was always bored and looking for things to do, he was always alone, the people there avoided him and tried not to look at him.
Jiraiya looked at him. He was nice too, most of the time.
Compared to Life in Konoha, travel-life was infinitely more carefree and enriching. Although they spent a lot of their time journeying around, Naruto always had something to do, and more often than not, his days were filled with new and exciting things. New people to meet, new places to see and explore, different foods to taste and different things to learn.
The first month away from the village Naruto spent in a very busy manner, Jiraiya really made good on his word in that regard. It was quickly made clear that Naruto had never had any adult role model, or any consistent person in his life who could teach him any life skills. He had never been taught any values, never been explained how to treat people, or how to behave.
It upset Jiraiya how easy it was to remedy many of these things, but there had never been anyone to do it in Konoha. He wondered what kind of life Naruto would have been forced to endure had he stayed in the village. In hindsight, he had to agree with Sarutobi's decision to put the young boy in his charge.
The educator in him was especially angry at the blatant oversight, they had taken away Naruto's right to learn in many ways. Upset as he was, there was nothing to do but to remedy the boy, and Jiraiya did so with a passion. It became a habit for Jiraiya to point out things for Naruto, things no one had ever bothered to correct him on.
"You should try and hold the chopsticks like this, Naruto, it's easier this way."
Shifting his grip to mimic Jiraiya, Naruto gave it a try.
"Hmm, you're right, it's easier, I never knew."
In this manner, Jiraiya began to steadily fill in Naruto's knowledge gaps. During their stay in Tani, Naruto was stuffed with so much new things to learn he was a tad bit overwhelmed. In addition to the experience of being in a foreign village, Jiraiya spent almost a month there teaching Naruto how to read and write, simple addition, subtraction, some Geography over the elemental nations, and also a good bit of calligraphy.
All of it knowledge and skills Naruto would have great use of later in life, according to Jiraiya. Exhausting as his workload was, Naruto also thought it was very fun, and although it became duller after the novelty wore off, he persevered to the best of his ability.
Naruto became incredibly pleased with himself, when he early on in their stay in Tani managed to manipulate chakra. It was a tiny feat, really, making a leaf stick to your forehead with chakra was some of the simplest things you could do in the field. To Naruto however, it was a big success after a long period of arduous work. More than that, it confirmed that he could actually channel chakra, he had actually felt it that time, simmering deep inside of him.
Chakra.
Moreover, chakra he could use and manipulate.
In time, he might even get good at it.
With all of this, Naruto was kept occupied. It was strange, how once, Naruto had had too much spare time; now he relished the few moments of free time that he had. He spent a big part of this time walking around in Tani, exploring the village was a fun experience. Although he was not allowed to stay outside after dusk, Jiraiya was strict on that.
The old man himself would often times disappear around the evenings though. He explained it was for research purposes, for literature. Naruto swallowed that, although he was not quite sure why Jiraiya had a tendency to smell of alcohol after his research.
Their month long stay in Tani was over faster than Naruto thought at all possible. Time had never gone by so fast before in his life, yet at the same time he felt like he had done so much during that month-long period. The two feelings were strangely conflicting.
Their leave taking was unceremonious and sudden. The day before Jiraiya had simply declared they would leave Tani at first light next morning. And they did, Naruto only brought essential items, some provisions, a few books Jiraiya had gotten him, and his writing instruments and paper. He still had his saved up money and the last stipend the Hokage had given him safely secured in his frog wallet, gamma-chan.
Back on the road again, Naruto walked beside Jiraiya with a spring to his step. He was excited to see new things on their new journey, additionally, he was curious about their next destination. This seemingly boundless energy did – thankfully for Jiraiya – wear off towards the evening. At that time he tried to work with what little chakra control he had.
Naruto began to focus and slowly, very slowly, molded the necessary chakra. Suddenly the clothing around his arms and torso became very snug, the textile clung tightly to him as if it had a will of its own. Naruto released the chakra and the suction immediately disappeared. He let out a small breath and prepared to do the exercise again. Like with any other skill, the more he used chakra the better he got at it. Jiraiya recommended he do some exercises several times a day, every day. Preferably in new and creative ways every now and then.
The next morning, Jiraiya woke Naruto early and introduced him to Taijutsu.
"Okay kid, let's see how you do with your brawns compared to your brains." Jiraiya spoke, and motioned for the still sleepy Naruto to come a bit closer.
They were on a grassy field, with the rising sun giving off some much needed heat.
"All right, like always we'll begin with the absolute basic. Look at me and do as I do. See my feet? Good, now put your hand…-"
For the next hour, Naruto went through several different postures. He really tried his best to emulate Jiraiya, but he still missed the finer details of each stance – which annoyed him. Take for instance, weight distribution, apparently it was important how much weight you put on each leg, and where you put it. Luckily, Jiraiya could tell with a glance when he did things wrong, and he did not hold back in correcting him.
Naruto became impressed every time Jiraiya shifted stances, he did it seamlessly and faster than Naruto could blink. As for himself, He knew it would take a minute or so for him to copy just one of those, and even then he would probably miss a couple of details.
Muscle memory is awesome.
Renewing his focus, Naruto took a deep breath and tried to mimic Jiraiya's pristine example once more.
As the two continued their travels, a pattern was starting to reveal itself. When out on the road, Naruto had his early warm-up and Taijutsu lessons with Jiraiya, followed by a primitive wash – water, soap and a washcloth – and breakfast. The two of them would then quickly break camp and head out on the road. A major part of Naruto's education and theoretical skill set was developed while on the road with Jiraiya.
The man had an undeniably vast well of knowledge, and he made sure to impart bucket loads of it to Naruto. When Jiraiya was not teaching theory or reviewing things his charge had been tasked to read or do, Naruto would try and familiarize himself more with his chakra – something he did when he got bored as well.
When they camped for the evening the two would cook up something tasty. After dinner, the pair would delve into their own branch of activities. For Jiraiya this usually consisted of writing in his books, delirious chuckles and laughter often accompanied this activity. Having taken to heart Jiraiya's words on meaningless boredom, Naruto would always plan ahead and have something to do before nightfall.
Like practicing Taijutsu forms, chakra control exercises, improving his calligraphy, his mathematics or some simple reading. The titles he read would vary, Rhetoric for Beginners, The Origins of Shinobi and Applications of Toxins, Poisons and Acids, to give a few examples. Naruto never developed a true passion for books, but he saw the value in them, and he would never say he disliked reading either.
When staying in a small village or a city however, the pattern would change. Naruto would sleep in for one, mostly due to Jiraiya disappearing for the vast amount of the mornings. He never revealed what for, even though Naruto asked more than once. These free mornings were a nice respite for him, waking early every day was taxing in the long run. He would often use them to explore the nearby area, whether he was in a rural hamlet or a bustling city.
There were always things to see and people to talk to. Jiraiya would usually pop in a bit after noon, the man would normally want a meal before getting around to teach him some more Taijutsu. After which followed an hour of theoretical work, a break, then two hours of exercise and theory on chakra. After dinner Naruto was left to do with the rest of the day as he pleased.
Time began to pass, but that pattern held strong. While it's untrue to say no incident of note ever happened, that pattern would only be slightly altered and added on throughout the years spent on the road. As Naruto aged, his lessons increased in difficulty and complexity. Suddenly he was being taught combat strategy, not geography. Calligraphy was exchanged with Fuuinjutsu. His Taijutsu sessions became increasingly tough, and soon enough Jiraiya began to add weapons into the mix. The lessons on chakra theory became more extensive and diverse with each year passing.
The days bled into each other and time blurred by.
xXx
Six years later
The Hokage of Konoha was in a thoughtful state of mind. He was sitting behind his desk in the Hokage tower while puffing his pipe absentmindedly. He was apprehensive to be sure, but he also felt expectant. Earlier he had been informed that a rather peculiar duo was on route to the village. A tall white haired man, easily distinguished as Jiraiya of the Sannin. Accompanying him was a boy, he seemed completely normal and out of place in the presence of the sage. At their set pace they would arrive in three days' time.
That was the information given to him by the perimeter scouts.
It was also the reason behind his introspective state.
The Sandaime had long been awaiting the return of his former student and his charge, now that the day was finally upon him he felt excited. The pair had gone completely of the grid almost seven years ago now, Jiraiya had done so on his orders – and after a great deal of convincing.
Jiraiya still had his spy system in place – somehow he had found the time for it –, which was the only reason Hiruzen had gotten any updates on the two over the years. Both he and Jiraiya had agreed any direct contact should be avoided. Moreover, they had also come to the conclusion that they should mention as little of Naruto as possible in their missives to each other. It left Hiruzen with a very poor understanding of the boy, now, years later. However, if any of those missives had been compromised with valuable knowledge on the nine-tailed Jinchuriki . . . Suffice to say, Hiruzen had not dared take that chance, in this case it had been better to stay uninformed.
When Jiraiya arrived he would have him thoroughly debriefed. Very thoroughly. Naruto would also have to be tested, in more ways than one. Once he had all the necessary information, he would decide on a plan of action, and quickly too. Before events caught up with him.
He knew very well that that he couldn't hide Naruto's presence in the village from the public for very long. A few weeks at most. But with all the things he had in mind for the boy, hiding him away was not one of them. After all, Naruto was almost always the linchpin in his plans. In what manner and way would become clear by the end of the week, if not sooner. It all depended on the boy himself.
How had Naruto matured?
His earlier apprehension remained, but an eager anticipation had begun to take shape in him. Whatever the results, things would finally resolve themselves, in one way or another. Certainly, all the variables worried him, but at this point he was simply eager to have it done. Year-old schemes and plans were about to come out of the waterworks. In a few days he would set things in motion.
He gave a small chuckle, no one would see this coming.
A/N Was it good? Bad? I hope not too many left due to some improper grammar or spelling on my behalf. I am by no means a native English speaker, I only hope you can bear with it.
Either way, hope you enjoyed the first chappie. Post a review if you want to fuel my inspiration, so to speak.
The Epic Pen, signing off. Pun intended.