Betrayal

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shippuden.

Chapter 6

There was a surplus of reactions when the swift execution took place in front of the onlookers. The most noticeable, though, was Danzo's look of grudging respect toward Hiruzen. He always believed his former teammate to be too soft.

"Hokage-sama! What is this? What have you done?" exclaimed Hotaru, one of the civilian council representatives. Shock and fear were visible on Hotaru's features as he stared down at the bloody scene in the middle of the room.

His voice was only a little more than a whisper but he might as well have screamed. The room was silent; everyone was speechless and showed various degrees of surprise at what just occurred.

It was a gruesome sight. The party of seven had been cut all over. Blood gushed from their exposed wounds, staining the surface beneath. It flowed like a lazy river, pooling around the massacred men. Orochimaru had not been merciful with his strikes. Their bodies lay mutilated upon the wooden floor; dismembered limbs were strewn haphazardly, intestines were pouring out from some of the deeper gashes, and looks of stricken horror were cemented on their faces.

The worst of the damage, though, had been dealt to the Anbu. Tori, Ushi, Nezumi, and Inu. They were some of the best Shinobi the Anbu Black Ops had to offer.

But their lives had been taken within a moment's notice. Even with all the years of dedication they put into their careers as Shinobi, the Anbu could not hope to shield themselves from someone like Orochimaru. The snake-like man had taken the liberty to sever each of their heads, their masks coming off in the process, and exposing the shock-ridden faces of the perpetrators. Their eyes remained wide open and lifeless as they seemed to stare at their spectators.

Hiruzen had a pensive look on his face as he gazed over the carnage that lay before him. His eyes were still hard but there was a semblance of sadness in them now. The ones who had just been executed were members of his village after all. And he thought of each and every resident of the village as family.

"Hokage-sama, do not be silent. Why have you done this?"

"This was unprecedented! I demand that you—"

The two civilian council representatives were becoming increasingly presumptuous and Tsunade had enough. She slammed her fist on the wooden desk causing a spider web of cracks to spread where her appendage landed.

"Shut it!" She exclaimed.

Her irritation was salient, one could practically see the fire burning in her eyes, ready to incinerate the first thing it came in contact with. The two civilians flinched when they met her gaze.

"Are you seriously that daft? These men nearly killed a child! Or do you mean to say because the child in question is Uzumaki Naruto that the circumstances are somehow different?"

With their underlying resentment now out in the open, the civilians were rendered speechless. The tension in the room was now more palpable when Naruto's name was mentioned once more.

At the mention of the boy's name, Jiraiya finally looked up at the council for the first time. The entire time he had been sitting callously, his head propped up against his right fist, staring at some random spot on the floor. He hadn't glanced at the perpetrators when they were brought in and didn't bat an eye when they were executed.

"Hokage-sama, I believe it would be prudent if you informed all of us on the details of their crimes." Stated the ever logical voice of Nara Shikaku.

His surprise at the brutal execution was clearly evident, much like the other major clan heads; everyone was certainly in a state of nonplus. They haven't seen their leader act this cold since the days of the Daisanji Ninkai Taisen (Third Shinobi World War). The Sandaime hardly ever held executions.

"Very well," Hiruzen said with a sigh. "Yesterday, Uzumaki Naruto was returning to the orphanage when some of the villagers began to torment him, screaming foul things including insults pertaining to the Kyuubi."

Hiruzen paused. He looked around the room, gauging their reactions. At the mention of the demon, some soured and others were fearful. Perhaps it was for themselves or perhaps it was because of the law set in place three years ago. Hiruzen had outlawed any mention of the Kyuubi no Kitsune in order to keep Naruto unaware until the time was right. Evidently, the villagers did not heed his ruling.

"Then the three civilian men here," he stated, stoically gesturing to the pile of dead bodies as if they were something cumbersome. "Took it upon themselves to beat the innocent boy to the brink of death. And the Anbu had specific instructions to keep him safe, which they neglected. If you all saw the wounds he bears…"

Hiruzen trailed off but he saw some minute understanding appearing on the faces of the Shinobi council. The civilians, on the other hand, still showed barely restrained hatred. They simply would not see reason.

"Sensei, if I may," Jiraiya inquired, speaking for the first time. His voice was low and cautious. The bloody image of Naruto left to die seemed to be embedded in his mind. At Hiruzen's immediate nod, the toad sage spoke again.

"Naruto is the container of the Kyuubi. That is all any of you can see," He snarled, anger now visibly pulsating in his eyes. Before anyone could voice their protests, he continued. "But he's also just a kid. What if it were one of your children who were beaten like this? You'd all be singing a different tune, wouldn't you? So let me make this clear, if anyone ever pulls this kind of shit again… I will kill you."

With the looming threat now in the air, Jiraiya got up and made his way to the front of the door. He grabbed a hold of the handle but wavered. Looking up briefly, he caught the slitted eye of his close friend and teammate, Orochimaru. Jiraiya nodded once at him, receiving the same gesture in return before he exited the room.

With Jiraiya's abrupt message and departure, the inhabitants in the room gradually began to file out. His intentions were clear enough that no further discussion was required. Soon enough, only the Anbu Commander, Tsunade, and Orochimaru were in the room with Hiruzen. They were only a little unsettled when Orochimaru approached Hiruzen after swallowing his blade, the blood still present on its edge, and licking his lips with that abnormally long tongue.

"So tell me about this Uzumaki Naruto."

The Next Week

The birds were chirping and the morning sun began to peek through the trees. The streets were tranquil; the only signs of life were the sleepy shop owners making their way to start another day. A few Shinobi were making their way back into the village after a mission. Everything was quiet.

Well, not everything.

"Naruto! Wake up! Where's my history homework?!" Screamed a frantic Anko. Her yelling reverberated around the entire orphanage but she paid no mind to the complaints from the other inhabitants. She was running around the room she shared with Naruto, checking every nook and cranny for her misplaced assignment.

The commotion caused a sleeping Naruto to wake from his slumber. He sat up lazily and rubbed one of his eyes with a fist and tried to make sense of the ruckus being caused by his best friend. Yawning loudly, the tired blonde plopped back down onto his pillow in hopes for a few more hours of sleep.

"NARUTO!"

The boy in question sighed before slapping his cheeks a few times and got up for good this time.

"Whaddya want?" he groans out, peeking out at her from half-lidded eyes.

"My homework, idiot. Help me find it."

Letting out another groan, Naruto swung his legs off the bed and looked around the room. His side of the room was pretty clean; sure there were one or two or maybe five instant ramen cups laying around but that's no big deal. Anko's room on the other hand…was not pretty, to say the least. Her clothes were strewn around everywhere, her bed looked like a mini tornado hit it, and there were dango sticks all over the floor. It's a miracle she hasn't punctured her foot yet.

Directing his attention to the foot of her bed, a plate of half-eaten dango lay deserted. And sure enough, there were some papers underneath it.

"Is that it?" He asked, pointing at the papers.

"Yes! Thank Kami!" She exclaimed excitedly, snatching up the papers and shoving them into her bag.

"You mean 'thank Naruto.'"

"Shut up, gaki."

This was a pretty average morning in the orphanage. Soon enough, Jōnetsu would barge in and yell at them to quiet down before the ruckus began anew. Then she would come back again and give them a stern look before herding them to breakfast.

"So when are you gonna teach me all these cool Shinobi things you're learning?" Naruto questioned, his mouth full of food.

"Chew before you talk, Naruto," Jōnetsu berated, not looking up at him as she read a newspaper and sipped her tea.

"When I actually learn something," Anko said exasperatedly, rolling her eyes. "We haven't even learned any jutsu or how to throw shuriken. But flower arranging is so important."

"It's been a week, Anko. Give it some time. I'm sure you'll learn the things you're so eager to soon," Jōnetsu placated. "And finish eating. You're going to be late."

Glancing at the clock, Anko's eyes went wide and she shoveled the rest of her breakfast into her mouth before running out, screaming her goodbyes.

As soon as Anko was gone, the smile fell off Naruto's face. And it didn't go unnoticed either. This happened every time Anko was not present. Naruto would sit around with a blank face. It was almost as if he was trying to be strong for Anko. Jōnetsu wouldn't be surprised if he was; Naruto was always very mature for his age and after the incident, he had become much quieter.

His bandages had come off yesterday. The regenerative ability of the Kyuubi given to Naruto was truly something to marvel at. Within a few days, the gashes on Naruto's chest and arms were healed and were already fading. Except for one. Jōnetsu eyed the light pink scar marring his right temple, grazing his brow and reaching just below his cheekbone. She wanted to cry every time she looked at it; he was far too young to bear such gruesome scars.

"What do you want to do today, Naruto-kun?"

His response was a slight shrug making Jōnetsu release a forlorn sigh. She hardly recognized the boy in front of her. He was once so joyous and full of energy but all of that seemed to be sucked out of him within the past week. And with good reason too. What he went through was… unspeakable.

Jōnetsu watched with him pick at the remainder of his food with a frown. No matter what she tried, Naruto would not snap out of his mood unless Anko was there. And even then he was putting up a facade. While she was away, Naruto didn't read the Shinobi Arts books she got for him, or his manga, or go outside. He didn't do much of anything. Whenever she went to go check up on him, she always found him lying in his bed staring at the ceiling. Jōnetsu was getting worried; this type of behavior wasn't normal.

The two were broken out of their thoughts when they heard a knock at the entrance of the room.

The blinding smile of Jiraiya greeted the two.

"Hey, hey. Good morning."

The sight of the Sannin brought a ghost of a smile to Naruto's face. Jōnetsu was glad to see him smiling for once. It was a genuine one too; the first of the week. She could see the familiar sparkle in Naruto's cerulean eyes albeit less bright than his usual self. The little twinkle in his eyes seemed to shine a little brighter when another figure stepped into the room from behind Jiraiya's large figure.

"Hello, Naruto-kun. Sorry for not visiting sooner."

Tsunade was a sight for sore eyes. Her amber eyes seemed to be glowing in the morning light. She wasn't known as the most beautiful kunoichi under a false pretense. Tsunade greeted Jōnetsu with a nod before smiling tenderly at the younger blonde. Naruto hopped out of his chair and rushed up to the two before wrapping his arms around Tsunade's neck when she crouched down. Jiraiya bent down and ruffled Naruto's hair with a large smile on his face.

The sight of the two Sannin filled Jōnetsu with nostalgia. She could remember when the two famous Shinobi in front of her were just green academy graduates ready to begin their careers with Hiruzen.

Then a thought struck her. Jōnetsu looked at the three with wide-eyes. Their laughs. Their mannerisms. Their interactions. It was almost as if Jiraiya and Tsunade were Naruto's…

She broke out of her stupor when Tsunade spoke again.

"Jōnetsu-san, would you mind if we took Naruto out for a walk?" The blonde beauty looked up at her while Naruto poked at the scroll on Jiraiya's back making the tall man laugh.

She was taken aback at the sudden request but acquiesced at Naruto's hopeful look. It seems Naruto had found two more people that he really trusted. Jōnetsu knew she should be happy for him but couldn't quell the subtle sting of envy rising inside her. She was the one who was always there for him since he was less than a day old. Naruto had never been trusting. He was always wary of everyone in the orphanage save for her and Anko, of course. Even as a toddler he would not stop crying unless she was the one to feed him.

When the three departed, Jōnetsu stared at the doorway for an indeterminate amount of time before she let out a sigh and began clearing the dishes off the table.

-xotwod-

The trio had decided to go up to the platform above the stone faces. Jiraiya was aghast when he learned that Naruto had never been up there. 'It's the best view you could get!' He had insisted. There were no complaints from Naruto at that proclamation.

The young blonde was currently laughing his heart out.

"You havin' fun, Naruto?" Questioned an amused Jiraiya, turning his head back to look at him.

"Yeah!"

Forgoing walking, Jiraiya insisted they travel the Shinobi way. After withstanding a threat from Tsunade if he got Naruto hurt, they departed. Naruto was currently clinging to Jiraiya's neck from his position on the toad sage's back. He and Tsunade were jumping from rooftop to rooftop before scaling the tall mountain to get to their destination.

Naruto seemed to be having the time of his life, never having moved this fast before. He relished the feel of the wind blowing through his hair. The stress on his mind was completely gone for the time being.

Landing atop the cliff, Jiraiya set Naruto down and watched as the little boy stepped closer to the edge and adorn a look of awe when he took in the breathtaking sight of the village. All the buildings seemed like they were toys from all the way up here. Naruto regaled at how far he could see and in the sight of the multicolored roofs. It was quite beautiful the way the morning light shined on the trees and the buildings that surrounded the village. There was a feeling of warmth arising in him when he regarded how the light made the stone monument almost glow. It was powerful and calming the way the Hokage always looked over the village.

"It's an amazing view, huh?" Tsunade said, as she and Jiraiya moved to stand beside Naruto. "I can never get tired of it. Especially when I'm up here watching the sunset."

"Can we come here to watch it one day?" Naruto asked, turning his gaze away from the view for the first time and looking up hopefully at the two adults, as if they could refute his request.

"Of course we can," Tsunade replied, reaching out and brushing some of Naruto's unruly hair to the side. Naruto smiled, leaning into her touch, and turned to appreciate the magnificent view some more.

Unfortunately, the peaceful moment had to be disturbed by the need to bring up pressing matters. Jiraiya and Tsunade had discussed with Hiruzen that they themselves would talk to Naruto about the incident in the past week. Even though the old Hokage had insisted he would take care of it personally, Jiraiya was adamant. There was no possible way he would let Hiruzen scare Naruto more than he already was. He couldn't bear the thought of Naruto suffering even more.

"Naruto, I'm so sorry about what happened to you." Jiraiya began. He could see Naruto stiffen and look down but he steeled his resolve and continued. It had to be done. "What those men did… it's disgusting. But rest assured, they've been taken care of. And I promise you no one will ever think about doing something like that ever again."

Naruto nodded slightly, feeling a bit of relief at the man's words. He continued to stare at his feet and relaxed slightly but his shoulders were still tense, no doubt recalling what happened to him. Tsunade couldn't help but take action seeing him like this. She crouched down and placed her hands on his shoulders, trying to get him to look at her but he still would not meet her gaze.

"Naruto, honey," she pressed on, gently lifting his chin and guiding him to meet her gaze. She saw that his beautiful cerulean eyes were beginning to line with tears making Tsunade's heart clench. "Jiraiya and I are not going to let anything happen to you. We care about you very much."

Naruto was deeply touched by her and Jiraiya's words. His bottom lip started to quiver as he shifted his gaze back and forth between the two Sannin, seeing only genuine looks of sympathy, affection, and promise on their faces. He let out a ragged breath and gave them a watery smile, a few tears trailing down his cheeks and dropping to the ground below him.

"Arigato…" His voice just above a whisper. He bit at his lower lip, his eyes had fallen shut and his chin was quivering. They then fell into a comfortable silence, the Sannin stood right behind him providing Naruto with reassurance and comfort for as long as he would need it.

"Naruto, there was something else we had to talk to you about." Jiraiya stated. He was clearly wary about surfacing this topic judging from the way his eyes were trained on some random object in the distance and not Naruto. The blonde in question was looking up at the white-haired man, confusion present in his eyes. "Did you see anything… strange while you were unconscious? Or remember how you felt?"

It was clear to see that Jiraiya's posed question triggered something in Naruto judging from the way a myriad of emotions flashed on his face—fear, the most prevalent. The young boy's hands began to tremble and he clutched the hems of his shorts tightly, as if seeking consolation from the fabric.

"I'm scared," he spoke, his voice wavering. Tsunade and Jiraiya were now both holding them in their grasp trying to calm him down.

"What are you afraid of, my love?" Came the soothing voice of Tsunade. She gazed at him with compassion and reached out to cup his face. She caressed his cheek with her thumb, applying just a hint of pressure to brush away the tear tracks before they formed.

"I saw the Kyuubi," Naruto admitted timidly, his voice wavering. His shoulders were visibly moving from the shivers that wracked his body.

He was now gripping his shorts even tighter, twisting the cloth in his small fists. The mention of the demon fox caused the two Sannin to exchange worried glances. They were beginning to get uneasy and worried about what Naruto might've experienced.

His trembling had momentarily come to a stop but cold sweat began to trickle down his neck when he recalled what happened. When Naruto calmed down a bit, he began to explain.

"It was really, really big. I woke up in this dark room and then I followed this red fog to a huge door with bars on it. And then I saw these big, red eyes looking at me through the bars. Then the room lit up and I saw the Kyuubi inside. And then, and then…"

Naruto trailed off. Jiraiya and Tsunade looked on, slowly becoming more and more afraid of what Naruto would say. They could do nothing but watch as the young blonde took several deep breaths before continuing.

"When it told me what it was, I had no idea what was going on. So I told him my name,"

That caused Jiraiya to throw his head back and laugh out loud. Tsunade had one hand on Jiraiya's arm and another on her knee as she bent over and let out her own share of laughs. The absurdity of the situation in comparison to the seriousness of it all was unreal. And the way Naruto had worded the happenings of such an encounter was too much for the seasoned Shinobi.

Seeing the two adults laugh eased Naruto's mind tremendously. A small smile tugged at his lips before he, too, began to laugh along with them.

"The Kyuubi then said something about being sealed inside me by the Yon… Yon-Dai-Me Hokage. I don't know what that means," Naruto relayed after regaining his wits, carefully enunciating the title of their late Hokage. He still had trouble pronouncing longer words despite having a far above average speaking pattern for his age. "I think it was a dream. It had to be. The Yondaime killed the Kyuubi. But it all felt so real."

A somber atmosphere fills the area when Naruto finishes his explanation. Gone were any traces of the mirth from just moments ago. In its places were frowns and looks of concern. Naruto was staring out in the distance, towards the main gates of the village, with a dazed look on his face as he dwelled on his visions, trying to make any plausible sense of them.

Jiraiya had inhaled sharply at the mention of Minato. Naruto knew a dangerous amount of information but fortunately, he wasn't unable to understand most of it. Yet.

'Shit! Why did that damn fox have to go and say all that?'The toad sage cursed internally.

Unbeknownst to the three-year-old, the two Sannin were now having a stare off. Their faces were lined with worry as they held a conversation between their eyes. Dark brown against a bright amber. Anticipating his childish curiosity, Naruto would want to know more and they had to give him a response that would satisfy him and at the same time deter him from seeking more information. There was no telling what would happen if Naruto found out that the Kyuubi was actually sealed within him.

Their silent conversation had come to an end when Tsunade closed her eyes and nodded once, releasing a sigh, and raised a hand to massage her temple. They were going to lie.

She didn't like the idea, and from the looks of it, Jiraiya didn't either. It would disconcert them for a while having to lie to the innocent little boy this early in their budding relationship. But it had to be done. The only saving grace for this was that it would be for Naruto's benefit.

'This must be what Sarutobi-sensei goes through,' was Tsunade's last thought before she and Jiraiya turned to Naruto in hopes that their explanation would settle him.

Jōnetsu watched with a small smile as Anko bustled around the room gathering her school work.

'Dear child,' Jōnetsu thought fondly, shaking her head slightly. She didn't know how Anko did it every morning but she managed to always leave the gathering of her school materials for the last possible minute. And for the life of her, she hadn't the faintest clue how the papers managed to get into some of the oddest places in her room. Jōnetsu averted her gaze to Naruto and the smile instantly fell off her face.

He was laying flat on his bed, the sheets tossed haphazardly, with his arms positioned under his head. The boy's eyes were tinged red and he stared up at the ceiling, a dazed look on his features. He was becoming more and more distant from them. Even with Anko, Naruto talked far less but did grace her with a smile every once in a while to let her know he was all right. Jōnetsu tried repeatedly to snap him out of his trance but to no avail.

For the past week, Naruto had been going out nearly every day with Tsunade and Jiraiya. And always at the same time too. Moments after Anko left for the academy, the Sannin would show up all smiley-faced and bright-eyed and Naruto would run into their arms every time. And much to her ire, the only time Naruto showed any semblance of his former self was when he was with them.

Today was no different.

"See ya later, Jōnetsu-san," came the cheery voice of Jiraiya.

And just like that, they were gone.

-xotwod-

Two Years Later

Tsunade sat with her back against a great tree that provided some much required shade on this blistering summer day. She basked in the coolness it provided. There was nothing quite like the heat in the middle of July. She was sitting on a field on private Senju grounds that was bountiful in trees that were much livelier than any other. They were grown by her grandfather, Senju Hashirama, after all. The Mokuton, the most coveted and rare Kekkei Genkai, not to mention powerful, made the wood seem as if it were emanating a calming draught to its bystanders. Just like Hashirama's presence used to.

There was a lake not far from where Tsunade was seated. It was as flat as a finely made mirror and lay without a ripple in the sky-blue water save for when a drifting sakura petal found its way onto the surface. From the tall flowering trees around the edge came a soft rustling of branches when the breeze took its course and the pleasant sounds of a few bird chirping.

But nature wasn't the most interesting thing about the clearing. No, not quite.

For Tsunade, watching Naruto and Jiraiya hash it out was far more riveting. She watched with a smile adorning her beautiful face as Naruto, the boy that grew to be such a huge part of her life, and her heart, practiced his taijutsu with her—with Jiraiya. Shaking her head and blaming it on the heat, Tsunade refocused on the scene in front of her. Her smile widened when she saw Naruto jump and throw a roundhouse kick to Jiraiya's head who in turn parried with his right forearm before leaping to throw a punch of his own.

They both wore wide grins, clearly enjoying themselves, as they trained under the heat of the sun. Sweat fell from their bodies with each of their rapid movements and soaked the grass below them. The slug sannin continued to watch them until their session came to an end. She laughed when Naruto yanked off his shirt and pants and jumped into the lake for some much deserved refreshment. A fond look, along with an undertone of a red hue, crossed her features when Jiraiya shortly followed, thoroughly splashing the laughing blonde boy.

Naruto was five-years-old now. He's gotten a few inches taller, now standing a little above her waist. His hair had grown slightly longer, reaching just below his earlobe, but she made him trim it every so often, much to both Naruto and Jiraiya's dismay. Jiraiya wanted to teach Naruto his Hari Jizō (Needle Jizo) technique along with all of its variations, much to her bemusement. But he relented, admittedly with a pout on his face, when she told him they'd have all the time in the world for that when Naruto was older. However, it saddened her when she thought about why Naruto wanted to keep it long.

The only scar of his that hadn't faded, or rather it couldn't fade, was the one marring his temple. The wound had been deep, the deepest of all of his gashes. Milky white in color and about half an inch wide, the scar was like a jagged crescent moon curving the side of his face. She could recall all the blood that caked his face and pooled around him when she and Jiraiya had found him after his… accident. Although, accident wouldn't be the right word.

Naruto was terribly ashamed of his scar. His insecurity ran deep because he thought of it as an imperfection; it was a constant reminder of what he went through two years ago. So, to avoid questions and more importantly, mask his own diffidence, Naruto opted to let his hair grow out. It was skewed to the right, covering his scar, and reaching just below his cheekbone.

'It's a good look for him,' Tsunade thought. And it really was. There was no doubt in her mind that Naruto would become quite the womanizer. But it was a real tragedy that one of his beautiful cerulean orbs was hidden from the world. Tsunade absolutely adored his eyes.

She could always recall where Naruto had a troubled look on his face while he traced his scar. Even after all this time, neither she nor Jiraiya could get him to discuss what exactly it was that he was thinking about during those instances. Their only peace of mind stemmed from how Naruto began to laugh and talk more animatedly again after their third or fourth time spending the day together. And it shed light on one of Naruto's hidden talents.

She remembered the day vividly…

After bidding Jōnetsu goodbye, Jiraiya and Tsunade took Naruto to Konoha's Central Park. Jiraiya had bought the three of them an ice cream cone, which they were enjoying while sitting on a bench under the shade of a cherry blossom tree. The villagers did not dare look at Naruto with any sort of malice lest they face the combined wrath of the two Sannin.

Naruto was always eager to listen to the stories during their time as a team. So, now and again, Tsunade and Jiraiya would beguile him with some of the tales they found the most memorable or humourous. They would save the more gruesome memories for a later time.

During one particular story about the production of one of his books, much to Tsunade's displeasure, Jiraiya was getting a little bit too into it with all of his dramatic gestures.

"And then I told him to suck my—"

A quick slap on the arm from an irritated Tsunade caused Jiraiya to startle and throw the book in his hand in the air. It landed between two branches in the tree above them. He began to laugh sheepishly at the pointed glare he was receiving from Tsunade before moving to standing up and retrieve the novel.

"I got it!" exclaimed Naruto.

The Sannin could only watch in shocked fascination as Naruto performed the ram seal and began walking up the tree as if it were horizontal ground. He snatched up the book, walked back down the tree and promptly plopped back down in his position between the two Sannin.

"Naru-Naruto, honey, where did you learn how to do that?" Questioned a flabbergasted Tsunade.

"Well, Anko said I used to run on the walls when I was almost two. But I really learned how to do it after Tamashi-baachan brought some books from the library," he explained, his eyes transfixed on a butterfly floating near them.

"You understand those books?" Jiraiya asked incredulously.

"Nope," Naruto answered truthfully with an abashed smile. Rubbing the back of his head, he continued, "I kinda just tried to copy the pictures."

Jiraiya threw his head back and burst out laughing while Tsunade shook her head in amazement. Naruto was truly one of a kind.

"Naruto, how about we meet at a training field tomorrow? It's dangerous to mess around with chakra if you don't know what you're doing," Jiraiya proposed.

"Sure!"

The little blonde boy was positively bouncing with excitement at the prospect of learning something Shinobi related.

So for the last two years, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Naruto had been meeting right here in this beautiful clearing. The clearing was on private Senju property so they were safe from the prying gaze of any onlookers. It was a strange phenomenon—Naruto's chakra. It had activated much earlier than normal. And by accident too. But then again, when it came to Naruto, there was not a lot that was exactly normal.

The Sannin had been teaching Naruto how to better control his chakra and found out that due to the Kyuubi's influence, his chakra was much denser than normal. Naruto was able to perform jutsu with minimal chakra cost—something Jiraiya had very keen plans for in the future. His chakra coils at five years old had already developed to likes of a seasoned chunin. And the sheer capacity!

Naruto had picked up everything they taught him with relative ease. But when Tsunade had insisted on teaching him the bookish side of things, Jiraiya had groaned but knew that it was important. As it turns out, Naruto wasn't very studious. He only enjoyed reading the things that interested him like the manga and comics he and Jiraiya would talk about while resting between training sessions. But when it came to history or the science behind jutsu, he would grudgingly listen and take away maybe half the material, on a good day.

Naruto was unmatched, however, when it came to practicality. He excelled in hands-on learning and would not give up until he mastered the jutsu or taijutsu kata he was being taught.

Tsunade fondly recalled one particular instance when Naruto had been attempting the Katon: Housenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu) until he had completely mastered it. His reasoning? 'It's good for marshmallows!' He had said.

Shaking her head, Tsunade stood up and made her way over to the edge of the lake.

"Naru-chan! Jiraiya! Lunch!"

She was almost frightened at how fast the two came scrambling out of the water. Hell hath no fury like a man hungry, or something like that.

After toweling off and getting dressed, Jiraiya and Naruto sat down on the cloth she set up back in her spot under the tree. Pulling out an ordinary looking scroll, Tsunade unfurled it and exposed a circular pattern with intricate markings tracing its circumference. She touched two fingers to pattern and channeled her chakra into it and three bento appeared with a poof.

The aroma of the food wafted and caused Naruto and Jiraiya two close their eyes and inhale deeply through their nose. Tsunade laughed at their antics but had a small blush on her face. She was never much good at cooking but now she had a lot of practice making various dishes for Naruto and Jiraiya.

"Ho ho! Is that yakitori I smell?" Jiraiya said, a huge grin on his face as he gazed down at his bento while rubbing his hands together.

Naruto had a similar reaction as he seemed to be nearly drooling at the prospect of his second favorite dish. Nothing would best ramen in his eyes.

"Yes it is," Tsunade said. "Dig in!"

"Itadakimasu!"

Tsunade gazed fondly as Naruto nearly ripped open the box and devoured his food. Such behavior was expected of a five-year-old but when she turned her gaze to Jiraiya and saw him eating in the same manner, she rolled her eyes. She shouldn't be surprised. Jiraiya was always like this.

-xotwod-

It was nearly evening when the group made it back to the orphanage. They had never kept Naruto out this late before and was dreading the wrath of an irate Jōnetsu. The Sannin had no desire to see the return of her strength from her glory days.

Walking up to the compound with trepidation behind each step, Jiraiya and Tsunade continuously exchanged worried glances. It was unbecoming of two S-rank Shinobi such as themselves but that woman was scary! Naruto, of course, was walking alongside them as happily as one could be, blissfully ignorant of his companions' growing distress.

Sure enough, Jōnetsu was standing in front of the entrance, at the top of the stairs with a stern look on her face. She had her arms crossed in front of her chest and stood as stiff as a board. Her hair that was normally always down was put up in a tight bun that only added to her imposing figure.

"Thank you for today," Naruto said.

This was a recurring pattern. No matter how many times they told him that he didn't need to thank them, he did it every time their day came to a close.

Naruto approached Jōnetsu, completely unaware of the tension between the three veteran Shinobi and greeted her with a small smile before turning around. He beamed at the two Sannin and waved at them before running inside.

"Do you know what time it is?" Jōnetsu inquired with a clipped tone.

"We were havin' too much fun, Jōnetsu-san. Naruto was safe and he seemed to be enjoying himself," Jiraiya answered, laughing slightly while rubbing the back of his white mane.

Tsunade nodded along but did not speak. She didn't need the full force of the woman's glare on her. She truly pitied her friend, poor soul.

Narrowing her eyes, Jōnetsu shifted her gaze between the two Sannin before scoffing and heading inside. She closed the door behind her with an audible slam.

"Sheesh, what's her problem?" Jiraiya complained as they began to head back into the village.

Tsunade gave him a meaningful look and raised her eyebrows causing Jiraiya to sigh.

"You know…"

"Hmm?"

"We wouldn't have to deal with this problem if she wasn't in the picture,"

Tsunade stopped walking after registering Jiraiya's last words.

"What do you mean? You're gonna kill her?" She questioned dubiously, her eyebrows furrowed as she gazed at her friend. Jiraiya barked out a laugh and didn't stop for quite some time.

Wiping a nonexistent tear from his eye, Jiraiya gave her a pointed stare, though his lips were twitching every few seconds. His grin was wide and blinding when he voiced his next words.

"I'm going to adopt him."

Thanks for reading!

Review?