Meeting Yondaime

Chapter 48

As Minato flashed away, the rain started pouring down on Naruto's head, and thunder clapped in the distance. Naruto and his soaking hair slowly walked to the old shack. It looks practically abandoned, he couldn't imagine who lived here. He had no idea where he was either, what country, how far from the leaf. He knew nothing. Opening the creaking door, he walked in and took off his shirt, rung it out into a bucket, and left it hanging over the fire. 

"I've been expecting you, Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto jumped at the old man's voice. He had practically appeared from thin air! "Ah... Sorry about that... You know I am?"

The old man didn't say anything but stroked his long gray beard. Naruto slowly walked closer to him, and sat on a tatami mat, awaiting an answer. "Uh... Sir?"

The man quickly looked at him with a startled face. "Oh, right. Sorry, lost in thought; as many old folks are, haha. My name is Zeref." 

"Uh... Okay? That isn't what I asked." Naruto continued to observe the old shack. A bedroom in the back. the kitchen where he entered, a tiny bathroom near the bedroom, and he was in the living room.  It was decent, not really messy. There were also potions and herbs. 

"I know. Let's just say, I'm a person who knows" everything about every single demon. Including the one inside," he pointed at Naruto's stomach, "you." 

Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "I have to go..." He jumped up and walked into the kitchen and snatched his drying shirt. 

"Is that right? What if I told you I could make you stronger?"  Naruto stopped mid-reach to the door and glanced back. 

"How?" Naruto demanded. 

"Eager aren't we? The demon inside of you. It can be controlled. I know a place where this makes it easier. Also, I know you are not on terms with your father-"

"That man is not my father," Naruto snapped. 

The man kept quiet, thinking for a while when Naruto snapped. Then he spoke again. "Come with me to Kumogakure. There, I can teach you everything you'll need to know about your demons. For now, you should get some sleep," the geezer waved his hand at a hay bed nearby him. 

Naruto's nose wrinkled, but sighed, and lay in the itchy hay, sleep taking him instantly.

~.~

Naruto awoke a few hours later to the sudden oncome of water on his face, coughing. "What was that for geezer!" 

The man said nothing but threw dry clothes at him, and walked outside with a bag on his shoulders and his staff. Naruto huffed, but got changed despite his annoyance and followed in pursuit. 

"We will be traveling the Shinobi Nations, and you will get to meet different Jinchuriki and I will teach you skills not even your father knows of." The old man trampled out of the hut.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. Why would his father know anything about Jinchurki's skills? Naruto bit his tongue hoping the man would say more, but nothing else escaped from the old man's mouth. Instead, he just veered to the northwest. "H-hey! Where are you going?"

"I just told you! You're going to meet the other Jinchuriki," the old man said in a rasping voice. "First stop: the hidden sand!"

^^

Thirsty and hot, Naruto stumbled through the sand tiredly. The geezer wouldn't give him a break! They'd been walking for about three days straight, without break! The scorching hot sun was practically giving his scalp a sunburn, and he couldn't take this heat for another minute! 

He searched for any source of water, shade, or something to hide under. a few tiny cacti, dead bushes, but no life. exhausted, he slowly climbed up the next dune, to see a large lake and a forest of palm trees. 

"Finally, water!" Naruto shouted in glee, running as fast as he could, stumbling and tripping over-sand. He could finally cool off! as he drew closer, he tugged off his shirt and kicked off his boots. "Ow, ow, ow ow!" he screeched with each step that hit the burning sand. He started at the water for a second, to examine the depth of the water. It seemed deep, so he backed up about ten steps and sprinted forward, jumping into the water. As he descended into it, his leg hit the ground beneath it and bent awkwardly and painfully, and the water was very hot. Naruto yelped in pain, and closed his eyes, clutching his leg. 

The old man suddenly roared with laughter, using a walking stick for support. "Ye' better not start trying to swim in there!"

"Shut up, wacko!" Naruto slowly opened his eyes, and the lake was gone. The trees were gone... it was just sand... and he'd landed right between two cacti, almost touching them. Sitting up, his foot settled into the sand, and he hissed. 

The man walked over and began to poke and examine Naruto. "I think it's a broken leg, lad."

"If it's broken stop touching me like a corpse on a table to be dissected!" Naruto slapped his hand away from his leg and pointed at his shoot and shirt. "Please... the heat of the sand hurts..."

Zeref nodded and fetched them, and threw them at Naruto. "The sand village is about a five from here. I can get some help to fetch you, as you aren't fit to travel with a broken leg. It may take an hour or so though. I'll leave now, and leave you with this."

Naruto caught a small bag he'd thrown and opened it to find a few small jugs of water, and rationing food. 

Zeref

Entering the gates of the sand village, Zeref went to the nearest ninja and stopped in front of him. "Excuse me sonny," he started, acting like a normal old man. "My nephew had a mirage out in the desert and ended up breaking his leg some miles away... Could you give me a hand? I can lead you there..."

"Of course! Do you need anything to transport yourself back there? A horse, anything?" A sand Shinobi asked.

"I wouldn't mind being carried... It was a long journey," he paused before adding "on you back please!" The ninja flinched for a minute and veins grew on their foreheads in annoyance. 

"Damn jeezer," they muttered under their breath. They called for a medical ninja, who joined the three, and the strongest picked him up and sprinted to the location of Naruto. When he arrived he had smartly hidden his headband into the back, and was nibbling on a piece of jerky. The sun was setting behind them, and it was getting relatively chilly, so they waited for him to put his shirt back on over his bright red sunburn.

"Thank you for helping me'tte'bayo!' Naruto shouted as the medic examined him, and healed the burns on bandaged his leg.

"Yeah yeah, just don't be stupid again, the desert doesn't have any oasis that hasn't been turned into a village yet. Idiot," The brown haired suna nin grimaced and the third suna nin who wasn't carrying Zeref picked up Naruto.