3rd Person POV
"You know... Had I known how tired we would be, I would've chosen to stay in Nami for a while longer..." Naruto said as Team 7 were making their way back to Konoha.
Following the events of Gato's assassination and the celebrations in Nami, they were all exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. Naruto more than anyone.
"I swear, nii-san... You're the one that suggested that we left Nami as soon as possible, so quit complaining!" Menma scolded playfully as Naruto turned to look at him with a scary look.
"Do you have a problem with that?" Naruto asked as a scary aura began to emanate from him, making the genin shiver in fear while responding "NO!" at the same time.
"That's what I thought." Naruto said as he turned to look at the path ahead of them.
"We should be about 30 minutes away. Then you can finally take a break in the hospital where Tsunade-sama will most probably keep you when she finds out what happened." Kakakshi said with an eye smile, making Naruto go white in fear.
"Damn it... You know, it is getting late, maybe we should camp out here..." Naruto said, faking fatigue.
"Nope. We're almost there." Kakashi said while innerly laughing at his surrogate little brother's demise.
"You can laugh all you want, Kaka-nii. I don't know why you think that Kushina-san will let you live when she finds out we're coming back from an S-Rank mission." Naruto rebutted, making Kakashi go white in fear while, now, Naruto laughs at his demise.
"Well, we're going back to the village as soon as possible. I need a bath after all that happened in Nami." Sakura said with huff at hearing her sensei banter like kids... well, keeping in mind that Naruto was their age.
"Fine... well then, let's pick up the pace!" Naruto ordered as the team began running.
Soon enough, they saw the gates peek in their line of sight, making everyone slow the pace to walking as they neared the check in booth, where the eternal gate keepers, Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki, were playing poker.
"Oh, come on, Kotetsu! You're cheating, aren't you? There's NO way that you're not!" Izumo complained after losing for the fifth time in a row that day.
"Don't be a sore loser! Now, pay up!" Kotetsu said as he beamed in happiness at the amount of ryo he had amassed.
"*clears throat*"
Hearing someone clearing their throat, they turned white seeing one Uzumaki-Senju Naruto glaring at them.
"Izumo... Kotetsu... How many times have I told you to not slack off while on gate duty?" Naruto was in "Kage Mode" as the Chuunin stammered out any answer they could come up with.
"N-Naruto-sama! S-sorry! It won't happen again!" both Chuunin apologized as they slammed their head onto the table in a bowing manner.
"I sure hope so. Now, to what we're here for. Team 7, reporting from our mission." Naruto stated as both Chuunin straightened as signed the team in.
"Very well. Welcome back, Team 7. Please make sure to report to Hokage-sama for your mission report." Izumo said.
"Hai. Thank you. See you around!" Naruto said as the team walked inside the gates.
"Okay, team. Usually, I would send you all off while Kaka-nii and I report the mission, however, due to the nature of the situation that came up in Nami, you three will need to be present to provide your own report on the B-Rank mission you were given when the mission reached the peak status. We'll begin the report for the overall mission so you can see how to do it and one of you will have to step up and provide the B-Rank mission report. Is that understood?" Naruto asked as the genin replied with a resounding "hai", despite the fact that they were very nervous, not knowing who should do the report.
"Also, keep in mind that whoever provides the vocal report, will also have to formally write it for the village's records. So choose wisely." Kakashi added while eye smiling at the team, knowing he had added more to the nervousness.
"Alright. Let's go!" Naruto said as the team made their way through the main street of the village.
As they walked by the stands set up in the village, the genin noticed the types of reactions they were receiving as they walked. Some of them were appraisals and smiles while others were the complete opposites. This, they now knew, was aimed at their youngest sensei. Hearing about it was one thing, but seeing it first hand was causing their anger to rise.
"Don't." Naruto said as they continued to walk, making the genin look at him wondering what he meant.
"Don't let your emotions show. I can feel your anger and, while I appreciate the gesture, it is unnecessary. I have worked hard to become recognized in a better light and have succeeded. Those negative looks you see I'm getting are from some of the more stubborn villagers or those who lost everything when the Kyuubi attacked. Do not hold it against them. I'm willing to shoulder their hatred if it means I'm helping them cope." Naruto said, making the genin look at him with wide eyes at the declaration. Some of the shinobi who were passing by and listened to what he said were smiling sadly at hearing his declaration. Almost every shinobi from Konoha respected Naruto for who he had become, not for Kurama, and they had made it their mission to ensure no harm came from the inside of the village to Naruto. They knew he would never fight back as he had made up his mind in allowing the villagers to vent, but the others had other thoughts in mind.
Some of the villagers who knew Naruto for who he was, also looked sadly as they walked by. They, also, had felt like that at some point, however, they had seen their mistakes and wanted to make it up to the Jonin, so many made it a personal mission to give him small gifts every now and them, something Naruto took wholeheartedly every time.
"Well, here we are." Kakashi said as the genin noticed they were now standing before the Hokage Tower.
"Let's go, the sooner we get this out of the way, the better." Naruto said as they began to climb the steps leading to Minato's office.
*knock knock*
"Come in!" came Minato's voice from the inside.
When the team went in, they noticed Minato was not alone.
Standing next to his student, was one Jiraiya of the Sannin. He was looking at Menma fondly, not taking notice of the rest of the team's presence.
Jiraiya was finally back from a 7 year mission. He was not completely aware of what had happened in his absence, as that was why he was there in the first place, only to get interrupted by a knock on the door. Much to his delight, he saw his godson walk into the room, wearing his hitai-ate proudly.
"Ah, Menma! I see you're a big badass ninja now, huh?" Jiraiya greeted proudly as Menma ran and almost tackled Jiraiya onto the ground.
"Ero-kyofu! You're back!" Menma yelled as he clung to Jiraiya, making Minato smile at the exchange, until he noticed Naruto was only looking directly at him, not showing any indication of Jiraiya's existence.
Naruto took the brief silence as his cue and stepped forward as the rest of team seven stood behind him in line, minus Menma, who continued to cling to Jiraiya.
"Team 7, returning back from our mission, Hokage-sama." Naruto spoke in a monotone voice.
Hearing a voice he did not recognize, Jiraiya turned to look at the rest of team 7, only to have his eyes widen at seeing his student's other son.
'N-Naruto? B-but when? How?!' were Jiraiya's thought at seeing Naruto with a Jonin flak jacket.
"Hey, brat. Why are you wearing a Jonin flak jacket? You know it is a violation of the shinobi code of conduct to pretend to be of a rank higher than you really are, right?" Jiraiya asked seriously.
Hearing this, the genin of team seven tensed in anger, including Menma. Minato was looking at Jiraiya in shocked anger, not believing his sensei would accuse Naruto of such a thing. Kakashi, on the other hand, looked livid.
"With all due respect, Jiraiya-sama-" Kakashi begun, emphasizing the 'sama' in anger, making Jiraiya do a double take at hearing Kakashi, one of his biggest followers, referring to him with anger.
"It would do you well to not belittle our fellow Jonin, much less when he could take you on in a fight-"
"Kakashi."
Naruto's voice came out with such force that Kakashi stopped talking mid sentence. It helped that Naruto NEVER referred to him as Kakashi unless he was... misbehaving, for lack of a better term.
"While I appreciate your concern, there is no need to speak for me. He is not someone we need to respond to." Naruto said, while looking directly at Minato, who was staring at Kakashi in curiousity. Never had he seen Kakashi so defensive with anything.
Jiraiya on the other hand, was getting upset at being brushed to the side as if he had no importance.
Oh, the irony.
"Now, listen here you brat-" Jiraiya was never able to finish his sentence as the air left his lungs, courtesy of a punch from one angry Menma Namikaze-Uzumaki.
"Don't you dare bad talk my nii-san!" Menma yelled at Jiraiya as he stood in front of Naruto defensively, shocking both Jiraiya and Minato to the core once more.
"You have no idea how hard he had to fight to get to where he is! How much blood, sweat and tears he shed to earn the amount of respect he now has! Don't you dare disregard his accomplishments!" Menma spoke with angry tears in his eyes, remembering what Kakashi had told them back in Nami.
"You have no right to belittle him! You have no right to-" before Menma could continue, he was spun and he found himself clutched in Naruto's body, who, despite being the same age, was taller than Menma.
"It's okay, Menma. Remember what I told you back in Nami... Don't let it get ahold of you." Naruto whispered to Menma who clutched Naruto as hard and began to cry quietly.
"K-Kakashi... what happened in Nami? Why is Menma like this?" Minato asked in a low, worried tone.
"He knows, Hokage-sama." was all Kakashi said as Minato's eyes widened.
'He knows?' Minato thought in fear. Fear of what Menma would now think of his failures as a father and Hokage.
"What does Menma know, Minato? What is it?" Jiraiya asked as Minato looked down in shame.
"A lot happened when you were gone, sensei. Not something we can go into now, but you will be updated on everything when the time comes. For now, let's hear the report." Minato said as Naruto let go of Menma who stood as close as possible to Naruto as he could, still clutching Naruto's flak jacket.
"As I was saying, Hokage-sama, Team Seven, reporting from our successful mission." Naruto repeated as part of the protocol.
"Welcome back, Team Seven. What is your report?" Minato asked, following protocol as Naruto.
"Hokage-sama, first and foremost, there was a change to the mission's ranking." Naruto began, making Minato look worried at the implication.
"I see. What is the new ranking of the mission?" Minato asked, pulling a folder to brand as the mission report.
In his mind, Minato was prepared to hear the mission had become a B-Rank mission, as those types of mission bumps were very common.
Nothing could prepare for what Naruto ended up saying.
"The missions involved were a B-Rank for the Genin of Team Seven and S-Rank for both Jonin, Hatake Kakashi and myself."
When those words came from Naruto, Minato's world froze for a moment.
"I beg your pardon?" Minato asked, hoping he had misheard what Naruto said.
"As you hear, Hokage-sama, the original mission rose to S-Rank while another mission was included for Genin Namikaze-Uzumaki Menma, Genin Uchiha Sasuke, and Genin Haruno Sakura." Naruto repeated, before feeling a pressure begin to settle in the room.
"An S-Rank you say?" Minato's eyes were covered by his hair as his killing intent rose.
"You heard correctly, Hokage-sama." when Naruto confirmed, the killing intent exploded, sending the Genin to the ground, the paperwork flying around the room, and Jiraiya and Kakashi to sweat at the intensity of the intent. The only one who was relatively unaffected, was Naruto.
"How could you go on with the mission, Jonin Senju-Uzumaki?! Do you know the type of danger you exposed your team to?!" Minato sounded livid, while Naruto stood stoically.
"I do, Hokage-sama. That is why I issued a B-Rank mission to the genin while Kakashi and I handled the S-Rank portion." Naruto's calm tone only served to infuriate Minato even further.
"HOW COULD YOU BE SO RECKLESS, NARUTO?!" Minato yelled, unknowingly increasing his intent, making the genin feel as if they were suffocating. At this, Naruto was growing angry as well, knowing Minato's parental instincts were kicking in at the revelation that Menma could've been in danger. But he was doing some damage himself at the moment.
"That is ENOUGH, HOKAGE-SAMA!" Naruto yelled as well, matching Minato's killing intent to balance it out, allowing the genin to breathe and causing damage to the room itself at the conflicting powers.
Minato looked shocked at Naruto's response.
"I understand you're worried, but that is not an excuse to lose control of your emotions. Compose yourself!" Naruto ended as Minato realized the effect of his actions as the genin looked haunted. They had seen their deaths in multiple different ways from Minato's killing intent.
"Y-you're right... I apologize. But, Naruto, you need to realize this missions was out of the league of your students. Konoha's Mission Protocols dictate that-"
"If a mission is out of the jurisdiction of the shinobi involved, they're required to make the necessary adjustments to flee or ensure that the mission is completed by those who are qualified. Which is what I did." Naruto finished, impressing Jiraiya and Minato, not knowing how Naruto had so much knowledge of the politics involved with being shinobi.
"Furthermore, not only did I make the necessary adjustments, I prioritized the safety of my genin and the civilians of Nami, giving way to the potential success of the missions and an increase to the survival rate of the former mentioned. On top of that, I was able to secure an alliance with Nami, which I have here." Naruto said as he stepped forward and provided Minato with a scroll, making Minato's eyes widen.
Just how was Naruto able to secure such an important ally? Just what is Naruto capable of?
"As I was saying..." Naruto proceeded to report the mission, noticing Jiraiya's expression take a grim turn at the mention of Itachi and Kisame.
"Before I proceed, I need you to summon Senju Tsunade, Uzumaki-Namikaze Kushina, and Uchiha Mikoto as this information needs their attention as they are part of the equation to deal with this threat." Naruto said as Jiraiya looked at him with a serious expression.
"What situation do you mean, Jonin Uzumaki?" Jiraiya asked with a dangerous tone. Jiraiya had a concrete idea as to how dangerous this was. To have it spread as Naruto intended to... he did not like the idea.
"You know what I mean, Jiraiya. After all, you're not the only one with a spy network in Konoha." Naruto said with an unconscious grin at Jiraiya almost seemed to blow a fuse at the implication.
"You little-"
"Sensei." Minato said with a tone that screamed "Do not say anything"
"Hmph." Jiraiya sulked a little at being scolded by his student.
"And why does this pertain to them?" Minato asked, hoping to get some information from Naruto to see if he should deem the 'order' as needed.
"I will not say anything without them here. This information is much too important to be said multiple times." Naruto said with a tone of finality, making Minato a little frustrated.
"Naruto, I need to know this information. As Hokage, my duty is to protect the balance and peace that currently exists in the village." Minato tried to plea to Naruto for the information, but Naruto simply looked at him with a blank face.
"And as such, as I said, this information is much too important to be repeated multiple times and risk it falling into the wrong ears. You know what I mean." Naruto said, making Minato sigh in defeat.
'With some years of experience under his belt, Naruto could become a damn good Hokage...' Minato thought with a sad internal smile
"Very well... Neko! Inform them to report to my office immediately!" Minato ordered, receiving a 'hai' in return as Naruto felt her chakra vanish and appear in a different location within the village.
"Hmph... i still think this is a bad idea..." Jiraiya grumbled under his breath.
"Good thing I didn't ask you." Naruto responded, secretly having fun with poking Jiraiya's anger.
"Now listen here you brat-" Jiraiya began only to feel pain as Tsunade had appeared the moment he began speaking.
"That's for speaking to my son like that, you pervert." Tsunade said as Jiraiya held his crotch in pain.
"T-Tsunade-hime..." Jiraiya moaned in pain as what she had said clicked.
"Wait, son?" Jiraiya asked confused as he turned to look at Minato who was looking away in shame.
"That is a story for another time, sensei. For now, we have to listen to Naruto's report." Minato said as Jiraiya looked at him a little suspicious.
*knock knock*
"Come in!" Minato announced as Kushina and Mikoto walked through the door.
"You summoned us, Hokage-sama?" Mikoto asked.
"I did, Mikoto. Now, Naruto, you may proceed."
"Actually, Team 7." Naruto announced, making the Genin tense at being addressed.
"Hai!" The Genin responded.
"For now, you're dismissed. You will provide your report later. Wait for you all to be called in outside in the lobby." Naruto said with a serious tone, letting the Genin know that if they defied his order, they would pay dearly later.
"Hai!" with that, the Genin walked out the door.
"Now, before I proceed, Fuinjutsu: Uchinaru Chinmoku! (inner silence)" Naruto said as a soft orange hue enveloped the office.
"Naruto-kun, you know fuinjutsu to this extent?" Mikoto asked, thoroughly impressed.
"Hai. I've been studying fuinjutsu for years now and have found some ways to apply it to Iryo-ninjutsu, but that's a story for another time." Naruto said as his aura shifted, shocking Jiraiya, as everyone else in the room had seen it before... and multiple times at that.
"Now, Hokage-sama..." Naruto began, making Minato nervous at the tone and the look Naruto was throwing at him.
"What is this I hear that you followed through with Danzo's, Koharu's, and Homura's plan to get rid of the Uchiha Clan?" Naruto asked, making everyone in the room, Mikoto more intensely, to glare at Minato for the implications.
"W-what are you talking about, Naruto? Itachi snapped and killed the Uchiha clan to test his strength." Minato stammered the response, making Naruto narrow his eyes.
"Cut the crap. During my encounter with Itachi, he told me everything." at this, Minato sighed.
"I see... at the time, I was still under control of the seal Danzo applied on me... As much as I hate to admit this, that damn seal was powerful enough to keep me under control of Danzo's desires, such as exterminating the Uchiha clan. I was aware all the time the meeting was being carried, but was unable to defy the will of the caster, Danzo, at such close proximity... The extermination of the Uchiha Clan is one of my biggest regrets... Had I been stronger, I could've done more to save them..." Minato said while looking at his desk in deep, real, regret, something Naruto easily picked up on.
"I see... I can tell you're telling the truth. And I hope that experience serves its purpose to let you know you're not invincible." Naruto scolded as the other's shoulders loosened up, if only a bit.
"Now, what I will tell you now is proof of my loyalty to you and you only as Hokage. The information that Itachi will be providing will no longer be filtered." Naruto said as his glare shifted to Jiraiya.
"What do you mean, Naruto-kun?" Minato asked, confused as to what Naruto meant. Filtered? What could that mean?
"While I appreciated Jiraiya's contribution to our spy network in the Elemental Nations, his intel is much too valuable to be filtered with time as he makes his way back to report to you each and every time. As such, I took measures to ensure we receive real time updates from our spy within the organization known as the Akatsuki." Naruto said as Tsunade and Jiraiya tensed.
"What is the meaning of this, you brat? Just what do you mean?" everyone could see that Jiraiya was becoming extremely agitated every time Naruto spoke.
"With your delusions of a forsaken prophesy that could be all but nonexistent at this point, I believe you're no longer eligible to handle such important information. Itachi's reports will now be provided to me every time any information arises as I will be receiving them instantly." Naruto's words seemed to ignite something in Jiraiya. Something he had not felt in years.
Rage
"You damn BRAT! How dare you accuse me of being unfit to carry my duties for this village?! The village my own master gave his life to protect?!" Jiraiya exploded as everyone began to sweat at the sheet amount of killing intent generated by Jiraiya. Everyone except Naruto, as usual.
"It is exactly what I mean. You allow your information to age by choosing to stop by with each and every report, despite the fact that you have the Gama Contract at your disposal. It begs the question as to why this is the case?" Naruto seemingly accused the sage. No one was liking where this was going, but Naruto had no choice but to be cutthroat with the toad sage. The type of danger they were facing was not something that could be taken lightly in the slightest.
"You have the power and the reach to do many things, Jiraiya, but there are things that cannot be taken with a grain of salt as you usually do. You tend to pay more attention to the head in your genitals than the one on your shoulders, and I've had enough. Either you step up your game, or it will become known that the Great Gama Sennin has become senile in his age. It is your choice." Naruto finished shredding Jiraiya's dignity and self-esteem. No one dared to intervene with the conversation as they knew the severity of the situation. That, and the ladies enjoyed seeing their local 'super pervert' being torn a new one by a male.
"Naruto, I think that's enough." Minato said as he looked at Jiraiya with a sad expression. Minato knew these were things that needed to be taken care of and he had been too emotionally compromised to be the one to do it. As much as he hated to admit it, Naruto had taken care of one of his biggest burdens.
"Furthermore, Hokage-sama, with the Chuunin Exams nearing, I'm afraid we may be seeing bigger dangers come from all sides. It was reported to me as I was checking in to the village that a new village will be attending the exams." Naruto stated as Minato looked a little confused at the mention of the new village.
"Otogakure. The village is relatively new and small. They don't seem to be dangerous." Minato said as Naruto scoffed.
"Hokage-sama, do not tell me you've become senile at your young age? Behind any village could be a powerful force to be reckoned with, expecting the bigger villages to see them as you now do: weak and frail due to age. But what was informed to me is proof that this village is dangerous to Konoha, specifically." Naruto said with a grim expression.
"And why would that be, Naruto?" Minato asked, thoroughly intrigued at the intel his son was providing them with as not even Jiraiya had been able to discover much about it.
"The village isn't dangerous in itself, however the leader of said village, if you could call that abomination as such, is. The Otokage, is what he calls himself. He is our unfriendly, local, loose snake: Orochimaru" Naruto said as everyone tensed.
When Orochimaru lost the Yondaime Hokage's position to Minato, the Snake Sannin made it very clear by experimenting with genetics to attempt and overthrow the Hokage to take the title, until he was found by his sensei, Sarutobi Hiruzen, that the he would not stay idle if an opportunity arose. At the time, Hiruzen was already too soft and allowed the snake to leave the village, something Minato tore him a new one for. Hiruzen vowed to correct his actions, however, because the Kyuubi Attack happened, that vow was now all but ashes.
"With a village at his disposal, Orochimaru could very well have the man power to attempt and destroy the village. During the exams, we will have many important figures within the village, as well as other strong shinobi from various villages who would love the chance to get vengeance against us. With Konoha's victories in every Shinobi World War until now, we have cemented our power against the other villages, something I am sure most are bitter about. It would be the perfect recipe for destruction." Naruto finalized his report as everyone stood still for a few moments, attempting to process the information that Naruto provided them with.
It was at this moment that the shinobi present in the room began to see something else in Naruto that they had never seen before. A bizarre lack of worry.
"By the tone you're utilizing during your report, I'm assuming that you have already begun to think of a counter in case this comes, Naruto-kun... What do you have in mind?" Minato said as Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at his genius.
~time skip: 1 week later | Training Ground 7~
After the entire ordeal within the Hokage's office, we now find the Genin of Team 7 being tortu- I mean, trained for the upcoming Chuunin Exams.
"Alright! That's enough for the day. Menma, your ability to utilize Kage Bunshin has definitely bore fruits. Your accuracy and reaction time have vastly improved compared to a few months ago and your chakra control is now where it should be. We will be continuing this method of training for much longer, so I expect to see heavy developments on you." Naruto evaluated Menma as Menma couldn't help but blush at the praise his nii-san was giving him.
"Sasuke, your progression with utilizing the Sharingan has reached a good point where you could awaken the last level at any moment. However, remember what I said to you earlier, forget you possess that eye unless the situation truly deserves it. If I see you relying on your Sharingan for everything, I will seal it until I see drastic improvement on your end. The Sharingan is a tool, not a method of fight. Keep that in mind. As for your other abilities, your Taijutsu form has reached new heights without the constant use of your bloodline. I can also see you incorporated other fighting styles in it to make it more unpredictable. Keep it up and I will reward you with my personal Katon jutsu when you're ready." Naruto ended with a proud smile, which was imitated by Sasuke.
During the time Sasuke spent with Naruto, he came to see Naruto as an older brother too, despite the fact that he is older for a couple of months. Naruto was filling in the hole Itachi had left with his actions, and Sasuke was improving, both physically and emotionally. Gone was the avenger and in its stead, was a caring, motivated young man. His connection with his mother and his cousins had also helped in that.
"As for you, Sakura. The amount of chakra control you have is the best I have seen, despite your chakra reserves. Since you joined Team 7, I can see you've improved yourself to great lengths, and you're well on your way to become a great kunoichi. With your improvements, I am now able to train you in iryo-ninjutsu, so I'm hoping you're looking forward to that. Add that on top of your rising strength, I can see you mastering my kaa-san's methods." Naruto praised Sakura this time, making the girl blush and look down at the ground in embarrassment and pride. Like Sasuke, Sakura had begun to see Naruto as her older brother, something she had always wanted. She had become more patient with her team's antics and had definitely lost all of her fangirl tendencies.
"Now, as you know, the Chuunin Exams start in three days. If you plan on attending, don't forget to sign the wavers I gave you and take them with you to the academy on the day of the exams. Whether you choose to attend or no, I am still proud of the great shinobi you're all becoming. I have faith in you all and am sure I will be leading a team of Chuunin instead of Genin real soon. Keep in mind, as Chuunin, your responsibilities will be more important. You may lead other shinobi in missions and will also be eligible to teach in the Academy if you so wish to do so. It is important that you show that maturity and mindset while taking the exams, as that will keep you alive during them. That is all I can tell you. Rest for the next few days and I will see you all the day of the exams in front of the academy." Naruto ended as he disappeared in a swirl of white fire, leaving the Genin looking determined at passing the exams and making their nii-san proud of them.
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WHOOO! 4935 words in this chapter. Sorry for the lengthy delay in updating my stories. Lately I've been struggling with ideas to write and continue these stories, but I'm trying here.
Other than that, I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter and stay tuned for the next.
See ya!
-Eddie <3