In which gaining power is not as simple as asking for rent…

Disclaimer- Don't own it.

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Chapter 3

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Jiraiya tensed when he felt an overwhelming pressure settle in the clearing. The very air thickened with the malicious presence of the nine-tailed fox. It was heavy and suffocating and reminded him of his brief encounter with Roshi during the third war.

Is the seal weakening? He wondered, feeling uneasy at the mere thought. It seems that the fox has more influence over him when he is emotionally vulnerable. Maybe I should focus on helping him keep his emotions in check. But, I wonder…

Jiraiya sensed another presence close-in to their location. But whoever it was, remained in the shadows. Now that he thought about it, he probably should have alerted the village beforehand. No matter, he couldn't do anything about it now, anyway. Pushing those worries to the back of his mind, he focused on riling up his student, carefully noting the way the corrosive chakra affected him and the nature around them.

"How did that feel, Naruto?" He tried again when he heard no response. "How did it feel to fight your friend like that? How did it feel knowing that he was using the techniques and knowledge your own teacher denied you?"

Thick, red chakra bubbled out of his body in the form of a one-tailed fox. It cloaked around him, clouding his thoughts with its anger and lust for destruction.

Destroy him, Naruto! Are you going to stand and take this abuse like you always have? I know how much you desire to rip him into tiny little pieces. The nine-tailed fox whispered and continued to feed its chakra through the seal. It took great delight in feeling its influence on the boy grow. It smiled darkly when the seal holding it back opened just a bit more.

Don't you want to prove him wrong? Don't you want to show him that you are not some pathetic sidekick, Naruto? Didn't you claim that you would show them all? Or were they right all those years ago? Another tail formed in his cloak. The whisker-like marks on his face thickened. A low, animalistic growl came from the boy. Let me help you. Take it… my power… Don't you want to?

Naruto crouched low, intending to, once again, charge in headfirst. His thoughts seemed unclear and hazy but they revolved around his desire to spill blood. Voices kept whispering in his ears.

They called him weak. He wasn't.

They called him pathetic. He wasn't.

He wasn't an idiot. But the voices wouldn't listen. They were familiar in their arrogance. They were familiar in their mocking tone. They were familiar like the whispers behind his back.

He wanted the voices to shut up.

And suddenly, he wasn't looking at his mentor. He was a seven-year-old looking at those villagers staring at him with cruel, uncaring eyes and hurting deep inside even as he tried to smile.

Don't talk to him… Stay away from that boy… He saw parents pulling their children away from him as if he carried some disease they didn't want to get infected with.

Look at him, walking around the village as if he is one of us… He remembered the hushed whispers, spoken behind his back when they thought he couldn't hear them. He remembered them leaving in a hurry as soon as they noticed him. And it hurt just as much as it did when he then.

Get away from here, you brat. He remembered getting thrown out of shops. And take that stupid mask with you. He remembered people watching with uncaring eyes. Not one of them willing to lift a finger to help the poor orphan.

Each insult, every sneer and every whisper… He could remember the nights he cried himself to sleep. Alone, uncertain and scared… so very scared. He remembered returning to an empty home and wondering about his parents. He found himself trapped in an endless loop of memories he had buried deep inside him.

Everything he was certain he had forgotten rushed to the forefront as if it was always there. And every bitter memory he wanted to forget came back with it. Try as he might, he couldn't push it back this time.

He focused on anything and everything in the vain hope of stopping the pain. Alas, his struggle was in vain, for everything he tried to make it go away, he spiralled deeper. Each memory feeding his darker desires, helping him draw more of the fox's power. And as he drew on its power, the seal opened a bit more and its influence over him grew.

Deep inside its cage, the fox laughed. Just a little bit more and we will destroy everyone who'll dare to stand in our way. It whispered enticingly, pulling more memories to torment the boy with. It enjoyed twisting those memories and paying the rent.

Another memory came to him, this time it was Lord Third denying him the knowledge of his parent's identity. There is no use asking about them. He was told uncaringly. It won't bring the dead back.

His blood boiled as remembered the casual dismissal of his queries. His origins weren't insignificant! Not to him. And another tail bubbled on his back.

"How did it feel when you couldn't defeat your friend?" Jiraiya asked again, blissfully unaware of his turmoil. Now, show me that will, kid. Deny that power. Break free of its corrupting influence. "How did it feel when you couldn't defeat him even with your special power?" He yelled desperately when even breathing became a bit difficult.

He felt a sudden spike in the chakra and then the sheer weight of the fox's presence focussed on him. He almost fell to his knees then. His eyes widened in terror at the sheer amount of hate he could feel.

And just for a moment, he found himself walking amongst the carnage left behind by the Iwa jinchuriki. The stench of burnt flesh was still fresh in mind. So was the sight of unrecognizable bodies left behind by the berserk jinchuriki. He felt despair when he realized he could have done more. But he willed himself out of it. Naruto was not Roshi. No, their kid was so much stronger than that.

Show me their will, boy. Show me the true power they left you with. He remembered the smiling faces of his student and his wife when they chose him to be their son's godfather. Show me… you are the true legacy they left behind.

The fiery redhead from the land of Whirlpools and the yellow Hokage of the Hidden Leaf… Will you follow their footsteps or walk a path all of your own? A small smile formed on his face when the malicious, malevolent presence of nine-tails disappeared completely.

Naruto found himself lost in a crowd of voices abusing him, belittling him and reminding him of his failures. He was drowning in a sea of sorrow and despair and hate when he heard a voice. It was louder than the others, more real, and he latched onto it.

He flinched when he heard his teacher calling him out for his use of the fox's chakra. He ignored the voices through sheer will when they got louder. It was agonizing and he could feel his body burning with desire when he rejected the delicious power.

The fog lifted and his desire to bring death and destruction on anyone and everyone felt like a dream. A frighteningly real dream but a dream none the less. He was thrilled and scared. The bloodlust clouding his senses disappeared with the cloak of blood-red chakra surrounding his body.

The beast snarled hatefully. Blood-red eyes glared at the Toad Sage, promising vengeance and destruction. And as it returned to the darker depths of its cage, it knew it would gain his freedom soon. The village… their legacy and everything they stood for… it would burn. Oh, it would burn. In their death, it would make them regret sealing it. They would all regret. All five of them would.

The voices were quiet now. He could remember much of his fight with Sasuke now. Some moments felt real, others seemed as if they were from some dream. No. They were real. There were real wings on his back. How did he manage that? Was that the power Orochimaru promised him? It did matter then, he realized. He was able to fight him on even grounds. He had grown and he hoped to walk that path.

I matched him blow for blow. Even with all his jutsu, I was able to push him to his limits. I forced him to use Orochimaru's power. I...

"I am better than this," Naruto muttered angrily. "You are wrong, sensei," He yelled and limped towards his teacher from his hiding place.

"What are you talking about?" Jiraiya watched intensely as his student limped towards him. One of his sleeves was torn at the shoulders and wrapped around his thigh. He noted the blood dripping down his leg.

If he had not known of his monstrous stamina, he was certain the kid would have fallen over by now. The boy looked like he had been put through a wringer. And maybe he was. He had no idea how he managed to suppress so much its chakra. His shoulders were slumped and he seemed to be having some trouble with breathing.

And despite his rather injured state, he had never reminded Jiraiya so much of his parents as he did then. The boy looked dead on his feet. So exhausted, yet unwilling to back down.

He was, oddly, reminded of the time he spent with his late student and his wife when they were trying to achieve the impossible and create space-time ninjutsu. The only space-time jutsu the world was aware of was the summoning technique. It took time but it was worth it when the Flying thunder god took the world by storm. Both of them had worked themselves beyond the breaking point for that. Stubborn fools, the lot of them.

The winds picked up, and he noticed the look on his student's face. You are their son alright. He wanted to laugh. Are you watching over your son, Minato, Kushina?

His eyes widened when he saw the figures of his student and his wife standing behind their son. He could see the pride in their eyes as they watched their son with a fond smile. They were gone by the time he blinked in surprise.

We leave him in your care, Master Jiraiya. He was sure he heard them when the winds died.

Genjutsu? How? When? He disrupted his chakra hastily. No. There is too much chakra in the air for it to work. Besides, I would have known if I was under a genjutsu. And whatever this was, it sure wasn't an illusion. But then, what was it? He glanced around sceptically but found nothing amiss.

"My team didn't have to save me. We completed our missions because we were a team and gave it our all," Naruto formed the hand-seals of his signature technique. "Shadow clone jutsu." Three clones formed in a burst of smoke and rushed forwards. A few more popped underwater and swam towards the sage promptly.

Jiraiya dodged and parried the kunai thrown his way easily. He made quick work of the clones as well. "Is that so?" He mused, waiting for his student to try again.

"Kakashi sensei didn't choose Sasuke over me," He walked forward with a slight limp, making even more shadow clones. "Sasuke was going to fight Gaara, who would have killed him without a second thought. I was fighting a fellow leaf shinobi who was not out for my blood. Sasuke needed him more than me."

With the help of new clones, he formed another rasengan and rushed towards the sage. His clones followed after him with various war-cries. They covered his charge by throwing kunai and shuriken at their target.

Test four- Bukijutsu. He watched his student with a small smirk. A nice improvement. Not good enough. But with your repertoire, it is as good as one can expect. In a flurry of motion, he took out a scroll, bit his thumb and swiped some of his blood on the seals drawn in it. Quickly going through a few hand seals, he summoned his sword.

Naruto frowned, gritting his teeth when he saw the sage parry them with his sword easily. To add to the insult, he didn't even need to move a step. It's not enough, but it should do. He did his best to not look at the clone behind the sage.

He didn't even know his sensei could use a sword. The wide, slate grey sword had several markings that resembled veins running down its length. It looks so cool. Despite himself, he took a moment to admire it.

"Let's see how you deal with this," Jiraiya muttered and threw a single shuriken at his student. "Shuriken-Shadow clone jutsu," Doing the necessary hand seals, he watched the shuriken multiply into dozen copies of itself.

"This doesn't look good," Naruto faltered for a moment but continued on, believing in his clones to protect him. A few clones did their best to protect him from the projectiles while he tried to maintain control of his rasengan.

The sound of shuriken clashing against kunai filled the air, and yet he could hear his clones dispersing clearly. He was not sure how many new cuts littered his body now, but he knew he would feel that soon enough.

Almost there. With a clenched jaw, he ignored the pain and pushed on.

Jiraiya blocked his student's attack with the side of his sword and smirked at the look of surprise on his face. "Rasengan is strong, I admit. But, there are weapons strong enough that can defend against it very easily. You leave yourself open every time you attack with that technique against shinobi with means to block it. Take this stone sword for an example," He pushed his student away, causing his attack to disappear harmlessly, much of its power dispersed in the collision.

"This is a secret sword from Mount Myoboku. It is strong enough to survive against techniques as strong as Rasengan," The sage explained and continued before his pupil could ask the obvious question. "Mount Myoboku is where the toads we summon live."

"There are many things you can learn from them, Naruto. Try getting to know them when you summon them next time. They are not just tools for battle, you know." Naruto nodded, taking the advice to heart.

"The moment you signed that contract, they became your comrades. Cherish them as you would your friends. Now, what will you use against a foe with a weapon like this?" Jiraiya asked and once again waited for his student to make the first move.

"I don't have a weapon strong enough to match a sword like that," Naruto admitted with a glare. "But that doesn't mean I will give up." He rushed with a kunai drawn, ready to slash at his foe.

And watched with wide eyes when it broke upon hitting the sword. He felt a sharp pain shoot at his wrist and jumped back with a yelp.

"Is that all?" Jiraiya asked, easily hiding his interest. He was already aware of the clones his student had discreetly hidden under the water. He was curious enough to let the plan unfold.

Besides, we have accomplished the reason for this weapon test. He mused as he saw his student stare at the broken kunai thoughtfully.

Naruto didn't answer, instead, he jumped back to make more space between them. The clones hidden underneath them surrounded Jiraiya. We don't have much time. One of them thought and signalled the others to start their plan.

"Hoh? Changing the battlefield to suit your needs," Jiraiya remarked when he felt the currents shift beneath him. "Using Rasengan to form whirlpools? Nice," How oddly fitting. He remarked and jumped, easily deflecting the projectiles thrown at him by Naruto and his newly made clones.

Whirlpools formed below him. He idly wondered how he could get out of that situation without falling into those whirlpools. He had no interest in getting devoured by the whirlpools. It reminded him too much of that old legend about Uzushiogakure. He glanced at the surrounding clones.

A clever trap, kid. He guided me away from the forest and the riverbank. Then, he made sure that I have nothing nearby to substitute myself with and then ensured that I can't go underwater to avoid his next move. Nice work indeed.

Jiraiya glanced at the dozen or so kunai thrown his way with appreciation. He took a moment to wonder if his student had accounted for the range of his substitution technique in his plan.

Paper bombs, too. Well done, kid. This would be a very successful attack combination if he had a long-range jutsu in his repertoire. He observed the paper bombs attached to the kunai as they burned. A clever substitute. Not enough to do any lasting damage to the people you will be up against, though.

"I did it," Naruto whispered breathlessly as he watched his sensei get blasted by many paper bombs. He covered his face, feeling the warmth of the blast tickle at his skin. He barely managed to stay to afloat, but his clones dispersed in the resulting chaos.

"I fought Sasuke on equal grounds, Pervy Sage," He declared, knowing that his sensei could hear him. "We fought as equals while I was holding back. My mission was to capture him and bring him back. Sasuke had no such restrictions. He aimed to kill me when we fought." He didn't know why he was spared but he ignored that for now. He would have a lot of time to think about that later. Among other things.

He wiped his face with the back of his hand. Then he sighed and ran a hand through his hair and waited for the smoke to clear. He didn't think he could fight any longer. I am tired. He shook his head, feeling a bit dizzy.

"I resorted to using fox's power only when Sasuke used the power Orochimaru gave him. Up until that point, I didn't need the fox to fight Sasuke. Even with all his jutsu, his so-called special training, I kept up with him. I kept up with the two jutsu I had," He yelled at the shadowy figure he could see in the clearing smoke.

"The only thing I feel bad about is holding back," Naruto admitted more to himself than anyone else. "But don't worry, Pervy Sage. I won't hold back if I get to fight him again. I will bring him back to Hidden Leaf like the deserter he is, I promise."

Jiraiya smiled at the resolve in his student's voice. The spiked, hard hair covering his body receded when he stopped the technique. "Ninja Art- Needle Jizo." He murmured softly.

I should have used a different jutsu to defend myself. He mused, glancing at the burned skin on his right arm. Ah, well. A small victory for the boy. "Very well then," He nodded, satisfied for now, "Never hold back when you are fighting for your life."

"Yes, Pervy Sage," Naruto tried to take a defensive stance. His body felt weak and heavy from fatigue. He couldn't remember having a training session where he learned so much about himself. Come to think of it, he couldn't remember having a one-on-one training session ever.

Test five- Genjutsu. Jiraiya sighed after he saw his student's condition. He felt a bit cruel for continuing the session. But before he could begin the technique, Naruto slumped forward and fell unconscious, completely exhausted.

"Well, I guess that's it for today," He chuckled heartily and moved to save him from drowning. "Rest well, kiddo. You earned it." He moved over to dry land and set the unconscious boy down.

I really should be able to test their kid in fuinjutsu. An Uzumaki with no skills in fuinjutsu feels wrong. He sighed and made another mental note in the long list of things he needed to teach the kid. The son of the best fuinjutsu practitioners I had the honour of knowing doesn't even know its basics.

"You can come out now." He turned to where he had sensed the presence earlier. "Enjoyed the show?" He asked lightly, carefully noting their pale faces. He would be surprised if they managed to hide their unease and fear after a show like that.

Tsunade Senju walked out from the cover of trees, seemingly unconcerned, but he could see the slight apprehension in her eyes. Her apprentice, Shizune, trailing behind her with an impressed look on her pale face. But, he knew they were both worried and afraid. "I didn't think Naruto could form strategies that involved more than one stage," she remarked softly and he could tell she was impressed.

"He does seem like the kind who would throw punches until either he or his opponent is down for the count," Shizune agreed and started using a diagnosis technique on Naruto.

"Tsunade. Shizune too," Jiraiya greeted enthusiastically with his usual 'cheesy' smile, hiding his surprise. He was certain he had only sensed a single presence earlier. Oh, Tsunade. You clever woman. "I didn't think you were interested in watching the brat train."

"Some Anbu felt the fox's chakra while patrolling nearby," Tsunade shrugged and glanced over the boy with a critical eye, noting his injuries. "I decided to ensure the situation didn't get out of hand after I got the report. How is he, Shizune?"

"Well, he is good, all things considered. He will be fine after a few days of rest. He is on the verge of chakra exhaustion," Her apprentice answered before carrying the unconscious boy on her back. "I will take him to the hospital where I can treat him properly," She disappeared in a shushin when her master inclined her head.

"That was unusually harsh of you, Jiraiya," Tsunade noted with a small frown on her face. "Riling him up like that to the point where he used its chakra unconsciously. I hope you got what you wanted from this little stunt of yours."

"Heh, if you think this was harsh then you have no idea how I trained his father," Jiraiya boasted proudly, not a hint of regret in his voice. "Besides, I got what I wanted to know. He has a long way to go, but he will be fine."

She glanced at his burned hand. "You could have dodged that pretty easily," She remarked, ignoring his smug tone with practised ease. "Do you want me to heal those?"

"I could have, but I wanted to let the kid know that he achieved something, you know. A little encouragement, you know" Jiraiya admitted truthfully. "Besides, he doesn't have any hope of touching me if I take him seriously," He extended his injured arm towards her. "And I couldn't find it in me to stomp on his confidence after all that has happened."

"What's the verdict then?" She ignored his worries for now. "Do you still intend to proceed according to your plan?" She asked, referring to his idea of teaching Naruto to harness the fox's power.

"He is good for a rookie with so little experience. Creative, brave, resilient too, if reckless and foolhardy at times. It's nothing that won't be curbed with time. You saw what he managed with only two jutsu. He will be a great ninja in no time," He answered with pride, gesturing to his arm.

"After all, he seems to have stopped thinking of this profession as a game. But, he has a very long way to go. I have a lot of work ahead of me if I want him prepared to face them," He paused for a moment before continuing, "Besides, I don't think trying to train him to use its power will be productive for any of us. I don't have enough information to train a jinchuriki and it's not worth taking the risk, anyway."

"Furthermore, he doesn't seem to enjoy relying on its power anymore," He continued gravely before she could speak. "He hates relying on its strength. I can see it in his eyes, he feels weak every time he has to ask for its chakra. Besides, it's not like he can't be strong without the fox, right?" He asked lightly.

Tsunade inclined her head before turning to look towards the village. She had assumed that much from her previous conversation. "As useful as having that extra chakra is, I can guess that having its chakra flowing through his body is making things difficult for him. How could he have proper control when there are two different chakra flowing through his body?"

She was told that the seal was left a bit open by Minato when Jiraiya proposed the idea of training Naruto as a jinchuriki. It came as a surprise when she realized that the boy learned rasengan with that type of imbalance in his chakra.

He could achieve great things if the fox didn't hinder his control so much. The first task after learning that little detail was a thorough medical examination of the boy's chakra system with the help of a Hyuga medic. As far as she was aware, this was the first case of a seal being left open intentionally. And she was worried about the consequences of that.

While the dark, corrupt chakra helped by boosting his genetic healing, she did not know how else it affected him. For all she knew, it could take years out of his life every time he used it!

"Can't you do anything about the seal?" She asked the resident expert on seals. Even though she had learned the art of sealing at her grandmother's knees, she didn't know much about the seals of that nature. She had, once, hoped to pursue the art of sealing in the honour of her grandmother and the clan she hailed from.

Death, destruction and war left her with little time to pursue those hopes. And when all was said and done, it left her with little desire to pursue them. Even now, it seemed, she would not get the chance to learn the art of her forbearers. Even though she was back in the village, her grandfather's village, all she could worry about was the storm brewing on the horizon. That kind of storm brought nothing but pain and suffering and left death and destruction in its wake.

At times like these, when she thought of the wars to come, all she could do was pray that it left enough for the leaves to start anew. The Senju had always been the first in their desire to weather those storms for their dreams. The name had long since reduced to one member. Her.

Perhaps it was fate, for what else could it be, that she lost the sucker's bet to a child and returned to the village. If she hadn't, she would never have remembered her grandfather's teachings and what the village meant to her. She would still be drowning in her sorrow while her grandfather's legacy, once again, fought for its existence.

She smiled lightly when her companion coughed softly. She could imagine him squirming uncomfortably. For all his perverted antics, he was incredibly awkward at times. She shook her head, focusing her mind on the issue at hand.

From what she knew, the Fourth Hokage had used a modified version of an original Uzumaki seal. She would have to brush up her skills if she hoped to gain a proper understanding of the seal. And then there was that other seal, the Dead-Demon Consuming seal. She had no idea how the two seals worked or affected each other.

"I most certainly can," Jiraiya assured her sincerely after she nodded, "But the issue is more complicated than that. His body has had the fox's chakra flowing through him for a very long time now, I don't have any idea about how much his body relies on it. For all we know, the sudden withdrawal of that chakra can prove itself fatal to his health."

"Besides, his control increases tremendously when both chakra inside him are in harmony. We have much to consider before we even begin thinking of messing with the seal." He shook his head at that line of thought. He had no idea how to manage that other than having the boy lose himself to anger. He was sure Naruto could handle short bursts of its power by now, but he wasn't aware of the effect it had up till now.

"I will have to study both seals in detail before I can do anything about it. You will also have to be involved with the medical side of things. We can begin closing the seal little by little and observe its effect before taking any drastic steps." He was certain his student had left the seal open as a way to help his son.

Unfortunately, he also had the fox's claw impaled through his torso when he sealed it. And the addition of this little detail (some concerned Anbu members had found him recently after they heard of Naruto using the fox's power willingly in the recent exams), left him uncertain if the seal was left open intentionally or not.

"Minato has left the key of the seal behind. I can use that to close the seal a little bit. But I can't do that without him knowing about it." Can he be trusted with its knowledge? The query remained unsaid.

"I suppose," she hummed, vividly remembering the injuries caused by that kind of chakra, "Do you think he is ready to bear the burden of that knowledge?" She made a note to have Shizune search for notes on Jinchuriki.

"Only time will tell," He chuckled, refusing to comment on things he was uncertain of, before turning serious. "I have a request to make of you, Senju-sama."

She blinked at the sudden change in honorifics and turned towards him, "Well, out with it then?"

"I would like to gain access to the Senju locker," Jiraiya's request made her raise a brow in surprise.

"Whatever for?" She asked curiously. The only reason she didn't outright deny him was that she knew him to know better than to ask such things.

"There are a few jutsu Sarutobi-sensei placed in your locker that I would need," He paused for a second before continuing, "Minato's notes on the seal and a few other techniques he was working were placed in it. Then there is his signature technique as well. Those notes, whatever's left of it at least, were placed in your locker a few months ago."

"I see," she made a note to recover the keys of her clan's locker from the office, "why were they placed there anyway?"

Jiraiya's lips quirked in amusement, "Now that's a tale you will find yourself interested in," and he shook his head, "One Uzumaki Naruto, somehow, managed to steal the scroll of sealing from right under sensei's nose."

She laughed heartily as he recounted that incident. Who knew her sensei was such a pervert? Then again, Jiraiya learned the art of peeping from the man himself. It also brought up the glaring issue of lax security in the village. She made a note to bring that up in the next meeting.

She, almost, didn't want to know about the kind of mess she had on her hands when an academy student could steal a very important scroll from the Hokage's office and another could leave the village in the middle of the night. Exceptional as they were, they were mere genins for god's sake.

"Let me get this straight," she shook her head, already feeling the beginning of a headache, "you want to begin teaching him his father's techniques now?" So much power to a genin. Especially one as reckless as Naruto. She wondered what was going through his head.

"Yeah," he frowned at the reluctance in her voice, "I mean, it's not like we have much of a choice, do we? The kid will have S-ranked monsters gunning for his head soon enough. We have little to no intel on Akatsuki and their goals other than their aim to get their hands on the nine-tails."

"Besides," he continued gravely, "it's not as if we have anyone capable of fighting S-ranked shinobi and trained jinchuriki. Gods forbid, if anyone from the village faces an enraged jinchuriki and I am not there, it will be a slaughter." Not to forget, there are at least six jinchuriki out there. And two of them are said to have gained perfect control over the beast!

Hearing those words merely confirmed her suspicions, her lips curled downwards, "How did we get so weak? I remember us having dozens of shinobi capable of at least being able to hold off a jinchuriki. The barrier squad, the Anbu sub-division, Root… whatever happened to them?"

"Most of them were lost when the fox attacked," his eyes lowered in pain, "and the village never recovered enough to return to the standards it followed before. Sensei pushed for more peaceful policies after that, and I can't say I blame him for choosing that. Too much of the village's funding was delegated to recovery and rebuilding. And then, the disaster with Uchiha and Kurama clans happened. It was one problem after another."

"This is a mess," she declared after a minute of solemn silence.

"Yeah, well," He shrugged helplessly, "so, what do you say?"

"How much time do we have before the Akatsuki make their move?" She asked instead, her fists clenched in worry.

"Three years at least," He answered easily.

"I see," she stared at the sky for a moment, "Very well. I will need some time to consider your request."

"What?" Jiraiya blinked in surprise, "I don't understand. Why do you need time for this?" It was a straightforward request, wasn't it?

She sighed, wondering for a moment if she could punch some sense in the man. "I know it's important, Jiraiya. We are on a time limit but you have to understand that I can't just allow you to teach all those techniques to a genin as reckless as Naruto."

"Besides," she continued before he could protest, "don't think for a second that I don't know about that spar on the hospital roof. For god's sake, he used a lethal move against his teammate Jiraiya. A teammate who, mind you, had just recovered from coma."

"He should have never accepted that challenge in the first place, and even if he didn't want his pride to get hurt, he should have stopped long before lethal techniques were used. Techniques, I must say, no genin has any business knowing." She glared at him pointedly.

Jiraiya closed his mouth with a click at the sharp rebuke. He was hoping she would not be too angry about that incident. Apparently, he was wrong. For a moment, he thought of pointing out that it was the Uchiha kid who asked for a spar but he didn't get the chance.

"And don't point out that the Uchiha kid did the same or that he was the one who challenged the brat. I know everything that happened that day, I was there," she had stayed in the shadows and watched the events unfold. And if she was honest with herself, she was very disappointed by everyone involved, both the teachers and their students.

"The only reason I didn't involve myself directly was that I had hoped you and Kakashi could handle things. Both of your students resorted to lethal techniques in an unsanctioned spar with no supervision. Frankly, I am surprised they didn't injure the villagers," she shook her head when she saw the man smile sheepishly. "Both of them would be spending time in a dark cell if the Uchiha Police was still active."

"But, that's all in the past," she waved her hand dismissively, "I don't want to start a discussion about that, I have enough on my plate as it is. The point of the matter is that Naruto has shown himself incapable of exercising restraint. He has shown himself to be too headstrong and reckless to be trusted with techniques like those. He has a lot of growing up to do before I can feel comfortable handing such power to him."

"But…" He tried to protest, but she spoke over him.

"But nothing, Jiraiya," she glared at the man pointedly. "My decision is final and if you are so eager to teach him his father's techniques then at least wait for him to earn the rank of chunin. You can go wild after he has proven himself to be a capable shinobi who can be trusted with both secrets and power. Not until then."

"I understand," He sighed, he really did understand where she was coming from. Naruto was reckless, very much so when it involved something he firmly believed in. And he was the impatient kind with poor control of his emotions and actions. It was a bad combination for a shinobi. It was worse for him because when he lost control, the fox came out to play. And none of them knew how it affected the boy. Perhaps, he should give her some time before trying again.

"I understand where you are coming from," Her eyes softened. "He has every right to learn techniques his father left behind. And you, as his godfather, feel responsible for that. I understand, I really do. But, I think you are overlooking one important thing here. His father was not what the flying thunder god or rasengan made him. He was an exceptional shinobi even before he made those techniques."

"He was much more than the techniques he created," She said. "Minato, on his worst day, would have never used lethal techniques on his comrades. Naruto has a long way to go before he can match up to his parents. But if you continue to guide him, I firmly believe that he can surpass both of his parents. Not by just learning their techniques, but by understanding what they stood for."

"I understand," He answered softly. Maybe he was a bit hasty in his desire to pass on his student's techniques to his godson.

"Have a spar with me, Jiraiya," she said after a moment of silence.

"What? Why?" He blinked in confusion. He did not want to get hurt by her monstrous strength. He got that enough when they were genin. Thank you very much.

"Well, I am out of practice," She admitted reluctantly, a small blush on her cheeks. "I need to get my skills up to par. Akatsuki will, eventually, come to our doorsteps in search of the fox. When that happens, I will be the last line of defence. I can't be that if I am rusty and out of practice."

"I see," He scratched his chin. "Are you certain this has nothing to do with my earlier stunt?" He was certain it had something to do with that. He could see it in her eyes even though she denied it.

"Besides, I have some research to do, you see. Some other time, perhaps?" He waved his hands frantically, trying to get himself out of this mess. He really didn't like the look on her face.

In response, she cracked her knuckles. Jiraiya would forever deny squeaking like a little girl when she charged at him suddenly.

-[-

With a heavy breath and a heart set in stone, Sakura leapt in the air and rushed to take cover amongst the trees. After travelling through the thick canopy of leaves and branches, she jumped down and stared at an empty bench.

Thank you, Sakura. He had whispered on a night so similar to this one. She was the only witness to the pain in his voice. She knew he had made his decision then, much like she did today. Her fists clenched as she thought of the enormity of her decision. Things might not go back to the way they were before. For a moment, she faltered and doubts seeped through her being.

I have to stay strong. He was out there somewhere and she had to bring him back. Without him, team Seven would never be the same. She shook her head. It was not the time to dwell in the past.

He left from this entrance, didn't he? She frowned at the looming gates before turning to look at her village for one last time.

"This might be the last time I see him," She whispered softly, strengthening her resolve. Naruto, Kakashi-sensei. Everyone. I am very sorry for doing this. Will you forgive me when I return? She wondered briefly with a heavy heart.

Will you be able to find it in you to accept me, Naruto? Sakura- the traitor? She had made her decision, and there was no way she could bring herself to turn back now. She was not weak anymore. With those thoughts, she approached the gates.

Her brows raised in surprise when she saw two guards at the gate. Shouldn't there be more guards after Sasuke-kun left the village so easily? Then again, the village is extremely short-staffed at the moment. She thanked her lucky stars when she noticed they were sleeping.

She crept closer silently. She almost ruined her cover when one of them moved a bit. Sighing in relief, she tried to calm her beating heart and put her plan into motion.

Anbu operative Takai, retired really, resisted the urge to sigh as his partner chattered on about the missions she went on as a chunin. He longed to return home then, away from his babysitting duties. Then again, showing ropes to a newly minted Anbu was considered babysitting back in his day.

"Why are we doing this again?" His student, and he was very reluctant about calling her that, asked when she finally stopped talking about that one client from Sugi village.

"Hokage's orders, Tōka-san," He answered gruffly. "The village security is being re-evaluated due to recent events."

"Yeah, but that's what those chunin guards are for, aren't they?" She complained. "I thought I was done with the grunt work after I joined Anbu."

"The chunins are asleep," He paused when she cursed and glared at the sleeping guards. "Now, now. No need to be angry, Tōka-san. They are from the administration department. You can't expect them to be vigilant after working in that department for years."

Tōka snorted in disdain. "My sensei used to tell us that those were just excuses made by people who didn't want to put in the effort."

"I see," He mused when he saw her glare at the guards from their post on the terrace of an unsuspecting building. "Then your sensei must have never done much work in the administration department. Working in administration department is just as stressful as going on missions. Those guards you see down there." He gestured airily.

"They spent the whole day filling and filing forms ranging from missions logs to concession requests. Then when they were finally free, they were asked to fill in for the guards. Knowing the state of the village, they didn't think for a second before agreeing to the request. That's over fourteen hours of work, mind you. I am surprised they lasted as long as they did."

"I still don't see the big deal here," She pointed at him. "You came back from your retirement so that the village could manage the manpower efficiently. Everyone's doing their best to help the village recover. What are you trying to say here?"

"What I want to say is," He paused and then sighed, "that you are getting a big head. It's not your fault really." He waved before she could protest. "It happens to the best of us. People often lose sight of important things when they are promoted or asked to join special sub-divisions."

"Just because you are an Anbu doesn't mean you are better than those chunin down there." He explained. "It doesn't make you more important than them in the eyes of the village. It just means that you are given a different set of responsibilities than them. Both sets of responsibilities are equally important for the village to function properly."

"But they are from administration department," She whined and he chuckled softly.

"Whatever you say, kiddo," he shook his head and smiled knowing that he had made his point. Plenty of Anbu had that problem when he was active. It often resulted in friction between Anbu and other departments frequently.

Sometimes, it led to the Anbu operative being humbled, other times it ended in violence. Or what they used to call training accidents. Of course, the strict disciplinary process ensured those kinds of accidents didn't happen again. But it was better to nip the bud before it grew. His owl hooted from above.

"Well, would you look at that," Tōka mused softly and pointed.

"Another genin?" He sighed when he saw the pinked haired girl creep closer to the guard-post. "That's sixth this week if what I read was correct."

"Are we going to stop her or not?" His student asked impatiently when the girl threw some smoke bombs at the guards.

"No," He shook his head and made two shadow clones. One to alert the village and another to check on the guards. "We will follow her for now. She might be used to lead us to a trap. There was a team working with Orochimaru that lead the Anbu squad delta to their demise a few weeks ago."

"Then why are we following her," Tōka asked sceptically as they followed the girl deeper in the forest.

"Because," He hesitated for a bit, "while the chances are slim but she could lead to the members of another growing faction as well."

"Another faction?" Tōka eyed her superior.

"Not everyone agreed with the decision to forgive Sunagakure," He sighed and followed the voice of his owl. "The village leadership suspects there might be certain elements that will try to disrupt the fragile peace we have managed to achieve."

"I see," She frowned. "I was wondering why there was increased activity in the village."

"That's because the Fifth has decided to have twenty percent of our forces on standby," He explained to the rookie. "I don't know the full details but I reckon the village leadership is planning something."

She hummed, putting the worries about about another faction out of her mind. "What's the plan then?"

"Make clones, surround her." He said gruffly, "If she is alone, use intimidation. Otherwise, wait for backup. No unnecessary risks until we are certain that we are not being led to a trap. Maintain distance on the off-chance of her knowing any suicide techniques. Clear?"

"Crystal," She muttered.

A few hours later, Sakura landed in a clearing. Exhausted as she was, she didn't think it was wise to rest for long until she was out of the land of Fire. I promise I will come back after I rescue Sasuke. We will be team Seven again. It will be the same then. Everything will be back to normal. She smiled grimly.

"Now, where can I find the hidden village of Sound?" She muttered and took out a map from her backpack. "From what Ino learned from Shikamaru, Sasuke-kun was taken north towards the Valley of the End. He could be anywhere now but I can begin from the countries near that border. Let's see, that leaves me with the Rice, Hot springs and Iron country to start my search."

She heard winds flapping and glanced up to stare at an Owl sitting on the branch of a tree. The bird was staring at curiously. It screeched loudly. "Dumb owl." She muttered before turning away to ignore it.

"There is no way that the Samurai of Iron country would allow Orochimaru to make a base on their land," She mused with a frown. "That still leaves Rice and Hot springs. That's a lot of ground to cover."

She traced a finger on her map and squinted to see properly in the moonlight. "I really should have thought this through." She groaned.

"Yes, you really should have." She yelped and suddenly found herself surrounded by Anbu. I didn't even notice them. She winced.

"Genin." One Anbu, presumably the leader, spoke suddenly. "You are currently charged for leaving the village without authorization and assaulting fellow shinobi on duty. You will get a chance to speak for yourself when you are interrogated." The masked shinobi nodded.

"Wait. This is all just a big misunderstanding." She waved her arms frantically. She could hear her heartbeat now. There is no one around who can help me this time. Naruto... Kakashi-sensei... I will only make it worse if I struggle against them.

"I can explain." She raised her arms in surrender, letting the map fall.

There was a sharp pain on the back on her neck and everything faded to black.

-[-