LEARNED IT FROM A MANGA

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or any other series mentioned here.

Age: Rookies: 9-10, Team Gai: 10-11

Hey everyone, things like the coupling, and the manga matchup, holds for this chapter. Well, except for Shikamaru and Shino since those two would be the hardest to find a matchup for in manga. But with Shikamaru, I am thinking about using that one character from Vampire Hunter D, that one monster that can merge with the shadows.

Oh, and before I forget, while I don't mind criticism when it comes to my stories, even the constructive kind, as long as they explain where I need to improve on things. But when it comes to insults, I just ignore those, especially from the repeat offenders. I refuse to do anything about them, because since their words are posted online, their character is being shown to the world. So in other words, the haters are shooting themselves in the foot.

Anyway, on with the story

Another day, another year for the young Konoha dozen. While Naruto, Sasuke, and everybody in their age group, are going through the next steps of physical training, the other three are going through the academic part. With Neji, Lee and Tenten, it's back to a year of things like math, reading, writing, and other skills that would help to improve the mind. Right now they are about a month into the new school year, and learning something new, along with improving on something old.

Something that was added by the time this year was an extracurricular activity slot that students are required to take. What it does is give the students, something that they can build upon during their off time, when they aren't training to be shinobi. Or what others would call, making the students get a hobby.

While some don't understand the reason, mainly those who were never a shinobi, or able to become one, others caught on what they are trying to start early. For the life of a shinobi is one that is unforgiving, and a treacherous one, especially when war is involved. Something the older generation can attest to, considering how they not only lost comrades to not only the wars between the villages, but also the wars from within. From survivors guilt, to extreme regret, that it leads to things like heavy drinking, gambling, even madness, that they more than welcome death by any means necessary.

Which is why, even though there are those on the council who still see shinobi as disposable tools, it was decided to give the new generation some kind of outlet to help them out in the future. By giving them a chance to learn things that isn't shinobi related, to find something to relieve stress on certain levels, the chances of any of them taking up questionable habits like gambling and reading porn becomes less than a possibility.

Although it took Hiruzen and a few adults to convince Naruto and his friends to find another hobby outside of reading manga. While it did give ideas on what to train on, some of the characters have questionable habits that could be dangerous if not intercepted soon.

One example being Master Roshi in the Dragonball series. Sure he is strong, he has his moments as a wise old man, can even be proven reliable when the situation calls for it. Yet the fact that he is a dirty old man who would try to play off somebody's innocence to get his hands on a pair of breasts is something they don't want any of the boys to become. Even Hiruzen, since one Jiraiya is enough of a headache to deal with in terms of paperwork.

Even more so when somebody question Jiraiya on if he would be as bad of a pervert as Roshi, only for him to deny it with a vengeance. Although when asked if he would ever try to use Naruto to pick up girls, even though he denied it, the sweating coming down his head was more than enough to say otherwise. This resulted in him getting sent flying by Tsunade express, after admitting that the thought has crossed his mind.

While tough to convince them at first, as it would for a lot of kids, but they were able to convince them to find something that doesn't involve a book of any kind. Although seeing somebody like Might Guy trying to pull off the poses done by the Ginyu Force would have a stronger impact, to help prove everybody else's point. Unfortunately, Guy is now hoping to find four volunteers to help form his own force, only to be told that not only would his team well still be a four-man cell, but also such things are to be voluntary on the student's part.

Right now though, Naruto and his class are being taught some chakra control exercises, mainly balancing things on parts of their bodies. Something that the academy was able to add, after much debating with the civilian council. Although to their horror, since the academy is now back in shinobi hands, the only things they have a say on are the classes placed aside for those going into the civilian life.

So now, the academy is getting back on track into making more capable shinobi by graduation, while the jonin-sensei end up having less on their hands to deal with. Which in turn, lead to the success rate of genin grow bit by bit, because the teams are already making a solid foundation for their futures.

So the class is divided into three separate groups, although one group consisted of one individual, Naruto. On one side, Iruka is helping those who are having trouble making progress controlling their chakra, the slow starters. Like a lot of things, not everybody is going to get it all at once, to the annoyance of Sasuke and Kiba. One of the things they are learning is to be patient when it comes to dealing with their chakra.

While Sasuke is just trying to keep his annoyance down low enough to keep his concentration, Kiba was making it hard for him to do so. The main reason is because he just got his puppy during break, Akamaru, who is busy eating all of the leaves that Kiba is trying to keep on him. Which was really serving as a distraction for him and everybody else. Shikamaru, who already completed the exercise but chose to help Choji figure it out, said troublesome every time dog boy lost his cool due to said puppy.

When he asked for another leaf, "Actually Kiba, since your dog seems to be working against you, you're done for the day." Iruka said, before pointing towards an empty spot on the field.

Getting onto his feet, while grumbling, all he can say is "Thanks-a-lot Akamaru." Who only barked back, as if saying that he can't be held accountable for his own actions.

On the other side is Kurenai doing her mandatory teaching requirements as a chunin, while she waits to fulfill the requirements to become a jonin. It was supposed to be her and Asuma, but he got offered a position as a Fire Guardian, so he is going to be gone for a few years. Instead she asked her friend Anko to help her out.

While Kurenai is helping the successful ones build up their reserves, or rather the cooperative ones, Anko is taking care of the ones that could use a serious attitude adjustment. Which are mainly fangirls and those with a superiority complex, the ones that would get themselves and their teammates killed if left alone for too long. Kurenai was helping the group that consisted of mostly girls, and very few boys, one of them being Shino. The reason for this is that while yes his clan does use bugs, they in return give him enough chakra to maintain a healthy living.

Focusing on keeping a leaf floating without it spiraling, "Man, who would have thought things would be so quiet since Seifer and his crew has been expelled from the academy." Ino said, trying to start a conversation.

When she was able to get her leaf to give off a few shakes, "Yeah, but can't say they don't deserve it." Sakura said, talking about an event that happen a couple of weeks ago, "Trying to attack us for losing to Naruto that is just taking things too far."

You heard right, Seifer and his two friends got expelled. Ever since Naruto took him out with his Kamehaha Wave, there has been an outcry by the haters in the village for him winning with an unauthorized move, despite the fact that it saved the crazy blonde's life. During the summer break, when Naruto and some of his friends got to leave the village for some vacation time, the ones that were expecting Seifer to win a rigged match were stoking the flames of his ego. Saying things like he should attack the demon's friends in order to remind him of his place.

Unfortunately for them, they never bothered teaching the boy some tact. For during the second week of the school year, he tried to attack Sakura with Naruto nearby, trying to cause some emotional damage. Yet that proved to be a mistake when Sakura ducked under the punch the threw, and kicked him hard in the balls, releasing a high pitched squeak. Now, he not only got expelled, he was forced to live with the nickname 'squeaker' because of that event.

"I can't believe Mizuki tried to get you and Naruto expelled, trying to make Squeaker the victim of assault." Ino said.

"Yet I can't help but feel pleased when he got fired instead, because the Dean was there to see the whole thing." Hinata said, "Before Lady Tsunade ended up literally throwing him out of the academy with a punch."

Which is what helped led Kurenai to become an assistant teacher to the current class for about a couple of years. They needed somebody who would not only take their duties seriously, but would also treat all of the students equally without the risk of their personal feelings interfering. Something that the students Mizuki has spoiled ended up learning the hard way.

Unfortunately for Hiruzen, and the clan heads, along with Naruto's life becoming better and better, the changes at the academy was an ongoing debate with the Civilian Council, while the Elders just stayed in the middle. Apparently there are some roaches on the council that don't like it when somebody actually decides to clean house, and reveal who the true filth really is.

Anyway, over at a different location, Naruto is being watched by Shisui, since he has two different sources of chakra to contend with. So he has his hands full trying to get the two to work together without the risk of doing serious harm to himself.

Which is why Naruto is going through some experimental training, trying to find a way to get the Kyubi's chakra to work with his own. The main reason why it is experimental is because it was only thought up due to rumors of how Kumo's containers are able to work with their demons. They couldn't exactly ask Kumo for help, because of the fact that they tried to kidnap a Konoha, citizen, not once, but twice, in order to gain a powerful bloodline.

The first being Kushina when she was still a genin, who was rescued by Minato, who was able to follow the trail she left behind.

The second one was pretty recent, which involved Hanabi Hyuga. To make a long story short, some members of the Kumo Council decided to place a contract for her capture, alive and unharmed, only for unexpected circumstances to blow up in their faces. Which in turn, the Raikage got stuck cleaning up the political mess that followed.

Another reason is that when it comes to their containers, it would be treated like a village secret, so Konoha has to build their own foundation. Mito and Kushina had a seal that kept kyubi separated from them completely, with no intention of talking to it. With Naruto, since his seal is designed for him to absorb its chakra, they need to decide a starting point.

The first step is having him learn to get used to his own chakra before he can start dealing with the Kyubi's chakra. With his already large chakra reserves, he needs to learn to rely on the energy that is his own. So that way, if something were to cut him off from the kyubi, he can be more than ready to fight on his own power.

Like the other boys, he was having a hell of a time getting the leaf to stick to his body. Yet his problem is that he is trying to control the flow of chakra coming from his own pool. Like trying to keep a river from overflowing, Naruto has to keep a steady flow to the part of his body holding the leaf. It wasn't easy, but Naruto never had it easy, so it's nothing new for him.

"Okay Naruto, you are doing good," Shisui said, watching as Naruto kept the leaf on his forehead, "Just keep it there for at least a minute . . ." He started to say, before the leaf *poof!* exploded into dust, "What happened?"

Rubbing the back of his head, with a seldom look from having to explain this, "Well, the kyubi sneezed, and accidently released some of its chakra into me." Naruto said, considering that the sneeze messed up his concentration.

Giving Naruto a weird look, only to drop it, Shisui handed Naruto another leaf to use. While the young blonde was getting to work on his control, Shisui gave his head a little shake. While his response was to be expected, yet since he has no idea what it is like to have a literal voice in your head that wasn't your own, he is better off taking Naruto's word for it.

Break

Out on one of the training fields available on the Senju Compound, Jiraiya and Tsunade are doing some training of their own. This one involving taijutsu only, with no chakra involved, since Tsunade doesn't want to feel like a one-trick pony when it comes to how she fights.

Even though they are glad to be back in Konoha, giving Naruto to have a happy life in a village divided, but it also came with a bit of price that they refuse to pay any longer. That price being with all of their duties to Naruto and the village, they have been neglecting their own training. Hell, even their sensei has been getting back into shape ever since he took him under his wing in the ways of the bo-staff.

They have been doing this just after Naruto, and Shizune, returned to school. Feeling that they should do it without an audience, while at the same time, catch up with each other when it comes to skills. No ground was being left uncovered, since with their age, somebody might exploit them on certain weaknesses.

After exchanging a round of punches, "Hey Tsunade, how about we take a break." Jiraiya said, feeling like he is about to reach his limit.

As much as she wanted to make a crack about his age catching up to him, Tsunade could feel her body agreeing with him. "Yeah, it wouldn't hurt to take a short rest." She said, just before the other gave each other a small bow of respect to the other.

Pulling out a scroll, and opening it to reveal one of many seals, Jiraiya pushed some chakra into one that released two bottles of ice-cold water. Tossing one to his old teammate, who took it with much appreciation on her part. Opening up his bottle, he took a big swig of the water, enjoying the welcoming feeling of something cooling him down.

Tsunade was feeling the same, because she was being reminded of how much time was spent traveling around, trying to get away from her past. Gambling and drinking her worries away, while just popping in occasionally to those who need a doctor for something really serious. Deciding to start up a conversation, "I can't believe that after all of these years that I have been this rusty when it came to training." She said.

Jiraiya gave a slight snort, "Yeah, no kidding." He said, "The biggest wake up was when sensei asked up to join him in training about a couple of months ago."

Both of them got a shiver at this, especially with some of the memories they can recall when they were starting off as a team. "And for somebody that seems to be older than dirt, he certainly knocked the dust right out of us." She said, still feeling the sting of his staff when he used it to slap her hard in the ass, "With that big smirk on his face, and not looking at all winded when compared to us."

"Easy for you to say, since I was the one he used as a substitute when you tried to kick him in the balls." Jiraiya said, feeling some phantom pain in that area. When it felt like he went through a bad case of ingrown testicles, for something that this time, he didn't deserve, "Makes me pity Orochimaru a little bit if he thinks sensei is going to be an easy fight."

While that name brought the mood down, they have long since accepted that their old teammate has chosen his path in life, one that comes with a horrible price. "Are you still sore about the whole dirty old man crack?" Tsunade said, since it was originally a joke, but also a warning if the Toad would go that far. Although she knows that could be no different if it turned out that Naruto has the devil's luck when it comes to gambling. Especially if it's to help pay off her debts by making the casinos broke.

"No, it's more like you brought up the last memories of when I was with my team when we were together for the last time." Jiraiya said, making Tsunade widen her eyes, "And that last moment where words were said, that would haunt me forever."

This humbled Tsunade right up. Everybody who has been around for a good long time knows how much Jiraiya treasured his time being a sensei, and how much it pained him to hear one day that Minato was the only living member to return from a mission. When Minato died sealing the Kyubi inside of Naruto, that was the breaking point to where he decided to use his time as a spymaster as a way to stay away from the village. While it doubled as an excuse to get laid and write more of his books, it also served as a bad excuse to stay out of Naruto's life for so long. Something she herself is guilty of, ever since she lost two of her precious people doing their duty for a village she despised for so long.

Deciding to continue, since the only other living person to know this is Hiruzen himself, who knows what it's like to see a team fall apart due to one bad choice, "It was after that meeting in Sensei's office, where those old bats tried to force Kushina into handing over everything Uzumaki over to the village, or more specifically into their hands." Jiraiya started to explain, "I know you were there for that."

How can she forget, especially when you have three people who are willing to break clan laws to get their hands on something they shouldn't. Tsunade couldn't believe the audacity of those three trying to pretty much erase the Uzumaki Clan from history. "Oh yeah, like it was yesterday. Kushina wanted to move out of the Uzumaki Compound, since her being the only living one at the time made the place feel real lonely. Along with not feeling safe after her kidnapping, she decided to place all of her Uzumaki heritage into storage somewhere, and start her life over from scratch." Tsunade said, "Even willing to drop the clan head status since what would be the point, and those three fools have some nerve to believe it means the village can help themselves to all of her stuff like she was freeloading in Konoha."

"Yeah, and do you still remember their faces when Sensei not only reminded them about certain laws of ownership?" Jiraiya asked, getting a slight snort as a yes, "Along with both Sensei and Kushina agreeing to have her seal everything in a scroll, so that I can ask the toads to safeguard it until the time comes."

Tsunade gave a slight laugh at the memory, "How can I forget, since they looked like they died right where they sat." She said, "Since it wasn't hard to figure out that anything jutsu related would have gone to Danzo and his ROOT, while everything else would be sold in order to fill their own pockets. With the toads, the Uzumaki Clan could be back to Naruto."

Deciding to get back on topic, "Well, after everybody left, Sensei needed me to stay behind to give me some seriously surprising news." Jiraiya said, taking a deep breath, "Turns out that the other male of my team have traded sides, working as a double agent for Iwa. While there was nothing concrete about what he said, I was told to pass on a warning to Minato before they left on that mission. I couldn't go with them since there was a S-ranked mission that involved me checking my spy network."

Now he definitely got her attention, since Jiraiya refuses to bring up the boy's name. It's an old common practice done in shinobi villages, where it's one thing to betray somebody to say a criminal, it's another to betray their village to one that they are currently fighting. If the intent was something where you willingly betray your home for something truly selfish, that once your life ends, the only place you would exist is on the list of traitors in the archives.

"And with Shauna, well, her last words were what you accused me of, but for a different reason." Jiraiya explained, causing Tsunade to understand what he meant by last words, since Minato loved his sensei like a father, "she overheard me talking to Minato, and accused me of betraying my team. She wasn't a fangirl, they had more of a sibling relationship, and the idea that he could be a traitor just didn't sit well."

Hearing this made her recall what she was like after hearing the news. Tsunade remembers she and Orochimaru being there for the man during one of his darkest times, when he would rather be getting himself drunk off of his ass instead of getting laid. Hearing the things she never knew before, she couldn't help but wonder how much worse he would have been if Minato never made it back that day.

"Yet the words Minato told me that day in the hospital added salt to the wound." Jiraiya said, some old feelings started to take a stronger hold, "Her last words were of have Minato relay her apology to me?"

While he finished his trip to memory lane, Tsunade now felt like she understood her old teammate in a better light. While people might wonder if the reason why he can recover so quickly from the beatings he receives for peeping is because he is suicidal, hoping one of them would put him out of his misery for good, those that actually knew him felt otherwise.

Being a pervert is just in Jiraiya's nature, along with being loyal to those he knows deserve it. One of the reasons why he can recover quickly from a beating is that he's been peeping way before he was an academy student. Along with the fact that with all of the wars and loss of those he grew an attachment to, chances are the physical pain he goes through has nothing when compared to his spiritual pain.

"And the other boy, he wasn't killed by Iwa shinobi, was he?" Tsunade asked.

"Actually, he was, since Minato used him as a substitute." Jiraiya explained, shocking his teammate, "He couldn't find it within himself to kill him, so he had to make a snap decision."

Remembering how she was told about Shauna almost being raped, only for her to use an explosive tag to take both herself and her assailants out for good, and adding her final words, no wonder why Jiraiya lost himself that day. Having your last moment with the people you gained a bond with to end so badly, only to return one day to find out that one moment really was the last one. Good memories that end with a really sour note.

Deciding to get back on task, "But that isn't the only memory haunting you, is it?" Tsunade said, giving her friend a sympathetic look, since she knows the feeling very well. When Jiraiya shook his head, confirming her suspicion, "Thinking back to the times when you would rob your own students just so that only you would have a good time in town, while they got stuck camping in the outskirts?" Seeing the guilty look on his face for being that selfish, no matter what excuse he used, "Or all the times they got even, one of them being how they drugged you. So that you would wake up nude in a hot spring, surrounded by a bunch of gay men singing 'Macho, Macho Man!' while flirting with you"

Now this made Jiraiya feel a shiver go down his spine at that memory. When it first happened, he felt sick, even nausea, when some of those men flirted with him, even got a little too fresh. Something he wouldn't mind if it was a beautiful girl looking for a good time. Yet Tsunade ended up pointing out one day on how he makes women feel every time he decides to peep on them, and show off their bodies to the world through his books. Unfortunately, the guilt she tried to instill failed to take off, since before that day was up, a familiar giggling could be heard at the springs she was relaxing in.

Deciding to focus on something other than that dreadful day, "Actually I was thinking about all of the times I ripped off my students, with no intention of repaying." Jiraiya said, who was feeling a little shocked by his honesty, "Which was no different from you robbing both me and Orochimaru whenever you felt the urge to raid a casino, only for us to make a run from the town whenever you have a scuffle with the owners about paying what you owe."

This time it was Tsunade's turn to feel some shame from the past. When she first became a genin, was when Tsunade was considered an adult, meaning that she can gamble to her heart's content, as long as she has money of course. Something she inherited from her grandfather, along with his luck, which sucks really bad. While the only thing she can get inside of Konoha are a bunch of lottery cards, yet once Hiruzen decided to lead a team outside of the village, then it's high time for everybody to protect their wallets.

While yes, when she is on the clock, Tsunade takes her duties as a kunoichi very seriously, despite the twitches on her body when they walk past anything gambling related. Yet once the mission ends, successfully or not, once they settle into a tavern or inn or something similar, all bets are off, literally. Whatever money she brought with her, whether it is money she would receive from her clan as an allowance, or saved from doing d-rank missions, would disappear before the hour is up.

Then she would ask everybody on the team to 'loan' her some money, promising to pay them back once she won big. Yet even though they would tell her no, with Hiruzen stepping in to draw the line. Unfortunately, she didn't take no very well, so by the next day, the whole team was broke because of her, meaning that any other forms of sleeping would have to be done by camping if they were plenty far from the village.

Yet she didn't get away with it, since Tsunade was punished on multiple fronts. From Hiruzen, he made her work her ass off in order to pay off what she stole from her team, even though at time, she felt Jiraiya didn't deserve any justice. From her parents, while they can't really do much to her since genin are considered adults, but they can come up with d-rank missions for her, and sometimes her team, specifically, in order to pay them back for her losses. What made those missions cruel was that most of them involved taking care of her grandmother, Mito Senju, formally Uzumaki by name, and that woman can be pure evil when she wants to be. Especially to where it gives Hiruzen more paperwork to deal with whenever she would cause some kind of mischief within the village.

His voice brought her back to the present, "The one thing that I have been wondering is why I did it, even though I knew about Minato struggling to make something of himself due to him being an orphan, and Shauna was hoping to save up to move out of her parents' house." He said, the guilt really eating at him, "And if I had waited longer to meet Naruto, even after he became a genin, I would have robbed him too. Not caring about the fact that the money I would be taking would be the only money he has on him." Giving his head a little shake, "And I'm still trying to figure out when did my vices overcome my duty to help my students grow."

"You're not the first sensei to be asking themselves such questions, Jiraiya." Hiruzen said, as he walked onto the field, while wearing his kage robes, "We have seen all sorts of senseis, and some of them that have been in your shoes, to where they outlive their teams. Wondering if they could have done more."

"Yeah, I remember being there with Kushina to help Minato deal with the loss of Obito and Rin." Jiraiya said, "While he did a good job of keeping a calm appearance in front of Kakashi, it was hard for him to find out that his team of three went down by one after losing Obito. Hearing how Rin sacrificed her life for the village in order to avoid becoming Kiri's time bomb, once he dismissed Kakashi that day, he finally cracked."

"And do you want to know why I took your students side whenever they pranked you?" Hiruzen asked, getting a nod in return, "For one thing, something you probably realized right about now is that you deserved every bit of punishment they gave you for robbing them. That causes some trust to be lost between sensei and their team." Seeing that he has depressed his student long enough, and deciding to go for a sucker punch, "The other reason is because they are the ones who get requested to expose you whenever you decide to do your research."

Now Jiraiya looked at his sensei with complete shock. Looking to his side, he sees Tsunade with a small smirk on her face. "Seriously, Tsunade?" he asked, although he already experienced the answer in the past.

"Well what I can I say? While you are an enemy to anything female," Tsunade started to say, not feeling ashamed about what she is about to admit, "You're team has become our greatest allies, due to the fact that you tend to rub them the wrong way. Especially when you use their money instead of your own just so you can have a good time."

Knowing when he is licked, especially when it comes to his past, "So what would you like to do with our 'guests' that seem to have something sinister planned?" Jiraiya asked, making said guest who are hiding in the trees realize they have been made long ago.

"Try not to kill all of them, Ibiki would still need a few to have a 'chat' with." Hiruzen said, before chucking his robes aside, showing that he is ready for battle.

Well, here it is the latest chapter. Sorry for not updating this as soon as you would have liked it, life has been hectic for me lately. Along with checking out other series to write fanfiction on that isn't Naruto, since I'm starting to feel like a one-trick pony. Hope you don't mind a chapter that focuses more on a backstory, since I plan to make the next one with a bit more action, more of moving the story forward. Read and Review, and have a nice Labor Day.