Sometimes Goodbye is a Second Chance Chapter 3: Lost in the Past, Namikaze Nagato

by Kaitan

Several ramen stands being emptied by the ravenous blondes and redhead, Naruto walked home with his future/past/whatever parents. The three of them, laughing and joking, passed through a nicer part of Konoha, and suddenly Naruto stopped. The other two continued on for several more steps before also stopping and turning back to see what had befallen their errant time-traveler.

Naruto stood transfixed, staring at a massive wall that occupied a whole side of the street. A long, tall wall, with a red and white fan on the middle of it.

"Uchiha..." he whispered, his voice lost in the wind.

His gaze did not falter or move, lost in thoughts and possibilities. There had been no attempted coup, no massacre by a crying Itachi, Uchiha Shisui still had both his eyes... Sasuke was not past saving...

Figuring this was another thing from his past, the other two let him continue on his train of thought, idly chatting until he finally broke himself out of his own mind, with the difficulty of breaking a triple-layered genjutsu laid on by Kurenai herself. He offered a sad smile and continued walking, thinking of what may happen now, in a past he had changed, an alternate future... which brought him to another point- how could he stop the Kyuubi attack? Stop the masked man? That lay still many years in the future, in the meantime he had an assessment to plan ahead for. Who would he fight? Minato himself? That would be a problem, but could he even use the Rasengan now without raising a hue and cry?

Arriving at their modest home after the ramen glut, the Red Hot Habanero strolled to the kitchen as Minato showed Naruto his new room. "This one's yours now," stated the Yellow Flash, stifling a yawn. It was a simple room, painted blue, with a closet and small bed. Naruto tossed his gear on it, turning to his father with a serious expression. "We'll be needing a cover story for me. A new ninja can't just appear, not even from deep cover, especially one who looks so similar to you and Kushina."

All traces of fatigue disappeared, and the Yellow Flash stared steadily back at him, challenging blue eyes against blue. "Kushi-chan needs to be in on the discussion." and they strode out to the kitchen table, to see Kushina humming and sashaying around the kitchen wearing oven mitts, only to stop and pull a tray out of the oven.

Naruto paused. "When did she...?"

Minato shrugged helplessly. "I think there's a secret storage seal of half-baked cookies somewhere around here that she just puts in the oven whenever she wants some."

The time-traveling teenager shrugged in sympathy.

"Options?" questioned the Yellow Flash around a mouthful of chocolate chip cookies.

"ANBU special ops?" said Kushina tentatively.

"Nah, no mask is retiring now. And you can still see hair around an ANBU mask, and no one has sunbeam hair around here except for me."

"Genjutsu?"

"Too many people skilled in dōjutsu around here. Seriously, why does Konoha have two of the big three and the third is extinct?"

"No sidetracking!"

"Sibling?"

"That could work..."

"I'm an orphan, so the family resemblance could be passed off as something from outside Konoha."

"Stop wearing the headband, straight off."

"Namikaze... Naruto?"

"Jiraiya'll see something's up instantly. It's not a common name."

"Namikaze... hmm... N-"

"-agato."

Both of the others looked at the speaker with some confusion.

"Any particular reason?"

"Just... the name of a friend of mine who died before he could change the world."

"Sorry to pry. So Namikaze Nagato it is?"

"Done." And with this distraction out of the way, the three dove into the tray of chocolate chip cookies.

Naruto yawned and blearily opened his eyes, only for them to snap open at seeing something in front of his face- a ponderous balloon, with some viscous liquid swishing inside it. He cautiously glanced around the room, seeing it filled with a veritable minefield of prank traps, some ropes, and some evidently hooked up to the sealing design hovering in the air above him. Was that even possible? He shook his head sadly. Lost Whirlpool Arts were astounding, but lost all the same by his time.

Carefully making his way outside and to the table, he found a Kushina grinning like the Cheshire cat and a Minato with his head in his hands. "Good morning, Nagato-chan!" chirped the redhead. Her only response being a raised eyebrow, she pouted and turned away, humphing, but letting a smile peek through. "Good luck disarming that," muttered Naruto's new elder brother. His elated face at having escaped them all fell comically, and another giggle sneaked out of Kushina. Naruto- no, Nagato- shook his head ruefully and sat down, reaching for some food. "Oh, and your assessment will be against me," and Nagato's face fell straight into his cereal.

00000000 Part II- A Battle of Speed

Nagato arrived at the training grounds, nearly being dragged by his two housemates.

The Sandaime was present, as well as several ANBU guards, as was to be expected: an unknown ninja claiming to be an Oinin from the future was to be assessed by Namikaze Minato, one of the Leaf's foremost ninja.

Nagato and Minato bowed to each other. "Begin!" shouted the Sandaime, leaping back with his robes fluttering.

Both jumped back, Minato holding a Hiraishin kunai loosely in his left hand, Nagato having unsheathed his twin kodachi, before they charged. The Hiraishin kunai was optimized for close combat and the Yellow Flash began with a blurring backhand strike, kunai held in a reverse grip. It was knocked away by a short blade as the other was thrust at his opponent. Moving with a speed Nagato didn't know was possible in close combat, Minato guided the blade past his side with consummate ease and got inside Nagato's guard with another three-pronged kunai in his hand. Dropping one kodachi, Nagato hastily blocked with his arm bracer, letting the knife dig into it. Damn he's strong! Thought Nagato, straining. Then a boot in his stomach forcibly disengaged him from the hold, and he tumbled backwards several meters before rolling back to a low stance, eyes never leaving his opponent. A small grin was his only warning before another boot announced Minato's appearance behind him, but Nagato was prepared this time. A hand caught the boot and the other was hastily blocked inches from Minato's face. "Better," allowed Minato before with lightning speed he pushed away the two fists to leap easily over Nagato's head, launching a handful of shuriken masked by his other hand. These being dodged or blocked, they began forming handseals. "Raiton: Rairyū no Tatsumaki!(Lightning Release: Thunder Dragon Tornado)" finished Minato, calling down a lightning strike on himself, which then formed into a dragon that charged Nagato. That is some form manipulation, noted Nagato. Don't want to get hit.

"Fūton: Fūtate no Jutsu. (Wind Release: Wind Shield.)" mouthed Nagato as he placed an invisible hexagonal panel in front of him. Somehow the older blonde must have seen the shimmer or guessed because the dragon veered, crashing into a hastily-erected second wind shield. It fought against the stronger element for a second before bursting into electricity of which a stray arc burned Nagato's sleeve. "Well... Ouch." And Minato had disappeared again, and suddenly the wind shields dissipated as Nagato was yanked backwards and thrown into a tree. He landed agilely, and formed a pair of shadow clones. He held out his hand, forming a chakra shell, and one clone filled it with chakra, and another filled it with wind-element. Soon a small ball flickering with wind blades sat in his hand. "Fūton: Rasengan.(Wind Release: Rasengan)" And wielding this in his hand, both he and Minato charged once more. The Wind Release Rasengan easily overpowered the standard Rasengan, and Minato 'ported out of there only to see Nagato spin and lob it at him. Overcoming his surprise, he ducked only for the explosion to knock him flying, and controlled the fall through landing at yet another three-pronged kunai. Minato looked to the side and said, "Sandaime-sama?" "Yes, his skills have been adequately assessed. You may finish or continue as you wish."

"Okay I'm done." said the Yellow Flash.

"WHAAAT? I wanna keep going!" shouted Namikaze Nagato.

"You sure?"

"Yeah! I'm so gonna beat the crap outta you now!"

But suddenly Minato was behind him with a kunai to his throat. "Nope."

"When in the..."

"I tagged you in the first exchange, remember?"

"no..."

"Want some of Kushina's cookies?"

"Sure!"

And cookies were shared by all.