Yuto
As I stare at the blonde haired blue eyed kid looking at me in competition, I feel a wide range of emotions.
Rage, sadness, and pity are the three that dominated my mind. The rage came when I saw a child. One who was truly 13 in mind and body. One who'd endured the hatred of and entire village.
Sadness at the fact that nobody helped him until he showed he could be of use to them. The only ones who stood beside naruto were kakashi, as he guarded naruto since he was in the womb, and the third hokage. While the latter is questionable to a lot of fans of the series I always saw an old man trying his best in an impossible situation. Someone who wasn't perfect. Which is exactly why I sympathize with him.
The last emotion, pity. Pity at the fact that all this kid wanted in life was for someone to see him and not kurama. I decided then and there I'd be nice to him, I couldn't do anything else.
"What's your name?" I ask the blonde who's shoulders deep in the water while I calmly walk on it without even a ripple.
"Naruto uzumaki, Future Hokage!" He yells as he scrambled up toward the bank. "What's your name? And how can you walk do this so easily?!"
I chuckle at his energy, it's a good alternative to my rather up and down nature. "My name is Yuto Gojo. Nice to meet you naruto." I answered the first question and then tilted my head.
"As for why I can walk on the water so easily? I have naturally good chakra control. Why don't you show me how you do it. Maybe I can help?" I ask after seeing his face fall at the mention of my natural affinity to control chakra thanks to my eyes.
His face lights up like a sun, "really? You want to help me?" He asks. I nod my head.
"Why wouldn't I?" I ask. I see him open his mouth but stop. Clearly remembering he's not supposed to tell anyone about what or who he has in his stomach.
He shakes his head, "never mind. Thank you!" He says jumping up and beginning to step back out into the water.
Using my eyes, I focus on his chakra. I instantly see the problem. There's some kind of seal around his original one. It seems to make all the chakra coming from the source erratic and unstable. "Hold on naruto!" I call out to him.
He looks over at me and I motion toward where Jiraiya was sitting scribbling in his notepad. "Come with me."
I walk while he swims toward shore. As we reach the bank I grab his shoulder and shunshin us right in front of Jiraiya. (Authors note: his exceptional control of chakra means minimal hand signs:))
The toad sage looks to and I motion him closer to whisper in his ear. "Naruto has a seal on his stomach. One that contains immensely powerful chakra."
He looks at me sharply, "I know that. What's the point?"
I sigh, "there's another one. A five pointed seal around it making his chakra even more erratic than it would usually be." I say to him.
I see understanding dawn in Jiraiya's eyes before he walks up to naruto and asks him to lift his shirt. "Now focus your chakra," he said.
Exactly what I described came into view. The reaper death seal surrounded by a five elements seal. Jiraiya's hand lit up with chakra at each of his fingertips. I saw fire, wind, lightning, water, and earth.
Then he slammed his hand into Naruto's gut and called out "release!" Knocking my training partner out. After catching him and laying him down he looks back at me.
"You will not tell anyone about the chakra you saw. Understand?" He asks with what I recognize is a command. I nod my head. I see Jiraiya sigh in relief. "Thank you for telling me about that seal. I'm sure I would've found it eventually, but naruto is going to be in a dangerous fight soon and needs all the time he can get training."
"I understand master Jiraiya. I've mastered walking on water as you can see. What's next?"
He gains a sly smile. "Time to spar," I groan in annoyance and pain I know is coming.
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After a few hours Jiraiya pulls out a piece of paper. Handing it to me he says, put your chakra into it. As soon as I did I saw something incredible. The paper split into two equal parts. But the way the parts reacted after that was completely different. One turned almost Snow White, while the other became black as midnight.
Looking to the man who handed me the paper I looked to him for answers. What I got was nothing. Just slack jawed awe. "'Master Jiraiya? What was that?"
He closes his mouth and speaks to me, "it ripped in two so you have a wind affinity. As for the second thing that happened…. I don't know either kid." I sigh. So many questions. I feel like everytime I have one thing answered two more questions pop up.
"I'll summon the elder toads soon. Right now let's wait for naruto to finish sleeping and go eat." I nod trying to wrap my head around the fact that even Jiraiya doesn't know what to do with me.
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Naruto
Waking up I see the Pervy sage and Yuto sitting beside me. "Feel any better?" Yuto asks.
I nod, "yeah. But I'm starving!"
Pervy sage jumps in now, "as are we all. Come on. Let's go get something to eat." I jump up full of energy knowing exactly where to go.
"Come on. I've got the perfect place!"
I race down the street yelling at my new friend "come on!"
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Jiraiya
As we walk along the road I see the suble glances the villagers give to naruto. It makes me feel terrible. But to keep him safe the village must remain safe, that's the reason I've run my spy network all around the elemental nations. I know orochimaru's plan for sasuke uchiha.
That's another thing I have regrets about. I may not have liked the pompous uchiha clan. But to do what they did...
I'm broken from my thoughts by Yuto. He's been quietly observing everything since we've arrived. He may not be an official ninja, but he moves and acts like one. His voice is soft, a whisper that I myself can barely hear.
"They hate him…because of it," I can hear the restrained anger in his tone. This isn't good. To give him this impression of the village doesn't bode well for his future here.
I speak to stop his mind, and chakra, from becoming reckless. "You will wait until we are alone to speak. Not now." I say in my serious voice. I don't need danzo and his root to become suspicious of Yuto, that would sign his death warrant.
The boy beside me clenches his teeth and nods. If there's one thing to admire about him it's that he's righteously angry on behalf of someone he barely knows. Even if others see the bad, I see the good. He doesn't have a bad heart, far from it actually.
That thought keeps a smile on my face the whole way to our intended destination, Ichiraku Ramen.
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Yuto
As I step into the famous ramen stand, I can barely keep the smile off my face. Any naruto fan worth his salt, or ramen in this case, would have this place as a must visit should they find themselves embroiled in the situation I am.
I see old teuchi and his daughter ayame, "Naruto! How are you my boy?" The old man calls out.
"I'm great gramps. Now let's get 2 miso to start with." He said grabbing chopstick and sitting at the bar like a kid on Christmas.
I see none of the hateful glances I saw from the other villagers in here though, and that alone makes this my favorite place I've been to thus far.
As teuchi sees us he acknowledges the legendary shinobi first, "lord Jiraiya, come sit, it's an honor to have to back in the village."
Jiraiya takes the offered seat and says he wants a beef ramen. Then the old man's attention turns to me. Granted, I look a bit ragged because my clothes don't fit. Jiraiya had said we'd get new ones in the village proper. Thus, I walked around with clothes many sizes too big and they were ripped and torn like I'd been in battle recently.
Jiraiya coughs, clearly embarrassed, "sorry, this is Yuto. I knew we forgot something, clothes." He says and looks to be genuinely sorry.
I wave him off as I take a seat next to naruto sandwiching him between Jiraiya and I, "it's not a problem. But I want to go after this." At his nod I sag in relief.
As naruto asks about my life story I come up blank. I hadn't discussed what I'd tell those who couldn't know yet that I was an experiment of orochimaru's. That kind of thing wouldn't look too good considering his actions in the near future.
I'd already seen an anbu following me. Curiously, he had two natures like many shinobi, but his mixed together in perfect harmony. It was an odd and beautiful sight to see. I'll wait to voice my opinions on who it is to Jiraiya when we're alone.
Right now, I look down at my chicken ramen, I have a Delicacy to enjoy.
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After lunch we left naruto. Jiraiya told him to keep working on water walking and when he masters it there's a cool new jutsu in it for him.
On our way to the clothing shop Jiraiya asks me, "how do you feel about naruto?"
I speak the truth back to him as quietly as I can. "Angry at his situation, that seemingly nobody wants to help him. Sad that a child's life has been reduced to this."
I'd said the word with such vitriol that it surprised even me. I took a breath to keep myself even and continued speaking. "He's got a far better heart than me."
Jiraiya seemed intrigued by that, "and what makes you think so."
This time I needed him to know this wasn't childish outrage. I stopped, turned to face him and said with my most serious prepubescent voice, "because if I was him? As soon as that being and I came to an understanding I'd lay this place flat." I paused after I spoke to let it sink in before continuing my way through the streets of the village I'd just spoken about.
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Jiraiya
"Because if I was him? As soon as that being and I came to an understanding I'd lay this place flat."
That sentence was spoken with such sureity it shocked me. To hear a child speak so coldly wasn't something I don't think I'd ever get used to. What was almost as shocking was the casual way he continued strolling down the streets he'd just said he would destroy.
I decided to catch up with him. Don't need him going rogue now.
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After an exhausting search we finally found one Yuto liked. An all black zip up jacket and pants with a high collar.
(Authors note: imagine an all black jjk shirt. Like itadori)
"Welcome to Konoha!" The enthusiastic shop owner said. Clearly pleased with the money the chunnin exams brought to his business.
The way back home was quiet. A lot needed to be discussed. I just don't know if I'm ready for it. But being a shinobi is preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.
Time to see which side of the coin Yuto lands on.
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Authors note: here ya go. Enjoy.