Taming the Tanuki - 3

"Gah...I should've known." Jiraiya grumbled.

When evening came Naruto had insisted that they go to Ichiraku Ramen. The sennin protested but was immediately overruled by three, small, hungry faces.

They sat in a line at the bar: Naruto, Gaara, Haku and Jiraiya, each having a unique perspective of the ramen shop. The owner was very pleased to have a group of customers and was friendly to Naruto.

Gaara and Naruto were halfway through their first bowls of miso within fifty seconds, although Naruto was clearly in the lead. Haku did his best not to watch while slowly slurping his beef ramen with a green face.

Jiraiya smirked. They were annoying, yes, but they were growing on him.

Still, the sage feared that Naruto's alarming eating habit was beginning to rub off on Gaara, 'The way he eats...I'll have nightmares about it.'

Gaara seemed to be enjoying himself immensely as he and Naruto asked for a second bowl. He felt so refreshed it was almost alien; yet he also felt a huge desire to sleep, not at all threatened by the thought of the inner voice that may haunt his dreams.

"Try not to overdo it you two," Jiraiya feared they may decide to move onto a fourth bowl and was concerned for Haku who was looking greener every moment, "I knew this wasn't a good idea..."

"Hey Gaara, I was wondering..." Naruto said after a slurp of noodles, "When you and Haku were sparring, when you went nuts, could you hear the, uh...that voice?"

Gaara looked at him bewildered for a moment, "How did you know?"

"I guessed," The blonde shrugged, "You were acting like that when we first met you, right Haku?"

Haku nodded, "Yes, that's right."

Jiraiya cut in, "Don't worry about voices anymore. The Hokage and I took care of that problem for you."

Gaara smiled at the sennin before he continued eating.

After a frightening amount of noodles it was much too late for young children to be awake. Jiraiya followed the three boys as they darted beneath lampposts, recalling the day's events (some more fondly than others).

"Remind me again why you had to butt into the Hyuga clan's affairs?" The sage asked Naruto, "You could've gotten your assess kicked if it had gone badly."

"Hinata-chan and Neji needed our help, Ero-sennin!" Naruto bit back, standing outside the door of his apartment.

"Just so you know Hokage-sama is sending someone here tomorrow to help you pack up. You'll be moving to a new place that fits the three of you." Jiraiya reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto acknowledged as he opened the door.

Gaara looked slightly excited, "I can't wait to sleep..."

Haku laughed at the red haired boy's enthusiasm for such a trivial thing as they ventured inside Naruto's place, but he could understand how appealing a peaceful night's sleep sounded to him.

Jiraiya looked back, noting that the loud blonde had not gone inside.

"Naruto?" He looked around and then sighed, "Sheesh, he was just here..."

The sennin poked his head into the apartment, surprised by how clean it was.

"Er, you two get some sleep. I'm gonna have a talk with the loud mouth." Jiraiya announced to Haku and Gaara who was already passed out on the couch.

Haku frowned disapprovingly, "You mean Naruto?"

"Uh...yeah..." Jiraiya rubbed the back of his head, "We'll be back later." Without another word, the sage closed the door, wondering how and why Naruto had managed to slip away so quickly without being noticed.

"Pain in my ass..."

Naruto sat silently on a stone face of the Hokage Monument, gazing at the ethereal stars dotting the black sky. He felt frustrated with the perverted toad hermit for always doubting him and poking fun.

He huffed to himself. Maybe he shouldn't have just taken off like that. Haku and Gaara might worry and that was the last thing he wanted.

Naruto appreciated that he had a spot to go to by himself now that he finally had friends. He never suspected that he would ever want to be alone again after meeting Gaara and Haku, but he just needed to clear his head.

"Hey kid."

Alas, he spoke too soon. Naruto looked up at Jiraiya and sighed, "How'd you find me old man?"

"I'm the Legendary Toad Sage for cripes sake, give me some credit!" Jiraiya's voice then softened, "What are you doing up here?"

"I come here to think."

The sennin smirked, "Well that's a swell habit to get into!"

Naruto ignored his sarcasm and kept his focus on the stars. With a defeated sigh, Jiraiya sat down next to the small boy. 'What a weird kid...'

The sage had never witnessed Naruto sulking before, even in his short while of knowing him. He wouldn't have dreamed that the cheerful boy was capable of sulking.

"Why do you look so down, squirt?"

"I'm not down, Ero-sennin." Naruto sighed, trying to dodge the question.

Jiraiya made a doubtful face and then gazed out from their high vantage point at the city of Konoha. He smiled nostalgically at the lights and buildings below.

"I don't come here too often nowadays; being a hermit," Jiraiya began, "Though sometimes I do get a bit homesick...it's hard to forget how beautiful it is here."

Naruto lowered his eyes, "But it's really a lot different than it looks."

"I know they don't treat you that well kid. Don't let it get to you," Jiraiya said quietly, "Just try to remember the important things and ignore the assholes around here. You do have people who care for you."

"If I become a strong ninja, then they'll stop hating me." Naruto surmised, "They'll respect me when I'm Hokage."

"You know you don't have to be Hokage just to impress people. There are other ways to be strong," The sennin chuckled, "People who are precious to you give you reasons to be strong: to protect them and to not give up. You know, like the farm boy and sand kid."

"I do care about Haku and Gaara," Naruto admitted, "But...I just...how can I protect them when they're stronger than me? It's like…they have powers and I'm just me."

"What's wrong with that?"

Naruto frowned, "They'll end up protecting me! And I didn't realize when we met that they were so-"

"What? Are you complaining?" Jiraiya sniggered, "Just because they were born with their abilities doesn't make them 'stronger' than anyone, even, dare I say it? You."

The blonde boy blinked.

"Sheesh, I mean, you think I didn't see you throw that shuriken towards the sand kid at the Hyuga compound?" The sennin smirked cleverly, "Do you honestly believe that Haku or Gaara could do that?"

"Well maybe if-"

"My point is don't underestimate yourself kid!" Jiraiya barked, "You'll only be as strong as you let yourself be, so don't hold back! Strength isn't measured by cool powers last I checked..."

Naruto felt a small smile tug at his lips.

"You know, way back…I had a student like you."

"You did?"

"Oh yeah..." Jiraiya went on, "Scrawny, weird kid like you...blonde, athletic...had a good idea from time to time...he wasn't sure what the future held for him either."

Although Naruto was offended by the hermit's remark on having good ideas from 'time to time', he was still interested in what he had to say.

"What happened to him?"

"Well he did his best, and it landed him in the right position I'd say. He ended up creating a powerful technique of his own; he could summon toads without blinking, trained his own Genin team and helped us win the war against the Hidden Rock. He was a great ninja, really brave..." Jiraiya paused, "Oh, and...uh...we're kind of sitting on his head..."

Naruto jumped ten feet in the air in shock.

"YOU trained the Fourth Hokage? NO WAY!"

Jiraiya yanked the stunned boy back down to sit, "Sheesh! Calm down kid! But yeah, I did, he was my best student...and a good friend."

Naruto suddenly felt a great swell of regret for insulting the toad hermit so often, when he really was responsible for training one of the greatest ninja Konoha had ever seen.

"Yeah, he was smart too. Excellent with seals...he valued the village and his friends above all else..." Jiraiya continued, "That's what made him strong."

A very inspired Naruto clung to Jiraiya's every word, forgetting what a pervert he was.

"Though...he did have help."

Jiraiya reached behind him and removed the large scroll he had kept on his back. He placed it proudly in front of Naruto.

"Do you know what this is kid?"

Obviously a scroll...but there was nothing more he could decipher, "Not really..."

Jiraiya went on, "It's a summoning contract, Naruto."

"A what?"

"Tell me kid, in the battle against the Kyuubi, what did the Fourth ride to battle on?" The sennin asked.

Naruto had only caught bits and pieces of that story, but was able to answer, "A huge toad! Uh...Gamabunta, right?"

Jiraiya grinned, "Okay, so you've got some history in that head of yours...yep. He used this summoning contract as I have to summon toads, and at times, Gamabunta."

Naruto's ocean eyes were as wide as saucers, "Can I do it too?"

Jiraiya had actually considered this for a short while earlier. Why not teach the kid? It could give him an edge against Haku and Gaara, if he did it correctly.

"Sure, but it'll be hard, I can promise that," Jiraiya replied, opening the scroll, "Look here! This is my name and the Fourth's see? Signing this contract enables you to summon toads, which basically needs a sacrifice of blood along with the right seals."

"So you'll teach me?" His volume was rising again in excitement.

"Er...yeah. What? Am I talking for my health?" The sage said, "You need to sign in blood though and then put your hand print next to it..."

Naruto, in a state of astonished excitement, signed his name next to the Yondaime's without a moment's hesitation. His name gleamed in red on the scroll. There was no way he could get the huge grin off of his face.

"So can you show me now?"

"Jeez, you're impatient! Pay attention squirt..." Jiraiya guided Naruto through the steps of a small blood sacrifice and the proper seals. The blonde boy memorized every last step.

"Got it?" Jiraiya watched Naruto nod his head like a bobble-head doll, "Well? Give it a shot."

"Right!" Naruto was shaking with excitement, determined to get it right. While focusing his chakra, he bit his thumb and quickly drew blood, and went through the seals: boar, dog, bird, monkey, ram...

His heart almost stopped when there was a puff of smoke and Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at his success.

A tadpole.

Jiraiya screamed with laughter and Naruto stood next to him, stricken and shocked. The blonde boy looked at the sennin, slightly frustrated that he hadn't even summoned a fully-grown toad.

After getting over his little joke Jiraiya exhaled, and Naruto sat back down, wondering if he could have done better.

"I'll do it again!" He was determined.

"You can't expect Gamabunta on your first try kid! You start small and work your way up, that's the nature of things..." Jiraiya explained while grinning, "Keep trying, Naruto, you've got plenty of time!"