Chapter 20

Naruto was a panting mess as he continued to push his feet with everything he had. He was tired beyond belief. The boy had a lot of natural stamina. Enough to run fifteen laps around a massive field and only start to feel it around the sixteenth. That is when everything kicked in. That is when he started to wear down. His feet were weak. His lungs were on fire. His heart was beating a mile a minute. He could hear his pulse in his ear. Feel it in every part of his body. He wanted to stop. To admit defeat but he couldn't. He wouldn't. He had to push on. He needed to be stronger. This was nothing. He could take more. He would be Hokage one day. This is child's play.

Jiraiya was impressed. He had told the boy to do twenty laps around the field. He wanted to see what his limit was. How far he could go. He exceeded his expectations. He ran more laps than he expected. He pushed harder than he thought he could. He went on even when he could hardly breath. He was sweating so much you would think he walked through a water fall. The boy had determination.

Jiraiya smiled. He was just like his parents. The enthusiasm and energy of Kushina. The looks and determination of his father. He must be the boy of Prophecy. He hoped he wasn't wrong again.

Naruto was on his seventeenth lap. Jiraiya smiled. The boy had massive potential. Athena obviously saw this. She knew it. It's why she requested he train with them. He wondered what his daughter was planning. It was something he picked up on. She seemed to be planning something. He was starting to realize that everything she did was a step in some plan she had. Everything was timed. Everything was calculated. His daughter is a little genius.

He chuckled.

Eighteenth lap. He stumbled but regained himself and went on. Just two more. Naruto told himself he would make it. It was only his firs day of training. He could make it. He knew Athena could do it. If she could he would have to as well. How could he be there to catch her if he wasn't strong? How could he do such a thing if he could not catch up to her? He would have none of it. He would have no doubts. No fears. No limit. He would push himself to his breaking point and beyond.

He would never give up.

Nineteenth lap. His legs were quivering. With every step he took he had to fight to keep his knees from buckling. He was breathing through his mouth in hopes of getting more air. His chest hurt with each breath he took.

Just a little more.

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow when Naruto finished his last lap and collapsed to the ground. He was heaving. The rise and fall of his chest was the only movement he made. Jiraiya chuckled and stood up. He retrieved a bottle of water and made his way towards the young boy.

"Drink up kid"

Naruto nodded and weakly sat up. He huffed and leaned forward as he reached for the bottle.

"You did great" Jiraiya ruffled blonde hair as Naruto gulped down the water as fast as he could. He let out a loud sigh and smiled brightly.

"I told you I could do it"

"Yeah yeah" Jiraiya sat down next to Naruto. "Take a break, we start in thirty minutes "

"What are we going to do? "

"Build up your muscles. They're pathetic. After that I'll teach you some taijutsu before moving on to some jutsu"

Naruto nodded. He looked forward to learning everything he could. He didn't know much about the sage, but Athena told him that he was a sannin. He didn't what that was either so Athena just told him that he's really strong. That was all the boy needed to hear. He was nervous at first. He didn't know how Athena's parents would react to him. Most people hate him after all. But not them. They accepted him with kind smiles. They were nice to him. They even brought him out for ramen. It was nice.

"Did you know my parents? " Naruto was curious. He wanted to know more about the parents he could never have.

"Yeah. I did" Jiraiya sighed and looked to the sky. "Your father was my student "

Naruto widened his eyes in shock and excitement. Jiraiya trained his father? He was being trained by the man that trained the fourth! He couldn't believe it.

"Really? That is so cool"

Jiraiya chucked at the boy's behavior. It seems the boy had fully recovered his breath.

"Yeah. He chose to name you after the main character of my first book" Jiraiya admitted as he fished his book out of his pouch. He ran a hand over the cover before handing it over to Naruto. "It's a silly name, but both him and Kushina wanted to"

"You think my name is silly? " the boy was pouting. "My name is cool"

"If you say so"

Naruto huffed and looked down at the book he was offered. He wanted to read it. It must be special if he was named after the main character.

"I'm not a good reader"

"Don't worry about it. I can teach you "

Naruto grinned happily. "Can I keep this? "

"Sure I've got a copy"

"Can you tell me more about my dad? "

"Well" Jiraiya thought for some moments. Minato was an interesting person. There was a lot about him. Where should he start. "Well he was very smart, calm, perceptive, collected and shrewd. He never did anything without reason and was always respectful. He was a talented ninja although he came up with techniques that were weird or had a weird name. " Jiraiya laughed at the memory of his student's rediculous jutsu names. "He had an indomitable spirit and fierce ambitions that drove him through all his choices in life. He was unwavering in his loyalty to Konoha and his loved ones, friends and family "

Naruto only listened with wide eyes fascination. Jiraiya used some big words but Naruto knew what they meant. He had spent enough time around Athena to pick up on some impressive words. He paid enough attention. His father sounded awesome. He wanted to be like him. He as the Hokage. He would be the Hokage one day too. He would be as strong as him. Stronger than him.

"And mom. What was she like? "

Jiraiya shivered at the thought of Kushina. She was as scary as Tsunade when she got angry.

"Scary"

Naruto tilted his head. He hadn't caught that.

"What was that? "

Jiraiya cleared his throat. "Nothing. " he wouldn't want to admit that to the boy. "She was a lot like you, or should I say it the other way round? "

"I'm like her? "

"Yes. She was always full of energy and enthusiasm. She was cheerful and very nice, but she could be scary when she got angry. She loved ramen as much as you did too. She was headstrong, impulsive, eccentric, and stubborn. Oh and sassy" Jiraiya nodded to himself. Kushina was a fiery character.

Naruto smiled brightly. His parents sounded nice. He wished he could meet them.

"While your father was the Yellow Flash your mother was ths Red Hot-Blooded Habanero " Jiraiya informed

Naruto suddenly shot up and struck a childish pose. "The Yellow Flash and The Red Hot-Blooded Habanero make The Orange Hokage!, You know? "

Jiraiya snickered and bursted into a fit of laughter. He even had his mother's tick.

"What's so funny? "

~~~~~~

Tonton is Tsunade's ninja pig, often kept in the care of Shizune.

Athena had almost forgotten about the intelligent animal. She was always curious about her whenever she would watch the anime. The pig was an oddity. Even now as the pig sniffed at her as if she was carrying something delicious on her. She only watched the pig circle her in curiosity. Curiosity that was returned.

There's a lot about the pig that Ahena liked. Tonton is a highly devoted, and dutiful pet pig. That is something Athena respected. Her devotion to Tsunade was noted during her master's battle with the other Sannin, which she watched in earnest as Gamakichi and Gamatatsu bickered. This even surfaced during the Fourth Shinobi World War, where, in her earnest to aid the Logistical Support and Medical Division, Tonton carried around several large sized crates around the camp ground, eventually spraining her foot.

The pig is loyal to the end. She's also very smart. She doesn't talk but somehow Tsunade and Shizune always knew what the pig was trying to say. All the pig could do was oink.

Athena furrowed her brows when the pig sat in front of her and oinked. Did she want something? Was she trying to tell her something? Athena didn't know so she looked to her smiling mother and a curious Shizune..

"What does she want? "

"She's saying "hi"" Shizune informed her as she picked up the pig and held her out for the five year old to take her.

Athena only stared at the pig. She didn't make a move to take her..

"How do you know that? The pig doesn't talk"

Said pig made a sound and snorted. Athena raised an eyebrow. Was the pig angry?

"What was that? You angry or something? "

The pig snorted again. The animal had an air of self-righteousness around her that made Athena narrow her eyes.

"She doesn't like being called a pig" Shizune again informed.

"Why? She's a pig. Why does that bother her? "

Shizune sighed and shuffled the pig into Athena's small arms. She could already tell that the kid and pig were going to have an interesting relationship. She shot a glance At the happy Tsunade.

"So this is your daughter? "

"Yes. She looks a lot like me doesn't she? "

Shizune nodded as she watched the child genuinely try to communicate with the pig.

"You're going to be training her? "

"Yes"

"I see" Shizune looked at the setting sun. "We need to find a hotel"

"Yes. Yes. But we need the money first"

"We are not going gambling" Shizune Said sternly.

"Of course we're not"

~~~~~~

Athena sighed as she watched her mother lose more money. How did they end up gambling? She dididn't know. All she knew was that Shizune was angry at the outcome and keeping her close. She was a five year old in a gambling bar. Shizune had the right to be protective. So Athena could only sit and watch as her mother continued to lose money an go down the road of drunkenness..

"She really is the Legendary sucker" Athena slipped out of Shizune's lap and made her way to her mother. She made herself known and placed herself on her losing mother's lap.

"A kid? You brought a kid? "

Tsunade only giggled and Athena sighed again. She came just when there was another dealing of cards.

"I'm taking over for the Legendary sucker" she stated as she picked up the card in front of her. She had been following the game. She noted that it was kind of like Poker. The winner was the one with the "royal flush". She just needed to get the good cards. That wasn't too hard to achieve.

"You're serious"

"Yes"

"You're a child" the man opposite them laughed. "You'll easily lose"

"Which spells more money for you, does it not? "

The man smirked. "Smart kid. Alright let's get this over with"

"If I win I take everything you won from my mother along with everything you currently have"

The man only laughed and nodded. "What ever you say kid"

Tsunade and Shizune were quiet as they watched the game. They were curious. Would Athena win? She seemed to know what she was doing. She remained calm and showed no emotion. There was no hint as to what her cards were what so ever. During every draw she kept the same face.

After twenty minutes the man smirked victoriously. He had this in the bag.

"I win kid" he announced as he placed his hand of card on the table. He had an impressive hand with some high ranking cards.

However, Athena did not react. She just sighed and placed her own cards on the table.

Everyone gasped in shock.

"Do you know the meaning of the word finesse? "It was Athena's time to smirk. "I've won and we had an agreement "

The man growled in anger at his loss. He lost a child. A five year old. How could such a thing happen? She had to have cheated. There's no other explaination.

"You cheated "

Athena only raised an eyebrow as she started to gather all the money on the betting table.

"Did I? Or are you just too insecure to admit that a five year old is smarter than you? "

The man growled and abruptly sat up. Athena only looked at him

"Don't get smart with me"

Athena only sighed as she shuffled her victory money and items into her mother's bag. She really had nothing to say to the man. She won her mother's money back and that is all tjay matters.

"Let's go" she got up to leave.

"Do you think I'm just going to let you leave with my money! " the man shouted and slammed his fist on the table.

Athena frowned as she looked at the man. Why did he have to be so loud. It was late. She wasn't in the mood for loudmouths.

"Yes"

"You thought wrong kid. Boys! "

At his words a menacing group of men stood up and looked ready to fight. Tsunade glared and pulled up her sleeves, ready to teach this drunkard a lesson. How dare he threaten her daughter? He would be lucky enough to make it out of the bar alive.

But before she could do anything Athena decided to take care of it on her own.

"Pathetic "

With one word a heavy pressure settled over the entire bar. The young girl glared daggers at the now shocked gambler. She was not in the mood to be looked down on. She was not in the mood for loud drunkards. She wasn't in the mood to feel depressed. She wasn't in the mood to take anything from anyone.

"I'm not in the mood for this nonsense, so sit down before I decide to do something you'll regret"