Chapter 3: What They Didn't Know

"Men never do good unless necessity drives them to it; but when they are free to choose and can do just as they please, confusion and disorder become rampant." ~Machiavelli, Niccolò. Discourses on Livy.1517

Iruka had sighed as he looked at the faces of the students. Sasuke, Shino, and Shikamaru looked closed off since Naruto had passed the Genin Exams after his sixth birthday. He was proud that Naruto came to him and asked if he could take the text with Neji and it made the Chuunin happier when his precious boy passed on top of the class. He missed his Naruto and it seemed that his friends missed him too.

Nuriko was just as noisy as ever and it silently shocked him that the girl didn't even notice that her twin brother was no longer there at first. When she did, she proclaimed loudly how she felt happy that he wasn't there to embarrass her.

Iruka knew he shouldn't have thought of it, but it couldn't be helped. He thought that it should have been the other way around. It should be that Naruto be embarrassed to have a sister like her. Shikamaru was no longer the dead last and did more in class as he remembered that Naruto made the Nara promise to do his best. Shino and Sasuke did their bests as well and no one had ever penetrated their circle ever since Naruto had graduated.

Sasuke had not even complained and knew that Naruto was far more superior than he was but Naruto glared at him and said that he was just studious. Sasuke snorted at him but just smirked and nodded after congratulating his best friend.

As far as he knew, Naruto was apprenticing with Morino Ibiki of the T&I Department. How that got pass the Hokage, Iruka didn't bother to ponder. The Yondaime Hokage, despite being a good leader and a strong presence to the village, was not as observant as he showed.

He saw once when he was temporarily the Yondaime's secretary for a week when the original had called in sick one day, how the man went through paperwork. He didn't really read them thoroughly as he should and was told to read the papers and stack them according to its importance.

Kakashi told him how the secretary liked Naruto and placed Ibiki's request to have Naruto as his apprentice on the top so that the Yondaime would just stamp and sign it without reading it. Iruka was also told how Ibiki got to have Naruto as his apprentice when Anko, Hayate, Yugao, and even Itachi and Kakashi themselves wanted Naruto as their apprentices. Kakashi and Itachi wanted Naruto on the fast track to become ANBU along with Yugao and Hayate. It was a series of bets that eventually Ibiki had won and thus having Naruto as his apprentice and the rest groaned. Iruka had chocked on it at first but his one week proved how irresponsible Namikaze Minato could be… especially when his daughter came to the Tower.

Not a year later, Chigusa slipped again and the Yondaime had approved Ibiki's request of allowing Naruto to take the Chuunin Exams at Kusagakure. It pained Iruka that his family didn't even notice that he wasn't around for nearly two whole months. Naruto had passed and six months later, Iruka himself helped slip the request for Naruto to take the jounin Exams. And again, Naruto had made them all proud to come out as the top contender.

All the while, his blood family missing all his accomplishments because they were comforting their daughter who had little to nearly zero ability and talent.

Almost five years later…

Iruka had filed the papers of those who passed the Academy and was now waiting for the Yondaime to separate them into teams. Sasuke, Shino, and Shikamaru had earned the top three spots with Sakura placing fourth. It did not shock Iruka when he came by Nuriko's name, placing in last yet passing the tests and making genin.

He was about to enter the Hokage's office when the jounins called out to him.

"Yo Iruka." Kakashi greeted him and he smiled back.

"Kakashi… team placements again? Are you going to pass this team or fail them again?" he joked and a few chuckled when Kakashi smirked from under his mask.

"It depends on who will be the members of the team and if they pass my test." He answered.

Asuma, Kurenai, Gai, Genma, Hayate, Kakashi, and Iruka entered the office and the jounins sat before the Hokage while Iruka was standing be the Yondaime, his clipboard ready in hand.

"Alright… I have sorted out the students who passed and picked who will be the team's sensei will be. Team Ten or the Ino-Shika-Cho team is composed of: Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Cho. Asuma, I want you to handle them. If the Nara is as great as his father, he will be a challenge for you." Minato began.

Kakashi, Iruka, Gai, Genma, and Hayate discretely raised their brows when Shikamaru was mentioned. Of course the boy was going to be greater than his father. They had been there when Naruto made the Nara promise to be greater than Nara Shikaku ever had been.

"Next, Team Eleven: Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Amemori Tenten. Gai, Rock Lee is a taijutsu specialist such as yourself. Hyuuga Neji is a genius as well. The girl is a weapon specialist. I'm sure you'll be able to handle them." Minato addressed the spandex wearing jounin.

Kakashi instantly gagged Gai who was about to yell something and the rest of the people sighed in relief.

"Moving on, Kurenai, I want you as Team Eight's jounin sensei. You have Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, and Inuzuka Kiba." Minato said, taking note the stiffened expressions his jounins showed.

"Is something wrong?" Kurenai asked the others and the jounins turned to Iruka to explain it to her.

"Kurenai-san, Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino are not on the best of terms. Though Shino will not outright retaliate if Kiba attacked or yell, it has been noted that Kiba had been beaten by Shino time after time during their Academy days. You will be playing peacemaker as Hyuuga Hinata is right out shy and a wallflower." Iruka told her and the other nodded.

"Thank you for the information, Umino-san. I will do well to remember it." She thanked him and bowed as Iruka bowed back.

"Now that we covered that, this year we have more girls than boys so, Team Seven will have two females and one male: Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and Namikaze Nuriko. Kakashi, I want you as their jounin. When Sasuke activates his Sharingan, you will be able to help him along with his Clan to control it." He said as he thought of Itachi not being able to do it since the young man was off on assignments most of the time.

Hayate and Genma were relieved that they didn't have to have teams this time as their own had already moved up to chuunins. Kakashi, Iruka, and Gai, however, looked a bit troubled.

"What's wrong this time, Kakashi?" Asuma spoke up.

The group stared at Kakashi who stared at the Yondaime.

"Uchiha Sasuke will kill you when he finds out that you placed him with Haruno and your stalker of a daughter." Kakashi flat out told the Hokage who looked shocked.

He knew his daughter fancied the younger Uchiha heir but he didn't know that she was stalker the poor boy. The Yondaime pondered for a bit and frowned further.

"Is something wrong, Hokage-sama?" Hayate inquired for the whole group.

"As far as I remember, my son Naruto was in the same class as Nuriko, Aburame Shino, Nara Shikamaru, and Uchiha Sasuke. But I did not see his name on the list of those that graduated this year. Umino-kun, did he fail?" Minato asked and the other (sans Kurenai and Asuma gasp in shock).

"Of course not, Hokage-sama. The reason why Naruto-kun is not on this list is because he already had graduated long before. He had not been placed into a team because he was taken as an apprentice immediately." Iruka informed the man pride in his tone.

However, Minato was shocked as he was listening.

Naruto had graduated already?! When?! Who had requested him as an apprentice?! And WHY did he NOT notice?!

"When did Naruto graduate, Umino-kun?" Minato inquired.

"He graduated just after his he turned six, Hokage-sama. Then Morino Ibiki had requested him as an apprentice. Not a year later, he moved up to Chuunin as he had been the only one who had remained during the Kusagakure Chuunin Exams. And six months later, he had moved up again and is now a jounin." Iruka said, successfully killing the smirk and appeared off as neutral and expressionless.

Kakashi, Gai, Genma, and Hayate on the other hand were all smiles.

"WHAT?! You mean to say that MY SON has been a jounin for nearly FIVE YEARS and I am just hearing this NOW?!" Minato said as he broke out form his shock and disbelief.

"That can't be right, Hokage-sama. You yourself had approved of them, signed them, and all files had your stamp on it. It must have been during Chigusa-san's time when this all had happened since I was still a teacher's aide when Naruto had graduated the Academy." Iruka said, mentally apologizing to Chigusa's soul.

The woman had died during child birth and with her child along. Her husband was a jounin who died three months later during his rounds near the Kirigakure border.

The jounins watched as their Yondaime Hokage try to catch his breath. Namikaze Naruto, his son, was just about to turn eleven in three months! And yet he was already a jounin?! How could he have missed it?! There must have been some mistake!

"Umino-kun, give me the files of Namikaze Naruto please." He said calmly and the Chuunin left instantly. He shushined to the archives, grabbed the file, and returned to the office not three minutes later.

Minato saw for himself the list of achievements his son had: twelve D-ranks, fifteen C-ranks, twenty-seven A-ranks, and ten S-ranks. He shuffled through the file and saw Chuunin Exam report stating his son being the only one remaining, thus passing the tests hands down. On another paper, the Jounin Exams and the report that Naruto had excelled the exams and was the only one left like his Chuunin Exam. He dropped the papers on the table and looked totaled floored.

"Tenzo, bring Morino Ibiki and Namikaze Naruto here immediately." Minato commanded after what seemed like forever.

The jounins shifted yet Iruka remained passive. He was cackling mentally as he had been there to support Naruto when he came home from the exams. He had been there when Naruto struggled to study and learn ninja techniques and elemental control. Iruka had been there when Naruto broke down after his first C-rank mission where he had killed a bandit who attacked them. He, along with Anko, Ibiki, Kakashi, Yugao, Hayate, Gai, and Itachi, they been there for Naruto. Even Sasuke, Shino, and Shikamaru had comforted the blond when he had broken down the second time after his first S-rank mission that almost killed him.

Ten minutes later, a knock on the door broke the silence of the office.

"Come in." Minato spoke out and his eyes widen in shock when his son, who now had the same hair length as himself, came in wearing a jounin vest and his hitai-ate held his blond hair back from his face that was half covered with a mask like Kakashi.

However, what caught his attention most, was his son's freezing cold eyes.

"You called for us, Hokage-sama?" Ibiki inquired as he stood next to Naruto.

"Ibiki, you requested for Naruto's apprenticeship, his pass for the Chuunin Exam, and Jounin Exams yes?" Minato asked him back.

"Hai, Hokage-sama. I file them all through all the channels and got them approved by you three days after. Is something wrong?" Ibiki inquired once more.

It was no secret to them that the Yondaime overlooked Naruto. And now that this revelation had surfaced, the man was either in denial, going to yell for not being told (even if the files had his stamp and signature), or declare that Naruto was not fit for his rank. If that happened, Ibiki would resign as a shinobi immediately.

Minato turned from the man to his son who stared at him with cold and expressionless eyes, making Minato shiver inside.

"Naruto… how come you never told us about you making jounin? Let alone passing the Genin Exams and the Chuunin Exams?" Minato asked with a pained expression.

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama… I did not see the need to tell you as you have approved of the requests. Surely you had read through them before signing them and placing your stamp on it as final approval." Naruto asked with the same cold voice and Minato knew that his son had more to say but didn't for some reason.

"May I inquire why you did not proceed to request to join ANBU?"

"I would have had done such if the T&I Department were not short on staff. With Ibiki-san and Anko-san alone, they have very little shinobis to work the department." Naruto answered once more and Minato sighed.

"Everyone except Naruto, are dismissed. Team and Jounin placements are done." Minato commanded and the other filed out.

Kakashi, Hayate, Gai, Genma, Ibiki, and Iruka patted Naruto's head before leaving. When the door was closed, Minato sealed the room into silence.

"Naruto… why didn't—" Minato began but Naruto cut him off.

"-I tell you? For what reason should I when you never showed any interest with whatever I did. You actually had your chance after my sixth birthday. I know you went to the attic and saw the photo album on my study table. But neither you nor your wife did anything to change our situation. Your daughter only got worse after and she had little to no intelligence and talent compared to me. Did you know that people often wondered how I am related to her when she cannot even be on the same level as I when it came to performance and talent?" Naruto taunted his father who felt worse and worse as Naruto verbally slapped him with the truth.

"If you only cared to look, you would probably have noticed that you know nothing about me. It's your shinobis who have been there for me. Iruka-sensei was the one who comforted me when I came back for my first C-rank mission when I had my first kill; a group of bandits who were in the way as we passed by Bird Country. It was Itachi who taught me how to properly hold a kunai and shurikens. It was Hayate and Yugao who taught me how to use a sword and blades. Gai taught me taijutsu. Anko and Ibiki taught me ways to interrogate prisoners without having to even tough them. Did you know that Neji, Sasuke, Shino, and Shikamaru were the ones to hold me when I came back from my first S-rank mission? I nearly died then when Ibiki and Hayate were surrounded and I was facing three nins who had a Kekkai Genkai that we didn't read on the report." Naruto kept on telling him and Minato was already crying in silence as his mind processed how much he had missed in his son's life.

"Those people saw me at my best and worse… And all those times, you and your wife were doting on your daughter who would never amount to anything because she knows nothing and passing the Academy was a mere fluke. She's the dead last of her batch while I topped mine." Naruto pointed one more time and took a deep breath.

"If there isn't anything else, I will return to my duty now, Hokage-sama." Naruto said and narrowed his eyes.

Minato managed to shake his head and before he could even unseal the room, his son shattered the seal he placed and opened the door.

"Oh, by the way, I'm a Seal Master as well as an Elementalist too. You should read my file as I am sure every ability I have is in there. I think I'm in the bingo book as well." He said as left the office and closed the door behind him.

Minato stared at the space of his office then back to the door that his son just exited. It took nearly half an hour before Minato moved to read the file that was on his desk… and true enough, everything was there.

Naruto excelled in taijutsu, genjutsu, ninjutsu, and kinjutsu. He was a seal master as well and from how he easily broke his seal, Minato was sure his son was on the same level, if not, better than him. Naruto's affinity were Wind, Water, Earth, Fire, and Lightning. He would have felt so proud of all the achievements if he didn't feel horrible for abandoning his son when he needed him growing up.

Lastly, Minato pulled out a copy of the bingo book and searched for his son's name.

Bingo Book Entry #100390

Name: Namikaze "Maelstrom" Naruto

Age: Unknown

Affiliation: Konoha

Rank: High Chuunin to High Jounin

Threat Level: High A to Low S level

Description: Long yellow hair, ice cold blue eyes, lower half of the face covered by a mask, around five feet in height, elementalist (can bend all five elements), excels in taijutsu, genjutsu, ninjutsu, and kinjutsu. Killed thirty Kirigakure nins (hunter and jounins) and nearly a hundred Otogakure nins (chuunins, jounins, and hunter nins).

Bounty: 10,000,000 Ryo (Kiri, Oto)

Condition: Approach with Caution!

To be brought back, dead or alive. (Oto)

To be brought back alive. (Kiri)

Minato closed the book and suddenly felt so tired like he had been running for months. Naruto's words and taunts about him not knowing anything about his own son came back to his mind. He could even hear his son's voice clearly. The whole afternoon was spent in his office, trying to mentally crucify himself, and repeating it inside his mind how much of a failure he was as a father to his one flesh and blood.

He gathered the papers and left his office. It was better to show Kushina the file than explain. Minato didn't have the energy to even speak anymore. He just felt so tired and disappointed in himself for everything that he had not done for his son who was a splitting image of himself when he was that age.

The trip home had taken forever and he saw the light up on his son's room and the silhouette that indicated that his son was indeed in his room, moving about. Couldn't face his son, not after what had happened in his office. Minato just didn't have the courage anymore and he was sure that Kushina would break open once more.

As he entered their home, he could already hear his wife and daughter's voice. He stayed by the door, listening to his daughter tell his wife about what her day was like and what she had done. Nothing of importance from what Minato could gather. Gossiping with the Haruno and Yamanaka girls, looking at clothing shops, and about Uchiha Sasuke. Something told Minato that placing his daughter in the same team as the boy was going to shorten his life in half.

"Did you know that people often wondered how I am related to her when she cannot even be on the same level as I when it came to performance and talent?" Naruto's voice popped into his head once more which made Minato flinch in pain.

He finally found the strength to move and enter the kitchen silently. He remembered yesterday evening when Nuriko came home, yelling at the top of her lungs, that she had passed the Academy test. If only he had not been so focused on her, he would have wondered why Naruto had not spoken to them about his passing.

But then he mentally slumped on his mental floor that he had not spoken to his son since the day after the twin's sixth birthday where Naruto had frozen Nuriko the moment he entered the kitchen and then unfrozen her when he had left the house. That should have been a sign for Minato but he didn't see it clearly back then.

Before he could say anything, his wife and daughter saw him and stared worriedly at him.

"Minato?" Kushina called out.

"Something wrong, daddy?" Nuriko asked as she got down from the stool and walked up to him.

"Can you go up to your room while mommy and I have a talk, princess?" Minato requested with a deep sigh.

Nuriko didn't understand but nodded and left the kitchen but didn't go to her room as she was told. She hid just by the door and waited to hear what they would have talked about. Much to her annoyance, her dad sealed the kitchen and now she couldn't hear anything at all. And Nuriko was sure as hell that the kitchen was sealed close so no one could get in or out.

Inside, Minato silently handed Kushina the folder of their son and sat down at the head of the table. He waited for her reaction and just sat there as Kushina, once again, broke into shock, disbelief, and tears.

He was contemplating how much they had missed while their son had grown up. They weren't there to congratulate him for passing the Academy. They weren't there when he passed the Chuunin and Jounin Exams. They weren't there to praise him for his abilities and skills. They weren't there to comfort him after his first kill on duty. They weren't there to comfort him when he nearly died in the line of duty.

And Minato should have known about it if he only read the reports thoroughly like he should have. He relied far too much on the spoken reports that he dismissed the written ones after his shinobis leave his office.

"How could we have not been able to see all these, Minato?" Kushina said in between her sobs.

Minato did not answer. He couldn't since he didn't know what to tell her. So many questions ran through his mind that very moment. His son had faced him earlier with so much distance. Naruto had stood before him as nothing more than a Jounin of Konoha before his Hokage. He now tried to remember when the last time his son ever called him daddy or Kushina 'mommy'. When was the last time they ate dinner together? When was the last time Naruto asked him for anything? When was the last time Naruto even told them how his day was?

But for Minato, the most important question for him as a father was when was it he last saw his son smile at him?

"Minato… is there a way to fix this? Our son-" Kushina was cut off and Minato brought out of his thoughts when a presence entered the kitchen without the sealing breaking.

"You lost your son five years ago… I am here to simply inform you that I am moving out of this house. I have finished packing my books and will be leaving now." Naruto told them coldly and turned to leave.

Minato broke the seal and followed his son out with Kushina right behind him. He saw his daughter gaping as she stared at her twin brother who was wearing his jounin vest and his hitai-ate and had a box with him.

"Naruto! Please don't leave! Give us a chance to fix whatever we need to." Kushina pleaded as he held on to her son's arm, stopping him from leaving.

Naruto turned to look at her dead in the eyes.

"You don't even know what you need to fix. Besides, I already said you lost your son five years ago. There is nothing left for you to fix. Why don't you just dote on your daughter like you've been doing all these years? If you want, I'll even request for my name to be change. That way, officially, you will no longer have a son. You never did remember you had one, this will just make it official." Naruto told her with a smirk that made even Minato shiver.

Kushina was crying as Naruto pulled his arm away from her. Minato was beating his brain to say something. His ten year old son was moving out!

"Jounin Namikaze Naruto! As your Yondaime Hokage, I command you to stop!" Minato yelled which made Naruto turn and glare at him.

"You dare stoop so low as to use your position to stop me? Well, I shouldn't be surprise since that's the only thing you are to me. You are my Hokage and nothing more." He taunted Minato who looked ashamed now.

Naruto turned to face the man, totally ignoring Kushina who was crying by his side.

"As you command, Yondaime-sama… What can I do for you?" Naruto inquired as he placed down his box and fell on one knee as the ANBU, Jounin, and Chuunins did.

Minato was trying his best not to shatter as he stared his son who was now on bended knee. Naruto was right; Minato was nothing more than his Hokage.

"Stay. I command you to stay. That is an order." Minato said as he swallowed hard, nothing knowing what else he was left to do.

Naruto stayed still for a while then spoke with the coldness tone Minato had ever heard his whole life.

"As your will, Yondaime Hokage-sama." Naruto stood up, grabbed his box and returned to the attic that was once more his room, leaving a speechless Nuriko, a crying Kushina, and a tired Minato on his wake.