Something Precious

Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: I took these memories from the anime so I do not own them.

"Dead? . . .That's not. . . how?" Past Naruto stumbled out. All of the people from the memory were giving him various looks of sympathy, except Kakashi who looked instead, with understanding.

The toad sage explained about Jiraiya's infiltration mission to the Rain and about his fight with Pein, and finally about his death.

"If you don't mind Lord Fukasaku, we would like you to give a statement to the Intelligence Division. Tell them all you can about the six Peins." Tsunade requested. Lord Fukasaku opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted.

"You knew about his plans to go to the Rain didn't you?" Past Naruto fixed her with a look of anguish and misery. "Didn't you?!" he shouted.

"Yes I did." the Fifth reponded simply, offering no excuses.

"And you still let him go! You knew how dangerous it was but you didn't do any thing to stop him! You could have told me and I could've gone with him! The Pervy Sage would never have let you go in alone, he cared at least that much!" by now the blonde was in tears.

"That is enough Naruto! I know you're hurting but that is no excuse to place blame! Now Lord Fukasaku has requested that you go to Mount Myoboku to train in the sage arts." Younger Naruto just glared at his Hokage before walking out.

The memory shifted and they were outside of the Village hospital. Naruto was with a Nara who looked exactly like Shikaku but younger and without scars marring his features.

Older Naruto had a nostalgic smile on his face. "That's Shikamaru Nara, the smartest in his clan - even smarter than his father Shikaku." Naruto boasted like a proud mother.

The Nara was speaking to the depressed blonde of the past. "I heard about Master Jiraiya. Having lost my teacher just like you did I understand exactly what you're going through right now." the Nara expressed. "But whining and sulking won't make things better. Face it, both of us are way past that point in our lives."

"Well that's a little harsh." commented Inoichi.

"Maybe." spoke Naruto. "Shikamaru is smart and he's not one for beating aroung the bush. Besides, he was right. The village was short on shinobi and they needed me, I couldn't afford to sulk around like I was."

"What do you mean?" asked Past Naruto.

"Asuma-Sensei imparted many things to me, some lessons were important, some not so much. It didn't matter. Same for you right? An infinite numer of priceless things. So I think it's time to step up."

"How so?"

"We need to become the teachers. Soon it will be your turn to pay for the ramen, and some day there will be someone calling you Sensei. We can't stay brats forever, not if we want to become awsome shinobi like Asuma and Jiraiya were."

A small but genuine smile crept onto the sixteen year-old blonde's face. "You're right Shikamaru. Thank you."

The memory slowly faded.

"Asuma. . . died?" Sarutobi asked.

"Yeah. But Jiraiya always told me, 'It's not how you live that matters, but rather how you die.' Asuma was always a brave man but at his death he was more so. I wasn't there, but his students were, his death was as honorable as his father's." Naruto gave Sarutobi a small smile. "But this time around he won't have die. He can live to be an old man like you and possibly raise a few children before he goes." Sarutobi nodded but nothing else.

In the next memory he was on a giant toad. He was wearing a sage cloak with a giant scroll on his back. He had a golden orange colour surrounding his yellow eyes that had toad-like pupils.