Chapter Text
They were sitting in the Hokage’s office. My seals are making sure no busybody — or an overstepping jōnin like Kakashi — sneaks in through the window to interrupt the conversation. There are also seals in place to prevent the ANBU watching Sensei from hearing or even lip-reading to understand what we’re saying.
Yes, ninjas are paranoid, but in my opinion, that’s just common sense.
“So you think the seal is weakening?” I asked, resisting the urge to scoff at Sensei. He’s still the Hokage, after all. “The seal isn’t weaker, although that doesn’t rule out the possibility that the Fox’s chakra is leaking more easily into Naruto’s coils.”
Sensei frowned at me. It’s a bit insulting that he’d think Minato’s seal would fail so easily. The very seal the Fourth Hokage gave his life for — and risked his son’s in the process.
Minato would never have placed a faulty seal on Naruto. If he’d thought it wasn’t strong enough, he would have taken all of the Kyūbi’s chakra into the Shinigami’s stomach along with his own soul.
The office is mostly made of wood — a gift from the Shodaime. Everything in it carries that earthy, living scent typical of Hashirama’s mokuton creations, as if they still vibrate with life and chakra. The furniture is all solid, heavy, and as old as Konoha itself.
“How can the Fox’s chakra be leaking more easily if the seal hasn’t weakened?” Sensei rubbed his forehead between his thumb and index finger, pulling the wrinkled skin tight. He looked very tired.
“Minato designed the seal to allow for transfer. It was never meant to completely isolate the two chakras,” I explained. The fuinjutsu theory that made it possible is too complex even for The Professor to fully grasp, since Minato built it from ancient Uzushiogakure sealing techniques. “I’ve explained this before — the transfer has always happened, just in very small amounts that increase slightly each year as Naruto grows. That gradual transfer allows Naruto’s body and chakra to adapt to the corrosive chakra of the Fox.”
“Yes, yes, I remember. It was supposed to let Naruto eventually control that power,” Sensei said, bitterly. The topic of the Fox always made him like this.
“What happened?” I decided to get straight to the point and ask.
The message had only asked me to return to Konoha — no details. That could only mean the information was too sensitive to risk writing it in a letter. Now that I know it concerns Naruto, I understand why.
“One of Naruto’s friends was attacked by some drunk men, and he ended up accidentally using the Fox’s chakra to save her,” Sensei explained. “He killed one of the attackers — though I don’t think he even realized it.”
I hope not. The boy is too young to have that kind of memory haunting his dreams. This whole scheme of hiding his identity and heritage was so Naruto could have a normal childhood, after all.
“Extreme emotions tend to open the tenketsu more easily. It’s the same reason the Sharingan awakens through strong emotions,” I explained, trying to push aside the unease in my gut. “Since the seal was built to allow transfer, it makes sense that the Kyūbi’s chakra leaked out when the tenketsu opened.”
These reassurances that the seal was fine and functioning exactly as Minato intended visibly eased Sensei’s nerves. That hat had aged him prematurely — one only had to look at the other Elders to see how worn-down Hiruzen appeared, much older than them, despite having no debilitating injuries.
“Still, I’d like you to check the seal, Jiraiya-kun,” Sensei asked.
“Of course. I also want to see how Naruto’s coils are handling the strain.”
Even though the increase in the Fox’s chakra had been gradual over the years, this sudden spike could have caused damage.
Tsunade would be better for that part... if she’d ever come back to Konoha.
The secret room they were in looked like a hospital in everything except its location. And, of course, the heavy locks on the doors. It was more like a prison. I knew, for example, that there were countless chakra suppression seals on the walls in case anything unexpected happened. Sensei could trigger them and bring everyone inside down: me and Naruto.
Sensei was on the other side of that one-way glass window, watching me.
Naruto, unconscious on the cot in front of me, was a copy of Minato. The resemblance wasn’t even funny — it made the ache in my chest tighten. The biggest difference were those whisker marks on his cheeks, and I clung to that.
It was the first time I had seen him.
I didn’t have the courage to come back to Konoha after Minato died. And in the rare instances I had to return to deliver reports to Sensei, I made a point to avoid the boy.
I didn’t want to know what he’d turned out like — whether he looked more like his mother or his father. I didn’t want to look at him and see nothing but the ghost of my student.
There was a small ANBU team nearby, watching over the boy. Security had probably been tightened after the incident. They were the ones who brought Naruto to me while he slept so I could examine the seal without dealing with the questions he’d ask if he were awake.
They must’ve given him some kind of toxin or put him under a genjutsu so he wouldn’t wake up during the process.
I felt somewhat guilty for being relieved about that.
I didn’t want to be stared at by Minato’s or Kushina’s eyes full of judgment. My guilt for abandoning him was already heavy enough without that.
I’ll teach him when he becomes a ninja and is ready to learn how to control the Kyūbi’s chakra — not before.
If I could, I’d give the task to someone else, but no one knows that seal like I do.
Naruto was already shirtless when Sensei and I arrived. One pulse of chakra and I could see the seal come alive on his belly, right over his core.
The spiral at the center marked the direction of the Kyūbi’s chakra flow. The seal itself was fine — exactly as Minato predicted it would be. The key held at Mount Myōboku fit perfectly.
A pulse of chakra into the boy allowed me to create a sort of sonar, sensing what lay beneath where the eye couldn’t reach.
Tsunade had refined this to such a degree that she could detect the smallest details for diagnostic purposes.
But in this case, it didn’t need to be that precise. I just wanted a general idea of how the boy’s coils were doing.
Everything seemed fine. He had strong flow and large reserves...
Wait. Is this right?
Naruto’s chakra was rotating in the opposite direction of the Fox’s chakra, as indicated by the central spiral of the seal.
With opposing flows, control would be a mess.
It’s amazing he hadn’t died, but I suppose that was one of the advantages of sealing the Kyūbi in him so young — his body could adapt more easily.
It was fascinating how both chakras managed to coexist. Normally, they’d cancel each other out, leaving Naruto unable to use chakra — or worse, it could kill him.
Maybe it was sheer luck that Minato wasn’t a Hyūga and hadn’t managed to align the seal exactly over Naruto’s chakra core. It didn’t affect the seal’s function, but it would have been disastrous for such a young core.
Another possibility: the creation of a turbulence where both chakras fought for dominance, neither winning. That seemed to be the case here. Naruto would have difficulty controlling this for more delicate jutsus.
At least the cores weren’t repelling each other. That would have definitely killed the boy.
Ideally, both cores would begin to orbit each other, creating a sort of harmonic resonance.
Could I tweak the seal a bit to allow that?
Would it even be safe to try?
I explained the situation to Sensei when we met in the adjacent room to discuss it. It was a small room with concrete walls and floor and no windows to the outside. Nothing but a table and the glass window allowing a view of the unconscious Jinchūriki in the next room.
Hiruzen frowned.
“How risky is the procedure?”
“In theory, it’s not a big deal. But it’s never been done, so unexpected things could happen,” I explained.
It was a risk — but if we wanted a Jinchūriki capable of using his Bijū’s chakra like Kumo’s Killer B, then we had to solve this issue.
As much as none of us wanted to see Naruto turned into a weapon, we also couldn’t ignore the advantages. Many lives could be saved if we managed to control the Kyūbi’s power for Konoha’s benefit.
“We’ll do this in secret,” Hiruzen said. “If the Elders find out, they might try to take custody of Naruto, and I fear what would happen to him if they did.”
“Let’s prepare a place for the procedure.”
The special room where I would be working was “special” because it had to be far from Konoha and full of protective measures in case the Kyuubi managed to escape. The same precautions were taken when Kushina gave birth. This time, we went to a hideout even farther from Konoha, since there was no woman in labor needing immediate assistance in the equation.
I personally placed the various seals scattered across the walls to ensure that nothing would go wrong. I also set up a perimeter using my seals to alert me if anyone tried to break in. It wouldn’t stop someone truly determined, but it would give me enough time to prepare.
There are some ANBU accompanying us. They're all part of Naruto’s guard—the ones Hiruzen truly trusts. I couldn’t help but notice that most of them used to be Minato’s guards.
Sensei, as a precaution, isn’t present. If something goes wrong, he must ensure Konoha’s safety. Currently, Hiruzen is ready to trigger the emergency alarm if things don’t go as planned.
Naruto is once again unconscious on a stretcher. Chakra suppression cuffs hold him to the bed.
It wasn’t hard to get him out of his room. It might’ve been more difficult if the other child, his friend, had already been discharged from the hospital, but Hiruzen had the doctors keep her there so it would be easier for them to access the boy.
The room is underground—a leftover from the many wars, when they needed a secure place to store supplies or somewhere ninjas could retreat to in an emergency. Of course, very few people knew where those places were, to avoid leaking strategic locations, but for highly important missions involving valuable agents, Konoha usually shared those locations to maximize the chances of success.
Now, I need to realign the seal with Naruto’s core, placing it in a position where both chakras can orbit each other. It has to be precise. One misstep, and things could get even worse. Fortunately, he’s still young enough that his body can handle such a change. If he had already started training in ninjutsu, this wouldn’t be possible.
He had already gone to Mount Myouboku to retrieve the key to the seal from Gerotora, the scroll-toad. Spreading the opened seal before me, I can see Minato’s familiar calligraphy and the parts where Kushina and I helped with the design. This was the result of the three greatest Fuinjutsu minds alive at the time.
Now only I remain.
I shake my head and focus on my task.
I infuse chakra into the seal and loosen it slightly. The various seals on Naruto will prevent the Kyuubi from escaping, but I still need to open the seal temporarily to move it.
I can’t allow the seal to vanish completely. Minato gave his life to anchor it there, and I won’t let that be in vain. But maybe if I add an external layer connected to the seal’s center, I can force the seal itself to keep both cores in balance.
I’ll have to anchor Naruto’s core to the outer part of the seal, which means he’ll die if the Kyuubi is extracted. Not that he wouldn’t have died anyway, but Kushina survived for a while after extraction, according to sensei. Maybe Bijuu removal doesn’t mean instant death—but in this case, it will.
Both cores will be so closely linked that it’ll be almost as if they’re one. Like two stars orbiting each other.
One day, they’ll become one, and then no one will know what will happen: the creation of a supreme single star… or mutual destruction.
With a steady hand, I added the outer crown to the seal, which now extends to Naruto’s chest.
Minato probably realized that Naruto’s core flowed in the opposite direction from the Fox’s—unlike Kushina’s—but I think he didn’t have time to do anything about it. I wasn’t there, so all I can do is speculate.
Once I finish, I reseal it using the key before doing a final check. Everything seems to be in order. Again, Tsunade would be better at this than me, but we work with what we have.
I signal, and one of the ANBU with medical training approaches. His hand glows with the familiar green light as he checks Naruto. A nod confirms the boy is okay. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
The agents pick up Naruto and we return to Konoha as silently as we left.
"Before you leave, I have a favor to ask," sensei said after I finished my report on adjusting the Jinchuuriki’s seal.
"Hm? What is it?" I ask, more curious than anything.
I just hope it’s not another request to take on the Hokage hat. I’m just not cut out for that role. I couldn’t even save my teammate or my student. I abandoned Naruto even though I’m his godfather.
The list of things I’ve failed at just keeps growing.
"Naruto’s friend, Harumi-chan," sensei began to explain, and I was intrigued as to why some random child would need someone like me. "She’s albino, and I think you could do for her what the Nidaime did for you when you were young."
I blink, surprised. It’s been a long time since I thought about that.
Albinos aren’t common, but they’re not that rare either. Orochimaru once theorized there was something about chakra that made certain recessive traits more likely to manifest.
I myself am a little albino, but not fully. My eyes were never affected, for instance. Senju Tobirama, a genius in Fuinjutsu and an albino, created a seal that could protect his skin and eyes from the damage people with this condition usually suffer. When I was little, living in the Konoha orphanage, he placed a seal under my eyes to protect my health too.
The design was different because he feared that using the same one would make other villages think I was his son and turn me into a target, but the final purpose was the same. It was my first contact with Fuinjutsu—and what sparked my curiosity about it.
I met Tsunade shortly after that at the Academy, and through her, gained access to books that helped me get to where I am today.
"Of course," I agreed, smiling at the change of topic. "The Great Toad Sage, Jiraiya of the Sannin, can spare some time to help a little damsel in need."
Part of me is curious to know more about Naruto’s friend. Someone he cared about enough to kill for, even if he didn’t realize it.
Besides, Nidaime-sama created this seal and never restricted who could receive it. It would be an insult to his kindness to refuse to help another child.
We go to the hospital where the girl is still staying. Visiting hours haven’t started yet, so Naruto won’t come by. The genjutsu used to keep him asleep during the trip from the village to the chamber should still be active. He probably won’t wake before noon.
I’ll already be on my way out of Konoha by then.
Since I’m a Sannin and still accompanied by the Hokage, no one interrupts us as we enter the child’s room—only to find her eyes already fixed on us.
In the dim morning light, they seemed red like Tobirama’s, but the lamp's glow made one appear a soft pink. White hair was expected given I was here because of her albinism.
The dark room must be to protect her sensitive eyes.
It wasn’t the most eccentric appearance I’ve seen, but I know that if someone like her had been born outside of Konoha, she might’ve been kidnapped and taken to some Daimyo’s court as a concubine or something like that.
There were still colorful bruises on her skin, but they were healing.
"Good morning, Harumi-chan. I didn’t know you were an early riser," sensei greeted her with his usual warmth.
"A very energetic little lady," I said with a smile as I entered and ruffled her hair.
Harumi narrowed her eyes at me, clearly offended by the hair-ruffling. She looked at sensei and crossed her arms. Not the cheerful and warm reception most children give Hiruzen.
Normally, sensei is great with kids.
"Harumi-chan, this is Jiraiya, my student. He’s in Konoha for a short time on some business, but he agreed to do me a favor," the Sandaime explained to the child. Harumi only seemed to grow more annoyed the more he talked, and I had to fight the smile tugging at my lips. She looked like a wary little kitten. "I asked him to place on you a seal created by the Nidaime Hokage himself to help with your albinism. What do you think of that?"
Harumi frowned.
"Help how?"
"See these red marks under my eyes?" I pointed to my facial marks. She looked at the red lines and nodded, no less confused than five seconds earlier. "They’re very special marks called Fuinjutsu. I’m also a little albino, so the Nidaime gave me these marks."
"So I’ll also have red stripes on my face?" she made a face.
"Hey, my marks are super cool!" I said, indignant. "I’m the Great Toad Sage!"
"I don’t want to be a toad," she said, unimpressed.
"Toads are awesome!" I defended.
"You’re pitching that to the wrong person, old man."
"Kids these days have no respect!" Why is no one ever impressed by me?
... they’re always impressed by Orochimaru.
I shook my head and kept up my forced smile:
"Your tattoo won’t look like mine. We’ll make something unique, but it has to go on your face. That part can’t be changed," I explained.
Just like Nidaime couldn’t give me marks identical to his, I can’t do the same. I’m too well known to risk turning the girl into a target of the many people who might try to use her to get at me. The more distinct, the better.
"I don’t know, man. Just put it around my eyes," she shrugged.
"Hmm, I think it’ll look beautiful. Like a geisha’s makeup!" I said excitedly.
"Where’d you get the idea, Harumi-chan?" sensei asked.
"I’ve seen some women near my house wearing colorful makeup around their eyes," she said after a second of hesitation, during which she narrowed her eyes at the Hokage as if considering ignoring the question.
What a fun little girl!
Following the theme she proposed, I made the seal. It wasn’t a complicated task, and I could do it quickly. I drew a red outline around her eyes that brought out their natural color.
The seal fed on her chakra, strengthening her skin and eyes. This is something many shinobi do during fights to gain more power or better withstand a direct hit, reinforcing bones and muscles. The seal, however, would only reinforce the surface, compensating for the lack of natural melanin. It required such a minuscule amount of chakra that even a civilian could handle the light pull on their underdeveloped core. That’s the only reason the Nidaime thought it was safe enough to put on a small child like I was back then.
Harumi looked like a kid who’d stolen her mother’s makeup, and it made me want to burst out laughing when I finished—but it was an excellent idea. It would be very easy to hide that she was a ninja with markings so similar to makeup. She could easily pass for a civilian like that.
“Does this mean I don’t need all those creams or my glasses anymore?” she asked after a quick glance at a handheld mirror sensei gave her to check the result.
She didn’t seem to care. Kids! They never appreciate my effort!
“Yes, Harumi-chan, I don’t think you’ll be needing them anymore,” Hiruzen said with a smile, but Harumi just pressed her lips together and nodded.
“Thanks, old man,” she waved in my direction.
“Tch, these brats!”
Can you believe she thanked the great and mighty Jiraiya like that? Where’s the eternal gratitude?!
I let out a huff anyway.
My work in Konoha is done.
