Chapter 1: The Love of Parents
A/N: It's…been a very long time, hasn't it? I apologize to all of my readers. This is will be a bit more of a personal Author's Note than usual. A lot of people will skip this. But to those of you that are reading this, here is why I'm writing once more, and found slight motivation to write.
I have wanted to continue writing for quite some time, but for some reason, once you fall out of the habit, it is very, very difficult to return to what you used to do for fun. Similar to how once you get into a habit, it is also quite difficult to fall out of it.
I went through a phase during high school that, once I was accepted into university, a lot of my inner drive left me. A large portion of my motivation, my daily reason to get up,Ikigai, had disappeared. A good portion of my life had been determined by what my parents had wanted for me. That is why I was so proud of the few things I had done on my own, and had earned relatively good results.
For example:
Fanfiction, in which I earned over a thousand follows and favorites in three separate stories. I loved writing. It gave me an escape, when life was…dark, in a way. I was never depressed. But I was cynical. I was a dark person at heart and in the mind. I am glad to have had writing as a side hobby, and soon after, a passion. It was an opportunity I never thought I would have had, and once given the chance, I seized it with all that I had.
Swimming, something I was pulled out of multiple times, was what I kept returning to out of my own volition and simple stubbornness. That was definitely against what my parents wanted for me. I never quite achieved the level I had aspired for, but I knew that at one point in time, when I was improving the fastest and going faster than I had ever gone before in a regular swimsuit and 'off the wall' in comparison to a dive, that it waspossibleto make Nationals. Which, at the time, was faster than Olympic Trials when it came to qualifying times.
League of Legends. I never really bring this up, but in a sense, I am proud of this. It is a game that very few people are considered 'good' at playing. Those of you that play will understand that when I say "Gold is considered good, but hardly better than Silver." I believed it, because I had been there. I had never been placed in Silver. I had only played through the five divisions because my friend had a Bronze account and I boosted him into Gold. In the short period of time I had started the MOBA, which was my first online computer game, I had made Diamond III, and probably would have tried to go semi-professional had it not been for university.
Dancing. This one, right here, is probably the one I am the most emotional about. I…I have never loved something quite as much as dance. I have only done it for a year, meaning once I joined university. But in that one year, I realized a large amount of change in my general persona. My whole mindset had shifted. College may have had a part to do with my growth as a person and character. I owe it to dance, to its large, positive community and endless support, to my much more outgoing and supportive character. I owe it to dance as a release, and as something I love to do, and to the people that have supported me from day one to where I am now, to put forth the same amount of the effort to give people that gave dance a chance to show them how beautiful of an art it is.
And now, because of my own mistake, I am about to lose it.
I had lost sight of what I originally came to university to do, and put dance far forward in comparison to my studies. And the results show that. Something that should never have happened. Not in my ideal future, nor in my parents' views of my future. I don't think anyone that ever knew me would have expected this to happen.
But I am here now, currently in danger of losing something that I suddenly realize is so fragile and was determined by my own actions. I am uncertain what exactly will happen, but I am fairly certain that I will lose dance for a short period of time.
Just like how I was forced not to write for a while.
Just like how I was forced not to swim for a time.
Just like how I was forced not to play League of Legends.
And now, once more because of my parents' hold on me, I will now…not dance. Something that they had no influence on, and I had become relatively decent at in a short period of time, I am now about to lose.
But the difference is, I agree this time. This time, I made the mistake that brought upon this outcome.
I am young, in comparison to many people. I had a lot of privilege, I realize now, growing up. I had many opportunities people probably did not have. Yet, I did not know it.
I am realizing this now. So, while I have the chance during break, and the short amount of time that I have to write in peace before I am once more 'kicked out of the house' for the day, I will write. And I will do this, every day, for the remainder of my break.
I apologize for the very somber tone I have taken for this Author's Note. Usually, I am much more bright and happy in my public notes to the readers, but I cannot, in my current mindset, be completely bright and happy. Nor can I even attempt to fake it at this point. So, if this chapter seems awfully different than those of my previous, I have explained somewhat why.
I have much love to all of my readers and those that have supported me all these years and still message me on how I am doing in life. I have never been happier while dancing, and if given the opportunity again, I will not make the same mistake. I was foolish. At what cost? My happiness, and possibly my family's future happiness as well. I pray that I am given another chance to succeed. Because I will grab it with more than just the grip on my hands, but with every fiber of my being, my soul, my heart, and all those that support me.
I end this note with two words:
Thank you.
Chapter 1 START
In the land of the Elemental Nations, there were five great hidden villages. Of these five great villages, it would have to be said post-Third Great Shinobi War, that Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, was the most powerful. Whether it came to financial status or simple military power, the nearly invincible village had an undisputable reputation for its great open air markets, its lively nature, the amazing scenic options and attractive tourist spots, the many attractive men and women that lived in the large village, and most importantly, the extremely powerful ninja that were produced in the home of the shinobis.
Its leaders have all been phenomenal, extraordinarily powerful people, each able to leave a devastating mark upon the land in which they fought, a memento of the destruction from the battle that took place. Each would forever have a hold on history as long as the age of shinobi remained.
A notable date in the history book of the Elemental Nations is when Minato Namikaze took over the mantle from the 'God of Shinobi', Sarutobi Hiruzen, and became the Fourth Hokage. During this time, Konoha reached the pinnacle of its existence, and peace was felt throughout all the nations.
Minato Namikaze ruled fairly. He was an incredible force the moment he took office. Immediately, there was a change felt throughout Konoha, and as a result, throughout the land. The treasury never had so much inflow of money in the entirety of its existence, and it looked like the money the treasury was raking in was not slowing down anytime soon. In fact, it was increasing. The politics that the councils were involved in were suddenly found to have a surprising change; Minato did not play games, and as a result, there was a major amendment in the way the meetings were run. The Fourth Hokage was not oppressive; he simply did not deal with meaningless trifles.
With its growing treasury, the layout and general financial aspect of the village improved. The streets were lighted better, buildings were reconstructed, beautiful statues and fountains were designed, and more tourist spots were implemented. As a result of the increased investment towards the village, tourism spiked, and the treasury once more felt the impact.
With the Fourth Hokage, the man who single-handedly defeated over a thousand men and women with a single kinjutsu, the 'God of Shinobi', the Three Sannin, and multiple S- and A- rank names noted on the Bingo Book from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, it was crystal clear who the powerhouse of the nations was. No village dared to start a war with Konoha due to the huge pressure the single village had on the rest of the world.
For those that had gone through war and lived to tell the tale, the year was a beautiful time to be alive.
On October Tenth, only a year into his rule, the Fourth Hokage died alongside his wife to protect the village from the Nine-Tails. Using a kinjustu, he sealed the power of the beast into his only child, who he and his wife hoped would be revered and protected by the village. The parents of the only child soon died, leaving a metaphorical wake of destruction, and it would be forever remembered by shinobi and civilian alike.
That day was five years ago.
XShuyaX
(Time Skip: Present Day)
In the outskirts of the village, a certain spiky, blue – with tints of black – haired child was wandering aimlessly through the streets and alleys. Short and young, he stood at a height of three feet and three inches. He was unaccompanied, a lone child facing the world. Normally, being alone would frighten an adolescent, but this specific child was consumed by his pride in how brave he was for going forth on his own to tour the village. Originally, he stuck to the main streets, going with the flow of traffic in the mass of civilians the best he could. Once he felt courage enter his little heart along with the creativity and lack of understanding of danger the human child had in its his young mind, the boy moved on to the less traversed streets of the great village.
The child was fashioned in a brightly decorated kimono and dark, navy sandals to match the celebratory nature of the day. Eagerly taking another bite out of a delightful chicken on a stick in his right hand and waving away a fly with a festival fan given away by a vendor with his left, the fearless, lionhearted child moved onward, daring to jump over a puddle of water.
Half an hour passed of this childish adventure, and the cold of the night was starting to set in. The digits of the child were beginning to become numb, and his breath became more and more visible as the minutes progressed. But no, this small child was unshrinking to this small obstacle that was the cold. He had battled it for five years and had succeeded, and would move onwards.
Another half hour passed. It was about 8 PM. It was the season of fall, and winter was coming, meaning the cold would set in even faster before long. The sun had set nearly an hour ago, and not even the Fire Nation with its famed warmth kept the cold at bay during the frigid weather at night.
Suddenly, the child came to a stop as he realized something strange; the noise of the festival that should have been going at full power by now, had suddenly disappeared. Listening carefully, the child ceased his breathing and became fully attentive to his surroundings, becoming fully aware of his immediately vicinity. Spreading his senses, he heard...nothing.
Nothing at all.
For the first time since he had left the warm touch of his parents' hands, a slight, murky feeling of fear tapped into his mind.
Let it be known, that beyond the light and greatness that is Konoha, the world is not always as clear and bright as the outside shows. There is night, and there is darkness, and shadows hold secrets. There is a saying that holds this sentiment perfectly.
'Look underneath the underneath.'
The darkness and shadows of the alley he traversed never seemed so black and frightening. It was like a maw, with an open mouth, famished and prepared to feast upon the first ravishing victim. The boy walked along the tall, dirty buildings, each with a concrete wall with a rough, finished touch.
The child ran aimlessly, but this time with fear slowly becoming the main cause for his running; no longer did the dark-blue haired child feel childish admiration and wonder. Every step he took with his sandal slips seemed to echo a little louder.
"Kaa-chan?" He yelled out.
No response.
"Tou-san?!" A little louder. The only response was a slightly louder echo from the reverberation against the alleyway walls. Now, panic induced the child to push harder. Within minutes, his breathing was heavy and labored.
In his state of adrenaline, the child heard something that immediately brought relief and a visible escape of breath from his chest in the realization that he was somewhat safe.
'I just need to find Kaa-chan and Tou-san now!' Hopefully, his parents wouldn't be too upset at his escapade. He knew he was warned not to go search the festival on his own, but he had felt something draw him away from the main crowd for some reason. It was -
'Strange…'
The young boy, following the noise of the crowd and festival, finally saw light at the end of a corridor, and he could see people walking past in kimonos and festive wear. Running forward, it was only a few short moments before he was once more caught in the sea of people cheerfully celebrating. Despite the lightness in the air and the happy atmosphere, there was quite a gravity of a situation weighing down on the mind of a certain child.
"Yakisoba! Delicious yakisoba, right here!" bellowed one man from his vendor.
"Takoyaki!" another shrieked in a shrill pitch.
"Skewered meats for all of y'all that are hungry! I know all of y'all are hungry!" a woman cried out from behind her counter.
The child barely heard any of these shouts. He was focused solely on his goal to find his parents, and all of the noise and extra distractions were ignored in favor of his goal.
'Got to find Kaa-chan and Tou-san. Got to find Kaa-chan and Tou-san. Got to find Kaa-'
Without warning, in the middle of his perturbed thoughts and extreme focus, two hands scooped him and lifted him up. The child was too surprised by the action to even fight back or show any resistance.
"What did I say about running off, little one?"
The child dropped his worried demeanor, and a wide smile quickly replaced the frown.
"Tou-san!" he shouted gleefully from the man's shoulder as he turned to his father, who gave his child a stern, but nonetheless, fatherly look. One filled with love and power; there was no doubt that if anyone had hurt his child, that there would have been hell to pay for the one that dared caused harm. The little one on his shoulder was the greatest blessing to come into his life. He was his pride, his love, and his little son.
The father, Kurasu Uchiha was well-groomed and very built, but not overly so as to seem bulky. He stood at an imposing height of six feet three inches, an extremely tall height in general. Sharp, coal colored eyes and a thin nose added to his powerful demeanor. Well-defined lips and equally defined jawline and chin made him an attractive male, and the rest of his body was already a heart throb for many of the females in the village. It did not help that his black kimono only added to his attractiveness, emphasizing his broad shoulders and muscular physique.
Kurasu flicked his son lightly."Ow! What was that for?" his son instinctively yelped as he brought his both hands to his forehead.
"Because you didn't listen to your father, Naruto-kun," explained a woman from behind Naruto. Turning around, Naruto grinned cheekily and wide enough to close his eyes and gave his mother a peace sign. "You are so much sometimes, my little bundle of energy," she said lovingly, patting her son and ruffling his combed hair.
The mother, much like the husband, was an attractive person. Akira Uchiha was a beautiful woman, with flowing, long black hair that had a sheen and texture to it that would leave many men caught starstruck and gaping. But it only got better from there, as her angular face was easily considered one of the most attractive in the village, with her lovely lips and happy, forever cheerful eyes. Like her husband, she also had a muscular physique, as could be seen from the little skin she showed, that she trained her body. It was not to the point that she was all brawn, but just toned and very much in shape; she had her feminine traits, and it was only emphasized by her workouts. With breasts that were easily D-cups, along with a gorgeous, plump derriere, she was already desirable by many a men. Add on two, beautifully long, slender legs with a creamy, white complexion, and now the men were salivating.
"Where are Sasuke and Itachi-nii?" Naruto asked openly to his parents, looking around from his position on his father's shoulder. He enjoyed this spot; his father was taller than almost every person on the street, so it gave him a clear view of everything going on. There were tons of vendors lining the streets, and many special lamps had been hung up for the special occasion. Thousands of chattering, genuinely happy people walked with and against the flow of traffic, all dressed to match the festivity of the date.
"Mikoto-san and Fugaku-sama told us they would be having dinner before coming to the festival. They should be done now, so you'll see them soon, Naruto," his father said calmly. Naruto grinned and nodded his head happily.
"Okay! What's the plan for the rest of the night?" Naruto inquired, curiosity lacing his intonation. Akira giggled and ruffled her son's hair again at the cute expression donning the young boy's face.
"Well, first off, you won't be running off again." That earned her a sheepish grin and an awkward scratching on the back of his head. "But we'll go around the festival, try some games, buy some goods for sale, and meet up with friends. How's that sound? Does that sound good?" She asked, looking at her son affectionately. The son looked back at his mother with an equal level of enthusiasm.
"Mmm!"
"Haha, okay! Let's go, Naruto!" Akira shouted, fires lighting up in her eyes as she balled her fist and brought it to her chest. "Onwards!
"Hai!" was the response from her excited child.
"I'm the one walking him, you know that, right?" the husband supplied, amusement clear in his voice. How he loved the enthusiasm of his child and wife, despite how strange it may have seemed considering their lineage. It was always a source of amusement, but it also gave them both a certain specific trait that made him love them all the more. The trio was usually considered the odd one out in the Uchiha family, but they didn't care. They were happy, and nothing would get in their way of being one genuinely cheerful family.
His lovely wife looked back at him and winked.
"Of course I know honey. So…" Giving him a slight tap on the butt, she kissed his cheek and looped her arm around his. "Keep up, would you?"
"Hai, hai…" Kurasu breathed out with a slight grin. He would be slapping his wife's behind later tonight…just with much more force.
The family went off to enjoy the rest of the Tenth of October. Laughter and cheer were heard and felt all over the village that day, and all was well…on the surface.
Always look underneath the underneath. After all, the closer one gets to light…the more pronounced the darkness becomes.
Konoha, although powerful and great in nature and as a village, was steeped in corruption and crime. The stricter the laws and the stronger and better the police corps became, the greater the underground scene became as a result.
Konoha was a shining beacon…
…and also a very, very dark world to live in for some.
XShuyaX
(Time Skip: Two Days Later)
The sun slowly rose of the mountains in the east. With it came the many ambient sounds that usually followed with dawn. The birds chirped brightly to let the world know that a new day would be beginning soon.
Inside one of the main branch houses in the Uchiha compound, light began to filter into a room, dancing on the ground as it played its way through the shifting curtains. One beam of ray somehow managed to strike the closed eyes of the inhabitant of the sleeping quarters, who responded immediately by slowly opening his eyes and yawning.
Drearily throwing off the bed sheets, Naruto laid in bed for a few moments longer, letting the last dregs of sleep escape his body before finally sitting up in bed. He yawned once more and stretched out his arms while arching his back, letting out a few satisfying cracks and pops. Opening his eyes fully, he looked out the window with half of his consciousness, staring at the flitting curtains and the soft clouds outside.
"I wonder what Kaa-chan made for breakfast," the child wondered aloud in a tired voice that held back another yawn. Hopping out of bed, his little feet tapping on the wooden surface of the house, Naruto made his way over to his closet and picked out his outfit of the day. Within two minutes, he was dressed and slid open the paper and wooden door of his room and walked out into the hallway.
He could smell it immediately. It was like heaven on the Elemental Nations. Kaa-chan's cooking, that is. Naruto tilted his head up, eyes closed, and sniffed once.
Twice.
Thrice.
"Breakfast's ready, Naruto!" he heard his mother call out from the kitchen. Oh, he knew. He knew, and his stomach was prepared. It roared (read: growled) in hungry anticipation, like a lion ready to pounce on its prey.
"Good morning, Kaa-chan. Good morning, Tou-san," Naruto greeted immediately upon entering the kitchen. The kitchen and dining area was rather sparse, despite the family belonging to the Main Branch and owning more than enough resources to furnish their home. The floor was wooden but overall matted in the main room. To the left of the main entrance was a humble kitchen with just the bare necessities, and in the center was an equally humble wooden, round table that was able to seat four people.
"Good morning, my beautiful child," his mother greeted in her wispy, happy tone that only she could pull off. She giggled; Akira knew that she was teasing him, and that it worked.
Soon enough, an embarrassed, "Kaa-chan, can you please not do that? It's…embarrassing," escaped her son's lips, his voice lowering in decibels by the second. She didn't even have to turn around to know a heated blush was making a slow crawl up his cheeks.
"Of course, my beautiful child; I'll make sure to remember, my baby." She turned around, her eyes crinkling with great amusement. Her hair was done up in a bun for the sake of cooking and she was wearing an apron, like she did every time she cooked. "Now, sit down next to your father so we can have breakfast."
Before she could even finish her suggestion, Naruto was already seated, waiting eagerly at the table and staring at the dish she was holding. The motherly side of her could hardly control herself from squealing when she saw her son's eyes glistening and his mouth half open in anticipation for her food. Instead, Akira gave her son a loving smile and walked over with three dishes and laid them out on the table. Then, she gave the two men of the household each a kiss on the cheek before sitting down.
"Itadakimasu," they chorused in unison. Then, it was complete silence around the table while the family ate. The outside noises became far more apparent in this void of noise. The slow, rhythmic sound of water flowing down the traditional decorations near some homes gave a soothing atmosphere to the compound grounds. Multiple other Uchiha families were talking, probably with their children and to adults. A few early birds were leaving their homes already, yelling their farewells to their parents as they went off to their profession, whether it be at a store or to the Hokage's Office to receive a mission.
When they were done, Akira put the dishes away. Naruto was about to jump out of his chair to help as he always did, but his father stopped him.
"Naruto, I wish to talk to you for a second," Kurasu said calmly, his eyes lingering over his child. Naruto, midway to leaving the table, reseated himself and looked at his father full on. "How has your training been?"
'Have you hurt yourself? Are you progressing well without our guidance?' There was so much more to that one question that only a father could even think of, but to Naruto, who could not even begin to understand the ramifications of a significant other, took the question at face value.
"It's been well, Tou-san," Naruto replied briefly. "I am now able to attach four leaves to my body and move it around carefully, although it still requires far more concentration than I would have expected. I usually drop the leaves within the first minute. For the rest, it's about the same as last week, although it seems that my Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu had gotten larger," Naruto concluded. Short, brief, and concise. Just like how his father preferred them.
The man nodded his head and rested his chin against the bridge between his locked fingers. "I see. Well, I know that you've been training hard. Well done." His son beamed with pride and his eyes lit up at the praise. Kurasu couldn't help but smile warmly at that wonderful expression. "Make sure you take breaks, alright. Take care of yourself. I'm sorry that we can't be there to train you, but we have our mission today as well," he said apologetically.
'The entire upper Main Branch members have to…' Kurasu thought somewhat darkly to himself.
"That's okay!" His son chirped brightly, breaking him out of his more somber reveries. Naruto grinned and saluted his father playfully. "I'm training really hard, and I'll be strong enough so I can protect you two! That way, I can always have Kaa-chan's cooking and you can always give me piggyback rides!"
Both parents laughed light-heartedly at that. Their son never failed to bring light into their day.
"Of course, of course. Alright, you're free to go. I hope you have a good day," his father told him, a proud smile etched on the man's face. It didn't lessen at all when his son said his goodbyes for the morning and ran off into the distance, greeting other Uchiha clansmen, regardless of status and occupation. And the curvature of his lips certainly did not reduce when his wife yelled out to the slowly receding back of their son, telling him that she loved him. If anything, the curl on his lips increased.
"You're terrible, you know that?" he stated, not even having to look at his wife to know that she was copying the same impish grin that he had plastered on his face.
"Not like you are a saint, Kurasu-chan," she replied, idly spinning a pan, her eyes still gazing far out to where she last saw her son. "He's a growing boy, and it's my duty to embarrass him as much as possible."
"He's going to ask you again tomorrow to not call him 'my beautiful child'."
"And I'll listen to him tomorrow, and call him 'my beautiful child' regardless. After all, he is really a beautiful child," she asserted with pride, as a mother would when talking about her son. "I'm going to dote on him for the rest of his life, whether he likes it or not. And if he complains again, I'll call him 'my baby' because he always will be. Even when he complains that he no longer is a baby, and when he has his own children, he'll forever be 'our baby'."
Kurasu looked over at his wife as two pleased dimples appeared on his cheeks.
'What did I do to ever deserve a beautiful, loving, and amazing woman like you in my life?' he thought as he took in the features of his wife.
"Yes," he said, turning back to look out the house through the main entrance. "He will forever be our baby, and we'll make sure that we always show him our love. Let's protect that smile."
"Of course, my husband," Akira agreed, a motherly expression of love and a twinkle in her eyes apparent on her face. "Anything for our son."
Kurasu Uchiha nodded once seriously. "Yes…anything for our son."
XShuyaX
(Location: Uchiha Compound Training Field)
Naruto stared out into the river near the clan compound, his onyx eyes analytically capturing everything in view. It was a scene he had already ingrained into his mind, but out of habit, he carefully took in all the details.
It was a grassy clearing that extended for hundreds of meters, bounded only by trees on one side and the river before him on the other. It was one of the largest clearings in the village, but only available to the Uchiha, so it was rarely ever populated with too many children. However, it was a great training location. It was here Naruto practiced his kata and chakra control exercises that his parents had taught him.
His family had begun to train him the moment he could walk, which was before he was even a year old. It was nothing serious at first; Kurasu and Akira had not wanted to stunt his physical growth or tax his body too much, so they started his training with simple mental exercises. Whether it was to expand his knowledge by reading him stories at night or giving the child puzzles, or, after unlocking his chakra, teaching him a chakra control exercise and letting him play around with it, it was nothing too draining. To Naruto's parents' amazement, the boy took to their lessons like a fish in water. Eventually, they gave him permission to go off and train on his own when they were certain he wouldn't injure himself during training.
And off he did go, and eventually finding this specific clearing with a flowing, glassy reflective river. Naruto found himself hard-pressed not to take in the beauty of the training grounds every time he stood in the midst of it all. It truly was an amazing place to be in; Konoha as a whole, that is. Many years later, and he would understand the privilege that he was given at every moment of the day. From the fact that that he lived in a time of peace, however fleeting it was, to the circumstances of his birth.
He was an Uchiha, and he would know how 'lucky' he was to have been born in a clan and with family that could both care for him and take his needs into consideration, both physically and mentally, at the time.
The blue-haired child looked out at the glistening lake for a few more seconds before shifting his gaze over to the mountains to his left - the very ones that held the four faces of his leaders. The young Uchiha did not feel any kind of desire to be on that mountain in the future, but he held a certain respect for each of the figures etched onto the rocky terrain. All of them held an immense level of power.
And even at the young age of five, he respected power. Much like any Uchiha did.
Shaking his head, Naruto closed his eyes and performed a few hand seals in rapid succession. Then, arching his back and leaning back slightly, but not far enough to lose his line of sight, he took a deep breath.
'Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!'
All at once, heat built up from the child's very core, and exploded outwards in an amazing show of control as a giant stream of flames escaped the boy's mouth. Naruto cut off the technique after three seconds, appraising his technique with an analytical eye. The fireball was large enough in his standards; it was about five meters wide, which was a quarter of the standard Uchiha fireball, but it had taken a large toll on his chakra pool; at least a tenth of his reserves had been burnt up with the technique. However, considering that he had only begun his training last year and unlocked his chakra six months after that, he was progressing in his training at a rapid rate.
"Hmm...but the release is still far too slow. Tou-san told me that it needed to be within a second. Preferably, I should be able to shoot out the fireball within a quarter of a second, according to his standards," Naruto mumbled to himself. He took a pause and adopted a thinking posture, tucking his index and thumb fingers under his chin. "Isn't that a bit ridiculous for an expectation, though?" he added as an afterthought, a bit in amusement.
"Your father just has high expectations for you in general, as you are his son."
Naruto's face immediately brightened and his eyes lit up in recognition of the voice behind him.
"Itachi-nii!" The dark blue-haired teen immediately turned around and threw himself at his older brother figure, who took the hug with a grin. "Stop sneaking up on me!"
"Stop finding yourself caught by surprise, little one," replied the older Uchiha with a slight smile. "By the way, I have brought Sasuke as well to train him today."
"Hi, Naruto!" said the younger brother of Itachi from behind his older sibling. Naruto looked beyond Itachi and when his eyes locked onto Sasuke's, he grinned widely and saluted childishly.
"Yo, Sasuke-chan!" Sasuke-'chan' immediately bristled at the teasing nickname Naruto threw at him.
"I told you not to call me that!" yelled out the miffed child.
"What are you gonna do about it, huh?" Naruto laughingly retorted, sticking out his tongue and stretching one eye downward with his. "Mehhh~"
That was it for Sasuke. Regardless of whether or not his older brother protected that dumb friend of his or not, he'd get his revenge. With a war cry, Sasuke drew forth all of his courage and marched forwards, charging at his friend.
"Oh, I got to him today! Haha, I've got to go!" However, the moment he tried to run away, he found himself rooted to his spot. Confused, he looked up and saw one of Itachi's larger smiles. The older brother of Sasuke was looking down at him with a wide grin and closed eyes that somehow showed amusement.
"That is my younger brother you are teasing, you know that, right? Naruto-chan?" Naruto paled, suddenly realizing his peril. Itachi had yet to let go of him, and Sasuke was drawing close now. Looking between the two brothers in rapid succession, desperation quickly caught onto Naruto's face.
"Ahaha...you can let me go, right?"
"Nope. You got yourself stuck in this situation."
"Please, Itachi-nii? Pretty please?"
"...No."
"He's getting closer."
"Yes...my younger brother will get to you eventually."
"...Itachi-nii, you do realize I can still do hand seals while you have me in this hold, right?" Naruto asked innocently. Itachi's eyebrows raised at that remark. What was that supposed to mean?
"And what are you -"
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"Naruto shouted out loud. Immediately afterwards, hot, searing flames spewed out of his mouth towards Itachi, who had preemptively let go and jumped away quickly, his expression showing no surprise or shock. It was almost as if he had expected this development.
He shouted the technique in order for me to respond in time. But...since when could he use ninjutsu?'Itachi pondered to himself, speculating quietly.
"Woah...Naruto, how did you do that?" Sasuke asked in awe, curiosity lacing his tone. The child had stopped running, his eyes wide in wonder as they tracked the large burst of flames as it died out in a beautiful way, gradually disappearing until all that was left was the training field.
"Ah..." Naruto smartly replied. Now that he actually had a moment to pause and think about it, he had never trained when anyone other than his parents was around. Regaining his bearings, he looked back at Sasuke's expecting face, then shifted his gaze to Itachi-nii, who again showed no change in expression. However, if one were to look carefully, they would spot that the older brother had a slight edge in his coal-colored eyes, representing interest.
"Naruto, teach me!" excitedly yelled Sasuke. Naruto nearly recoiled in shock. This was the same kid that normally begged his older brother to guide him through his training, right?
"That would be a reasonable request, I believe, considering that I rarely have time to teach Sasuke myself. Would you be willing to teach my younger brother, little one?" Itachi requested, a tone of pure calmness escaping the teen's lips. Naruto grumbled, clearly showing his irritation at the informal label Itachi continued to call him by.
"It's Naruto. Na-ru-to! I'm only five years younger than you!" exclaimed the easily excitable child as he flung his arms into the air, voicing out his annoyance. Naruto huffed audibly and crossed his arms over his small chest before looking over to his left for a moment. A few seconds passed before Naruto looked over at Itachi by only moving his eyes. "Fine, I'll teach Sasuke," he relented.
"Yata! I finally get to learn a jutsu!" Sasuke cried out in glee and thrill. Naruto and Itachi both smiled at the boy's obvious eagerness and enthusiasm.
"Mhm!" Naruto let out a wide grin and motioned for Sasuke to join him next to the river. Once the three were there, he began his lesson. "Alright, here's what you got to do."
Sasuke leaned in, listening raptly with anticipation. He would take what Naruto said to heart!
Naruto, once he was certain that he had the boy's full attention, explained professionally, "You do a few hand seals, breathe in, and out comes fire!"
From behind Naruto, an extremely audible face-palm echoed across the whole clearing.
"Really? That's it?!" Sasuke inquired, his eyes full of excitement. If it was that simple, he would have the technique down by today, no question! If Naruto could do it, and he was only six months older than he, then he would be able to do it as well!
"Yup, that's it!" replied the sensei to the student.
A groan made itself known to the two boys closest to the lake. Itachi was beginning to regret letting Naruto teach his younger brother; despite his best intentions, it appeared that his family's friend's son was far from an excellent teacher. Itachi rubbed his temple, having still yet to remove his hand from his forehead after his thunderclap face-palm. The Fire Style: Fireball Jutsuwas not quite as simple as Naruto put it out to be. If that were the case, then every single Genin out there who had a decent grasp of their chakra would be throwing out fireballs. No, the Jutsu was much more difficult to pull off then one would expect, especially for beginners.
An appraising pair of eyes gazed on the two children as one tried to blow out a fireball, only to choke on smoke, while Naruto yelled out "No, no, like this!" and continued to improperly teach his younger brother. Itachi internally smiled and decided to just let whatever happen, happen. Eventually, the two young boys dropped the lesson and began to play, chasing after each other.
Itachi looked up at the blue sky and the clouds floating along, their soft mist and texture almost like cotton candy. The brilliant, light blue shifted to a muted, extremely light yellow and orange, as if from pastel.
'If only the world could be as peaceful and as happy as my Otouto and Naruto are...'Itachi mused to himself, still looking up at the sky with his crystal clear lens eyes.
Suddenly, two hands latched onto the teen. Itachi looked down and saw a mega-watt grin plastered on Naruto's face, whose hands were currently grabbing onto the older boy by the shirt in two bunches.
"Tag."
Then he ran away, a giggling Sasuke in tow. The two laughing boys continued to run away, even when Itachi stood still, just staring at the boys' backs with a melancholic upward curl on his lips.
'If only...'
"Hey, Nii-san, we're going to win the game if you don't catch either of us!" Sasuke yelled out with a beaming smile, just happy to be playing with his friend and have time with his busy brother.
"Hmm...it wouldn't do me good if I let you win, would it?" Itachi asked rhetorically.
"Yeah, but I bet you can't catch us anyway! You'll have to go all out if you want to even touch us!" taunted Naruto brashly, knowing that he was bluffing as clear as day.
Itachi closed his eyes slowly, a serious expression taking over. "I see...it appears you are right. I will have to use my full strength to catch either of you two." At this point, Naruto and Sasuke were giggling madly. Suddenly, Itachi opened both his eyes, revealing two, crimson red orbs. "Here I come!"
"Hey, that's cheating!" accused both boys in unison, both childishly mortified. They had no more chances to complain, however, as Itachi had begun his chase. The two boys immediately turned tail and commenced to run with all their strength, screaming and laughing, having the time of their lives.
It was a memory that Itachi had memorized and would recall as one of his fonder recollections with his Sharingan.
XShuyaX
(Time Skip: One Week Later)
Naruto stared at himself in the mirror with completely unprofessional eyes. His hair was done as it usually was: au natural. It just naturally stuck up in spikes. It wasn't quite like Sasuke's whose hair was more pointed to one side; his hair had no control and pointed in every which direction. It was a struggle to clean and groom, and eventually, his mother had given up and just let his hair do its own thing. And in his honest opinion, it did quite well.
The five year old frowned slightly.
"This outfit doesn't look right..." he mumbled softly, the words hardly leaving his mouth.
The family had gone shopping, as he had grown too large for his old clothes. That morning, he noticed that one of his shirts was a lot tighter than he remembered. He had proceeded to go through his closet and discovered that nearly half of his shirts did not have the proper fit any more. Naruto had brought this up to his parents after breakfast. His mother, to Naruto's confusion, had shown extreme happiness when Naruto brought this up at the table and sported a toothy grin that put him slightly on edge.
His father, noticing this look, mentally sighed and wanted nothing more than to pinch the bridge of his nose. That and possibly find a way out of shopping.
'Wonderful...it appears that we'll be going out for today...and that my son has already begun to understand subconsciously how frightening women could be when they wish for something to happen.'
Realizing this, Kurasu decided to ask, "Well, you two enjoy your day at the shopping district. I'll be-"
Suddenly, he paused, feeling something strange, a gut feeling screaming at him to stop immediately what he was trying to do. Looking over to his loving wife, he saw her smiling face, but for some reason, her visage seemed far more sinister and dark.
"What was that, honey? You'll be coming with us to shop for Naruto's clothes as well, right?" she sweetly asked in a silky tone. A bit too sweetly, he might add. He swore he saw a glint next to her hand...she was holding a knife, wasn't she?
"Yes...that was exactly what I had intended to do," he relented. At least he tried...although he wasn't certain if his efforts were worth it. Having his wife holding a knife in a threatening manner was not an ideal situation to be, or in any kind of healthy relationship.
"Perfect!"
And just like that, Akira returned to her normal, carefree and smiling self. She was now just a happy wife and mother with no aura of threat about her, a far cry from what she was moments before.
Naruto just looked on at the interaction between his two parents, but realizing he couldn't understand what was happening, decided to just ignore it and move on.
"So we're getting clothes today?" he asked. His mother gave him a wink.
"That's right. We're going shopping!"
And thus, he found himself at the shopping district of Konoha, currently inside of the fitting rooms and trying out all of the clothes his mother had suggested. He shrugged and threw off the shirt that he was questioning about for nearly a minute, deciding that it just wasn't his style. Looking over to his left, he sighed.
"Why did Kaa-chan have to get me thirty different shirts to try on?"
Outside of the fitting rooms, two parents were waiting with different degrees of patience.
"What's taking our cute little son so long? I want to see what he looks like!"
"Let him take his time," Kurasu advised his wife, who was currently pacing back and forth in an aisle. The husband had decided to take a seat, knowing that his son would be a while. "After all, you did give him thirty shirts and over forty pants and shorts to try on."
Akira glared at her husband. "I only want the best for my son."
"...Indeed, I, as well, want that," Kurasu replied carefully, nodding in agreement with his wife. He felt that he was treading dangerous waters. Experience nudged his consciousness. He crossed one leg over the other and leaned further back into his comfortable chair. He idly considered buying one before deciding that it was too extravagant for his rather traditional home. "I'm just telling you to give him time so that he can choose what he likes. After all, rushing him will do no good in helping him ascertain his own style now."
'And it will give him a sense of individuality in the future which will help him decide many things later in the future.'Practical.
His beautiful wife giggled in response. "And he's going to be adorable! Oh~, I want to see my son right now!" said the eagerly impatient wife. She was probably...most likely...most definitely already imagining her son wearing fashionable clothing, donning a smirk and possibly becoming a model. "He's going to be so handsome..." she drawled.
Kurasu raised an eyebrow. "I thought I was your husband, but it appears Naruto is going to take you away from me."
Akira broke away from her daydreams to give her lover a wink. "It's certainly possible."
The man felt his lips curl upwards in amusement. Two could play that game. Suddenly, he gripped his chest, feigning pain. He dropped his head and shut his eyes, moaning and groaning. "Oh, how my heart hurts so! I could not even imagine that heartbreak could be so painful," he began in an overly dramatic manner. Then, he looked up and opened his eyes to meet his wife's own. "And to think...and to think it was to our son!" Tears were nearly coming out of the man's usually sharp eyes.
"He's more handsome than you are. Simple," was the dainty response. Cue another groan and a fake crack in the glass heart of Kurasu Uchiha. He was now bawling.
"I-I can't believe th-this! My own wife...about to be k-k-kicked from the cl-clan...for her misdeeds...to her own ch-child!" Kurasu stifled out with a shaky, quiet voice that held so much pain. His voice was steeped in loss and desperation.
"Hey, that's not true," Akira angrily stated, defending her stance. "I'm just saying-"
"Saying that it's better for your selfish request to marry your son to cause both of you to get removed from the clan. I understand," he finished for her.
"Hey!"
And that was all that was needed before Akira starting throwing fists in a public establishment.
Inside the fitting room and completely unaware as to what was happening immediately outside his vicinity, Naruto had found an article of clothing that he found more than suitable and decided to wear it. It was a blue shirt with orange on the bottom half. For some reason, the child felt drawn to the clothing and decided on it; he would show his parents this one when he walked out. He left the clothes he didn't prefer inside the room, letting the staff of the store to deal with the unfit goods. Pooling the rest of the clothes into his arms and into a nice pile, he swung open the door to the store carefully.
"You're so dead!"
"Please don't kill me! I'm just a sorry widow."
"A widow is defined as a woman who lost her husband, you idiot!"
"Oh, I apologize. You're the sorry widow!"
"I'm gonna make this world a better place and end you!"
"Tou-san, Kaa-chan?" Naruto asked loudly, interjecting confusedly into his parents' strange argument. Kurasu was lifted off the chair and was currently at his beautiful wife's mercy, her left hand clutching the collar of the man's shirt in a balled fist, and her right just about to smash into her husband's cheek. Both parents immediately stopped what they were doing and looked over to their son.
"Oh, Naruto-kun, you look so cute!" It was Akira who dropped the game first and went straight into mother mode, literally dropping her husband
-oof-
before running up to her son and hugging him from cuteness overload. It is a thing. She can attest to that.
"Of course my son would look good if he were to wear decent clothes other than the clan wear," Kurasu stated in a matter of fact tone, regaining his bearings and standing up to walk over to his wife and son.
Akira whirled on her husband, her sickly sweet smile once again plastered on her face. "What was that?" She leaned closer, her eyes chilling and staring straight into her victim's soul. "You mean...our son, correct?"
On the outside, he remained calm, but Kurasu was cursing to himself internally and working up a mental sweat. Why were women so frightening? "Of course, dear, that's exactly what I meant," he acquiesced. Kurasu looked over at his son, who was staring straight back at him with a single raised eyebrow and a tilted head. "You look exactly like your mother," he added idly for good measure.
Naruto's eyebrow shot higher. "Really?" The child took a moment to look up at his mother, who had turned to her son with an expectant look at the same time her husband had. "I always thought I looked more like Tou-san," Naruto let out frankly as he shifted his confused gaze back to his father, the boy's innocence rolling out in waves.
'You aren't helping me, dear son of mine.'Kurasu didn't even have to turn his head. No, he didn't have to even look over with his eyes. He could feelit. She was staring at him...those eyes once more looking beyond him, but at the same time not. As if there were a transparent glass there, but she could see beyond right into his future...death.
"Ah, that's enough of that. Let's buy your clothes and continue looking around," Naruto's father told him. The family was soon out in the streets, where it was much more fresh and open than the stuffy, somewhat cramped store. Not that the store was small in any sense, but to the parents, they just felt much more comfortable when they had enough range of motion. As in, they weren't worried about using techniques and could move around freely.
Kurasu looked at the bagged purchases from the most recent store. "What else would you like?" he inquired while transferring the goods into a storage seal. Naruto watched in silent fascination as everything in his father's hold disappeared into a scroll.
"I think I'd like something that can do what you just did," said the child. Both parents looked at their son at the strange request.
"You'd like a storage seal?"
Naruto looked up at his mother and slowly nodded. "Yes. I want to be able to do something like what Tou-san just did," he explained. Ah, that would explain it. The parents looked at each other.
Their son wanted to learn the art of seals. Well, that could be done...to a certain extent. After all, only Jiraiya of the Sannin was an expert of Seals in Konoha, and he was gone from the village currently. Even then, they weren't sure if he would even consider taking on a five year old as a student.
'I could teach him up to the intermediate level seals if he actually wants to pursue this, but everything after Level 5 will be on his own,'Akira considered wordlessly to herself. Her husband was obviously thinking something similar, since he had no real experience in seals other than using explosive tags and storage seals. She grinned; this would be an opportunity to finally get more time with her beautiful, adorable son than her husband did.
"How would you like your Kaa-chan to teach you Fuinjutsu?" Akira asked cutely as she leaned over to be eye level with her son. Naruto gave a wide, toothy grin and bobbed his head up and down repeatedly. Giggling, she kissed her son of the forehead and straightened herself. "Okay, let's get some brushes and paper, then!"
The family of three walked down the market district all holding hands, Naruto in the middle. In the midst of all the people there, despite the prestige of their clan, they were just another family taking the day off and spending time together. It was a time of peace, and to many shinobi, it was something to cherish and hold onto for dear life. Akira and Kurasu interacted with their son as much as they could, and while the son looked around at every shop with wide eyes, they let him do his thing while they silently smiled and watched the people happily chatter and walk around in the district.
It was a happiness they hoped to protect.
XShuyaX
(Time Skip: Three Months Later)
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
An onslaught of heated flames flew out of Naruto's mouth. Cutting off the technique, Naruto stood back up and watched on silently as the flames in the air dissipated. It had gotten much larger over the course of his three months of training, and also hotter. His flames, which used to be a deep red, were now a bright orange, indicating the level of heat. The size of the fireball, which was slightly larger than five meters wide at max, was now an astounding fifteen meters.
"The problem is I can only use this ability about twice a day at this size," Naruto mumbled analytically to himself. He knew that he had progressed significantly, and the fact he could even make the technique this large at this age was nothing short of prodigious, according to his parents. But they never said that more than once. In fact, now that he thought about it carefully... they never called him a prodigy like Itachi-nii. They told him that he worked hard, and thus earned results.
"You have potential. In order to realize that potential, work hard, my son. Talent exists, and your mother and I both acknowledge this. However, talent without effort does not take one far. On the other hand, effort alone with mild talent can take a person far. A person with both potential and the will to put in the effort...now that is a frightening individual."
"What your father said."
"Helpful with the uptake as always, aren't you, Akira-hime?" Kurasu asked his wife with no change in tone. The only way one could tell he was poking fun at her was through experience, one that Akira had years of.
"Only as helpful as you are with seals," was the retort without missing a beat.
"That stung."
"It was supposed to," Akira replied nonchalantly, looking down at her nails.
Naruto shook his head. He was getting sidetracked. Since the day after he had decided to teach Sasuke how to perform the Fire Style: Fireball Technique, his parents had upped his training. It was mainly on the mental aspect, but he soon discovered just how difficult seals were. Three months in, and he was still on Level 1, although his mother told him that he was almost done around last week. He had made a lot of progress in his ninjutsu as well, training daily on his chakra control and his chakra levels, pushing himself daily for however long he trained. He didn't train for too long in a day, since he was a child and his parents mandated that he train physically no more than three hours a day unless it were on studies or seals.
Efficiency was the result. It was a constant process of strengthening of the body by a typical routine of running, cardio, calisthenics, strength training, and then stretching. Almost six years old, and he was lean with muscles already showing tightness. Following a break, he would immediately transition into meditation for twenty minutes, controlling his breathing, and then emptying his mind of all excess until he only focused on the present. Afterwards came chakra control and chakra exercises, which included the basic leaf exercise by sticking it to various parts of his body. Finally, his personal favorite: ninjutsu.
Never mind the fact he only really knew two elemental techniques; Naruto loved ninjutsu.
It was a deadly art, but he found it so beautiful. It was art. His Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu was, to him, an ephemeral beauty that was enrapturing, captivating to him. If it weren't so deadly, it could be a work of art. But alas, a person would be dead before they could fall in love with it.
Perhaps that was why he trained so diligently on chakra. He wanted his father to teach him more to expand his very small repertoire! Naruto remembered the first time that his father had shown him the Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu. It had left such an impression on the mesmerized boy that he could hardly believe himself. Soft red and orange danced together in the air, flitting and flowing in a deadly movement. His eyes reflected the flames as he watched the colors battle and coalesce in tandem. They roared, they danced, they worked together, they fought. It was beautiful.
His father had called him a pyromaniac as a joke. Naruto, unsure of what the word even meant, simply tilted his head at that nickname his father had given him. Kurasu laughed as he ruffled his son's hair lovingly and went on to show his favorite (and only) child multiple other elemental techniques, each of which his son had shown an equal level of attention and amazement to. It was then the father realized that his son would take the path that he and his wife had taken: The path of the shinobi.
He wanted to give his child the chance to be anything, whether it be a businessman or a shopkeeper; it didn't matter what his son became as long as he was happy. Kurasu and Akira had both gone through The Third Great Shinobi War, and suffered tremendous loss on the day the Kyuubi had attacked. Neither of them wished to force a decision on their child, unlike what they had been forced to suffer through, so they wished for their son to have this option open to him. But they knew...they both knew what he wanted. What he longed for. Lived for, even at the young age of five.
Naruto wanted to be a ninja. It beckoned to him, and the child seemed to happily accept it. However, behind the young age and the childish longing Naruto showed, his parents realized quite early on that their son had a steel trap mind quite beyond the normal Uchiha. Yes, Uchiha were analytical, quick on the uptake, and generally quiet behind their scheming and calculating eyes. But Naruto...he was more than that. Akira found herself at a loss at times when Naruto would suddenly ask her surprisingly mature questions, questions that she had difficulty answering or would hesitate to tell the truth due to the reality she would end up bestowing upon her child. Naruto beat his father at shogi within the first month of having been introduced to the strategic game. That had pretty much blown Naruto's father out of the water, and Akira never let her husband live it down afterwards.
On the aspect of calculating and cold, calm eyes, Naruto did not quite match that description either. Neither did his parents, his mother far less so than his father, as both showed somewhat flamboyant and open personalities that were generally considered unbecoming of an Uchiha. However, they were both respected individuals in the ninja world, and thus, allowed to act as they wished. Naruto, as a result, adopted their traits and was an extremely open child, willing to talk to everyone on the compound with glee. He was widely loved and known throughout the clan as the happy-go-lucky child, and he never failed to bring a smile to a person's face. And already, at the age of five, he felt a strong kinship with his whole family; both the main branch and the 'not-so-main' branch, as he called it, were his family. He would protect them.
Thus, he trained diligently.
XShuyaX
(Time Skip: Night Time)
It was a full moon that night. The large orb in the sky cast its soft, luminescent glow along the Elemental Nations.
Naruto sat across his father as the two played the last of their daily games of shogi, which the two did after dinner religiously. The score was one to one, and neither was willing to back down in this extraordinarily competitive battle.
"Hmm...interesting..." Kurasu hummed loudly, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he stared at the game board intently. Naruto showed no notice of his father's actions, instead planning out his next course of action methodically.
The wind blew and a few chimes echoes through the compound.
*Click clack click clack*
The game resumed, and Naruto responded almost immediately to his father's offense with a trade. One that resulted in a huge advantage, but it was something Kurasu had not expected.
"Interesting...Naruto." The boy looked up at his father. Kurasu continued to stare intently at the board. "Do you know what the term sacrifice means?"
The five year old could only cock and eyebrow and answer honestly, "No, Tou-san."
"I pray you never have to," his father told him. Naruto waited for an explanation, but none came.
Thus, the game continued.
In the end, Naruto won, but the boy went to sleep that night feeling that he had lost to his father for some inconspicuous reason.
Kurasu stayed outside on the patio, drinking his sake in the winter chill. His eyes stared out into the windy world, staring at everything and nothing all at once as he lost himself to his thoughts. A few minutes passed, and so lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice his wife until a blanket was wrapped around his shoulders to protect him from the frigidness of the night.
"He's growing up so fast," Kurasu stated without looking at his wife.
"...I know, honey." She laid a hand upon his shoulder. "Trust me, I know."
Taking another sip of his sake, he let out a sound of satisfaction before placing the bottle on the table he had just played shogi with his son only half an hour before. "It's strange...it's frightening how much potential he shows. I want to give him the choice of anything he wants in the future, but he's so dead set on becoming a ninja. Just today, I asked him if he understood the term sacrifice." Akira gave her husband's shoulder a squeeze, comforting her husband. He continued, "My little boy...he used a move that he had never done before. I know how smart he is; to me, he's our little genius. But not once did he use a move like he did today: he sacrificed one of his pieces, but in return took the momentum of the game and won from it."
"And why does this bother you?" Akira asked, prompting her husband to say out loud what was bothering him.
"He would have won that game, regardless. It's the fact that he knew it as well but did the move anyway that confuses me slightly," Kurasu explained slowly, taking another sip of sake. There was a moment of silence between the two, but somehow, the silence felt so much more engulfing and striking then when they were speaking. "It reminds me of what we had to go through."
Akira sat down next to her husband and leaned her head against his shoulder, nuzzling into his strong neck. "You're thinking about Sakumo." It wasn't a question.
"And multiple others," was the quick, guilty reply.
"You know it's not your fault. None of their deaths were your fault. They made their decision, and each of them died in their own way. We have to honor them, so that they can rest peacefully," Akira whispered in a beautifully soft tone. She could feel her husband relax slightly from her words.
"I know. But sometimes...I just think…'what if'. What if they had sacrificed their team? Could the rest of the war would have been over with far quicker, and possibly with less deaths?" he relented. "And...myself as well," he added so quietly, it could have been the wind speaking. But his wife had heard it.
"You know that's not fair," she told him. She wrapped her arms around her husband's muscular frame and sighed happily. Kurasu seemed to appreciate this, and she knew this for a fact when she felt his arm wrap around her small, lithe back and his large and callous hands touch her shoulder. "You did what you believed was right. And I love you for that; even though the village and the ninja code states that it is wrong, you did what you believed was correct and by your standards. My husband saved lives that day."
"I may have caused just as many, if not more, by my actions," was the quick rebuttal. Akira shushed him, in a strangely soothing way.
"Shh...it's okay. I'm proud of you."
"..."
The two sat there for moments, then for hours. For eternity, they would be together, and yet that eternity would be composed of ephemeral moments. Many a night, they would sit like this when their son went to sleep, and even before. And even when he was older and had decided what he wished to do with his life, they would still sit here like this in picture perfect contentment, caught still in the canvas stillness that could be painted as what could be described as a parent's love.
But it mattered not, because in both sickness and in health -
- they would be together.
Chapter End.
A/N: And that is the end of the first installment for Consideration For Life! I'm really sorry about not saying anything, but life's a drag…kek. Well, I'm pretty sure many of you can understand where I'm coming from, right?
I hope you guys enjoyed this, honestly. This is one that I hope to work on periodically, influenced by daily events and my life; so were my other stories, but this one will be far more personal than my other works.
By the way, expect a decent amount of time spent on Naruto's childhood before we even get to the point of the Massacre. Just to clarify, the Jinchuuriki is a female, but is in no way related to Naruto. She will show up later into the story!
And…I wanted to let you know that the next update that will be coming up is…
Naruto, the Storm King!
See you guys soon!
KenzoXShuyita