Kittfox: I know, I know. it's just terrible for me to write another story without at least updating the rest of my fics. Ever since my borther who I have dubbed as a 'blithering idiot' infected my pc with three trojan viruses and crashed it, I'm unable to continue with my fics since all my hard written work just gone down the drain. So those who are waiting for it, I'm apologizing in advance cause I'm not updating them anytime soon.
Summary: We were all just little children, thinking we were immortal and following our own dreams.
Disclaimer: not mine
Little Children
'How many years has it passed?' Sasuke looked up to his Anbu captain's back as the man gave the rest of the orders to the squad and mused. 'Two? Four? Five?' the captain turned to the side relaying a message to the other squad accompanying them by sign language. Sasuke followed him with his eyes, or to be more precise, he followed the back of his captain's light blonde head with his eyes. It had been many years since they have lost contact with the last member of team seven, seeing the back of his captain's head with it's blond hair stirs up old memories. From the beginning, Sasuke had wondered whether the captain was Naruto himself but after a few missions with him he had banished the thought and convince himself that both of them are not the same person.
The captain was too soft spoken, merely talking just above a whisper sometimes he avoids talking at all. He's cool headed, takes problems calmly and always thinks objectively rather that subjectively. He thinks right ahead and weighs the pros and cons at every decision. And while Naruto adores attention the captain has never taken off his mask or given any hints of who he might be. In whichever point, Naruto and the blond captain's behavioral patterns clashes in a point that it's an impossibility that the two could ever be one person.
He was cut out from his reverie when the captain raised the hood of his white cloak shielding him from his view of familiar light blond hair. It was a second later that the unusual porcelain mask with gold and red linings faced him. "Status report Raven."
"All is ready Captain."
The Anbu captain gave an acknowledging nod and made a hand motions signaling for them to move out. As they are reduced to nothing but black and a single piece of white blurs jumping out of the village gates, Sasuke gave himself another mental shake and focused on the mission rather than his captain's back. 'He's not him.' He convinced himself and he's determined to keep believing that but still…..sometimes he wonders.
Tsunaide sighed and rubbed her temples to chase away the incoming migraine. She took a sip from her cup of hot green tea and grimaced preferring the taste and intoxication brought by sake any day. She put her cup down and cupped her chin with her hand while her other hand played lazily with a paper balloon totally ignoring the rather high stack of paperwork at the side of her desk.
It's not like it's needed to be done immediately, the pile of documents are mostly made out of the year's academy graduates, mission reports, and whatever paperwork that blasted assistant of hers and devil jounins & chunins would bring to her she would rather not dwell on.
While yes, despite the large amount of work that is placed on her table can be done in a few hours or maybe in a few minutes she would rather put those aside to be done much later. She believed on play now and work later thank you very much.
Her thoughts strayed in a different direction when her trail of vision dwindled at the stack of paperwork of academy graduates. 'It would be good for him.' She thought as she leaned back to the chair picking up a random document at her fingers in the process. She put her feet up the table and grumbled her curses again wondering on how the 'brat' ( or so she has affectionately dubbed him) managed to put her in a position such as this. Her hands absently folding a paper crane of the document at her hand which she highly suspect is another form from one of the pompous nobles asking for the most ridiculous and absurd things, she contemplated on just burning the whole stack of trouble before her assistant Shizune would come and ruin her fun. Not that she could do much but reprimand her anyway, she stifled a yawn and flicked the paper crane carelessly away adding it to the already growing pile of origami at the corner of the room. She rolled off her shoulders and stretched of her neck, picking up the first form from the work pile, she decided to work for a change, besides she could already hear the sound of footsteps getting near.
Later on she would be again be found sleeping over the piles of papers, getting them wet with her drool. It was also be later on the Shizune would come and wake her and nag her at the lack of work she has done ultimately leading for her assistant to do it herself while she, Tsunaide, would just smile and nod (in a guilty sort of way) yet let her do the work. Shizune is her assistant by the way.
"Status report." His superior's voice going through a bit of static yet came out as clear as ever. Sasuke looked over at the squad he's temporarily been given command and answered back at the radio strapped on his ear. "Two fatal and one minor. It is already being tended for Captain."
While he could not see his superior, he could imagine the captain nodding. "And you?"
Sasuke delayed a second before answering. "Operational." Which was the truth. "I see… assemble the squad and meet me with the rest at 230 degrees north at the lagoon and Raven?"
"Yes captain?"
"Get yourself tended."
"Copy that captain." With that the connection was cut. Sasuke waited patiently as the medic nin in their group finished patching up the last of the injured of his squad before letting the medic tend his belly wound. As the greenish glow from the medic bathe him, he couldn't help but feel disappointed and frustrated at himself for getting himself and the rest of the squad injured. While the possibility of actually returning alive was slim to none, he had suspicions that the captain would have done his share of the mission flawlessly. He gritted his teeth whether from pain or frustration he could not differ, he stood up and gave the orders to move out.
They traveled beyond normal human speed, coming out in blurs. He now stood in front of his superior taking account that the man had encountered no major difficulties by the looks of his clothing and the way he stood. What else can Sasuke expect from Konoha's living legend?
"No."
Tsunaide has her head supported by one of her hands by the table while the other danced along a scroll placed on her table. She smirked. "I'm afraid you fail to understand me captain. What I offered wasn't a suggestion neither is a request but a direct order."
Eyes behind a porcelain masks narrowed. Tsunaide rose up to her seat and made her way around the table so she stood in front of him.
"What's the reason for this hokage-sama?"
"Reason? Do I need to have one?" her smirk widened when she saw him tense. "I don't think you have earned the right to question orders from your superiors captain." She held out a hand expectant.
"…"
"Your mask captain?"
Slowly his hands raised and moved to the back of his head to untie the knot that held his mask in place. The mask fell only to be caught by a waiting hand. Tsunaide snorted and placed the mask almost carelessly on the table. "You don't need to be so dramatic about it." She said as she took note of his changes.
She raised her hand to cup his chin, her thumb stroking his cheek. 'He has grown up.' The whisker marks along his cheeks have almost faded, reduced to nothing but thin fine lines. His once golden blond hair had faded in color as he grew to age, now more in the combination of yellow white. His hair cut cleanly and properly by the ears and the little bit of length by the back is tied neatly to a small ponytail yet his bangs had grown long almost obscuring his eyes. Eyes that had grown more narrowly, almond shaped and their blue irises much lighter than she remembered. As she made her observation he remained stonily in place, his face giving no hint of emotion whatsoever. Nothing but a perfect poker face. She paid closer attention to his eyes, what his face lacked is carried by those orbs. They seem to glow with inner light, pieces of him mish mashed together that it is impossible to name and pick one from the other.
She thumbed his cheek again, a little wistful. 'He's not a little boy anymore. He has grown up….grown up handsomely.' At that thought she felt her eye twitched. She closed her eyes and moved her hand and hit him at the side of his head almost making him fall which he had faired better than others had who had gone through the wall.
She moved back, crossed her arms over her chest and sat at the edge of the table with an irritated fashion, annoyed at herself for making him relinquish his mask this late.
"Oi! What the hell was that for you old hag!" His eyes flashed for a moment before once again it dimmed. Naruto rubbed the side of his painful head gently, his left ear had already gone red.
"Brat." She muttered under her breath. "So, what are you going to do now?" He straightened himself up and raised an eyebrow. "Do what you ordered. What else?"
"I know that. You know what I mean." She snapped. He grew silent for a moment before shrugging. "I admit, it may cause…complications but it's not like I care what they think anyway. I never hid who I was, I was just fulfilling my duty." Tsunaide sighed and stood up, she picked up the scroll on her table held it out to him. "You have your orders. You're dismissed."
Naruto bowed as took the scroll in his hands, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Tsunaide turned and looked out the window, thoughtful. 'That's just it, you stopped caring at all.' She rubbed her temples and made her way back to her seat contemplating on the mask that rests on the surface of the table. "…….You stupid brat."
It felt weird. Naruto thought himself as he walked through crowded streets a few hours later after meeting the hokage now on his jounin vest. He refused to remove the Anbu black sleeveless shirt though instead put on a long sleeved low necked dark blue shirt over it resulting for him to wear three upper overalls in total. Not that he minded, even though it is high summer the air brushing against his skin is chilly. What bothers him though is the lack of presence of his mask, he feels bare without it. The only place her remembers he ever took it off was in the safety of his apartment.
'It's going to take time to get used to.' He raised the flap of the general store's doorway and entered, picking up a basket along the way. 'It would have been easier,' he contemplated as he leafed through the products by the shelves, absentmindedly picking up a tray of chicken eggs and depositing it on the basket as he goes by. 'It's not that I mind but it would have been more efficient…" He made a move to pick up a carton of milk, pausing as he took note of the price and went for another brand.
'All that unnecessary scene,' he wondered if he could avoid it. He opened a fridge and took out five cans of beer and closed it with his foot. Certainly a few of them would react, some of them were the people he knew since childhood. Most of his batch taken the exam and passed the Anbu.
Naruto tries to predict how would they react as he waited at cashier line ignorant of the looks he's receiving. He wouldn't be surprised if Bird already knew him. Despite the guy's respect for privacy he would have been curious, and it is unavoidable, not with that bloodline of his.
He stared blankly at the cashier woman, looking at her but not actually seeing her. He sighed and passed one of his groceries at the red laser when the woman doesn't seem to move to do so.
Beep.
Startled female hands stopped him and took after where he left off. "ah…S…Sorry." He took note that she seemed red at her cheeks and dismissed it. She raised her head and squeaked, blushing furiously when she saw him staring at her. She let her head fall back down and continued her duties, what she didn't realize was that he wasn't looking at her or anyone at all but through her.
As soon as she bagged them, Naruto picked up his groceries and strode out not hearing the shy call of the woman of 'thank you and come back again.'
Naruto walked back to the streets and head home squashing all thoughts at the same. He opened his front door. Whatever it is, he thought, he'll just have to go for it and take the plunge tomorrow. He collapsed on his sofa, propped his feet up the coffee table and he pressed up on cold can of beer on his forehead in hopes to chase away the incoming headache.
Tsunaide sighed, a slight smile on her lips as she put her pen down. She rolled her neck and eased her back at the chair. "Ji-rai-ya. You could come out now." She called out in a singsong voice. A shadow moved and emerged with the combination of colors of red, white, and green. "Still haven't changed eh Tsunaide-hime? Laying off the work till last minute."
Tsunaide's eyes narrowed to happy crescents as she grinned like a minx. "Look who's talking, I've been getting reports of you terrorizing the baths. Pervert"
Jiraiya only chuckled. His hand is formed in a loose clenched vertical fist and making a familiar movement. He cocked his head to the side. Tsunaide smiled and pushed her chair standing up. She put on her green robe and followed the man out for a drink.
……...
"Haaaa….That feels so good!" Tsunaide exhaled long, her cheeks a little flushed from liquor. Jiraiya laughed and refilled her empty cup with sake and ordered another plate of breaded fried radishes.
"So…what brings you back here?"
Jiraiya took a gulp from his shot glass and refilled the cup. "Business what else? Women here are always the best." She snorted. "Pervert." There was stretch of silence, broken when the sound of platter of food was placed on the table.
"…How is he Tsunaide?"
Tsunaide closed her eyes for a moment before opening them, she poured herself another cup and held it up, her elbows supported by the table. "I don't know who you are talking about jiraiya."
"You know very well who I was talking about. How's the brat?"
She moved the cup at her hand staring down at its contents as it swirled. "He's fine." She said before downing the sake to her throat. "There's nothing wrong with him, a little stone hearted but it's normal." At that remark Jiraiya watched her at the edge of his eyes as he picked up his food with his chopsticks, eating. Tsunaide continue to look blankly forward before sighing and pouring herself another cup of sake.
"I heard that you removed him from being an Anbu."
She laughed dryly. "You were listening in?" the question came out more like a statement. She rested her chin with her hands as she contemplated over her drink. "Naruto…has grown up now. He's an adult and he could take care of himself just fine."
"…"
"I guess it's just me wishing he could return to that cheeky little boy we met so many years ago. But there's no helping it. The moment he took that exam and passed, he was bound to grow up faster than his peers. Added to his background, he was due to mature earlier anyway." She took a sip from her drink, "How are things going outside?"
Jiraiya laid down his chopsticks at the now clean platter and folded his arms to his chest, serious. "There was a fallout from the west. Apparently Akatsuki had encountered another organization of missing nins. From what my sources have gathered, the leader of this organization is another Jinchuraku."
"So which won?"
Jiraiya grinned. "No one. They clashed and nearly decimated all the surroundings but both groups retreated. For now they are too busy licking their wounds to pose any threat. However, there is one thing that bothers me though…" He reached something inside of his clothes and placed an object to the table sliding it towards her. "Do you know what this is?"
She turned her trained eyes and examined the object. It was made out of metal, it has a lengthy tube and a small circular thing under it with a small trigger. There are other more things attached to the object that she could barely describe in words other than Thingamajig. The thing was baffling. There was nothing to describe it but…thing.
"I thought so. It's called a pistol. The new kind of weapon invented from the west. There are much larger versions of it but this also carries the same power." He dismantled the thing to produce a small lump of lead hidden inside it. "Apparently this thing is powered by blackpowder, the same thing we use in making fire crackers. Because of it this piece of metal is pushed to move from here, to the tube then out in a rapid speed piercing anything in it's path."
"…How fast?"
With this question his face grew grim. "Milliseconds, almost impossible for even the most experienced shinobi to evade. The longer the tube is the faster and more powerful it gets." Tsunaide's features darkened, disgusted at the piece of monstrosity created by human hands. She picked up the cold metal feeling it. Her eyes narrowed as she pocketed it inside her robes and gave a nod to her drinking companion. "Find out where it's produced and how to counter it will you Jiraiya?… I… don't expect you to be able to stop its production, not with already so many of them with the knowledge on how to make it but can you at least find a way to neutralize it?"
He gave her a lopsided smile. "Who do you think you are talking to?" She rolled her eyes and made a soft smile of her own. "It is because it's you that is why I'm asking."
"Hey!"
She took the sake bottle and filled his cup. "Thanks anyway." She held up her cup and drank what was left of its contents, he didn't say anything but smirked and drank from his own.