Note: This is the edited version of Don't Look Back. It's also non-linear, which means some questions you might have after reading this chapter will be answered later on. For those who have read the previous story, I'll let you know whether major changes have been made to the edited chapters or not. This one is entirely new.
''Speech''
Thoughts
Enjoy!
Silver Lining
Heritage
''It's not too late, Naruto. We can still go back if you want,'' Minato told his son gently. Both of them were standing in front of a tall, imposing Torii gate which opened the way to a massive but heavily damaged bridge. The normally bright red monument was dark from coal dust and the large white banner hanging from it, bearing a bold spiral symbol, was half ripped off. For a moment, Naruto simply stared with an indescribable emotion as the fabric danced slightly in the soft warm breeze.
''No,'' he replied, his voice trembling. ''I want to see mom,'' Naruto added more resolutely and started walking down the bridge.
It broke Minato's heart to see his son like this, trying so hard to stay strong and to face what was to come. Minato wished he could spare him the experience. However, he also knew his son needed to face reality in order to move on. With a heavy heart and much resignation, Minato followed his son towards what used to be one of the greatest villages of all Shinobi nations, but most important of all, what used to be their home.
Eyes clouded with grief roamed about the desolated site. He could barely recognize the buildings around him. Half in ruins, without its people, without life. As he looked, Naruto wondered why he had not broken down in tears yet. He could not fathom why he wasn't feeling anything more than this... this emptiness in his heart. He turned around to see his father silently following him. Minato stopped to share a look with him. The truth was, Naruto simply could not believe it. He refused to acknowledge it; the village of Longevity simply could not have fallen in one night. It was impossible; absurd. They had fought in wars and triumphed, they had withstood a siege an entire month unprepared. They could not have been defeated so easily... it was... it was...
Naruto stopped in his aimless walk and stood frozen in the middle of the ruins. Flashes of the massacre suddenly came back to him. He began to shake violently as the images bombarded his brain; his family, his friends... fire, corpses, clashes of metal, destruction, blood; so much blood.
''Naruto...'' Minato uttered, his throat tight. He knelt beside his son and wrapped his arms tightly around the boy, who was shaking as if freezing from an intense cold. His eyes were filled to the brim with water, but the blond refused to let the tears fall. He needed to stay strong for at least a little longer... until he had seen his mother. He looked up to his father, eyes pleading him. Minato understood the silent imploring and helped his son back up on his feet. Father and son held hands tightly and continued to walk.
OoOoO
- - - Three weeks earlier, in Konoha Academy - - -
''Alright class, settle down!'' Iruka instructed in a booming voice, effectively silencing the chatty students. Once all were properly seated, the academy instructor continued. ''I have something very important to tell you. Today, we are welcoming a new student into our class.'' The little assembly broke out in curious whispers again.
''What the hell. A new student at this time of the year?'' Kiba wondered out loud, his friend Akamaru yipping to support his statement. ''But graduation's just four months away!''
''Huh, that's if you graduate,'' Ino retorted back, smirking. ''And with your grades, I'm not so sure you will.''
''Repeat that if you dare!'' Kiba growled, showing his sharpened canines menacingly. Akamaru did much the same.
''What, are you deaf on top of being stupid?'' Ino replied, crossing her arms, smug look plastered on her face.
''Why do these two always have to be so loud?'' Shikamaru sighed heavily; the racket had brought him out of his nap. ''What a drag.''
''Hn.'' Sasuke, who was sitting beside the lazy Nara, voiced his agreement. He was looking at the scene impassively, elbows on the table and hands joint pensively in front of him.
''Still,'' Shino started, arranging his sunglasses carefully on his nose. ''Kiba rose a valid point. Accepting a new student now seems rather pointless.'' Sasuke looked at his other seating mate with an impressed brow. That was the most the Aburame had said in over a week.
''Silence!'' Iruka screamed in his most commanding voice. The vein on his temple looked like it was about to burst. The student stood straight on their seat, mouths shut. Iruka sighed, letting the pressure out. ''As I was saying. We are welcoming a new student in our class. This student...'' Iruka suddenly was at loss for words. He pursed his lips tightly together, trying to think of the best way to put it. None came. With this kind of delicate issues, it was perhaps best to be as direct and clear as possible. ''He is from Uzushiogakure.'' The air suddenly felt cold and heavy with gloom. Students shared disbelieving looks, but none dared to say a word. A sudden noise caught everyone's attention. They turned to see the source of it and all were surprised to see that it was Sasuke, who had brusquely got up from his seat.
''Could it be...?'' The raven whispered to himself.
''Are you alright, Sasuke?'' Iruka asked carefully, astounded to see his most serious and quiet student react so strongly. The Uchiha blinked, only now realizing what he had done. He sat back down slowly, trying to regain his sense.
''Yes,'' he replied at last. ''Sorry.'' Iruka simply nodded, deciding it was better not to linger on it.
''Please treat our new friend kindly. It might be difficult for him to fit in and make friends, so I want you to be patient, but also as natural as possible. Do your best to make him feel comfortable, is what I'm trying to say...'' Iruka trailed off, scratching his head awkwardly. He new he was asking a lot of students after what had happened. After earning a hesitant nod from his students, Iruka walked towards the sliding door.
''You can come in.'' Iruka moved to the side and gestured for the newcomer to enter. Sasuke's eyes widened in recognition.
The short figure, the blond hair, the clear blue eyes, now doleful from grief, and the unique whiskers marks on each cheek. There was no mistake. It was him. The blond was wearing his mourning attires, almost identical to Konoha's own standard mourning uniform, with the only difference being the sleeves which were longer and large as was the custom in Uzushio. Sasuke also noticed that the boy was wearing a hitai-ate around his neck. It bared the symbol of his native village.
''My name is Uzumaki Naruto,'' the blond said in a soft voice, forcing a smile to the crowd before him. Out of habit, Naruto did his village's traditional Wushu salute, hands hidden by the long black sleeves, and inclined his head politely. ''Nice to meet you all.''
OoOoO
- - - Back to the present, in Uzushio - - -
Looking back on the experience, Naruto would have to say that this had been the most shocking moment for him.
Thousands and thousands of graves. There were so many of them, they were stretching all the way beyond the Horizon line. Naruto squeezed his father's hand tightly, Minato's skin whitening under the pressure. Minato didn't even feel it. He, too, was horrified by the sight before him. Naruto raised his free hand to his mouth, feeling himself becoming sick. Nothing was going to come out though; he hadn't been able to eat, knowing he was coming back to Uzushio. Minato closed his eyes, unable to bear seeing his son like this. The older blond finally gathered his son in his arms, who let himself fall limply in his embrace. Minato began slowly walking along the graves.
Kakashi had been on the Search & Rescue team –an euphemism not to say Disposal team– sent by Konoha after the attack. Minato had personally asked him to bury Kushina, not wanting his lover to be handled by an indifferent stranger. He still felt ashamed for not having been there, but he had been too injured to help. But more importantly, his foremost duty had been to stay by his son's side at the hospital. Following the directions Kakashi had given him, Minato went on to find his wife's grave. As he walked along the stones, Minato felt his heart sink every time he crossed a name he recognized. Soon, they reached an area where it was no longer just friends or teammates, but family members. Uzumaki Hiroto, the respected clan leader, Uzumaki Nadeko, his mother-in-law, Uzumaki Nanami, his sister-in-law...
Uzumaki Kushina, his beloved wife.
Minato closed his eyes, the pain in his chest turning into an outright stabbing sensation. Fighting back the tears, he slowly let his boy down so he could pay his respects.
Naruto knelt down slowly in front of the grey stone beneath which his mother was buried. He could not believe his mother was just there, cold and immobile beneath the ground. The thought was so macabre, he felt himself become sick again. As if to make sure it was truly there, Naruto let his fingers graze the stone slowly and traced the engraved characters forming his mother's name. His breathing had stop; he was literally suffocating from the pain in his heart. Naruto finally let it all out. He sobbed and sobbed loudly, begging for his mom to come back to him.
''Mom...'' Naruto muttered in a broken voice in between his sobs. ''Mom, I miss you...''
Minato stood and watched the heartbreaking scene, letting his own tears fall free. He was clenching his fists on his sides, nails drawing blood. He wanted to lash out, to destroy everything around him in pure, uncensored rage, but restrained himself for his son's sake. He had to stay strong. If he could not become Naruto's pillar to help him live through this tragedy, then nobody would. He would never let that happen. He hadn't been able to save his wife, but his soul be damned if he let down his precious son.
He wasn't sure how long it took, but Naruto managed to calm himself down. For a while, he simply looked at his mother's grave with an empty look. Then, remembering the small gift he had brought for her, Naruto plunged his right hand into the ample left sleeve of his black mourning outfit. He took out a simple piece of paper on which a seal had previously been painted. He gently placed it on the grave and activated it by imposing the tip of his fingers on it and pouring a small amount of chakra. A single white flower came out of it.
''It's an Arum Lily, your favourite.'' Naruto whispered to his mother. Minato knelt down beside him and smiled softly, touched by his son's delicate gesture. The seal also had the advantage of making the flowers last much longer, unlike hand picked ones which would wither in a matter of days.
''I started attending Konoha Academy,'' Naruto continued. ''I'm in the same class as Sasuke. See? I have my friend to take care of me there and the others are nice too, so don't worry about me, mom.'' He offered his mother a shaky smile. ''Dad is there for me too, of course.'' He added, giving his dad a little smile, which as immediately returned, then turned back to his mother. ''I'll make your dream come true. I'll live a long and happy life. I'll do my best to help the people around me. So please, mom, rest peacefully in heaven.''
OoOoO
- - - Konoha Academy - - -
Sasuke couldn't concentrate at all on the lesson. He kept thinking about what to say to Naruto and the questions he wanted to ask. He didn't have Naruto's natural ease with others; he was afraid he might lack proper tact and might make his friend feel uncomfortable. At last, lunch break finally came and Sasuke hurried among the hordes of students in the hallways and trailed Naruto outside.
Once in the courtyard, he saw that the little blond had chosen to sit in a secluded corner at the foot of a large tree. As he discretely got closer, he noticed the lack of appetite with which the child ate his food. It was a small bento box with a bed of rice, a mix of vegetables; edamame, peppers and cabbage, along with sliced sweet sesame beef. It looked delicious, but the blond ate the dish slowly mechanically, out of necessity more than anything else. A strange, disturbing sight compared to what he knew of Naruto. It brought back memories to Sasuke too; it had taken him well over a year after the slaughter of his clan to find pleasure in eating again.
The sight almost kept him from talking to him. He shook his head slightly; if he didn't go now, it would only be more difficult to approach him later. He remembered what Naruto had done now almost five years ago. He could have left him alone, but hadn't. He would do the same for him. He walked on with that in mind.
''Do you mind if I sit with you?'' Sasuke asked calmly. Blue eyes looked up to him and brightened when they recognized the dark haired boy.
''Sasuke,'' Naruto replied with a modest mix of surprise and relief. ''Sure, sit down.'' Sasuke did so and Naruto blinked curiously at him. ''Are we in the same class?'' The raven simply nodded. Naruto looked down in shame. ''Sorry, I didn't even notice.''
''Don't you dare apologize,'' Sasuke retorted without hesitation. ''You've got plenty on your mind.'' Naruto gave him a grateful little smile.
''I wasn't sure if I was ready to start school again,'' Naruto said with a trembling voice. ''But knowing you're here makes me feel better.'' Sasuke was taken aback by Naruto's kind allegation. He felt his cheeks heat up slightly and scratched his neck in embarrassment. He didn't think he deserved it but he would do his best to prove himself worthy.
''If you need help catching up, just let me know.'' Two months had passed since the destruction of Uzushio. Naruto had therefore missed a lot of material and doubtless there were adjustments to make to adapt to Konoha's curriculum expectations.
''Thanks.'' Naruto gave him another little smile. Sasuke opened his own bento and both ate in silence. Sasuke couldn't help but glance at the Uzushio hitai-ate Naruto was wearing around his neck. Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, he enquired after the item.
''Had you already graduated?'' He regretted asking as soon as he saw the grief that afflicted those clear blue eyes. Naruto unconsciously brought his hand to his forehead protector, undoubtedly recollecting a painful memory.
''It wasn't official,'' Naruto said vaguely after a moment. ''I still need to pass your exam if I want to be active here.''
''Hey, Uchiha!'' Both friends looked up at the sound of the obnoxious voice. They saw a small group of boys approaching. Sasuke sighed heavily, annoyed as always, with the Inuzuka's lack of discretion.
''Do you know each other?'' Ever the perceptive one, Shikamaru had been surprised with Sasuke's bold move. It was unsurprising for Sasuke to show interest in the boy that had just gone through something similar to him, but it was also unlike the Uchiha to be so eager to talk to someone. Shikamaru had come to the only logical conclusion. Just as Shikamaru thought, Sasuke nodded in the affirmative.
''Are they your friends, Sasuke?'' He then turned to the four boys. ''Wanna sit with us?''
''No, they're not,'' Sasuke answered as they sat down, forming half circle in front of them. ''They're just people I tolerate. Except Kiba.''
''Asshole,'' the tattooed boy spat. The scene earned a small chuckle from Naruto. ''I'm Inuzuka Kiba and this is my best friend Akamaru!''
''Woof!''
''I'm Nara Shikamaru.''
''Aburame Shino.''
''And I'm Akimichi Chouji. Want some chips?'' Chouji pout out his barbecue bag to share with Naruto, who refused politely.
''Nice to meet you all.''
''We've got an exam this afternoon,'' Kiba informed plaintively. ''Is Iruka-sensei making you take it?'' Naruto nodded.
''He said it'd just be formative and that it wouldn't count. 'Said it would help him see what I need to catch up with.'' There was an uncomfortable silence. Sasuke fought the urge to roll his eyes. This was exactly why he didn't want the guys here.
''Do you mind if we ask about what happened?'' Shikamaru spoke up at last. ''My parents won't tell me anything. Either they don't know much or are not allow to say.'' Despite being incredibly lazy, Shikamaru still liked to be informed. All looked expectantly at Naruto, who looked down sadly and shrugged a bit.
''Both, I'm guessing. There's a lot I'm not allowed to say myself.'' On the night of the attack, Naruto had seen and experienced many things that wouldn't be categorized below A-class secrets. ''My father's been meeting with the Hokage and the council a lot lately. I attended some of them to tell them what I saw. What I can tell you is that there's nothing left.'' Naruto closed his eyes and shivered, the air suddenly feeling chilly around him. ''The survivors who made it here in Konoha are almost all civilians. As for Shinobis, there's me, my dad and very few other ninjas from other clans, only one of which will be able to work again. They wanted to eradicate our village; they succeeded,'' he ended darkly, looking down at his tightly clenched fists.
''Who's 'they'?'' Naruto's eyes didn't leave his hands. He shook his head, telling the others he wasn't allowed to say, at least not yet.
''Are you the only Uzumaki alive?'' Sasuke couldn't help but ask. If so, he'd be just like him. His brother didn't count. He didn't deserve to bare the name he had chosen to destroy. Naruto looked up to him, a small gleam of hope in his eyes.
''No. There's one more. I could introduce you to her later after school, if you want!'' Naruto suddenly sounded so happy; Sasuke didn't have the heart to refuse.
OoOoO
- - - In Uzushio - - -
''We're here,'' Minato informed solemnly. After they had paid their respect to the many other friends and family who had perished during the war, father and son made their way to the centre of the village, where used to stand their most prestigious monument. But now, the Great Temple of Seals was barely recognizable. It had been completely destroyed. Only the distinctive carvings on the ruins allowed Minato to identify the building.
''I don't understand.'' Naruto stared at the ruins, disheartened. ''It was still standing in my dreams.'' He turned to his dad, looking for answers.
It was mostly Naruto's reoccurring dreams that had pushed them to come back to Uzushio. It was always the same. Naruto would wake up somewhere in the village, half in ruins and deserted. A strong calling would guide him to the temple where all major clan ceremonies took place. Every time, Naruto would open the doors from which a blinding light came from and then he would wake up. There was something in there that was waiting for him, but he didn't know what. Minato had had his suspicions, but seeing the temple destroyed only confirmed it.
''It's not what is in the temple, then,'' Minato concluded. ''It's what's beneath it. It's the Library.''
''The Secret Library?'' Naruto exclaimed in surprise. ''So that's where it was...'' He muttered to himself. Only Chunin and above ranked ninjas knew where the village's secret archive was, and only a select few Jounins could even enter it. All the village secrets, research findings, forbidden techniques from all clans... everything was there. It was Uzushiogakure's most well-guarded treasure.
''Do you think the enemy managed to steal from it?'' Naruto asked worriedly, the thought itself striking deep fear within him.
''Impossible,'' Minato replied, not an ounce of doubt in his voice. ''It is impossible to access it without the key. The seal locking it is impenetrable; it was the founder of the village herself who put it there. Legends say she died after she did.''
''Wow...'' Minato had to let a little smile grace his lips when he saw the wonder on his son's face. ''But what are we gonna do?''
''I think the reason you've been having this dream is because you have the key.'' Naruto stared, wide eyed, at his father.
''Really? But how? When did I get it? How come I didn't know?''
''Risa-san was a candidate for next clan head, which means she probably had it.''
''Really? Risa-sensei?'' Naruto said incredulously.
''Yes,'' Minato nodded, smiling softly. ''Her personality seemed incompatible, I know,'' Naruto could only agree with that. She was so different from their now deceased leader who had been so calm and collected. He had been a man with an aura that inspired such awe and respect; it was almost suffocating for the young impressionable villagers. ''but she was very cultured and intelligent. She has a good administrative background and she used to publish books on squad tactics.''
Naruto looked down to the ground, eyes full of sorrow. He had loved his Fuinjutsu teacher very much. After what she had done for him the night of the battle and now this... he would never forget her.
''She must have transferred the key to you when she gave you her hitai-ate,'' Minato continued, focusing back on the temple. ''Did she do anything out of the ordinary?'' Naruto pondered for a moment. He didn't particularly want to go through the events of the attack in the Academy again, but he had no choice. He turned to his father.
''She put her hands on each side of my head and she made our foreheads touch. Now that I think about it, I did feel a sort of burning sensation, but I thought it was because of my injuries.'' Minato nodded.
''That must be it, but we'll find out soon enough.'' Minato walked closer to the temple, then stopped to perform a series of complex hand signs.
''Wind Release: Giant Wind Palm!'' Minato cried out as he struck his palm forward with an incredible release of chakra.
The single gust of wind held such power that it pushed away most of the enormous stone ruins, uncovering the beautiful mosaic floor. Naruto stared in awe at his father's technique. He never ceased to amaze him. The blond duo walked to the centre of the temple, where the Uzumaki clan symbol lay. Around it, intricate mosaic designs and symbols decorated the crest and continued to spread out all over the floor of the temple. Minato knew it to be the main entrance of the library.
''Try gathering chakra to the third eye. It should activate the seal,'' Minato told his son, who readily complied.
Black chakra ink started to appear on Naruto's forehead. It started with a simple swirl, as did all Uzumaki seals, then spread out into complicated characters and patterns all over Naruto's body, from the tips of his toes to the tip of his fingers.
''Wow... This is incredible,'' Naruto whispered staring down at his hands.
''Place your palms over the Heaven and Earth characters.'' Naruto knelt in front of his clan's crest and placed his palms on each side, as instructed. The mosaic lit up with blue chakra and started moving around, like a puzzle, to open the way to a large staircase made of dark grey stones. Seals plastered on the underground walls lit up in small red flames to allow visitors to see through the darkness of the cave. Naruto stared in awe, restless to see what was waiting for him down there. Minato himself looked quite impressed. He had been in there only once and the gate had been previously open for him and Kushina.
Minato helped his awestruck son back up on his feet and the two slowly went down the stairs. Hundreds and hundreds of massive wooden bookshelves filled with treasures awaited them. Each bookshelf was locked with another seal, which Naruto could open with his key by simply pressing his right palm at the centre of the lock.
''You can take whatever you like,'' Minato said at last, smiling softly to his son. ''It's yours by right.'' Naruto let the knowledge sink in for a moment. He felt unworthy and would much rather have his family alive than have access to even the greatest of jutsus and clan secrets. He looked up to his dad.
''I think it's safer here,'' Naruto admitted. ''But I'd like to take some scrolls on more advanced sealing. What about you dad?''
''I'll take the war archives. It might help with the investigation.''
OoOoO
- - - In Konoha - - -
When Sasuke followed Naruto after school, he didn't expect his blond friend to go straight to the Hyuuga heiress. Apparently, Sasuke wasn't the only one Naruto already knew in class.
''Hey, Hinata-chan.'' Naruto smiled to the shy girl who turned around to greet him properly.
''Hello, Naruto-kun.'' The girl blushed.
''Do you mind if I come over with Sasuke to visit Juki-chan?''
''No problem,'' she almost whispered, playing nervously with her fingers.
The trio made their way across the village on foot until they reached the prestigious Hyuuga compound. The white-eyed shinobis there respectfully welcomed their young princess, and some even recognized Naruto. The latter surprised Sasuke. He apparently came here fairly often. It puzzled him that they should come here to meet the other Uzumaki, too.
They went further into the residences, where the atmosphere seemed to change. Sasuke felt as though it had become a little more tense. Although Hinata received the same polite greetings, they did not seem quite as sincere. And judging from Hinata's uneasy expression (more so than usual, that is), the dark haired girl was also aware of it. In Naruto's case, however, it was difficult to tell what he was thinking. His entire aura was already one of mourning, so he did not seem affected by the atmosphere.
At last, they reached a small, but picturesque pavilion. In front of it, there was a small pond that added tranquillity to the place, and once they entered, Sasuke could see that it also had a background adapted for Taijutsu training; the clan's speciality. Hinata slid open one of the rice paper doors. Inside was a kind-looking man, probably in his mid thirties. He was feeding a bottle of milk to a baby wrapped up warmly in a cuddly blanket. The older Hyuuga looked up and greeted them with a smile.
''Good afternoon, Tokuma-san,'' Naruto said, returning the gesture.
''I see you brought a friend, this time.''
''Yeah, I hope you don't mind,'' Naruto replied.
''Not at all.'' Naruto smiled back and turned to Sasuke.
''Come meet Juki-chan.'' Naruto grabbed the Uchiha's arm and hurried him over to the baby.
Sasuke stared down, round-eyed, at the pretty-looking baby. She had a small, soft-looking tuft of red hair on the top of her head and large, white eyes. A pure mix of Hyuuga and Uzumaki, something he didn't think he would see in his life.
''Her mom was Uzumaki Risa,'' Naruto explained. The mere mention of the woman's name was like a stab to the heart for Tokuma. ''She's the one who gave me this,'' Naruto continued, bringing his hand up to his forehead protector. ''She was my fuinjutsu teacher in the academy.''
Tokuma asked Naruto if he wanted to hold her, to which he nodded eagerly. The man handed the baby over. Naruto looked down at her fondly, then back to Sasuke.
''And when she gets older, I'm the one who's going to teach her fuinjutsu and when the time comes, I'm going to give her her mother's hitai-ate.'' Naruto had the firm conviction that this was his duty. He owed his teacher this much at least. Sasuke nodded solemnly. He would do the same in Naruto's place.
''I have bad news, Naruto,'' Tokuma said after a while when the blond gave him back his daughter. ''The Elders are still bent on calling her Hyuuga, rather than Uzumaki.'' He informed with a grave expression. He had been fighting with the Elders for weeks now to let her bare the Uzumaki name in memory of his beloved Risa. The Hyuuga name was also far from instinct, while the Uzumaki clan was in need of revival. He had not even thought the Elders would refuse; to him, it went without saying. It seemed that even after everything he knew of his clan, he was still naive enough to hope for the best.
Naruto's disapproval of the Elders' choice was clear. It was taking everything he had not to openly curse them out loud, but he would refrain from doing so in their very own compound and in front of Hinata on top of it.
''Were you really expecting otherwise?'' a new, condescending voice rang throughout the room. Everyone turned to see another boy around Sasuke's age.
''Neji nii-san...'' Hinata breathed out uncomfortably.
Neji was accompanied by a middle aged woman. Tokuma met Neji regularly for training sessions; the woman was there to take care of the child meanwhile.
''Her fate was sealed the moment she was born with the Byakugan,'' Neji continued monotonously. ''Her life is already traced for her.'' Naruto stabbed him with intense glares.
''If you think Tokuma-san and I will let her become a caged bird, you're sadly mistaken,'' Naruto growled through his teeth. His statement earned a gasp from everyone in the room, except Sasuke who was not aware of the weight of his words.
''So you know...'' Neji replied darkly.
It was almost textbook material back in Uzushio. Well-over a century ago, the main Hyuuga house had secretly hired an Uzumaki sealmaster to design the Cursed Seal. Upon discovery, the people of Uzushio had executed the sealmaster for crime against humanity. Tension between the two clans had lingered for decades before fading with time. It came back full force to Naruto today.
Sasuke looked between the two boys, confused. It looks like he'd have some questioning to do later on.
''It doesn't matter if you do. There's nothing you can do about it. She's the bastard daughter of a branch member of our clan. She will pay for her parents' mistake.''
''Neji!'' Tokuma braked angrily at his pupil. He knew Neji had every right to be bitter about the Hyuuga's clan policies, especially considering his father's tragic demise and of the boy's own Cursed Seal. But calling her daughter a mistake was grossly out of line and a major insult to his lover's memory.
''You asshole!'' Naruto cried out in rage before charging at the dark haired boy.
Neji instantly blocked Naruto's hit with a strike of his own. The two retreated to the backyard where initial fighting continued. They retreated to each end of the small training ground and glared at each other. The others, still inside, rushed out to the balcony.
''Naruto-kun, don't let his words get to you. I'll settle things with him,'' Tokuma told the small blond.
''No. I'll take care of this my way.'' He adopted a fighting stance. ''After I'm done with him, he'll never dare to insult Juki-chan again.''
Sasuke crossed his arms together, looking at the scene, serious and attentive. Unlike Tokuma, he approved of Naruto's reaction.
''Naruto-''
''Let them fight.'' Tokuma's heated protest was interrupted by none other than Hiashi himself. Hinata had rushed to her father in hopes of getting his help in ceasing the fight. However, it looked like the man was intrigued rather than concerned with the quarrel. In fact, he was eager to find out how Minato's son would fair against his talented nephew.
''Let me explain why some people thought prudent to annihilate sealmasters,'' Naruto said darkly through his teeth as he began a series of hand signs. ''Fuinjutsu is extremely versatile. There is no limit to what we can do.'' He activated his first technique; a sensor seal with a radius of about six feet around him. He rapidly performed another one; chakra-paralysing seals in each of his palms. ''Even copying other clans' signature techniques. All you need is a little creativity.''
Hiashi's eyes narrowed severely at Naruto's bold declaration. Neji, too, was taken aback, but he quickly regained his composure. He smirked smugly at Naruto and snorted, trying to look unimpressed.
''Your pathetic imitation doesn't stand a chance. Once someone enters my circle of divination, there is only one possible outcome.'' Neji took his stance and activated his Byakugan.
Naruto released his gravity seals before engaging into taijutsu. Despite training with seal-weights, speed still wasn't Naurto's strength and he didn't want to take any chances with this particular fight.
Much to Naruto's annoyance, he soon realized that it wouldn't be enough. He was barely dodging Neji's hits and hadn't landed a single one himself. He was only managing thanks to the sensor seal, which allowed him to follow Neji's movements. Frustrated beyond relief, he tried to land a kick. Neji smirk, seeing the opening and landed his firsts strikes, effectively blocking two of Naruto's tenketsu situated in his leg.
''Damn it!'' Naruto cursed as he fell to the ground. He swiftly rolled out of Neji's Eight Trigrams field and weakly got up. Panting heavily, Naurto cursed himself for letting his frustration weaken his focus on the fight. The strikes to his right leg would definitely slow him down drastically, and he certainly didn't need that if he wanted to win this. Taking a deep breath, Naruto tried to calm himself down and find balance. His father often compared his temper with the tumultuous rivers surrounding his native village. More than once, Minato had encouraged his son to appease the current of his emotions to improve his style. Now was the time to follow his dad's advice.
''Sadow Clone Jutsu!'' Dust clouds dissipated and three more Narutos appeared.
''Shadow clones?'' Hiashi whispered incredulously. With three fully capable clones -also equipped with paralysing seals- to distract Neji, Naruto's decreased speed was no longer an obstacle.
In the midst of the chaos that was their fight, Naruto took out a kunai and threw it at Neji, who was forced to make a turn to avoid the hit. Gotcha! Naruto thought triumphantly. One of his clones dived in. Neji managed to cast it away, though not without first getting a seal on his dominant arm, which fell limply to his side.
Neji refused to let it get to him. He could still block Naruto's tenketsu even with only one arm. He had to admit he had underestimated his opponent. The small emotive blond had looked perfectly harmless to Neji. Rectifying his approach, Neji picked up his maximum speed and charged at Naruto's clones with new-found motivation. He would not be left humiliated in front of that man.
''What?!'' Naruto cried out, shocked to see Neji dismiss his clones so easily. He started to perform a series of hand signs, ready to cast a new sealing jutsu. However, before he could complete it, Neji was already in front of him, all-seeing eyes fixed on him. Time to finish what he had started.
''Eight Trigram: four palms!'' Neji grunted, blocking more of Naruto's tenketsu.
''Eight palms!'' Naruto was barely aware of what was going on; all he knew was that he couldn't move.
''Sixteen palms!'' More deadly strikes hit Naruto, who had a hard time to even breath.
''Thirty-two palms!'' Neji braced himself for the final.
''Sixty-four palms!'' The last strikes sent Naruto flying several feet back. Sasuke stared, bewildered, as he saw his only friend fall harshly to the ground. He couldn't believe Naruto had been defeated so quickly. He turned his dark eyes to Neji, who was smirking shamelessly. Judging from the hitai-ate he was wearing, this guy was a genin and looked probably at least a year or two older. Sasuke clenched his fist tightly together. Every second of training counted.
''Urgh...'' Everyone's attention locked on Naruto's trembling form. The blond was trying to get back on his feet with obvious difficulty. As he fell back down on his hands and knees, Naruto felt tears of frustration and anger threaten to fall. He gritted his teeth together, nails digging into the dirt beneath him.
That Hyuuga... He had dared to insult his family. His precious family who was cruelly stolen from him. Juki was the gift, the miracle that his sensei had left for her lover in this sad, twisted world. And that guy... that son of a bitch had...
Naruto looked up, blue ice now icy with pure rage. Tears strolled down his cheeks freely, but he did not care. When someone hurt his precious people, they had to pay, whatever it took.
Neji could not believe what he was seeing. The boy was now standing in front of him, hands forming a hand sign as if wanting to summon chakra. Impossible. He thought. What is that fool trying to accomplish?! He'll just end up killing himself!
Dust had started to lift up around Naruto, as if an ominous wind was swirling around him. Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. Hiashi rapidly activated his Byakugan, trying to see what exactly was going on. All of the blond's chakra had indeed been blocked. How was this possible, then?
Naruo cried out to the world and the older Byakugan users stared in awe when a dark red flame sparked within Naruto's core. The whisker marks on his cheeks became thicker and darker. His eyes, too, seemed to change; his pupils were slanted and red flame-like strings of chakra appeared and disappeared around him.
''What in the world...'' Hiashi breathed out, astonishment clear on his face. Hinata and Sasuke looked between the adults around the, confused by the whole scene.
''Five Pronged Seal!'' A blinding yellow light flashed and before anyone had registered what was going on, Minato had appeared and struck his son's clothed stomach with a seal. All traces of the mysterious power that had emerged within Naruto completely vanished and the boy passed out.
Minato caught his son in his arms before he hit the ground and held him protectively. He stared down, deeply saddened to see his son in such a state. Bruised all over and cheeks wet with fresh tears. He wondered what had pushed his son to try and summon the Fox's chakra. He had very strictly forbidden Naruto to try to use that power without his supervision; the seal was too recent, he was too inexperienced and would never be able to control it. Yet, Minato found himself unable to feel upset with his son. He had been through too much already and Naruto had clearly been pushed to do what he did. Minato looked sharply at Naruto's opponent. He noticed the boy's limp arm.
''The seal Naruto placed on you should fade on its own in about twenty-four hours,'' he said evenly. He could have deactivated it, of course, but he did not feel particularly compassionate towards the young boy who had hurt his son. He turned to Hiashi. ''I'll be back later so you can tell me why you let something like this happen.''
Hiashi swallowed thickly but kept his expression straight. Minato's severe look, already cold and sharp from grief, was dreadfully intimidating. He refused to let it show, though; he had to keep up appearances in front of the others.
Without another word, Minato Hirashined out of the compound, Naruto held securely in his arms.
OoOoO
Naruto sighed heavily as he sat on the Hokage monument; his favourite spot in his new village. The sun was starting to set, thus lightly painting the sky a warm orange colour. It was a comforting sight for Naruto after such a tedious day. Thanks to the bastard Hyuuga's Gentle Fist, his chakra coils were still almost completely blocked. Because of that, Naruto only attended lectures and weapon practice and was pulled aside from the other classes (chakra control, ninjutsu and free sparing) with another private sensei for a catching-up session. Naruto had been at the bottom half of his class back in Uzushio in History and other boring theory classes; and now he was expected to learn Konoha's own? Bleh. Well, since his father was meeting up with the Hyuuga head to discuss yesterday's event, Naruto decided to treat himself to a little landscape contemplation, and here he was.
When ha had come back to his sense yesterday, his father, instead of scolding him for being reckless and impulsive as he had expected, had simply hugged and kissed him. The wound was still too fresh and was affecting both their feelings in strange ways. Naruto was Minato's whole world, he was all he had. Naruto realized that and it touched him deeply. He should apologize later; seeing his son getting himself hurt like that -physically and emotionally- wasn't something he needed to experience at the moment. Naruto swore to himself to be more careful.
''What's up?'' Naruto turned curiously and smiled when he saw his dark haired friend. Sasuke had a straight face, though not unfriendly, at least not when directed at him, which he rather liked about his friend. He admired Sasuke's ability to always look in control of his thoughts and his emotions. Naruto was an open book, exposed for all to see, and it wasn't always to his advantage.
''Nothing much,'' Naruto shrugged. Sasuke sat down beside him. The two sat in a comfortable silence and looked at the peaceful scenery.
''What happened yesterday?'' Sasuke asked at least. Naruto pursed his lips together. He hated hiding things from his friend, but he had no choice. He wouldn't disobey his father; he would wait for his approval.
''I was about to use a special ability, but dad sealed it off. I can't use it until he unseals it. He says I'm not ready yet.'' Sasuke did not ask details about said special ability, which Naruto was grateful for. Lying had never been his forte.
''How did your dad know you were about to use it?''
''He has a sort of detector seal placed on both me and him. It goes off when I try to use it.'' Sasuke blinked, then smirked teasingly.
''Just how many seals do you have on yourself?'' Sasuke knew Naruto was using gravity seals for training as well as storing seals for weapons directly on his skin. Now this? Naruto beamed at him.
''Dozens!'' He exclaimed proudly. ''Let's see... the weights, the chakra recycling seal, my dad's Hirashin seal, the Ceremonial seal, the weapons...'' He trailed off. The Jinchuuriki seal, the Key to the library... he added mentally. ''If I could summon up any chakra to activate them all at once, my whole body would be covered in black scribbles,'' he chuckled.
''Nice,'' Sasuke replied simply, a small smile curving up his lips. The duo slipped back into quiet meditation; the landscape before them was strangely inspiring.
''Together,'' Sasuke stated after a while, his voice was full of certitude and the look in his eyes held no doubt. ''we will avenge our clans.''
Naruto pondered on what Sasuke just said. Naruto and Sasuke weren't only different in temper or physical appearance. Their ambitions differed as well. Naruto, while he was being eaten alive with grief, was not particularly attracted to the sole notion of revenge. No. Naruto's goal was much grander.
''We'll do better, Sasuke,'' Naruto said, turning to meet eye to eye. ''We'll bring peace to this world, and no one will ever experience suffering ever again.''
Sasuke listened quietly, unflinching, to Naruto's words. He thought Naruto was incredibly naive to say something like this, but he had said it with the same conviction Sasuke had poured into his own words, so he couldn't bring himself to mock him. Regardless of what would come in the future, both boys felt they would need each other if they ever wished to fulfill their destiny.
''You're incorrigible. How do you do that?''
''Do what?'' Naruto blinked innocently at his friend's question.
''Say something like this after what you went through,'' Sasuke replied. Naruto smiled lightly. He looked back to the clouds.
''Mom used to say 'Every cloud has a silver lining.' She taught me not to despair, not to give up and to always aim for better things. I'm not going to stop listening to her now that she's gone, you know. On the contrary. It was my mother's wish to see me contribute to the creation of a better world. I will make her dream come true, and believe me, I never go back on a promise I make.'' He had been named after a character who fought for peace; from the moment his parents knew he had been conceived, they had bestowed him with their Will of Fire.
If Sasuke had genuine respect for his friend before, it had reached its height now. It made him wonder what his own mother's dream had been. His ambition was a selfish one, that much Sasuke knew. His entire family was dead; what good would it do for them if he killed Itachi? None, of course. He did it form himself. Naruto, on the other hand, had always been the selfless kind. Everything he did, he did for the sake of others.
''If your plan to bring peace involves me killing that man,'' Naruto understood that man to be the killer of Sasuke's family. ''then I don't mind helping you.'' Sasuke smirked. His friend had an odd sense of humour, but Naruto appreciated it all the same.
The two shared a smirk and grabbed each other's hands firmly, sealing their pact. Together, they were going to be unstoppable.
Note: So there it goes. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that the back and forth in time wasn't too confusing. I'm also curious to know what you think about Sasuke's character. I hope he doesn't seem too OOC; I aimed for a plausible alteration due to his meeting Naruto earlier (explained in later chapters). Let me know what you think, I'd be very grateful. It's always a pleasure for me to hear from you!
'Till next time!