AN: A huge thanks to our beta's Mr. Lee and Michiru's Mirror, they helped a lot in this chapter. Check out their works. Enjoy the chapter.
Son of the Sannin
By: Drag-eart and Ld 1449
Chapter 2: Snake's Bite
The Sandaime Hokage's descent down the darken staircase was far from comforting. His hands were clasped behind him, while his red trimmed hat was lowered to cover his visage. His cloak followed behind him as every step he took down the staircase made him tense and uneasy, making him grip his hands tighter.
"What is this feeling?" Sarutobi questioned to himself. He tried to take a forced breath to calm himself, but they only came in hollowed exhales at the end.
He reached the end of the staircase and began his trek towards his office. Once again, the shadows seem to dance in the luminescent moonlight as if they were staring, laughing, and crying at him all at once. He turned his head, ignoring the mocking melancholy voids of his mind's eye.
The Sandaime made his way around the next corner as two shinobi stood at attention at the corners of his doors. He looked at the faces of these men as if he was piercing into their souls. So many trials they have already endured, their youth no longer lingering on their visages.
Their grim facial expressions were ones that showed that they have faced death many times over. Their smiles and laughter were now forced, no longer possessing the feelings of innocence or happiness. He shook his head at the sad thought. He understood all to well how they felt, for he too has lost loved ones and has felt the burdens of the life of a shinobi. But for now he had to endure and stand tall for his village and its people.
Maybe someday, in a moment of rest and peace, he could cry for them and to put himself at ease.
Black streaks dashed through the buildings of Konoha, leaving mirages in its wake. The moon shined brightly as if it was guiding them to their destination through the darkness. Only one thing coursed through their minds. Nothing deterred them from their goal to reach their leader, the Sandaime Hokage. 'The Professor' of Konohagakure no Sato.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
'I must hurry…' thought the young jonin. His silver hair flowed with the rhythm of the wind. His Sharingan was uncovered, analyzing his surroundings and pinpointing possible areas for an attempted ambush on him or his squadron. 'I must reach Sandaime-sama.' He reinforced in his mind.
But not more than a few minutes later, with a quick glance he found what he needed. The smallest movement was enough to give them away.
Catching that faint flicker of their steps, he knew instantly his team was being followed. More importantly, the possible area was most likely rigged with well-placed traps. He could feel their hidden chakra signatures ahead as they drew closer.
The silver haired jonin glanced over his shoulders, watching his comrades running behind him with precise coordination. They moved in true synchronicity, their senses in tune and fully alert for any enemies. They were truly worthy of holding the rank ANBU.
When they saw their captain's eyes, the soldiers didn't need any further confirmation. They also felt the bloodlust, the killing intent which would soon envelop them. The thirst for blood, they knew it better than anyone, for they once were the same as the enemy they were about to face.
"Guys, I think this is where we depart from each other." Their leader said in a lazy voice which belied his seriousness of the matter at hand. The three of them looked at the man leading them, and then turned to each other. Both turned ahead of them once again and simply nodded back.
"Don't die…" The men said in unison. And with that, they vanished around the perimeters of the Hokage tower.
The son of the infamous White Fang looked above him as he prepared to take his foes down. "If it's a fight you want…" the young man started to say as he closed his eyes and reached behind his shoulders grasping his ninjato.
Two forms of shadows came up behind him, their face hidden from view. One was slowly gaining, while another was coming towards him from the front.
"Then it's a fight you'll get!" he finished with ferocity in his voice as the captain opened his eyes with his Sharingan activated, two tomoes appearing and swirling at rapid speed.
With his blade poised, he made his attack with the intent of living to see another day.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Sandaime-sama…" The soldiers saluted and greeted. "We've come on behalf of our captain to deliver recent reports on how details and formations are being established around the walls for further protection. And also the total amount of casualties thus far from recent discoveries around the area." The shinobi finally finished with a hoarse voice as he reached into his jonin vest and pulled out the documents. "Here, sir." He said as he extended his arm towards his leader. The Sandaime sighed tediously and grasped the documents.
"Is there anything else?" The Hokage asked in a tired voice as he walked to the men.
"No, Hokage-sama. However, to further our report, we haven't encountered any disturbance on our way here. Everything is clear from here to our command post." He replied.
"At ease." The professor said in a slightly stern tone as he came to a stop in front of them. For a ninja leader being short, and these men so tall, he was still an intimidating figure to them and to all the shinobi nations across the land. There is a reason he was named Hokage after all.
Sarutobi looked up at the doors of his office and stretched his hand, grasping the handle and turning it. "You may go now. Head to your commander to get the rest of your orders." He finally said.
"But Sandaime-sama, we have a strict order that once we get here, one of us has to stay and…" The ANBU soldier was cut off as the Sandaime raised a hand to silence him. The Hokage already knew what the ninja was going to say and he didn't want to hear it at the moment. Not right now.
"That's an order." He said with a slightly stronger voice than before, which quickly made the soldier get the message. The young man stood agape at his leader, but nevertheless nodded in understanding.
"My apologies Hokage-sama, it was not my place to question you." The shinobi said regretfully as he slightly bowed. "Is that all Hokage-sama?" He inquired, trying to make himself useful in another manner.
"Yes, that's all for now." Sarutobi replied with a wave of his hand. The two men quickly nodded and did a sequence of hand signals causing them to disappear in a puff of smoke.
'At least they'll have time off to rest.' He thought with a weary smile. He on the other hand, still had too much work to be done before he was able to sleep, far too much. He stepped into his chambers exhaustedly and started to massage his temples to relieve his stress as he reached out and put his hat on the rack. So what if he was balding? No one was coming, so what did it matter anyways?
A few stress relieving minutes later, the Sandaime made his way towards his desk and dropped the documents he was holding. The papers lay over layers of reports of the recent disaster that struck Konoha. The people asked for many things from his village, but his Shinobi could do so little at this time. The Mission reports alone were piled high just from this night. He didn't even want to imagine the reports he'll receive in the morning. Turning away from his desk and his last thought, he peered over his village through his window pane.
If the Daimyo even knew the condition they were in so far, the damn bastard would send the money they need to help restore his country back to some semblance of normalcy. For now though, they were on their own until the revenue picked up again and the messenger of the Daimyo returned with his answer.
He couldn't imagine what life would be like for the next couple of weeks. All he could think of for the time being was to rebuild. It's the only thing he and his village could do at this time. Feeling the day finally catching up to his tired body, the Sandaime closed his eyes for a bit to enjoy this severely brief moment of peace. But it was only for a short time, for someone awoke him from his trek of my mind. A baby's cries were heard from the room close to his right, making the Hokage open his eyes and turn towards that direction. 'The child…' were the only words that came into his mind.
The Sandaime sighed as he looked at his successor's picture. The only word racing through his mind was why. "Was their no other way to save the village instead of burdening this boy with such a weight to carry on his shoulders until the end of his days?" The Hokage thought out loud to himself sadly as he looked at the picture even though he knew the answer would never come. Sarutobi learned what he had to do when the deed was over. He had to play his part now. Hopefully, the answers will come in time to this boy and to the village and the people within it.
He entered the room with lights illuminating the corridor. He closed the door behind him as another pair of Shinobi stood guard at the far end of the hall. They saluted to their elder as they saw him walk towards them.
"Hokage-sama!" The two ANBU guards said as they stood at attention.
"Well, how is everything?" The professor questioned his men.
"Everything is fine Hokage-sama. The wet nurse and caretaker are both still inside at the moment. Since then, nothing out of the ordinary has been going on. Just the orders we were given." One of the guards explained. The other ANBU guard, who was a female, began to fidget slightly as she gripped her arm tightly behind her back.
"Yes? Is there something wrong?" The Sandaime inquired as he looked quizzically at the woman. The ANBU captain standing beside her looked at the female sternly which resulted giving her superior a glare of her own.
"Actually Hokage-sama…" The woman started as she stepped forward. "The child has been crying well until the night. Even with them in there taking care of him, the baby still wouldn't stop crying. We wanted to head in, well, I did. But with our orders, we had to stay alert and stand guard here." She finished.
"Yes, I am aware of your orders and I understand your dilemma. Thank you for telling me your concerns." Sarutobi said as he smiled for a bit at the both of them. But just as quickly his facial expressions then turned grim. "In any case, I have to bring the child to the council. Now if you will excuse me." He said as he was about to walk past them.
"Either way Hokage-sama, may I check on the child?" The woman asked, this time with a hint of pleading in her voice.
"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Even so, thank you for showing such care and concern for the baby." He replied as he put a firm hand on her shoulder he leaned into her ear. "I'll make sure the child is well treated and well looked after. Does that put you at ease?" He whispered into the woman's ear, making sure that only she heard him.
She looked at the floor for a bit before leaning towards the Hokage's ear. "Yes, it does." The woman answered with a bit of uneasiness still inside her voice. After moving back, she stood rooted in front of him as she bit the bottom of her lip, but not enough to draw blood.
"I can sense you're still troubled after my assurance. What is the matter?" The Sandaime questioned this peculiar woman. He then took a good look at the female ANBU. Both her cheeks were adorned with red streaks. Her eyes were slit and her teeth were elongated. It was at that moment that he finally realized who this woman was. The marks and feral expression on her face gave her way in an instant.
'So that's why she was worried for the child.' He thought with a sagely smile. The woman was the younger sister of the head of the clan after all. Since she was the aunt of two children along with her own, her mother's instinct naturally kicked into gear.
"Forgive me for my impertinence Sandaime-sama, but as a mother, I am just worried about the child's safety. With your permission, would you mind if I stay and see the child with you? I can tend to the baby while you consult with the council. My sister knows of my duties and where I am supposed to be, so I know she will not ask for me tonight." The woman replied as she bowed to him not only to plead her cause, but as a way to apologize for her rudeness.
The Sandaime looked at her determined eyes as she stood up from bowing and shook his head, letting out a light chuckle. "It seems I have no choice do I?" He laughed making her face brighten. "Very well Inuzuka, you may join me. The matriarch of the Inuzuka clan is coming in a bit. You may speak to her when you are through with your duties." He said with a warm smile.
"Thank you so much Hokage-sama! I am truly grateful." The woman said cheerfully smiling back. But a minute later, she quickly composed herself, making the ninja leader laugh heartily at her.
"You may go Captain. Your duty here is done for today, though I expect the paperwork tomorrow on my desk in regards to your side of the faction for the duties done around the walls. I also want a detailed report in keeping the walls safe as well as helping its residents around your area. Are we clear?" Sarutobi ordered as he turned to the other ANBU guard.
"Hai Hokage-sama! I will have it for you first thing in the morning." The ANBU guard answered as he bowed in respect to the Sandaime. "By your leave Hokage-sama." He said as he stood up after bowing. After the third nodded his head in confirmation, the shinobi did his number of hands signals before he came to a stop and disappeared.
"After you…" The professor said as he gestured his arm like a gentleman. She nodded her head in respect and began her walk towards the door with the Hokage slightly behind her. "Well how is everything? Are your sons doing well?" He questioned the woman while they steadily made their way to the child's room.
"Oh yes Hokage-sama, they are doing very well. Their senses are already developing quite quickly. Their sense of smell especially is getting better every day. I was very surprised a couple of weeks ago when I encountered them doing things that were simply amazing and maybe the very first time to be done in our clan." The Inuzuka woman said with a sense of pride.
"Oh? And that is?" The Sandaime asked with curiosity.
"They are somehow able to sense how the other is feeling wherever they are, even if they're far apart. Another thing my children developed was their own language to communicate amongst themselves." She explained.
"I'm not surprised, they are twins after all. Siblings, preferably twins, have a much stronger bond. It's truly amazing what they can accomplish if they continue this way. They're about five now correct?" He questioned.
"Hai Hokage-sama. They're my litter, my little devils." The female ANBU guard replied cheerfully. The Sandaime couldn't help but give a hearty chuckle. "Hana must be having a tough time right now keeping my sons and her little brother in check." She added with a chuckle of her own.
"Ah yes, Kiba, the newest member to the Inuzuka Clan. Son of Inuzuka Tsume." The professor said.
"Hai, born a few months back. Everyone already adores him, the child prodigy of our clan. I love him already as if he was my very own son." She said proudly. A minute later, the woman stopped abruptly as a sad smile appeared on her face. She looked down and clutched her stomach for a second before dropping her arm.
The Hokage stopped and gave the Inuzuka woman a perplexed look until he saw her clutching her stomach. At that moment, he figured out the answer to her ordeal. No words needed to be spoken. He knew her condition.
"Come on…let us continue." Sarutobi said softly as he gently took her hand in his and walked the remainder of the way in silence. As they continued to walk, the Sandaime looked at the woman he was escorting in concern. But her bangs covered her visage and his gaze from him. Even so, he could feel her lingering sadness, turmoil and coldness he felt in her hand.
Without hesitation, the Hokage held her hand firmer while still maintaining his gentleness. He was passing his warmth to the distraught woman to help shield her from her suffering, and to show her that he was there and that he wasn't going away.
The woman jumped slightly, almost as though awakening when she felt her hand being given a slight squeeze. She looked up at her kind hearted leader with unshed tears in her eyes. The pain she was feeling was written all over her face, but through it all she gave him a smile of appreciation and a silent thank you for his comfort.
He gladly returned the gesture while using his other hand to cover the hand he was holding and pat it reassuringly.
Another minute passed and the silent moment was interrupted by the sound of a baby's cry. The Sandaime and the woman turned towards the doors. "It looks like Naruto is calling for us. Let us go." Sarutobi said returning to Kage mode. She nodded her head in agreement and turned to face the door with him. But they stopped suddenly as a cold chill ran down their spine.
The voice they heard behind the door was ice chilling.
It was him.
"So…this is the Kyubi container…" The voice that was as frigid as a black void said, as he lifted the child, while leaning forward. The candle's flame burned brightly and revealed his pale features and purple streaks that were adorned on his visage. He smiled all the while, a smile that no one would consider pure.
"You will be an interesting…subject…" He said as he let out a chuckle that seemed less than human.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Blood dripped from Kakashi's face, falling onto the battleground of the fallen nins that he killed surrounding him. With his eyes closed, he turned to the sound of his blade that was left skewered in an enemy nin's body starting to stir.
Wiping the grime on his face with his sleeve, The ANBU captain opened his eyes and stood up, looking at the carnage and bodies that lay strewn all around him. He walked over the limbs and appendages that were scattered around him, not flinching for a moment as he heard the squishing and cracking of the pieces of flesh under his feet. Finally making his way to the body where his blade was, he hovered over the enemy nin for a moment before grabbing him and lifting him so that he could see his face.
"Why are you here? Who are you working for?" Kakashi questioned with a scowl on his face. The shinobi looked at the warrior holding him, and smiled.
"Do you really think I'll answer that?" The enemy nin replied as blood dripped from the corners of his lips.
"I figured that would be your answer." The ANBU captain said, as he grabbed the blade that protruded from the body of the ninja, causing the man to flinch and the ninja holding him to have a smile of his own, even though it couldn't be seen with his mask. "Last chance…" He said in a warning tone.
"Screw you." The bleeding man said with a chuckle at the end. A second later, the interrogator caught the man in question swallowing something.
'Fuck, he's using poison!' Kakashi shouted in his mind. He grabbed the man's throat, trying not to let the pill fall, but he knew it was too late. "You damn bastard! Who are you working for?" He shouted in anger and frustration. The Enemy nin's smile could still be seen as his eyes began to close.
"You…will…die. All…of…you…" He laughed in a wheezing voice as more blood spilled from his mouth, signaling that the poison was taking effect.
In a fit of rage rarely seen by his peers, the interrogator grabbed the handle of the blade and pulled it from dying nin's body with great force. As the enemy's blood gushed onto him while returning the blade to his sheathe, no remorse crossed the expression of the silver haired ANBU captain. After all, the ninja already chose death anyway.
He turned away from the now dead before him and grabbed his left arm with his right. With swift thrusts, he cracked his bruised, dislocated knuckles and fingers back into place. Yet, he gave no shout in agony, for he lived for this pain. It was way of showing that he was still alive.
His attention was quickly averted however, as he grabbed his blade, sensing the chakra signatures coming at high speeds. He sighed in relief, recognizing the signature of his friends, putting him and his sword hand at ease.
His comrade landed next to him holding an unconscious fellow on his shoulder. His left arm was missing, but a crude piece of cloth was wrapped tightly at the base of his shoulder, which prevented the bleeding from continuing.
"Where is Kan?" Kakashi asked in a serious tone which had the essence of fatigue written on it.
"He's dead…" The ninja replied flatly.
"And him?" He inquired while pointing to the figure slumped on the man's shoulders.
"He'll be alright." The man answered while shifting the body which let out a groan.
"Good." The silver haired ninja simply said. Quick words were exchanged for a few minutes, but nothing further was discussed.
"You look like shit Kakashi." The ninja said with a light chuckle.
"Hn…I can say the same to you." He countered as he looked down at his hands. "We should get going now." The jonin added as he turned his eyes in the direction of Konoha.
"Yeah, I know. What will we do about the bodies? We can't just leave them here." The ninja said. Kakashi nodded in agreement and did a hand signal, making a shadow clone appear.
"I'll send this clone to alert the Captains. Give him to my clone so he can get medical attention as quickly as possible. It's too bad for him, but it seems you did your work poorly." The ANBU captain criticized.
"To hell with you Kakashi! Kan was fucking trying to fucking protect me! I had to wrap quickly or he would've died. This guy was going into shock…" The ninja was going to continue with his tirade until he was cut off by a raised hand from his leader.
"I understand. Come, we still have a job to do." Kakashi said authoritatively. The ANBU comrade nodded and passed his injured friend to the shadow clone. As the clone took off, the ninja turned to the silver haired jonin. "You ready?" He asked with a serious look.
"Yeah." The ninja simply replied. "Remember, stay alert. We're not out of the fray yet." The ANBU captain warned.
"I know…" He said with a wave of his hand.
"Let's go." Kakashi said as the two and jumped away from the bodies around them and disappeared into the night.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
They looked at the wooden doors in front of them as they stood in a daze of fright and disbelief. The female ANBU's hand gripped tightly on the Sandaime's arm, snapping him out of his trek of mind. He couldn't comprehend what he was feeling at this moment. Was his mind playing tricks again as well as making him hear things?
'No…It can't be…' Sarutobi thought as he looked at the woman to reassure himself. However, she was just as shocked as him, her widened eyes looking only at the door in front of her. His body and the woman he was escorting stood transfixed, not letting them move about. He realized that the Inuzuka woman was gripping his arm tighter by the second with her body shivering in terror. Was this real? The infant's cries answered that question. This was very real.
The Hokage snapped out of it at that point, ashamed of being frozen and afraid as if he was a genin on his first mission, wondering what his successor would say if he saw him. With speed and power, he grabbed the door handle and pushed the door open, causing the wind to whip around him. Immediately, the overpowering aura enveloped him and the woman beside him, but this time, the Sandaime didn't flinch as he looked at the single candle that illuminated the dimly lit room.
His alert eyes were searching hastily, trying to find the child that was missing from the basket. It was then that the child cried once more, signaling his location. The ninja leader turned his eyes at the silhouetted figure that had his arms up. The figure turned to the expected company as his face was shown by the lone candle showing slit golden eyes.
The eyes stared at the Sandaime as he tilted the child for the Hokage to see, showing off his slithery smile. It made the professor's blood run cold.
"Welcome Sarutobi-sensei, it's so good to see you again after all this time. I was beginning to worry that you wouldn't show, or be brave enough to open the door." The figure said with an evil chuckle as the light made his eyes gleam.
"Orochimaru…" Sarutobi said in a hard voice as he firmly gazed at his former student. His nails dug deep into his palm, as he mentally beat himself for his failure for letting him escape back then and for letting him get this close to the Yondaime's legacy.
He wasn't about to disgrace his honor and the Yondaime's honor by letting him leave with Naruto. He would rather die before allowing that to happen. The Sandaime settled himself to attack the snake sannin with everything he had.
"And look who we have here. Why if it isn't Inuzuka Reina." Orochimaru said ignoring the Hokage as his smile grew wider and his serpentine tongue slithered across his lips. With the child still in his arms, he stepped towards them nonchalantly.
"Stop Orochimaru, return the child to the basket! I'm warning you, take another step, and I won't hesitate killing you right here and now!" The Sandaime threatened with rage apparent in voice.
"Come now Sarutobi-sensei. Do you really believe I will return this child? A child who is now the container of the Kyubi no Yoko?" He said as he raised the child over his head causing the baby to gurgle.
"Orochimaru!" The Hokage shouted in a much angrier tone than last time as he prepared to fire off a jutsu.
"Kukuku, you look so angry Sarutobi-sensei." The snake sannin teased as he gently put the child back in its basket and looked up at the two of them. Reina was about to head for the child to ensure his safety when an arm caught her from going and pulled her back.
"No, wait. Not yet." Sarutobi whispered to her. Not letting his guard down for a second, he scanned the mostly dark surroundings of the room for the bodies of the people on duty with only the single candle lighting the area. He found the wet nurse and the caretaker slumped against the wall. They were both unconscious, but still breathing making him sigh in relief as he returned his gaze back to his ex-protégé.
"Why are you here Orochimaru?" Sarutobi asked as blood dripped from the thumb of his hand that was clutched behind him, making sure he was ready to blood summon his comrade Monkey King Enma to fight alongside him once again.
"Now, now Sarutobi-sensei, it wouldn't be fun if I told you…" Orochimaru laughed devilishly, sending shivers down their spines. The Inuzuka woman had had enough of his taunts and bended down preparing to pounce like a lioness stalking her prey. "Oh, are you going to attack me Reina?" He questioned the woman with a slight edge in his voice his gold slit eyes challenging and piercing her feral slit ones.
"Get away from the child…NOW!" Reina growled ferociously as she activated her bloodline, making her face more savage with every passing moment. "I won't repeat it again you snake bastard." She growled more deeply.
"Beautiful and deadly as always Reina…" He chuckled as his tongue traced around his lips. Her animalistic rage getting the better of her, she made a dash towards him, her eyes blazing once again.
"I said get away from him!" she bellowed. It was at that moment that she stopped all movement when the Hokage yielded her advance by standing in front of her.
"Calm down Reina. Remember who we're dealing with. Orochimaru is one of the sannin and…my former prodigy." The Sandaime said with a hint of sadness at the end as he looked back towards his apprentice.
"Ah yes, Sarutobi-sensei. Those days were such good times." The snake sannin said almost nostalgically. He had a faraway look on his face as if reminiscing, while resting a hand on the infant's head.
"Don't you dare touch him!" The female ANBU screamed as her anger continued to rise while she bit her bottom lip with her elongated teeth which drew blood from it.
"You have such a violent temper my beautiful Reina. Your incompetence will lead you to your ruin woman." He chuckled while removing his hand from the infant. "Now then, I'm afraid my time is up. I can't stay forever." He said in a blasé fashion.
"Orochimaru why are you here? Answer me!" Sarutobi demanded him once more. The snake just walked towards the balcony with his back turned as if he was ignoring them.
"You can shout as much as you want Sarutobi-sensei, I know you won't attack me." Orochimaru said confidently, his smile growing more sinister by the second.
"What do you mean?" The Hokage asked trying to read his former student's insane mind.
"You know that if you fight me here, the infant will die along with that woman behind you. If that happens and you die, who will take charge of this village then? And you know for a fact that if you send a platoon after me, they will die." The snake sannin answered as his smile widened.
The Sandaime froze, his face turning a ghostly white as his former student's words hit him like a punch to the face. As much as the ninja leader hated to admit it to himself, he knew what he said was the undeniable truth. After all, who better knew his student than the teacher himself?
'He's right. It's futile to fight him here. It would endanger Naruto more than he already is.' Sarutobi thought bitterly.
"I will wait for another time to fight you Sarutobi-sensei." Orochimaru said as he continued to walk towards the edge of the balcony. He stopped for a moment and turned towards the occupants of the room, lastly laying his eyes on the child. "I'll be seeing you again Naruto." He whispered to himself as he turned to his former master. "Let us see Sarutobi-sensei…if you don't let this village bring about yet another failure…kukuku." He laughed. With that said he jumped off the balcony and disappeared into the night.
A minute or two later, Reina took her chances and threw caution to the wind as she nearly shoved Sarutobi off to the side and rushed forward to take the baby in her arms. As she rocked the child and held him close as if she was his mother, The Hokage remained deathly still as he strained his senses to catch even the smallest hint of his former student's presence. When he knew that the danger had passed, he lowered his head somberly as he thought of his student's final words.
"Let us see Sarutobi-sensei…if you don't let this village bring about yet another…failure…kukuku."
The snake's words slithered within the Hokage's mind causing an uneasy feeling to settle at the pit of his stomach. He lifted his head and looked at Naruto who was now asleep in the woman's arms. He felt great shame wash over him like a blanket, because he knew once again that his mistake, his weakness, his sin, has now been passed to this pure and innocent boy. He turned away from the two of them, tipping his hat to cover his face and lowered his head as silent tears began to fall from his eyes.
"I'm so sorry Naruto. Please forgive me…" Sarutobi whispered to himself. And as more tears continued to fall, it didn't bring any ease or comfort. Just more pain, a pain he would feel for the rest of his days. As a Hokage, as a ninja, and more importantly, as a man. After all, even though he is possibly the most powerful Kage of the five great nations, he is still only human.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
AN: Check my(drag-eart) and ld 1449 other works. Review please