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Title: Floodgates
Chapter: 2/26
Chapter 2
The sun was a constant, bright and round in the clear blue sky, casting all its good wishes down on the fair city of Konohagakure and all its citizens. The weather was as temperate as it ever was, the warm, clean air enfolding the city in its kindly, invisible arms.
The streets of the rebuilt village were filled with the noise of chatter and friendly greetings. The sounds of laughter and the small quick steps of running children echoed against the buildings and back into the road. Everyone seemed to know everyone else, or at least had the proper grace to pretend that they did, meeting each other with a friendly word or wave.
It hadn't always been this way, but a new sense of camaraderie and solidarity had been born the day it had risen back from the ashes of Pein's destruction. It was not as perfect as it once had been, the buildings were not as fine or as straight, but the cracks and chips in its armor only made its people appreciate it more.
And perhaps none so much as Uzumaki Naruto.
His disposition was much the same as it had always been. He still had the ready smile, the unwavering optimism, and the love of home and friends. Though he was no longer as involved in shinobi activity as he was during his younger years, he had retained the unmitigated desire to improve Konoha for everyone. His heart was still as wide as the town itself, encompassing each and every person within its walls.
In the time that had passed, he became less of the dedicated fighter he once had been. These days he served Konohagakure in a quieter fashion. At the tender age of twenty-three, he had settled well into the life of a peaceful world.
He had been married for just over three years to a sweet and devoted girl, the first one to tell him she loved him. She was not the wife he would have envisioned for himself years ago, but times had changed, and with them the affections of his heart. He was happy, living the life that he was supposed to, and he made certain that everyone knew it.
This didn't mean, however, that things were perfect.
There was that little something that everyone knew but no one talked about and that Sakura, one of Naruto's closest friends, had unceremoniously dubbed "lack of Sasuke."
After years of his friends' worries and requests, Naruto had finally given up on the person that had mattered most, the one that had been his rival, his brother, his enemy, and his closest friend all rolled into one. He didn't outwardly seek him anymore, now calling his inability to bring the last Uchiha back to Konoha his "one big failure". He spoke about it with regret and disappointment, but not with any indication that it mattered.
That's how Sakura knew that it did.
That and the fact that a few of the missions he took tended to linger on longer than they should, as though he had temporarily gotten lost or forgotten what it was he was searching for.
Hinata simply accepted her husband's periodic roves into the wilderness, knowing that Naruto would always return to her.
Sakura hadn't the heart to tell her that he never had.
All of this aside, life in Konoha had grown relatively calm now that Kakashi was the Hokage. He was a strange leader certainly, but that was a trait that seemed to go with the job. At least he was a man that understood the value of peace and of protecting one's comrades. The new Konoha relied more on negotiation and talk than on the violence it once did. Under Kakashi's careful leadership, such bloody resolutions were well left to the past.
Even so, their peace was a tenuous one. Though the leaders of all the major countries, and a couple of the minor ones, had signed a treaty, there were still many smaller wars being battled out in the shadows. Many shinobi born and raised in war knew no other way to live. Some of those had gone rogue, working for one of the underground factions or simply becoming bandits on the inter-country roads. Others, who chose not to go the way of crime, had little to nothing to do and no way to make their way in the new and untried world. Unable or unwilling to integrate into society under a different occupation, they languished in their homes until they could no longer afford them and then they tumbled out into the street.
So, it was peace, but it was by no means a paradise.
The younger set of Konoha ninja adjusted well for the most part. Some had given up the shinobi life altogether while others embraced it as fully as they could under the new authority. Still others divided their time between the ninja world and their laymen jobs, available when necessary, but concentrating on other pursuits. This left those more fully committed to shinobi life to deal with the outside world, now much smaller than it once had been.
Naruto was still an active ninja but most of his time was spent attending to the needs the village's most disadvantaged denizens: the orphans of war and the warriors left behind. Sometimes he taught at the academy, but mostly he watched over the orphan kids who were so like the child he had been, alone and uncared for in the world. To him, that was the greatest service he could provide. From time to time he still took active assignments, reconnaissance or delivery, but those were irregular and not requiring nearly as much skill as he had at his disposal.
But it was just another one of those things no one ever spoke about.
For the most part, he was happy. He was determined to be so.
This day found him at the academy teaching, or some would say corrupting, the impressionable young minds of Konoha children. Naruto loved spending time with any and all of the village's youngest members. He thought the kids cute and probably found a bit too much pleasure in getting them to make insulting, goofy-looking copies of his friends.
Sakura had told him quite plainly that this was counterproductive.
As expected, Naruto didn't agree. In his opinion, making classes entertaining and fun only served to make learning easier.
And being like a big kid himself, he was rather popular with the little ones.
His last class had just come to its grand conclusion – dozens of Kibas in beast form with drooling puppy dog faces – so Uzumaki-sensei sent the kids on their way. He himself left the building soon after, walking out into the warm spring sun and spotting one of his friends leaning indolently against a schoolyard tree.
"Hey! Shikamaru!" Naruto waved boisterously to the lazy man as if they were still school kids rather than the adult teachers.
Shikamaru rolled his eyes, sighed heavily and slumped down into his shoes as he waited for his friend to join him.
Upon reaching him, Naruto threw his arm companionably around Shikamaru's shoulder. "I'm starved! Let's get something to eat!"
The lazy ninja grumbled under his breath. "Since you suggested it, you're buying."
Naruto pouted, looking like he hadn't aged a day since his genin years. "That hardly seems fair."
Shikamaru shrugged, unfortunately not managing to dislodge the unwanted arm. "Then go by yourself. I've got food at home."
Naruto plastered on his old familiar boyish frown and looked up to the sky to consider it. The day was bright and clear and the pleasantness of the weather helped to mellow his mood. "Oh, all right," he reluctantly acquiesced.
"We should get Chouji too."
The friendly arm was immediately gone with a grateful sigh from Shikamaru, as Naruto waved into the air to show just how much he didn't approve of this new development. "No way. I'll pay for you, but if I have to pay for Chouji too, I may as well pull out my mug of pencils right now and go stand on a corner."
"Yeah, yeah, right," the lazy ninja responded disinterestedly. "You won't have to pay for him. Chouji's got his own money." In the mysterious way of life, Akimichi Chouji was one of the few ninjas whose fortunes actually seemed to change for the better after the war.
"Yeah," Naruto agreed despondently. "He's the one that ought to be paying for us."
Akimichi Chouji's residence was a decently sized, straight up and down house in pristine condition, a practical home for a practical man. Shikamaru groaned and rolled his eyes again before knocking on the big red door. Upon answering, the round ninja smiled wide and immediately agreed with his trademark joviality, although he did gloss over Naruto's terms of payment and took over the whole endeavor as if it were his job.
They did not go to Ichiraku's.
"This place has the best hot pot in town!" Chouji crowed as he shoveled another chopstick-full in his mouth.
Naruto scowled and quickly jabbed his chopsticks into the center pot to grab some food before all of it disappeared down Chouji's gullet. "Yeah, it'd be even better if we'd each gotten our own." "Family-style" didn't work for Naruto, especially when Chouji was part of the "family". It about ensured that Naruto would practically starve.
"Oh cheer up." The large ninja patted Naruto roughly on the back, nearly making him choke on the little bit of food he'd actually managed to get into his mouth. "I'll pay for the next one."
"You'd better," Naruto grumbled. He checked to make sure there was no more back patting in the immediate future then quickly swallowed his food.
Shikamaru grunted and looked out the window, still chomping lazily on the same piece of beef he'd put in his mouth minutes ago.
"So, Naruto," Chouji began genially as he picked through the pot in search of the most tender piece of meat. "The married life still good?"
Naruto elbowed Chouji's hand out of the way and speared the best slice for himself. Chewing around it, he said, "Fine."
Shikamaru tried to set his chin in his hand and missed.
"Real slick, genius," Chouji teased, looking on his longtime friend like they held a secret between them. Naruto saw the silent exchange and chewed very slowly as a few forgotten memories tumbled around his mind.
Shikamaru ignored the insult and turned on Naruto instead. "Geez, Naruto. It's been three years. And you're twenty-three! What's with the blush?"
"Ha! Guess he's still kinda innocent." Chouji patted Naruto again but luckily this time the blond had nothing in his mouth to choke on aside from his own tongue.
Naruto recollected his distant thoughts and frowned deeply at the rotund ninja.
"I am not innocent."
"Sure, sure," Chouji agreed, clearly not believing it.
"So then," Shikamaru interrupted. "If that's true, when are you going to get one of those little brats of your own?"
Naruto shot a horrified look in Shikamaru's direction. "They're not brats. And I don't know." He shrugged and looked away. "Maybe soon."
"Oh really?" Chouji chimed with interest. He grinned mischievously over at Naruto. Chouji and his wife were already on their second child. "Well, it's about time."
Shikamaru snorted and looked slightly scandalized. "I don't know how Sawa puts up with you."
"'Cause she loves me," Chouji replied teasingly, but the pink to his cheeks betrayed his pleasure at this fact.
Naruto looked from one friend to the other and felt discomfort twist unreasonably in his belly. "So," Naruto needled Shikamaru unexpectedly, "when are you going to join the ranks of the old ball and chain anyway?" It was a fairly blatant attempt to direct attention away from Chouji and his blissfully happy home life, though neither of the other men commented on it.
"Ugh," Nara grunted and pushed back from the table. "I'm not the marrying type. Get bullied and hen-pecked like my old man? No thank you." He waved a hand in front of him to brush away any undue influence the presence of his married friends might have on him.
"That's what you say now," Naruto accused, his mood inexplicably brighter.
"That's what I say always," Shikamaru stressed, giving both his friends a very pointed look.
Chouji just laughed and, as promised, paid for the next bowl.
--
When Naruto arrived home, Hinata was standing in the kitchen, white frilly apron tied on and sea green potholders armed to the ready.
"Ah! Naruto-kun, you're home!" She smiled at him sweetly as he closed the door.
Naruto sniffed the air and scrunched up his nose. "Was Akamaru here?"
"Yes," Hinata answered as she leaned over the stove and pulled a large casserole from the oven. "Why?"
The blond man took off his shoes. "It smells like dog."
"Well that's nice," the woman said, unusually sarcastic. "And here I was trying something new."
Chagrined, Naruto walked over to her and inhaled deeply of the dish. "That smells good."
Hinata smiled, pleased at the compliment, instantly forgiving his earlier remark. "I just got that new cookbook from the store: European Specialties." She lifted the dish in front of her. "It's lasagna."
She placed it with a heavy thud onto the stovetop.
"Well, uh, I already ate with the guys . . ." Naruto said guiltily.
Hinata's body stilled for just a moment. "Oh. Well. I-I see." She looked critically down at the dish, but after a mere moment's contemplation, she shrugged. "I can save it for tomorrow. It ought to be all right."
In the heat of the kitchen, Naruto could see the tiny beads of sweat slowly trickle down the nape of her neck and into the curve of her back, exposed by the upsweep of her long black hair into a messy bun. Impulsively, he moved behind her and, hugging her tight around the waist, drew his tongue slowly over her neck to lick up some of the moisture there. "Chouji and Shikamaru wanted to know when we're going to have a little brat of our own." He set his chin on her shoulder.
"Oh, did they?" The woman asked coyly.
Naruto took the edge of Hinata's ear between his teeth and bit down slightly. She let out a playful little shriek. "And, well," Naruto began softly, "If we're not having dinner, I can think of something else we can do." He stilled for a nervous second. "Unless of course you're hungry . . ."
Hinata twisted her head to look on him with her pale lavender eyes. "I can wait."
Naruto turned her around, pressed her into the counter's edge, and kissed her until she gasped. Then he tapped their foreheads together and smiled. Their hands twined, his large tanned fingers threading through her pale thin ones like they were meant to fit together.
He tilted forward and kissed her again and all thoughts of dinner and friends and the wide world outside were lost to the beating of their hearts.
--
Hinata stirred quietly in her sleep, mumbling something in her dreams that Naruto couldn't quite make out. He leaned in close to listen.
"What is it?" He whispered, his lips curling up.
His wife murmured again with no intelligible words and Naruto laughed lightly. He pulled back to gaze at her, once more amazed at how perfect she looked when asleep, like a doll carved from porcelain. It was exactly the same when she was awake, the only difference being that in one case her eyes were open and in the other closed. Sometimes he thought she was maybe a little too perfect to be true.
Naruto tickled her ear and her eyes blinked open. She smiled.
"Naruto-kun."
He smiled back. "Good morning, Hinata-chan," he greeted and kissed the tip of her nose.
She blinked and blushed and stretched her arms over her head as Naruto rolled off the bed and went into the bathroom to shower.
Breakfast was ready by the time he was fully dressed and entering the kitchen. Hinata stood by the stove in a deep blue cotton robe that hit her at mid-thigh, and her traditional apron. Her husband crept up behind her and nuzzled her neck, smelling his own lingering scent mix with hers. He liked the way the two of them smelled together. Hinata hummed appreciatively then gently pushed him off. "Don't you have work?" She asked.
Naruto grinned deviously but took the bowl of miso soup she offered and sat down at the table. A bowl of rice and a grilled fish were already set at his place. Hinata took the chair opposite him with her own bowl in hand and settled herself delicately into it.
Her frilly apron stuck its ruffles up crisply from her pajama-covered shoulders. It suited her.
Peace suited her.
Naruto grinned again at her and spooned some rice into his mouth. It was good; it always was.
They had it everyday.
--
Naruto was out in the street minding his own business when he heard his named called. He turned around and saw his old friend, or "protégé" as he liked to call him, waving to him from a couple buildings down.
"Konohamaru!" Naruto called back and waited for the younger man to catch up.
Konohamaru was nearly as tall as Naruto but the blond still had a few centimeters on him, a fact which he took a little too much unreasonable pride in. "Whatcha doing?" Naruto greeted.
"Looking for you." Konohamaru grinned, stuffing his hands deep in his pockets.
Naruto curled up one side of his mouth into a smirk. "I don't have time to answer any challenges today."
The younger man gave Naruto a doubtful look. He huffed quietly and shook his head. "I'm not here to fight you. I'm too busy for that stuff. Kakashi-Hokage-sama is a little bit of a slave driver. You're lucky you don't work for him." The metal of his hitae-ate reflected brightly in the sun, momentarily blinding Naruto. "What've you been doing lately? I haven't seen you."
Naruto shuffled his feet to get more comfortable. "I'm just finished teaching. And now I was going to go home and see my wife."
Konohamaru shrugged. "Well, it'll have to wait. The Hokage wants to see you."
"What, now?"
"Yeah, that's usually what a summons from the Hokage means. Now." The younger shinobi gave Naruto a deeply skeptical look. "Seems like you should know that by now."
The blond balked for just a second then put a hand up behind his head. "Yeah, but it just doesn't seem right for somebody who's never on time to demand everyone else to be."
Konohamaru laughed. "You're right about that."
Then he tilted his head back and the sun flashed of his hitae-ate again, hitting Naruto right in the eye so that he had to squeeze his eyes tight against the glare.
--
"Uzumaki Naruto reporting for duty, sir." Naruto mock-saluted and clicked his heels crisply together.
"That's Hokage-sama to you."
"Sorry," Naruto said with a cheeky grin as he relaxed back into his normal stance. "It's just so hard to get used to."
The Hokage smiled impishly behind his mask. "Just imagine when we all have to get used to calling the number one knucklehead ninja by that title."
Naruto tried to frown, but the idea of becoming Hokage still made him happy, so he settled for sticking his tongue out instead.
"Ah," Kakashi sighed wearily. "How well you prove my point."
"Yeah, yeah," Naruto waved the insult off, then settled back on his heels and crossed his arms. "What do you have for me today? I assume this isn't a social call."
"What? You no longer enjoy the pleasure of my company?" The man had the audacity to sound seriously offended.
"Uh, sure." Naruto pursed his lips and tilted his head, adapting the silent look of impatient indulgence he'd learned from Sakura. The silver-haired man pretended to be upset for another moment then quickly shifted gears into "all business Hokage". Naruto rolled his eyes but straightened up.
"I need to send a message to the Mizukage." Kakashi sifted through the papers on his desk, tossing aside numerous volumes of the Icha Icha series. The desk, if possible, was an even bigger mess than it had been under Tsunade. The clutter had begun to spread over the edges of the desk until it crawled all the way out to the walls. Kakashi continued with his explanation. "A simple delivery mission. That's right up your alley, yes?"
Naruto shifted a little under the quiet admonishment. He knew what people thought of his choices, even if they didn't say them aloud. Naruto nodded, knowing full well Kakashi wasn't paying attention.
"Ha!" The man cried triumphantly. "Here it is!" He lifted a scroll that was tied with red ribbon and sealed with Konoha's leaf emblem. "I need this to reach the Mizukage by tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Naruto screeched incredulously.
Kakashi finally looked back to the shinobi and raised his one visible eyebrow. "What? You're not up to the challenge?" He sighed wearily. "Very well. I'm sure I could get Inuzuka to do it."
The blond frowned furiously and the hairs on the back of his head rose into even more impressive spikes. "I can do it."
The Hokage instantly brightened. "Excellent! I thought you might say that." He handed the scroll across the desk and Naruto dutifully took it, stuffing it into one of his many pockets. After folding his hands into a semblance of prayer, Kakashi set his chin upon their peak and continued with the strange, chiseled-on smile. "There was," he taunted, "something else."
Naruto crossed his arms defiantly and settled back on his right foot, knowing that tone from Kakashi never brought any good. "And?" He prompted, lifting an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Uncorroborated rumors. Ones I'd think would interest you," Kakashi lazily informed the unpredictable ninja. "There have been," he coaxed temptingly to gain Naruto's full attention, "Reported sightings of a man: blue-black hair, pale skin, about 186 centimeters tall, sometimes seen with a rather impressive sword." The Hokage lifted his eyebrows in silent inquiry, checking to see that he had his audience's interest. Evil genius that he was, he remained silent after this revelation and only stared at Naruto, waiting for the "snap".
Naruto's patience, in limited supply at the best of times, quickly obliged. "That describes about half the people I know," he scoffed, feigning disinterest.
Kakashi considered the boy - in the Hokage's eyes he was still a boy - and eased back in his chair. He looked a little conflicted over the situation, but did nothing about it. "The reports also say that the man was blind."
Naruto blinked slowly in apparent confusion. "Blind?" He swallowed thickly, nervously. "Is that supposed to mean something?"
The older man leveled his one black eye at the younger and stated quite plainly, "If even half the stories we've been hearing about him are true, it's very likely Sasuke would be blind." He paused, giving time for Naruto to react, but when he refused to do so, Kakashi added somewhat inanely, "Overuse, as you know, taxes the eyes."
Naruto's right hand slowly curled into a fist. "The sharingan," he said, nearly spitting out the word like a bad taste in his mouth.
"Yes."
Kakashi watched with almost detached curiosity as the thick vein in Naruto's throat pulsed visibly. He waited, knowing this alone wouldn't be enough to convince Naruto, not when he obstinately refused to even entertain the possibility of finding that long lost friend.
Blue eyes deepened their hue to cobalt and turned directly onto the silver-haired Hokage. "What's he doing?" Naruto finally asked. "This man?"
Kakashi smiled kindly, the curve barely discernable beneath the black fabric over his face. "The facts on that are a little sketchy. There are so many rumors crisscrossing each other that it's impossible to say anything for certain." He paused, gathering air to make the next statement. "The one thing they all agree on is that whatever he's doing is very shady. More than likely it's criminal." Kakashi placed extra emphasis on the last word.
Naruto let out a long breath then swallowed. "Well, if that's the case, then forget him." His throat worked to swallow something hard and invisible.
"Naruto," Kakashi interjected softly. "You know you don't mean that."
"Sure I do," Naruto declared. Unconvinced, Kakashi smiled gently and took a rolled up piece of paper, considering it a second before tapping it rhythmically against his desktop.
Naruto understood the implication. The knuckles on his right hand bleached white. "You still haven't told me anything that proves . . ."
"No," Kakashi interrupted. "I haven't."
"Well then," Naruto stated stubbornly, "I guess that's that."
Kakashi nodded. But he knew it was the best lead they'd had in seven years and as close to proof as they were ever likely to get. He shrugged. "The rumors originated right near where you're going anyway. As long as you're there, you could - ," Kakashi dangled the sentence temptingly in front of the younger ninja. "But if you're sure . . ." The man held the full rumor report loosely in his hand, offering an unspoken offer for Naruto to make the final decision.
Naruto watched the gentle, hypnotic bob of the paper as it went up, down, up, down.
Then, regardless of all his claims, Naruto snatched up the scroll and shoved it into another pocket, as neat and quick as if it had never been.
"You need to be prepared," Kakashi added with a hint of his old teacher-voice. "Since he hasn't made any move to contact you, he probably won't be friendly."
Curtly, Naruto nodded and turned, his eyes clouded over with distraction as walked resolutely out the Hokage's office.
The door was left standing wide open, the room beyond looking bright and barren in the light of the afternoon sun.
Kakashi heaved a deep breath and shook his head.
--
Naruto hurriedly packed the last of his things and zipped his bag.
"You have to go right now?" Hinata asked.
Naruto nodded, but was too concentrated on counting off his necessaries to really be paying attention.
"It's just so sudden," The woman pointed out with disappointment and a little anxiety. "You won't be gone long?"
Hearing the tenor of her voice, Naruto turned to her, took her arms in his big hands and smiled. "No, I won't be gone long. I'm only leaving this soon because I need to get to Kirigakure by tomorrow." He squeezed Hinata's arms in reassurance and returned to his packing. "Normally it would take a couple days to get that far, over the water. So there's no time to waste."
Hinata nodded her head in understanding and stood vigilantly over her husband.
Naruto threw a couple items he'd forgotten into his bag and zipped it up again. Folding his arms and frowning, he took one last stock in his head and, deciding he had everything, slung the bag over his shoulder.
Hinata eyed him curiously and followed as he headed for the door.
As he opened it, Naruto turned back to his wife and smiled fondly. "It'll only be a couple of days," he assured her. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
Hinata nodded in acceptance. Then she went to her tiptoes and kissed him softly on the lips. After a long, strange minute, she tilted her head seriously. "It's Sa - " she started, but then cut herself off with an infinitesimal shake of her head. She looked her husband square in the eyes and put on a brave grin. "Good luck."
Naruto flashed his teeth in a brief smile before pulling her to him in a tight embrace and kissed her long and deep in farewell. They were both breathing hard by the time he released her.
Hinata's head dipped once, her dark lashes shading her eyes. "I love you," she said furtively, like it was a secret.
"Love you, too," Naruto returned, his mouth still to her ear.
And before she knew it he was gone; the door shut soundly behind him.