Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Red
By TCNL
Chapter 2: Meeting Familiar Faces
I soon found myself standing in front of the Hokage himself.
Naruto dragged me to his office right after leaving Ichiraku Ramen. He's too busy babbling on how he wants his new relative to live with him. And I'm just staring the God of Shinobi in front of me.
I was of course observing chakra. It was a bright yellow, flickering with red like a flame on a candle. It felt warm, happy, and dense. But there was a tinge of gray. Is it because of his age? His chakra coils were enormous, but not as huge as Naruto's. Then again, Naruto is an Uzumaki and he also has a tailed beast.
"…so can he live with me, Jiji?!" Ah, it's amazing to see Naruto call a powerful man with that term so casually.
"Let's slow down Naruto. I think Rai-kun is a little overwhelmed," the Hokage said as he put down his pipe. I realized that I have been silent the entire time.
"Forgive me, Hokage-sama. I'm Uzumaki Rai, it's an honor to meet you," I said as I bowed down to my waist. I felt a nudge on my ribs.
"You're too uptight, Rai!" I almost rolled my eyes at him. The Hokage chuckled at his antics.
"Rai-kun, before I could allow you to live with Naruto, you would have to answer some questions and undergo a medical check-up in the hospital. In the meantime, you can stay over at an inn. You don't have to worry about expenses." That was awfully generous of him. But hell, I already know that I'm going to have a trip to the Torture and Interrogation Department. And a check-up at the hospital? I'm sure everything will be fine. I just have to keep my genjutsu in check.
A little voice in the back of my mind screamed that I was overconfident. Hm.
"Hai, Hokage-sama," I replied. He waved us off with a smile, eye crinkling at the corner.
"See ya, Jiji!" I bowed to the Hokage before getting dragged off by Naruto again.
On the way out, I saw a couple of shinobi give us the evil eye. I completely ignored them and focused on Naruto. His chakra was flickering; the bright yellow was dimming a little.
"Say, Naruto-san. Since you have a headband, you're a shinobi right?" His face conveyed his shock then he grinned, his chakra glowing as bright as ever. I felt the corners of my lips twitch upward.
"You bet! I'll be Hokage one day and I will make everyone acknowledge me!" He's… really something. He'll even put his life on the line for that dream. Heh, I want to stand by his side until the time comes for him to take on the hat. But how could I do that? I'm not even a shinobi.
That's it.
"I want to become a shinobi like you, Naruto-san," I declared, making him pause.
"That's awesome, dattebayo! But eh, aren't you too old? You're the same age as me, right?" Hm. He's right. Maybe they could make an exception? Although that would mean that I would give away some of my skills. But if I did things right, they might even allow me to take part in the upcoming Chūnin exams.
I frowned. I only have a week.
"No matter. I'm sure Jiji would give you a chance when you talk to him," he said and I nodded in agreement. The Hokage most likely assessed me the moment I came into his office with Naruto. Yeah. I would definitely think that he did.
Noticing that we were at a clearing with a stream of water not far off, I looked at Naruto questioningly.
"Osu! I'm going to train," he said, locking his hands into what seemed a hand seal, as a couple more of Naruto appeared out of nowhere. The color of bright yellow multiplied a hundred times. Holy shit.
"This is so cool," I murmured, too busy to notice that he turned red from the praise. I poked a clone in the shoulder. It was solid. There's hardly a way to notice that this Naruto isn't the original one. My eyes glanced down. This one's chakra coils are smaller than the original's. I poked it again for good measure.
"Mou, Rai. Heh, watch me train, dattebayo!" He exclaimed. I sweat-dropped as all of them started beating up each other. You know, like those in a riot? Damn. No wonder his taijutsu style is unique. Losing track of time, I continued to watch in fascination as one by one, they started to disappear. The original's chakra was flickering, but I could see it was being tainted by orange and getting replenished by the second. I observed his bruises and minor cuts. They were healing fast, but won't there be consequences if he kept on going?
I fought down a surprised yelp when I suddenly saw Kakashi-san's silver chakra manifest on a high branch in a tree behind me. I breathed out. Maybe the Hokage sent him here, or he's here on his own to watch over Naruto. I recalled reading about the times he would just stay looking at the memorial stone in memory of Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin. Kakashi-san, even with his flaws, is a good man.
My thoughts were interrupted when I saw another bunch of clones come into existence. Leaving my pack and my cane, I ran over to Naruto.
"Naruto-san, you should take a break," I suggested.
His face became confused. "What, why?"
"Uh, how should I say it? I can see bruises and cuts on your face," I responded, but he didn't let me finish.
"It's fine, Rai! I heal fast, so no worries," he said with a cheerful grin. I sagged a little.
"That's the thing, Naruto-san. You need to recover naturally for the training to settle in your muscles." He just looked at me confusedly. "I mean, if you abuse yourself this much and don't let your body recover naturally, you might not be able to live long enough to become Hokage?" I said, not really sure. I bit back a grin when I saw his face pale.
"I-If you say it like that, it kinda makes sense," he nervously scratched the back of his head. I let out a relieved sigh when the new clones disappeared. I was about to ask him if he wanted to go for a snack when I was cut off.
"That's amazing, Rai! How do you do that?!" He pointed a finger down in excitement.
I glanced down to see what he was pointing at. I was standing on the water's surface and Naruto was on the small island in the middle.
"It's almost the same with walking on a solid surface using chakra. But walking on water is a little more challenging, since the chakra needed constantly changes? I'm guessing it's because water continuously moves," I explained, walking closer to him.
"You have to teach me that! Please? I don't mind treating you to ramen tonight!" Oh. I sweat-dropped again. How could I refuse? Ichiraku Ramen is tasty as fuck.
"I'll do my best, rest for a little while I go get my stuff," I mock-saluted him and rushed over to my things. Grabbing my pack and cane, I put it down the ground beside Naruto. He got up to his feet and turned to me.
"So what do we do?"
"Here, stand near the water," I gestured. "Remove your shoes, Naruto-san. It would be best to feel the water itself when you try it." He complied and threw his shoes near my stuff.
"Alright, first off, extend your foot and let it touch the water's surface." He put forward his right foot and let it stay on the water.
"Tell me, Naruto-san. What can you say about the water?"
"Eh, it's wet?" I almost fell to the ground. I waved my hand and said, "I should've made the question more specific. What can you say about feeling the water's surface?" He looked down and his brows furrowed a little in thought.
"It's… moving? I mean the it's from the river. Yeah, it's moving," he said as he moved his foot around. I nodded in approval.
"The chakra on it is also the same. Try to channel chakra to your feet, like how you do when you walk on a tree. And carefully try to firm up the connection of chakra from your foot to the water. Remember, since it's constantly changing, you also have to constantly adjust the chakra you put into your foot."
"Osu," he responded. I watched as his chakra travelled from his coils down to his feet. Yellow started to connect with blue. It was unstable, but he actually did it. I grinned in satisfaction as he fumbled and stood on the surface with one foot.
"Naruto-san, you did it!" I exclaimed. I mirrored his grin. He cheered as he took a shaky step away from the island. I saw his chakra flicker as he put too much on his fourth step and he fell on his ass. His face was painted with shock and denial. I couldn't hold back my laughter.
"Hahaha!" It was too late when I noticed him walking towards me. He put an arm around my shoulder and he hauled me to the water. I sat up from my position and stared at him.
I'm soaked. Ugh.
A boisterous laughter rang out from Naruto as he pointed at me. "Y-You look like a drowned cat! Hahaha!" My eye twitched. That's it! I manipulated a gravity field in my hand and flung my limb at him. His laughter was cut off when water completely drenched him from head to toe.
Our wheezing laughter echoed in the field.
"What are your findings?"
"He's quite the character, Hokage-sama. He was able to teach Naruto how to walk on water using chakra. It wasn't perfect, but Naruto was able to do it. He was able to take a few steps before he fell into the water."
"Aa." A crystal ball glistened from the light coming from the window.
"It also seems that he's a sensor. When I arrived at the training ground, there was a slight change in his posture, though he didn't look in my direction."
"Interesting. Did you observe anything strange about him?"
"His manner of speech. He reminds me of someone." Silver strands swayed as he glanced at the wooden floor.
Smoke flew into the air as the aged man exhaled.
"Uchiha Itachi. If only matters didn't turn out the way they did. I apologize for taking up your time, Kakashi." Said man just chuckled good-naturedly.
"It's no trouble at all, Hokage-sama." Kakashi's chuckle died down at his throat when the Hokage's expression became serious.
"There was something strange in his chakra and eyes. Did you notice something amiss?" Kakashi looked deep in thought before responding, "No, Hokage-sama. He just looked to be a normal civilian… Who can water-walk with chakra."
The Hokage chuckled sardonically. "Which is why I asked you to observe him. Even as years pass by, a sensor would always be a sensor. I noticed how his chakra, even if it was small, was as dense as a grown Jounin's reserves. He was suppressing his chakra."
A lone eye widened. "That's remarkable. But why would he do it?"
"He might be a sleeper agent. Or a spy, perhaps? The strange chakra on his eyes could be genjutsu. He might not me who he's telling us. Ah, forgive an old man's rambling, Kakashi. Please observe him some more until midnight. In the morning, escort him here."
"Hai, Hokage-sama." With a bow, he leapt up to the window and disappeared.
The Hokage rubbed his aged face tiredly.
The sun started dimming when Naruto and I parted ways to clean up ourselves. He went back to his apartment and I went on my way to the inn that I will be staying at. The lady at the inn's reception looked at me with judging eyes.
"Excuse me, the Hokage placed a reservation under the name of Uzumaki Rai."
She started fumbled for papers before talking.
"Did something happen, dearie?" Oh.
"Nothing, miss. I was travelling and I just had an accident by the training field," I replied as I flashed her a smile.
"Oh my, you're so polite. I hope you don't end up like that thing. You have the same family name, but I can see that you're nothing like it," she said with a cheerful tone. She then handed me a key that read 406. I clenched my jaw.
"Thank you. I'll be on my way." With a strained smile, I turned away and went to find my room.
'Naruto will be always far better than insects like you,' I snarled in my thoughts. Ignorance like that pisses me off to no end. I stopped walking when the sign on the door read '406'. I put the key in and put down my pack and cane. I was about to jump on the bed, but I remembered I'm still soaked.
I made my way to the bathroom… Wait, there's no bathroom? I groaned. That would mean I'd have to go to the hot springs. Grabbing a couple of coins from my pack, I went back outside and locked my door.
Finding the hot springs weren't hard, since there were street signs showing the way. Putting the coins in the payment jar, I went inside to the men's area. Yes, they don't have someone to take the payment. The management trusts you enough to give due payment.
After roughly washing off the dirt from my body, I stepped out of the shower stall and went to the hot spring. I was pleased to see that it was vacant. Removing the towel from my waist and placing it on a nearby stone, I sunk in the warm water slowly and sighed. Coming here wasn't bad at all.
I relaxed even more and pulled my knees to my chest. My hair hung limply around me as the parts submerged in water floated like blood. I put my head on my knees. Ignoring all the various colors of chakra around me, I reminisced on the events that happened.
Hagoromo-sama's words rang in my head. But I can't really accept it. The calamity as he calls it, has to happen so that the war would end. Everybody will have a happy ending. Does that even make sense? And am I seriously thinking that I'll let all that shit happen? Yes. Everything is set in stone.
I subconsciously fiddled with a ball of water that I compressed. Hm, maybe I could stop them from losing their arms. Maybe. I'll just have to wait for the right time and get stronger for now. I need to work on my chakra control. Maybe even make my own signature skills.
"I'm pretty sure we're in the men's section," came a voice from the entrance.
"Really, but there's a girl…"
"Troublesome." I'd know that catchphrase anywhere.
Lifting my head up, I was greeted by none other than the male members of Team Ten. I immediately dropped the globe of water.
"I'm not a girl," I deadpanned. Their looks of surprise were not impressive.
"Aa, if you say so," Asuma-san said as they all hesitantly went in the water. Damn it, do I seriously look that feminine? I should probably cut my hair.
No.
"What's your name?" I lifted my head from my knees again.
"Rai," I replied curtly.
"Sorry about earlier. You reminded me of someone." I sighed.
"It's… alright. It has been happening a lot lately," I said. He hummed.
"I'm Sarutobi Asuma, sensei of Team Ten," he said and looked at the boy to his right.
"Troublesome. Nara Shikamaru." I almost rolled my eyes but then I realized that this is my first time seeing his hair down.
"Akimichi Chōji." I straightened up and nodded.
"Uzumaki Rai. Pleased to meet you." I mentally cursed myself when I just noticed the silver chakra in a tree behind me. Why is he following me around so much? Probably under the Hokage's orders.
"Uzumaki? Are you related to Naruto?" Shikamaru asked.
"I hope so. I have no other living relatives," I responded. Kakashi-san's chakra was unnerving. He was probably here the whole time. Thinking on what he might have seen me do makes me just want to go sleep. Actually, that sounds good.
I stood up from my spot and headed for my towel. I glanced back and saw the three staring at me in shock. The hell. Is it hard to believe I have a fully-functioning penis hanging between my legs?
"Take a picture, it will last longer," I joked and wrapped my towel around my waist. Shikamaru and Chōji promptly looked away with red faces. Asuma-san just laughed at his students.
"A pleasant evening to you," I said and bowed. Heaving another sigh, I went out into the lobby with the lockers. I washed my face with cold water in a nearby sink. I looked up, and my eyes widened as I saw someone in the mirror besides myself.
It was Yamanaka Ino. She had her back to the mirror as she took her stuff out of her locker.
Should I say something? I shrugged. There's no point in talking to her right now.
I went to my own locker and took out my shirt, pants, obi, and sandals. Kakashi-san's chakra was now right above the bathhouse. He's really tailing me, huh? I sighed again and closed my locker. After that, I made my way to the shower stall.
I didn't notice the Yamanaka heiress staring at my retreating figure.
Lying spread-out on my bed at the inn, I tried my hardest not to look in Kakashi-san's direction. He's still here and I can't even sleep. His chakra was vivid and not to mention that he was observing me the whole time.
"Ugh. This is not working out," I grumbled and propped myself up. Taking my cane with me, I left my room and I went out to the streets. It was dark and there were significantly less people around. Keeping my genjutsu in check, I went to the training ground right across the inn I was staying at.
The sound of silence pierced my ears as I stared at the area before me. Trees were scattered and there was a small lake in the far corner. I went to it and stepped on the water.
I heaved another sigh as I saw Kakashi-san's chakra on a tree branch.
My cane hummed as I held it in my right hand. I still have to figure out what to do with the souls that I attached to it. And I can't really do much since Kakashi-san is here. I decided I could do some old routines I learned when I was back home.
I pointed my cane at an invisible opponent.
I widened my stance a little and swung down fast. Pivoting at my heel, I turned and sliced across the air, satisfaction spread through me as I heard the sound of wood whipping against the empty space. I quickly retracted my arm to slice upward. Withdrawing my cane back to me, I thrusted it forward with as much strength as I could.
Heat pumped through my arm as blood-red chakra blasted off from the end of my cane. The water sizzled as the beam passed through.
"Crap," I muttered under my breath as I quickly cut off the chakra flow from my arm. Heat, huh. Could my affinity be fire? But since I have the Rinnegan, I could pretty much do all of the elements. Ah, there's so much to explore.
What if I have this cane made into a staff? Hell, that's going to be awesome. With gravity manipulation, I could do a lot of aerial attacks. I grinned at the thought.
"How did you do that?" I whipped my head to look at the owner of the voice. Cold, dark hued chakra greeted my senses. Sasuke was in his usual attire, glaring at me as he demanded answers.
"Good evening, Sasuke-san. I was just trying to discover on how to use my cane as a weapon," I said truthfully. There's no point in hiding it, right? He grunted and narrowed his eyes at my answer.
"That was a flame," he said his gaze unwavering.
"Aa. My affinity is probably fire." There was a pause between us. Surprisingly, he was the one who broke the silence.
"If you're a civilian, why are you training?" He asked. I remembered my back story. I'm just going to give that to him for now.
"When I was young, I never knew my parents. I've only heard they died. My aunt raised me. She was killed in front of my eyes by bandits when we were travelling. I couldn't do anything to save her. I want to be strong enough to protect what's precious to me." I saw his eyes widen at my answer. However, it quickly turned into a sneer.
"You almost sound like that dobe," he scoffed at me. I rolled my eyes at him.
"To be honest, Sasuke-san, it wouldn't be so surprising, since we're related."
"Hn."
"But to be honest, I envy him. He's got a strength that I could only imagine to have. He finds it so easy to forgive people. I could never be that generous with myself and to others, you know?" I chuckled bitterly. Sasuke wasn't glaring at me anymore. He looked thoughtful on hearing my words. I glanced at him and he gave minuscule nod.
"What brings you out here, Sasuke-san?" I inquired.
He shrugged and said, "I was going to train, but I saw you."
"Oh, sorry. I wasn't aware you train in this field, Sasuke-san." Nightmares must have been keeping him up. It's not hard to notice the bags under his eyes, since his skin is so pale.
"Just Sasuke." I raised my brow at him.
"No need for the honorific. We're the same age." He reasoned out.
"Sasuke it is," I complied. "Spar with me," I said. He straightened up and smirked at me.
"Get ready to lose, Rai," he taunted. I smirked in return.
"Only if you lose first, Sasuke," I taunted back. The next thing I know, my right arm stung as I blocked a kick from him. Shit, that's impressive strength for someone of his age. I retaliated by moving my right arm away from my torso. He was thrown off-balance and I aimed a punch to his face. Heh, this could be fun.
He blocked my punch and swiped his arm to hit me on my temple. I ducked and aimed a strike to his stomach. He blocked it downwards we jumped away from each other. I lost track how long we traded blows. All I knew was I was having so much fun with someone who I don't have to be afraid of being too fragile.
I was breathing harshly when I flopped down on the grass. Sasuke was slightly out of breath and was sitting not too far from me.
"Thank you, Sasuke. You're very good in taijutsu." I said. I faintly heard him grunt.
"You're… not bad," he said under his breath. I laughed at the constipated look on his face.
"It's refreshing to train with someone who can keep up," I admitted.
"Aa."
Staring up at the sky, the stars shone vividly, a signal that it was getting really late. I got on my feet and turned to the Uchiha.
"I'll be going now. Thanks for the spar, Sasuke. Good night," I said then I went to pick up my cane. If it was not as silent as it is, I wouldn't have heard his faint reply of 'good night'. I smiled. Uchiha Sasuke, even if he was emotionally constipated, was not as bad as I thought.
I groaned as a knock on the door woke me up. Grudgingly getting out of bed, I turned the knob to see who it was. I'd recognize that silver chakra anywhere.
It was none other than my dear stalker, Hatake Kakashi.
"Can I help you, shinobi-san?" I tilted my head a little to the side. He gave me an eye-smile. How the hell does he do that?
"Ah, good morning. Hokage-sama sent me to escort you to his office," he answered. They want to ask me questions this early? That's fine. At least Naruto hasn't seen me for today. Knowing him, he would worry if I suddenly disappear.
…What the hell am I thinking?
"Please come in, I'll fix myself quickly," I said as I left the door open. I saw him sit by the desk chair in the corner of my eye. I quickly put my bag in the closet with my cane in it. Taking a glance at myself on the mirror, I tried smoothing down my hair. I glared at my reflection. No matter what I did, my hair would stick out at some parts, even though its length is down to my waist. Tch.
"Shall we go?" I inquired to Kakashi-san as I pocketed my key.
"Hold tight," he cheerily said as he grabbed my arm and we disappeared from the room. My vision spun as I felt increasing pressure as we travelled at a very high speed. I was suddenly greeted by a hard wooden floor as my vision cleared again. Picking myself up, I faced the Hokage.
"G-Good morning, Hokage-sama," I stuttered, trying to keep the contents of my stomach inside. I glared openly at Kakashi-san. He just had to use the shunshin, didn't he? He wasn't even out of breath, but here I am, almost puking my guts. The bastard.
The Hokage let an amused smile spread on his features. He dismissed Kakashi-san wordlessly. As if on cue, a towering man came through the door. Two long scars decorated his face. His black trench coat and gray uniform gave him an even more daunting impression, along with his intense dark green chakra. His boots thudded heavily against the floor.
"Rai-kun, meet Morino Ibiki. He will be asking you questions."
"Uzumaki Rai, Morino-san," I greeted as I unwaveringly met his gaze. It felt like his eyes were tearing through my soul. I bowed and turned back to the Hokage. I wonder, what's with the special treatment? If the head of Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force is here, I'm guessing I should be going to their division. But for the Hokage to call summon him, yet we're still here…
Closing my eyes briefly, I saw a gray-hued chakra right above us. It felt like… a wall? Like it was nothing. How weird. Is that the Hokage's ANBU?
"Alright. Let's begin with the easy ones," Morino-san said as he held a clipboard. The Hokage's expression intensified. I gulped nervously.
"Name?" Morino-san asked.
"Uzumaki Rai."
"Date of birth?" I paused at that.
"I don't know." He looked up from his clipboard.
"Where were you born?"
"I don't know."
"Age?" Trick question. I already said that I don't know my birthday. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it?
"Twelve or thirteen, I think," I answered.
"Who are your parents?"
"I don't know."
"So, tell me your story," he ordered. I nodded.
"I don't know who my parents were, but Baa-chan often told me that they were Uzumaki. We lived in the Land of Wave as far as I can remember. We were going to leave because of Gatō's corruption. On the way, we were attacked by bandits. They killed Baa-chan. I ran away like I was told to. I lived in the forest for a while until I collapsed.
"Tazuna-san and his family took me in. They took care of me while I recovered. They often told me stories during meals, and one of them was the story of the liberation of the Land of Wave from Gatō's corrupt hold. It was the story of Naruto-san's team. They mentioned that Naruto-san's last name is Uzumaki. I came here, hoping to find a living relative."
Morino-san was silent.
"Why are you suppressing your chakra?" The Hokage suddenly asked.
My eyes widened.
Shit.
"I-I…" Think! Think fast!
"Gatō didn't like shinobi. He hired shinobi that deserted their villages to do the dirty work for him. And he was paranoid. Any touring shinobi in Wave would either be driven out or killed," I replied. That was close.
The Hokage nodded as he took in my answer.
"Are you a sensor, Rai-kun?" He then asked.
I frowned. "I'm not sure what the exact definition of a sensor is, Hokage-sama. But I can sense if someone is nearby," I replied. I glanced upwards. The Hokage's eyes narrowed.
"Hokage-sama, do you have ANBU here right now?" I inquired. He frowned and crossed his fingers.
"No. Why do you ask, Rai-kun?" Uh oh.
"There's someone above us, Hokage-sama," I said and the gray-hued chakra flickered in surprise. The Hokage seemed to notice too, because he was staring at the place where the gray chakra is. After a second, it was gone.
"How did you know that someone was there, when I didn't sense it?" He questioned, his eyes narrowing. Crap. I didn't know he's a sensor.
"I-I… I can see their chakra," I replied softly. If he was surprised, he didn't show it. Morino-san was still observing me intently. This is not looking good. If I continue lying through my teeth, this is definitely going to blow up in my face.
"Since that person is gone, may I say something?" At my request, they nodded. It seems that they also want me to talk.
Heaving a sigh, I readied myself.
"I'm sorry if I hid things from you. Besides my chakra suppression, I have to disclose one more thing. Hokage-sama, I presume that you have noticed that something was strange in my eyes?"
"Aa, I did notice it. It's a very well-made genjutsu for your age, Rai-kun." I smiled a little at the complement. I undid the genjutsu slowly. I withdrew the chakra around my eyes.
"Kami…" The Hokage drifted off in thought.
"A bloodline?" Morino-san asked, his eyes never leaving my face.
"I don't know. I thought Naruto-san would have it too, but he doesn't," I responded while I looked at the floor.
"I need Jiraiya back here as soon as possible. Send a summon through the aviary right away," Hokage-sama said to Morino-san. Crap. I'm already starting to change something. Morino-san left with a salute. The Hokage turned to me.
"Child, keep your genjutsu on your eyes. I'll give my answer to Naruto's request in a few days. Now go, this old man has a lot to do," he said as he lit up his tobacco. I noticed how he didn't mention the medical check-up in the hospital. I grinned inwardly as I re-coated my eyes with genjutsu.
"Hai, Hokage-sama," I said as I bowed and walked out of his office. I felt myself frowning, despite the fact that it didn't go as bad as I thought it would.
Why did the Hokage summon Jiraiya back in urgency? What would that do for the Chūnin exams? Can the Hokage's death be prevented if he answers the summon as early as he could? A million more questions ran through my mind.
After all that, I remembered that I forgot to ask if I could become a shinobi. Damn it.
People bustled through the streets as another day started.
On the way back to the inn, I passed by Yamanaka Flowers. Seeing that they were already open, I went in. I have an idea on what to do for today.
"Eh? Rai-kun? What are you doing here?" I blinked. Huh, at least she's not calling me Rai-chan.
"Good morning, Haruno-san. I came to buy flowers," I replied. Her face turned a little red.
"Sorry, that was a stupid question," she said as she started fiddling with the hem of her dress. Strange. I expected her to be more of a loudmouth, not the second coming of Hyūga Hinata.
"Don't worry about it, Haruno-san. I understand where you're coming from," I replied as I inspected a couple of lavenders. Hm, they seem fitting.
"YOU!" I was startled out of my thoughts. Pale blonde hair and sky blue eyes bored into me.
"Yes?" What does she want from me? I suddenly became wary, remembering all the mind jutsu that her clan has.
"Oh um, I mean, I saw you in the…" She trailed off. Phew. I thought it was something serious.
"At the hot springs?" I supplied. Her eyes widened and she nodded. I chuckled and said, "Ah, I apologize if I seemed rude. I did not want to startle you." She shook her head.
"I w-was going to say hi." I glanced at Sakura, who was silently observing us. I took twelve stalks of lavender and went to the counter. I placed the flowers down gently and fished coins out my pocket.
"I'm Uzumaki Rai, shinobi-san," I stared into her eyes. Her chakra, which I just realized, had the color of peach, brightened a little. The corners of her mouth tilted upward.
"Yamanaka Ino. Is this for, um, a girl?" She avoided my gaze as she wrapped up the flowers. This time, I openly laughed. She turned away, her face a little red. What now, is she sick?
"Lavenders also symbolize peace, right? I'm going to offer a prayer for my family." Her eyes widened as she stared back at me. Her brows creased a little, but I put up a hand to stop her.
"No need to apologize, Yamanaka-san." She looked at me unsurely and handed me the flowers. I smiled at her and bowed a little to her and Sakura before going out of the store without another word. Once I was outside, I breathed deeply, letting the fresh air fill my lungs.
The Memorial Stone was quite far, since it was almost in the opposite direction of the flower shop. There was a small gate on the village wall that led to it. What surprised me was seeing the three logs before the stone.
Oh right. This is where Team Seven had their survival exercise with Kakashi-san. I checked the area and saw that there was no one else there. I approached the stone and I carefully set down the bouquet of flowers.
There were so many names. So many. The realization gave me anxiety. If I become a shinobi and die in a mission, I would be nothing but a carved memory on a stone. I clenched my fists unconsciously. It doesn't matter if the story is already set in stone. Not anymore.
I stared hard and long at the names.
"This time," I whispered. I'll get my head out of my ass and not just be an observer. I took a shuddering breath and flopped down.
What's with me today? I didn't expect things to affect me this much. The stone. Is there something about it? I stared at it again and there wasn't anything unusual.
You are of the waves and wind. Fleeting.
What? I whipped my head, looking for the source of the voice. I scanned my surroundings again with my eyes. There was no one there.
"I'm… waves and wind? What do you mean? Who, no, where are you?" I asked.
The child of birth after death. Finally reunited with what you once held dear. The voice echoed. My heart lurched painfully in my chest.
"R-Rebirth? I'm not dead, I-I…" I felt like I was suffocating.
Stop running away. The truth will always follow you behind.
"Who are you to tell me I died?! I'm not – I'm here," I protested weakly. The voice in the back of my head screamed that I should get over myself.
Have you ever questioned why you were put in this world again? You've rested enough. Death does not forget debts.
I couldn't breathe. What did he mean by 'again'? I gasped as I tried to get air into my lungs.
Remember, and do not fail.
I cried out as pain exploded in my head. There was so much red. Too much red. It felt like my head was being squeezed through a small tunnel with needles in it. I closed my eyes, but red still flooded my vision. At the end of the tunnel, I saw yellow.
Red obscured my vision and I had to lean just to see the yellow beyond it. I reached out, using what's left of my strength, and extended my arm towards that little glimpse of hope.
"N-Naruto…"
There was life and it made me happy.
It has been a long time since Hatake Kakashi got scared.
And the kid that he was holding down was the source of his distress.
He was having a normal lazy morning when the Hokage summoned him. He was ordered to monitor Uzumaki Rai yet again. Since it was ordered by the Hokage himself, he can't pull his tardiness stunt. And so he went on his way to the memorial stone for a quick visit. He didn't expect for someone to be there when he arrived.
"I'm… waves and wind? What do you mean? Who, no, where are you?" He immediately suppressed his chakra, but it seemed that it doesn't really matter, since the kid looked like he was talking to someone.
"R-Rebirth? I'm not dead, I-I… Who are you to tell me I died?! I'm not – I'm here…" Kakashi didn't neglect to absorb what the kid was saying, so he thought that the Uzumaki was having a hallucination. That train of thought immediately stopped when he saw an ethereal outline hovering over the kid.
'S-Shinigami,' he thought as insides screamed for him to get away. The unearthly being pulled a knife under a sleeve and pulled a mass of blue from its stomach. Kakashi's stomach churned as he saw the mass of blue get literally cut off with the knife.
"Remember then forget, and do not fail."After that, the Shinigami dissipated into nothingness.
The Uzumaki on the ground let out a pain-filled scream as he clutched onto his head for dear life. His eyes were open and he was writhing. Kakashi flickered from his spot and stopped the young boy from scratching his eyes out. What made him pause was the expression of pure agony and desperation on such a young face. It brought back unpleasant memories.
The boy then reached out an arm from Kakashi's slackened grip. Kakashi watched as he reached out for something unseen. Then the boy smiled.
"N-Naruto…" Kakashi noted the familiarity that came with it. It unsettled him. Then the boy mumbled that made him freeze.
"...This is your dad… Listen to… your nagging mother." The jōnin couldn't move.
"I'm sorry." With that, the light in the Uzumaki's eyes faded as his eyes changed and his hand fell limply. Kakashi somehow snapped out of his thoughts. He quickly checked the kid for a pulse and sighed in relief that he found albeit a weak rhythm.
'His eyes, I've never seen this dōjutsu before,' he thought as he closed the boy's lid and propped him up his arms. Summoning one of his ninken, he asked Pakkun to deliver an urgent message to the Hokage. Securing the weight on his arms, he went straight to the hospital.
"Sensei. What's going on?"
A/N: Ohhh. Thanks for reading!