Thanks for the reviews! It means a whole lot that you guys like the story, I was a little unsure about it. I'll try to keep it up, though, so be patient...It's hard to concentrate when you're on someone else's computer...XD And have I stressed that this is NOT yaoi? Okay, just making sure.
Okay, here's what I think--
.Obito is dead
.Kakashi is an ANBU
Correct me if I'm wrong, even though it's a little too late!! I'll fix it in future chappies...
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Naruto. Yes, yes, let's all pity the sad little author.
Oh, and I'm reading this story called Welcome To My Life by Kurai Malik. It's kick-ass. Basically, Ino--with Sakura--tries this new soul-transfer thing on Naruto, that's supposed to transfer a few of his old memories to her; but instead she awoke Arashi, who'd been sealed inside Naruto after sealing him with the Fuuin Seal thing the night of Kyuubi's attack. I hope you aren't angry with me, Kurai Malik, for the obssessive shout-out. XDD
Will of Fire (Part 1) -
Negated Existence
When he woke up, all he could see was white. It took him a few minutes to realize why; the plain ceiling was covered in blinding lights, shining down on him unwaveringly. Ah. A hospital. His eyes narrowed against the brightness, and until they adjusted his head spun wildly. He rolled onto his side, grasping at his fleeting conciousness as wakefulness tried to evade him. After a few seconds, the pounding in his temples subsided slightly, and he could sit up.
"Lay back down, kid," someone nearby said, startling him. He whipped around so quickly, he very nearly fell off the bed; but before he could fall, a hand gripped his arm firmly, keeping him in place.
"Who--" His efforts to ease his aching head were spent; the throbbing pain bore down upon him again, and he groaned, clutching at his hair."Damn it," he hissed.
"Easy," the soothing voice placated him. "You've had a heck of a recovery."
Naruto frowned, trying to recall the voice from memory. He squinted up at the man still holding his arm, internally cursing the sterile room and all it's light. And suddenly, he remembered. "...Yondaime..." His eyes widened even now as he spoke to the legendary Fourth.
The older blonde frowned at the other's expression. He hesitated for a moment, and then took a few steps away from Naruto, digging around in the drawer on the table beside the bed. He withdrew a worn Leaf hitai-ate, and was promptly attacked by the once-fatally-wounded boy. "Gimme that!" he snarled, any respect or trust in his eyes gone.
The Yondaime held it out of his reach, and pushed Naruto back onto the bed with his other hand. "Calm down, ki--" he paused at the livid expression on Naruto's face "--Naruto. I just want to know where you got it."
"I earned it! I passed, I'm a certified Leaf nin!" He was much more upset than anyone else would have been. "Iruka-sensei said so!"
Iruka? That little boy from the village? "Iruka, huh?"
Suddenly, he found his hand empty; Naruto was trying the forehead protector in its rightful place, still glaring up at the Fourth. "Yes."
Arashi could tell that any advantage he might have had in earning Naruto's trust had dwindled down to next to nothing. He sighed, and seated himself beside the boy, not failing to notice the way the latter shrinked from the close contact, a reflexive, flinching twitch--abuse?--and said, "I don't think you're from around here, kid."
"That's great," the boy hissed more to himself than to the Fourth, laying on his stomach to peer under the bed for his sandals. "Really great. The guy who devoloped my second favorite technique thinks I'm a phsyco and a liar. Freakin' brilliant."
Calm down, kit.
Oh, you finally decided to speak up, Fox? Naruto sneered, his exhaustion and irritation motivating his words. Well, what ideas do you have? What brilliant words do you have for me to calm the situation? As this rebuff turned on the Nine-tails, Naruto yanked his sandals on and started for the door. Arashi watched him, still pondering his muttered words before; and wondering why they'd hurt him so much. Why should he care what the little kid thought he thought of him? That was an excellent question.
Kyuubi was unimpressed with the blonde Genin's anger; he hardly ever was. Just a few.
Despite it all, Naruto's curiosity won out over his aggrivation after a brief mental battle, so he sighed, and sat back down on the bed, next to the clearly confused Fourth, who decided to keep his silence and watch the situation unfold. Okay. Go ahead.
This man has your blood.
Naruto blinked.
Before you think to question me, understand that I have been living inside you for twelve years, and I know better than you the origin of your blood. I also recall this man from that night--the tenth day of the tenth month a little more than a decade ago. He held you tightly that night. He whispered something to you. Saying this obviously disgusted the demon; he wasn't one for touchy-feely-affectionate words. In fact, once upon a time, people who spouted such nonsense had been his favorite victims. He just couldn't believe he was saying such similiar trash.
Umm...Naruto stared at the beast incredulously. Are you serious?
I do not like wasting words, little one.
But...he's...how can...that's...
Open your mind to the possibilites, kit. It's not as impossible as you'd like to believe it is.
As Naruto digested this, using every ninja skill he'd ever aqcuired to keep his face the careful blank, Arashi decided to speak. "Why don't you tell me your story, Naruto?" He was expecting a sharp rebuttle, a swift negatory, which he didn't want to happen, because the ANBU would fly in from every random corner and swoop over to berate the littler blonde, and for some reason the thought of that--the thought of anything possibly harming Naruto--made his stomach clench painfully; but for some reason, Naruto looked at him with eager, bright eyes after only an instant's hesitation.
"Sure!"
And he began, at the very beginning. He told him his whole story. From being shunned by all the villagers, beaten, abused and unappreciated, to stealing the scroll, finding out about the demon in him and being saved by Iruka, saving him in return; he told him about getting his team, and the battle on the bridge against Zabuza and Haku; he told him all about the upcoming Chuunin exams, and how he'd been training so hard to compete, to win; he told him about the battle he'd been fighting when he got hit by the strange jutsu that sent him here; he told him about his great dream and goal to become the Hokage, and about his Shinobi Path; and finally he told him that Kyuubi said he was Naruto's father.
After all of that, his exhaustion caught up with him, and he promptly passed out into a sound sleep.
This left Arashi at a great loss as he stared at the sleeping boy.
For the next three hours he'd sit there, and digest the boy's story.
He'd study the seal on the boy's stomach that contained a powerful demon with revulsion, none of which was directed at the demon's vessel. He would run gossamer fingers over the scorched skin, and pull his hand away when the boy shuddered painfully.
He would gaze at the slumbering child, ponder his cheerfulness, his willingness to please, despite the story he'd given Arashi; the obvious sincerity in every passionate word he'd formed.
Then he'd stand, and slip the boy's sandals off, sliding them under the hospital bed.
He'd push back the boy's sleeve and view all of the bruises and scars that he could tell had nothing to do with being a ninja.
Then he'd push back the sweaty blonde hair from the boy's face, letting his fingers brush over the possession marks on his cheeks.
He would lean down low, and whisper a goodnight softly in his ear, and kiss him lightly, hesitantly, on the forehead, before sweeping out of the room and ordering two ANBU to guard the room and its occupant.
---
"I still don't understand why we have to keep watch over a miserable little peasant," one of the ANBU drawled, reclining against the wall just outside Naruto's room. "And why is the Hokage-sama so obssessed with him? He's healed up fine, quicker than normal, just toss him out--"
One of the smaller, quieter ANBU spoke up now, speaking softly behind his mask. "I think it's good Yondaime-sama has someone to look out for. His wife hasn't given him any children yet. I think he's just embracing his chance to be a father."
"Thank you, Doctor Kakashi," the first black op said nastily. "Why don't you just--"
The door of their charge's room swung open suddenly, and Naruto stood in the doorway. He stared at them for a long moment; the ANBU shifted uneasily: despite their masks, he seemed to have caught their eyes anyway, and was holding them in his unwavering, unblinking gaze. Finally, he looked away and started down the hall. The ANBU with the dog mask followed him, loyal to his orders to protect the boy who was no younger than he was. This left the other ANBU hurrying to catch up.
---
"Come on, Nasake-chaaan!"
"No, Arashi."
"But--"
"Arashi."
Arashi's shoulders slumped. His wife ((I'm quite confident in my assumption that 'nasake' means compassion or sympathy)) caught the look and frowned. "What is it about this boy?" she asked him softly after a moment of quiet study. "You've only know him for a few hours."
Arashi sighed, this time averting his gaze. He couldn't exactly tell her. He himself had sat for hours after leaving the hospital, pondering the boy's words; the bright, eager-to-please shine in his eyes, the bruises covering his arms and legs, unrelated to any battles ((meaning he was abused)); the sparkling adoration in his voice, his expression, when he glanced up at Arashi--so trusting, even though they'd only just met.
And then he'd remembered another important piece of the boy's long story; he was from the future. So he must have heard all about the Hokage's of Konoha--he must have heard several stories about Arashi, the Fourth himself.
He'd remembered the boy's odd words--"Really great. The guy who devoloped my second favorite technique thinks I'm a phsyco and a liar. Freakin' brilliant."
Which technique had he been talking about? Arashi had been working on perfecting his new Rasengan, but...
Nasake watched her husband's expression turn morbid, obviously due to her refusal to meet and "adopt" the boy. Arashi told her he wanted the boy to move in, surprising himself with his words, and she'd immediently said no. She was very cautious with strangers; her husband was the Hokage, and any anonymous traveler could be an assasin sent after him. This was not to say that she was not an entirely compassionate person, but she didn't trust foolishly fast either. But to see her husband, as kind as he was, so completely devoted to a stange little boy he'd only just met was odd; she couldn't begin to see his reasoning.
But more than anything, she hated him unhappy, especially when she was the cause of it.
So she jabbed a finger at him, saying sternly, "I'll meet the kid. But I'm not promising anything."
Nasake recieved a charming smile; she was momentarily dazzled by Arashi's bright blue eyes. "Thank you, Nasa-chan!" he chirped childishly she had to roll her eyes. But before anything else could be said, Arashi suddenly glanced toward the window. An ANBU was crouched there, and Arashi could see he was tense all over. "Hokage-sama!"
"Yes?" Arashi asked, taking a step in front of Nasake, who gripped his shoulder from behind him.
"It's the boy you told us to guard...he...umm...We lost him."
There was silence for a moment. When Arashi spoke again, he did so quietly.
"You lost a twelve year old in a hospital?"
"Umm, he's actually not in the hospital anymore, sir."
Nasake watched her husband kind of twitch.
"Well, where is he?"
"I sent Dog after him while I reported to you, sir," the masked man said.
Arashi returned to Nasake. "I guess you'll get to meet the boysoon enough, eh?" And then he swept to the window and out it, the black op leaping out after him.
---
"I don't think you should have left the hospital."
"Eh. I hate hospitals."
The boys were sitting side by side on the bridge, Naruto completely at ease, legs dangling over the edge; there were no rails to speak of. Kakashi was more tense, crouched next to his charge, eye sweeping over their surroundings. For all that his voice was uncaring, he was trying to hide his anxiety. Although the odds of being attacked here were little-to-none, and he was as skilled as fighters come, it was early morning, and all of Konoha was sleeping; he wasn't sure if he could hold his own against a band of rogue nin, at the same time protecting a boy his own age.
"So you were always like this, then, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto whispered softly, gazing out over the water, more to himself than to the boy next to him. Kakashi glanced at him through his mask, but Naruto didn't elaborate and he didn't ask.
They sat in silence for while, until Naruto suddenly growled, "Aaaghh! I can't stand it!" He stopped kicking his feet over the water, letting them hang still, and he brought his fists down hard on the aged wood. Kakashi actually flinched, not expecting the sudden noise from the surprisingly silent youth.
Kakashi questioned his outburst; not because he cared, but because he knew that the blonde boy needed someone there to ask. "Can't stand what?"
"Being so damned confused..." Naruto brought up one leg so he could rest his forehead on his knee. "Being alone. I've been so alone for so long...all this new shit hurts really bad...and I'm waiting for everyone to push me away. The longer it takes...the more it'll hurt in the end."
And Kakashi wasn't the only one who was a little staggered--though he, of course, didn't look it--by the poetic, morbid words; two blue eyes, so much like Naruto's peered at them from the line of trees only yards away, full of the same hurt, but for an entirely different reason.
Okay, it was rushed, there was OOCness, it made no sense, and it was short. I'm so sorry! I hope you're enjoying it anyway!
