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Disclaimer: Once again I do not own the rights to Naruto or the Inheritance Cycle. I do own a dragon though.
So Naruto had failed to speak with Hatake, Kakashi, and he didn't much expect to see any of the Sannin in the village, everyone knew it was rare for any of them to be there, only one ever entered the village anymore. But that was near impossible so he settled instead, on going to a training field and going over his kata again, like Evrae had insisted he do. He spent several hours, from when the sky was just tinged with pink, continuously flowing through the kata, his body quickly moving through each sub-consciously, as his mind relaxed and he entered a meditative state. When he opened his eyes again, the sky was black and the moon was part-way across the sky but he didn't feel tired in the slightest, so he gathered his chakra, and planted himself several meters up a tree and stood there, until gradually, he returned to his meditative state once more, only breaking out of it when his body decided he had done enough work and pushed off the tree, flipping lightly to land on his toes.
Then he made his way back to his apartment, ignoring any emotions he might feel about the day and focusing on the calm state his meditation left him in.
And when he finally fell onto the hard bed that he had spent several weeks away from, he spoke with Evrae, talking about how they already missed each other, and how he was proud of Naruto for taking his heritage as well as he did. And finally he allowed himself sleep as Evrae's voice gently keened a lullaby to him.
The next morning Naruto woke up and was immediately full of live. He realised he would have to put a lot of effort into speaking with his father's friends, but the hokage had said there were those his mother liked to spend time with. He could try to seek out them aswell.
Nodding resolutely, Naruto made his way to see the old man, telling him firmly that he wanted to know who his mother's friends were. The hokage smiled sadly, having watched kakashi's brutal dismissal of the boy the previous day, but the boy showed no animosity, informing the hokage that his father's friend was stubborn and needed a lot of work so he'll try his mother's in the mean time before having another go at getting kakashi's friendship.
So, smiling, sure that the two kunoichi couldn't be as cruel to the young boy, the hokage told the young ninja of Anko and Kurenai and the boy set out to find them, after briefly declaring that the hokage would have to teach him about seals so he could open his scroll in security.
'Hm, Oji-san said 'Anko' would most likely be found at the dango shop, possibly with 'Kurenai' with her… Dango shop… dango… dango…'
Eventually the shop he wanted came into view and he peeked inside, looking at all the customers quickly to find his target. Sure enough, at the back of the shop in a booth to themselves were two ladies, one with long, black hair and red eyes with a strange outfit on, the other with short purple hair and snake-like eyes and a rather revealing outfit.
He pushed through the door, trying to remain unnoticeable as he made his way to the table, only to find himself knocked to the floor by a waiter, "Get out of here Brat. We don't serve people like you!" he spat visciously at the boy, glaring down at him.
But Naruto shook his head and flipped himself up, avoiding the arm that reached out for him and scurried to their table where the waiter wasn't foolish enough to follow – they all knew of Mitarashi, Anko. She'd deal with the brat.
As he reached the table, the one with long hair – Kurenai – looked at him, before looking away as if she hadn't seen him. 'So she's one who pretends I'm not here then'.
And the other didn't even bat an eyelid at him, as if she really hadn't noticed he was there.
That scared him, and he was almost tempted to leave, but these people had known his mother, even if it was when they were six years younger.
"Are you Yuuhi, Kurenai and Mitarashi, Anko?" he asked, tentitavely.
Both continued ignoring him so he continued, oblivious to the clenching of the short-haired woman's fists on her stick of dango.
"I heard-"
"I don't give a damn what you heard kid! I'm trying to eat my dango just now so unless you got a damn good reason to be here you should get your ass out of my sight now!"
The whole shop went quiet, and those who hadn't been watching before most definitely were as Naruto stood there, shaken but gathering his nerves, "no."
Her eyes pinned onto his immediately, "What did you say?" she asked, in nothing more than a dark whisper.
He trembled slightly before looking straight back into her eyes, "I said no. I won't go until I know if you two knew-"
The sound of glass breaking filled the entire street as he's knocked through the window of the shop, an angry kunoichi following straight after him, sending civilians running in any direction to get away from her.
"You do not disturb me and ignore what I'm telling you to do when I'm eating dango! You hear that brat?" she asked placing a foot on his head to prevent him getting up and bending down close to him to whisper, "Now unless the village is being destroyed by Orochimaru and I have the chance to kill that snake-fucker, you will never disturb me again, got that?"
he nods, tears threatening to fall from his eyes at the pain and upset got to him, only resulting in the kunoichi mocking him more.
"Aw, the little baby wanna cry? He want the nice kunoichi to kiss it better? Well screw that kid. You stay away from me, and we'll both be happy." She said, pushing her foot slightly harder against his skull for emphasis.
"Anko, let's go." They both look up at the black-haired chuunin as anko removed her foot and the raven haired one glanced down at the blonde, "Don't come near either of us again."
And with that they walked away, leaving the boy to pull himself to his feet dejectedly and stumble away from the scene.
Managing to reach an enclosed training field, surrounded by trees, he let his tears out, crying to Evrae through his mind, "Please. Don't ever reject me like that Evrae, I couldn't bear you to say things like that to me!"
And quickly the deep voice of the dragon reached his mind, 'I won't Naru-chan. Don't worry. I'll be with you forever. The two of us, immortal with each other. I'm coming to where you are Naru-chan, don't move alright?'
"It's dangerous though, you… you could get caught!"
'I'm not going to let you cry by yourself, I need to be with you to know that I'm able to comfort you when you need me Naru-chan. Please, just stay where you are, I won't be long.'
Resignedly Naruto nodded, leaning back against the tree behind him and waiting. Soon enough the sounds of displaced leaves, limbs hitting trees in haste and the pant of his dragon's breath met his ears and he turned as Evrae barrelled up to him, enveloping his neck in a hug as Evrae licked his cheeks to get rid of the large tears that continued to fall.
'Sit down Little One. Sit down and rest. I won't leave and I'll make sure no one disturbs you.'
And by this point, Naruto couldn't argue anymore, his body ached from the beating Anko had given him and he was emotionally exhausted as he drifted off to sleep, Evrae's lullaby echoing in his head again.
To say the hokage was angry was an understatement. He was furious, livid and enraged. Most specifically with three ninja's.
So he called the three of them to his office, making the two kunoichi wait in tense silent, perforated thickly with his anger, until the third ninja arrived a record hour and a half late. Must have been the quickest he had ever arrived and yet it was doing him no good today.
"Now, I hope the three of you know why you're here…"
Kakashi seemed nonplussed but the two kunoichi seemed to have a slight inclination.
Realising he was waiting for an answer Kurenai spoke, "yes sir, The uzumaki kid."
The hokage ground his teeth angrily, "Yes, 'The uzumaki kid'. His name is Naruto, he has feelings, emotions and yet you and the rest of the village seem to disregard that. And I've had enough. This ends today. The three of you have pushed me too far after I told him good things about each of you, and have just disgraced two other ninja's who's names everyone holds in high regard. So, shall we discuss the issues you might have with Naruto and I'll solve them for you."
None of the gathered ninja seemed to want to say anything so the hokage glared at each of them, before settling on anko.
"Mitarashi. You can start. What did Naruto do to warrant being thrown through a window before being violently assaulted further as you happily attempted to break his self-confidence?"
Anko bit her lip, unsure as to what to say to that question until he forcefully demanded an answer from her, "WELL?"
"He… disturbed me sir."
"He disturbed you?"
"yes. I told him that he should leave unless he had good reason to disturb me. He didn't, as I could plainly tell we were not being invaded."
"And that is the only reason one could possibly have for interrupting your time whilst eating? There couldn't be any matters other than that which would require him to stay and disturb you?"
anko quivered slightly, she couldn't remember ever seeing the Third this mad, "There… there could have been."
The third glared at her, "So because he was disturbing you, you punched him, sending him through a window and beat him? I fail to see how that is fair. And then you taunted him because he's weak? Do you think he's weak anko?"
She knew what he wanted her to say, but she wasn't going to take this because of that brat, even though she knew she had pushed the line well past breaking point long ago, "I do sir."
He remained silent, lips pursed before turning to look at the other kunoichi in the room,
"And you Yuuhi. You didn't do anything to prevent the unjust attack on Naruto and only spared him words with hate. What do you have against the boy?"
she bit her lip, glancing at anko quickly before back at the hokage, "I cannot speak of it, sir."
He once again ground his teeth together, feeling small pieces break away into his mouth from the friction, before continuing in a false-light-hearted manner, "Ah, I see. You think him to be the kyuubi."
The gathered ninja gasp lightly as he breaks his own law in mentioning the demon. But the Professor ignored the three of them and turned to Kakashi.
"Hatake, I have to say you were my biggest let down of the three of you. I thought that you, of everyone in the village, might have followed the fourth's wish and accepted Naruto. Now out with it, your reasons for being so cruel, for looking at him with such hatred?"
Kakashi took a slight breath, seemingly in wonder of what he was going to say until he suddenly burst out, hatred in every sentence for the one he was speaking about. "He's a god damn demon! He killed so many people six years ago and I saw it all. He took my sensei from me! The last of my precious people! The last of the people I wanted to protect! He should be dead, and Minato-sensei should be here instead! I hate him, and I will never accept him! He's a demon, and a murderer!!!"
The other two stood silently in shock, having never expected the normally laid back jounin to respond with such animosity as that. But their thoughts were cut off before they could begin as the hokage spoke again.
"But he's not even strong. There had been no sign of the kyuubi's strength in him, or any acts of demonic tendencies, how can you say he's a dem-"
"He used his chakra to run up walls and flip over fences, normal kids only learn that when they're thirteen! There's no way he's not a demon, he's too strong and skilled!"
and finally the hokage's face lost his hatred, filled only with deep despair, "I'm glad you said that Kakashi, for so many reasons."
He stood, looking out of the large window over the village, "I almost loath this village for what they've done. Unfortunately I don't have it in me, and neither does he."
He turned suddenly back to face the three of them, "Naruto knows of the kyuubi. He knows it's sealed in him, he knows who did it and why. And he doesn't hate any body for it. Not the fourth for doing this to him, because he understands why he did it and is glad he did if it means keeping the village safe; not the villagers who have been biased against him since the day he took his first breath and had his fate sealed, for he understands their need to hate, but I am close to finding it in myself to hate these people for him."
He turned again, his breathing suddenly harsh, "Kakashi… you said he was too strong to be normal… and yet anko is calling him weak. How can he be both?"
Before they have time to respond he continues, "he is strong, not only physically but mentally. You said he was too young to be that strong. You're right Kakashi, he is, but he's been forced to become that strong because otherwise he won't survive. He is SIX years old, and you're throwing him through a window anko, and then beating him into the ground, he's following you Kakashi, wanting to know more about one person and you ignore him and only look at him with hate until you lose him by force, and Kurenai, you do nothing to stop it."
He breathing is still ragged as he attempts to calm it before apparently giving in and continuing his rant, "Kakashi, how old were you when you graduated the academy? Naruto hasn't even tried to graduate yet and he's one year older than you were. You said it was unnatural to be so strong that young. He is so like you it hurts me to see you pushing him away. He's so alone and no one in this entire village gives a shit about that!" he punches his desk suddenly, causing the entire thing to collapse and the three ninja to begin to fear for their safety.
There was several minutes silence in which he panted, trying to regain his composure but not quite managing as he turned back to face them.
"I told Naruto, very good things about each of you, and because of that he pushed himself to get to know you, so he could know more about his parents. I told him you knew them best and that if you were friends with his parents then you could only be good people. So, not only have you potentially ruined the trust Naruto has in me, you've just ruined his feelings for his own parents and their own names in his eyes. I hope the three of you are proud of yourself, cause you have just potentially ruined the names of Uzumaki, Kushina and Namikaze, Minato, in the eyes of their son, Namikaze, Naruto."
The shinobi's brain slowly took it in, as the third collapsed back onto his chair, more exhausted than they could ever remember seeing him as he looked into their eyes one at a time again.
"That's all he wanted to do. Meet each of you, and find out more about you and his parents. I… I told him how good you were. Gods, he must hate me so much right now. And just after he had got back aswell! I wanted him to be happy knowing his heritage! Not this, this… this is the worst possible thing that could ever have happened! I can only pray what I said about Jiraiya holds true when they meet."
And the three ninja stood awkwardly as tears flowed slowly and painfully down the old man's face, imagining the pain he must have caused the boy.
And as it became apparent the hokage would not say anything else for a while they each turned to their own thoughts, what they knew or had seen of the boy.
He had knocked, several times, but even though the room was silent there was still no answer and it was beginning to worry him. 'i'm sure he's just reading that orange book again, he can never pay attention when he's reading that' Naruto thought to himself before deciding it can't be important if no one's talking and there's no anbu posted at the door.
"Oji-san?" he asks quietly as he pokes his head round the door only to freeze as four sets of eyes locked onto him, three of which he didn't want to run into quite yet but, he had decided, if they didn't want to be his friends, then he would have to force them. So he pushed the door open cautiously and shuffled up to Anko. He didn't dare look into her eyes, therefore missing the uncertain look marring her features as he stopped infront of her.
Hesitantly, he bowed, waiting for the painful rebuke and abuse as he spoke, "I'm sorry… for interrupting you. It's won't happen again!" he started tentatively barely managing to finish with more conviction.
Now, normally when Naruto tried to apologise when he must have done something wrong – although he doubted that now – he was hit, in some way or other, thus it became his natural reflex to stiffen immediately. And as expected he felt pressure applied on his back. But it felt different. There was pressure, but no pain, and his face was tilted up suddenly, to end up staring straight into the snake's eyes, unable to look away because of the firm grip on his chin.
"no." he attempted with more effort to look away then, used to having his apologies rejected and knowing that that meant. Apparently it wasn't what he thought it did as she gently placed her lips on his forehead, "I'm sorry Naruto-kun."
He gaped slightly at her as she pulled him into a hug, then declaring how cute he was when he blushes, simultaneously cutting off his oxygen supply as he was engulfed in any perverts dream. (Insert sneezes from vast majority of Konoha males) when suddenly he felt a strange… heaviness in the air around him, tracing the source back to Kurenai as Anko continued to hug him.
"Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique" she whispered before Naruto quickly found himself replaced with a cushion.
"She's not great at sensing my genjutsu. It'll be a while before she realises it's not you." Kurenai smiled gently down at him, completely different from how she had been earlier, making him wonder if that had been an impostor.
It wasn't likely but then again, this was very unlike earlier, he thought as she too leant down and kissed him, on the cheek this time, giving him a cheeky grin when she pulled back causing him to blush. Then she too pulled him into a hug, apologising for her earlier actions.
'This is just too weird Evrae… why are they acting so kind now?' he questioned with his mind, only to receive no response, obviously he was too far away.
'all this needs now is for Mr Mean over there to hug me and say he's sorry for being so horrible to me!' Naruto thought, laughing at the stupidity, not noticing as Kurenai moved away and the jounin stepped infront of him.
When he did notice the tall and intimidating form infront of him he took a hesitant step back, looking up into the man's one visible eye but unable to get anything from it. Just as he was considering running from the room the man ducked down to a crouch, bringing his head level with naruto's and ruffling his blonde locks, "Sorry kid, I guess I'm still too tightly wound after sensei's death. I'll make it up to ya, you wanted to know about your dad, right?"
Naruto looked back at him, surprised, "Oto-san…?"
Kakashi nods, pulling him suddenly into a hug, placing his arms around his back and holding him close, whispering into his ear so only Naruto could hear, "I am so sorry about what happened, Naruto. I don't know if I can ever make it up to you or your father but-"
He stops as Naruto suddenly pulls away, "You want to make it up to my father?" he asks, with surprising bite in his words, leaving Kakashi too confused to do anything other than just nod.
He turns to Kurenai, and Anko who seems to have just dispelled the illusion, "And you, my mother?"
They nod too, all three completely confused at his actions, even more so when the hokage suddenly stands, saying in a softened voice, "Naruto! Wait."
But it was too late as the six year old had already left the office, slamming the door behind him.
"What was that about?" the three jounin ask simultaneously as the hokage sighs.
He quickly hopped across rooftops, making his way to the one place in the village that seems to appeal to him now.
"naruto's always grown up alone. You all probably know he's always wanted to prove himself, work for things and be rewarded for his hard work. to him… you just said you were being kind to him to make it up to his parents. He never would want things given to him because of who his parents are. If he gets something, it's because he's worked for it, because he deserves it, not because someone thinks that by helping him they're paying off their debt to someone else. He never wanted to know you because his parents were your friends, he wanted to know you because you were his parents friends!" the hokage announces to them, letting them draw a blank for several seconds before Kurenai speaks up, "I don't understand, hokage-sama…"
the hokage growls, obviously irritated because there weren't getting it.
"Because his parents were your friends you feel like you owe him something. Naruto doesn't see that at all. He doesn't want you to feel like that. But because you were his parents friends, he knows that from you he'll have insight into them. He'll see what his parents were like when they were with you. You could tell him stories of his parents he would never hear anywhere else but he doesn't want that because he's their son. He wants that because he's a nice person. He wants you to think of him as your friend, not him as the son of your friends. You see the difference? You see the way you make it sound almost like a chore to become friends with him. Naruto's been living his life, having to look for deeper meaning in everyone's words since the age of three. It's just natural he would make assumptions like that but you didn't make it any better by thinking it yourself."
The two females still looked confused but the perverted-jounin nodded, "I get it. Thank you."
And with that he left the room, in search of his new little blonde friend.
He had only been lying there for twenty minutes when Kakashi found him and lay down beside him, also using his chakra to hold him in position.
"You know if you keep this up, you'll suffer chakra depletion, and that can get serious." Kakashi warned him with a lazy voice.
"If I didn't need food and water I could stay up here for months without running out of chakra. I'm the kyuubi, remember?" he asked before rolling onto his side to face away from the jounin who sighed and placed the book back in his pouch.
"Naruto, I'm sorry for what I said earlier but throwing a tantrum like this is pointless. What would your parents think?"
Naruto huffed but refused to face him, "I wouldn't know."
'Approach no. 1 – failed. Move onto no. 2' Kakashi thinks to himself.
"Well come on, I'm sure you've sulked enough. God knows how long you spend sulking in your apartment each day." 'That didn't come out as gently as I wanted it to.'
Now Naruto snorts, "Yeah, only God would know. No one else gives a shit."
'Keep your temper down. This is Minato's kid. Minato's kid. No! Naruto. Naruto.'
"Come on Naruto, give me a break. I'm not good with this whole upset kid thing, heck I'm not good with kids. Just… cut me some slack I'm trying my best!"
and suddenly Naruto turns to stare at him, "Why should I give you a damn break? When have I ever been given on single break in my entire life? And I have to deal with a whole village of people hating me! Why do you deserve a break when you have such a great life compared to the shit I have!?!"
kakashi's patience snapped and suddenly he was pinning Naruto down whilst holding a forearm against his throat, "Now shut up! I'm sick of hearing your winy voice. You just go on so much about how bad you've had it. You're not the only one who's had it bad, and you don't hear me snivelling about it like you are. You have no right to moan and bitch when other people are probably suffering a whole load more than you! Atleast you've got people who… people who…"
he looked down at the boy, who had begun panting for breath because of the arm pressed tightly against his throat whilst tears ran down his face because of the angry jounin holding him.
"Naruto… I'm sorry. I just keep on doing this. I can't do this. I'm just hurting you more!" he pulls away, making a move to stand up when something collides with his chest, crying into his jounin jacket, fisting their hands into the green material.
Kakashi sits back, pulling Naruto against him and rocking the boy gently to give him comfort of sorts.
"Just… just cause I'm… crying, doesn't mean th…that I'm giving… up on anything! I'm still going to be the hokage… and… and the best… Rider ever…" he fades off as he falls asleep against the jounin's chest.
Slowly the jounin, stroking the boy's hair gently as he shifted him into his arms and carried him back to the hokage's office, to find the old man waiting alone, the two women gone.
Upon seeing the boy cradled in his arms the hokage smiled, thankful he was alright before his eyes crinkled slightly as he picked up on something, "he's been crying."
Kakashi nods, "he had a lot to get off his chest."
He takes a seat opposite the hokage, the desk still lying destroyed between them, "you said… that he managed to teach himself chakra control? He went away for three weeks and came back knowing it?"
The hokage nods, silently regretting the fact the boy has to leave the village.
"Why did he go away? Was it authorised?"
and the hokage sighed – which he had been doing a lot recently – "It's never official. But since he was three he's always gone out of the village by himself, into the forests for several days around his birthday. He said he stayed longer this time because he wanted to be alone, training, away from the villagers. So no, it's not authorised but it's necessary."
Kakashi sighed, looking down at the boy in his arms, knowing this was going to be so… troublesome but just looking at him made him more than certain he would be happy with his decisions. "I want to train Naruto."
This causes the hokage to raise an eyebrow, "Oh, and-"
"I also want to adopt him."
The hokage's stare hardens, looking over the jounin infront of him for any failings or weaknesses he might show in his decision but none were offered. He held the stare directed at him evenly, determined to show the hokage he really meant this.
"Why?" the question was sharp, no doubting the hokage was serious about this boy's well-being.
"Minato…" he hadn't started off great with the hokage by allowing that to be the first word out of his mouth, but he knew his reasoning and, to him, it made sense. "Minato was like a father to me after my own died. He helped me overcome the tough hurdles I had put up for myself. Minato – like my father – was stolen from this world and I want to follow the lessons sensei gave me on life and help Naruto through his. This isn't because of Minato, it's because of what I think I can give to Naruto."
They stared into each others eyes for several minutes, Kakashi attempting to force the hokage to see his point of view, and the hokage watching for any signs of deceit or any thoughts of hurting Naruto in his eyes.
Finally accepting that this decision was 100% Naruto friendly he nodded, "I'll have the paperwork ready by 11am tomorrow. If you even dare be a second late stepping through my door, you can kiss the papers goodbye."
The jounin nods, an unusual seriousness in his eyes.
"I'll see you tomorrow then Hokage-sama."
Standing he turned and left the room, Naruto still cradled safely against his chest, light as a feather.
'hm, that could cause problems with his training' Kakashi mused as he walked home, ignoring every glance thrown at him but returning every glare thrown at his precious cargo with like, much to the surprise of the villagers.
Just as he reached the front door of his house, a loud, over-exuberant, ball of green spandex leapt at him, attempting to barrel him over while screaming salutations at him. It was all Kakashi could do not to bang his head repeatedly on his door, so he settled instead on using one hand to grab Gai around the neck as he flew past for a second time and hold him to the ground, "Shut up!"
And quite unexpectantly he did, noticing the orange bundle supported in his other arm.
"Isn't that…" the (ho ho ho) green giant whispered quietly as he peered at the boy. Kakashi's eye's narrowed, preparing to correct gai, "Uzumaki, Naruto? He is most youthful indeed! Why, just these past days since he returned youthfully from his training outside the village, I have seen him in the training hard in one of my usual training spots. Several hours of training he did before I stopped watching him and left him to it. His katas are indeed perfect already, such a pity the academy style is so flawed. Such dedication from one his age! Such…" he seemed to struggle for the word before his eyes lit up, "YOUTH!!!"
and suddenly the door was slammed on Gai's persistant babble.
Watcha think then?
So Naruto's about to be adopted and that's the end of the Naruto torture, I swear!
Next chapter out tomorrow (In English time, no idea what time it'll be in any other country!)
