Chapter 3: Finding Family
"An ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship." - Spanish Proverb
It was a beautiful morning, and the sounds of metal scraping against stone filled the air. There was an irregular rhythm to it, and it could have driven almost anyone mad. Still, sword maintenance needed to be done. He depended on his sword, and if the blade was not in pristine condition then his life could prematurely end. To Yurushi, this routine was as second nature as breathing. He was still moving slower than he wanted to, but it was to be expected. The difference between the base power of the seal, and the increase in strength his master gave it was noticeable. He had just gotten used to what he was dubbing level two of his training seal when his master stated that he would need to learn how to make use of his increased speed and precision in battle.
The process involved getting used to level one to the point that there was no resistance at all. That took a whole six months of training. Level two of the seal was exponentially more difficult and it took him well over a year to adapt to it. Now, after sixteen months since level two seal training began, his master adopted a new training method. Sensei would have him return down to level one to test out and train with his increased speed, and then go back to level two at the end. Each time his pain was redoubled, and he hated life the next morning. Still the difference in his movement speed and precision was beyond incredible. It took him about five minutes to adjust to his increased speed, but once he felt comfortable that he wouldn't hurt himself Yurushi discovered just how advanced he was for his age.
The heat of summer was beginning to wane a little, as autumn was beginning to show its colors. His master had noted that the climate in this country stayed rather temperate year round, but on rare occasion the winter season was harsh. Hi no Kuni was a country that his master avoided as much as possible, but there were a few wares that he needed to purchase which could only be found inside the expansive borders of the land. A special type of wood that Katsushiro-sensei believed made the best scabbards money could buy. Either way, Yurushi rarely went to town with his master. His teacher would usually give him an assignment or training exercise to accomplish by the time he returned.
With a keen eye and careful inspection of his wakizashi he tried to find any signs of the blade's weakness. The samurai's Chakra Sabre technique was difficult, but he was beginning to get the hang of the basics. His master was far better at using it though. Sensei was able to project his chakra, allowing the mystical energy to encompass the blade. From there he could double the length of his sword's effective range, change the shape of the chakra that surrounded it, or even unleash it upon a distant target. Yurushi was only able to project his own chakra into his sword, and could not complete the base technique on his own yet. Still, the skill he acquired served the great purpose of preserving the integrity of his sword's construction. His master said this technique is learned as a rite of passage for a Samurai so that they do not have to deal with a broken sword in battle. Without this ability, even the best made katana might not survive true combat.
Gliding his left hand along the smooth surface of the metal, Yurushi found the blade to his liking. Sword sheathed, he saw something strange on his hand. He hadn't even noticed the cut that now bled freely from his open palm. The plasma flowed as a brook, running gently along every fold of skin. His hand now served to guide the red river as it marched, carving out its path looking to find its final home. It was just like that night. His hands would never be clean now.
Reaching for his canteen, Yurushi used the water inside to wash away the blood that had begun to pool in his palm. The cool wet sensation did little to heal the injury, but it wiped away the emotions that were already resurfacing in the back of his mind. They would return. Just as the blood would return until the wound scabbed over. Nothing would be the same again. Even the scar that formed would be a reminder. The boy rose and searched through the supplies left behind in his master's cart. A discarded cloth would serve as a bandage well enough. Tying the fabric around his hand, he did his best to forget.
He had a job to do. His Sensei gave him a task. This injury would be no excuse, and neither was the lack of time wasted by treating it. His Sensei's expectations and training were all that mattered right now. Everything else could wait until later. He set off to accomplish the task left for him vowing to deal with the issues floating up into his conscious thoughts. Yurushi swore to deal with them some other time; knowing that he would try to never touch them again.
The village square was calm, but busy. People moved from stand to stand buying and selling that which they needed for daily life. It was a small village, but it prospered with the success of the lumber mill that was started there. Katsushiro was not used to being noticed during his trips to town. Over the past two decades, his life depended on him keeping a low profile. More recently, the life of his young charge was also dependent on his ability to blend in with the crowd. Now people recognized that he was out of place.
He was not a true stranger to this town. His alias had been well received by its citizens in the past, but he also did not go out of his way to make friends with any of the populace. This town was a hotspot for information. He did not lie to his young disciple when he told them they had the highest quality lumber he could find, but that was a convenient cover. This was a border village, and was very well patrolled by the shinobi of Konohagakure. Due to the constant changing of the guard, many of the shopkeepers and weapon smiths were somewhat well versed in the gossip coming out of the hidden village of Hi no Kuni. Today, however, they were silent.
There was a hard stare toward him coming from a kind woman who had sold him rice during his last stay. She always bore a gentle smile in the past, but now there was distrust in her eyes. Several other vendors treated him with trepidation, as if he would lash out at them at a moments' notice. Granted, it had been nearly two years since he had last paid a visit so unfamiliarity was to be expected, but this was different. It was quite obvious that something happened during that time away, but the question of what exactly had occurred lingered in the air.
The store was well marked, and a welcome sight as Katsushiro navigated through a crowd whose eyes honed in on him. A bell rang when he opened the door, and was greeted by smells of freshly cut wood. The pines, elms, and maples were strong and the visions of industry and growth were blended with that of a woodland home in his olfactory triggered memories. It was the smell of safety. It was the safety that was provided by a home and bought by the sword. His daydreaming was cut short by a hurried greeting that was likely directed at him.
"Ah, welcome back Kambei-sama," the man stated excitedly. He was a shrewd business man, but he was honest and had an eye for good quality. "I had to sell the original order I had reserved for you, but I just acquired a new shipment last night. I shall fetch the finest lumber I have in order to make it up to you."
"There is no need for such formalities Daichi-san. The usual order is enough," Katsushiro, or rather Kambei, answered as the slightly portly man disappeared into his store room. He didn't care much for the exaggerated formality Daichi gave him, but it was out of respect so he allowed it. He also didn't feel like protesting it after the first argument they had on the subject. If people deem you to be worthy of honor they will give it to you whether you want it or not. Besides, it was Kambei who was being honored and not truly himself.
The man returned with the desired product in his arms. Inspecting his purchase, Katsushiro noticed the pattern of the grain and the evenness of the cut. The wood was naturally tensile, but it was remarkably sturdy. Once it was carved and then painted or polished it was easy to maintain. While a scabbard made of this wood would not hold up as a guard against another katana, there was another property that made it quite valuable. The species of tree that the wood came from was one of the few that allowed for an easy use of chakra flow techniques. Metal can be forged in ways that allowed for chakra to be channeled through it, but for it to occur in living organic matter was a rarity. Things blessed with life in any form had a tendency to resist chakra not its own, as the theory goes.
"As usual Daichi-san, you have only the finest," Katsushiro admitted warmly.
"Well, that is my lifelong reputation and I would be remiss not to uphold it," the portly man said smugly as he began to package the materials for sale and ease of transport.
"I have noticed that the people around here have been somewhat less approachable than I remember them being. Did something happen to cause this?" Katsushiro asked knowing that it was best to be direct with Daichi. A businessman of Daichi's caliber has no time to waste with indirect speech.
"It was no major event or catastrophe if that is what you were thinking," Daichi responded. "Recently there has been an increase in the patrols in this area. Strange people show up and that puts the ninja on edge, which then puts the townspeople on edge. So, some of that may just be the general distrust of a stranger."
"But that isn't the whole story is it?" Katsushiro asked knowingly. Of course it wasn't the whole story. Even a few of the regular shinobi patrolling this village knew his face and recognized the name Kambei.
"No. I am afraid that the reputation that you had established here may have been called into question Kambei-sama," Daichi confirmed with a frown.
"Is that so," Katsushiro answered. This was disturbing. Had his absence really made the people he had established a good rapport with begin to distrust him? No, that wouldn't make sense given the kindhearted nature of the people here. Something specific would have had to take place for people to call his character into question. Did they find out that he had been lying to them about who he was? No, Kambei may as well be a real person with an established identity and a traceable history. All physical resemblance to Katsushiro was painstakingly hidden when trips into town were made. The number of people alive who could make the connections could be counted on one hand. None of them lived anywhere near here.
"Indeed," Daichi started to drawl as if he were nervous about the subject. "It was nearly five months ago that a man came looking for you by name. This was nothing too strange, as I have gotten several referrals for your wears. This man was strange though. He had fearsome, unnatural eyes. I honestly thought he was going to eat me with the way he licked his lips."
"Who was this man?" Katsushiro tried to not sound disturbed.
"I never bothered to ask for his name, and he wasn't too concerned when I told him that I believed you were dead because you missed picking up your shipment by over 7 months. He simply said that he may return looking for you," the large man elaborated.
"What did he want me for?" The former samurai asked. He was trying to stay calm, but if he could figure out who was looking for him then it would ease his mind from the fear of being discovered.
The man stroked the tip of his fingers against his chin in recollection. "If I remember correctly he was looking for something that an old friend of yours had left with you. He said that he was hoping that you could return it to him, but never said what it was."
"What were his defining features?" Katsushiro was hiding the fear steadily growing inside of him. Had they found him? Perhaps, but if they were following the trail that Kambei had left then they were at least a year behind him. Still, one fact weight heavily on his mind: someone had connected the dots and was hunting him down. There was only one person who would be interested in killing him, but it didn't sound like they were after him.
"He had long black hair and I swear that his eyes seemed to be a rich gold color, or something resembling honey, but I'm not sure. It was so long ago, and I don't remember much of his face beyond those terrible eyes. Also, he was an uncommonly tall man. There was an unusual cloak. It was black, and adorned with red clouds, but that is all that I can be sure of," the man stated.
"I see," Katsushiro was making the short list of suspects. The issue being that the membership had drastically changed over the years. At least it wasn't the man that he had feared, but that fact alone didn't help much. In this case, the unknown was much more terrifying. "Was there anything else?"
"Nothing else from that man, but what happened about a month after he left made people really call you into question," Daichi started. "You see after that man left Jiraiya-sama came into town looking for any information about the man who had been looking for you."
"Jiraiya of the Sannin?" Katsushiro was nothing but curious. Was Jiraiya looking for information on Akatsuki? No, Akatsuki was a small group. Big names perhaps, but it is a small group. They wouldn't be worth Jiraiya's time or energy. Not yet at least. The man was a notorious womanizer, author, ninja, but the only information that he seemed to have an ear for was information about the other two legendary ninja he had once called teammates. It is possible that he had heard of Akatsuki, but from all Katsushiro could tell there was no reason Jiraiya should have an interest in them. Perhaps the legendary ninja just wanted to be a step ahead and grab any available information on the group, just in case.
"Indeed," Daichi confirmed. "With a strange and shady character looking for you and then Jiraiya-sama looking for him, many people around here came to the conclusion that you kept the sort of company that causes problems. People around here don't like taking chances on people who could cause trouble. The Konoha shinobi cause us enough grief, and many of us don't appreciate any more of it."
"Then why did you accept my business Diachi-san?" Katsushiro was fairly curious. The large man sounded aggravated, as if Katsushiro had done something wrong against him. With Akatsuki on his trail Katsushiro had to make sure that he kept the few allies he had left. At the very least he had to make sure that Diachi would not sell him out. One way or another, the man would have to stay silent. Whether or not that silence was voluntary would be entirely up to the businessman.
"Simple, you are a loyal customer and you pay in advance," the man answered matter-of-factly. "There is no sense in chasing away a good customer. It's just bad business."
"Do you trust me?" Katsushiro asked tentatively.
"But of course. A samurai of your skill has certainly made powerful enemies over the years," man began to elaborate. "Apparently one of those enemies has decided to come back for revenge or something to that affect. I may not be a samurai, but even in the world of business it is easy to understand how irrational an enemy can be when revenge is on their mind."
"Thank you for that understanding," Katsushiro answered feeling a weight removed from his chest. Breathing easier he took the package he had purchased. Withdrawing a healthy sum of ryō and placing on the counter before him he drew the stout man's attention. "Please, take this for your troubles."
"Kambei-sama it was no trouble at all. I can't accept this from you," Diachi stated. Of course, he would be a shrewd businessman with morals. Apparently he could not pickup subtle social clues either. Not exactly what Katsushiro had been expecting.
"Diachi-san, I wasn't making an offer, and it wasn't a request," Kambei answered sternly. "Perhaps you will understand this. I was never here, you never saw me, and I am dead as far as you know."
"I see," Diachi said thoughtfully. The man, by the look on his face, was clearly trying to discern what this might mean without being too nosey. "Is it that bad?"
"Let's just say that I am surprised you are still alive," Katsushiro answered with all seriousness. "Your business was much appreciated, but I simply cannot put your life in further jeopardy. Should I return then you will have nothing to fear, but until this is over I will not be back. I hope your business will not suffer in my absence."
"It has been an honor Kambei-sama," Diachi said with a short bow.
"The honor has been mine Diachi-san," Katsushiro returned the bow and left the store. If the Akatsuki had picked up his trail then things were getting dangerous; perhaps far too dangerous. He was deep in thought while walking toward the village gates. Mentally he ran through his inventory of supplies, food, weapons, and other necessities. The trip here was strictly business, but it may be a while before another opportunity to restock came around.
The boy was the biggest factor right now. Yurushi's training had progressed steadily over the years. Now that he was adapting to the seal that had been placed on him, Yurushi was growing exponentially. In time he could rival the skill of the samurai of Tetsu no Kuni, and perhaps even Mifune himself. That would be years away, and Yurushi was never meant to become a samurai. That was not his destiny. The question that floated around Katsushiro's mind as he wandered toward the edge of the town square was a simple one. Was Yurushi ready for the next stage? Training him as a samurai provided a solid foundation, but there would be things he would have to relearn, and habits he would have to break if the boy were to survive.
Shadows and lies were what awaited him. Such a world was not fit for a samurai. If Yurushi was not ready to handle it then all he would receive would be a knife in the dark. It would be a swift and bloody end for a clan that was barely clinging to existence. With the Akatsuki on the move, however, there was little other option. The boy would have to go. At least he would not be alone, and he would have family to watch over him. It would have been a better place for the kid to grow up, but Akane had been clear in her desire for Katsushiro to train her son.
The gates were humble. Not a true defense, but the village was not very defensible. If an enemy wanted to take it, they would succeed. The walls were weak, the guard was few, trees limited the view of the watch, a river cut through the heart of the town, and the leadership was weak-willed. The only real advantage was that this village was a valuable resource, and as such it would be captured and not raised. No matter the tyrant that controlled it, the people would maintain the majority of their everyday lives. With a quiet confidence Katsushiro strode past the meager number of shinobi serving as a guard. He stopped briefly as they checked him and the supplies he was taking, and left the small city behind.
The path out of the village was an empty and the noonday sun shone between the leaves of the trees. Trees lined the path on both sides, but something was different about a few on his right. Markings were made on two that he could see. If his suspicion was correct then there were other trees with similar markings. Yurushi seemed to have accomplished his task. Quality would be in question now. The first tree came into view, and the markings grew in clarity. The markings became scratches upon the bark, and the scratches became carefully carved characters.
Open roads ahead
The first line of the poem read as it was displayed on the tree. The characters were cut cleanly into the wood. Rubbing a hand against the tree the surface felt smooth. The bark wasn't extremely rough or broken, and this made it easier to carve. What would have been brushstrokes on paper were precise strikes with a blade against the tree. The kanji were carved with great precision and accuracy, proving the skill the boy had with a sword. Quickly, Katsushiro moved to the second tree that was similarly marked.
The westward wind takes flight
The quality in the second tree was identical to the first. It was a show of consistency. It was a testament to the boy's ability to not give in or let up when the fight had begun. He showed tenacity, a focus, and a drive that was reflected in the work he had done in the second tree. Yurushi would need such things in the years to come. Many would have slacked off, or become lax. Yurushi remained vigilant and set on his goal. A wonderful trait if one was not prone to tunnel vision. Moving on, he studied the words on the third tree as he approached.
Trees waving fair well
The third tree had the same quality work as the first two. Katsushiro had instructed his young student not to stop until the poem was carved out, not to sharpen his sword if it became dull, and not to replace it if it broke. The continued quality proved two things. First, it showed off the great endurance that the Uzumaki clan had been known for. Anyone else near the boy's age would have been unable to maintain such a pace. The chakra flow technique of the samurai was difficult for a child to maintain. This reason was the second proof of the boy's skill. The preteen was able to utilize an intensive technique for an extended period of time. While he could not perform the true Samurai Sabre Technique, Yurushi was able to use it to an extent that kept his blade from breaking easily or dulling too quickly.
The craftsmanship was quality, and the poem wasn't half bad either. Perhaps the boy was ready after all. Picking up his pace on the main road Katsushiro gathered his thoughts. The Akatsuki lie in wait. Whether they were after him or his young pupil was unknown. It was an irrelevant notion considering that either way his disciple could not stay in his care any longer. Katsushiro could not defend him against the full might of the Akatsuki, and Yurushi would be a hindrance in avoiding their detection. It was no longer safe for him to stay. Turning back he looked at the village. Trying to create a new alias by which he could acquire his valuable materials would be difficult and time consuming. Nothing passable came to mind, but it was something that would have to be worked out for his continued survival. Something caught his eye as he was returning his gaze back toward camp.
On the other side of the road, facing away from the village gates there were three trees that bore similar markings as the ones Yurushi had carved into. The lines were spaced as evenly as Yurushi's and bore his swordsmanship. The poem that was engraved on their surface even held his writing style. The child had gone above and beyond what was asked of him. Katsushiro wondered if Yurushi had sharpened his sword for the second poem, but it didn't matter much. At a glance, the same level of skill was displayed in the second poem as was the first.
A long journey's end
Candlelight in the window
The sweet smells of home
"Yes," Katsushiro said to no one in particular as a small smile grew on his face. "The boy is ready to go to Konoha."
Late morning brought a great deal of activity. It was always a peaceful time watching the people passing by. They moved from shop to shop, street to street, and house to house going about their business. Many of them were so happy to be alive. It would be great to join them, but that is only asking for trouble. Trouble always started when he tried to join in on their fun.
It was nothing serious. Most of the time they would send hate filled stares toward him, and that was if they acknowledged him at all. Whenever they could, as often as they could, for as long as they could, the people of his home town would act like he never existed. They would ignore him when he spoke, and would never recognize his actions. For a brief time he tried his hardest to always be on his best behavior, but that didn't get him any of the attention that he wanted.
'I sure showed them that I won't be ignored,' a small boy thought to himself as he spotted his target.
It was a plain four story building. Nothing was special about it. It had a large double door at the entrance, rows of windows on every floor, and at the moment it was filled with all sorts of different people. He had spent most of last night studying the layout of the building with the blueprints in the public archives. This would take all of his skill to pull off, but if he succeeded then they would have to acknowledge that he was a great ninja.
With cerulean eyes focused on his objective he ran over his entry plan.
'Main entrance always has people going in and out, so using that would make them wonder what I'm doing. The windows are a special kind of mirror or something, so they can see me coming if I don't take the right approach. It is a pretty new building with a central cooling system so I can slip in through the air ducts. I just have to be careful not to get caught by any of those stupid chūnin,' the blond haired boy thought with a smile as he had his diversion already planned out. His diversion was perfect to keep several of the various run of the mill ninja busy for several hours while he accomplished his own little mission.
He had to save up for this one. Not that this was much of a problem given that the Hokage made sure he had all the essentials for daily living. The money that he received to purchase what he needed was enough, but just enough. There wasn't much extra, but what he had to save up to pull this prank off was no sacrifice he wouldn't make again. Besides any excuse to buy nothing but instant ramen was more than welcome. If he pulled this off, then he would have to splurge on the good stuff. Wiping the drool collecting on his mouth from thoughts of Ramen Ichiraku, he began to check his supplies.
He pulled out a scroll from his jacket pocket. There was some crazy pattern drawn on it. He had no idea how it worked, but it was one of the most useful things he learned in his class at the Ninja Academy. This fancy piece of art would store just about anything inside of a scroll if chakra was applied. Using chakra on it when something was sealed inside would release the item. Doing so, a small puff of smoke burst forth from the scroll and dispersed revealing a rather large fish. He had purchased the fish late last night. He had to do all of his shopping late at night just moments before the store closed. If he went early they would ignore him until closing time. They would always take his money and give him his stuff, but he always had to wait. If they refused to serve him or tried to overcharge him, then the Hokage showed up. If the Hokage showed up then the store would be closed within a week. People always did just enough to make sure the Hokage never showed up.
'Stupid jerks think I'm an idiot. Well, I showed them. I beat their little game and just do all my shopping before they close so they can't ignore me and waste my time,' he thought as he sealed the fish back into the scroll.
He abandoned his post and jumped from rooftop to rooftop across the village until he came to a particular building. It was old, and rundown, and never used. It was the perfect staging area. He walked into the building as the door creaked open. The wood of the floor strained underneath his every step. It was nearly impossible to be stealthy in here, but the building was far enough away from the Chūnin Command Center that they wouldn't think to look for something out of the ordinary here. It was also close enough that if this decrepit building were to catch on fire, then at least every Chūnin on break would be sent here to put the fire out.
He was no arsonist though, so that was what smoke grenades were for. He lost count of how many he had gathered, but it had to be at least a hundred, or five. Who knows? He tried to count them but gave up after fifty eight. He had unwittingly tricked his Sensei at the Academy, Iruka, into helping him rig these things to detonate in timed intervals. The poor guy thought that he was helping to advance the mischievous child's knowledge of stealth techniques. He was, in fact doing just that, but he would never have agreed to help had he known what the knowledge was going to be used for. Iruka-sensei would give him an earful for it when he heard about this, but the boy suspected his teacher was secretly amused by his antics. Why else would the man spend so much of his free time with him? Surely the guy had family or something, and if his teacher didn't like the pranks then he wouldn't spend so much time away from his family. Would he?
'He seems so happy. There is no way that he could be all alone like I am,' he shook his head to remove the depressing trail of thought. The life of an orphan was a challenging one. The worst part of it was the abject loneliness. The rest of the village doing their best to pretend he didn't exist didn't help matters either. Still, at least his teacher gave him the time of day. Even if it was simply to yell at him for pulling stupid pranks it felt good to be treated like he was alive, like he was human.
He applied chakra to the beginning of a very intricate collection of drawings that littered the warehouse floor. According to Iruka-sensei the technique was pretty basic stuff that most chūnin could learn, but none of it, not a single word was understood by the child. It was all far too complex for him to understand, but he knew when something was useful. The first couple of smoke grenades went off and that was the signal. He would have anywhere between five and ten minutes to get into position before he could enact the next phase of his plan.
Leaving the building the blond kid took to the rooftops once more, but this time from a different path. Approaching the Chūnin Command Center from the eastern side was the better approach. Wearing his trademark orange jacket and pants, and with the sun still climbing in the sky he would be much less noticeable to anyone who may happen to look out the window. The eastern part of the building backed into an alleyway system for several of the surrounding buildings so there would be less foot traffic to deal with. Fewer people walking around meant fewer eyes to possibly spot him. Landing on the roof of the building adjacent he took a moment to collect himself. The building he stood on now, was a story taller than the Command Center and so it was a simple jump down. Walking toward the edge, he carefully peered over to see if there was anyone standing around either on the roof or the ground below. Seeing no one, the boy took several steps back before running to the edge and leaping into the air. He landed on his desired destination with a tuck and roll.
He turned to see a small column of smoke rising in the horizon. Not enough to draw suspicion, but if it kept up for a few more minutes, then a team would be sent to investigate. Moving quickly he removed the grating cover on the duct system with a kunai knife. Crawling inside, he maneuvered the grating back into place. It wasn't as firmly attached, but it simply had to look like all things were ordinary to the passerby.
'Alright, phase one complete,' he thought victoriously as he turned around within the tight confines of the building's ventilation system. 'Now, on to phase two.'
Perhaps the only benefit of being so small for his age was that he could fit into small places like this easily. Just barely pushing a meter and a half in height and just shy of eighty pounds were the measurements of a shrimp according to a few classmates who enjoyed picking on him for his small stature. Yet such a size allowed for him to move freely about the duct system without causing too much noise. He approached the first drop off. Planting feet and hands firmly against the sides of the compact metal tunnel, he descended slowly to the second floor.
Reaching the connecting duct in his way to his target, he maneuvered himself into the new network of tunnels. The tubing broke off in two directions as it wrapped around the building. His destination was somewhere on the left hand side when the duct work split off. Or, perhaps it was the right hand side. He went with his gut, and his gut told him the right.
He crawled toward the end of vents and on the right hand side there was another grate. He dare not look through since there was a light on in the room, and possibly people who might see him. He could hear hushed noises. Murmurs and whispers of people talking about something, what he could not tell, but he could hear them. There was an occasional laugh every once in a while. There was also a consistent mention of a name, it sounded like they were speaking of a person named Kō. Apparently, he was far too rigid and by the book for these people. Impatiently the blond haired boy waited for something. He was beginning to wonder if his distraction had failed. He hoped not because his back-up plan wasn't as funny as he wanted it to be, and getting out would be much more difficult if the chūnin weren't preoccupied. Suddenly, there were sounds a burst of activity.
"Guys, there is a bunch of smoke coming from that abandoned storehouse a few blocks south. We need a team to go check it out. If it caught on fire, then we can't let it spread," someone said loudly.
'Jackpot! It worked like a charm. Now these guys will go running out and I can get to work,' the boy thought with excitement as his plan was really coming together.
The sound of people leaving the room in haste followed shortly, and the lights clicked off. Looking over into the room through the grating, the boy confirmed that it was empty. Removing the vent cover he climbed down to the floor and set his sights on the location of a suitable target. The couch against the wall on the opposite end of the room called to him with the sounds of a heavenly chorus. Drawing the scroll from his pocket he placed it on a nearby table. He unsealed the fish from the scroll and ran to where the couch was. He grabbed the middle cushion of the couch and returned to the table. He unzipped the cushion cover and placed the fish inside. He tried to reposition the fish within the cushion's stuffing so it would not be noticeable to anyone who sat on it.
Returning the cushion where it belonged, he sat down to test it out, and then proceeded to examine the cushion itself. It looked like nothing had been touched, or at least it looked like nothing was worth noting. Grinning, and barely containing his laughter he gathered his now empty storage scroll and climbed back into the vent system. Crawling back out the same way he came in was a bit more difficult, but well worth the effort. He could hardly control himself thinking of how it would be days before the smell began to become unbearable within the largest break room of the Chūnin Command Center. With luck, it would be weeks before they found the source, and by that time the smell would linger for months. It was beautiful, truly beautiful.
'That'll teach those guys to think I could never become a ninja,' he thought to himself as he climbed back onto an empty roof. Replacing the vent cover he turned to find his heart had stopped beating out of fear. Before him stood a man, armed with a sword on his back, and wearing a bear faced mask. He was staring at him, through him, and maybe even inside of him. It was utterly terrifying.
"Uzumaki Naruto," the intimidating man said with cold sternness.
"Y-y-yes," Naruto answered while trying to gulp down the rising fear.
"Hokage-sama requests your presence immediately," the masked ninja stated and vanished into thin air.
'Well crap,' Naruto whined in his thoughts. 'That ol' geezer somehow found out about what I was doing. How that old goat knows all this stuff is crazy. How the heck am I supposed to pull off any master pranks if he always knows about what I'm doing?'
With nothing else left, Naruto left for the large tower toward the base of a large cliff on the edge of the village. It was where the Hokage's office was, a place with which Uzumaki Naruto was intimately familiar.
Yurushi stood quietly as his master spoke with an elder in the village. The office they were in was cozy. The desk was well worn and piled with papers, files, and various scrolls. The elder was obviously someone of great importance in the village. He couldn't quite remember, but Yurushi believed that his Sensei had said that the elder was the Hokage of the village. Some sort of rank or title that was clearly a significant role in village leadership.
The Hokage and Katsushiro exchanged words in hushed tones. Shock was written on the elder's face when Yurushi's Sensei explained the nature of their arrival. The only information that Yurushi heard them exchange was the name Uzumaki. It was about him, and Yurushi felt awkward standing their while people were speaking of him in secret. It wasn't entirely about him, but what the other parts of the conversation were about had been kept from his prying ears.
It was rather sudden change of scenery that his master decided to make. Not long ago Katsushiro-sensei had picked up a shipment in a small village on the border of Hi no Kuni, and life felt rather carefree. After his return, Katsushiro packed up the bare essential supplies needed for survival and they began to hike through the dense forests of the country. His master had even abandoned his kart two hours into the hike, saying that speed and subtlety were of the utmost importance. Their trip was made through the wild traversing no roads and encountering no signs of civilization. They stopped only to eat and sleep for brief moments. Yurushi had even learned how to travel by jumping from tree branch to tree branch. It was a method of travel typical of the ninja who called this land home.
Three days later they encountered a masked ninja who questioned them about their business and reasons for travelling through the forest rather than the main road. It was some measure of safety protocol, and Katsushiro-sensei explained that it was nothing to worry about. Hidden villages, by their nature, were very wary of those who were not well established citizens. Yurushi could make no sense of his master's behavior. It was entirely out of character. First, there was the worry, almost fear that Katsushiro-sensei seemed to exude. Then, there was the lack of answers to Yurushi's questions on the matter. The only answer that was given was that answers would come in time. Lastly, there was the fact that Yurushi's master gave out both of their actual names when asked. Yurushi rarely accompanied his master into any village, but the times he did aliases were used instead of their true names.
Whatever was going on was serious business. The sudden shift in his master's personality was clear evidence of that. Though, he couldn't help but wonder what all the fuss was about. He was in the dark, and had no other option but to wait patiently for someone to shed some light on his all too curious mind.
"Yurushi," his master said breaking the boy from his mental reverie. "Come with me for a moment."
"Yes Sensei," Yurushi answered and followed his master out of the room. With a look back into the office he saw the old man smile gently towards him. The Hokage seemed to be a kind soul. Yurushi followed his Sensei down the hall, and his eyes saw something intriguing. It was a boy roughly his own age, with bright blond hair and feral marks on his cheeks. They almost looked like whiskers, which would be better placed on an animal than a blue eyed child. Their eyes met, and the strange boy smiled widely as he passed on by. Yurushi was brought back into his surroundings when his Sensei stopped suddenly causing the boy to bump into his master.
"Yurushi, I need you to listen carefully," Katsushiro said with all seriousness on his face after he turned around. "I have enrolled you in the Ninja Academy here in Konohagakure. Classes have already begun for the year and you will have to take an entrance examination so they may properly place you. Even with my limited knowledge of the ninja arts you should be quite advanced for someone of your age. You have learned everything that I have to teach you, and it is time that you move on to the final stage of your training."
"I will do my best Sensei," Yurushi answered.
"I know you will," his master confirmed the sentiment and kneeled down to look him in the eye. Yurushi was a little unnerved by his master's sudden closeness, but needed to focus on what Katsushiro-sensei would tell him. "In a moment you will speak with the Hokage, and he will inform you where you will be living and who you will be staying with. You have family in this village, and I am quite certain they are eager to meet you. Do you have the pack that I gave you before we got here?"
"Yes Sensei," Yurushi answered, but he didn't like the direction that this conversation was heading. It almost sounded as if Katsushiro-sensei was going to be leaving him here in this strange village. "Where are you going to be staying Sensei?"
"I will be leaving," Yurushi couldn't believe his ears. His master was leaving him here? That couldn't be right. He had to have heard that wrong because his master would never abandon him. Would he?
"But, but you can't leave," Yurushi demanded quietly. Perhaps his master didn't understand the nature of their relationship quite like he did. It was a silent understanding that Yurushi had, and never discussed with his Sensei. Katsushiro-sensei was his father for all intents and purposes. The words were never uttered, but maybe, just maybe, if Yurushi told him then he would understand. "You can't leave me. You're my otou-"
"No," Katsushiro interrupted with force. He turned his face, but Katsushiro-sensei was clearly disturbed by this development in their conversation. Eyes met, as Sensei continued. "Yurushi, please understand me. I am not the man you want me to be. I can be your Sensei, I can be your mentor, I can even be your friend, but father is not a title I am worthy of. It is time I explained why we came here. We are here to hide you from my enemies. I believe they have found me and will try to hunt me down again. There is also the possibility that the same people who killed your mother are looking for you. This is a precaution against both of those threats. Your training was a safeguard against the chance they would try to find you."
"I understand Sensei," Yurushi said with all of his willpower focused on holding back the wellspring of tears. He wasn't too sure he was succeeding, but he was trying nonetheless. Wiping off his face on his sleeve, Yurushi attempted pulling himself together. His Sensei had said that time spent on tears was time wasted, and would have been better spent solving the problems that caused those tears. There was no answer that Yurushi could find for this particular problem. Perhaps hindsight would bring clarity.
"Listen carefully boy, I have a few more things I need to tell you and they are important," Katsushiro spoke, calming the growing anxiety Yurushi was in if only for a moment. His master seemed to be looking around as if to see if anyone was watching them. "The bag I gave you contains all of the personal affects that your mother wanted you to have. The various scrolls are of the utmost importance. They are perhaps the last and most complete library on the fūinjutsu techniques of the Uzumaki clan. Wars have been started over less trivial things, and if you do not guard over them carefully then someone may try to take them from you. The Hokage knows of them so that he can help you keep them safe, but you should tell no one else unless you could trust them with your life."
His sensei was dressed rather formally today. Not only did he wear his nicest Kimono, but he also wore his haori, which he avoided wearing as often as possible. His sensei drew something out of the long dress coat and held it in front of Yurushi. "This particular scroll is very important," his master began. "Your mother told me that this was the key. I have researched its meaning and purpose to the extent of my knowledge, but I must confess that the sealing arts are largely beyond my ability. This is yours, and in time you may discover its purpose."
Yurushi looked at the man as he stood. This was the man whom had been his only friend and family for his entire life, and now he was leaving. Katsushiro-sensei was leaving him all alone in the care of strangers, just like his mother had done with him some ten years ago. Had Kami-sama cursed him to never know what it was like to have a real family?
"There was one last thing," Katsushiro said as he held aloft his sword, motioning for Yurushi to hold out his hands and receive the weapon. Yurushi was dumbfounded, but went through the motions that his master was requesting of him. "May this blade protect you and help you cut through the lies on your quest for truth."
In absolute shock Yurushi stood and watched as the man who had raised him disappeared from his sight and his life. More shocking than that, was the simple fact that he had been given his Sensei's katana. As tradition goes, a samurai master may give his sword to one of his students. It was a sign of succession, a statement saying the recipient would carry on in the master's stead. Under normal circumstances it was given just before the master died. Sensei wasn't going to die anytime soon, so why was he taking his master's blade? It was a question that begged for an answer.
'Think,' Yurushi thought in silent contemplation as he stared blankly at the sword. The weapon felt heavy in his hand. It was a burden he was unaccustomed to, a weight he was unfamiliar with. He would need time to adjust to it, to adapt it to his purposes. 'There is something to what Katsushiro-sensei said. He meant something about that.'
His Sensei handed him the sword and wanted the blade to protect him. Unsheathing the weapon he found the metal sterling. The katana had been well cared for, and if a sword is cared for it will take care of its wielder. Yurushi knew that he would take care of his master's sword. He would be diligent in training with it, and in time he would grow in skill; skill enough to defend himself against any threat. 'Sensei wants me to keep training and learning so I will be safe,' he concluded as he shifted his focus to the sharpened edge of steel.
Cutting, slashing, and stabbing were all actions by which the sword could accomplish its job. The sword of a samurai was meant to defend the weak from evil and remove obstacles to justice. There was no higher purpose. The glory of battle and the honor of a warrior's death were all achieved through that purpose. War was a tool of last resort to route the malevolent forces which would seek to bring a reign of iniquity. 'Cut through the lies on my quest for truth,' Yurushi pondered the meaning.
The only truth that he had a desire to know, but had eluded him thus far was the truth about his mother's disappearance. Sensei had maintained that his mother was no longer alive, but Yurushi clung to the hope that she was out there somewhere. 'Sensei is telling me to find the answers that I have been looking for, but what are the lies he is talking about?' He wondered, but the only reasonable answer he came to was that somehow this village full of ninja knew the truth. Looking at himself in the reflection cast by the metal he held, Yurushi could feel the words of a poem forming in the back of his mind.
Gleaming and unsheathed
Walk upon divergent paths
Passing off the torch
"Boy," called a voice from behind him. Yurushi turned to see an intimidating man clad in dark colored armor and donning a mask resembling the face of a crane. "Hokage-sama wishes to speak with you in his office."
Nodding, Yurushi tucked his master's katana inside the obi of his kimono alongside his wakizashi and walked toward the Hokage's office. Beyond the threshold of his door lay the future. Each step was a step closer toward the truth, and the beginning of a journey that Yurushi was beginning to embrace as his destiny.
Naruto barged into the closed office, against the persistent requests of the secretary. The Hokage was never doing anything important when he dropped by anyway, so it was no big deal. Besides, he was summoned there so there was no point to wait outside the office when he was supposed to be inside.
"Hey old man, some ANBU said you wanted to see me," Naruto declared in a chipper tone and a wide grin plastered on his face.
"Naruto," the Hokage answered looking up from his desk. His weathered face bore a gentle grin. "I wanted to speak with you about something very important."
"Finally decided to admit I'm awesome and hand over that hat?" the blond boy asked only half joking. The old man wasn't just going to hand over the title Hokage, and Naruto understood that much. He needed to get people to acknowledge him as a great ninja before he could be Hokage, but before he could be acknowledged as a great ninja he would have acknowledged as a person. It didn't make much sense to the boy though. The easiest way to be noticed was to have a title or position of importance, and the only way to have a position of importance was to be noticed as being good at something. He was great at pulling pranks on people, but that didn't get him the kind of attention or acknowledgement that he desperately wanted.
"Now, now Naruto-kun," the older man chuckled. "I have a few good years still left. I hope you don't want me to leave too soon."
"Nah," Naruto responded. "I guess you can stick around for a while. I should probably graduate from the Academy at least, just to keep appearances up and all."
"Yes now you are thinking like a Hokage. We can't let others think our village is weak because our leader didn't finish school," the Hokage answered with joy in his eye.
"Well, I guess" Naruto responded in deep thought. He was trying to recall the main reason he had decided upon letting the old man stay in office. "I figured it would make you look bad to have me take over before I even got a chance to break all the records in the Academy."
"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves Naruto," the older man quipped as he scratched the grey goatee on his chin. He quickly switched demeanors letting Naruto know that the time to joke around was over. "Something rather serious happened this afternoon."
The young boy tried to look casual, but he was sweating bullets. 'I'm busted. The old man's gonna kill me. What do I do? How can I get out of this one?'
Naruto was avoiding eye contact like it was a plague, and was seriously considering jumping through the window as a viable means of escape. The weight of the unmet stare from the Hokage was causing him to crumble. Finally, collapse. "I didn't do it this time I swear!" Naruto blurted out loud out of pure anxiety.
"What, exactly, did you not do this time?" the elderly man responded. There was a look in his eye that clearly said 'I am the Sandaime Hokage, I already know what you did. I only want to know if you will be honest with me,' and Naruto hated that look.
Defeated Naruto decided he would try to be as noncommittal with his answer hoping that maybe, just maybe the old man hadn't heard anything yet. Of course, it was an ANBU that had caught him and those guys were supposed to be some of the best ninja in the village. "Well, I may or may not have done something to the second floor lounge in the Chūnin Command Center."
"What else," the Hokage said expecting there to be more to that story.
"I also may or may not have led people to think that the old storehouse nearby had caught on fire," Naruto admitted.
"This falsified fire was to cover your entrance to the Command Center then?" The Hokage asked to confirm his suspicion.
"Yeah," the boy answered while staring into a blank spot on the wall. The old man was good. Naruto was reluctant to admit it, and would never say it to the elder's face, but he was really good at being a ninja. Even though the wide eyed blond had never seen him in action he could tell that the Sandaime was quite capable to handle anything that comes his way. It was in the way the old man carried himself.
"Might I ask why you would do such a thing?" The Hokage queried.
"Well there were some guys who had just left the Ichiraku when I went for dinner one night. They were bragging about how they had just become chūnin and when I told them that I was going to be Hokage they laughed at me and said that there was no way that I could ever be a ninja. So, I decided to prove them wrong." Naruto explained and the Hokage nodded his head in understanding.
"I expect you to undo whatever damage was done and apologize to all of those who were affected," the elderly man was looking at him with all seriousness. It was nothing new for Naruto, though. Most of his pranks had a similar punishment. The only problem was that this prank would have an incredible amount of clean up involved. The lounge would be pretty easy, but it may take him weeks to clean up that old storehouse.
'Maybe I can get Iruka-sensei to teach me a really cool technique to speed things up. Then again, when he learns that what he taught me was used in the prank he might volunteer to make sure I clean that mess up the slow way,' Naruto groaned to himself after agreeing to the terms of his surrender which the third leader of his home had required of him.
"While that was quite enlightening," the Hokage said standing up from his chair, "it was not what I called you here for."
There was a moment of silence and Naruto began to connect the context clues of what he had just heard. If one was quiet enough, the metaphorical hamster could be heard running quite vigorously on a small and squeaky wheel. "Wait a minute," Naruto said as the last pieces of the conversational puzzle were falling into place.
"You never knew about my prank at all!" Naruto shouted pointing an accusatory finger at the old man who was starting to smile victoriously. 'I can't believe I was duped by this old guy! I'm going to prank him so hard one of these days. I promise, I will find a way to get even with you old man. When I do I will make sure you will never be able to live it down! You better believe it!' the mischievous orphan began to run a list of possibilities through his head knowing that developing the perfect prank against the Hokage would take years of careful planning and flawless execution. However, once the fires were lit and the promise made, then nothing would be able to stop him.
"No Naruto I did not know of your prank, but I am glad you felt compelled to be honest and up front with me. For that, a simple apology to those who have been affected by your antics today will suffice," the Hokage answered as he turned to overlook the village he ruled.
The elderly man lifted his hand in the air, twitched his fingers, and brought the hand back down to be clasped into his other hand behind his back. 'That was weird. I guess old people do weird things sometimes,' Naruto was brought out of his own speculations when he heard the Hokage's voice again.
"What do you know of your name Naruto?"
"My name?" Naruto wondered aloud. It was a simple question, but Naruto didn't have much of an answer and had no clue what his name had to do with anything. "Not too much really. My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and that is about all I really needed to know I guess."
"The name Uzumaki belonged to a once great and powerful ninja clan. The clan itself was destroyed sometime after the Second Shinobi War, but a good number of the survivors came to live here in the village. I never told you anything about your clan because we honestly believed you were the last living member. That fact would not be important until much later in your life, so I was simply going to tell you what you needed to know once it became relevant. I also felt it was more important for you to become your own man and discover your own path rather than live up to a legacy of a clan long gone. It seems that I was wrong about my assumption though," the Sandaime said before turning around to look Naruto in the eye.
"Wrong about what?" Naruto questioned with a look of utter confusion was likely painted on his face. He really didn't understand why the Hokage was even talking about any of that. It didn't seem important.
A small knock on the door distracted the Hokage from his immediate answer calling for the guest to come into the office. Naruto looked at the boy who entered. He had seen him in the hallway moments before. The kid was about six or seven inches taller than him and had dark colored hair which was almost looked black when the light didn't hit it right, but the highlights held a dark tint of red. He wore a casual looking kimono which was grey in color along with a black hakama, and a matching haori. The formal coat had the same white spiral crest that he had seen emblazoned on a few of his own articles of clothing. It had the same design as the crest on the back of the flak jackets that were worn by several ninja in the village. The boy also had a pair of swords secured on his side. Naruto thought it was cool that he knew how to use a sword well enough to carry two of them. The most notable feature that Naruto saw on the kid was the grey-blue eyes. They were focused and determined, if just a bit sad. 'The other man he had been with earlier isn't here with him? The jerk must have just left him here all alone!'
"Naruto," the Hokage spoke slightly catching the blond boy's attention, but not fully breaking his train of thought. "This is Uzumaki Yurushi."
Having grown up all by himself left Naruto quite hungry for attention and recognition, but it angered him to see the same thing happening to others. He resolved to help the kid out. To spend some time and show him the ropes, make sure he knows what the village is like, and feels comfortable with his new home in Konohagakure. 'Who knows? Maybe after I show him around he'll want to be my friend!' Naruto thought excitedly until he processed what the village leader had been saying.
"Uzumaki? If he has the same family name as me, then that means," Naruto inferred hoping that the Hokage would confirm what he was starting to hope.
"Yes Naruto," the Hokage agreed "This is your cousin."
Uzumaki Yurushi stuck out a hand as a form of greeting, but even with his limited knowledge of normal familial relations, Naruto knew you greeted family with a hug. As such he practically tackled the strange kid with his embrace. When he disengaged he knew he had a look of absolute dopey joy spread all over his face. He scratched the back of his head grinning from ear to ear. Naruto knew he should have felt silly for acting like that, but he couldn't bring himself to care. How could he care about looking stupid? After years of being entirely alone he finally had a family of his own.
