Shadow In the Leaves: Chapter 3
Naruto was bored.
Kirou had been able to stay with him a while longer, but inevitably she had been forced to leave so she wouldn't be conspicuously missing for too long. She no longer left the Nara complex as often as she used to and starting again now would be slightly suspicious. After all, something would have to be holding her attention. And so she had said her goodbyes for the day, giving him a grandmotherly kiss on the forehead before reactivating the gateway and stepping through. It returned to its gray, inactive state moments later.
Now Naruto was stuck in… wherever the heck it was. There was absolutely no way to check the time considering the strange place had no windows and was lacking a clock. The only form of entertainment he could find was the large selection of books, neatly lined up in their rows. It wasn't as if he couldn't read, but many of the books were obviously suited to older readers and his reading ability was pretty basic. The orphanage had required the children to take literacy classes, sure. His instructor, however, had been less than happy whenever Naruto had asked for assistance. Eventually he had just stopped bugging the man and absorbed as much as he could when the man explained things to the class.
Naruto continued to pour over the shelves which were thankfully short enough for him to have access to the top shelf if he stood on his tiptoes. He spotted a promising title: The Ninja Nations. He opened it to a random page and began to read.
"The nation of Grass is known for its export of extremely high quality rice. Pro-ducking… no, pro-ducing over five-thousand tons of rice each year, there are an estimated two-thousand rice paddies scattered throughout the nation de-spit its small size compared to its neigh-bores, oh wait, neighbors."
The young boy gave the book a disgruntled look before he tossed it over his shoulder.
"Booooring."
He continued looking for a suitable book to stave off his boredom, continuing to riffle until something caught his eye. An orange something.
It was tucked into corner of the shelf he was currently giving a once-over. Pulling it from its cranny to find a small orange book about the size of a journalist's notepad, he noticed its pages were dog-eared and slightly yellowed; someone had obviously read it quite a bit. He raised an eyebrow at the illustration on the cover depicting a man with a large cartoon heart above his head chasing after an excited looking woman. Something about the title sparked a jolt of recognition in his brain.
"Icha Icha Paradise: Voulme 3…?"
Then it hit him. It hadn't been too long ago that he'd been slinking around the naughty section of the local bookstore. He'd inconspicuously selected a magazine for merit of its pictures, but a similar book had been for sale. If he recalled correctly the book was red and it was volume seven, but definitely the same series. It was hard to forget a name and illustration like that.
So it was a naughty book? Naruto looked around shiftily before smiling slightly. Nobody was here, so no harm no foul, right? Besides, Kirou had seemed amused with her impression that he was more innocent then he really was. He opened the cover to the title page. Something was scrawled on the blank page preceding it.
Sensei: I regret not being able to deliver this in person, but you know how things are. Happy birthday! Have you finally lost count now, or what? I'm happy to report that this is a first edition copy of my latest novel. Enjoy it, and don't you dare pretend you don't like my books you old coot. After all, who was the one that first introduced me to the joys of the female form? Hmm? That reminds me, I've yet to locate either of my former teammates. They know how to keep hidden as well as I do, apparently. Stay in good health and continue to put that crystal ball jutsu to use, eh?
He couldn't make heads or tails out of the message so he turned the page, shrugging. Naruto's head remain tilted to the side from the moment he read the first line. Minutes later he had found a dictionary and plopped down on the bed, both tomes at the ready.
For a book aimed at adults the language was pretty simple for the most part, and when it wasn't he just had to look it up a word or two in companion tome.
The story was actually quite interesting to the seven year old. He actually managed to finish it over the course of one of the six days he spent in near solitary confinement, alternating between reading and attempting acrobatics around the strange room to burn some energy, replacing it and the dictionary on the shelf when he woke up in the morning.
The plot of the book had gone roughly like so:
A widowed noblewoman from the court of a powerful Daimyo spent the majority of her days tied up in boring politics and tired company until she came across an injured, and very muscular, man while walking through her private forest. He reveals himself as a soldier of the opposing nation currently at war with her own after which she nurses him back to health anyway and the two began to spend time with each other. This of course involved activities such as lovemaking, walks in the garden, sex, sharing stories about their home countries, coitus, dancing, and strange games that Naruto didn't think qualified as sex but came pretty close. (Even if the descriptions of their activities had left Naruto confused, he could always reference the handy glossary the author had, for some unfathomable reason, thrown in at the end of the book.)
Then came the evil lord Gaeru, a man Naruto came to hate for two reasons. First, he schemed to kill the widow's lover, discovering him during an attempt to peek on her while bathing, and take her as his wife. Secondly, whenever he appeared Naruto knew that the dictionary next to him was about to see some use. While Naruto didn't necessarily dislike the chance to learn one or two new words, nobody had a legitimate excuse to use the sentence "I shall expedite my ploy and deign to personally deracinate that putrescent obstruction who dares to purloin the affections of my beloved!"
The book reached its exciting conclusion when the warrior killed Gaeru in a duel for the widow's love, despite having been poisoned before the match by the scheming bastard. With some "coaxing" from his lover, the warrior found the strength to pull through and made a full recovery. The novel ended with the two being happily married and having children that grew up with a reputation of being as well-endowed as their parents.
Naruto was still far too young to really appreciate the adult content of the book beyond the fact that it was "naughty", much like the feeling he got when pulling pranks. Thus the future ninja was spared from its giggle inducing effects and he got the pleasure of reading a good story over the course of what would have been a very day. Beyond that he had added a plethora of new words to his vocabulary, though some of them weren't quite wholesome.
'Heh, plethora.' The blonde chuckled to himself.
Subsequent days passed in much the same manner with the boy making basic instant meals for himself, carefully selecting books that he could wrap his mind around (the number expanding as he went from one to the other to his great pleasure), and just generally being a monkey with way too much time and energy on his hands. And so came the final day of his isolation.
Naruto was hanging from he ceiling fan kicking his feet while wondering what the heck he was going to do for the last leg of his stay in the mysterious place when the portal on the far wall came to life quite suddenly. Naruto froze momentarily, wide eyed, as he realized he had left his reading material sitting on the bed when he finished it. Seeing as the particular book happened to be another naughty book he'd found he dropped like a stone and hastily stuffed it under his bed, straightening up just in time to see Kirou walking through the portal. She didn't miss his hurried motion and gave him a perplexed look.
"What are you doing, Naruto-chan?" She intoned with a hint of amusement, lips curling.
"I was stretching." Naruto lied smoothly as he bent down to touch his toes. "I get so stiff being cooped up in here."
After all, he hadn't been lying when he'd said he was a good actor. That was a skill he had developed quickly as he spent every day pretending his life wasn't miserable: Fact.
She didn't get a chance to express whether or not she believed him, because almost immediately after Naruto's comment the pair was joined by another individual walking through the gate. Laying eyes on the new arrival, Naruto instantly knew that this man must have been Genmaru; his new father.
He was significantly taller than Kirou, probably sitting around six feet. His spiky jet black hair was pulled back into a ponytail that reached his shoulder blades, sitting comfortably at a diagonal angle instead of falling limp. His clean-shaven facial features were gentler than his brother's, less sharp, but the resemblance was definitely there. Over a long-sleeved charcoal gray muscle shirt he wore a thin black vest embroidered with the Nara clan's seal. The man bore a pair of standard black ninja pants, light and with plenty of pockets. On his waist was a ninja tool bag that was larger than those of standard issue. He also sported a small silver loop through one earlobe, identical to Shikaku's except for the obvious fact that he only wore one.
He offered Naruto a smile, nervousness playing at his features.
"Hello there Naruto, I've heard a lot about you. I'm sure you've already guessed, but I am Genmaru. Gen for short. Although I hope that you'll call me dad at some point in the future." The man, Genmaru, had a deeper voice than his less intense visage had initially belied.
"Nice to meet ya." Naruto offered. "Uhh, Genmaru-san, I-I mean dad, I, uh…" Nervousness had set in for the blonde as well. He couldn't seem to quite meet the other's gaze and was wringing his fingers uncharacteristically.
Genmaru, sensing the mutual hesitation, walked over to his new child to place a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry about calling me Genmaru for now. I realize how awkward it must be to call a man that you don't know "dad". To be perfectly honest, this is a little awkward for me as well, and I don't want to make you feel strange by calling you "son". Sow how about we just call each other Gen and Naruto for the time being?
Kirou glanced at Genmaru flatly with a single raised eyebrow, an unspoken message in her eyes.
"Wait, I take that back. You're going to need a new name to go with your new look."
Indeed Naruto had a new look, as his hair had completed its transformation to jet black within the second day of his stay in the sanctuary. Shortly after that, Kirou had proceeded to procure a pair of scissors and deftly cut Naruto's hair into the style she had projected onto him earlier. He couldn't stop freaking out whenever he saw his reflection. He did look totally different, after all.
"Oh, oh!" Naruto piped up. "How about Shinmaru the Legendary Ninja of Awesomeness?"
They both gave him dry stares in response.
"Naruto, don't be intentionally troublesome." Kirou said as she nailed him with a look that mothers learn from years of experience.
"Ooookay."
Genmaru shook his head at the display.
"How about Kihaku?" He offered helpfully.
Kirou laughed.
"I'd say that's appropriate. What do you think Naruto?"
He paused and scratched his chin in a thoughtful pose. "Kinda like a pun or something, eh? I could live with that I guess. It kinda augments the irony of when I act happier that I really am."
"Augments?" Kirou asked, tilting her head.
"It means to make stronger or more pronounced."
"I know what it means, Naruto. I'm curious where you learned that word."
"In a book." Naruto said mysteriously, albeit a little too quickly.
Specifically in the sentence, "The thin ribbon augmented the already exquisite curves of her breasts."
Naruto giggled and Kirou raised an eyebrow again but said nothing. Okay, so maybe even seven year olds weren't completely immune to the effects of the Icha Icha series, even if they just innocently found things funny rather than laughing with a perverted appreciation.
"So it's settled?" Genmaru asked. "Make sure you're comfortable with being called that for a very long time."
Naruto squinted one eye.
"Eh, I dunno. It's not like I don't like it, but it's kinda… meh. Maybe it's just me, but it doesn't really roll off of the tongue and it almost sounds a little girly or something."
(Somewhere in the Land of Mist, a young boy sneezed.)
Naruto didn't want to hurt the man's feelings, but he felt that some improvement was called for if he had to go by the name in the future.
"Hmmm." Genmaru said as he scratched at his chin. "Do you have any other ideas?"
"Tattoi?" Kirou proposed.
"That's really sweet, but I dunno."
They had pondered in silence for a minute more when Naruto piped up.
"I've got it!"
They both turned to him.
"Hmm?"
"So, it's kinda like another pun. Since I'm gonna get another chance at life, ya know?"
The two looked at him expectantly.
"Jinsei! It sounds like a guy, and it rolls off the tongue pretty easy."
Genmaru nodded appreciatively as he looked at Kirou.
"I like it."
"I do too." Kirou affirmed. "Excellent work Naruto-chan, or should I say Jinsei-chan."
"Alright! Score one for me!" Naruto cheered as he began to do a little happy dance. "Jinsei, Jinsei, Jensei Jensei, Jensei…"
Genmaru chuckled along with Kirou before he cleared his throat to get Naruto's attention.
"Sorry to interrupt, but we have to discuss a few things and then we'll be off for the world's longest father-son bonding trip."
Naruto stopped abruptly to give Genmaru his full attention, eyes already searching for some untold wonder.
"First of all, we'll be using your new name from now on. Calling yourself Naruto or answering to that name would be a big mistake, so do not. Secondly, prepare to train, and I mean train, during our time away. And when we get back for that matter. I promised I would help you become a ninja, so I'm not about to do a half-assed job and wait to get the notice of your death in the mail."
Naruto gulped at that. Genmaru's demeanor had suddenly gotten very serious, almost scary.
"Being a ninja is a serious commitment. It takes a sacrifice of your time and your mental health. You have to be willing to do things, terrible things, even if you don't like it. The hard truth, Naruto... Jinsei, is that ninjas must lie, steal, and even murder. It isn't nearly as glamorous as people think. Beyond that, ninja have an obligation to be as strong as they possibly can be. They must train regularly so they don't get killed. Or worse, a weak ninja can get other people killed if he fails to protect them or puts them in harm's way when they have to pick up their slack. Not only that, but a weak ninja can fail to complete an objective and bring negative consequences upon their village."
Genmaru paused to make sure that Naruto was following. The boy was wide-eyed, very obviously paying close attention.
"So Jinsei, I have a hypothetical question for you."
"What?" He asked, blinking as if awaking from a trance.
"Could you take a life?" Genmaru's tone was even, so flat and casual that he could have been remarking that a fellow ninja had gotten another haircut.
Naruto stared at his feet. Somehow he had known that was coming. Could he really kill somebody? Another living, breathing human being? He couldn't bring himself to answer.
Genmaru's face softened at the boy's reaction. He knew he was being harsh, but the lesson had to be taught and the sooner the better. It would ultimately serve to not only to maintain his sanity, but could also save his life or that of his teammates.
"Let me rephrase that. If you knew that you could save your own life, a teammate's life, or the life of an innocent by killing someone, could you do it? Just be honest with yourself, it doesn't mean something is wrong with you if you say yes."
Naruto was silent for a while longer before he lifted his gaze to meet Genmaru's. The black haired man was impressed when he saw the icy cool that had come over the boy's eyes, leaving no trace of the warmth they usually held.
So this is the "Other Naruto" that Shikamaru told my brother about. He's already developed something of a split personality due to his abnormal life it seems. Normally that comes with some experience in performing the less glamorous tasks of a ninja . Maybe he'll be spared some grief because of it.
"If it's my life or theirs, sorry, but I'm gonna have to choose me. I'm not gonna let anybody hurt my teammates either. But people that hurt innocent people that can't defend themselves, I'll put them in the ground without blinking, count on it."
The seven year old said the last sentence with such calm deadly intent, Genmaru had no doubt that he would do it.
"What if you received the order to kill someone? If it wasn't spur of the moment, but rather very premeditated? Could you do it, even if they weren't directly hurting anybody? Assume there's somebody selling Konoha's secrets, or some foreign lord gathering a little too much power for their own good. Could you act as what you are, a soldier of Konoha, and put aside your personal feelings for the benefit of your village?"
Naruto returned his gaze to his shoes, demeanor returning to that of a frightened child. Back to square one. Could he really kill someone so casually? Even if he didn't have to like it, could he do it? What had he just said about people that harmed innocents? Though the examples weren't really innocent, he could tell what Genmaru was driving at.
Genmaru kept a straight face although his insides were churning. Was this how his father had felt?
"Let me ask you another question that may help you. Why do you want to be a ninja? What motivates you to become a soldier of your village?"
Naruto at least had an instant response for that question.
"Cause I want people to notice me and think I'm as cool as I think the Hokage are. I want to be the Hokage ya know."
"If you wanted people to notice you and think you're cool, you could become an artist. Why do you really want to be a ninja? Think about it. You'll realize what I've already guessed."
"Because…" Naruto began, "I…I wanna be strong. I wanna be able to live my life however I want and not get any crap for it. Nobody tells strong ninja what to do, or calls them names. People give them what they want because they could just take it anyways. And everybody respects them. I want that."
"What you want," Genmaru offered, "Is the power to shape your own destiny. To chart your own path in the world despite the label others have put on you and have people respect you for who you are. Right?"
"Exactly!" Naruto gushed, overjoyed that somebody understood him enough to put his feelings into words.
"So, back to my other question. You'll be given the power to shape your own future. In return, a ninja is expected to sacrifice everything for the common good. In essence, it's the ultimate form of self sacrifice, gaining the power to perform miracles only to give it away to your village. That's what makes being a ninja such a noble, if gritty, profession. Often times it means getting your hands dirty and bearing the burden of doing something you don't like. Could you do it?"
Naruto looked him in the eye and for moment Genmaru could have sworn he saw a glimmer of that icy coolness from before amid the maelstrom of discomfort they projected.
"Honestly, I don't know if I could. I mean, I think I might be able to, but…"
The boy's eyes began to tear up after he made the statement.
"What's wrong with me? Only psychos are okay with killing people right? I mean, I thought about killing someone and I felt pretty bad, but I'd live, ya know?"
Genmaru bent down to give the boy a quick hug before wiping away the tears beading around his eyes.
"I'm sorry I'm upsetting you, I really am. But you have to realize that what I'm telling you is for your benefit in the long run. If killing an enemy is the quickest way to remove a threat, then you need to be able to do it and worry about it later. Hesitation will get you killed, and as I've mentioned your team mates can suffer also. Remember this: Killing somebody is final, decisive. There are a lot of ninja out there that will kill you if you don't kill them first. It's often the fastest way of neutralizing a threat. Dead people don't wake up to raise alarms or get back up to fight you or somebody else. Plus they don't tell stories or leak information. If they were a bad person, then there is a zero percent chance of them returning to whatever criminal activity they previously performed. Ultimately, any ninja that makes it past Genin rank is going to see a lot of bloodshed in their lifetime. Your training is going to take that into account, and I want you to be properly prepared. Like I said, I'm not going to sign your death warrant by giving you a half-assed shinobi education like the academy is willing to."
Naruto just sniffed, words failing him for the moment.
Kirou examined the teary-eyed boy before turning to Genmaru.
"Was that strictly necessary? He's seven years old and you're treating him as if he's an ANBU recruit. He won't have to worry about that for quite some time yet."
Genmaru's eyes sharpened as he returned Kirou's stare.
"I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of: It was no accident that I had this talk with you here. We didn't go through so much trouble to just watch him die, mother! You say I'm treating him like ANBU, but what else do I know to teach him? If he wants to be a ninja, I'm going to train him as a ninja, damn it! You don't want him to be able to properly defend himself?"
"That's not what I meant and you know it. All I said is that it could have waited until he was a little older."
"I didn't want him to have any delusions. You explained the technical details of his new life to him but conveniently left the ugly part out. Knowing the truth about Ninja could save his life!"
"Or," Kirou said as she put her arm on Naruto's shoulder and pulled him close, "It could endanger his mental health at such a young age!"
Genmaru huffed and crossed his arms.
"Look at him, he's fine. He's a tough kid. You said yourself that he thought your False Death genjutsu was awesome. He's had a pretty crappy life, and if he hasn't cracked yet I doubt that this is going make him."
Seeing the sparks flying between the two, Naruto attempted to pacify them.
"Grandma Kirou, I'm fine. Really. What he said is true. It's just the part of being a ninja that I never really wanted to think about. But if there's one thing I know, it's that pretending something's not true doesn't make it go away. I would have had to face the truth one day, and sooner is better than later, eh?"
Naruto gave her a slightly forced grin.
"Besides, like he said, I'm tough! I'm not gonna let anything break me, so don't worry ok? I'm gonna be a super strong ninja, even if it means I have to do stuff I don't like."
Kirou gave him a nod, a sad smile on her face. She turned back to Genmaru with a serious expression.
"I'm entrusting this boy to you for two years. I'm not going to tell you how you should train him, but you listen up. If this boy comes back a hollow shell like some of those ANBU trainees, you're going to spend the rest of your days in Konoha's asylum."
Genmaru rolled his eyes.
"Tch. Can we stop with the ANBU low-blows? You know very well that's all I know, and I'll be trying my best to scale it down. Just settle down, troublesome woman. He's seven. He wont even be starting at the academy until he returns. I'm just going to give him a head start on the academy techniques, which as you know are perfectly capable of being taught to someone of his age if they have the will to stick with it. That way he can get through the academy without having to worry about grasping the basic techniques. That will, of course, give him the time and energy to do some much more useful training with us. You do want him to be able to learn some of your techniques before he's looking at becoming a Chuunin, right?"
Naruto blinked.
"What do you mean, before I'm looking at becoming a Chuunin? What would the holdup be if I didn't go away to train with you?"
Kirou took point for the explanation.
"Genjutsu require finesse and even the lowliest genjutsu beyond the Clone Jutsu are considered low-level Chuunin techniques, very high Genin at the absolute lowest. Because of that, other than the standard Clone Jutsu, the academy's coverage of genjutsu is nothing more than an explanation of its function. Other than that, they require only one other technique for graduation that is remotely like genjutsu, the Transformation Jutsu, which is technically a ninjutsu despite its odd behavior. My point is they don't give you the skills you need to perform genjutsu in the academy, meaning to learn it you have to do your own research. That's why there are so few ninja here in Konoha capable of using advanced genjutsu. I can teach you everything you need to know and more, but not if you're too busy trying to learn the Transformation Technique or figure out what end of a kunai to point at the enemy. The plus side to all of the extra training will be that you'll probably be the only Genin in Konoha capable of using genjutsu. Which in turn means you'll have an edge over your fellow ninja. That'll be compounded when you take the Chuunin exams because dispelling genjutsu is considered a Chuunin level technique as well. Play your cards right and you'll have absolutely no competition outside of the Hyuuga, Uchiha, or another rare Genin that's familiar with genjutsu."
Naruto's eyes were wide.
"Whoa. Is genjutsu really that powerful?"
Kirou smiled.
"The application and effects of genjutsu may be fairly complicated, but their effect on a battle is pretty straightforward. Either your opponent dispels it on time or forty-nine times out of fifty they'll lose. Since Genin aren't taught how to dispel genjutsu, you do the math."
Naruto pumped his fist.
"Awesome! You're going to teach me that?"
Kirou gave him a smile that caused her eyes to pinch at the corners.
"If you're willing, then yes."
Following the conversation with a serene expression, Genmaru shot her a stern look from his position.
"You're placing a high expectation on him. Some Genin simply don't have the capacity to perform genjutsu. Many of them are advanced techniques, after all."
Kirou waved her hand at him dismissively.
"I know, but most Genin don't have an ANBU agent and the Leaf Shadow as their personal tutor."
A lull in the conversation followed the last comment and Genmaru cleared his throat.
"Well, I think it's about time for us to hit the road."
Kirou nodded and produced a small seal tag from inside her kimono. Holding it between her index and middle finger she gave it a silent command and a moment later she was holding a child-sized shinobi backback which she handed to Naruto with a smile.
"For you, Jinsei-chan. Genmaru will have to be seen leaving the village through the main gate, otherwise his departure may be subject to scrutiny. Normally a clone would suffice, but on the off-hand chance that someone or something may attempt to interact with it, he'll have to go in person. This part of the plan is pretty simple compared to the rest. You'll come with me to a point where we'll meet Genmaru outside of the city. That's all on my end for now. From then on out you'll be in the care of Genmaru."
She looked over at her son to make sure she had explained to his satisfaction. He gave her an affirming nod before turning to Naruto.
"You ready kiddo?"
Naruto nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, you bet!"
Genmaru smiled.
"We're going to have a great time, right Naruto?"
"Yeah!"
Genmaru's expression darkened as he bopped Naruto on the head.
Naruto looked up, glowering.
"Owww, what was that for ya psycho?"
"Wrong. Answer to that name in the future and someone knocking you on the head will be the least of your concerns."
Naruto's pout disappeared as the lesson sunk in.
"Oh… I get it. Sorry."
Genmaru smiled again, and this time it was genuine.
"That's okay, but remember the lesson you just learned. It would be really, really bad if you answered to that name."
Naruto gave a sharp, brief nod.
"Kay."
Genmaru ruffled Naruto's hair and turned to Kirou.
"Okay, for real this time. Let's get this show on the road."
"Wait!", Kirou exclaimed, "I'll show this to you now so you can change."
She unzipped the backpack that she had gifted him with earlier and produced a thin rectangular box from within it. She handed Naruto the box and looked at him expectantly.
The small boy eyed it with glee, always ecstatic to receive a present. He removed the top portion to reveal a set of clothes neatly folded within. It consisted of a brown tee shirt and a pair of khaki pants that were a lighter shade and had plenty of pockets.
"So, what do you think?" Kirou asked.
"It's very… brown." Naruto said, but was already tearing off his ragged old clothes to put them on.
Kirou chuckled.
"I picked brown because grime doesn't show up well on it. Lord knows what kind of training you two will be doing. Also, though I suppose it's more of a woman's thing, I picked it because it complements your new look."
"Thanks grandma Kirou!" Naruto said with a smile.
Even if the clothes were a bit dull in coloring, it was still thoughtful for her to buy him a new outfit. He made a move to replace his worn out sneakers when Kirou tapped him on the shoulder.
"Ah ah ah, hold on a minute." She said as she reached into the backpack once more. Moments later she produced a pair of small black shoes. Although they looked like running shoes, something about them seemed different, more streamlined. "Though I'm sure you'll outgrow them soon enough, these are also for you. They're made by a company that manufactures shoes for ninja. They're supposed to be designed for maximum comfort in any situation."
Naruto likewise tore off his worn old sneakers to put on the shiny new pair he had been presented. He made a few experimental hops.
"Hey, these things are comfortable. Thanks!"
"You're very welcome. I hope you enjoy them while they last. Which reminds me…" Kirou landed an intense stare on Genmaru. "Aside from making sure that he has a nutritious diet, I expect you to make sure that he has clothes to wear that are in good condition and fit him. There's no telling how much he'll grow over the course of two years after all."
Genmaru sighed.
"Do you think I'm totally incapable of raising a child?"
Kirou raised an eyebrow yet again at his comment.
"We've established you can kill a man, but I've seen nothing to prove or disprove the statement 'you can raise a child'."
Genmaru gave an exasperated look to the heavens, which proved to be pretty pointless considering they were indoors.
"You told Jinsei not to be intentionally troublesome? Why are you pounding me like this? What about all the times I've helped watch Shikamaru?"
"Babysitting someone for an afternoon is very different than being personally responsible for someone's well-being for two years. Once you return you'll have your wife and me to help you, but men are notoriously incapable of nurturing children."
Her last comment was punctuated with a sighing huff, a closed-eyed smirk, and a hand brought up to her lips in a thinking sort of gesture.
"I'll tell you again what I've been saying all along. I'll do my best, alright? I will try my utmost not to scar this child and or deprive him of his damn vegetables, okay? Happy?"
Kirou abruptly burst into a hearty laugh, earning her stares from her two companions. Genmaru scowled.
"Oh, that's funny eh? Have you been trying to make me blow my top the whole time!?"
Kirou's laughs petered out as she shook her head, though a vague expression of mirth remained after she had settled down.
"No, no, it's not that at all. You just remind me of your father so much sometimes. They say that you inherited your mother's looks, but your father's personality shines through in you so often. I remember talking to him about Shikaku's upcoming birth. I thought I was giving friendly advice, but he got aggravated. You almost quoted him a minute ago. 'What makes you think I'm incapable of raising a child?', he asked me. It's like déjà vu."
Genmaru's temper cooled at the mention of his father.
"I'm like my father? I guess I've never really thought about it. To be honest, I haven't thought about him in a while now. I just wish I'd spent more time with him while I had the chance, you know?"
Kirou's eyes grew sad as she crossed her arms.
"You were only nineteen when he died on that mission to spy on the Land of Grass, yes? Barely an adult, so full of ideas… none of which involve hanging around your parents. You can't blame yourself. Though I'll admit, Shikaku is the one that I feel bad for. He was thrust into the position of clan head very early. If you were nineteen, that would have made him… twenty-five. Roughly ten years ahead of schedule. But here we are twelve years later, and everything is well as it's going to get. We live, learn, and move on."
The conversation lulled and Genmaru shared a look with Kirou. They both looked to Naruto, now Jinsei, and back at one another.
"Live, learn, and move on." Genmaru repeated, as if testing the words on his tongue. He smiled. "Shall we be going?"
Kirou placed her hand on the inactive seal formation and it came back to life after a moment of concentration. Naruto took one last look at the strange sanctuary before exiting the portal behind the two adults, noting that he'd probably never see it again. Although it wasn't as if he wanted to be trapped in there again for any length of time.
Well… maybe if he had a good book.