Steal My Thunder God
Chapter III - A God In The Seal
Prove it...? Naruto nervously scratched his head as he stared at the Third Hokage; it hurt a bit since even with all the bandages in the way, his delicate skin could not take much abuse yet. Kurama's remarkable healing had vanished right alongside his chakra, it seemed. He did not care much for the aches and pains, though, as it was not really his body that was under strain. In truth, Naruto was engaging in the most difficult mental exercises he had yet attempted since his jaunt into the past.
He was trying to remember something useful.
How do I prove I´m from the future...? His mind raced as he tried to reason out what he could use, and he felt the skeptical gaze of the Third boring into him - but it turned out to be a lot more complicated than he assumed. Maybe I could use something about the Uchiha clan - no. He shook his head with a sigh.
"Right - all the Uchiha would be alive," he muttered under his breath. Most of what he remembered from the past had happened after the Kyuubi attack - years from this particular present - and even if he knew things about the attack, everyone would know them in this time. It was so damn frustrating!He groaned, fidgeting rather uncomfortably in the hospital bed. The conversation had already drained him, and the few bleeding wounds that had torn in process were getting annoying, sapping his strength.
He glanced up, biting his lip in annoyance. "Do you have any idea how difficult this is?! I've never..." Wait! Maybe Orochimaru. When did he leave Konoha again? Before the attack or after? Was there something about hidden labs? "Bah!"
"Take your time," Sarutobi interjected, shattering Naruto's thought process as his attention was diverted. The voice in which it was said, though mild in tone, implied anything but limitless time. The Third was getting impatient.
Naruto grumbled in agitation. "Right - Um, I know some things about my father..." He smiled briefly, then his expression wavered again. They probably know more about him than I do. "...but everyone knows about him. No, wait - wait, I got it this time. Honest."
There was a pause, and the Third just stared with that impenetrable gaze. Cold, almost - quite unlike what Naruto was used to from that man.
"I suppose the knowledge about my mom - about Uzumaki Kushina being the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki doesn't count, does it?" Naruto grimaced. "Considering little me is in the same room, I guess it wouldn't..." He slammed his palm onto his face, the pain from a sudden movement sizzling through his muscles, sending a chill down his back. "Come on, Ojii-san, how the heck could I have known that history would come in handy someday? It's so boring!"
Sarutobi raised an eyebrow.
"Honestly, if there was one class I didn't care for at all in the academy..." Naruto rolled his eyes. "Well, except for reading about the Fourth, of course - but that's recent history for you." He shook his head. "If you want me to show you something that would convince you - I don't think anything I had with me survived the battle. I was half naked at the end there, which is kind of embarrassing..."
"What was left was suffused with demonic chakra, and destroyed," the Third agreed.
"I liked that jacket," Naruto muttered tiredly. "Why is this so difficult?" He looked away nervously to avoid the harsh gaze of the old man that was decidedly less benevolent than usual. His mind was drawing a blank. "I can tell you how Rasengan works! No, no, there's more people who can do that - you need something else, something unique - the Hiraishin, maybe. Yes - that's a good one!"
"I saw you using that technique, true," Sarutobi agreed. "It hardly proves your claims, though. The Hiraishin has long been a technique that's highly coveted by many neighbouring countries, not the least of which is Iwa, which has dared quite a few transgressions across the border of late." He puffed on his long pipe, scowling. "In fact... two spies were captured just this morning, taking advantage of the weakened state of the village."
"I'm not from Iwa - and besides, no one else but me and my father knows how to perform that technique!" Naruto exclaimed. "That's why it was such a big step for me to start using it! It's how I screwed up and got in this mess in the first place. I'm probably one of the only people who could do what I did..."
The Third Hokage puffed on his pipe, narrowing his eyes. "Perhaps - but with only your word for it, and with the author of the technique-" The Third hesitated for a moment, and his eyes dimmed. "Dead, or worse - that leaves me with a potentially stolen technique in a village in which one of the founding clans prizes its knowledge for taking foreign techniques."
"I'm not a bloody Uchiha," Naruto sputtered in outrage "Who the hell ever heard of a blond one, anyway? And do I look like I've got pink-eye?" He rubbed his eyes, aghast.
The Third sighed. "You must see - please consider my position, Naruto-san. More than three dozen spies are captured each year, most of which are immediately handed over to the Interrogation department. Quite a few of them have stories that are considerably more - believable - than your own." He shook his head. "An attack such as this one would be the perfect time to slip someone through our defenses - and several have tried, as I mentioned. It is mercy on my part that allows you to remain in the hospital, rather than locked in one of our deepest cells, brought to reveal your every secret."
Naruto shivered, gulping. "Y-you wouldn't, right?" He cringed, wondering whether or not he could have withstood something like that - Ibiki was really good at it. "I should have listened to Iruka-sensei in the academy - he always told me that I'd need those vague stories about the previous wars someday..." He froze in realization. "Iruka-sensei - yes, I can use that! Umino Iruka is one of the new orphans, his parents got killed in the attack!"
"So he is. Can you give me more names?" Sarutobi asked, looking rather unimpressed. Naruto realized with an uncomfortable twinge that knowing details of who died in the attack was just as much something a spy would know. An echo of disappointment rang in the old man's voice.
"Orphans..." Naruto glanced to his younger self. "I didn't really know many of them, even though I was one myself. I - I didn't have many friends growing up. I was more into pranks than memorizing things, anyway. I know all the nooks and crannies from the hospital to the east wall, but names..." Naruto sighed, then perked up. "Ah - maybe I can tell something about Kakashi-sensei? The Sharingan, maybe? I know that it's from Uchiha Obito, his teammate that died in the Third Shinobi World War. Kakashi goes to visit the memorial stone every day to speak to him." Was that common knowledge then - well, now? It wasn't in my time, at least... Naruto frowned once more. "He should have started getting everywhere late by now, since he wants to keep paying homage to Obito." He paused, shivering. "Actually - Obito isn't dead."
The Third's eyes pinned him down after that statement, merciless in their intensity. "Is that so? Do you know where to find him?"
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Well - I think he fought my father just before I got here, since he's involved with the attack - he wears a mask these days, pretending to be Uchiha Madara, it's weird. I imagine that he's still near the village, but he has this teleporting technique with those fancy Sharingan eyes of his that makes him really tough to catch..."
"Where would we find him?" Sarutobi repeated.
"I don't know where exactly!" Naruto exclaimed, groaning. "I just know that dad couldn't take him out - not after he went to lick his wounds, in some weird alternate dimension of his own. Kakashi-sensei can do the same sort of thing, though probably not yet in this time. Maybe I should look into that..."
The Third rubbed his brow. "So, you're saying that we can't check that claim within a short time frame, then. You are not making things easier for yourself, you must realize."
Naruto sighed defeatedly. "I can try to think of something else," he said, casting his younger counterpart a short, warm look. "My name, for example, it's from one of Ero- Jiraiya-sensei's books, you know."
"Is it?" Sarutobi raised an eyebrow. "I don't think that something like that would be proof of much. Jiraiya writes many books. It's not something to be proud of, either."
"Not from bloody Icha-Icha," Naruto snapped. "It's probably not common knowledge - my name is from Jiraiya-sensei's first book. Tales of A Gutsy Ninja. It wasn't really that popular, but it's one of his best, in my opinion." Naruto sighed, smiling slightly. "Jiraiya-sensei was the kind of person who wished for peace. He believed that with writing that book, he could slowly change the world for the better. You know, the main character was actually based on the words of his student from the Village of Rain - a boy called Nagato." He balled his fist. "I will break the curse - if there is such a thing as peace, I will find it. That's what he said. My father must have liked the book's message a lot, and he probably hoped for me to grow up like the Naruto from the story. I liked to think that I did well."
There was a soft creaking from the corner of the room, the opening of a door, and Sarutobi turned slightly, frowning. Jiraiya grinned nervously as he peeked around the frame. The white-haired nin, seemingly unaware of how tense the atmosphere inside was, quickly stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "Oy, no talking behind my back, now."
Naruto felt his eyes watering against his will - but how could he not? Jiraiya had always been someone that he wished he had spent more time with, even after being on the road with him for years. He was someone dear to him that he could not save in the end. How many times had he wished that he would have been there, together with the man, when he faced the Six Paths of Pain.
"Ero-sennin," he breathed as the Third sent a short annoyed glare at the white haired man.
"What?" Jiraiya held the Hokage's look calmly, completely nonplussed. "I was getting bored out there, listening in. Besides, he is talking about interesting things." He turned to Naruto, raising an eyebrow. He looked very much like Naruto remembered, even though his hair was a little shaggier, his frame a little lighter. He was probably precisely the same person regardless of age, anyway. He reached into a pocket, and held a little booklet yellowed around the corners. "Few people have read this - and I suppose there's barely anyone who would know about that particular quote. How did you come to this knowledge?"
Naruto smiled slightly, just staring at his old sensei. "Actually, Nagato told me, and Fukasaku showed me that book after you-" He almost choked on the words. His father had always been a dream of the past, someone he wished to know, but never could. Seeing him again was a miracle, and even though it was short, and the frustration from being unable to change the flow of history hurt terribly, it seemed like it was meant to be that way. After all these years, it was very difficult to converse with the Third - the old man had died leaving him only pain and a feeling of emptiness. Jiraiya was another of his regrets. "After you... died."
"Do you have anything else you could say?" Sarutobi asked in exasperation. "You claimed that you are from the future - you must know something more?"
"It is alright, we'll have to use the next best thing." Jiraiya stood straighter, and Naruto was reminded just how serious his sensei could get if he wanted to. "You could tell us something about that future, couldn't you? You mentioned losing everything again, earlier. What happened in the past that you remember, during the Kyuubi attack?"
"It was probably the biggest loss for Konoha in its history," Naruto started slowly. "I can't guess at the huge number of civilians and shinobi alike who were killed that day, whole clans wiped from the village. I lost my family. I lost half of my heritage. When my father died, you - the other Ojii-san took back the mantle of Hokage. And he decided to keep my origins away from me for my own safety. That's why I was known Uzumaki, not Namikaze..." He paused to take in just how much younger Jiraiya looked, after all. Leaner, more standoffish, yet with the same glint of thoughtfulness and trickery in his eyes. That bit of him proved to be as timeless as the stories about his perversions. "I... don't think much changed, since I arrived so late. And the future - well, it'll take years before many of the things I remember will come around..."
Jiraiya nodded gravely, then looked nervously at his old teacher, before he leaned over. "Say - how about my books? Are they more famous in the future?"
The Third just stared for a moment, sighing in disgust.
"Yes, actually," Naruto said, frowning. "Kakashi-sensei buys them as soon as they come out, for example." He stared incredulously at the white haired nin. "Are you seriously asking me about that, now?"
"Well, maybe you know how I'm going to end my current one?" Jiraiya smirked. "Come on, you're an adult, you must've snuck a peek sometime..."
"What?" Naruto spluttered. "Ero-sennin, stop this nonsense - I don't remember the books that well! I only ever completely read Icha Icha Tactics, and that was because you had me helping with the editing - and it was published years in the future, anyway, so you probably haven't started yet. Besides, you always change your endings at least a couple of times before sending them in. You can't expect me to know what your current one is."
"He knows me well," Jiraiya announced, smirking. "You were an editor, eh? I wouldn't leave some stranger anywhere near my drafts, so we must have been pretty close."
"Oh - now I know!" Naruto let out a beaming smile. "I've got it." He pointed a finger accusingly towards Sandaime, sticking out his tongue. "The old man here, he always keeps at least the latest volume of the Icha Icha hidden under his bed! He's secretly a pervert!"
Sarutobi spluttered in protest, though his cheeks coloured, and Jiraiya let loose a booming laugh. "Sensei, you should have told me you liked the books - I would have sent you advance copies!"
The Third collected himself in a matter of seconds, but his expression wasn't as cold as before. "It is not something you can officially condone, not if you want to be taken seriously. Besides - I read them for the excellent descriptions of foreign - villages. Villages."
"He's telling the truth, isn't he?" Jiraiya laughed till there were tears in his eyes. "So all the talk about unbecoming behaviour was hokum? All these times I had to listen to you and Tsunade ganging up on me? Sensei, you old monkey!"
"I don't have to explain myself to you," Sarutobi muttered. "Jiraiya, why are you letting yourself be distracted by this?"
"No - this is gold!" Jiraiya kept up the bickering, far too amused to stop. "Which part was your favourite in my last novel, then?"
Naruto chuckled along merrily - it was a welcome sight to have some relief from the earlier tense atmosphere, and he relished in the genuine amusement that Jiraiya displayed. After such a nightmarish start, it felt like he had taken the first steps home. His chuckling soon turned into a laughter, and holding to his hurting side, bandages stretched to their limits, he laughed in tune with the Toad Sage. The stress from before, the feelings of loss and hopelessness washed away for that short moment of relief.
A child cried out, and everyone stopped, and Jiraiya coughed embarrassedly. Little Naruto had woken up, woken up by the loud shouts of the adults.
Naruto looked at his younger self aghast, clamping a hand over his mouth. "Sorry," he muttered for no one in particular. "Kinda forgot..."
Jiraiya looked rather uncomfortable having woken a child himself, so he moved forward and scooped the baby in his arms. "Hey, little stuff, calm down," he said, smiling at the child. "It's unbecoming of a future shinobi to be such a crybaby."
"He is a baby, Ero-sennin, cut him some slack," Naruto said. "What do you expect from him at that age?"
The child calmed down quickly, fascinated by the white strands of hair that fell into his reach, and soon he tried to touch it. He could not quite reach the white mane yet, but not for lack of trying.
"Feisty one," Jiraiya said, and he turned the child to face his bandaged counterpart. "Look how grumpy you might grow up. Better not let that happen, right?"
Naruto's mouth fell open. "You believe me?"
"I'm allowing you the benefit of doubt." Jiraiya said, smiling slightly. "It's not the same as believing - but not the same as disbelieving, either. It's subtle."
"You believe me." Naruto laughed carelessly. "Thanks, Jiraiya-sensei, I knew I could count on you."
"Yeah, yeah, don't look too much into it." Jiraiya shrugged, rocking the child gently. "We're still not sure if we can count on you. I suppose we'll find out. Honestly, I doubt you're a spy, because if you were - you would probably pass as the worst excuse for one that I've ever seen. If you were going to lie about this stuff, about time travel, I'd expect any decent spy to have a long and detailed list of obscure facts to establish the truth."
Naruto grumbled in annoyance. "I wasn't that bad at infiltration..."
"I'd hope not," Jiraiya agreed.
Sarutobi crossed his arms. "Are you sure about this, Jiraiya?"
"No." The white haired nin snorted. "But I need to look at the seal - and it's easier to do so with cooperation. If what future Naruto here says is true, he must have one too. Suffice to say that faking a seal like that would be pretty dangerous if it's just for the sake of spying."
"Do you need help examining the seal?" Naruto asked, lowering a hand to his stomach. "I could give you a rundown, or-"
"No," Jiraiya said, grinning contently, like a man presented with an exciting challenge. "I don't want to be bothered by my preconceptions."
"Alright," Naruto nodded and fell silent.
Jiraiya laid the child back into the crib and touched a hand to his belly. There was a slight pulse of chakra, and the seal flickered to life. The Toad Sage hummed softly, and leaned in to look closer. The baby muttered excitedly and managed to touch a few white strands.
Sarutobi joined the Toad Sage on the other side of the crib, his expression impassive. Naruto doubted that this was the first time that the Hokage looked at that particular seal.
Jiraiya traced one of the lines with his finger, and the little Naruto gurgled, shying away from the sensation. "Interesting. Very interesting. It's amazing to see it in person - the Key was a good clue, but this is even more exciting."
"You have the Key," Naruto commented. "Good, I hoped that the toads delivered it to you..."
"Please, don't say anything," Jiraiya muttered. "Let me think." It took a good five minutes until Jiraiya moved again. He pushed more chakra into the seal; after a few more attempts, he seemingly gave up. "The Kyuubi is definitely locked away and the seal looks both powerful and as safe as it can. I'll have to do this again, preferably in a couple more months," he said to Sarutobi. "I don't have much to add to what we talked before - and the bit about chakra absorption was spot on. The kid is never going to run out of chakra."
"I see." Sarutobi frowned. "It's a heavy burden," he whispered to the child. "Your father would be proud of you." He turned back to Jiraiya. "Do you need the child for comparisons? I think we could move him with the other children. Especially if he's safe."
"Do you have to?" Naruto spoke up again as Jiraiya moved closer to him. "I - I don't want him to be left alone. I remember being lonely, when I was little..."
"We can't keep him here, especially when you're getting better." Sarutobi sighed slightly. "I promise to make sure he's taken care off for a few days - its not like he was held here from the very beginning, and he won't go to an orphanage for a while - if at all."
"You moved him in here, just hours before I woke, didn't you?" Naruto asked. "That's why this room looks so unsuited for children. You wanted to see how I would react upon seeing my - well, myself."
Neither of the two older men commented on that.
"Now, other Naruto, brace yourself," Jiraiya said, moving next to him with a frown as he looked down at the heavily bandaged figure. "I'm going to remove some of your bandages now."
Naruto simply shivered as the first layers were removed, but, when the final, blood-soaked bits were ripped free, he choked on the sharp pain. There it was, covered by only a last layer of sticky gauze - the wound that Kurama had given him - it was partially healed over, but Naruto had to admit that it was probably the worst wound that he could remember getting - and those tended to close nearly instantly, before.
"This is going to hurt even more - the bandages got stuck with all this blood. Why didn't you say that you were bleeding?"
"Sorry for gritting my teeth and bearing it," Naruto murmured. "I got used to quickly healing injuries like this."
"The famed Uzumaki longevity?" Sarutobi had moved the crib closer to the door, and was lingering there, watching Naruto and Jiraiya both.
"The Kyuubi. The healing I inherited doesn't even get close from what I can tell." Naruto choked out as he felt the last bandage being torn with a yank. "Careful!"
"It was stuck," the white haired shinobi complained half-heartedly. "What I was supposed to do?"
Naruto wiped tears of pain from his eyes. "Could have done it slower. Just you wait - I'll figure out a way to pay you back for that."
"Shush." Jiraiya touched his stomach. "It looks almost healed already." His hand was warm on the chilly skin. It was strange to feel something else than the rough pressing of the bandages, and he sighed. When Jiraiya introduced a drop of chakra, it felt weird, but non-intrusive, only brushing at his chakra pathways. Curious, careful, considerate.
"Well?" Naruto looked down - the seal wasn't visible. "Huh. Maybe you did it wrong."
The nin grumbled. "Could you use some chakra yourself? It should work better than my own. I don't want to overstimulate your coils from the outside - it could hurt you further."
"You'll need to remove some of the suppression seals, then," Naruto said petulantly.
"Fine." Jiraiya quickly unravelled some of the marks etched on the bandages. "There. That should be enough for what we need."
Naruto closed his eyes, focusing. He called up some chakra, bubbling up in him like an old friend, and his former - or was it future - teacher retracted the arm in surprise.
"That's it. Interesting," Jiraiya repeated for the third time. "Strange - it's like a ghost."
"What?" Naruto squinted his eyes - and noted that there were nearly invisible lines that stood out on his stomach, marking his seal. When Kurama had been torn out of him, it had to have have destabilized the seal. He concentrated, searching for the energy of the seal, deep inside. Something was still keeping the remains of the seal going - he'd have to look into it. He relaxed the chakra he had called up. "I don't think I can hold it much longer than that - you still left some of the suppression, and I'm pretty weak."
"It's enough - clearly, the seal exists. Someone is going to come by to change the bandages, so you don't get infected. Try not to move too much, since it'll be awhile yet before you can reasonably get up again." He turned slightly, to face the Third. "I think that's enough, for now, sensei. We should bring little Naruto to the other squirts, and get working on rebuilding things. Let's go."
"We will speak again," the Third said to Naruto, before he turned and followed the white-haired Sage outside. Just like that, they were gone, taking the crib and its contents with them.
Naruto was left sitting there, staring at the wall in front of him, his stomach out in the open, the wound feeling weird out in the air. He was alone again. He grinned victoriously as he reached for his stomach. Someone was going to come and change his bandages? Without reapplying the complete array of the suppression seals first? He chuckled to himself. "Sloppy, Ero-sennin, very sloppy."
In a swift but painful movement, Naruto placed his hands in the clone seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," he breathed, channeling a huge part of what was there of his yet fickle chakra, especially when it was still sealed away.
A bandaged, sick-looking clone flickered into existence, wobbling slightly on his legs - outside the suppressing seals.
"Yosh," the clone wheezed out, looking down at himself and wincing. "Damn, I look terrible."
Naruto coughed. "Move it, you stupid clone, before someone sees you."
"Of course, Boss." And with a gust of wind, the battered clone was gone, and the door thumped quietly at his departure.
A flash of green jumped nimbly between buildings, easily jumping gaps and across rooftops as he attempted to keep up. Not far ahead, a black shape crowned with silver made the trip seem easy. The half moon shone down on bright silver hair, and its owner stopped quite suddenly on a flat rooftop. The green beast stopped next to him, curious.
"You seem preoccupied, my rival." Gai noted, unusually subdued - at least, for him. He looked out over the village - a large part of it lay in ruins, and though this side of town had mostly weathered the storm, there were few families that had not lost anyone in the sudden attack of the Kyuubi.
"I feel like I should have helped," Kakashi replied uneasily, shaking his head. "I can see why they kept us back - it would be stupid to sacrifice the people who would need to rebuild after this was over - but now..." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It feels awful."
Gai raised an eyebrow. "Still - the village survives, and the power of youth shall replenish it in time, so that it is greater than before!"
Kakashi rolled his eye, glaring half-heartedly at Gai. "If you're about to go into one of your rants-" He broke off, smiling slightly. "Trying to distract me, huh?" He sighed. "I suppose it worked."
"Yosh!" Gai gave a thumbs-up. "Still - I can tell that you are distracted - and you must have wanted to come here for a reason." He glanced aside, across the road. "I suspect I know your intentions. But - are you certain that this is what you want to do, my eternal rival? Or that you should?"
Kakashi sniffed. "Did you say something?"
"How very hip of you," Gai declared, but his eyes betrayed that he understood - they were serious, focused. "I can understand your wish to see your sensei, even though he is seriously injured - but surely the Hokage would permit visitors, if he were ready for such a thing. Should you not wait-"
"Gai," Kakashi muttered, watching the rooftop of the hospital.
"Yes?" Gai flashed him a smile, the huge eyebrows moving into position to hover above his expression as distractingly as it was possible and more. "Have you reconsidered?"
"No - I was going to say that you should keep it down - I'm trying to get in without getting caught, and you're kind of an eyesore already without all the talking." He smirked. "And yes - I am going to break in there. It's been days; I want to see what's going on. At least I want to be sure that sensei will be okay." He looked down, frowning. "I - don't have many people left."
Gai nodded soberly."So be it. I shall help you with your quest." His smile returned. "If I cannot do so, I shall run three hundred laps around Konoha on my elbows!"
Kakashi planted a hand on his face, covering up his only open eye. "Just - let's do it silently, alright? I'll need you to keep an eye out."
"Are we going to take down that pair of ANBU?" Gai asked, gesturing to the two shinobi that were hidden by the entrance, though their shadows were just barely visible in the moonlight. "I am not sure if assaulting Konoha nin is very youthful, especially in this time."
"We´re going to sneak past them, of course. We're ninja, aren't we?" Kakashi took another few seconds to observe the ANBU by the doors, before his attention shifted to the roof. There, two more slowly made their way around the perimeter. They were far too jumpy to make this easy. "Follow me closely if you want to get in - and be quiet."
"Yosh! - I mean, yosh."
Kakashi slid his hitai-ate upwards, revealing the red eye of Obito's Sharingan. He focused on the ANBU on the roof, the Uchiha eye providing a short glimpse to the future, a hint of what the men would do. These ANBU were good - they had a pattern that would have been unpredictable to almost any shinobi - except for those with the Sharingan.
"Go," Kakashi mouthed and he sped off, running up to the hospital wall in total silence, muffling the sound of his footsteps with chakra, even as he weaved a genjutsu below him, blocking the sight of both him and Gai from the ANBU at the entrance. They still had another second or two - tops.
Nearly at the top of the wall, Kakashi placed another Genjutsu - a tiny one - that held for only the split second that it took to flip himself through the topmost window, followed by Gai. It broke, then - hopefully the ANBU had not sensed the chakra usage. Gai quickly snapped the window closed behind him, and sighed in relief.
Where to now? Kakashi quickly glanced around, making sure to keep totally silent, for fear of setting Gai off again. There were patients here, of course, but with cover of darkness and silence, none had woken up yet. He sneaked out into the corridor, with Gai a couple of steps behind, remarkably quiet in his own right, despite the fact that he was still wearing his obnoxious green outfit. Kakashi forced himself to ignore his desire to comment on it. Silence.
Gesturing carefully to Gai, he made sure that he was aware of the need for silence, before he finally spoke."We should go to look for more guards," he suggested in a whisper. "They wouldn't leave the Hokage unguarded, and four seems on the low end, even if most are busy in town."
"Very astute observation." Gai flashed another smile. "I think I hear someone walking in our direction now - we should hide."
Kakashi gestured his understanding, and flipped himself upwards. He affixing himself to the ceiling before he stilled completely, breathing only as much as he required. The trick in hiding was not really to weave a Genjutsu constantly - that got tiring, and plenty of shinobi could sense them - but to make sure that you didn't stand out from the environment, so that there was never a reason to go looking for intruders at all. Gai disappeared in a tiny puff of smoke; he had hidden in a small niche behind a minor henge and a potted plant, and Kakashi was honestly a little impressed.
Someone walked slowly yet assuredly towards them from the next hallway, and Kakashi almost cursed himself when he realized it had to be another ANBU. By the gait of the man, Kakashi figured he was tired - which was good, since tired meant unobservant. The figure wearing a mask depicting a rat's face came around the corner, apparently on patrol.
Something was off, though, and Kakashi only just managed to prevent himself from taking a quick breath in surprise. The ANBU wore a standard uniform and his brown hair was cut short, but despite his tired gait he seemed completely at ease, which was definitely not what an ANBU should be while guarding someone as high-profile as the sitting Hokage.
Kakashi's Sharingan barely had time to scream a warning before the ANBU looked up, not slowing down at all as his dark eyes captured Kakashi's. "Yo."
Frozen in total shock for a moment, Kakashi failed to answer. He had not even sensed chakra use, which implied the ANBU had known he was there from remarkable sensory perception alone. The silver-haired Jounin debated whether to jump in and take out the ANBU, when the nin saluted him, raising two fingers to the top of the mask. The he moved on, unperturbed. For a split second the man glanced to his side - towards Gai - but he ignored that, too.
Kakashi dropped on the ground after the ANBU was gone, utterly confused. "What just happened?" he asked, baffled.
"Maybe that ANBU knows us?" Gai suggested, appearing at his side momentarily, a few stray leaves still stuck in his hair. "That must mean that we're on the right track, does it not? It must be his way of saying that he's not going to turn you in."
Kakashi frowned uncertainly, but he could find no more plausible explanations. "Yeah, let's go with that." He suddenly faltered, and cursed silently - he had been using the Sharingan for too long, and it was getting him confused. The moment when the nin had looked up, he could have sworn that there was something wrong with the man, but he was not so sure now. What if they had just let an intruder pass? Then again, he couldn't just go and tell anyone: 'While sneaking in forbidden parts of the hospital, I saw this shady looking nin that was obviously an ANBU.'
"Let's move on, and hope that's our weirdness for the day," Kakashi mumbled and followed his own command, walking towards the corner that the mysterious nin had come from. He left the sharingan open, even though it was draining him a lot, just in case he'd need it. A few turns later, Kakashi warned Gai to stay, narrowing his eyes. There, exiting a room at the end of the hall that was flanked by another ANBU, was a medical-nin. Kakashi was sure he caught a glimpse of the yellow haired man half-sitting in the bed behind her, and he could not suppress a satisfied grin as his conjecture was confirmed - Minato-sensei was here. Jackpot.
There was no way that six different ANBU would be guarding the hospital - and the wing that Kakashi had decided to check first was one of the most secure places in the whole building. It made sense.
"I'll return in the morning, to change the bandages again," the medical-nin said in a sweet voice. "Please, rest."
"Thank you," someone replied in a weak and rough voice, and Kakashi stilled. Yes, this was the place. The ANBU closed the door behind the medical-nin, who quickly walked off in the opposite direction.
A medical-nin would have been no match for the precognitive abilities of the sharingan, but this was different. The ANBU was tall and his eyes, though half closed, were undoubtedly fully alert of everything that went on. This was one person that they couldn't pass without getting into his line of sight. There was only one choice, here. Carefully signing his intentions to Gai, he focused chakra to his eye, shuddering slightly as he felt himself weakening.
Flashing around the corner, the two Jounin were at the ANBU's position before he had time to draw a kunai, and as Gai grasped the man's arm before it could reach his belt, Kakashi unleashed his jutsu. His Sharingan twirled as Kakashi focused his genjutsu upon its victim - the man's eyes rolled up, and he slumped down.
"Sweet dreams," Kakashi wheezed out, everything spinning around due to the fast chakra drain, and he grasped Gai's shoulder, just as the latter caught the nin before he could fall and make a ruckus. Silence remained, and Kakashi sighed in relief as he raised himself up again.
"Go, my rival," Gai showed him a thumbs-up and changed into a co of the downed ANBU. "Someone has to guard the entrance until you finish your business with your sensei. Don't take too long - my henge is no match for a determined ANBU, I am sure."
Kakashi grunted and threw the disabled shinobi over his shoulder, though the weight was a bit much. The genjutsu would only work for five minutes or so, but just in case, he bound the ANBU's hands with a short chain, so that he could at least reapply it. Then, he opened the door and stepped inside.
"Kakashi?!" There was an incredulous exclamation from the inside, and the door slammed shut.
"Thank Kami," Kakashi breathed out, more relieved than he would care to admit, and he dropped the disabled nin like a sack of potatoes. "I thought you died!"
"What are you doing in here?" The man that could only have been his sensei asked in disbelief, but was that the sound of disappointment Kakashi heard in his voice? He followed the man's gaze to the unconscious body at his feet.
"I - it was necessary." Kakashi stepped closer, almost falling onto his knees right next to his sensei's bed as the chakra drain of his eye caught up with him, but he ignored the discomfort. He tore down the mask in a quick move, and flashed a short grin as his teacher's blue eyes widened.
"I thought I had lost the last..." Kakashi muttered tiredly. "The attack - I thought that you might have died, and that I'd be..." He shook his head. "I just had to see you - on the off chance that the rumours were true. Thank heavens - they're not."
It was only then that Kakashi took in the extent of the bandages on his teacher. There was barely an unbandaged area to be seen, save for his eyes, and even now, there was a tiny bit of blood seeping into the freshly changed linens. There were so many wounds - it was a miracle that Minato-sensei could speak. Then, Kakashi looked into bandaged face, and found the watchful and puzzled blue eyes that met his own.
Kakashi jumped in surprise as Minato suddenly twitched with a spasm of pain, and fell back onto the bed with a whimper. I didn't use it, was Kakashi's first thought. W-What if I did? - the second thought was scarier than the first, and he grasped his teacher by the shoulder, before letting go as the man jerked away.
"Minato-sensei!" He called fearfully, hoping that this was not his fault - or that he had arrived just in time to see him die. Desperate, he moved his hitai-ate down, hoping that breaking the Sharingan's hold would help. It didn't. Minato looked completely unresponsive, and Kakashi had no idea what to do.
Naruto was confused. He had just had his bandages changed and wounds cleaned, and wasn't expecting anyone to show up until the early morning at the very least. However - this happened. Kakashi had torn inside his isolated room just after the medical-nin excused herself, much younger and a lot more expressive than Naruto had honestly expected of him.
Before he could explain that he wasn't Minato - and he had no idea how to get that idea out of the boy's head without hurting him - the touch of the Sharingan sent him spinning. What was going on? Genjutsu? No - even in his weakened state, he would have at least noticed it, and he was in enough pain that he would probably snap out almost immediately. No - it was like diving into the prison seal. Maybe his own version of the seal reacted to the presence of the Sharingan, as it had always agitated the Kyuubi too? The remnants of Kurama's chakra could have been reacting to the cursed eyes.
The why fled as Naruto stood up. He was inside his head, in the old sewer-like part of his mind, where pipes flowed every which way across the walls, and the huge prison gate was - this was where Kurama lived, after a fashion - it was empty, now.
Or was it?
Something familiar called out to him. Now that it was stronger, Naruto realized that it had been calling out for while - he had just dismissed it, a distant hum that seemed to fall just out of reach. It was chakra - the soft hum of chakra that flowed under his skin - yet not quite his own. It was familiar. Very familiar.
"D-Dad?" Naruto asked, turning around, trying to locate the source of his father's chakra. He quickly deduced the only likely place where it could be - even if it made no sense for it to be there, since it had been exhausted already. He walked towards the giant gate of his prison.
There, something moved. Very slowly, the dim light of the hallway brightened, and thin bars of light appeared behind the gate, growing longer with time. There, sitting patiently behind the centre of the gate, was a man. The figure moved slowly, his long blond bangs catching the dim light from outside the cage as his head lifted. Two sky-blue eyes opened, focusing on Naruto.
The Fourth Hokage sat cross-legged in a few inches of water, though he seemed unconcerned with the fact that it was soaking his clothes. His long white cloak drifted on the surface, surrounding him on all sides, the flame-like edges vanishing in the darkness, giving it a tattered appearance.
"Naruto," he said, and a weary smile appeared at last. "It's good to see you."
"Wha-" Naruto ran over to the bars in consternation, staring in disbelief through the bars, though he knew that reaching inside was impossible, as long as the gate was locked. His father - his dead father, had somehow ended up in his head, and on the wrong side of Kurama's seal! "How the heck did this happen? You - here - what?" He shook his head. "What?"
Namikaze Minato laughed softly, a clear sound that seemed out of place in the gloom of this eerie room, with its huge towering gate. The man simply observed, finally nodding. "Ah, Naruto - I see now that I should have trusted Kushina more - it was a mother's intuition, I suppose. She knew who you were, even when I was too caught up in the moment. I'm sorry about that."
"Ah, yeah..." Naruto rubbed the back of his head nervously, staring. "I - I did kinda spring it all on you, didn't I? Didn't really introduce myself and all that..." He sighed. "I'm sorry."
"It was my mistake." Minato slumped slightly, but his gaze never left Naruto. "How old are you, now?"
Naruto blinked. "T-Twenty-three, why?"
"Twenty-three years old..." Minato hummed slightly. "Almost the same age as me, you know - that's strange. At least you're not older still - I wouldn't know what to think if I was younger than my child!" He laughed silently to himself, though Naruto wondered if it was genuine. Finally he stopped, and calm eyes met Naruto's again.
"As for why I'm here..." He reached out, jerking his hand back from the bars of the gate when he got close, and a little spark arced to his finger. "When I took the Kyuubi's chakra from inside it, when I forced it to disperse so that it could be sealed - I was doubtful about how seriously I could take your supposed identity. Though I doubted you meant harm, I took precautions. During our fight, I placed a seal on you." He paused for a long moment. "I sealed away my own chakra, so that it would go to you after I died. Just in case, so that I could finish what I started, one way or another."
Naruto's eyes widened slightly. "You made a seal that worked after you died? How?"
Minato had the dignity to look embarrassed. "There are techniques to channel one's chakra like that, even if it's usually fatal - but I had little reason to suspect I would survive, so it seemed justified. It is not unlikely Kage Bunshin, a favoured technique of your own if I am not mistaken. If I had used it as intended, it would have briefly taken over your body - just long enough to finish the sealing."
"Dad - that's amazing!" Naruto grinned broadly. "I got started with sealing, and I'm pretty good, but that's... that's on another level."
"Considering you sealed the Kyuubi well, I would say you are more than 'pretty good' - don't be shy," Minato said confidently. "When you finished the sealing, and that spark of my chakra faded, thankfully unnecessary - I found myself here, instead. Part of me, at least. An echo, perhaps, or a reflection." He looked at his fingers, curling them up and shrugging. "As I was not sure about your identity, and I was short on time regardless, I hadn't taken into account the presence of your seal - much less an empty one. As it repaired itself, foreign chakra was drawn in, and locked away, including mine. It is temporary, I'm sure, but it gives us certain opportunities."
"I caught you in the seal?" Naruto said, shivering. "The Shinigami should have-"
"The Shinigami got his sacrifice. Consider me a clone, if that is easier." He reached out again, smiling sadly. "Don't worry - my stay here is voluntary. I'm sure that if I dispel myself, so to say, my chakra will join the rest of me. In a few days time, at most, that will happen on it's own. But - let's not do that quite yet, shall we?"
Naruto nodded eagerly. "We spoke like this before, you know," he said, his voice wavering. "The seal was breaking - you told me you had left your chakra to help me, should it ever fail. You brought me back from releasing the Nine-Tails into the world - but your chakra was exhausted after that. You told me we'd probably never meet again, even if I..." He swallowed thickly. "The same with - mom..."
"I know," Minato said softly, and he raised an eyebrow at Naruto's incredulous glance. "I may be locked up behind these bars - but I happen to know this seal pretty well. I modified it quite a bit, and clearly you must've learned its structure somewhere along the way, since you knew exactly how to handle it. Your own seal is a little different, I've noticed. You reforged it anew at some point? Regardless, I figured it out. I got more than I bargained for, though, when I tried to gain some understanding of my - host. You were unconscious - your defences were completely gone."
Naruto scowled. "You broke into my head?"
"After a fashion," Minato admitted ruefully. "I saw very little - only that which seemed especially relevant. Your trip here, the Kyuubi, the truth of your identity, our other meeting. Your origins. Only a half-forgotten dream rather than a full blown memory, but still the best I could get." He sighed deeply. "Ah, Naruto - I did mess up your life, didn't I? Twice now, it seems, in two different eventualities."
"It's not so bad..." Naruto mumbled, rubbing his stomach. "Besides, the Kurama I knew is gone now, and even with all the benefits of his presence, it's sort of nice not to be a Jinchuuriki for once. I'm like Gaara, now. If he can be a Kage without the Ichibi..."
"I hope I don't count as a Bijuu," Minato agreed, smiling.
Naruto looked down, tired. "Dad - what do I do? What the hell do I do?" He sunk to the floor, gazing at his flickering reflection in the water at his feet. "This isn't where I'm supposed to be - I have a life, back home! The Fourth Shinobi World War was over - there was peace. What about Hinata - and Sakura, and everyone else? And I was going to finally-" He looked up, then, troubled. "The Hiraishin has its limits. It can't travel to what doesn't exist yet - I can't go back, can I?"
Minato remained silent.
"I - I was going to beat your record, dad!" Naruto said at last, and his voice trembled. "Twenty-three years old - a year earlier than even you. I was going to finally do it, fulfil my dream! And now-"
"Hokage?" Minato inquired, almost breathlessly. Naruto glanced up, and was caught off guard by the twinkling eyes that met his, filled with so much pride that his breath hitched. A grin split Minato's face, then. "Godaime Hokage, Namikaze Naruto? I like it!"
Naruto chuckled to himself. "Rokudaime, actually, and sort of the second one - it was a bit of a mess in the war." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "And I go by Uzumaki Naruto. Used to be safer, you know. And the old man thought it was best if I didn't find out about - well, you - until I was older." He shrugged. "In the end, it was you that told me about my origins, which you have probably already seen. Then I punched you."
"Yes." Minato snorted. "You must've gotten that from Kushina."
"Probably," Naruto agreed, smiling warmly. "She and I got along, the one time we met." A little of the cold misery seemed to fall away as he thought of that meeting. "Though I guess you can tell that I got a few other things from you." He ran a hand through his hair, winking. "Honestly, I am still unsure why I never made the connection. Guess I don't look in the mirror enough. And the statue, of course, doesn't portray all the colours that well."
Minato just stared for a while, and Naruto fidgeted under that gaze. "You grew up to be a lot like your parents," he said. "That's good." He nodded. "I saw you use the Hiraishin - and I caught that toad summoning too. You've been learning my techniques, eh? I assume Jiraiya-sensei was involved?"
"For the toads, yes." Naruto looked troubled for a moment. "He taught me the Rasengan too, and a few other things, but he - died before we could get to the rest."
"Chin up," Minato ordered light-heartedly. "He is alive, you know?"
Naruto blinked, and thought of the younger Jiraiya that had barged in not long ago. "Right - I even talked with him. That's - that's actually very nice." He laughed. "I get to speak to him however much I want."
Minato smiled kindly after a short pause. "So you figured it out, my best technique, without anyone to help you?" He whistled. "Something to be proud of, you know. I can see that you've got some of the skills a Hokage needs - whole research teams failed at reproducing it during the war - and they had good reasons to dismantle it."
"Yes - well, I did have the advantage of an unlimited number of shadow clones. And it wasn't like I didn't have help," Naruto hedged. "Plus Kyuubi and I were sort of - friends - so he kept me going. Even if he complains - complained constantly." He shook his head. "Listen to me, talking about stuff that technically never happens. That is so messed up."
"Hey - look at it from my perspective, would you?" Minato asked. "I got to meet my adult son on the same day he was born." He shrugged. "My would-be Hokage son, at that. Apparently Konoha needed more than just the one Yellow Flash. And then there's little you, too - practically a dynasty!" He blinked. "Wait, does that mean that I have twins, now? Except - twenty-ish years apart." He frowned. "That is so messed up."
"Tell me about it," Naruto muttered, then paused. "You know - there was something I was going the show the other you - but I never really got the opportunity - "
"Hmmm?"
Naruto raised his hand, and focused. "I'm sure it'll work in here - it did when I beat up the fox... Look!" A sphere burst into existence, swirling in all directions as the chakra chafed against itself- and then he sharpened it, turning it into a whirling ball of shearing blades of wind. "Fuuton: Rasengan."
Minato's eyes were wide in astonishment. "Is that - you did it? You perfected -"
Naruto grinned, sweat running down his back - his real body was still in the hospital bet and he couldn't continue on showing off too much. Just a bit more. "Oh, I did better than that - but the other stuff is a bit too powerful to pull off in here - I'd worry about blowing my head off... The Rasenshuriken can be thrown, you know! Tsunade-baachan put it in the secret scroll - an S-Rank technique, oh yeah!"
"Amazing!" Minato exclaimed. "Ah- Kushina, our son's a genius!"
Naruto snickered. "Not really - but thanks. Jiraiya-sensei and Kakashi-sensei helped me with it. And it took a lot of time - and Shadow Clones by the hundreds." He shivered as he thought back to that training session - especially with the added urgency that was part of it at the time. Right now, it seemed like he made an impossible amount of progress in a short time - going from a B-Rank to an S-Rank shinobi in only a few years.
"I'm feeling inadequate now," Minato said, nervously scratching the back of his head. "It took me three years to develop the Rasengan, and I never did get around to the rest of it..."
"Yeah - Jiraiya-sensei was impressed when I pulled it off in a week!"
Minato coughed. "What."
"Tsunade-baachan made a bet with me - I spent the whole week working on it, until I pulled it off. I'm sure you can find that memory in here, somewhere." He laughed at his father's expression.
"I must be an idiot," Minato said in a tortured voice, slumping.
Naruto snorted. "You're still considered the finest Ninja that Konoha ever produced, you can't whine."
Minato rolled his eyes. "Yes, well - Jiraiya-sensei does have a big mouth like that. I think he wants everyone to think that he's the best teacher ever, now that he's too old to keep up with the younger folk."
"The Raikage agrees with him." He raised an eyebrow. "Actually, you sort of become a legend - heroic sacrifice, and all that."
"Oh, brother."
"Dad."
Minato twitched, looking a little uncomfortable, then he looked serious again. "Naruto - as nice as a little meeting is - there are things we should discuss. Important things." He paused. "With me - gone - I'm sure that they'll pick a new Hokage -"
"Actually - the last time this happened, the Third took up the hat again." He frowned. "You know, the Third has this weird theory that I might be you - just with brain damage or something. So - I have no clue how things are gonna go this time around."
"Me with brain damage? I can see why they thought that." Minato chuckled at Naruto's affronted expression. "I kid, I kid. In any case, I need you to relay a message or two, since I seem to be unable. But first - do you know of the masked man that attacked the village?"
"Yes," Naruto sighed, frowning. "It's Obito."
"What?" Minato frowned in confusion, and he narrowed his eyes. "My Obito? No - how could he - he survived? Why would someone like that ever..." He muttered to himself, scowling. "I - I don't understand who could have forced him to behave like that, but... I believe you. You would know everything."
"Obito - it was a mess," Naruto said. "Everything has been rather crazy - just take my word for that, it's been completely hectic. But it all worked out in the end. Even if we lost many great people along the way..." He sighed. "Since - since I'm here, and I'm probably stuck... maybe I can help."
"At least I am not leaving you with a mystery to unravel." Minato let out a relieved breath. "I was afraid that your future had gone terribly wrong - and you tried to escape with a Hiraishin, but it seems like I worried needlessly. When I tried to find images of your future, I didn't know what any of it meant." He looked away, troubled. "Obito, huh?"
"I still have no idea what I should do." Naruto admitted. "I always had a goal - or a challenge - but this situation is too difficult even for me to predict. I can write the future again, since it never was written from where we are standing now. Yet, what if I do something that makes it all for the worse?"
"You lived through a Shinobi War, and was the Hokage-to-be, yet you still have doubts about yourself?" Minato reached out towards the bars of the gate - there was a tiny spec yellow of lightning zapping right at his fingers as he snatched his hand away at the very last second. "Ah - not to worry, it does that." He flexed his fingers gingerly. "I meant to say, that you shouldn't be afraid of uncertainty while making choices, since it's the uncertainty itself that proves your wisdom. "
"Is that a quote?" Naruto asked, looking nervously at the gate. "Tsunade-baachan said something like that when I asked her about the wrong choices."
"It comes with the hat." Minato winked. "Hokage is a position with many responsibilities. A Jinchuuriki carries a beast inside, and the Hokage, after a fashion, has to carry the troubles of whole village inside him in the same way. Konoha - it's a beautiful place." Minato found the eyes of his son again, and he shrugged. "Yet you are old enough to have known that there are shadows in the hidden village. It comes with what were are taught to do - how we are raised to behave. To kill, to hide, to lie. The will of fire sounds like an unattainable dream, yet where friendship means closing one eye, love means closing both of them. To turn a blind eye to Konoha's faults. You cannot have a perfect world. It is a good dream, however. And pursuing that dream is a worthy cause."
"I think I understand." Naruto moved to touch the gates. They didn't shock him, but they hummed on that small contact, as if some sort of energy had been flowing through them. "What is that?" He asked quietly.
"The seal was built to absorb the Kyuubi chakra into your system - now, there's no Kyuubi, just - me." Minato gestured at himself.
"My seal is eating you?" Naruto's eyes widened and he moved his hand towards the small paper seal hanging on his side of the gate.
"Don't!" Minato jumped forward and got another jolt from the gate, and he sheepishly waved his hand from the sudden shock. "If you open it up, this version of me will be lost!"
"But if I leave it be - you will be gone, too!" Naruto held the white small patch that could open the gate in a second. "And it is hurting you, isn't it?"
"I have a while yet," Minato pointed out. "I told you."
"Are you really sure?" Naruto took a step back. "This seal is more draining than the one you made, since it was supposed to channel all of the Kyuubi, rather than only a few tails' worth." With dread, he realised that his father had become slightly bleaker throughout the conversation. Maybe even transparent.
"That's even more of a reason to speak about everything, before you go back."
"Go back -" Naruto realized just what had made him aware of the connection and send him into the depths of his mind. "Kakashi!"
"Time flows more slowly here - there is no hurry." Minato frowned. "Is Kakashi alright? I hope he is - he has great potential and an even greater heart - yet, his life wasn't kind to him. Kakashi could be a great friend."
"He was." Naruto grinned. "He was the weirdest and most impossible sensei I have ever had. Yet, at the very same time, he also taught me a lot of things I hold dear - and he was the one to tell me the true secret of the Kage Bunshin."
"Good. I know you must have taught him something too."
Naruto laughed. "A thing or two."
"So - you met my Kakashi," Minato said. "Just before arriving here, I take it?"
"He looked so young." Naruto said the first thing that came to his mind. "When he entered the room - it was like seeing a dream. It was like some teenager just barged in, rather than the veteran I'm used to."
"Yet, he is that hardened veteran already - don't forget that. He's a product of his age, of this war we have just had." Minato sighed. "He has lost great many things in his life, and it seems like it's always losses rather than achievements that shape the people into their true image."
"He looked so - broken just now."
"I see," Minato crossed his arms and paced around for a while. "Maybe-" He stilled for a bit. "No, you were right, earlier. Days was too a generous estimation. Probably hours instead. You did a good job on the seal - I should commend you."
Naruto looked away. "Is there anything I could do for you?"
"Protect Konoha." Minato began slowly. "Learn. Love. Live."
Naruto shook his head. "I meant for you. I'd do those things anyway."
Minato grinned at that. "Well - you could help me say my goodbyes, I suppose." He fell silent for a moment, his smile wavering. "Kushina perished together with me. Little Naruto - take care of him, will you? He could use an older brother, and I hope you would benefit from that. Tell him about me, someday when he will understand. Apologize for me."
"Of course - that's a given. Anyone else?"
"Sarutobi - that is, the Third Hokage." Minato took a deep breath. "Tell him that he was right the first time we met. I am crazy enough to sacrifice my life first and think second. Yet, I do not think that he has taught me wrong - and I always had his example to learn from." He stayed silent for a moment. "He helped me get ready to be the Hokage - and I really appreciate it."
Naruto cocked his head to the side slightly. "I never really discussed you with him - but he did mention that you embodied the will of fire."
Minato shrugged at the compliment. "Next is Jiraiya. There are many things that I'd like to say to Jiraiya-sensei, most of them things that you will probably tell him yourself, given enough time in his company. Tell him - to remain how he always was. Cheerful in the face of danger, serious in the meeting of a council and insightful in all delicate matters. His heart is in a right place, and by moving around the world he has corrected more wrong that I have in my time as Hokage."
"I'll speak to Ero-sennin for you," Naruto agreed, and he chuckled at Minato's amused expression. "I swear."
"That man never changes. Who else - ah... Mikoto." Minato shook his head. "That is not my goodbye to give, but Kushina would have wanted me to, had I survived. I pass on that task to you. Tell her that she helped my wife more than anyone in the village, and that Kushina always hoped to see Sasuke and Naruto play together."
Naruto stiffened. "She's Sasuke's mother?"
"You knew him, then? I suppose you're about the same age, so that makes sense. It was meant for you to be friends."
"Friends." Naruto's expression grew serious. "Rivals. Teammates. Enemies."
"What?" Minato frowned. "What happened?"
"Obito - he arranged the whole Uchiha clan to be murdered before a coup attempt," Naruto said through his clenched teeth. "Sasuke ran away from the village, seeking power to fuel his revenge. We fought a few times. But - I always kept him as a friend, until the end."
"I see." Minato looked away tiredly. "Do not hold it against her, please. She was a good friend to your mother."
"I won't," Naruto said with conviction. "It was long ago - from my point of view - and it never truly happened if I go by today's date. Besides - if I can prevent the massacre, then maybe he won't have such a stick up his-"
"Naruto-" Minato cut in, and he smirked. "If you can, save her. Kushina would have appreciated it."
"Do you even have to ask?"
Minato looked at him, proud. "That leaves Genma's team. I don't have something special to say them. But they know bits and pieces of the Hiraishin - their own little version of it, in any case. You know of it?"
"Yes." Naruto answered. "I asked Namiashi for help once - after the war was finally over. Those three don't really know the Hiraishin - they are using a mixture of it and a summoning technique, right?"
"Help them out with perfecting what they have, would you? And see to it that they are safe. As safe as a life of an active shinobi can be, anyway."
"So that's everyone, then?" Naruto ran a hand through his hair. "Man, for someone who's bad at memorizing, this is a lot of stuff..."
Minato smirked. "There's Shimura Danzo. Tell him that the choices he wants to make, even if they look good at first, will have a price later."
Naruto shuddered as he thought of the would-be Sixth Hokage. "Yeah - don't need to say that twice."
"I see that you understand what I mean," Minato observed. "Danzo - he truly cares about Konoha," he added, thoughtful. "If given too much freedom, he would do anything in his power to help the village. And that would be his and Konoha's downfall."
"Danzo again..." Naruto murmured. "To borrow a phrase - troublesome."
"There is one last person that I should leave a message for - though I'd never expected that I'd get the chance." Minato took a deep breath. "Obito."
Naruto blinked in surprise. "Eh?"
Minato looked uncomfortable. "You said he's alive - I don't know how to better put this, since I have no idea what I might have done wrong in teaching him. He was always - so cheerful and loving. I can't imagine him harming Konoha like that, not willingly." He paused, looking away. "If you see him - ask, alright? Ask him why - from the man who watched him grow up."
"Alright," Naruto had a dangerous gleam in his eyes as he said it. "I'm going to find out everything there is to know about that." He sighed. "I suppose that was everyone, finally?"
Minato shrugged helplessly. "Well... I don't know if I want you to say something special to anyone else. For shinobi who are loyal - maybe make sure they understand that I am sorry that I couldn't keep protecting them longer, but if I could have - I would."
There was a long, uncomfortable pause. Minato sighed. "I think, you should tear that seal, after all."
"What?" Naruto shook his head. "But you said-"
"My purpose was over the moment I realized that you were my son. My wish was granted the second I learned what you have achieved in your life. I am an echo, Naruto, memories and dreams of the man I was, caught in chakra. Keeping me here would not bring you happiness, be it a couple of hours or even the whole week. It is better to end this in one decisive stroke, one last breath of freedom."
"Are you sure?" Naruto rubbed his eyes with his left hand, while reaching out with his right. "Maybe there is another way? Maybe you'll remember something else you needed to tell me! And why didn't you leave any sort of words for Kakashi?"
"Caught that, did you?" Minato winked. "When you tear the gate down, I will get a minute of freedom, the minute that I intended to use to seal the Kyuubi. Last words, if you will. If anyone could use those, it's Kakashi. I will try not to leave you empty handed, either - I'm just an echo, but I know a few tricks. You'll know what I mean after I'm gone."
Naruto took a deep breath. "So - this is it?"
"Yes."
Naruto tensed. "Alright - Goodbye, dad." He tore down the tiny piece of paper and the gust of wind tore at the gate. They shattered and fell down, irreparably broken, and Minato took a step towards him. Another. Nothing stopped him this time, and he ruffled Naruto's hair, before he wrapped him in a brief hug. "Live long and always listen to your heart."
And then he was not there anymore, vanishing in a whirlpool of chakra.
Naruto's eyes flickered open, and he stared momentarily, confused. The Sharingan was gone; only one eye of Kakashi's was staring at him in pure terror, shaking him ever so slightly. Clearly the boy was unwilling to touch him too strongly, considering all the bandages.
Naruto's hand moved by itself, touching down firmly on top of Kakashi's silver bundle of hair. Then, it ruffled them. The gesture was so familiar, yet at the same time - so incredibly alien. Naruto couldn't have imagined how he would have ever gotten the idea to do so.
"Sensei?" Kakashi's voice echoed strangely in the small room. "Do you need me to call help?" He looked pained. "I'd get in trouble, but -"
"I am alright," Naruto felt his own voice answer with a certain degree of calmness that he did not have. "Kakashi, have you been skipping out on sleep again? I can tell."
Kakashi grumbled something under his breath. Naruto didn't catch it.
His lips started to move once again, and Naruto felt that if he wanted - he could have stopped the whole thing, cut the thread, yet he didn't. He just let it felt incredibly weird - incredibly wrong - but he could bear it, for his father.
"You keep dreaming of her," the shade of Minato said through his son. "It is not your fault. You need to stop beating yourself up about it, you had your time of pain and regret. She was the one who made the choice. And, Rin held to that choice until the very end - you can't blame her for remaining truthful to herself. Nor can you keep blaming yourself for your own choices."
"Why are you telling me this?" Kakashi asked, a few tears running down from his eye, and his hitai-ate looked suspiciously moist, too.
"No one is immortal, Kakashi. You know that even more than some others. I will not be able to watch over you like I'd like to. I need you to get your head straight."
"But-"
Naruto let his hand ruffle the hair one last time. Inside he felt weird, restrained - whatever effect his father's spectre had, it was fading fast.
"The war took away your childhood." Naruto felt his voice cracking and started helping the process, by guessing at what his father wanted to say. "You need to take a moment for yourself and try to find what you are missing, to break the limits you have set with your beliefs. Please, Kakashi, live for me if not for yourself."
"Don't speak like you're going to die!" With that one sentence, Naruto's vision of Kakashi shattered. Gone was the extremely competent yet extravagant shinobi. In his place, for the short while, there was Kakashi - the fourteen year old boy, afraid for the life of his last friend and teacher.
"Everyone dies. We shinobi just get to choose how."
And then, there was nothing. Minato was gone.
"Kakashi," Naruto called the name the same way his father had - with a hint of compassion and sadness, but a moment, he wondered what he should say. He could not just come out and tell the boy that his sensei had just - He could not tear the boy's hope apart, not here, not now. What came out was: "I'll take care of you - I promise."
"Minato-sensei," Kakashi leaned forward, gave the shortest hug in the history of short hugs, and then jumped back, putting on his black fabric mask once again - Naruto did not have the time to marvel over the fact that he had seen under it for the first time. "Thank you..." the teen said, and there was a pause. "You're not going to tell anyone that I broke the rules, are you?"
Naruto smiled tiredly. "Those who break the rules are trash, isn't that right, Kakashi? But those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash." He gestured weakly to the door. "I don't remember seeing anyone."
Kakashi saluted shortly. "I will wait until you're healed up, then."
Naruto looked a little troubled at that prospect, but kept his comments to himself. There was a knock from the other side of the door at that moment.
"Five minutes have passed," came a muffled warning from outside.
"Oh!" Kakashi jumped like he had just been hit. "Gai - we're leaving!" he shouted through the door. He picked up the ANBU, dusted off his vest a bit, and straightened the animal mask. "There - good as new." He dragged the ANBU to the door, and he revealed his Sharingan once more; he was very careful not to look Naruto directly in the eyes.
"Get well, Sensei." he said softly as the door closed behind him.
Naruto was alone.
Roarian was fixing stuff and ended up writing around 33% of the chapter.
