Chapter IV: Signatum
"There are as many worlds as there are kinds of days, and as an opal changes its colors and its fire to match the nature of a day, so do I."
― John Steinbeck
*One Week Later...
Naruto looked up at the ebony, star filled sky from the top of the Hokage Monument. It was the night before the graduation test.
A light breeze blew across her golden tanned skin and her whisker mark adorn cheeks. She closed her eyes, breathing in the night air with a small smile dancing across her lips.
In those rare moments of quiet, she couldn't help but think back on how much her life had changed since coming back in time and turning into a girl.
Her cerulean orbs fell down on her small feminine hands that held her up, sat on top of her father's stone head as she was. It never stopped amazing her at how soft they were. No matter how hard she trained, or worked, her hands held no calluses. Her skin was always smooth and soft all over. A total difference to the rough hands she had before as a boy.
"Being a girl sure is nice. I have really smooth skin," she softly murmured out loud as she held up a petite hand in front of her face.
It had taken some getting used to, but accepting the fact she was female hadn't been as difficult as it could have been. If she had been without Shikamaru, who had been so understanding, been without the older Naras, who'd helped her come to terms with the sudden change, she'd have been undoubtedly lost. Her grouchy fox of a partner had been a big help too.
Another hour of stargazing and the blonde decided to call it a night. She hurried back to her home with the Naras. She had to get a good night's rest after all, if she wanted to kick ass at the exam.
The next morning came much quicker than Naruto expected it to. She was a whirling mess of gold and orange as she flew around the Nara household getting everything ready for her exam. An exam she had no intention of failing.
She stood in front of her dresser mirror looking over her outfit for one last time with a determined smirk. She wanted to show she was serious and mature enough to handle being a kunoichi of Konoha while still being her usual knuckle-headed self.
The dark fabric of the shirt she was wearing caught her eye and made her smirk widen a little bigger.
Finding a black jacket with orange like the one Jiraiya had gave her had proved to be much harder than she'd expected it would be. So she had settled with an orange kimono top that flared slightly at the bottom, and had the Uzumaki swirl in red on the right sleeve, with a slightly longer fishnet shirt underneath. It was tied off snugly with a black obi around her waist, showing her hourglass figure.
She chose to match it with a mid-thigh, tight black shorts, with an inch or two longer short wire mesh leggings underneath that, and black open-toed shinobi boots. This outfit was definitely much more form fitting than her old male one. It gracefully accentuated all her developing curves.
She was downright attractive, in her own opinion.
Seeing her reflection in the mirror, the memories of the training she had undergone for this exact day came rushing back.
She had started with the basics first, much to her chagrin. The Hokage had made good on his word about getting a her a tutor. Shikaku, Shikamaru's dad, had been the chosen one, much to the man's annoyance. She definitely knew where her pineapple haired friend got his lazy attitude from.
He 'taught' her tree walking, then water walking, Naruto knew her level of control was naturally worse than most people. It just came with being a Jinchuriki unfortunately, so she happily did as he said. He trained her in that until her chakra control had vastly improved compared to her previous pre-genin self.
She couldn't practice the Rasengan or any of her past jutsus as it one would draw too much attention. To her relief, Shikaku had seen her trouble's with the regular Clone Jutsu and got permission from the Hokage to teach her the Shadow Clone Jutsu instead. It was such a beautiful feeling having one of her signature jutsus back. She needed all the help she could get.
With her favorite jutsu back in her possession, Naruto took up the task of learning Fuinjutsu. She had become interested in seals after learning that both her parents had a hand in the seal she wore on her stomach. Naruto hadn't had a means of learning Fuinjutsu before, what with the Akatsuki, Pein, rebuilding of Konoha, and the war against Madara and Obito in the previous time-stream.
Now, she had both the time and the resources to actually study the subject.
She quickly learned that she excelled at the art. Normally she had a hard time memorizing things she read, but when learning the intricate designs and powerful mechanisms she took to it like a fish to water.
When she hadn't been doing that, she was catching up on all the academy work that Iruka delivered to her himself or via Shikamaru. A giggle escaped her lips when she recalled the scarred Chunin's reaction to learning of her gender change. The poor man had fainted from the shock.
She worked hard these past three years to get back her lost strength. However, she wouldn't stop there. No, she would go beyond the strength she had in the future. Naruto still wanted to be Hokage someday, but not as obsessed with the idea as once before. There were more important matters to solve first before her dream to be Hokage.
She just wanted to be strong enough to protect her family, her precious people. Whether as Hokage or not, she didn't care anymore. She just didn't want the future to conclude as it did four years from now.
She was confident in being able to achieve the peace her perverted sensei and Nagato had dreamed of.
Looking down at her dresser, she saw the delicate silver ring resting on the dark wooden top. The band that united her and Kakashi. A small fond smile graced her lips at the thought.
She still had a hard time wrapping her mind around the union with her past sensei or future sensei, since she knew without a doubt that the Hokage would put her on Team Seven. While on that train of thought, she remembered she had a meeting with her 'husband' and the old man to go see her new home shortly after her test.
The lazy yell from downstairs startled her from her musings. She quickly strung the ring on a metal chain, before carefully putting it on and hiding it underneath her top.
Steeling herself for the coming events of the day, Naruto headed out the door to join a yawning Shikamaru while a million plans coursed through her mind.
The future wouldn't be the same as before, because she had and would change it all.
The walk to the Academy had been led in companionable silence. Shikamaru didn't bother to comment on why the blonde was wearing a henge over her features as they traveled through the village; knowing it was just another aspect of the mystery surrounding the girl he would have to unravel.
The pair stopped at the entrance of the classroom. They could hear the rowdy teenagers from behind the wooden door. In the three years she had been in the past, Naruto never felt such unease as she did in that moment.
This would be the first time she faced any of her old friends, beside Shikamaru, as a girl. She feared how they would react to her new self. Would they be as understanding as the Nara, or would they reject her for supposedly lying about her gender?
All those unknowns and possibilities weighed down her heart.
Almost as if reading her mind, Shikamaru gently put his hand on her shoulder.
With a reassuring smile he stated, "Hey, don't get all work up over nothing, it's such a drag. They'll be surprised for sure, but they'll come around. After all, you're still Naruto."
The Nara would never know how much those words meant to the time-travelling Jinchuuriki.
"Right. Thanks, I needed to hear that." Naruto gave him a bright watery smile.
"Now let's go. Better get this over with before the test starts." With those final words, Shikamaru opened the door.
A few glanced at the entrance for the new arrival, but quickly went back to what they had previously been doing when the familiar sight of the pineapple haired boy stepped into the room. However, a select few noticed the hidden presence behind the Nara and waited with curiosity to see who would appear after him.
Shikamaru took a couple steps inside and then moved to the side to make room for the fidgeting girl behind him.
"Come on in." The raven haired boy called out catching the remaining classes attention.
Light footsteps could be heard as a the new presence made itself known.
Naruto felt a drop of sweat develop on the back of her neck as everybody turned to look at her, all was silent. You could hear a pin drop.
She scanned the room, a wave of nostalgia coming over her as she saw the younger versions of all her old comrades. There was still so much life in their eyes compared to how dead inside they had all become as the war continued on, as the lives of their loved ones were lost, until they had perished as well.
Her cerulean eyes locked on immediately to the stoic raven head sitting next to the windows. As if sensing someone was looking at him, the boy turned and locked eyes with the frozen blonde.
Sasuke...
Seeing him there in that familiar setting, she was reminded of the boy he had once been before everything went to hell. He was the first catalyst to the end.
As if burned by his gaze, she quickly averted her eyes and instead turned toward the silent crowd of teenagers.
She stood there with her hand on wooden handle for a couple of seconds, staring back at everybody, just as silent. Then, ever so slowly, she slid the door shut softly behind her.
Once the latch clicked into place it was as if an alarm had gone off.
"Whoa, Shikamaru! Who's the total babe with ya?" A rough voice spoke loudly.
Kiba... of course it had to be the mutt... The blonde thought sourly at the boy's brashness, pushing any thoughts of the Uchiha in the room far away from her mind. She had a test to ace.
The Nara snorted bemused. "I'm surprised you don't recognize her Kiba. After all, the two of you did skip class together pretty often back in the day."
Kiba blushed brightly when the mystery girl tilted her head a little and smiled mirthfully at him, "What's this? You forget about me dog-breath?"
At that statement, it was as if cold water had been poured down on the Inuzuka heir. There was only one person who had ever dared to skip class with him, and call him by that nickname whom had such bright, blonde hair and oceanic eyes.
Dumbfounded murmurings rose among the other teens.
A tensed silence stretched out in the classroom, until Kiba suddenly got over his shock, exclaiming, "N-Naruto?!"
At the brunet's exclamation, several other gasps of shock resounded in the room. With renewed vigor, the teenagers scrutinized the gorgeous blonde girl standing in front of them with wide eyes.
Now, it wasn't hard to miss the familiar whisker marks adorning her cheeks or the well known foxy grin she was giving them, with devilish mischief dancing in her cerulean orbs.
"Hey guys! Miss me?" Her lilting voice and charming smile had many reddening in the face.
Another stunned silence fell upon the whole classroom. Before the blonde could continue, a familiar pinkette stood up.
"What! Naruto? But that drop-out was a boy!"
At Sakura's outburst, many others voiced their disbelief and disagreement.
As the shouting rose in volume, the young Jinchuriki sighed before speaking again.
"As you can see I'm a girl and I didn't drop out." Naruto began to state loudly, effectively stopping the talking. Seeing she had the classes attention, she continued, "I just pretended to be a boy so I wouldn't be underestimated for being a girl. But about three years ago, I got this condition that didn't allow me to go to class."
"As a result, the Hokage let me be taught in private. I still did all the work assigned, so now that my condition is no longer a problem I can take the final test with you guys, dattebayo!" She finished explaining with a huff.
The class was astounded to say the least. They never would have guessed that the supposed drop-out, and class clown from years ago would reappear as the most beautiful girl they had ever seen.
Dressed in orange and black, her hair reached down to her waist in a radiant cascade of gold. Twin bangs framed her heart-shaped face, her eyes were pools of cerulean water, and her whiskered cheeks, they use to find odd and strange, only seemed to add to her appeal.
She was lovely and, from the blushing cheeks of some of the male Genin-hopefuls, had already the beginnings of a killer, curvy body and ample chest. The girls of the class, who weren't blessed with demonic chakra to help accelerate their growth rates, glared at the new threat with bitter jealousy and hostility.
When a bunch of pretty girls met an even better looking girl, the outcome was obvious. And well the boys... half of them had dropped their jaws, and were eyeing her like a piece of fine meat.
Two of the most envious females were a pinkette and platinum blonde. The pair looked at their own flat chest with clear disdain before their gaze flickered toward the whiskered girl with resentment. They had both seen her eyeing their Sasuke-kun and him surprisingly returning the look.
Letting her invidiousness get the better of her, Sakura growled vehemently, "Well that doesn't seem fair to the rest of us who came everyday to class. Why should you get special treatment? You're no one special. You don't even have parents or a family."
Naruto would never admit out-loud, but her future team-mate's words cut like a knife, more specifically like that kunai she had used to kill herself. Regardless of the many friends, allies, and redeemed bad-guys Naruto befriended in her past life, the absence of her parents had always left a gaping wound covered by smiles and ramen.
To hear one of her precious people say such malicious things to her was heartbreaking. When had Sakura ever been so vindictive toward her?
Then again... the future medic-nin had never really been a close friend before Sasuke's defection either when she was a boy.
Even though Naruto had tried to hide the hurt she felt from her friends' words, Shikamaru still picked up on it. After all, he had lived with her for the past three years. They were close, almost like siblings, and he would never let anyone belittle his loved ones.
The Nara's normally lethargic gaze had turned frosty with quiet rage. "When has not having parents or a family meant that someone isn't special? Orphans are just as important as those who grew up with parents or come from shinobi clans. To say otherwise is downright shameful."
Sakura had the decency to look embarrassed at her own words as a bright blush covered her cheeks.
Seeing the pinkette rightfully scolded for her insensitive words, Ino voiced her own objections. "While I agree with you Shikamaru, I still don't think it's right that she gets to just take the test when she hasn't been to class the past three years. If her condition was bad enough to not be able to come to class than she shouldn't be a ninja."
Before the Nara heir could reply, Iruka made his presence known.
"Alright everyone, settle down. Naruto, Shikamaru, please take your seats."
The pair shuffled to vacant spots next to a snacking Choji, who greeted them with a kind smile, and let the blonde sit in between the inseparable friends.
"I can assure you all, that Naruto has the backing of the Hokage on this. While she may not have been to class, she has done all the work and learned the necessary materials to successfully pass this exam." He eyed the ninja aspirants with a stern gaze before finishing to say, "Now I will hear no more objections about this matter understood?"
Please with the intimidated nods, Iruka began the long winded explanation over the test and all the parts associated with it.
A couple of hours later, and Naruto couldn't believe how easy the test had been so far. Had it always been this easy? She mused as she waited patiently for her turn to be called for the final Ninjutsu portion of her exam.
Lost in her thoughts, the blonde never noticed the pair of gleaming ebony eyes that had been observing her from afar with interest. Nor the sorrowful lavender ones who looked at her, distraught.
Finally it was her turn to be called, and with a bounce in her step she headed toward the examining room.
The moment her oceanic eyes landed on infamously familiar white hair, she froze instantly; remembering what had happened the night of her third failed attempt to graduate.
'Mizuki... Damn it! I forgot all about him!' She internally wailed at her carelessness.
While, Naruto and Kurama may be on friendly terms that didn't stop the fox from being an asshole. 'Serves you right brat.'
'Not helping furball. Should I still pass or should I fail in order to get him?'
Yawning, the orange furred fox responded with an indifferent tone. 'Just pass. Tell the old monkey you suspect he's doing something and at the very least they'll be on to him.'
'Yeah you're probably right, I don't want to put Iruka-sensei through what happened last time anyway.' She replied mournfully, recalling the tan Chunin's wounds that fateful day.
The same man's kind voice broke her out of her trance. Naruto snapped back with a jolt.
"Are you ready to begin Naruto?" Iruka asked with a worried frown seeing her startled expression.
With a dazzling smile, she nodded confidently. "Yeah! You bet, Iruka-sensei!"
Iruka blushed at the smile from the pretty girl, momentarily forgetting the fact that Naruto was once a boy. With a nervous chuckle, the brunet Chunin commenced the test. "Alright, I would like you start with a transformation, then do a substitution, and finally a clone."
Naruto grinned as she placed her hands up in the correct hand-seals for the henge. They were about to be amazed.
Leaving the academy with her shiny new forehead protector pinning back her bangs, Naruto proudly walked down the streets of Konoha for the first time without a henge. It was time for the world to know just who Naruto Uzumaki was!
The blonde Genin took the time to take in the village she had come to adore.
The lofty buildings, and homely structures surrounded by lush, fertile greenery gave a warm, peaceful atmosphere.
The lounging people, cheerful as they gossiped to their neighbors and went about their business without worry.
The ever alert shinobi, fiercely protective of their village.
She loved it. All of it, down to the last dusty rock and broken twig.
It had never occurred to her how devastatingly beautiful her village was.
The multitude's of colors from the civilian clothing, the smell of freshly baked goods, the refreshing scents of fruits and vegetables being sold in the markets, and stewed meats overwhelmed her senses.
The feel of a gentle breeze upon her skin and the warmth of the sun's rays hitting her face—it was heavenly compared to what the future held.
It had taken the annihilation of her home for her to notice it. It was for this place, these people, that she had worked so hard for. It was worth it, but damn if it didn't sadden her to think back on how her past childhood had been.
This was the same village that had oppressed her, ignored her, and then celebrated with her in a past life. The isolation she faced from the very ones she fought to protect still hurt to think about.
Pushing those somber thoughts far away, Naruto shook off her depressing emotions and tried to relax, but now that she wasn't so lost in her thoughts she took notice to all the stares and murmurs around her.
She could feel dozens of eyes following her movements; boys, girls, men, women, all gaping in bewilderment and occasional lust as she passed. She wondered why they didn't hold the same looks of disgust and contempt they held when she was a he.
Not liking being the center of attention in this situation, she shunshin to the nearest rooftop and quickly hurried to the Hokage Tower.
Unsurprisingly, when she arrived it was just the elder Hokage waiting for her.
"Ah, Naruto-chan, congratulations on your graduation," Hiruzen said with a warm smile upon seeing her forehead protector.
Beaming, the blonde grinned and held up a peace sign. "Thanks, old man! I'm going to be the most powerful Kunoichi ever after all, dattebayo!"
He chuckled at the girls enthusiasm and asked how her test went.
"It was pretty easy. Though there is something I should mention to you."
He rose a brow in surprise. "Oh and what is that?"
Naruto silently thanked the heavens that the traitor Chunin had still kept to his original plans even though she wasn't his target this time around. "Well I don't know if it's anything serious, but Mizuki-sensei had been acting kinda strange."
"Strange how?" Hiruzen frowned, already knowing he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.
The elder wasn't blind to the girl's beauty after all. If the man had tried anything towards the blonde... he couldn't be held responsible for what happened to the Chunin.
Oblivious to the elder's murderous thoughts, Naruto said, "When I was leaving the academy, I saw him talking to some of the kids that hadn't passed the test. He was telling them about some extra exam that they could pass to graduate."
Yeah, definitely not what he was expecting, but still not good nonetheless.
"What kind of exam?" His normally warm brown eyes narrowed in silent rage.
Naruto took in a deep breath before answering, "Something about getting some scroll called the Scroll of Sealing. From what I heard, none of the kids wanted to do it. Seems really fishy to me."
"I see... thank you for telling me this Naruto."
She gave him a reassuring smile. "No problem old man."
Heaving a sigh, Hiruzen stood up, walking toward the door, and subtly called his ANBU to follow him."I'm going to go take care of something. I'll be back shortly. Wait for your husband here, alright?"
The blonde flushed slightly at the title. "Yeah, okay."
When the door closed behind the elder man, Naruto grinned.
Success!
Exactly an hour later did a familiar silver haired man enter the office via a window.
"Yo."
Naruto turned her eyes toward the slouching figure and had to repress bittersweet tears at the nostalgic feelings overcoming her as she proclaimed, "You're late."
The Jonin shrugged good-naturedly. "Well, you see, I was on my way here when I spotted a little old lady who needed some help carrying her groceries and as a good citizen I couldn't just let her do it by herself, but when I was heading this way again, a black cat crossed my path and I had to take the long way around to avoid bad luck."
Kakashi was expecting her to get annoyed or angry at him like everyone was prone to doing when hearing his excuses. He definitely wasn't prepared for her to be so amused by him.
Her charming laughter made him blush. He felt, dare he say it, embarrassed for the first time since he begun his routine of tardiness and exaggerated excuses.
"That's quite the tale." She finally said after getting control of her laughter. Her eyes twinkled with mirth as a smile tugged at her lips. She rose up from the couch she had been lounging on and slowly approached him.
There was a swing of her hips in her steps. It was seductive, alluring, watching as she slowly came closer to him.
Her chest was larger than most girls had at her age, but it nicely complemented her body shape.
If he hadn't known she was only thirteen beforehand, he would have believed she was at least sixteen with that body.
In all honesty, Kakashi didn't know what to do as she closed the space between them. He had grown accustomed to women coming on to him, but never had he dealt with a female he couldn't ditch in the morning.
His blush darkened when she finally came to stand before him, an inch of space between their bodies, creating a delicious heat between them. Her bottomless cerulean eyes peered up at him under thick long lashes. He absentmindedly noted that he towered over her, her blonde head barely reaching his chest.
He realized then that he was in deep trouble.
She was successfully seducing him. Whether it was intentional or not, he couldn't tell.
He didn't even know it was possible for a thirteen year old to be so damn attractive.
I'm going to hell... Kakashi thought woefully as he stared awestruck at the bewitching blonde. His sensei was going to rise from the dead and kill him when he learned of his thoughts about his daughter.
She tilted her head upward and her pink, pouty lips parted to speak.
Those lips mesmerized him instantly, captivating his gaze to them, and his mouth suddenly became very dry, but before he could hear her utter a single word a sharp cough caught both their attentions.
"Am I interrupting something?" The familiar stern voice of the Sandaime Hokage called out.
The two froze, eyes widening in shock at being caught so unaware by the elder man.
Naruto was the first to recover and she quickly whipped around to face him.
"Old man, about time! I was wondering what the hell was taking you so long!"
Momentarily glaring accusingly at the stunned Jonin who quickly averted his gaze, Hiruzen glanced back toward the red-faced Genin, though he couldn't tell if she was blushing from embarrassment or anger, most likely a combination of both.
Hiruzen frowned, displeased as he said, "I went to go see about what you mentioned to me earlier."
The blonde calmed down considerably at his words. So it had been as she thought.
She huffed impatiently and asked, "And what did you find out?"
"It seems that your suspicions were correct. The traitor has been apprehended, and as a gesture of thanks, I'm putting his capture as an B-rank under your status, since you uncovered a conspiracy involving an S-ranked missing-nin, and you'll receive the pay when you go to the missions desk."
Having finally managed to compose himself, Kakashi inquired, "What are you speaking of?"
With a dark look, Hiruzen replied, "Naruto here uncovered a plot to steal the Scroll of Sealing. It seems one of the academy teachers' has had some dealings with Orochimaru. The man's with T & I as we speak."
Kakashi's ebony eyes hardened at the news. They had a traitor among their midst. A teacher in charge of their future shinobi no less.
"You should make sure none of the students were affected by this. You never know what that traitor could have done to sabotage the growth of our shinobi." Kakashi commented to the elder.
Hiruzen nodded in agreement. "Yes, I have someone looking in on that now. This will, however, push back the team assignments to at least next month."
"What! What am I suppose to do for an entire month then?" Naruto exclaimed in outrage.
The Hokage answered with a warm smile. "Well you will have a new estate to furnish and arrange as you please. I'm sure that'll keep you quite busy for some time."
Naruto pouted, but relented. "Yeah, I guess."
A movement to his right caught the elder man's attention.
Seeing the silver haired man inch away from him, Hiruzen decided to address a new concern.
"Naruto, why don't you go the mission's desk now and receive your pay before I take you to the estate. It'll save you the time to do it later. Kakashi and I will wait for you here."
The blonde frowned slightly at the obvious ruse to get her away from the office, but didn't call the man out on it and left the room with a nod.
When the door shut firmly behind her, Hiruzen turned sharply toward the fidgeting shinobi behind him.
There was a dangerous gleam in the elder's eyes. "Kakashi, we need to have a little discussion about appropriate behavior to have towards your wife. Your very young wife."
Kakashi gulped and could only pray that his imminent death was painless. He had seen this coming a mile away when Sarutobi had caught the two of them earlier in a very questionable circumstance. In his defence, he hadn't done anything...
Yet.
'It seems you're finally using your head, brat.' Kurama's deep, rough voice rang through her mind.
As she walked, Naruto's brows creased in confusion at the sudden praise. 'What do you mean by that?'
'Don't think, I don't know what just happened back there.'
Her eyes widen as large as saucers at the words. 'I-I don't know what you're talking about!'
Kurama snorted. 'Fine be that way, brat. I was just going to congratulate you on a job well done.'
'Huh?' Heat was starting to creep up on her face.
A smirk appeared on the fox's snout. 'You managed to seduce your new husband. I didn't think you had the guts or that it would be possible. You truly are unpredictable.'
Naruto was the shade of tomato the entire way down to the mission's desk, much to the desk Chunin's bafflement. She really wished the fox had stayed oblivious to her thoughts. Damn fur-ball...
When Naruto returned to the office, no longer flushed red, a very peculiar sight greeted her.
Kakashi was unconscious on the red couch she had previously been sitting on while the elder Hokage sat looking very satisfied behind his desk signing some paperwork.
He looked up when she entered and smiled. "Naruto-chan welcome back. We'll go see the estate as soon as Kakashi wakes up."
The blonde shot the Sandaime a dry look with a raised brow.
"What did you do to him old man?"
The elder suddenly became the picture of innocence, but Naruto wasn't buying it.
"What did I do? Nothing, my dear. Why ever would you think that? He's just taking a little nap."
Naruto glanced again at the slumbering Jonin and sweat-dropped at the evidently uncomfortable position he was lying in. His long arms were bent at a very awkward angle and his head was tilted in a way that she just knew he would have a creak in it when he woke up.
"Right..." She replied sarcastically, before sighing in resignation.
"I'll wake him up. I don't want to wait any longer." She decided and proceeded to poke and prod the man awake. It was a very long process, but eventually Kakashi regained consciousness.
After what seemed like a lifetime, the three of them could be found leisurely taking their time in walking in the direction of the famous mountain that overshadowed the village.
"So, where's the estate located?" Naruto questioned, impatient to know about her new home.
Hiruzen chuckled bemused, having expected the girl's impatience to get the better of her. "It's at the top of the Hokage Monument, hidden behind a layer of trees."
The blonde scrunched her brows in confusion. "I've never seen any buildings up over there. I should know. I hang out up there all time."
The Hokage's warm grin turned into an amused one as he said, "It's the estate of a Hokage who was a seal master. It was child's play for your father to hide it from view with the use of seals."
Naruto felt like slamming her head against the wall. She amazed herself sometimes at how clueless she could be.
The men chuckled at her irritated expression, knowing she was mentally berating herself.
The rest of the trip was led in a congenial silence. When they arrived at the summit of the mountain, Hiruzen led them deeper into the woods down an old overgrown path that Naruto was surprised to have never seen before in all her time of living in Konoha.
Under the shade of the trees, the air was refreshingly cool, and it was a nice change from the summer heat around the village. As they continued along, the trees grew larger and larger until the path diverted suddenly, and the elder Hokage stopped in between a cluster of giant redwood trees.
He flared his chakra to reveal a hidden set of worn, grey stone stairs that led up to a dark wooden gate, which served as the entrance through the massive white stoned wall that were lined with decorative dark navy tiles.
What laid beyond the gate was a beautiful traditional styled estate. The outer walls were colored a warm beige with the windows and door frames bordered with mahogany wood. It was two stories high and in the shape of an enclosed rectangle.
The dirt path they had previously been walking on ended at the stone stairs, the path to the gate and beyond that winded and curved all the way to the front shoji door.
On both sides of the walkway, well-sized ponds rested a few feet past the front gate which were outlined with flat stones of various shades of grey. Sleek pebbles rimmed the bottom of the waters. The ponds were perfect mirror images of each other.
The beginnings of a large garden that was left unfinished to the left side of the building could be seen. Multitudes of wild flowers surrounded a tall willow tree which grew in the center of the abandoned plot, with lance like leaves that draped downward and drifted elegantly in the air.
Tall grasses and weeds engulfed the entire yard that was in front of the ponds; displaying the lack of civilized life residing in the rich, ornate estate, but didn't take away from the sheer elegance of the place.
Naruto and Kakashi were deeply entranced by the beauty of their new home.
A sudden strong breeze blew through the towering redwood forest and the jingle of hundreds of bells could be heard, singing as they swayed in tune with the wind and rustling leaves.
The young blonde Jinchuriki gasped in awe at the myriad of large silver chimes tied to the looming wood on blue-grey strings. Their beautiful melody only added to the majestic aura the land possessed.
"Old man, is this really the place?" Naruto whispered softly, afraid that if she spoke any louder the surreal dream would come to an end.
Hiruzen chuckled, amused by the newlyweds reverent expressions. "Yes, my dear this is your home. It belongs to you and Kakashi now. Take good care of it."
The pair nodded dumbly, too enamored with the beautiful estate to speak.
After getting a tour of the building, the elder Hokage handed over to Naruto three arm length scrolls that held her parents belongings. He then left her and Kakashi to their own devices, though not without shooting the latter a warning glare before retreating down the dirt path. Kakashi withered at the look.
Now the pair stood in the middle of a vacant sitting room without so much as a clue as to what should be done next.
Eventually, Kakashi ventured to say, "We should probably go get some furniture tomorrow and whatever else the place will need." He gestured to the empty living space they now had to share.
Naruto nodded in agreement. "Sounds good, we should also start working on the yard outside as soon as possible. The grass is almost to my knees."
The silver haired shinobi sighed at the prospect of what his following days would be like.
Moving was such a pain...
"Alright, so do you want to do the shopping by yourself or do you wish for me to accompany you?" Kakashi offered. He knew many women preferred to go shopping by themselves or with another friend, preferably a female one at that.
The blonde bit her bottom lip in thought. She had hoped the Jonin would have come along regardless, but she knew that he hated being around strangers for long periods of time.
"Well, I would like you to go with me. It would be easier to get things bought without going broke. Shopkeepers aren't exactly happy to see me around, but if you don't want to it's fine. I can go by myself." She admitted with a reassuring smile.
Kakashi held back a wince at the revelation. He had forgotten how badly the general population of the village treated Naruto. Now, he just wanted to kick himself in the gut for being so insensitive.
He of all people should understand persecution. He had to live with it when his father had botched his final mission, and then again when he was accused of killing his team-mate.
He knew of the glares. The spiteful words that cut like knives. The humiliation of being spit on and thrown at.
Bitter resentment rose up inside him like burning bile. He hated those ignorant people, but most of all...
He hated himself.
He should have been there for her.
Of all the things that hurt from being labeled an outcast, the isolation from others was the worst. The warmth of human companionship was a priceless, and most precious thing.
The Sandaime had been right when he said Naruto would need him. She needed the company, the reassurance that there was still someone who would be there for her when the rest of the world turned their back on her.
He was thankful that the Nara family had been with her these last couple of years. Just as his sensei had been there for him.
Minato had given him support when he needed it most and now it was his turn to repay the debt. Kakashi hadn't faltered under all that hatred, and he would make damn sure that his wife didn't either.
My wife... He thought sardonically before he turned back to look at the young blonde with resolve burning in his eyes.
"I'll go with you. I have to make sure you don't buy everything in orange after all." His eye curved up in a teasing smile.
Naruto's blue orbs widened, at the sudden change in the man. There was something different about him, but she couldn't place what it was.
"Okay, we can meet up at Ichiraku's tomorrow around noon. Is that alright?" She asked him with a bright grin, relieved that he would be there as she faced those villagers once again.
"Yes, that's a good time." Just as Kakashi was about to leave, Naruto asked him a loaded question.
"Do you wanna stay and see what's inside the scrolls?"
Those words froze him in his place. "Wha-What? But those are for your eyes only." He stammered to say.
She smiled softly at him, a distant look in her oceanic orbs. "We're family now..." His heart ached as she spoke- "It is only right that you see what's inside as well. You actually got to know them after all."
Not finding the encourage or will to deny her request, he nodded and watched solemnly as she sat down on the dark wood flooring. She placed the first scroll, a red one, on the ground and unrolled it. She released the storage seal and a white cloud enveloped the room.
Before them laid several scrolls and books.
Curious, Kakashi squat down beside Naruto and grabbed one of the closest rolled up parchments. He scanned several before one caught his eye.
"It's one of sensei's jutsu's, the Rasengan." He handed the scroll to her and then reached for another.
Naruto skimmed the scroll given to her, then put it down and grabbed another one of the scattered ones. She squealed in joy when she saw the title. "Oh, this is one is about the Hirashin!"
She showed it to Kakashi who took it and unrolled it. He had always wondered about his sensei's famous technique.
While the silver haired man was immersed in the scroll, Naruto examined the rest of items. There was at least fifty of them, ranging from jutsu's to simple chakra control exercises. The books however were on seal's and the vast theory behind them.
'Well at least now I can expand what I know about Fuinjutsu.' She mused before another thought made her frown slightly, 'I wonder why the old man never gave any of these to me before?'
The fox hummed in thought. 'Most likely he planned to give it to you when he revealed who your parents were. Yet, as we both know he died before he could do either of those two things.'
Kurama's reasoning made sense, and it made her resolve to save the elder Sarutobi stronger.
'He won't die this time around unless it's from old age, dattebayo!'
Now with her determination burning, she grasped a green scroll from the original three the Hokage had handed to her.
She cleared the space in front of her, catching Kakashi's attention, who put down the scroll on the Hirashin and waited for the new possessions to be unsealed.
Another burst of smoke filled the sitting room to leave in its wake a box filled with pictures and another one that was closed.
Naruto saw Kakashi tense when he saw the photographs, but she didn't comment on it and instead went for the shut box.
Unfolding the cardboard lids, she took out from with in it her father's signature white cloak with red flames that had the kanji in red for Yondaime on the back. It made her miss the red and black cloak Shima had made for her.
Under the cloak, she saw three forehead protectors, a pair of what looked like journals, and a handful of her father's three-prong kunai's.
Two of the three metal plated bandannas had the Leaf emblem, but the third had the crest of the Uzumaki engraved on it.
This must be mother's Uzushio headband.
She held the black fabric in her hands, captivated by the swirl that represented her heritage. Being an Uzumaki had always been a thing of pride for her, yet, she knew that one day she would stop being recognized as Naruto Uzumaki. Eventually, the truth of her marriage to Kakashi would be leaked out and the world would know that she was in fact Naruto Hatake.
Still looking intently at the headband, she spoke aloud to the male beside her, "Does the Hatake clan have a symbol of its own, Kakashi?" She had never thought about it before, but Kakashi came from a shinobi clan and all shinobi clan's she knew had some sort of sign that represented them.
Not having expected the sudden question, the Jonin was silent in thought for a few moments before replying, "Yes, I will show it to you tomorrow if you like."
She nodded and then placed the objects back into the box. She turned her attention next to the box with the pictures. This box was significantly smaller, the size of a shoe box. Inside there was at least a hundred pictures.
Taking a handful out, she smiled as she looked through them. She could sense Kakashi peering over her shoulder to look as well.
There were scenes of her parents at Ichiraku's, some of just the two of them, and others of groups of their friends. She chuckled when she saw the younger version's of the original Ino-Shika-Cho team in the photographs. Shikaku was the spitting image of Shikamaru, or was it the other-way around?
Near the end of the pile, she found the more heartbreaking photos.
A picture of her father's genin team. Kakashi's, genin squad... His Team Seven.
She felt Kakashi stiffen behind her and knew that it was best to remove that picture from his sight until he was ready to deal with his own ghost. And what ghost those turned out to be... She thought ruefully.
Setting it to the bottom of the stack, the next photograph had tears threatening to fall.
It was a picture of a grinning blond man and a smiling, pregnant redheaded woman.
Holding the picture with shaking hands, Naruto couldn't hold back the salty tears at seeing the cheerful pair. These were her parents.
Choking back a sob, Naruto asked, "They would be proud of me, wouldn't they?"
Kakashi didn't answer the rhetorical question as he saw the emotional dam that the girl held within had reached its breaking point. In a moment of impulsion, the Jonin wrapped his arms around the blonde's smaller, trembling frame bringing her against his chest.
He had never liked being in these types of situations, but damn it all if he wouldn't be there for her, to at the very least be a shoulder to cry on.
After a couple of minutes, the heart-rending sobs were reduced to hiccuped sniffles.
"Are you alright?" Kakashi asked gently, but didn't remove his arms from around her; whether for her or him, he didn't know anymore. It felt so right holding her warm body against his.
As she wiped the final tears from her red puffy eyes, Naruto softly replied, "Yeah..." But neither she nor silver haired man moved from their positions, taking comfort in the other's presence.
The two remained like that well into the night without saying another word, before exhaustion claimed the young Jinchuuriki. Seeing that Naruto was asleep, Kakashi placed her delicately on the floor and quickly sealed up all the items. He left the three large scrolls against the wall of the sitting room.
With as much care as he could muster, the silver haired Hatake picked up his young, blonde wife and carried her to the Nara household. He forego going through the front door, seeing as it was well past midnight, and slipped in through her bedroom window.
After leaving her, wrapped in blankets on the bed, Kakashi headed to his apartment and welcomed one more night in his solitary room. Tomorrow would bring new challenge's and obstacles. He needed all the rest he could get.
Whoo! One more done! Thanks to my awesome Beta Tsume Yuki! Check out her stories they're great!
Let me know what you think of the chapter!
Did you guys like all the Naruto and Kakashi moments? I tried my best.
Well until next time dear readers!