Urm , I'm not sure this is a very good chapter, but still, here it is! Thank you, ksa, for explaining me what parallel structure means, I'll make sure to remember it. Thank you, Mari Falcon, ksa, umeki and yondaimehokagefan for being great Reviewers, both critical and encouraging! Keep up the good reviewing!
CHAPTER 7"You—you can see him?" Kushina asked, getting over the first shock. But there was no doubt about it—he was looking directly towards the God's eyes, and his finger was pointing at the source of the divine light no one except her...and Arashi could see. Nobody paid them any attention, as they all were still admiring the good shot.
Now Arashi lowered his arm, looking worriedly at her. His eyes were wide and fear mixed with surprise rose in them, as he met her gaze.
"Can't you?" he asked.
"Yes, I can. But no one else does."
The white figure was watching them patiently. They both looked at him.
"Is this a leftover of the demon's powers?" she asked.
"No. It's a leftover of a God's powers."
"What?"
"He was originally chosen by the Son of autumn."
"The Son? The one who is haunting... I mean, chose Minato?"
"Yes."
"But then why can't I see him shining?" she asked, the looked back at Arashi, trying to detect divine aura.
"You can't, because the God...left him."
Kushina's eyes narrowed.
"Why? Because he served his purpose and you didn't need him any more?" anger appeared in her tone once again.
"No."
They waited for further explanation, but when such didn't follow, Kushina spoke again.
"Then why?"
Arashi's eyes were darting between her and Him, tense, waiting for the response.
The God sighed. No emotion could be read by his face and Kushina doubted he could feel anything except amusement at her anger and confusion. His eyes were also closed for feelings, and only the immense abyss of eternity looked back at her when she met them.
"It happened during the tortures. You do know, that a human can only be possessed by a God, when he gives his will away freely to Him?" She nodded shortly. "Well, I am going to expand your knowledge of theology. Human fear, denial and uncertainty close that... door between him and the God, because the soul can't serve Us when it is in fear of our incapability to protect it from tortures of the flesh and even death. Yes, We can't since Our power is only in the world of spirit, not of matter. He--" at this point he pointed at the boy. "—being threatened by bandits, closed himself to the God,."
"So what you are saying is that...it's his fault that the Son left him?"
Arashi, who was becoming paler and paler during the whole conversation, now let out a shriek of fright at her words, apparently deciding he was blamed for a great mistake and was to be punished severely for it.
Again, sympathy rose in her as she saw his frightened face. She tried to calm him down by putting a hand on his shoulder. He shuddered and quickly backed off, afraid of her touch.
"Yes." there was another sigh, and with that He fell silent. People were now turning towards them, wondering who were they talking to.
"So...What is to become with him?"
"Nothing." the God answered. "He may do as he will; perhaps the Son will search for him again, but it won't be soon." And with those words he disappeared, leaving a full of compassion and partly anger woman and a sobbing child, who had decided he was about to be penalized. Some of the shinobi walked slowly to them, but then suddenly Arashi sprinted away as fast as his short legs would allow.
"Arashi!" she cried after him, and the stood up and ran to catch up with him.
The ninja exchanged confused glances and nervous whispers, but soon decided it didn't have anything to do with them. Metallic sounds of clashing kunais resonated in the air again, and only two figures still stood looking in the direction the child and woman had disappeared, and whispered worriedly.
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She found him after half an hour, sitting down on the ground, clenching his knees and trembling. He was in a dark narrow street, not so full of garbage as the place she first found him. He wasn't breathing heavily after the long run, but he didn't seem alright at all , since his face was pale and he was staring in a spot in space right in front of him with terror.
"Arashi?" she called him uncertainly.
His head turned towards her and he shrieked.
"It's all right, no one will hurt you." she said with what she hoped to be a calm and comforting tone. He didn't move, but it was mostly because his limbs were paralysed with fright.
"Arashi, don't listen to Him. He was not right. No one will do anything to you any more, I swear."
He was still looking at her, motionless. The he spoke:
"Do you promise?"
She nodded, adding: "I do. While you are with me, no one will do any harm to you." Faint smile. "And I can't go back on my words, I'm a ninja."
He tried to stand up, but his legs failed him. She offered him a hand, which after a brief hesitation he took and managed to stand up, but still couldn't move.
"Come, I'll carry you."
And she lifted him up on her arms, very much like their first meeting. He didn't protest, in fact he even settled himself more comfortably. She could sense he was cold, but he relaxed gratefully in her hands, while she was carrying him to her... their... home, giving him her warmth.
For a while they walked in silence. Clouds had veiled the sun and the sky again, but the day wasn't as cold as the previous one. It didn't seem it was going to rain soon, but nevertheless she hurried to the house, afraid something else would happen, that could separate them again. When they were halfway to their destination, he asked, surprising her that he was still able to talk:
"Today, you called me twice Arashi. Is that... was that my name?"
She lowered her head to meet his eyes. They were wide and bright blue, strongly contrasting his black hair. On the left side of his face he had three horizontal marks, just like whiskers made probably by sword, which she saw for the first time. His skin was slowly regaining its colour after the terror and the shock.
"Yes, that was what He... I was told."
He fell silent once more.
His eyes look just like Minato's. His face would resemble the Hokage's also, if it wasn't for the scars.
She gently stroke his hair, feeling him tensing himself at first when she touched him, but soon slackened.
"If you don't like that name, we can change it." And erase whatever bitter and terrible memories it holds.
He nodded.
"Hm." she fell silent, thinking. Absent-mindely, she was still stroking his head, while walking.
"How about... Kiba? I see you have a really nice necklace with an animal fang. (Kiba means "fang")"
Once more his face went pale with terror and he reached for the necklace, trying to remove it. After that he shook his head violently in denial.
"Okay..." she said, surprised by his reaction. "Not Kiba."
Kushina fell in thoughts for a little longer.
"Then... would you like to be called... Shino?" she gazed at him a little longer and concluded, repelling her suggestion by herself. "No, that won't do."
Suddenly a name popped up in her head. She looked once more at the spiky blackhair the large blue eyes and the scars on his face. Yep, this is it. It fits. In fact, it's the perfect name for him. If I had a son, I'd name him that way.
"I'll call you... Naruto. Is that okay?" she raised an eyebrow.
Arashi/Naruto thought for a while, then nodded. It was a good name.
"Okay." she smiled. "You are Naruto."
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The village was already in dusk, as the sun had hid behind the mountain, when they arrived at the door of Kushina's house. She opened it, and stepped in.
"You already know where your bedroom is, don't you, Naruto?"
He shook his head.
"Here, I'll lead you. Would you like to go to bed?"
He shook his head again, this time accompanying his gesture with a word: "No."
"Then what would you like to do?"
"I'm hungry."
She smiled. "Okay, wait here. I'll cook something."
He raised his head to meet her eyes and, as if afraid to say so, he spoke uncertainly and slowly: "I can help."
"Oh, that would be great!"
He didn't smile in return, but didn't run away also, so he seemed to like the idea.
Ara...Naruto is still too frightened. But it'll pass.
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"Naruto! Get down here this instant!"
The black-haired boy only smiled and stuck his tongue out, then slid down the parapet of the stairs.
Geez, that boy...she thought, annoyed.
Two weeks had passed since she found him, and he was reviving pretty fast. Too fast. But nothing could be done about it, and Kushina was even happy he was now lively and joyful. On the inside, she smiled, but tried to keep her face as severe as possible, although it wasn't easy at all.
"Naruto! How many times have I told you not to do that!"
He widened his eyes, stuck his lower lip out and made a cute puppy face.
Argh, why can't I be angry at him a little longer?"
"Okay, okay, I forgive you."
He smiled widely.
He even smiles the same way as Minato...
"Mom, why are you making sad faces?" he asked.
During his stay with her he had started calling her "mom", although he was an orphan and she wasn't a relative of his, but she didn't correct him. She didn't have the heart to.
I made a sad face? Perhaps at the thought of Minato...
"Mom, stop it! Today's a happy day!" he insisted. She smiled. Naruto was still very sensitive.
"I'm sorry, dear. Of course it's a happy day! Today you start learning at the Academy!"
"Yes!"
She had had much troubles convincing the Elders and the Council of the village, who ruled it while the Hokage was away, to include his name in the list of citizens. They are a bunch of mummies, who have something stuck up their butts, she thought fiercely. But after he was accepted as a full-fledged inhabitant of Konoha, it was easy for him to apply for the ninja Academy, and he entered. Now he was going to become a full-fledged shinobi. But God, thank you I am not the teacher who will have to deal with this kid. He certainly is energetic, and he is pretty smart, but all he uses his brain and energy for is to make mischiefs.
Kushina watched him run around the living room, while she was preparing his stuff for the first day at school.
"And I want you to remember... Naruto!"
"But he wasn't listening. He was jumping around, knocking down furniture, and certainly all the noise he was making was enough to muffle her own voice.
"NARUTO!" she shouted at the top of her voice.
"Uh, yes?" he made a guilty face.
"I want you to remember to be nice with other children, and MOST importantly, behave yourself!"
"Okay." he smiled.
Oh God, it's so hard to be mad at him when he smiles.
"Now, lets go!" she grabbed hi hand. He started running, dragging her behind him.
"Oh, so you wanna run? Catch me, if you can!" she teased and ran as fast as she could, leaving him far behind.
"Hey, that's not fair!" Kushina heard him shout.
"Ho, if you think you live in a fair world, kiddo, then think again!" she answered.\
His face went red with anger and he also switched to top speed. "You just wait, I'll catch you!"
They ran like this all the way to the Academy. At the end he almost caught up with her.
"Nice work, shortie" she said, patting him on the back.
"Hey! I'm not short!" he demanded.
She laughed. "Of course you aren't, shortie."
"Stop calling me that!"
"Sorry." she laughed again.
"Next time, you're dead!"
"Okay, I said I'm sorry."
"No, not that. Next time, I'll beat you! I'll catch up with you and outrun you!"
"Oh. I bet you will."
He was panting heavily, demonstrating his decisiveness with a fierce face.
"Now, run quickly over there! The ceremony is about to start!" she reminded him. Taken aback, he ran quickly to the group of first-years.
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"And there is this kid in our class, who's just awesome!" three hours later he was explaining to Kushina , excited. "You can't imagine how good he is!"
"Yeah, right." she said. "I bet you're much better than him."
He smiled.
"But he still is awesome!" his face suddenly darkened. "And there was this one, who was mocking me. He said I was stupid and ugly." Naruto pointed at the scars on his face. "But the other one I told you about, he stood up for me!" His happy face returned. "And now the whole class hates the guy who insulted me."
"What's the awesome guy's name?"
"Hyuuga Neji! And he offered me to do some kunai training with me, if I wanted."
"And do you?"
"Of course! We'll meet tomorrow at noon at training ground number two!"
Kushina smiled. "And want do you want to do for the rest of the day?"
He stopped, deep in thought.
"I think I'm going to train." he said in a serious tone. "After all, I'm a student now, I have to be responsible!"
"Hmmm... How about I train you now?"
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The rest of the day passed in training. Only when the first stars showed up on the night sky, did Naruto agree to go home.
"You need to have strength for tomorrow's training as well." she said, and that convinced him to agree with her and go home.
"You now go straight to bed, young man." she demanded in an imperative tone as soon as they got to Kushina's house, and pointed at the second floor.
He protested. "I'm hungry!"
Kushina sighed. "Okay, but only if you help with the cooking and the dishes afterwards."
With his help, dinner was ready soon, and they sat around the wooden table in the dining room above the kitchen. After he ate seven bowls of rice and all the sushi they had, he smiled happily and patted himself on the stomach.
"Oh, that was good."
She raised an eyebrow."I sure hope it was good, because you ate all the food we have home, and tomorrow you will go shopping with me."
"Mooom" he whined.
She raised a finger.
"No whining! This is an order!"
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After they did the dishes, he went to bed, accompanied by Kushina.
"Good night, sweetheart." she said and kissed him on the forehead.
"Good night, Mom." he answered and closed the door of his bedroom."
She entered her own bedroom, which was opposite his. Changing into a night-gown, Kushina lay in bed.
Her thoughts, as usual, were directed to Minato.
I wonder where is he. He should've returned a week ago. With anger, she remembered the God's words. "We can't afford to sacrifice him yet." "Bastard!" To which he had answered "Exactly."
Suddenly a noise startled her. She stood up quickly, looking around. It had come from the window, but the heavy curtain blocked her eyesight and she couldn't see what was going on outside. Crap. If it's a burglar, he'll pay dearly for breaking in.
She cautiously moved towards the window, gripping hard a kunai. With a swift motion she pulled the curtain back and risked a peep at the black figure, standing on the ledge.
"Minato?!"
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