This story will not go into Shippuden, main reason being I haven't watched it because I can't find a good site for streaming in my country. But yes, it will go to the end of Naruto, but won't touch on any fillers.
Without any further ado, I present the next chapter.
o.O.o
Chapter 8
Dai lay awake, staring at the ceiling of the hotel room. The window was open and moonlight streamed through onto Kaito's sleeping form. The blonde groaned and rolled over, smacking his lips together. In the moonlight, he watched particles of dust float along with his breath and pondered.
Tomorrow after breakfast they were leaving Kohonagakure.
For the first time, he was conflicted about his future. When he first met Sasuke he was content to return to his farm life and occasionally send letters to the young Uchiha. Now that he'd gotten to know the boy, he wasn't sure if his future was in Yamachi. He loved it there, no doubt about it, but the revelations of his heritage had spun him around.
Maybe he would return to Yamachi, at least until he finished school. Kaito would be coming to Kohonagakure, that was sure, and maybe he could come with him. Maybe he could get some land close to the city and work it for a living. But would Hikari want to come with him? He couldn't make her come with him if she didn't want to. And he sure as hell wasn't about to let her go either.
Dammit, this whole thing was just stressing him out. Well, at least the Hokage had allowed him to go home. Even if he was a so-called 'security threat'. He still hadn't forgiven that Ibiki guy for what he'd done to him.
o.O.o
The three friends all felt very subdued around the breakfast table. Their classmates were talking, excited about what they'd learned and eager to go home. Tori-sensei had an air of wistfulness about her as she stared out the window. But Dai, Hikari and Kaito were all thinking about the people they were leaving behind.
After breakfast, the class gathered their bags and milled about the entrance of the hotel, waiting for Tori-sensei to lead the way.
A group of Genin approached and Dai smiled. He and his friends met with the trio out of earshot of the rest of the class.
"Thought you weren't gonna come for farewells," Dai joked.
"Obviously we would!" Naruto said. "It's been awesome meeting you."
Hikari smiled at the pink-haired Genin, who smiled back.
"Thank you for everything you've taught me," Sakura said, bowing low. Hikari chuckled and brought the thin girl in for a hug. Sakura blinked, surprised, but melted into the older girl's softness.
"I hope to see you again soon," Hikari said, pulling away. Sakura nodded enthusiastically.
"Me too! And… I've taken your advice. About boys." She gave Hikari a thumbs-up. "I'm going to focus on being the best kunoichi I can be!"
Dai eyed Naruto seriously.
"You take care of my cousin, you hear?"
Naruto blushed furiously and looked at his shoes. "Hai, I will."
Dai looked between Naruto and Sasuke and saw that the Uchiha was also blushing. Huh. Something must have happened. They'd been like that ever since their visit to the Hot Springs a couple days ago.
"Will you write to me?" Sasuke asked.
"You bet. At least once a week, if not more. It probably won't be very exciting on my end, but I suspect you'll have quite a few tales for me." Dai smiled and Sasuke jumped forward and threw his arms around the one-armed boy. Dai brushed Sasuke's hair away from his forehead and kissed the gap between his hairline and headband. He felt Sasuke's body sag against his own at the action and pure love surged through his body. For a long moment, it was just the two of them in the world, then Kaito spoke and the moment ended.
"Tori-sensei is rallying the troops," Kaito said. Dai nodded and pulled back, grinning at Sasuke. The young Uchiha smiled too and moved back to join his team. They all said their goodbyes, then Dai, Kaito and Hikari re-joined their classmates.
The trio left Kohonagakure with a lot more on their mind then when they first arrived.
o.O.o
"Report."
"Hokage-sama, Sasuke has greatly improved. He's interacting more with Naruto and Sakura and a smile is now a common occurrence. Sakura has also actively participated in exercises and seems to genuinely want to improve. They're working much better as a team than they have previously."
The Hokage sighed and smiled, relief spreading over his features. Kakashi shared his relief, though he didn't show it.
"Will you be sending an attachment of ANBU to watch over the Nakamura boy?" Kakashi asked.
"No. I refuse to draw any attention to him. Now, I wish for you to enter your team into the Chuunin exams."
"Hokage-sama, are you sure they're ready?"
"With Sasuke now an active team member, I believe so. This will be good to see just how much of an effect Dai has had on young Sasuke." He frowned. "We must be careful though. I do not like those rumours about the new village Otogakure."
"Hai, Hokage-sama." Kakashi bowed deeply and left the room.
o.O.o
"Hahaoya! Grandpa! I'm home!"
Ruka and Juro came running and hobbling, respectively, from inside the house and enveloped him in a huge hug. He dropped his bag and hugged them back. After all, this was the longest he'd been away from home in his entire life.
"We missed you darling!" Ruka exclaimed. "You have to tell us all about your trip and all the stuff you learned."
"Oh," he shook his head and chuckled, "you wouldn't believe what I learned in the past week. But first… thank you for taking me in, missing arm and all. You're the best family a boy could ever ask for and words can't express how grateful I am."
Juro pulled away from the hug and cackled. "Dai my boy, you could have just said you missed us."
Ruka refused to let go and Dai didn't try to push her away. "Okay, I missed you too."
He joined Ruka and Juro in taking care of the animals that afternoon and he did a couple heavy-lifting jobs they'd set aside for him, as he was the only one able to do any such thing. Ruka cooked soup and rice for dinner that night and they sat around the table eating.
Only then did Dai tell them about his trip.
They were outraged at first, about both the robbing and the way Dai was treated afterwards, but they softened considerably as Dai went on to talk about Sasuke and his team. Ruka's motherly instinct kicked in when he talked about Sasuke.
"You have to invite him to stay for a little while," she ordered. "Any relative of yours is welcome here."
He doubted she'd say that if the Uchiha clan was still alive and kicking. She'd probably tell them all to go to hell for rejecting Dai. But since it was only Sasuke and he was twelve, it was okay.
He didn't tell them that he'd killed those two men. In all honesty, he wasn't sure he believed it himself. He had no memory of the event in any case.
Ruka and Juro took the new information in their stride. They didn't seem to care that their little boy was a member of one of the strongest clans in the Land of Fire. He was still Dai. This new information didn't make him a stranger in their home. He pressed on them the importance of keeping his true bloodline a secret and it didn't bother them. While Dai might be an Uchiha, he was still handicapped and less of a person according to some people in Yamachi (but not the ones who mattered).
That night he sat at his desk and wrote his first letter to Sasuke. He'd post it on his way to school.
Sasuke,
My hahaoya and grandpa took it way better than I thought. They're okay with my ancestry and promise to keep it a secret. And they've also invited you to come and stay with us sometime. That is, if you can take a week from your fierce shinobi training to relax. I assure you, you are very welcome here.
You know, I'm jealous you don't have to go to school. You just rock up and fight and do fun stuff while I'm stuck in a stuffy classroom all day. Sometimes I envy you. Only sometimes. At least being in a classroom doesn't risk my life. Only my sanity.
I'm thinking of you. Please write back soon!
With love,
Dai
