Disclaimer: All HP characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies and all Naruto characters are the property of Masashi Kishimoto. This is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites.
Warnings: Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), some moderate Dumbledore bashing (he's more manipulative than evil but mostly just stubborn), and who knows what else.
AN: This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance.
Chapter 11: Staking a Claim on the Future
"Satoshi-kun, do you have anything you wish to add to Kakashi's report?" Sarutobi inquired as Kakashi finally trailed off and everyone focused on the fifteen year old.
"Hnn?" Satoshi hummed as he was abruptly pulled out of his reminiscing and spent a moment trying to recall where he was and what he was supposed to be doing. "Sumimasen, Sandaime-sama, I did not mean to let my mind wander for quite so long. I have nothing more to add to teichou's report; I believe he covered the important points." He paused and shook his head as he rethought the matter before continuing.
"Actually, I take that back; I'd like to formally request that the final two contracts between Konoha and Headmaster Dumbledore requiring me to attend two more years of formal magical schooling be dissolved on the grounds that the client, Dumbledore Albus, failed to uphold his portion of the fifth contract in addition to attacking Team Kakashi with the intent to harm. I'd also like to request permission to seal all knowledge of my birth name, my status as a wizard, the information that I live within the Hidden Countries, and fact that I am capable of performing magic using the same method that I used to protect the identity of the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki and the identity of Gaichuu."
"Your request to dissolve the final two contracts will be granted," Sarutobi consented after taking a moment to see if any of his advisors and generals would protest after hearing Kakashi's report (they didn't). "I will also grant you permission to protect the sensitive information you just mentioned so long as you once again provide the individuals within this room that information."
"Wakatta."
"When will you perform the sealing?" Kasai asked so he could make a note to himself on that date to check with his subordinate to insure he learned the secret(s) in question.
"Not until after we receive the test results from the exams that we took at the end of this year along with our magical emancipations which will prevent the wizarding world from legally being allowed to remove us from Konoha due to our current ages. I intend to have Dobby retrieve all of the pertinent documents from the English Ministry of Magic the moment they are ready as per the agreement I made with the Head of the Department of Magical Education prior to leaving England. I will make certain to notify everyone in advance when I will be sealing away the information so that I can relay the secrets to each of you the moment I am finished locking them away."
"This summer marks your fifth year as a member of the AnBu Corps, does it not?" Shikaku mused as soon as Satoshi finished his reply; earning a sharp glare from Torifu that Satoshi caught by sheer chance.
"Hai…" Satoshi replied carefully as he glanced between his Commander and the Chief Strategist when he sensed the rising tension between the two through his swarm and he wondered if the various departmental heads had been arguing over him again (something they had done frequently in the beginning after learning Satoshi had joined the AnBu because more than one of them had wanted him to join their department or division).
"What do you intend to do now that the final two long term missions you were previously obligated to carry out are going to be dissolved? Have you considered opting out of the AnBu now that you're approaching the five year mark? What long term goals have you set for yourself?" Shikaku inquired in a deceptively lazy tone even as he leaned forward to fix Satoshi with a predatory gaze.
Satoshi sighed and let his gaze slide over to the window that looked out upon the Hokage's Monument as he considered the questions before turning to look up at Kakashi who simply smiled down at him; the older Jounin well aware of Satoshi's long term hopes and dreams.
After another minute, he took a deep breath and stood up straighter while ignoring the flare of pain that shot across his back in response to his shifting as he finally answered, "I intend to submit my application for the Jounin Exams. I realize it is technically not necessary for me to take the exams but I am also aware that I must take and pass the exams if I am to be allowed to become a Jounin sensei to a team of Genin. Should I pass the exams and be promoted to a full-fledged Jounin, I would then like to request to take on a team of Genin around this time next year."
"Next year? Why next year?" Sarutobi asked curiously as he didn't think Satoshi would know anyone in next year's graduating class. "I would have thought you'd have preferred to wait at least three years."
"The trio I am most interested in training will without a doubt graduate next year when they are old enough to be offered their first chance to take the Genin Exams," Satoshi countered with a knowing smile behind his jacket collar. "They will settle for nothing less. If, on the off-chance they do fail (which I doubt will happen) then I would wish to wait until they finally do graduate."
"Just who is it you wish to take under your wing?" Homura inquired with mild curiosity.
"Technically, I've been their sensei for six years already and I simply wish to be allowed to continue to teach them. I've grown rather fond of my little termites."
"You wish to train my granddaughter, the Jinchuuriki, and your younger brother?" Haruto surmised with a bit of shock.
"Yes. I realize that such a team formation would be highly unusual and more than a little unconventional but I think such a team would be extremely versatile. I am also one of the few shinobi that would be capable of offering something for all three children; I am an Aburame and can train my brother in our clan's jutsu, I was trained by both Kushina and Minato and therefore capable of teaching Naruto everything his parents taught me, and I have been friends and teammates with a number of Hyuuga throughout the years since I first arrived in this village and can therefore help Hinata with her clan's basic techniques since I learned how to effectively spar against a Hyuuga."
"I can also teach all three children how to better control their chakra due to my own advanced chakra control (though only Naruto really needs to improve his control). The only other three shinobi I think could teach those three would be Hyuuga Ko, Kakashi-nii, or Jiraiya-sama but Jiraiya has his spy network to keep up with and I know the council will wish for Kakashi to train Uchiha Sasuke because Kakashi is the only Sharingan user left in the village at the moment and Sasuke could potentially unlock his Sharingan at any time. Ko, on the other hand, is not a Jounin."
"There's also the fact that all three children already work well together, have been diligently trained in the basics by Satoshi and Ko, and look up to Satoshi enough that they would work hard so as not to disappoint him," Kakashi added with a smile. "He's focused on chakra control, physical conditioning, and teamwork for all six of those years with Hyuuga Ko assisting and supervising during the months he was out of the country."
"What makes you think that the team you wish to form would be versatile enough to warrant breaking up a possible future tracking team?" Shikaku inquired, his position as the Sandaime's Chief Strategist prompting him to analyze Satoshi's logic and see if the team he envisioned was plausible.
The adults couldn't help but notice the small flinch Satoshi gave at the mention of a specialized tracking team, the young Tokubetsu Jounin had been on just such a team for just over two years until said team was sent on a mission that they were ill-suited to take; a mission that saw the other two members permanently crippled (one of which later committed suicide). There was no hesitation when Satoshi answered the question though and if not for the fact that all of the adults in the room were well aware of Satoshi's history they never would have noticed his initial reaction to the veiled reference of his former team.
"First the team would still be suited to tracking due to the Byakugan, Kikaichu, and massive chakra reserves that could easily see Naruto spamming the forest with Kage Bunshin (once he learns that technique). They would also qualify as a defensive team or an infiltration team for the same three reasons; providing they were given the training. As an offensive team, you'd have Naruto whose chakra reserves would make him a formidable opponent (especially if he is capable of learning Minato's Hiraishin no Jutsu and/or manifests Kushina's ability to mold chakra outside of her body – both of which have a sixty-six percent chance of occurring)."
"Hinata has the potential to be a formidable taijutsu user should she master the higher forms of the Juuken Ryuu in addition to a number of other powerful Hyuuga Clan jutsu. That leaves Shino providing mid and long range support through his Kikaichu or lending a hand in close range attacks since he's been training his body just as diligently as the other two instead of relying mainly on clan techniques like most of our clan does. Finally, because they could potentially function in all four of those roles they could easily fall into a supporting or leading role alongside any other specialized team and Hinata has the chakra control necessary to be trained as a medic should she wish it."
"You've given a considerable amount of thought to training a team that may or may not ever exist, why?" Inoichi asked as he and Shikaku exchanged a quick glance.
"When the Sandaime, my tousan, Hiashi-sama, and Hizashi-san gave me permission train the children I gave a lot of thought about what would be appropriate to teach them," Satoshi slowly replied as he ducked his head in order to meet the gazes of the adults over the top of his sunglasses to allow them a rare glimpse of his thoughts and emotions. "All five of the kids I was allowed to help were young enough that training them with a specific role in mind would have limited their options when it came time to assign them a team and therefore stunted Konoha's shinobi force."
"So I focused instead on teaching them basic skills that they would be able to use regardless of what kind of team they ended up on; much as the academy teaches everyone the same material so as to give every student the same opportunity. There's also the fact that any specialized training would have made those who couldn't take part feel left out so I made certain that they were all taught the exact same exercises and allowed them to grow at their own pace. And I promised the Hokage that I would not teach them anything except the basics until they graduated."
"How much of your reasoning was due to what happened to Team Twelve seven years ago?" Torifu challenged in order to see just how much that disastrous mission still affected Satoshi since he was due for a mental evaluation fairly soon to determine if he was still mentally and emotionally stable enough to remain on active duty within the AnBu.
"About half," Satoshi replied honestly with a slight shrug of his left shoulder that sent another flare of pain through his back. "I would not wish to see any team suffer through that kind of situation; let alone a team that had any of my little termites on it."
"You never did say whether you wished to retire from the AnBu," Shikaku pointed out after a brief moment of silence.
"Do I want to…? Not really; Kasai-sama's brutal torture…" That description garnered laughs from all of the adults in the room. "…err intensive training has helped me to grow stronger which allowed me to survive the past two years at Hogwarts and I still feel that there is much I could learn. However, if I had to choose between being the Jounin sensei for my little termites and remaining part of the AnBu Corps; I'd quit in a heartbeat because those three children have become very important to me and I want to ensure that they can take care of themselves and each other when the day comes for them to set foot out of the village on their first real mission."
"If you were given the opportunity to do both (train the gaki and remain in the AnBu) how would you deal with your dual responsibilities?" Sarutobi asked.
"In the event that all three graduate next year, the first two years would be fairly straight forward since I'd spend most of that time training them and having them do D Ranked missions with a small handful of C Ranked missions over the course of their second year. If, during that time, I am sent out of the village on a mission with my squad, then I would make arrangements to have another Jounin train the trio in a specific area. Such as asking Gai to help them with their taijutsu, Kotetsu and Izumo to work with them on their teamwork, or Ko to work with them on their chakra control. Clones can be used during the times where my duties are in direct conflict while within the village limits. Or I could simply be listed as a reserve member of the AnBu Corps and only called upon during village wide emergencies or when my specific skills are needed for a particular mission."
"If you take on the additional responsibilities of a Genin team on top of your AnBu duties, where does that leave the friends that followed you to Konoha from Britain?" Inoichi inquired with a slight frown.
"It wouldn't become an issue for at least another year and by then all of them should be well onto their way to settling into their new lives. And I will always make time to visit them when I can during my days off regardless of how many other duties I have."
"Well you've certainly given us much to think about," Sarutobi intoned as he sat up and filled his pipe with fresh tobacco. "We've kept you from your family long enough I dare say and if I'm not mistaken there is a trio of overexcited troublemakers waiting impatiently on the other side of the door. First thing tomorrow morning, I want you to meet with Inoichi for your yearly assessment and once you are finished with him, I want you to stop by the hospital for a complete check up to confirm that you are in top physical condition. Once those two things are taken care of, you may have the remainder of the week off in order to help your friends get their paperwork in order."
"Wakatta," Satoshi murmured after a slight hesitation that didn't go unnoticed by the adults before he bowed to the Hokage and the others and made his way out of the office.
He'd barely opened the door when he was tackled by three overjoyed nine year olds to the amusement of the adults present and it was only sheer willpower that kept him from reacting to the agony that their rough and tumble greeting ignited in his back. Satoshi allowed the children's excited chatter to wash over and through him to drive away the lingering negativity that had hounded him through most of the year even as his Kikaichu rushed to dampen his pain back down to more manageable levels.
He then herded the three of them towards the hotel that he knew his friends had just checked into while Ko silently followed the noisy quartet. After introducing the three children and Ko to those they didn't know, Satoshi led the entire group towards Yakiniku Q; a popular restaurant where customers could cook their meal at the table. They were met just outside of the door by his father and the other three members of Team Kakashi (Kakashi had been dismissed shortly after Satoshi left).
There was a brief moment of awkwardness when Shibi critically studied Satoshi; his father obviously looking for any indication that he'd been seriously injured as he had for three of his previous four years of attending Hogwarts. At the same time, Satoshi masked the extent of his latest injuries; injuries that he'd hidden from his friends and teammates for close to a week. His father briefly frowned (Shibi's swarm undoubtedly passing on information it had gathered from Satoshi's swarm) before he led the group into the restaurant where Shibi had already arranged for a couple of tables and ordered several large family platters for their group.
Satoshi took a moment to introduce his father to those who'd not met him previously before allowing the three children to monopolize his attention once more while they waited for their food to arrive. Throughout the meal, various shinobi that knew the individual members of Team Kakashi stopped by their tables to greet the long absent quartet before wandering away to head home or order their meal.
Two hours later, Satoshi bid his friends goodnight as Izumo and Kotetsu escorted them back to their hotel room while his family turned and made their way home; Kakashi slipping away when they reached his turn off. Ko and Hinata broke off next, the young Hyuuga heiress giving Satoshi a bear hug and a quick kiss on the cheek before allowing Ko to escort her home. Since it was just the four of them at that point, Shibi and Satoshi Shunshined Shino and Naruto back to the Aburame Compound to save time; something that Satoshi appreciated due to the renewed pain he currently felt.
The two children were quick to disappear into the depths of the house in order to get ready for bed in hopes that if they were quick enough, Satoshi would tell them a story or two before bed. Before he could follow them, Satoshi received a big shock when he came face to face with a much changed but still recognizable Shinichi.
"Shinichi-kun?" Satoshi breathed half in disbelief and half in hope; he had long prayed for the day when his cousin would be found but feared he'd been lost forever the more time passed without any clues. "I had all but given up hope that we would find you. Tousan, why didn't you tell me Shinichi had been found?"
"My name is Torune," Shinichi corrected in a dead voice that was somehow much colder than Satoshi's emotionless whisper before the eleven year old disappeared into the back of the house leaving behind a pole-axed and guilt riddled Satoshi.
"I did not mention him because it has been an uphill battle trying to undo the damage done through the brutal training program that he'd been subjected to from the day he'd been taken by Root," Shibi confessed with a sigh. "I also did not wish to burden you with the guilt that I knew you would feel when you learned of what happened to him after you'd been searching for him so diligently every chance you had over the past four years since he'd disappeared. I had intended to warn you before we returned home but with everything else it slipped my mind."
"There's no denying that this year was bad enough as it was; though I am surprised that the little termites didn't mention him," Satoshi agreed with a slight frown as he glanced up at his father. "Anything else I should know?"
"I asked them to let me speak with you about his return because I thought I would have a moment alone with you before you ran into him," Shibi announced with a sigh. "As for your other question, I put him in your room for the time being. I figured since you usually bunk with the boys when you're home and because you'll only be home for two months out of the year for another two years there wouldn't be a problem."
"I'm not going back, tousan; this was my last year."
"What? Why? I distinctly recall you being contracted to attend the school for seven years."
"Long story," Satoshi replied as he dropped his gaze to the floor for a few seconds before he reached into his pocket and pulled out the newly reborn body of Fawkes the phoenix. "In summary; the wizarding world would like nothing better than to see my magic permanently bound, my memories of you and Konoha removed, and me imprisoned for the rest of my life; if not dead and buried."
"Isn't that…?"
"Hai; if not for Fawkes, I would not be here and you would probably have never seen me again. Dumbledore attacked me from behind in an attempt to bind my magic and Fawkes protected me and gave us enough time to disarm the old wizard and the others that were with him but not before they tried to kill Kakashi, Izumo, and Kotetsu. Thankfully, most of the other students and their other parents had already left the platform before our group exited the train because otherwise some innocent would have been killed instead. I don't think Dumbledore expected any of my friends to stand by my side after everything that happened this year."
"When you're ready to discuss the rest of what happened, you know where to find me," Shibi reminded him as he dropped his hand on Satoshi's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"I know, tousan, I'll have time later this week since the Hokage gave me the rest of the week off in order to help my friends with their applications for citizenship; they've already been granted asylum. And I have no problems with Shinichi… or Torune rather staying in my room. Just out of curiosity though, was there any particular reason as to why he couldn't use the guest room?"
"In addition to the number of long missing clansmen that were found inside of Root's underground base, we found sixty-eight orphans between the ages of five and fifteen from a dozen different countries and instead of dumping them in the orphanage or forcing them to take care of themselves; the clans were asked to take them in so they could get the help they needed. Our clan took in nine of them; two of which are staying with us. Originally it was to be one orphan per family so that no one child would be overlooked but these two boys refused to be separated; even if it was only for short periods of time."
"Ah, that makes sense. I'm certain they appreciate being able to stay together," Satoshi mused as his Kikaichu noted the dark haired child creeping down the hallway while he tucked Fawkes back into his pocket. "I look forward to meeting both of them."
"What do you plan to do now that you are not going back to England?"
"Same thing I did last summer, I imagine; though I already informed the Hokage that I wish to take the Jounin Exams sometime before next summer so I can be assigned a Genin Team. I will also spend time making certain that my friends are settling into their new lives."
"Are you certain the little termites will be ready by that time?"
"I have no doubts."
"Then I will gladly pay for the party you are sure to throw for them," Shibi laughed before he addressed Satoshi in a more formal tone. "In the mean time, I have a request to make of you as Clan Head." Satoshi straightened up and turned so he could face his father as he waited to hear the request. "I wish for you to take responsibility for one of the orphans living under our roof. His name is Sai, though like your cousin I doubt that is his true name, and he'll be ten around the end of November."
"Why only one of them? Why not both?"
"The other boy, Shin, is terminally ill; he has been given less than two months to live."
"Is there nothing that can be done for him?"
"The medics tried everything they could think of and the most they were able to do was extend his life by a few months. Can I count on you to look after the other boy?"
"Iie," Satoshi countered with a brief head shake that shocked his father and drew a soft gasp from the shadows in the hallway. "It is not right to split the two boys up for any reason. I will do what I can for both boys." He shot his father a small smile as the older man cuffed him in the back of the head in exasperation. "How are the two little bloodsuckers handling the return of Shini… er Torune (that's going to take some getting used to) and the added presence of the two boys?"
"They dance around Torune (not quite avoiding him) and he pretty much ignores all four of the other boys. The two of them have tried to cheer Sai up by getting him to train with them since they are close to the same age but as you can guess Sai, does not wish to leave Shin's side most of the time and Shin has been confined to his bed for a couple of months now."
"What exactly is it he is suffering from?"
"Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and according to the medical records we salvaged from Root Headquarters, he began showing symptoms approximately one year before we found him and the other orphans."
"That's actually good news," Satoshi softly exclaimed in surprise with a soft laugh of relief.
"Satoshi…" Shibi warned as weak killing intent starting to pour from the hallway.
"Tousan, I can cure him," Satoshi declared in a slightly louder than normal voice; drawing another startled gasp from the hallway as the killing intent abruptly vanished.
"Are you certain?"
"Can you really help my oniisan?"
Satoshi turned to find a boy just a couple inches shorter than himself standing nervously in the entrance to the hallway and took a moment to study the young orphan. The kid had short, dark hair that neatly framed his face, pale white skin indicative of having spent little to no time in the sun, and dark eyes that shone with desperate hope and trepidation. He was naturally skinny (much like Satoshi) and wore a loose black, long sleeved shirt and a pair of black pants that ended just below his knees. When he finished studying the younger boy, Satoshi crossed the distance separating the two of them.
"I will have to confirm his diagnosis first and it may take a few days to get the medicine he needs but, yes, I believe I can cure your oniisan," Satoshi confirmed as he reached out and placed his hand on Sai's head.
Sai gave him a long searching look before he grinned, grabbed hold of Satoshi's hand, and dragged him down the hall and into the guest bedroom. When his eyes fell on the boy sitting propped up on the guest bed, the first thing that Satoshi noted was how gaunt he looked; as if he'd had all of the life sucked out of him. Sai dropped his hand the moment they reached the bed and as the almost ten year old chattered away at Shin, Satoshi continued studying the other young boy.
Shin's pigeon gray, chin length hair hung limp and dull, his skin was pallid and pasty (another sign that he'd been suffering from a debilitating illness), his eyes were a dark gray and ringed with bruises (evidence that he wasn't sleeping well), and his entire body was racked with tiny muscle spasms. Satoshi figured him to be three or four years younger than himself but it was hard to tell due to his condition. Despite the pain he must be in, Shin smiled warmly at Sai as the younger boy prattled on and on about how he was going to get better now because he'd found someone who could help.
That, of course, made Shin scowl and glare up at Satoshi before he practically growled out, "It is cruel of you to give my otouto false hope."
"I was eleven years old when I was first hit with a jutsu that's sole purpose was to make the one hit with it feel intense, unrelenting pain for as long as the jutsu was active. The jutsu works by systematically attacking and methodically destroying every single nerve in the body at the same time," Satoshi stated without a trace of emotion as he watched the older boy grow paler as he quickly grasped what Satoshi was trying to say.
"The longer the jutsu remains active, the more damage that is done to the person's nerves and each consecutive use of the jutsu doubles the amount of pain the victim feels. Time has no meaning when you are locked in your mind while your body feels as if it is being burned alive from the inside out while millions of senbon stab into each and every nerve ending and it feels as though someone is peeling your skin from your body one strip at a time and packing salt into the resulting wounds."
Satoshi paused for a moment to take in the slight green tinge both boys were now sporting before he held out his left arm. Shin and Sai both stared at his arm in confusion for a moment before returning their eyes to Satoshi's half hidden face. Knowing he had their complete attention, Satoshi continued, "Over the past five years I was hit with that jutsu no less than twenty-six times with the most recent attack taking place just over a week ago. As you can see my arm is steady and I can tell you that I am feeling no pain or strain from holding my arm out for so long. The damage done to my nerves in each of the attacks has been completely repaired. If it had not been; I would not be able to stand, let alone breathe because of the crippling pain caused by the damaged nerves."
"The disease that I was told you were diagnosed with can be treated with a medication that is very similar to the one that I was given to repair the damage done to my nerves. The medicine will work in three stages; the first stage stops the degeneration of the neurons in your spinal cord and neutralizes the disease, the second stage will begin repairing and reconstructing those damaged cells that can be fixed, and the third and final stage will heal some of the damage done to the rest of your body."
Hope shone in both boys' eyes now with Sai grinning down at Shin while practically vibrating with pure excitement at the mere thought of his brother being cured. Satoshi felt a thread of guilt and regret that there was a catch to the cure; it couldn't fix everything and Shin's condition was so far along that a complete and full recovery would not be possible. Magic couldn't fix everything. He wasn't about to hide the truth from either of them though because that would just make it harder for both boys to accept down the line.
"There's something else you need to know," Satoshi added wearily as he sat down at the foot of the bed. "While the medicine will treat the disease; it can't and won't fix all of the damage to the rest of your body that was a side effect of the disease. I'm not going to lie or withhold the truth because that wouldn't be fair to you; some of the damage your body has sustained can't be fixed due to how much damage has been done over the length of your illness. If I had known about your condition sooner, then there would have been a far better chance of a full recovery but unfortunately no one can change the past."
"What… what will happen to me then? Will it even be worth wasting the medicine on me if it isn't going to do any good?"
"It will allow you to live," Satoshi replied as he glanced briefly at Sai, who was now staring at Shin with horror filled eyes. "And your life is very much worth the effort and cost. Life is something precious that each of us is given the moment we are born and each of us is only ever granted one life; what we do with that life is entirely up to us. I can't promise you a full recovery but I can promise you that I will do everything in my power to see that everything that can be fixed is fixed and that I will help you in any way I can until you can stand on your own two feet again."
"You don't even know me, why would you…?"
"Because I know how much it hurts to lose a friend and a brother."
Shin sucked in a sharp breath as he turned to look at Sai who was looking torn between desperate hope and abject fear as he twisted the hem of his shirt between his hands. Satoshi climbed back to his feet and gave Sai a gentle push towards Shin before he silently slipped out of the room to allow the two boys a moment of privacy. He ran into his father, who'd been eavesdropping on the entire conversation, right outside the door and the older man fondly ruffled his hair before heading to his bedroom. Shaking his head, Satoshi followed his father's example and made his way to the bedroom that he would be sharing with his cousin for the foreseeable future.
He gave a soft knock, to warn his cousin he was coming in, before he opened the door and stepped into the room that had been his for nearly fourteen years. It was a small room but more than big enough to hold his bed, the stand alone wardrobe that held all of his ninja gear, and the small two-drawer dresser that held his pants and shirts. The small closet, which was currently sealed shut with a protective barrier to prevent anyone from getting into it, held all of the magical equipment and books he'd purchased (or copied) throughout the years but hadn't needed for his most recent year.
Sometime in the past year, a second dresser had been perched upon his original one and Satoshi supposed it would hold Shi… Torune's things. The second bed that was tucked into the room took up a good portion of the floor space where Satoshi used to do his morning exercises but he didn't really mind since he could just do them outside or in the living room if it was raining. Sitting on the second bed was his eleven year old cousin and Satoshi felt relief and guilt wash through him as he observed his cousin for a moment.
"I am pleased to have you home again, Torune," Satoshi declared after a moment as he walked the rest of the way into the room and closed the door before he opened the wardrobe and emptied out the small box that held his extra sealing supplies so that he could use it to make a temporary nest for Fawkes.
"If you wish to have your room back, I will move…"
"You're fine, itoko; even when I'm home I rarely ever spend much time in here and most nights I crash in the other room with the little termites. Do you have enough space for your things? If not I can empty out the wardrobe so you can use that since the closet is jam packed with my old equipment."
"You are not worried that my Kikaichu will harm you?"
"Why would your Kikaichu harm me?" Satoshi asked as he paused in what he was doing and frowned over his shoulder at his cousin.
"Danzou took me to a man that did something that made it so I could host the smallest and deadliest of the venomous Kikaichu after he destroyed my first swarm. I can't remember who it was or what he did but I do remember that it hurt."
"I wish that bastard was still alive so I could kill him as slowly and as painfully as possible," Satoshi hissed under his breath in English before he shoved his anger away and addressed Torune once more. "Shikuro-oji hosted the Nanosaizu no Dokumushi, so you probably inherited the ability from your tousan and whatever they had done to you only enhanced the ability. That doesn't change the fact that you are welcome to share my room."
"Ojisan pretty much told me the same thing when he first learned of them. Why are you not worried about coming in contact with my Kikaichu? I thought you would become angry the moment you learned about them and kick me out of your room. They're completely mindless and I've not had much luck in learning to control them. If they infect you, they will cause you great pain and could kill you if they reach your brain or your heart before they can be removed."
Satoshi sighed as he turned back to the nest he'd put together, carefully transferred Fawkes and his ashes out of his pocket and into the box, and set it up on top of the stacked dressers before dropping down onto his bed so he faced his cousin. He took a moment to note that with the exception of his face and hair, the rest of Torune's skin was completely covered by his clothing and suspected the younger boy did it to prevent anyone from accidentally touching him and getting infected with the deadly Kikaichu he hosted. After a moment spent considering just how much information it was safe to divulge, Satoshi finally answered the question.
"Just over three years ago I came into contact with a creature whose venom was ten times more potent and a hundred times deadlier than the Dokumushi. A single drop of this creature's venom can kill a grown man if it reaches his heart or brain; destroying every single cell it comes in contact with along the way. The antidote for that particular venom is exceedingly rare, very hard to find, and extremely expensive if you purchase it instead of getting it directly from the source."
"Part of our mission at the time was to identify, find, and destroy the creature; a rather difficult task since the creature was well hidden and nearly as large as a boss summons. While killing the beast, I was bit and injected with close to a pint of venom that ended up killing at least half of my swarm and nearly killing me as well before I was lucky enough to have the antidote administered directly from the source less than two minutes after I had been bit. I, along with those few Kikaichu that survived the ordeal, gained a measure of resistance and in some cases outright immunity to a wide range of poisons and venoms since few deadly substances come close to reaching the toxicity of the venom from that particular creature."
"How can you be so certain?"
"I was poisoned three times on my most recent mission and in all three cases the poison only killed off a couple of Kikaichu or made me feel sick to my stomach instead of killing me. I have also been bitten by a number of venomous snakes and insects over the past three years and not suffered any pain or damage beyond the initial bite. Then there is the fact that the wild Dokumushi within the clan greenhouses and in the forest have avoided me like the plague ever since; so I doubt your Kikaichu will present a problem even if I were to walk up and touch you with my bare hand."
"It's been almost four years since I've felt another's touch," Torune admitted in a voice that wasn't as cold or as emotionless as it had been; making the eleven year old sound more like a lost child than a hardened shinobi.
Satoshi didn't hesitate to jump back up onto his feet (despite the flash of pain he knew the movement would send across his back) and cross the short distance separating them, startling the younger Aburame. Five seconds later, Satoshi's left hand dropped down on Torune's head as he ruffled the younger boy's hair for a moment before tweaking his cousin's nose which both irritated and pleased the eleven year old.
"If he hasn't already given them to you, I'm certain otousan will have some scrolls that could help you learn how to better control your Kikaichu since I know for a fact that ojisan had no problems with human contact. Then again, the lack of control might stem from whatever it was that Danzou had done to you. Ojiisan would have had something on the Dokumushi as well; he raised Shikuro-oji after all."
"Shibi-oji already gave me my father's notes on the Dokumushi but I haven't looked through them as of yet; I didn't want to get my hopes up only to find there is nothing that can be done."
"Well, if you want any help researching, just let me know. In the mean time, I've got a pair of blood sucking gaki that will hunt me down and skin me alive if I don't go share a story or two with them from my last mission. You're also welcome to join me for training in the mornings any time you wish if you need or want someone to train or spar with; except on the days when I'm not in the village, naturally."
Satoshi then grabbed the box holding the baby phoenix (so he'd hear him cry if he grew hungry) and slipped across the hallway to the room his two little brothers shared. He couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips as he stepped inside the dimly lit room and saw Shino and Naruto sitting side by side on the bed they shared with barely suppressed excitement shining in their eyes. He knew the two of them had been waiting and listening for the moment when he'd come tell them a story.
Despite the fact that they were at the age where 'bedtime stories' were too babyish for them, they still eagerly looked forward to the stories Satoshi was allowed to share about what he and Team Kakashi got up to during the months they were gone.
"I'm afraid I don't have very many new stories I can tell you this time but I do have a few I think you will like," Satoshi stated as he set the box holding Fawkes down on his brothers' dresser and took off his jacket and sunglasses (a habit he'd gotten into whenever he spent the night with the two younger boys) and took a moment to lock away the more painful memories from the past year and have his Kikaichu deaden the pain from his back once more.
"I'll let the two of you decide on which one I tell tonight and then I'll pick the next time. There's a story about a pink toad and a dozen giant spiders, one about a pink toad and the giant squid, and one more about a pink toad and an insane poltergeist. If you aren't interested in the pink toad stories I also have a story about Kakashi-nii and the pink sweater of death or another one that I like to call the Prank War of Doom."
After a brief but heated discussion, the two nine year olds asked to hear the story called the Prank War of Doom and Satoshi laughed softly as he climbed into bed with the two boys (one of them curling up beside him on each side) and got comfortable before he started the story. Naruto and Shino hung on his every word as the story unfolded; his voice rising and falling dramatically as he described the characters, verbally painted the setting, and gave life to the desperate war (that he painted as a harmless prank war) he and his friends had waged against half of the staff and a third of the students at Hogwarts over the second half of the year.
Throughout the house, there were four other individuals eavesdropping on the story; three of them listening with a sense of wonder, shock, and disbelief while his father listened in amusement. Shibi enjoyed the stories just as much as the two children; if only because Satoshi always put more life into the stories he told the children when compared to the rather dry accounts he provided in his reports and his letters home. Torune, Sai, and Shin had all chosen to eavesdrop because Satoshi was nothing like they had expected him to be based upon what they'd been taught by the older members of Root, through the rumors they'd heard in the village, what little they'd gleaned from Satoshi's family over the last seven or eight months, and the vague memories Torune had of his time before Root.
The three former Root Trainees had not expected to be drawn into the story so completely that they could easily imagine they'd been right in the thick of the prank war Satoshi was describing; they felt what the characters from the story felt, easily imagined what the characters saw, and heard what the characters heard. Unexpectedly, the three former weapons in training (which is what Danzou had been hoping to turn them into) found themselves hanging on the edge of their seats as the story played out, straining to hear Satoshi's voice when it dropped almost too low to hear. At the end of the story, they were startled to find that not only had they enjoyed listening to the story; they wanted to hear another one.
Each one of the orphaned boys went to bed that night confused over the feelings that Satoshi stirred in them and hopeful for what their future held thanks to the promises he'd given them; something they hadn't felt since the day they'd been inducted into Root and began their training.
Translations: Japanese to English
Gaki – brat
Hai – yes
Itoko – cousin
Nanosaizu no Dokumushi – nano-sized venomous beetles
Oji/ojisan – uncle
Ojiisan – grandfather
Oniisan/niisan/nii – older brother
Otousan/tousan – father
Otouto – little brother
Sensei – teacher
Sumimasen – I'm sorry (somewhat formal)
Teichou – captain
Wakatta – understood or I understand (past tense)
Notes:
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease in America and Motor Neuron Disease in Britain. It is caused by the degeneration of the neurons in anterior horn of the spinal cord and symptoms include rapidly progressing weakness, musculature atrophy throughout the body, involuntary muscle contraction (muscle twitches also called fasciculation), unusual tightness or stiffness of the muscles (spasticity), motor speech disorder, difficulty swallowing, and respiratory problems. On average, patients suffering from ALS typically die of respiratory compromise and pneumonia after two or three years. (More information on ALS can be found on Wikipedia.)
I used this disease to be the one affecting Shin since I couldn't find any mention of the actual illness that the older boy had died from in the anime or manga or Naruto websites though I do know that he was coughing up blood prior to his death (hence the reason I chose a disease where the victims often died of respiratory complications).
