The Pantheon of Nine
By: Finn Mertenz
A/N: Tsunade breaks the timeline of canon Naruto completely.
In part 1 Tsunade, Orochimaru and Jiraiya are all confirmed to be 51 (In canon) and Hiruzen is confirmed to be 68. Then we have to take into account that Hiruzen was atleast 10 years old when the village was founded.
Also, he was born before Hashirama died since their is a picture of him as a Genin standing between the 1st and 2nd Hokage in front of Konoha.
Then we have to remember Tsunade was atleast three before Hashirama died since he has memories of her. Then we have to recall that Hashirama wasn't Hokage for that long because Madara returned within a short people of time to challenge him and destroy the village.
All that means Tsunade had to be 7 years younger than Hiruzen in canon, meaning she should have been 61. Being completely honest, this has been destroying my brain for days, and this is the reason I wrote all three Sanin as 58 instead of 51. I just made them all 10 years younger than Hiruzen.
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. I DO NOT CLAIM TO OWN NARUTO.
Chapter 14: Tales of Konoha! Pain of Parental loss.
Thursday, May 26th, 58 SSP, 12:47am in the afternoon.
A pale-skinned 4"9 boy with loose Radiant Orchid hair that was well-kept and short in the back but hung downward infront of his eyes stood across the street from the entrance of Ichiraku Ramen, he couldn't be any older than 12 years old.
The Orchid bangs infront of his eyes were messy and thin aswell as parted in several directions revealing a pair of black, tinted sunglasses with a thin frame holding them to the individuals ears.(Like Ebisu's sunglasses)
He wore a loose fitting sky purple short sleeved shirt that ended 3 inches above his elbows, the Kanji for Ramen sewn into the front of his shirt in white.
On his legs he wore tight fitting dark purple pants that end slightly above his ankles, around his waist was a heavy, weighed down black pouch tied to the left section of his back, whatever was inside was very heavy.
On his feet were cheaply made thin strapped bamboo sandels, they looked brand new but at the same time so poorly made that the might as well have been 10 years old.
Strapped around his back was a small 12in x 12in flattened square backpack made of surprisingly very expensive wood, maple, atleast it would be expensive anywhere else in the world, in the Land of Fire Maple trees were everywhere.
His skin was pale and almost so transparent you could see the red of his blood and blue of his veins in his arms, clearly he didn't go outside much.
He turned his head leisurely from side to side as he back was positioned against the wall of the store he stood infront of, studying the street and making sure no one was watching him.
When he was confindent no one was watching him he slowly backed up, entering a small alley way that rested against the right side of the store he previously stood infront of.
At that moment he raised his right hand to his throat, extending both his index and middle finger outward and resting them firmly against his adams apple while clenching the rest of his fingers shut.
A faint barely tangible aura of violet engulfed the ends of his two fingers, chakra, that he was pouring into his adams apple to change and adjust his voice from its previous sound and tone.
"Hch, hmp hmp hmppphhh" The unknown purple haired hummed and coughed out in a raspy tone as he attempt to adjust his voice, still pouring chakra into his adams apple.
Finally the boy lowered his right hand and arm back to his side and stepped out from the alley way, once again entering the street, attempting to blend in with the several other groups of people walking amoung the pathway.
At first he walked towards the Ichiraku Ramen stand across the street but suddenly he took an abrupt turn to the left and preceded to stroll up next to the entrance way of the store he had previously been standing infront of.
He looked up above the entry way, at the loose hang fabric of 6 individually cut white sheets that read "Muto Basket Shop - Finest Baskets of Konoha." In Kanji - It's size and stature evidence that the statement was correct.
He had constantly stared at the store from the stools of Ichiraku's Ramen stand for years, always awed by the sheer size of it, it was 2-stories tall with a wide open entrance section, or atleast wide enough for group of people to leave and eat at the same time.
In stark contrast to Ichiraku's, which could only house 7 customers at once, this store could easily house 10-20 as various basket, barrels and even cabinets decorated the interior of the store.
Much like How Ichiraku and his daughter lived in the 2nd story atop their ramen stand, the Muto family also lived in the 2nd story of their store, meaning customers were restricted to the bottom floor.
At the back of the store was a long rectangle counter attached to the far left wall inside the interior of the shop.
Directly behind the counter, from the perspective of a customer, was a wooden staircase against the wall leading upwards for 8 steps before it turn left and disappeared from view, obviously the entrance to the 2nd floor.
Finally having built up his courage the Orchid haired boy entered the shop, his hair grazing the bottom of the fabric that hung atop the entry way to the store, instantly being overwhelm by the smell of Lavender.
"WELCOME! Welcome! I'm Jonochi Muto - How may I help you young boy?" A old spiky, grey haired man asked.
He had a pencil thin beard with a slightly bushy Goatee very similar to Asuma, the only difference being this man's beard was solid grey with not black or signs of youth at all.
Above his lip was a thick horseshoe moustache that hung down, it was so thick it almost enveloped the entirety of the mouth, hiding his upper lip from view.
He wore a brown long sleeve shirt that was plain, with a black apron laid on top of it, the Kanji for "May I help you?" Engraved upon it, with several bushes of grey chest hair rising out of the collar of his shirt and Apron.
His pants were black and went down to 3 inches above his ankles, his pants matching his apron almost perfectly in tone.
He wore bamboo civilian sandels similar to the unknown boy, except the shop-keepers sandels we're of much better material and make, the strings wrapped the sandels around his feet were made of white silk.
Around his neck he wore a necklace the fabric of which was made of black linen with a black steel medallion Kanji symbol for Fire resting against his collarbone.
Finally on his right ring finger he wore a silver wedding band, evidence that the shop-keeper was married.
"U-um yea." The unknown boy stuttered out, horrified from staring at the erupting chest hair from the mans shirt.
"I'm looking for a basket, a real fancy one, I prefer purple." The boy continued, having finally broke his awkward gaze free from the Shop-keepers odd amount of chest hair.
"I can tell - heh." Jonochi replied with a chuckle, a joke about the massive about of purple fabric and hair that the boy infront of him was adorning.
He then raised his right hand to his face and gripped his chin, while resting his left handed palm against his waist, entering a semi thinking stance.
"Well it this is for a romantic picnic - may I suggest this lavender one?" Jonochi asked as he strolled several feet away and grabbed a 2ft x 1ft picnic basket.
"This beauty came straight from the forest of our village, the bark was shaved down and cut thin, then wrapped and woven together to make sure its sturdy and firm." Jonochi explain and he applied a mild amount of pressure upon the basket, attempting to show its worth.
Jonochi then crouched infront of the Ochird haired boy and placed the basket infront of him, pulling on of the 2 lids it had open to reveal its contents.
The interior of the basket was layered and patted with Lavender fabric that covered and concealed every corner and inch of the internal section of the container.
The lid was lined with the same indentical fabric, both the top and bottom of both the open's the basket container, it was indeed purple, and the unknown boy's face glew with joy and a faint smile upon studying it.
"Its not a romantic occasion - but I will gladly take that basket." The boy stated.
"Woah now - don't you want to ask your parents first?" Jonochi asked.
The boys smile and joy disappeared and was instantly replaced with an aura of depression and darkness as he downcast his head, clearly something Jonochi had just said upset him.
"How much." The boy mumbled out, barely loud enough for Jonochi to hear.
"80 Ryo, I'm sorry if I said something that bothered you sir." Jonochi replied, noticing how visibly uncomfortable his previous statement had made his customer, and attempting his best to show respect, even to one so young.
"Don't worry about it..." The Orchid haired boy murmured out in response as he threw his left hand to his back waist and reached into the black heavy pouch he had tied there.
The boy then preceded to pull out 8 Silver coined Ryo, 1 Silver Ryo being equal to 10 Copper Ryo each.
He than outstretched his open palmed left hand outwards towards Jonochi, who eagerly stood up and looked at the silver, glimmering and shinning Ryo the boy held in his hand, a face of envy and greed growing upon Jonochi's face.
Instinctively Jonochi reached out with his right hand, eager to grab the handful of shiny Silver Ryo, but suddenly the boy clenched his hand shut tight, preventing him from grabbing any of it.
"Will it be able to hold food, like say a bowl of soup or ramen?" The boy asked.
"Yes sir, yes sir the bottom is throughly patted to ensure its perfectly even and horizontal, you should have no problems at all sir." Jonochi replied, showing the upmost respect as he finally realized the boy had money to spend, unlike other civilian kids his age.
At that the young boy unclenched his hand and allowed Jonochi to snag up his silver Ryo, the latter quickly running back to his counter and throwing the change into his register, clearly he loved money.
Once he noticed his money was put in the register the young boy bent forward and grabbed his new lavender basket by its handle and stood up fully, downgasting his gaze to stare at and admire the new gift he had just bought.
"Is that everything? What now?" The boy asked in a confused tone, almost as if never went shopping before.
"Yes sir that is everything, if you need anything else plus come again we value your business." Jonochi stated as he smile down at the boy who returned it with his own, even if it was fake.
At that the boy turned around and attempted to walk out the store before his eyes noticed a trail of smoke pouring up from behind the counter, the boy was surprised he hadn't noticed it before.
"U-um." The Ochird haired boy hummed out, once again garnishing Jonochi's attention before he had walked upstairs.
"Yes sir, back already?" Jonochi joked with a smile.
"I'm glad, this time of day is really slow, the kids are on vacation but they have no money, and all the adults are working or taking a lunch break." Jonochi explain, making an excuse for why his store was so empty.
"Whats that smell? Lavender right?" The boy asked, curious as to what was emitting the wonderful aroma.
"Lavender scented sticks, you just light the end and they burn for an hour, they smell nice don't they sir?" Jonochi explained to the young boy as he pointed over to his counter where the smoke was coming from.
"How much are they?" The boy asked, causing Jonochi to groan and moan in response.
"Well sadly me and my wife just had a child, and she deathly allergic to Lavender so I've been trying to burn through all of them before she's old enough to come downstairs." Jonochi explained.
"I have 3 left not counting the 2 I have burning right now, would you like to have those on the house sir? As a incentive to come back?" Jonochi asked with a smile small upon his elderly face.
"Yes! Please." The boy exclaimed, his tone fill with joy at the thought of possessing the 3 items.
Quickly Jonochi dashed back behind his counter and reached his hand below it, grabbing the 3 scented sticks, still in their packaging and returned to the Orchid haired boy.
"Here you are sir, please enjoy them." Jonochi expressed as he held the scented sticks outward for the young boy, who eagerly grabbed them before carefully opening the lid to his new basket and throwing them in there.
"Thank you kindly." The boy responsed with a bright smile before quickly turning around and heading out the entrance, his hair once again grazing the bottom of the fabric that lined the entry way.
It was then that the boy stared across the street at Ichiraku's Ramen, noticing that 4 figures had appeared inside the store and side he had bought his basket, 1 of the figures he instantly indentified as his inner organs tensed and tighten.
Once again forming his courage the Orchid haired boy bridged the gap of the massive 20 foot wide road that paved the street Ichiraku's ramen aswell as Muto's basket shop rested upon.
Upon approaching the entrance to the ramen stand the boy could make out a conversation unfolding between the 4 individuals sitting on the stools eating, 2 of them being much more loud than the others.
"Did you hear Guy-sensei? Were going to have Rookiees at the Chunin exams! First year Genin - that hasn't happened in 5 years!" A 13 year old boy in a long sleeved dark jade green body jumpsuit exclaimed as he slurped and sucked several noodles into his mouth.
His outfit was oddly similar to Might Guy's, the same orange stripped leg warmers aswell as the same red linen fabric headband wrapped around his waist like a belt, even his hair and eyebrows were strangely similar to Guy's.
Wrapped around his right thigh was the standard white linen fabric, with a vertical satchel that held 6 Kunai placed inside it tied to that.
The only significant difference between this Shinobi and Might Guy were bandages wrapped around the entirety of the 13 year olds hands and forearms, extending from the base of his knuckles to his elbows.
"Don't talk with your mouth full Lee, its disgusting, besides its most likely just some Jonin looking to boost their ego." An unknown Kunoichi in the far left corner of the ramen shop argued.
She had dark brown hair with matching dark brown eyes, she alsot wore her hair in two Chinese-style buns on her head with short fringe-bangs framing her face with the headband of Konoha tied around her forehead.
She wore a pink sleeveless qipao-style blouse with red sleeve trimmings and yellow fastening buttons and dark green pants that ran down to 3 inches above her ankles, where she adorned standard Shinobi shoes.
Around the back of her waist was a tan 7 in by 7 in satchel, most likely filled to the brim with Shuriken while around her right thigh was the standard white linen fabric wrapped around her, with a vertical kunai pouch tied there aswell.
"Thats not it!" Lee muffled out inbetween slurping up noodles, clearly he had spent several hours with Naruto here and had acquried the same habit the bright blond had.
Sheepishly the Orchid haired boy raised his right hand and pushed the fabric the lined the entrance to Ichiraku's ramen stand open before quickly entering the shop and strolling towards the counter.
"One of them is Team 7, Kakashi's squad, can you believe that? He never takes on student and when he does he recommends them for the Chunin exams their first year." Lee murmured out, still slurping his noodles.
"That - that is interesting." A fair skinned Shinobi asserted, sitting to the right of Tenten, to the left of Might Guy and to the far left of Lee, leaving 2 stools open for newcomers.
He had his black hair tied back in a loose ponytail tied a few inches above the end, covering his forehead was the headband of Konoha, under which was a smaller headband with two straps that frame the sides of his face.
His eyes were a odd mixture of white and a slight lavender tint, something odd for most people but extremely common for the Hyuga.
He wore a beige-coloured shirt with 3 straps in the front, a dull blue shirt beneath that, and mesh armour beneath that.
He wore dark brown shorts, standard shinobi shoes and several bandages wrapped around his right arm, chest, and right leg, with the standard white linen fabric wrapped around his right thigh with a vertical kunai pouch tied against it.
"Way to go Neji! Lee! Tenten!" Guy asserted dramatically as he tore an empty ramen bowl free his face and slammed it on the counter as he stood up, knocking his stool to the ground.
"Thats the young bundles of youth I've trained!" Guy asserted as he placed both his open palmed hands against his waist and smiling brightly, his teeth shining brightly.
"No just that Guy-sensei one of them is a close friend of mi-" Rock lee attempted to murmur out only to be interrupted by a young lady that walked into the room from the back.
"Sorry hun I didn't notice you until loud-mouth here slammed his bowl down, I'm Ayame what would you like?" Ayame ask the Orchid haired boy who had previously been standing quietly in the far right corner of the ramen shop.
"What?!" Lee questioned dramatically, half chewed noodles falling out of his mouth and landing back into his bowl.
"That is so fucking disgusting." Tenten snorted.
"Agreed." Neji replied.
"Is that the best you got Lee? I could chew food ten times better than you." Guy replied, his glimmering smiling still apparent on his face.
"Come on guys I can't even hear my customer, what is it hun?" Ayame once again asked the Orchid haired boy, this time bending forward, leaning on the counter top in an attempt to hear the boy.
"Can I have 8 Iruka ramens please." The boy murmured sheepishly, shocking all present in the shop at the sheer amount of food the boy was ordering.
Neji, Tenten, Guy and Lee all turned their heads slightly, studying the boy and his features.
He's kinda cute... Tenten thought to herself before she quickly turned around and went back to her food, not wanting to appear interested, after all she already had Neji to herself.
How could a civilian avoid so much food? Neji noted to himself.
Hmmmmmmm. Guy thought to himself as he raised his right hand to his face and gripped his chin.
Lee was the most shocked of all, as a single ramen noodle hung on the right side of his mouth, ramen broth dripping down and off it as he contine and stare and gaze at the newcomer.
"Sure thing hun that'll be 64 Ryo." Ayame asked.
"Can I have them put in this?" The boy asked as he raised his freshly bought Lavender basket and placed it on the counter top, quickly opening the lid and taking out the package of 3 Lavender scented sticks and laying them on the side of the basket to make room.
"I'm sorry hun we don't do take out." Ayame replied.
"I'll buy the bowls." The boy responded, causing Ayame to tilt her head slightly.
"Well we spend 6 Ryo on each bowl." Ayame answered.
"I'll give you a 2 Ryo tip on each of them, so 128 Ryo in total, 8 Iruka Ramens placed into this basket please." The boy replied as he gently tapped the lid of his basket, shocking Ayame at the amount of money he was willingly to spend.
At this moment he placed his left hand behind his back and reached into the black pouch he kept tired around his waist, pulling out 13 Silver coined Ryo, totaling 130 Ryo, before quietly slamming it atop the counter infront of Ayame.
She wanted to protest and just deny the sale but he was offering such a large tip she decided to indulge this new customer, maybe he would come back later if she did.
"Sure thing hun, Daaad! 8 Iruka ramens, and we need something to use as a lid on them." Ayame stated as she snagged the money of the counter, threw it in her apron and spun around, directing herself towards the kitchen.
"8 Iruka ramens?" Teuchi screamed from the kitchen in the back.
"Is Naruto here?" Teuchi asked, usually when such a large order was placed it was always the result of Naruto.
"No dad, its some nice purple haired boy, and he's paying alot so don't harass him." Ayame yelled back as she turned around to face her customer once again.
"I'm going to go help him hun please have a seat and wait." Ayame told the Orchid haired boy before she turned around once again and disappeared in the back.
The boy stood frozen and ridged, feeling the eyes of Lee pressing and tearing into him, both Neji and Tenten having already gone back to their meal while Guy had picked up his stool and continued eating his own food.
At that moment Lee slurped his loose noodle into his mouth and stood up before quickly bridging the 3 feet gap between him and the newcomer, shoving his face into the other boy's as he examined and stared at him, only 6 inches away from one another.
"Hmmmmmmmm." Lee hummed aloud to himself as he continued to study the other boy's features, the latter lightly panting, with small beads of sweats building up upon his forehead hidden under his bangs.
"Ma-may I help you." The Orchid haired boy asked Lee.
"Hmmmmmmmmmmm - I - Don't - know." Lee replied, his eyes unblinking and unmoving, as if this boy had something only his face only he could see.
At that Lee leaned in even further, causing the tip of his nose to graze and rub against the other boys nose, causing the latter to one step back in an attempt to create some distance, breaking the connect their noses had made.
"Hmmmmm - Have I seen you before" Lee asked as he contined to stare at the unknown boy's face.
"N-no, I'm pretty sure you haven't." The boy responded as he swallowed the large amount of saliva building up his in throat, clearly anxious about something.
At this Lee clenched both his fists and rest his knucles against his waist as he leaned towards the boy once again, becoming so close that they could feel each other breathing out their noses.
"Hmmmmmm." Lee hummed aloud once again, clearly something about this boy stood out to him, but what?
"Lee quit being so weird, he's not a Shinobi he's most likely not used to your awkward shit." Tenten snorted after swallowing a fresh mouthful of noodles.
"You're right, I apologize." Lee murmured out in response, his face still almost rubbing against the unknown boy's.
"My bad." Lee stated as he quickly turned around and leaped back onto his stool, vigorously slurping and sucking his noodles into his mouth once again.
Upon Noticing this the Orchid haired boy sighed quietly in relief, low enough to where none of the Genin of team 3 heard but loud enough for Guy to hear, almost confirming his suspicion as his eyes slanted slightly to once again study the unknown boy.
"Here we are - 8 Iruka ramens." Teuchi spoke as both her and his daughter entered into the room from the kitchen entrance.
Both Teuchi and Ayame carried 4 bowls each, each of them holding a bowl in both their hands aswell as resting in they're elbows.
"Huh I honestly didn't believe my daughter when she said you weren't Naruto, usually he's the only one that orders this much by himself." Teuchi joked as he studied the sheepish Orchid haired boy.
"I told you dad! Naruto isn't the only one who loves our food." Ayame joked as she placed all 4 bowls she previosuly held atop the counter before quickly dashing back into the kitchen.
It was then that Teuchi followed suit and placed the 4 bowls he also carried atop the counter.
"Are you new? Is this your first time here?" Teuchi asked, as he grabbed 2 packages of chopsticks, his daughter already explaining that this boy was ordering his food to go.
"Y-well kinda." The boy murmured in response.
"Oh really? How did you hear about us?" Teuchi asked, eager to see what or who was spending such large amounts of people to his store.
"U-um Naruto, Naruto did, he always talks alot about your store and how its the best in the world - s-so I just figured I'd stop by." The boy responsed causing Teuchi to blush with red.
"Awwwh - did Naruto really say that about us? He is such a kind child I can see why he would recommend the Iruka ramen, it was his teachers favorite." Teuchi said as he smiled ear to ear.
At this moment Ayame rushed in from the kitchen, holding 2 1ft by 1ft white plastic squares.
"These are the lids to the flour we order to make the noodles..." Ayame pointed out.
"We usually throw them out but we can just stack them..." Ayame suggested.
"We could put 4 bowls atop another 4 then put another square on top of those to keep them sealed." Ayame spoke.
"Is that okay?" Ayame asked the Orchid haired boy.
"Yes please." The unknown boy responsed.
He then watched both Teuchi and Ayame turn into a machine as they organized, stacked placed and repeated the action once again, filling the brand new lavender basket he had just bought with ramen.
Once it was filled Ayame gently closed the lid of the basket before rubbing her palm across the top of it, admiring the beautiful lavender.
"This is a lovely basket, whoever your feeding is a lucky girl." Ayame stated, grinning lightly.
"Heh well um its not for a romantic occasion but It is special." The boy stuttered out in reponse before he gripped the handle of his basket with his left while grabbing the package of 3 lavender scented sticks with his right.
"Have a nice day." The boy responded before turning around and almost walking directly into Lee's face, the latter having once again stood up and began investigating the unknown boy.
Under his glasses the boys eyes began darting and shooting in several different directions, clearly worried about something.
"Na-Naruto..." Lee murmured out, causing the Orchid haired boys eyes to widen under his glasses as he swallowed a clump of saliva once again building up in his throat.
"Naruto loves that ramen indeed he's actually the reason we're eating here currently." Lee continued as he straightened his back and stood up fully.
During this exchange the Orchid haired boy began slowly inching to the left attempting to disappear and avoid this situation.
"More like you dragged us here." Neji snorted in response, causing Lee to tear his attention away from the Orchid haired boy and directing it towards Neji.
"Come on Neji! You said yourself you loved this place." Lee retorted, having raised both his clenched fist to his jawline in protest.
"Yea - I did its good food - but that doesn't change the fact that you dragged us here, right Tenten?" Neji asked his teammate sitting to his left side.
"Yea you did kinda nag us to come here Lee..." Tenten sighed.
"WHHAAAaaaaaat?!" Lee questioned dramatic as he shook his head side to side several times.
"Can you believe that Guy-sensei! Naruto tells me of a beautiful jewel like this place and no one appreciates it - atleast you do rig-" Lee stated as he turned around and attempted to engage the Orchid haired boy only to notice he had disappeared.
"Wh-what!? Where did he go?" Lee questioned as he jump on the counter and crouched down, position his hand above his eyes while shacking his head side to side as he attempted to see where the previous boy had just disappeared to.
"I don't know, I didn't even see him leave, but please get off the counter." Ayame sighed, causing Lee to downcast his head in defeat and depression.
"Yes Mam..." Lee sighed as he got off the counter and preceded to sit aslong side Guy, the only one present in the building that had noticed the Orchid haired boy disappearing in a body flicker, something no civilian should know how to do.
Meanwhile, 3 blocks away in a tiny alley way.
The unknown boy stood slumped halfway down with his back against the wall of the building he leaned against, his basket containing ramen placed atop the ground by his left foot, with the scented lavender sticks placed atop the lid.
The boy tilted his head sideways to the right, popping it out of the alley way as he stared down the dirt road towards the entrance of Ichiraku's ramen, attempting to make sure no one was following him.
When he thought that no one had followed him from the store he sighed briefly in relief as he bent forward and rested his palms against his knees in a half crouched position, directing his back towards the alley way.
"You - give me all your money." A strange man standing behind the boy ordered, causing the boy to turn around and examine the newcomer.
He stood barely 2 feet away from the Orchid haired boy, the latter being so distracted studying Ichiraku's ramen he didn't even notice him walk up.
He skin was well tanned with a dirt like complexion, a side affect from being out in the sun of Konoha for hours at a time, he couldn't be any older than 24 or 25.
The front of his scalp was bald and barren, revealing the entirety of his forehead and the area slightly above that, while the back of his scalp had a full grown set of hair, of which it was tied back into a ponytail to ran down to the mans shoulders in length.
He had a pencil thin mustache and and several random strands of hair protruding out from his chin.
He wore a dirt brown colored ragged shirt his sleeves running down to his elbows, it had several holes in it that had been sewn and patched up with several mix-matching colors such as green, yellow and red.
His short went down to 2 inches below his knees, his shorts being the same tone of dirt brown as his shirt with almost twice as many holes in them, similar to his shirt that were patched and sewn shut with several colors, the most prominant being green and red.
He had no shoes at all, evidence that this man even didn't like them or couldn't avoid them.
Most importantly the man brandished a short 6 inch knife in his right hand, the knife was worn and torn with several scratchs and bruise covering it
However the mans stance confused the boy most of all, his knife hand was extended out towards the people in what the man assumed to be a threatening pose with his left hand extended out halfway with his palm open.
Finally his left foot was positioned directly behind the man, only his toes and frontal section of his foot touching the ground, with his right land placed forward in a horizontal direction and his knee bent halfway down.
"Wh-wha-what are you doing?" The Orchid haired boy asked, confused at the situation unfolding infront of him.
"I'm mugging you! Give me your money!" The man once again ordered.
"With a stance like that?" The boy questioned as he raised his open palmed right hand halfway into the air in a confused motion.
"Wh-what are you talking about? Just give me your money and food! Now!" The man replied with several pauses taking place in his sentence, surprised as most people just quickly gave him their money.
At this moment the boy began lightly shaking his head from side to side, his open palmed right hand still hung aloft in the air between him and his would be mugger.
"With a poor stance you are unbalanced and can easily be knocked over." The Orchid boy stated.
At that moment he flung his right hand forward, coiling around the mans knife hand and gripping his wrist and he extended his left open palmed hand outward towards the mans chest, pushing him down with a surprising amount of force.
As the man fell down from being pushed, the boys hand uncoiled around his wrist and slide upward, gripping the handle of the mans knife and pulling it free from his grasp and holding it in a reversed gripped fashion in his own hand.
If was then that the would be mugger fell flat on his ass, a small cloud of dirt and dust erupting from the area in the alley way where he fell, as he looked up in embarassment and shock at the young boy who just disarmed him.
With the muggers knife still held in his right hand, the boy took a step forward with his left foot and extended his open palmed left hand outward down towards the mugger in an attempt to help him up.
The man stared at the boys outstretched hand for several moments, still overwhelmed with embarassment as the feeling of shock began to disappear and fade.
Finally he extended his own right hand upward and gripped the boys left hand, allowing the Orchid haired boy to pull him up off the ground and back to his feet.
It was then that the mugger became even more shocked when the boy non-chalantly held his knife out towards him, gifting it back to the mugger who sheepishly held it in his right hand once again.
"With a solid stance..." The boy spoke as he positioned his back against the wall and crouched into a stance similar to that of a sumo wrestler.
"You are a much more serious threat." The boy commented, suggesting for the mugger to follow his lead.
It was then that the mugger mimicked his action, positioning his own back against the wall and falling into a stance extremely similar to the young boys.
Then the boy straighten his back and stood up fully as he gazed and stared over his would be mugger, studying his stance as he had mere minutes before.
The boy then took 1 step to his left, positioning himself behind his would be mugger as he used his left hand to straighten and prop up the mans back, while his right gripped the mans knife wrist and extended it outwards.
Then the boy took 3 steps back and began admiring his work as he once again studied and stared at his would be mugger.
"Much better!" The boy asserted as the shocked man left his stance and stood up fully as turned his head to the right to stare at the boy.
"But to tell you the truth, you do not look like the criminal type." The Orchid haired boy stated.
"I-I know...I- I'm just confused..." The mugger mumbled out in response as he downcast his head in embarassment and regret.
5 minutes later.
The boy and his would be mugger both sat indian style in the alleyway, sitting barely a stones gap away from the other with they're backs placed and propped against the wall of the building they had been standing beside previously.
In both they're hands was a steaming hot bowl of Iruka ramen, freshly made and bought from the Ichiraku's ramen stand the boy has just previously left.
The steam from the ramen poured up from the food, filling the area around the two with a beautiful aroma of Pork, Egg, and ramen broth.
"S-so you really think I could find a way? A way to become a brand new stone-worker?" The mugger asked, as the steam from his food poured up and engulfed almost the entirety of his face.
"Of course - there has to be some way to produce quick made stone without cutting it from the rocks or mountains, there is always a way." The boy replied as he slurped and sucked his ramen into his mouth in a fashion similar to somehow being able to talk perfectly with his mouth full,
"Maybe like a paste, or a powder? That hardens when water or liquid is applied to it." The boy continued, still slurping his food vigorously but somehow being able to talk perfectly with his mouth full, he must have had hours of practice doing this.
"Th-this is so great...I've never had anyone that believed in me before." The mugger exclaimed.
The boy quickly swallowed the large bundle of noodles, pork and egg that had built up in his mouth as he cleared his throat in an attempt to speak.
"While it is always best to believe in yourself Tycho - a little help from others can be a great blessing." The Orchid haired boy commented as he raised he gaze up to the sky, studying it as he thought of memories past, a small smile upon his face.
Clearly during they're brief exchange as they sat down and the boy feed the man food he also learned the mans name.
"This is so great...I wish my parents were here to see this." Tycho replied, as he mimicked the boy beside him and also stared up at the sky.
For some reason the boys smile instantly disappeared and was replaced with a frown as he downcast his head in depression, apparently just like before the word "parent" had a way of causing him to be depressed.
"Where are they? Out on a trip?" The boy asked, his head still downcast in depression.
"No...no...they were killed by the Nine tails 12 years ago a week before my 15th birthday..." Tycho responsed as he downcast his own gaze towards the ground similar to the boy.
The previous aura of depression around the boy became doubled, in both its density and power as he shoulders slumped downwards and his hands visibly tightened and gripped the bowl he held in his hands.
"I-im sorry." The boy muttered out timidly.
"Don't be, please don't be, its not your fault you've done more for me than anyone else." Tycho responsed as he lifted his head and began slurping the meal the boy had given him.
It was then that the boy raised his gaze once again, directing it towards the sky as he had previously as several small clouds floated and danced across it.
"Yea...its not my fault." The boy murmured quietly, to quiet for Tycho to hear.
I tell myself that everyday. The boy thought to himself as clouds entered and left his line of sight, his mind traveling many miles away.
Meanwhile at Kakashi's and Anko's appartment.
"Are you fucking serious? Why are we wearing these." Sakura barked out was she pulled at the ears of the dog costume both she, Sasuke, Naruto and even Kakashi wore.
All 4 of them wore full body light brown dog suits (same color as Pakkun's fur), paws covering both their hands and feet aswell as loose hound-dog ears hanging from both sides of their heads.
The snout, eyes and mouth of the dog were removed, replaced with the faces of the individual who wore it, the only visible part of them being their faces that popped and poked out of this hole.
While the suit was full body the dog head they all wore was a hat that was put on individually, seperate from the body suit, but it clung so tightly to their heads and shoulders that no ordinary person could tell they weren't connect.
It was quite the funny sight, especially for Naruto, whose bangs covered up the vast majority of his face even when he was wearing such a massive, bulky item on his head, refusing to pull his hair back when he put it on.
Sakura's and Sasuke's face were completely visible though as they had pulled their hair back, which was the whole reason Sakura's face was painted in a pink tone similiar to her hair as she was filled with embarassment.
Kakashi's face was basically the same as it always was, his headband being halfway concealed by the roof of his dog head and his face mask covering the vast majority of his face, his hair completely hidden from view.
They're paws were shaped like a humans hand, allowing each of they're individual fingers to enter and fill the glove of the body suit, the same with their feet which were also paws shaped like human feet.
On they're back sides, exactly where they're tail bones were, was a foot long tan tail that they were currently sitting on, it matched they're fur aswell as they're hound-dog style ears.
They were in Kakashi's living room, well his living room and bedroom as it served multiple purposes, which was the first time any of them had visited his house, even Naruto.
At first Kakashi's home appear to consist of only a single room(15ft x 12ft), but Naruto and Sasuke quickly noted that on the wall to the far left behind the front door was a sliding door, painted the same leaf green tone as the rest of his room.
His room was fairly sparse with no clutter visible to the bare eye, with a leaf green 1ft x 4ft trunk pushed neatly into the cornered between the front door and the sliding door, an a set of 2 small maple wood shelfs nailed into the wall above that.
On the far side of his room, the side opposite of which the front door was situated, was a 3ft x 3ft window placed in the center of the wall with leaf green curtains tied to both ends of the window allow sunlight into the room.
Below the window, and paving the entire side of the wall where the window was, was a leaf green counter top that protruded outwards from the wall, reaching 1 foot away from the wall.
The counter didn't have any cabinets, it was just a standard counter that lined the wall, his "Make-Out" books, 2 framed pictures that none of his Genin had caught a glimpse of and an alarm clock rested in the corner of the counter between his wall and window on the left side.
A calligraphy-style picture of a "scarecrow" face was pinned to the wall of the far left side of the window above his "Make-Out" books.
Infront of his books and picture frames was a Kings size bed, 5ft x 6ft, with white sheets, two 12in x 12in white pillows nestled against the counter that bed was pushed against.
The covers that laid atop the bed were leaf green, with the symbol of a plus sign sharpened on all four edges to curve it into a circular shuriken shape, repeated by 3 rows vertically and 4 rows horizontally.
Decorating the wall above his bed were 2 hangings of artwork, one of a mountain with a sun rising over it and one with the Kanji for ninja.
Between the 2 pieces of artwork was a bamboo scroll styled calendar with a beautiful, lush Sakura tree as decoration on it, all the previous months and days marked out in black ink.
On the opposite side of his bed, the far right corner that rested between the window and right wall, was a desk with no materials on it, and a bulletin board above that with several notes that contained scribbles written upon them.
Positioned next to the desk was a 5 ft x 1 ft Black plastic dresser, with 5 cabinets carved into, the cabinets were plastic and transparent, allowing all 3 of his Genin to see that the majority of the cloths in panties and bras, causing all 3 genin to blush in embarassment.
Pushed into the corner of the room, opposite the corner of the sliding door but positioned alongside the black dresser, was a wooden maple couch with 3 cushions placed atop it, and all 3 Genin sitting atop one individually.
Above the wooden couch was a 3ft x 6ft piece of hand painted silky fabric artwork, appearing to be very expensive, that contained an image of several tree branchs in the forest that spiraled, weaved and danced around one another among the tree tops.
There were 3 rays of light piercing the dark brush of tree leaves atop the branchs, allowing just enough light into it to illuminate the rest of the artwork in a beautiful display of artistic talent.
Infront of the door, the first thing you saw when opening it, was a wooden shoe dresser, matching the height of the door as it contained 7 cubbies, each of which was thick enough to hold a single pair of shoes, 4 of them already filled with the entirety of team 7s shoes.
Finally laying on the ground infront of the door was a green rough course shoe mat, painted in a fashion that may it appear to be patch of grass.
"I kinda like it." Naruto murmured timidly as he raised both his dog paws up and gripped his ears in a fashion similar to Sasuke as he pulled on them gently.
"I don't even know how you talked me into this." Sasuke sighed as he crossed his arms against his chest, garnishing Sakura's attention and causing her to release her ear with her right hand.
It was then that she slung her right her towards Sasuke, smacking his left dog ear mildly, sending it slamming into his face before briefly falling back down into place.
"You're the best part of this outfit Sasuke." Sakura stated in a devilish tone as she readied her hand to once again strike his dog ear.
But before she could the front door knob turned, and swung open as Anko entered the room.
"I'm home bitc-" Anko stated, her statement becoming a stutter once she regonized that her boyfriend and all 3 of his students were dressed up in full body dog suits in her appartment.
"Heh-heheheheh." Anko giggled out lightly as she raised her right hand to her stomach and gripped it.
"HEH - HEHEHEH." Anko once again giggled out, this time much more louder and vibrant.
"Ha- hahahaha." Anko almost bellowed out, raising her left arm to her chest and pushing her forearms against it to stop her breasts from shaking.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Anko blustered out as she fell to her knees in a fit of laughter and amusement, kicking the door shut as she fell.
"HAHAAHAAHAHAHA!" Anko shrieked out even louder than before as she fell to her left side, her left arm hitting the wooden floor of the appartment.
"Who - heh- who the fuck - heheh - am I dating." Anko panted out in a fit of laughter as she contined to lay atop the floor of the appartment, her giggles revibrating into the wood of the floor.
"Welcome home dear." Kakashi responsed in a non-chalantly tone, as if this type of thing happened everyday.
Once they noticed his reaction, both Sasuke and Sakura began to assume she was Kakashi's girlfriend, both of them having never met her before.
"Oohhh - ooh thats good." Anko murmured as she pressed her right palm onto the floor pushing herself up, rising to her feet.
"If you wear that to bed I am never fucking you again - I hope you know that." Anko joked, with a crooked smile on her face.
At that statement Kakashi's face and posture became downcast and sulken, his shoulders slumping down.
"I'm training to teach them about teamwork dear." Kakashi responsed, his face still downcast.
"Bullshit, you just wanted to fuck with them one last time before the Chunin exams begin tomorrow." Anko replied.
She then turned around and lesiurely strolled towards the sliding down on the wall, gripping the barely visible handle and sliding it open, revealing a white titled bathroom, with a shower in the far right corner.
"You bastard!" Sakura shrieked as she shot up from the wooden crouch, having previously been sitting inbetween Naruto and Sasuke, raising her clenched right fist to her jawline.
"I knew this was retarded!" Sakura screamed as she gripped both sides of a dog head with her paws and pulled it off, her head emerging out of the bottom of it with the sound of a subtle pop, her Pink hair falling down along her neck and scalp, entering its normal state.
During on this the sound of water running emerged from the bathroom, as several muffled noises, like the sound of cloths being thrown, protruded from the room aswell.
"Why a dog though Sensei?" Naruto asked.
"Well I haven't had the chance to explain summoning jutsu to you all yet." Kakashi sighed out as he raised his right paw to his face and briefly scratched his right dog ear before allowing his paw to drop back to his side.
"But I specialize in dog summoning, not as big and fancy as the toad sage, or a mysterious as the Lord 3rd, but I rather enjoy them." Kakashi answered lesiurely.
"OOOoooooh thats badass! Show me! Show me!" Sakura shrieked as she jumped up and down repeatedly, causing Kakashi's shoulders to slump down as he sighed.
It was then that Anko walked back into the room, her tan overcoat having been removed aswell as her dark orange mini-skirt and the blue belt that previously held it up, revealing her bare breasts under her mesh armor outfit, aswell as her thin stringed black panties.
Her fitted short sleeved mesh armor outfit covered her firm figure from her neck to her upper thighs, the fishnet pattern in the material leaving nothing to imagination, the only other thing she wore were metal shin-guards she hadn't taken't off yet.
"Send them home now, I've had a long day and the water is going to be warm soon." Anko ordered at Kakashi, as Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto all blushed, overwhelmed by her revealed figure.
"Can I keep the dog suit on?" Kakashi sighed out in a joking manner.
"No I hate wet dog smell, get it off and get in the fucking shower." Anko snorted out in response before turning her attention towards the 3 genin of team 7.
"Get out of here kiddies, your teacher has grown up things to do, good seeing you again Naruto." Anko barked out, attempting to show kindness to the young blond boy as her hours alone with Kakashi had taught her how much he cared for the young child.
Anko then turned around and walked back into the bathroom as she attempted to shake her ass at Kakashi for incentive but it only caused him to sighed, this must be a daily occurance.
Sakura then stood up and grabbed Sasuke by his left hand, pulling him up from the couch and towards the front door as she attempted to leave, the entire time Sasuke's continued to stare at and admire Anko's body, his face a peach colored tone.
"Well leave the dog suits by the door, lets go Naruto." Sakura stated dropped her dog head on the floor by the door before turning the doorknob and flinging the door open before both she and Sasuke quickly rushed out, leaving the door opened mildly for Naruto.
"Is this it for the day Sensei?" Naruto asked, still sitting in the couch.
"Hmmmmm." Kakashi hummed out as he turned his gaze towards the entrance of the bathroom, the sound of metal hitting tile revibrating throughout the room, evidence Anko had just removed her shin-guards.
"Yea...yea, Anko needs me." Kakashi sighed out as he raised his right hand to his head and scratched his right dog ear.
"Cool - thanks!" Naruto commented before being engulfed in a puff of smoke the enveloped and surrounded the couched he had previously been sitting out, causing Kakashi to rest his palms against his waist as he leaned forward, peering at the smoke cloud.
Once the smoke had parted enough, it revealed the dog outfit Naruto had previously been wearing laying atop the couch, almost as it he never was wearing it.
A shadow clone huh...then where is the real Naruto. Kakashi asked himself as he squinted his eyes in an attempt to focus.
"IF YOU DON'T GET THE FUCK IN HERE - I'M GOING TO START USING MY FINGERS!" Anko screamed from the bathroom, the sound of water running off of her firm figured and slamming against the tile below her echoing into the room.
It was then that Kakashi sighed deeply, as if he had just lost a race or a battle, before quickly pulling his dog head off, the head pulling off his headband and mask with it, and placing it atop his bed.
"Coming dear." Kakashi hummed out as he walked into the bathroom while he attempted to get his dog suit off, making a mental note to ask Naruto why he sent a clone.
Meanwhile - on the dirt road leading to Naruto's house.
"So - do you have a plan?" The seasoned 3rd Hokage asked as he lesiurely strolled down the dirt road alongside Naruto, his pipe positioned in his mouth with his right hand and smoke pouring out of his nose.
"I'm going to win." Naruto responsed timidly.
"Hmph - what you lack in vocal power you make up for in confindence my young boy." Hiruzen replied with a slight chuckle.
"Well I don't really know alot about it, from what I've read each exam is different from the last one, but I know I'm going to become a Chunin." Naruto stated.
"I'm sure you will my boy." Hiruzen answered as he raised his left hand to his Hokage hat and pulled it down lightly.
"A most curious thing occurred the other day, I recieved a file of paperwork over 20 pages long, with your name being mentioned several times." Hiruzen spoked, causing to young blond to tense slightly.
"M-my name?" Naruto asked as he downcast his cast, staring at his feet as he walked alongside the man he considered his grandfather.
"Yes - apparently the Land of Waves has formed a Shinobi Academy with Zabuza Momochi as its headmaster, and Haku Yuki as its main teacher." Hiruzen stated, causing Naruto to instantly raise his face and direct his gaze towards Hiruzen.
"I am told it has been named the "Naruto Academy" Did you have anything to do with this boy?" Hiruzen asked, his Hokage hat pulled down far enough to hide the grin on his face.
"Well - not really." Naruto replied as he once again downcast his gaze, raising his right hand to the back of his skull and rubbing it in an Iruka like fashion.
"I just didn't abandon them ya' know? Like how you and Iruka didn't abandon me." Naruto stated, causing Hiruzen to grip his right shoulder with his left hand as they both walked together.
"You truly are a kind child Naruto, I assume that is why the Land of Waves is requesting an alliance, and promise to help defend they're Land incase of war and invasion." Hiruzen spoke.
"We-well I don't want anyone to get hurt..." Naruto stuttered out, not knowing the horrors of war but knowing that the stories he read about it weren't pretty or kind.
"I know how you feel Naruto - you are gentle - you do not like to hurt, I know because I too once felt these feelings." Hiruzen asserted as he exhaled a puff of smoke from his nose mouth.
"But it is because you cherish life that you must protect it." Hiruzen asserted as both he and Naruto finally reached the 2 bushes pathway the walk way leading up to his front door.
"It was good seeing you again lord old man." Naruto stated.
It was then that a continuous loop of chirping erupted from the sky above them both, a Fire Hawk, used to call the Lord Hokage back to the office, its feathers tan except for his white underbelly stomach.
"Its so pretty..." Naruto stated timidly as he stared up at the bird in awe, focusing as he massive wing span and delicate feathers at he soared roughly 20 to 30 feet above him.
"Yes, a rare and unique part of our Land, a gift to those that call this place home." Hiruzen asserted as he raised his pipe to his mouth and once again inhaled a massive hit of fresh leaf.
For several moments Naruto continued to stare at and observe the Fire hawk soaring in the air above him, while Hiruzen himself was staring at him, deep in thought over the previous conversation he had held with Kakashi.
Even for all my knowledge I am unable to teach you anything about the power you possess Naruto, the power of the Sage of Six paths. Hiruzen told himself as smoke poured out of his nose.
But I have recalled someone back home who can...someone who long ago had a student who held those very same eyes...I only hope he gets here soon... Hiruzen thought to himself as he continued to stare at Naruto, the latter finally turning around and breaking his train of thought.
"Don't you have to get back to the tower lord old man?" Naruto asked as he stared at Hiruzen, or atleast what counted for staring in terms of Naruto due to his bangs covering the vast majority of his face.
Hiruzen preceded to kneel down infront of Naruto, his left hand still gripping his right shoulder as he stared directly at the boys face, gaining a faint glimpse of the voilet eyes Kakashi had told him about.
"Remember this Naruto." Hiruzen declared, causing Naruto to tilt his head midly in confusion and his mouth dropped open slightly.
"Peace is the most noble of goals - but to perserve it - one must be willing to fight." Hiruzen spoke, his words causing Naruto's eyes to widen and bulge under his bangs, as the image of Gato and his thugs attempting to murder people atop the bridge shot into his mind.
Naruto then smiled, the same smile he had when he was growing up with Iruka, and nodded slightly towards the old figure infront of him.
"Thank you for walking me home." Naruto stated.
"Of course my boy - I always enjoy our time together." Hiruzen retorted as he pulled his left hand free from Naruto's right shoulder and stood up fully, straightening his posture and back.
Sudden Naruto rushed forward, wrapping both his arms around the lower torso of Hiruzen and pulling him close as he clung to the old man he valued so highly.
"Be careful." Naruto murmured out timidly before erupting in a puff of smoke that then preceded to engulf Hiruzen, causing him to cough as he had already been inhaling leaf smoke from his pipe.
"Caauhhh - cauuuh a shadow clone?" Hiruzen coughed out, releasing a cloud of smoke that mixed with the one Naruto released, causing a small grin to blossom upon Hiruzen's face.
Once his coughing ended he raised his head and directed his gaze towards the north-west, staring at the face of the 4th Hokage carved into the cliff.
Your son...the hero of our village...has grown into a fine Shinobi Lord 4th. Hiruzen thought to himself as he positioned his pipe next to his lip and once again breathed in a massive hit of fresh leaf before turning and leisurely walking down the street, back to the his office.
Meanwhile miles deep in the forest surrounding the leaf village of Konoha - 4:13 pm.
The Orchid haired boy walked lesiurely through the dense forest, his lavender basket held in his left hand and 3 shoe sized rocks stacked in his right that he held aloft infront of his chest.
The woods completely surrounded him, with several brushes, vines, twigs and even fallen trees littering his surroundings, an odd place for a civilian with so much food to be.
The treetops above him parted in several different locations, allowing smile rays of sunshine to pierce into and extended across the forest floor the boy walked up.
It was then that the boy past a set of 3 trees, entering into a massive clearing, of which sat a huge crater over 40 feet wide and 20 feet deep with only a small section of the clearing remaining intact at all, resembling a cresent moon.
In that cresent moon symbol that sat in the clearing was a single maple tree that stood out from the rest of the forest, with two semi-massive roots erupting out in a parrallel fashion from its bottom section facing towards the crater.
Instead of walking around the crater the boy surprisingly jumped over it, preforming a body flicker technique to appear 3 feet infront of the previously mentioned roots.
The boy then preceded to place his basket down atop the ground aswell as the rocks he held, before kneeling down onto both his knees aswell as shins and unslinging his wooden squared backpack he kept wrapped around his back, also placing it onto the ground.
The boy then raised his right hand towards his face, gripping the glasses under his bangs and pulling them loose, reveal violet eyes with a ripple pattern than matched his haired underneath his bangs, before the boy instantly became engulfed in a puff of smoke.
After several second the smoke cleared, revealing Naruto in his standard outfit, purple tunic and black linen fabric arms sleeves in place of the boy that had previously been sitting there, he had used the transformation jutsu to travel around the village all day undisturbed.
Usually when people transform, all their facial features change with them, but not with Naruto, he learned that earlier when he transformed but his violet eyes continued into his new look.
It actually really bothered Naruto, he had always felt different and alone, like a outcast, and even such a simple thing as a transformation jutsu only reassured that, it was as if his violet eyes with a ripple pattern were encraved upon his very existence.
Usually in battle his clones moved so fast people couldn't see his eyes, but for events like today that couldn't happen, causing him to wear the glasses.
He then picked up each rock infront of him individually and placed them atop the tablecloth inbetween the 2 roots protruding from the tree he sat infront of, placing 2 rocks beside one another then the last rock stacked atop them.
Naruto then once again reached into his square wooden backpack, pulling out a picture of a smiling Iruka who was stratching his nose, the same picture that had been used as a display during his funeral, the same picture Hiruzen let him take home.
Naruto leaned forward, positioning the picture frame infront of the rocks and leaning it back on them to rest.
He then sat back and quickly bite his lip to stop it from quivering, his right canine teeth protruding from his mouth as he once again reached into his backpack.
Pulling out a Red apple, a pear and bottle of sweet tea Naruto once again leaned forward, still kneeling on his shins, as he placed the apple and pear atop the tablecloth to the left of the stacked rocks, and the bottled up sweet tea to the right.
Naruto then twisted to slightly the left, opening up his new lavender basket and pulling free the package of 3 scented lavender sticks as he placed them atop the grass inbetween his legs.
He then preceeded to take the plastic white lid off of the 2 layer of ramen he had, having shared a meal with Tycho and eaten one with him, Naruto still had 6 left.
He gripped one of the bowls and outstretched his hands, placing the bowl of Iruka ramen infront of the picture frame of the very man it was named after, Naruto freezing still and his grip tightening as he looked upon the photo.
Quickly releasing it, and grabbing his own bowl, Naruto preceded to place his bowl infront of his knees with his right hand as he used his left to pick up the scented lavender sticks and pull them free from they're packaging.
Raising the ends up infront of his nose, Naruto pinched them with his right hand index, middle and thumb fingers, using his chakra as fire to light the sticks, which worked.
As he pulled the sticks away from his right hand, the flame that dance across them was at first purple, the same tone as his chakra, before turning the standard redish/orange while Naruto observed.
Naruto then stabbed the opposite ends of the sticks into the ground, 1 on each side of the picture frame that contained the photo of Iruka, aswell as one behind him, causing the photo to look as if in was enshrined in a temple.
For several moments Naruto sat deathly still, admiring his handy work and the photo of the man infront of him.
"Happy birthday dad.." Naruto murmured out, closing his eyes under his bangs and clenching his pants with both his hand.
"If only I could have helped you..." Naruto stuttered, referring to how he had helped that mugger earlier and even saved an entire country, but he failed to save the single most important individual in his life, he failed Iruka.
Naruto once again bite is lip an attempt to halt it it from quivering, as several small tears began falling from his face, landing into his ramen, the meal he had brought for him and Iruka
For the last time Naruto reached to his side, into the backpack he brought, and pulled out a loose sea-shell necklace, with white-linen fabric as the rope holding it together.
Naruto gripped the shells very tightly in his hands for several moments as he stared down at them.
"I know how much you wanted to see the ocean..." Naruto continued, talking to the picture of Iruka as several tears still streamed and poured from his eyes under his bangs.
"These are from a beach in the Land of Waves..." Naruto commented as he leaned forward and draped the necklace atop the picture frame of Iruka, giving the illusion that Iruka was wearing the necklace.
Naruto then downcast his gaze and clenched his teeth together with an enormous amount of force, attempt to stop himself from crying or sniffling, thinking about how Shinobi shouldn't show emotion.
However the more he fought it the more Naruto found it difficult to breath, his panting and crying finally overwhelming the pressure of his clenched teeth as he huffed and sniffled out several gasps of air, with streams of tears erupting from his eyes, pouring into his ramen.
It was then that Naruto thought back to a song Iruka used to sing it late at night to help him sleep, a song he held very dear to his heart, and song Iruka taught him personally.
"Le-leaves..." Naruto panted out, so overwhelmed by his crying that his statement was barely regonizable.
"Leaves from the vine..." Naruto stuttered out in between his gasps for air, the sound of his pants ringing and they're fabric tearing being heard as Naruto's hands continued to clenched his pants around his knees.
"Falling...so slow..." Naruto cried out, downcasting his head slightly and raising his right hand up against it, rubbing the tears and snot away from his face as he continued to sing his childhood lullaby.
"Like fragile...tiny shells..." Naruto panted out, his shoulders falling and rising with each word as he glared between his tears towards the shell necklace he brought Iruka.
"Drifting in the foam.." Naruto murmured out, his sentence ending abruptly as he downcast his gaze in an attempt to stop his crying.
"Br-brave little soldier bo-boy..." Naruto muttered out as tears continued to stream down his face.
"S-so-so far from home..." Naruto stuttered out, determined to finish the lulliby that Iruka had sung to him for years.
"Po-poor little soldier bo-boy." Naruto cried out, his tears dripping and falling into the ramen he brought to eat.
"Co-come marching h-home.." Naruto once again cried out, his tears beginning to stain his bangs as the realization that Iruka would never come home harshly tore into the young boy.
The sound in the woods was quiet, no birds or crickets singing or chirping, the only sound was Naruto's muffled tears and goodbyes, as he attempted to celebrate the birthday of the man he loved above all others.