Eyes of the Broken Soul
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.
Hope you enjoy the next chapter! ^ ^
--
Chapter 21 - Fractured Innocence
As the warm embrace of an early morning sunshine began to tickle against the sensitive cheeks of a sleeping young boy, Naruto's body began to waver under the gentle embrace. Two small eyes slowly pried themselves open as the symphonious call of birds rang in his ears, causing him to muffle in his discontent.
"Is it... morning already...?"
Naruto quickly pulled the pillow over his head in order to block out the sounds and save himself from the sunlight that pierced through his curtains. Despite the early morning routine he had grown accustomed to following, he now found his body laced with fatigue from the previous day's training, not to mention the tiring battle he had with Kakashi. The young boy found his eyes wavering in his overwhelming exhaustion while his body slowly began to succumb to the rapturing entrance of sleep once more, but unfortunately for this kid such moments of relief were always short lived and the sound of an opening door quickly alerted him to his approaching torment.
"Morning Naruto, it's time to get ready for school!" Naruto mentally shook his head in disbelief while trying to stifle a tired groan.
"How does he always manage to do that just as I'm about to fall asleep again? It's like he knows... and he's just trying to torture me..." The blond's barely tangible thoughts were quickly shattered as the pillow that covered his face was abruptly pulled away, once again revealing a cringing face and a disapproving pout.
"You know kiddo, we're really going to have to work on new variations of that facial expression of yours, otherwise it's eventually going to just end up sticking that way." The said boy just grunted something incoherent about 'stupid early mornings' and then sat up wearily before rubbing his eyes, while Iruka watched the all too familiar ritual unfold with a growing smile.
He never thought that taking care of a child could be so rewarding, but every morning he saw Naruto wake up from his dreams, it was like seeing him being reborn again and with it came a sense of accomplishment and warmth that he never thought was possible. To know that you were giving someone so young the gift of hope and love as well as a the promise of a better future was more than enough reward for the effort. It was the reason he became a teacher in the first place, to see children growing into something special. Naruto noticed his father's unusually cheery demeanor and loving eyes and found his own emotions begin to waver slightly under the strange gaze.
"Hey dad, what's going on? You look really happy today." Now Naruto wasn't much of a morning person, but he was at least well aware enough to know when something was different and his father looked definitely happier than usual. Iruka just continued to smile at the boy while trying to hide the overwhelming sense of pride he felt inside, remembering back to the previous day and everything he had seen the boy achieve.
"Naruto... I'm really proud of you, I just wanted you to know that. You've come so far in three months and you've grown so much stronger, I'm sure your parents would have been proud as well."
Naruto felt his heart begin to tense and then warm, while his eyes lit up with a golden hew. Although Iruka had said it to him before, this time Naruto felt like he could really accept what the man was saying without guilt or fear tearing away at his soul. The boy sank his head into his father's shoulder and allowed the man's arms to flow around him with their warmth and comfort. Naruto's own arms soon followed to match and soon the boy was squeezing Iruka as tightly as his strength could muster.
"You are my only family now dad. I don't care about anything else, I just want to be with you forever..." Iruka almost flinched at the boy's words, but quickly brought his own emotions under control.
It was clearly painful for Naruto to not know about his own mother and father and he was beginning to wonder just how much damage keeping such information from him was actually doing. He deserved to know, he deserved to learn the truth about his real parents, even if it was painful to bear. The scarred chunin could feel the boy's grief and frustration mixed in with his love and warmth and immediately knew that Naruto was still hurting deep inside, that he was still yearning for the love and acceptance of the mother and father he never knew, longing to know why they had abandoned him to such a cruel fate.
After a few more moments of subtle comfort and relief, the two finally got up and prepared themselves for another day. Naruto was now showing the promise of hope that he never had before and his smile was brighter than ever, but Iruka could still see the deep emotional scars that haunted his endless blue eyes, something that he had grown accustomed to noticing in the months they had been living and growing closer together. It was something that Naruto may never be able to overcome, no matter how strong he became or how much love and attention he received. To know that he could have been saved from the cruelty of those around him, but was instead abandoned by the only ones that should have loved him, was something that would forever tear away at his heart until the day he finally knew the truth.
--
After preparing for school, Iruka and Naruto found themselves making their way down the dusty streets, over to the academy where they both spent their weekdays. Naruto's eyes hadn't wandered from the ground since they had left and he seemed unusually quiet for the first time in weeks. Iruka noticed the boy's unusual silence and mentally cursed himself for bringing up his parents, knowing that Naruto's heart had since grown cold to the thoughts of their unconditional acceptance and love and had already discarded their so called for the village sacrifice as a sign of their abandonment in favour of those that had always hurt and tortured him.
How could the mind of a young boy understand that his parents, the ones that were supposed to love and care for him, instead left him to a horrible fate in order to save the ones that would end up destroying his soul. Did they really hate him so much? Did they also see him as a monster, already knowing that the Kyuubi would be sealed inside of him? These were the questions he would always ask himself, but ones that he never found the answers to.
Now the only thing he cared for in a father, was everything that he saw and felt in Iruka. To him, the man was the only family he ever had and the only one who hadn't abandoned him yet. After that bond was gone, he would be alone and he couldn't bear the strength to survive if something happened to the only operson that had ever tried to take care of him. His soul, although stronger now than it had ever been before, would never be able to handle losing the most important bond in his life. But the cruel whispers of an inherent evil now worked to remove that bond, to destroy the one thing Naruto held most precious to his heart and with it, to destroy his very soul.
Unknown to them both, Kizashi watched from a distance as both father and son walked down on their path to the academy, both relishing in the comfort of one another's arms. The man's skin began to crawl under the chill of an unknown whisper while his blackened eyes held with contempt the visage of his newfound target.
"So, he is the one that the demon child holds most precious to his heart, the one thing he cares about more than anything else in the world. Now I will take that away, just like he took everything away from me!"
Kizashi's tongue flickered with the bitter taste of alcohol and the malice of a darkened heart that had since been torn to shreds. The man wavered precariously through the filling streets, bumping through the other villagers without regard and slurring incoherent words of hatred and cruelty to no-one in particular. His eyes bore into the back of his new target and the young boy who was held in his loving arms, both of whom were unaware of his ill intentions or the killing intent radiating off his gaze. Kizashi slowly pulled out a hidden kunai from his pouch and stumbled forward with a wavering hand, fully intending to kill regardless of the consequences that would follow. But before he could move to strike, a sudden flare of chakra alerted him to the presence of another approaching individual causing him to back away.
Naruto felt his emotions begin to stir as Iruka paused in his tracks, causing the boy to look up to see what the commotion was about. Unfortunately, what he saw was something he didn't want to for a long time to come, but also something he knew that he would eventually. There, standing in the middle of the street, was none other than the toad sanin Jiraiya. Naruto immediately felt his heart sink at the sight of the aged man and his emotions began to flare uncontrollably, almost causing Iruka to instinctively remove his hand from around the boy's shoulders in defence. The scarred chunin felt Naruto's body begin to quiver violently in his arms, signifying his distress along with the barely coherent emotions that emanated from his touch. The toad sage immediately noticed the boy's growing animosity and quickly spoke to break the tension.
"Good morning Iruka... Naruto. It's good to see..."
"What are you doing here?" Naruto cut him off coldly.
Jiraiya almost flinched at the sheer amount of pain and grief hidden in the blond's voice, but knew that it was to be expected, especially after what had last transpired between them. What surprised him, though, was that the boy's eyes were now beginning to turn gold in colour and his face fell into an angry frown.
"I just wanted to talk..."
"I don't want to talk to you." Naruto cut him off again.
This time his voice laced with a deeply tormented anger and the pressure of his gaze was quickly becoming overwhelming. Iruka just looked between the two, noticing the poorly developing situation and the ire of the sanin's untimely arrival. Jiraiya's own discomfort only grew even more as he locked into Naruto's gaze, only to find that it was a grievous mistake to make at this point in time. The sage's body began to tense in pain as Naruto's Tenraigan bore into his own eyes, almost as if to pass judgement on his soul for his past transgressions. The brief flashes of pain and sorrow began to flash through the sanin's mind while the excruciating pain began to worsen even more, almost causing him to double over. Jiraiya quickly turned his eyes away to avoid the condemning gaze of the young boy in front of him, but found that the pain and grief didn't subside. Iruka noticed the problem and gently squeezed Naruto in his arms, trying to snap him out of his trance.
"Naruto... please stop..." Naruto snapped out of his empty stare and quickly turned his eyes to the ground, ashamed at having his emotions once again get the better of him. Iruka then let go of the boy in his arms and walked over to where Jiraiya stood while trying to stifle his scowl.
"You shouldn't be here you know. Don't you realize how much pain you're causing him just by being near him?" Jiraiya slowly picked up his head to meet Iruka's frustrated gaze, but this eyes were filled with both guilt and remorse.
"I... I just want to talk to him, that's all. There are a few things I still need to get out of the way... to apologize for." Iruka looked back to the blond behind him, ensuring that Naruto was still safely out of ears reach, but the young blond was frozen in place. The boy's eyes still hadn't left the ground and his legs were now trembling in his sandals, threatening to give out at any moment.
All of the confidence, all of the happiness that the chunin had seen the previous day, it was now all gone in a matter of seconds, stripped away by the presence of the man that had abandoned him to a lonely hell. It was almost as though he were looking at the same Naruto he had found with bruises all over his body the day he had been kicked out of the orphanage, a... broken Naruto, and it soon became painfully obvious just how much damage Jiraiya's last visit had actually done. Iruka just wanted to rush over and hold him again, to feed him his emotions and reassure him that he was still there for him, but first he had to deal with a certain toad sage. He turned back to the said man with an anguished sigh, but one that warned of the growing impatience of a father protecting their child.
"Look Jiraiya, I know that you may have acted in order to protect Naruto, but you have no idea what the boy actually went through. You have no idea what kind of pain he's had to live with and believe me when I say it's something you wont want to experience for yourself." Jiraiya frowned slightly as Iruka spoke, and the scarred chunin noticed the growing confusion on his face.
"Oh... so he hasn't told you yet has he? He didn't tell you what happened to Naruto in the orphanage..." Jiraiya scratched his head aimlessly while trying to hide his discomfort.
"Well, he told me that Naruto hospitalized one of his wardens when the man tried to attack him, but that's all I know. I thought it was an isolated incident." Iruka just scowled disapprovingly. Either Jiraiya was very naive or it was just wishful thinking on his part, but now the chunin found himself losing his cool.
"Tried to attack him? TRIED!?!?!? You obviously don't know anything at all!!!! I suggest you go back to the Hokage and have him explain exactly what's been happening while you were gallivanting around the world, because I don't have the heart or inclination to do so at this moment!!"
With that, the scarred chunin turned on his heels and walked away from the toad sage, leaving him to his deteriorating thoughts, before kneeling down in front of Naruto again. Jiraiya watched with a heavy heart as the boy carefully looked up to his father with pain-filled eyes before throwing his arms around the man. Iruka gently stroked the boy's back in order to ease the anguish he felt inside, while Naruto's eyes flashed momentarily between blue and gold. He then turned back to look at the toad sage with a heavy frown.
"It's... dangerous... for you to be near him at this point in time. Even I don't know what might happen if you look into his eyes right now."
The chunin then turned his attention back to Naruto, while ignoring Jirayia's presence completely and leaving the man to his own volition. After a few fleeting moments of frustrated tension, the sage bowed his head in defeat and then disappeared from sight, leaving the two alone in the middle of the street with only hateful eyes of an unknown danger watching carefully from the distance, waiting for the right moment to strike.
--
Sarutobi looked over the lightly illuminated buildings and trees that made up the village of Konoha as the early morning sun crept ever higher into the crystal clear blue sky. His aged thoughts once again found themselves wandering over the fate of a certain young blond and the disturbing events that alwasy seemed to follow in his wake. Of course, the incidents revolving around the mysterious attacker that had left two Konoha shinobi dead and effectively battled three jounin alone was quite a worry in itself.
The fact that he had also managed to infiltrate the village so easily and remained undetected for so long was something that had the old man deeply concerned. Sarutobi began to wonder if they were relying to much on the chakra detection system they had conceived to alert them to intruders and had since decided to tighten the security patrols around the village, much to the growing ire of the council.
Many of them complained that pulling more shinobi off missions in order to protect the village would be detrimental to Konoha's growing economy as a whole, but the Hokage knew that most of them were just all too happy to let Naruto be captured, or worse killed, even if it was by outside forces. The old man now found himself in an increasingly difficult situation and protecting the boy from the both the wrath of the council and will of the villagers as a whole was now becoming more impossible by the day. Many had openly declared that by allowing the boy to live, he was placing the village in further danger and had since called for justice to be administered accordingly.
Of course, Naruto had already received his overwhelming share of said 'justice' throughout his entire life at the hands of such cruel hearts. The old man hated to think what they would do to the poor boy if they were ever given the opportunity to get their hands on him without any fear of reprisal to hold them back, but he also found himself wallowing in his own guilt for failing to protect his succor's legacy properly.
"If only you were still here my old friend. Things would be much easier for everyone if you were still alive and none of this had ever happened. Perhaps then, Naruto would have lived the life he deserved..."
Sarutobi found his old eyes wandering over the carved stone faces that were etched into the side of Konoha's mountain, the faces of the previous Hokages that had all given their lives towards protecting the village and it's ungrateful inhabitants, including the Fourth, who had sealed the Kyuubi away in the vulnerable body of a newborn child. None of their sacrifices could ever compare to the burden Naruto was forced to bear and all the villagers could do to honor his sacrifice for their safety was to repay him with their unfailing ignorance and cruelty. It was something that Sarutobi could never bring himself to understand and he now found himself questioning the meaning of all their sacrifices.
The man's poorly wandering thoughts were quickly jarred when he felt a familiar presence entering the room behind him and he quickly hid his own doubts away before speaking.
"I see you're not your usual cheery self today if you're abandoning the lure of the bathhouse to come and see me. Tell me, this has something to do with Naruto doesn't it?"
Sarutobi turned around to see Jiraiya standing quietly against the wall with a blank expression on his face and then proceeded to light a pipe, knowing that something was clearly amiss. He sat down in his chair and allowed his aching bones some comfort while the bitter taste of his tobacco filled the air. After noticing that Jiraiya hadn't bothered to respond, he took a deep drag from his pipe before letting out a heavy sigh.
"Well...?" Jiraiya looked up to his former sensei with pain-filled eyes, ones that spoke of an inner torment that slowly ate away at his consciousness.
"I need to ask you something... and I also need you to be completely honest with me no matter how painful it might be. I need to know the truth..." Sarutobi clasped his hands together as his tired, old body fell into the back of his chair. He already knew what this was about and he also knew this would be painful.
"Naruto..." Jiraiya silently nodded his head.
"Yes... I want to know everything... everything that's happened to him since I've been gone." The Hokage's face fell into a serious and grim expression, one that warned of the painful truth to follow.
"Alright, but I must warn you, you're not going to like what I'm about to say. I think you should sit down for this..."
--
Iruka was having a very bad day, in fact it would be more accurate to say that he was having a terrible day. First he had to endure the unexpected visit from Jiraiya earlier that morning and then he had to console a very distraught Naruto thereafter. To make matters worse, he had just received word that the academy was holding a field trip the very next Monday for his own class, but not just any field trip, it was a survival training exercise out in the forests of Konoha that they would have to endure for an entire week.
Now, normally this wouldn't bother the chunin at all, in fact it was during such trips that he was given what little chance he had to get out of the village every once in a while to see the countryside. What worried him, though, was the fact that it was also a parent/student field trip that required every child to bring their own mother or father along as well, otherwise they were not allowed to attend.
The purpose of this was for the children to learn more about the survival tactics of their own clans as well as that of their academy training. It was also an insurance policy to make sure that nothing went wrong during the trip and if something did go amiss, the higher clans couldn't hold the academy responsible. Now this was now where his dilemma came in. Firstly, Naruto would not be allowed to attend the field trip without a parent accompanying him, but Iruka himself had to lead the students into the forrest. At first he thought about withdrawing the boy from the exercise all together, but he knew that Naruto would feel left out and unwanted if he did so. But he also knew that if he brought Naruto along, he would then have to watch over both the class and his own son at the same time.
There was also the issue of the danger presented with leaving the village as well, especially when you knew that a powerful enemy that had easily taken on three high level jounin could be ready to strike as soon as Naruto left the safety of Konoha's walls. Iruka snapped himself from his thoughts as the bell for break sounded throughout the hallways, causing him to silently thank Kami for the convenient timing. The chunin watched with growing relief as the rest of the students left the room except for Hinata and Naruto, both of whom waited silently in their chairs for their classmates to disappear. Once the others were gone, Naruto shot up from his seat and ran down to the front of the class, followed closely by the Hyuuga heiress. Both began talking to one another as they pulled out their lunches and Iruka couldn't help but smile at the interaction between them.
It had been like this for a while now, with Naruto and Hinata waiting in each other's company until Lee arrived to meet them. Both had grown very close to one another over the past three months and the girl was now beginning grow out of her own shell as well. The blond boy that spoke with her had since cheered up since their morning visit from Jiraiya, once again reverting back to his normal blissful self. Iruka inwardly sighed with relief when he saw the boy smiling as he interacted with his equally enthusiastic friend with a renewed confidence. It was almost like watching two reflections, opposite but the same, mirroring each other's actions, both once being empty shells that had now blossomed into kind and gentle children that cared deeply for their friends.
"Hey Naruto... Hinata... it's time to go!!!"
Both kids looked over to the doorway to see Lee smiling and waving in their direction. Both had come to think of him as a protective older brother and he considered them the younger siblings he never had. After waving their good-byes to a smiling Iruka, the three darted off into the hallway and out of view, leaving him alone with only his warm smile and lifting spirits.
"Those three are so cute when they're together" the chunin mumbled to himself, trying to contain a hidden chuckle. "It's really a pity though... they would have made an excellent genin team if it weren't for Lee being a year ahead of the other two. They just care too much about each other to let one another get hurt. If only everyone was like that."
--
As the three kids made their way through the hallway and towards the playground, a snickering voice sounded from behind them, catching their attention with its cruel taunts.
"Hey look, it's the three weirdos! I guess it's only normal that the three biggest losers in the academy would hang out with each other!" Naruto Lee and Hinata all turned around to face their harasser, only to find the three faces of those bullies that had always brought the blond boy down before. Having caught their attention, the oldest decided to hit where it hurt the most.
"I guess the little Hyuuga heiress is really desperate to make friends if she's hanging out with you two, after all even her family thinks she's worthless!"
Hinata just bowed her head to the floor in shame, hiding her eyes from the cruel stares and from the gaze of her own friends. Naruto noticed her falling disposition and began to seethe inside, having long since learned the meaning of pain and cruelty from those that taught him through fists and hateful insults during his time at the orphanage. The boy felt his blood begin to boil and his heart begin to stiffen, and soon his legs found themselves acting on their own accord, bringing him closer to the boy's who threatened to hurt his friends. But before he could get far, a quick tug on his shoulders from Lee's hand quickly brought him to a halt.
"Naruto... it isn't worth it. Don't let yourself change into something you're not just because of how they act."
Naruto took a deep shuddering breath, while allowing his flaring nerves to calm under the soothing touch of his best friend. Once Lee felt the younger boy's emotions returning to normal he gave a final small squeeze of approval and a brief smile.
"Naruto, why don't you and Hinata go outside for now? I'll catch up to you two later, I just need to talk to our 'friends' here for a moment."
Naruto looked into Lee's eyes, noting the serious expression on the boy's face, before giving a small nod of approval. He then motioned for Hinata to follow him and the two youngsters then proceeded outside while the three bullies watched on with curious expressions. Hinata was still hanging her head in shame and Naruto couldn't help but feel an anguished knot form in his stomach, knowing exactly how she felt inside. Once he saw that they were gone from view, Lee turned back to their harassers and allowed his face to fall back into a frown, but the three just continued to wallow in the success of their mockery.
"So, I guess the 'bodyguard' is protecting his little friends again!" one of them snickered while nudging his friend in the ribs.
"What are you going to do, beat us up?!" The three just laughed at their friend's joke, causing Lee's expression to fall even more.
"I wonder what they're gonna do once you graduate, after all you can't protect them forever." Lee tried to restrain himself from using the boy's face as a new training post, but still somehow managed to remain calm despite his frustration. He instead allowed himself to release a heavy breath and spoke calmly afterwards.
"You three are really blind if you couldn't see what was about to happen to you. I wasn't trying to protect them from harm, I was trying to protect you from being torn apart on the spot." The bullies just snickered between one another, thinking that the boy was just pulling their leg, but Lee's unchanging serious expression quickly shut them up.
"What, you can't be serious can you?! You really think that dobe could do anything to us?" one of them laughed, almost nervously. Lee just quietly nodded his head.
"I don't think so, I know that he could. Naruto is a lot stronger than you think and he's certainly much stronger than you three. The only reason he never fights back is because he despises unnecessary violence. He knows what pain feels like and he hates it when he sees others experience what he went through his entire life. He may not try to defend himself from your cruelty and he may not like hurting other people, but by threatening his friends you're asking for serious trouble. I'm just not sure he'll let himself be hurt anymore and he definitely wont let you hurt those he considers precious to him."
Lee slowly turned on his heels having said what was needed, before leaving the three flabbergasted boys to their falling jaw lines. As he made his way out of the hallway, one of them stifled a stutter and called out to him.
"Y... you're just having a go at us! There's no way you can be serious!!!" Lee just raised his hand in the air without turning around, dismissing the boy's errant calls.
"Fine, don't take my word for it, but just don't come crying to me when you push him over the edge. I don't want to be around when that happens and I won't try to stop him again a second time. I've already warned you!" The dark haired boy then disappeared out of view, leaving the bullies to their now confused thoughts.
When he finally arrived at the swings where Nartuo and Hinata were waiting, he noticed that the girl was giggling softly into her hand while the blond pulled silly faces in a desperate attempt to cheer her up. It was obviously working, because pretty soon the were both laughing at the boy's silly antics. Lee couldn't contain his own laughter as his younger friend pulled another face that could have only been learned from Ryuukimi and the dark haired boy found himself silently thanking the dragon for his friendship. Both youngsters heard his chuckle and turned to face him as he approached, waving and grinning as they did.
"Hey Lee!" Naruto yelped, relieved to see that his friends arms weren't aced with the remains of the other boys. Lee just flashed a warm reassuring smile that both of them returned in kind. He then sat down after receiving a hug from Naruto and Hinata, before allowing things to return to normal.
"So, I hear your class is going on a survival training exercise next week, it sounds quite exciting." Both Naruto and Hinata turned to look at one another with cringing faces, both noting the other's odd expression. If anything, they were both thinking of the unusual situation regarding their parents and the said field trip.
"Well, It's gonna be really weird having Iruka there as my dad, but I think it's kinda cool as well" Naruto boasted, feeling really proud to have a father to accompany him. Hinata just blushed slightly at the thought of her own father being forced out of the clan's well furnished residence and into the discomfort of Konoha's forest.
"Well, knowing my father... it will most certainly be... interesting..." Both boys just laughed at the thought of the Hyuuga clan-head walking through the wilderness outside of the comfort of his home while swatting the mosquitoes that tried to devour his delectably noble blood like holding a banquet at a fine restaurant.
Naruto couldn't get the humorous images out of his head, the thought of seeing Hiashi doing a Kaiten just to rid himself of the pestering insects wasn't too far from what he'd imagine to be possible and his wild chuckle only grew even more as his imagination wandered even further. This, of course, caused Hinata to smile even more, even though she didn't quite know what he was laughing so hard about.
It most certainly would be interesting indeed and Lee also found himself wishing that he could go with just to see that happened. Of course, seeing the other clan heads attending as well would be a sight for sore eyes, especially with names like the Nara clan's Shikaku and the Akimichi's Chouza accompanying the lot. To see Chouji's dad going so long without a bag of chips in his hands or a finely cooked meal on his plate was something that had them all guessing as to what might happen.
--
After another long day at the academy, Naruto and Iruka found themselves making there way back home. After waving off Lee and Hinata at the front gates, the boy and his father began to make their way through the sunny streets, past the bustling stores and busy villagers. It was the first day in three months that Naruto wasn't heading to the training field, the first time he wouldn't see the teachers that had made him grow stronger. The boy couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed and he hardly managed to hide his shuddering breath as they made their way home. Iruka noticed his son's anxiety and decided to treat the boy in order to cheer him up a bit.
"So kiddo, feel like getting some ramen?" Naruto looked up to his teacher and father with a newfound smile, hardly being able to contain his glee at the thought of eating his favorite food.
"That sounds great dad! Today I'm gonna have eight bowels of miso ramen and two bowels of pork ramen... Maybe I'll even try their..."
"Whoa!!! Hold on their Naruto!!!" Iruka cut him off. "I still need to be able to pay for all of this remember..."
Naruto just chuckled and scratched the back of his head sheepishly, while flashing a cheeky grin that warned of more trouble to come. Iruka reacted bypulling the boy closer into his arms and scruffed the top of his hair, causing him to laugh playfully as he tried to escape the chunin's vice-like grasp. It was the first time in a while that the two of them just took a moment to relax and enjoy the sunshine, without having to train or study. Naruto was just being like any other kid playing with their father and it felt rather good to be doing so. As the two wrestled playfully on their way to the ramen stand, Iruka picked Naruto up into his arms and began to tickle the boy on his stomach, taking advantage of one of his son's biggest weaknesses.
"No... hehehehe.... please stop.... I can't breath.... hahahaha!!!"
The chunin just ignored the boy's please as he continued to prod him in his sensitive belly with prying fingers, easily bypassing Naruto's poor attempt at a defence. What he found most amusing was the fact that Naruto's eyes would briefly flash gold every time he hit a sensitive spot, no doubt reacting to his flaring emotions every time he burst out laughing from the ticklish exposure.
After a few more moments of torment, he eventually put the boy down again and gave him a moment to recover his breath and ease his aching stomach muscles. Naruto looked up to his father with a cheeky grin while still holding his hands against his stomach. The grumble that sounded from the depths of his bottomless pit stood in testimony to his hunger.
"Now I'm definitely going to have to have more ramen!!!" Iruka just laughed at the boy's words, before putting his arms around Naruto's shoulders and bringing him closer to his hold. Naruto's eyes began to close and his shoulders curled up tightly under the warmth of the man's touch while he leaned his head against Iruka's side. The smile on his face only grew even more as he felt the man's emotions running into him, the genuine feelings of love and acceptance that he had always longed for his entire life.
"You know dad... I'm really glad you found me... I'm glad you're the one who became my family... I ... I love you so much... and I just want to be with you forever..." Iruka almost choked up as he heard Naruto's words, but the boy's warm emotions he felt coming from the boy held back the tears that threatened to fall.
"I... I'm glad I found you too... I will always love you Naruto... no matter what happens..."
Both of them continued to walk in silence after that, neither one saying anything as they headed towards Ichiraku's. What they shared between them at that moment was something far more important than mere words could communicate. Love, acceptance, kindness... hope... these were the messages of that were shared through their touch and neither one of them would ever give up the bond that held them so close together, the bond that had taken the pieces of Naruto's shattered soul and carefully placed them back together again. Now it was the only real thing holding it together and it was also the one thing that was Naruto's greatest weakness and strength at the same time. It gave him a kind of power that he never thought he would ever find in himself, but by taking it away one would easily destroy the fragile young soul that depended on it so much.
The darkened spirit of a once normal man was now seeking to shatter that bond and with it, to destroy the single shining light of hope that stood in the path of eternal darkness consuming the world. The small blessing of hope that was given to the people of this world as it's last hopeful protector, the one that had been taken for granted and dragged through the mud with a fragile shattered soul, was now on the verge of being completely destroyed and the shadow that loomed over Konoha was growing darker by the day. Once that fragile hopeful light was gone, only the empty abyss of sorrow and pain awaited the world that saw the young boy, who's gift of light had been sent to aid them, as nothing more than a monster.
As father and son were finally coming close to their destination, walking down the now emptying streets under the late afternoon sun, Naruto felt his heart suddenly begin to freeze, warning him of a dark omen approaching in their direction. The young boy immediately came to a stop and Iruka could feel his body begin to tremble in his arms. The emotions he felt coming from Naruto's contact started to twist and deform, becoming almost unnatural all together and his skin began to grow cold to the touch. The chunin began to grow deeply concerned, it was the same way Naruto reacted when they felt the chakra spike from the battle with Tsukaimei, only this time it was lasting much longer.
"Hey kiddo, is there something wrong?" Naruto barely managed to speak in the sheer amount of panic that was filling his heart.
"It's... I don't know... there's something nearby... someone's trying to hurt us. It... it feels evil..."
Iruka was about to look around when he felt a sudden chakra spike coming from behind him. He turned around just in time to see a fist slamming into his stomach, sending him flying from Naruto's side and into the nearby building.
"Dad!!!!" Naruto was about to rush up to his father's side, when the shadowy figure grabbed him firmly by the arm filling his body with the cold emotions of a tortured heart. "Gaaaahhhh!!!! Naruto's body began to fill with pain as the unnatural feelings of hatred and anger began to fill into his soul. He was just about to collapse from the cruel exposure when he felt a kick land into the side of his chest, cracking his ribs in the impact and sending him flying into a nearby stand.
"I will deal with you later demon brat, but for now I'll have a bit of fun taking away the most precious thing you hold dear to your little heart." Naruto watched on with a heavy cringe of pain as the man ran up to the nearby building and jumped up to the hole in the side of the wall that had formed on the third floor.
"No... not my dad... I won't let you hurt him..." Naruto slowly tried to pull himself up from the floor but found his body wrought with the pain of his injuries. "Nnnggghhhh!!!!" The boy struggled against the excruciating agony that he felt in his chest and eventually found his feet, while fighting against the tears that stung at his eyes.
Kizashi jumped through the small opening that had formed in the side of the building, entering into the small room where his prey awaited, but Iruka was nowhere to be found. The man's darkened eyes carefully searched the walls for any signs of life, but before they could find their target a kunai flew out from the shadows with an explosive tag attached to it.
"Hmmm, very clever..." Kizashi expertly deflected the attack, allowing it to explode against the nearby wall, forming another hole to the outside. Just then, Iruka himself came charging into view with a kunai in hand, trying to take advantage of the distraction.
"I won't let you hurt Naruto!!!!!" The scarred man moved in to strike with an astounding speed, but his opponent reacted with an unnatural agility that could only be the result of some twisted power. Kizashi caught Iruka's hand in his own before slamming his palm into the chunin's chest, sending him flying into the nearby wall.
"Aggghhhh!!! Iruka landed with a heavy thud and an agonized wince, the blood was beginning to flow from his mouth, signifying the internal damage he had received from the blows. Whoever this man was, he seemed to hold an unnatural strength and power that definitely wasn't human. HIs eyes also burned with a cold darkness that spoke of an inherent evil that ate away at his soul.
"Hmhmhmhmhm, you know it's really funny to watch someone so weak trying to protect the demon child from harm. I think I will enjoy killing you almost as much as I will enjoy seeing his heart shatter!" Kizashi charged up to the disabled man with a kunai in hand, his body still wavering from the alcohol he had consumed, but somehow moving with unnatural vigor.
"Die now!!!!" Before the weapon could land it's mark, Naruto suddenly appeared between the two men, his eyes ablaze with the golden tinge of his Tenraigan. The boy quickly defected the attack with an open palm and slammed his other hand into the man's stomach, sending him skidding back a few feet before coming to a stop near the centre of the room.
"Naruto!!!" Iruka tried to stand to his feet to help protect his son, but found his wounds too painful to move against. Instead he was forced to watch as the boy continued to trade blows with their assailant, trying to move him further away from the most important person in his life, while expertly deflecting the man's attacks.
"So the brat wants to die first after all. Well I guess I can handle that!!!" Kizashi quickly spun into a sweeping kick that aimed for Naruto's head, but the boy saw the attack coming and quickly ducked to avoid the blow. He then formed a set of hand seas as he spun around on the floor, before rising up again and slamming both hands into the man's chest.
"I won't let you hurt my dad!!!! Fuuton! Kaze no Arashi!!!!"
A sudden burst of winds emanated from Naruto's hands and slamming straight into the man's chest, sending Kizashi flying through the hole in the wall and into the opposite building across the road. Naruto watched carefully as the thick plume smoke began to settle, thinking that he had managed to steal a victory, but something was still stirring in amongst the dust and debris.
"Oh no..."
Before the boy could react, the dark figure suddenly shot up into the air, blasting through the ceiling of the opposite building and coming down over above them. Naruto heard the crashing chatter of broken wood sounding from the floor above him, but before he could move out of the way, the ceiling caved away, revealing Kizashi as he came crashing down into the wooden floor next to the young boy. Naruto felt a hand grab onto his ankle, dragging him down with his attacker as the two crashed through the wooden floor and down onto the next one, before finally slamming his body into the ground with a heavy thud.
"Aaaggghhh!!!!" Naruto felt the wind get knocked out of him as his back slammed against the hard floor, while the shattered remains of falling debris caved in around him. He barely even had the chance to open his eyes, when the darkened figure of his attacker moved to stand over him. The man's foot slammed into the side of the boy's chest, causing another resounding crack, before sending him into the nearby wall.
"Aaahhhh!!!!" The boy's cries of pain were short lived as a hand slammed into his throat, not even giving his limp body the time to fall to the floor. Kizashi lifted Naruto into the air, allowing the youngster's feet to dangle lifelessly underneath him while the boy's hands tried desperately to free himself from the suffocating grasp.
"D...dad..." Naruto's call for help were now only strained screaches as his airways were tightened closed, while the cruel emotions of his attacker flowed into his vulnerable heart, filling it with anger, hatred and grief. Hs eyes began to fill with tears of an unimaginable pain as the cruelty of the torturous exposure continued, but Kizashi didn't once waver in his terrible assault.
"I was really hoping to watch you suffer even more before I killed you, but I guess this will have to do." The man's breath was still oozing with the remnants of the bitter smell of alcohol and his eyes were glazed with a maddened visage. "I will... enjoy watching the life leave those golden eyes of yours." Naruto's body slowly began to lose it's hold on consciousness as darkness began to consume him. His cries and struggles began to lesson as his battered body struggled with all the last vestiges of his strength.
"Dad..."
"Let go of him!!!" Suddenly, a shooting pain shot into Kizashi's back as a kunai embedded itself in his flesh, causing the man to release his deadly hold on Naruto and dropping him to the floor.
"Arrrgghhh!!!" Kizashi spun around to see a limping Iruka glaring back at him. "Why you little shit!!!!"
The man slammed his foot into the chunin's stomach with an unknown strength, sending the man flying across the room before skidding to a halt on the floor. Naruto watched with horror as he then pulled the bloodied knai out of his back and charged at Iruka, who was now bleeding heavily on the floor. The scarred man could do nothing to move out of the way.
"Why would you protect the demon!?!? Can't you see what he's doing to us!!!! He ruined my life and now you're both gonna pay!!!!!!" Just before the weapon hit its mark, a palm slammed firmly into the base of Kizashi's chest, halting him in his tracks. The man looked down to look at his attacker, only to see the tear strewn golden eyes of a young boy staring back at him, seemingly lost in a trance.
"You... how could..." As the man's body fell limply to the floor, Naruto flinched at the sound of the impact. He slowly looked over the motionless body as it lay on the ground, before collapsing to his knees in disbelief.
"No... I... I didn't mean to do it..." Iruka tried to pick himself up off the floor, but found his wounds too painful to even move.
"N... Naruto..." The boy suddenly jumped up to his feet as his sensei called out to him, before shooting around to see the man's bloodied form lying on the floor.
"No... dad!!!!!" The young boy quickly rushed up to his fathers side before kneeling down to look over him with his Tenraigan still blazing in his eyes and then began to scan over his life force. Naruto quickly put his hands on the chunin's chest in a moment of panic, transferring his lifeforce into the man to heal his wounds.
"No wait... Naruto don't. I'll be fine..." The boy didn't respond, he just continued to stare blankly at his father's body while transferring all the energy he could spare while mumbling aimlessly.
"I won't let you die.... I won't let you die..." Iruka tried to snap his son out of his trance, but he still wouldn't listen.
"Naruto, I'm not going to die, please stop!" Naruto's face began to grow pale as the energy continued to leave his body, while his eyes began to flood with the tears of his deepest fears. To see Iruka lying on the floor, covered in his own blood, had snapped something in the boy's heart and now Naruto found himself caught in a state of panic and confusion.
"Don't die... please... I can't lose you... I need you..." Iruka quickly sat up as soon as his body allowed it and grabbed Naruto's quivering arms before holding them together in his hands. The young blond suddenly snapped out of his delirium and looked up to meet his father's gaze. His golden eyes were now streaming with tears and were filled with sheer panic and terror of his ordeal.
"Dad...?" The emotions coming from his touch were almost unbearable as well and Iruka had to struggle just to keep holding on.
"Naruto, I'm fine... I'm alright... You've done enough..." Naruto's face fell into a heavy frown before he sank his head into the man's shoulders while Iruka wrapped his arms around the trembling form. The chunin held him tightly as he began to sob in his arms, trying to relieve the built up tension he felt inside.
"I... couldn't see anything dad... there were no more colours, no more lights... there was nothing left... I... " Naruto's words were barely audible as they interspersed between his heavy sobs, but Iruka understood what he was trying to say. The man just held him as tightly as possible, not wanting to let go for fear of him falling apart on the spot.
"There, there... it's not your fault. He would have killed us both if you didn't do anything. It's not your fault..." The boy just continued to cry in his father's arms, his heart now filled with the guilt of taking another man's life with his own two hands. His mind was now scarred with the images of what he had just witnessed, something that his bloodline had cursed him to see.
To watch as a person's soul left their body, to see his eyes become empty and watch the life inside him dwindle into darkness, it was something that no person should ever have to witness, much less the innocent heart of a young boy who couldn't possibly understand, but Naruto's eyes had seen it in all its horror. Iruka understood the pain that his son was going through, he could feel it in his touch, but even still, there was no way to truly comfort the boy. The only thing he could do was hold on tightly and wait for the tears to end, tears that he could not ease with a hug or wipe away with gentle hands. Only time could heal these terrible emotions, only time could mend this grievous wound against Naruto's heart.
"It's not right... It's not right that you have to always suffer like this Naruto. Why do you have to bear this curse? Why can't I just take it away from you and let you live in peace?"
After a few minutes of crying from the boy and gentle comforting on Iruka's part, Naruto eventually ran out of tears to shed. He slowly pulled away from his father's arms and wiped the tears from his face, while trying to control his violently quivering body. His eyes were still shining pure gold in colour, something that Iruka knew was attributed to his overwhelming emotions felt at the time. He gently placed his hands on his son's cheek and stroked it with a warm caressing touch, trying desperately to ease his overwhelming tension. Naruto seemed to relax a bit in the comfort of the expossure and raised his own hand to meet his fathers, holding it tightly against the side of his tear strewn face.
"Come on Kiddo, we should be going. I'll need to report what's happened here..." Naruto allowed another last shudder before silently nodding his head, but when the boy tried to stand, his legs gave way underneath him. Iruka managed to catch him just before he hit the ground and gently turned him onto his back in his arms, while looking over his battered body with panicked eyes.
"Naruto, are you alright!?" Naruto tried to respond, but there were no words, only the rasping sound of a strained voice. He felt his body weakening increasingly by the second and he could barely even move his arms or legs. Iruka noticed that his skin was cold to the touch, the same as it had been after he had healed Lee thee months before and he realized that the boy had just expended a large amount of his life force in order to heal his own father's wounds.
"Alright Naruto, don't try to move or talk. I'll get you to the hospital as quickly as possible." Iruka picked his son's battered and bruised body up into his arms, noticing with a heavy frown that his face was a now sickening pale colour. He then headed out of the building, leaving behind the dead body of their attacker. He never noticed the dark cloud leaving the lifeless corpse that lay on the floor, nor the evil aura that accompanied it's advance. He only cared about the well-being of the boy in his arms.
"Naruto, I need you to close your eyes okay, we can't let anyone see them right now." Naruto could only respond with a struggled nod, being to weak to do or say anything else, and then closed his eyes. After a few more seconds, Iruka felt his breathing begin to lessen and realized that he had obviously passed out from the exhaustion of his ordeal. He only hope that the boy didn't push himself to far in trying to save him.
"Thanks Naruto... I really owe you one..." With that, the chunin took off across the rooftops, heading off to the hospital with Naruto in his arms. They would have a lot of explaining to do in due time, but the boy's safety came first in Iruka's eyes.
--
Well, it was a difficult chapter for me to write. I only hope it came out alright...
Hope you enjoyed! ^ ^
Note: Fuuton! Kaze no Arashi = Wind release! Wind tempest/storm.