Chapter 34
The next morning found Obito standing in the middle of the field behind the Hatake Compound, kunai in hand, poised to attack. It was an overcast day and the clouds protected him from the sun's glare. Forcing his body to relax, Obito gazed around. A breeze rippled the grass. There!
Obito leapt backwards, skidding slightly as he hurled his kunai towards a figure that had burst from the earth. Instantly, his assailant dissipated into a waft of smoke.
"A shadow clone?" He muttered as he drew another kunai. Suddenly a fearsome blow connected with Obito's back, throwing him to the ground. In the nick of time, Obito flashed his kunai upwards to parry a deadly kodachi.
"So that's the legendary stealth everyone keeps going on about?" Obito said between gritted teeth. His kunai wobbled as it grated against the kodachi's edge and his arm shook from the weight pressing down on him. From this position his opponent had the advantage.
"Give up," Kakashi told him and Obito could hear the smirk in his voice. His wrist ached and the kodachi inched closer.
Suddenly a passage from Obito's favourite book flashed through his mind and he grinned. "Give up on me giving up!" He yelled. Thinking fast Obito lashed his foot upwards and it connected with Kakashi's knee.
His friend grunted, temporarily loosening his grip and Obito had just enough time to swipe the blade away.
"Did you just quote Jiraiya's book?" Kakashi said incredulously, as Obito rolled to his feet.
"Damn straight," Obito nodded. Not wanting to waste a moment now he was free from the White Demon's blade, Obito flung his kunai.
In a white flash, the kodachi deflected the weapon with a sharp chime. Kakashi's body flickered, moving so fast that his body was reduced to a blur. Deadly slashes were sent Obito's way.
I can't keep dodging this, Obito thought as he narrowly avoided a lethal stab. He's too fast.
Fine strands of hair fell in front of his goggle as Obito realised that Kakashi had cut away a lock of his hair. A cut laced his chin and Obito knew that he had no other choice. He reached upwards, ripped off his goggles and flung them to one side. Straining his eyes, Obito forced himself to focus on his friend's feet. His eyes watered as a red tinge seeped into his vision. Suddenly Kakashi's phenomenal footwork slowed, his blinding movements becoming less daunting. Obito's once dark eyes swirled as they transformed into the sharingan.
Powering chakra to his feet, Obito sidestepped away from the kodachi and jumped backwards. "Fire style: Great Fire Destruction!" A furious inferno burst from Obito's mouth, roaring as it incinerated the earth. Acrid smoke shrouded the area but Obito's bloodline limit guided him to where Kakashi had hidden from the flames.
"Earth style: Fissure technique!" Obito yelled after a flurry of seals and he slammed his fist into the ground. There was a jaw aching crack as the earth split, the ground breaking and fracturing between Obito's feet.
A white streak shot from the churned earth and Obito's sharingan could barely track its movements as it weaved in and out of the smoke. Damnit, Obito thought and perspiration collected on his brow. How the hell is Kakashi so fast?
An opponent like Kakashi who relied on speed and stealth was menace to Obito. Having to resort to using the bloodline limit he loathed was galling, after having spent years of hiding it from everyone apart from his old teammates. Yet the sharingan would have saved Obito's life by now if he were in a real battle.
Suddenly Obito spun around, swaying sideways as the White Demon's blade whistled past his ear. The only way he could beat Kakashi would be to disarm him. With the kodachi, his friend was virtually impossible to hit. Without it, however, Obito would be able to overpower him in a taijutsu fight or exhaust him in a ninjutsu battle. Kakashi, of course, was all too aware of his weakness and he became relentless in his attacks. Obito needed to act fast.
Drawing a kunai, Obito crossed blades with Kakashi.
"I know that even you're not stupid enough to try and fight me in weaponry," Kakashi told him and a vein in Obito's forehead twitched. His friend rarely engaged in sparring banter but Kakashi knew exactly what to words to say to cause someone to lose their cool.
There was shrill chirruping and Obito's eyes widened as lightning crackled its way up the White Demon's blade. Before he could even react, the metals conducted and Obito was flung three feet backwards. Hand burning, every particle in his body prickled with pain. Coughing, he struggled to his feet.
"Jeez," Obito gingerly touched his hair that was standing on end. "Nothing like an electric shock to wake you up in the morning."
Yet an ingrained stubborn streak forced Obito to keep going and although he would never admit it, that stubbornness was in fact Uchiha pride.
Sprinting forwards, Obito draw another kunai and once again clashed blades. Kakashi raised an eyebrow as yet again electricity snarled its way up the kodachi. This time, however, Obito was ready. Channelling his chakra, Obito focused it into the kunai.
Kakashi's eyes widened as the lightning was extinguished. Thick, treacle-like mud seeped from the kunai and slowly began to infect the kodachi.
"Earth chakra?" Kakashi whispered.
Taking advantage of his friend's surprise, Obito swung his left hand upwards and slammed it into the butt of the kodachi. The sheer force caused the White Demon to soar high into the air. In a flash, Obito spun on his heel and sent a powerful roundhouse kick into Kakashi's chest.
Kakashi stumbled backwards, far from the kodachi which had fallen to the ground. Yet, the training session wasn't over yet. Both young men were pumped full of adrenaline, exhilarated by each other's prowess. It had been years since the two had sparred like this and as his best friend, his rival, Obito wanted to push Kakashi to his very limit.
Kakashi dropped to his knees and pressed his palms into the churned ground. "Water style," he murmured. "Ocean's plane."
Since when has he mastered his third nature element? Obit thought, with a slight hint of amazement.
Water seeped from Kakashi's hands flooding the ground until it pooled around Obito's feet. Then, Kakashi glanced upwards and said, "Lightning style: Rajin's Wrath."
Obito swore, his sharingan spinning. The tomoe rotated, taking in his surrounding as he attempted to find a move that would escape the deadly technique. Beneath his feet, the waterlogged grass squelched. Suddenly, Obito's eyes focused on the White Demon's blade that lay embedded in the ground.
"That bloody sword!" Obito yelled. With the water acting as a conductor, Kakashi's technique would engulf the entire field with his kodachi operating as an amplifier. Any earth technique would be nullified by the soaked ground. There was nothing for it. Obito wasn't fast enough to dodge lightning. He was just going to have to stop the attack the old fashioned way.
"Fire style: Great Fire Destruction!" Obito shouted. Furious flames slammed into snarling lightning causing an earth-shattering explosion. The sheer force blew both Kakashi and Obito from their feet as the two friends were hurled into opposite directions.
Crackling smoke choked the air, stinging Obito's eyes and he heard Kakashi coughing in the distance. Struggling up, Obito strained his sharingan. Through the acrid air he could see static electricity sizzling and rising upwards.
"Up?" Obito murmured and he craned his neck. Suddenly his eyes widened as he realised storm clouds were forming above their heads. Across the fields, Kakashi too was watching the clouds darken.
"You idiots," A voice said through the smoke. A sharp wind gusted across the field, blowing the smoke away and extinguishing the flames that licked the ground.
Obito and Kakashi turned to see Rin striding over. In her hand she held a scroll with a wind seal.
"Just a quick sparring session before lunch, you both said," she said as her two teammates scrambled to their feet. Kakashi scooped up his kodachi and Obito found his goggles in a nearby ditch.
"It's been a while! We just wanted to test each other's techni-" Obito's words were silenced by a single look from Rin.
The truly terrifying thing about Rin was that she never yelled. All she had to do was narrow her eyes, purse her lips and stare at whichever idiot had dared to cross her path. The two idiots in question both cowered under her icy glare.
"Inside," she said softly and with a flick of her wrist she rolled up her scroll. Turning on her heel, Rin walked away.
"Me and Kakashi can fix the field with our earth techniques!" Obito chased after her. "Isn't that right Kakashi?"
Kakashi, however, failed to answer Obito. His friend was far too absorbed in the gathering storm clouds. Thunder rumbled over their heads. Obito sighed. He knew that expression that was clouding his friend's eyes. It was the same look Kakashi used to get when Obito found him sitting in front of the K.I.A memorial. A forlorn, lost expression that would remind Obito that Kakashi wasn't the invincible genius he seemed.
Reaching out, Obito gripped Kakashi's shoulder. Kakashi's gaze was torn from the sky and he fixed his eyes with Obito's fading sharingan.
"C'mon," Obito smiled. "Let's go."
With a small nod, Kakashi followed and they headed back to the house.
By the time the three friends reached the Hatake Compound, rain had begun to patter against the old tiles. As they flung their wet sandals off, Obito suddenly realised that they had a guest in the house. Sat at the scrubbed kitchen table was the Hokage.
"My apologies Hokage-sama," Rin bowed her head.
"Not all Rin," the Third smiled away her apology. "I must say it's pleasant to see that the Hatake Compound in good shape."
"Thank you," Kakashi murmured. "I've been away in Kumo for sometime otherwise the garden would be better maintained.
Obito scowled but the Hokage laughed. "Exactly like your father," the Third laughed. "My wife was always asking him for gardening tips. You know the last time I set foot in the compound was before you were born."
"Really?" Kakashi asked as they sat down around the table. In the background, Rin bustled about preparing to brew a pot of green tea.
"Yes," the Third rubbed his chin. "I had just become Hokage. It was to persuade your father to become a genin instructor I believe… But that's a story to tell for another day."
"If you don't mind me asking Hokage-sama, why are you here?" Obito asked. "The three of us have taken the whole of this week off."
"Of course, forgive me," the Third laughed. "An old man and his ramblings. You see I wanted to meet the three of you informally and the Hatake Compound is one of the only places in the village you can have a conversation without being eavesdropped."
"The seals," Kakashi said and the Hokage nodded. "My father reinforced them although I can't remember how… But only those regarded as family can freely enter the compound. Otherwise you have to be invited in as a guest."
"They look like Whirlpool inspired seals," Rin said as she poured the tea. After handing the delicate ceramic cups out, she took her place at the table. "Sorry Kakashi, I was just curious so whenever I visited Obito I studied them."
"Sakumo did spend the majority of the Second War in Whirlpool and Water Country," the Hokage nodded.
Obito sipped his tea and immediately regretted as the hot liquid scalded his tongue. "So you wanted to speak with us in a safe environment?" He asked, wincing as he set his cup down.
"The matter I'm approaching the three of you with is… Rather delicate," the Third sighed. "And although we're living in a time of peace, there are eyes and ears everywhere."
Obito's stomach twisted. He knew exactly where this topic of conversation was going. It was one that had been stewing in the back of his mind for seven years.
"The Uchiha clan?" He said in a dead voice.
The Hokage nodded.
"The kyubi attack?" Kakashi, quick as always, deduced. "The council suspects it was the Uchiha clan, I'm guessing. After all, only the sharingan could cause Sensei's plans to go awry."
The Third took a large gulp of his tea. "Shimura Danzo unfortunately has a rather strong hand on the matter," he sighed. "After the kyubi attack the council has decided to take a more militant stance and with it Danzo's advice it seems."
Kakashi rubbed his masked chin. "Danzo… Didn't he want me killed when I was kidnapped by Kumo?" He said.
"That's the one," Rin said softly and Obito gripped his cup.
"Minato thankfully prevented that," a grim expression creased the Hokage's already withered face. "However since the kyubi attack his influence has been increasing. I fear that Root are growing evermore powerful."
Obito leant back in his chair. Root, Danzo's own personal division of ANBU, had always been on the fringes of his mind. Shadows had always followed his missions, lurking behind every tree. It was for that reason Obito had grown increasingly paranoid about the secrecy of his missions. He had forced his teams on multiple occasions to retrace their steps and set false trails so Danzo's spies would be led astray. Throughout his time in ANBU Obito had constantly kept tabs on Naruto, even personally guarding him during the first years after he had been born. It was common knowledge amongst the high-profile jonin that Danzo had been outright against the idea of the jinchuriki's identity being revealed to the public.
"You should keep you friends close Kakashi," the Third warned. "Danzo still believes that you are a possible threat to the village. He blames you for the new jinchuriki education programme and I feel he will do anything to sabotage the alliance with Kumo, not to mention he despised Sakumo."
"I had a feeling things were going a bit too smoothly," Kakashi sighed.
"What about the Uchiha clan?" Obito pressed.
"The council and Danzo have decided to use Itachi as spy," the Hokage told them. "After the kyubi attack there was a suspicion that the clan may plan a coup d'état."
"What?" Rin whispered and Obito shook his head.
"No," Obito said. "The clan have always isolated themselves but I refuse to believe that Fugaku would go against the village like that. He wouldn't want a war on his hands."
That same old tumultuous feeling rumbled inside Obito. It wasn't true; it couldn't be true. The clan was blinded by an ancient superiority complex but they would never want to kill those who they had grown up with and fought alongside with in the war. Mikoto, Auntie Uruchi, Shisui, Itachi… None of them could surely want this. Obito clenched his fist around the teacup.
"Itachi is currently acting as a double agent," the Third said softly. "And we have reason to believe that Shisui has been planted in ANBU as a spy for the Uchiha clan to watch Itachi."
Suddenly there was smash and the ceramic cup shattered. Tepid tea gushed over Obito's hand. "No," he slammed his other fist onto the table. "Shisui would never betray the village!"
"Obito," Kakashi warned.
"Shisui loves this village as much as me," Obito told the Hokage. The same old compassion that Obito had never been able to crush stung his eyes. It was that compassion that had caused Obito to risk his life for teammates and help strangers. He wasn't like Kakashi who seemed to be able to kill his emotions if the mission required it. Although he possessed the sharingan, empathy and love blinded Obito's eyes.
"I understand your agitation," the Third said carefully. "Which is why I have approached you all. I would like you, Obito, to investigate into what Shisui and Itachi are doing."
Obito stared at the Hokage for a moment, then let out a whoosh of air.
"Kakashi," the Hokage turned to Obito's friend. "Time is of the essence now as Danzo will pressure the council into action. I would like you to spy on Danzo and monitor his movements."
"Yes Hokage-sama," Kakashi nodded.
"Rin," the Third finally turned to her. "I know that you are busy with the Research Unit and that task I have already given you but please support Obito and Kakashi where you can."
A sad expression crossed the Hokage's face and he drank the dregs of his tea. "I hope we can end this without bloodshed," he said softly. "The Uchiha clan are still part of Konoha and I do not want any of it's children killed, Uchiha or otherwise."
He set down his cup and rose from his chair. "Thank you for the tea," he said. "Keep me updated… And good luck."
Rin stood up, walking out of the kitchen to show the Hokage out the compound.
Obito and Kakashi sat at the table in silence. In his mind, Obito couldn't help but cringe at his outburst. He was still acting like a child, protesting at the Hokage's orders before the old man had even finished speaking. A bitter taste filled his mouth and he rubbed his eyes.
"I'm sorry I can't tell you anything now… Not until I'm completely sure." Shisui's words from two days ago echoed in Obito's brain.
God damnit Shisui, Obito thought. What aren't you telling me?
"Got a plan?" Kakashi asked, jerking Obito from his brooding.
Obito leant back in his chair and rumpled his hair. "Yeah," He said. "Tonight, I'm going to the pub."
The rain finally petered to a stop at around four o'clock in the afternoon. After a long shower and a large lunch, Kakashi found himself wandering familiar and long forgotten paths in Konoha. Every now and then he would pause his walk, in the effort to soak in and memorise his changed surroundings.
Finally, after an hour of detours and meandering, Kakashi reached his destination. Konoha's Academy hadn't changed in his absence. It was still the same brightly painted building with cheery red walls, emerald tiles and sunshine yellow door frames. The tall man standing beneath the crooked tree in the playground, however, was extremely out of place.
"You know I still find Konoha a very confusing place," Darui scratched his head, with a look of bemusement. "Kumo has a very logical design… Konoha is just… Chaotic."
"That's because we haven't carved our buildings out of mountains," Kakashi said with a hint of amusement.
"True," Darui laughed. "In history we learnt that the First Raikage had a sense of grandeur... Although of course you'd know that too from your lessons with us."
The two fell silent and Kakashi thought of the history lessons that were being taught in the building in before them. Together with Shikaku and Darui, Kakashi had drawn up the jinchuriki education programme. On paper it was a faultless plan. Educate the people of Konoha about the kyubi and gradually they would learn to accept Naruto for who he was and the hero he was going to be. Yet in reality it was far from perfect. There had been petitions, protests, assassination attempts and failed kidnappings. Naruto was still called a demon behind his back. No matter how well educated the people were, Naruto was still ostracised by parents and ninjas alike. It didn't help that the boy was regarded as somewhat of a joke by his peers and embarked on frequent brawls with his classmates.
"It'll get better," Darui said, as if he had read Kakashi's mind.
Kakashi gave him a questioning look.
"I know that the Hokage told Naruto yesterday that he's a jinchuriki… And it didn't go very well… But it'll get better. B was extremely unpopular when he was growing up in Kumo," Darui told him. "Yugito too, however as they trained and participated in more missions they gained Kumo's respect. I may be dull but I know Naruto just needs to prove himself, that's all."
"You say that like it's easy," Kakashi sighed. "I think I was too naïve in believing that people had some degree of empathy."
"You blame yourself too much." Darui shook his head. "I keep telling you, it's unhealthy."
Kakashi shrugged and together they walked inside the Academy. Obito and Rin frequently kept tabs on Naruto, supplying Kakashi with tales and stories they had heard about the boy. Amongst her many other roles, Rin had been given the job as Naruto's doctor. Just like Kushina had done, Naruto had to visit the doctor once a month. These appointments, of course, were just a façade for the seal to be checked by Rin however it allowed her to see their Sensei's son.
Unlike his teammates, Kakashi had not laid eyes upon Naruto since his birth. In a way, he had been glad of his frequent trips to Kumo. He had heard how Naruto had inherited Minato's looks and Kushina's motor mouth personality. In truth, Kakashi had done everything to avoid Kushina and Minato's son. He was terrified that if he saw Naruto, he would be crippled by grief.
Pushing his creeping nerves aside, Kakashi instead let the morning's events run though his mind.
No matter how much Obito refused to admit it, he still loved his clan. Even after seven years Kakashi could see that Obito's estrangement was tearing him apart. It had been the right decision; of course, Obito had been suffocating under the clan's archaic and elitist values. Just as Kakashi had Sakumo's legacy upon his shoulders Obito had been burdened by the expectations of the Uchiha clan, namely Fugaku. Although he had cut himself free from them, Obito still hadn't managed to shake off that childish desperation to prove himself to Fugaku. Kakashi could see it in the way his friend had risen through the ranks of ANBU and the way he furiously trained.
Kakashi sighed. Spying on Danzo would be dangerous for sure but if it meant saving the clan for Obito then he was willing to risk it all.
"He's been kept in the classroom," Darui said, breaking Kakashi's thoughts. "Detention according to his teacher."
"What'd he do?" Kakashi said, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Got into a fight with one of his classmates," Darui chuckled. "A prank backfired apparently."
They reached the classroom door and Darui paused with his hand on the door handle. "Are you ready for this?"
No, Kakashi thought but his mouth answered, "Yes."
The door creaked as Darui pushed it open. As soon as they stepped inside Kakashi heard a loud voice exclaim, "Hey Iruka-sensei, when're you gonna let me go home?"
"When you have finished your detention," an exhausted teacher replied as he sat at his desk with his head in his hands.
"But Iruka-sensei-"
"Ah you're here," the teacher leapt from his seat as he spotted Darui and Kakashi. "I'm Iruka, nice to meet you."
"Darui," Darui said with a smile as he shook Iruka's hand. "This is-"
"Hatake Kakashi," Iruka finished and he vigorously shook Kakashi's hand. "It's a pleasure, really, I've heard so much about you."
"Uh thanks," Kakashi replied, with a look of bemusement, as he extracted his hand from Iruka's grip.
"Hey who are these people Iruka-sensei?" The rather obnoxious voice asked.
Iruka turned at the culprit in question and snapped, "Naruto how many times have I told you? Manners!"
Kakashi turned to see a small, dirty looking child sitting at one of the desks at the front of the class. The boy was so tiny his legs swung from the chair as he was slumped over his desk. Blonde hair that was badly in need of a haircut fell over his bright, cornflower blue eyes. A trail of snot dribbled from the boy's nose and he wiped it away with the back of his hand and a snort.
"Sorry," the boy scowled, not sounding sorry at all. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto." Iruka gave a loud cough and Naruto added, "Pleased to meet you."
This boy is Minato and Kushina's son? Kakashi thought with some degree of disgust. He was used to seeing Kushina everywhere. During stormy nights he heard her fiery temper, he'd see her beautiful hair in the autumn and catch snatches of her laughter whenever there was playful gust of wind. It was the little things that caused his chest to ache the most. Yet this objectionable little boy in front of him didn't have a single trace of Kushina.
"Naruto, Darui and Kakashi are going to talk to you about your… Furry friend," Iruka said.
"You mean the demon?" A dark look, which was far beyond Naruto's years, clouded his eyes.
"You know they don't like to be called that, the tailed-beasts," Darui said and he walked over and sat on the desk next to Naruto's.
"I don't care!" Naruto yelled and he slammed his fists on the desk in a manner that wasn't all too dissimilar to Obito's that morning. "The stupid old man told me everything yesterday! I'm the jinky… The jinchurry!"
"Jinchuriki," Kakashi couldn't help but correct and Naruto glared at him.
"You," Naruto jabbed a finger at Kakashi. "You're giving me the same look like all the others!"
Furious, anguished tears leaked from Naruto's eyes. Immediately a searing pain lanced Kakashi's chest.
"Stop crying," Kakashi groaned and he tore his gaze away from the boy. Both Darui and Iruka winced. He may be a genius but Kakashi had no idea how to talk to children.
Naruto's head snapped up and he leapt from his seat. "Fuck you!" He spat. With heaving and angry sobs Naruto raced towards the classroom door but he was met by a pair of sturdy legs. Kakashi had swiftly moved himself to block the boy's path.
"Move!" Naruto shouted. Iruka opened his mouth to intervene but Kakashi shook his head.
"No," he told Naruto.
"Get out of my way!" The boy slammed a fist into his leg. Kakashi barely felt the blow.
"No," he repeated.
Furious, consumed by fear and loneliness, and having never met someone as stubborn as him before, Naruto began to punch Kakashi's legs. For five minutes he kicked and punched until he was sweating with exhaustion. Tears and snot streamed down the child's face as he sobbed.
After the blows had subsided, Kakashi knelt down and gently placed a hand on Naruto's head. Fear electrified his brain as he touched the surprisingly feathery blonde hair. He could feel grief fighting rationality, creating static, crackling as it turned his mouth dry.
Naruto jerked and his eyes met Kakashi's. For a moment, Kakashi forgot to breathe. Those eyes… They weren't Minato's as everyone had described. They were Kushina's. Swirling, furious eyes that were wilder than the Whirlpool seas. In those few seconds Kakashi saw past the dirt, the tears, the irritating voice and the snot. All he could see was Minato and Kushina. They had given him love and support when he had needed it the most. Now, it was Kakashi's turn to reach out pull someone from the darkenss.
"Don't call yourself a demon," Kakashi whispered softly. "The Fourth Hokage chose you because he knew that you're capable of great things, he knew that you could control the tailed-beast inside you."
"B-but I'm at the bottom of my class," Naruto's lip wobbled.
"Want to know a secret?" Kakashi said. "A lot of the greatest ninjas started out as class dropouts."
Gently he ruffled his hair and straightened. "Be strong Naruto," Kakashi said. "And don't let that anger consume you otherwise you'll forget who are and the kyubi will have won. You're Uzumaki Naruto, never forget that."
Darui smiled approvingly and Iruka added, "We're all here for you Naruto. Me, the Hokage and now you've got Darui and Kakashi."
"And the kind doctor lady," Naruto sniffed, rubbing his eyes.
"Her too," Iruka laughed.
Darui moved to Naruto's side and he said, "I'm going to help you control the kyubi so you can prove to everyone how strong you really are."
"That means extra work," Iruka said sternly. "Darui is going to give you lessons everyday after academy."
"What?" Naruto exclaimed with a look of dismay.
"Starting at four o'clock tomorrow kiddo'," Darui laughed.
Kakashi watched for a moment as hope brightened Naruto's face. The kid complained a lot and he hadn't inherited Minato's quiet humility, that was for sure. But if he had Kushina's determination then he would make it through Darui's training programme. After a lot of haggling between the Raikage and the Hokage, a training plan had been set for Naruto. Darui and C would alternate years, training Naruto until he had graduated. Most of the training would be basic chakra control, teaching Naruto how to harness and control the kyubi's chakra, as well as maintaining control of his emotions. In an ideal world, Kakashi would have Naruto meet B and Yugito. However with Danzo, the council's mistrust towards Kumo and the Raikage's paranoia, organising a joint training programme with both villages' jinchuriki was a logistical nightmare.
"Hey old man," Naruto said and Kakashi realised that he was talking to him. "What's your name again?"
"Old?" Kakashi spluttered and Darui snorted with laughter. "I'm twenty-three."
"Naruto, don't be rude," Iruka scolded. "I told you. He's Hatake Kakashi, the White Demon of Konoha."
Naruto's jaw dropped. "The White Demon?" He exclaimed, his eyes wide. "No way! You're the guy Kiba and Choji keep going on about! Is it true you beat an army with a pair of chopsticks?"
"And so it begins," Dauri muttered dryly.
"A pair of? No…" Kakashi shook his head, wondering how it was even possible for rumours to get that blown out of proportion.
"Oh…" Naruto's face fell for a moment, and then he brightened. "At least I get to rub in that idiot Sasuke's face tomorrow that I met you!"
The corners of Kakashi's mouth twitched into a smile as Naruto continued on about how he was going to impress some girl called Sakura tomorrow and make Obito's little cousin jealous.
Naruto suddenly stopped his chattering and he pointed a finger at Kakashi. "If you're the White Demon then I'm gonna train so hard that I'm gonna beat you!" He said with a determined grin. "Just you wait, because one day I'm going to Hokage!"
"Challenge accepted," Kakashi retorted.
Naruto flashed a smile and suddenly Kakashi knew that Darui was right, things would get better. It would take years for the boy to come to terms with being a jinchuriki but one day Naruto would become the hero Minato and Kushina dreamed of him to be.
Forgive me Minato, Kushina, Kakashi thought as he gazed at Naruto. I've been a coward… But I'll try and be there for Naruto now, I promise.
A/N: It's funny but after a couple of chapters in, I feel as if I've never left this story. Anyway I just remembered when I left this story I gave some people plans for Part II of CAL. Does anyone know if there was a sequel written? I managed to dig up those notes from my laptop and I'm going to let you know now that I have decided not to follow those plans. Whilst I've been gone I've learnt that sometimes the best things happen when they are unplanned.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter and thanks for reading!