"Talking"
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Chapter 15: Empty Inside
Kakashi stared into his cup as the clear liquid gently sloshed around. Lifting it up, he downed the drink and savored the burning is his throat. He waited until the presence he had felt was seated before speaking.
"What do you need?"
Asuma gave him this look that said, 'who said I needed anything,' and signaled to the bartender for a drink.
"They're growing up fast."
Kakashi nodded in response.
"I have no doubt that Shikamaru will make chuunin. That boy's IQ is off the charts. He's able to come up with a tactic to defeat most opponents."
A hum was received from Kakashi. "Sasuke might make it. He's strong, but his attitude might get him killed out in the field."
Asuma sipped his drink. "You're disappointed. I can hear it in your voice."
"Is it that obvious?"
"If this is about Sasuke, just be a good role model, and I'm sure he'll come around."
The silver-haired jounin shook his head. "This isn't about Sasuke. It's about Naruto. I honestly expected him to pass. I know he has so much potential, and he was doing so well against Kiba at the start." He sighed. "What did I do wrong?"
"Hm… Don't put yourself down. It's not your teaching. I think that it's a matter of circumstance. Your team was one of the last to arrive at the tower while Kurenai's was one of the first. Kiba had more time to rest before the match. Perhaps you should try and find someone who's willing to train your other two while you prep Sasuke for the finals."
Kakashi nodded. "Maybe I should." He took a few moments to think before he visibly paled. "Asuma, I know nothing about my students."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, Hokage-sama showed me their living quarters beforehand by protocol, and I know a bit of their preferences from introductions and interacting with them, but I know nothing about who they are." His head dropped into his hands, and he groaned. "I'm a terrible sensei."
Silence panned out between the two. The cyclops berated himself while also wondering why his fellow jounin wasn't saying anything. Then it hit him. Asuma wasn't saying anything because he couldn't deny it. That only made the cyclops feel worse.
Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind. His eye glinted in a mischievous way. Looking over at Asuma, he smiled beneath the mask. "Starting now, I'm going to learn more about them."
The other jounin puzzled over the statement and raised an eyebrow. "And how do you intend to do that?"
.
.
Twenty minutes later, Asuma found himself in a position he really never wanted to be in. He stared at Kakashi in disbelief. "We can't go around and stalk your students! Why can't we do this the normal way like a team dinner or something?"
Kakashi only eye smiled. "We're ninja. Stalking is one of our jobs." He turned his head and peered down at the dilapidated apartment building. Since Naruto was the most mysterious of the team, Kakashi had decided to start with his blond student.
"Doesn't look like anyone's home. Maybe we should try my-" Asuma whipped his head around when he realized Kakashi was no longer next time him. With a groan, he followed the silver-haired man to the front door.
Testing the doorknob, the scarecrow found it to be locked. Pulling out a lockpick kit, he threw himself at the keyhole. Nimbly working the wires in, he heard a click before putting everything away. However, when he tried to push open the door, it wouldn't budge.
"That's strange. I swear I unlocked it."
"Maybe it's a sign that we shouldn't be trying to sneak into your students' homes."
"Nonsense."
"Dog, are you so senile that you're breaking into places now? Looks like age is catching up to you."
Like deer caught in headlights, the two jounin turned their heads to see a very ticked – at least they thought he was ticked by the tone of his voice – ANBU staring at them.
"Oh, not at all. Just visiting my little genin Kodanuki-san." Kakashi gave him a signature eye smile. Asuma only nodded his head in agreement.
"Uh-huh... Like I'd believe that. It's obvious that no one's home and that the lock's been picked."
"And how would you know that?" Kakashi asked in a sickly-sweet voice.
"I've been watching you since you got here," Kodanuki deadpanned. "Trespassing into another shinobi's home is violation of shinobi laws. If I wanted to, I could report you both to the Hokage."
"But you don't want to?" asked Asuma.
"I'm just a guy who happened to be on my way home when I saw two suspicious jounin trying to enter a genin residence." The sarcasm dripped off of him as he rolled his right shoulder back. "But I'm sore and tired, so I'm going to let you off with a warning. Don't let me catch you again."
With that, Kodanuki disappeared with a shunshin.
Kakashi turned to look at Asuma, not a sign of guilt in his eyes. "He only said to not get caught by him again. He never said we couldn't do it." Thus, the scarecrow turned back to observing the door.
"If one ANBU saw us, the rest will too. Give it a rest Kakashi."
"But how else am I going to get to know my students better," he whined.
"By talking to them like a normal human instead of breaking their trust when you break into their houses."
The cyclops pretended to think for a moment. "That makes sense. Maybe I'll try that." He nodded to himself. "Let's go find my cute little blond genin!"
Asuma facepalmed before chasing after Kakashi. Why he was even playing along with this was beyond him.
Jiraiya wandered aimlessly through the empty streets of Konoha. Usually, he would be attempting to conduct some research at the hot springs, yet he couldn't seem to find the motivation right now.
Apparently, his godson, who he thought was twelve years dead, was alive and well. His godson, who he had only interacted with through Kushina's pregnancy, was a genin of the village.
Sighing to himself, he wondered if he would have been able to meet him sooner if he had stayed in the village instead of wandering the Elemental Nations. It was too late to turn back time, but perhaps he would be able to meet his godson now. His sensei had said that the boy had failed his Chuunin Exam, so the least Jiraiya could do was train him for next time.
His moping – if you could call it that – came to a quick end when he saw Naruto's jounin sensei roof-hopping with another jounin trailing behind him. Jiraiya leapt onto the nearest building and quickly caught up. The silver-haired man turned his head with his eye wide when the white-haired man called out to them, and was that alcohol he smelt?
"Jiraiya-sama!" Both jounin and the Sannin came to a stop.
"Kakashi, I have a question for you." The jounin seemed to stand a little taller. "Do you know where I can find Uzumaki Naruto?"
The other ninja paused for a moment. Perhaps it was from shock, which flickered across their faces.
"We were actually looking for him ourselves," replied the cyclops.
Asuma coughed into his hand. "You mean you are looking for him. I'm just here to make sure you don't get into trouble again."
"Again?" questioned the Sannin.
"An ANBU caught him trying to break into Naruto's apartment. Now we're running around trying to find him."
Kakashi shot the Sarutobi a scathing look. "I wasn't breaking in. I was just going to wait inside for him to come home."
"And what part of that is not breaking in?" accused the other jounin.
The silver-haired man subtly rolled his eye before addressing Jiraiya again. "Jiraiya-sama, please excuse Asuma." Said Sarutobi tried to disagree. "Would you like me to show you to his apartment?"
With a nod, all three shinobi trekked onwards to one of the less popular residential districts in Konoha. Stopping at a rundown apartment building, Jiraiya couldn't believe that his godson, Minato's son, lived in such a dump.
Approaching a door on the third floor, Kakashi knocked a few times. While they waited to see if anyone would answer, he turned and asked the white-haired man another question.
"If I may ask, what business do you have with Naruto?" Jiraiya assumed that Kakashi was asking only for show as he was pretty sure the jounin knew he was Naruto's godfather. Before he could respond, he was interrupted by the Sarutobi.
"Hey Kakashi? When we left, did you relock the door?" Asuma looked perplexed for some reason as he tried turning the doorknob.
"No, why?"
"The door is still unlocked, but…" The other jounin gave a slight push to the unlocked door, and it creaked open. The alarm that flashed through both men's faces caused Jiraiya to panic.
"What's wrong?"
"Even when we unlocked the door, it wouldn't budge before, but now…"
Stepping into the darkness, the three men entered the apartment to find it completely empty.
"What in the-" Jiraiya wandered towards the bedroom while Kakashi and Asuma searched the main room and bathroom for any signs of life. When he opened the bedroom door, he was met with more emptiness. It looked like someone had been living here, as the dust was not too thick, but there were no signs of the bedroom being in current use.
They gathered back into the main room to discuss their findings.
"It seems he completely moved out, but I know for a fact that he was living here before the exams. Though, it's strange: there aren't any scents left. Perhaps we should consult Hokage-sama." Beneath the calm façade, Jiraiya could tell that Kakashi was panicking about the fact that the boy who was supposed to be his younger brother had disappeared without a trace.
Racing back to the Hokage tower, Jiraiya couldn't help but groan when he thought of facing his sensei again after all the emotions that had occurred during his last visit.
The Sannin jumped onto the windowsill and tapped on the glass. He knew better than to fly in this time. Unlocking the window, the Sandaime looked surprised to see him so soon.
"Jiraiya, what brings you back here?" Following the Sannin, Kakashi jumped in as well. Asuma had decided Jiraiya was enough to stop Kakashi from being insane and had called it a night. "I see you brought in a straggler too."
"Where's Naruto?"
"Whatever do you mean? He's in the village like I told you."
Kakashi was the one to speak up. "We went to his apartment and found it empty."
Puffing on his pipe, the Hokage did not look worried one bit. "Oh, did I not tell you? Naruto decided to move after the Chuunin Exams. He's probably settling into his new place right about now."
"And where might that be?" Jiraiya asked.
"He didn't say. Though, you could probably check his records. He should have done the paperwork to get his official address changed."
"Alright, I'll check downstairs. Thanks sensei."
The two bowed before exiting the office and sprinting as fast as they could indoors. They ran through files until pulling out the one labeled 'Uzumaki Naruto.' Jiraiya opened it up and froze at the registration picture. His godson had the same striking blue eyes and bright blond hair as Minato while having the same round face as Kushina. Taking a deep breath, he told himself that he would find him and that he would take him in. Scanning through to the address section, he showed it to Kakashi.
"Is this new?"
He received a shake of the scarecrow's head. "Seems like he forgot to submit an address change." They had reached a dead end in their search.
"Darn it!" Was his godson an idiot?
Q&A
What has happened to Hinata without Naruto in her life? (Guest)
Hinata will not be making an appearance, so I leave it up to your imagination. Naruto never saved her from the bullies, and he never trained outside meaning Hinata had no chance to stalk him.
Updated: 30/3/20
