Author Notes:

Dark and Alive Minato, Minato fans beware.

Alive Kushina.

Darker Naruto.

Original Characters x Established Characters

Not sure what everyone's big beef is with a background coupling but it's not going to change, might as well stop reading now. Same goes with the OC's, they are not going anywhere so if that is really such an issue for you then just stop reading here, it doesn't bother me.

Chapter 13: A Failed Goodbye

There was one week left before the Chunin Exams begun. Kiro had not seen Hana since that night which was making him believe that he was more and more right about what he said. Kiro was happy that Darious was so happy. It wasn't hard for him to tell what had happened between Darious and Shizune by the smell and sound when he got home. He also knew that Naruto and Naruko had went at it again. He was struggling with the inner debate about telling someone about the two blonds but he figured that the boy had enough bad cards in his hand, why not let him have this one.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door of the Uzumaki compound. Kiro got up from what people had taken to calling 'his couch.' When he opened the door he was surprised to see the familiar white hair of his sensei, "Jiraiya-sensei?"

The man smiled, "Hello Kiro, where is Darious at?"

He looked back into the house and Jiraiya walked in to find him as well as the others. Jiraiya was pleasantly surprised to see Tsunade there sipping on tea of all things, he was used to seeing the blond Sannin sip on sake. Tsunade looked up at Jiraiya, "So the old pervert finally showed up huh? Took you long enough."

Jiraiya smiled at her, "Hello Hime, how has retirement been treating you?"

She sighed, "Was going well before your students came to get me. They even had a showdown with Orochimaru to get me here you know? Do you go out of your way to find idiots like you or are you just a magnet for them?"

Giving her a large smile as he sat down at the table with her he gave a wink. He looked around the room before looking at her as his face turned serious, "So... Naruto..."

Adopting a very intense look as well she nodded her head at him, "He is an... interesting child. He knows of his heritage and he seems to completely hate that he is related to Minato in any way."

The Toad Sannin sighed, "Has anything good happened while you have been here?"

Tsunade gave a small smile at the question, "Our students have rekindled their relationship. Been basically joined at the hip since their first date when she kept most of the house awake."

Jiraiya smiled, the serious version of the man stored away again for later, "THATA BOY DARIOUS! Now, what about the other one?"

The blond Sannin sighed, "Kiro... he is in quite the predicament. He locked onto an Inuzuka's scent and you know what that means."

Nodding his head Jiraiya gave her a confused look, "Means that they are suppose to be mates, that is good news isn't it?"

Shaking her head no Tsunade put down her cup, "The woman is the Inuzuka Heiress, Hana. Unfortunately for Kiro, she isn't really on board with the whole mates idea. Since she isn't one hundred percent on board with the idea, he doesn't want it to happen. Well, he does but he doesn't. I am honestly the most surprised by how well mannered and respectable they are after being with you for so long."

The back door opened and Shizune, Darious and Naruto all walked into the house, "You got Water all figured out Naruto. Kiro said you are doing really well with Lightning and Asuma said you are a natural with Wind. Give it another week and you should be able to do the things you have been reading about."

Listening and nodding his head Naruto turned his attention to the new scent he detected when he was outside. Looking to see Jiraiya, a easily recognizable man, he made a 'tsk' sound, "Great... more people, just what we needed around here."

Walking away from the group as Darious and Shizune came and sat at the table with their masters. Darious couldn't help but notice the way that Jiraiya was smiling making him look at Tsunade, "Did you tell him?"

Nodding her head, the man rubbed his temples while letting out a sigh, "And Kiro?"

Again she nodded her head making Darious' head shoot over to Jiraiya, "Do not tease him about this Jiraiya-sensei, it is a very hard subject for him."

There were more footsteps from behind as Kiro came, sitting at the table next to Darious, "Its fine senpai, if he wants to make fun of me he can."

Darious gave his kohai a questioning look then turned his attention to Jiraiya, "Why are you here Jiraiya-sensei? It's not like you to just randomly pop up like this."

Said man looked at Darious then over at Kiro, "I have a job for him."

Focusing his eyes on the white haired Sannin he nodded his head, "Yes sir, where am I going?"

Jiraiya looked at his youngest pupil, "Land of Rivers, I need you to look into a town that is apparently being controlled by a criminal organization. There are reports of women disappearing from said town as well, that is the most concerning part."

Nodding at the man, Kiro then stood slowly, "I will get my gear and leave immediately. Senpai, you should talk to Kakashi-san about finishing Naruto's lightning element training. Naruto has some comfort with the man so there shouldn't be too much resistance from the pain in the ass."

The older man nodded as Kiro left the room. Darious watched him leave then kissed Shizune on the hand, "I will be right back."

She nodded her head as he got up and walked after Kiro, knowing that the man wanted to speak to his younger sibling disciple privately. Jiraiya looked at his two pupils, noticing that they didn't seem to be as close as he remembered them being, "They seem like there is a bit of distance forming between the two. Is something going on with them?"

Shaking her head Shizune let out a small sigh as she looked at the Sannin, "I think that may be my fault. Kiro is having issues with the woman he likes but since Darious and I are together again. I think that he doesn't want to be a hindrance or in the way, which he isn't, but I believe that he thinks that he is." Tsunade and Jiraiya both sighed then looked at each other before nodding and leaving to discuss things privately.

With Darious and Kiro...

Rounding the corner, Darious came into the living room to see Kiro putting the last of his belongings into his bag. Darious leaned against the wall, he knew that Kiro knew he was there due to his sense of smell. Kiro looked at him through the corner of his eye as he zipped up the bag, "What is it senpai?"

The older brown haired man stared at him, "When are you going to be back?"

Standing and looking at him, giving the man his full attention he smiled softly, "I'm not coming back... I have no reason to come back."

Narrowing his eyes a bit Darious played the only card he thought he really had to play against him, "What about Hana?"

The Ookami survivor rubbed the back of his neck, "What about her? I haven't seen her once in the last month and her scent is at its peak. If what I have read is correct, then when her scent is at its highest she seeks the one that she wants. That obviously means that she doesn't want me, I honestly think that she has been actively avoiding me, that doesn't bode well for me."

His senpai looked at him, "That scroll you read from was very old Kiro, it was also from an unreliable source. The rational part of you knows that you can't trust the information in there."

Said man just sighed, "The signs are all there regardless of what I read and want."

Darious looked at him, "What about myself and everyone here?"

A sad smile came of Kiro's face, "You have Shizune-san now senpai, and I really am very happy for the two of you. I have helped Naruto develop his lightning element enough that Kakashi can finish what is left to teach him, there really isn't much left. As much of a pain in the ass as the boy is, he is a naturally gifted genius. As for everyone else, I know that you all can't smell it but her scent is really driving me insane. I know that the running joke was that I was nuts and making things up but it really is hard on me to smell it constantly. I will keep in touch okay Senpai?"

Staring at the man he had looked after for years the older brown haired man nodded, 'No you won't...' "Okay Kiro, have a safe trip. Are you going to say goodbye to everyone before you leave?"

Nodding his head he then put his bag around his back before finding Naruto and saying goodbye. Naturally the boy asked about his training, Kiro informing him that Kakashi would take over it for him. When he said goodbye to Kushina the woman gave him a quick hug and told him to come back soon. He didn't tell her he didn't plan to come back, he didn't want to offend her or come off as being ungrateful for all she had done for him. Tsunade he couldn't find and Shizune was with Darious so he didn't want to bother them any more then he already had.

The man opened the door to exit the compound, looking back over his shoulder before letting out a sad sigh as he closed the door. As he was heading towards the gate he decided that he should at least say goodbye to her. He quickly found her due to her scent but what he found didn't help him. He saw that she was being talked up by a man with a scar across his nose. She seemed to be enjoying the conversation as well since she kept on laughing and smiling at the man. He stared at her for a minute before he adjusted his bag and with one last look he walked away. That was when the woman he had been staring at noticed his lingering scent. She looked around but didn't see him so she said goodbye to her old friend and continued with her errands.

Kiro arrived at the Inuzuka compound and knocked on the door. Tsume was the one who answered with a smile, "Hello again Kiro."

The man smiled, "Mrs. Inuzuka, I just wanted to say goodbye to you before I leave."

Raising her eyebrow at that Tsume crossed her arms, "Goodbye? What do you mean goodbye?"

He gave a small smile, "Jiraiya-sensei showed up with a mission for me."

The woman gave a small sigh of relief, "Oh, so just goodbye for a bit then. You scared me a bit there Kiro."

Giving her a small smile Kiro shook his head no, "I won't be coming back Mrs. Inuzuka."

Again she narrowed her eyes at the young man, "And why is that?"

The Ookami smiled at her, "Mrs. Inuzuka, you know very well why I wont be coming back. Frankly, I just don't have a reason to come back, Hana has made it clear to us both that she doesn't want to be mated to me. I don't want her to do something she doesn't want, I told her that awhile ago as well. If I am gone she can find someone she wants, she was talking to someone today and seemed to be enjoying it. Usually her conversations with me don't seem to go even close to that well, I don't think I have ever seen her smile like that..."

Tsume was clearly able to see the pain on his face from that, she knew that he had given in to the mating process, making it so that it had begun on him. Seeing her with, who she guessed by the description was Iruka, must have torn him apart inside. Kiro continued after his brief pause, "I am sure she won't even notice that I have left though. You were very nice to me when I met you so I wanted to say goodbye to you. I do hope that you and your clan do well, you will always have my support if you need it."

He gave her a smile and wave, "Tell her I said goodbye if she figures it out. If not don't trouble her with it." After that he disappeared leaving a very stunned Inuzuka matriarch.

With Naruto...

The blond teen sat there reading a book on the storm release before he leaned back in his seat. His mind had been pondering how Kiro had been acting when he said goodbye. Almost as if the man was crushed by something. He wasn't exactly close to Kiro or Darious but the idiots had slowly started to grow on him a bit during their time together.

Naruto sighed, putting his book down as he got up from his chair and headed downstairs to find Darious. He found the man sitting on the couch with Shizune rubbing his arm, clearly not taking the news of Kiro's departure well. Naruto sat down on the chair opposite of him, "Hey Darious."

He looked up at the blond, speaking in a different tone then he normally does, "Yeah Naruto?"

The teen leaned back in the chair, "What was wrong with Kiro when he left? Will he still be all depressed when he comes back?"

The brown haired man sighed, "Girl issues Naruto, that is all that you need to know really. As for your other question, he is not going to be coming back."

Naruto rose his eyebrow at him, "Because of this 'girl issue' he won't be coming back? And you're okay with this?"

Darious sighed, "That is one of the reasons that he is staying away yes but I am not okay with the decision. If you must know I am trying to figure out what to do so that he does come back."

The blond teen gave him a blank look, a bit annoyed that he had to even point this out, "Have you talked to this girl to find out the problem?"

Darious stared at the young man for a moment then stood. He hadn't thought of that yet which frustrated him a bit. With that the man gave Shizune a quick kiss before heading off towards the Inuzuka compound. Naruto just stood and shook his head, "How those two have survived this long on their own I will never know..."

At the Inuzuka Compound...

Hana had just arrived home to find her mother deep in thought. Since this wasn't all that unusual she brushed it off and went to do her own things until there was a knock at the door. She sighed, thinking that it was typical that it happened right when she closed the door, she turned and opened it to find a man she had never seen before standing there, "May I help you?"

The unknown man looked at her, "Are you Hana Inuzuka?"

She nodded her head, "So you have met a man named Kiro Ookami, yes?"

Once again the woman nodded her head, although this time a bit slower, making him give a sigh of relief, "Has he come to see you at all today?"

Shaking her head no, choosing to not mention that she thought she smelled him earlier, the man gave a confused look, "Odd, I figured he would have said goodbye to you..."

That made it so that her eyebrow rose, "Goodbye? MOM!"

That cause Tsume to snap out of it at that point and came over by her, "What?"

Her daughter just stared at her, "Do you know anything about Kiro leaving?"

The Inuzuka matriarch stared at her, "Yeah, he told me to tell you goodbye for him. He said he went to see you but you were happily involved in a conversation with some scarred guy. I am guessing it was a guy since, though he didn't say it, it was clear that he didn't like that you were. Though since you two aren't a couple he didn't say anything in regards to that, just that you were happy and smiling, something he had never seen."

Hana rose her eyebrow, "Iruka? He is just my friend though."

Letting out an annoyed sigh Darious was the one that responded to her this time, "How would Kiro know that? He thinks that you don't want anything to do with him, he said he thought you were actually going out of your way to avoid him. He read some old scroll on the Inuzuka women that they seek the ones they want when in heat, especially at the peak which he could tell you were at. I am sure that he is thinking along those lines with this Iruka guy and you, that being said he didn't take it well."

Hana let out an annoyed sigh, "I will talk to him when he gets back alright?"

This time it was Tsume that responded to her, "He isn't coming back Hana..."

Said woman looked over at her, "What?! Why!?"

Her mother sighed as she shook her head, "He knows you don't want him as a mate Hana. He is going to do this for both of you. He can't be driven insane by your scent and you don't have to think it is your responsibility to be with him."

Staring at her mother Hana slowly responded, "It's like what he said in the park that night... that must mean that you're Darious?"

The brown haired man nodded his head as he looked at the two Inuzuka women, "Well it's obvious what the issue is here, so now that I know this road came to its close I can think of something else. Sorry to have bothered you both, I hope that you enjoy your evening."

Turning to leave Darious stopped as Hana yelled for him to wait, "WAIT! WHERE DID HE GO!?"

He looked over his shoulder at her for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should tell her. Thinking that she was still his best shot at getting Kiro to come home he decided to respond, "Land of Rivers."

Hana nodded her head before going to grab her gear and go after him. Darious looked at Tsume and nodded his head at her before he returned to the Uzumaki compound to do his own things.