Chapter 4: All Hands Revealed!
Summary: As the training period comes to a close, Naruto finds out a harrowing truth. Naruto has a mindbending experience with Gaara. Naruto and Sasuke are advised to rest for the week as their peers continue training. Kakashi attempts to mend the cracked bonds in team 7.
Naruto found himself, once again, standing in a sewer. Like last time, he heard a woman's shriek coming from nearby. He let the shriek guide him to the empty doorway, which led him to the nine-tailed fox's cage.
Once Naruto was close to the cage, he heard a sinister chuckling coming from the other side.
"Hahaha hahaha...".
Naruto shouted, "Hey, you stupid fox, what're you laughing about?".
The nine-tailed fox showed itself, and ceased its laughing, as it spoke excitedly. "Back when you fought Orochimaru - 'that snake guy' -, he added a seal onto your stomach, atop the one which seals me inside of you.".
That was news to Naruto.
Is that why I don't remember that fight?
"This seal causes my chakra to mix with yours in your very own chakra network. My control over the chakra wasn't very powerful at first, but the first time you used my chakra, I made sure to drain all of my chakra which was in your frail little body when I took over to summon the frog. Then, I let you burn through your own chakra, until the ratio of my chakra to yours favored mine, ever so slightly. ".
That doesn't sound good...
"The same way that my chakra can heal you, it can destroy you. Over the past three weeks, the expansion of my chakra within your system has reached unprecedented bounds. It's taken a while to get to this point, but it's finally here! The peak of your suffering, and the peak of my amusement!".
Naruto questioned, "W-what do you mean?!".
The fox explained, "I wouldn't expect you to understand. The fact of the mattter is that, now, within your own chakra system, my chakra mixing with yours. To make it simple, my chakra is venomous. By allowing you to drain your own chakra and then adding in more of my own to make the ratio favor me, I've effectively poisoned your entire chakra system - you can still use jutsu, but when you do, it's gonna hurt a lot. Just living is going to be a pain, too. Now, I'm not going to let you die - that would be bad for me, but I am going to make sure that you suffer as much as possible whenever you have control over your own body. ".
Naruto's eyes widened.
"And that's the other thing - If you drain enough of your own chakra, or if you choose to give me control, I can take over your body. Under which circumstance, I will have full control until your chakra comes back in sufficient quantity.".
Naruto threatened, "You won't get away with this! I'll tell Kakashi-sensei, and Pervy Sage, they'll know what to do! They'll undo the seal that this 'Orochimaru' put on me!".
The fox laughed. "If they undo the seal, then our chakra will be separated, and I won't be to shift our chakra - and it's not like I have any incentive to do so, unless you meet my challenge.".
Naruto choked up, and asked, "What do you want from me?! Why are you holding my own body hostage against me?!".
The fox told him, "For starters, I want you to suffer. But I'm a fair fox, I will cease the illness and never attempt to take over your body if I deem it fit, if, and only if, you can prove that your instincts are greater than mine.".
Naruto inquired, "How do I do that?".
The fox answered, "When you've done it, I'll know, and you'll know.".
Naruto let out a shaky breath as his anger rose.
The fox scoffed and added, "Hey, Brat, as long as you're suffering like this, how about you give some thought as to what you live for? Not what you live for or what your dreams are, but what absolutely requires that you keep living? What purpose do you serve?".
Naruto stammered, "Wha?- I- I have to live for my team!".
The fox sighed. "Disappointing... You're as daft as ever.". It scoffed and responded, "I don't have the patience to deal with you right now... Go away.".
Naruto woke up in a hospital bed.
He tried to sit up, but as soon as he lifted his head, he fell into a coughing fit that led him to lean over the side of the bed, holding his chest as he coughed blood into the floor.
It was then that a nurse walked in, and rushed over to the boy to help him.
A few hours later
The late afternoon sun poured in through the window as Naruto received the full news from his doctor. She explained to him, "All of your symptoms fall in line with severe chakra burns. Just rest for a while, and wear this glove on your right hand whenever you're awake.". She handed the boy a fingerless compression glove, which he accepted and fit onto his hand.
Naruto was alone with the doctor (being an orphan, and not having any legal guardians, he was an emancipated minor). He simply looked sullen and nodded, "I understand, Doctor. Thanks for everything, y'know.". He stepped down from his chair, and left the office.
As he walked out of the office, he saw the state of the waiting room. There were people with broken bones, bleeding heads, and upset stomachs, all sorts of suffering collected in one room, waiting their turn. And some of these people still had the gall to glare at Naruto.
Do they get some sort of pleasure from this? Isn't it enough that their healthcare is paid for already? Why do they have to pick on me like this? Can't they just get over it already?!
Naruto quickened his pace to leave the wing, to go and see the receptionist of the hospital. He asked her, "Hey, y'know where Sasuke Uchiha is? He's my teammate, y'know.".
After finding out where Sasuke was, Naruto made a beeline for the boy's room, left alone to his own thoughts.
The damn stupid damn fox asked me what I have to live for... Becoming hokage, duh! What kind of a question is that? Sure, things are sort of crumbling down, but I can salvage this! I'll rise above my problems and achieve my dreams!...
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It took a few minutes to get to the room, but it would've been quicker if Naruto hadn't had to cough so much all along the way.
Naruto walked into the room, folding up and putting a blood-stained tissue in his pocket. The evening sun lit the scene well enough to make everything out. He saw Sasuke sitting in bed, frustrated, as Sakura cut some apples. The girl told Sasuke, "I brought an apple for you, lemme cut it up to make it easier to eat.". Sasuke was silent.
Naruto, Naruto, Naruto! He showed me what a damn coward I was in the Forest of Death, but now that I've decided to stop being a coward, he still overpowers me! I knew he must've been getting stronger, but at this fast a pace? And it only took him a matter of minutes to beat me... At this rate, how will I become strong enough to kill Itachi? I need to train harder!
Sakura picked up an apple slice with a fork, and held it in front of Sasuke. Sasuke took one look at it, and shouted, as he smacked the apple away, causing the plate in Sakura's hand to fall and break.
Sakura whispered, "Sasuke...".
Sasuke looked past Sakura, and his eyes widened when he finally noticed that Naruto had been standing there the whole time.
The blonde's fists were clenched. Looking away from Sasuke and Sakura, he muttered, "You're such an asshole, Sasuke.". Sakura gasped and turned around, as he left the room.
As he was walking away, Sakura rushed outside and grabbed him by the elbow. She told him, "Naruto, when I said that I hate you - I didn't mean it! I'm sorry!".
Naruto released his elbow from her grip, turned around, and smiled sadly. He scratched the back of his head as he responded, "That's alright, Sakura-chan, I forgive you, y'know!". He swatted the air absently, adding, "There's nothing to worry about, okay?", and turned around to walk away. Sakura watched glumly.
But there's a lot to worry about, Naruto... What's going on with you?...
It was then that Sakura yelled, "Wait, Naruto, we should go and visit Lee together!".
Naruto turned around. He opened his mouth, "O-", he coughed. He cleared his throat and said, "Okay, sure. Let's go now...".
Sakura ran up to the boy and gave him a pat on the back. She giggled, "Alright, let's go!".
Naruto's own face lightened up at that, as he adorned a smile on his face.
In spite of everything, Sakura manages to lift me up...
As they walked, they were silent. Sakura didn't know what to say, but the prayed that she hadn't hurt Naruto too badly the day before. She took the time to collect her thoughts.
Naruto, meanwhile, was lost in his thoughts.
The nine-tailed fox is weaponizing my body against itself... But it's my body! Shouldn't there be some way for me to take total control of its chakra, and to reverse its effects?
Naruto turned his head to face Sakura, and gave her a light smile. Sakura felt her heart warm as she responded with a smile of her own. They rounded a corner, and Naruto bumped right into Shikamaru.
The blonde greeted, "Oh, hey, Shikamaru, what're you doing here?".
Shikamaru explained, "Choji's being troublesome again... Landed in this place with food poisoning. And I heard that you were here, so I was gonna grab something for you from the vending machine.".
Naruto told him, "Ah, no need for that! Come with me and Sakura-chan, we're gonna go visit Lee, y'know.".
The Nara boy sighed and replied, "Sounds like a drag... But sure, why not.".
Reluctantly, Shikamaru joined his fellow genin on their trip to Lee's room.
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When Sakura had led them to the room, it was Naruto who opened the door.
He froze in fear when he saw what was happening.
Gaara had sand pouring out of his gourd, and was wrapping it around Lee!
Naruto stammered, "Y-you-you-"
Shikamaru pushed Naruto, ordering, "Come on, don't just stand there like that!".
The other two genin stumbled into the room, and saw what was happening.
Shikamaru didn't hesitate to use his shadow possession jutsu, as Naruto and Sakura both froze.
Shikamaru ordered, "Pinky, go and get someone to help us!".
As the sand ceased coiling around Lee, Naruto ran up to Gaara and socked him in the face, prompting Shikamaru to shout, "Hey, Naruto, if you punch him like that, it makes it easier for him to break out of my jutsu! Get back here!". Naruto clenched his fist, anf walked back to Shikamaru's side, never turning his back to Gaara.
Shikamaru questioned Gaara, "What the Hell are you doing, you whack job? Leave Lee alone!".
Gaara, without hesitating, answered, "I was going to kill him.".
Shikamaru stuttered, "W-why?...".
Gaara told him, "Because I want to.".
Naruto whimpered, before gaining his composure and shouting, "What's that supposed to mean? You're talking about killing a guy like it's a walk in the park!". Shikamaru strained himself.
He's not even fazed by my shadow possession jutsu... This guy's one cool customer!
Shikamaru questioned, "Isn't it enough that you beat him the first time? Why do you have to kill him now? You got a personal grudge against him?".
Gaara replied, "I have nothing against him, I just wanna kill him, that's all. It's nothing complicated.".
The boys stayed silent.
Gaara added, "If you don't stop bothering me, I'm gonna have to kill the both of you as well.".
Naruto challenged, "Well, let's just see you try it!", as he got ready to fight.
Shikamaru told him, "Woah, kid, take it easy!".
Best thing we can do is try to bluff out way out of this. A half-truth should work well enough.
Shikamaru warned, "Naruto and I... We've gotten a lot stronger than we were at the preliminaries... And we were holding back, then, too. If you try to fight us, you're gonna lose sorely. On top of that, it's two against one, so don't be a fool, just get out of here.".
Gaara coolly responded, "I'll say it again, if you don't stop bothering me, I'm gonna have to kill you two as well.".
Naruto growled, and shrieked, "I'll say it again, too, just try it! We'll kick your ass every which way!".
Shikamaru groaned, "Back off, Naruto! This guy's mad, he fights like he's a demon or something!".
Naruto smirked, "He can act like a demon all he wants, but I got the real thing inside of me, y'know!".
Shikamaru scolded, "Idiot, what's the point of getting him mad?!".
Gaara commented, "My demon is just as real as yours is...".
Naruto and Shikamaru gasped.
Gaara continued, "My childhood was rife with nothing but misery. Just as soon as I had been born, my father cast a ninjutsu on me which sealed within me the sand spirit. I then destroyed the life of my mother, who'd just given birth to me; I was born a monster.".
A sand spirit?!
Gaara explained, "The sand spirit is a freak of nature, one of the nine of the tailed chakra demons.".
Shikamaru gulped and remarked, "Yeah, some kind of cacodemon jutsu, but to use it on a baby? Man, that's a whole 'nother level of messed up...".
Naruto stared Gaara up and down.
Can it be true? He's got one inside of him, too?
Shikamaru mocked, "Gee, what a swell guy your dad must've been. I'm sure he loved you a lot.".
Gaara responded, "You speak of love? Don't measure me by your standards... Love, family? The only ties I have to my family are the ones I'd like to wrap around their necks - they're only ties of hate. Given life by the death of my mother and brought into existence, I was nurtured as the salvation of the Sand village. I was the kazekekage's youngest child. My father taught me the innermost workings of the shinobi world. He pampered and protected me, and left me to myself. At a time, I thought that was love. But then, it all started...".
The redhead went blank.
Naruto pushed, "What started? Are you gonna tell us or not? Go, on tell us!".
Gaara smiled maniacally. "In the past six years, my father has tried to kill me more times than I can count!".
Naruto and Shikamaru gasped again.
Shikamaru regained his composure, and said, "You just finished saying that your father pampered you. And now, you're saying that he tried to kill you? Quit contradicting yourself.".
Gaara narrowed his eyes. "Those who get to be too strong are prone to becoming feared. The very jutsu that gave me birth brought an imbalance in my mind. Even the fools who reside in my village realized that I have emotional problems. My father, the kazekage, created me as the ultimate weapon, but I came to be a threat to the village that I was meant to save. By the time I was six, I had become a threat to the villagers. I became a relic of the past that they wished would just disappear. See, I failed at the one purpose for which I was given life! What then was left of me in this existence, to push me to keep on living? For a long time, I couldn't find the answer, but in order to live, you need a purpose. To exist for no reason is akin to being dead.".
Shikamaru tensed up. "What is this guy talking about?".
Naruto froze up again.
I know just what he's talking about... Exactly! He's the same as me! I had no purpose - I was just as good as dead... Until I came up with my dream of being acknowledged as my purpose, and I've been chasing after it relentlessly for the past year!
Gaara continued, "In time, the answer came to me. Simply put, my sole reason for living lies in causing others to cease living. For years, I lived in absolute fear of those who were sent to murder me, but now I live in peace. I'd killed many would-be assassins, and right in the middle of one of those kills, the truth was made clear to me. I live only for myself and love only myself. The same way the death of my mother gave me life, the deaths of others sustains my life. As long as there are still people for me to kill in this crowded world, I will never disappear.".
Shikamaru gasped.
This freak, he's out of his mind!
Naruto reflected on Gaara's words.
I was alone, too! I didn't know what I was here for, why I was alive, and I felt like I was living a façade, even when I'd found my purpose of being acknowledged! Then, Iruka-sensei saw what was in me... He's the first one to have ever put my reason for living into effect! But this guy had no-one, he had to find his own answer, and this is what he came up with? Killing others in order to live himself? Could... I have ended up like that, if not for the people important to me?
Naruto felt as if Gaara's stare was going to kill him.
We're so different, but fundamentally the same! But he's deadlier than I am... I don't think I can beat this guy!
Naruto lost his nerve, and stepped back in fear.
Shocked, Shikamaru turned to him and asked, "Hey! Where ya going? What's wrong?!".
The boy turned to face forward. Gaara's sand began rushing towards he and Naruto!
He shouldn't be able to do that... I'm using my shadow possession jutsu!
Naruto could only cower as the sand approached him.
Nothing... I feel nothing but fear! I'm gonna die!
Shikamaru saw Naruto's frozen state, and called out, "Hey, Naruto, get it together!". He commented, "This is such a drag!".
The sand continued to rush towards them, until Might Guy stepped into the room, with Sakura right behind him.
The boys all looked at the jonin, who commanded, "Alright, that's enough. The final part of the exam is in six days. Save it for then!".
Gaara clutched the sides of his head, and flashes of his past ran through his head.
I'm not bleeding, but it hurts in my chest!...
He hyperventilated. The sand then seeped back into his gourd as he caught his breath, and walked out the room. He took the time to threaten, "I will kill you, I will kill you all...".
After he left, the Lead shinobi looked at each other. With a single nod, they agreed to part ways, as Shikamaru left to go to the vending machine, and Naruto Sakura left the building altogether.
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They walked absent-mindedly, with Naruto just following Sakura.
As they walked, Sakura suggested, "Naruto, we should talk about what happened yesterday... Those things you said yesterday... To Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke?".
Naruto sheepishly looked at her and replied, "Well... I was just really mad, y'know? No matter which way I look at it, it always feels like Kakashi-sensei has something against me... and you.".
The pinkette responded, "I'll admit that Kakashi-sensei hasn't been the best teacher, but I still have a hard time believing that there was any sort of malice involved.". She paused, then added, "I think you really hurt Sensei when you said that about him.".
Naruto absentmindedly commented, "Y'know, I used to think that Sensei didn't have any feelings, before that time he got trapped in Zabuza's water prison.".
Sakura giggled, and then admitted, "Honestly, I used to think the same... But you know deep down how much he cares about us, Naruto.".
Naruto scratched the back of his head, and meekly countered, "Well, he has a funny way of showing it, y'know.".
Sakura sighed, and retorted, "His teammates died, Naruto. He probably still feels sad about that...".
Naruto responded, "I feel sad, too, Sakura-chan. I mean...". He paused to think of the right words. "I've never had anyone to care about me, and it just kills me inside, y'know? But I still show that I care about people, y'know.".
Sakura told the boy, "That's a different kind of pain, Naruto. I can't understand it, since I haven't lost anyone, but Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke, they understand.".
Naruto kicked a small rock ahead of him. He said, "I've lost someone, too, Sakura-chan...".
Sakura's eyes widened, as she got curious.
Naruto continued, "That boy, Haku? Zabuza's friend? I met him in the forest one morning, not knowing who he was. We didn't talk for long, but he helped me realize that I fight and get stronger so that I can protect the people whom I hold dear to myself. And then, I was about to kill him... Then I stopped. And he convinced me to go through with it. But then he willingly let himself die.".
Sakura stared at the boy wide-eyed as he went further on to say, "So, even though I haven't lost many people, I still know what that kinda loss is like.". He pouted. "And, to be honest, it doesn't hurt as much as I've been led to believe; as messed up as this might sound, it actually hurts me more that I've never had anyone to care for me than it hurts me that I've lost someone who did care for me".
He scoffed, and his face turned into a sad smile. Naruto knew that his loss wasn't the same as Sasuke or Kakashi, but he knew that he now understood the meaning of loss.
Sakura looked shocked, and she gulped. She felt bad for the blonde. He knew both the pain of not being cared for, and the pain of losing someone who'd cared for him...
She put a hand on the boy's shoulder and warmly told him, "You're not alone, Naruto. You have me, Kakashi-sensei, and Sasuke, Ebisu-sensei, and Master Jiraiya...".
Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, I also got Iruka-sensei, and Old Man hokage's cool, too, even though I don''t see him often, y'know.". He turned to face Sakura, smiling at her, as he added, "I'm grateful for you, believe it! I can't imagine my life without you in it. If I'm happy at all, it's thanks to you, y'know.".
Sakura nodded, "Good, that's... good.".
The pinkette suddenly stopped in front of her house, saying, "I'm glad we had this talk, Naruto. Please, be well.".
Naruto waved his hand and replied, "You don't have to worry about me, Sakura-chan, I'll be alright, y'know!", and walked away. Sakura watched him, praying that he'd be okay.
When Naruto said "I can't imagine my life without you in it.", was he talking about all of us, or me specifically?
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Naruto walked home quietly, and spent his day there.
He watched T.V. as he played video games for a while for a while, wanting to not strain himself so soon after leaving the hospital. He decided to spend the rest of the week just relaxing, and doing basic exercises. Every now and then, though, a cold thought would come over him.
What do I really have to live for?...
Next morning
Naruto was eating cereal, when he heard a knocking on his door.
He walked over to the door, and opened it, finding Ebisu standing there.
The man looked down and said, "Hey, there, Naruto... Kakashi told me what happened with Sasuke.".
Naruto shifted his feet.
Ebisu told him, "Look, you can spend the rest of the week resting, if you want. I'd actually advise it, considering the extent of your injuries.".
Naruto covered a cough, and responded, "Alright, Ebisu-sensei, I'll keep that in mind...".
Ebisu sighed. He then said, "Listen, Naruto, I'm not here to scold you nor berate you. I'm here to tell you that I believe in your ability to make the best of things.".
The man brought his fist forward, and Naruto was quick to bump it with his own fist.
Ebisu dismissed himself, saying, "I'll see you later, Naruto. Be well.", and left to go his own way.
Team 7 Training Ground, an hour later
Sakura returned a wilting flower to its blooming state. It was a bit lonely without Naruto, but Ebisu was good company.
Team 8 Training Ground
Kurenai put a hand on Shino's shoulder, telling him, "Good job, Shino, you're certainly ready for the exam by now.".
Hinata and Kiba were absolutely winded, resting their backs against trees as they saw stars around their eyes.
Team 9 Training Ground
Might Guy patted Tenten on the shoulder, both of them out of breath. Guy led the kunoichi to Neji, who was lying on his back, also smiling while out of breath, in a perfect circle embedded in the ground.
Hotel in Hidden Leaf
Zaku looked left and right across the hallway, as he entered his team's room and closed the room.
He sighed, and crossed his arms as he leaned against the door. He asked, "So, Dosu, mind telling me how exactly how you're gonna trump Orochimaru?".
Dosu, un-bandaged, sat on the foot of the farthest bed, and was drawn out from his fixation on the T.V. by Zaku's question.
Kin shot up from her bed, now kneeling as she pestered, "Yeah, Dosu, how's your dogshit idea gonna work out?".
Dosu frowned at his teammates.
They'd grown closer together since their time in the Forest of Death; they'd become able to banter with each other.
Dosu slowly turned to Zaku, and answered, "We don't know what Orochimaru's plan is. We have to stay here in order to keep the Leaf's suspicions low. We have to keep them low. We can't go to the Leaf and try to defect just yet, since they'd likely not believe us over their ally village. We're stuck in-between a rock and a hard place. The best course of action is for us to be there when Orochimaru attacks the Leaf, so that we can give the Leaf an advantage - and if we make a show of it, maybe we'll find safety in this village. ".
Kin sighed as she bit her lip. She inquired, "Are we really gonna defect to the Leaf?".
Dosu ran a hand through his hair as he responded, "It's the only way for us to survive. That is all that matters. We're not gonna try and join the Leaf for the sake of being Leaf shinobi, we're gonna do it for the sake of being safe.".
Zaku joked, "As long as I don't need any more prosthetics afterwards, I'll be fine.". His teammates chuckled with him.
They'd put on a strong front of not caring for each other (something taught to them by Orochimaru), but they truly were tightly-knit.
Hokage Monument
Jiraiya sat atop the likeness of the first hokage, as Hiruzen and Kakashi stood beside him, Hiruzen smoking a pipe.
The oldest man pulled the pipe out of his mouth, holding it in his hand, as he, Kakashi, and Jiraiya seemed to simultaneously look towards the fourth hokage's face. The afternoon sun shone on the stone image, making it appear clear as ever. The stone face reflected light in such a way that they'd always compared to the man whose image it was - in totality. There was never a moment where Minato Namikaze - the fourth hokage - radiated a dark aura.
Hiruzen admitted, "As the days pass, intentions come to me of telling Naruto about his parents.".
Kakashi and Jiraiya's eyes widened, as they both turned to look at the hokage.
Jiraiya responded, "I- I...". He sighed and looked down. "That doesn't sound like a good idea to me, Sarutobi-sensei...".
Kakashi added, "I'm afraid I have to agree with Master Jiraiya... Naruto just isn't ready for something so heavy.".
Hiruzen questioned, "How do you figure that, Kakashi?".
The jonin answered, "To put it bluntly, Naruto's got his head in the clouds. As of now, he's too kind, and too naive, to truly understand the gravity of... Well, anything. I want to ease him into being ready to know, Lord Hokage.".
The hokage smoked his pipe once more, before asking, "Do you bear a lack of faith in him, Kakashi?".
Kakashi told him, "When I look at him, I see myself - who I used to be. Sure, I've never been as sporadic as he is, but I had the same light... aura around myself.".
Jiraiya shook his head. "Wait a minute, Kakashi.", he said. "We spent some time together after the nine-tails' attack on the village - you were nothing like Naruto is now.".
Kakashi replied, "Of course, when Obito, Rin, and Minato-sensei died in the attack, I'd become disillusioned.". He trailed off, "It was only afterwards that I became more like Sasuke is now...".
The men stood in silence, fixing their gazes back onto the the fourth hokage's stone image.
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Kakashi's eye narrowed, and he stared the hokage in the eyes, affirming, "I will do absolutely anything to make sure that Naruto doesn't end up like me. Naruto doesn't deserve such pain.".
Hiruzen inquired, "How does such a thing relate to Naruto's knowledge, or lack thereof, as to the fact that Minato is his father?".
Kakashi shifted his feet, and replied, "Like I was then, Naruto's mindset is fragile. If it's just sprung on him that his father was the fourth hokage, it's likely to put him in quite the mental throes.". To further convince the hokage, he added, "He might even question his loyalty to the village.".
Hiruzen lightly nodded. "I see... But you've consistently proven yourself to be an excellent shinobi, Kakashi. Hasn't your trauma made you a better person?...".
Kakashi shrugged. "I... guess you could say that.". He continued, "Regardless, Naruto's just a kid... this kind of revelation is better fit for a young man.".
Hiruzen chuckled. "Naruto's much more mature than you think, Kakashi. He just may surprise you with how mature he is, you know.".
Jiraiya interjected, "Let's just see if he can pass this exam, first.".
The hokage hummed. He then asked, "Very well then. What about Sasuke? How will he fare in this exam?".
The jonin answered, "I have high hopes for him; he's shown a lot of improvement over the past three weeks. Nowhere near as good as his brother was, but still very good. Having some rest this week is gonna do him a lot of good...".
Evening before the Third Round
Naruto rolled out of bed, making his way to the bathroom.
I barley slept a wink last night, so nervous...
As he walked to the bathroom, he noted the clock on his wall.
8:00 P.M... Looks like I'm not sleeping tonight, either.
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After freshening up and getting out of the bathroom, Naruto went towards the couch and plopped down on it. He didn't bother eating yet - he wasn't hungry, after all. He tried to recall the last time he ate, and remembered that it was a midnight snack earlier that day. He was about to turn the T.V. on when he heard a knock on the door. He sighed, and got up to answer it.
Naruto opened the door to see none other than Team 7 (dressed casually - even Kakashi, somewhat) standing in front of him.
He greeted, "Hey, you guys, what's up?".
Kakashi told him, "We figured that since you and Sasuke have the exam tomorrow, that we should go out and have a nice pre-exam dinner.". When Naruto neglected to react, the man added, "At Ichiraku's. Ramen.".
A little bonding time for Naruto and Sasuke will do a lot of good. God knows they need it.
Naruto looked confused for a second, before a look of clarity came onto his face. He exclaimed, jumbling up his words a bit, "Oh! This is a you're inviting me!".
Kakashi's brow slightly raised as he responded, "Yes, Naruto, that's exactly what it is. Now, get dressed and come on, we're all hungry.".
Naruto looked down, and suddenly became aware that he was only wearing a tank top and boxers.
How embarrassing...
Naruto closed the door, scrambled to put on a white t-shirt, jeans, and shoes. He then straightened out his clothes as he opened the door to greet his team again.
Sakura joked, "You clean up well, Naruto.". She giggled, "I'm impressed!".
Naruto chuckled as he scratched the back of his neck. "Thanks, Sakura-chan, that means a lot to me, y'know.".
Sakura hummed and nodded, and Team 7 began walking to Ichiraku's.
.
As the team walked, Sasuke's presence was as close to invisible as one could get. He felt resentful, sad, and weak all at the same time, and he kept these feelings to himself.
As a matter of fact, the whole team was silent, even Naruto. He did try to start some conversations, but he was only met with an affirmative hum from Sakura and a "Sure." from Kakashi. Sakura did want to be more involved in the conversation, but being around Sasuke just made her completely and totally nervous. It was ironic - she wanted to help Sasuke get out of the darkness, but she would only ever find herself cowering in its presence.
The team entered through the flaps of the ramen stand, and Naruto excitedly skipped towards the bar. He ordered, "Old Man, gimme my regular, please!".
The rest of the team followed suit, as Kakashi announced, "Yo, Teuchi, we're here too. Fix anything up for me.".
You lack tact, Naruto...
Sakura walked up to the counter, and Naruto snapped to inquire, "What about you Sakura-chan what're you gonna have?".
Sakura told him, "I'll have vegetarian ramen, please.". She looked at Sasuke, asking, "What about you, Sasuke?". The Uchiha answered, "I'll...", and his eyes shifted to the blonde, "have whatever Naruto's having.".
Naruto squinted and stared at Sasuke, as he told Teuchi, "Old Man, get me the same vegetarian ramen that you're giving Sakura...".
As Teuchi and Ayame began to cook, Team 7 took their seats. On the left was Sakura, to her right was Naruto, to his right was Kakashi, and to his right was Sasuke. Kakashi and Sasuke silently watched while Naruto and Sakura talked about their week ("I've managed to revive two flowers within the same hour!", "I've been playing games and stuff", etc.). So far, Naruto and Sakura seemed to be the only two of the four who were actually enjoying this little outing.
When Teuchi and Ayame returned, Team 7 waited for every bowl to be plopped down onto the counter. Once that was done, Naruto Sakura broke apart their chopsticks, exclaiming:
"Thanks for the meal!".
As Naruto slurped his ramen, he side-eyed Sasuke, meeting the Uchiha's narrow glare. They both slowly slurped some more ramen, and slowly brought their chopsticks into a descent towards their own respective bowls.
Then, they began to thrust their chopsticks into their bowls, hurriedly pulling out ramen and devouring it, shoving as much as they could into their mouths.
They kept going like this until their bowls were empty, at which point they simultaneously set their bowls on the counter and demanded, "Miso, please!".
Sakura leaned back to get a look at Kakashi, whose eye met her in a smile, as they both shared the same endearing thought.
Those idiots... Is it really so easy for them to forget what happened last week?
After devouring another bowl, Naruto and Sasuke demanded another. And another. And another... Sakura switched between looking at Naruto and Sasuke, keeping track of who was closer to finishing his bowl.
After another few bowls, Sakura was looking at Naruto, as both boys set down their bowls on the counter, and panted. Naruto's eyes seemed to be in swirls as he clutched his stomach, groaning. Sakura rubbed Naruto's back to ease him as he sunk his face into his palms, telling him, "See what happens when you eat too much?". Naruto groaned, "Yes...", eliciting a giggle from the girl. She looked over to see Sasuke, and noticed that Kakashi was gone. Where Kakashi's bowl once was on the counter, was a note that read "~ I'll pay next time ~". Sakura noticed that Sasuke was deep in his palms, just like Naruto, so she sighed and said, "Guys... Kakashi-sensei ditched us.".
Naruto shot up, and looked to where Kakashi had been sitting. He grumbled, "Didn't even leave us some cash...". He asked, "Hey, Old Man, how much do we owe you?".
It was Ayame who told them, "You've racked up a grand total of... 64 ryo.".
Naruto pulled out his frog wallet and opened it, looking inside. He sighed and asked, "Do you have any change for a 5?".
Sakura put a hand on his shoulder and offered, "I'll pay half of it, Naruto.".
Sasuke waved his hand and suggested, "Let's split it three ways.".
Naruto responded, "Thanks, guys, that's a good idea. Let's see... 64 divided by 3 would be... twenty-one ryo from each of us!".
Sakura pouted, and informed the blonde, "Your math's off... 64 doesn't divide evenly by 3.".
As Sasuke scoffed, Naruto frowned, and began counting on his fingers, tracking the numbers in his mind.
64 and 3... 21? But wait... 3 multiplied by 21... 3 multiplied by 20 is 60... And 60 plus 3 is 63! And 63 plus 3 is 66!
Naruto looked back at Sakura wide-eyed and replied, "You're right, Sakura-chan...".
Sakura flipped her hair and jested, "I'm always right.".
The Uzumaki stuck his tongue out, then said, "One of us is gonna have to cough up some extra money, y'know...".
The genin narrowed their eyes at each other, before they all stood and blurted out, "Not it!".
Naruto was quick to point at Sasuke and shout, "You said it last!".
Sakura giggled as Sasuke growled, and pulled out his money.
The genin paid for their meals and thanked Teuchi for the meal again, before leaving the stand.
Naruto and Sasuke followed Sakura's lead as she walked to her house, conversing with Naruto. Unlike earlier, Sakura was beginning to feel more comfortable around Sasuke, being that the incident at Ichiraku's humanized him in some sense. Being away from him for so long had put him on some sort of emotional pedestal, and Sakura was getting used to the idea that Sasuke wasn't some diving being.
However, Sasuke was still distant. Sakura's heart fluttered around him, but it was with Naruto that she was feeling truly appreciated - like her time was actually worth something.
As for Naruto himself, he felt as if the pedestal upon which he'd placed Sakura was justified. In every way, he felt content around her, and his issues with Sasuke seemed to be far away.
When the trio finally reached Sakura's house, Sakura and Naruto felt a little down - they'd actually been enjoying their conversation quite a lot.
They stood in front of the house, as Naruto's cheeks began to turn red from embarrassment. He admitted, "I'm really no good at goodbyes, y'know...", as he scratched the back of his head.
He held out a hand towards Sakura to shake it, but instead, she surprised him with a quick hug, which she quickly broke off as she turned around to walk the path into her house.
Naruto's blush was now an exhibit of his love rather than his embarrassment, and he watched the pinkette skip to her house, turning around to tell him, "Good luck!", when she got to the door.
As Naruto smiled, he heard Sasuke call out to him, "Really, you loser? You're 'no good with goodbyes'?". He scoffed. "You knew what you were doing.".
Naruto turned around and faced Sasuke in confusion. He asked, "What does that mean?".
The raven-haired boy calmly replied, "You were just fishing for a hug by saying that - and you know it!".
The blonde became even more perplexed as he stated, "I have absolutely no idea as to what you're talking about...".
Sasuke pouted, and responded, "Whatever.", as he turned around to leave, ranting to himself about his peer.
That idiot really doesn't have any idea what he's doing, does he? Success just falls into his lap...
Naruto also pouted as Sasuke left, but his mind quickly turned to a sudden urge to take a long walk.
It's barely been an hour and its half since I woke up... I'm not gonna be able to get to sleep now...
Naruto began walking aimlessly around the village, left alone with his ever-shifting thoughts. Every thing that he saw during his walk brought a new thought to mind, whether it was of a nice-looking house, an oddly-shaped street, or even a squirrel.
All of it was getting to be too much for the boy. He just wanted to have one straight line of thought, even if for a few minutes at most. As such, he decided to walk to the top of the fourth hokage's stone head monument.
.
Once he had reached the stone marvel, he lied down on it.
Not exactly the most comfortable position, but...
He moved his arms such that they were bent, and he placed them behind his head.
Good enough...
Naruto sighed, inadvertently bringing up a coughing fit. He coughed once, then twice, and thrice, finding himself almost unable to stop as he coughed another two times.
"Almost forgot about that... Thanks, Stupid Fox."
"You're welcome."
Naruto shot up, and looked around. He yelled, "Hey, who's there?!". He looked around, trying to spot who, or what, had just beckoned to him.
"Calm down, Brat. It's me, your prisoner.".
"Why can I hear you?".
"To put it simply, as my spirit's presence has increased in your body, so has my ability to communicate with you.".
Naruto began to shudder, as he brought up his knees, grabbed them and sunk his head into his thighs.
No way... I've gone off the deep end!
"Brat, don't go silent on me now; have you thought about my question?".
"What question?".
"About what requires you to live. What purpose do you serve for this world?".
"I mean... I can't really think of anything, y'know... It's not exactly a simple question".
"Let me try to make it easy for you, with some present examples... That girl, Sakura, her family requires her to live. If she were to die, they would be broken. Sasuke, that petulant little shit, the village and everyone around him require him to live. Without Sasuke, the legacy of the Uchiha and Sharingan is lost, as is your crush's crush, and your sensei's favorite protégé. Bearing these examples in mind, is there really anyone who needs you?".
Naruto's eyes narrowed as he struggled with the fox's dilemma.
Who needs me to live? I've never really thought about that before... I mean, if I were to just drop dead, Sakura and Ebisu and Iruka and Jiraiya and Kakashi and Sasuke and even Old Man Hokage would be sad, wouldn't they? Yeah, that's right!
"Hey, Stupid Fox! I've got an answer to your question... The people around me need me to live! They care about me a whole lot!".
"But they would get over if quickly if you died. After all, they've all really only known you for a short time... Maybe a few tears shed at your funeral - if you have one - and at most, a few days of grief. But after that, they'd move on. Their lifelines have absolutely no connection to you whatsoever.".
Naruto's eyes widened again when he heard this.
The fox is right, isn't he? I don't mean as much to everyone else as they mean to me, do I? They've all got a lot more loved ones than I've got, so if I were to go away, they wouldn't be too sad... Maybe that's a good thing? Regardless...
I really have nothing to live for... I'm as good as dead..