This is an old idea I had that recently got a fresh surge of inspiration. Tell me what you think.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed with relief as he slipped off the robes of the Hokage after closing the door of his home behind him. He didn't know if it was old age or regret, but the damn hat weighed heavier on his head every day.
He only took it back in the first place to keep Danzo from claiming it. However noble and patriotic his former teammate's intentions, the Professor shuddered at the thought of what the man would have done in the aftermath of the Kyuubi attack. Martial law to stabilize the chaos, conscription and regimented training to recoup losses, and gods only knew what kind of statement to show the world that Konoha was still the best. In Danzo's mind, 'peace' meant every possible opponent had been eliminated. The Sarutobi elder would endure any number of aches and pains from being forced out of retirement before he allowed his mentor's vision to be so perverted. Carpal tunnel from signing paperwork was a cheap price to keep Konoha a beacon of peace rather than an omen of war.
But still, age was a harsh mistress. Every day the memory of his prime seemed dimmer and the frailty of his senescence starker. While he hoped to see his great-grandchildren before he departed, it was foolish to assume the next course without at least planning for the worst. Hiruzen considered his options as he cooked dinner, still feeling the small ache as he set the table one short. His wife was hardly the most significant casualty from that night 12 years ago, but it was the one that cut him deepest. But he didn't mope; she'd bang his head with a frying pan if he did. The Third Hokage turned his thoughts from the past to the future.
Shikaku would be perfect for the job, except he lacked the weight of either notoriety or political measure. It wasn't enough for the Daimyo for a Hokage to be skilled, they had to be 'famous' as well. Jiraiya just might be able to settle down and do the work, but it would come at the cost of most or all of his spy network. A crippled intelligence apparatus was the last thing a new military leader needed. Tsunade had the chops, but her grief had driven her down the path of self-destruction. A bet on the 'Legendary Sucker' seemed poor at best. And there was really only one other candidate that sprung to mind at present, but he had his own issues.
Someone knocked on the door, in the special sequence Hiruzen used for these kinds of dinner meetings.
"Speak of the devil," the old ninja muttered, mustering a smile as he opened the door.
"Good evening, Hokage-sama," Hatake Kakashi greeted.
"Kakashi, my boy, you know how I feel about that name in my house," Hiruzen chided.
The bref portion of the masked man's face that wasn't covered reddened. "Sorry, Sarutobi-san."
"No matter. I made ramen tonight. I hope you're hungry."
These meals with his underlings had been Biwako's brilliant idea. No matter how trusted or skilled the counter-surveillance squad, the fact remained that the Hokage Tower was the target of spies both foreign and domestic. And it was always a good idea to foster good relations with those entrusted with high-stress covert assignments. So every now and then, Hiruzen would get an update on certain long-term missions after sharing a meal. This particular dinner with Kakashi had been a regular affair for years now.
Hiruzen knew almost immediately that there had been a breakthrough. Kakashi had a nervous energy all but bursting out of him. It was subtle to a layman but unmistakable for a ninja. He ate his portion in one flash of speed rather than his usual pretense of sneaking bites here and there. He responded to Hiruzen's attempts at small talk with brief, conclusive statements, shooting down any conversation. When the senior spent half a minute chasing one noodle with his chopsticks, the Hatake actually fidgeted.
Draining his bowl of broth, the aged veteran set it aside. "Out with it, Kakashi. What progress has been made?"
The cyclops's eye glowed with triumph. "I found him, sir. I finally found him."
Hiruzen's breath caught. He hardly dared to believe. After years of uncertainty, at last an answer. The answer to his greatest failure.
"Oh, Naruto."
The day of his successor's son's 6th birthday, Hiruzen had gone down to the orphanage to visit. To his horror, the young Uzumaki was nowhere to be found. Fear quickly turned to outrage when the staff's lies fell apart to reveal the boy had been kicked out weeks ago rather than 'running away'. To add insult to injury, the ANBU assigned to watch Naruto had abandoned his post that day, and had covered up the disappearance in a desperate bid to find the boy before the Hokage found out. A perfect comedy of errors, leaving Hiruzen with a boy he loved as dearly as his blood grandson missing, let alone the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi or the son of the Yellow Flash.
The civilians were kept ignorant, the general forces told Naruto had been moved to a 'secure location', and the ANBU sent on an exhaustive manhunt. But with every day, the search seemed more fruitless. Uzumaki Naruto was nowhere to be found in the village. The investigation proved that he'd lived on the streets for a few days, and then he seemed to have vanished without a trace. The Third almost hoped he'd been snatched up by Danzo and his 'Root' he wasn't supposed to have. At least then he would be nearby. But the cripple had approached Hiruzen to lambast him for his incompetence and that of his ninja in managing to 'misplace' one of Konoha's greatest military 'assets', and the Sarutobi knew the man well enough to tell it had been genuine frustration rather than a ruse. Besides, while his forces might not be able to track down Root's base, they had picked up that Danzo had been conducting his own search for Naruto.
Kakashi had led the investigation from the start, and maintained his zeal long after Hiruzen was forced to reassign the bulk of the task force. The Hokage knew from both compulsory psych evaluations and his own conversations with the young prodigy that Hatake felt personally responsible for Naruto's disappearance. He felt he should have adopted the boy straight off, taken in his mentor and father figure's son and given him a home. Instead, Kakashi had convinced himself he was too young, too busy for the responsibility of a newborn. He had dealt with the grief of his sensei's loss by throwing himself into his ANBU duties, trusting in the Hokage and village to take care of the boy that could have been his brother. A trust that had been shattered by petty cruelty of the masses, the selfish silence of a peer, and the foolish lack of oversight of an old man.
The Copy Ninja had been relentless over the six years of his search. He checked every nook and cranny of the village, poured over every record from the time period, followed up the faintest lead. His obsession had unearthed a troubling number of spies in its course, but nothing on Naruto. Hiruzen knew for a fact that Kakashi had independently infiltrated every other Hidden Village between missions, looking for a trace of a clue as to Naruto's whereabouts. The old genius would ordinarily scold such risky behavior, except Kakashi was far too good to get caught and implicate the village. The last Hatake had moved Heaven and Earth to find out what happened to Uzumaki Naruto.
And now, it seemed he finally had.
"Where is he?" asked the Hokage. He didn't expect bad news, Kakashi seemed far too cheerful for that. Still, he hardly knew what to expect. Possibility after possibility had been ruled out; what would prove to be the truth after all the wondering?
Kaashi took a breath, and HIruzen remembered that this was a moment for him too. For as long as the Hokage had been waiting to hear the answer, Kakashi had been waiting to give it.
"He's with the Order of the Horned One."
Hiruzen sat back in his seat. He closed his eyes, taking a moment to process that information. It wasn't the most outlandish answer he'd been expecting but it still came as a surprise. But then, the Order were well known for their ability to surprise people.
No one knew how old the Order was. Some claimed it predated the Shinobi Era or had been founded by the Sage of Six Paths himself. However apocryphal its origins, the Order of the Horned One was one of the most historic institutions in the world. Members lived in temples and essentially dedicated their lives to self-improvement. They were warriors, scholars, monks. They trained their bodies, minds, and spirits, all as part of a journey to understand the world and their place in it. The most important value to the Order was peace, followed closely by honesty. They were self-sustaining, growing their own food and making their own clothes, all but cut off from the outside world. It wasn't so much a religion as a way of life.
Most people went all their lives without meeting an Order member. The ones that did almost always considered it an interesting experience. They were simply so different from other people, had such a different outlook. The most common word used was 'serene'; they weren't always happy, but they always seemed so content, so at peace with the world, so accepting of all life sent their way. Personalities aside, Order members were also capable of what some people could only describe as miracles. Order members traveling the world had been known to stop natural disasters, solve unsolvable problems, end century-long conflicts. The Master Arashi made it rain in the Valley of Dust for the first time in five generations. Kadu the Benevolent stopped in a village suffering from a plague and wound up developing a vaccine that eradicated the disease worldwide. 'Settler' Iroh spent an hour talking to the leader of the Baiju rebellion and stopped two armies totalling 8 million from even drawing a blade.
For sure, the Order could be a formidable force. But unlike shinobi, they didn't offer their services for sale. It wasn't clear if they even used chakra to accomplish their remarkable feats. Attempts to force the Order to do anything against their will had all ended in failure, some rather famously. 'King' Sadim, one of the richest men to ever live, had offered his entire fortune to a 120-year-old Order Master for the secret to living forever; his only response had been a smile. The Grass Daimyo threatened to banish the Order from his country if the local temple didn't agree to become his personal bodyguards. The next day, the temple had vanished stone for stone and was never seen again. Perhaps the most legendary example was when Aripapa and his 10,000 bandits stormed the Order temple in Wind Country, convinced there was treasure inside. No one could agree on exactly what happened, but the fact was that the bandits were disarmed and captured, and not one of the 200 members of the temple died or was even significantly injured.
HIruzen got up, leaving the dishes where they were on the table. In short order, he sat back down, lit pipe in hand. "How did you find out?" he asked, breathing out a long cloud of fragrant smoke.
Kakashi scratched his cheek where his mask ended, one of the only nervous tics he had. "I got a little help from Mitarashi Anko."
Hiruzen couldn't help but grin. It was always nice to see the human side of his soldiers. Besides, what was the point of being old if you couldn't mock the young? "Is that embarrassment I detect, Kakashi? Is that from needing a helping hand or that it was given by a lovely woman your age?"
"It was my day off, last week," Kakashi continued, ignoring the question. "I was at a bar and she approached me. She said I seemed more closed off than usual. Don't ask me why, but I didn't deflect her. Said I was frustrated with a cold case. She offered to help if she could, a fresh pair of eyes, no need for details." The silver-haired Jonin sighed. "It's his birthday next week. For some reason, that fact was stuck in my head. I decided there was no harm in her looking through some of the old records I pulled."
"And she found something." It wasn't a question.
"And she found something. Took her twenty minutes tops. She was going through one of the departure logs from the window he could have vanished. She noticed there was no inventory for a cart one man was pulling. The gate attendant wrote down a description and dimensions but not what was inside." Kakashi hung his head. "I must have gone over that page a dozen times over the years. How could I miss that?"
"You were overworked and stressed when you first read it. You concluded it was useless information, and that bias carried over to subsequent searches. In any case, it's a small detail. You didn't notice, she did. That's why investigation missions have at least two members, to cover each other's blindspots. You mustn't blame yourself, Kakashi."
"I meant that as a rhetorical question, sir."
"Yes, and I took the chance to turn it into a lesson on humility and interdependence. That's why old people stick around, to beat our wisdom into hard, young heads." Hiruzen's expression shifted from dignified reserve to unabashed lechery in a heartbeat. "So, did you thank Anko-chan for the assist, dear boy? Don't spare the details if you did."
Kakashi's face was red as a tomato. "Sarutobi-san, I'd rather not discuss my personal life with my boss."
"I'm not your boss right now, I'm your host. And no offense kid, but what personal life? Other than Gai challenging you, when was the last time you had a non-work related interaction with another human being before you responded to Anko in that bar?"
"Point taken." There was a blur of movement and Hiruzen noticed a slight bulge at Kakashi's nose, as if he'd stuffed something up his nostrils. "Let's say I had re-read Icha Icha Paradise Vol. III, Chapter 8 that afternoon and leave it at that."
"You lucky dog," giggled Hiruzen. He'd been alone for over a decade, give him a break. The moment passed and again it was business. "Resume your report."
"I tracked down the ninja in question and brought him to Inoichi for a memory retrieval. I told him it was so high above his clearance it would make his head spin, so he should keep quiet. The memory was faded and not too distinct to begin with. But, we managed to get this." Kakashi pulled out a printed photo, a digital recreation of the data chakra had extracted from the gate guard's mind.
Hiruzen assessed, memorized, and analyzed the man shown in an instant. Late forties in appearance, bald, blue eyes, black goatee. Baggy, well-worn clothing; lost weight with age. Based on his carriage and profile, reduced muscle mass rather than fat loss. Two details marked him out from an ordinary bystander: bare feet, and a signet ring on the left index finger. The seal was of a hollow 12-point star, with the triangles at the 10, 2, and 6 o'clock positions filled in.
Hiruzen recognized him. And he felt his heart grow heavy as he started to draw a conclusion from his knowledge of the man's character. But he'd let Kakashi finish at least. "Tell me what you see."
"I see a senior member of the Order. They only give those rings to those who reach Master rank. He introduced himself as Master Feng. I'm also reasonably certain he manipulated the gate guard somehow. In the memory, he wasn't in a hurry and just forgot to check the cart; there was a second pause before he waved this Master Feng on his way."
"Have you confirmed it was Feng who took Naruto?"
"He has to be. I sent my summons to the temple Feng stated as his destination. They just got back this morning. They report that Naruto's scent is in the temple, and it's been there for a while." Kakashi was breathing heavy; he was getting worked up over his crusade seemingly coming to an end. "We know where he is. The temple's only a little over 20 miles away. Just say the word and Naruto will be back in the village before dawn."
The Third drew long and deep from his pipe. He breathed out with a sigh as weary as the world. "I can't give that order, Kakashi."
"What?" Kakashi shook himself from his reverie and was shocked at the defeat in Hiruzen's posture. "Why the hell not?"
"There's a complication you've failed to account. Something that would be obvious if you stopped getting ahead of yourself to consider all the facts."
The former ANBU Captain bristled. "Why not spare me the trouble and just tell me? Sir," he tacked on, just barely sparing himself from insubordination.
"Nartuo wasn't kidnapped. He left of his own free will."
Kakashi shook his head. There was no way. It didn't make any sense. But then, was that because it was illogical or just something he didn't want to hear? "Where'd you get that idea?"
"It has been my privilege to meet Master Feng on more than one occasion. He runs the temple and we discuss trade of supplies from time to time. I don't hesitate to call him one of the best men I have ever known. He's as smart as me, a great leader, and above all a good person. He would never do anything to anyone without their consent. Whether he turned a blind eye to Naruto sneaking into his cart or put the boy there himself, he did so under the belief it was what Naruto wanted. I would stake my life on that."
Kakashi felt his stomach start to sink. His goal, his obsession, of seeing his teacher's son returned safely home was being ripped from his fingertips. "Why would he leave?"
"Why would he stay?" HIruzen pierced his companion with remorseful eyes. "You've been looking for him all this time. Did you never stop to contemplate his position, how he must have felt? You know his life here wasn't happy. Every adult figure treating him with hostility or indifference. His peers mirroring the disgust, bullying and isolating him. At the end, what little comforts he had ripped away and forced to scavenge for food and shelter for over a week. Other than myself and a few other compassionate souls, he only ever received negative attention or no attention at all. That's all he ever knew." Hiruzen squeezed his pipe almost to the breaking point, the injustice and travesty of Naruto's tale making his blood boil. "Konoha is where he was ostracized and reviled for reasons he never understood. Is it really so hard to believe that he might have chosen to live somewhere else? Anywhere else?"
"What makes you so sure he's there by choice?" It was a weak argument, but Kakashi was grasping at straws, desperate for any other answer.
"As I said, I know Master Feng. Imprisonment is as intolerable to him as abduction. And while I won't be so bold as to claim it impossible for Nartuo to be coerced by another Order member, I find it extremely unlikely. There's too many people he could ask for help, too much transparency in their lives to hide anything nefarious. Immorality isn't impossible, but it doesn't last long. Besides, Order temples aren't cages. People leave the Order every year. So far as we know the only penalty is a binding oath to keep inner workings secret. Trust me, Kakashi, if Nartuto is at that temple, then it's his decision."
Kakashi was very still, still the way people get when the next twitch might explode into violent motion. The way when the next blink might let loose the tears. "He should be here. He was born here. His parents died to protect us. He saved us. This should be his home."
"I know. But it isn't. Maybe it never was. But who's to say it never will be?"
"Sir?"
The Third Hokage sat back in his seat, a small upward tilt to his mouth. "Hatake Kakashi, I commend you for your zeal during the course of this investigation. You have demonstrated determination and devotion above and beyond the call of duty. You shall be credited with an A-rank mission's pay for every week you committed to the case."
"Hokage-sama, that's too much!" Kakashi exclaimed.
"Hush. You've more than earned it. In addition, I grant you ten days' leave, effective as of 6 a.m. tomorrow. Use this time to relax, explore some leisure activities. Take a hike, go sightseeing, something along those lines."
Kakashi felt the fabric of his mask stretch over his cheeks as he smirked. His superior might as well have held up a boldface sign. "I might just do that, sir."
"On a completely separate note, I remind you that for all its mysticism and might, the Order of the Horned One is considered a civilian organization. Members within Fire Country are subject to all the rights and protections of legal citizens under the Daimyo's court."
"Of course, sir," Kakashi acknowledged, his eyes a tad dimmer.
The message was clear: Nartuo was not to be extracted. However, he could be escorted. There was nothing wrong with the boy deciding to come back all on his own. Kakashi was not to be a rescuer, but a realtor. If Naruto refused to return, at least Kakashi could say he tried.
"It goes without saying, of course, that your findings are to be classified as an S-rank secret. You are not to discuss this with anyone but myself and any others I deem appropriate. Should anyone ask, you are to reply that Uzumaki is safe and sound, out of enemy hands." Hiruzen took a couple annoyed puffs. "It's not even a lie. The fact he was also out of our hands is irrelevant at this point."
Kashi declined to comment. On his list of priorities, Naruto's Jinchuuriki status ranked slightly under Pakkun's grooming habits. It wasn't like Kushina or Mito-sama ever really used the power anyway. Any idiots who grumbled about the absence of a demon container from the village should shut up and focus on pulling their own weight for Konoha.
"Is there anything else, sir?"
"No, that's all. Anything more you want to bring to my attention?"
"Not at this time, sir. If you don't mind, I'll excuse myself now. I need to pack for my surprise vacation."
"By all means. Do enjoy yourself. Don't forget to leave your bowl in the sink."
"Of course not. Thank you for the meal, Sarutobi-san"
Hiruzen waved his potential successor out the door. He finished up his pipe, washed the dishes, and changed into his pajamas. Once he'd sunk into the comfort of his orthopedic mattress, Hiruzen debated with himself before deciding he deserved a treat. "I think I'll check in on Anko tonight," he chortled, pulling out his personal copy of the crystal ball kicked safely away in the Hokage's office no one knew about.
"What are you up to this evening, fair daughter of Konoha? Hehehe."
A gross misuse of power and village resources? Yes.
"Wait a minute… isn't that Kakashi's apartment? What is she - oh…"
An inexcusable invasion of privacy? Definitely.
"I knew Jiraiya-kun had a female fanbase. 'Pack' my ass. That lucky bastard gets to experience Chapter 9 too!"
A victimless crime? Perhaps.
"My, oh, my, and Chapter 10 as well, it seems. Come on, you two, do Zelda and the chimney sweep proud!"
Worth it?
"Bless that perverted genius I call my student!"
Absolutely.
Naruto: the Shinobi Saint
Kakashi left bright and early, pleasantly sore in a way he hadn't experienced for longer than he cared to remember. The scarecrow once heard that a woman's craziness was irrelevant so long as she was equally hot. He certainly felt that was true for Anko, which was really saying something when you considered her behavior. He really was a lucky son of a bitch, no offense to his mother.
THe last Hatake spent the first hour of his trip on a winding route, keeping an eye out for any Roots he may have snagged. He wanted Naruto in Konoha, but never as one of Shimura's soulless drones. Death was better than a life as a disposable tool. Once he was as confident as he ever was that he wasn't pursued, he stopped in the woods to put on his disguise. Most of his best work had been done behind a white porcelain mask, but he still had a bit of a reputation. He wouldn't chance word of the Copy Nin sniffing around an Order temple getting out. Temporary hair dye, false skin to cover his scar, one specially made opaque contact lens to minimize the chakra drain from opening his donated eye, and he was a new man once he had a change of clothes.
Settling on the alias 'Moguza', he set out for Shiarin Town, a rural village about a mile down the road from the Order temple. He'd get a room, do a little recon, and start planning his meeting with Naruto. Even though he'd be under a false identity, he still found himself worrying about making a good first impression. He ignored the voice that hissed he shouldn't have needed one, that Naruto should have known him as long as the blond could remember. He might have an issue with letting go of regrets, but he sure as hell didn't allow them to interfere with his work. And ensuring Uzumaki Naruto's homecoming was more than just a mission to him; it was a quest, an oath, a life goal. If he accomplished nothing else in his life, Kakashi would at least plant the seed in Naruto's mind to give the village of his birth a second chance.
Kakashi arrived around lunchtime; he'd kept an easy pace, no real reason to hurry. It was a picturesque town, nothing above two stories, all brick or stone houses that had stood for hundreds of years and would likely stand for hundreds more. He secured a cozy room in the only inn for a steal, and got a generous meal at a price that would have barely gotten him a cup of soup back in Konoha. The Jonin had the idle thought that between the lower cost of living and the ludicrous bonus he'd been awarded, he could retire and settle down in a town like this. He briefly entertained a fantasy of a house filled with kids and dogs, a warm chair by the fire and a wife in the kitchen. Cute, comfortable… crushingly boring. Maybe if he ever got maimed and was medically discharged.
It was harvest season, so most people were out working the fields. There weren't many townsfolk out and about, and those that were regarded Kakashi with the wary curiosity of the small town. After half an hour of wandering, he finally found a promising opportunity. A wizened old crone, the kind that could make grandparents feel like naughty toddlers, as much a fixture of the town as the buildings. She was out on a porch, rocking away in her rocking chair, knitting a quilt the size of a carpet. Her hands were wrinkled but steady, and her eyes were bright. Kakashi went with his gut and approached.
"Good afternoon, obaasama. You look like you know a story or two," he said, doling out the charm.
"And you look like someone hankering for a story. You must be traveling. I've lived here all my life and I've never seen your face. What brings you around these parts?"
"Oh, you know. I've been a city boy all my life. Figured I should take some time off work, visit the country, relax and get some fresh air out in the middle of nowhere. No offense," he backtracked, looking contrite.
"None taken, kid. Shiarin pretty much is nowhere. Seven centuries since the cornerstone on this house was laid, and the only ones that seem to remember we exist are the Daimyo's damn tax collectors and them horns up the way."
Kakashi suppressed a grin at the slang term for Order members. He was on to something.
After enduring a twenty minute history lesson on Shiarin Town, Kakashi made his move. "Does the Order come to town often? I've never actually met one of them, but you probably know them all by now, obaasama."
"Hah! Just about. THey stop by once a month to barter and help out around town. You just missed them, they were here yesterday. Plus they put on a show every year for the Summer Festival. The things they can do, it's like something out of a dream! If they weren't all so bent on finding the meaning of life or whatever, they'd be brilliant entertainers. You know, I hear those movie makers have started hiring ninja for some fight scenes. It's not the same, but you see my point, right?"
"Yes, I do. So, you've met them in person?" he asked, trying to steer the conversation.
"You know, if you're that interested, you can go see them for yourself. They allow visitors. They don't let you into the library or nothing but you can look around and ask questions," the woman informed, looking at him with a raised brow.
Kakashi reacted smoothly. "I've always wanted to, actually. But I've never had the guts. They're just so… mysterious."
"Pish-posh, they're harmless. Horns ain't like them shinobi, Moguza-chan. Sure, some of them can break yer bones with one finger, but I've yet to see one that would even hurt a fly. You ask something they don't like, they just smile and say sorry but they can't answer."
"I'll think about it." Kakashi gave a calculated pause. "Is it true they take little kids as initiates?"
"Long as you say the vow and mean it, they take anyone, young'uns included. Most of 'em are born into it; horns ain't celibate like other monks. Then there's the strays the higher ranks pic up on their travels. Orphans, runaways, street kids. It's a better life than they'd get otherwise. Those baby horns are just the sweetest, most polite dears. Don't go telling, but my favorite's little Naruto."
Kakashi needed every ounce of his experience at deception to avoid breaking character. Jackpot. "Wow, your whole face just lit up. This Naruto must be pretty special."
"Oh, he's just a regular ball of sunshine. Came back with Master Feng from Konoha about six years ago now. Never seen him without a smile on his face. Goes out of his way to help people, too. Remember how I said the horns help out when they visit? Naruto has this trick where he copies himself, does half the work all on his own! My house started falling apart once my hubby passed, but since Naruto showed up it's good as new. So talented, that boy. If he didn't know how to do a job, he'd figure it out by the next visit. And he's always the life of the Festival when he performs. He's still a kid, no matter how much wisdom they teach him at the temple. The masters give a spectacle, but you can tell they're holding back a bit, don't want to scare us simple folk. But that Naruto, he sets out to dazzle us dumb. Almost gotten out of hand a couple of times, but can honestly say I've never been bored! Jenkin needed a new barn anyway, that oaf."
"Now this I have to hear," Kakashi encouraged, eagerly drinking up all the information he could get about the boy he might have raised in another life. He was already impressed; physical clones at 11 was no mean feat.
"It was an accident, really, Jenkin made a much bigger fuss than he had any right to. Loves the sound of his own voice, that one. Anyway, it was last year's Festival. Now, horns are all pacifists, but they know how to use chakra and Jutsu like shinobi do. They record everything, and they've had years and years to work stuff out all on their own. My guess is Naruto wanted to see if he could take something meant to cause pain and use it to cause joy instead. Either that, or he just thought it'd be 'cool', as the kids say. So, what he did is he made these dragons out of the elements and had them fight in the air!"
"Wow. Sounds amazing! Wish I could have seen it."
"A lot better than fireworks, I can tell ya that! But the fire dragon passed a bit too close to Jenkin's roof. Whole thing went up in cinders. Naruto-chan was so upset, he built a whole new barn ten times better than the old one overnight. But that didn't stop that fool Jenkin from ranting about it for months. To be fair, it spooked some of the other townsfolk, seeing a boy who ain't even started puberty make the earth come alive by waving his hands. Naruto was much more reserved this year, all he did was put on a play. It was beautiful, but all he did was use his copies and some costumes."
Whether from his interest in the actor or the old lady's skilled retelling, Kakshi found himself sucked in to the performance given three months earlier. A giant wolf was terrorizing the land. One day, a great hunter from far away came to face it. The hunter proved triumphant, but with the wolf's dying breath it gave birth to a pup. The hunter knew that one day the pup would grow to be even stronger than his mother, but he couldn't bring himself to take an innocent life. The hunter settles down in the land, caring for and training the pup every day. In time it grew into a mighty beast, but remained as playful and obedient as any hound. He loved the hunter with all his heart. But one day the hunter died, and his two sons inherited control of the wolf. The older wanted to use the wolf as a weapon to conquer the land. The younger, fearing its power, wished to lock it away in a cage to protect others from ever being hurt. The two fought, and the younger prevailed. The older fled in shame, but swore he would return to claim the wolf.
The two sons founded different tribes, which remained locked in a war over the wolf. The wolf grew bitter and angry between being imprisoned and forced to fight. He came to hate all humans, believing none would ever treat him with kindness and respect as the hunter had. He lashed out at all who neared and constantly tried to escape, which only made the people treat him worse. The cycle of hatred, fear, and pain went on for years and years, for the wolf was immortal and could not die. He spent all his time either hiding or languishing in captivity, remembering every wrong the tribes had done to him while their descendents forgot and most couldn't remember why they even fought.
Until one day, a young boy discovered the wolf's cage. The boy feared the wolf at first, for it was always growling and snapped when the boy came near. But the boy realized the wolf was sad and lonely, and resolved to become his friend. Every day, the boy would visit the wolf. He would come and sit by the cage, sometimes in silence, sometimes talking about his day. In time, the wolf stopped trying to scare the boy and chose to ignore him. When he saw that the wolf had gotten used to him, the boy started to bring food and toys, trying to engage the wolf. But the beast was still wary of humans and refused all the boy's advances. The boy decided that the only way to gain the wolf's trust was to give it his.
The boy came the next day, and the wolf ignored him as always. The boy stripped, to show he was hiding no weapons. Then he slipped between the bars and entered the cage. In an instant, the wolf was on the boy. It held the boy down with one great paw, drawing blood with his sharp claws. The boy trembled with fear and cried with pain, but he did not struggle. The wolf hesitated. It had known the boy was different, but thought him stupid or insane. But seeing the boy's tears, he realized the truth. The boy was like any other human; the only difference was that he had tried to help instead of hurt him. The wolf remembered the hunter, but it had been so long since he had hope that he did now know what to do with it. The wolf gave a great howl in the boy's face and then let him go and turned away. The boy left to tend his wounds, smiling all the while.
The next day, when the boy returned, the wolf accepted the food he brought. The day after, he nudged back the ball the boy tossed to it. Slowly but surely, a bond formed between them. The wolf was happier than he had been in lifetimes, for he had a friend again. The boy was glad to see the wolf smile, but knew he could not know true happiness unless he was free. Taking a leap of faith, the boy stole the key to the wolf's cage and set him free.
"And then it ended, just like that. There was almost a riot. Everyone wanted to know what happened next. Did the wolf run away, did it attack the tribes, did it choose to stay with the boy? Naruto just had this mischievous grin and said we'd all find out one day."
"Hell of a cliffhanger," Kakashi agreed, mind far away. There was a disturbing number of parallels between that story and what Kakashi knew about the history of the Uchiha and Senju clans. Members of the Order spent half their lives meditating, and there were a number of prominent Sealing masters among their ranks. Now that he thought about it, it would be more unlikely if Naruto didn't know about the Kyuubi. Could the play actually be a dressed-up historic reenactment? And the uncertainty of that ending set off all kinds of alarms in the veteran ninja's head. But surely Naruto wouldn't actually set the Kyuubi free… would he?"
"Nicest child I ever met, but he is a bit of a prankster. I'll sure miss him while he's gone."
"Gone? What do you mean, 'gone'?" Kakashi demanded, forgetting himself in his shock.
"Relax, young man! He's not dying or anything. You nearly gave me a heart attack, overreacting like that. What's wrong with you?" the crone demanded.
"I'm very sorry, just jumpy, drives people nuts. What do you mean, 'gone'?" he pressed.
"Naruto-chan made Journeyman last week. One of the youngest ever, so I hear. He's going off on some pilgrimage. Said he'll visit but might not be back for years."
"Good for him. So, when's he leaving?" Kakashi asked, trying for nonchalance.
The woman pursed her lips in suspicion but answered. "Tomorrow. Why so interested, Moguza-chan?"
Fast as blinking, Kakashi cast a mild Genjutsu. She passed out in a blink, and she'd wake in an hour with no memory of their encounter.
The Jonin walked away casually, thoughts racing as he adjusted his plans to reflect the new timetable. There would be no chance of subtlety, no carefully cracked scheme. He would NOT lose Naruto after coming this close. If the Order wanted honesty, he'd give them honesty.
Once he made it past the town border, Kakashi abandoned his civilian pace. In minutes, he made it to the entrance of the Order temple. It was a simple compound, a few sturdy buildings linked by stone paths, bordered by well-maintained gardens. The style was minimalist, aesthetics disregarded in favor of function. Everything was clean and in good shape; it looked almost new, yet Kakashi had the intuition that this place was older than even Shiarin Town.
Kakashi approached the closed gate set in a wall barely taller than he was. He realized belatedly he was still in his disguise, but it was too late to fix that now. For some reason, he was more nervous than the time he'd broken into Iwa. Gathering his courage, he knocked on the wood door.
The door opened almost immediately, revealing a smiling old man about the Hokage's age. He wore nothing but an undyed cotton toga, and if he were any more relaxed he would flop boneless to the ground. Kakashi would have found a squirrel more intimidating, which might be the point. "Welcome, friend. What is it you seek?"
Kakashi felt his tension start to ease almost against his will. It was like the guy was giving off secondhand bliss. "I need to speak to Master Feng," he answered. Probably best if he met the man in charge before trying to lure Naruto away. Besides, he was curious to see the man that Sarutobi-sama held in such high regard.
"Ah, yes. We've been expecting you for some time now. Please follow me, Hatake-san." The gatekeeper turned and walked away, paying no heed to the visitor gaping after him. Kakashi shook himself out of it and followed. Behind him, the door closed of its own accord.
"Should I even bother asking how you knew it was me?" Kakashi grumbled as he fell in step behind his guide.
"It is always good to question those who have the answers," the Order member replied with utmost sincerity.
"Okay. How did you know who I was?" Kakashi asked, trying to contain his wounded pride.
"My eyes see more than most. It is a gift that serves me well in my role as Watcher. I saw the Sharingan eye, the ANBU tattoo, and the Shinobi ID and reasoned you were most likely the true Hatake Kakashi."
Kakashi fingered the wallet tucked safely in his pocket, with his ID card hidden within a secret pocket inside. "You're not related to the Hyuuga clan, are you?"
"Not by blood, no. I do have a cousin who just married a member of the Branch House. I do not have the Byakugan, if that's what you meant. My gift has more to do with my soul than my blood."
"I don't suppose you could teach me how to do… whatever it is you do."
"I would be happy to teach you. However, it would take several weeks of personal instruction, and I do not think you plan to stay that long. Am I right?"
"No, I'm not staying. I have to be back at work next week. Thanks for the offer, though."
"It is yours to take, should you ever find yourself in a position to accept." The sentry stopped at an open doorway. "Master Feng is waiting for you inside."
"Thanks. What's your name, by the way?"
The man smiled even wider, his eyes taking on a glowing orange tint. "I am the Watcher. May your sigh stay sharp, Hatake-san."
Kakashi blinked, and the Watcher was gone. He paused, then entered the room. "Alright. I'm officially impressed. Can we dispense with the theatrics now?"
Master Feng, looking identical to the photo Kakashi had studied the last few days, was seated seiza style on a mat set in the middle of the room. A tea set and second mat were set in front of him; otherwise the room was bare stone. Windows let in the afternoon sunlight.
"Our Watcher normally behaves that way. He acted no differently for you than he would for any visitor. We are not trying to intimidate you, Hatake Kakashi. Now, I believe a cup of tea is in order before we begin our discussion."
Kakashi felt an odd sensation as Feng said his name, as if someone had breathed on his neck or laid a flower on his grave. Taking note but otherwise not reacting, kakashi sat down before the Order Master. It still felt odd to be unmasked and yet recognized, vulnerable in a way that made him uncomfortable in a way he couldn't really describe. He only wore the make in the first place because it was a Hatake clan tradition; he wasn't self-conscious about his looks or anything. Shaking such idle thoughts away, Kakashi accepted the cup Feng offered him. The lack of any alarming scents and Feng's ease in drinking his own cup prompted Kakashi to take a sip. He had to stop himself from grimacing.
"It tastes quite bad, I know. But it had many health benefits. Those of us who drink this blend have not suffered so much as a common cold since we started," Feng stated, draining his cup with a blank expression.
Kakashi set his cup aside. "No offense, but I'll take my chances."
"None taken." Feng set his cup down and met Kakashi's gaze. HIs eyes betrayed nothing but calm contemplation. "You know who I am, by Sarutobi Hiruzen's generous words if nothing else. I know who you are, by reputation and my own observations since you entered this temple;. You have many questions for me, and I have but one for you. If you agree to answer my question honestly, then I shall answer yours as well as I can. Will you hear my question?"
Kakashi tensed at the reference to the Hokage, but picked up on nothing else even remotely threatening. Reminding himself of what was at stake, Kakashi squared his shoulders. "Fair enough. Ask away."
"Very well. Answer me this, Hatake Kakashi." Feng breathed in, and Kakashi was struck by a sense of stillness, as if the world had paused to witness this moment.
"Do you care about Uzumaki Naruto's happiness?"
Despite himself, Kakashi found himself hesitating. His reflexive 'yes' was held back, a gut feeling saying that it would be alie, or not the whole truth. He stopped to think, to chew on the question, to really consider it. Did he, in his heart of hearts, care whether Naruto was happy? It should be an easy answer, except it wasn't.
Seconds passed, the only sound that of two men breathing. Feng sat there, looking like he would wait until death and not lose his patience, as Kakashi was forced to take a hard look at himself and his reasons for being there. At last, Kakashi gave his answer.
"Yes, I do. I want him to come back with me, but not as a prisoner or if it'll make him miserable. He deserves better than that. His parents, they wouldn't care where he was so long as he was smiling. I want to think he can be happy in Konoha, but if he can't… so be it. I'll just have to deal with that."
Kakashi felt hollowed out. That admission had cost him something, though what exactly he wasn't sure. Still, it was worth it to see Feng nod and his demeanor shift from neutral to friendly. A similar kind of peace started to radiate off him as had the Watcher, making Kakashi feel relaxed in a way he couldn't remember ever being.
"Thank you for your truth. I will return the favor. Ask me your questions, Hatake Kakashi, and I will do my best to answer them fully."
Kakashi blew out a breath, wondering where to start. Figuring he might as well get comfortable, he reached up to extract the contact lens and close his left eye. It didn't really affect his vision but it felt more natural. "Let's start at the beginning. How did you meet Naruto?"
"I was taking a shortcut in the village of Konoha and sensed a disturbance. I went to check and found two intoxicated men assaulting a small boy. I ended the violence and subdued the two men. I comforted and healed the boy. That is how I met Uzumaki Naruto."
Kakashi closed his other eye. "Why did you sneak him out?" The question laced any of the heat he would have added just 24 hours prior. It was resigned more than anything. Kakshi already knew the answer, and it hurt.
"Because he asked me to. Because I could not, in good conscience, leave a child alone in a dangerous situation. Because, quite frankly, I felt that the village did not deserve him and he did not deserve the village. That is why I smuggled Uzumaki Naruto out of the village, and why I did not bring him to Sarutobi Hiruzen."
Even when Kakashi had first entered with barely hidden hostility, Feng's face had not been as hard as it was now.
"So you know who he was? What he was?" Kakashi asked.
"I knew he was Namikaze Minato's son; the resemblance is obvious. I did not know for certain that he was a Jinchuuriki, only that there was a powerful seal placed upon him. He had no idea what it was, or that it was even there. To my mind, that was all the more reason to take him away. No child should be kept ignorant of his heritage or the burdens placed upon them by the will of others. In any case, I would have done the same even if I knew all I know about him back then as I do now. Uzumaki Naruto was, first and foremost, a hurt, scared, lonely boy Fate placed in my care. I would have fought to get him out. Fortunately, that proved unnecessary."
Kakashi believed him. The conviction in Feng's eyes told the Jonin that the man would have battled the Hokage to help Naruto escape his pain. And for all he knew, Feng might have won. There was an unmistakable yet indistinct aura of power to the man. Kakashi honestly had no idea what the Order master was capable of when provoked, and he found himself in no hurry to find out.
"How did you get him out? I know he was hid in your cart, but how did you make the guard not inspec tit?"
"The Order of the Horned One refers to the ability as Influence. It is not Genjutsu, which involves affecting the chakra of the brain. Rather, it is the direct interaction of the influencer's Yin energy with the target's. It is a subtle and difficult art to master, and it has its limits. All the same, we who practice it find it a useful tool in avoiding conflict or obtaining information. I Influenced the guard to forget that step in the procedure. Once we were out of sight of the village, Naruto emerged and we proceeded to travel to this temple."
"When and why did Naruto join the Order?"
"He asked to be initiated within an hour of us reaching the temple. As to why, I can give you my opinion but you would do better to ask him directly."
"I'd appreciate your view first."
"Very well." Feng paused to pour more tea, topping off Kakashi's cup as well. "I do not believe I manipulated Naruto into joining, per se. During our journey, he asked questions about the Order and I answered. He became quite taken with the idea of a community that stressed tolerance, compassion, and interdependence. The fact that we study the same techniques as ninja, even if for different purposes, no doubt seemed attractive to a little boy. Also, I do not deny or dismiss the fact that as the man who, in his mind, saved him from a life of misery, I had a great deal of sway over him. He imprinted on me much like a duckling; he wanted to be near me and grow up to be much like me. When we arrived and he saw for himself what life within the Order was like, his mind was made up. Short of actively discouraging him, I do not think I could have stopped him from choosing this path."
"Makes sense to me. I can think of a dozen people off the top of my head who became shinobi because they were helped by one as a kid." Kakashi girded himself and asked the question whose answer he most desired and most dreaded. "Do you think he'd ever return to Konoha?"
Feng reached up to rub his temple, the most discomfort he'd displayed yet. "The Watcher has informed me that you spoke with Wuxa-obaasama. What did you hear of Naruto's departure tomorrow?"
Kakashi couldn't decide which interested him more, how the two had communicated or how the old man witnessed a conversation from over a mile away. Regardless, he answered. "I heard he was going off on a walkabout or something. A rite of passage after reaching Journeyman rank, I gathered. What does that have to do with my question?"
"It concerns your question because Naruto is leaving to become a shinobi."
Kakashi could have been knocked over with a feather. "What?! Why?! How?! I thought Order members couldn't join other organizations."
"What you must understand are the requirements to become a Journeyman of the Order of the Horned One. There are a number of tests and trials to pass, but it essentially comes down to two things: first, that there is nothing more one can learn from their home temple they could not learn elsewhere or discover themselves; and second, that one can be trusted to never disclose the secrets of the Order without taking the Seal of Silence, except when to do so would harm others. Those who reach Journeyman typically leave to travel the world, experience life in the normal world rather than reading or hearing about it. Some visit other temples, some seek masteries, others become missionaries for the Order, a few return to civilian life and only utilize the skills they learned when necessary… and every now and then, they take up military careers. Nartuo will not be the first, but it is rare."
"I thought you all were pacifists. Why would Naruto want to be a ninja?" A wild hope filled his chest. "Wait, is he coming home all on his own?" It would be incredibly ironic, not to mention hilarious in retrospect, if Kakashi had spent years tracking Naruto down only for the boy to return of his own accord.
"Actually, I believe that he intends to join Kumo due to its accepting stance on Jinchuuriki. However, he may be open to other options, should he be sufficiently convinced." Feng took a sip of his healthy tea, paying no heed to Kakashi recovering from a mild arrhythmia at the thought of a Kumo with three Tailed Beast containers. "As for his desire to be a shinobi at all, I again can only speculate. To my knowledge, Naruto shares the Order's respect for life and policy of violence as the last resort. However, he is dissatisfied with the passive nature of our lifestyle. He feels that it is not enough to merely observe, but we should act. He wants to change the world whether than settle for understanding it. He recognizes the brutality and duplicity inherent to life as a ninja, but thinks that the Hidden Villages ultimately do more to help the world than the Order. Now that he's a Journeyman, he is in a position to find out for himself."
Kakashi raised a brow. Feng had shown more agitation in the last minute than the last half hour. "I take it you don't approve?"
"I have no right to judge, though part of me insists on doing so. But it is not for me to decide what Naruto should do; only he can do that. And I can see how he would thrive as a shinobi. My apprehension is mostly over how the experience will change him. Life in an Order temple is sheltered, but it is stable. It is, in many ways, the exact opposite to life in a village full of ninja. I know Naruto will be able to face any challenge and grow from it; I just find myself worried what direction he will grow towards. He will change the world, of that I have no doubt. I haven't met anyone with that much raw potential since Senju Hashirama. But he has never known loss or true suffering. He has never known a person or situation that goes against everything he believes in. He has never known hatred. And he will know them all if he stays long enough in your world. I am certain of it. I fear for us all should he succumb to them rather than overcome them."
Kakashi gulped. "Okay… there's a lot of that I'll want to come back to. But first off: you knew the First Hokage?"
"Yes, I did. He was quite the character. He came to try and broker a treaty between his future village and this temple. I had just become the temple Master. I told him the Order refuses to enter any binding agreement with an outside party, but I helped to edit his proposal to the Daimyo to repay him for the time and thought. A man who honors his neighbors honors himself, after all. I truly have no idea how he was ever friends with Uchiha Madara for any length of time; their dispositions were like night and day. Anyway, he seemed to think my help went a long way in helping to found his village. He gifted us with those sakura trees you see outside." Feng shook his head. "Forgive me, I seem to be rambling. I suppose Naruto leaving has put me in a nostalgic mood."
Kakashi kept his face carefully blank. "The Konoha Charter was ratified over 50 years ago."
Feng smiled humorously. "That's not a question, but I'll answer anyway. As I told you, this recipe has a great many health benefits. We named it Thousand Year Tea.
Kakashi processed that little gem. Without missing a beat, he picked up his cup and drank his cooling tea. The taste was even worse cold, but it was apparently worth it. "Any chance I can get a copy of that?"
"No, there is not. The High Temple has deemed it an Order secret, I'm afraid. Even if I could tell you, the ingredients are rare and most require specialized care to cultivate. If you wish to drink it consistently, you will have to join the Order."
"I see. I'll definitely think about it." Mentally compartmentalizing the fact he was drinking an elixir of life, Kakashi said "Back to Nartuo, why are you so convinced he'll have an impact on the world?"
"I could tell you that I sense the touch of Destiny upon him, but I'll stick to more concrete reasons. His natural talent is phenomenal, and he doesn't shy from toiling to refine it into skill. His progression was impressive from the start, even before he'd learned to read and could begin self-study. And then he discovered Shadow Clones."
Kakashi pushed past his shame at learning a 6-year-old was illiterate to high alert. "How did he learn that Jutsu? It's a Konoha A-rank secret!"
Feng only sighed. "Paranoia, thy name is ninja. The Order are not thieves, Hatake Kakashi. Senju Tobirama was not the first to invent the technique. A member of a distant branch of the Nara clan developed an identical jutsu some 400 years ago. A traveling Order member was taught it in gratitude after helping to repel an ambush. The inventor, as well as his clan, died in a follow-up attack. The Order member brought the knowledge to the Rain temple, where it was recorded and spread amongst the Order. That is how Naruto found Shadow Clones."
Kakashi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm sorry. Knee-jerk reaction to hearing a state secret mentioned casually."
"Accepted. Now, as I was saying, Naruto took to Shadow Clones like he was born for them. He exploits the memory transference for training to the point of abuse. If he hadn't received Order training in meditation and Yin-Yang control, he might well have gone insane or collapsed into a coma from the pace he maintains. As it is, he remains a well-adjusted young man, who just so happens to learn at an exponential pace. He was progressed more in the past year than I have in the past decade. What takes his peers months to achieve proficiency takes him days. Only one in a hundred of those who join the Order reach the rank of Journeyman and the average time it takes in 15 years. Naruto achieved it in 6 and we delayed it as long as we could to ensure he wasn't getting ahead of himself. If he keeps up his current rate, I estimate he could learn the sum of human knowledge by his 40th birthday. And if I know him, he's more likely to speed up than anything."
Kakashi wasn't sure if he could believe what Feng was saying. He knew it made sense theoretically, but he couldn't imagine it in practice. He'd used Shadow Clones himself to speed up learning certain Jutsu, and the toll on his chakra reserves was intense, to say nothing of the mental exhaustion. He couldn't see how anyone could maintain it long-term. Beautiful Naruto actually could do it consistently without burning out… Kakashi tried to imagine a man who knew EVERY Jutsu. A man who had read every book, seen every piece of art, heard every piece of music. A man that could shoe a horse as readily as building a computer or sailing a boat. Quite simply, a man who knew everything. Even if only gifted with average intelligence, the Hatake could see how such a man could bring about change. "Okay, I see how that would give you confidence he'll hake things up."
"Indeed. Yet even if he were dumb as a stone and weak as a worm, I would still think he would leave an impression on history."
Kakashi was almost afraid to ask. "Why? What is it about him?"
"His will. His faith. His loving heart. He does his best at everything, and brings out the best in everyone he meets. He lights up a room when he enters, and all the world seems brighter knowing he is in it. He is an inspiration, a beacon, a light to which most flock like moths to a flame." Feng's face was a mixture of pride and awe, like a father speaking of a son he knew and accepted as his superior. It disturbed Kakashi to see the man so absorbed just by talking about his student. But then the glow faded, and Kakashi was looking at a man consumed by worry. "And that is what keeps me up at night, Hatake Kakashi. Wherever Uzumaki Naruto goes, whatever he does, people will follow him. At the moment, he is happy and determined to be a force for good in the world. But there is no guarantee he will stay that way. Life as a shinobi may temper his resolve, or it may break him entirely. And I have tried and failed at changing his mind. NOw, I can only pray that whatever happens to him out there, he will not waver from his current path."
Kakashi grinned, and it was much more effective when it wasn't covered up. "If he's anything like his mom or dad, he'll be too stubborn to even think about it."
Feng did not reply, but his bearing returned to one of peaceful contentment. "We shall see. NOw, we eat early in this temple and visitors are not permitted to stay for dinner. If you want to have a chance to meet Naruto and extol the virtues of Konoha, then your next question should be your last."
Kakashi blinked and realized the sun was shining at a different angle. His mind scrambled, unsure whether he wanted this final answer out of the way or dragged out. Remembering his distress near the end of his talk with Wuxa, he asked "What is Naruto's relationship with the Kyuubi?"
Feng shook his head. "That is for Naruto to tell you. I refuse to disclose details on something that personal. I will say that the play Naruto put on last solstice was heavily based on his own interactions with his 'guest'."
Kakashi shrugged, though he was not nearly at ease as the gesture would suggest. "Okay then. Thank you for meeting me, Master Feng." Kakashi braced himself. "May I see Naruto now?"
Feng's mouth quirked. He looked over at the door. "You may come in now, Uzumaki Naruto."
"You wished to see me, Master Feng?" came the tenor voice of a child.
Kakashi turned his head, half in denial that this moment had finally come. He finally got to meet his target, his obsession, his sensei's legacy. His left eye opened unconsciously.
His first impression was of color. Naruto wore an identical toga as the Watcher, except it was the bright orange of a summer sunset or tangerine. HIs skin was the golden brown of a natural tan darkened by years out in the sun. His hair hung to his hips in a riotous mane of spikes, yellow as the petals of a sunflower. It was his eyes that stood out most though; blue as the southern seas, almost seeming to glow with an inner radiance.
Other details began to filter in. While he had gotten his father's coloring, Naruto clearly took after his mother in terms of looks. Three black lines stood out on each cheek, the mark of what was imprisoned within him. He carried himself with the grace of a martial artist, and for a boy on the verge of turning 12, he was ripped. The only kid Kakashi had ever seen with muscle development like that was Gai's new disciple, and there was just something WRONG with that boy. Feng hadn't been kidding when he said Naruto wasn't afraid of hard work. He exuded an aura like the other two Order members Kakashi had met, but it was tangibly different. Rather than filling him with a soporific sense of peace, Kakashi felt a buzz, as if he had received a jolt of pure energy and the world was wide open with opportunities to go use it. Even standing still, Naruto gave off a restless energy, as if he would rather be out doing something, ANYTHING, than simply staying in place.
And his chakra reserves were enough to make Kakashi want to back away in frightened awe.
Kakashi knew that, in all modesty, he was one of the strongest ninja in Konoha. He'd been a child prodigy, and he hadn't allowed himself to stall or burn out. He would admit to some complacency after the Kyuubi attack, but his search for Naruto had kicked him into overdrive. His chakra reserves were currently around that of Minato-sensei the day he died, if not even higher.
Naruto had more. A lot more. At least ten times more. And it shone with an intensity Kakshi had never seen before, as if other men's chakra was raw ore and Naruto's a polished jewel. It burned within, throughout, and around him, blazing like a bonfire and yet calm and gentle as a candle. Kakashi knew next to nothing about the boy, no, the young man, but one thing was now seared into his brain: in terms of sheer energy, Uzuamaki Naruto was the most powerful human being he'd met.
Kakashi closed his eye, blocking off the sight of that enormous well of chakra hidden in the Namikaze scion.
Naruto looked at Kakashi with an unreadable expression. Wordlessly, he walked over to Feng, who offered his open palm. They clasped hands, and Kakashi was somehow certain that they were exchanging information wordlessly somehow. It lasted just a bit longer than a standard handshake and then both let go.
"I shall take my leave," Feng said, standing up in a move elegant in its ease. "Please give my regards to Sarutobi Hiruzen, Hatake Kakashi, and remind him that he will always be welcome in the walls of the Order. May peace live in your heart." With that parting blessing, Feng walked out the door, leaving Kakashi alone with the object of his deepest shame and deepest hope.
Naruto took a seat on the mat Feng had vacated. He poured himself a cup of Thousand Year Tea. It came from the pot cool, but Kakshi noticed that it was steaming by the time it reacher Nartuo's lips. Such nonchalant use of Fire Nature chakra (he assumed, in lieu of some secret Order trick) drove home the impression his Sharingan had given: this was no ordinary 11-year-old.
"I know you're Kakashi," Naruto said, absent any warning. "I know you were my father's student. I know that Hokage-jiji assigned you to find me. I know that you've tried very hard to do so for years. Master Feng tested you and you passed, but before we speak, I ask that you take my test. Do you consent?"
Kakashi felt chills run up his spine. He found himself in the unpleasant situation of being at the mercy of someone he wasn't sure he could take on and win in a fight. Naruto wasn't giving off Killing Intent or really any hostility, but there was ice in those eyes. All those years of searching, thinking of Naruto as a helpless child, and now to discover he was anything but.
Reminding himself of why he was there, Kakashi pushed past his unease. "Yes, I do."
"Then answer me this: who did you come here for? Was it your target? Your sensei's heir? The Kyuubi container? Or did you come for me, Naruto the person?" Naruto's face could have been carved from stone.
Kakashi saw a boy with Kushina's face and Minato's eyes looking at him with guarded caution and could not help but weep.
"I'm sorry," he said, keeping his voice steady through the tears he did not try to stop. "I wish I could say I came for you, but I didn't. I came here for my mission, my guilt, for the legacy of the Fourth. It wasn't until last night that I even stopped to think of you as a person and not just a hostage or object. You were the treasured item stolen away I had to retrieve. My search was never about you; it was about me, about making up for my mistake in not being part of your life. I'm so sorry, but that's the truth. For what it's worth, I'll leave wishing we'd been close enough I'd come for you, Naruto."
Naruto closed his eyes, seeming to meditate for a moment. When they opened, they shone with as much warmth as the sun and the purest smile Kakashi had ever seen filled Nartuo's face. If he weren't already, Kakashi would have cried at the sight.
"I forgive you. Thank you for respecting me with a real answer. If you'd lied and tried to sway me over with some foster brother nonsense, you'd have never seen me again."
"I believe you," Kakashi said. Between the protection of the Order and his allegedly phenomenal skills, Naruto could vanish like a ghost if he wanted. "Thanks for giving me a chance."
"Let's start over." Naruto held out a hand. "Hi, I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Nice to meet you."
"Hatake Kakashi. Nice to meet you too." Kakashi grinned and took the hand. It was warm, calloused, and quite strong for its size. A current of that restless energy Kakashi had sensed from the start passed with the contact. Kakashi let go, feeling like he'd had a whole pot of coffee in one gulp.
Naruto winced self-consciously. "Sorry. It's a wonderful problem to have, but chakra overflow is still an issue."
"No problem," Kakashi said absently. He felt positively buzzed. "If you don't mind my asking, how the hell does chakra overflow even happen?"
"Lots of ways. You'd be surprised how easy it is, -tebayo. Mine involves making a Shadow Clone with half my chakra, having him recharge to full, and having him dispel last. Floods my coils on top of what I have left, fast way to stretch your chakra coils."
Kakashi felt his heart warm at the verbal tic. "Your mom used to do that. Every now and then, she'd just blurt out 'dattebane'."
Naruto laughed. "Yeah, I know. It's annoying but in a good way, isn't it?"
Kakashi's brow furrowed. "How could you possibly know that? For that matter, how did you know Minato-sensei fostered me after the war?" Kakashi had already been a legal adult, but he'd appreciated the gesture. Besides, after losing Obito and what happened with Rin, he probably shouldn't have been living alone anyway. Anyway, it wasn't something Naruto should have known short of reading Kakashi's file.
Naruto laid a hand over his navel, smile on his lips. "Mom and Dad both left some of their chakra in the seal. They're constructs with all their memories, like ghosts or messages in a bottle. Each was meant to come to my aid if certain actions regarding the seal occurred, and then fade away as the chakra that made them was expended. Instead, I hooked them both to a chakra converter, so they can stick around."
Kakashi gaped. "Your mom… and dad… are living inside you?"
"Yep. People talk about their parents always watching over them, but in my case they really are!" Naruto laughed, before his smile turned bittersweet. "Of course, they're not really my Mom and Dad, no more than a reflection in a mirror is a real person. I know, and they know, that they're basically Shadow Clones that just have yet to dispel. But they know everything my birth parents did, and they love me the same way they would have, so why bother splitting hairs?" Naruto shook his head, his hair swaying like a horse's tail. "So, yeah, Mom and Dad live in the back of my head. It took a while to get used to, but I don't regret keeping them around. They told me all about you, along with a few other people, so that's how I knew."
Kakashi swallowed, his mouth dry as an oven. "Um… is it possible for me to see them? Or maybe to talk to them through you?"
Naruto shook his head apologetically. "I'd be happy to, but neither of them want to talk with you right now. I may have forgiven you, but they haven't."
"That's fair." Kakashi did his best to hide how much that hurt. "I'm still grateful you forgave me so quickly. I expected to grovel a bit more."
"'May your actions against others reflect the actions you wish made against you'. That's the first lesson taught in the Order. It's sadly much easier said than done but we all try to live up to it. Should I ever abandon you, I would hope you'd be just as understanding." As with the Watcher, Kakashi detected no guile or sarcasm at all.
"I'll do my best, though I don't think abandonment is in your character. EVeryone I meet that knows you makes you out to be a saint."
Naruto blushed and rubbed the back of his head exactly how his father used to. "I just try to be a nice guy. Anyone else could do it too, dattebayo!"
Kakashi just smiled. He understood what Feng meant now. The power, the humility, the sheer goodness; how could Naruto not go on to do great things? Of course, Kakashi acknowledged as apprehension curled in his gut, he could also do terrible things, if the world hurt him too deep. So best he was in a nurturing, supportive environment like Konoha, right?
Hoping he wasn't making a mistake, Kakashi took the leap. "So, Feng tells me you want to be a shinobi?"
Naruto nodded, his face hardening. "Yes, I do. Ninja do a lot to harm, but they also do a lot to help. At the very least, they DO things. They're players in the game, not spectators like the Order. Life here is like being in a bubble. I understand why the High Temple forbade getting involved in outside affairs, I do. The world needs sanctuaries like this, and the Order couldn't do some of its most important work if it weren't neutral and removed. But I can't live quietly on the sidelines knowing there's so many problems out there. If the world were burning down, the Order would protect a clearing and make do with the ashes afterward. I would be out in the fire, trying to put it out. Sure I might burn to death, but if I saved one life, it would be worth it. And it feels like it is burning down, sometimes."
Naruto sighed, taking a deep sip of tea. He was clearly quite passionate about this. "Look, I'm not crazy. I know that I can only do so much. And some of it, maybe all of it, may not turn out the way I hope. But I'd rather go and try and find out the hard way than wonder about what might have been. IN the end, I just want to leave this world better off because I was in it. And the way I see it, there's a chance I can do more good living as a shinobi than living as a horn. There's a chance I can do less good and more bad too, but I feel that it's worth the risk." He smiled ironically. "Besides, assuming I don't get killed in action, I can always change my mind and return to the Order. So I have that going for me."
Kakashi tried not to let on that chills were running down his spine. "That's a very good reason. Better than mine, at least."
Naruto lifted a brow. "What was your reason for becoming a ninja?"
"I was good at it," Kakashi stated plainly. "It was also expected of me. See, everyone has their own motivation, but there are really only four reasons for becoming a shinobi or any other kind of soldier. There's guys like you, the noble ones, that genuinely want to serve their fellow man. Then there's the legacies, the clansmen like me, for whom their family had always done it and they felt inspired or duty-bound. There's simple employment, people who just want or need a job, a reason to get out of bed in the morning." Kakashi hesitated, but he wasn't going to insult Naruto by sugarcoating. "And then there's the fourth reason: the chance to kill someone and get away with it."
Naruto had a pained yet resigned look on his face. "I don't want to believe that any human being is inherently evil. Still, as my friend Jack puts it, 'some people are put here to make the rest of us look good'. Like I said, ninja can bring harm to the world. But there's bad eggs in every walk of life, even the Order.
"True." Kakashi decided to go for it. "So why did you pick Kumo instead of Konoha?"
Naruto didn't answer immediately, taking great care to pour out the last of the tea. He stared into his cup. "This may surprise you, but Konoha was originally my first choice. It was the closest village, I was familiar with it, and I'd avoid the red tape of becoming citizen to a different country."
Kakashi hid his confusion. "Really? You weren't put off by your… history there?"
Naruto grinned like he knew something Kakashi didn't. "I won't reveal Order secrets, but it's almost impossible to reach Journeyman with unprocessed trauma. I've made my peace with what happened to me as a child. The hatred the villagers had for me was born from anger, which was born from fear and loss. A terrible event occurred, lives were destroyed, and people were told the cause was locked away in some nameless kid. I became a symbol for that night; some misunderstood and believed I was Kyuubi-san in human form. In any case, I was a scapegoat, an outlet for the people's pain. It wasn't right, but it happened. My carrying a grudge wouldn't fix anything." Naruto's smile became radiant. "And if I hadn't been treated so terribly, Master Feng and I might never have met. All the wonderful things and people in my life might not have been. In a way, I 'm actually grateful because of how things turned out."
Kakashi shook his head. "You're a bigger man and I would be, that's all I'll say. So what made you reconsider?"
"I may be over it, but that doesn't mean the village is. If I returned, all those old resentments and negative emotions would resurface. At the time I was deciding, it didn't seem worth it to subject myself and the people of Konoha to my presence there. I could handle it, but I wouldn't want to disturb the citizens who've gotten comfortable with my absence." Naruto flinched like he'd heard a loud noise. "Also, the voices in my head had very strong objections to my return to the village."
"For the record, you probably shouldn't mention that so casually. People might get the wrong idea." Kakashi fidgeted, getting blood back into his legs. "So Minato-sensei and Kushina-san don't want you in Konoha?" His heart sank at the thought, but he wasn't really surprised.
"Mom is of the opinion that I should never come within a mile of that place ever again, unless it's to watch everyone who so much as glared at me belly-crawl over broken glass in penance. Her hair lifts up whenever she thinks of how I was treated, so it's safe to say she's still angry."
Kakashi shivered. The Red Hot-Blooded Habanero was never more terrifying than when her red tresses split into nine sections and floated behind her head. It was downright unholy. "Yeah, I see why you'd go along with that."
"No kidding. Dad's not onboard either. He's… disillusioned over the goodness of the citizenry, and how effective the THird would be in his absence. Also, he wants me far away from Shimura Danzo."
"That's another valid point. He wouldn't be so bold as to outright kidnap you, but you might vanish mysteriously on a mission. Of course, there's probably someone like that in Kumo, too," he tacked on in a token effort. He'd all but resigned himself to Naruto leaving for the other village.
"There are war mongers in every Hidden Village and every capital city. All things being equal, it made sense to go with the village with the most tolerant attitude towards Jinchuuriki like myself. Until today, nothing had come along to make me reconsider."
"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked.
Naruto grinned. "Do you want me to come back with you to Konoha?"
"Of course."
"So I will," Naruto said simply.
Kakashi blinked, hardly daring to believe his luck. "Why?"
"Because I'd have no friends when I arrived in Kumo, or any other Hidden Village. If I go to Konoha, I'll have at least one," Naruto grinned.
"Are you serious?" Kakashi was gobsmacked. It couldn't possibly be that easy, could it?
Naruto looked Kakashi straight in the eye. "I will become a shinobi of Konoha. Mark my words, dattebayo."
