Looking Back at the Paths We Tread

Naruto slowly shuffled along the wall before peering around the corner. Seeing no one, Naruto quickly ran down the hall way towards the next corner. Cautiously moving closer to the edge Naruto was elated to find the exit. He was so close to freedom. All he had to do was slip past the two nurses standing guard. He had been holed up in the hospital ever since his team had returned from their mission and he needed to get out.

Sure, he was still a little sore from the beating he took, he got dizzy when he stood up too quickly, and still couldn't project his senses out. But he was basically fine. Nothing a hearty bowl of ramen couldn't fix, and if these doctors with all their training and education didn't know that, then what good were they? Naruto tried to tell them that, but no one would listen to him. He tried rectifying the mistake himself, but they locked his window after his first escape attempt. They nailed it shut after his second.

An old man had just walked in and was chatting to the two nurses, distracting them. Naruto was about to make a run for it when he felt a metal vice clamp down on his shoulder. Naruto looked at his shoulder and found a hand where it felt like a metal was digging into his flesh. Following the arm up Naruto gulped loudly when he found his doctor, Tsunade Senju, smiling down at him.

"Naruto, what are you doing here?" She asked in a sweet voice.

"W-well Dr. Senju I just thought I could stretch a little an-"

*CRACK*

Naruto jumped as Tsunade punched a hole right through the tiled wall without so much as twitching her face. "Sorry, there was a fly. You were saying?"

"I-I-I was saying h-how tired I am and that I need to head back to my room to rest."

"That's what I thought you said. Now go, I'll be along shortly to check up on you."

"There's really no need. I'm sure you're busy."

"Nonsense, I always have time for my patients." Naruto wasn't sure how, but that smile was really starting to unnerve him. Not wanting to risk the doctor's wrath Naruto sulked back to his room. He flopped onto his bed and groaned in boredom. Shino had given him some books to pass the time, but Naruto just couldn't get into them. When was Sensei going to come back.

"Naruto?"

"Hinata!" Naruto shouted jumping to his feet as his teammate walked into his room. He immediately regretted his actions when he fell back against the bed from light-headedness.

"A-are you okay?"

"Yep, just hungry."

"G-good thing I b-brought this then," Hinata said holding up a bag of food.

"Ramen!?"

"N-no…" Hinata said pushing her index fingers together. "Lady Tsunade caught me last time and got mad. B-besides, you're still hurt and n-need to rest and eat healthier f-foods."

"Ugh you sound like the doctors and nurses," Naruto complained as Hinata began pulling out the food she brought. "How's Kurenai-sensei?"

"Not good. A-apparently, she mis-healed her b-broken leg. Th-they had to reb-break it and set it p-properly." Naruto flinched at the thought of intentionally breaking a bone. "They n-need to be extra careful with it t-too."

"Can't they just heal it again using healing jutsu?"

"S-since healing j-jutsu was already used to kn-knit the bone together, doing it again would s-strain the limb too much. That's why t-training to be a medic is so g-grueling, they c-can't afford any mistakes."

"That's going to be rough. She's still in the hospital, isn't she? We should go see her."

"A-actually," Hinata said smiling conspiratorially. "I saw Asuma-sensei enter the hospital a-ahead of me."

"Oh really? Well, it'd be a shame to interrupt. So, what'd you bring me?"

"S-some rice porridge to h-help you recover," Hinata said taking the lid off the bowl, filling the room with delicious smells. Naruto's stomach gurgled in anticipation while his mouth filled with saliva. Hinata began handing him the bowl and spoon when Naruto figured out a way to relieve his boredom.

"I'm pretty tired, Hinata. You should feed me."

"W-WHAT!?" Hinata near shouted turning red. Naruto had to repress his smirk. Why was this so much fun? "Y-you can f-feed yourself j-just f-fine."

"But I'm 'still hurt and need to rest'…right," Naruto said cheekily. "Please….Hina." Naruto couldn't hide his smirk anymore when he saw Hinata's ears turn red. She glanced up at Naruto's smirking face before looking down again. Naruto figured he'd had his fun and was about to take the food when Hinata held up a spoonful of porridge for him.

Naruto stared at the proffered food a bit confused. "Aaaaahn," Hinata keeping the spoon at mouth level. It was Naruto's turn to blush as he opened his mouth and took a bite. He just wanted to tease Hinata a little, make her blush a bit. He didn't think she'd actually do it. Hinata scooped some more porridge and blew on it before presenting it to Naruto. Not being able to chicken out now Naruto ate the food. This was a lot more embarrassing than he thought it would be.

Naruto couldn't taste the food anymore. All his attention was on Hinata, and it seemed all her attention was on him. How could people do this more than once!? Naruto didn't know if he would be able to look Hinata in the eye after this. Mercifully the spoon scraped against the bottom of the bowl and Hinata presented the final bite to Naruto. After eating Naruto finally breathed a sigh of relief that it was finally over. "Th-thanks, Hinata."

"N-no problem, N-Naruto."

"That was precious." Naruto and Hinata jumped at the sound of a third voice. Unfortunately, this meant Hinata accidently throwing the spoon and having it ricochet off Naruto's forehead. Once that was taken care of the two teens turned to find Ziren leaning casually against the door jamb with a grin so cheeky not even Naruto could've matched it. "I didn't want to interrupt."

"Sensei!" Naruto shouted leaping off the bed and running at Ziren, arms outstretched. He came up short and confused when Ziren flinched back and shouted for Naruto to stop. It was then he noticed the sling and just how many bandages Ziren had on him.

"Now, gently," Ziren said as he and Naruto hugged. Hinata felt a pang of jealousy, before she buried it in guilt at being jealous of her teammate. "And hello to you too, Hinata," Ziren said ruffling the girl's hair. Hinata stood and offered the wounded man the chair before sitting next to Naruto on the bed.

"What happened to you, Sensei?"

"Well, this is what happens when you ride an eighty-foot centipede, rodeo style, into the side of a mountain."

"Ei-eighty-feet, r-really?"

"Come on, Sensei. If you can't tell us just say so. You don't have to make up some sort of stupid story."

"I'm being serious guys! I rode an eighty-foot centipede, rodeo style, into the side of a mountain. Ask Hinata's cousin, Kō. He saw the whole thing."

"K-Kō's back?"

"Yeah, we came in together. He's probably at your clan compound by now."

"I should go s-see him. Th-thanks for letting m-me know," Hinata said standing and bowing goodbye to Ziren. "O-oh, almost forgot. Naruto, Kurenai-sensei w-wants to have a t-team meeting tomorrow."

"Okay, thanks for telling me Hinata. I'll see you tomorrow then." The two watched Hinata leave before Ziren stood up and closed the door. He pulled a tag from his sleeve and put it over the doorknob, locking it completely. He returned to his seat and held up his good hand. Black chakra sprang to life in his palm before thinning into a line that surrounded the two shinobi. Sounds deadened and Naruto fought the creeping sense of isolation as the technique ensured their discussion would remain private.

"Naruto, what the hell happened? I talked to the nurses about you condition. You'd have had to draw void chakra for a week straight to get to this point. You're reckless, but not stupid. How did this happen?" Naruto looked down at his hands as he remembered his fight with Loew.

"An artifact, the one the Shrouded Heralds are after. They were there, and they found one. A piece of metal. I want to say it was black, but that just doesn't describe it. It-it created void chakra. I thought that was impossible!" Naruto detailed the mission, the fight with the golems and Loew using the Artifact. Ziren remained silent through the entire story, too quiet. Naruto looked up to see why Ziren wasn't saying anything. His sensei wasn't looking at him, or anywhere really. He was staring off into space, his mind obviously elsewhere.

"Arrogant," Ziren whispered.

"Sensei?" Ziren blinked and returned to himself. "What do you mean 'arrogant'?"

"I was arrogant to believe that we were the only one capable of drawing in Void Chakra. But you're right a non-living thing creating Void Chakra shouldn't be possible. And these Shrouded Heralds, they are far more dangerous than we could have imagined if they've gathered more of these things."

"What are we going to tell Konoha about them? They've been asking me questions. Questions about the Artifacts and about Void Chakra. I've managed to deflect the questions for now, but I don't know how long I can."

"The truth, mostly. We don't know what these artifacts are or what they can do. We just know that they're dangerous. I don't trust Konoha not to abuse Void Chakra if they had the chance. And if anyone keeps giving you trouble just remember the law is on our side if it comes to that."

"Wait, really?"

"Clans like the Aburame and Nara that have non-bloodline restricted clan techniques have ensured that specialty jutsu can't be taken by force by the government. We'll figure this out Naruto, we always do."

"Sensei, who's the Sage of the Endless Path?"

Ziren remained silent for a time, stroking his chin in contemplation. "It…sounds strangely familiar. I know I've heard that name before. I can't think of where though. I need to look into this. Where did you hear that name?"

"That's the person the Shrouded Heralds call their savior."

"A matter for another day. Now let's get you checked out of here and get some ramen. I'm starving."

"Now you're talking Sensei!"


Naruto whistled as he walked down the street. He was discharged from the hospital yesterday, finally got some ramen, and Sensei was back safe. "Hinata!" He shouted when he saw his teammate ahead of him.

"G-good morning, Naruto."

"Hey, did you get to talk Kō yesterday?"

"Yeah."

"Did Sensei really ride an eighty-foot centipede, rodeo style, into a mountain?"

"I-it was only f-fifty-feet long. And he d-didn't ride rodeo st-style. It was m-more: hanging on for d-dear life as it c-careened into a s-stone pillar."

"But there was a giant centipede?"

"Yes."

"How? How does a centipede even grow that big? Do you know Shino?"

"I see you got your senses back, Naruto." Shino said rounding a corner.

"Sensei came back in yesterday and helped clear my head."

"Good to hear, come, Kurenai-sensei is waiting for us."

"That's it? We're talking about a movie-monster sized centipede. How does something grow that long?"

"I do not know, unfortunately," Shino said continuing down the street. Hinata and Naruto shared a worried glance before they ran to catch up with their teammate.

"Shino, is everything a-alright?"

"I am fine, just distracted. It is an Aburame matter. Do not concern yourselves with it." Shino's brusque manner stopped Naruto in his tracks with surprise. Hinata being in a clan herself understood how Shino was probably feeling. With nothing else coming from his teammates Shino stepped forward and knocked on Kurenai's door.

"Come in!" The teens heard a shout from inside and opened the door to let themselves in. They found themselves in a cozy living room with Kurenai sitting on the couch reading a book with her casted foot resting on a pillow. "Welcome, make yourselves at home." Hinata took a seat on the couch next to Kurenai while Shino and Naruto found seats of their own.

"Due to my injury and forced bed rest we won't be taking any mission for a long while. I know you're disappointed," Kurenai said when Naruto groaned. "But I have other plans for you guys. I want to enter you into the upcoming Chunin exams." The three genin were rendered speechless at Kurenai's announcement. Surprisingly it was Hinata who spoke first.

"A-are you sure we're r-ready?"

"You three have had to fight a shiny bastard, an army of stone men, a missing nin that apparently went toe-to-toe with the Guardian Twelve, and whatever the hell Loew was. Compared to all that the Chunin Exams are going to be boring for you."

"Heck yeah! We're going to take the exams by storm!" Naruto shouted, jumping to his feet.

"That's the enthusiasm I was expecting. But patient Naruto. All three of you must agree. Hinata?"

"W-well..."

"Come on Hinata. You're going to kick ass!"

"Naruto! Don't pressure her."

"I'm not pressuring, I'm encouraging."

"I-it's okay Kurenai-sensei, I already m-made up my mind. I'm in."

"Shino, you've been pretty quiet over there. What do you have to say?"

"I vote to participate. I have nothing else to add."

Hinata leaned over to Kurenai and whispered, "Clan stuff."

"Okay," Kurenai said nodding in understanding. "I'll sign you three up. That means that instead of normal training and missions we'll be focusing on preparations."

"Does that mean we'll be learning cool new techniques and jutsus?"

"Hmmm, not quite. Chunin Exams often have some sort of theoretical component," Kurenai said reaching over to a bookshelf and pulling down a thick tome. "Which means that today we'll be doing a little studying. Naruto's groan was so loud that Hiruzen looked up from his paperwork in confusion.


"…need…ramen…" Naruto groaned as he left Kurenai's house, his feet dragging across the ground.

"It w-wasn't that bad, Naruto." Yeah it was, but she was trying to cheer Naruto up.

"Let's go to Ichiraku's, my treat!" Naruto announced getting a second wind at the thought of his favorite food.

"You two can go ahead. I must return to my family," Shino said turning and leaving. Naruto was about to go after him but was stopped by Hinata who just shook her head.

"I know you don't get it Naruto, but this is Aburame b-business. Whatever it is, Shino w-will have to deal with it on h-his own."


Shino stepped out onto his front porch. He was dressed in a simple outfit of funerary black silk. He hated this outfit, nothing good came of wearing it. Taking a deep breath Shino looked around at the flower garden his mother had draped around the porch. Insects buzzed happily among the myriad of flowers and their scent filled the air with a heady fragrance.

"Are you ready son?" Shino turned to see his father sitting on the porch bench gazing at the flowers and insects much like himself. Like Shino, Shibi wore the black funeral clothes common to Konoha. His face was weary and weighed down by the duty he had to carry out today. "Though I suppose that is a foolish question. It does not get easier, son. Do not forget that."

"I will not, Father."

"Good, let us go." Shibi stood and began walking, Shino right next to him. The pair walked through the compound. Other Aburame stepped aside to let them pass and bowed in respect. Others wearing the same black clothing stepped out of their houses and fell in step behind the clan head and heir.

Finally, the somber procession stood before a large set of double doors, the main entrance to the Clan Hatchery. Next to the impressive doorway were three people. An older man and woman and a girl a few years older than Shino, the deceased's family. They held onto each other tightly, their eyes red and puffy from crying. Shino couldn't imagine what they were going through. He remembered losing his grandfather, but that couldn't compare to what they must feel. Others in the procession moved forward to comfort them, but not Shibi and Shino. As present and future clan head they were a part of the Aburame clan, but always apart. Shino observed the group as he and his father watched on, impassively.

Finally, Shibi strode forward and opened the Hatchery doors. The quiet murmuring of those gathered hushed instantly. Not uttering a word Shino and Shibi descended into the heart of the Aburame clan. The stairs ended at a passage carved into the earth. The lights were low, the air was hot and humid, and carried the scent of decomposition. A low buzzing, as though countless insects were at rest, echoed from further in.

The procession continued deeper into the earth. Passing passages and hallways that branched off from the main thoroughfare. Eventually Shibi turned down a side hall as the sound of the buzzing increased. Shino began passing by the sub-hives of Aburame shinobi. An extra queen and an emergency supply of Kikaichῡ should any Aburame's lose theirs in battle.

The procession came to a stop beside one hive, the name engraved on the plaque beneath the plexiglass viewing window read "Itaro Aburame". A second group, this one wearing white coats, came from the opposite end of the hallway. Leading this group was the Head Researcher of the Hatchery, Shindo Aburame. Shindo had always referred to himself as "Everyone's favorite Grandpa," and Shino was hard pressed to deny it. He had a youthful energy, a head full of bizarre insect facts, and a pocket filled with those peculiar hard candies only old people ever seemed able to find. He shared all with the clan children freely.

But he had none of those things today. He leaned heavily on his cane. His doctor had tried to get him using a walker, but Shindo refused saying he wasn't that old. But now the years seemed to weigh heavily on the man and he could barely hold himself up using only a single length of wood. Next to the aged man was Shino's mother in an identical white coat and holding a metal box plastered in warning labels. She looked terrible and Shino wanted to go over there to comfort her, or perhaps to be comforted, he wasn't sure. But no, he was heir and she was Hatchery worker. They both had roles to play.

"Itaro is no longer among us. He has fallen." Shibi announced. Muffled sobs came from the traitor's family while everyone else paid close attention to the proceedings. Itaro was still alive. Trapped somewhere in the bowels of the Torture and Interrogation Department guarded by his betrayed ex-girlfriend, according to the rumors anyway. It was enough to make one believe in karma. Shinobu had declared him disowned. As far as everyone present was concerned the man was dead.

"I have come to see done what is most painful." Shino listened as his father spoke the ritual words. Of all the things he least looked forward to when his time to lead Aburame came, this was by far the worst.

Shindo took a deep breath before he straitened up and stood tall. "You have come to kill his Kikaichῡ." It wasn't a question.

"I have. As Aburame our duty is to protect the Kikaichῡ that have become our comrades, our allies, our friends. But our duty does not end there. As Aburame we must protect the innocent from our Kikaichῡ. We protect them and must protect others from them. This hive no longer has a master to serve. They cannot be released. And we cannot risk them escaping. So I am here to offer a final thanks."

"I understand. So it shall be." Rebecca stepped forward and opened the box she had been holding. Shindo reached in and pulled out a small metal tube that was also covered in warning labels. Shino knew that small tube had enough toxin in it to kill a Kikaichῡ swarm dead, though Shino had never seen it used. Not just any pesticide could kill a Kikaichῡ beetle. That's why killing a hostless swarm was so imperative. If they somehow escaped, the ecological damage they could cause would be astronomical. That risk could not be tolerated

"I cannot do this my Lord. I do not see insects when I look in here," Shinod said gesturing to the hive. "I've fed them, trained them, raised them. They are not weapons. They are our children. I am not strong enough to perform this duty. So, I must ask you to do this thankless, necessary task," Shindo finished, holding the cannister out to Shibi.

A silence fell over the assembled group. As part of Aburame funerary tradition at this point a family member or friend of the deceased would step forward and say "These soldiers have done nothing wrong. I shall take them as part of my swarm so that they need not be sacrificed, so their master will be remembered." Others would join in as well, and the deceased's hive would be split among them and spared being executed. It was Shino's favorite Aburame tradition. He remembered when he stepped forward at his grandfather's funeral. He now carried a piece of his grandfather with him wherever he went.

The silence carried on. None would step forward for a traitor. "I accept this responsibility, and shoulder it gladly for the Aburame clan." Shibi finally said taking the metal cannister from Shindo. An aid removed the plague bearing Itaro's name revealing a valve and a switch. Shibi attached the cannister to the valve and flipped the switch before stepping back next to Shino.

For a few moments nothing happened, then the insects noticed the poison in the air. The hive exploded in a frenzy of action as Kikaichῡ probed the habitat looking for escape. They scratched at the plexiglass, the dug, they tried to chew through the mesh over the vents. They fought, they died. More Kikaichῡ poured from the hive to attack the walls, but for every one new beetle that joined the fray another fell to the ground dead.

Sobs and gasps filled the hallway as the gathered Aburame cried at their comrades dying in such a way. Many couldn't take it and began leaving. The crowd thinned as the Kikaichῡ kept at their fruitless struggle. Shino had seen many Kikaichῡ die, but that was always in combat. It was one thing to watch his Kikaichῡ beetles fly fearlessly into battle. Sacrificing themselves for the good of others.

Here though? Trapped In a cage as they slowly died was almost too much for him to bear. But he was clan heir. One day it would be his responsibility to consign these innocent creatures to their death. He would see this to its end. He owed them that much. More and more of the Aburame left as the ground inside the habitat was littered with Kikaichῡ corpses.

A large clump of Kikaichῡ burst from the hive and made their way towards the window. Those on the outer edges collapsed and curled in on themselves. More and more died off finally revealing the treasure they protected. The queen, her abdomen swollen with eggs, dragged herself across the ground. With one last shudder the queen grew still. The hive…was dead. Shindo removed the cannister from the valve and made his way slowly from the hallway.

Shino looked around and found that only he and his father remained. Shibi took a deep, rattling breath. When Shino looked at him he saw tears running down his face. Bringing his hand to his face he found he too was crying. "It will never get easier," Shibi said. "And one day you will have to bear this responsibility."

"I know father."

"Good." Shibi placed his hand on his son's shoulder. He looked at the dead hive one more time before turning away. "Come, there is nothing more for us here."


Naruto backpedaled as Naruto swung at his head. Naruto parried as he swept for Naruto's legs. Naruto backflipped and brought his sword up to block Naruto's follow up attack. But it was a feint and Naruto altered the trajectory of his swing eviscerating Naruto. The shadow clone popped as Naruto relaxed his stance. He liked fighting against his clones to help improve his spontaneity. Since a clone had all his skills at the start of the fight.

Naruto picked up his water bottle and took a deep drink to cool off. Today was a train alone day. Which was good because if he had to crack open another text book he was going to go Kyuubi on someone. He had wanted to train with Sensei in preparation for the exams, but then he remembered what day it was today. No training with Sensei at all. He hated today.

Naruto turned when he sensed someone approaching. "Hey, you Naruto?" the woman asked. It took Naruto a moment before he recognized her as Anko from Sensei's descriptions.

"What's up?"

"You know where Ziren is? I can't find him anywhere."

"He doesn't like being found sometimes. He's probably going to be gone all day."

"That ain't going to work. The Hokage wants to meet with him today at three o'clock sharp. He sent me to deliver the message. You really have no idea where he could be?"

"I can probably find him. Want me to deliver the message about the meeting for you?" Anko chewed her lip as she thought for a moment.

"I do have a lot of preparing to do. Listen kid, if Ziren doesn't show up to that meeting the Hokage's going to have my hide. And if he gets my hide, I'm going to take yours. Make sure he's at that meeting." Anko turned and walked away. Sensei described her to a T.

Sighing to himself Naruto sheathed his sword and grasped the medallion hanging from his neck. He fell into the chakra lattice in the metal and felt a pull from Sensei's chakra. Sighing again Naruto walked off in the direction of Sensei's chakra. He wound up at exactly the place he expected too. He'd never been here but he had heard about it often enough, the Memorial Stone.

Naruto walked up the path to the stone when he spied Sensei sitting before the memorial. He was cross-legged, his eyes closed, and held his sword across his lap. "What do you need, Naruto?" Ziren didn't move and his voice was gruff. Naruto really didn't like today.

"Anko showed up. She says the Hokage wants to meet you at three o'clock."

"What time is it?"

"About eleven."

"I will be there, don't worry." Naruto hesitated for a second. Sensei always wanted to be alone today, and it seemed that this year was no exception. Taking a deep breath Naruto stepped forward and sat next to Ziren. The swordsman looked at Naruto out of the corner of his eye but said nothing. Naruto gazed at the stone and read the names listed there. He didn't recognize any of them, but he recognized their sacrifice.

"Who were they?" Naruto finally asked.

"I'm sorry?"

"Every year, on this day, you spend the entire day at a memorial or a cemetery. I…I just wanted to know who they were." Ziren fell quiet. He stared down at his lap as he ran his hand along his sword's edge. Sensei never really spoke of his time before they met. He would tell a story here, or a funny anecdote there. But they were always about the people he met, never about himself.

"It's not that I'm keeping secrets from you Naruto. It's just that I find it difficult to talk about it. They were Serena, Hikari, and Kenichi and Kenji Adair…my family."

"Y-you're family?"

"Yes. My wife, a daughter, and twin sons."

"What happened?"

"What do you think happened?" Naruto clammed up at Ziren's biting retort. He rarely saw his sensei in such a bad mood. Not wanting the silence to stretch on Naruto decided to take a different approach.

"What was Serena like?"

"What?"

"I mean…if some women got you to fall in love with her she must've been something special, right?"

"She was special alright," Ziren said a grin lifting his lips and his eyes growing misty with memories. "She was always so bright and cheerful. She just…enjoyed life. Beautiful. And she was incredibly mischievous. Seriously. I had to bail her out of trouble more times than I've had to bail you out of trouble."

"I find that hard to believe, Sensei. I'm the king of getting into trouble."

"There was that time she punched the village high priest in the mouth."

"In the mouth?"

"Straight in the teeth. He deserved it to be sure, but man did that cause an uproar." Naruto, unable to hold himself together, started giggling.

"I'm sorry it's just…I got this picture of an arrogant priest in a big, frilly, white robe tumbling over an altar after getting sucker punched."

"That's exactly how she described it. Although she had on her adorable little aren't-I-just-the-most-precious-little-thing-now-please-help-me-avoid-the-consequences smile at the time. I always fell for it too, every time."

"I like her…do…do you think she'd have liked me?" Naruto said hesitantly. He then realized he'd been pushing his index fingers together. Seems Hinata was rubbing off on him. Ziren reached over and wrapped his arm around Naruto's shoulder.

"Oh Naruto, she'd have loved you. The nonsense the two of you could've gotten up to would've been the stuff that's included in history books. And all the work I'd need to do to keep you two out of jail is the stuff of nightmares."

"You complain Sensei, but I think you actually like troublemakers."

"Don't you go spreadin' that around now. I got a reputation to uphold."

"No promises. What about Hikari, Kenichi, and Kenji."

"Hikari was the oldest. Spitting image of her mother, but she was my daughter through and through. Helped me keep the others in line. Kenichi and Kenji on the other hands seemed to get the worst traits from the both of us. I swear the two of them were relentless. But they had their mother's smile, so I let them get away with anything. Those two ran me ragged."

"So, if I learned this smile-"

"Don't even think about it." Naruto clicked his tongue as he looked away. The two fell back into silence, though this one wasn't as heavy as the last. Still, Naruto wanted to learn more.

"How did you and Serena meet?"

"That story requires a little background. First thing you need to know Naruto is that I'm an orphan, just like you."

"Really?"

"Yep, never knew my parents. I was abandoned on the steps of a swordsman dojo as a baby. I think whoever left me there thought it was a monastery. Many of the swordmasters wanted to give me to the local monastery. But the grand master was a superstitious old man. 'Everything happens for a reason' he would say."

"You hate that saying."

"And now you know why. So, there I was, a baby, surrounded by a bunch of old men whose most in-depth knowledge of child rearing was handing them to their wives. How I survived my infancy I'll never know. Being taught how to use a sword is one of my first memories. It was a…unique upbringing."

"That's actually kinda cool, Sensei. You should write a book about it. Is that where you met Serena?"

"Nope. I was around…six? Yeah, six. At the time. There was a big festival going on in the nearby town. The masters, being worried that I hadn't met any children my age, decided to take me to it. It was terrifying. More people gathered in one spot than I thought existed in the world. I spent most of my time clinging to one master or another's leg."

"I'm trying to imagine you uncomfortable in a crowd, and I'm just not seeing it."

"I was six Naruto. All six-year-olds are bad in crowds. Do I need to mention the that time in-"

"We promised to never speak of that," Naruto interjected quickly. Clearing his throat, he continued. "What happened next?"

"If you'd stop interrupting me you would already know."

"Sorry," Naruto said before making a zipping motion over his mouth.

"So, the masters plan was a bust. I didn't go near any of the other children. In a last-ditch effort to help me deal with people they introduced me to the family responsible for forging the swords the dojo used. The head blacksmith had a daughter the same age as me. And that was when I first met Serena. She was hiding behind her father's leg like me. When she first saw me she came from behind the old man's legs and approached me, all shy-like. Smiling nicely. She pushed me into the dirt, screamed "You're it!" and ran off giggling like an idiot."

"Romantic. What'd you do?"

"I was a proud, disciplined swordsman. I did what any trained warrior would do in my position. I hunted her down, pushed her into the dirt, screamed "You're it!" and ran off giggling like an idiot. We spent the rest of the festival pretty much doing that. Whenever I went to the village after that I always spent the day with Serena. We were the best of friends.

"Years passed, and I got to the age where I started thinking 'girls are nice.' I was twelve? I think I was twelve at the time. I kept trying to come up with different excuses to spend more time her. The craziest, and most effective, method I came up with was to apprentice myself to the dojo's treasurer. Since he was the one responsible for negotiating with the blacksmith, I figured I could go with him and talk to Serena.

"For a little context, this man wasn't actually a part of the dojo. I could never get confirmation but I'm pretty sure he was a wanted man whose trading experience was, well I don't need to sugar coat it for you. He was a criminal. He was also a friend of the Grand Master, and in exchange for protection he made sure the dojo always had enough money. He straight up shot me down. But I was a stubborn kid who was willing to go to any length to talk his crush. It took a lot of brown nosing and groveling, but he finally accepted me as his apprentice.

"He taught me everything he knew about trade, both legal and otherwise. And I was able to spend more time with Serena because of it. Later I learned that Serena had thrown her all into learning how to forge and maintain swords. Since the dojo was their biggest client they got the best swords. And if she forged the best swords she got to present them to the dojo. Meaning me."

"You know Sensei, you and Serena spent a lot of effort to do something really simple. You were "friends" right? Couldn't you see each other just because you wanted too?"

"Yes, and when Serena's mother pointed that out to us it blew our minds. That was also the point where I officially started courting her."

"Courting? No one says courting anymore, Sensei."

"Don't make me feel older than I already do Naruto. Besides, it might do you some good to learn some good old-fashioned courting. You never know when some high-class lady from a prestigious family might catch your eye."

"Hinata and I aren't like that, Sensei."

"Who said anything about Hinata?" Ziren said shrugging innocently.

"You-I…" Naruto trailed off realizing the trap Ziren led him into. "Hinata and I are just friends, Sensei."

"That's what I said when people told me what a cute couple me and Serena made. You can't fool me kid."

"Weren't we talking about you. Why'd Hinata come up? Stay focused."

"Fine I'll get back to my story. Where was I?"

"You and Serena finally started dating."

"Courting, not dating." Naruto just shrugged. "So, Serena and I finally started spending time together without needing an excuse. Those were good days…" Ziren trailed off eyes staring off towards the horizon, his hand mindlessly running up and down his sword. Sensei looked so at peace in that moment that Naruto felt like leaving him alone, but he was much too curious to hear how this story ended to do that.

"Sensei?"

"It came as a surprise to no one when we got married as soon as we came of age. The ceremony was magnificent. Everyone in the village showed up to celebrate. And Serena…" Ziren choked up as he lovingly cradled his sword. "…Serena gave me this sword on that day. Told me it was her greatest creation. That it would help me come home to her safe and sound. That while I held it, I held her." Tears now freely fell from Ziren's eyes.

"I've tried to maintain it over the years, but I obviously lack her skill. I've thought about having someone else take a look at it…but that feels like a betrayal, you know. Besides, it stood up to the Kubikiribōchō. It'll last a while longer."

"You could always hold on to it but not use it if you're worried."

"No!" Naruto jumped at Ziren's shout. "She was a swordsmith. She didn't make trophies or trinkets. Hunks of metal to look pretty on a wall. No! She forged weapons. To be used in battle. To protect the innocent. To strike down the wicked. That is why she forged. Day after day. Hammer strike after hammer strike. I have not always stayed true to why this blade was made. But! I will not dishonor her by putting away her greatest work!"

Naruto blinked in surprise. He'd never seen Sensei get so worked up. "S-sorry Sensei, I-I didn't know."

"I'm sorry too, Naruto. I've never told you about her. We were talking about weddings. Weddings are happy, let's go back to being happy."

"Were you two married by the priest she punched in the face?"

"Oh good heavens no! Let's just say that some scandals came to light after the "incident" and he wasn't a priest any longer."

"And you had nothing to do with these "Scandals?""

"Naruto, why do you ask questions you already know the answer to?"

"I just wanted to see how effective that smile was. So, you two got married, what next?"

"We enjoyed our wedding day to its fullest. And then seven months later our daughter was born."

"Seven months? But don't babies need nine months to-ohhhh."

"Pissed off the more conservative masters at the dojo once they figured that out. I always wondered what they thought we were doing when Serena and I snuck off to be alone together."

"C-can we not talk about this! You doing…let's move on."

"You're adorable Naruto. Yeah, Hikari was born and my life took on a whole new meaning. A few years later the twins came along and…your worst day Naruto, was their best. Little hellions." Ziren said the word with such warmth and affection that Naruto felt a little embarrassed. "They got a nice house on the edge of town on a nice spit of land and lived happily ever after."

"But they didn't, did they?"

"No…they didn't. But if they did is a constant musing of mine."

"What happened to them?"

"War, Naruto. War happened. It is always war. We had lived in relative peace for a good long while. But then the Lord got into a feud with another Lord. I don't know if it was due to resources, ideology, or some stupid insult carelessly hurled. Weapons were made, armies were trained, blood would soon be spilled.

"Understand that both the dojo and myself had been gaining a reputation, we were seen as a dire threat, and the first target. I was with some of the other men at the tavern enjoying a late-night drink. By the time we realized something happened…I ran home…I…" Tears began running down Ziren's cheeks. "…I…I was too late. They were…"

Naruto scooted closer to Ziren and hugged him tightly. "They were dead. Serena, Hikari, Kenichi, Kenji. I saw their bodies. Serena must have put up one hell of a fight, but it wasn't…wasn't enough."

"I'm sorry, Sensei." Ziren held Naruto close as he tried to reign in his emotions.

"When I saw their bodies. I didn't feel angry, or sad, or…anything. I was empty. I felt like there was nothing left of me. As though I were standing at the edge of a great void. I gave it my anger, my hatred, my despair. And it answered." Ziren held his hand up. Black chakra exploded from his palm and formed impossible to follow patterns. "You have felt it too. It's how we can draw Void Chakra to us. Our hollowness allows us to call on it, to mold it. The loss of my family, your isolation. They were good for something at least."

Naruto looked at his hands and let the black chakra flow along his skin. He watched rise in the air to join Ziren's as they danced their impossible dance before dissipating. "What did you do next?"

"There were still attackers about in my village. The people responsible. I slaughtered them. Every. Last. One. And when the only one left was the commander, dragging himself along the ground begging for his life. I stomped on his head till it burst like an overripe tomato.

"The war raged between the two lords and their armies, but I didn't care. The death of my family was ordered, and I was going to pay the man back. The enemy lord. All I could think of was my revenge. I wanted to kill him. But that would be kind, merciful. A good man is kind and merciful. I was not a good man then.

"I would hunt his family down! I would stake his children's head outside his door! I would let him see all the atrocities I would meet out upon him! So that when everything he loved, everything he knew crumbled! When he was on his knees, begging me for mercy! WHEN THE ONLY THING HE HAD LEFT WAS HIS LIFE! THEN AND ONL-"

"Sensei, your hand!" Ziren looked down at his hand. In his anger he had grabbed his sword too tightly and nearly sliced his hand in two. A deep cut ran across his palm and blood flowed from it freely. Ziren didn't flinch or wince in pain. He gazed at his hand as though it were attached to someone else, as though he couldn't feel it. Naruto pulled bandages from his pockets and began wrapping the wound.

"Only then would I deny him that simple mercy, that simple kindness. I was not a good man, Naruto," Ziren said as Naruto finished wrapping his hand.

"We should go to the hospital and have someone look at that," Naruto said. He didn't like where this was going. He started this, but he wasn't sure he wanted to finish it. "Let's go."

"Sit," Ziren said continuing to stare at his hand.

"But Sens-"

"Sit." Naruto sat. Finally, Ziren turned to look at Naruto. His eyes seemed so old, so weary. As though he had watched time itself march before him, as though he'd seen so much crumble. "You've put me up on a pedestal, Naruto. I admit that I enjoy that, but you must learn what I did, what I was. Learn from my mistakes, Naruto. So that you may never make them. Will you listen? To the end?"

Naruto saw that the question shook his Sensei. He'd never seen Ziren look this frail, as though the breath from Naruto's voice alone could knock him over. "I'll listen."

"The lord had three children. Two sons and a daughter. I started with the youngest. The prince was traveling by carriage with a retinue. I jumped them from a rooftop. I killed the horses first. That sowed confusion as the beast's screams frightened the nobles. While everyone was wondering what happened, I killed the guards easily. The courtiers were easy pickings after. I saved the princeling for last. He begged me for mercy, offered me anything to spare him. I stabbed him and watched the life drain from his terrified eyes.

"The princess was the middle child and my next target. She was staying in one of her father's many villas with her ladies-in-waiting. They believed they could wait out the war in safety. I showed them what an ephemeral safety that was. It was night when I set the villa on fire. The servants were frantically trying to contain it while the ladies-in-waiting were trying to get the princess out the emergency exit to safety. That's where they ran into me. The roaring blaze drowned out their screams. I destroyed the buildings supports as I left, trapping everyone else inside. There were no survivors.

"That left the lords oldest son. After the death of the other two this prince was hidden away in a mountain fortress for his safety. At this point I had learned how to fully control my power. I descended on the fortress like a storm. The soldiers put a valiant effort. I wish they had ran. Fools, all of them. There weren't any escape routes for them. They had cornered themselves.

"I cut my way through his guards like a scythe cuts through wheat. Finally, all that was left was the prince. He met me, back to the wall and sword in hand. I toyed with him for a short while. I even left him means of escape, but he never took it. He always returned to the same position, back to the wall sword in hand. Fool should've run. I charged an attack. It should've been easily dodge-able. But the man wouldn't move from his position. I destroyed him, the wall…and the children hiding in the secret room behind the wall. He was a father…protecting his children. He should've ran.

"The children…they were around the same age as my own. The looks on their faces…was the same as theirs when they…Terror, horror, I don't have the words to describe it. I murdered children. That night I looked at myself. Truly looked at myself. I was a monster. I was what Serena hated about the world. I was what terrified my children. I was the ugliness of the world, its darkness, its despair. Everything I was doing, I was doing for them. But if they could see me…see what I had become…They would hate me…they would revile me. I was everything that was wrong with the world. I was a murderer, a monster. And I did it all in their name.

"Revenge is an ugly, selfish goal. Nothing good comes from its pursuit. That night I wanted to kill myself. End my suffering. I stayed alive to avenge my loved ones. Only to realize what a hollow meaningless purpose that was. But that was the coward's way out. I was many things, Naruto. But I was never a coward. I promised on my family's grave to never become like that again. To be the monster no more. So, I travel. I do good where I can. Help those that need it. To make the world a better place. To seek forgiveness for what I've done. And every year I come to a memorial, a cemetery, a place of mourning. To remind myself of that promise. Remind myself what I could still become."

"I-is that why you adopted me? To make the world a better place?"

"I gave you a better home. To make myself feel a little better. For my own, personal, salvation. My own selfishness. I am not the paragon you always thought me to be Naruto. I'm sorry."

Ziren couldn't look at Naruto, he kept his eyes on the memorial stone, even as his tears fell freely. Naruto remained silent a long time. Images flashed through his mind, his memories coming to the surface. Of Sensei helping people, often without even thinking. Of Sensei giving away whatever wealth he acquired to those who needed it more than he. Of risking himself to make others' lives better. Did he do that for himself, his own selfishness?

A new image came to the front of Naruto's mind, one that made his shudder. Of red hair, dead green eyes, and the word "Love" a twisted, cruel joke. Of a warped mirror. Sensei was many things, but selfish wasn't one of them. "I often wonder what would've happened to me if you hadn't come around. If I had to stay here in Konoha."

Ziren turned to look at Naruto and felt his breath hitch at the conviction in the boy's eyes. "I wonder if I would become hateful, angry…vengeful. I wonder if I would've given into the Fox's whispers long ago. But I didn't. I learned the joy of helping others, of peace, of friends. You taught me all that when no one else would even look at me. I saw only darkness and hatred. You showed me a world of color and love. You are a good person, Sensei!"

Naruto leapt to his feet and turned towards Ziren. Were you always a good man? No. But no one is, Sensei. You've made mistakes. And I can't forgive you for them. No one can. But you are still my Sensei. And I know you are a good man. I know the world's a better place because of you. I know I'm a better person because of you. How many many people have you helped? How many times have you left before they could reward you, much less thank you? How many times have you been the anonymous hero? That's not something a selfish person would do."

Naruto wiped the tears from his eyes before holding his hand out to Ziren. "You've done good Sensei, you'll do good. You're too hard on yourself. I'm sure your family would agree. Now if Serena is anything like me, which you yourself said she is. She wouldn't want you moping around a graveyard all day being depressed. She'd want you out laughing in her honor. So, in the name of your family, let's go prank somebody."

Ziren sat motionless staring up at Naruto. He surged forward and wrapped the boy in a hug as fresh tears fell. "You're a cheeky brat, you know that?"

"I learned from the best."

Ziren quieted, and when he pulled back no more tears fell. He wiped his face before smiling down at Naruto. "I assume you have a target?"

"I know the perfect mark. We gotta be quick though. You got that meeting with the Hokage later. Come on!" Naruto shouted running out of the clearing.

"Thank you, Naruto" Ziren whispered to himself. He turned back to the memorial stone where he liked to think he saw four phantoms hovering about. "Don't worry, I'm being taken care of," He said to them.

"Come on, Sensei!" Naruto shouted.

"Coming!" He ran his hand along his sword one more time before sheathing it across his back. He'd spent too much time today thinking about the past. Time to see what the future had in store.