—-

Chapter 2: "Love and Why It Means Different Things to Different People"

The Most Important Person in My Life

3 Years After the Kyuubi Attack

She had been mercilessly training him ever since he discovered his chakra a few months ago. Every day she would make him work his body until he was exhausted. In the afternoons, he meditated for hours to refine his chakra. At night, he would lay in bed broken, every muscle throbbing in agony at the slightest twitch. By the next morning the pain had disappeared and she would make him do it all over again.

Today, she had him do push ups.

"Again" She commanded.

His arms strained as they bore the weight of his body. With his back straight and face forward, his chest lowered painfully slow - slow enough for all the muscle fibers to rip. He held his breath as he went down and released once he pushed back up with whatever explosive force he could muster. She demanded perfect technique.

"Again"

Each time he repeated the motion, it was harder to complete than the last.

"Again"

He had lost count long ago.

"Again"

He forgot to breathe this time when he went up. The blood had pooled in his head and he couldn't think.

"Again"

His left arm nearly buckled. It was weaker than his right.

"Again"

He couldn't hold it any longer. He fell face first into the hard floor. The painful crunch of his nose was followed by the harsh 'clack' of his forehead hitting the floor. Tears began to well in his eyes.

"Again!"

His arms can't muster the strength to push him back up. His spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak.

"Get up, Naruto." Her eyes bore into his prone body.

This time, he couldn't stop the tears. He turned his head towards her. With one eye pressed firmly against the ground, the other looked into her own in search of something. He tried several times to get up, never looking away. At some point, he gave up and laid there with tears streaming down his face.

After a while, she knelt and reached for his hand, picking him off the ground and into her chest. They stayed like that for several minutes.

"D-Do y-you love me, Obaa-sama?" He asked in between pitiful sobs. She contemplated a response before deciding to cradle his head in her hands. She lifted his face up so that her ringed eyes could meet his own. Her thumb glided over the mark where his forehead had hit the floor.

"Silly child, you're the most important person in the world to me."

—-

Breaking the Tension

Present time (15 Years After the Kyuubi Attack)

"What crawled up her ass?"

The boy grinned with both eyes closed.

Satsuki's eye twitched.

For an instant Sakura tilted her head to the side as her jaw slacked, before her face quickly contorted into narrowed eyes and flaring nostrils."Hey, don't talk like that about Satsuki-chan!". She screamed again, getting up from her seat as she slapped a hand on her desk and waved a fist at Naruto.

The boy's grin disappeared. His eyes opened slowly and bore down unflinchingly into Sakura's own. All light seemed to drain from the room as she looked into his eyes, causing her to slowly return to her seat and avert her gaze. A thick silence settled between the three. Sakura's hands fell to her side, fists clenched, as her breath was caught in her throat.

"Sakura, I don't need you to defend me." Satsuki cut in, her elbows on her desk and hands clasped in front of her face. She looked straight at the side of Naruto's head. Sakura finally took in a breath, but chose not to use it to respond.

"Tch." The blonde clicked his tongue as his eyes finally decided to look elsewhere. "Whatever, just don't hold me back" he said, losing all interest in the others. He yawned as he moved to sit elsewhere in the room, away from the other two occupants.

Thirty minutes passed and their sensei still hadn't shown. Suddenly, Naruto grinned. He got up from his chair and sat in front of the door. He then pulled a brush and a small small bottle of ink from one of the many pockets in his cargo pants and started scribbling on the floor.

A few moments passed before Satsuki addressed the elephant in the room. "Hey, boy, what are you doing?"

"Not 'boy' - Naruto. My name is Uzumaki Naruto, use it." He corrected her as he aimed the brush in her direction. He then drew a few more characters before deciding to continue speaking.

"I'm making a seal - a trap. This will teach our Instructor not to be late again." The tip of his tongue peeked from between his lips on the left side as he added the finishing touches. Satsuki could see the final product - a circle made of kanji, altogether the size of her forearm, stationed right in front of the door.

"We could get in trouble for that, idiot!" Satsuki's eyes widened as she found herself agreeing with Sakura for once. 'Yes, idiot.' How else could she describe a ninja who wears orange?

"What kind of jounin would even fall for this trap, anyway? This isn't meant to hurt him, just scare him a bit. Let him know we mean business." Naruto clarified, making a circular motion in the air with brush in hand. Having finished the seal, he clapped his hands together before slamming them on the seal. "Fuin!" He cried as he poured chakra into it. The black kanji glowed a dark purple before disappearing into the surface.

"That should do it." He grinned at his handiwork before getting up and returning to his seat.

Another hour passed before their sensei finally showed, lazily reading a book in his left hand. He was dressed in the standard black fatigues, green flak vest over black long sleeve, and standard issue ninja sandals combo that could be seen on some of the other village ninja. A black face mask hid everything but his right eye and his gravity defying white hair, as his left eye was covered by his forehead protector.

As the door slid open and their sensei stepped into the room, his foot made contact with the seal. A moment later, a geyser of water shot up from the seal and drenching him and his book completely. His one visible eye twitched furiously as he registered what happened.

"My first impression of you… is that you three are nothing but trouble! Follow me to the roof."

The girls stared in shock as Naruto tried desperately to contain his laughter. As their sensei left the room, the dam broke. Naruto rolled on the ground laughing as Sakura chastised him.

"I told you it was a bad idea! Now he hates us!"

"Ah, but it was totally worth it! Ne?"

—-

Do Good Friends Gossip Behind Each Other's Backs?

"Are you absolutely sure it's him?" Calming Hiruzen's paranoia was no easy feat.

"Yes, sensei, it's him. I have no doubts about it." Jiraiya tried anyway.

"But how? We looked for him for years without a trace. And to suddenly appear after 8 years? It all seems so… convenient." Ironically, Hiruzen would put down the pipe when he felt stressed. He hadn't taken a puff since this conversation started.

"I'm telling you sensei, it's him. I've seen the seal myself, and it's the same one I saw on Minato after the attack. What's more - I've felt it's chakra, sensei. Not for long, and only once. But I know that feeling anywhere. I know what's inside the seal."

The Shiki Fujin (Dead Demon Consuming Seal) was a closely guarded village secret - developed by the Uzumaki Clan. Only four people knew about it at the time - Hiruzen, Jiraiya, Kushina, and Minato. The eight trigram sealing method was also an Uzumaki secret known only to Kushina and Minato. Nobody could have replicated the feat of using them together.

"And those eyes? Where did he get those eyes? Something else the Uzumaki never told us about?" Hizuren's mind only seemed to conjure more questions without ever managing to reach an answer.

"Who knows, sensei? You know how secretive the Uzumaki were. Maybe the trauma of having the fox sealed inside of him so young unlocked something?"

"I don't like this, Jiraiya, not at all. I don't like having all of these unknowns - not with the village's safety on the line." Jiraiya's face turned stone cold as he fully registered his sensei's distrust of Naruto.

"But I can't afford to simply let him roam free. He's our village's Jinchuriki - a literal superweapon. Without him, we are vulnerable. Whatever risk he may post is not as bad as what the Hidden Stone would do to us if he were not around. Onoki would invade at the drop of a hat." Jiraiya grimaced at his sensei's words. They both remembered the brutal fighting of the previous Shinobi World War.

"He will be watched by Kakashi. If he ever poses a risk to the village, Kakashi will neutralize him. If he releases the fox, hopefully Kakashi's Sharingan will be able to bring it under control. If not, let us pray that the Uchiha girl develops the capacity to do so before it's too late."

Jiraiya wished that he didn't think of moments like these whenever his sensei talked of 'duty' and 'sacrifice'.

—-

Be Careful What You Wish For

"Let's start by introducing ourselves. Tell me your name, likes, dislikes, and your dreams for the future."

As she found herself seated on the academy rooftop, something about her sensei's demeanor made Sakura wonder if he was really qualified to teach Genin. He was leaning against the railing, speaking but continuing to read as if they weren't even there.

"Sensei, why don't you go first?"

"Very well, let me see. My name is Hatake Kakashi. I guess I like a few things…" Was her mind playing tricks on her, or did her sensei just stifle a giggle? What was he even reading, exactly?

"...I don't like some things…" Her sensei continued, eyes drifting to staring off into the distance momentarily.

"... and I don't really have any dreams." He finished, though his mask covered his face thoroughly the team could tell that he was smiling by the shape one visible eye made.

he hasn't revealed anything but his name. Sakura's mouth hung slightly open in disbelief.

"Now it's your turn." He pointed to Sakura.

Her eyes widened as she sat up quickly. "Hai! My name is Haruno Sakura. I like my friend Ino, medicine, and genjutsu. I dislike people who make fun of my forehead, and obnoxious boys. My dream is to be lifelong friends with my teammates!"

She said 'teammates', but Satsuki figured out who she really meant. She'd sooner marry the idiot than fulfill Sakura's wish.

"Wow, Sakura! That's a wonderful dream. I'm flattered that you have so much faith in us." Naruto offered with a cheesy smile.

"You're up next, sunshine." Kakashi said, gesturing to Naruto by flicking his nose up.

Naruto briefly looked to the side and clicked his tongue, but the moment soon passed. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto." He growled. "I like ramen, fuinjutsu, and training to get stronger. I dislike people who are upset all the time. Oh, and my dream is to bring eternal peace to the Ninja World!" He beamed as he finished his last statement.

'That's never going to work, of course the idiot would have such a stupid dream' Satsuki though to herself as she eyes him warily.

"And you, the one whose glare melts steel beams?" Kakashi finally decided it was her turn, although she couldn't tell if he really cared based on how he continued reading his book all throughout. For a second, Satsuki wished her glare would melt him.

"My name… is Uchicha Satsuki. I dislike a lot of things, and I like nothing. My dream… is to revive my clan. But my ambition, because I will make it happen, is to get vengeance by killing that man."

Kakashi raised a single eye from his book for a brief moment at the last sentence, but decided to keep reading.

"That's a stupid dream". Naruto broke the silence.

…How dare he?! Satsuki opened her mouth to respond-

"Revenge, really? There's so much wrong with that. It's the cycle of hatred perpetuating itself. In the end, you won't have anything. " Naruto said while shaking his head with his arms crossed.

"Don't call Satsuki's dreams stupid, Naruto, you don't know what she's been through!" Sakura protested first on her behalf.

'What do you know about what I've been through?' Satsuki thought, shooting Sakura venomous glare. Sakura responded with a look of feeling betrayed.

"I stand by what I said, that's a terrible dre-" Naruto started before Satsuki interrupted him.

"What do you even know about dreams, idiot? You're the one with the stupid dream. World peace? Please. Have you even thought about how you would do that?" All the venom that Satsuki had directed at Sakura was now aimed at Naruto.

"Sure I have, I'll just get stronger enough where people will have no choice but to listen to me. I will achieve world peace, believe it!" Naruto was immune to Satsuki's venom. Call it a perk of being a jinchuriki?

Not that Satsuki cared. "That just sounds like you're going to make everyone do what you want by force, how is that different from what we have now?" She growled.

"Enough!" Kakashi shouted. The team stiffened at hearing him raise his voice for the first time. His one eye looked on with disappointment.

"We'll be doing a survival exercise tomorrow to determine if you will become Genin. Be at training ground 7 at 6 AM. Don't eat breakfast or you will throw up. Am I understood?"

"But sensei, I thought we were already genin." Sakura's eyes widened in frantic confusion. "That's incorrect. Even though you graduated from the academy, I have the final authority to decide if you become genin. I could send any and all three of you back to the academy, if I like." He looked at Naruto to emphasize that he was not safe, either.

"Are the instructions clear?" This time all three nodded. "Then you're dismissed."

—-

Awkward Goodbyes…or is it See-you-soon?

"-and then he walks in, steps on the seal, and BAM! Water everywhere! It was amazing, pervy-sage. You should have seen it." Jiraiya barked in laughter as Naruto paused to take another long slurp of pork miso ramen - his favorite.

"You sure have gotten good at using those seals, kid. But do you think it was a good idea to do that to your sensei?". Jiraiya was eating his own bowl but at a much slower pace. He had chosen the same flavor given Naruto's insistence.

"Sakura said the same thing, y'know? I think she's careful like that. It can get boring though." Naruto said, mumbling the last part with food in his mouth. He took a big gulp, pushing down the food in his mouth before continuing.

"But she's still way better than Satsuki." Naruto decided as he laid the bowl on the counter.

"Oh yeah, why is that?"

Naruto took a few more moments before responding. "Satsuki doesn't talk much, she just… grunts, I guess?" He looked down at the empty ramen bowl. "She's just so angry all the time. She…she called my dream stupid." After saying this, his eyes dimmed a bit.

A second later, he called. "Hey, excuse me miss, another bowl please!". The owner's daughter made eye contact. Shock flashed in her eyes for a split second before she nodded saying "Coming right up!" with a practiced smile. Some life returned to his eyes.

"You like the ramen here, kid?"

"It's my favorite!" The teen happily exclaimed as another bowl materialized in front of him. He didn't allow the steam time to rise before he started stuffing his mouth.

"That's no surprise, it was your mother's favorite too." The blonde's eyes widened as he choked on the noodles.

Jiraiya started laughing while slapping Naruto's back harshly. "Pervy sage! You know you can't just say things like that!" Naruto protested between coughs while glaring at his sensei.

"Well, it's the truth. She used to eat here all the time with your father. And when she got pregnant, she came even more! She used to say something about 'sharing her favorite thing in the world with her favorite person in the world'. Tsunade would go on and on about how this food was unhealthy, but she'd just come back the next day."

Naruto stared into his bowl again as if it had gained new meaning. "Do you think it was…me? 'Her favorite person in the world'?". He looked up at Jiraiya, searching his expression for any hints of truth or dishonesty.

Jiraiya grinned and ruffled the teens hair. "Of course kid, she loved you from the second she knew she was pregnant with you." Naruto looked away without challenging Jiraiya further.

Naruto continued eating but whatever rush he was in to finish the ramen before had disappeared. He was now savoring it slowly. Minutes passed as he used his chop sticks to slowly stir the ramen in his bowl in between mouthfuls - was it even possible to love someone you had never met… before they were even born?

After a while, Jiraiya placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I'm going to be leaving you in the village, kid." Naruto didn't respond at first, already expecting it. However, he couldn't help the solemn look that crept onto his face.

"The Hokage had an apartment prepared for you. You should stay there tonight." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out an envelope and placed it on the counter. The sound of keys jingling could be heard within.

"Will you come visit?" The blonde asked suddenly, establishing eye contact again.

"Of course, kid, you won't be getting rid of the great toad sage that easily." Despite the atmosphere, Jiraiya offered a smile. In response to his words, Naruto finally shrugged and returned to eating his ramen in silence. Minutes passed before Naruto Spoke up again.

"Hey, pervy sage, make sure to bring me back a souvenir, okay?" Turning to his sensei with a grin on his face, Naruto was surprised to see that he was no longer there. It was at that moment that he chose to register his surroundings. He was the only one still eating at the ramen stand. Next to Naruto was a dirty stack of 8 bowls, as opposed to Jiraiya's two. The envelope lay undisturbed between the two stacks.

Jiraiya had left Naruto with the bill.

—-

I hope you enjoyed what I wrote. Make sure to offer a review if you'd like to offer your thoughts!

Thank you to those who have proof-read this work. You know who you are.