Sixteen

The winds blew through the fabric of my being

I bask in the rain of winter's day

Taking in the chills of a moment suspended in time

The sky loses its spark to give way to the solace of shadows

That cast their forms on the sandstone buildings.

Numerous bodies pass by in a blurry

For they long for the warmth of their home

Not I, for I thrive and enjoy the solitude

It's peaceful here

For this is the way life has always been


Some days later.

Kakashi sat at the table for breakfast reading and watched the rest of the world go by him. There was the Chief who was more preoccupied with smoking his pipe than food and Maemi-sama, a petite old woman who dresses in white with peppered hair that is kept within a silvery scarf on top of her head who was busily feeding everyone at the table with way too much food. It was lovely morning of glistering golden hues that aid the living to enjoy the beauty of life.

After some minutes, at a particular time, Kaede and Ken soon came into the eating hall dressed in colorful garb. Ken and Kei since their return to the village had taken to dressing like the rest of the villages, minus the masks.

"Ohayo Minna-san!"

The rest greeted them in return. They were chatting heartily for a while until another decides to join the party.

At this time another figure came walking through the doors. He turned to look on cue and saw that she too was dressed like the rest of the villagers. With her hair long and loose, she was looking more like the woman she was. She wore red pants and a long outer wrap garment that fell to her knees which was black and endorsed with mosaic of colors isolated at the sleeves and helm. As how the sash served to emphasized her feminine figure, the cloth bandages served to emphasized the lost of visuals for the moment.

Maemi-sama had assured earlier to all concerned people that the bandages can be removed in a few days. She too, agreed that some 'natural' healing will be good.

Kei sat and greeted the rest. Maemi-sama immediately came round to make sure she had food on her plate. Kakashi wondered if the old lady's policy to never allow anyone to go hungry. He picked up the chopsticks and placed it in Kei's hands as he had been doing for the past few days. The rest looked on as they watched him guide her hand to pick up the food. As if by habit, he was even helping to cup her hands around the tea cup.

They were painting a lovely sight.

"Awww................."

Kaede started gushing out loud.

The two turned their heads towards her direction.

"Hmm? What is it Kaede-chan?"

'You two look so sweet!! Like a real couple!"

And Kei choked on her tea.

Coughs!

She took a while to calm herself before speaking again.

"Erm..... well you got that wrong. We're just friends here."

"Maybe not for long!! Ooh Do have the wedding here!!!!!! And we can invite the entire village to attend and stuff and oh I can imagine what lovely children you would have!!! You must bring them back from Konoha from time to time!! Ooh how exciting!"

Sweat drops.

"Kaede-chan, that's highly unlikely. I do not have any intention......"

"Yes dear! The Autumn Moon Festival is coming right up!"

"Hai Maemi-sama but......."

"And then we'll see if the two of you are meant to be."

More sweat drops.

"Ano...what is the 'Autumn Moon Festival' about?" A very puzzled jounin enquired.

"Oh it's a festival where they celebrate the full moon and utilize the full moon's energy to perform some rituals to see if any couples are destined to get married." Ken replied. "Kaede and I got together because of it two years ago. It's basically a time to see a couple's compatibility."

Right.

"Hai. But that's for real couple who have been seeing each other for a while."

"Ahh..... but you guys have been living together......." Ken added unhelpfully.

"Living together???" The older generation cut in.

Kei could only rub her temple in despair. The misunderstanding was spiraling out of control.

"Demo, we sleep in different beds."

To that, they breathed a sigh a relief. They were after all the more conservative bunch.

"Nonetheless, we will see who are getting married. All unmarried couple can try for it."

"We're not a couple." The two spoke in union.

And the rest laughed at the deep crimson tinge that was appearing on them. Kei then proceed to get up to get more tea when she tripped over the stool behind her. Now she did have a habit of being a klutz when she got too flustered. So what followed was a flustered girl who fell over into the arms of the silver-haired jounin which, of course, brought on more flush to her cheeks as the rest of the world gushed about their predicament. He held her steady as she regained balance.

"Gomen Kakashi." She whispered as she slipped her hands over his chest.

"It's all right." He whispered back into her ears. It sent a tingle down the spine.

To stop the rest of staring, she quickly walked away to the stove behind to ask a servant for more tea. He played oblivious to all and sat down to read again.

His mind crawled back to a scene a few nights ago as he watched the flushed one from the corner of his eyes.


FLASHBACK

Kakashi was taking a break from the celebrations. He had walked out to the bonsai garden that was nearby which had a koi pond nestled in the middle of it. He was about to take out his book when a presence was felt beside him.

"Maemi-sama."

"Kakashi-san. I hope I am not intruding."

"No. Not at all." And she plants herself next to him on the bench.

"The Herb Village is an isolated one from the rest of the world. Our ancestors had chosen to withdraw from the dealings of wars and instead cultivate the arts of healing and medicine. Thought physically detached, the village is always kept in touch with the happenings that go on. Nature has a way of whispering her secrets to us. The stars guide and sometimes, messengers come by to provide more on certain matters."

He raised his eyebrow but allowed the history lesson to continue.

"The village is protected by a maze and jutsus that changes the formations every few hours. It is not a place for random people to pass through. Only those of pure heart may find us."

Soka. Demo, it is rather scary to have you reading my mind.

"Hatake Kakashi. Konoha's Copy Ninja – Sharingan Kakashi."

He froze.

"I've heard of you. And your father when he visited once a long time ago."

Nani?

"Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo spoke in true fondness of his son. He would have been proud to see you become the man today."

A pain tugged at his heart. It has been a long time.

A gentle hand touched his shoulder.

"You've turned out to be a fine man indeed. Quite suited for Kei really."

"Ne? What are you talking about?"

"Don't start lying to an old lady."

I wouldn't dare try with you at all.

"You know what I'm talking about."

The jounin shrugged and continued to stare at the koi swimming freely in the pond.

"I'm not looking to settle down any time soon, Maemi-sama. Besides it is her life, we should respect that and let her choose her own path in life."

"Sometimes, people need a push in a certain direction. Uncertainty can rock a good judgment and sometimes, we all need to check within ourselves what we need to treasure before we lose and regret once again."

"………"

"I'm just wishing for only happiness. One chance for to find something to live for, for the both of you."

And she stood up.

"I will not intrude on your enjoyment of the fish's company. I'm missed and so I must oblige for yet another toast."

She smiled and walked carefully back into the hall.

A push?

He shook his head and tucked an arm under his head and stared into the star-studded sky.

END OF FLASHBACK


Aye, if Obito was here he would certainly made sure the jounin was aware that someone had gotten under his skin. In a way, no one has quite done so before.

Sigh.

The girl finally came back and sat next to him. She was still flushing about the teasing just now. It showed that she was definitely not used to such things.

"Do you think there is anything we can do for the cursed seal on Sasuke?" She asked in order to divert the topic away from them.

"Honestly, there is nothing within my abilities that can really help apart from sealing it."

"It has been tried. It doesn't work, not without Sasuke's cooperation in the whole thing." The jounin said.

"Most likely it will go when the one who out it on him has died. But we can perhaps help him heal in other aspects."

The girl only grew silent as she pondered over tea about a certain adolescent boy.


A sulking boy was sitting upon his bed when a bunch of visitors came by the room he was placed in. He was formulating yet another way to escape from this loony happy place.

Such naïve people of another culture who think themselves as good Samaritans helping the sole Uchiha clan survivor. Humph. Why would he need help?

Now how does one get out of this place?

"You will not be able to figure a way of the maze that protects this place, Sasuke-kun." A voice sounded from the door's direction. An elderly female and jounin came walking through them a few moments later.

You again? Such a bothersome thing every time you come here.

"Is death all that you desire?"

It is the only wish for now.

"You are only falling into the depths of your brother's trap. Your desire to be an avenger will lead spiraling down into the abyss of a deeper regret. The past cannot be reverted back once it has moved. It leads to nothing."

What do you know of losing everything? To begin with, I have nothing to lose.

"You are not the only person in the world that has lost everything. The girl whom you owe a debt to faces the same nightmare every night."

He kept silent. And the jounin sat there flipping a page of his book, the lopsided conversation was amusing.

"The Black Dragons runs a similar agenda like your brother's organization but it worked more military in nature. Kei was one of the many children they abduct when they are little to be trained as the perfect tool for the organization use. If possible, they would take those of the advanced bloodline heritage. The rest of the clan would be exterminated to prevent future problems. Kei may not be one who possessed any advanced bloodline but still her natural flair in the way she fights deemed her suitable. Needless to say, it is roughly the same for the rest of the group."

Now she is stupid. Working for the very thing that terminated her heritage.

"Is it? She learned to get stronger as an individual under their guidance. They provide the best training there is for one to become a shinobi. Of course, vengeance was a personal agenda but what for? She grew to realize that it wouldn't be what her family would have wanted her to do. It wasn't going to revive them to life again. How was she going to move on from the point of death?"

Now that's where we differ, I plan to revive the clan.

"Of course. But how do you propose to do that if you're dead?"

Dark onyx eyes stared at the old woman.

"The cursed seal is a self-destructing jutsu, what makes you think you're going to survive the fight with Itachi, even if you win."

"……………………"

"Your wish for death will only lead to the demise of your clan."

And he lunged suddenly for the old lady's neck, only to be stopped by the jounin that was standing nearby.

"Urusai!! Leave your nose out of other people's business!!" he splat.

"Think about it carefully of what you are doing."

The boy shrugged out of the jounin's gasp and headed out of the room.

Maemi-sama watched as the image of the raven-haired boy storming out of the room being superimposed by an image of a young fuming red-haired girl who turned her back on her some six years ago.

Maemi-sama stood up from her seat and asked the jounin accompanied her out again. They strolled once again through the mansion to the other side where he obliged her request for tea.

"The boy share many characteristics as Kei in her younger days."

"Hmmm?"

"Much anger and regret."

"I should take some responsibility. I failed as a sensei to take him in hand and dissuade him from this path of destruction."

"Do not blame yourself too much. You did as you saw was right for the boy."

The jounin sat down and toyed with the tea cup in his hands.

"Give it some time. Even miracles take time to happen."

I hope that is true, Maemi-sama.


Meanwhile, somewhere in Konoha….

"Maiko, we need to talk." Ishida said as they sat on a patch of grass overlooking the field of young ones who were busy practicing their moves.

"Hmm? What is it?"

It has been a week since the dinner and still the dense girl has not noticed the behaviors of two men who go by the names Umino Iruka and Shiranui Genma. Iruka still sent lunches over and small gifts like books. Genma on the other hand, well, to be honest his efforts were meager compared to Iruka. But no one can blame the poor guy who was at the back and call of the Hokage to do never-ending paper collection.

"Maiko, do you remember Onii-chan's wedding? The speech made by Onee-chan?"

"Uh-huh. She said something about congratulations to him finding happiness and wishing that we too will one day find our own happiness to hold. What about it?"

"Have you noticed a couple of people who are being particularly nice to you?"

She thought about it.

"Well, so far everyone's been nice to me. I don't know what are you talking about?"

He slapped his forehead.

"You baka! Are you serious or just acting oblivious to everything?"

The girl at first looked puzzled but soon put two and two together. Her expression then changed into something more serious.

"It's regarding Iruka isn't it? I'm aware of what is going on, it's not to hard to see that he is trying his best to get close to me."

"Sigh. Genma also."

"Genma? No, you can't be serious, that's impossible! I would've noticed if he did."

"It's just that he hasn't had time to try anything yet."

"Well, it doesn't matter. I'm not interested in either. I don't plan to stay in Konoha for the rest of my life."

This was something he didn't expect to discover in his probe, Ishida continued to sit there and listen to her story.

"I need to find me. I'm just so confused about what to do with my life – do I want to still be a shinobi or do I just want to go somewhere and become some reclusive hermit. I just think that out of all of us, I am one person who doesn't know what to do with herself. You want to go roam the world, Ken's got Kaede and Kei just wants to find peace."

She watches as Naruto takes a tumble before jumping on Kiba who had accidentally kicked him in the shins.

"Well, you can scrape 'reclusive hermit' off your list as you definitely do not fit that description. Secondly, you think too much. Sometimes the answer is simple and you do not need to go on some spiritual journey to discover yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself, you are after all still getting through puberty so don't expect to grow up that fast and have all the answers to everything. Heck. I don't have the answers."

"Sigh. I can't help it. With all the free time on our hands, the thoughts tend run all over the place. Anyway, I just have no space for anything else at the moment. Until I know me, there can't be a 'us' somewhere. I'm just not prepared."

"Then I suggest that you do not encourage the guys to fall for you harder. Triangular situations tend to hurt more."

He was about to add more when he heard a yell in the background, to which the two senseis rushed to the source.


"Ita!!!"

Naruto sat up with his back against the tree he just got throw against. He rubbed a growing bump at the top of his head, cursing at his carelessness.

Kiba and Akamaru came over to check on their friend.

"Hmm… you seem fine." Kiba concluded.

"Fine??! "

"Well, you're not dead right? Akamaru! What are you looking at?" And went over to join the dog, leaving Naruto to soothe his ego.

"Hey."

"What is it, Kiba?"

"I think you should have a look at this."

Naruto dusted his orange pants off before coming over. He crouched down to Kiba's level and saw what the commotion was about.

He blinked. Rubbed his eyes. Pinched his cheeks.

It was real. The carvings didn't fade.

Here lies a hero of all

A friend of infinite proportions

A flame that faded too fast

A memory that lives on forever in our hearts

Rest in Peace

Uzumaki Natsu

He stared at two things: Uzumaki Natsu and the bunch of dried up tiger lilies that were placed at eh foot of the tree.

Sheer surprise was replaced by sheer confusion that was soon surpassed by sheer frustration.

Who? Who is this person? Why was he buried here and not with the rest of those from Konoha? Why?! Why did no one tell him about this earlier?!

Questions upon questions raced through his mind as he finally discovers one lead into his past. But where are the answers? Who had the answers??

He let out a cry.

It stopped all activities in the vicinity. Everyone crowded around to see and they were sympathetic to what they saw.

The senseis ran over at the sound of his cry.

"Why did you yell?"

"Ishida-sensei. Just let him be."

"Why?"

"He's never known anything about his past. It must be confusing to be seeing this now in a place like this."

"Natsu?" Ishida stared at the carving.

"You know him?" Naruto grabbed his sensei's black outer garment and stared earnestly.

"Not exactly. What is it to you?"

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Of course I want to know about him!"

Uzumaki Naruto? Sigh. This is going to be tricky.

Ishida shook his head. He was not the person to talk about this.

Maiko kneeled down and rest a hand on his shoulder. Seeing that his answers are not going to be answered, he shrugged it off the sympathy offered and stood up to run. He was halted by Ishida.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To the Hokage's office. I want my answers." Eyes were brimming with angry tears.

"You will not find it there." The older blonde said quietly.

"And how will you know? You're not helping!"

"Coz' the answer lies with my elders." Naruto looked at him stunned.

"What do you mean?"

"Judging from the flowers left behind and the condition of the memorial, I'll say that it is a relatively new one, which then means it's probably created by them. They were the ones who knew him."

"They did?! Where are they? Why did they know him??" He started shooting off questions like a rocket. But Ishida did not answer, he only asked him to calm down.

"Stop telling me to calm down! I've never knew anything about my family!! And all you can do is to tell me to calm down!!? You've no idea what it is like to have grown up without family."

"Yes, we do. More so than you think." Maiko said.

This time, the crowd really grew quiet. They were getting worried about Naruto's emotional outburst but now, they were hearing about their senseis' past that they have not managed to dig out of them for a week.

"We're all orphans who've never known our parents, let alone our place of origin before we were taken in. I understand your frustration and anxiety but you do not have the right to play the role of the sad victim and disregard the situation. We do not have the answers, if you want them; you're going to have to just wait for the ones who do have it to come back."

He kept quiet. He took a couple of minutes to cool down and wipe the tears away before facing the senseis.

He looked at the carvings upon the tree. Natsu must have been a great person for such words to be used. He will wait for the answers.

"Gomenasai."

"It's all right. Why don't we call it a day? It's getting late anyway." He ruffled the boy's head and lent a smile to all.

"Come on Minna-san, let's all head home."


Author's note:

Hi Everyone! Thanks so much to everyone who thinks that the story should finish and so I shall do my best to churn out a good story for all. Also, just wanted everyone to know that my com was reformatted a while ago and silly me somehow did not save the files properly and hence lost about two chapter including the one you just read. Hai. But nonetheless I hope that you enjoyed the revised version and look forward to hearing you guys.

Thanks to:

Syllable

Itzamez

Lovable-M

Terisu-seifa

Agent Pandora Box

Cheers!

Arte