A/N: I humbly present: chapter 35.
Hmmm...nope, don't own Naruto.
Chapter XXXV: Bonds
"This sucks! I can't believe I lost! I was close, wasn't I, boss?" Konohamaru wore a pleading look on his face, complete with puppy dog eyes as he turned to Naruto, who only offered a commiserating smile. The young Sarutobi pouted as Sakura bandaged him up, while the rest of Team Ebisu stood to the side.
"You put up a good fight, I'll give you that. But you let your guard down for that earth jutsu. Sand clones are a pain in the ass, that's for sure," Naruto reassured him.
"Still! I thought I had him with the shuriken and then with the shadow clones!" Konohamaru whined. He crossed his arms, wincing at the lingering soreness. "If only I used more jutsu," he grumbled.
Naruto cocked an eyebrow. "Would it have made that much of a difference?"
Konohamaru nodded furiously, drawing a hum from the blond. He shot a glance at Sakura, then Sasuke, who returned his glance with their own knowing look.
"Well, did you even know what jutsu you could've used?" Naruto poised.
The young Sarutobi opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by Sasuke. "Be honest, squirt."
Snapping his mouth shut, Konohamaru frowned and shook his head meekly.
"Then do you really think more jutsu would've helped much?" Sasuke asked, hoping to ease him into learning from the experience.
Konohamaru pouted, shaking his head again. He faced Sasuke with a renewed resolve. "But it would've at least caught them off guard!"
"Maybe so. But more jutsu isn't necessarily the solution to everything," Sasuke retorted.
That drew a groan from the young Sarutobi. "Well, I guess that's true."
"You still did your best, Konohamaru!" Moegi cried.
"Yeah. You lasted longer than I did," Udon agreed.
"Hey, if it makes you feel better, I didn't pass my chūnin exam, either. I wasn't promoted until after I finished training with Pervy Sage," Naruto reassured once more.
"Same here. I was promoted after I returned from my journey with Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke said.
"I had to take my exam a second time before I got promoted," Sakura added, finishing up with the bandages.
A smirk tugged at Konohamaru's mouth. "Then in that case, I'll train even harder! I'll be even stronger, so I won't lose next time!"
Naruto chuckled as he ruffled the boy's hair. "There ya go. Now rest up, cause when this is all over, I'm gonna teach you how to really do the Rasengan."
Konohamaru's eyes grew impossibly wide, twinkling with awe as he snapped to his older brother figure. "You mean it?"
Naruto gave a thumbs up and flashed him one of his signature smiles. "Course I do! Now rest up, like I said." He turned to Moegi and Udon. "Keep him outta trouble for me, would ya?"
"Yes sir!" the trio responded in unison.
"You three just sit tight, Shizune should be around to check on you," Sakura instructed. Team Ebisu nodded.
Team 7 made their way out of the medical ward, Sasuke leading the way. Without warning, Sakura gently grabbed Naruto's shoulder, stopping him as Sasuke went on ahead.
"Sakura?"
"Ino asked about you."
"Huh? Really? I mean, I'm fine so—"
"No, I mean she asked about you."
Naruto cocked his head, his face twisted in confusion. Sakura merely held her emerald gaze. After what felt like an eternity, realization crept in, making Naruto's face drop.
"Oh. That."
"Yeah. That."
The blond fidgeted. "What'd you tell her?"
"I told her to ask you when she got the chance. That's not my secret to tell."
Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. He was moved by Sakura's consideration and respect for the fact that the Rinnegan were his secret. "Alright. Thanks, Sakura."
She let a small smile grace her lips as they started walking again. "Of course. I'm sure Shikamaru will wanna know, too."
The blond laced his fingers behind his head, shrugging. "Knowing him, he's probably already cooked up at least three possible answers."
Sakura giggled as they made their way to their seats, just in time to watch the remainder of the matches.
"I have to admit, it is quite relaxing," Gaara remarked, admiring the decorations of the Jasmine Dragon.
"The other day I tried this sweet melon tea, and man, it's so good. Sasuke likes the green tea." Naruto chirped.
"I don't believe I've ever been to a tea shop in Suna. Most of the time, tea is brought to me in my office."
"Well, you are the Kazekage."
"I am. But I am not a king. And yet there are many who would like to wait on me hand and foot. Sometimes I wonder if some people in Suna do still fear me, despite no longer having the Shukaku sealed within me."
Naruto waved a dismissive hand. "They really shouldn't. You've been Kazekage for a few years now, and if I know you, you've been a good leader to those people."
Kozu arrived with their orders: black tea for Gaara and sweet melon tea for Naruto. The Kazekage took an experimental sip, humming. "This is good. Not too bitter at all."
"Told ya. So, why'd you wanna meet up here?"
"It's been some time since we've last spoken. I figured you would want to catch up," Gaara said matter-of-factly.
"Oh, well yeah! Of course! How've things been going?"
"Suna is back on its feet, for the most part. Losing Lady Chiyo was a blow to us, as she was a trusted advisor, but Baki-sensei has been invaluable in assisting me, as have my siblings. Temari has shaped up to be a splendid ambassador, and Kankurō has taken up the mantle of being Suna's puppet master. He's even started instructing genin in how to effectively use puppets."
"Wow. That's awesome. Things really are going well, huh?"
"Indeed. It's all thanks to the people of Suna, to be certain. Without their support, I wouldn't be the Kazekage I am today."
"Man, sometimes I think you're too humble. If you weren't so determined and strong-willed, the people wouldn't have anyone to look up to, ya know?"
"You know, I do have you to thank for that, Naruto."
The blond cocked his head. "Whatcha mean by that?"
"If you hadn't instilled the desire to define my existence by helping others, I would never have been selected as the Kazekage, nor would I have been able to be the kind of leader that Suna needs. I don't know if I've ever properly thanked you for it, now that I think of it."
"Oh. Well. You're welcome, I guess. I dunno, it just felt like I was doing what was right at the time."
A ghost of a smile crossed Gaara's face. "Now you're the one who's being too modest."
Naruto shrugged, a comfortable silence settling between them. For a moment, the two simply sat and enjoyed each other's company before Gaara decided to continue their conversation.
"So, you met other jinchūriki besides Fū."
Naruto hummed as he finished a swig of his drink. "Yup. Two of them: the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails. I even got to talk to the Tailed Beasts."
Gaara hummed. "I see. What can you tell me about them?"
"Well, the Two-Tails' jinchūriki was pretty nice. Her name is Yugito. She was kinda…serious, I guess? But man, the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki was something else."
"Is that a good or a bad thing?"
"Honestly? I'm still not sure. First off, his name was Killer Bee, which is a pretty cool name at least, but he had a weird way of talking. Everything he said came out as a rap. And I mean everything. Even Miss Yugito got fed up with him rapping all the time. I can only imagine having that guy as a teammate, or as a sensei."
"I…see. Was he at least personable?"
Naruto nodded. "Both of them were, honestly. Sharing what we did made it even easier to talk to them."
"You said you spoke to the Tailed Beasts as well?"
"Yup."
"How, exactly?"
The blond scratched his cheek, his mouth twisted pensively. "Well. Uh. It's kinda hard to explain. Basically, the Tailed Beasts just kinda…took control? I guess?"
Gaara's brow furrowed. "Not in the way that I'm thinking, surely?"
Naruto raised his hands in a placating gesture. "No no not at all! It was kinda weird, honestly. Miss Yugito's eyes changed color, and her teeth got sharper. Bee's teeth got duller, I think. But anyways, when they talked, turns out it was the Tailed Beasts talking!"
"I see. Did they explain how such a feat was possible? I'm sure you remember the last time Shukaku took control."
"Well, they said it had to do with their relationship with their Tailed Beasts. Bee and Miss Yugito said they reached a kind of understanding with their Tailed Beasts. Bee and his beat the crap out of each other, and Bee won. Miss Yugito just kinda asserted her dominance, I guess."
"Interesting," Gaara hummed. "Shukaku used to speak to me constantly. Though, his words carried more malevolence than anything. After our 'encounter,' he settled down. However, hearing his voice became less and less frequent. I suppose you could say we reached a point of simply coexisting."
"That's a hell of a lot better than how it's been with me and the Nine-Tails," Naruto grumbled.
Gaara took a sip of his tea. "Any particular reason you're concerned about your relationship with your 'tenant'?"
Naruto took a sip of his own drink. "For as long as I can remember, I've run away or ignored the fact that I'm a jinchūriki. Recently, I've realized that if I'm going to protect everyone precious to me, I need to accept that I'm a jinchūriki and learn to draw on the Fox's strength. He's a part of me, whether I like it or not.
"The biggest thing is controlling the raw power that the Fox's chakra has. I mean, you've seen it. It's practically corrosive. If I can just, y'know, rein it in and learn to use it like it were my own chakra, I'd be able to keep everyone safe. My friends, the village, and even other villages and other jinchūriki."
Gaara's brows rose slightly. "Is that why you've assisted Kumo and made it a point to keep Fū safe from harm?"
"Absolutely. If there are others like us, then I want to meet them and protect them. The way I see it, we're connected by the burden we bear."
The Kazekage gave an almost somber nod. "We are unique, even by shinobi standards. From what you've told me, and based on what I've seen, the other jinchūriki seem like good people."
"Someday I want to find the others. Ya know, just to meet them."
Gaara hummed, taking another sip of his tea as a comfortable silence settled between the two friends. After a moment, the redhead decided to his burning question.
"I am curious about one thing, though, Naruto."
"What's up?"
"Forgive me, but how exactly did you come to possess the Rinnegan?"
Gaara's question hung in the air as Naruto set his teacup down.
"They were given to me."
"I recall that woman who was at the Hokage office saying something like that."
Naruto nodded. "Yep." He told the story of Konan giving him Nagato's Rinnegan to an enrapt Gaara. Once he finished, Gaara merely studied the blond for a tense moment.
"So, that informant I met?"
"She's the one who did the field surgery and replaced my eyes with the ones I have now."
"And she's former Akatsuki."
"Yep. I know that's kind of crazy, and maybe a little problematic, but she's been a huge help."
The Kazekage let out a sigh through his nose. "If there's anyone who's a good judge of character, it's you. But I can't help but worry about your sense of judgment in this case."
"Well, if she wanted to try and pull anything, she probably would've done it by now," Naruto retorted.
"I suppose that's true," Gaara relented.
"Plus, she's the reason I was able to help the jinchūriki in Kumo and Fū. Also, Granny gave her stamp of approval, so." Naruto finished with a small shrug.
"I can't imagine she was terribly happy to give that stamp of approval."
"Eh, maybe not. But I think it paid off in the end, don't ya think?"
"It would seem so. I suppose all I can do is wish you the best of luck in your quest. If you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'd be more than happy to help." Gaara glanced at the clock and hummed. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I have a meeting to attend regarding the results of the exams. Thank you for joining me. The tea was delicious."
Naruto flashed a smile bright enough to light up half the village. "Of course! Thanks a lot, Gaara. It was good to talk to you again. I'll see you soon."
The Hokage was finalizing a surprisingly small amount of paperwork regarding the results of the recent exams. She'd just finished putting her signature on one document when a knock at the door echoed through the office.
"Enter," she called as she set her pen down. In stepped Yamato and his newest charge, Fū.
"Oh, good, you made it. How are you doing, Fū?"
"I'm good! Konoha is a really beautiful village," she chirped.
"Glad to hear it. Do you know why Captain Yamato escorted you here?"
The mint haired girl shrugged. "Alls I know is he said you wanted to talk to me."
"I do. As you know, the Chūnin Exams have just ended. We're just finalizing the results. Since your team was…" Tsunade cleared her throat awkwardly. "We're going to arrange an ANBU escort for your journey back to—"
"Um, actually, do you think I could maybe stay here for a little while?" Fū interrupted.
Tsunade arched an eyebrow. "You don't wish to return to Takigakure?"
Fū twirled a lock of mint green between her fingers. "It's not that I don't wanna go back. I mean—it kinda is—but everyone here has been so nice to me, and I just don't know how safe I'd feel in Taki. To be honest, I'm not sure how things would go if the Akatsuki ever attacked again." She ended on a dejected note.
"I see." The Hokage fixed her honey gaze on the jinchūriki. "I want you to answer me honestly: is there anyone who would protect you if something were to happen?"
A frown darkened Fū's normally bright features. "Probably only one," she said meekly.
Tsunade exchanged a look with Yamato before addressing the Taki kunoichi. "There are a few things I need you to understand. If you stay, you won't be able to go on missions, since you're still officially a shinobi of Takigakure. You'd be able to move about in the village as you please, of course, but you won't be able to leave without an escort, should you so choose."
Fū's face lit up. "So, I can stay?"
"Let me see what I can do for you. For the time being, you just make yourself comfortable and get some rest. You're dismissed. The other ANBU will escort you back to the inn."
The mint haired kunoichi bowed before turning on her heel and nearly skipping out the door. Once she'd left, the Hokage turned her attention to Yamato. "Anything new?"
The captain shook his head. "No, my lady. Our informant hasn't brought anything to our attention."
"I see. What about the seal?"
A sigh escaped the wood user. "We're still working on it. It's closer to a cursed seal than anything. It's a miracle we were able to find the loophole we did."
"Keep at it and keep your ear to the ground. Something tells me that something is about to happen, and I have a feeling that that something won't be good. You're dismissed, Captain."
"Understood, Lady Hokage," Yamato acknowledged with a bow.
Tsunade took her seat, retrieving a pair of reading glasses from her desk drawer and returning to her paperwork.
"Wait, explain it again, cause I don't get it yet."
Naruto sighed through his nose. "You just gotta spin it really fast and hold its shape. Remember when you popped the ball?"
Konohamaru nodded vigorously. "I got that part down, right?"
"Right. Now you gotta do the same thing, but instead of letting it explode, you concentrate and keep the chakra in a ball. Does that make sense?"
The young Sarutobi hummed, tilting his head. "I think so. Lemme try."
During his own training, Naruto felt that he essentially had to teach himself the rest of the Rasengan, especially since Jiraiya had, in his eyes, left him up a creek without a paddle. Konohamaru caught on quicker than he had, but the third step still proved to be the most difficult.
His right hand open, Konohamaru concentrated. After a moment, a tiny blue flicker appeared, dancing in his palm. The genin focused, and the flicker grew into a flame, which then formed a swirling blob. Just as it was beginning to form into a sphere, the blob popped, sending pale blue wisps flying.
"Well, you almost had it," Naruto placated as a frown crossed Konohamaru's face.
"It still fizzled out. What am I doing wrong, boss?"
Naruto brought a hand to his chin, humming. "Well. You focused on it pretty well. You were concentrating, right?"
Konohamaru's headband nearly flew off with how hard he was nodding.
"Then the only thing I can think of is the density," Naruto concluded.
"The what?"
"Density! Ya know, like, uh. The difference between a sponge and a rock, I guess? What's heavier: a rock or a sponge of the same size?"
Konohamaru only blinked, trying to process the analogy. "Uh…the…rock?"
Naruto snapped his fingers. "Yeah! So, right now your chakra is like the sponge, right? You just gotta make your chakra denser or heavier. Does that make sense?"
The genin stuck his bottom lip out, tilting his head. "I…think so. Lemme try again."
At once, Konohamaru gathered chakra into his open palm. First a flicker, then a blob, and finally the beginnings of a sphere. The genin concentrated, feeding chakra into the swirling mass. He felt the pushback—the shape threatening to collapse and release all the energy stored within. Konohamaru held fast, boring holes into his palm with his gaze, holding the shape and adding chakra. He remembered what Naruto said: density. Density is the key.
The genin flipped a mental switch, trying to imagine his chakra being denser—make it like a rock, not a sponge. Suddenly, the almost spherical blob began to take shape, compressing itself into a near-perfect sphere. Konohamaru's breath hitched, his face stretched into an ear-to-ear smile. Without warning, the sphere burst, sending a shockwave of energy outward, nearly knocking both boys over.
"Oh, come on!" Konohamaru whined. "I had it! You saw it, boss! I had it!"
"You did, and that's great, but you must've gotten too excited and let it slip," the blond explained. The young Sarutobi pouted, which was answered by Naruto ruffling his brown spikes. "It's not easy, I'll tell you that. Kakashi-sensei was telling me that shaping your chakra is probably one of the hardest things you can do." He let out a chuckle. "Honestly, it's really impressive that you've gotten as far as you have. It took me a while to burst the balloon even a little bit. Watch me."
Naruto extended his hand, gathering chakra as he explained. "It's the same process, the difference is holding it in place. Try to imagine you're trying to contain the spirals instead of making them expand outward." The Rasengan swirled to life in his hand. "It's a balancing act, though. You'll feel the energy wanting to burst outward, but you have to hold the shape. That's the hardest part, so don't beat yourself up if you can't get it just yet." The sphere of energy dissipated as Konohamaru let out a sigh.
"I can do it with shadow clones. I've done it lotsa times with shadow clones. Do I really need to learn to do it without them?"
Naruto nodded sagely. "You won't always have time to rely on shadow clones to stabilize it in combat. There'll be times where you'll need to bring out a Rasengan as quickly as possible. I know because I've had to do it before."
Konohamaru's eyes widened. "Wait, really? Like when?"
"Fighting the Akatsuki, of course."
"Wow. They must've been tough," the genin cooed. "But I'm gonna be stronger than you, just you watch!"
"Better keep training hard, then, bud," Naruto jeered.
Konohamaru flashed a mischievous grin before a thought popped into his head. "Say, boss. Can I ask you something?"
"What's up?"
"How come you wear those sunglasses all the time?"
Naruto considered using the excuse of a fashion statement, but ultimately decided he might as well let the young Sarutobi in on the truth. Without a word, he closed his eyes and removed his sunglasses. Konohamaru tilted his head, confusion written on his face.
Suddenly Naruto opened his eyes, revealing his dōjutsu.
"What the hell!" Konohamaru cried as he stumbled backwards. "Th-those eyes! N-n-no way! No way! No way no way no way!"
Naruto raised his hands, taking a couple of cautionary steps toward the boy, who froze in place. "Hey! Calm down, Konohamaru! It's okay! It's me!"
The blond went to place a hand on the petrified genin's shoulder, only for a flash of movement to catch his eye. A resounding clang echoed through the training ground. Konohamaru's breath hitched as he beheld a black rod blocking his kunai. Naruto leveled his muted purple gaze at the genin, immediately softening his features when he saw the fear that wracked the boy.
"I am not Pain."
Konohamaru could only stare into the all too familiar eyes, his mouth agape as he let his arm fall limply to his side, the kunai landing on the ground with a dull thud. He searched Naruto's features for any signs of deception but found none.
"You…you aren't Pain," he meekly echoed.
Naruto dispelled the black rod, reducing it to a fine dust that disappeared in the breeze. "I promise I'm Naruto. I beat Pain."
Konohamaru let himself relax, his shock and fear replaced by confusion. "But those eyes—"
"Are the same ones that Pain had. Do you know what they're called?"
The still trembling genin shook his head.
"The Rinnegan. They're a dōjutsu. That black rod I used to block your kunai is one of the abilities it grants me." Naruto took a step back, letting Konohamaru have some space to regain his composure.
"But boss, how did you…those eyes…I don't understand."
Naruto let out a sigh before retelling the story of how Konan helped Nagato give him the Rinnegan. Konohamaru's confusion remained, but it was thinned by the understanding of Naruto's situation.
"So, you have Pain's eyes now thanks to this Miss Konan lady?"
"That's right. Trust me, it was freaky for me, too. I was unconscious for days after she first gave them to me, and even then, I didn't know what the heck these things could do. But after finding out more, I made a promise to keep getting strong to protect everyone: Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei, you, and the whole village."
"But…why give you those eyes?"
Another sigh escaped the blond. "Miss Konan told me that her friend wanted me to have them. She said that he believed that I could do what he couldn't."
"What couldn't he do?"
"He wanted peace. Just like Pervy Sage did. His idea of peace was just…really different from what others had in mind."
Konohamaru nodded quietly as a silence settled over the training ground. After a moment, the genin found his voice once more.
"Well, if I know my big bro, I know that only he would make a promise like that." He finished with a small smile.
Naruto chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair. "Do me a favor though."
The young Sarutobi let out a hum, an expectant look on his face.
"Don't tell anyone about this, alright? Me having these eyes is supposed to be a secret. If you tell, Granny might beat you to a pulp."
Konohamaru's eyes widened before he nodded vigorously. "Yes sir!"
Naruto let out a hearty laugh before replacing his sunglasses. "Alright. I think that's enough. Just keep practicing and be careful not to hurt yourself."
A/N: I rather like writing character interactions just to establish relationships. Plus, it's a great way to reintegrate characters that may not have been super present in canon or even in fillers. Their interactions being semi-fluffy is just a bonus. I also wanted to give Gaara and Konohamaru a bit of the spotlight, since those two are some of Naruto's best friends aside from his team. It has nothing to do with me being a sucker for Naruto being a good teacher/mentor. (It does, actually.) Thanks so much for reading! Chapter 36 is in the works!
