Chapter 4: Remembrance
"Memories, even your most precious ones, fade surprisingly quickly. But I don't go along with that. The memories I value most, I don't ever see them fading."
― Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go
Naruto & Hinata (Future)
"We can't stay cooped up in here forever you know!" Naruto-Y gripes, shifting up from his position on the sofa.
Last bits of sunlight fall over them all, an amber-orange glow reminding them the day has passed them by with little to no answers.
Hinata-Y squeezes at his hand and he calms himself, it isn't their future selves fault they're stuck in this awkward position.
He looks to the side to see Boruto trying and failing to hide himself from their conversation, blond hair sticking out from behind the couch.
Their eyes catch and he startles, shifting himself further behind the couch with a quick hush not to tell his adult form of his hiding spot.
'Too late on that!' He muses with a small grin as his older self easily sees him too, standing and taking him by the hand back into the opposite room with his clone.
It's been nearly 3 days now that they've been stuck in the household, unable to venture out beyond the garden.
And while he can understand their older counterparts reasoning (people will freak out seeing two versions of themselves no matter the explanation), they aren't going to get any closer to figuring how to get back to their own time just sitting around!
He glances back to Sasuke, scowling at his apparent indifference over this matter as he scrolls through his phone. He gestures to Sakura that they'll need to pick up someone named Sarada from her parent's house soon. Sakura nods her agreement, typing away silently at her laptop still trying to find more information on the scroll of Ages and Seasons along with researching ways past shinobi have looked into time travel/transporting themselves.
'It's been over 10 years now, hasn't it? He should have some knowledge about how to use his sharingan eyes for something like this; right?' Naruto-Y considers, crossing his arms.
"It isn't that simple, for one we need to investigate into if there's a scroll in the locked archives of the Central Library or perhaps a jutsu we could use that could send you both back without causing any injury. We can't rush something like this!" Naruto-O explains as he comes back in the room, though he can tell it does little to appease his younger self's rising foul mood.
His stare remains fixed on Sasuke, cobalt orbs looking him up and down.
"I'm glad that you returned back to the village, no matter how many years it seemed to take to beat the sense back into you!" Naruto-Y chuckles.
Dark eyes look past him for a moment, probably to the photos lining the walls or his mind flitting through old memories.
"A lot happened…from the things I learned about my clan, Konoha, and the powers I obtained. It took another fight with you for me to see the ideas and path I was going down wasn't going to do me or Konoha any good." Sasuke answers back after a moment, running a hand through his raven locks with a sigh at how much has truly changed over the years.
Naruto-Y blinks, eyes clouding with puzzlement at his vagueness before nodding.
If Sasuke was no longer filled with thoughts of revenge or power, then it was a win to him!
"Anyways, wouldn't your clan have studied something like this involving space & time? Surely it wasn't only Hinata's clan that showed interest in the topic. Better yet, we should just go ask Granny or Pervy-Sage already like I mentioned earlier! I'm sure one of them has done some research into the subject." Naruto-Y points out again.
Sakura looks up to him, emerald orbs puzzled before relaxing in understanding. "Lady Tsunade is on vacation with Shizune. She sent me a photo of a hotel with a newly added casino parlor she's been staying at near Yugakure."
Naruto-Y huffs, slouching downward. Well, when they first arrived here the guards at the Hokage tower did say she had retired years back.
"Well, what about Pervy-Sage? Surely he hasn't retired from writing his dirty books or investigating stuff, has he?" He questions.
Even when he wasn't writing or editing his manuscripts, he enjoyed and picked up on a lot of things going on in the nations just by being a pervert trying to look at woman in the hot springs area or flirt with them by nightfall at the red light district.
Sasuke arches a brow while Sakura's lips tighten, looking to Naruto and Hinata's older selves silently for an answer.
An understanding passes between them all that makes his stomach flip. He bites his tongue on the retort that bubbles up to ask what's going on they keep refusing to say aloud to him and his Hinata.
When Sasuke finally looks back to him, his onyx eyes have surprisingly softened too.
"You really are from the past."
Jiraiya & Kakashi (Past)
"Oh for once, you're doing actual research."
Kakashi hovers by his side, taking in the multitude of books and scrolls beside him spread out across the table.
Jiraiya chuckles, nodding his agreement. "Ah, my biggest fan! Well, you know Homura and Koharu will have my head if I don't give them some proper update soon on where Naruto and Hinata have gone. Finally got a hint from Hinata's sister that she had a scroll with her that very day, one that had to have been kept in her clan for decades."
Kakashi eyes these others collections beside him, scrolls in shades of bright sapphires to golds with others the colors of subdued light reds and soft green-gray weaving. Craftmanship from scholars from generations ago.
The rarest ones.
Even he has never seen or heard of these book titles and scrolls that speak of traveling to one's past or future.
Jiraiya follows his gaze, sighing.
"As crazy as it sounds, I don't think Naruto or Hinata are in this time period anymore. It would explain why nobody can pick up their chakra signatures or scents even with the best sensors and trackers trying to find them."
Kakashi looks puzzled and skeptical like he expects, an idea as farfetched as this is going to need more than just speculation on his end in order to be taken seriously by Konoha's top advisors and Tsunade.
Though in truth, a part of him has considered said option as well.
"Well, looks like you somehow scared off all your students without even having to fail them Kakashi! Kurenai here even took Sakura Haruno from under your wing." Asuma jests with a laugh before taking a sip of his sake.
'I shouldn't have come here.' Kakashi muses, gazing down at his untouched plate.
He's never been that big of a fan of sake, kaarage, or dango but Gai caught him on his way home practically forcing him to spend some actual time with his fellow jonin since Naruto and Hinata's disappearance.
Kurenai reddens, nudging him to knock it off. "Don't say it like that Asuma! Sakura came to me out of her own desire to better learn and practice genjutsu!"
Gai vehemently nods in agreement. "That's right Kurenai! Sakura is just using every opportunity she can to flame the passions of her youth!"
Scarlet orbs glance to him to see if his comment has even bothered him, Kakashi merely shrugging in response.
Everything Asuma's said is true after all.
'There was Sasuke who went rogue for power to Orochimaru despite our best efforts, Naruto whose disappeared into time it seems whether on accident or on purpose, and Sakura who realized how little help I've been to her and decided to find better teachers to foster her chakra control and strength.' He considers.
Team 7 for all intents and purposes, no longer exists.
He isn't sure what tasks Lady Tsunade will give him to do now except to be a backup teacher or proctor exams at the Academy.
A pang spreads across his chest, he never thought he would miss the students he had been indifferent to just months ago...
At least Sakura is still around if she ever feels like training with him again and Naruto can maybe, hopefully be found with enough research.
And that brought him to one of the last people to see Naruto: Jiraiya.
He takes the open seat beside him, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "You make an interesting point. If such a scroll or book truly exists, then perhaps on accident Naruto and Hinata activated it's secondary effects."
Jiraiya nods, glad Kakashi's truly considering the idea. "Right! Now, the only problem with this theory is that I've never heard of a shinobi or person capable of doing such a thing. On top of that, I don't know how far in the past or future they are if they've even truly time traveled."
"It's just a guess, but considering nothing much has changed about the present day, I think it's more likely they're in the future. Though that doesn't mean things won't start to change the longer their stuck there." Kakashi points out.
Jiraiya flips through the current book he's on, coming upon a page showing images of shinobi in various positions of meditation.
"The common theme I've found is that one's thoughts and focus need to be clear in order to have the set destination in mind be properly reached." Jiraiya explains.
He continues through a few more pages, bright images of eyes and specific chakra points on the human body color coded in deep reds and purples to sharp yellows and neon greens popping out in each section.
The details at the bottom of each page include interviews from supposed time travelers who have seen the past or future claiming wild theories of beasts as tall as mountains attacking each other to beams of light streaking across the sky. Nothing any reputable source has been able to verify.
"I'm going to need to check the private scrolls kept in the Hokage tower, see if they have anything on the Uchiha clan if I'm lucky or anything involving space/time. That and head back to Mount Myōboku to check in with the Great Toad Sage; maybe he saw something." Jiraiya mutters.
'On top of that, there's the concern Orochimaru is now aware of Naruto's sudden disappearance. It could mean he could try to attack Konoha again and there's that Akatsuki group too who I still don't have enough information on.' His frown deepens.
Kakashi taps at the end of a jade scroll, knowing where his thoughts have gone with all of the evidence he's going to need to stack up.
Without some form of proof, nobody will take this seriously.
Naruto & Hinata (Future)
"Look smaller Papa, I finished all of my food!" Boruto announces proudly, tugging on Naruto-Y's pants.
Naruto-Y looks down to indeed see he's cleared his plate, matching his grin.
"Oi, good job! You even ate all of your vegetables too!" Naruto-Y cheers, patting at his head before realizing what he's said.
'Wait, what am I doing?! Hinata and I can't keep sitting here being babysitters!'
"Hey, you promised we were going to head to the Hokage Office properly today!" He yells out across the table to his older form still casually reading at the morning paper while bouncing Himawari on his leg.
"I didn't forget you know! We're heading out only because you keep asking! Also, we could use Shikamaru's insight on if he or his clan might know anything about space and time travel." Naruto-O relates watching his younger form bounce up and down excitedly at the confirmation.
Hinata-O giggles at her husband's groan over his energy. He's getting a taste now of how much his behavior caused trouble for so many of the figure heads and jonin-sensei they had back in their youth.
"Finally, I was beginning to think I would just have to sneak out in order to look more into it!" Naruto-Y beams.
And today would've been the perfect opportunity if so, sunrise of waves of pinks and reds giving way to the calming blue of the afternoon.
Hinata-O turns back to him, dropping her voice an octave lower. "Are you sure going about this alone Dear? I know I promised Sakura to help look at some damaged chakra paths and wounds in the adolescent unit of the hospital, but she and Dr. Mugino will understand if I need to postpone."
Naruto-O shakes his head, tacking on a smile.
"No, No! I can handle the kids and our past selves for a few hours! We can just meet back here at the house for a late lunch or dinner?" He suggests.
Skepticism shines in her pearl orbs in return, lips pursed in thought over all the ways this could maybe go wrong before nodding.
"Well, okay. But you can always text me as soon as something comes up, no matter how small it may seem!" She decides and her face burns when he lowers his head down.
"A kiss? Right now?!" Hinata-O whispers frantically, eyes dancing between him and their past selves.
His warm breath fans her face in return, laugh easy and unapologetic as his fingers gently draw her chin up.
"They aren't looking." He hums as their lips brush.
And even if they are, they shouldn't be surprised.
"Boruto, Hima, and I can handle it!" Naruto-O remarks proudly when he steps back from her.
Hinata-O smiles, sure her preteen self may faint from such an open display of affection. Indeed when she looks her way again her face is a rosy hue, heat sliding down her neck and to the tips of her ears. Even Naruto's younger self cheeks and tips of his ears hold a hint of red as he takes to staring out the window.
'I'm going to need to be honest with him. I'll have to tell my younger self about the people we've lost over time.' Naruto-O considers internally.
He can't be sure what effect it will have on the past, but he knows his preteen self will keep asking or just go find the answers out himself if he and his own Hinata keep delaying it.
"Daa!" Himawari babbles, tugging at his hair taking his attention away from her Mom.
"Hima, please don't pull on Papa's hair." Naruto-O hums, tiny hands only seeming to dig in further in at his complaint, toothy grin lighting her face at his distress.
Hinata-Y watches them for a moment before slowly holding her hands out. It at least seemed Himawari wouldn't cry or fuss if she held her for a few minutes going by their last interaction.
"I can hold her while you go get the stroller ready?" She offers.
Naruto-O brightens, holding her out to her. "Great! She's comfortable in your arms, she must know on some level you'll be her Mom one day!"
Hinata-Y flusters, Himawari cooing in delight weaving her hands into her violet locks as soon as she's in her arms.
"Papa I want to go to the park, not the boring Hokage office!" Boruto whines, tugging at his pants attempting to change his mind on where they should go to first.
Naruto-O looks down to him, shaking his head making his blue eyes turn stormy, tearing up going into the beginnings of the tantrum as his cheeks flare red.
He plops himself onto the carpet, burying his face into the ground. "No, I don't want to go there!"
'Wait, we can't just leave him in the house alone.' Naruto-Y ponders, though he can't see how his older counterpart will get Boruto to go anywhere with how he's currently acting.
His older self carries on ignoring his behavior, used to his foul mood getting Himawari's baby bag together and the snacks Hinata-O set out earlier.
"Boruto, you have until the count of 5 to get all your anger out on the carpet before you need to get up. Mama had said she was going to make burgers tonight, but she may change her mind if she hears you've been misbehaving." Naruto-O warns.
Boruto in turn digs his face further into the carpet, mix of a sob and groan sputtering from his lips.
"1...2...3." Naruto-O starts.
Boruto fists with the ends of the rug, though he sits up just as he gets to 4, wiping at a mix of tears and snot running down his cheeks.
Naruto-O chuckles, tossing a box of tissues to his younger form. "Help him with his face while I finish getting the rest of Himawari's stuff!"
Naruto-Y blinks in surprise, glancing to his future son whose taken to studying the wood flooring. He most likely will push him away he imagines, tiny hands balling in frustration again.
"Here, blow your nose. You never know if one of your friends might be there too you know!" Naruto-Y remarks, patting at his puffy cheeks until they're semi-dry.
Something of a smile crosses his lips then. "You sound like Papa!"
And then without waiting for him to properly finish clearing his nose he heads towards the front door to get his shoes.
Naruto-Y frowns, staring at the half-snotty tissue.
'How do I handle this when I'm older?!'
The walk there is not without it's strange looks and amused double-takes, taking the long route through the park. The pastel pinks and whites of the petals scattered against the pavements aren't enough of a distraction on why there's a young Naruto walking next to an older one.
"Practicing with a clone or transformation jutsu?" One man asks, Naruto-O quickly shaking his head with an offhand explanation it's for a training exercise.
Despite giving his 13 year old counterpart a pair of old black sweatpants, the trademark orange of his jacket is till too obvious; too loud.
Maybe they just should've gone through the training grounds, fog skirts against the trees and bushes normally laden with moss and dew at this time of year giving the forest an ethereal look. It would've been enough to at least temporarily better hide them from the public until they needed to cross through the buildings.
"Don't go anywhere, okay? Shikamaru is probably still in a meeting." Naruto-O instructs his younger self and Hinata-Y.
Though the warning is mainly for his counterpart, mischief curling at his lips in a way he's seen on his own face too many times. The guards were already wary of letting them in, only doing so when they provide all the paperwork over the blood results Sakura took from them.
'This may go terribly wrong.' Naruto-O sighs, but he needs to check in with the other officials on site today.
"Come on, let's explore!" Naruto-Y exclaims, grabbing his own Hinata's hand to take off as soon as his older self is out of sight. The halls of the Hokage tower have changed so much over the years, where there was once peeling paint or water-stained ceiling tiles has been replaced in clean slates of green and white respectively.
They pause outside a path that leads to an open balcony, Hinata-Y drawing them back behind the curtains before the man lingering out there can hear or see them.
"Is that Shikamaru?" Naruto-Y asks slowly as she activates her byakugan.
"It seems to be." She murmurs back, squeezing at his hand when he moves to abruptly stand.
He can hear his heart start thundering in his ears, pushing down the coils of uncertainty that want to keep him rooted in place. Besides Sakura and Sasuke, this will be his first time seeing one of his classmates just as old as them.
'Check and make sure!'
'It'd be easier if we just waited on our older self to return!'
"Watch my back incase anyone comes." He finally says after a minute, pushing forward.
"Shikamaru?" Naruto-Y questions to the figure outside on the terrace overlooking Konoha, taking in the waft of white-gray smoke filtering upwards beside him.
'Since when does he smoke?' He frowns, wrinkling his nose at the potent smell.
Shikamaru turns and immediately takes in his attire, arching a brow while leaning back against the railing. "What's with the transformation jutsu?"
Naruto-Y blinks, squirming under his confused gaze. It's startling enough to see Shikamaru here in the Hokage tower actually working when the boy he knows would rather spend his days sleeping in, playing Shogi, or watching the clouds drift by until nightfall.
"I'm not a jutsu and before you ask, I'm not a clone either. I'm Naruto, but from the past!" He blurts out.
Shikamaru doesn't answer, taking a long drag of his cigarette considering his mannerisms and posture. If this is a prank of his, he can't see what the end game goal is (besides to annoy him). The last thing either of them need is for Lord 6th and the newest selection of advisors to not take him seriously.
"...How old are you?" He asks after a moment.
"I just turned 13 not that long ago." Naruto-Y confirms back.
A grin perks up his expression then, stubbing out the rest of his cigarette.
"I don't know if this is a game of yours or what Naruto, but-"
"Since when do you smoke?! I mean, Shikamaru always told me he hated when Asuma-sensei smoked anywhere near him because it always made the barbecue taste bad or stung at his eyes!" Naruto-Y cuts him off, stepping closer.
'Maybe this isn't some prank/joke after all?' Shikamaru pauses, because otherwise Naruto should already know his reason for picking up smoking...
He sees from the corner of his eye his older form approaching along what looks to be like a younger Hinata watching from the shadows. The features of the adult Naruto he knows is a mix of annoyance and concern and he wonders then how much he's heard of their conversation so far.
Dark eyes study again his apparent younger self with renewed curiosity, sighing and lifting his head skyward briefly. It's still a cloudless day, light blue for miles. He considers the weight of his next words, what it could change for his own past and future.
If Temari were here, she'd tell him to speak up already and get it over with.
No matter how troublesome the subject.
"Well to answer your question, I've been smoking since Asuma's death; haven't broken the habit since then."
Sakura (Past)
"If you have time to daydream Sakura, then surely I've given you enough time to start putting those beginner genjutsu skills into practice?" Kurenai questions gently, jolting her nearly making her notes scatter into the nearby lake.
Crimson orbs skim her messy scrawl of writings, humming thoughtfully. "Up for trying to put all these notes and reading material into use on the field?"
Unlike with Lady Tsunade, there is no speed or quick movements needed in learning this all, illusionary techniques take practice, patience...
And a good understanding of the human mind.
"Ah, yes! What should I start on?" Sakura asks as she follows her lead to stand.
She follows her gaze to the treetops nearby, a small flock of cranes resting from the heat. Black and white feathers flutter in the breeze, flapping away droplets of water and mud.
"I have to say I'm still a bit surprised you came to me for training when I heard Lady Tsunade already took you under her tutelage." Kurenai begins.
Sakura resists a shrug, she has balanced her schedule now to be 3 days with Lady Tsunade and 2 days with Kurenai-sensei. The weekend will be her breaks for now, to practice on her own all the skills she learned throughout the week and to rest and recover before starting the cycle all over again.
'You'll burnout with that type of plan Forehead.' Ino's warning pops into her mind, but she pushes it down before it can take root.
Where ever Sasuke and Naruto are right now, they're both surely getting stronger.
"It may be a difficult first lesson, but we can start with one of those cranes there. See if you can bind one to get near us close enough to pet it." She instructs.
Sakura furrows her brows, not the most easiest task, but doable.
Hopefully.
She pinpoints her verdant eyes on one of the majestic birds taking a drink from the lake, hoping she's making a connection to freeze its body in place.
Beady dark eyes eventually glance her way and she calms her breathing, steadying the flow of her chakra slowly towards the forebrain.
'Come on, get closer!' Sakura commands.
The crane inches it's way forward, eyes starting to appear to glaze over until another crane bumps into it with a squawk, shattering the illusion.
And a second later it takes off in a flurry of white with it's companions, the only remnants of their presence the water ripples left behind.
Kurenai pats her shoulder at her disgruntled look, smiling at her effort.
"Don't forget your reasons for doing this." She reminds her and Sakura straightens with a nod.
It's going to take time, even if she doesn't feel like she has enough of that.
They move deeper into the forest along the lake, hum of cicadas and birds in the canopies surrounding them. The fauna and flora here are home to a variety of creatures, though she can't be sure which one Kurenai-sensei wants her to test out next minus the insects.
"Sit Sakura." She instructs once they've truly delved into the heart of the forest.
Sakura blinks before resting down across from her on an overturned branch, studying her casual expression.
"Is this the next lesson?" She guesses after a moment's pause and Kurenai nods with a soft hush.
"This involves your senses of smell and hearing; are you picking up on it?" Kurenai asks after a minute and Sakura concentrates until the distinct aroma of sea salt abruptly surrounds her, the roar of waves crashing despite them being miles from any beach.
Her heart skitters, blinking away the image of white sand and seagrass brushing at her legs until the forest comes back into view.
"Though it's not the normal way I cast a genjutsu, auditory genjutsu is typically the most effective way to immobilize your enemy and get in a quick kill." Kurenai explains.
Sakura swallows, reminded of what she read of the demon flute girl from the Sound 4. What instrument had Kurenai used? Or maybe she had just used the surrounding noises to create the effect?
Her environment can be used as her music in a sense she imagines, at least to quickly trap any opponent possibly following her from a distance.
At her look, Kurenai continues on with a soft grin.
"Don't think just because I'm not as tough as Lady Tsunade that I'm going to take it easy on you! In order to bring out the best of all your senses you'll have to deal with some pretty potent flowers and noises that may make your ears ring for days; up for it?"
Sakura beams, standing up so quickly a flock of birds scatter.
"Of course!"
Naruto & Hinata (Future)
'The cemetery is bigger now.' Hinata-Y realizes.
The thought burns and trickles down into the tightening knots in her chest, blinking back another wave of tears.
From when did it get this packed?
Naruto-Y lightly holds at her arm seeing Kurenai-sensei in the distance, hand gripping at a girl's with her same scarlet eyes and a mop of jet black hair.
'Her daughter?' Hinata-Y assumes as they head toward a specific grave.
Shikamaru nods his confirmation when they look to him, chuckling as Mirai runs ahead of her mom and babysitter already knowing where to go.
"Mirai as of late has been wanting to focus more on her target practice than anything else so I'm glad she's still willing to make these weekly trips to visit the cemetery." He mentions.
Hinata-Y presses back against Naruto-Y hoping they're truly out of sight as the little girl places a bouquet of white lilies on the headstone.
"Go ahead and update Daddy on what you've been up to Mirai." Kurenai urges at her silence.
Mirai wrinkles her nose, shuffling at her toes. "Hmm, well Natsume told me how she and her Mama bought matching yukatas for all the festivals coming up! Oh, and Matsuo said he lost another tooth, but I checked and he didn't!"
She looks back up to Kurenai suddenly then, pouting. "Is Daddy even hearing all of this?"
Kurenai nods, pushing on a smile. "Of course he is sweetie, you can keep going."
But Mirai shakes her head, turning her attention back towards the cemetery's entrance. "No, I don't want to keep talking to Daddy when he can't even respond!"
The caretaker goes after her before she can wander off too far, Kurenai lingering at the gravestone.
"I'm sorry Asuma, she's getting to be as stubborn as you when it comes to how to go about conversations with others when they ask where her Dad is or even doing her homework before playing. Another autumn is ending without you; we miss you." She sighs before carefully adjusting the lilies Mirai placed down.
Naruto-Y blinks, pulling them back into the shadows as they round the bend of trees near them. Asuma became a Father? Did he at least get to see his daughter before his death?
They step out of hiding once they're properly gone, Hinata-Y walking forward first.
"Who else is here?" She asks gently and Naruto-O stiffens in a way that makes her heart clench.
She moves ahead despite his protest, eyes roaming each marble stone until her breath stills.
'Neji?'
Tears blur her eyes before she can stop them, crouching down into the wet grass. The metallic tang of blood hits her tongue as she tries to catch her breath, stopping herself from biting down any further on her lips.
Fresh lilies and sunflowers rest beside his grave marker and slowly her fingers move from tracing along his name to the words beneath.
'Jonin, protector, brother.' She reads.
Her gaze trails down to his date of death, eyes widening.
"18?" Hinata-Y whispers, nails carving crescents into her palms. Neji just turned 14 she recalls, reminded that he spent most of the day inside meditating due to a passing summer storm. Hanabi had made herring soba in celebration that he found too spicy.
"I only added a little bit of pepper to add flavor! Otherwise it was going to be too bland; you're being overdramatic! I worked hard on this birthday gift for you without help from Big Sis or anyone else!" Hanabi huffs with a cross of her arms, ignoring the heat starting to turn his cheeks a worsening shade of red.
"Still, you should've asked for help from Lady Hinata or one of the chefs; you know how bad I am with spices!" Neji relates back, though he manages another bite down at Hanabi's pouting.
Hinata hides a giggle into the palm of her hand, discretely sliding him a cool glass of water when Hanabi moves to pour a bowl for herself.
Neji sends her a grateful look, gulping down enough for his face to lose some of it's color.
"Thank you Lady Hinata."
This is why she didn't see him that first night her and Naruto came here...
"I helped plant those sunflowers with Mama!" Boruto mentions beside her and Hinata-Y blinks, following his stare to the flowers.
She pushes on a smile as he nuzzles into her side, ruffling at his hair. "You did a good job! I'm sure Papa and Mama taught you a lot about gardening."
Boruto nods, gesturing with his hands now muddled with dirt from having pulled at the nearby weeds. "Mama said I'll be as tall as a sunflower when I get older!"
Naruto-Y watches them from a distance before looking back to his older counterpart, straightening himself despite a new ache of knots wrapping at his chest. Neji it seems is the only one from their age group that's died with the passage of time.
"Where's Pervy...no, Jiraiya?" He asks quietly.
Naruto-O adjusts Himawari's sleeping form on his back, silently studying the graves and Naruto-Y clicks his tongue seeing his mirrored pained look when he finally peers his way.
"Heh, I don't think I ever called Pervy Sage by his actual name." He mutters.
'My worst assumptions are true.' Naruto-Y frowns.
Because he speaks of him in the past tense, no longer here...
"I'll watch the kids and the younger Hinata until you come back. Don't be long though, Temari hates when I'm home late without telling her beforehand." Shikamaru offers and Naruto-O gives him a grateful look as he passes Himawari over to him.
"We won't be long." He promises.
He looks back to his younger self then, to the curiosity and pain swirling in his eyes. It's been years for him since Pervy-Sage's death when for his younger self he was alive and well the last time he saw him...
"Follow me." Naruto-O gestures, Naruto-Y attempts to match his brisk pace as they head outside of the inner parts of Konoha into the forests. Sunlight crisscrosses over them, golden hues falling over greenery and moss.
Naruto-O stops in front of a stone structure, Naruto-Y nearly running into his back at his abrupt stop. He follows his gaze to the rock monument, taking in the etching of teacher upon the largest stone, Jiraiya's first book, and a bouquet of paper flowers seemingly unharmed from the forestry's creatures or weather.
"I made this memorial for Pervy-Sage after I found out about his death." He relates as he watches his teenage form slowly approach the structure.
Neither speak, wind whistling through the pine and leaves.
"Why...Why isn't he buried at the Konoha cemetery?" Naruto-Y questions.
Naruto-O bends down, brushing at moss covering the ends of the smaller rocks and kunai. "His body couldn't be recovered from the sea."
Naruto-Y crouches beside him, rubbing at his face as he feels the first tears sliding down before just letting them fall into the grass. The way his older self describes it Pervy-Sage never got to see his family life or even him properly on the way to being Hokage.
"And how much longer do I have?" He pursues.
Naruto-O arches a brow. "I don't think-"
"Just tell me! I'll keep looking for the answer until I know!" Naruto-Y snaps, eyes flaring red before quickly calming himself at hearing his voice echo into the deeper parts of the woods.
Naruto-O fixes him with a serious look. "I wasn't...We weren't there when he died, but I was 16."
The knots in his chest break, the training trip they were set to go on would've been for around 2 and a half years, putting their return back to Konoha at around 15 for him...
After that there would only be months left most likely.
'Don't worry kid, there's plenty I'm going to teach you to be on Sasuke's level and give you better control of the Nine-Tailed fox!'
"Pervy-Sage needed to investigate into the group going after all the tailed beasts: The Akatsuki. They're disbanded and most of their old members have died now, but of course at the time they were still active. He went on a mission to investigate their leader that he never came back from. He left a dying message with Fukasaku that helped decode his identity for me to find him and take him down." Naruto-O remarks taking his younger self out of his thoughts.
He stops himself from going on at his younger self's blank expression, fists buried at his sides pulling up dirt and grass.
And then clarity comes back to his cerulean orbs, rubbing away the final remnants of tears.
Naruto-Y turns himself fully back towards him, bowing respectfully in a way they both know he's never done for any of the adults he's interacted with.
"Train us; both Hinata and I. Train us to prevent this from happening!"
-x-
Random: I don't know if anyone can see this issue, but why does the picture I use for this story keep disappearing even when I haven't tried to change it? It's only happening for this story too and none of my other ones. I wonder if it's a fanfiction glitch or something, though it's been happening since I first posted this story...
Anyways, hello everyone! Hope Naruto and Hinata's younger forms don't feel too out of character. The things they learn are obviously going to change their behaviors and attitudes, especially once they go back to the past! I'm not sure how long I plan to keep them in the future really, long enough though that once they go back to the past everyone is like "Damn, that's Naruto and Hinata?! What happened?!" Let me know your thoughts!
It's Thanksgiving week already for U.S. (And 2021 is almost over, the year has flown by!). I am looking forward to ham and stuffing this year and instead of turkey we're going to try roast beef lol! I can't be the only person who isn't really a big fan of turkey, right?
Enjoy. Review. Favorite. Follow!
