Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters are the properties of Masashi Kishimoto. No profit is made off of this fan-fiction story. Any additional original characters located in this story are designated at such and belong to the author, Jae (Dirtyangel).
A/N: It's a bit of an understatement to say "some things have been happenin'" the past year or so. That's all I can really say. At least I've found the time to do some writing, so let's do this!
—.&.&.—
XV.
Learning What's There
The darkness vibrated.
It shook and rumbled like a raging beast in the heat of a challenge. Kurama waited, watching the amorphous force writhe with what felt like vexation.
"You're becoming a real pain in my ass, fox!"
A singular voice pierced through the darkness—louder than it had ever been in the past several years. There were no whispers to mask its intent, or saccharin words to temper its speech. It embodied fury.
"Is that so?" Kurama drawled. It perched its head atop its crossed claws while a grin spread across its face. "I'm hurt, especially when I'm used to such sweet words from you."
The darkness stilled before it stretched forward as something forced its way through the viscous shroud. A male figure tore itself free from the nothingness. His physique and appearance matched that of Naruto's—except for his eyes. Those retained the inky blackness of their surroundings and held pupils that shone a deep red on par with Kurama's.
"I have no sweet words for you, you son of a bitch," the man spat. "Why do you insist on keeping up this stupid charade? I could've had him! He's weak, but you still think that he'll let you out if you adhere to that bargain. You're a bigger sucker than I expected."
Kurama narrowed its eyes, then let out a short laugh.
"You continue to wound me, Noboru."
The blond sneered, "Call me by that name all you want. Those old ways don't have weight here, fox."
A wolfish smile still in place, Kurama let its tails slither in the space around them.
"I'd beg to differ," it purred. "You're still trapped in here with the rest of me, and my aspect is still out there occupying your space. So, I think those 'old ways' weigh in just fine."
Tendrils of chakra seeped off of Kurama's form and pooled in a wide circle around the man's feet. The area surrounding him began to boil like a welling mire of acid as wisps of noxious fumes rose into the air. The man glared at Kurama, barely acknowledging the turmoil around him. A corona of blue chakra illuminated his body, pulsing twice before exploding outward in a dome-like formation.
The lake of boiling red chakra was extinguished with this exertion of power, but amid the steaming aftermath, the glowing remnant of the kanji for "Noboru" remained.
"Tch. You are an annoying bastard," Noboru swore.
Kurama let out a guttural laugh that boomed into the darkness. Several moments passed before it settled back down with a pleased smirk, curling its tails around its body.
Noboru held a defiant stance, arms crossed and seemingly undeterred by the vast difference in size between Kurama and himself.
"You can't keep this up forever," he declared, "and you know it."
Still amused, Kurama eyed him curiously as the blue aura of chakra encasing his body pulsed again. The darkness shuddered once before melting away to reveal the tree-lined visage of Naruto's forgotten memories.
Kurama frowned.
"You can name me. You can hide me away. But it doesn't change the fact that this is also my mind and you're just a visitor. These memories belong to me. Every. Last. One. Of. Them."
Noboru narrowed his eyes before turning to look over his shoulder as the image of the wood grew larger.
"If I have to wait him out again, so be it. You can't stop me and neither can he, so enjoy your futile little game, asshole."
He stepped toward the wood, the kanji of his name fading as he did so.
"Don't forget that I'm the smarter one. Keep that in mind, Kurama," Noboru finished, spitting Kurama's name out as if it was the most distasteful thing that had ever touched his lips.
The darkness knitted itself back together when he stepped through into the woods.
Kurama was alone again. A hush had settled over the space, but not long after, the familiar symphony of Naruto's thoughts picked up once more.
Kurama huffed out a long sigh, humming in thought and contemplating this new development. At the edge of its periphery, two glowing forms appeared a distance away on either side of it—one male, the other female. The fox grimaced further; a growl rumbling under its breath as it rolled its eyes.
"I do not need either of you to figure this out. You're partially to blame for this mess, anyway," it groused.
Neither figure said a word and Kurama was glad for it.
—.o.—
Naruto stared out the bedroom window, absently watching the hazy imprints of clouds drift above the rooftops of the compound. Dawn was slowly bleeding into the twilight, and as the sky grew brighter, it seemed to punctuate the fact that another sleepless night had passed him by.
He sighed, rubbing his face. Through the corner of his eye, he could see that the bruises on his arm from yesterday's sparring were already fading away.
A month had passed since they had arrived at the Uchiha compound, and his reassimilation into nin society was well within its first stages. Sasuke kept to his word about setting aside personal feelings and was maintaining an impressive amount of professionalism. In truth, he took his role as a team leader very seriously. After that first week of settling in, he had kicked off Naruto's training by doing a full evaluation of his skills. Sasuke had asked a barrage of questions like what type of physical labor had Naruto engaged in back in his village; was he aware of his chakra output; did he meditate; did he still remember the katas from basic Academy training? Naruto had barely been able to keep up with answering all of them.
Then, there was the run-through of his jutsu. Sasuke had stoically observed him perform each technique, marking them with either a silent nod of approval or a mild critique for improvement. That was the premise for the training regimen that Naruto was currently fitted with.
The training was intense. He used to pride himself on being quick on his feet during combat, but Sasuke's forte had always been speed and precision. This had only improved with time.
On the days they trained, Sasuke pushed him to limits he had not reached in over a decade, which left him and his ego sore and bruised at the end of every session. Only recently did he not have to rebuild a portion of their training area because Sasuke had sent him flying through it while sparring.
Progress was rough, but he took some comfort in the fact that he could feel himself falling back into a familiar dance. For each stumble he made, Sasuke took the time to focus on where he could refine his technique and didn't move on until Naruto was sure-footed again. This attentiveness was at odds with the cool disdain Naruto expected from him. Since their first night here, there had been a shift in their interactions—even with the way Sasuke addressed Kanaye.
He was civil, and at times, casual during his and Naruto's exchanges outside of training. There were even two occasions where he had joined Naruto and Kanaye for a meal around the table. This behavior had already veered Kanaye from being petulantly leery to being curious about the other man. Naruto was dubious about the reasons behind this strange truce, but he supposed he was grateful for it since it had helped facilitate a means of keeping his son occupied during the day.
This distraction involved one Hyuuga Neji and his daughter Chiyo. Discovering how close the Hyuuga estate was to the Uchiha's was unexpected, but seeing Neji with a child had been fascinating. They had chanced upon the pair during a supply run several days ago. Sasuke hadn't been impressed by the encounter, but he had made no objections when Neji extended an invitation for them all to visit the Hyuuga estate. One lunch, a few days, and two giddy children later, Naruto had himself a way to keep Kanaye out of range of the collateral damage zone that was the courtyard he and Sasuke used for training.
This, however, was as far as his luck went when it came to his time at the compound. Much like the night that had just passed, he barely slept. A bout of insomnia plagued him consistently each night since their first one here. When he did sleep, it wasn't for long. He often startled awake in a cold sweat, inexplicably terrified and left staring at the ceiling while the remnants of a nightmare slipped away. If it weren't for his inherent stamina and the need to keep Kanaye and Sasuke believing that everything was fine, Naruto was certain his frayed senses would have dissolved faster.
He felt like he was teetering at the edge of something. With the knowledge that some of his memories were purposely missing, it felt like he was on the fringe of a great, foreboding void of things that he couldn't make sense of. He had tried asking Kurama to give him back what it had taken from him, but the fox had given him a grim look and ominously said it didn't think he was prepared for that. Naruto had followed up with asking why it thought so, and the only answer he had received was being left to face the vision of that mysterious wood at the edge of a cliff.
He didn't know what to do with this enigma. Was what he was looking for hidden among those trees?
Yet, no matter how many times Naruto saw that shadow-strewn thicket, he couldn't make himself approach it. A debilitating fear always threatened to suffocate him whenever he tried to.
He let his hands fall from his face, down to his lap. His tired eyes lingered on the sky outside for a moment more before shifting from the window to the interior of the bedroom. Kanaye was still fast asleep on the futon.
Naruto envied him for it.
He glanced up at the bedroom door.
It was a waste of time thinking that sleep would suddenly, and mercifully, whisk him away for a few hours of respite. Instead, he wondered whether Sasuke was awake and preparing for the day. Dawn had already taken hold of the sky and shifted into the morning.
Unsure of what would happen, Naruto stood and carefully made his way across the room. He slid the door open.
The glow of early morning had settled throughout the house, and as he slipped out of the room—closing the door behind him—it didn't appear as though anyone else was up. He walked further into the living space, entering the common area. That's when he noticed the figure standing by the kitchen counter.
"You're up early," Sasuke said mildly.
Naruto stopped short to stare at him, a little surprised. The moment passed with him offering up a small smile and replying: "Yeah. Couldn't sleep."
Sasuke hummed a note of acknowledgment as he poured himself a cup of tea. Naruto watched his movements with interest. Each motion was fluid and deliberate, making him contemplate how Sasuke managed to move in such ways that weren't unnecessary or wasteful.
The kettle barely made a sound when it was placed back on the stove.
Sasuke's long fingers grasped a handle-less cup, bringing it up to his lips, but then he paused. The brim of the steaming cup hovered carelessly near his bottom lip, allowing the vapors to moisten his skin.
"Was there something you needed?" his voice cut through the trance Naruto had fallen into.
The blond blinked, only then realizing what he'd been doing. He grimaced in apology and looked away.
"Sorry," he mumbled.
Sasuke's dark eyes considered him for a bit before he took a sip of his tea. When Naruto glanced back at him, their eyes locked and neither of them looked away.
There was a subtle tension floating between them. It slunk amidst their moments of interaction and wrapped itself around these pockets of intense staring. It felt familiar which was why it also made Naruto uneasy. Mentoring and casual meals aside, encounters like this reminded him of when they use to be invested in one another. From what little he could remember, there were plenty of moments back then where they had enjoyed lingering glances and indirect teasing. Was that what was happening now? Had there been another detour in their communication that Naruto had unwittingly followed?
He averted his eyes first.
"Is there enough for one more cup?" Naruto asked, gesturing to the kettle.
Sasuke glanced down at the item in question; then stepped back to allow access.
"Help yourself," he said.
Naruto nodded in thanks and stepped into the kitchen area. For the sake of his diminishing state of mind, he decided to move past what he thought he was picking up from Sasuke. He lacked sleep and a proper sense of sanity. He didn't want to chance a potential misunderstanding.
Sasuke leaned against the counter, wordlessly sipping his drink and paying no mind to Naruto as he maneuvered around him to get a cup from the cupboard. A quick side glance from Naruto revealed the ghost of a smirk edging the limits of Sasuke's neutral expression.
The blond frowned, wondering at what was going through Sasuke's mind; but ultimately, he sighed and looked down at the cup he had pulled from the cupboard. It was too early for him to be dealing with this right now.
Sasuke shifted beside him and stepped away from the counter.
"You're free to take the morning to yourself," he said, walking over to the panel door that led out to the deck. "I have to sequester a few things from some of the houses around the compound, so you and Kanaye will need to entertain yourselves until I'm done."
"Do you need any help?" Naruto asked.
"No, it'll be quicker if I did it solo."
Sasuke unlatched the door and slid it open.
"You know, if you let Kanaye find out that you're venturing further into the compound, he'll probably want to join you."
"Sounds like I can't seem to scare you Uzumaki men away, now can I?"
Naruto hesitated in the middle of pouring his tea. His eyes looked up from the cup to stare ponderously ahead.
He took a deep breath and set his jaw, then tipped the spout of the kettle to finish pouring his drink. He replaced it on the stove before turning toward Sasuke, cup in hand. The other man was poised with his back against the door's threshold, arms folded, and gazing out at the yard. Naruto's fingers twitched around his cup.
What was Sasuke playing at? Naruto was trying his best to ignore the niggling feeling that some underline communication was happening between them, but Sasuke's implicit behavior was not helping. This was yet another segue in demeanor that Sasuke seemed prone to, which left Naruto with the task of figuring out how to handle it.
Dark eyes glanced back at him, meeting his gaze again. Naruto narrowed his eyes and drank his tea.
"You know, you're pretty frustrating, Sasuke."
"Am I?" Sasuke replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. You get hot, then cold. Then, it's anyone's guess which one you'll be next."
Sasuke let out a short laugh, "Is that so?"
"Yeah."
"I see," Sasuke said, taking another sip of his tea.
Naruto did the same.
"If that's so, then what temperature are you hoping I am now?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto paused. His pulse was beating in his ears, fast and rhythmically, and the heat permeating from the drink in his hand did not seem to be the only reason why he was beginning to feel flushed.
"What do you want, Sasuke?" he asked, going against his better judgment. "And why are you…" A realization hit him. "…why are you flirting with me?" Naruto finished.
Sasuke raised both brows in mild surprise. "Flirting?"
"Yes. Don't tell me you think I'm that dense that I wouldn't pick up on it. I'm not a kid anymore, you know."
"Hnn," Sasuke hummed. He was watching Naruto with an amused smirk and appraising eyes. "To be honest," he began, "flirting with you doesn't seem to take much. It's very clear you still have a non-platonic interest in me. Eleven years and a wife hasn't seemed to change that. I was only curious about seeing how far I could test that theory."
Naruto gaped at him.
"You're a real asshole, you know tha—"
"—Despite that fact, wouldn't you say that you still enjoy the attention?"
His lips pressed into a thin line. Naruto could feel himself getting angry. He was angry because he was allowing Sasuke to goad him this way. He knew there had to be a reason why Sasuke was doing this. It was no more than a month ago that he had berated Naruto for bringing up their past relationship, so why would he treat the matter so cavalier? Or, did he think that Naruto was that desperate for his attention that he would jump at any guise of interest?
Sasuke was still watching him. The way he held his stance seemed like a challenge meant to goad Naruto even more. Naruto wanted to punch him, but strangely, another part of him also felt the urge to shove him face-first into that doorframe and fuck him into a whimpering mess. It reasoned that dominating Sasuke in this way would be the most satisfying.
He growled under his breath in frustration. What was wrong with him, and why was he allowing Sasuke to incite him this way? In fact, since seeing each other again, he had been allowing Sasuke to harass him without much protest; and now, here was this pervasive atmosphere of sexual tension that also felt like Sasuke's doing.
He was tired of this, and he was done with whatever game Sasuke was playing.
Naruto drew in an initial breath, prepared to say exactly that when a thought slithered its way to the forefront of his mind. What if he played this another way—his way? It didn't matter if Sasuke thought he was easily enticed because Naruto knew how to navigate this arena. Sex and sexuality weren't strangers to him, and Sasuke wasn't impervious to the right kind of advances. If his garbled memory chose to be kind, he had a few ideas on exactly how to handle Sasuke. That would be a better way to teach that jerk a lesson.
Perhaps the outlet could even offset some of the stress from his lack of sleep.
Naruto placed his cup on the counter with a soft tap, then smoothly strode over to where Sasuke stood. A smirk spread across Sasuke's lips as if a point had been made and he raised his cup to take another sip.
Before it could touch his lips, however, Naruto plucked it from Sasuke's hand; then hid it from view behind his back. He positioned an arm above Sasuke's head so he could lean into the man's personal space.
Eyes never breaking their stare, Naruto said: "What do you really want, Sasuke?"
He could see the spark of genuine surprise fleet across Sasuke's face before it was buried beneath a narrow-eyed grimace.
"You're a bit presumptuous," Sasuke noted.
"And you're a dick," Naruto rebutted. He tilted his head to the side and spoke again, "But that's old news. So, what do you want, Uchiha, and what do I get for giving it to you?"
Naruto purposefully pitched his voice lower on this last statement and smiled when he saw the fingers of one of Sasuke's hands grip his crossed arm.
"You're playing a dangerous game, Naruto."
"No more dangerous than you goading me under some bullshit premise. The thing is," Naruto leaned in closer, "I think you're 'curious' about something else. Maybe it's whether I still remember what you like, how you like it, or where you like it done to you?"
Sasuke's grimace deepened as he readjusted his folded arms. His eyes searched Naruto's unblinkingly; then, his expression loosened.
"Does this change in attitude mean you're done playing timid?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto snorted, "Timid? Ha, well, I guess I have been playing it safe. But now, I'm following the example set by my squad leader."
"Sounds like you've got a bad role model."
"No one's perfect, it seems—not even Uchiha Sasuke."
A smirk returned to Sasuke's face as he stepped away from the doorframe and into Naruto. Their faces were inches apart, causing their breath to intermingle.
"Luckily, I don't have to be perfect to be better than you, Naruto," his voice was little more than a purr.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Sasuke," Naruto said brandishing a conciliatory smile.
"I sleep just fine. Though, it seems like you might be having some trouble in that department."
Naruto caught himself before he could frown at that comment. He held fast to his casual smile and hid his ire behind a raised eyebrow. He'd be damned if he allowed Sasuke the satisfaction of seeing him blindsided.
"Is that what you're up to, then? Trying to figure out my sleeping habits by way of flirtatious stares and pithy remarks?" he asked sarcastically.
"Tch, you wish I was that simple," Sasuke huffed out a laugh.
He was examining Naruto's countenance again. His eyes focused intently on Naruto's lips before sliding back up to the blond's eyes.
This small action pleased Naruto in a charming way. Despite the pretense behind their exchange, it was gratifying watching Sasuke's coy expression and feeling the closeness of his body outside of perfunctory means. He was tempted to touch Sasuke's hair since the texture reminded him of his wife's. Kaiya's hair used to share that same deep black color that reflected as a dark blue in certain lights.
"Are you enjoying this little game, Naruto?"
"A little," Naruto smirked.
Sasuke let out another huff of amusement, then took a step back to settle against the doorframe again.
"So, are you going to tell me the reason why you're having so much trouble sleeping? I can hear you tossing and turning most nights."
"I'm more curious about why you'd be awake enough to hear me supposedly tossing and turning most nights."
"We're not talking about me."
"You aren't, but I am."
An unimpressed look fell over Sasuke's expression, causing Naruto to grin. He levered himself backward with the arm he had positioned above Sasuke's head and rebalanced.
"Hey, I have an idea," he said, invoking a softer tone. "How about we pretend that you don't have some ulterior motive for what you're doing, and I'm not refusing to be led on. And I admit, yes, I am still very attracted to you because you're alluring without even trying. And if you were really curious about whether or not I still remember what you like and where you like it done to you, I'd be open to helping you find out."
Sasuke blinked at him, seemingly speechless. A suspicious tinge of pink was creeping along the tips of his ears and his mouth had fallen slightly open. Naruto thought about how now would be the perfect opportunity to enact his previous musings. He was no longer across the room and Sasuke was momentarily out of his element. All he needed to do was reposition his free hand, or discard the cup he still held in the other, and wrap either one around Sasuke's neck to brace him against the doorframe. The other man's look of surprise would probably be followed by some form of excitement. Naruto's vague recollections told him that Sasuke used to enjoy assertive displays like that.
"You are … shameless, Naruto," Sasuke managed to say.
"Despite that fact, wouldn't you say that you still enjoy the attention?" Naruto intoned, parroting Sasuke's words back at him.
Satisfied with this repartee, he brought the cup that he'd taken from Sasuke back around between them and offered it up in the parody of a truce. Sasuke looked down at it with a tight expression but took it from him without protest.
"Touché," he conceded.
Naruto chuckled and stepped back completely. As he turned toward the counter, he saw Kanaye's small form shuffling into the common area, yawning.
"'Tousan, I'm hungry," the boy said.
With a soft sigh, Naruto let go of the gallant persona he had put on for Sasuke and smiled at his son.
"Morning, kiddo. What are you in the mood for? Miso and fish? Eggs? Cereal?"
He was back at the kitchen counter, abandoned cup in hand and sipping on its lukewarm contents. A glance in Sasuke's direction showed that the other man had shifted back into his own persona of the aloof warden, and was fully facing out the panel door toward the deck. He didn't look back at Naruto.
Kanaye yawned a second time and shuffled his way over to where Naruto stood. When he was at his father's side, he buried his face in Naruto's shirt and hugged him around his waist.
"Eggs, please," was his muffled response.
Naruto laughed at Kanaye's antics and petted his hair affectionately. "Ha, ok."
He gazed down at his son's darker blond hair, mulling over an errant thought. After a few moments of thinking, he chanced another look at Sasuke.
"What about you, Sasuke? Will you actually be having breakfast with us this time 'round?"
At this, Sasuke slipped him a sidelong glance. His expression was neutral and lacked any of the relaxed nuances of emotion their previous exchange had. Naruto remained undeterred and kept his bemused smile in place.
"Sure. Miso and fish for me, if you're offering," Sasuke said, causing Naruto's brows to jump in surprise.
Kanaye's head lifted from Naruto's shirt and he gaped excitedly at Sasuke.
"Really, Uchiha-san?"
"Yeah."
That was all Kanaye needed before shouting: "Then I want miso and fish, too!"
.—.
"Chiyo says that summer recess for the Academy will be ending soon. She even promised to show me around the school when classes start again."
Kanaye was laying on a grassy patch in the yard, poking at something in the dirt with a stick he had found. Naruto looked up from his task of mending one of his son's pants to peer out the open panel door at him.
"Is that so?" he said breezily.
"Yeah," Kanaye responded. "She said that when I join the Academy, I'd have to start in one of the lower classes, but she also said I'm smart so I should be able to join the upper classes in no time."
"Sounds like Chiyo's pretty smart herself."
"She is!"
From inside the house—seated at the table—Naruto frowned. With Kanaye facing away from the panel door, the boy couldn't see how Naruto's airy replies didn't match his mood.
Naruto was not particularly happy about enrolling Kanaye in the Academy. He was even less enthused about officially enlisting the boy as a shinobi candidate, but if he wanted Kanaye to have a decent chance at a proper support system here in Konoha, this was the path of least resistance.
He had thought long and hard about registering Kanaye as a civilian instead. However, Sasuke had been the one to point out the potential problem with that decision. Along with Naruto not having any civilian family in Konoha, the optics of a deserter—much less a jinchuuriki—not committing his child to Konoha's shinobi was not good. It wasn't enough that Kanaye was now a denizen of Konoha, he had to be considered a part of the "Will of Fire."
This had briefly led Naruto to question whether having Kanaye stay with him was the right choice, but he had promised his son that he would and he wanted to spare the boy any more heartache.
In turn, Naruto had yet to send a letter breaking the news to Kaiya's parents, Hotaka and Ayako. His wife's family had been nothing but good to him over the years and Naruto didn't know how they would take learning that their only grandchild would no longer be near them.
Naruto's constitution for these difficult conversations was slowly diminishing.
Tying off the stitching he had just completed, he inspected his handiwork. He was no seamstress, but at least the tear at the hem of Kanaye's pants wasn't as egregious anymore.
When Naruto looked up again, Kanaye had migrated to sitting on the deck. His elbows were perched on the lip of the door's threshold and his chin was cupped in his hands.
"When is Uchiha-san coming back?" he asked.
"In a bit," Naruto said, packing away the sewing supplies.
"Do you think he'll teach me some moves if I ask him?"
Naruto grimaced and looked over his shoulder at his son. "Why would you ask him and not me?" he asked, trying his best not to feel offended.
Kanaye squinted at him, grinning. "Because he kicks your butt way more often, 'tousan."
"Traitor," Naruto decried, tossing Kanaye's pants at him so it landed on his head and over his face.
The boy laughed as he reconfigured his new headgear into something that resembled a bonnet. When his face was revealed again, he stuck his tongue out.
Naruto leveled him with a mock glare and stood up to walk over to the panel door.
"You know, your 'tousan can do a bunch of things that Uchiha-san can't."
"Really? Like what?" Kanaye asked, interest piqued.
Sitting down on the lip of the threshold, Naruto positioned himself so both his legs were on either side of Kanaye. He entertained a playful struggle with his son before easily plucking the boy's pants from his grip and placing them off to the side.
"I can look like as many people as I want—at the same time," Naruto continued.
Kanaye gave him a skeptical look, "Serious? I wanna see you do it."
Naruto smiled slyly, having already anticipated this demand. He brought his hands together—picturing the various people he wanted to replicate—and did the seal to summon his shadow clones. He felt the chakra sweep off of him in quick succession, manifesting into each figure with a soft pop. The first clone to appear was an image of Sasuke, then the next was of Sakura. The third and fourth were of Kanaye's grandparents, and as several more clones appeared, Kanaye's expression grew wide-eyed. The last of the clones—number eleven—conjured up the visage of Kurama's wild-haired, bronze-skinned humanoid form. Instead of wearing only the long white robe Naruto often saw it dressed in, this figure also wore a mesh undershirt and plain black trousers. It even had a pair of simple black sandals.
Naruto peered at its long, shaggy red hair and sharp eyes. He had thought to manifest this particular clone on a whim, but seeing a physical interpretation of the figure he spoke to in his mind took him aback slightly.
Sensing that he wanted a closer look at it, the clone of Kurama walked over to him and plunked down onto the deck next to Naruto's right foot. It grinned at him, revealing its sharpened incisors.
"Couldn't help yourself, could you?" it said.
Naruto squinted at it suspiciously. What if somehow…
'Do not be silly,' Kurama's gruff voice interrupted from the depths of his mind. At its brusque tone, Naruto gave a mental shrug. It was a thought, he mused.
Kanaye had abandoned his spot in front of Naruto to go inspect the other clones. With the first one, he had sheepishly touched its arm; but after it ruffled his hair in a playful gesture, he felt more emboldened to continue poking and prodding at the others. Each clone interacted with him in its own affectionate way.
"This is so cool," Kanaye said, finally making his way back to where Naruto sat.
The boy stopped in front of Kurama's clone and it held up a fist for him to bump.
"You think so?" Naruto said, amused.
Kanaye nodded, smiling, and hopped over to sit on his father's thigh. "Yeah, I wanna learn how to do this, too."
"All right, once you learn more about controlling your chakra we can maybe give that a try," Naruto chuckled.
Without preamble, a voice said: "Leave it to you to want to teach your son a kinjustu."
All eyes turned to see Sasuke approaching them. He had entered the yard via a gravel path that ran parallel to the house, carrying a duffle bag at his side and what looked like two katanas strapped to his back. He scrutinized their small gathering warily; his gaze pausing briefly on each clone before honing in on the striking features of Kurama's. Naruto saw the way a slight furrow dipped his brow as he seemed to take in the clone's full appearance.
"I never saw what the big deal was," Naruto said casually, dispelling his clones.
As intended, Sasuke's gaze moved onto him.
"That's because you forget how much of the rules you're always bending," Sasuke replied. He stopped in front of Naruto and Kanaye on the deck. "It's forbidden because if you summon too many clones, it has the potential to strain the user's chakra to dangerous levels. Just because your usage of it defies this rule doesn't mean that's the same for others," he finished, pointedly.
Naruto made a face, which caused Kanaye to giggle, but he conceded Sasuke's point. "Well maybe we won't do that particular style of cloning, but there are plenty of neat things I can show you using normal bunshin," Naruto said to his son.
Sasuke gave him a flat look before slipping off his shoes and stepping past them into the house. Both blonds watched him offload his cargo in the common area.
"But to my point," Naruto continued, "what Sasuke said proves that there are things I can do that he can't."
"Do you really think it's best to be talking about what I can do versus what you can in front of your kid?" Sasuke said as he opened the duffle bag and began rummaging through its contents.
"Me being a little rusty doesn't mean facts stop being facts, Sasuke."
The only response that statement received was a noncommittal "hnn."
It was then that Kanaye sprung up to his feet and declared: "I think you're both cool!"
This got both adults to look at him.
"'Tousan's good at his stuff and Uchiha-san is good at his own stuff. So, I wanna learn from both of you so I can be good at all of it!"
A stunned silence hung over them. After a few beats, Naruto let a lopsided grin spread across his face as he felt a swell of pride fill his chest. At times, words could not describe how much love and gratitude he felt for his son. Out of all the things he could say that he might have done wrong in his life, having his son was solidly one of the best things he had accomplished.
"Dattebayo!" Naruto cheered, ruffling the boy's hair and pulling him into a hug.
Kanaye laughed, squirming in his grasp, but finally settled into snuggling him back.
Behind them, quiet footsteps drew closer, and when Naruto turned to his left, Sasuke was crouching to be level with his shoulder. The other man stared at Kanaye with an unreadable expression before peering down at his hands and bringing a small, worn yellow book into view. The book had the title Fundamentals: A Shinobi's Guide printed along its spine.
"Here," Sasuke said, offering the book to Kanaye. "This used to be mine when I was a kid at the Academy. What you can't understand yet, you'll be able to pick up from the pictures. I'm sure you'll get more use out of it than I can now, especially if your father plans on teaching you his ad hoc approach to jutsu."
Kanaye straightened his posture so he could stare at him, mouth open and eyes shining. "Serious…?" he asked in a hushed voice.
Sasuke nodded.
The boy took the book reverently with both hands. He turned back to Naruto, absolute joy on his face and brimming with unbridled excitement. He threw himself into his father's chest, squealing ecstatically into the man's shirt.
Naruto could only dumbly place a familiar hand on his son's head as he blinked, perplexed, at Sasuke. The other man did not return his gaze.
When Sasuke moved to stand, Naruto reached up to grab his hand and gently tugged, signaling that he should stay. Sasuke paused in his action, suddenly forced to look at Naruto. Naruto searched his guarded expression, looking for any signs of dishonesty that could be lingering behind his gesture. He found none; just the traces of kindness he remembers admiring Sasuke for.
"There's my Sasuke," he whispered with a smile.
—.&.o.o.&.—