In which Naruto receives an apology, Fuu deals with the fallout, and Utakata embarrasses himself.
O-O-O-O-O
Following his conversation with Sasuke, Naruto returned to class with a plan to force Iruka to apologize.
"The correct reading of that kanji is 'Kaze,' Iruka-sensei," Naruto answered as he stood up and stared at Iruka. "It means 'wind. It's in words like 'Kazekage,' which means 'wind shadow,' ya know?"
Iruka blinked at him and his jaw dropped in surprise. "That's... correct, Naruto."
Naruto sat back down and looked around the classroom. He heard some people muttering around him but he didn't care. The only thing he cared about was proving to his teacher that he knew a lot more than he thought.
Next to him, Hinata beamed in encouragement.
"Wow, Naruto-kun, that was kind of a hard one," she said. "I wasn't sure what it meant."
"Yeah, I read it in a book," he answered with a grin of his own. "It was about the five major elemental villages."
At the front of the classroom, Sasuke stared determinedly at the board. Naruto could tell that he was dying to say something. From the back corner of the classroom, he saw that Shikamaru and Chouji were curious about the change in attitude.
Iruka cleared his throat to turn everyone's attention back to him. "Well, yes, now as Naruto answered for us, this is the character for 'wind.' There are five major elemental countries and we will study the kanji for all of them."
The rest of the class continued. Naruto raised his hand as often as he could, daring Iruka to say anything or to stop him from answering. He only faltered when they got to the math section. To his relief, the other children struggled just as much as he did, if not more.
The only student who breezed through their math work was the pink-haired girl, Sakura. She also got the highest score in the exam.
Naruto studied her, sitting at the back of the classroom. She covered her face with her bangs as if afraid to look at anyone. Naruto wondered why. He decided to keep an eye on her.
When the day ended, everyone, including Naruto, stood up and made their way out. Naruto took the time to pack up his things before joining the crowd.
"Wait, Naruto," Iruka said as he sat down behind his desk. "I wish to speak to you for a second."
Hinata and Naruto shared surprised glances. Hinata pushed her index fingers together in a now-familiar nervous gesture. Naruto shrugged and grinned at her. Immediately, her stance relaxed, and she smiled.
"See you tomorrow, Hinata-chan!" he said. "That cousin or whatever is here to pick you up, right?"
"Yes, Naruto-kun," she answered. "My mother is busy with Hanabi and clan duties. I will see you tomorrow, Naruto-kun, Iruka-sensei."
She nodded in Naruto's direction and bowed to Iruka before leaving. Naruto walked to stand in front of Iruka's desk, hands in his pockets to hide his fists. He glared at his teacher. Do you still believe I cheated? You better apologize to me, you asshole!
"Naruto-kun, I'm sorry," he said.
Naruto's jaw dropped in surprise. "Huh?"
"I judged you too harshly for what your performance was like in class," Iruka continued. "I never saw you actively taking part in class and wrongfully believed you would copy from other students. I should have known not to judge so fast. I didn't accuse Sakura of cheating even though she got a perfect score, and she rarely speaks in class."
"Oh," Naruto answered. He shifted his feet. He hadn't actually expected for Iruka to apologize so easily.
"Anyway," Iruka continued, "I'm going to change your grade to what it should have been. I'll try not to underestimate you again, okay?"
Naruto nodded, at a loss for words.
"Do you have your exam? I can give you your final score right now if you have it."
Naruto looked down at his feet. "I... uh... don't have it anymore." Yugito and Roshi had compelled him to burn the exam after they heard about it. It had felt cathartic at the time, but now he felt ashamed for destroying it.
Iruka chuckled and shook his head. "Well, I'm not surprised," he admitted. "If I were in your shoes, I would have done the same thing."
Iruka opened the drawer of his desk and took out his grade book. "Don't worry, I'll give you a numbered score based on what I remember. Plus a few extra points as an apology. I think you were right around... hmm... well the math section was average, but the history and ninjutsu portion was nearly perfect... I guess I'll grant you a 92."
"A 92?" Naruto beamed at his teacher, placing the palms of his hand on the desk.
"Yeah, that sounds about right," Iruka muttered. He scratched out the zero and wrote the new number next to Naruto's name. "Next exam won't have bonus points though, so be prepared."
Naruto laughed and scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Don't worry, Iruka-sensei," he said. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Of course," Iruka said. "Now please keep up the good work."
"Thank you, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said, bowing down deeply. He couldn't believe Sasuke's idea had actually worked.
"You're welcome, Naruto," Iruka said as he placed his grade book back in his desk. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Naruto grinned at his teacher. Iruka returned the gesture with a smile. Despite the happy expression, however, Naruto sensed something disparaging in his teacher's expression.
He knew the real reason why so many of the villagers hated him. He knew many people had died during the Kyuubi attack, including his mother. He wondered if Iruka lost someone that day too. Despite knowing he was not responsible, he couldn't ignore the guilt that settled into his stomach.
Trying to ignore the heavy feeling, he waved goodbye and ran out to the training area. As expected, Sasuke was already there, throwing shuriken with perfect accuracy. He took a look at Naruto and snorted.
"You look happy," he commented. "What did Iruka-sensei tell you?"
Naruto giggled as he got ready to share the news. "Iruka-sensei changed my grade, ya know!" he announced. "He even said sorry to me! He's so cool!"
"Told you that's what you should do."
"Yeah yeah, thanks." Naruto rolled his eyes. "It was a good plan, and you had a good idea, I guess. Are you happy now? I got a 92 on my first test!"
"92?! I got 96!" Sasuke protested at the unfairness. "There's no way you got 92!"
"You're just jealous because you can't admit I'm just as good as you if not better!" he shouted, shaking a fist at Sasuke. He ignored the small voice reminding him that he received bonus points as an apology.
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
Naruto and Sasuke growled at each other, grabbing onto the front of each other's shirts. Naruto threw the first punch, but Sasuke dodged it skillfully. With that, their first spar of the day began.
Naruto lost the first round with Sasuke but he didn't care. Iruka's apology was enough. He stood up and threw the first punch again. With Sasuke now tired, Naruto had the upper hand.
"Sore loser!" he taunted as Sasuke struggled to break free from under him.
Sasuke only frowned. "No, you are!"
Naruto stuck his tongue out as he let Sasuke go as their next round began.
O-O-O-O-O
Once the initial chaos settled down, Fuu led medics to Takumi-sensei. They immediately took him to the hospital to treat his injuries. She stayed by his side, leaving only when the doctor kicked her out at night.
She went to Hisen's funeral the following day, but everyone except for Senji and Shibuki ignored her.
Keeping her head high, she approached Hisen's memorial, bowing deeply and offering her condolences to Shibuki. The older boy stared blankly at her and nodded, face pale. Following the funeral, the Academy closed down for a week as the village recovered.
A few times, Fuu searched for Hana and Rin, but whenever she visited their homes, no one answered the door. She frowned to herself and left, not knowing what else to do. I guess I'll talk to them when we go back to school.
Other than trying to find her friends, she stayed by Takumi's bedside for the rest of the week. Despite the stabbing, Takumi's eyes were bright as they talked.
"Didn't you promise me you would not get involved?" Takumi eventually asked as they ate lunch together.
"Actually, I promised that I would be careful," Fuu said. "I wasn't hurt, so I was very careful indeed."
Takumi sighed in exasperation. "You're just like your mother," he mumbled to himself. "If she hadn't been a shinobi, she would have been a lawyer."
Fuu grinned and took a bite of her food. Takumi took a sip of his tea.
"But now everyone in the village knows you're a jinchuuriki, Fuu," Takumi commented as he set the cup down.
"So?" Fuu asked, mouth full of food.
Takumi sighed. "So, people might not treat you the same way," he explained patiently. "Emi suffered a lot as a jinchuuriki. To keep you away from that, Hisen and Senji kept your existence secret to everyone but a select few. I only knew because we were teammates."
Fuu shrugged. "Yeah, but everyone in the village knows me already as Fuu! Are they going to treat me different just 'cause they found out Chomei lives inside me?"
Takumi shook his head and sighed yet again. "I still can't wrap my head around the fact you befriended a giant demon made of chakra."
'Hey! I resent that!'
"Chomei resents that," she passed the message. "They say they're not a demon, but a being made of chakra created by the Sage of Six Paths himself."
"What?" Takumi blinked at her.
"Oh, I guess I should have mentioned that before." Fuu shrugged as she took another bite of her food. Her teacher only looked exasperatedly at her before groaning and continuing to eat.
"Still, Fuu," Takumi said when he finished his meal. "People have a lot of misconceptions about jinchuuriki and bijuu. Take care of yourself. People might treat you differently now that they know."
Fuu nodded as she also set her chopsticks down. She had noticed a change in attitude in some of the villagers, but she wasn't worried. She had made friends with her classmates and with the people of Takigakure. There was no way anything would change. With that thought in mind, Fuu eagerly awaited her return to school.
On the first day back, she ran to the Academy, excited to talk to her friends and classmates. She said good morning to everyone she saw, but they looked away with terrified expressions. Fuu's heart sank. Maybe Takumi-sensei had a bit of a point.
"Hi, Mio-chan!" she greeted one of her classmates. "Have you seen Hana-chan and Rin-chan? I haven't talked to them in ages!"
Immediately, her classmate's face turned white. She ran away without saying anything. Fuu's jaw dropped in surprise.
'Why is everyone acting like this?'
'They're afraid,' Chomei answered. 'They think that having a 'demon' inside you makes you a 'demon' yourself. They don't understand what it truly means to be a jinchuuriki.'
'But... they know me! And I know them! Why would they push me away if we've known each other for so long?'
'I don't know, Fuu-chan. There's nothing I can do to help.'
Fuu forced herself not to cry. She reminded herself of the 25th rule of the Shinobi Code of Conduct. A shinobi must never show their tears.
Determined, she walked to her classroom and entered, sitting at her usual seat. Hana and Rin were nowhere to be found and Takumi was still in the hospital. The few students already inside immediately moved away, ignoring her presence as best as they could. Fuu tried to pretend it didn't hurt.
She sat down at her desk and waited. A few seconds before the bell rang to start the class, Hana and Rin finally appeared. Fuu looked up at them with a smile, eyes full of relief. However, they avoided her eyes and they sat down without sparing her a glance. Fuu's heart sank into her stomach and she stopped herself from crying by clenching the hem of her skirt in her hands.
A shinobi Fuu had never met before arrived, greeting everyone and introducing himself. Fuu didn't listen, her mind running a mile a minute. She had never felt such betrayal before. She glared at Hana and Rin, but they refused to even look at her. I thought you were my friends.
The rest of the day passed by in a blur. Their substitute teacher never talked to her or called out her name. He only lectured, calling upon everyone but Fuu to participate. A few times, Fuu raised her hand, but the teacher turned a blind eye, refusing to acknowledge her existence.
At lunchtime, everyone ran away from her. She tried one last attempt to speak with Hana and Rin, but they gave her the cold shoulder. Her heart beat frantically and her lungs struggled to breathe. Takumi-sensei warned me about this. I should have listened.
The end of the day came as a relief. She packed her materials and ran away as fast as she could to the hospital, where Takumi awaited. However, her hopes were dashed when a nurse stood in front of the door to his room, blocking her way.
"Takumi-sensei cannot receive any visitors this afternoon," the nurse said in a cold tone, staring down at Fuu.
"What? Why?" Fuu protested.
"The doctor is doing a check-up right now," she explained with clenched teeth. "Come back tomorrow. Visiting hours are over anyway."
Fuu bit her lip and clutched at her skirt, but she knew protesting was pointless. They had let her in to see her teacher before, so she had no reason to believe the nurse was lying.
"Thank you," she said while bowing her head. "I hope Takumi-sensei recovers quickly. Goodbye."
The nurse huffed impatiently but said nothing. Fuu left the hospital, feeling lost and disoriented. Where am I supposed to go now? What am I supposed to do?
At the edge of tears, she stared at the village around her. It looked bigger than she remembered. She could go home and cry, but if she let that dam break, she knew she wouldn't be able to take it back. Senji.
Senji had always been kind to her, ever since she was a little girl. After the attack, the old man had been injured. However, after a few hours at the hospital, he had returned to work as Shibuki's advisor.
With a plan in mind, she headed toward the Village Head's office. She wanted to see someone smile at her. When she opened the door to Hi-Shibuki's office, she was taken aback by the flurry of activity.
Shibuki, meek and small, sat behind his father's desk, a pile of paperwork in front of him. His face was ashen and his eyes were wide in fear. The pencil he held in his hand trembled. Next to him sat Senji, bandages covering parts of his face and head. Despite the injury, his eyes were bright and his body was full of energy. Takigakure shinobi wandered throughout the room, yelling at each other and organizing paperwork. To Fuu, it looked like chaos.
"Senji-sama?" Fuu asked as she inched closer to the desk.
The old man and Shibuki looked up from their paperwork. Senji smiled at her, wide and sincere. Meanwhile, Shibuki's face contorted into something that looked nominally like a smile. Fuu's heart felt fifty pounds lighter.
"What is it, Fuu-sama?" Senji asked when he saw her expression.
"Nothing," she lied. "I was just a little bored and Takumi-sensei is getting his check-up right now. Is there anything I can do to help?"
Senji chuckled. "I'm not sure what you can do. As I'm sure you've noticed, it's been a little chaotic. Though I do have a few questions." His face turned serious, and he studied Fuu's face. "Since when can you control the power of your bijuu?"
Shibuki's eyes filled with curiosity, the first emotion he'd shown since his father's death. He stared at Fuu, waiting for the answer. Fuu looked down at her feet and clutched the hem of her skirt.
"Well... about that..." she hedged. "It's less me taking their power and more of us kinda working together. They lend me their chakra and I use it. Chomei is actually really cool!"
"Chomei?" Shibuki asked.
Fuu nodded, already tired of trying to explain her relationship with her bijuu. "Their name is Lucky Seven Chomei and they are super cool! They say that I'm very cute and talented!"
'You're not just cute, you're adorable!'
'Thanks, Chomei.'
"What?" Shibuki asked. "What do you mean?"
Fuu rolled her eyes before embarking on a long-winded explanation of Chomei. She told them about meeting Chomei in her mindscape and about learning how to fly with their help. She told them about how they helped when Suien took everyone captive.
When she finished the story, Senji and Shibuki gaped at her in silence. Fuu waited for them to speak.
"Thank you for saving my life, Fuu-sama," Senji said, clearing his throat. "However, you have revealed the most important secret we have in Takigakure. We have to enhance security, especially around you. If other villages learn we have a new leader and a powerful jinchuuriki, we are going to become major targets for attacks."
Fuu winced. She hadn't considered what other villages might have thought about her status as a jinchuuriki. From Yagura's reports, she knew there was a group that was looking to capture them or their bijuu. I guess I should have considered that before jumping in to save everyone.
"Was there really no other choice, Senji-sama?" she asked.
Senji hummed to himself thoughtfully. "There might have been," he said and her heart sank. "But then we would have neither Shibuki nor Hisen with us anymore. I might not be here either. We didn't have time to plan and with Shibuki's life on the line, I don't think there were other options. You did what you thought was best and now we have to deal with the consequences."
Fuu nodded, chastened. She thought back on her actions during Suien's attack and tried to come up with alternatives. She could think of nothing. Or at least nothing that wouldn't have led to Shibuki or Senji's deaths.
Fuu nodded, relieved that they didn't hold a grudge against her.
"Well, is there anything I can do to help now?" she asked. "I don't really have anything to do at home."
Shibuki's face, which had started to regain color while Fuu was talking, looked up and smiled for the first time since the attack.
"I have the chuunin and jounin here to help me with the complicated stuff. But I give you your first D-ranked mission!" he said with false seriousness. "Your mission is to put all of these papers in chronological order. It's easy but tedious."
"Yes, sir!" Fuu obeyed with a grin, immediately grabbing onto the pile of documents.
She took her pile and sat in a corner by herself to sort all the documents. It was just as tedious as Shibuki had promised. Nevertheless, it was a good distraction after a long and terrible day and Fuu was glad for the task.
There were so many files that by sunset, she had gone through less than half of the original pile. She looked up from her task when she noticed that the room had grown quiet. To her surprise, while she had been focused on her mission, everyone except for Shibuki had left.
"Shibuki-sama?" she questioned as she saw the older boy glaring at a pile of documents.
Startled, Shibuki looked up to stare at Fuu in the corner. "Are you finished yet, Fuu-san?" he asked with a strained smile. "If you want, you can leave now and finish your mission tomorrow."
Fuu bit her lip and shook her head. "I don't want to go home," she said.
"Well, you have school tomorrow, right?" he said.
"I don't want to go to school either."
Shibuki quieted and stared at her with a frown on his face. "Why?" he finally asked after some contemplation.
"It's not the same anymore," she confessed. "My 'friends' don't talk to me anymore. Even the teacher ignores me. I had to eat lunch by myself in the classroom. For the whole day, everyone ran away from me and refused to answer if I talked to them."
"What? Really?" Shibuki's brow furrowed in annoyance and anger. "But you saved the village."
"They don't see it that way." Fuu looked down and grabbed onto the hem of her skirt. "They think I'm a demon. They probably think I've been faking everything until now. They're afraid of me."
"I see," Shibuki answered, leaning back in his chair. "Do you want me to talk to them?"
Fuu snorted. "No. That'll probably make everything worse. I don't want people talking to be because they have to but because they want to."
Shibuki sighed. "Then what can I do to help?"
"I don't know," Fuu admitted, eyes filling with tears despite her earlier conviction. A sob escaped her lips. Before she knew it, she was bawling, all of the events since the attack rushing in at once.
Seeing her tears, Shibuki stood up and walked to her side. He squatted down and sat next to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She sobbed into her hands, feeling extremely sorry for herself.
"I might have a partial solution, Fuu-san," Shibuki said.
"What is it?" Fuu asked between sobs.
"Graduate early."
"W-what? Graduation?"
Shibuki nodded. "Based on what you showed us during... the attack, you have more than enough skill to qualify as a genin. You can take the exam as soon as Takumi-sensei is discharged. He can be your proctor."
"Really?" Fuu's eyes lit up and she scrubbed the tears out of her eyes. "I can be a genin early?"
"Sure, as long as you pass the exam," he said. "Just remember that there is a written portion."
Fuu paused as she thought over the offer. Her grades in theoretical knowledge were decent, but not much better than the average. Well, I guess I can always cheat and ask Chomei or the other jinchuuriki for help if I get stuck.
'I'm not helping you cheat!' Chomei interrupted. 'And I'll make sure none of the other jinchuuriki do either. If you can't pass a written test, you don't deserve to be a genin.'
Fuu pouted at Chomei's refusal but nodded. Until she took the exam, she would skip school to study at home. It was not like anyone would talk to her there anymore, anyway.
O-O-O-O-O
Utakata hated being a jounin.
The missions were more interesting, but the amount of paperwork was unforgivable. Instead of simple reports, he had to write down every single detail, from the shape of someone's jaw to the color of their toenails. It was exhausting trying to remember and write down every possible detail and he hated it.
In addition, as a jounin, he was called to the Mizukage's office increasingly often. He had to attend every meeting, scowling and yawning next to Harusame, who was already used to the pointlessness. The worst part, however, was how often his daily life was interrupted.
"Harusame-sama, Utakata-kun!" Ameyuri, the petite woman from the Mizukage's personal guard greeted, interrupting their lunch.
"Ameyuri-san, to what do I owe the occasion?" Harusame asked as he placed his chopsticks down.
"Mei-chan wants to talk with you," she said. "It's urgent, but it's not going to take long."
In the back of his mind, Utakata wondered how many people had the courage to call their Mizukage Mei-chan.
Immediately, Harusame stood up, leaving his unfinished food on the table. Utakata continued eating. His master had prepared grilled eel and there was no way he would miss it. He shoved a piece of food into his mouth and chewed.
"You too, Utakata-kun," Ameyuri said with a wicked smirk.
"Me too?! Why?!" Utakata asked, mouth full of food. Ameyuri snorted and Harusame glared at him like a naughty child. Chastened, he swallowed his food and stood up.
"What seems to be the problem?" he asked, forcing his face into a mask of politeness.
Ameyuri shrugged. "You'll see. It's not anything too big. But Mei-chan and Ao-kun think it would be better for both of you to be there. Did you hear about the attack from the Kaguya clan a few weeks ago?"
Utakata nodded. He had been out of the village at the time and had only received the news when he returned. According to Harusame, the Kaguya clan had tried to assassinate Mei Terumi and her council in broad daylight. She had held them off by herself without any effort. Nevertheless, the village was still rebuilding from the attack.
"Well, it's related to the last survivor of the Kaguya clan," Ameyuri said. She walked out, Harusame and Utakata following behind her.
"I thought the entire clan was eliminated," Harusame said.
Ameyuri shook her head. "All the adults. There is a child remaining. Anyway, let's go. If you put Mei-chan, Zabuza-kun, and Ao-kun in a room together, sooner or later, you'll get a bloodbath. I'd normally love to participate in one, but there's already enough blood to clean up."
Utakata shivered. The Mizukage is terrifying. What kind of personnel does she have?
For the rest of the way out of the estate and toward the Mizukage's office, the three of them were silent. They traveled through the streets and roofs of Kirigakure until they jumped through the window and arrived at Mei's office. Utakata looked around the room.
Mei sat tall behind her desk. Her facial expression under the Mizukage hat told him the meeting would not be casual. Behind her stood Ao, face as serious and impassive as ever. At her side was Zabuza, Kubikiribocho slung on his back, glaring at everyone. In front of him, Zabuza grabbed onto a small pale boy that was quite obviously a member of the Kaguya clan.
The boy's face was pale, almost white, and his eyes were wide, vivid green, and uncertain. Two scarlet circles, characteristic of the Kaguya clan, adorned his forehead. His straight white hair, divided in a zigzag pattern, nearly reached his shoulders. Utakata estimated him as being no older than ten. Despite his straight posture, the boy was clearly nervous. His fingers were fidgeting and his eyes darted to and fro between Utakata and Harusame.
"Harusame-sama, Utakata-kun," Mei Terumi greeted them as they arrived.
"Mizukage-sama," Harusame and Utakata said simultaneously, bowing their heads in front of their leader.
"Yo, Mei-chan!" Ameyuri said with a smirk. "I brought the kid! Don't you think he's a little young for the responsibility though?"
Utakata frowned. I'm not a kid! I'm ready for whatever mission you need!
Mei smiled kindly as she motioned for Harumase and Utakata to relax. Together, Utakata and his master stood up.
"I called both of you out here for a reason," the Mizukage began. "You already know about the attack and elimination of the Kaguya clan, I presume?"
Harusame nodded. "Ameyuri-sama gave us a brief overview. She said there is one sole survivor."
"Good! You're informed," Mei commented before gesturing to the boy. He tensed as everyone's eyes turned to look at him.
"His name is Kimimaro," Zabuza drawled, keeping a hand on his shoulder. "Don't let his age fool you, he's one of the most talented shinobi I've seen in my life. He actually manages to come close to Haku's level, despite his age."
Ameyuri giggled. "I think you're becoming more paternal by the day, Zabuza-kun," she teased with a wink.
"Shut up, hag, or I'll have Haku freeze you to the lake while you sleep. Haku was the one that captured this kid, by the way."
"As if he'd do it! Haku is the nicest, kindest boy I have ever met in my life!"
"Will you two stop it! We're not here to compare prodigies!" Mei said, slamming a hand on her desk. Zabuza and Ameyuri quieted.
"Besides, Kasumi-chan is the same age and just as talented," she added with a small pout. The room fell into an awkward silence.
Utakata stared at everyone, perplexed at their petty arguments. Are we supposed to be having a serious discussion or not?
Harusame interrupted, skillfully changing the conversation. "What part do we have to play, Mizukage-sama?" he asked. "If this boy is the last one of the Kaguya-clan, then perhaps it would be best if..."
Utakata suppressed a shudder. He knew a lot of people in the village believed Utakata would be better dead than alive. After the Kaguya clan's attack, he knew the boy ran a similar risk.
The Mizukage sighed tiredly, placing the palm of her hand on her cheek to calm herself. "I don't want Kirigakure to punish children for the sins of their parents anymore," she said. "The boy has the rare Shikotsumyaku kekkei genkai. He is more useful alive than dead. Besides..." she looked down at her desk, eyes full of sadness.
"You should have seen the conditions this boy was kept in. His own clansmen were terrified of him. I'm surprised he managed to survive at all. If Haku-kun hadn't captured him, I dread to imagine what kind of situation he would have found himself in."
She finished her explanation and Utakata and Harusame looked at the boy with sympathy. Utakata counted his blessings. He knew that he was lucky that Harusame had always been so kind to him.
"In that case," Harusame said, "how may we be of help?"
"I want you two to take him in," Mei Terumi answered. "Our Torture and Interrogation department has already declared him at low risk of attack. Nevertheless, either one of you is more than sufficient to restrain him if necessary."
"I see," Harusame said. "And I assume we are to teach him ninjutsu as well?"
Ao nodded and spoke for the first time. "Yes. We also need you to fill in any gaps in knowledge related to literacy and history. Not to mention basic emotional support, which Mizukage-sama tells me is important for a child's development."
Utakata wondered if the last statement was a direct quote from the Mizukage herself.
"I understand." Harusame nodded before walking to stand in front of Kimimaro.
The boy tensed and looked away, but with Zabuza holding him, he had no opportunity to escape. Utakata felt a stab of pity for the boy. He had been only five years old, a newly-made jinchuuriki, when Harusame had taken him in for training. All he remembered of that time was crying for weeks. He hoped the boy would eventually get used to living with them.
"Hello, Kimimaro-kun, my name is Harusame," his master said with a smile. He knelt in front of the boy and extended a hand to shake. "It's very nice to meet you."
The boy's eyes widened and he looked around the room in panic before staring into Harusame's eyes. "Nice to meet you too," he whispered, squeezing the offered hand for a second before immediately letting go.
Harusame smiled kindly before standing up and ruffling Kimimaro's hair. "Don't worry about anything," he said. "I'll teach you everything you need to know."
The Mizukage cleared her throat. "Well... about that..."
Utakata and Harusame turned to look at her with equally confused expressions.
She cleared her throat again. "We don't want you to be his primary teacher, Harusame-sama," Mei said. "We think Utakata-kun is ready for the responsibility."
"What?" Utakata spoke for the first time since he arrived and looked at everyone in the room. "Me? Teacher?"
Ameyuri smirked devilishly. "That's right, Utakata-kun! It's your turn to be a jounin-sensei!"
"Wait, but... huh?" Utakata's eyes darted around the room.
To his dismay, everyone, including Harusame, looked amused at his reaction. Utakata wanted to run away from the responsibility. Completing normal missions already took so much time away from his sleeping schedule. He dreaded to imagine the time commitment with babysitting a prodigy.
"Don't worry, Utakata-kun," Harusame said while biting his lip- a clear indication that he was suppressing his laughter. "I'll still be around to help. You're old enough to take your own student under your wing."
No, I'm not! I'm only seventeen! I'm basically still a kid! Utakata wanted to protest, but based on the looks on everyone's faces, he knew it would be for nothing. He gulped, looked determinedly away from Harusame, and walked to stand in front of Kimimaro.
"My name is Utakata," he told the boy with a frown. "I'm your master now. Listen to everything I say, got it?"
He heard snorts and suppressed giggles from the older shinobi around him. He forced his face not to turn red. What did I do to deserve this? Was I truly evil in a past life or what?
"I... Yes, Utakata-sama," the boy said as he stared down at his toes. The urge to run away resurfaced, but Utakata suppressed it. He had only been a teacher for a few seconds, and he had already embarrassed himself and intimidated his student.
Utakata cleared his throat and looked away to stare at the wall. "In that case, I think it's time for us to go home."
"Home?" Kimimaro looked up, eyes full of curiosity.
Utakata nodded. "Yes, our lunch was interrupted. Are you hungry?"
Kimimaro frowned. "A little, Utakata-sama."
"In that case, let's go," Utakata said.
He bowed to the Mizukage briefly before running to the window and jumping out. He hoped Harusame and Kimimaro were following, or he might actually die of embarrassment.
O-O-O-O-O
A/N: Hmm... what am I going to do with Kimimaro... I wonder...
Thanks so much for reading! I love all of you and I hope you have a wonderful day.
You can talk to me on Tumblr at waffledogwrites. Thanks so much to the r/fanfiction discord server for motivation and help!
Next chapter: Utakata answers existential questions.