Have you ever Chapter 6
What do I get to do to get you in my arms baby?
What do I get to do say to get your heart?
To make you understand how I need you next to me
Gotta get you in my world
Cause baby, I can't sleep
Taichô = Captain or general
Tetsu no kuni = Land of Iron
Ninken = Ninja dog
Tetsu no Kuni. Inside the Temple
Naruto sat quietly, meditating deeply, taking in the energy of nature. He was doing a lot of good, and it helped him to clear his head. An apprentice samurai knocked on the door. The blond man exhaled softly before opening the door.
Mifune-Taichô wants you in his office, Naruto.
"Thanks, I'll be right there."
Without bothering to close his door, he walked out. His only possessions were the clothes he had when he arrived and some money. Furthermore, Naruto knew that samurai were good people, so he wasn't afraid. Naruto wondered why Mifune-san was asking. He'd been in the temple for about a week. Maybe he wanted to know when he was leaving? After all, the jinchuriki had come here like a vagabond. Nagato couldn't participate in the training, but he was allowed to watch. But he still felt useless; the samurai hadn't even given him any temple stuff to do. The Uzumaki arrived at Mifune-san's office, knocked when he had permission, Naruto opened the door, and froze. He was speechless, half open mouth, wide eyes.
"Yo, Naruto!"
"Kakashi-sensei?"
As Naruto stepped quickly into the office, he examined the two men in the room alternately. He couldn't believe that his former mentor was sitting here.
'Given your reaction, Naruto-san, I assume you know him."
He shook his head positively when Mifune's voice snapped him out of his trance.
"Sure, sure... Yes. He's Hatake Kakashi, a ninja from my village and my former sensei."
Taking their seats in front of the samurai, where two chairs were carefully placed, the ninjas sat down.
"I don't want to sound rude, but aren't you all planning on moving here?"
The Samurai leader's stern face contrasted with his friendly tone. From his desk, he got three glasses and a bottle of sake. Mifune expertly filled the glasses before offering one to each of the other two guys. When he was done, Kakashi cleared his throat.
"Don't worry, Mifune-san, we won't invade you. That idiot left without a trace or a memo, so I came looking for him. We were all worried."
Naruto still had the delicacy to look guilty. His hand ruffled his hair as he nervously touched the back of his neck.
However, I met someone looking for Naruto on my way here. I had no choice but to come as soon as possible before they showed up. Tell my student who probably wouldn't expect this."
Kakashi looked Naruto in the eye and dropped his bomb.
"Naruto. Sasuke is on his way to the temple."
In a flash, Naruto's face turned pale, as he closed his fists on his thighs and bit his bottom lip hard. He lowered his head, letting his hair cover his eyes.
"Let me guess, from Naruto-san's reactions, the arrival of Sasuke isn't really good news."
He got up from his seat and went over to the ninjas.
"NO!"
Suddenly, Naruto shouted, startling the two guys next to him.
"Sorry, but...' It wasn't my intention to surprise you, Mifune-Taichô. I'm actually happy about it. I've been chasing him for two years to get him back home. He is ... "He is very important to me."
Unconvinced, he turned his attention to the mask-wearing man. The man nodded and confirmed what the blonde just said.
When did you meet him? Did he see you? Were you attacked by him? Did he say anything to you?"
After his tirade, the jinchuriki gulped down his sake all at once. He grabbed the jacket of Kakashi's sensei with his right hand. He drew him to him, staring at his one visible eye as if he was trying to read his mind. In turn, the copycat ninja stood up, letting go of the blonde's hand. They stared at each other in silence.
It's half a day's walk from here at regular speed. However, you know when he wants something, so I'd say two to three hours."
He barely got Naruto by the arm.
"Listen to me, Naruto!" For now, I've locked him in a restraining jutsu. I wanted to talk to you and warn you. "Sasuke can't move for as long as I want."
The blond man's eyes quickly turned red, only to turn blue again in an instant. Taking a deep breath, he sat up in his chair. Mifune left his office so that the two ninjas could have some privacy so they could talk.
"Please don't disturb them. Find me when they get out."
The taicho told the two samurai to stand in front of his office, and he thought a training session would do him a lot of good. Mifune could sense that Sasuke and Naruto had something special, he'd learn about it soon enough.
In Mifune's office, the two ninjas were still sitting in their chairs. After staring at each other for a while in silence, Kakashi closed his visible eye and exhaled.
"Naruto, you are in love with Sasuke, aren't you?"
He looked at him really surprised, but he did not deny what his sensei assumed. He regarded it more as a statement than as a question.
"Yes."
Without adding anything more, the young ninja replied.
He waited for Kakashi's admonition. How absurd it was to love a man; how unnatural. Especially being in love with a nukenin. Who also tried to kill him twice? As he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he expected to see the disgust in his sensei's eyes. He then looked at his former master and watched him carefully.
"Naruto, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted that way in your apartment last time."
The blonde was surprised when the copy ninja extended a hand to Naruto. It wasn't like he expected his sensei to be sympathetic to his feelings for Sasuke. As Kakashi spoke and looked at him, he was left speechless by his understanding, concern, and tenderness. Despite that, he could see Kakashi was apprehensive, even afraid that he wouldn't forgive him.
"I don't blame you at all, Kakashi-sensei! I have no idea how you discovered my feelings for Sasuke. I thought you would be disgusted or at least angry."
After looking at him thoughtfully, he stood up and walked a few steps before making a decision.
"It would be hypocritical for me to be disgusted with you because I love a man as well."
The blond was so shocked that he forgot to breathe for a few seconds, his eyes rounding into saucers, and his mouth wide open.
Softly, Kakashi laughed.
"You didn't think that would happen, did you?"
"I... er... Well... I... I'm really surprised. I never thought I would meet someone who loved a person of the same sex. Certainly not you.
Naruto seemed embarrassed to speak out loud, but he really thought he was the only one in this situation. In the street, he had never seen a couple composed of two men or even two women, he thought he was an anomaly. Naruto was relieved to discover that he wasn't the only one who wanted another man. His shoulders were relieved of weight he didn't realize he carried.
"Uh... Kakashi-sensei, can I ask who...? Your... Your lover?"
As he formulated his question, Naruto's face turned a bright tomato red, but he did not lower his gaze. The blond boy wanted to know who had won the heart of his sensei. He had suffered so much loss that the jinchuriki was truly happy for him.
"Yes, of course."
At the mention of his lover, the copy ninja's eyes shone with tenderness.
"Gai is my lover."
Kakashi was unable to avoid the gaze of his former student, so he let him examine. Kakashi's obvious affection and love for his lover were evident to Naruto.
"Gai-sensei? That guy who always wears a green suit and trains relentlessly?"
In only ten minutes, his sensei kept surprising him more and more. He was full of surprises. Naruto was speechless for once. His sensei was smiling behind his mask.
"I don't know what to say. I'm happy for you, sensei."
Without warning, the blond boy jumped out of his chair and hugged his former sensei. Despite his surprise, the gray-haired man returned the gesture to his student.
"Naruto, we must talk about Sasuke. What are your plans? Would you prefer that he came to you, or would you like to join him? Would you like to postpone this confrontation? No matter how much I know that this last proposition is not an option for you."
He sat back down in his chair after moving away from Kakashi. Naruto nervously ran his hands through his already messy hair. In case Sasuke came at him, the samurai might be injured. They had taken him without asking for anything in return, and the Uzumaki did not wish them to be harmed in any way. Uzumaki was unsure about his next move. There was no other choice but to meet the man of his life and have their last fight. This would be their final confrontation. Naruto knew he would lose Uchiha forever if he couldn't convince him to return with him. There is no doubt that one of them will die in this fight.
"Is it okay with you if we ask Mifune-Taichô for a second opinion?
Kakashi put a hand on the shoulder of his former student. The young man accepted the proposal with a nod. He opened the door quickly, looking at the two guards.
"Do you know where your Taichô is?".
"I'm sure he's in the training room."
The samurai on the right said.
Thanking them, the two ninjas bowed slightly. Not wanting to keep Sasuke waiting any longer, they headed to the training room. Kakashi reassured him that he had left Shiba behind to keep the dark-haired man safe. The ninken had even discreetly brought wood to Sasuke.
On arriving at the desired room, they opened the door quietly and saw Mifune fighting with one of his apprentices. No restraint was shown by the two samurai as they clashed with force with their wooden swords. Sweat was pouring down their faces, their screams echoed in the empty room, and the sounds of their swords making contact filled the air.
The two ninjas watched the exchange in awe. Even though they weren't using chakra or jutsu, there was a lot of power there. Naruto glanced at Kakashi who was watching the samurai in front of him carefully. He had his arms crossed over his chest and his Sharingan was slightly exposed. As if he did not want to miss anything. The jinchuriki waited for the samurai to finish training before interrupting. The jinchuriki, however, could not suppress a visceral desire to know the samurai's opinion. Mifune had managed to gain the young man's respect in a short time. As a result, he tried to calm his nervousness. Naruto had to be respectful to this man who had taken him in without asking for anything in return. The two valiant fighters ended their fight about fifteen minutes later, greeted each other in the traditional manner, then the apprentice left. Mifune approached his guests. With a satisfied smile on his face, he wiped the sweat from his face with a towel.
"Is there anything I can do for you, Kakashi-san? Naruto-san?"
His voice did not suffer despite his efforts. The samurai didn't even seem to be out of breath. This only made Naruto respect him more.
"Mifune-Taichô, I would like to ask your opinion about a problem."
A pleasant smile appeared on the wrinkled face of the samurai as he was pleasantly surprised by the request. After he washed briefly in the locker room, he dressed in a light brown yukata with white edges. They returned to the hallway that led to his office. The moment they reached the office door, Mifune instructed the staff not to disturb him unless it was an emergency. Mifune placed the third chair next to Kakashi and Naruto and invited them to do the same.
"Fine, young ninja. What can an old samurai do for you?"
He took out a tray of tea and put the teapot on a wood fire, which warmed the room nicely.
"Well, this relates to Sasuke."
Naruto had decided to be completely honest with the old man. He told him his story, their story. Beginning with their childhoods and ending with their last meeting. Rather than conceal his feelings for the nukenin, he communicated them to Mifune. Kakashi intervened only once, and it was to explain where Sasuke was. The state of mind he was in when he found him two hours earlier.
"I understand if you are disgusted with me, Mifune-Taichô. But I need your help."
Silence fell in the room, broken only by the crackle of the fireplace. While sipping his tea, the samurai watched the two men seated next to him. After putting down the cup, he walked to his desk. Taking a frame, Mifune turned it toward the two ninjas and two men visible in the foreground. Taking it in his hand, Naruto looked at the image of two young samurai waving their swords in the air, smiling. However, what caught his attention were their bound hands. As he handed the frame to Kakashi, Naruto looked up at Mifune.
"Here's my son Katsu and his partner Teru. Homosexual couples are common in Samurai culture."
He took the photo and looked at it with nostalgia and love.
"They were killed in the same battle two years ago. So, your love for your former teammate is as natural as a relationship between a man and a woman."
The frame was carefully placed back in its place.
"Naruto-san, I have a great deal of admiration for you. In retrospect, it might have been easier to abandon Sasuke-san to his darkness and erase his existence. Yet you showed courage, determination, and resilience in the face of a challenging situation. It proves how real and strong your love for him is. I'll do all I can to try to help."
Having said this, the old man walked to a corner cupboard in the office. Mifune opened the door, unlocked it, and took out a scroll. Then he unfolded the scroll to reveal its contents and set up a simple table between them. Under the temple appeared a drawing of an unusually large cube.
"Tobirama Senju, your second Hokage, gave us this scrolls many years ago. He had become friends with our commander Tomo-Taicho."
Over the years, the writing on the side of the document had faded. However, it was still clearly visible.
"To my excellent friend Tomo, may this cube prove useful one day. Yours truly, Tobirama Senju."
The wonder was clearly audible as Naruto read. He glanced at Mifune with a discreet smile.
"Now I understand why you didn't hesitate to take me in."
He explained.
"This cube is indestructible. As a result, no matter what type of attack you use, the temple and the surrounding area will not be damaged."
As the two men from Konoha looked at each other, they wondered how to get Sasuke to enter this cube willingly. Naruto shook his head; he would find a way when the time came. Kasashi nodded, and then he released the beast. Afterward, he made a series of hand gestures.
"It's fine. Sasuke's barrier has been removed discreetly. Shiba is still following him from a distance. He'll be here soon."
Strangely, Naruto felt calm. He knew that this was a crucial moment in his relationship with Sasuke. Either he succeeded in penetrating the barriers built by the Uchiha, or he failed and lost everything. Naruto thanked the two men warmly and asked for direction to the outer court. He needed to breathe and meditate a little. To find the words capable of convincing the man of his heart that his place was with him, Naruto needed to clear his mind, to be as serene as possible. Naruto was ready to give Sasuke the love, the tenderness, the understanding, and the support that he so desperately needed. Despite Sasuke's reluctance to acknowledge it. The blonde was willing to assist him in his quest to find his brother so that he can be punished for his crimes.
