Hi people !
I'm very sorry for the long wait. I have been dealing with a lot of personal stuff at the moment. This year has not been kind on me, and I got a bit overwhelmed by it all these past few weeks. Anyways, I have not got back on my feet but at least I got back into writing so that's good news for you!
I just want to get over a couple reminders while I've got your attention, as a few things were brought up to my attention over the last few chapters.
- English is not my first language
- The Path is a slow-burn story. It will be a long one too, but do not expect non-stop action. I initially wrote this story as an indulgence to myself in character development before anything else. So world-building and character development are what I'm going for here, although there will be parts with action.
- This story is based of my other story Glimpse, which was written before the end of the manga was published. As such, please keep in mind that although this is an AU, the parts that refer about canon may diverge from the actual canon now, years later.
- For the same reason, I base some of my characters or timelines on things that were not necessarily explained in canon at the time but that are now public knowledge. There will be discrepancies. Just go with the flow on this.
- Do not forget that this is an adult story, with mentions of trauma, violence, loss, relationships and swearing (please read this is a blanket warning for the whole thing).
- Last but not least, a massive thank you to my awesome Beta White-Witch-Sakura, who does an amazing job at figuring out this story (and some of my life too sometimes) : you are amazing!
So here is the new chapter for The Path. No specific warnings for this one other than it might not be to everyone's tastes. But I'm sure you'll absolutely love what's coming in the next few chapters as compensation!
Thank you all so much for your patience and support! It really is a ray of sunshine for me in these stressful times.
Chapter 19
Naruto was sealing ration bars into a scroll when he felt a presence approach his flat. He walked out of his room when he heard Kakashi close the door behind him.
"-Yo!"
"-Yo, Kashi. Any changes?
-No, I just needed to check something out with Genma before we left. You ready?
-Three minutes. You?
-Just need to grab a couple things."
Three minutes later, both men exited their shared apartment and sealed the door as Minato appeared in a flash next to them. The three men shunshined to one of the hidden entrances to the village, where they with Lynx, Spider and Sparrow. The ANBU guards would accompany them to the border.
The group took to the trees, easily moving together. They traveled in silence for a few hours before stopping next to a small river for a short break. The three masked guards remained hiding on the lookout, while Minato and the others took a few minutes to drink some water from their unsealed cantines.
"-Say, Naruto," came Kakashi's voice.
"-Hm?"
"-How does it feel to be out on your first official diplomatic mission?"
Naruto opened his mouth to answer then closed it. Minato looked at his son, curious about his hesitation.
Naruto chuckled softly.
"-You know what? This is my first official diplomatic mission."
Kakashi sniggered. Minato kept silent as he studied his son. Naruto shrugged.
"-Well, I suppose we'll see how it goes. What are we expecting, anyways?"
Minato sighed, then pulled his lips into a half smile.
"-I had a feeling you weren't paying attention.
-What? What do you mean?"
The trio jumped into the trees again before Minato answered.
"-I went over the details yesterday.
-Oh, that? Yeah, nah, I supposed I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have.
-Worried about the fight?" Kakashi asked in a teasing tone.
Naruto thought back on the meeting they'd had the day before. Jiraiya and Shikaku had been there as well as Kakashi, himself, and, of course, his father. Before the short briefing on the salt trade trip, the Toad Sage had suggested a friendly spar between Naruto and Minato after their return. Naruto had eagerly accepted, remembering how much part of him had always wanted to fight the Yondaime Hokage.
Thinking about the last situation he had been facing his father in, Naruto had been violently submerged by memories of the agony he'd been in at the end of that fight. It had taken all his focus not to let the fantom pain overwhelm him.
Shaking himself out of the memory of the meeting, Naruto answered his older sibling.
"-No point being worried about it now. So, remind me, what are we expecting?
-Rasa should arrive around the same time as us. He'll also have two guards, that's part of the conditions for the meeting. I'm hoping the negotiations won't take more than half a day but I have a feeling he won't be that accommodating.
-Right. Suna is going through another draught, aren't they?"
Minato sighed softly.
"-They are. Paired with the sandstorm that destroyed one of their most fertile oasis a few months ago, this draught is sure to put a lot of pressure on their reserves.
-You think the Kazekage is going to push."
Neither Kakashi nor Minato answered Naruto. After a few minutes in silence, the younger blonde resumed talking.
"-Want me to help?
-No. Rasa is difficult enough to deal with as it is. You and Kakashi will be strictly observing. I don't want things to get even more tedious if he feels anyone else is involved.
-Won't Kakashi be a problem, though?"
Kakashi emitted a low surprised noise.
"-Why would I be a problem? He's never had a problem with me before.
-Yeah, but every time you'd accompany dad, you went as Dog, didn't you?
-So?"
Naruto quickly cast a look at his father and teammate. Both older men were looking at him with a frown. Naruto jumped on a branch and faced them as they joined him.
"-So, you're you."
When that didn't seem to clarify his meaning, he looked at his father more intensely. He then turned to Kakashi.
"-Right, how do I say this? It's about your father."
Kakashi immediately bristled then glared at nothing in particular.
"-Of course, it's got something to do with him."
Minato cursed as it clicked in his head. The Hokage groaned.
"-Naruto is right. I didn't think about that. It was so long ago, I completely forgot."
"-Let me guess," Kakashi snarled, "the White Fang killed a bunch of Sunans."
Both Namikaze exchanged a glance.
"-Well, he did cripple their poison department. I'm pretty sure they never recovered some formulas his targets had created," Naruto bluntly added with a shrug.
Kakashi glared at him.
"-Thanks," he bit out the word.
"-Hey, piss off! I only brought this up because the Kazekage is a salty bitch and I doubt he'll let that go so easily when you're right under his nose."
Minato sighed. Before he could add anything, Kakashi motioned for them and the rest of the team to start moving again.
"-Yeah well, he'll just have to deal with it. I did."
The tall man didn't waste any time jumping to the next branch, quickly followed by the two Namikaze.
By the time they crossed the border a couple hours later, Kakashi had let go of his frustration and was his usual professional self again. The three ANBU guards stayed behind in Konohan territory.
The rendez-vous point was a quarter-hour run into the Land of Wind. It was a cave at the border of the desert. The entrance was protected by an intricate array of seals.
They had barely arrived when both Naruto and his father felt three presences approach.
Soon enough, the Kazekage walked to the entrance of the cave. Behind him was a tall redhead who looked just like him, and a bulky masked man whose chakra Naruto recognized as Baki.
The Kazekage quickly took in their surroundings, his eyes lingering slightly on Minato. The Hokage nodded in greetings. The Kazekage returned the gesture with a stiff nod of his own.
He then eyed Naruto, who was two feet on the left behind his father. The leader of the village hidden in the sand frowned but otherwise kept his reaction to a minimum. He dismissed Naruto after a couple seconds and moved on to Kakashi, who was on Minato's other side.
His eyes immediately narrowed and he clenched his jaw. Anger burnt in his eyes for a fraction of a second before his expression became neutral once more.
"-Interesting choice of company."
He grunted but nodded at Minato, who nodded once more in return. Silently, both leaders turned to the cave and started weaving signs. They finished and slapped their hands on each side of the entrance at the same time, deactivating the seals that protected it.
Both teams walked in at the same time. It was a short walk to a large rectangle table, with two seats facing each other. The Kages sat down in their respective seats while each accompanying guard stood behind their respective leader.
The silence grew heavy as the Kazekage studied Naruto and Kakashi.
Naruto studied him in return, noting all the features the man shared with his son, whose presence radiated behind him. The pulsing chakra was like a beacon to Naruto. So familiar yet so different.
Naruto firmly kept his eyes on the Kazekage, despite how much he wanted to take a look at his one-time friend.
Finally, the Kazekage's voice broke the silence.
"-Finally letting him out into the world, uh, Namikaze."
Minato kept his face and his voice neutral as he answered.
"-My son, Naruto."
Naruto nodded at the foreign leader. The man didn't return his gesture.
"-Should I understand that you intend to turn this into a family affair?
-I figured unmasked guards would be a good way to frame this meeting.
-Of all your assets to chose from… You proclaim that and yet not both of your guards are unmasked. But a piece of cloth doesn't matter, does it, Hatake?"
It was Kakashi's turn to nod in greeting, the perfect image of protocol. Once more, the gesture went unreturned. Minato's voice interrupted the one-sided staring contest.
"-Should we get started?"
The Kazekage maintained his glare on Kakashi for a few more seconds before bringing it onto Minato.
After a few tense seconds both men once more started to make hand-seals and reached for a seal at the center of the table. The seal glowed and two envelops appeared on the table, one in front of each leader. They reached for their respective envelop and took out the documents that were inside.
Minato's voice broke the tense silence as he started reading the current conditions of the salt trade in order to insure both leaders starting the negotiations on the same information.
Naruto breathed a sigh of relief as the tension dissipated slightly. He finally let his eyes travel to the figure standing behind the Kazekage.
Gaara.
His heart skipped a beat.
The redhead looked so achingly familiar it twisted his guts. Same dark red hair cropped short, same white skin, same clear teal eyes, same blood-red tattoo on his forehead.
Yet, Gaara was painfully different. His eyes were distant, yet burning. They bore into Naruto with a force that was almost invasive, then moved onto Kakashi, dismissing Naruto as if he were a fly.
His chakra was a raging mess of violence. Naruto could feel it being contained under a heavy cloak of control. He let his senses expand and deepen, taking in everything he could.
He could feel the sluggishness of Gaara's control, how unnatural it felt. Like a thick layer of oil on top of a twirling tea. He could feel it fraying at the edges, constantly renewed but never steady.
He could feel the power of the seal pulsing through Gaara's chakra. An ugly energy that permeated the younger man's network and forcibly mixed his own chakra with the darker energy of the One Tail.
That seal was an abomination.
Naruto felt it resonate with the heavy but smoother chakra of the Kazekage.
He bit the inside of his cheek. The Kazekage clearly had found a way to completely seal off his son's outbursts, but Naruto had no doubt that came at a steep price: a complete loss of control once unleashed. Gaara was a bomb waiting to go off. A thunderstorm in a glass bubble.
Naruto felt his father's chakra twirl slightly, bringing his attention back to the table. Naruto kept monitoring his senses but tuned in on the conversation between the two leaders.
The process was a tedious one. They had to go over each and every clause of the trade agreement, deciding whether to maintain them of modify them, and if so, in which way. Even agreeing on what to keep and what to change was a process.
From what he knew of the situation and what he could feel from his father, Konoha was benefitting decently from the trade. It would be in the village's best interest for the trade to remain as little changed as possible.
If his insistence to change most aspects of the trade was any indication, that was something the Kazekage knew as well. Not as familiar with the current situation in Wind country, Naruto struggled to decipher which measure the foreign leaser tried to change for the needs of his village, and which he tried to change just to annoy Konoha in general, and Minato in particular.
A few hours went by as the two Kages reviewed the various points of the trade agreement, going over each and every aspect in painful details. Naruto was bored out of his mind, and from what he could feel, everyone else was as well. Everyone but Gaara.
Naruto shifted his weight to his left foot. The motion broke the conversation and the full weight of the Kazekage's gaze was once more on him.
"-Getting bored, boy?"
The contempt in the gravely voice was unmistakable.
Naruto fought an instinctual rebuttal at the address.
"-Let's take a break," interrupted Minato before Naruto could answer anything.
The Hokage didn't wait for an answer and stood up, smoothing the papers in front of him. The Kazekage stayed seated for a few moments longer before imitating him and motioning for his guards to follow him outside. The three Konoha men did the same, glad to be taking some fresh air in.
Both teams settled far enough away from each other not to feel crowded, but close enough to keep the others in their line of sight. Rasa and Baki stood next to one another, discussing in voices too low to be picked, even by Kakashi's sharp ears. Gaara stood further away, arms crossed over his chest and facing the desert. Thin tendrils of sand were floating around his ankles.
Naruto stretched, unconcerned about the tension in the Kazekage and his guard. Kakashi and Minato stood next to him, casually facing away from the Sand trio.
"-Man, that sucks more than I thought it would."
Kakashi chuckled.
"-Diplomacy not to your tastes, little brother?
-Diplomacy is a good thing. But it's so boring!" Under his breath, he added, "I fucking hope I put Kono up for this. Like hell am I dealing with those memories if I can avoid it."
Kakashi turned to him.
"-Hm? What was that?
-Ah, nothing. Just thinking out loud.
-About the meeting?
-About how much I hope I've got the senses to appoint someone else to deal with this shit."
A surprised silence greeted his answer.
"-Appoint?" Minato asked.
"-I thought you didn't want to be Hokage anymore," Kakashi added.
"-I don't. I was talking about over there," Naruto added with a vague hand gesture.
Naruto could see the curiosity in Kakashi's dark eye. The taller man quickly diverted his attention, aware that his questions would have to wait for a more secure time and place.
Minato observed his son a little while longer, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He held it in and let in out slowly.
"-Would you?" he asked in a low voice without opening his eyes.
"-Would I what?
-Want to be Hokage? You did want to follow in my footsteps when you were little."
Naruto looked at his father, eyes serious. He understood what his father was asking: would he want to be Hokage again?
Instead of giving an answer, he smirked.
"-Thinking about retiring, old man? I'm sure Rasa over there would be thrilled about that!"
Minato snorted, then shook his head. He motioned for them to head back to the cave. Break time was over. Naruto and Kakashi resumed their position behind him. Naruto caught the quick look Kakashi threw him before standing at attention.
The three ninjas from Sand walked back to the table. Before sitting down, Rasa briefly glared at Naruto. Once seated, he didn't reach for his papers straight away.
"-Hokage, it would be appreciated if the proceedings were not slowed down by your son's lack of patience. I will not tolerate any further disturbance."
Naruto recognized the jab as an attempt to destabilize the meeting. He bowed his head as a silent apology. His father kept his eyes on Rasa when he answered in a smooth voice.
"-I can assure you, the discussion will go undisturbed, as soon as we return to it."
Rasa grunted, then picked up his pen again. Naruto fought down a smirk and kept an eye on the proceedings around the table.
They progressed slowly. The Kazekage seemed to be in a particularly foul mood, and was slowing down the negotiation at every turn possible. While it was frustrating, Naruto had to admit that some of his concerns were legitimate if his country was indeed suffering from the draught as badly as they estimated. Still, Naruto himself had never had to deal with such a situation, and he admired his father for his calm.
Tensions rose again after a little while, when negotiations reached a point that seemed to have been sore for a few years. Naruto fought down a sigh. On impulse, he subtly waved his chakra, signaling his father.
The Hokage's only reaction was a shift in his own chakra.
Naruto signaled back.
A few minutes later, the Hokage called for a second break. The Kazekage wordlessly stood up and walked out of the cave, followed by his guards.
Outside, Naruto grabbed a ration bar and offered one to his father and sibling each.
"-How are things going?"
Minato sighed.
"-Slow. Rasa is in a shit mood and I feel like he's fighting over every detail just to piss me off.
-Looks like it's working from where I'm standing," came Kakashi's amused response.
Naruto repressed a laugh at his father' sour face.
"-How is the situation with them, at the moment?
-Honestly, it's tense. I wouldn't be surprised if this meeting dragged on for days and the only thing showing for it would be Sunan troops amassing at the border.
-What about other trades?
-There is none. Rasa has only agreed to this one because he didn't have a choice ten years ago.
-Let him off the hook," Naruto shrugged.
"-I'm sorry?" Minato asked, one eye brow raised.
"-This trade, you started it after the chuunin exam ten years ago, right?
-Yes.
-I'm assuming the conditions for Suna' side of the deal are pretty steep, as sanction for the stint they pulled at the exam."
Minato looked at his son, seeing through his youth and straight to the experienced leader.
"-The absence of a sanction was part of the deal."
Naruto leveled him with an unimpressed look.
"-Well, alleviate those non-sanctions and offer him something else on top. Surely you've thought about it."
Minato silently looked at his son for a few more instants.
"-I have.
-Why not do it?"
Minato ignored Naruto's question and answered with one of his own instead.
"-What do you have in mind?
-I don't know. Whatever we can afford. Goods, knowledge, services. Whatever we can use that wouldn't hurt us but that would benefit them as well.
-Why?
-Because things are not working the way they are now. And I'd rather have a somewhat working relation with Suna than the alternative."
Minato frowned, wondering what Naruto was getting at. Naruto sighed while munching on his ration bar.
"-Look, I'm not planning anything. But we can't afford tensions escalating further. And honestly, what bad can having better relations with Suna do?"
Minato looked at his son for a few more minutes. The younger man held his gaze. Minato finally broke the silence.
"-I'll see what I can do."
Back at the table, it was Minato's turn to take his time before getting back to the task at hand. The Kazekage glared at his counterpart.
"-What is it now, Konoha?"
Minato took a few seconds before answering.
"-We've been doing this for ten years, Rasa.
-I am painfully aware.
-Ten years and what we've got to show for it is four successive versions of a trade agreement that can only ever go one out of two directions.
-What are you getting at, Flash?
-We've been discussing this," Minato waved at the documents on the table, "for hours now. We both know that we won't get what we want, but we pretend that this is a negotiation for our countries."
Minato kept his cool eyes on Rasa. Naruto felt Baki shift sightly.
"-What about a new trade?"
The Kazekage's face furrowed, closing off into a frown. He brought his eyes up to Naruto then Kakashi, then back on Minato. He leaned back into his seat, hard eyes piercing the Hokage. Silence stretched for a couple minutes.
"-For the first time in ten years, Minato, you've showed up here with unmasked guards. You dangle that man' son in my face. You bring your wet-behind-the-ears spawn into this meeting like it's a game. And you have the balls to suggest a new trade? How stupid do you think I am? I don't know what you're trying to get out of this, Hokage, but Suna is neither looking for your charity nor your lies."
Naruto felt a flash of white hot frustration. How could the man be so obtuse? Before he could react and further sour the discussion, Minato's smooth voice cut through the tension.
"-You might perceive this as some twisted family feud, but I am here representing Konoha's best interests. And Konoha would benefit from another trade with Wind country. Now despite a blatant lack of respect regarding my personal guards, I am willing to let go of the past and move forward with what needs to be done. I suggest you obey your oath and do the same."
Minato stood up, sealed his documents back into the table and headed for the cave exit.
"-Shall we reconvene here tomorrow at first light?"
Not waiting for an answer, he walked out of the room, silently followed by Kakashi and Naruto. The trio remained silent as they took the direction of the forest. Close to the border, they altered their course slightly. Lynx joined them as they passed into Konohan territory, Spider and Sparrow undoubtedly hiding in the vicinity.
"-Anything?" asked Minato.
"-All good, Hokage-sama," answered Lynx.
Minato nodded then took off again. A few minutes later, the group arrived at an old but maintained border post. The small hidden building was not used as a border patrol checkpoint anymore, but Minato had his troops keep all existing hidden buildings supplied with food, medical kits and blankets as possible emergency shelters.
Kakashi, Naruto and Minato walked in while the masked elite members hid themselves in the dark branches of the surrounding trees. The three men quickly got comfortable and pulled some food from the storage seals still in place in the outpost.
Kakashi sprawled on one of the chairs while Naruto stretched in the open space. Minato sat down next to Kakashi and sighed. Naruto was the first to speak.
"-Well, that went better than expected."
Kakashi snorted and pulled out a book from his breast pocket.
"-I'd hate to know what you expected, then.
-I'm serious. For one, he didn't ask for your head. I kinda expected him to. He's more mellow than I thought."
Kakashi looked at him questioningly.
"-Didn't you know him?"
Naruto stopped stretching and pulled out one more chair. He spun it around and sat down facing the table, his arms resting on the back.
"-Nah, Orochimaru killed him when I was eleven or twelve. I don't know, I wasn't paying much attention at the time."
A surprised silence followed his answer.
"-Ah," Mianto finally said, "well, Rasa is not so bad, I guess. He is quite frustrating though.
-Do you think he'll go for it? The new trade, I mean."
Minato shrugged.
"-It's is Suna's best interest. He is a proud man but I think he will realize that's an opportunity he can't really turn away.
-Have you thought about what you could offer?
-Why," Minato teased Naruto, "I thought you'd just tell me what to do. This was your idea, son."
Naruto startled in surprise.
"-You'd trust me with this?
-Of course," Minato smiled genuinely.
Naruto took a second to digest his answer. When he talked, his tone was more subdued.
"-I didn't really think that far ahead. I just figured we could use the opportunity. I am in no position to suggest anything. I don't know what Konoha could need or want. Not for something this precise."
Minato looked at his son for a few moments.
"-You never answered the question earlier, you know?
-The question?
-About being Hokage."
Naruto's face became distant.
Did he? Did he want to be Hokage again?
The idea that he could be hadn't even crossed his mind. From his meditation, he knew it hadn't been his goal in a long time on this alternate path. As a child, he had wanted to be Hokage like his father, but he had never thought about it as more than childish daydreaming as he grew up.
Truth be told, his father being the Hokage had been as much a source of pride as it had been a source of resentment. His Hokage duties had taken Minato away from his family many times. Naruto had grown up understanding that his father belonged more to the village than to his family, to an extend. Being Hokage himself had lost its appeal when growing up missing one of his parents because of the job.
As an adult, Naruto had been happy with his life, happy to go with the flow and see where it would bring him. He hadn't particularly thought about his career beyond being a good shinobi. He'd achieved that. Naruto was a talented jounin. He had considered taking a genin team once or twice, but figured he would give himself a few more years before applying for the position of jounin instructor. He knew his mother would be thrilled for him to join the Barrier corp or any other seal department. But as talented as he was, fuuinjutsu hadn't been his calling.
Until his paths had crossed at least. Since then, he'd had so much stuff to wrap his mind around that the question of what to do with his life hadn't even been on the list of things to figure out.
On his other path, the path where he had been Hokage, the function had never been anything else but synonym of war, necessity and desperation. The war had taken everything he had ever wished for himself and twisted it into a morbid version of it. He had hated the situation he had become Hokage in.
Now that he was here, on this path, would he want to do it again?
Naruto couldn't honestly say he wanted to. He wouldn't be surprised if his father or even Shikaku considered it. After all, he was already an experienced Kage. It would make sense for them to at least consider him for the task.
Eyes lost in the distance, he didn't notice the sadness his silent had brought up in the other occupants of the room. At last, he answered in a soft voice.
"-I honestly don't know."
The next morning, the group left the building as the sky was starting to lighten. The sun was about to rise when they reached the meeting cave on the other side of the border. The Kazekage and both of his guards were already present. A tense silence followed the six men until everyone had taken their position.
To Naruto's surprise, the Kazekage agreed on the possibility of a new trade. The process of figuring out that new trade, however, was even slower than the day before, and Naruto almost regretted suggesting the idea in the first place.
Naruto divided his attention between the painfully slow negotiations and Gaara. The shadow clone he had discreetly created before entering the cave allowed him not to worry about what was happening outside. Little by little, unnoticed by anyone, Naruto honed his sensor skills to a needle-sharp precision that he ruthlessly focused on his fellow jinchuuriki. He took full advantage of the stillness that was required of him and let a trickle of natural chakra flow through him. His perception expanded tenfold, to the point where he could start to feel the various main components of Gaara' seal.
It broke his heart to feel how completely crushed Gaara was under the heaviness of it. One careful probe after another, an image formed in Naruto's mind. The seal was an abject combinations of repressor and control matrices. He could feel the clutches of the seal on his friend's heart tenketsu. The seal resonated with the Kazekage's chakra, which had undoubtedly been used to control it.
Once or twice, Gaara's eyes snapped to Naruto, who was careful to keep his on his father's back. Each time, Naruto had slowly disengaged his chakra and let it rest until he felt safe using it again. Just like the negotiations, the process was long and exhausting. Using so little chakra was a challenge for Naruto, who found himself exceedingly grateful for all the extra chakra control exercises his father had put him through on this path.
It was long hours later when the meeting finally ended, and night had fallen. The two Kages applied their seals to the new version of the salt trade as well as to the draft of a new dye trade agreement that had painfully come into existence after a tense debate.
Minato had ended up lowering some taxes on the salt trade and offered to open a new trade route for dyes and grain. Rasa had been extremely reluctant to trust that this wasn't some ploy to take advantage of Suna, until Minato had dropped his public facade simply sighed at him, letting his frustration show.
The Kazekage had finally agreed to discussing the matter, forced to admit that his village certainly couldn't afford turning down such an opportunity. Naruto had no doubt he would find a way to push the boundaries as much as possible but really, he didn't care. All he had wanted was to open a channel of communication between the villages other than the salt agreement. His father had trusted him and obtained it.
He didn't know how long that would remain, especially with the international situation becoming more explosive. But it was a step in the right direction.
Minato and Rasa resealed the cave and both teams prepared to leave. Naruto caught Gaara's eyes one last time before moving out with his father and Kakashi. When they reached the forest at the border, Lynx and Sparrow reappeared by their side. Naruto turned to his father.
"-You guys go on ahead, I've got something to do."
Minato and Kakashi looked at each other then followed him, ANBU guards in tow. The five men quickly arrived back at the old unoccupied border post.
"-You didn't have to follow me.
-What, and let you be all mysterious? Not a chance, shorty!"
Naruto scoffed and clipped a sniggering Kakashi on the head.
"-You dipshit, I ain't even that much shorter than you!
-Kakashi does have a point," Minato pointed out as Kakashi batted Naruto's hand away.
"-I'm not being mysterious. I don't mind you guys being there. I just thought you might want to head back straight away."
Kakashi shrugged.
"-So, what are we here for?
-I just wanted to check something out before going. I might need a few hours."
The trio made themselves comfortable inside once more. Minato went through the extensive food storage and fixed them something to eat. The three ANBU standing guards outside took turns coming in for the meal as well.
After eating, Minato sat down at a desk and unlocked the writing material he needed. Soon, the soft sounds of pen scratching on the paper filled the space. Kakashi sprawled out on a chair and pulled out a book from one of his pockets.
Naruto chuckled at the sight then went to sit on the ground in a corner. He closed his eyes and slowed down his breathing. He once more expanded his senses, feeling the pulse of his father's and Kakashi's chakra, then those of the ANBU guards outside. He brushed against the tiny spots of life hiding in the forest.
"-Naruto," a deep voice rumbled through his consciousness.
"-Hey, Kurama."
Naruto let the fondness he felt at his friend flow through his thoughts.
"-How do you wanna go about this?
-What do you mean?
-Your friend, the jinchuuriki.
-Well, he's not my friend here, is he?" Naruto hissed.
His surprisingly bitter remark resonated in the silence of his mind. He sighed.
"-I'm sorry, Kurama. I didn't mean to take it out on you.
-…
-It just sucks, you know? I should be thrilled to be seeing him again, right? It's been so many years.
-He is not him.
-I know. That's what sucks," Naruto shrugged. "I'll get over it."
"-Naruto, You can't keep these feelings bottled up."
Naruto snorted out loud, to the confusion of the other two ninjas in the room.
"-What is that, Kurama? You suddenly wanna talk about my feelings? You've softened up."
The blonde man felt the tailed beast bristle.
"-Yeah, laugh about this, no problem. Just tell me, what do you think these negative emotions are going to do to your control, now that I've got my whole chakra back and that the seal is fucked on top of that, uh?"
Naruto was now the one being silent. He sighed again and took a deep breath.
"-I can manage anything we might come across without you for now.
-Oh I have no doubt about that," Kurama's deep voice resonated in his mind. "It's not what you might encounter that's the problem.
-I can manage Gaara."
Kurama snorted.
"-I'd be insulted if you couldn't.
-So what is the problem?
-Don't you play that game with me, Naruto. I'm not one of your buddies."
Naruto let himself be pulled inside his mind. Emptiness met him, yet he could feel Kurama's presence all around him. He sat down on the inexistent floor.
"-I can't help him, can I?"
The false air around him shifted. Suddenly, a massive snout was next to him.
"-You knew that already.
-I let myself hope.
-You can't afford that.
-You're right. I just wish I could.
-Why?
-Why what?
-Why do you wish you could help him? You said it yourself: he's not your friend."
Naruto remained silent for a little while.
"-He is, though. Or at least, he was."
Both friends stayed silent this time. After a while, Naruto stood up.
"-What did you wanna talk about?
-That was it.
-That's it?
-Just wanted to make sure we were on the same page before you tried something stupid.
-Hey!
-Don't. Don't even try to pretend like you weren't gonna try and fix his seal if you got the chance.
-I can do it.
-As you are now, you could fix his old seal, yes. But the one you've been poking at all day? That's another matter, and you shouldn't need me to tell you that!"
Naruto frowned.
"-I'm pretty sure I could fix any seal he's got. Suna's got nothing I can't take apart.
-You stubborn shit! Your chakra system might not be completely totaled anymore, but my seal is. And Uzumaki or not, there is no way that won't interfere with anything you try to pull on Shukaku.
-What about~
-No," Kurama's voice cut through his question. "Your resonance with Ashura is too deep, too diluted with everything else. You won't be able to use that for his seal. Anyway you look at this, you need to fix our seal first if you don't want shit to go belly up."
Naruto was about to rebuke when he felt something brush at the edge of his senses. He pulled himself back to full consciousness and stood up, dusting his legs off.
His father must have felt something too, and was already resealing the writing supplies.
"-Looks like I'll be heading out."
Kakashi put his book away and followed Naruto outside, Minato a few steps behind. Naruto felt his father signal his guards through his chakra. An instant later, their presence surrounded them. Naruto lead the group towards the border in an easy walk.
Minato was curious about what Naruto was planning. He had a solid feeling that it involved Rasa' son Gaara. As curious as he was about it, he was even more curious about Naruto himself. He wanted to see what the new version of his son would do when given free reign. He would let him do his things without interfering for now.
"-You can follow, but don't cross the border."
Soon, the group reached the edge of the forest. They stopped on a rocky outcrop overlooking the desert. Naruto continued ahead, jumped down and disappeared in a flash.
