Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto the anime or manga. This story is based off the world of Naruto. All rights go to Masashi Kishimoto.
Chapter 23 – The Crying Spirits
Elder Council Room, Hokage Tower
"Now that Hiruzen is dead and gone from Konoha, I suggest that this is the perfect time to change Konoha. The Tree that it once was stood with glory. Now it is nothing more than a mere twig."
"Danzō, this is not the time. Our comrade and friend has passed away. Today is a day where should remember our younger days. Tomorrow we can discuss the future, but today is a day to respect Hiruzen."
"Homura is right Danzō, let us leave this for our discussion tomorrow and for the Konoha Courts. The clans and important representatives of the citizens of Konoha will be there. They will need to know what will happen next with our Great Village."
"You two are acting soft. Just like him. The time here is done," Danzō said with a chilling voice. His lone eye narrowed in the two elders sitting in front of him.
"Danzō, are you going to attend the funeral?" Homura asked after a sigh.
The two elders, Homura and Koharu watched as Danzō stood up and left the room with his cane in hand. The man had many ideas floating in his mind.
"He left us without an answer. Do you think he will?" Koharu asked.
"I have no clue anymore. He loves Konoha, but the man has putting me on the edge from the last few years Koharu-san," Homura said. "I just hope he doesn't do anything drastic."
"Do you think it is a good idea to bring everyone together to discuss what happened on the day of the Chūnin exams and of Konoha's future?" Koharu asked. Her voice was filled with uncertainty.
Homura rubbed his face with his weary, wrinkled hands and then fixed his glasses before speaking. "I see no other way. It will either help solve our problems or create more of them and a divide. But that is a risk we have to take."
Unknown Location, The Land of Fire
"Did you hear Itachi-san? The village you betrayed was attacked by Iwa, Oto and Suna. Hehe, I would have loved to join in on the destruction."
"Kisame, what are you trying to achieve?"
Kisame looked up to the cloudy sky with a grin as he walked side by side with his partner in crime.
"I want to see emotion flash through your eyes. All my time working with you, I have never seen happiness, fear, anger or anything. I don't even know if you're human or not anymore."
Itachi was silent as he shrouded his eyes with his straw-hat. A light chime from the bell filled the air.
"Some could say the same about you."
Kisame cheekily laughed and placed his own hat on top of his head.
"We're not human. We're demons. Look, it's about to rain."
"Yes, it is. It would be wise to find shelter."
"Seeing that Konoha wasn't destroyed, it must mean that there is a group of very strong ninja, right?"
"Yes Kisame. Konoha is low on ninja. But these ninja are strong. It would be foolish to fight them on your own."
"Hehe. This is the first time I heard you talk so much. Maybe we can see the Jinchūriki fight… or even that Crimson punk?"
"We will see."
The Capital of the Land of Earth, Jewel Valley City
There has been turmoil ravaging parts of the Mainland of late. Normally, this would cause worry for the population. However, there was a discussion that happened that proved otherwise. A discussion between two very powerful men in the heart of a bustling city.
The first man was slouching comfortably on a large pillow which was atop of a straw mat. With a sake filled cup in front of his feet and the smell of incense making his nostrils flare pleasantly, the man was at peace. More so with his trusty katana in her scabbard resting on his shoulder and the floor. He combed back his jet black hair and cracked his neck as the sun passed over his tanned skin.
The other was tall and broad. His face was covered up by and intricately designed brass mask that only revealed his eyes. The man was pacing slowly through the room, rubbing his stone cold face with an arm that was not human, but rather an artificial one partially made from the very same metal. His appearance revealed very little about him bar that one could easily assume that this man had a serious and closed off personality.
The room was large, yet it had little furniture inside. It almost represented the inside of a dojo. There were charms hanging of the walls, not all were native to the lands where they are.
"You said Konoha would be destroyed. And with the Hidden Village gone, the market would have opened up and that bitch would lose her assets. Now, I'm finding out that not only did the village survive, but the troubles in the surrounding areas is helping her make more profits as well as the smaller crime lords. This is ridiculous, no not ridiculous, it's outrageous. I will have someone's head for this!" said the man with the brass mask. The voice was filled with slight annoyance, it was quite deep but slightly muffled because of the mask he wore.
"Oh? I thought you were going to say you were going to have my sweet head," the swordsman said with a cheery smile and voice. It didn't match the atmosphere, which made the other man tense.
"Diamonds… It's only a matter of time. Clearly from hindsight, it was more effective to work with you to take down the other two Kings in this game of Life and Death by funnelling our money into this country and Iwagakure to improve and make their armies stronger in such a short span of time. But all this backfired, and we lost pieces while they didn't lose any. At the end of this charade, one of us four will be the most powerful figure in terms of power and money in the whole Mainland. Having the Major Elemental countries and the Hidden Villages on tight leashes. That is the ultimate goal."
"Ultimate goal huh? That is where you are wrong Clubs-san. That is your goal and yours alone. Yet, I don't think it has ever been established that was my own," Diamonds said with a teasing grin.
"What? Then why are you here talking to me? There has to be some insane reason on why you are in this dirty business like the rest of us if ultimate power isn't it," Clubs said with some surprise.
Coughing into his free hand before jugging down his drink, Diamonds stared intently at Clubs, making the latter stop in place and stare back.
"Let me tell you something straight. Being born and raised to be a Samurai, I was taught to keep in my bloodthirstiness, my never-ending hunger to fight. I was one of the strongest, yet the life of the Samurai was one not fitting to me.
So, I left the order and became a wandering Rōnin. There I learnt many skills, new skills that wouldn't befit a Samurai, and I began battling strong foes with different and unique abilities. I lived through the fights, learning and soaring. I loved every bit of it. Then, somehow, I wound up here on top of the bloody food chain that is the Underworld. A King of the Underground Monarchy. Who would have known?" he asked rhetorically at the end. It was clear that he was enjoying the conversation.
Clubs grunted and clenched both his fists. Never having the patience to deal with people who wanted to have fun, he tried his damn best not to unleash some of his anger on this civil conversation.
"You never hid your past. You were just a commoner's son who joined the Samurai code in the Land of Iron after your village was destroyed. There you earned the nickname, 'Wolf's Terror' with your unorthodox sword style. One of Mifune's, the Grandmaster of the Samurai who resides in the Land of Iron's most prized students, you are Hideyoshi Toyotomi. What people don't know is that you are actually Diamonds, one of the Four Kings," Clubs explained.
"You don't have to spell it out for me, I know already, it's me after all. You've always been like that, ever since we first budded heads all those years ago," Diamonds berated with a wave of his right arm and a heavy sigh.
"A long time ago, yes. That was when the position of Hearts was with the old man and it was you, I and Spades that were competing against him, who we all thought was too powerful. Then the years went by and then he just killed, by that wench."
"Oi, they fought out a true battle. It was a fair fight. He was an old man who had withering bones and a bad cough which made him spit out his black blood. She was the victor and took his position and his assets. Why do you hate her so much? Are you a misogynist Clubs-san?" Diamonds asked.
"Don't make me laugh. Of course, I am, but that's not the reason. She doesn't respect either of us. And neither does she respect Spades. She think she's already on top. Oh, she couldn't be further from the truth."
"Clubs, I don't want you messing with her. I need her to think everything is going well for her."
"Oh? And why not? If I recall correctly, you don't tell me what to do, we're on the same level, we have the same status."
"Oh, shut up would you!? That's not what I'm getting at. There's something that she has that interests me."
"Something that she has? What could it possibly be? An artefact? An ancient weapon?"
"Well… you could consider him an ancient weapon. No, surely you have heard of him. The Crimson Leaf. One Uzumaki Kotaro of Konoha."
"Uzumaki… That name has reached my ears. A man that has only appeared on the scene a few years back but has already made a name for himself around the Mainland for people to fear him. Almost like another who came from Konoha."
"Correct. And they say his strongest skill is his power and grace with his two swords. Now, me being me, I wish to test that for myself."
"You really are mentally retarded, aren't you?"
"It is so funny you say that. If you keep wearing that brass mask over your face and thinking it looks good, then you're the one that's an idiot!" Diamonds shouted with a laugh
"This mask is to cover the scars I received from the old man when we were only starting out as the Top Dogs," Clubs said as he rubbed his brass mechanical arm. "He really was a tough bastard."
"How did the fight end again? Half your face scarred and losing your left arm, now I'd normally say that is pathetic, but it was the old man. He was unnatural, something alien. I'm glad he's dead."
"It should have been me that killed him, not her."
"You lost your chance. He was nearly a century old. You would have won, this isn't twenty years ago. I know myself that your damn puppets and your skill with them have improved. I wonder what you've done to make them so strong."
"That is a secret I shall never utter to your ears. It breaks the only rule of being a puppeteer. Yet, it was a rule I never cared about in the first place. In my village there was a young man who had exceptional skill in puppetry, more than I did at his age. He's a traitor to the village like I am, Sasori of the Red Sands. Oh, I wish to see who is stronger now. I wouldn't be surprised if he was the better puppeteer, but the core weakness of any puppeteer is that they can only fight with their puppets. I am the exception."
"Now that would be a fight I would pay to see. Speaking of that man, my spies have uncovered information of the organisation that he belongs to. Akatsuki are on the move again, but there's a different beat to their step," Diamonds said, obviously withholding the key pieces of information.
"What could you possibly mean?" Clubs asked with his curiosity peaked, evident with the change of tone in his muffled deep voice.
"There has been more sightings of them and it seems from their actions that they are investigating for something."
"Do you know what that is Diamonds-san? You wouldn't bring this up if you didn't, you hate the chance of looking like a fool."
"Now, now. Why would I tell you? Unless you will give me something in return?"
"You said you wanted to fight that man, Uzumaki Kotaro, correct? I could provide you with information in exchange in how you could fight him on your own terms."
"Oh? Now you've got a deal. You know what they say around here if you break a word once given? That you lose all honour. Now, honour has never been a big part of my personality, but if you're lying to me, I will tie you up rip off your arms and legs, and then give you a choice. Either eat your limbs to survive or starve to death."
"I don't like idle threats coming out of your mouth. Now, tell me what the Akatsuki are doing. They are a hindrance to my business."
"According to my network. There are a total of ten members of right now. Their main objective is searching out the Jinchūriki that hold the legendary Bijū. My assumption is that they are hoping to hold so much power to make every other power yield to their mighty strength. Their overall desire is unknown, but it is interesting is it not?"
"The Bijū… you cannot be serious!? The Hidden Villages shroud them in great secrecy. We only know the identity of some because of our position. Wait, the Akatsuki are made up of missing-nin that have the rank of S-rank. They would know the identities of the Jinchūriki native to their own villages. You must have a great spy to gather this information," Clubs said with a rushed voice. This information filled in the blanks that he was left with from his own investigations.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Sir, a message has been delivered from Crua," the voice of an underling said. A voice that was neutral, but the most experienced ears could hear that the man had some fear. No doubt since he was speaking closely to two very powerful men.
"Good. Now leave," Diamonds said as he left his spot and strolled to the door. Opening it and grabbing a letter, he opened it quickly and started to read the contents.
"Obedient worker. Now, Crua? That is a very strange name. I don't think I ever heard of a name like it at all. Where is the man from, Diamonds?" Clubs asked.
"It's not his true name. It is a code-name, but there is some truth to it. His heritage is a strange and ancient one. His family originated from the savage region of Warido, deep within the Western Continent. Once you go past the Snake-Fold Mountains, you will have to traverse past the Lands of Bird and Demons to get to the craggy area full of plains," Diamonds explained before being cut off.
"That still doesn't explain the unorthodox name," Clubs pointed out.
"Let me finish you brass-faced bastard! Now, I was saying that the Warido region is a tough region to live in. It has no ruler, no laws. It is a barbaric land where the strongest live. The people there could speak the same language as us, yet their culture was nothing alike. The people that lived their loved to fight, and they were polytheistic. There were some that represented fertility, debauchery and love. But there was one that ruled them all, one that held the title of War and Wraith."
"And I take it that this Deity's name was Crua."
"You are correct. The qualities associated with this guy was a lot. Strong, brave, hard. Skin and flesh as tough as diamonds. Had a punch that could topple a mountain. My Crua, not the Deity, half his bloodline traced from this region. His mother originated from that side of the Mainland. It seemed that she ran away from the wasted space.
You could tell he has some features associated with those people from his facial structure. His cheekbones and all that bullshit. Anyway, he came into my care when he was a small boy. He said that I was his lifesaver, his saviour. And he told me of his horrid past.
When I first asked his name, he said he didn't have one anymore, that he lost it. Now me being the great guy that I am, I gave him a proper name, but I would call him Crua from time to time because he was unique, and it made me happy whenever I saw his bright reaction. Then the boy wanted to help me become the King, the 'True King', so he left my side and started to work behind the scenes to help me in my ambitions," Diamonds explained further as he read his letter intently.
"That makes sense. He must be a strong servant for you to care for him that much."
"He's more like a son haha."
"What is the state of the people of Warido and its religion if you don't mind me asking? I've heard of the region being referred to be the 'Badlands' of the Mainland, but I have never actually delved into its history."
"It's a strange one. Not many people live there and most, if not all are nomadic. Yet, they could write, and there has been passages of texts passed down the generations of these tribes for many generations.
The earliest of these texts mentioned the Deities, which there are nine in total, but there was no mention of chakra. Then there was a mention of the Sage of Six Paths, and how he showed them chakra and its power.
I don't know whether to believe any of it or not, but there's always some truth to these ancient stories and legends."
"This world is different from the world a thousand years ago. The only thing that I know what will happen is that there will be a great change in the coming years. Like I said, one of us will become the strongest, and rule over the Mainland. I will rule it with an iron fist."
"For how long I ask? Is it worth it to risk so much just to have a chance to get that power?" Diamonds asked as he crumbled up his letter and threw it into a bowl of fire. Destroying it.
"It is. I rather die knowing that I was the most powerful man alive in my prime than leave it as a 'what if'. Now to fulfil my end of the bargain. As we already discussed, I want to take over the market in the Land of Fire, but I am not an idiot or too big for my boots, so I asked for your… assistance. It was a large possibility that you wouldn't cooperate, so I have done my own my research on three main aspects. The Daimyō and his court's city main trades, Heart's trading assets and power. And finally, Konoha and its power," Clubs answered.
"Sounds like you've done some homework then."
"If you want to fight Uzumaki Kotaro for your sword fighting fetish. Then there's two ways of going about it."
"You got me hooked. Come one, tell me now you brass bastard."
"You have your own network of information and I have my own. I have learnt that there is a high possibility that Uzumaki Kotaro is connected to Hearts but there is no hard-proof evidence. Both parties are hiding it well if they are. But, neither have been perfect. They only left some scraps to make assumptions out of."
"And what of the other option. That sounds too wishy-washy for me to even go there."
"The recent invasion of the Iwa, Suna and Oto forces allowed a team of my subjects to hop in and out during Konoha's Chūnin exams. They found out something that would definitely make you get that man's attention," Clubs said. As he finished speaking, he turned heel and walked to the large doors to the exit. He had enough of this already.
"And what is that. Oi, why are you going for the door!? You haven't told me yet," Diamonds asked with an irritated shout.
"That man, he has a little brother. And the truth is that he would do anything to make sure that he is safe and well. I'll leave the rest for you Diamonds-san, but it won't be easy. It seems that those two Uzumaki boys are high priority targets to many people. You're not the only person interested in them," Clubs said leaving with yet another heavy grunt.
Diamonds smiled and sighed.
"A little brother eh? And he's a protective older brother. Oh… Things are sure going to get interesting. And she's included in this most likely," his smile grew with every word that left his mouth, his voice getting happier as every second passed, "maybe I should throw her into the mix as well, make it a fucked up party of mad fun!" he said with a loud clap of his hands.
Uzumaki Residence
The kitchen was quiet. The sound of chewing and the contact of chopsticks were the only noises that could be heard in the whole house. Sadness and sorrow was present throughout. The dreaded day has finally arrived for Konoha.
The two Uzumaki brothers sat at the ends of the kitchen table. There was no chatter among them, an unusual occurance. The two boys could never shut up, even if you tried. Their emotions were running at an all-time low.
Naruto stabbed both chopsticks upright into the near full bowl of rice and placed it in front of a picture of the late Hokage, himself and Kotaro. He wiped his mouth clean, there were some grains left. Moving to the bin, he dumped the mess he made into it.
Naruto moved his way back to his seat. As he sat, he couldn't get comfortable, so he leaned forward and rested on the hard table top.
Looking ahead, Naruto watched Kotaro with a pen in his hand and stacks of paper going from the left to right.
"What are you doing?" Naruto asked. His voice was solemn, empty of any positive emotion.
Kotaro didn't reply straight away, he waited to open his mouth until he finished writing on the paper. "Going through medical forms. There were a lot of people injured and killed during that invasion," he said. He exhaled heavily afterwards.
Naruto sighed. "How many died?" he asked.
Kotaro breathed through his nose and shook his head. "Too many," he said. "Way too many."
Naruto slumped his head and groaned. Konoha's defeat has been the worst thing to happen in his life. The villagers are all angry, ready to point the finger at anyone they hate. The two brothers have huddled up in their house, to mourn and ignore the villagers. Naruto knew Kotaro wanted to visit Asuma again after the first day, but it was simply too much trouble.
"Most of them were Chūnin and Jōnin. There was also many civilian deaths. But the village…" Kotaro said. "The village is destroyed."
Naruto frowned. "Iwa, Oto and Suna. Why would they do this? Why would they want to hurt us Nii-chan?" he asked.
Kotaro shrugged his shoulders after signing off a form. "Greed. It was all greed," he said depressingly.
"Greed…" Naruto muttered under his breath.
Naruto sluggishly shook his head, he wanted to change the subject. "What about the Chūnin exams? Is the attack going to affect it?" he asked.
"I don't know," Kotaro answered. The response was simple, it didn't leave much to branch off to.
Naruto sat up and rested his chin on his palm. "I'm worried about the others."
"The others?" Kotaro asked with a questioning face.
"My group. Sasuke hasn't showed his face. I haven't seen Sakura since they all left. Shika and Chōji are staying at their homes. And the others… I don't talk to them," Naruto said.
Kotaro removed his eyes from the papers and looked to Naruto. "You should change that. Talk to them. How else are you going to make friends?" he said.
"I have enough friends," Naruto replied quickly.
Kotaro huffed. "More contacts is better than none. I'm not telling you to be best friends with them. Just talk to them for five minutes, it wouldn't kill you," he said.
"Speaking from experience?" Naruto asked.
Kotaro nodded. "I would never be the man I am today without them. Good or bad, people help progress you to the next stage. You can never do everything on your own," he said.
Naruto nodded. His eyes were heavy from the sadness in his heart. "Jiji… is dead. Who's going to be the next Hokage?" he asked.
"I don't know. Most likely Jiraiya if we can't find anyone else. He's Jiji's only pupil still working for Konoha and a member of the Sannin," Kotaro answered. "If not him, it might be someone else."
"Is the other one… Tsunade not working for Konoha anymore?"
Kotaro shook his head. "No, she left the village before you were born. She's the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama, a strong woman and a brilliant medical-nin. You could say she's the perfect candidate on paper. I've never met her though, so she could be a horrible person in real life."
"Then why isn't she picked?"
"Wish I could know. This village has too many problem children."
The silence returned. Naruto got out of his seat and went to the staircase. He rested his hand on the handrail and looked to his brother once more. "What of those councils? What are they saying?"
Kotaro looked up again and frowned. "The Shinobi council hasn't said a word, neither has the Civilian council. All I know is that there is a new huge room being built to house both councils, and there's a meeting sometime soon. I have to attend it, an Uzumaki has to be present supposedly," he said with a sigh running off at the end.
Naruto nodded and climbed up the steps. It didn't take him long to get to his bedroom. It was messy, out of control. His equipment lying all around the floor and his desk covered in scrolls. It has been a hectic few days.
The bed was one of the only things in the room that was not muddled. At the end was a fresh pile of black clothing. Funeral clothing for such occasions. Naruto picked up the black shirt and sniffed it. It was a lovely smell, fragrant.
Naruto's eyes became teary eyed as the it was coming soon. The funeral for the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen was about to commence at Noon. The time was only ten in the morning. The time to truly say goodbye was closing in.
Naruto placed the shirt back and stumbled upon his wardrobe. He didn't know what his body was doing, he simply let it move by itself.
His eyes moved through the sets of clothing, but only one item caught his eye. Naruto's hands moved into the wardrobe and it plucked out a black jacket with bright orange stripes running down the arms. The inside of the jacket matched the orange on the outside. A wonderful jacket filled with wonderful memories.
"Jiji… remember this. You got me this when Nii-chan found me…" Tears ran down Naruto's cheeks as his lips trembled. "I loved you Jiji… why did you have to leave us? Why did you have to let him kill you!? I wanted you to see me become the Hokage," Naruto said.
Naruto went down to his knees and covered his face with his old jacket. His tears would not stop flowing. The love he had for his grandfather figure was simply too much to hold in and not do anything about it.
The sounds of choked tears made another's heart drop. Kotaro was resting his back on the wall outside Naruto's room. He heard everything what his little brother said.
He couldn't help but feel a lump was stuck in his throat from the words. He felt the same but not to the same extent. Naruto had only Hiruzen to lean on for the better part of a decade, while he only knew him for just under three years.
Kotaro could feel his heavy eyes, they want to be shut. Cut off everything in the world so he doesn't have to feel anything. It was ironic to him, Kotaro was a Jōnin of Konoha. A man who killed on a regular basis. Yet, when one of his own is killed, he can't cope with the feelings.
'I truly am pathetic,' Kotaro thought as he shook his head slowly. 'And a hypocrite.'
Kotaro rested on the wall until the sniffles from Naruto were no longer loud. When the time came that Naruto was calm, Kotaro went into the bedroom.
Kotaro's eyes shifted to Naruto, he was on the edge of his chair beside his bed. "Get ready," he said. Kotaro then turned around and had his feet outside the door. "Don't worry, you're not alone with those feelings."
Naruto watched Kotaro close the door behind him. There was a loud clunk as it hit the frame. Naruto moved his eyes to the clock, it read that it was already half ten. Time was running out.
Naruto took off his stripped pyjamas and his dog shaped sleeping cap. He quickly dressed himself in the funeral attire. After putting on his sandals, Naruto walked in front of his mirror. He looked good, it was unfortunate that you should only wear these clothes during funerals.
Naruto wrapped his forehead protector around his head and sighed. "Today is… a shit day."
Hokage Tower, Rooftop
The skies wept. Rain fell down hard and heavy, covering all those who attended the funeral for Sarutobi Hiruzen, and those who waited on the streets of Konoha to respect their late leader.
The rooftop was a sea of black, nearly all the shinobi of the village were there. There was no smiles or laughs, it wasn't the time for it. All they could do now was mourn and move on.
Kotaro was holding back his emotions as he stood beside Asuma. He knew that he wouldn't tear up, Asuma wasn't like that. He had to admire him, he was stronger than he was. Kotaro cried himself to sleep for days on end when his mother died.
Kotaro looked down to his hands. He was holding a white chrysanthemum, just like everyone else. A tradition for funerals in Konoha to use this flower. In the corner of his eye, he sees Konohamaru crying into his arm. He is quickly hugged in the arms of Naruto, who stood beside Konohamaru.
Kotaro saw that the funeral attendees walked in a single file, all leading to a table in front of Hiruzen's portrait. All the flowers were placed on this table, the attendees had a moment of remembrance as they laid their flowers.
Kurenai, who was on Asuma's other side, went into the line. Kotaro saw that Asuma had no plans on moving from his spot, his eyes never moved from the flower in his hand.
Kotaro exhaled through his nose and went on ahead, he knew Asuma needed time.
The line moved slowly but surely. Kotaro saw Kurenai move away from the table once she dropped her chrysanthemum with the others. It was finally his turn.
Kotaro walked up to the table with the portrait right in front of him. He looked at the portrait, the old man was smiling. Just like when he died, with a smile on his face. It brought back memories from some time ago, when he was taking care of Gai's team.
I know, punching you in the face and smoking are some of the best stress relievers I have ever experienced.
Kotaro scoffed lightly. "Stupid old man," he muttered under his breath. He placed his flower down and went back to his spot beside Asuma.
Kotaro watched as the genin he was familiar with move along and do their part. Naruto was the last of them to go. He was also the one who took the longest to move on. It made sense, Naruto was essentially the grandchild of Hiruzen. Before he came along, the third Hokage was Naruto's lifeline.
There was one genin missing. He never showed up. Kotaro sighed, it was something to worry about later on.
The words of Naruto were heard, but Kotaro ignored them. He was being selfish and just wanted to think of nothing, see nothing or even hear anything.
"It's painful when someone dies," he heard Naruto say.
It was true, Kotaro had many experiences with that feeling, that pain. No one can escape it.
"Hokage-sama didn't die for anything. You will see it in the future," the voice of Kakashi said.
Naruto exhaled heavily and nodded.
Kotaro looked up to the sky and felt his face get soaked with the calm pour of rain. "Death can bring us closer or drive us apart," he said.
Kotaro saw Asuma nod slightly from the words, he was glad he got some response from him. He was beginning to get worried from the lack of action, the lack of emotion.
The funeral crowd started to thin out as it was coming to an end. Young and old wished the late Hokage good luck in the afterlife.
Asuma stayed where he was. Kotaro looked back and saw Naruto staring at him. Naruto then nodded and turned around, joining up with Shikamaru and the other genin. They left, as with everyone else. It was only Asuma and himself on the rooftop.
Kotaro watched as Asuma walked up to the portrait of Hiruzen, with his flower in hand. He stopped once he reached the table. He didn't move an inch afterwards; the rain was getting him all wet.
Kotaro flicked his hair, the water shot off. He moved with his hands in his pockets and stood beside Asuma once again. He didn't speak, he would wait until the other was ready.
Moments passed, and nothing changed. Asuma finally sighed heavily and looked at the flower in more detail.
"You know… Tou-san loved flowers, but he never wanted them as presents," Asuma said solemnly.
Kotaro nodded. "Is it because they eventually died?" he asked.
Asuma shook his head. "Not really. It was because he never got the flower he loved when he was a kid," he said.
Kotaro pursed his lips. "What flower was this?"
"A flower Uzumaki Mito gave him."
Kotaro looked to see Asuma with a small smile. "Great Aunt Mito? God, that must have been a long time ago. What flower did she give him?"
Asuma dropped his flower onto the table and sighed. "Rainbow roses. They're rare flowers. They only grow properly in their native land. The land of Whirlpools," he said.
"Rainbow roses… The flower eventually dies if they're taken far away from the island unless they are given to someone who is your true love. I read about that when I was just a kid. We gave some to the Senju clan, but they all eventually died. Maybe Senju Hashirama kept them alive with his amazing ability. And you're saying Jiji got these flowers as a kid," Kotaro said.
"That's what Tou-san said. He always wanted to see that flower again before he died."
Kotaro watched as Asuma slumped his shoulders. "I'll have to get some when Naruto and I go back to our ancestral home… When the time is right," he said.
Asuma lightly laughed. "Good… I want to see it too."
Asuma took off his forehead protector and stared at the Konoha symbol, the leaf. "Is it all worth it? Dying for the village?" he asked.
"It depends. It's worth it if it's for your loved ones," Kotaro answered. "Why do you ask?"
"I don't know," Asuma said with an exasperated sigh. "I was just thinking what today would be like if I didn't patch things up with Tou-san."
"Don't. What's the point? You would only stew in your negative feelings," Kotaro said. "Don't let the past haunt you like it did me."
Asuma took out his pack of cigarettes and stared at it. "Tou-san and I were in a bad place a few years back. All it took was for you to say that he thought I was one of his best ninja. Now, he's dead."
Kotaro chuckled. "That was the first time we met. Remember, you were waiting outside the Hokage's office," he said.
"I do remember. It feels like so long ago now. Does the Uzumaki affect time?"
"No, we can't control time. I would turn back time if I could."
"To when?" Asuma asked.
Kotaro pursed his lips again. "Before my own Tou-chan died. That would be fifteen years ago," he said.
"I remember you said he was your motivator to get stronger. You trained soon after he died, right? Would that be worth it? You would never have met Naruto, or Konoha?"
Kotaro shook his head. "Those are questions I can't answer. What do you want me to say?"
Asuma grunted. "Forget about it. Though, you and Naruto… you two really helped out my family. Tou-san and Konohamaru, if it wasn't for you two, I would still be distant with them."
Kotaro smiled. "Not a problem."
"There is only one thing I regret," Asuma said.
Kotaro turned his head to Asuma. "What's that?" he asked.
"I always wanted to have a family. Tou-san always wanted to see my own family. My kid, my wife and me. Bring them over to Tou-san when he's resting in his retirement. Talk then have dinner and have fun. Now, it's impossible," Asuma said.
"That's a nice dream. Just like my own," Kotaro said. "A family is all I want."
The two stood in silence once again. The rain hasn't stopped yet. They were both getting soaked to the bone.
"There's been a question in my head ever since I found out. I didn't know how to ask it… or if it's appropriate to do so. You, or Kakashi, or even Gai. I didn't know who to ask," Asuma said in a sad tone.
"What do you need to ask that all three of us have in common?" Kotaro asked.
Asuma sighed. "What am I supposed to do now with both my parents gone?" he asked. "I don't know what to do."
Kotaro hummed at the question. He was all too familiar with it. "You have two choices. Stay in the past and let it haunt you. Or, move forward and make a new path, your own path. That's all you can do," he said. "Unfortunately, things will get back to normal shortly. But Jiji won't be around to see it."
"He won't," Asuma said, holding back tears. "He really is gone."
Kotaro could see Asuma was on the verge of tears. He needed to do something.
Kotaro turned his body to Asuma and spread out his arms. "Asuma, your sadness, your sorrow. Lay it all on me. I'm here for you," he said.
Before he even knew, Kotaro was crushed by a mighty hug from Asuma. He could feel tears soaking his left shoulder. Kotaro wrapped his arms around Asuma and rubbed his hand in a circular pattern on Asuma's back. He knew the pain all too well. He wished he had someone to hold on to when he was suffering.
"Kotaro. I have to tell you the truth. I love you man, like a brother," Asuma admitted. "You always have my back."
Kotaro pats Asuma's back with a small smile. "Hopefully you have mine," he said.
Asuma pulled out of the hug quickly and coughed into his hand. "Yeah… I do, don't worry," he said.
Kotaro saw that the rain stopped. He looked up and saw the sun was coming out. "Hey Asuma," he said.
"Yeah, what is it?" Asuma asked.
Kotaro raised his fist and stretched it out towards him. "We're family, right?"
Asuma smiled with a nod. He raised his fist and bumped it with Kotaro's. "Yeah, we're family."
Konoha Park
The sun had made quick work of the wet. The rain that passed soaked the ground and covered the blades of grass with rainwater. However, the Konoha summer wasn't over and the grass dried on the outside, perfect to sit on to bask in the sunlight.
Naruto was resting on the grass in the main park found in Konoha. He wasn't alone, there was Sakura, team eight, nine and ten. The only person missing was Sasuke, who was also not at the funeral.
Naruto was wondering where he could be. He hasn't heard anything about him ever since the Konoha invasion from Oto and Suna as well as Operation Earthquake from Iwa.
To his right was Shikamaru, who was lying on his back watching the clouds drift through the skies. He truly missed his favourite activity.
To his left was Chōji. It was a shock to Naruto that Chōji hasn't eaten anything since breakfast. Usually the boy would have eaten second breakfast or early lunch already by now. The Hokage's funeral has put a wrench in the works.
The other genin among them kept to themselves. He saw that Rock Lee had a large arm cast and a bandage around his head. Neji had bandages running from the foot he was stabbed up to his ankle. Tenten was as clean as a whistle since she never had to fight.
"Shika, what is going to happen?" Naruto asked. "Jiji isn't with us anymore. Who's going to be the Hokage?"
Shikamaru groaned. "How should I know? Oyaji didn't say anything to me. All he said was that he and the other clan heads have to have a huge council meeting tomorrow to discuss the future plans of the village. I know Aniki has to attend it too," he said.
"Nii-chan does huh? That explains all those papers from this morning," Naruto said. "I really hope nothing bad happens in that meeting. Everyone is on edge, especially him."
Naruto's eyes glossed over the other genin once more. Ino and Sakura were chatting among each other, both looking worried. He knew it was about his missing teammate, his missing friend Sasuke.
"Naruto. Are you ever going to tell me about that power you used during your fight with Lee?" Shikamaru asked.
Naruto gulped from the question. He looked to Chōji and saw him watching intently on a blue butterfly. All his focus was on the insect on the flower.
Naruto exhaled through his nose and moved his eyes to Shikamaru's, who was watching him. "I have the Kyūbi sealed in me. That's the power you saw," he told him.
Shikamaru was quiet. He was processing the information given to him. Naruto had a cold sweat run down his spine. He didn't want Shikamaru to react badly to it. He didn't want to lose one of his best friends.
"Is that right?" Shikamaru said. "That's… surprising."
Naruto sighed. "Do you hate me?" he asked. "I would understand if you did, since I never told you about it. Just... please don't treat me like I'm a monster, please."
"No," Shikamaru said. "I don't care about that. It doesn't change anything."
Naruto looked to Shikamaru and saw him stare off into the distance. "Did you suspect it at all? When I used that power, it showed that is wasn't normal."
Shikamaru turned his head and looked at Naruto head on. "The tenth of October. The dates match. The Yondaime defeated it and sealed it into you. He really put you in a tight spot, didn't he?"
Naruto nodded in agreement. "He really did."
A new pair of feet rustled through the grass. Naruto looked up to his left and saw Ino standing before him. He didn't utter a word. She looked like she had something on her mind.
"Ino? What do you want?" Shikamaru asked her once he saw that she came.
Ino growled. "Not you. Him," she said, her eyes targeted on Naruto. "Do you know where Sasuke-kun is Naruto? I haven't seen him. Sakura is freaking over him," she said.
Naruto sighed. "No. I'm worried about him as well," he said.
Ino flinched, she only realised how harsh her words were. She bent down and rested on her knees in front of Naruto. "Sorry, it's just that he's been missing. We're all worried about him. I just thought you would know where he is, since you guys are friends," she said.
The thought was funny to Naruto. If it was him a year ago, he would have laughed in the face of whoever said that he and Sasuke were friends. However, things change quickly, and they were friends now. Their friendship was built on improving each other's strengths. Becoming rivals to overcome their own individual challenges. It grew similar to a flower blossoming.
Naruto knew Sasuke was strong. He could feel it from the short moments of the fight he watched between the now detained Gaara and Sasuke. Someone with Sasuke's power couldn't have simply disappeaered from normal means unless he was against a Jōnin, and a strong one at that.
Naruto ran through his memories and remembered the last image of Sasuke that he saw. A scared expression of Sasuke with his curse mark out, against Shukaku of the desert. Naruto could relate, he was in the presence of two bijū and that scared all the life out of him.
"No, I have no idea where he is. But don't worry too much. Sasuke will come back to us, even if his whole body is broken, he'll come back," Naruto said with confidence.
Ino smiled softly at the words. "How can you be so sure?" she asked.
Naruto smiled himself. "I don't how to describe it. We've sparred daily, we've talked… occasionally, and we nearly died for each other. This whole thing won't stop him from coming back and getting stronger. Sasuke isn't like that," he said.
"I was wrong about you," Ino said.
Naruto narrowed his eyes on her. "What do you mean Ino?" he asked.
"Ah, just that you were some idiot and immature. But, you're actually a good guy. I don't know why Sakura complains about you a lot. You do have a good head on your shoulders," Ino said.
Naruto hummed. "I know. Thanks for the words. Us blondes have to stick together."
Ino laughed. "Yeah, you're right about that. But, Naruto, how come you never showed your strength in the academy or even with your fight with Kiba?" she asked.
Naruto scratched his chin. "I didn't need to. And with Kiba, there was something affecting me, so I couldn't have gone full power. Why do you ask Ino?"
Ino shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not going to lie. You were… amazing during your Chūnin exam finals. Like nothing I've ever seen before. You, Lee, Sasuke and Neji were all so far ahead of us, mostly me. I can't help but feel a little overwhelmed about it," she said.
Naruto could see that her confident persona was breaking. The recent fights made it clear as day that she was not in her best shape or mind. She slacked off on her training, she had no desire to improve.
"Are you going to change that?" Naruto asked. "You, Sakura, Hinata, Chōji and Tenten. You just need to do more work. Learn like I did. Train hard and sleep like a baby. Oh, and eat tonnes of food, that always helps!" Naruto advised.
"Having a strong older brother must help in your training," Ino said. "Asuma-sensei just smokes and says something like, 'great work guys'. I really need to give him a kick up the backside," she said.
Naruto giggled. "Nii-chan is busy a lot of the times. That's why whenever we do train together, I cherish every moment and put all my focus into it. I haven't trained with him for over a month," he said. "I really miss it. I just hope he didn't forget to water my plants when I was gone."
"Your plants? You have a garden!?" Ino asked. "You never said anything about that."
"We never talked really Ino. What do you expect?" Naruto asked.
Ino sighed. "And I said you were the idiot, funny. Anyway, Naruto, I would love to see it one day," she said. "You need to invite me to your house in the future."
Naruto waved his hand and brushed it off. "We'll see, we'll see," he said. 'I invite Neji to come sometime soon and now Ino wants to come over to my house, jeez…' he thought afterwards.
"I'll talk to you later Naruto," Ino said as she got up and walked back over to Sakura.
Naruto sighed a breath of relief. He then heard the light laugher of Shikamaru to his side. "What's so funny?" he asked.
"Nothing," Shikamaru said. "Nothing at all."
The genin stayed at the park and relaxed under the sun. Most were silent. It was a time to remember the good times.
"Naruto come on, we need to go somewhere."
Naruto turned his head to see his older brother with his hands in his pockets walking slowly towards him. "Nii-chan, what are you here for?" he asked.
Kotaro stretched his left shoulder and focused his eyes on Naruto. "We need to say goodbye to Mei and Haku-chan before they leave. They're at the Main gates waiting for us most likely. We shouldn't keep them," he said. "Say goodbye to Shikamaru, Chōji and your other friends if ya want."
Naruto stood up and dusted the freshly cut grass that stuck onto his rear and back. "I'll talk to you two sometime soon," Naruto said, looking between Shikamaru and Chōji.
"See you later."
"Bye Naruto."
The voices of Shikamaru and Chōji said. Naruto turned around and walked towards Kotaro. He heard murmurs from behind and looked back, his eyes went over to Hinata. Her body was in his direction. "You say something Hinata?" he asked.
Hinata yelped softly and covered her face in her hands. "No Naruto-kun," she stuttered nervously.
Naruto turned back to Kotaro and walked up to him. 'She really is a quiet girl,' he thought with a sigh.
Kotaro and Naruto move their way through the broken village. Signs of repair have already emerged; the clean-up has started. It would take weeks, if not months for everything to be fixed.
"It really is bad," Naruto commented. "Some of these houses look like they're going to collapse."
Kotaro agreed with a nod. "I know. It might be better to demolish the buildings and build from the ground up. But, the people will be without homes and they don't want that," he said.
"What can we do to help?" Naruto asked.
Kotaro pursed his lips and looked to the sky. "Do missions I suppose. The money we generate would go straight to the village repairs. Most of the ninja would be put to better use out on the field."
"A lot died, didn't they?" Naruto asked.
Kotaro nodded. "A lot did. I wouldn't be surprised if the other genin will have to do more missions that should be done by Chūnin. Our numbers really have dwindled. Iwa and Kumo really have become the two strongest hidden villages in the Mainland now. It would be good to stay on Kumo's good side," he said.
"What about Iwa? We have that girl, what will happen?" Naruto asked further.
Kotaro shrugged his shoulders. "Iwa said they have one of ours. We need to exchange with them and iron out a peace treaty. Hopefully we can get a bit more out of them since we have a full squad," he said.
Naruto groaned. "They have the better deal. They're the ones who attacked us," he said.
"I know. But we are in no shape to fight them head on. Konoha has become soft and passive. We need to change that if Iwa are going to be this aggressive," Kotaro said. "It's the only way. The strong survive, the weak perish."
"We better stop talking about this, I see Haku and Zabuza in the distance," Naruto said. "Who's the guy with blue hair?"
"That's Ao, don't say anything stupid around him," Kotaro said. "He complain about the younger generation then."
"Alright then!"
Kotaro and Naruto moved their way to the main gates. They received waves from both Mei and Haku. Ao and Zabuza nodded at the Uzumaki brothers and appeared stoic.
Kotaro scratched the back of his head once the two brothers stood with the Kiri group. "It's unfortunate that we have to say goodbye with what happened," he said. "It seems both of our villages have suffered a lot in the past year."
Mei smiled and nodded. "You're right Kotaro-kun. But, I'm sure it'll bring us together. Fire and water are polar opposites but now I can see us being the best of allies," she said. "Naruto-kun, you truly impressed me during your fights. If you ever want to come to Kirigakure and be one of my ninja, that's always an option."
"Not this routine again," Kotaro muttered under his breath.
Naruto lightly jabbed Kotaro's side and then puts on one of his biggest smiles. "Thanks. It's nice to know I have fans out there," he said with confidence.
"Kids these days don't know what they're talking about," Ao spat out. "Arrogance and cockiness are the perfect partners."
Mei's eyes darkened, and she then glared at Ao. "Ao… Shut up or I'll kill you," she threatened.
Ao flinched in fright. Mei was showing her vicious side.
"Crimson, blond brat. Good luck," Zabuza said. "This whole thing has been a shit fest for you and Konoha."
"Thank you Zabuza. You words are heart-warming as always," Kotaro said with a wry smile.
Haku walked up to Naruto and looked down to him. She was only taller than him by a few inches. "You have to come to Kirigakure Naruto. I want to show you around the village and our recovery," she said. "I'm also sorry for what happened but I know you can make the best of things here."
"Thanks, Haku," Naruto said. "Your words mean a lot."
Mei rested her hands on her hips and focused her eyes onto Kotaro. "When things calm down. Send me a personal message on what's going on. I don't exactly trust the late Hokage's associates. I can't put my finger on it, but regardless of that I know for a fact I can trust you two," Mei said. "Come on my lovely ninja, we have to go home."
Mei placed her Kage hat on top of her head, the kanji of water showed itself off. She started to walk backwards toward the main gate. Her subjects followed her slowly. "Don't you two forget that we are friends here. We will do more the next time when you are in trouble, I promise you that. Keep safe now."
"Alright, you four be safe as well," Kotaro said loudly, raising his chest high with a wry smile on his face. He and Naruto started to wave them off with heavy hands.
The Kiri group eventually disappeared as they started to walk quickly towards the east back to their home. The wind blew hard once they vanished from Kotaro and Naruto's sight.
"What's going to happen now Nii-chan?" Naruto asked.
Kotaro rested his chin on top of Naruto's head and hugged him from behind. "I don't know. Good or bad, something is going to happen. But, we'll get through it together as always, right?" he asked.
Naruto smiled and nodded. "Of course. That's how we do things around here!"
ROOT Headquarters
As the only one sitting, Shimura Danzō sat with his thoughts as he loyal ANBU soldiers all knelt in front of him. All were wearing porcelain masks of various creatures, there was very little difference between these ANBU and the Hokage's apart from their clothing.
"The time is coming soon. Konoha is at her worst state. The Great tree could collapse at any minute," Danzō said slowly, making sure that every word had meaning.
All his subjects listened intently. They did not dare to interrupt their leader.
"Hiruzen's reign is over and his beliefs shall not continue. If we, the true servants of Konoha want to be the strongest, we need to take over. There are still many that sway too much power in the politics that we will need to crush before I become the Hokage."
Danzō took a breath and strengthened his grip on his cane.
"The Nara, Yamanaka and Akimichi clans. Hatake Kakashi and finally the Uzumaki brothers. If we can dismantle the power that these figures supposedly hold. Konoha will surely look to me to be her ruler."
Danzō looked down to his soldiers. The men and women, the boys and girls that will make him and Konoha great again.
"You will die for my cause. We will aim for the most unstable of the mentioned before. The Uzumaki brothers. One is the Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi and the other has weak control of his anger and other emotions. They are simply too powerful to leave alone. I shall aim at them where they are at their weakest and make Konoha turn their backs on them. Destroying their reputations and making the trust between them and the clans weaker. Sai stay, disperse" Danzō said loudly at the end.
The large group disappeared leaving only one boy with a mask completely covering his face.
"Danzō-sama."
The boy, Sai, his voice was monotoned. There was no emotion behind it whatsoever. It was unnatural how natural it came off.
"You have a mission. You are to observe Uzumaki Naruto from a distance and note down his actions. Then you report back to me. This will be important for your future as well as mine," Danzō ordered.
Sai looked up to his master. "And not of the other Uzumaki?"
Danzō shook his head slowly. "No, that will be too dangerous. Despite his lack of emotional control, you will be caught if you attempted to gather hard information on that man. He is strong and smart. A dangerous combination. You most certainly will be caught and killed. Regardless, that man's weakness is the Jinchūriki. I will need as much information as I can get before the Konoha Courts begin. This is the start of the journey of I, Shimura Danzō, becoming the Hokage of Konoha."
~ 0 ~