Naruto found his way to the swing outside of the Academy. It was strange how he always seemed to find this place when he was desperate to escape the stress of his isolation or some other turmoil. Naruto had thought failing the Genin exam for the second time was the worst experience of his life. He knew now that the Genin exam was nothing compared to Namikaze's memories or his counterpart's latest revelation.
Namikaze had been teaching Naruto the Shadow Clone technique earlier this morning. Naruto was at first shocked that Namikaze would teach him a skill that, Naruto thought, they were both terrible at. The younger Uzumaki Naruto's shock quadrupled when Namikaze revealed Shadow Clones were his trademark technique. It had taken Naruto four hours to learn the basics of the technique. Naruto felt his excitement building with each step forward. Naruto wanted to see how many clones he could fit into the abandoned basement of his apartment complex. He filled the basement with nearly one hundred and fifty clones. Naruto had burned a decent amount of chakra fueling the jutsu, but he had instantly received an influx of chakra.
From Namikaze.
The infusion had not been voluntary or simply chakra. Memories, horrible memories, flooded Naruto's mind.
"When a person has something important to protect, that is when they can truly become strong."
"He was a boy as pure as snow."
Naruto had screamed for Namikaze to explain. There was a part of Naruto that dreaded whatever answer Namikaze would give him. That part of his mind was validated. Namikaze revealed to Naruto that the memories were of Namikaze's first C-Rank mission that rapidly escalated into an A-Rank against Momochi Zabuza, Yuki Haku and the Demon Brothers. Namikaze spoke of how he considered Haku and Zabuza his friends even though they had been enemies. He spoke of how their sacrifice shaped his personal beliefs. Shinobi were not emotionless tools. Shinobi are human beings with a great power and responsibility.
"Are they going to die this time?" Naruto had asked in a small voice.
Namikaze had responded with a firm, passionate no. Naruto's future counterpart's conviction eased the pain of the memories of the never were. The second revelation shook him even deeper. Namikaze revealed the reason for the memory transfer. In a year's time, Naruto and Namikaze would cease to be separate beings. They would merge into one person. Namikaze had been clear that Naruto would be the one to 'remain'.
But was that true?
The shock of the memory transfer and the eventual merger was too much. Naruto simply left the apartment. Would Naruto still be 'Naruto' or would he be Namikaze or perhaps something else entirely?
Naruto took a deep breath and looked out towards Konoha. "I'm not going to accomplish anything sitting on the swing."
The boy got up and walked into town. Naruto was paying a lot more attention than usual to his surroundings. Off to his left, the Usurer's Guild was repossessing a man's home. At his right, a couple of thugs were gambling in an alley. Naruto hated what he saw. He also hated that Namikaze was right. There was so much good in Konoha, but there was an equal amount of misery.
Naruto returned to his apartment and found Namikaze sitting on the couch. Namikaze looked up with the eyes that were not his. "I wish there was another way."
"So do I." Naruto sat next to the vision of his broken future. "You said I should hide my abilities."
"I did. When we make our move, it will need to be fast and unseen. The powerful wish to keep Konoha as it is."
"I understand. When will you be leaving?" Naruto asked.
"Soon. No more than two days." Namikaze confessed.
Naruto nodded. I'm not sure I should be disappointed or thrilled that he's leaving so soon. "What are you going to be doing?"
"Getting help for our goals." Namikaze said simply.
Naruto stood up and stretched. "Haku and Zabuza?"
"They'll definitely be helping us.
"I want to meet them. I like Haku's idea about becoming strong when you protect people. There's nothing like that in the ninja rules." Naruto smiled.
"That's because the ninja rules are designed to put the mission above people." Namikaze sank into the couch.
Naruto felt his smile vanish. "Well, that's bullshit."
Namikaze laughed. It was interesting seeing what he was like from the outside. I have to say, I really like myself. "Damn right it is!"
"I'm going to go to Ichiraku's and then work on my Chakra Control Exercises. Want to come?" Naruto asked.
"I love that place, but no thanks. I need to keep a low profile." The pain in Namikaze's voice was evident. He was denying himself ramen.
"Well, I'll see you later!" Naruto grabbed a kunai and rushed through the door.
Namikaze sighed and reached behind the couch cushion. He pulled out Nagato-nii-san's scroll and began reading again. It was hard to believe that 'Tobi' was actually Madara Uchiha. Naruto had found it hard to believe for a moment. Then a few pieces fell into place. First, his interest in Sasuke and Itachi had a different edge to it than any Naruto had ever seen. Namikaze Naruto remembered the tone of voice he had taken after Zetsu had reported that Itachi and Sasuke had been found. Second, Kakashi-sensei had sworn he saw that Tobi had a Sharingan Eye. Namikaze considered Kakashi-sensei one of the few people Naruto could trust. Tobi had also been able to predict all their attacks. Namikaze had fought and trained against the Sharingan enough to recognize its abilities.
Finally, Namikaze had traveled through time. If that was possible, were immortality or an extended youth and vitality that hard to believe? Tsunade and Ero-sennin were old and still incredibly powerful. It wasn't too much of a stretch that Madara could remain strong even when pushing a century.
Namikaze knew that regardless of the true nature of Madara that the ancient Uchiha had to be stopped.
The short break between the Academy Terms had finally ended. Naruto had spent the days training with Namikaze in the use of Shadow Clones and on chakra control. It still annoyed Naruto that he couldn't show off his new abilities, but the thought of having ANBU asking numerous uncomfortable questions wasn't appealing at all.
"Think of this as the greatest prank in history." Namikaze had said. Naruto had to admit that part of him liked the idea.
Naruto shook off the memory and entered the classroom. He was a few minutes early. Truthfully, he was seeking the normalcy of the Academy after the upheaval Namikaze's arrival had caused.
This is also a chance to find the mystery girl. Naruto thought with a touch of sadness. He suspected that it wasn't Sakura-chan. If it was, Namikaze would have said something. Sakura-chan was obvious, so Naruto wouldn't have to 'look underneath the underneath'. Naruto sighed because he didn't have a clue about many of the girls in his class. Almost all of them chased after Sasuke. The blond felt a flash of anger. Why did they chase after Sasuke? He would never acknowledge any of them! Sasuke never complimented any of the girls when they wore something pretty or thanked them for trying to do something nice. Naruto complimented them and tried to be nice all the time! What did Sasuke do to deserve confirmation of his existence like that?
Getting angry won't help. Naruto closed his eyes and emulated Namikaze's meditation exercises. It shocked Naruto how well a simple breathing exercised helped.
He looked around the room. Mizuki-sensei and Iruka-sensei were talking in front of the room. Shikamaru and Chōji were in their usual spots in the middle row. Shino was looking out the window. The only other people in the room were a couple of civilian-born students whose names Naruto couldn't remember. Naruto leaned back against the wall. A moment later, Sasuke entered and passed Naruto without a glance. Ino and Sakura burst through arguing about who was first.
"What are you doing here Naruto? Didn't you fail?" Sakura practically grunted.
"Do you really think I'll ever give up?" Naruto was hurt by the tone. Sakura and Ino just walked on to fight over who would sit next to Sasuke. A second knot of kunoichi students entered the room and migrated to the side Sasuke was sitting on. The final girl to enter was the very quiet Hinata.
She's the only girl that doesn't go googley-eyed whenever Sasuke does something. Might as well. Naruto thought.
"Mind if I sit here?" Naruto asked.
Hinata's eyes went wide and she nodded. "I… I don't mind!"
"Thanks." Naruto sat down and scanned the room. Namikaze had drilled the need to be more observant into Naruto.
Namikaze had also confused the hell out of Naruto. The future Uzumaki had spoken at length about how a betrayal had forced Namikaze to return to the past. In the next breath, he had spoken about the importance of trusting one's friends. Naruto wasn't the smartest shinobi in Konoha, but he knew that betrayal implied that a bond of trust had been broken. Everything Namikaze had spoken of either confused Naruto or shattered his worldview.
Only Namikaze's steadfast declaration that the mystery girl, Iruka-sensei and a handful of others Naruto had yet to meet accepted and loved him unconditionally kept him moving forward. At night, Naruto had recalled more of his conversation with Haku. Not being needed by anyone, the pain of simply living.
"Is… is something wrong, Naruto-kun?" Hinata's sudden words shook Naruto out of his reverie.
"I'm ok. I've just had… trouble sleeping. It's been a rough couple of days, but I'll bounce back and be better than ever!" Naruto poured every ounce of bravado he could into his words.
Now if someone acknowledged you from the bottom of their heart, wouldn't that someone become the most important person to you?
"Oh… ok, Naruto-kun. If… you need someone… someone to talk about it with…" Hinata was blushing furiously and it took every bit of her will to keep talking.
"Thank you, Hinata!" Naruto beamed while internally cursing. Damn you Namikaze.
Hinata was working on her Jūken forms in Training Ground Seven after class. Normally, Hinata trained after class so she would have a legitimate and acceptable reason for coming home so late. Today, Hinata was training to work out the nervous energy she had built up.
"Naruto-kun." She still had trouble believing he had spoken to her today. Hinata was ecstatic that the person she admired most in the world had acknowledged her. It even looked like Naruto was moving on from Sakura. Maybe, just maybe. Hinata thought hopefully. The hope was quickly squashed beneath a pang of guilt.
I shouldn't base my happiness on this… Naruto-kun seemed so hurt today.
The momentary doubt caused her form to slip. Hinata sighed as she righted her stance.
"You shouldn't hesitate. You are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for, Hyūga Hinata."
Hinata yelped at the sudden arrival. She activated her Byakugan as she turned to face the source of the voice. A young man wearing nondescript clothing stood several feet away. His stance was casual and Hinata's Byakugan did not detect any weapons.
"W… who are you?" Why do you have the same seal as Naruto-kun?
"Namikaze." Hinata was caught off guard by the softness in the man's tone. She wasn't sure if she should feel pity for or nervous around Namikaze. There was a hint of longing in his tone that was a bit unnerving.
"What, what do you w… want?" The Hyūga heiress fought to keep the unease she felt from coloring her voice.
"To tell you the basis behind Genin team selections." Namikaze answered with a casual shrug. Hinata squeaked out a 'what' and Namikaze continued. "The Rookie of the Year, the top ranked Kunoichi and the dead last are all placed on the same team."
"Why tell me this?" Hinata felt the unease being pushed aside by hope.
"I want to ensure Naruto has at least one teammate who cares about him. I'm also sure Hiashi-sama would view you finishing as the number one kunoichi favorably."
"Would I really be on a team with Naruto-kun?" The Hyūga pressed.
"The teams have always been arranged that way. The Nidaime Hokage ordered the arrangement and the Sandaime and the Yondaime continued the tradition." Namikaze smiled inside his hood.
"Y… you are doing this for Naruto-kun. W… what is he to you?" Hinata asked after a moment of contemplation.
"He is my past and my future." Namikaze said before turning and walking away.
Hinata focused her Dojutsu on the mysterious man's retreating form. "Thank you."
Namikaze came to a halt and whispered Byakugan. "No one else is around, Captain Yamato."
The ANBU captain emerged from his concealment. "I hope that approaching Hinata-san means you have reconsidered your plan."
"I am doing what needs to be done. The roots of Konoha are rotten. Most of the Clans, Danzō, the Guilds… they have abandoned the Will of Fire. I cannot allow such an infection to persist."
Yamato knew how much Naruto was hurting. "Naruto, I can't imagine what you are going through. But you are moving too fast. Your emotional wounds haven't healed yet."
"I don't think they'll ever heal, Captain Yamato! We only had six hours. I lost the one person, not just the one woman; the one person who ever told me that they loved me less than six hours after she told me. And we weren't even together for most of that time!"
The ANBU sighed. "Naruto, all I'm asking is that you take some time and objectively think about what you are talking about."
"I'll take some time. I'm leaving Konoha soon. Could you keep an eye on Naruto for me?" Namikaze spoke with a weariness Yamato never thought he would hear.
"That's all I ask and I promise." Yamato disappeared with a body flicker and Namikaze made his way back to the apartment.
Namikaze found Naruto working on his homework. The time traveler grunted in amusement. Since when do I actually complete my homework?
"Is that homework?" Namikaze didn't even bother hiding the humor in his voice.
Naruto kept working. "It's a partner assignment. If I hadn't been teamed up with Hinata, I'd probably just skip this and go train."
"It's good you're thinking of your friends." Namikaze smiled and sat on the bed.
"I don't know if Hinata is a friend yet. I haven't really talked to her all that much. She was nice, but kinda weird. I mean she would just randomly look away and get red. But hey, she doesn't chase after Sasuke so she's got to be smart."
"Well, I think you should give her a chance." Namikaze said softly. "I came to say goodbye."
"So, you're really leaving." Naruto put down his pencil and finally looked up.
"I am. This will be the last time we will see each other as separate beings." Namikaze confessed.
"This still freaks me out." The child gulped. "I mean, who will we be? Me or you?"
Namikaze could understand his fears. "You will be you. I'll fade away. Everything I ever experienced will become new memories." He paused. "Think of it like remembering a dream."
"How can you be so calm? Namikaze, you're going to cease to exist!" Naruto shouted.
"Naruto, I lost everything. All my friends…" Namikaze's voice broke. "The woman who loved me… They were all killed. If I can help you prevent that…"
"It wasn't Sakura-chan was it?" Naruto knew what the answer would be. It was another hope Namikaze would dash.
"Not in the way you are thinking of. Sakura was the sister we never had." Namikaze tried his best to soften the blow.
"Oh." Naruto looked up. "But I had friends?"
"You will have many friends. If things work out, we won't lose any of them this time." Namikaze spoke with earnest confidence. Confidence Naruto did not share.
"That's good." Naruto said before sighing and turning back to his homework.
"I just hope you don't cause Iruka-sensei to have a heart attack when you turn in that assignment." Namikaze smiled.
"Do I really have to keep everything a secret? I mean my awesome skills." Naruto suddenly asked.
"Yes, it'll keep us safe from our enemies. And Academy grades don't matter in the long term. Want to hear who else was 'Dead Last' in their class?"
Naruto kept writing. "Sure."
"Jiraiya of the Sanin."
"No way! There was no way a Sanin could be 'Dead Last'." Naruto blurted out in astonishment.
"He was and look at what he accomplished. He trained the Fourth Hokage, was one of the Legendary Three Ninja and is widely respected as one of the most powerful ninja in the entire world." Namikaze bit his lip when he caught his mistake. Jiraiya is still alive. I can't believe I let that slip! Damn, I miss you Ero-Sennin.
"Cool! If he can become that awesome and be Dead Last, then I can do even more awesome things!" Naruto jumped up and pumped his fist. Namikaze fought the urge to release the breath he had been holding.
"Never stop believing in yourself."Namikaze said warmly as he rose from the bed. "Good luck, Naruto."
"You too."
Naruto sighed in relief after Namikaze left. The young Uzumaki constantly worried about absorbing more of Namikaze's memories before he was ready. Naruto needed to have some time and distance from his counterpart. Namikaze had forced Naruto to confront the ugly reality that hid behind the good of Konoha.
Or is the ugliness hiding the good? Naruto thought as he finished the last bit of the homework. He shook off the overwhelming confusion and doubt.
"I need to see the truth for myself." The blond said with determination. He put his homework assignment into his backpack. Naruto walked over to where he saw Namikaze stash the folder from 'Sai'.
There was a note that read: I took the files with me. I'll need them to convince several of our allies.
Naruto grumbled at his future self a bit. "I guess I'll just have to check the orphanage."
The boy was not looking forward to heading back to that place. Naruto had always understood that the 'caretakers' never felt comfortable around him. Now, he finally knew why. The Fox. It also explained why the neglect he experienced at the orphanage transcended the purely emotional and social into physical neglect. It was so soon after the Nine Tail's attack. The pain everyone experienced was still raw and fresh.
Unless I find a way to time travel like Namikaze, I can't change that. Naruto sighed. Better get moving.
Naruto left through his window and leapt from building to building. He decided to approach the orphanage without leaping to minimize the attention he would draw to himself. Naruto remembered from the ROOT report that an 'acquisition' would be made tonight.
If Namikaze knew I remembered the date on the report he would have freaked. Naruto remained silent. He knew the only reason he remembered the date was because the horror of the report had seared the details into his mind. Naruto crept to the edge of the building and peered over the edge.
A pair of masked ninja was talking with the orphanage headmaster. Naruto trembled with fear and anger at the huddling mass of children. How could the ninja be so calm knowing most of the orphans wouldn't survive? Stay calm…
"Here is the money. I trust there will be no leaks about our agreement." One of the agents spoke in a dulled tone.
The headmaster accepted the money and grunted. "No need to threaten me." The hateful old man turned and reentered the orphanage.
Maeda-san wouldn't have let that happen. Naruto frowned as he remembered the one caretaker that was kind of nice to him.
"The roof." Naruto froze in place. The voice was so calm and the serenity in the tone scared Naruto more than any amount of raving could have.
"The container." Naruto turned and faced the newly arrived masked ninja. "How fortuitous. You will, of course, be coming with us."
Author's Notes: It's a bit shorter than originally planned, but the Cliffhanger was just too good to pass up.
And I would like to sincerely thank everyone for the response to this story! I've never had a story wrack up so many hits, alerts, C2s and favorites this quickly. Not even Chains of the Kindred (which isn't dead) and The Hyūga's Hound had such response when I first posted them! Again, thank you!
Please review! You guys rock all kind of hardcore.