Hello, everybody! This chapter was written rather quickly I'm proud of myself…:) Finally as I promised action begins…evil cliffhanger included, sorry, I just can't live without them…

I wanna say thank you to my beta-reader, Phillipa Engles, who corrected this chapter as great as usual! Thank you a lot!

Hikaru, ice isn't Umi's bloodline, it's just a jutsu invented by her. Orbs are their family's secret jutsu but it's also not a bloodline.

Spellcaster Hikaru, The name Nami isn't from One peace, I watched just a few episodes of this anime and don't remember names from it. I picked the names Nami, Umi, Taki from Japanese dictionary – I thought 'hey, they are from hidden mist…so the names can be connected with water.'

Well, that's all for today. Everybody, thank you for your reviews, I really appreciate it and do my best not to disappoint you. I hope you'll like this chapter and write some more reviews for me! Till the next time!

Chapter 10. Lies and truths.

"This is really easy," Nami put her hands into an unfamiliar gesture. "Then…try it!"

"Something like this?" Naruto copied her hand movements rather clumsily.

"No, stop," she ordered. "Almost like that, but this one is different." She repeated the move.

Naruto obeyed, his face full of concentration.

Arashi, who had just woke up watched with amusement as the red haired amazon tryed to teach his son the basic hidden mist technique.

"That's great!" Naruto shouted as the water started to come closer to him, obeying his jutsu.

"You are a talented boy," she slapped his shoulder. "You catch on rather quickly."

"Hi, Arashi," her tone became so cold in an instant when she addressed to blond hokage that Naruto shuddered.

"Ohayou," he greeted her back because she didn't even turn to him.

Arashi came closer. He had left his forehead protector and removed all the hidden leaf signs from his clothes again. Now he looked like a common villager. His gaze stopped on Naruto, examining the boy attentively.

"How are you feeling, Naruto?" he asked finaly.

"I'm…better… thank you," the blond boy answered, uneasily eyeing him and Nami.

An awkward atmosphere hung around the three.

"Oh… ok," Arashi scratched his head not really knowing what to say next. "I'll go then," and he turned back to the house.

"Arashi!" he heard Nami calling his name and turned around.

"Yes?" he asked.

"How about trying a fight?" she said gripping her kunai. "The rules are simple – no using jutsus that could attract attention from outside. What do you think?"

The answer "no" was already on Yondaime's lips but at the same moment he caught a wild interest in Naruto's eyes. He knew – his son would never say it aloud but he really wanted to see this fight. So he couldn't refuse. Arashi felt a grin forming on his face.

"I accept the offer," he nodded.

Nami didn't give him a chance to prepare himself. She stroke violently as if killing him was her real purpose. He blocked the strike at the last moment.

"What's the matter, Arashi?" she smiled at him after exchanging a few strikes. "Are you going easy on me?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," he answered blocking another strike.

"That's good," she stopped for a moment. "'Cause the moment you do, I'll kill you. Binshou mizu! (quick water)" and the water from the nearest wave tried to catch Arashi's leg. Only his speed saved him.

She chuckled, adding chakra and another water hand tried to catch him from the opposite side. Arashi jumped only to face another hand. In a few moments he found himself surrounded by a ring of water hands. And the ring became smaller with every second.

Now he had to act or he would lose and Yondaime really hated losing.

"Suiton: Suijinheki!" he raised his hand and the claws of water met a strong wall of water, not giving them any chance to catch him.

"Very well," Nami smiled. "So you know the basics. It's more interesting than I thought. Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!"

"Kage bunshin no jutsu!" Arashi made a move Naruto knew all too well and a bunch of blond hokages rushed to the army of red haired women ready to fight.

Nami watched the scene for a moment and then with a gesture of her hand called a wave that destroyed the battlefield. Now only three figures stood at the beach again.

A lone sweat droplet fell onto the ground. Nami didn't show it but the fight wasn't a piece of cake for her. Arashi on the other hand didn't look tired at all.

"Why don't you attack me?" the amazon shouted, again gathering a wave behind her. "Are you afraid of revealing your techniques to me, hokage?"

Blue eyes met hers and Arashi said in a low voice. "The point of this fight is not training, is it, Nami? You still blame me that she's dead and I'm here, alive."

"Damn you," Nami cursed aiming the wave to destroy him. "I hate you!"

"Then we have something in common," Arashi's lips moved almost soundlessly so only she could hear the voice. "I hate myself for my lack of power to save her."

Nami shuddered at these words as if he had kicked her and a wave began to grow above their heads. It looked like a loss of chakra control for a moment had caused this. But Arashi was ready. His fingers made quick movements and then the water turned into a big, beautiful ice statue.

Nami stared at it in disbelief and let Arashi move her into a safer place Naruto speechlessly following them – he was still under the effect of witnessing the fight.

Somewhere behind their backs the ice began cracking and a second later the wave returned to the sea hiding all reminders of the fight.

"So…she taught you that technique," Nami smiled sadly. "She never taught me that, not after all the times I asked her, dammit!"

Arashi nodded absently.

"You are really a genius as they say," she gave him a real smile finally. If I didn't know you I would think you were a hidden mist shinobi, I swear!"

"So…" Arashi hesitantly looked at her, "Peace?"

"Peace," she nodded and went to the house.

"Whom were you talking about?" Naruto asked facing Yondaime. "Was she talking about the same person who could bring peace between our villages and whose death she can't forgive you for?"

Arashi's expression became distant. He sat on the sand looking somewhere past the waves. Naruto did the same. They sat for a few moments in this way just enjoying the wind's touch on their faces and listening to the sea.

"Yes," finally Yondaime broke the silence. "The person…we were talking about…her cousin," he inhaled deeply and continued. "My wife…"

Naruto stared at him with wide eyes. The question, "How can that be?" was clear in them.

"And hidden mist's mizukage," Arashi finished and continued looking away.

"Mizukage," Naruto repeated in surprise. "It it possible for a hokage to love a mizukage?" then he suddenly realized he was saying it aloud. "Ah, sorry!" he blushed, trying to apologize.

"That's ok," Arashi chuckled. These words took him somewhere into the stream of memories. He closed his eyes for a moment remembering….

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FLASHBACK

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They were walking along the seashore, it looked endless. Arashi thought it would be great to stop this moment – it felt like only the two of them existed in the universe walking towards the setting sun, watching waves lazily coming toward their shoes.

"Taki is such a noisy kid, don't you think so?" Umi broke the silence turning to him.

Arashi chuckled.

"Maybe a little," he nodded. "But he is young ,there's nothing unnatural in that."

"You are talking like you are hundred years man," Umi laughed as she heard Arashi growling at her replica and then continued. "Or you just think it's better for us to just watch them? To live a life without," her look became deeper. "Any emotion? Hate, happiness, love…"

Arashi felt himself beginning to blush. He lowered his head to stop it.

"No," he finally answered. "We must feel. Otherwise we won't be able to understand our people, will we?"

"That's true," she nodded.

"What do you think," a sudden question rushed out of his mouth before he could stop it. "What if someone from another hidden village fell in love with someone from your village what would you do?"

"I…" Umi slowly began to turn in the opposite direction, a blush all over her face. "I would just tell them to do everything to be together no matter what….because… it's the most important thing!"

"I see," Arashi nodded his eyes locked at the setting sun.

"What about you?" Umi's question caught him by surprise.

He turned to her, lost in shining blue eyes that seemed to be brighter that sun itself to him, completely lost to the world. Only him and her existed at this moment.

"Sister!" he heard the familiar annoying voice and suppressed the growl.

Taki ran to them at a crazy speed.

"What's up, brother?" Umi turned to him, amusement on her face.

"They announced the list of the chuunins who are ready for the jounin exam!" he shouted. "I'm in the list, sister, I'm on the list!"

Umi's smile became wider. She squeezed his shoulders in a tight embrace.

"That's great!" she shouted. "I'm so proud of you, Taki!"

"But there are so many strong shinobies on the list," black haired teenager sighed. "I would never be able to defeat them."

"And it's completely restricted for mizukage to help with preparations for the exams. Damn rules!" Umi cursed and then stopped, a smile spreading all over her face again. "Looks like I know what to do," she turned to Arashi and the look in her eyes didn't promise him anything good. "The rules say nothing about outsiders."

"No!" Arashi panicked crossing his hands. "I refuse! I don't think it's a good idea!"

"Arashi, please!" he just couldn't resist her pleading look and gave up a moment later.

"Ok," he nodded. "I'll help you."

"Then everything is decided!" she shouted and slapped Taki's back. "Look, kiddo, you'll be taught by the best of the hidden leaf!"

Taki's look was more skeptical.

"He doesn't look like he's the best," he snorted pointing at Arashi's broken hand.

"Teme…" Arashi growled again.

"Boys, be nice," Umi embraced both of them by their shoulders and the tension disappeared in a moment.

"Taki," she turned to her brother. "You will listen to everything Arashi says. Otherwise," her look became frightening. "I'll punish you."

"Y..yes," Taki shouted in complete terror.

Arashi just stood and was happy that that death look wasn't meant for him. Umi could look deadly serious when she wanted to.

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"Blondaime," he heard the familiar voice and returned back to the beach near the Nami's house.

"Oh, sorry," he quickly answered. "I just got lost in thought for a moment. Did you ask something?"

"Yes," Naruto nodded. "Actually I did three times now. Could she really stop the war as Nami says?"

"Yes," Arashi smiled. "You would like her…I have never seen such a strong spirit in my life! She did everything to protect her village."

"I met hidden mist shinobies before," Naruto said. "They were strong but they were completely different from what we were so I wondered what was the hidden mist village was like, what makes them so different? But then I met Nami and she doesn't look so…cruel."

"They have different laws," Arashi said. "They are different in many ways, that's true. But not all of them."

"That's good," Naruto nodded. "So maybe there's still a chance for us to be in peace…again? When I become hokage I'll definitely make a peace agreement, I promise!"

"That's a huge promise," Arashi laughed then looked at Naruto's broken leg and shook his head in a sudden realization that they were so much alike after all.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing," Arashi turned his head from him.

"No, you have something on your mind, tell me!" Naruto shouted.

"Really nothing," Arashi smiled again. "Just try not to get hurt anymore, OK? Scars don't suit the future Hokage."

"O-ok," Naruto sat again uncertain look on his face. His heart pounded like crazy. It just…couldn't be. How many times had he had that dream? How could Yondaime repeat those exact words? He closed his eyes for a moment remembering the dream…feelings…his rushing to the house where his non-existand parents lived…and those voices. The ones he had always wanted to hear in reality. The voice of his father.

Scars don't suit the future Hokage.

Was it just tricks of his mind or was his voice and the voice of Yondaime, intonation, everything the same? He felt the wave of emotions overwhelming him and squeezed his fists trying to put them under control. But it was impossible, just as if he was in the way of a tsunami.

"Naruto, are you ok? You look pale," Arashi asked, worried.

Naruto slowly turned to him and shuddered as if he saw him for the first time. Why he hadn't he noticed it before? Blond hair, completely the same color he had, blue eyes that stared now at him…was it only a coincidence? Scenes of the past quickly stood in his mind. Foolish jokes that Tsunade-baachan hated so much, the same jutsus they used, the same love of ramen…

"No, it can't be," he told to himself trying to gather the remains of his powers and stop the panic. "He would tell me," he caught the thought like a straw trying to find a way to explain everything. "He would definitely have told me the truth," Naruto thought. "Maybe I should ask him?" the sudden thought came into his mind and then Naruto realized one more thing – no force in the world would make him say these words.

"..Um…Blondaime…are you my father?" Naruto imagined himself asking this and felt really uncomfortable. It was such a foolish question!

Blond boy exhaled in despair. He definitely needed time to think about it. He stood up.

"Naruto?" Arashi asked again.

"Everything is alright," Naruto forced himself to smile. "I'll just walk for awhile, ok?"

Arashi concentrated his chakra trying to detect any genjutsu around his son. There was nothing. But why had his mood changed in such a way? Did he do something wrong?

Something in him said it was a bad idea to live the boy alone. The other part insisted Naruto wouldn't like it if he tried to stop him.

"Ok," Arashi finally nodded.

Naruto stood up and slowly walked along the seashore. Thanks to kyuubi's regeneration his leg was almost completely healed and he could step on it slowly and he didn't use a stick. It felt good.

"Could it be real?" he continued thinking wile his legs moved him farther and farther from Nami's house.

He hated Yondaime at the beginning with all his heart but times changed and the hate went away and was replaced with what? Naruto remembered the times they sat together talking. It felt like…well, he didn't know what family was like but maybe it was something like that? Anyway, he admitted to himself, he didn't hate the idea of Yondaime being his father.

"To be the son of hokage…But again…if even for a moment I suppose it's the truth then why didn't the others tell him? The 3rd, Tsunade-baachan, Kakashi. Nobody. What was the reason?"

"No," Naruto shook his head. "It's not true. Even if I wanted to…wished it with all my heart it's not the truth. I can't live in a world of illusions. My parents are dead and they will stay dead whatever I do."

He didn't look where he was going to and when he suddenly looked up he found himself near a little house hidden behind the rocks and trees.

"Is somebody living here?" Naruto wondered, his thoughts about his parents beginning to leave him and almost like an answer to his thought a figure appeared at the doorstep.

"Uzumaki Naruto, I'm so glad to see you in person after all these years," strong male voice said.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked cautiously not knowing what to expect – an attack or a friendly greeting. He moved a little closer trying to see his opponent's face.

The person smiled, took a step closer too and spoke the words that completely kicked the ground from under Naruto's feet.

"I am your father."