"Now that all the manual work is done…" Kakashi wiped the blood off his fingers.
"Where is he going to go?"
Sasuke was still knocked out, and lying in a corner with two guarding wolves.
"Mrs. Kiba?" Iruka turned to the woman who had two marks on her face.
"I could adopt him." She responded.
"These people… died horribly." Another man said quietly, looking around at the blood stained room.
"Insect-maniac, of course they did." Yet another dark-haired man with startling green eyes went. "Are you going to adopt him, then?"
"No. Our bugs won't accept anyone that is not of our family blood."
"… Then how about you?" Kakashi asked, patting his hands. "You have a daughter named Sakura, don't you?"
The man's green eyes lit up even brighter at the sound of his daughter's name. "My wife's with her right now… We have to accompany her as much as possible… In the future…" He looked down at the ground. "In the future… We won't have the chance to." He took a deep breath. "Anyway, I could adopt that kid if no one else wants... Ah"—His voice trailed off and continued again. "Sakura needs someone to play with her. My poor baby is all alone…The only child… She's lonely…" He clasped his hands together and his eyes started to burn with passion for his one and only daughter.
SILENCE
Everyone in the room sweatdropped and hurriedly started to pretend that they were doing something.
-
Naruto sat down, his eyes blank.
"Iruka…" He said dully. Iruka was the only person that he was close to, and the name that he muttered the most often.
The sky had turned suddenly dark over a span of twenty minutes. Rain was coming. And then it did. The blonde kid stared at up the drizzle, then the downpour. And yet he stayed put, not going for shelter or bothering to cover himself up to avoid being drenched.
"The First." A voice whispered. Naruto turned, his eyes still a dull blue.
A figure stood amidst the grayish scenery. Very nice combination of colors. Black and gray. Doom and gloom.
He smelled of blood.
"Come with me, child." He said, his red eyes flashing, and with a rather soft-looking, feminine hand extended.
"Who are you?"
Red eyes flashed again and turned black. Normal, humane looking eyes.
"My name is Itachi."
-
He stopped, panting. He found someone!
There, sitting in a corner, with arms wide open and smiling.
He ran into the person's embrace and closed his eyes.
It was warm and nice.
Warmth began to overwhelm him.
"Someone… What is your name?"
-
"NARUTO! GET AWAY FROM HIM!"
Naruto spun around, his eyes wide. Iruka was there, holding his chest and panting for all he was worth. It was still raining, so his figure was rather blurred.
But it was Iruka, no less. The hunters had sensed the ex-hunter's presence and took off from the bloody scene.
Kakashi soon arrived, with Sasuke in his arms. "Murderer." He muttered in disgust, and threw an explosive stake at Itachi.
Itachi ducked it easily, his black eyes turning back into red.
"You went to the house, huh…" He said softly, patting his blood-stained cloak.
"How could you do this to your own brother?" Sakura's father yelled, coming into view as well. He skidded to a halt and ran towards Naruto, who was apparently stoned in his position.
Itachi ran—glided as well. And then there was a scream.
"ITACHI!"
Sasuke was awake, and pushed Kakashi's arms away, landing on the slippery floor with a thud. He got up shakily, raindrops mingling with the fresh tears and hatred that now appeared on his face.
There was a flash of red.
In a few seconds, Naruto was being gripped up with a terrible force, Sakura's father and Sasuke thrown aback, and the flying of numerous stakes that caught Itachi on the side of his face.
Iruka dashed forward.
"WAIT, IRUKA!" Kakashi yelled, running after the other hunter.
"NARUTO!" Iruka, ignoring Kakashi's yells, and raised a silver gun.
"You're using the gun, now?" Itachi said in amusement, Naruto still in his left arm.
There were three shots.
Naruto screamed.
An orange swirl formed, knocking both Itachi and Iruka away.
"Quit it." The boy growled, glowing orange, and his canine teeth growing sharp. Rain was even being blown away as well, and blonde hair stood up straight on spikes.
There was no touch of blue, or whatever Naruto once was.
"…The First." Itachi said, glaring. He was shocked, though. This plan has gone wary.
Kakashi threw the yet-again unconscious Sasuke to Sakura's father and went after the clan murderer. No time to marvel at the orange-filled sight of the First.
"That seal is strong, and it won't break. It's just leaking." He yelled before going.
Naruto's eyes narrowed as orange consumed him, and let off an energy blast before anyone could do anything.
-
There was no answer to his question. He repeated his question again.
Still no answer.
He stopped, fear suddenly flooding him, and pushed the someone away.
"Why am I warming up to a stranger?" He questioned. "This is wrong. This is something entirely new."
"I don't want to be alone. But…"
He backed away.
"How do I know that you'll not harm me?"
There was a sudden loud noise that came out of nowhere. And he was standing in the darkness once again. Everything had disappeared.
"I am being stupid, not trusting anyone." He said to himself. "But maybe I should be alone instead."
"I am scared of being worried. I am scared of being hurt."
He turned away.
"I'd rather be alone."
-
Naruto awoke to see silver eyes looming before him, and jumped.
"Where am I?" He asked hastily, turning. "Where's…Iru…"
A sudden pain smeared through his head. "Wait. Iruka…That name…"
"Who's Iruka?"
He turned to the boy beside him. "Who are you?"
The boy smiled sadly. "Hello. I'm Neji."
-
"Is that really okay?"
"He needs to be with his own kind." Kakashi said tonelessly, looking at the tombstone before him.
Sakura's father turned to the gray stone, biting his lip and wincing at the pain at his bandaged arm. "That energy blast sure was a big one."
"It's raining again." Kakashi said suddenly, touching the new tombstone. "Naruto will be fine."
Sakura's father stood quietly as the other man started to break down.
"Iruka…"
-
Author: Ah, if you're confused… I didn't make the scene very direct--(Okay, fine, I'm such a lousy writer…) But readers should understand what is happening…in this chapter anyway… AHH! (Hit by a cooking pan) I'm sorry! Exams are over and my brain is already fried! (Runs away screaming)
Uh… anyway. The next chapter will be posted up soon. I'm glad to have finished writing all these darn flashbacks. (Sweatdrops) Oops…