Sorry. I rushed it because the internet turns off at 8:00.
Thanks everyone that added this story on alerts, or me on author alerts. I'm surprised at how many people put this story to their alerts, so thank you everyone! Also, Thank you everyone who helped me with the Japanese translations! Thank you harryetty for reviewing and stating my mistakes. I'll try and patch them up quickly. I know I made some serious mistakes in this chapter and the chapters before, so I will try to clean them up as best as I can. Sorry for the confusion.
Oh, and also Naruto takes notes by drawing pictures of what is being said. I know most of the stuff he learns he will have to memorize, but things like the different hand signs, he could draw pictures of the animal and hand shape, (yes, I know it takes awhile to draw and stuff, but please give me a little slack.) I also said in the chapter before as an example that he drew the map of the fire nation. I know he cant write down the names, but knowing the landscape is pretty important as well.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Revised: 7/23/2013
Revision Notes: This time I really embellished upon several scenes. I think the chapter is stronger for it, but DARN if it didn't fight with me every step of the way. And somewhere along the way this chapter turned out ridiculously long, typical.
I don't think I previously realized how much this chapter bounced. I think I must have been out of any coherent ideas and so just started adding random crap. Makes for some great plot devices further down the road, I'll tell you that.
"Human Talking"
'Animal Talking'
'Thinking'
Flashback
Vibrations Chapter 4:
The First Memory
o.0.O.0.o
Black robes fluttered slightly through an open doorway, the only sound heard as a body made its way into the room. The black figure stopped to rest at the foot of a desk, resting on one knee and bowing their head, their black cloak efficiently hiding their gender. In front of this image an old hand held up a brass stopwatch, the thumb painstakingly pressing down upon the worn knob. The resounding click echoed through the room like a dagger, an eerie foretelling of how the encounter would play out.
The Hokage glanced at the stopwatch almost curiously, hiding how the hand had acted as a judge for the fate of the life in front of him. "A minute more was all it would have taken." The Hokage stated, before his eyes moved to rest on the figure. "It's a shame we cannot see what would have happened, had the hand moved a minute further."
Under the Hokage's penetrating stare, the ANBU shivered. The Hokage could instill fear into even the most ferocious of enemies without the need for a single drop of killing intent; it only took a single stare. The figure waited for the Hokage to begin, knowing that even if they had avoided the noose of time all it would take was a single accidental act of misconduct for the loop to settle comfortably back down against the nape of their neck.
"An ANBU's denouncement is not to be taken lightly. 'If not for death or ailment, whether in body or mind,'" The Hokage began quoting. "'it can only be assumed that an ANBU has acted out against the interests of one's country, and as a traitor must be treated accordingly.' Article seven, section nine."
The atmosphere, already so full of tension, grew thick enough to become palpable. Tasting the fear laced through the air, the Hokage also sensed a faint trace of something else, rebellion.
Glancing down at the ANBU, the Hokage decided to grant the ANBU the chance of electing their own fate, whether they would lean it towards redemption or persecution had yet to be seen. "You may speak."
The silence hung heavily as the ANBU seemingly froze at those words. There was hardly a sound made as the ANBU licked their chapped lips nervously, yet the keen ears of the Hokage heard it well, and he inwardly smiled.
Finally, the tension grew too taught for the ANBU to handle, and a feminine voice spoke out. "I respectfully request to be informed of what I am being accused of first, Hokage-sama." She waited for a response, hoping that the words she had chosen placed her in a neutral light.
The Sandaime's eyes closed heavily at the statement. "As you wish." He muttered under his breath. "You were given the assignment, at 1800 hours, to observe Uzumaki Naruto, and to remain hidden while doing so. You were to watch him attentively without a single eye turned away, until dog came to relieve you of your post.
The Hokage leaned forward, resting his head on folded hands. This was not just a simple act of misconduct, for him, this was personal. "Not a single event could have changed these requirements and given you permission to leave your post without dog first relieving you of your duty. Yet imagine my surprise when I am called to the hospital because Naruto had been injured to the point of death, while unattended." The Sandaime's voice dropped menacingly as he stated those last two words.
The ANBU suppressed the shiver of her hands that threatened to reveal her nervousness. Not a single twitch of motion was made, a testament to the extent of her training. "My orders were to watch Uzumaki Naruto, and I was under the impression I was to watch him only while in the village, Hokage-sama."
Without extensive training the Hokage would not have been able to notice the slightest sneer laced throughout the respectful suffix. The Hokage frowned at the unpleasant manner the ANBU presented herself, but he allowed her to continue to speak her defense.
"I had learned of a possible leak in the village earlier in the day, and when I saw the boy depart I sought to investigate the more pressing matter." The woman took a breath, knowing that she was hanging on the finest thread. It was time to finish her defense with a concern that would appeal to the Hokage. "I had presumed that the boy would be safer in the woods, away from the main population that wished him harm."
The Hokage gnawed on his pipe in thought. If what she said was true, then he couldn't denounce her without the council throwing their weight onto the case. Though the military force fell directly under his command, any mission concerning the safety of civilians -and therefore the security of the village- was dually placed under the council's jurisdiction as well as his own.
He would be unable to enforce the law so long as the ANBU's testimony held.
The smoke from his pipe had all but faded. The Hokage tipped the pipe and dumped the ashes into a porcelain bowl. He occupied his hands with folding a new flake of tobacco and packing it into the bowl of his pipe, continuing to waste time. When it was prepared, he snapped his fingers and emitted a steady flame from his pointer finger, which he used to light the blend.
The ANBU watched his preparations with unease, pondering on the response the Hokage would give.
The Hokage took a long drawl from the newly prepped pipe and forced his emotions to the side. "That is an interesting tale. If what you say is indeed true, then let me be the first to thank you for your attempts at protecting the village. I will make sure that the next time I deliver an order, all loose ends will be accounted for." The small smile the Hokage forced fell quickly away. "However, if you were to ever deliberately disobey my commands again, you will be stripped of your rank and citizenship, and I will see to your capture personally."
He gave his words a minute to settle. In only a few seconds, the ANBU should have already understood the words and all meanings associated, but by letting the silence draw, the Hokage let her paint images in her mind. A simple execution was much too good for one who had gone after his family, and Sarutobi considered Naruto as his grandson. When the ANBU before him was proven guilty, as the Third knew she was, he would execute the punishment himself.
"You may go." Those words sounded like sweet release to the ANBU codenamed Bird.
Standing, the ANBU turned and left, her black robe submitting to her movements as it rippled around her forelegs. Before she disappeared out the window, however, the Hokage left one last parting remark. "Might I suggest that you learn to hide your despise for your superior officers from your voice?"
Bird shivered at being discovered as she jumped, before the window was slammed shut.
"Was all that force really necessary?" The Hokage lightly asked the figure standing vigilantly at the window.
The figure turned, revealing black robes and a dog stained white ANBU mask. Instead of responding vocally, the figure nodded his head once.
The Third simply sighed at the lack of response. "I assume you heard everything that was said?"
"Yes Hokage-sama."
"Then you know the details of your next mission." The dog masked ninja stared. "Find this informant of Bird's, without a trace for her to follow. Be fast, but be as discrete as possible. If Bird find's out we're looking and the informant 'disappears' we will have no way of proving her guilt… or her innocence."
The masked man turned to leave, thinking everything had been said when the Hokage called out to him once more.
"Oh, and Kakashi? Don't kill her yet."
"I'll try not to." The calm voice Kakashi usually spoke with had an unfamiliar tone of tension in it.
After all politics were sufficiently dealt with, the Hokage wanted Bird all to himself. He would show her what would happen to anyone who dared mess with his family. Glancing out the window, Sarutobi turned his eyes south, where a white bird mask could be seen floating over rooftops and disappearing into the darkness.
o.0.O.0.o
Naruto shuffled from the attention he was receiving. It appeared as if the entire classroom had its attention focused on the blond haired boy, and even closing his eyes Naruto could not get the feeling of several dozen inquisitive needles poking into his skin to go away. However, when one was escorted to class after a five day absence, and their company was none other than the Lord Hokage, lead ninja and head of Konohagakure, one couldn't expect anything less.
The students had not been informed of the reason Naruto had been absent. Those that had noticed the blond boy's absence merely thought that he had caught a cold, and had been at home recuperating. However, upon noticing his escort the class universally thought that he had gotten into trouble even though they had not heard any rumors, since Naruto didn't appear sick.
Ignoring the attention of the students, the Sandaime walked up to Iruka and began to speak with him, keeping his voice low to prevent the students from listening in.
Left to his own devices Naruto never once directed his attention away from his fellow classmates. He rubbed his neck unconsciously, rubbing the very same vertebrae that had snapped from his fall. The class stared back.
Naruto had been unusually silent since the accident. His thoughts had been in disarray, and he could not focus them long enough to clearly organize the scenes that had led to his injuries. He had not even bothered to set the scenes straight for the Hokage, when the Third had asked him what had happened to lead to the fall.
The only thought his mind and will would focus on, the only thing that his heart pulled from his memories again and again, was what had happened in the darkness sandwiched between times of consciousness. He recalled that strange, dark, sewer-like hall, dotted with murky water and capped with pipes; the stone and doors that held back demons and monsters wanting to envelope him in their claws; the large, deeply hidden room that held a power of white; the dragon, circling him and calling him son.
The Hokage had informed Naruto that it had taken three days for him to wake from his coma. During that time several medical ninja and his own body had healed him from life-threatening injuries, sustained from a fall from the treetops. It was nothing short of a miracle that he had survived.
Naruto had been told to remain in the hospital for two days to recuperate. There were guards placed on the exits of the room, as the Sandaime believed that Naruto would try to break free from what he called a 'white prison' before the designated period of time had passed. So it was nothing short of shocking when Naruto followed his orders without a single complaint.
Now five days had passed since Naruto had last attended the academy and had seen Iruka. He had managed to keep up with the class through extensive studying with a teacher the Hokage had personally assigned to work with him. With that time given, he had even been taught a few basics of writing when it became apparent to the teacher that his background had lacked any basic schooling. If Naruto remembered correctly, the name of his tutor was Ebisu.
Iruka nodded once at the Hokage, signaling that their conversation was over. Catching the movement from the corner of his eye, Naruto stopped his thoughts and shifted his whole attention to his sensei. Iruka walked out from behind his desk, positioning himself at the center of the floor, and at the center of everyone's attention. He clapped his hands twice for attention and said, "Okay everyone, listen up! A couple of days ago, Naruto got into an accident. The doctors say that he is fully healed, however the Sandaime and I would appreciate it if everyone here was cautious when being around him."
Murmurs arose in the classroom as all children set their eyes on the blond. Simultaneously they thought, 'He doesn't look injured.'
Ignoring the class once more, Iruka turned towards Naruto, "Now, Naruto, from what the Hokage told me, you have kept up your studies with the rest of the class. Is this correct?"
Instead of a vocal response, Naruto nodded.
"Then please take a seat."
As Naruto ascended the bleachers, he glanced around and finally spotted a free space next to a girl with lavender hair. As he approached her he blinked and considered how white her eyes looked, before finally realizing that the girl lacked any pupils. Naruto sat down and smiled at the girl, curious to know if others would react the same as his onyx haired classmate. His spirits lifted as she smiled back at him.
"Alright class, today, we will learn of a ninja's greatest tool, does anyone care to guess what that is?" Without waiting to be called upon, several different voices sounded out.
"Kunai?"
"Ninjutsu?"
"Hiding?"
The last person to speak was given odd looks from around the room.
Iruka waited patiently as several more guesses sounded out before falling silent. "Anymore guesses?" Another wave of silence passed before Iruka continued. "Whoever guessed hiding was closest to the answer. A ninja's greatest tool is deception, the act of making someone believe in falsified information."
"You mean like lying?" Naruto asked, curious. He had thought that he had been told that lying was bad, not that he had applied that philosophy to his life.
"That's one part of it." Iruka pointed out, for once not disturbed that he was interrupted. "You can certainly fool someone into believing something by telling them it's the truth, but sometimes you have to do more than just say it. Sometimes, you have to change other things, or act in a different way, to make someone believe what you told them.
"For example, if you received a mission that asked you to infiltrate a group of bandits to gather information without revealing yourself, strong jutsus would get you nowhere. Instead, you'd have to pretend that you were one of them, and you cannot do that simply by telling them. You would have to look like them, dress like them, and act like them so as to avoid suspicion."
As Naruto watched the words form from his teacher's mouth, his eyes widened in realization. That was what he had been doing all along. He had pretended that he could hear. He didn't tell others that he was deaf, nor had he allowed himself to act like he was. The whole time since the accident, he had lied to others. For this whole time, he had deceived others.
"But deception isn't just for civilians, if you can act the part well enough, you can even fool other shinobi. Act brash and loud, and you might be able to fool other ninja into believing that you are lacking intelligence, and as such are a low-leveled ninja. If you convince them of this, they might attack you with only low-level jutsus, thinking that such simplistic jutsus would be enough to kill such a person, and you will have the advantage over them until you prove otherwise. If other ninja go into the fight believing that you are strong, they will try their best to off you with their strongest jutsu from the start, so they will not have to expend their energy in a long lasting battle. Or, if they believe that they are no match for you, they will try to delay you long enough to escape with their life."
This time another boy raised his hand, his head cocked to the side in confusion. Iruka pointed to the boy. "Yes?"
"But then wouldn't you avoid the fight anyways?" The brown haired boy questioned. "Isn't that what you want?"
"Not if the man you were facing was the target you were sent to destroy." Iruka replied. "It would be better that you had full control of the situation, so that you could reserve as much of your energy as possible. You never know when you might need to used it."
"So you're saying to act stupid?"
"Not at all! That was only one example of deception. The point was that if you could deceive others, you can control to a certain extent the events around you."
You could control the events around you. Naruto very much wanted to be able to do that. If he could do that, then he would make sure that the villagers didn't hurt him anymore. Iruka had said that by acting like a fool, and making others believe that you were not a threat, then the ninjas who tried to attack you wouldn't try to hurt you with as much force. If that worked with other shinobi, perhaps that same principal would also work with the villagers?
No matter what he tried doing to change the action of the villagers, Naruto knew he could never physically force them to act the way he wanted them to. For some reason he couldn't truly explain, though he knew the actions taken against him were the fault of the villagers, he couldn't condemn them for it. He saw the grief and anger in their eyes when they spit their disdain on him, hidden by a mask that was visible only to him, as he held a very similar one to his own face. He knew that something was the cause for that anger, something very big to have affected them all, but what he couldn't understand was why they took it out on him.
And it also wasn't as if the villagers were all bad: there was Ayame and Teuchi, who had let him sleep in their home and had given him ramen to eat; there was old man Hokage who had given him a place to live, not to mention he made sure Naruto was alive by visiting him often; and there was Iruka who had not judged him just because of his identity. Even if there were some rotting people out there, the villagers had to have done something right, to raise such awesome people.
So Naruto would instead smile. When everyone else was glaring at him, he would smile and try to make them feel a little lighter. Maybe if they laughed, they would forget if only for a moment, what was bringing them down.
Unbeknownst to Naruto, this characteristic was one defining all of the Hokages that was, and had previously occupied the mantle in the Land of Fire. Feeling that love when others had helped him –even if it was only briefly- had made Naruto learn how important it was to help others. That love that he had felt was the only thing that had given him the willpower to keep living.
Vibrations shook Naruto from his thoughts as everyone on the bleachers stood up. As the class poured down, to Naruto with an extra sensitive sense of touch it felt as if an earthquake had just hit. After regaining his bearings the blond followed suit himself, realizing that he had skipped the rest of Iruka's lesson when he let his thoughts wander off.
As his thoughts began to travel back, something occurred to Naruto and he sprinted ahead of the others, pushing students to make way for himself. "Lunch Break!" He screamed as he passed through the front door. If he was going to make an image, now was as good a time as any, right?
Since his head was turned, Naruto did not spot the odd looks other kids were giving him. He had been relatively silent with others when he first came to class, and now he was acting as if he was the only one that mattered. The kids were confused, too confused for the ones who were pushed to even be angry at their fellow classmate.
Naruto plastered a large smile on his face. He would change his image so that others would want to know him, to be his friend. People liked hanging around those who smiled a lot, right? Maybe his classmates would want to hang around him more often if he did this. What was the worst that could happen?
o.0.O.0.o
There was a specified eating area for all Academy students. Situated around the right side and back of the main building, it was covered with grass and spotted with trees. Picnic tables littered the area closest to the back entrance of the Academy, and a fence surrounded the perimeter as if there were animals to be caged.
On a single tree located near the front of the building a simple swing was tied. Its parts consisted of frayed rope and splintered wood, its design simple enough that a child just entering the academy might have constructed it. It swung lightly on the wind, ignorant to the students playing and eating around the courtyard. Its existence was for the children, but its appearance made others reject it as a plaything or a seat. It was old enough, and worn enough, to be considered a part of the tree itself.
As it swung in the wind, memories were stirred from the seat as if they were dry and decaying leaves. These memories swirled around the courtyard uncaring, dancing around children and letting the wind look for one who was deserving. The ear of each child resisted the words the memories had to speak as the wind flowed around them, and it didn't appear as if there was another listener until the wind coiled around a single child. The memories once more spoke, but this time the ear was willing.
Whispers entered into the ear canal, and the blond boy turned as he heard them and faced the abandoned swing. The boy blinked, wondering who was calling him over there, and allowed the pull to tug him forward.
Step by step he went, feeling something arise inside him as the boy continued forward towards the swing. He stopped as he arrived, taking a seat onto the wood and holding onto each rope with his hands. His gaze travel upwards until he fully faced the canopy, and he held his head there, for something about that position felt… right. A leaf waved in front of the sun for a moment and the boy had a distinct thought that the tree was winking.
The boy's eyes widened as he felt a jolt of electricity go through him, and his vision shifted. The landscape, the people, everything in his vision flashed to a color contrary to what they had been. His eyelids fell forward, and the boy fell asleep.
The wind laughed as it blew around the now-unconscious boy's face, before ascending into the tree. The wind splintered and flew, directing each individual leaf to rattle in an order so that it appeared as if the tree was whispering. The wind gained a faint greenish hue before it fell back towards the blond boy, and straight into all the openings on his face: his ears, his nose, his slightly opened mouth, and into the two tear ducts of his eyes.
o.0.O.0.o
A boy traveled around the courtyard, surveying the area. His blond hair was terribly spikey, his blue eyes so bright he could hardly stand to look at daylight, and his face framed by his set, strong jawbone. His appearance could have been Narutos in a few years, save for the lack of whisker markings on his cheeks. His curious gaze wandered to a tree and fell upon a swing that had been tied to it. "Hey, a swing!"
The boy's two companions glanced at the blond incredulously, the boy directly to the blonds right scoffing as he stated, "Oh come on, it's just a swing! You know, for the amusement of toddlers just entering class."
The blond only glanced back at the boy, a small smile on his face. "You never know what there might be attached to things that are ignored. There could be whispers, whispers that travel through time to set things right. My mother had once told me that whispers gathered around swings, attracted to the motion of swaying."
The two looked at the blond with confusion, and before one could let out a question that was probably towards the sanity of their companion, the blond expanded on his previous words, misinterpreting the looks he was given. "Whispers take the form of winds, gathering and collecting precious materials. But the things they gather are not physical, they hold memories, or people's souls. Whispers are also known as the winds of time, and the souls and memories travel on these winds, encased by them. The whispers are known to congregate around swings, storing the memories gathered and sometimes, they like to give something back."
One of his companions sighed. "We're gonna' eat over there." The boy gestured loosely. He didn't care for his friend's tale of myths, and was rather tired of his antics. "Are you gonna' join us?"
The blond nodded. "I'll be there in a moment." The two waved as they left, but the boy had already changed the direction of his attention.
The boy felt the wind caress his face and ruffle his hair as it blew away from the building entrance and towards the swing. Knowing the beckoning for what it was, the boy stumbled over to the swing before taking a seat. The boy glanced upwards towards the leaves, and let a whisper leave his lips. "I'm not sure if this is the one you spoke of mother, but if it is… I love you."
The boy closed his eyes and listened intently for any response. He waited, and when he thought that he wouldn't receive any a response came, whispered on the wind.
'I love you too.'
o.0.O.0.o
Naruto jerked awake, escaping the vision he had just witnessed. His perspective had been from the blond boy's perspective, and he had felt everything the boy had felt. Traces of it still lingered in Naruto's systems, feelings of loss, but also a feeling he had not experienced before. This feeling filled his very being with joy. He had felt secure, and at peace. But the deep sense of loss caused Naruto to weep for the boy who had felt such a thing. Those tears he cried for the other were not tainted by his own feelings of loneliness, but were instead tainted by his sadness as he was being separated from the other feeling. He tried to grasp on to that warm feeling, but it grew fainter and fainter until it slipped his grasp entirely. With its parting, a familiar coldness returned.
As Naruto sat in class that day, he could hardly focus his attention on the teacher. His thoughts instead lingered on what had happened to him, and the feelings he had been exposed to. Countless theories popped into his mind on what had happened, but the one his mind continuously focused on resided around the information he had learned in the vision. What happened had to relate to the 'whispers' that the other boy had spoken of. Yet Naruto could not, for the life of him, figure out who that boy was.
That evening, Naruto walked out into the forest once more to practice the Henge. Yet this time as he tried to draw on the raw power that his chakra consisted of, something stopped him.
Naruto crinkled his eyebrows in confusion as he tried to understand what the problem was. Perhaps, after the accident, he had to start back at ground one?
Sitting down and crossing his legs, Naruto once more tried to meditate. Keeping that position was hard for the boy who wanted everything to come quickly, and his impatient mind kept getting in his way. Finally, after forcing himself into exhaustion through a few laps around the clearing before trying once more, his mind fell into a peaceful state.
Naruto search with his mind, waiting for the familiar pull of chakra. When his chakra finally stirred, he mentally tried to grasp it. Instead of the warm cottony feeling of chakra, a solid, cold barrier was met. The blond dived a second time, but again the steel dome blocked his path.
Naruto sighed and relaxed his body that was beginning to grow tense from his annoyance, before he dived once more. This time, instead of reaching for the chakra directly, Naruto allowed his conceptualized hand to feel around the entire construct of the dome, searching for a dent, a hole, a crack, anything that would allow him to enter deeper.
Time passed, and as he was about to give up with exasperation, warmth entered a small part of his mental grasp. Naruto poured all of his will into that tiny crack, slipping strands and reforming on the other side of the dome. He grabbed his chakra and began to pull it out, following the same pathway out of the dome as his mind had gone in. His pull was slow and steady, in fear that the chakra and his mind would stretch too thin and snap, such as elastic bands had a tendency to do.
The warmth of chakra enveloped him, and Naruto glowed with pure power. His hands began to move and make seals so he would once more form a henge when a vibration to his left caused him to stop. Turning to face what had made that vibration, Naruto saw a deer prancing on the grass about fourty feet away. It stopped however when it felt the eyes of the blond on him. The deer faced Naruto, and the two stared at each other, before a sneeze broke the gaze of the deer. Rubbing its nose against its flank, the deer proceeded to walk away.
'How weird.' Naruto thought. 'I usually only feel shaking come from… at most… 10 feet away.' Naruto pondered over his discovery. The only difference, that he could tell, was that he had been covered in chakra when the deer had landed. 'Did that have anything to do with it? Wait, maybe I was able to sense things from farther away because I had chakra surrounding my body!' Upon coming to this realization Naruto grinned wildly. He had created an advantage all on his own, without anyone's help! He didn't know yet what he could use it for, but for the moment he would not tell any other person. Who knew who would try to counteract his newfound power?
o.0.o
There was a bird perched forty feet above Naruto, glancing at the boy curiously as he tilted his brown crested head. The bird hopped off of its branch and flew lower, stopping on a branch only twenty feet away from the boy. When he landed, another bird flew to join the first, also taking an interest in the boy.
The raven landed next to the first bird and preened his feathers from the short flight. Business done, the bird kept his gaze on the boy as he sang. 'What are ou doing?'
The robin answered his call. 'Wa'hing the 'uma' oy.'
Confusion and alarm filled the raven at his companion's incoherent answer. 'What?!'
A gulp could be heard before the bird spoke again. 'Sorry, 'unch. I said I was watching the human boy.'
At that response the two birds fell into silence once more, each watching the boy as separate thoughts ran through their heads. But despite their different views, each thought of each bird concerned the blue energy radiating off of the boy, filling the clearing with static.
o.0.o
Cloaked in blue, Naruto turned around the clearing and marveled at his enhanced eyesight, amazed at the amount of detail he noticed from glancing at things both near and far.
Tiny ants crawled on a tree far ahead, but he could see each ant, could count their legs and spot their antennae. Tremors came from every side of him, the most very sensitive parts of his skin open to the air felt the lightest breeze, and perhaps something past that…
But as his senses grew stronger, he began to feel as if he was being attacked. The tiny eddy rocked him, colors drowned his pupils and lights pierced through to his brain, smells attacked his nose and locked his brain in a vise, his own saliva was overpowering his taste buds. His brain felt like exploding, and through the clutter he felt something else come through, but he couldn't describe exactly what it was.
Clutching his brain, trying to protect it from the onslaught, long having lost any concentration he once had over the chakra, Naruto yelled, "STOP!"
Eyes closed and body trembling, Naruto felt everything fall away. He recessed far into himself until all was blackness, and peace. Taking a few breaths, Naruto found that his tremors had stopped. Cautious, an eye peaked open and marked the coast clear. Sighing, Naruto stood up, not realizing previously that he had crouched down. He looked around, everything appeared normal…
As he turned, two birds came into his sight and he locked eyes with them. The birds shuffled and turned away almost guiltily, as if they were kids with their hands caught inside a cookie jar.
Naruto blinked, curious. Had they been watching him? Naruto waved up at them. "It's alright! I don't mind you watching."
He didn't expect a response, and so Naruto grew surprised when one of the birds preened his feathers in embarrassment at being caught, while the other turned back to watch Naruto, crooning in thanks. Or so Naruto presumed.
"I don't mind an audience." He whispered to himself, knowing how pointless the action was.
He wished that someone could watch him, and see his progress. He wanted tips, he wanted praise, he wanted someone to see him grow, and while birds would not provide many of these things, at least someone was watching.
Looking up at the sky, Naruto realized how late it truly was getting. He had had enough 'fun' with chakra for today, but perhaps he could stay just a little bit longer. What could he do? Mind flashing with an idea, Naruto turned to fully face the two birds. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to be going soon, so I'll make this lesson short."
Naruto spoke out loudly, trying to teach the little birds all that he had learned from Iruka. He knew the words would be wasted on them, but if he could recite lessons accurately enough by memory alone, then he would know he got it down. So Naruto spoke.
Above, the birds did nothing to distract their teacher. They were actually really good students, Naruto marveled, for they did not speak out of place or try to skip class. And as he continued to speak, past pains fell and the boy's smile grew. Finally, he concluded. "So, a ninja's greatest tool is deception, so take advantage of it, wise birds!"
As he finished, Naruto did not realize how the birds were leaning in, keeping their ears wide open, nor did he see the way they glowed with pride at his 'wise birds' compliment.
'I like him.' The raven whispered to the other bird.
The robin didn't respond, focusing intently on the blond haired ninja wannabe.
o.0.O.0.o
As the moon ascended into the sky, Naruto traveled back to his apartment, weary of the clear roads and careful to avoid bars and drunks, having had bad experiences with both. Few encounters ever actually ended with violence, but the few scars he had obtained painted a warning message that would never go away.
While life at the orphanage was a reiterating horror, he was often times kicked out in the darkest times of night for causing mayhem in the cafeteria earlier in the day. Through his nighttime wanderings, he had learned that traveling the back ends and alleys were not just quicker, they were lifesaving.
He had gotten to know every nook and cranny of Konoha like the back of his hand during this time, having run into a couple of street fights and managing to beat a bully or two. With this knowledge ingrained in his mind, Naruto weaved in and out of alleyways, taking the shortest route possible to his home.
When he finally arrived, the blond tiredly changed out of his clothes into his pajamas, and forced himself to set the alarm clock. He flopped his body onto his bed, not even bothering to enter the covers, and fell asleep.
o.0.O.0.o
A pounding of knocks brought Teuchi startlingly out of his thoughts. He frowned unpleasantly at having been bothered, his mouth comically stretching lower than his usual stoic expression. Wondering at who would visit at this hour so late into the night, the chef walked over to the front door and opened it. If Teuchi's face could have been considered humorous previously when opening the door, it brought downright hysterics at what it morphed into when seeing who was on the other side of it.
"Hokage-sama! What a surprise!" Surprise did not even begin to cover it. Heart attack inducing was more like it.
Teuchi started when a single, terrible thought entered his mind, and he made sure not to open the door more than halfway. His home was, to be honest, a complete and utter mess. Even his daughter, who had helped add to the catastrophe, had curled her nose up in disgust each time she had walked through the entryway for the past four days. The house had been un-Hokage suiting for far longer than that.
Sending a prayer to the gods, Teuchi knew that politeness dictated he left the decision to the guest. "Would you like to come in? My house is a bit un-presentable at this time." The chef couldn't help but warn him. Inside his mind he couldn't help but rant. 'Please say no.'
"If you would please."
Teuchi turned white. Mechanically, he opened the door fully and moved aside as the Hokage entered. Not bothering to lock the door shut he walked and spoke slowly. "If you would come this way."
He weaved through a stack of books, thankful that he had at least picked up the clothes off of the floor the other night, if only because he had been looking for his spare shorts. "I, apologize for the mess."
The Hokage waved it off, "Don't worry yourself too much over it."
Teuchi nodded, but was still visibly tense. "I know it's not much, but it's home." Teuchi gestured to the seat.
When both the Hokage and Teuchi had situated themselves comfortably with a nice cup of hot tea in their hands, the Hokage started to speak. "It is nice to see you again Teuchi. I am here merely because I wish to know how both you and Naruto are holding up."
The chef blinked. "He hasn't actually visited yet. I was growing concerned these past few days, and was going to approach you later on this week."
The Hokage sighed as he looked into the depths of his tea, swirling the steam from his mug with his breath. "I had thought as much."
"How-?"
The Hokage glanced back at Teuchi with a small smirk. "There hasn't been a bill yet that your restaurant has charged me. I would have expected an avalanche from the bottomless stomach by now." But the Third frowned as he turned serious again. "I will go seek out Naruto tomorrow and get to the heart of the matter. He is no doubt asleep right now."
Teuchi nodded, agreeing with him. "May you keep me informed? I may not know him well –hell, I've only met him once- but I know that he is a good child."
Sarutobi gave off a strange aura of pride at those words. "I most certainly will. Thank you for being so concerned, not many would be, for his sake."
Teuchi growled, an action unusual for him, for he knew what the Hokage meant. "Unlike those blind villagers, I can tell a demon from and innocent child, and I will tell you this, Naruto is no demon, he is the exact opposite. He is a hero of this village."
The aura increased tenfold. "I am sure that even after all this time, the Fourth is glad to know at least one person respects his last wishes." The Third stood. "I had best be going now, I cannot stay up as late as I used to. The early bird beats the paperwork and all that."
Teuchi blinked at the misspoken metaphor, but let it slide. He followed the Hokage out and added his own parting words. "Thank you for seeing me, Hokage-sama, and please give my family's regards to the boy."
"I will." Sarutobi stepped out the door and disappeared from sight.
o.0.O.0.o
The next evening found Naruto glancing at the photos of a picture book the Hokage had given him earlier that month. He set the book down and placed a small piece of torn paper in between the pages.
Standing, he headed for the bathroom door. As he walked, he slipped on a few pieces of paper and used the wall to steady himself. He stopped his motion when he felt the wall vibrate. There was the usual vibration of the heating equipment, but there was also something new, an irregular, pounding set of vibrations as well.
Naruto ran towards the door, knowing that someone had been knocking on it. As he opened it though, he was surprised to find himself looking at the Hokage. "Oji-sama?"
The Third smiled down at Naruto, his hands folded behind his robe. "Hello Naruto, may I come in?" Nodding wordlessly, the boy opened the door and the Hokage entered. "I don't have much time before I must leave, so I'll get straight to the point. I had heard about the friendship you made with Teuchi, and he and I were both wondering why you hadn't visited them even once."
Naruto stayed silent for a while, trying to decide whether or not he should tell the truth. He slowly replied, "I didn't want people to see him talking to the 'demon'."
Sarutobi fell silent, pipe hanging loosely from his mouth in shock. He finally found the words to speak. "Naruto, he wouldn't care what anyone else thought of him or his restaurant because of his friendship with you. He offered it not expecting anything from you other than your time. He did it to help you, and to make you happy."
Naruto began to tear and sniffle. No one had ever offered such a thing to him before, not willingly, not on their own. "Why me? They don't even know me! Why be kind to a stranger?" Tears began to flow and Naruto rubbed at his eyes.
Kneeling down, the Third wrapped his arms around Naruto. "Why wouldn't they want to know such an amazing person?"
If Naruto had been capable of hearing these words, he would have broken out into a full out bawl. Instead, he cried quietly as Sarutobi slowly rocked him back and forth into sleep.
When the cries fell silent and a few snores emerged, Sarutobi chuckled. He lifted Naruto and carried him into bed. He tucked the boy in and whispered quietly. "Goodnight, Naruto." With that, the Third left the apartment in peaceful silence, with Naruto under the covers this time.
o.0.O.0.o
And that was chapter four. I seem to be on a roll for awhile now. I normally don't post this often. Please tell me what you think, and that you for reading!