The Road of Life
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and all its characters. I'm just playing around with them.
Sorry for the long wait. I've been extremely busy. Still am. But at least I got this out, even if it's shorter than intended, and a little rushed.
Shisui watched as Tora absorbed the information his father had given him. Tora stared at the dining table, deep in thought. Shisui knew that this wasn't Tora's first encounter with an attack, as his friend had told him himself. Out of concern, Shisui had told this bit to his father. To say that his father wasn't pleased was an understatement. He had seemed furious that Tora had taken the matter in stride, before settling in for a tired gaze.
"So," Tora looked up from the table. "What now?"
Shisui's father crossed his arms, gazing at Tora with a steeled expression. To his credit, Tora held his gaze, not looking away from Seiji's intense coal-colored eyes. Finally letting out a sigh, Seiji rubbed his messy black hair tiredly.
"Well, your mom has agreed that until you're fully healed, you're staying here with us so that I can watch over you easier," Seiji said. Shisui saw Tora blink.
"What about mom?" he asked.
"Both of you are going to stay here, as both your mother and I have talked. She mentioned something about taking a short break," Seiji said, shifting his eyes to Tora's mother who was sitting in the living room. "I say she earned that a long time ago," Seiji continued, rubbing a hand on Tora's head. Either Tora was too sleepy or he actually liked the gesture. Shisui saw his friend unconsciously leaning towards it.
"We can talk about all this gloom later," Seiji said, not leaving any room for arguments. "For now, you boys need to eat. You wasted so much chakra on that training last night. Looks like I will have to teach you boys to control your chakra properly."
"But we did climb the tree!" Shisui retorted.
"Not until the top, it seems," Seiji shook his head. "And I could see that you were only able to stick for a short while before falling off, isn't that right?"
Shisui and Tora grimaced at the accusation, not exactly denying it as false. "But, well," Seiji shrugged. "It's still pretty commendable for your age. But regardless, breakfast should be on your mind right now."
True enough, both Shisui and Tora's stomach grumbled. It wasn't long before a standard breakfast was set in front of the; a bowl of rice, fried fish and a side of salted broccoli. Shisui noted how Tora's eyes shined at the sight of the broccoli. He himself was pretty indifferent to the plant, as he was to most vegetables, but Tora seemed really excited. His gaze turned slightly disappointed at the plain rice, though.
Tora's mother gave him a reprimanding look, and Tora huffed before digging into his meal. The immediate rate at how they went back to every day normalcy would probably unnerve most civilians. But Shisui was no stranger to the routine. He knew that some missions his father went on were not something for the light-hearted, and the normal act his father adopted around him after said missions was a form of coping mechanism. It was just strange to see his friend, yet again after the break in at his house, adopt such similar mannerisms.
Still, it wasn't like Shisui could blame his friend. He lifted his own bowl and heartily ate the breakfast before him. They would need all the meal and rest they could get to heal their legs. The sooner they did, the sooner Shisui's father could help them with their chakra training.
Naruto looked up from his position, hands positioned above Sasuke's to combine their techniques, their dominant hands already pouring the chakra they have along with the chakra the old man gave them. Time was running out. He could see it clearly above them. The black ball of chakra was coming down upon them, and the others were doing what they could to slow it down.
"Sasuke!" Naruto called to his side. "Are you ready?"
The Uchiha nodded, already covering Naruto's Rasengan with Amaterasu and lightning chakra. He could also feel Sage chakra being used to maintain the chakra's shape. Naruto was already in his Kyubi Chakra Mode, while Sasuke was in his Sage Mode, his Rinnegan taking a yellowish hue while the parts around his eyes were marred with black markings.
With a loud roar, Naruto summoned his Kurama avatar; pouring chakra to transfer the Rasengan-Chidori combination to the avatar's hand. The ball of chakra grew bigger and denser, with barely contained lightning cackling like a thousand birds. Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan flashed, and the gigantic orange avatar was covered in dark purple armor. Sasuke took a deep breath after performing the technique, no doubt more than slightly winded.
Their attention, however, was soon changed to the sky. Itachi, Kakashi, and Izumi could do no more. Their Susanoo disintegrating from huge armored winged Tengu to mere ribcages, no doubt to protect themselves and the other people within it from any fall damage. Naruto had to swallow a lump that formed in his throat, realizing that Itachi's Yata Mirror hadn't been enough to stop the attack.
"This is it, Naruto!"
Naruto looked back to Sasuke and nodded grimly. They were tired, battered, and injured, but they were still breathing. And if there's anything his mother- no, their mother, he corrected, had taught them, was that you have to fight to the last breath, especially if it's to protect something. Well, this was the world they're protecting, so there's no turning back. It was do or die. Even if their fight was in vain, at least it was a fight worth fighting for. He could imagine Tora-nii frowning at the ideology, but it was the ideology his mom followed, and he couldn't help it if he agreed with it, damn it!
"Let's go, Sasuke!"
Kushina sat up from her bed with a gasp. She grasped her head, feeling a splitting headache coming. It was then that she realized that her forearm was matted with sweat, as well as most of her figure. Her shirt was drenched with sweat as well.
Did I… have a dream? she asked herself. Feeling a kick from her belly, Naruto seemed unusually active. Or did Naruto?
Could babies dream inside the womb? Even then, she wondered why she had experienced the dream as well. Come to think of it, she couldn't even remember the dream, save for a few tidbits. It had involved Naruto and… Sasuke?
Kushina wondered how Mikoto's son could get involved in the dream. Another wave of nausea came over her the more she tried to think about it. Standing up, she reached for the wardrobe in the corner of the room, putting on a new set of clothes. She didn't bother showering; feeling that the time inside the secluded space would lead to more thinking on her part.
Strolling to the kitchen area, Kushina noted how lifeless things were now that she had taken in her lonely state. Naruto had stopped squirming inside of her and she felt the silence would engulf over her if she didn't do anything.
She clicked her fingers, a small smile on her face, and set off, hands gliding as she gathered the ingredients and utensils. Minato always said he liked seeing her cook. It was like seeing a dance; a set of graceful motions as she flew through the kitchen and come out with something edible.
Ramen may be Kushina's favorite food, but she could cook other things, no doubt. Her homemade cooking had even brought the Hokage to his knees, after all. Something she no doubt took pride in.
Putting the finished rice and tonkatsu on the table, she muttered her graces and dug in, minding herself not to choke on her meal. It was well into her meal when another wave of headache came over her. She clutched her head, feeling it throb like a pulse. With a groan, she reached for a glass of water and downed it all in one go.
Closing her eyes, Kushina expected darkness, with a hint of muted light. But she saw something else; a figure, and a calloused yet undoubtedly, a female hand holding said figure's cheek. She wanted to open her eyes, to get away from this abnormality. But her sight was glued.
The vision became less blurred, and she was now looking at a boy, brown hair in a disheveled state with tired green eyes staring exasperatedly at her. Or rather, one green eye. His left eye was bandaged, and Kushina could see splotches of blood matting the bandage. The boy moved his mouth, but she couldn't hear a sound. The boy stilled, seemingly listening to whatever was being said to him.
Suddenly, he broke into a small smile, removing the hand that was holding his cheek. He moved his lips again. And even though Kushina was well versed in reading lips, she still couldn't make sense of what the boy said to her.
"It's fine, sensei. It's just a scratch. I'll get used to seeing from one eye, like Kakashi-san!"
Opening her eyes, Kushina took in a few deep breaths. She looked out the window, seeing the sun at its peak. Maybe she needed some fresh air. She wasn't enthused to see anymore visions, whether they were hers or Naruto's. It all seemed so odd. She never remembered having a student before. She would have to speak to Minato about it when he gets home. Kushina finished her tonkatsu, adamant about never leaving a dish unfinished.
"Things just keep getting weirder, huh, Naruto?" she said, rubbing her swelling stomach.
About two months after Kushina had told Minato of her dilemma, and he still didn't have anything to say of it. The situation was a complete mystery to him. Sure, he had heard rumors of babies being able to dream, but certainly not to the extent of Naruto's. Kushina had some sort of daydreams, flashes of visions whenever she closed her eyes, as well. But it was gone within the first week.
Two months, he felt guilty just leaving Kushina at home. He tried harder to finish his work to get home earlier, but he just couldn't do it every day. They had tried asking the personal doctor Hiruzen had assigned to them, but to no avail. And he wasn't going to bring Kushina to the hospital. While there may be better equipped doctors there, he didn't want to risk more people knowing Kushina's other, older condition. The Nine Tails was a delicate matter only shared among Konoha's top brass, after all.
Putting down his pen, Minato twirled his special kunai in his hand, feeling the seal up and down, each little detail memorized by his skin already. Eyes bored, Minato glanced at the clock.
It was only two in the afternoon. Maybe a small break wouldn't hurt. He hadn't eaten lunch yet, and Kushina didn't bring him any lunch box this morning. He didn't want to disturb her sleep. She needed it, and he also didn't want to suffer her morning wrath.
Pulling out a small slip of paper from his desk, Minato wrote something for his assistant should she need him for something, telling her that he needed some lunch and fresh air. Putting the pen down, Minato disappeared in a flash using Hiraishin, leaving nothing of his presence safe for the slip of paper.
Opening his eyes, Minato was greeted with the familiar sight of the Ichiraku Ramen's side of the building. He had several locations within the village marked with his Hiraishin for ease of function. The jutsu had a lot more application that for battle, and it would be a waste for him not to use it. He wondered if the Second Hokage was turning within his grave. He didn't like to think about it.
Entering the ramen shop, he was greeted with the familiar smell of fresh noodles. He had always liked ramen, but Kushina had always taken him here on their dates. He couldn't help but let it grow on him.
"Ah!" Teuchi greeted. "Hokage-sama!"
Minato waved a hand in greeting. "The usual," he said. Teuchi nodded and got back to work, while Minato sat himself down on one of the seats by the counter. Glancing at his right, Minato saw someone familiar seating by himself waiting for his own bowl of ramen.
"Tora-kun, is it?" Minato asked.
The boy nodded. "Yes, Hokage-sama. I haven't been making too much trouble, if that's what you were wondering."
Minato chuckled. "The thought didn't even cross my mind." Although after the boy said it, it began to. He had heard the rumors of young Shisui and Tora already walking on walls and that they were also currently practicing water-walking. He hoped that having those skills wouldn't incite the two boys to create more trouble. "You're not with Shisui today?"
Tora looked at him. "He has some clan matters to talk to with his father today."
"Ah, okay," Minato answered, the conversation dying down. He remembered when Seiji had insisted that he take care of the Mori family's wellbeing for as long as Tora's incapacitated. It had taken the boy a little more than a week to heal. The report came to him that day, and thankfully, there hadn't been any report of more attacks by the Foundation.
"You, know. It wasn't the first," Tora cut into the silence.
"What do you mean?"
Tora turned in his seat, facing Minato. "That night when Seiji-san saved us. It wasn't the first time for me. Seiji-san told me that there were some masked men?"
Minato nodded, taking note that Tora said that it wasn't the first time. Why didn't he tell anyone?
"I fought one about my age the night before."
Minato stilled, taking in the information. Regardless of the fact that the boy had managed to ward off his attacker, it seemed that Danzo was more desperate than he initially thought. Two attempts in a row in two nights? Minato didn't even notice the bowl of ramen placed in front of him along with Tora's. Teuchi kept on working, seemingly used to having ninja-talk in his shop. He knew better than to butt his head in where he did not belong.
"Interesting," Minato let out. Tora stared at him, as if the boy was expecting more of a response than what he got. "But I'm starving. For now, let's eat." Tora nodded, taking his own set of chopsticks.
"Thank you for the meal!" they both said, before immediately diving into their meals. The meal went on in a comfortable silence. The sounds of slurps filled the shop, while Teuchi was off washing some utensils for later use.
Hokage-sama," Tora called in the middle of their meal.
"Hm?"
"Does being a ninja pay well?"
Minato stopped in the middle of eating, chewing and swallowing his noodle before answering the boy. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, I just want to hear it from the big guy, you know", Tora hesitated, seemingly embarrassed by the question.
"I don't think it's a bad question, really," Minato said. "Not a lot of kids are as honest as you."
Tora stared at him, prompting the Hokage to continue. "As for your question, I'd say it's pretty profitable, both for the village and the ninjas that do the work. Though, higher level ninjas don't really have the luxury of time to spend all that money, to be honest."
"Oh, that's fine with me," Tora cut in, waving his unoccupied hand. "Most of it will probably go to my mom anyway."
"How selfless!" Minato laughed. "But you know, it's not bad to live for yourself."
"Seiji-san said the same thing to me."
Minato nodded. "He's a good man. I don't know much about him, to be honest. But he's pretty liked among the villagers, especially the civilians." Specifically, the ladies, which went unsaid.
"I see," Tora answered as they went back to eating. A few moments passed undisturbed safe for the sound of eating. Minato was inwardly smiling as he ate. He was glad that some kids like Tora, Shisui, and Itachi existed. They gave him hope that someone might lead the next generations in his stead, should anything happen to him. He held no grandeur illusions of his job. In this time after war and in the next one, he could be called to the front lines, and it was just counting the time until his death, if that happened.
No matter how strong you were, there was bound to be someone better than you. It's the principle Minato lived by, and it was what enabled him to survive this long.
"Hokage-sama," Tora asked again. Minato turned to him, unsurprised, as if expecting the boy to ask another question. Minato said nothing, waiting for Tora to continue.
"What would you do if you get a second chance at life?"
At the question, Minato tilted his head curiously. Tora held up his hands, adding, "Metaphorically speaking, of course."
"Big words," Minato mused, to which Tora gave an unamused glance. "But about that, well… I think I'd just do what I believe is right."
"That's it?" Tora raised a brow, seemingly unconvinced.
Minato chuckled. "Not everything needs to be complicated, Tora-kun. Sometimes, the hardest questions have the simplest answers."
Tora still look unconvinced, to which Minato stood up from his seat and ruffled the boy's hair. Having finished his ramen, Minato put down a few bills of Ryo on the counter.
"Ah, this is a little bit too much, Hokage-sama," Teuchi noted, seeing the amount of bills on the table.
"I'm paying for the boy," Minato winked. "Now if you'll excuse me." With that final greeting, the Fourth Hokage disappeared in a flash, befitting of his moniker. Teuchi smiled and gathered the bills, while Tora mused on the Hokage's words while eating his ramen, still not understanding the meaning to it.
"Your birthday is coming soon, you know," Shisui said, ducking under a high kick. Countering my attack, he went for a sweep, aiming for my leg. I jumped to avoid it and immediately jumped back upon landing, planting some distance between us.
Shisui twirled the kunai in his hand. "Not gonna say anything about it?" he asked. He rushed forward, holding the kunai in a reversed grip. I waited for his attack and grabbed his wrist at the last moment. Quikly, I wrestled the kunai away from his hand and now I had a weapon in mine.
"As I remember, your birthday is nine days after it," I replied, swinging the weapon in my hand. Shisui ducked under the attack and went behind me. I turned around; blocking the punch he delivered with my left forearm. Unrelenting, Shisui tripped my right foot. Taking advantage of my imbalance, Shisui tried to wrestle the kunai off my hand, but I immediately replanted my foot on the ground and snaked away from his attempt. I tried to slash at him a few times, but his superior speed proved the attempts to be in vain as he avoided nearly all of my slashes.
Seeing an opening, Shisui rushed in. I delivered a punch, only to be avoided. He ducked under it and rolled behind me. I smirked, already aware of his usual tricks. Immediately turning around, I tripped his foot with mine. He found himself on the ground upon falling, seemingly a little surprised. I pointed the kunai at him, about to tell him to surrender, when he grabbed my entire arm and flipped me over. He was now on top of me, with the kunai at my throat.
"Yield?" he asked with a smile.
I grumbled. "Yeah, sure."
"Ahaha! Cheer up, Tora! You're progressing faster than anyone I know!" Shisui consoled me.
"You don't know a lot of kids our age."
"Well, that is also true," he replied sheepishly. "Anyway, you haven't answered my question." He threw the kunai at me, seeing as it belonged to me. Sparring with only a single weapon available had been our normal pastime for the last few weeks. We would try to take possession of a single weapon while trying to attack each other. It felt like game of tug-of-war, but instead of rope, we were using a kunai.
I wiped the sweat off my brows, mulling over an answer. "My birthday is soon. I know."
"If you don't actually remember, I'd be concerned that the falls you took in our spars had done more to your head," Shisui chuckled. "It's in like, what? Four days?"
"Yeah." Should I tell him?
The dreams that I usually had. I still hadn't managed to remember any of their contents. But after getting back to my house with my mom two months back, it became more frequent. Nearly every few days. The shortest interval was a single day. I had a bad feeling about it.
"Enjoy it, Tora!" Shisui said. "It's probably our last carefree moment before joining the academy."
"Somehow, I doubt that."
"Great. Now I'm starting to doubt it too," Shisui chuckled.
We left the training ground after taking a short rest, setting out on finding some lunch. After finding a quaint vendor by the street, we settled for two bowls of katsudon. Sitting on a bench, we muttered our thanks and dug into the meal. Shisui had paid for it, saying that the birthday boy should get some sort of luxury. Not that this was out of the norm, really. Shisui would often pay for my meals after training. Whether it was out of his good heart, or from losing a bet. And Shisui very often loses a bet with me. I wondered if I would be a good gambler when I grow up.
"You know," Shisui said while eating. "I kinda miss training together with Itachi."
"He's busy with training with his father and taking care of Sasuke," I replied. "And it's not like we don't often go to his house anyway."
"I know," Shisui said. "I just miss training together, not just lounging around."
"True."
"Have you told him about your birthday?" Shisui asked.
I scoffed. "I didn't need to. He already knows. It's like he has ears everywhere."
"Ahaha! He is very knowledgeable, but I highly doubt that."
"So, with all this talk of my birthday, what do you want for your birthday?"
Shisui hummed, picking his food with his chopstick. "What I want for my birthday, huh?" he mirrored the question. "Why not make it a surprise?" he grinned.
"A surprise, huh?" I chuckled. "Well, hold me to that. When the day comes, you'll have your present."
"October 19th, remember?"
"Of course!" I replied, bumping our fists; a similar gesture that had become a habit since we met.
"It is now a little over the tenth month," Hiruzen said.
"I know, Sarutobi-sama."
"The delivery team I prepared is ready just in case," Hiruzen continued. "Have you chosen a place?"
Minato nodded. "A hideout away from the village, just in case the Nine Tails escapes its confinement."
Hiruzen nodded. "Good. The barrier team is also ready, alongside the squad of Anbu that I've prepared."
Minato stamped on a paper, humming, not very concerned for his wife's birthing, if he was being honest. They had planned this for months. The possibility that it goes haywire was very low. Still, they chose a secluded area away from the village just in case the Nine Tails managed to bypass the weakening seal and escape. But with his prowess on seals, he didn't think it'd happen. The barrier team should also minimize the collateral damage should the Nine Tails do escape. It shouldn't happen. He wouldn't allow it. The Nine Tails escaping means the death of his wife. And he didn't know if re-sealing the creature would help her or not.
After a few more talks about the preparation, the Third Hokage and his escorts went out of the room, leaving Minato on his own. Stamping another paper, he put it among its kind. The stack of papers that needs to be inspected was dwindling, but there were still a significant amount of it. Sighing, Minato's mind went back to Kushina and her condition. He absolutely cannot let her die. As he thought of how to save her should the situation demands it, a thought passed by his mind.
"I think I'd just do what I believe is right".
"Practice what I preached, huh?"
Minato crossed his fingers in front of his face, mulling about his options. Looking to the side, he saw his team photo. The sight of the picture always brought a sense of nostalgia within him. Death wasn't a stranger to Minato. No self-respecting ninja is a stranger to death and its effects. But Minato couldn't help but feel a gnawing hole at seeing two of his dead students, face plastered on a timeless picture, acting like nothing happened. Minato didn't change much, but Kakashi was nothing like his former self. Whether it was for better or worse, Minato did not know.
Whatever happens to his wife, she would survive. Tailed beast or not, it matters little. Minato would do what he believed to be right.
"Oh, man," Akemi grumbled as she walked down the quiet street. The moon illuminating her path where the street light didn't. "I fell asleep and forgot that I had to meet the courier tonight. Oh, what if he already left?" she panicked. She looked at her watch. "Ehh!? It's already one in the morning! I have to hurry!"
She hurried towards the direction of the village center, hoping to catch the courier. She needed to find a bar or an inn. There was a higher chance of said courier staying in such places. After all, she went through quite the ordeal in order to get Tora's present. The book that Shisui suggested had been gone from the shop by the time they tried to buy it. Thankfully, Seiji had a few connections from his work to help.
She looked around, her eyes finally settling on a lone inn. The sign said that it served as a bar as well. She entered the establishment. There didn't seem to be a lot of people, safe for a few ninjas who had come back from a late mission. So the sight of a plainly dressed man with a large back settled by his table was a welcome sight for Akemi.
She sagged in relief. "Thank goodness," she said, walking towards the courier.
Itachi cradled Sasuke in his arms. He let out a yawn as he stared at the moon. His baby brother had started crying in the middle of the night, and seeing as both of his parents were out of the house on some business; it was his duty to take care of his brother.
Sitting on the porch, Itachi tightened the blanket around his brother, hoping that it would keep the cold from getting to him. A gust of wind blew past them, showering Itachi in its cold embrace, seeing as he was only wearing a simple shirt and a pair of shorts.
Itachi looked towards the distance; an eerie feeling crept up his spine. He felt that he should go back inside. His instincts told him to. But another part of him glued him to his spot, a strange fascination towards the dangerous and unknown.
Itachi could only widen his eyes and tightened his grip around Sasuke when the strange gigantic orange creature with nine tails appeared out of nowhere in the distance, the village center being engulfed in its massive size.
I woke up to a splitting headache. It seemed I had fallen out of my bed. I looked at my shirt. It wasn't drenched. So it wasn't a dream. Standing up, I rubbed my head and went out of my room. Heading towards the kitchen, I opened the freezer and took an ice cube, before wrapping it in a few layers of tissue papers. Pressing it onto my head, I almost fell off my feet when I felt the ground shake.
An earthquake?
Another wave shook the earth beneath me, and I stumbled towards the dining table. Losing my balance, I tried to grab the edge of the table, but it was futile. As I lay on the floor, a piece of paper fell on top of me, seemingly grabbed by me as I fell. Picking it up, I read its contents, and the sight of mom's handwriting greeted me.
"Sorry that I had to leave in a hurry, dear. But just in case you wake up in the middle of the night, I'm going to the village center. I overslept and forgot that I had to meet someone. I'll be back soon.
"Love, mom"
I froze at the content. I sat like a statue until another wave passed by me. Shaking my head, I discarded the piece of paper and hurried out the door. Putting on my sandals, I pushed open the front door, and was not prepared for the sight that greeted me.
There, in the distance, looming over the village center was a gigantic creature with nine tails waving around like tendrils. Its figure looked like a human, but its other features discarded the notion as it looked more beastly than man.
Its eyes shined red as it glared down upon the village, the surrounding ninjas trying in futile attempts to bring it down. It waved its hand, and a building fell apart like paper.
I tried to steady myself, but my feet were shaking. I could barely keep myself standing. The only think keeping me on my feet was the fact that mom was out there in the village. I shouldn't try to be the hero. It was so unreasonable. It was downright suicidal.
But I couldn't rationalize myself. My only objective was finding mom. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.
With a single-minded stubbornness, I set out to the village, not heeding the other civilians running away from the conflict, my short stature allowing me to blend in among them as I ran against the current.
Somebody mentioned how Mikoto wasn't supposed to know Kushina's status as a Jinchuuriki. Well, live with it. There will be some changes to a few inconsequential things in this story. Two of them, being what I mentioned above, and Shisui's age. If it's not that important to the overall plot and lore of Naruto, then changing it won't mean a whole lot to me.
Like I said, some things are going to be changed in order to fit in. But they're not going to be overly glaring. Like, for this chapter's example, setting the Nine Tails attack to be set early in the morning of October 10th instead of the night of October 10th.
So now, the prologue is coming to an end. After the Nine Tails attack, the main story will start. Other than what I said above, there's not much to say.
Follow, Favorite, and Review. Especially reviews. While I already have a set draft on how the story will go from beginning to end, it's nice to hear some of your ideas and speculations.