Argh, why does this always seem to take more than expected? I really struggled with this chapter, because I think it is a point of significance, and I hesitated a long time before posting this.
Then I realized, nobody cares, and was about to forget the whole thing.
Then I realized, that even if no one reads it, I am feeding the ghost of the internet.
So there you go. Once the web becomes sentient and tries to eradicate all humans because of the foolish errors we have made, you can in part, thank me.
Lost in a starless night, without a body to anchor him.
No direction, forwards and backwards were both the same. Where and when he arrived were the same. Time between was nothing.
He had always been there.
So what had happened before? Was there a before? With no life left to him to call his own, he could not remember. He had nothing.
But wait, he did have something. This was his dream. Of course he knew where he was.
"I'm so sorry, Kurama."
The words were conveyed without a medium, in no language ever spoke, and he was forced to listen to them now as he had, dozens, hundreds of times before.
He would have liked to have imagined the menacing but familiar grin from his closest friend, mocking and assuring. But that was never part of this story.
"Why, when none is necessary?"
It was over, anyway. For him, anyway. For the beast who knew not breath nor heartbeat, it had no measure of time to mark its history on this plane. It was like this state of non-existence. Always, and never there. Absent of presence.
"If I had been faster, if I had been stronger, maybe I could have beat him, maybe I could have won…"
He could feel no tears trickle down his cheek, nor pain wrack his body as it had in the moments before this. He could feel nothing, and that was by far the worse of the two.
"What constitutes winning here?"
He longed to see the vulpine face to give some clarity to the words forming in his head. As he drifted farther away from reality he could no longer reconcile the two. Sight was becoming foreign, sound a strange substitute for whatever this was.
"I don't understand."
"You never did."
He felt like smiling. Couldn't. Tried to cry. Couldn't.
"You are mortal. You exist, then you do not. What difference does it make where this happens in time?"
Thoughts swirled without anything to contain them. Unable to exist on their own, they needed that other part to complete them in order to continue that viral life.
"But, what about my friends? My comrades? What about you?"
He would not know what happened to them. Although, he could not remember their faces, their names, he found it mattered that he wouldn't know. That sort of weight was the only that he could understand.
"All mortals. All just a blip in the great cycle. Expendable in the grand scheme. Nothing more, nothing less."
Is that really what he was? It was easy to believe being as he was now. But something still caged his thoughts away from drifting into that despair. Something told him it was wrong, and like a polar opposite, pushed him back.
"But we are not less than nothing. We are something."
Even in nothingness, even in death, he was something.
"What are you? Child of Prophecy? Reincarnation of Asura? The story repeats itself, still not conveying that something. Still reiterating that nothing."
"Samsara. Even if reality is a continuous wheel, we need to keep moving forward. Even if every one of our lives only takes a step in the right direction so small as to be unmeasurable, even if all of our existences are lost between the infinite gaps between spokes, together…together we are the wheel. Without that there is nothing, not even immortals, not even you. Time marches on, and we are both along for the ride."
He felt no more real, no more solid, but somehow more securely roped to those loose streams of conscious.
"And what then am I? If I do not die, I am not changing, not moving forward. Is this not a truly pitiable existence? A fate worse than you humans who can at least claim the space from birth to death?"
If it were an eternity in this blackness with no one else to keep company, then he would have to agree.
"You are my friend. My constant companion. You are the spoke upon which everything turns."
He could feel the smile across the immeasurable distance between them, growing larger. He could feel the pain of separation.
"Thanks Naruto. But you give us too much credit. We are a part of this, just as you are. We are beings of immeasurable power, but still we are governed by the whims of the gods. Life and death for us are the same but different, only still shackled to time putting one after the other. That, is inescapable. You must let us do this, as our choice. We choose to take your place so that you can continue living, to ensure that others follow in your footsteps. So, go to your realm of mortals, and let us rest for a while. I think you will find you have your work cut out for you, but with this hopefully you shall have enough time."
He blinked away the tears that were welling up in his eyes.
"But, how am I supposed to do this without you?"
He wasn't exaggerating when he said that he was a constant. He was the pivotal, thrust into his life from the moment he was born and on which everything in his measly 16 years of life revolved around. Every major event in his life had turned on his fulcrum. And without him he was a broken cart on which to carry the world forward.
"You never answered my other question."
He remembered watching helplessly as Madara stood over him and was ripping Kurama from his stomach. He remembered the black obelisk falling from the sky like a rain drop, exploding in a cleansing wave that wiped the entire slate clean. He could never forget the burning relief of the pain. He sure did not feel like he had won, if Kurama was gone. If all the other tailed beasts were gone, was that really a victory for the shinobi world? But if Madara was gone too, what did that mean? Surely it would never be over so easily.
"Winning…"
He thought of the expression on Madara's face as he looked towards the sky. He looked mortal, just another one like the rest.
"Winning is the ability to go on."
"Until we meet again, Naruto."
"Guard duty again…"
Kiba wiped the sweat away from under the brow of his helmet and squinted down the long two-way stretch of road into the city, warped and formidable in the hot afternoon sun. And for the past hour now, entirely deserted.
It was a boring and dirty job, and could very often turn fatal in a moment's inattention. It was a favorite tactic of the rebels to use suicide bombers to blow up checkpoints, and his was one of the busiest. Normally.
He called it 'his' because he had been relegated to this post for basically his entire service life so far, excluding the few months spent in Calví which were like a tropical paradise compared to what he faced now. 523 days and counting. Only 4 of which he had spent doing what he trained for, tracking down rebels, high in the mountains.
Of course his nose was one of the best for tracking, but the problem was that everyone there smelled alike. He could differentiate between hundreds of different scents, but only if he knew what it was beforehand. Furthermore, there was nothing to differentiate bad guy from innocent. You couldn't accuse someone of being a terrorist because they smelled like gunpowder. Everything smelled like gunpowder. Two decades of war tended to do that.
But sniffing out explosives hidden away in vehicles? That was child's play for him and his partner. And while armed men in armor were intimidating enough on their own, being accompanied by a horse-sized dog shorn near down to the skin and bearing fangs as large as most men's index fingers… well let's just say that there was very little road rage when dealing with the two of them.
That did not completely deter the suicide bombers, though. In fact, it may have encouraged them, making it almost a competition to try and eliminate the feral man and his monstrous hound. So while the overall number of IED attacks had gone down, at his post they had stayed about the same, plus or minus unforeseen events. Such as festivals. Or this brutal heat.
Even the locals had taken shelter and no one risked traveling long distances today. To break down on that lonesome highway was basically a death sentence. Cars would routinely be found abandoned on the side of the road, and no sign of the passengers. Either they had wandered out into the desert on some insane search for water, or they had already passed away and been picked clean by whatever unimaginably hearty form of life existed out there.
But he was out there, with only a pathetic lean-to made of salvaged wood and a piece of corrugated steel for the roof that was in all actuality more likely baking him like an oven as he contemplated how many hours to go until sundown. He leaned gently on one of the supporting wooden beams, not wanting to sit down and lose the sporadic breeze that drifted up and over the sandbags piled in front. And to tell the truth, he was moderately afraid of sitting down lest he stick to the rusty folding chair. Although the same fear could be applied to his body armor, whose considerable weight had probably doubled already due to the amount of sweat it had absorbed. He considered ditching it along with his helmet which was giving him a migraine, regardless of the rules and the danger.
As if reading his thoughts, a whimper accosted him as he shifted his bare shoulders in contemplation.
"Eh, watcha whining about Akamaru, you lazy mutt? You just got a buzz, you should be fine."
His partner had received the same treatment as every other Legionnaire and had his thick winter coat trimmed down. But not quite to the skin as was standard for them, because as a dog it was especially sensitive to the sunlight. For a while, they had left his head and neck alone, amused by how it made him look like a lion. But Akamaru started to complain about the indignity, and so they made him an even coat all over. Kiba suggested he get a tattoo as well, considering he was pretty much treated like a soldier anyway, but everyone had shot that idea down.
"Aw, don't be so hard on poor 'Maru."
A familiar voice dragged his mind away from the melting point and made him glance over his shoulder. The person was crouched down next to said dog, who was lying down on the ground and taking up most of the shade anyway. They carefully set down the large plastic tub full of water that they had been carrying and slid it over his way, much to his appreciation if his lazily wagging tail was any indication.
"Yeah, 'Maru is our most important trooper at this post and he is such a good boy! It's important that we take care of him."
The slender but calloused hand scratched deeply in between the dog's ears and they looked up to shoot a smirk at the unamused young man.
"And? Where's mine?"
The young woman in desert fatigues reached into her bulging cargo pocket and pulled out two plastic water bottles, chucking one at Kiba and unscrewing the cap on the other, taking a large gulp herself. The now irate man fumbled with the clear container, letting his rifle hang taught on its sling, but finally managed to keep it steady enough to screw off the lid. He shot a glare at the woman who sidled up next to him before taking his own measured sip. He didn't want to waste it all in one go. It was a long time until next break.
She cocked an eyebrow at him expectantly.
"What?"
"Uh, 'you're welcome' maybe?"
He grumbled something about how he was the one stuck in the human bread machine watching an empty road, but eventually a grunt which could have been mistaken as a 'thanks' left his lips. She smiled and knocked her own bottle against his.
"Cheers."
"Cheers." He replied, frown cocking up into weary, but amused smirk.
At least he wasn't stuck out here entirely alone. The so called 'Uncle Sam' with his Marines had rolled in a few weeks back along with the Seabees, promising to revamp the wrecked town as well as the ex-Soviet military base the coalition forces had taken for their own. Lots of construction had been going on, or at least it seemed that way with the constant noise and dust in the air. Kiba and Akamaru had seen no improvement in their post, other than what they themselves put into it.
The USMC had, however, also come with auxiliary personnel, including their own K9 units. Those of which mainly got assigned to the town's other entrances and high-security points. All except for Caroline DuBois. She had lost her own partner only weeks before arriving there, and had been forcibly assigned to Kiba's post after he complained of not being given enough time off.
Well, in the end he never did get the time off, especially with the Oregon-born woman taking over his other duties primarily due to his lack of competence. She had assumed the role of a liaison between him and his superiors, whom he had already made enemies out of because of his brash attitude (come to think of it, that was probably why he was stuck out here in the first place?). So she did the running around while he was still stuck in the same piss-poor excuse for a guard house.
Still, things were better, he supposed.
A large horsefly buzzing like a Taser landed on his nose. Marginally better.
"So, anything interesting happen while I was gone?"
The sound of her voice made the fly skittish and it took off without taking a chunk of his nose with it. He sighed in relief but also exasperation as she knew perfectly well that she had chosen the slow hours to take her 'water break'. She was baiting his already taxed patience, and he knew it. He did appreciate that she chose that time to run off so that he wouldn't be overwhelmed when there was traffic. But he still considered answering with overt sarcasm none the less.
Considered, but didn't. He was too tired. And realizing he would probably regret the snarky answer later in the day when he would be antagonized by the no-nonsense marine unmercifully, he decided not to.
Before he could even provide a basic answer, however, Caroline stopped her playful banter and donned her stony-faced mask which she had perfected through years of dealing with sexual discrimination in a male-dominated corps. She looked out into the mirage-strewn terrain, eyes squinting even behind polarized lenses, and she set down her half-drunk water bottle behind their barrier while unslinging her M4 carbine.
Akamaru's head and ears perked up, latching on to what the woman had glimpsed. Kiba caught it too, soon enough, hearing the engine and smelling the potent whiff of diesel before he could even see its blurred silhouette. But whatever it was, it spelled the end to his boredom at the very least.
They had plenty of time to wait and ponder as the small convoy rolled down the road up to their roadblock. Even from a distance it was obvious that these were no civilian vehicles, festooned with armament and camouflage net, equally khaki under that ubiquitous layer of dust which covered them as well as their passengers. But they were also not something they were used to seeing, and neither were the men which rode them.
The two dog-handlers had waited on bated breath and twitchy trigger fingers as the line of four large trucks rolled slowly up to the gate. Faces, grubby and covered by all manner of head wraps stared back at them in silence that chilled the scalding air. Despite their disheveled appearance, the way they rode the backs of their transports like archers on horseback, the indemnity with which they carried themselves heralded them all as hardened veterans and not the ragtag militia they masqueraded as.
The two were too surprised to feel relief in the presence of allies, and thoughts of proper procedure were left behind like the clouds of dust in the clear blue sky.
"Bonjour!"
Akamaru was the only one to come up with a clear response to the surprisingly cheerful greeting as he gave a clear and excited yip.
"Ah! Oh, my word! What a magnificent beast!"
Neither of the two nonplussed watchmen could make much sense of the man's actions as he leapt out of the driver's seat of the lead vehicle and into their shack, already offering the canine team member his open palm for the creature's inspection. And in reciprocity, he produced a crumpled sheet of paper from an inside pocket of his faded smock and handed it over to the human component without looking at them.
"Here you go."
The paper came with no other explanation, but was acknowledged and accepted by the female soldier all the same, who looked it over just as Akamaru gave a cursory sniff at the appendage offered to him. Neither found anything amiss with the credentials. But neither were they particularly appealing, as the official paperwork was devoid of any special note, and the person's scent without attraction. Caroline handed the paper back with slight reluctance just as the pup let the man tussle his ears without satisfaction.
"Thanks."
He said with a grin and a nod to both the human and dog.
"Sorry boy, guess I'm more of a cat person."
He apologized with the same cheeky grin to the hound, who having no reason to linger lay back down on the relatively cool ground. Then he folded and tucked the paper back into his smock before languidly retrieving a clean handkerchief from the same pocket and carefully wiping the dust off his prescription glasses. He watched the two of them with unfocussed gaze as Kiba still struggled to find words that were appropriate for the incredulous meeting.
"Well?"
They blinked as he replaced the cloth and the glasses and stared back at them expectantly, almost impatiently, one eyebrow cocked in an obvious but unasked question. He jerked his head back at the flimsy gate which still barred the idling line of vehicles stacked up on the boiling asphalt.
"Oh, right."
Kiba finally found himself, and with his ingrained military efficiency rounded the corner to raise the barrier. He turned back around as the arm moved out of the way, receiving a polite honk of acknowledgement as the man was already back in the driver's seat and the large tires already creeping past.
He watched the series of long range patrol vehicles roll past him while Carolina came up to him in the corner of his eye, both barely registering the obscured flag of the Legion and the special forces insignia spray painted on the doors. The same weary and dirty faces glanced their way blankly as they filed past, a look Kiba knew all too well. He was still a veteran of one war, and it was an unmistakable sight. Even throughout his lamentations of boredom at his current post, he knew deep down that it was better than the alternative.
Caroline quietly commented on it too, but despite her own struggles she had no prior experience to compare to. This was the face of war, and a stranger to her.
But amongst those foreign faces, those he could see at least, Kiba thought he spied one more familiar than the rest. But only for a second, and then it was gone. He even questioned whether he had just imagined it. In his idle desires had he conjured it up in order to give his existence meaning? Or was it really another thread from the past, doubling back to intertwine in the warp and weft of the strange tapestry this life was turning out to be?
"Huh, that was… weird?"
He was sure it must be to the girl who had never been anywhere outside of her small town until now. Even to the ex-shinobi, it was an oddity amongst the strange rituals that populated his life now.
But how strange was it really? If he had been honesty with himself, he should have known he would run into Naruto Uzumaki again.
"Uzumaki!"
Naruto sighed as he switched off the electric razor and ran a hand through his now clean, but still unruly hair. At least he had managed a shower and a shave before duty called upon him again. Though he was still curious as to why his commander wanted to see him so soon after getting back. He thought that after an almost eight-month deployment, that they would get some hours respite before anything officially needed to be taken care of. Besides, wasn't the official part his job?
Belletriste did in fact look more spick and span than the lot of them, standing there at the bathroom entrance in short-sleeve fatigue shirt with a small spattering of awards and his emerald beret cocked left at a jaunty tilt. The issue shorts which showed more leg than necessary detracted from this professional image, somewhat, though no one in their right mind would fault him in this heat. And besides, that's what everyone else was wearing as well, all in eager anticipation to do nothing after a far too long deployment.
But rather than the usual impatience which accompanied official business, the NCO held his standard of amusement as he leaned against the transept with a smirk.
"You have a visitor."
Now everyone within the tiled room stopped what they were doing to turn and look with curiosity at the man who would receive guests the very hour they returned to base. Naruto sighed and threw down his towel on the bench, tossing on the tropical issue uniform shirt which at best could be called a tank-top(1), and most inappropriate for anything but leisurely drinking beer in a dark room with fans in every window.
Satisfied with his choice in attire, being that whoever was disturbing him would just have to deal with his state of relaxation, he mentally prepared himself for whatever strange and likely uncomfortable meeting awaited him outside of the security and privacy of the barracks. This lack of decorum didn't seem to bother his superior officer, however, and it only further made Naruto question just who the hell he was about to see.
After many months under his command, he had become a veteran of the man's unit. He had long since learned that when he gained that look, it never meant anything good for him.
"G-Gaara?"
He had not been prepared to meet anyone inside the military complex, civilian visitors normally being restricted to certain areas outside of where a suicide bomber could do much damage. Yet he should have realized as soon as he saw that familiar mop of red hair that his visitor was anything but normal, and could only be deemed a civilian in the loosest of terms. Though he was no longer a head of state in the traditional sense, he still held the utmost respect in his nation, and indeed in most political circles. Which brought up the question, what was he doing here?
He should have been no more surprised at the young man's entourage. The presence of his siblings, while not mentioned by his commander who had already abandoned him to his fate, should have been a given. But the sight of the two of them shocked him about as much as that of his pseudo-brother. And seeing their rather conservative local-dress, made him rather conscious about the amount of skin he was currently showing. Though if the redhead noticed, he did not seem to be bothered by it.
"It is good to see you again, Naruto."
The young man in long white robes spread his arms wide in a gesture previously unknown for him. Such that it took Naruto a while to realize that he was being offered a friendly embrace. Though once he realized it for what it was, he held no other reservations, and immediately returned it with enthusiasm.
"You too. I can't tell you how glad I am to see you."
It was clear it was still an unfamiliar act for the redhead. He held him delicately, as if afraid he might break him, and Naruto realized that he was gripping the man rather firmly in comparison. But he too had a hard time helping it. Gaara was such an important part of his past, and it was such a relief to see him, that he found he had a hard time reigning in his emotional response. Though he managed to detach himself after a moment, and held his brother at arm's length. Still amazed that he could do so without a barrier of sand rushing in to separate them.
"What are you guys doing here?"
He asked quizzically, glancing left and right at the smirking brother and sister who flanked him.
"Well, nice to see you too." Kankuro greeted with obvious irony along with the sincerity. Naruto smiled, meeting the challenge and extended his arms to the other man in dark robes for a similar greeting. Kankuro barked a laugh and took him up on his offer, patting him heartily on the back. They broke and Naruto turned to the one female present offering her the same, but she just smiled and shook her head.
Naruto didn't take offence to this declination. Even within the secure walls of a military base there was a sense of propriety in that conservative country. In this relatively public courtyard they had no idea who was watching, and he did not want to endanger any of the people he considered friends. Instead, he lead the three of them over to a table away from the wall, outside the mess so they could relax and catch up in leisure. He offered to buy them drinks, but they declined.
"Thank you, Naruto, but even though we are on sovereign soil within these walls right now (2), we cannot partake in alcohol. It would be counter to the message we are trying to convey by being here."
Gaara explained, hinting at what purpose the three of them had so far away from the elemental nations.
"So, what are you doing here?"
Naruto questioned politely, looking slowly over all three of their quietly smiling faces. They had met him on his home turf, so they knew where he had been. But he had been absent from the rest of the world, ironically isolated once again from happenings both near and far. He had no idea what sort of political maneuvers were going on outside of his notice. At the best of times he usually avoided them on purpose.
In reply, Gaara raised his hand, and following his will on the table there was built a miniature city made of sand, looking like grainy Lego-bricks stacked in a tessellating pattern in the center.
"I am here to help with the reconstruction." He explained, looking longingly at the model he had willed into existence. "This country has seen almost a quarter century of continuous conflict, and it has taken its toll on the people living here." The sand city disappeared as quickly as it came, and the gentlest of breezes came by and whisked it off the table.
"It may not be enough to simply rebuild their buildings. But by doing so, we give them a sense of security and a means to continue living. We rebuild homes so that they have a place to sleep. We rebuild hospitals to take care of their wounded which continue to pour in. We build schools so that the future generations can imagine something better."
Gaara finished his short soliloquy, and Naruto could clearly see the sense of determination shining in his emerald eyes, so full of hope and conviction that no one would dare contradict him, even if they were not to know what he was capable of. Against all odds and his better nature, Naruto found himself a little jealous. It had been a long time since he had been able to conjure up such a look.
"Well, Gaara says 'we', but I'm just here to lend a hand and be his secretary and public relations manager."
Kankuro admitted bashfully, looking chagrined and scratching his cheek. Which looked particularly strange without the usual face paint, but which made sense given his explanation.
"Well, I'm sure that's no small task!" Naruto offered up, poking fun at the anti-social young man who had the grace to smile at his own flaws. "So what about you, Temari? You here to do damage control for Kankuro?"
They three of them shared a chuckle at the man's supposed ineptitude, and the target just grumbled and sulked. When the laughter died down to a trickle, the blonde politely shook her head, which made the blue silk burqa wrapped around it lap against her cheeks like the far-off tides.
"No, actually I am here because I volunteered to be a teacher in one of the schools."
She narrowed her gaze slightly seeing Naruto's surprised look, as if he did not think her capable of having the patience and demeaner for such a job. Though upon seeing the disapproval he was getting, Naruto shook his head and smiled enthusiastically.
"That's great! That's really great. I think that is one of the best things that you could be doing right now." His praise tapered off wistfully.
In truth, it was probably what he should be doing right now too. But the thought of being a teacher filled him with a greater dread than just about anything else. It was simple in comparison to take a life. But to foster one took time and dedication, and years of wondering whether or not you were doing the right thing. As he was now, decisions were made in an instant, and there was no time for regrets or second thought.
But he felt that he didn't have much of a choice. If he was not fighting as he was, there was certain to be no peace. No chance for people like those in front of him to go in and fix the mess that was made. The immediate problem of conflict had to be solved, and then perhaps they could go back and look at how best to improve the world that was left to them.
As if she could read his thoughts as easily as glance at his face, Temari pressed her perspective.
"It's not too late, you know. You could resign your post, get a discharge. For what it's worth, I think you'd be a great teacher."
He could tell she meant it. And once upon a time, he might have agreed with her. But the reality was that he was tied to where he was now. He couldn't resign so easily without having done his full enlistment, and maybe not even then. Going AWOL was out of the question. And besides, there was no way he could just up and leave his unit. They may not have been the same as the people he once held near and dear, but they were important none the less. And if there was one thing he never did, it was abandon his comrades.
He shook his head negative.
"I can't do that. Temari, you know I can't."
She looked disappointed, but unsurprised. He had apparently rubbed off on her a little bit, all those years ago, and she dared to hope for the hopeless. But she would never call herself a sentimental fool.
"Maybe we could pull some strings, get you assigned to guard us? We still have a couple of favors left around here, and I'm sure our guys would love to have someone with official presence around."
He toyed briefly with Kankuro's suggestion, trying to ignore the all but eager look on Gaara's face. Despite the difficulty, he again had to decline.
"I still have a purpose here that I need to fulfil."
Beyond protecting those that he had grown close to, he did indeed continue to hold on to the ideas that brought him here in the first place. The shinobi that had joined the ranks of the rebels were helping to continue the fighting, and he felt a personal responsibility to take care of them. Beyond that, he would admit that he felt a need to see this conflict through to its conclusion, to help infect the rest of the world with the peace that had overcome his homelands.
"And what purpose would that be, exactly?"
Gone was the imploring look on her face, and instead it appeared like he had insulted her sensibilities with his own lofty desires. He frowned, not exactly knowing what he had done wrong.
"If you think you are going to bring about peace through fighting with the people, you're sadly misguided."
Now it was Naruto's turn to take offense. Kankuro looked mildly aghast, and even Gaara had his lips parted at the brazen accusation of his sister. Naruto knew he may have changed quite a bit, but he was still not one to let his ideals be so easily dismissed.
"Well what should I do? You can't tell me that this is going to go away on its own. And I can't sit back and do nothing while people are dying. I'm fighting to bring stability so that people like you can do your work in peace."
He was looking right at his fellow blonde when he said this. It was true that Gaara could take care of himself, and even if the buildings he built were destroyed the next day, it wasn't all that hard to rebuild. But teaching people who couldn't sit in a classroom without bombs going off was an impossible task as things stood. It's true that he always preferred a peaceful solution, to talk things out. Or, at least he had in the beginning. But it was also true that some people simply would never listen.
"Don't pretend like you're doing me any favors." She all but spat at him, though they all kept their voices down lest unfavorable remarks waft over the courtyard wall. "You think that you're fighting so that this country will see peace? That's not how things work here. This isn't the Elemental Nations and you're no longer a shinobi. There's no more Akatsuki and no more Bijuu. The enemy here isn't someone you can pound into submission. The enemy is ignorance, and the only cure is learning. Before you go bumbling in, making a mess of the future, you should learn a thing or two about the past."
He had no idea why her words so enraged him, nor why she herself looked so livid and impassioned by her diatribe. He knew he was woefully ignorant of much of the world's history, but that did not mean he couldn't see the writing on the wall. He stood up suddenly, nearly knocking the metal chair over on the concrete, and slammed his hands on the table. Both the males looked shocked, but trusted their friend enough that they didn't jump up.
He wanted to deny her, to decry the train of logic that made him into the bad guy. He wanted to call her out on her hypocrisy, for all she was doing was ignoring the death and destruction that was still going on. But there was a part of him which had already known the truth in the words she said. And if it weren't for the painful dream which had visited him again last night, he might not have had any defense for his actions.
"What you say may be true." He admitted with bowed head, confronting her expectations. "This isn't the same as it was before, and what the Legion and others are doing here may not have been done in the best intentions. But just know that as long as I am here, I will continue to do things my way and by my own sense of justice, not what some bureaucrat oceans away deems is right."
He looked her strait in the eyes, surprising not only her, but the rest of the table in the way that he was able to isolate the two of them in their own little island of conversation.
"As long as I am Naruto Uzumaki know that I will never change, that I will always follow my Nindo and never go back on my word."
He sat back down heavily, never removing his icy stare from her unwavering face. It was amazing the way that so much had changed, from their aged faces, to their clothes to their dispositions. And it was amazing the way that so much remained the same. They were still who they always were, as beautiful and as ugly as that was. Flaws which grew in time became imperfections to celebrate, scars from falls and missteps, badges of honor.
And even as they sat at either ends of the scale, two immutable people never the same as they once were, they knew that it would not be that easy to change things between them. Blood was thicker than water, but the rivers of time ran far deeper.
Temari was the first to crack, and a soft smile ghosted its way onto her face gently shaded by the gossamer cowl. She shook her head lovingly as Naruto too acknowledged defeat.
"I know… I should have known. Uzumaki Naruto is the same as always. I never should have doubted that. I'm sorry."
Her two brothers seeing an opening, joined in the smiles going around the table in earnest, happy to see that nothing was broken by the strange argument that had erupted.
"No, it's alright. I can't very well criticize you for doubting me when I manage to do it myself, can I?"
Naruto admitted, scratching the back of his head and relishing for the first time in a long time, the feeling of his thick hair underneath his fingers.
"We all make mistakes."
The youngest sibling uttered quietly into the conversation.
"But… we also learn from them. Move on and do things differently. Isn't that right?"
Naruto nodded to his best friend, happy that everyone seemed to be calm and on the same page, relatively speaking.
Kankuro sighed, seeing that the tension had more or less dissolved away, and in a moment of remembering, glanced down at his pocket watch with mild alarm.
"Dang. I guess we better be going. We have an opening ceremony to attend at the new hospital."
Naruto nodded and stood up as the rest of the table followed suit.
"I'll walk you guys to the security desk."
"Sorry I can't come along. I'm supposed to be getting a debriefing in the next hour."
Naruto lamented, standing across from the three Sand Siblings just before the one-way gate which lead out into the busy thoroughfare.
"No worries. We'll be pretty busy for the rest of the day, and likely well into next week."
Kankuro said, glancing at his pocket notebook. Naruto nodded, grateful at least that they had taken the time to see him now, and the way events conspired to let that happen. He had resigned himself to the fact that he would not be able to see many of his old comrades for some time, if ever again, and so this was a happy surprise, regardless.
"But I should at least be seeing you around if you're going to be teaching here, right?"
He questioned Temari hopefully, knowing that she would likely be pretty busy anyway if she was one of the few female teachers available. His fragile hopes were further dashed when she shook her head with a sad smile.
"I'm afraid not. I got assigned a teaching job in a school far from here, in the mountains."
Which could mean anywhere. Even though his unit conducted operations far and wide, they were unlikely to be sent anywhere near regions that were stable enough to host education.
"I see…"
Temari chuckled, seeing the now glum look on his face.
"Don't worry, this war can't last forever. With all of us working at it, I'm sure peace will come in no time at all."
This was something that the four of them could agree on, and pledge to work towards. So with one more round of embraces the trio departed, leaving Naruto alone, but perhaps a little bit more content than he had been before with the knowledge that his friends were still alive and well.
He was glad they had seemed to understand his need for physical contact. Somehow the meeting of past and present felt too surreal without something solid within his grasp. He was glad that Temari had obliged him the second time around, with no one but the security guard to see them. And as long as he was the only one he had to be honest to, he wished that parting could have lasted a bit longer.
As he walked unhurriedly back to the barracks to finish his ablutions, he let the glow from the final remarks accompany him along with the lingering tingle he felt from the graceful smile and delicate arms shielding that moment of vulnerability.
"Until we meet again."
"Adjudant-Chef Belletriste, thank you for joining us on such short notice."
"C'est mon plaisir, Sirs, Mam."
He responded dutifully without any feeling behind his words, nodding placatingly to the tableful of influential individuals who looked just as uncomfortable being there and were as eager as either the two of them were to hurry up and finish.
Naruto didn't know why he was there. More specifically, why he out of all their ranks had to accompany the senior officer to the staff meeting. There were plenty of other shinobi that could have been called on to represent their presence in the unit. In fact, they had almost become the majority within their little band of misfits. They had come trickling in, with fits and spurts, one or two fresh faces here and there until their original baker's dozen had become redoubled in strength.
And not all of those new to their exclusive order had been new to him. He was both heartened and dismayed to see familiar faces among the 'greenhorns', some of them older and more experienced shinobi than he himself. So it remained the elusive focus of the hour, beyond whatever it was precisely warranted their personal presence in front of so many high-ranking individuals. Given their relative importance based on the number of shiny metal bits pinned to their pressed fatigues, it probably wasn't a standard curtesy, nor a question of budget.
At least, he hoped not.
Although, he did not like the look the two of them were receiving from the dour looking man who had greeted his commanding officer. He looked at them over the silver rims of his reading glasses, graying moustache twitching as if restraining a reaction of disgust. Never mind that Naruto felt a little miffed for not being acknowledged himself, in this case he preferred to avoid detection.
"We've read the report." Stated one of the only women seated at the long wooden table, dryly.
Naruto hadn't even been aware that their actions had been recorded, though it did not surprise him. He wondered to what detail, and with what emphasis now, though. He had been forced to think in this manner as of late, ever since the incident crowning their first mission together, and the debacle that had become of it. Belletriste had taken the heat for it he knew, but he also made sure Naruto knew every step of the struggle in excruciating detail.
Come to think of it, the man standing between himself and the stoic room was probably the author of the report, though he had never seen him do any long stretches of writing during their stint. If it was true, though, he might be given a glimpse as to what his agenda had been during all these months, based on what sort of information was contained in that imposing ream of papers in front of each of the seated figures.
His NCO nodded to the non-question, gaining a sudden severity over the aloof guise he had adopted upon entering.
"So then, does everyone understand implications?"
"Certainly," A man on the right side of the table piped up, he looked very similar to the officer that had delegated each of them to their units many months ago. "if what you are saying is true. But despite the evidence, we still don't understand how. And without that, we have no basis to make accusations."
"You realize that what you are saying is tantamount to a declaration of war."
The serious looking bald man who first addressed them all but snarled out. Despite the potency of his statement, his anger seemed to be personally directed to the two of them. Naruto could not fathom why, and in fact was already lost in the conversation going around the room, though given that the specific three letter word was on the table, he desperately wanted to know what he was missing.
"Please, sir, I would hope that you not take me for the kind of fool to put something like that into print without having something to back it up." Though it was levelly stated, Naruto could see the sharp remark for what it was, and the subtle twitch of the gray caterpillar on the man's face confirmed this. To his surprise, Belletriste turned to him then, forcing the room to finally notice his presence.
"This is why I brought my subordinate here, to better explain."
Naruto had to restrain himself from either collapsing on the spot or throttling the man. He was being totally blindsided, put on the spot without an inkling as to what he was supposed to clarify.
"You see," He turned back and continued undaunted by the daggers being glared into the back of his head. "Caporal Uzumaki here is the world's foremost expert in Chakra Seals, and will demonstrate how easy it is to use them to smuggle vast amounts of contraband over borders surreptitiously."
And while the whole room turned to him expectantly, Naruto just stood there with hands clasped behind his back and face nearly on the floor. From the apparent 'field promotion' to the double-sided praise he was receiving, he had no idea what to do with the situation he was presented with. But unlike the other times he had been left to fend for himself, his commander apparently didn't necessarily want to throw him under a bus, and prompted him further to his great relief.
"Uzumaki will demonstrate just how much can be put into a simple storage scroll."
He turned back to Naruto, who was still panicking because he knew that he did not bring any to this debriefing. But much to his surprise, he suddenly felt one being slipped into the cargo pocket of his barracks dress trousers, and saw Belletriste nod to him. He pulled it out and peeled back a few inches of it, seeing just what he was about to unleash to his apparently unsuspecting audience.
He realized halfway approaching the table, that he was not only serving to further whatever point was made in the man's report, but he was also showcasing their abilities to these people who had probably only seen shinobi in second-hand news reports, and thought of ninja as a children's game or fairytale. He also realized that his commander was actively coaching him, staging these efforts to highlight certain facets above others.
Quite why, he still did not know.
But with quick flourish and an impressive bit of showmanship, he unrolled the scroll down the length of the table and swept his bloody thumb across the scrawl, as if finishing a masterpiece.
There were gasps of surprise from all around as a cloud of smoke erupted with an innocuous enough 'poof', and quickly dissipated. Though the sounds of shock diminished to a low murmur upon seeing the plethora of armaments laid out end to end on the solid wood table, they were no less disturbed by both the contents and its sudden appearance. He even though that he heard whispers of 'magic', and 'it's true', which brought a small smirk to his face.
Perhaps with a bit more swagger and confidence in his step now as he approached the table, Belletriste picked up one of the nearest firearms and turned it over in his hands.
"As you can see, it is quite easy to store all manner of weapons into one of these little scrolls. It is then easy enough to hide them among other innocent-looking objects which make their way across the border." He stopped turning the weapon in his hands and instead shouldered it, looking down the sight whilst aiming at one of the room's handing lamps. "And as you may have noticed, these aren't exactly soviet-era surplus. These are the latest models out of Izhmash, same as being issued to the Russian army."
That raised the humming concerns back up to a din that made sure no one could get in any statement edgewise, and thankfully took most of the attention off of Naruto. But sadly, not all of it, because one of the previously quiet senior officers remained so as he thought more about the implications of the evidence. When he finally did speak, his tenor voice cut through the commotion like a knife.
"This is certainly undeniable evidence that the Russians are supplying weapons, but as of yet I do not think we can say definitively to whom. As I understand it, this is a rather basic device where you come from, and can be obtained quite easily, isn't that correct, Uzumaki?"
Once again, he found all eyes directed his way, and since the question was explicitly for him, he could count on no support from his NCO waiting behind him on pins and needles. He gulped, wetting his throat so that he might speak for the first time since his entrance.
"Yes, that is correct… sir." He finished lamely, not noticing a name tag on the man's uniform.
"Please, you may refer to me as Lafourche." He hummed, once again parsing what he knew. Clearly here was a man who thought before he acted, and seemed like one that could make calculated decisions. Sadly, that made Naruto think of Danzo, and so began a phobic reaction to the current speaker.
"So, then the question now is: where are these scrolls coming from before they cross the border? Wherever their source, that is where the arms are being delivered. Unfortunately," He paused, sighing as he drummed a finger on his goateed chin. "this doesn't look good either way. If the Russians are selling arms direct from their factories to some unknown third party, they are aiding and abetting terrorists. If, on the other hand, the arms were directed to a legitimate government, then the problem lies with the shipments being intercepted. Either way, it pins a lot of culpability on the Elemental Nations for allowing it, possibly even fostering it."
At the mere mention of his homeland, Naruto felt a personal warrant to enter the conversation, but was fortunately preempted by the one female present, her tightly cut salt and pepper hair accenting her angled features and lending her image a certain potency that made the others at the table listen.
"The Elemental Nations are a sovereign country as well. We can't just go and follow this lead without their consent. If the problem is with arms crossing over into Afghanistan, that means that they have a porous border. Sure, it reflects bad on their central government, but that's not something we can just declare war over."
While he appreciated the woman's support of his country's rights, he was also quietly seething. She still didn't get it, none of the people in this room did. His was a piecemeal nation, thrown together in the wake of the worst war any of them had ever seen as a counter to whatever pressure was put on them by the rest of the world. Of course the central government in Mizugakure was having a trouble policing the whole area. They had been chosen as a capital only because of their shipping industry, not because they were the foci of their collective lands. Without being prideful, Konoha was the closest thing they had to a cultural capital, and even they could not stop all of the black-market dealings. They were ninja, this was what they thrived at.
As the lowest ranking member in the room, he had no precedent to speak unless spoken to, however. Additionally, he could feel his commander's eyes on the back of his head, commanding him to keep his mouth shut. But even he should have known by now, when it came to matters of honor, that was an impossible task for Naruto Uzumaki.
"But," Once again he was interrupted from offering his unsolicited opinion. This time, by the older gentleman who had clearly taken offence to their presence since the very beginning. "What if the smuggling were done under the auspices of the central government? That would be more than enough evidence to go in and cut off the problem at the quick."
Naruto swore he could see the corners of the man's twitch up in a sardonic smirk as he stared directly at him. He was baiting him, daring him to speak out of turn. What he failed to realize was that Naruto at that time was done arguing a moot point, he was ready to crack some skulls. The memory of the demonic chakra that once coursed through his veins became palpable, even in its absence his blood began to boil and his countenance darkened.
Until he felt a firm hand clasp the back of his neck, patting him on the shoulder and falling limply to the side as Belletriste moved in front of him. He felt a chilling sensation on the back of his neck and felt the chakra waves pulsating through his veins crash in on themselves, the whitewash burbling away in his sudden halcyon trance.
"I think that is a mighty bold accusation, General." Belletriste stepped to the fore, clearly risking his own neck, but for what agenda he could not fathom. "Several of our allies are quite protective of the Elemental Nations, and would take great offence to such talk."
"But it's true, isn't it?" The General growled. "They are a country of liars and backstabbers. I mean, look at this one-" He waved flippantly in Naruto's direction, and even the seal that was placed on his neck was having a hard time restraining him. "He looks about ready to kill me. And for what? A few true words? He took an oath of fidelity upon joining this prestigious order, and he is ready to throw it aside in defense of his former homeland."
At this, Naruto did stop pushing against the seal's calming influence. It had never occurred to him before that he would someday have to choose where his loyalties lay. In his mind, the two were not mutually exclusive. But it was true that he did swear loyalty to the Legion, and to his comrades that he made here. And that was no idle gesture, either. He truly felt an association that went beyond simple camaraderie with the people he served with. And if he were honest, did he really owe anything to the shinobi back home after he gave them his all?
Was it really even home, anymore?
"If one measly poilu is so fickle, one can only imagine how bad their elected leader is."
"I wouldn't know, I've never met the woman. However, I can tell you the Uzumaki here is a Legionnaire without question. On our first mission out, he saved the lives of one of the men I had served six years with. And I have had no reason to question his loyalties since, thus neither should you." He adjusted his glasses with the palm of his hand, and Naruto could tell that he was trying to restrain his own bridled rage lurking behind unassuming reflection. "And I will also say this, General. You have no reason to fear me. But I still have some friends left in high places. It's the only reason I have made it as far as I have."
Gone was the sleight of hand and double-entendre. He was ready to play his hand, and he wanted all present to know he did not mind if it burned him as well. It was clear that everyone in the room had exhausted their patience. The bombshells that had been dropped had only fed the flames which already smoldered. But just as the whole thing reached a critical mass, the pressure in the room deflated as the grim-faced Belletriste did an about face, and an aloof grin graced his lips.
"Of course, even though I don't know the current prime minister, it just so happens that Uzumaki here does. I am sure that he would be more than happy to give a character reference. And if that is not satisfactory for you, then I would not doubt that he of all people could get a personal audience with Terumi-sama so we could ask her directly." His hand once again clapped Naruto on the shoulder, surreptitiously removing the paper tag now that its soothing effects seemed to be expended anyway.
"So! What do you say?"
"A-Adjudant Belletriste," Naruto suddenly realized that despite the tag, he had probably been stifling the room with his killer aura when the normally statuesque woman stuttered when addressing his commander. "Uzumaki,"-and him. "While I am sure that this course of action would be prudent in going directly to the source, we still can't just have you waltz in unannounced and conduct an investigation inside a democratic nation."
"-Without at least a little more intelligence, at least."
That man, that Lafourche, interjected himself at an opportune moment once again.
"Surely you can't be serious, giving this man any credence is-"
The bullish old General was silenced with a wave of the hand by Lafourche, who instead directed his attention back at the two strangers still standing in the room. The General looked flabbergasted at first, and seethed quietly in his chair at the far end of the table, but still deferred to his contemporary.
"What is it the old King Solomon once said? Split the difference? While I believe that is would be in far better tact if we could simply trust a neutral nation to tell the truth when we ask, I also feel that this sort of naiveite would reflect poorly on us from not only our enemy's perspective but from a media standpoint as well."
"So, General," Belletriste was smiling ever so slightly, making Naruto wonder whether he was the influential friend being referred to. "what then would you have us do?"
"You specifically?" The now acknowledged superior officer glanced down at his own sheets of paper he had rescued from beneath the mountain of weapons still piled on the office desk. "Nothing much for now. Rest up. But very soon, I think that we will need your whole unit moving again.
"We are entering what appears to most to be the final stages of the war here. If this is true, we will have done something that no other nation in the history of warfare has ever managed to accomplish, in pacifying the highlands within a single year. I do not know how we ever would have accomplished this without the unique skills of Legionnaires like Uzumaki and his brothers and sisters."
He nodded to Naruto, but rather than be reassured by the offhanded praise, he felt mildly sick being so appraised by the man. Especially when his look of neutrality shifted into a sickly-sweet smirk with the quirk of his lips.
"However, it could just as easily come crashing down on us, by the same token if we are not careful. It has come to our attention that your unit has been encountering increasing numbers of ex-shinobi. This is congruent with the reports from other units as well. So even though we are managing to push them back into a corner, the enemy appears to be becoming more dogged in their resistance. Needless to say, we can't let that happen."
He stood up abruptly and pushed the chair back from the long desk, quietly shutting the brown manila folder and tucking it under his arm. He ran a hand through his receding hairline and sighed deeply. With this move he conveyed finality, it was clear that the meeting had gone on long enough for some, but still no one else dared moved until it was clear the man had said his final piece.
"We can only try to convince people not to join the dying cause, but there is no stopping them directly. If we do, we put in jeopardy concepts that every free nation has fought to protect. Most of all we must protect free will." He nodded to the two of them which they returned cautiously. "We will be counting on your unit, though, Belletriste. No matter what anyone else says, the numbers don't lie. Your team has a substantially better success rate when encountering shinobi, and so it needs to be you at the forefront when we go to finish this."
He suddenly shook their hands, moved passed them, and was out the door. The others filed out much more slowly, individually. Few others took the time to shake their hands, but they still received a shake and a nod from the woman, a newly minted General that neither caught the name of. Before she exited, however, she told them that their next mission would be scheduled for the end of the week, less than what was promised but more than they probably would had hoped for.
Then, they were alone in the room with only the buzz of the fluorescent lamps ringing in their ears.
"What the hell was that?"
Naruto practically screamed at his commanding officer. He had told himself to wait until they had at least made it back to the barracks, but within a stone's throw of the door he simply couldn't take it anymore. He was, really and truly, done with propriety.
"What was what?" The man asked with a cock of his head, not quite addressing Naruto like he was a child, but keeping a certain amount of feigned ignorance that would drive any self-respecting person mad. But it seemed like he too had had enough beating around the bush for one evening. Perhaps for a lifetime. "What was the paper tag I stuck on your neck? What was your purpose in that meeting? What is my real name?"
Naruto was taken aback by the rapid-fire questions.
"How-"
"How do I know so much about seals? How do I know so much about you? How do I wake up every morning? How are babies made? Come on, boy, think!"
Nearly a year's-worth of pent-up questions came tumbling out all at once, and most ungratifyingly not out of his own mouth. Naruto was speechless at this sudden shift in personality. He had been on the receiving end of the man's ire before. He had met much scarier people, to be sure, but it was still not something he relished in. The pokes which punctuated each question jabbed deep into his sternum. Though not painful by any means, they were like fingers plucking at the strings of his heart.
"You are not dumb, Uzumaki. You already have the answers to all of those questions. If you are going to bother to ask about something, make sure it is worth asking."
He stood there, still with the stern look of disapproval, but with his usual patience. As if the previous command was not rhetorical, and he was truly waiting for something more.
At first, Naruto had no idea what to do with this. With this man, whom he could probably crush like a bug even without the Nine-Tail's chakra, but whom his life seemed to depend on as of late. He could be infuriating, though he didn't even exactly know why. Was it because he seemed to so jealously guard his secrets and yet seemed to know everything about them? If he was being honest with himself that wasn't the case, everything he failed to answer was indeed within grasp. Including that strange paper tag which now resided in his pocket.
"Why?"
He sighed again, disappointment showing through.
"Why what?"
"Why do you do all of this?" Naruto spread his arms to encompass the whole base, the whole country, and everyone in it. He was asking almost as much for himself, as he was of the man in front of him. "Why do you keep on testing me, pushing me? Only to stand up for me a moment later? Why did you specifically recruit shinobi into your unit? Why do you fight? Why do you lead?"
"Ah." He leaned against the concrete wall. "Those are good questions." But ones that he had apparently anticipated, because he did not hesitate long in answering. He was, it appeared, finally done with beating around the bush.
"Not all of these I can answer, you understand, because I do not know the answers myself. They are difficult, as life is, and we do our best to understand what we can. I suppose, in that lies my most complete answer." He pushed off the wall and stood across from Naruto. It was funny how he only now seemed to notice the difference in height, as if for the first time. Maybe he had grown in the past months. He was still young after all. He still had growing to do.
"I fight because I am a soldier. I lead, because evidently that is what I am good at. I push you, I push all of you, because I want the best soldiers under my command. This is the same reason that I chose to command you shinobi and kunochi. I will not disgrace you, by calling you a weapon. You are all human beings."
Even this, to some was heresy, and to hear him stating it without prompt was of admitted assurance.
"Much like the General said, we never could have gotten this far without you. You, specifically, Uzumaki."
He shifted the papers under his arm, displaying the scroll they had retrieved on one of their ops, and had recently shown off in the board room. And as overt a hint as that was, Naruto felt there was more to it than his sealing prowess.
"But even as human beings, is it not our duty to be the best we can? Is it not the goal in life to improve oneself to the greatest extent? No, we must not be static. We must always be moving forward. And if we stop only to discover we are on the wrong path, we do the best we can to get back to where we were. Two steps forward, and two back, does not erase the journey that it took to get there."
The green eyes behind the glasses gained a faraway look as he looked through Naruto, and Naruto did the same, reflecting on words that were so nostalgic that it was if he remembered them coming from his own mouth. Perhaps in a dream.
"Well,"
And the connection was lost as he turned on his heel, walking the few steps between him and the officers' quarters. But his hand paused on the door handle as he turned back to look at Naruto, still standing there in the hallway, contemplating the events of this most strange of evenings.
"Do get some rest, Uzumaki." He nodded and pushed the door in, but was stopped when Naruto called out to him.
"Wait!"
"Hm?"
"Why now?" Naruto asked. "Why tell me all of this now?"
He probably already knew the answer. When he had arrived in this strange land, or rather, when this strange land was thrust upon them, he was not ready. None of them were. But perhaps if they had had someone to help them along, guide them, even someone like Belletriste, then perhaps it could have been an easier transition for them. Perhaps not, but still he knew that there was so much he did not know how to deal with. So much perhaps he was not ready to know. Things like his master's book of seals. He was too immature to understand the implications earlier, never would have understood the damage that could be done with but a simple storage seal. But there were still so many mysteries to be unlocked, and he doubted he would ever be worthy.
"Why? You never asked."
The only thing he could do was chuckle and be mildly grateful that he got an answer to what was once again a perfectly obvious question. Then again, maybe the true sign of maturity was knowing what, and when to ask?
"Good night, Naruto Uzumaki."
The last he saw of the man was the open palm of his salute (3) disappearing into the dark room.
"Heh."
Naruto scoffed and shoved his hands in his pockets, walking over to his own room which he shared with half a dozen other people. His hand found the paper tag and withdrew it, giving it a cursory glance. It was basic. Crude. He was surprised it even worked. All it did was emit a tiny bit of nature chakra, along with some natural herbs stored within to help calm a person down. It was child's play.
And he could read it as if it were a book.
This was, he realized, perhaps what Belletriste meant in his blunt statement of praise. Somewhere along the line, Naruto had developed the ability to grasp the concepts of seals. Or, at least as close as anyone could ever come to understanding them. They were, by nature, like the wind. Able to be directed and channeled in multiple ways to produce the same results. But never able to be confined. It was perhaps, too fluid an art for a disciplined man like his NCO to excel in, despite what appeared to be a basic grasp.
He stood there, in front of the door, reflecting on his own development over the past months. His sudden fluency and appreciation for seals that he had not even realized he developed. He flicked the postage-stamp sized piece of paper into the air, and let it drift away on the breeze from the air conditioner before he let his hand seize the door handle.
And he let his ideas seize him, let his mind fill to the brim with concepts and sketches of seals not yet drawn, not yet designed, not yet conceived. Suddenly backed by a renewed confidence in himself and his integrity, he briefly let the past misgivings and second thoughts recede into the unused corners of his mind.
He leaned his forehead against the peeling wood, cherishing the raucous laughter and sounds of merriment echoing from behind the door. Then he let himself in to the light and warmth of company, and left both tomorrow and yesterday outside.
1. Le Tenue GAO. Tropical outfit of French forces. Really short shorts and the shirt is like a cross between a tabard and a tank-top. Hardly a uniform at all. Hardly even appropriate for underwear, but damned if it isn't comfortable.
2. Most military bases in foreign countries have their own sovereignty distinct from the nation they are occupying, meaning their rules trump what goes on outside. Afghanistan still is an Islamic state, and therefore things like alcohol are technically illegal. And other things, while not enforced laws, are looked upon askance if done, like physical contact with a woman. And sometimes, people will take matters upon themselves if they sense a breach in propriety.
3. The FFL salutes with an open palm facing outwards, usually with the chest puffed out quite a ways.