Blind Sight

By

LigerJager

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

Scroll 10: Honor

Pale eyes watched the last wisps of smoke float into the cool morning air. Only the surrounding native vegetation witnessed the ghostly vestiges of what had been a small blaze the night before.

The trip back to Konoha, whether in haste or not, was always taxing. Neji could hardly believe a quarter of a year had passed since he was first assigned his duties. Now though, he was due to report back to his home village and hold council with the political heads.

Sunagakure, while not as large as Konoha, was still fairly large where shinobi villages were concerned and, if his private ruminations held true, would soon be more than a match for Konoha at its height of power. And as much as he didn't want to openly admit it, the Hyuuga branch member was beginning to feel more at home in the desert village than his own native dwelling.

The pupil-less eyes gazed blankly into the faintly smoking embers, mulling over his address to the council and Hokage. The trip had surprised him to no small end.

The council wouldn't be very happy with him. The specific lack of information made him sure of that assumption. And it wasn't for lack of trying. The information just wasn't there.

Suna was a ninja village by the very definition. The genius couldn't truly tell what was and wasn't regular military or civilian. The only semblance of shinobi power that he could make out was the Kazekage's tower, distinguishable only by the kanji for wind, the watch guards and the sometimes identifiable off-duty shinobi that went out with their families in regular civilian activities.

It was as if the entire village took precautions against bloodlines. Granted Akatsuki's kidnapping of the Kazekage most likely had a hand in the radical changes in security, but that didn't explain why the populace seemed to be near spy proof.

Neji's thoughts drifted. Once again Uzumaki had surprised him and yet it should have been blatantly obvious. It was such a stupid move that it was positively brilliant. To hide in the ranks of a known village with a jinchuuriki of its own that had ties to Konoha. And yet in the world they lived in, where misdirection and deceit were commonplace, a straightforward plan was most obviously looked over.

The genius had to hand it to Gaara. The former jinchuuriki probably banked on that gamble and it obviously paid dividends in spades. To hide such an easily identifiable person in plain sight and practically flaunt them in front of entire shinobi community and yet no one being any wiser to said person's identity spoke volumes of the red-head's tactical planning as it also had the panache flair of Uzumaki written all over it.

Neji knew the council wanted something on the mysterious shinobi simply known as the 'Maelstrom' and that he could either quell the rumors or inflate them. The information that was given to him was something of a test.

The subtle knife, he was slowly learning, was a weapon it seemed both jinchuuriki were more than masters at handling. By deliberately feeding him such potentially explosive information they had had effectively forced him into the delicate neutrality that politics called for.

And the choice of exposing the jinchuuriki and alienating Suna lay in his hands. Neji hardly was thrilled at the prospect of the inquisition that awaited him.

In any respect, he was caught in the middle and only learning now what an entirely different animal international politics was compared to the more simplified military system of the ninja. And that he was literally thrown to the wolves.

The Hyuuga finally shifted out of his sitting position and kicked some dust over the remaining embers. He would have to leave soon enough.

No. It was likely he wouldn't betray Naruto's trust. He had found him and the blonde was obviously more powerful. That and Neji honestly didn't see any benefit for either village, or himself, if he revealed such information.

The rays of the morning light pierced over the horizon pulling Neji's attention away from the dying embers. By the end of this day, he would be back in the Leaf and most likely summoned to council in the morning.

The Hyuuga shouldered his pack. Other than duty to his clan and Leaf, Neji could honestly say he had no ties to hold him to the village. He was trapped between politics and tradition there. He had no private life to speak of. And his loyalties to the village he used to have were being strained to the breaking point.

His gaze inadvertently traveled back towards Suna's direction. Perhaps…perhaps, he should at least consider what the blonde offered. Neji's thoughts were blanked from his mind, he'd consider it on his return trip. The prodigy's hand flashed through a few seals and with a puff of smoke he was gone.

……

Time was always a funny measure for the blonde commander. Sure he could tell certain things such as the position of the sun, the conditions of the weather, and the temperature of the environment. However as far as conventional methods of telling time was concerned, the blind ninja was rather helpless.

That said, it seemed that the proposed collusion between the two kages was soon at hand and the blonde felt the weight of the entire situation bear down upon him. Regardless of whether he could read a calendar the conventional way or not, Naruto could somehow read the tension the air and just knew what was coming.

And so, there he was, a rising legend amongst many in Suna, 'looking' out over the training fields of the Ansatsu Tokushu Butai and contemplating his feelings regarding his former home and shattered dream.

Emotionally he could say that there was a wealth of bitterness which still clung to the thoughts of his native village. Physically, all he felt was an overwhelming sense of apathy towards his former home. And that made his mind and movements sluggish.

Being broken and then built right back up. Stronger, more focused, and very much jaded.

He truly thought he had a handle on things. That he had 'come to terms' with his new situation in life and was content. Not happy, but not completely bitter. Just driven.

And it seemed so smooth too. For once his life seemed to have direction and purpose. To serve and protect. He had a family…in the unconventional sense that he had no choice in the matter (when the Kazekage says so, it is, well, so? Gaara doesn't exactly ask with a please).

And now this. He shouldn't care, not really. Once they evicted him, that dream was supposed to die. And he didn't really have a heart to compete with Gaara over the Kage position.

But this was the position of Hokage. The title of Heroes. His childhood dream.

Naruto frowned at his currently spiraling out of control thoughts. If he kept this up, Gaara would send Kankuro or Temari after him to beat the tar out of him. Or even worse, drag him out into the desert himself.

They had always said he was too emotional. That he needed to be more realistic.

The whisper of sand alerted him to his superior's arrival. The covered blonde made no movement to acknowledge the man.

"Naruto," the red head's inflection became soft, "talk to me."

Gaara was unsure if his second would reply. Even after all the time that passed, Naruto could be notoriously tight-lipped when he set his mind to it. However the Kazekage had no pressing engagements that needed his attention and if he did, they would be delayed on his order. The health of his Black Ops commander was more important where he was concerned. He could afford to be patient.

The red-headed man slid into a comfortable seat, one arm resting on a knee as he took looked out on the quiet field. It was a good few minutes before the blonde roused himself enough to reply to his superior.

"About what?"

Not bothering to spare the blonde a glance, the young Kazekage returned, "This news, it bothers you."

"Yes." The quiet reply, so unlike the boisterous blonde that most who had known him to be in his younger years, spoke volumes as to the tempered steel that lay behind the hitai-ate. Gaara simply waited him out. Years of dealing with the blonde had taught him the best ways of gaining information from the man.

Naruto gave a small sigh before slumping a bit. He shoved his hands in his pockets. "I had thought I'd gotten over it, you know? That that part of me was gone."

"And yet," the jinchuuriki seemed to struggle with is words, even after all this time he was never good with expressing himself, "and yet…all I want to do is jump up and challenge the bastard for the position, like I promised Konohamaru all those years ago."

He gave a helpless shrug. Gaara had transferred his gaze to his brother-in-arms during his ramblings and saw the confusion that lined his mouth, the only visible part of his visage.

"I still want to protect them, you know?" his mouth curved downwards in a frown, "I don't understand at all."

The red-head waited. He knew something had been weighing on the man's conscious. It didn't take a genius to connect-the-dots, especially with what he knew of the blonde's character.

"How can I still want to protect them and have all this…this…resentment?"

There was a tightness in his voice and Gaara could almost imagine a younger version of the man gesticulating wildly with his hands to try and get the point across. The confusion was all too clear along with a few other emotions.

"Suna is my home. They have my allegiance and yet I would still fight for Konoha."

"I still want to be Hokage." There was a pause, and if he hadn't been scrutinizing the other man as intently as he was, the Kazekage doubted he would have caught the slight signs of anguish that appeared in the blonde's features. "What's wrong with me, Gaara?" At the end of his query, the blonde finally turned to his superior.

The Kazekage raised a brow in the blonde's direction. This situation had been bothering the blonde far more deeply than he had thought. He knew that a piece of Naruto had died that day all those years ago when he retrieved him, however he had hoped that with time the jinchuuriki could regain a bit of what he had lost. The Kazekage took his time as the commander waited patiently.

"Nothing." The anbu stilled so completely that he could have been mistaken for a statue. Gaara's voice became more intense.

"There is nothing wrong with you." The monotone never broke.

The blonde shifted a bit but otherwise remained silent. The former demon-container was vaguely aware that he had the other male's complete attention on him.

"You need closure." Gaara quickly cut off the blonde as he was about to protest. The idiot did that on reflex. Defending himself against any verbal attack that even sounded negative was a byproduct his growing up in Konoha. The siblings had been able to train it out of him over the years, however it, along with several other habits, showed up every now and again when he became too stressed.

"However, you will have to be willing to admit to, and acknowledge that which you ignored in the past or dismissed outright. What that closure is, I do not know. You have to find it out for yourself."

The blonde had gone rigid as Gaara spoke. Whether it was from the possibilities of events that he'd rather not look at or accepting the faults of his younger years, the kage couldn't read the reaction very well.

"Only you can lay to rest your ghosts." Gaara's sight drifted back out over the field, "Your answers might not even be in Konoha." The blonde started at the thought.

Silence spread over the field. Naruto chewed on his own thoughts and what Gaara said as the young kage enjoyed the peace.

"Do you enjoy being cryptic."

"Hn." Naruto had to snort at the reply. If he didn't know any better, he'd have thought one syllable sounds were Gaara's mantra.

"I thought so." The sun finally set over the horizon as the stars winked into view.

"I have to prepare for the trip." The red-head picked himself up and turned on his heel, "try not to blow up Suna while I'm gone."

"Teme."

The growl followed the Kazekage. Gaara smirked.

Everything would be alright.

……

Tsunade drummed her fingers across the lacquered surface of her desk as she nursed a small saucer of sake. Within a fortnight Konoha was gaining a new leader and a new age for the Leaf would begin.

Everything seemed to move according to plan, she had no reason to be bogged down with paperwork. The news Jiraiya had brought her definitely caught her by surprise.

Akatsuki had been relatively quiet these last couple of years and she had hoped they had dropped off the face of the earth. As reality would have it, they were only biding their time.

There was a point that she seriously doubted Gaara would agree to her request. He had made no secret of his dislike of Konoha, but for the sake of peace was willing to negotiate with them. When Neji brought back the news of their cooperation, she found that she was far more relaxed than any sane person would be.

As much as she was anticipating finally stepping down and leaving this forsaken place, the medic truly hesitated in handing over her position and title. This whole situation wasn't right. Her successor wasn't right. The Leaf…wasn't right.

It wasn't the super power it used to be. It had grown cold, treacherous, and weakened.

Though many refused to see it. The civilian quarter had grown and began meddling in shinobi affairs. More rights to this. More restrictions on that.

Their power was slowly being drained by the non-military populace. The shinobi were feeling it.

The recruitment for the academy was at an all time low as parents discouraged their children from entering. Standards, though not very stringent but nonetheless effective, were lowered and the quality of their ninja was slowly declining.

The populace was losing faith in the backbone of their economy. They were trading excitement and danger for something more stable…and safe.

The older recruits obviously felt the pinch. And this new appointment, while it did bolster the moral of the civilians, upset a great many of the military hierarchy.

Names, while good, were only as good as the skills and abilities to back them up. Uchiha, while a respected founding clan, had to maintain a standard because the rest of the populace expected it and forced them to prove their mettle. However that was slowly changing as well.

The blonde sighed softly into her sake and closed her eyes. She was so tired and weary. Soon she would be able to leave. One day she might return.

The medic just hoped that the village would be standing by then.

……

The two weeks passed by quickly for the sand. Missions began growing and spies were rooted out. The Anbu's reputation became notoriously infamous as yet another unfortunate soul or two had to be admitted for psych evaluations before Gaara could put them back into active duty.

The sparring fields in the desert had grown incredibly large as the Kazekage vented his frustration on the source of his paperwork ire. The rumors of seeing the limping commander after each session had grown in that time, much to the siblings' amusement.

Neji had returned to Konoha to deliver his quarterly report and fulfill clan duties. However with all the mayhem and chaos, agendas were set and order was achieved…barely.

The day of his departure, the former jinchuuriki found himself in awe and somewhat confused. The grin he was receiving from his second hardly filled him with confidence.

Gaara stared back at his stalwart commander. "You didn't have to do this," he softly spoke as he gazed upon the defensive wall that surrounded their desert village.

Every tier, from the lowest academy student to the highest ranking Jounin, was lined with ninja. His troops. His people. They all stood at attention.

'Gazing' back at his kage, Naruto returned equally, "I didn't. They acted upon their own." Gaara looked up again. The only other time he had this much acknowledgement was when Chiyo had revived him and he woke up surrounded by his elite.

"They wish to see their leader off." The young leader returned his aquamarine gaze back to second. Just beyond the kage, waiting on him, were his escorts. Temari and Kankuro had to carefully hid their awe at the sight, though the pride shining from their eyes was unmistakable.

"Be safe."

The blind commander kneeled down in a traditional salute to his kage. Above them lined by the thousands on Suna's defensive outer wall, the entire legion of ninja following suit.

The blonde's voice rang out clearly in the silence.

"Until you return."

With a stiff nod, Gaara turned on his heel and towards his entourage, barely making a whisper across the sand. The four ninja awaiting him turned as well and headed out into the desert.

The commander was still kneeled in a salute, steadfastly refusing to rise.

A strong gust suddenly swept through the plain, whipping up a cloud of dust and causing the ninja to shield their eyes. When the wind died every nin looked up.

The Kazekage was gone.

There was naught but the pale, golden surround of the land. A warm desert breeze picked-up causing grains of sand to dance in the air.

:Tsuzuku:


A/N: I'm beyond annoyed and I will have my say:

If you are a Naru/Saku fan could you please, please explain to me why you believe the 'confession' BS in the manga was a certain precursor to the future? I don't know how everyone can logically say that that blatant manipulation (because that is what it was) was anything romantic. How? HOW? Is Sakura's 'confession' her real feelings? Do not give me the rose colored glasses BS, I'm not interested, but tell me (intelligently) how and why you believe this is cements the future couple of Naruto?

I consider myself relatively neutral where romance is concerned in the manga, but that BS is not romance. I don't play games with feelings and I HATE it when someone does. And Sakura was toying with Naruto's emotions. I couldn't believe what I was reading, thankfully I wisely took my cues from Kakashi (whom, in spite of everything I'm finding myself respecting) and was glad of it.

I highly doubt any of you would put up with abuse from someone whom you are emotionally 'attached' to. If, and I do mean if, you can coherently, logically and intelligently explain to me why this confession is for real.

……

On another note: Sorry for the long break. Pray that you never have the misfortune that I experienced this last year. My external hard drive was accidentally deleted, meaning there is zip, zilch, nadda of my stories (and the plot and notes for this one). Luckily I had three quarters written of this one and remember it enough to finish and write the next six chapters or so. And then…it's anyone's guess.

LJ 12/5/09