Author's Notes: They say when your readers' emotions get the better of them then it shows you've written a note-worthy story. In the last chapter I like to think so as I brought even one of my best friends to tears. I still read over it and I find my eyes misting before I have to turn away. So thanks to DarkRavie, Zane Makura, and Janime Lee. In either this chapter and/or the next, not only will some of Hidama's past be revealed but Akatsuki makes a formal appearance and it's off to search for the Godaime Hokage. But when Naruto meets her, will their worlds clash when she calls being the leader a worthless gamble? Can he prove being called a kage is more than just being some figure-head?
Disclaimer/Warnings: From now on I will only post these on the first chapter. I don't want to fill up the chapters with these things and annoy you, the readers. Sound fair?
"Family Ties"
By: Beloved Shadow of Light
+ Never Forget the Past +
Two days after the invasion from Suna and Oto the funeral for Sarutobi Goku, the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure was held before the fabled Hokage Mountain. An altar had been set up with a framed photo of the old man, a wrapped bouquet of white mums set among the candles. Before the table were smaller markers of the elite that had perished during the invasion. The sky seemed to feel the sorrow radiating as the dark clouds rolled in, thunder and lightning softly rumbling in the skies to mirror the sea of funeral shrouds down below. Not a single person was smiling, even those they were still at he hospital sat quietly, their thoughts to those that had lost their lives two days ago, and to the loss of their great leader.
Naruto stood with his friends and siblings, his eyes having lost their usual shine and luster but he turned and looked at his sister. She refused to look up, her hair loose as they hid her eyes that he knew were red and bloodshot from all the crying she had done. His eyes looked down to where Konohamaru was standing, trying his best to keep a straight face but it was too hard for the nine-year-old. His sobs could barely be heard as the rain slowly began to fall from above yet no one moved. He wanted to reach out and tell the kid that everything was going to be alright but that was far too cruel to say.
"..." Shiruba didn't give a damn what anyone said as she silently knelt and squeezed his hand. That was all the suggestion the young boy needed before turning and clinging to her as tight as he could, crying into her shoulder. She didn't dare stop him and buried her face into the black scarf he had worn today. The gentle rain hid more than one crying face under its quiet guise.
Even though Gaara kept his eyes close he could not escape the images as some of his most beloved loved ones lay on the ground before him, on the brink of death. Beneath the darkness of his lids he could see their blood covering every inch of the unforgiving ground, eyes open wide as if to accuse him for their death. Nothing he could do seemed to help him. He gripped the hand even tighter, biting his bottom lip between his teeth, even through the still weak sand. Haku never said anything, just held on for all he was worth. There was one thought going on through the siblings' minds.
'Why do the people closest to us have to die?'
Asuma looked up at the nearly blacken skies once it had begun raining. "The sky is crying as well," he said quietly that Kurenai was barely able to hear him at his side.
"This funeral is for the Sandaime Hokage and those who lost their lives in this battle, as well as the other victims who gave their lives, will begin now," Councilman Homura spoke up. It was not just the shinobi who were in mourning but citizens as well, dressed in black to represent their sorrow. For the ANBU, they bowed their heads in regret. For all their skills in the end, all they could do was watch.
--
Kakashi stared at the Memorial Stone for so long and so many times before, he could recite each name carved into it from heart but for now only one name stood out to him. Every time he came here he always thought back to what every time would have been like if he had survived, would it have changed what would happen years later, would he be the same man he is now or would he be worse off? But now as he stared at the name, the rain gently pelting him, all he could think of was his now withdrawn student. Gone was the loud voice, demanding to grow stronger and to prove his worth, even his eyes lost their charm. What would he have done to rectify the situation? The sound of grass crunching underfoot broke him out of his musings.
"... Are those for Hayate?" he asked without looking behind him.
Uzuki Yūgao said nothing as she silently stepped forward and placed the bouquet of white chrysanthemums at the base of the large gnomon. "The ceremony for the sandaime is about to begin... you'll be late if you don't hurry." He knew but didn't say anything to her about it. She looked at the name of the man she loved before clasping her hands together in prayer. "Kakashi-sempai... you're here for Obito-san, right?"
He stopped when she brought up his name, regret and guilt filling every fiber of his being yet made no move to answer him.
"You're always late for examinations, perhaps you should come here earlier so you're not always late," she ventured to say.
"... iie... I always come here early in the morning..." he answered in a quiet and sadden tone, so unlike his usually bored but contained humor. "But, I never know what to say when I get here... I used to do foolish and meaningless things all the time..." But for some reason, every time he came he couldn't stop thinking about the blonde youth or how he had such an impact in his life despite having known him for such a short amount of time. Why did he seem to occupy every moment he let his mind wander?
From a distance Jiraiya watched with a sad smirk on his face. He remembered this area; it was the same place Sarutobi-sensei had trained his genin team in the importance of teammate by having to retrieve two bells. He remembered boasting that he would be the one to retrieve a bell but ended up finding himself with none...
Ding! The small bell chimed quietly as it dangled from the thin string.
"Hahaha... your loss, Jiraiya... I thought you said you were gonna win so why are you all tied to the log?" a blonde hair girl teased as she dangled her bell before his pouting face.
"Damara you flat-chested bitch!!" he yelled at her. He didn't show the least bit of intimidation when she grabbed a hold of his clothes in a tight fist.
"What did you say, you pervert?!" she yelled into his face.
"You heard me, harpy!!"
Sarutobi sighed as he tried to separate the two of them. "That's enough you two. Since you and Orochimaru each won a bell you both may go." The blonde huffed but left with a proud smirk on her lips. The pale boy began walking away but not before the bound genin caught the sight of a smirk as he left. Now it was just the teacher and student.
"Jiraiya, how can a ninja fall for such simple traps?"
"But..."
"You should try to be more like Orochimaru."
He may not have been a genius like his teammate but he always hated being compared to him. He didn't see what was so great about him! "Sarutobi-sensei, all you ever say is 'Orochimaru this' and 'Orochimaru that'! But," he smirked up at him, "you haven't seen me at my best! My Tōton no Jutsu is really good. I still haven't been caught!" He'd like to see Orochi pull that off!
"..." How could a genin be proud of escaping the wrath of countless women while peeking on them in the Hot Springs? "You keep mentioning this jutsu of yours... I'll have to come with you next time to see if it's that good." He tried his best to keep the blood from rushing but the smallest hint of a blush could be seen despite his stern-looking face.
"... Sarutobi-sensei is a hentai...!" It was a good thing the training grounds were located on such a barren piece of land that faced a dry riverbed, or the jounin would never hear the end of it.
The fabled sennin said nothing but bowed in head in respect to his old mentor. Even though some of his memories with him were happy he couldn't help but cry at the fact he could never share any new memories with him. The rain continued to fall silently all around him.
--
One by one everyone stepped up and laid a white flower before the frame photo, giving a short bow before moving to allow the next person come up. One by one the genins stepped forward and unbidden memories of their brief time with the hokage surfaced, words of wisdom echoing in their ears.
"A ninja mustn't show his emotions in any situation."
The time he came to Iruka's class and gave a lecture only to later bee seen chasing Shikamaru and Chouji down the hall for skipping class, the latter of the two boys munching on a bag of chips as they ran for their lives.
"A ninja must prioritize his mission first and must not show any tears."
Sakura and Ino picking flowers in a field only to run to the hokage and give him their hand-made bouquets, smiling happily as he accepted them with a smile of his own.
Sasuke lightly glaring at the old man as he ruffled his hair from behind, giving the image of a much-loved and respected grandfather.
Shino, Hinata, Kiba and even Akamaru laughing as they enjoyed dangos and talking with the sandaime as though it was an everyday occurrence for them. Never mind that he was to be working.
Shiruba and Konohamaru moved forward and each lay their own flowers down, giving a quiet bow as they remembered how they had first meet. The little boy challenging his ojisan into a fight once more only to be interrupted when Shiruba ran into the office, only to trip over the brat's scarf. Sarutobi couldn't help but laugh as the two fought only to get hopelessly tangled in that same scarf. Now instead of being funny it just made their hearts hurt.
Gaara noted how the old man seemed so frail on the outside but burned with a fire he knew that even Shukaku could never break. How he greeted the boy with no sign of fear or animosity towards him what-so-ever. Even when he learned the truth he continued to treat him as any other genin.
The dark-haired boy smiled sadly; during a prank war between his siblings, the hokage had accidentally walked right into his trap and ended up having a massive amount of water soak him through. Haku had apologized profusely, begging pardon but Sarutobi just laughed and said it was a first that a genin had gotten the drop on him.
Even Naruto, who hadn't know the old man for very long, remembered how he had showed him his Oiroke no Jutsu for the first time, of how they argued about what qualities it would have in a battle situation, followed by a ramen dinner. He quietly gazed at the stone faces of the hokages, tracing the crack that had appeared during the battle though nothing had struck it with his eyes.
"Why do people risk their lives for others? Is that so simple?" he asked quietly.
Iruka looked at the blonde he called his little brother. "When one person dies, he disappears... along with his past, present, and future. Many of us easily die in missions and wars, even through surprisingly simple ways. Among all those who are dead, there are some who have dreams, goals... but everyone has something that is most important to them. Parents, siblings, friends, lovers... people who are important to them. We trust each other, help each other. Bonds like those are forged from the moment we're born and can only grow stronger over time until the time of our death.
Naruto was silent as he let his words sink into his understanding. He remembered hearing Haku claim that he would kill to protect his precious ones but it wasn't until now that he really understood what he had meant by that. "I think I understand it. But..." He looked forward and gazed at the photo. "It hurts when someone dies..."
"Not all would think of death being painful," Kakashi said from behind him, as though speaking from experience. "In a way, he left something inside all of us. You'll figure that out, eventually." He was rewarded with a smile that was directly solely at him and for a moment, he wanted nothing more than pull his student into his arms and never let go.
"I think I already know what it is, Kakashi-sensei. He left within all of us, the Will of Fire."
As though the storm clouds heard the rain stopped and slowly the darkness began to pull back, revealing the untamed beauty of the sun in all its glory. Many raised their faces to watch and few smiled. For them, a rocky bridge had just been crossed and a new road stretched out before them.
The funeral precession slowly disbanded as chunins and jounin leaving with their teams, some heading home or other joining with friends, other moving to pay their respects to friends and loved ones they had lost in their own way. Naruto promised his family that he would meet them later before going to spend time with his team, a gentle smile on his lips as he ran to them. Iruka offered to lead Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi back home but not before treating them to a bowl of ramen at Ichiraku's stand. Haku and Gaara decided to join Shiruba in wandering around the village to pass the time. Zabuza nodded, watching as they left but he noticed that he had yet see Hidama even before they left the house that morning. With a quiet murmur, he was gone in a flash.
--
Pale as moonlight, the quiet woman stood facing the five-foot-tall stone pillars, each inscribed with the names and dates of birth and death of the four hokages. Each one held a small stand steel vase that looked to not have been taken care of in years but each held a different bouquet of flowers, each representing different meanings. She wore a simple black dress but her hair was hanging loosely down her back, pooling around her feet as she silently played with the charm around her neck, repeatedly rubbing her thumb over it. Had anyone ventured this way they would had though she was a spirit but only a very few knew of this place.
A surge of chakra and a figure silently landed in the area behind her. He said nothing but walked the few feet that separated them yet made no move to touch her. He looked at the pillar and silently read the inscriptions.
'The four hokages...' he said to himself and watched as she reached out to lovingly trace the name of that on the second pillar. Senju Yasuo. He knew he should leave and let her be alone, that he should wait until she was ready to talk, but he didn't.
"What are you hiding?" She didn't seem the least bit disturbed but she didn't answer right away. Slowly she let her hand drop but didn't turn to face him.
"What have you heard?" she asked quietly.
"You are respected by all shinobi for your skills but you are feared for your ruthless and animalistic nature. You are one who refuses to bow to the council and hokage, preferring to work on your own even though you are considered a shinobi of Konoha. You come and go as you please, regardless of citizenship. You seem to never age, making people wonder if you really real to begin with. You never celebrate the Kyūbi's death but you are known for taking the vessel of the demon in and calling him your 'kit' that most wonder if you are being controlled," he told her.
She gave a breathless chuckled, silently shaking her head. "Fools. Kyūbi does not control me and never has or will. I would do anything for my son as any mother would, regardless of our blood." Slowly she turned and looked at him, ignoring the wind that blew in, causing the starlit strands to flutter around her form. "Do you want to know who I am, what I am? Can I trust your word that you won't betray me once I have told you my secrets?"
His eyes narrowed but he quietly nodded. "I have bled in your wake, as you have for me. You saved my life when I was dying even though I didn't ask it of you. You gave Haku a chance at a real life, one I could never be able to offer him alone. Not once have I questions your worth and while I could have left I chose to remain with you. I swear on my life that you can trust me. Should I ever betray that trust, my life is yours to take." He didn't realize what he had said until the vow passed free from his masked lips.
She studied him for a long time, his eyes never leaving his, wondering if what he said was true before breaking the contact and looking back at the pillars. "I'm much older than I appear to be, Zabuza. But age is a number which allows us to count how many years we have been in this world. I have, experienced, more pain, more suffering than anyone should ever have to endure for far too many years. My name is not Hidama, I never had one to begin with but he gave it to me."
"Who is 'he'?"
"The first person to ever gain my trust." Her eyes closed for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. "I can't tell you everything but I was betrayed by the man I first fell in love with. When I heard about his death I was so enraged I slaughtered all those that came near me. My captives could no longer control me and they sought to have me dealt with. Permanently." She could still remember every sword and spear that pierced her flesh, how clubs broke through her bones, how the flames burned until the skin became charred. But through it all she never gave them the satisfaction of seeing her in pain or having her beg for mercy. "They left, thinking I had died but I was very much alive. I was ready to welcome death with open arms but I couldn't rest until each and every one of those bastards was dead.
"I wanted nothing more than to rip their skin from their bodies like clothing but I could not survive in my condition. Then the priest stumbled across me... I didn't trust anyone; especially a man of the cloth but I could not deny his help. He took me to his temple and there he nursed me to health. It was through him that I meant two brothers who would change my life forever." She sighed and looked down at her armored wrist, thinking back to when she had first meet the Senju brothers. "You once asked me why I wore my wrist guard and I asked you why you wore that mask of yours. Remember?"
He nodded slowly. "Everyone in Kiri knew who I was, but sometimes I wonder if I'm trying to hide rather face the demon I have become. To not bring shame to my sensei who gave her life for mine."
"... I wish it was that easy." Facing him once more she crossed the few feet that separated them and held out her right arm with the palm facing up. He looked into her eyes and gently took her hand, undoing the strap that held the armor guard in place. Once it came undone though she pulled her arm and cradled it to her chest, taking a few steps back. Zabuza didn't say anything but looked down and noticed a seal carved into the metal; while seals were common in the world of shinobi this looked nothing he had ever seen before.
"What is this?"
"The only thing that lets me fight." Despite the years everything felt as raw as the day she met the priest. Slowly and hesitantly, she held her arm our and couldn't help but hiss when he took her forearm into both hands. She looked away as he examined it closely. Scars were taken as a token of heroism in the life of a shinobi but while some scars were better off hidden, there were some that should have never seen the light of day.
Deep puncture marks wrapped around the wrist like some gruesome bracelet, some looking as though they had come close to piercing completely through. Pale skin pulled so tightly it looked like it was straining painfully; the outline of deformed bones could be seen but he could tell that the bones and joint itself had been repeatedly broken yet never set correctly. Thin veins peeked through the nearly transparent skin with nearly all color pigments gone and yet, he trailed his fingers from the inside of her elbow towards her palm with the lightest touch he had ever given anyone only to have her quickly pull her arm free and hold it tightly, keening painfully.
"How can the nerves still be active?" he asked, a bit surprised.
"I have no idea but unless I have that guard on I may as well be carrying a dead weight. And you know better than anyone that a shinobi is worthless."
"If it's ever removed or damaged, you won't be able to fight." That was a risk, letting him know what her one weakness was; he wondered if the gakis knew anything about this but decided against asking, giving the guard back. "What are you, if not human?"
"You're better off not knowing until the time is right. But for now, I'm a very old woman who refuses to die just yet." It wasn't a clear answer but she didn't care as she pulled the guard on with age-old practice. Holding her hand up she flexed her fingers one by one before slowly lowering it. "For all my years, I can count on one hand how many times I wish I had paid with my own life instead of those who mean the most to me."
"... What else are you hiding, Hidama?" She didn't answer, not when a strong wind blew through, pulling some of the petals form the flowers and carrying them away.
--
Two figures in cloaks of black and red stood atop a cliff, starring into the distance of the recovering village of shinobis known as Konoha. Both had straw hats with a white guard hiding their faces but enabling them to look out. But one of them carried a rather large and unusual weapon on his back. "They were able to avoid complete destruction, but it looks like the damage was great," he said.
"The village that has prospered like no other... has become pitiful," his partner replied. The taller of the two looked over at him before looking out towards the village.
"That's out of character. So even a person like you has an attachment to his home village?"
"Iie." He lifted his head high enough for his crimson eyes to stare out above the high collar of his cloak. "I don't."
A misty fog had settled around the area outside the village gates, making it hard for one of the sentry to look through he looked up when he heard the unhurried footsteps of someone approaching. He waited and watched as two figures dressed in black cloaks with unusual designs, large straw hats hiding their eyes. He watched as they walked up to the gate but they never stopped.
"Um, excuse me..." he started, making them pause. The shorter of the pair looked around his partner and stared at the guard. The guard stared before quietly falling back and slumped to the ground. Once they were sure he was completely out they moved into the village, their steps unhurried as their heavy coats protected them from the surrounding fog.
--
The sun had been up for several hours but everyone was working on repairing the village from the damage done during the invasion. Civilians worked together in rebuilding walls and retiling roofs so they were much activity. Even some of the genins at the academy were given a few days off in order to help families and friends. Others were training in the training grounds, honing their skills.
Haku let loose several long nails at the planks of wood before using a simple yet strong Fūton jutsu to finish it off. At this rate the walls of the apartment would be done and all that would be left was the painting and titles top side. Looking out he watched as Gaara focused his sand to hold up a rickety balcony as workers moved quickly to get it stable once more. Nodding he looked down when he heard yelling and smiled. "Hey Naruto-kun!"
The blonde waved back at him. "I'm gonna grab a late breakfast, wanna come?" he asked.
"Gomen but Gaara and I have a lot of work. We'll meet up for lunch later," he called to him.
"Okay. Ja ne!" Wavering to the redhead he ran down the streets, smiling at the idea of having ramen. He was thankful because he had two free coupons for ramen at the stand. He slowed down and stopped when he noticed Konohamaru looking up at the Hokage Mountain. He looked up ant looked at the deep crack that spread across the third's face.
'Konohamaru...' Taking a deep breathe he stepped up behind him and patted his head. "Hey Konohamaru!"
The young boy jumped but turned to face him, wiping at his eyes. "Naruto onii-chan?"
"Did the academy start up classes yet?" he asked.
"Iie. The building was pretty damaged so we're all pitching in to fix it."
"Oh really?"
"Hai. Are you training, onii-chan?"
"Hai." Both fell silent, unsure what to say until a silver blue accidentally ran into them and they fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs and tools.
"Owie! I hate shopping for tools!" Shiruba groaned as she tried to get up.
"Ane-chan, get off!!"
"I'm getting squished!!" It was quite funny to watch as she virtually jumped three feet in the air and apologized. She took the bags of extra tools, brushes, and paint cans back into her arms. "Gomen gomen but Iruka-jikei needs this stuff and he's being a grouch today."
"Oh, well don't suppose you wanna have breakfast," the blonde said dejectedly.
"Ooh I wish... hey! How about lunch later? My treat but we have to try that barbeque place I heard about from Chouji! And," despite the bags hanging off her arms she hugged the small student. "We invite Konohamaru!"
"R-Really?" Seeing them both nod he smiled and thanked them. "Arigato!"
"Oh, here I want to give you this." Reaching into his pocket Naruto gave the small boy a coupon for a free bowl of ramen. "I gotta go, I'm starving!" Wavering at them he ran off.
"Naruto onii-chan..." The boy felt touched but jumped when a bag of brushed dangled in front of him. "Huh?"
"I need help bringing this stuff in, kiddo. Just be sure to save that," she smiled. Watching as he shoved the coupon deep in his pocket he took the bag and the two headed for the academy. There was still a lot of work to be done.
--
In one of the luxury spas several women were soaking their nude selves into the hot springs, easing tired muscles and enjoying themselves. No one had any indication that they were being spied on beyond the walls.
"Nice, very nice! The beauties of Konoha is so very nice!" Jiraiya said with a perverted giggle as he peered through his spy glass. He didn't even hear two people approach him from behind.
"You still do these foolish things?" It was funny to see him jump at being caught before recognizing the voices.
"I'm just gathering data," he replied before turning to face two people he would rather not want to see at this moment. "Homura-otchan. Koharu-sensei. What do the advisors want with me?"
The old man frowned at the proper lack of respect. "You should already know what we want with you," he said as though he wanted to be speaking with someone else.
Jiraiya stood and faced them, crossing his arms over his broad chest, staring them down. Neither of them bugged before he broke into a knowing smirk. "You don't have to look so serious now," he taunted. "I take it the talks with Suna went alright."
"Sunagakure has publicly stated that Orochimaru has set them up. They have also surrendered to Konoha, so that topic has been settled," he explained. "People are becoming fearful no matter how many times we have tried to assure them."
"Konoha had no other choice other than to accept their surrender in order for us to revive our power," Koharu pointed out. "But our power has declined enormously. In this situation, we must prioritize preparations for worse situations."
"We do not know when a neighboring country may do something radical. So, until the village's power is restored, we have decided to gather the top people from each squad and assemble an emergency committee to deal with this problem. But... We need a strong and trustworthy leader to give this village hope."
'You don't want a leader you want a puppet.' Though he didn't say it out loud the sannin knew what they were asking of him. Sighing heavily through his nose Jiraiya scratched the back of his head, as though he was talking to someone with the sense of a brick wall--which wasn't a complete lie. "Why are you wasting our time telling me things I already know?" he asked them as he pulled out his spying glass once more and tuned his back on them. "I'm going back to my research."
"We have already agreed on one thing: we need a Godaime Hokage as soon as possible. And yesterday, we had a meeting with Daimyo Hino and you were chosen as the new hokage, Jiraiya."
Any other man would have been floored with such an honor but the pervert didn't see it as that. He saw it as a choking leash that would never give him back his freedom. It was one of the reasons he continued to be a traveling sannin even for this long and there was nothing that would make him give it up. "Well, chose another because I'm not taking it," he said as though they were offering a plate of dung and calling it a feast. They didn't flinch.
"It has already been decided. You are the only remaining shinobi that has been praised as a sannin but if you are not suited, then tell us who is?" Whether they realized it or not, both council members walked right into his verbal trap.
He turned and held his hand out towards them to cut their words short. "If seems you've forgotten there were three of us that earned the title sannin." He had the pleasant of watching their faces pale when the realization had hit. "Tsunade."
"... Hai... She is qualified, but we have no idea where she is now and she made a vow to never return to this village," the old woman retorted. How she disliked that woman immensely!
"I can find her, if that's the problem. Besides, Tsunade is much better at being hokage than a lazy bum like me." He tuned his back to them but watched their reaction over his shoulder. In his mind it was as though he was dangling tasty looking bait in front of two foolish fish, getting him to take the bait. "Your decision?"
The two of them looked at each other, and as much as they hated to admit it, he was right. In fact, the damiyo had proposed that if the fabled sannin kuniochi had stayed in Konoha she would have been given the title instead. If he found out that they knew but didn't do anything to locate her... well, one did not become a damiyo of a powerful country by being weak-willed and gentle.
"Very well. We will take it into consideration," Homura said with grudgingly. "However, you must take three ANBU to accompany you on your search for Tsunade."
"There's no need for that; I won't run away and a group will only cause her to run farther away," he smirked. "However," seeing them start like that made his smirk grow even more; "there is one person I want to take along. I think he could prove to be very useful."
--
Kakashi quietly read the latest issue of the new series of Icha Icha collection, leaning against the doorway of Amaguriama; he lowered the book when he noticed Asuma and Kurenai walking towards him. "Hey there. My my, you two make a good couple," he teased.
Kurenai managed to catch herself but not soon enough for her cheeks to turn red with embarrassment. "B-Baka! I'm only here because Anko asked me to buy some dumplings for her," she quickly said.
"What are you doing here, Kakashi? Buying some sweets as well?" Asuma asked.
"More like an offering, really; but I am waiting for someone here." Looking at them he looked to the side, indicating to the figure sitting just within earshot and wearing a heavy cloak imprinted with blood-red clouds. "I'm waiting for Sasuke."
A pale hand twitched around the earthen mug of green tea, his wide silver ring with the kanji of "shu" clinking against the ware.
Both jounins understood the silent message and looked over at the mysterious strangers inside with only their eyes. "Oh? You normally don't wait for anyone," Asuma said off-handily. "Is the offering for Obito?"
"Obito? Hai, you could say that." A larger hand with skin an unusual blue color set his own mug down, revealing a similar ring on his left ring finger of the kanji "Minami". The almost quiet sound of footsteps were heard as the young genin walked up to his sensei.
"Kakashi? This is the first time I've seen you early for something," he said a bit rudely.
"I can be on time, when the occasion calls for it," he replied. The raven-haired boy wasn't stupid and followed his gaze into the shop only to see a table and its chairs empty save for a plate of dangos and two mugs of still hot tea. He frowned and looked up at the jounin. "I don't like natto and sweets."
"Oh, is that so?" To be quite honest the famed jounin didn't care and glanced at his comrades. The two gave the briefest of nods and vanished quietly. The Uchiha boy watched and frowned. Something was up and he did not like being left in the dark.
--
The two strangers quietly walked along the river, neither saying anything but they stopped. Kurenai and Asuma stared at them, bodies tense. It was a quiet stare down between the four of them, all alone with the quiet gurgle of the river beside them.
"Who are you?" Asuma asked the two beings.
"It's been a while, Asuma-san, Kurenai-san," the shorter of the two spoke from behind the high collar.
Warning bells were going off and Sarutobi was getting a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. "If you know us then you must be a former shinobi of this village." Silence as the figure reached up with his right hand, ring flashing in the sunlight as he lifted his hat high enough to reveal blood red eyes with three tomoes surrounding the pupil. Both jounins froze as that gaze even as he quickly removed the hat and held it at his side. His left hand from within the coat undid the top several snap-buttons, letting his hand hang out.
"No doubt about it... it's... Uchiha Itachi." Black hair held back by his Konoha hitachi but unlike the jounins before him his bore a single slash through the symbol, marking him as a traitor and betrayer of the village he once protected. They were startled from their revelation when his taller partner chuckled deeply.
"You know these people, Itachi-san? Then, I should introduce myself, as well." With that he lifted his left hand, his ring flashing in the bright light as he removed his own hat, letting it drop to the ground. "Hoshigaki Kisame. Nice to make your acquaintance," he smirked, revealing teeth and a face that seemed much more suited to that of a shark and not a human being. Given the first look at the traitor that former came from Kiri with his slashed hitachi, one would silently question the nin's parentage.
Asuma gritted his teeth, ignoring the fact that he was chewing threw his cigarette. "You're not making any acquaintances here... I'm going to eliminate you right here, right now."
"Heh, Itachi-san, to looks like you're not very liked in this village," the shark chuckled.
"I also know of you," Kurenai finally spoke up. "Hoshigaki Kisame, former Kiri ninja. You're wanted by numerous countries, including Kirigakure no Sato, for assassinating a damiyo and sabotage, as well as many other crimes. You both are S-Ranked felons in the bingo book." If anything Kisame seemed damn pleased with himself.
"Itachi... you have some nerve coming back to this village after what you pulled..." Asuma said with a barely suppressed growl.
"Asuma-san, Kurenai-san. Onegai, don't interfere; I have no intention of killing you both," he said in a quiet tone that seemed as though they were just standing in his way but they knew he was more than capable of killing them.
"Either something is wrong with the way you think or you're just too full of yourself. You should have never come back. But, you came back for a reason... what do you want?"
Hoshigaki smirked and moving quite easily, pulled his sword free from his back and let it hit the ground with enough force to crack the sidewalk. "You're starting to get annoying, how about I just kill him?" he asked with a cruel grin.
"Apparently we can't leave this village without a fight... don't overdo it," came the quiet reply. "Your moves are too loud."
He didn't even flinch at such a crude comment. "Then it's settled." He lifted his sword to rest over his shoulder, the tension slowly building as Itachi released his hat. They waited and once it finally hit the ground, Kisame lunged forward and brought his wrapped sword down. Asuma immediately pulled his hands free from his pockets, the knuckle knives flashing in his hands as he used them to block the heavy blade.
Kurenai didn't say anything as she stepped back and let her hands flashed through the signs before closing her eyes and focusing her chakra. Itachi watched as she slowly faded from view. 'A genjutsu...' Kisame didn't seem worried as he continued to push down with only one hand.
'Damn... I can't believe I'm being overpowered by just the tip of his sword... this guy is strong,' the jounin grunting, watching as the strange weapon moved dangerously close to his shoulder. His arms shook as he strained to keep it from slicing through.
The larger man chuckled under his breathe as the blade got closer then spoke out. "My sword, Samehada... it doesn't slice." With a feral looking grin he brought the flat end of his weapon to the outside of his upper arm and ruthlessly pulled it away. The strange texture tore through its wrapping and through Asuma's sleeve, drawing out blood and a painful cry of pain. "It shaves!!" Instead of smooth metal the blade was made of hundreds razor sharp scales that very well shredded flesh instead of merely cutting it. But neither he or Itachi noticed as a figure darted behind him.
"Now Kurenai," the jounin hissed with a smirk as he tried to stop the bleeding.
Itachi didn't move as large, knarled roots appeared from the ground and wrapped around him, pinning his form to that of a large tree. He didn't so much as make a sound even as the kuniochi melded out of the tree, a kunai poised in hand.
"This... is it!" she said and aimed to take his life. Itachi merely glanced up at her and in less time than it took to blink, she found herself tangled within her technique, and at her opponent's mercy. "Nani?!"
A genjutsu of this level won't work against me," he simply told her.
'He countered it. I have to break it,' she thought, catching the glimpse of metal hidden beneath the sleeve. Closing her eyes tightly she listened, biting down on her lip until she felt flesh give way. She opened her eyes in time to drop into a crotched position, feeling the kunai slice several strands of hair off instead of her head. Itachi didn't give her time to get up and kicked her with enough for force that she flew over the railing and landed in the river with a heavy splash.
"Kurenai!!" Asuma made to go after her but Kisame was not about to let his prey go away so easily.
"You have no time to look away from me!"
The woman panted as her chakra made sure she didn't sink into the river. But the blood froze when she heard Itachi behind her. "You are good, Kurenai-san. But this is it..."
"... for you." Barely a ripple was seen from the three figures standing atop the water as though it was solid.
On dry land Asuma was doing his best to keep away from the shark-skin blade, fingers curled tightly over the unique knives. When he saw an opening his fist lashed out. Kisame immediately moved his head to the side, thinking he had missed but was surprised to see a thin cut appear over his cheek. Only then did he notice chakra enforcing the blades, making them wider and longer than before. But his hands moved in rapid succession as he focused his chakra.
"Suiton..." The water in the river swirled, being modeled and controlled by the chakra feeding into it. "Suikōdan no Jutsu!" He never noticed a single red eye watching and copying the technique move for move. Both columns of water struck one another, canceling the other out.
"The same one as mine?!" the shark said angrily.
Seeing this as a chance to breath Asuma straighten up. "About time you got here," he told the silver-haired jounin.
"I did ask you two to deal with this," Kakashi said, hitachi pulled up to reveal his sharingan eye.
"... but then I began to worry," the other Kakashi said from where he stood behind Itachi, kunai held to his throat. Kurenai blinked and looked behind her, surprised.
"A kage bushin?"
"Hatake Kakashi." Itachi turned and looked at him. For a moment, their eyes meet and it was almost like looking in a mirror. It had been many years since the two met and only a battle could tell just how much stronger their eyes had truly become.
"What does a traitor like you want in this village?" the clone asked. Already he was thinking of the worse-case scenario if Itachi chose to fight.
The renegade nin from Kiri smirked at his newest prey. "This is a surprise; no wonder you could copy my jutsu. I never would have believed someone else had Itachi's eyes if I hadn't seen it for myself. You're... the Copy Ninja Kakashi."
"Now I'm the one surprised. I noticed two strangers at the tea house, wondering who they could be. The murderous traitor Uchiha Itachi... and former Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū, Hoshigaki Kisame."
"Heh, not only you know my name but you know my title... how could you have found that out?" he asked with a gleaming grin.
"Let's just say I picked it up from someone." His hand moved from his hip to his back, clutching the kunai tightly. Of course Kisame took this as a chance to fight someone so famous and well-known in the shinobi world but Itachi would have none of this.
"If you fight him, you will incur unnecessary injuries," he told him in that even tone of his. "The more time we waste fighting the more ninjas will arrive. But most importantly, do not forget our mission."
"Then tell us your mission." The clone before Asuma vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving the apparent real one standing atop the river. Itachi tuned to look at him once more, his face never changing from its all-too-calm mask.
"We're looking for something."
"Looking for something?" The young nin didn't answer, even when the copy nin asked what he was looking for. But hearing him saying that he wouldn't take as long as his partner made him immediately go on the offense, even as his hand came out with shurikens held tightly between his fingers. Kakashi immediately jumped back, hands flashing through the signs.
"Suiton, Suijinheki!" Spikes of water formed from the river and immediately created a wall around the nin, protecting him but after a few tense moments it dropped. Itachi hadn't thrown a single weapon at him.
"... Your insight is impressive..." He let the "but" hanging as his clone pressed the sharp point of a kunai into Hatake's back, showing that now he held the upper hand. Even Kurenai was shocked at how fast he was used that move. But one more it was the Hound that shocked them when he dissolved into water.
"A Mizu Bushin?!" Kisame yelled angrily. Who was teaching this fool Kiri jutsus?!
A faint shadow just beneath the water caught Itachi's eyes but it was too late as the kuniochi grabbed the kunai in his hand. "Arigato, Kakashi," she said, ready to attack but she never got a chance. He jumped out of the water, tackling her to the side.
"He's the clone!!" he yelled into her ear. That was the only warning they had before the clone exploded. Asuma grew worried when he didn't see his friends, calling out their names. With no warning or welfare for his own skin, he jumped into the powerful torrent of water that had been created from the explosion. The water finally died down but the three Konoha shinobi were protected within a large sphere made entirely of water. Once it was safe it fell apart but Kakashi was getting tired much too fast.
"Don't let your guard down..." he quickly told them, his body unused to dealing with the sharingan for this long. "There's a reason, he became an ANBU squad leader at 13..." he reminded them.
"Kuso, didn't expect him to be this strong," Asuma grunted as he held his fists up, knuckle knives flashing.
"Iie, this isn't his full strength..."
The young Uchiha watched them calmly, not the least bit fazed by the outcome. Hatake wasn't showing it but he had been affected by his Bunshin Bakuha before the Suirō no Jutsu wrapped around them. And he knew that it wasn't any of the Konoha nins that had done it either. Apparently, reinforcements were here but very well hidden.
"I'm impressed that you can use your Sharingan so well but you are not a true member of the Uchiha clan and as such, can never truly master what does not rightfully belong to you," he said in a simple tone that spoke such volumes of superiority. "Allow me to show you why the Uchiha clan was known as the most powerful and feared of them all." Slowly letting his eyes close he opened them once more.
"Oh no... the sharingan's true power... you two! Close your eyes!" he ordered, not bothering to hide the panic in his tone. Immediately the two jounins shut their eyes tightly, wondering what could cause their friend to panic like this. Kakashi did the same but made the mistake of keeping his left eye open. "Only another sharingan could deal with this."
"It's true that if you have the sharingan eye you may be able to resist the Mangekyō Sharingan for a bit. However... only one of pure Uchiha blood can even think of countering my special Dōjutsu... the genjutsu, Tsukuyomi..."
In the span of a few meager seconds, Kakashi experienced agonizing pain of being repeatedly stabbed by Itachi while tied to a cross with hundreds of katana blades. No matter how much he screamed or how much he bleed it kept repeating itself. For a complete 72 hours he was tortured without mercy and with no help to come and save him. When the last second passed the illusion was released and the world returned back to color. Unfortunately, his body was in complete shock he felt his chakra focus wavering dangerously. Even if it was a trick of the mind his body could still feel the razor sharp edge of all those swords digging repeatedly into his body, drawing blood. For all he knew, three full days of torture had passed.
"Kakashi! What happened?! We heard you collapse on us!!" Asuma shouted out, doing his best to keep his eyes shut firmly. He didn't answer but he knew he was in trouble. He couldn't continue the fight...
Kisame appeared next to his partner, smirking. "Can't believe he didn't completely break-down after going through that," he smirked, clearly impressed. "But Itachi-san... you have to be careful or else your eyes..."
"I know, Kisame." He didn't need to be told what would happen as he felt his eyes begin to twitch, meaning he was reaching his limit.
"... I have to know... is the one you're searching for... is it Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, panting heavily for breath but struggling to stay above the water. A brief moment of silence before Itachi replied but it was not the answer he was looking for.
"Iie. We are after, the Yondaime's Isan."
Fear gripped his heart at the thought of these two taking the blonde student away from him, away from the village. He thought back to what Jiraiya told him and knew without a doubt that what they wanted from him but damn if he was going to let them take him away. He was not going to lose that boy; not now, not ever, and not to them!! He had never felt such a powerful surge of protectiveness and something else he hadn't felt in a very long time.
"I will never, allow Akatsuki to take Naruto away from me," he growled fiercely even though it was a bluff.
Itachi blinked and realized too late than Hatake knew too much about their organization. He also knew that He would not be pleased. "Kisame, we're taking Kakashi-san with us. But dispose of the other two." Without a word the shark began running forward, ready to shred the two jounins with his sword but he never had a chance.
A muscular figure quickly rose from the waters and used his Kubikiri Hōchō to block the Samehada, using only one hand. "Your fight is now with me, Kisame!" he growled, both struggling to push the other back.
"Zabuza! Heard you went and got yourself killed," he growled back, eager to be fighting his one-time comrade once more. He noticed the leaf symbol on his hitachi instead of the four waves that represented Kiri. "You've joined up with this pathetic village?"
"That's none of your business."
Itachi frowned and his eyes darted to the side but a slender blade pressed against the front of his throat as the sharp tip of the kunai pressed into the small of his back. "It's been a long time since we last met, Hidama-sempai," he said casually.
"Itachi... I've wanted to ask you even since that night five years ago..." she whispered softly; "why... why did you kill all your clan save for your brother?"
"..."
"Tell me."
"... Gomen, but I cannot at this point."
Kakashi's endurance finally gave out and slowly he began to sink into the river with a gentle splash. Cursing under his breath Zabuza pushed against Kisame then lashed out with a chakra-infused kick right into the chest, sending him skidding back. Behind him a water clone of himself rose, holding an unconscious Kakashi over his shoulder. "He's out," the bushin explained.
"What's going on?" Asuma demanded, unsure what to do. Dare he open his eyes? Even Kisame was at a loss; a former comrade stood across from him but this pale woman had his partner pinned. Either way they were dealing with two powerful fighters. Just as he lifted his samehada to fight he was ordered to stop.
"Huh?"
"We didn't come here to start a war; anymore fighting is useless. We're leaving."
"Tch. Just when I was getting excited." He watched as the woman quietly removed her sword but watched and waited as Itachi turned to face her. Neither of them said anything but in a flash the two were gone.
"You two, get Hatake to a hospital right now." Both Asuma and Kurenai opened their eyes as the wet form of their friends was deposited into their arms, the clone returning back to water. "Make sure that Uchiha gaki doesn't get word of this."
"Right. But what about Naruto? They said they were after him."
"Leave that to us." In a similar fashion the duo left, leaving the jounins to take care of the third and get him some medical help.
--
Naruto sighed as he looked at his watch then at his siblings. "Guess they didn't get my message," he said quietly.
"You know they wouldn't miss this if they could help it," Haku said gently.
"Hai, I know. You guys better make sure to keep the village standing."
"Hey you just get stronger, Naru-kun," Shiruba smiled as she hugged him tightly.
"Promise." He also hugged Haku and shook Gaara's hand. "I swear I'll be back."
"... Be careful." He squeezed his hand and looked up at the broad figure that his brother called an "ero sannin". "If he gets hurt, I'll kill you."
Jiraiya laughed nervously but he knew the kid was not joking around. "Well, let's go Naruto!"
"Yare yare yare. Sayonara guys! Tell okaasan and Zabuza-san I'll be back!"
"We will but you better train hard!" The trio waved as the two walked further and further away from the village and before they knew it, they were gone from sight. The three of them said nothing but Shiruba sought out her brothers; hands and squeezed tightly. "Guys..."
"...?"
"I... don't have a good feeling about this."
"Neither do I, but he needs this journey. He needs to get out of here, even for a few days."
"I know, just..."
"... He'll come back," Gaara said quietly as he stared intently before them. "Naruto would never leave his family behind... no matter what."
"... Hai. And we'll be waiting, like a real family would." No one said anything but held one another's hands tighter, wishing all their luck and good fortune on their brother.
Author's Notes: Another chapter and this time Itchy and Fishy make an appearance. What? I like giving out nicknames. I followed the anime mostly but in tiny spurts you can tell that Kakashi is starting to think of Naruto in a slightly new light. You know how hard it is to write this pairing without copying someone else's idea? Trust me they will the main pairing it's just gonna take a while.
Welcome Vanpire, hope you continue to enjoy the fic. And welcome dhh. Slowly but surely I'm getting Kakashi and Naruto to get closer together but it's still gonna take a while. It's like that old saying "one step forward but two steps back". But if you have any ideas of how the Hound can get more of the blonde's attention please let me know!
Okay this is it for this chapter, see you all later! Jan e! :-D
Tōton no Jutsu: Transparent Escape
Oiroke no Jutsu: Sexy Technique
shu: scarlet/crimson
Minami: South
natto: fermented soybeans
Samehada: Sharkskin (Kisame's sword)
Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū: Seven Swordsmen of the Mist
Suiton, Suikōdan no Jutsu: Water Style, Water Shark Projectile/Missile Technique
Suiton, Suijinheki: Water Style, Water Encampment Wall
Bunshin Bakuha: Shadow Clone Explosion
Suirō no Jutsu: Water Prison Technique
Mangekyō Sharingan: Kaleidoscope Copying Wheel Eye
Dōjutsu: Eye Technique (do I really need to explain how this works?)
Tsukuyomi: Moon Reader (shinto god of the moon)
Isan: Legacy