Her Face
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Oh and there may be times when certain events happen sooner or later than expected or perhaps not at all. That is all for the sake of plot flow and explained by the fact that "Daisuke" is there. I would think that his presence would influence things in unexpected ways. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 9
"You're trying to tell me that you can use the Fireball Jutsu? That's impossible. Even Genin can't use that. You'd have to be at least at Chunin Level. I know you are from a Fire Clan, but there's no way that you can do that yet." Kakashi says.
"Kakashi! Obito wouldn't lie to us!" Rin says sweetly.
The three of them attended the Academy together. Kakashi and Obito were rivals, but the two of them were both friends with Rin. Unfortunately, that meant the young brunette often had to play a role that most seven year olds weren't particularly good at. The role of a peacemaker.
"Yeah! I'm not a liar!" The Uchiha says sulkily.
"Alright then. Prove it. Go ahead. Show us the fireball." Kakashi says.
There was absolutely not way that he could do this. Obito's chakra control was average at best and that was being charitable. His chakra was so wild an erratic. He doubted he could concentrate long enough to make the hand seals, let alone to actually produce fire.
"I will! Watch this! FIREBALL JUTSU: PHOENIX FLOWER STYLE!" The young ninja says and with that, a medium sized fireball was produced with quite a bit of smoke to go along with it.
Kakashi just gapes. How had Obito of all people managed to perform a Jutsu that was clearly Chunin Level? He shouldn't have enough charka for that. He knew that Obito was from a Fire Clan, but this was ridiculous!
"You did it! That's really cool!" Rin exclaims in delight.
"Yeah! Thanks, Rin! See, Kakashi? I told you that I could do it!" Obito says smugly.
He tilts his head to the side. Someone must have helped him. That was the only logical explanation. Probably his parents.
"Yeah. You did it. I have to give you credit. I never thought that you'd be able to do that with your current chakra levels. So who helped you practice? Your mother or your father?" The silver haired boy asks curiously.
"Neither. It was another member of my Clan. His name is Daisuke." Obito says brightly.
That was unexpected. From what Kakashi understood, it was usually someone's parents that taught them the Fireball Jutsu. Then again, Obito was so young. It was unlikely that it would have ever occurred to his parents to start training him in the Uchiha Clan's Trademark Jutsu.
"That was nice of him. I'd like to meet him. Do you think he'd agree to meet us?" Kakashi asks excitedly.
After all, any ninja child wanted to learn more Jutsus. It was only natural that he would be excited to meet someone who could control fire and was apparently willing to train someone his age. In his defense, Rin looked equally excited about such a prospect.
"I don't know. I'll have to ask him." Obito says with a samile.
"Thank you, Obito! This is going to be amazing! Maybe, he'll teach us how to make fire too!" Rin states, beaming.
"We'll have to see. He might not want to teach someone who isn't an Uchiha." Obito says nervously.
Rin and Kakashi look at each other. That was a good point. The Uchihas were rather insular.
"Will you ask him though? For us?" Rin asks with a sweet smile.
"Yeah. I'll ask him! I'd do anything for you. Not so much for Kakashi though. I'm going to laugh when he finds out I'm better at Fire Style than him!" The young Uchiha says cockily and with that, he darts off.
Kakashi shakes his head. He couldn't believe that Obito of all people could now breathe fire. That just seemed wrong. Well at least he and Rin might have a chance to learn the technique as well. That would be amazing!
Meanwhile back in the present, Kakashi's eyes widen when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Rin? It couldn't be though. Rin was dead. She had been for years.
"Rin?" He calls out in shock.
The woman turns around and smiles at him. She places her fingers to her lips in a shushing motion. As quickly as he saw her, she just faded out of thin air.
"Did I really just see that?" He asks himself.
That's when he caught the scent of wildflowers. Rin always smelled like wildflowers and there was no reason for his office to smell that way. It had been real.
"Why do I get the feeling that Sasuke is somehow behind this?" He says with a sigh as he rushes off to find the Leaf's Number One Most Unpredictable Ninja.
He quickly finds Naruto. After doing so, Kakashi's sense of dread only increased. Why was his former student looking at him with a worried look? This couldn't be good.
"Naruto, what is going on?" He demands, once they were alone.
"Who or what did you see? I know you saw something. Well maybe you saw someone. I saw my mother. Hinata saw the Uchiha District and well someone gave her a necklace. She didn't see who. He was behind her. Well at least we assume it was a him." Naruto says in a rush.
Kakashi stiffens at that admission. He had seen Rin and the others had all seen something or someone. Well besides Sakura. Though by the sounds of it, that was likely only a matter of time.
"Why didn't you tell me that this was going on?" He demands.
"We didn't want you to worry. That and we can't do anything about it. If the Hokage is seen stressing out, that will cause a panic!" Naruto defends his reasoning.
The silver haired ninja couldn't exactly argue with the blonde's logic there. If this was all because Sasuke had gone back in time, there was nothing they could do. They couldn't even go after him.
"Well let's hope that everyone else and all the other changes that are about to happen are all as positive. Thus far, everything has been rather benevolent in nature. We have no way of knowing if that will continue to be the case though." The Hokage says with a sigh.
He didn't like it. Kakashi didn't like the feeling of helplessness that had settled in his gut. In some ways, this was worse than the war.
This was worse than facing Obito. At least during that battle, he knew what he had to do. Here he didn't have a clue. Sasuke was meddling with things that they could scarcely even begin to understand.
"Yeah. I know. We're all really worried about it." Naruto admits.
"I don't know how it was for the two of you, but Rin was aware of my presence. She saw me and made a motion for me to be quiet. At least in her case, the timeline has changed just enough for her to be aware of her surroundings." Kakashi says.
Naruto bites his lower thoughtfully. It was still a sore subject for him. He had always wanted his parents back. This time it might be for good. He didn't want to "jinx" that by speaking too soon.
"I don't know. I saw her and then she was gone. I would have thought that I was imagining it, if it wasn't for what Hinata had seen and I didn't know that Sasuke had traveled back in time." He admits.
"That's understandable. Wait. Did you say that one of these "visitors" gave Hinata a necklace? Does that mean the necklace didn't disappear with the visitor?" He asks.
"Yeah. It's a pretty expensive looking one too. We should probably go tell Sakura and Hinata about what you saw." The other ninja suggests.
Kakashi nods in agreement. Wonderful. So Sasuke was really beginning to alter the timeline. That or at least make it shimmer a bit. There was no way of telling what would really happen in the end.
The fact that objects from these visitors were staying in the modern era, concerned him though. That could leave open the possibility of an attack.. What if some of their enemies were unintentionally revived? What would they do then?
"Naruto! Kakashi Sensei!" Sakura calls out.
She was in the Ramen Shop with Hinata. The pink haired woman had always thought that Hinata was a nice, though extremely shy girl. It was because of that shyness that they hadn't really been close before the war.
Things were different now though. They shared a powerful secret. A secret that might even change the world in ways that the war hadn't been able to. If that didn't form the foundation of an actual friendship, Sakura didn't know what would.
"Ah there you are. It seems that we have a great deal to discuss. Naruto tells me that you were recently given a gift, Hinata? A piece of jewelry?" Kakashi inquires politely as he and Naruto sit down next to the two women.
"Yes." Hinata says shyly as she reaches underneath her Jonin vest and shows Kakashi the necklace.
"That's the Uchiha Symbol. We know one thing then. Whoever visited Hinata, had to be an Uchiha. That or they are suicidal to use that symbol so blatantly." He muses.
Hinata nods. She had thought about that. A lot. If Sasuke did wind up saving his Clan though, well the Uchihas were a big Clan. They were roughly on par with her Clan when it came to numbers. There were potentially hundreds of Uchihas who could have given her that necklace.
"Do you think it was Itachi or Sasuke?" Naruto asks Hinata.
"Naruto! Don't be stupid! It could be any of the Uchihas. If she saw District still standing, that implies that he's close to preventing the Massacre. It could have been any of them. Do you know how big Sasuke's family was before the Massacre?! They were big enough to get their own District! They had their own fields!" Sakura tells him.
Kakashi shakes his head in amusement. He knew that deep down, Sakura was inclined to agree with Naruto. She just didn't want to believe it was from Sasuke.
He wasn't entirely certain, if Sakura was sincerely holding out hopes that somehow they would be together. It might have been as much out of habit as anything else. Kakashi decides to stay silent on that particular issue for now.
"Yes, it could be from any of them. Sasuke is altering the timeline in ways that he might not have foreseen. He went back in time to prevent the Massacre. The Massacre happened years after Kushina's death though and an even greater number of years, after Rin's." He observes.
Kakashi was suddenly rather grateful that he had long ago soundproofed this booth. It was the one that Naruto used the most.
They could discuss this out in the open and the other guests wouldn't hear them. Most wouldn't be suspicious because it was a crowded restaurant. Who cared, if one table was more quiet than the others?
"You're right. The timeline isn't matching up. He should be too close to the present to have any impact on Rin and Kushina." Sakura says with a frown.
"He overshot." Hinata mumbles.
"He what? What do you mean he overshot?" Naruto asks Hinata.
She fidgets nervously. Hinata didn't really like being the center of attention, but she was at the moment. It made her feel a bit uncomfortable.
"He went further back than he wanted. Instead of going back in time until just before the Massacre. H-e must have gone a l-ot further back than he intended. Far enough back that he had the option to s-ave your mother and Kakashi's friend." The bluenette says in a rush.
"Unfortunately, I think Hinata might be right. The further back he went in time though, the more he can meddle. Whether it's intentional or not, the fate of a lot of people is now in his hands." Kakashi says with a sigh.
Back in the past, Mikoto smiles in amusement as she saw Sasuke attempting to teach the Fireball Jutsu to a bunch of seven year olds. Fugaku might deny it, but even he was obviously enjoying the show. She smiles more and snuggles into his arms.
They were on one of the Clan's training grounds. When the three of them had shown up with their puppy eyes, they had all just been powerless to resist. Fugaku had wavered for a moment, but decided that they would all likely have learned the technique anyway.
The Fire Style might have been their Clan's Trademark Jutsu, but many ninjas would eventually learn how to use fire. Daisuke was just teaching (or trying to teach) the children how to perform the famous Jutsu earlier than usual.
"I can see why he wants to become a Sensei. He does seem to like children." She says with a smile.
"Yes, he does. He takes after you in that respect." Fugaku says as he kisses her cheek.
Mikoto tilts her head at the odd phrasing? He takes after her? That was usually something that people would only say about their parents or maybe their grandparents. Maybe, it had just been oddly phrased.
"What do you mean by that?" The dark beauty asks.
"I mean he's your cousin. He takes after you in terms of personality." Fugaku clarifies quickly.
Hmm. Mikoto wasn't sure that she bought that. He said it a little too quickly. Fugaku was nervous about something, but she wasn't sure what.
"I suppose so." The Uchiha woman replies as she kisses his cheek back.
"Watch the hand signs." Sasuke tells the group of seven year olds as he performs the necessary signs.
He tried to do it slowly enough for them to follow. Obito was only seven. He didn't have the Sharingan yet and neither did his teammates. He was dealing with some very excited kids. That meant that he had to act like it.
It was a strange feeling. Sasuke had never really spent much time around kids. Even when he was a kid, he tended to stick to his Clan before the Massacre. After the Massacre, he hadn't interacted with his peers much. Not unless he had to.
"I got it!" Rin says excitedly as she tries to copy his hand signs.
She was certainly enthusiastic. Sasuke had to give the girl that. She was doing pretty well, but she mixed up two hand signs.
"You're very close. The first and second signs you did, should be reversed though." Sasuke says encouragingly.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Kakashi caught on a smidge quicker. It was surreal. He was teaching his future Sensei how to throw a fireball. Could his life get any weirder?
"Got it!" The Mini Kakashi calls out as some smoke starts to form from his mouth.
He was only a child. It wasn't surprising that his chakra levels weren't high enough yet. Really, it was nothing short of impressive that he managed smoke.
"That's the right technique. You just need slightly bigger chakra reserves to perform it completely. They'll develop naturally with time." Sasuke assures him.
Fugaku smiles. He would rarely use the word cute, but the scene was rather cute. Sasuke was obviously trying to be gentle, but he seemed a bit bewildered by the concept of children. He chuckles and holds Mikoto closer.
She was going to be his wife and was going to give him at least one healthy son. Probably two healthy sons. That and he didn't know if they had stopped with Itachi and "Daisuke." They might have more.
"You're much more cuddly now. I knew that the cuffs would help." She whispers mischievously into his ear.
Most of the time she was a very sweet woman in public. Perhaps a bit sassy. In private though, the kitten quickly became a tigress. Fugaku certainly would have no issues conceiving Daisuke and Itachi.
He hadn't really wanted to leave the bed that morning. Alas, he had responsibilities that he couldn't put off. He was the Chief of the Military Police Force and the Head of the Uchiha Clan. So while it was tempting just to spend the day with his lover, today wasn't that day.
"Well that is because you are a very smart woman." He says as he playfully bites her neck.
Daisuke was distracted by the other children. It was strange. A few days ago, he would have definitely considered Daisuke to be a man. Finding out that he was his son had changed that.
Now he considered Daisuke a child. A child who had apparently suffered a great deal. People generally didn't risk time traveling, if they were happy with their present. What could have happened to him to make him willing to take such a foolish risk?
"Mhm and don't you forget it." She giggles.
Sasuke hears that giggle and gives his parents a funny look. Strike that. His life could get a lot weirder.
He was happy that they were together now. That meant that Itachi and him would be born. It just didn't matter how many times he saw them together, together though. It was very strange to watch your parents like that.
Sasuke knew that was a childish reaction. He'd get over it eventually. He wasn't really sure that he wanted to know what Fugaku had said or done to elicit an "Academy Girl Giggle" from his mother though. He decides to file that firmly under the I Don't Want To Know Category.
"Okay! I'm going to try again." Rin says.
After a few more tries, Kakashi and Rin were able to successfully produce fireballs. They were rather small ones though. Smaller than Obito's.
Sasuke pawns that off to the fact that Obito was an Uchiha. His chakra was naturally more closely associated with fire than theirs. He had been bred for Fire Jutsus. The other two children, just didn't have that evolutionary advantage.
"Great job!" He praises them.
Sasuke couldn't help but feel a smidge guilty over how happy they all look. They all looked so proud of themselves. He knew that he was using them, but it was for a good cause. He quickly tries to squash the feelings of guilt that were threatening to bubble up and sets off to walk them home.
"Thanks, Daisuke! It was really nice of you to teach us how to use fireballs." Rin says.
"No problem." The older ninja replies.
"I can't wait to show my father." Kakashi says and that causes Sasuke to freeze.
Damn it. While Sakumo wasn't really connected to his Clan any direct way, he was still the father of his Sensei. Sasuke was already here. There was no reason why he shouldn't try to save him, if it was possible.
"I'm sure he'll be very impressed." Sasuke says as he walks them home.
Back in the Uchiha District, Mikoto and Fugaku were still lounging around at the training grounds. Neither of them was in a particular hurry to leave. Mikoto had decided Fugaku was her new bed and was currently quite happy to snuggle into his arms and half doze off.
"You've turned me into your pillow." He muses.
"I suppose that you could say that. A very sexy pillow though?" She offers with a quiet laugh.
Fugaku shakes his head in amusement. If anyone else had called him a pillow, he probably would have thrown a fireball or two at them. Not Mikoto though, especially not after the night before.
"I suppose I can live with that. Provided that you aren't foolish enough to address me as such in public." He tells her.
"Mmm I'll think about it. I think that it could be funny to watch your reaction, if I did." She says as she gets up and darts running off, laughing.
"That woman is definitely going to be the death of me." He mutters as he takes off after her.
A few minutes later, the chase had led them out of the Uchiha District. Minato blinks as he sees Mikoto come racing by him and Kushina. Shortly there after, Fugaku did likewise.
"I guess this means that they are official now?" Kushina asks her boyfriend.
"It looks like it." Minato agrees as he licks his ice cream.
He was happy for them. It was about time really. The blonde definitely recognized when couples were playing around. Kushina often chased him like that.
His girlfriend was more aggressive than Mikoto in some ways. More assertive. Mikoto was seemed perfectly happy to just lay out a trail of "breadcrumbs" and wait for people to come to her. Kushina didn't have that kind of patience.
"Do you think that they'll invite us to their wedding?" The red head asks.
"I would say so. I would even wager that there's a better chance than not that she'll ask you to be her Maid of Honor." He says with a smile as he kisses her cheek.
Minato didn't mind though. He liked Kushina's more direct approach. She was just so passionate about well everything. There was never a dull moment with her. That's just one of the many things that he loved about Kushina Uzumaki.
"That's be amazing! Do you think Fugaku would ask you to be his Best Man?" The other ninja asks.
"Possibly. It is Fugaku. So it's hard to tell. He might want to choose another Uchiha to be his Best man. You know, for appearance sake?" Minato replies thoughtfully.
Kushina nods. That was a good point. She couldn't believe it! Her best friend had gotten what she always wanted.
Like her and Minato, it was a childhood romance. Well sorta. There were days when Mikoto would recount the day Fugaku saved her from her attackers in quite the animated fashion.
"That's a good point. We should probably get more ice cream." She suggests and Minato nods in agreement.
"Alright." He replies and as they were heading to the shop, they saw Daisuke back on his way to the District.
"Daisuke! There you are! Do you wanna join us? We're going to get some more ice cream!" Kushina informs him as if this was a very important matter and to her, it probably was.
Sasuke blinks. He hadn't really expected to be invited to eat with Naruto's parents. He knew that he should probably say yes. Minato would be Hokage one day. If Minato lived and liked his Clan, that would improve their chances of survival.
"I'd love to. Thanks for inviting me." He says, flashing a smile.
The young Uchiha was still getting used to smiling regularly. At some points, it was forced. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice.
"You're welcome. So what's your favorite flavor?" Minato asks cheerfully as they head off together.