Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
The Grown-Up Naruto
Hours after, everyone in the village is still confused. No one can remember how it happened, but everyone remembers falling into a wonderful dream where they had everything they ever wanted. Yoshino had her son and husband back and apparently, they did everything she asked them too without a single complaint. Akio had his parents back, and I had moved in with them and we spent the day playing with Kouta, Shouhei, Ryo, and Izumi while Neji tried to get all of us to train. And then there was my distorted reunion with my family where we had always been a part of Konoha. But none of that was true. It left a bitter taste in my mouth. Slowly, as if it was hard to believe, everyone started to move again, accepting that nothing we saw was real. Holding hands with Yoshino and Akio, we leave the Nara land, with a bunch of Naras mulling along behind us. It is then that we notice the strange branches that seemed to have grown out of the ground overnight, and the remains of what appears to be human sized cocoons. It is never boring in Konoha. Everywhere we go people are talking to each other, sharing and searching for information. Though no one can figure out exactly what happened. A bunch of genin speculate that it most have been some super powerful genjutsu, however; speculation is all they can do.
Nothing changes until the someone yells, "They're back! Our shinobi are home! The war is over!" In a complete up roar, everyone cheers and runs for the village gates. Everyone is talking so much and so loudly that it is hard to understand anything as villager and shinobi alike call out the names of their friends and family. The first familiar face I see is Ryo tackling a slim, short haired girl, and her boyfriend coming up behind them to initiate a bear hug.
Energized, Yoshino leads the way. She does not call out for Shikamaru or for her husband. But her eyes never stop scanning every face that comes our way. We hear, before we see Kouta and Zuzu welcoming back their family. In a series of barks and yips I spy Kouta wiggling on the ground as two giant wolfhounds, with tails wagging as fast as whips, slobber his face with their tongues. Kouta's is laughing so hard that his demands for the two dogs to "cut it out" means absolutely nothing. Behind him are two lean Inuzuka adults; a man and woman, worn from battle. They laugh, displaying their pointed canine teeth with grins identical to Kouta's. In the woman's arms is Zuzu, nuzzling against the woman's face. I nudge Akio so that he can spot Kouta too. He turns and smiles at me, to show he saw the happy sight but his face is tense. I would be too if I were waiting to see if my parents would make it back or not.
A couple more feet ahead, and Yoshino suddenly lets go of my hand. "Shikamaru!" She yells in pure relief. Standing between Ino and Chouji, Pineapple head turns at the sound of his mother's voice. He smiles, but something in his face is withheld.
"Mom" He answers, stepping away from his friends, and wrapping his mother in his arms the moment she is in reaching distance. Akio and I watch, hand in hand. We do not know if we should stay or if we should move on. So in the end, like Ino and Chouji, we just watch. Shikamaru closes his eyes and tucks his chin over his mother's shoulder as Yoshino reaches around him to embrace him herself. I have never seen Shikamaru so happy to see his mother. Shikamaru's face loses some of the tension it was holding. "I'm sorry Mom." He says, his voice soft. Ino and Chouji both look down. "Dad-" That is all I need before I start to pull Akio away. That is not the type of home coming one wants to share with spectators. Akio does not mind. Turning away from the bittersweet reunion between mother and child, Akio soon takes over leading as he searches for his family. I just hope Yoshino will not get too mad at us for walking away without her permission.
Without Yoshino to help us navigate the crowds, we spend a lot more time dodging a weaving through the throngs of people. Walking through a small neighborhood we see Shouhei standing with his parents and a bunch of other civilians passing out food and water to the returning shinobi. Since their family has never been separated they do not need to be part in the reunions, but as members of Konoha they must be feeling the same ebullience as everyone else. When we have almost reach the village gates, Akio's father finds us first. "Akio" he breathes has he plucks Akio off of his feet, pulling his son's hand free from my mine.
Akio squawks in surprise before recognition sinks in. "Dad" he cries and relaxes into his father's arms; not minding in the least that he is a nine almost ten-year-old boy being held like he was a toddler. The older Suzuki sinks to his knees, as he cradles his son's head.
"Akio" the grown man sobs. "I'm sorry my son". I could see Akio tense in his father's arms. "I tried to get there in time. But I couldn't. There's was nothing I could do. I'm sorry" Unnerved by seeing a jonin cry like that I move away. I do not belong in that moment either. Akio will be fine as long as he is with his dad. One parent is still better than no parent. As I continue on, I kick the ground with my shoe. Poor Akio's mother though. She was so nice. She let me borrow Akio's clothes when I had none, and she welcomed me into her home. If people had to die why did she have to be one of them?
The next sight I see is a lot happier. But after seeing the reunion between Shikamaru and his mother, and Akio and his dad, I am not filled with as much happiness as I was with all the others. Izumi stands next to her parents. I can hear her asking a million questions. "Where did the war take place? How did you survive? What was that weird dream like thing all about? Is the war really over? Are you heroes?" Izumi's parents laugh and her father pats her head and asks her to slow down. They tell her they now have all the time in the world to answer all of her questions.
I move away from the last of my friends. And after a handful of more steps I come to a stop in front of the gates. All my friends have found their families, so it must be my turn. It just has to be. It just has to be Naruto nii-san's turn to come home. But as time passes by I get the feeling that almost every Konoha shinobi but Naruto nii-san is coming home. As they walk past my statue like form to enter the village, my heart starts to feel as heavy as a stone. But I ignore it. There is no way Naruto nii-san is dead. Naruto nii-san is the strongest person I know. He can survive anything.
As the sun starts to descend in the sky, I had given up standing and had taken to sitting in the entrance of the village gates. If they were to close right now I would be smooshed. But I will not let them close. Not until Naruto nii-san is home. With my chin resting in the palm of my hands, I sigh. Any minute now. If I can just wait a little longer. Over time the stream of returning shinobi reduced to a trickle, and now not a single person is coming. But I know at least one more person has to be. Though maybe, Naruto nii-san is already in the village. Maybe I just simply did not see him and he is off celebrating the end of the war with his friends or he is back at his apartment asleep. Though he would have a hard time getting in, considering I still have his apartment key.
"Manami" a soft voice calls. I look over my shoulder, and have to squint in the afternoon sun to see the approaching figure of my sensei.
"Iruka-Sensei, welcoming back" I said, happy to see him, but not as excited as I would have been if I had seen him at the beginning when everyone was just starting to come home. "I am glad you are home safe".
He smiles and comes to a stop a couple of feet behind me. Not wanting to be rude, I haul myself up to my feet and turn around, away from the village gates to face him. "It is good to see you are well" he said. His eyes are gentle but tired from everything he saw when fighting in the war. "But what is this I hear about you, Akio, and some of your classmates staging a coup in a civilian classroom? And you breaking curfew?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, but nothing in his posture or voice is strict or disapproving.
None the less I flinch a little and hunch my shoulders. "You talked to Yoshino-san?" I asked, a little surprised that even after recently learning of her husband's death Yoshino managed to tattle on me.
Iruka-sensei nods, but he never stops smiling. "and when I talked to Kouta and his family, he said it had something to do with keeping the will of fire alive".
I smile sheepishly at him. "Well now you cannot say that we never listen to your lectures Iruka-sensei" I said, trying to meet his eyes, but failing. Briefly I glance over my shoulder. Still no sign of the blonde idiot. When I glance back at Iruka-sensei he is no longer smiling, but his face is still gentle, and not at all like what I imagined it would look like when he learned about what we did during our time at the civilian school.
"We'll talk about it when the academy reopens" Iruka-sensei promises. And it is not a promise I am looking forward to. Then on a completely different note he adds. "He's coming, Manami. Naruto is coming home. Just be patient".
I look over my shoulder again. Still nothing. Looking up at Iruka-sensei I shake my head. "I have to wait for him. I have to wait for him right here". I said. Knowing that I am not making much sense. "Everyone else's family has come home in one way or the other." I look down, and scuff the toe of the sandal against the ground. "Shikamaru's dad and Akio's mother did not make it". A moment of silence passes between us as we wish the dead a happy afterlife. "But everyone still has their family back. All I have to call family is Naruto nii-san, and he is still out there somewhere". I think, I suppose he could be in the village and I just did not see him. I breathe deeply and rub my upper left arm with my right hand. "Naruto nii-san makes Konoha my home. Without him here I do not belong."
"Manami" Iruka-sensei says as he steps forward, and places a dirty and slightly bruised hand on my head. Normally I would slap his hand away, feeling too old for such affection, but right now it feels nice. "Konoha is your home whether or not Naruto is here. It is your home because your friends are here. Me, your teacher, is here. It is your home because everyone who cares about you wants you to be here. Konoha is your home because it is the place that Naruto fought to protect for all of his precious people, which includes you. You, Manami, belong in Konoha because the will of fire burns bright in you".
I look down again as I feel my face heat up. Way to get sentimental, Iruka-sensei. "Thanks", I mutter, shyly as he removes his hand from the top of my head. I look back up at him to see that the same gentle and comforting smile is back on his face. "But I still cannot leave the gates until Naruto nii-san comes back. He deserves to have someone waiting for him at the gates like everyone else". I reaffirmed. If I do not have a good enough reason to wait for Naruto nii-san for my own purpose, I will wait for him for his own sake.
Something flashes in Iruka-sensei's eyes. Though his voice remains the same soothing tones as he said, "Turn around".
Turn around? Slowly I do just that. And the first thing I see a distance away is a speck of yellow. I blink once and take in the image of four distance figures approaching the village at a hobble. It has to be him. It just has to be. "Naruto nii-san!" I cry, breaking into a dead sprint and dashing out of the village gates. Iruka-sensei does not try to stop me. If anything, I think he would run to Naruto nii-san too if I had not beat him to it.
My heart leaps higher and higher with every step I take, as every step brings me closer to Naruto nii-san. I come skidding to a halt a couple fee away from him. I recognize that he is being supported by Sakura, as his right arm has been reduced to a bloody stump, and by the state of his clothes it is obvious that he has been fighting in a war. To his right walks Kakashi, supporting a very subdued Sasuke, who is missing his left arm. That causes me to take pause, as I cannot think of any good reason for him to be here. But not for long, as Naruto nii-san is finally right in front of me. "Naruto nii-san" I repeat at a regular volume. I fidget a little. I want to hug him, but will that hurt him?
With his blue eyes half lidded, and a tired but relaxed smile on his face I can tell that he is different. He has seen and done things that has made him change from the silly, impatient goof ball that left me in the village at the start of the war. And that is okay, because he is still Naruto, and now he is home. "Manami" he says, in that strangely soft, and gentle voice that I have only heard him use a couple of times before. "I'm home."
Tossing all inhibitions to the wind I reply, with a few tears running down my face, "welcome back", right before I cross the last few steps between us and wrap my arms around his middle, and bury my head in his stomach.
He stumbles a little as Sakura works to stable him. And seeing as he is short one arm and the other is over Sakura's shoulders Naruto nii-san cannot hug me back. Instead he laughs, and I know everything is going to be okay.
A lot happens after that, that I did not need to be there for. But I stick with Naruto nii-san anyway. Sakura takes him to the hospital, and Kakashi goes off somewhere with Sasuke. But I do not care, as long as Naruto nii-san does not leave my sight. Though he does make me wait outside as he gets cleaned up, and changes into hospital pajamas. But then I was back by his side. As the nurse hooks him up to an IV, I sit by his side and tell him about how Akio, our friends, and I got expelled from the civilian school. Just as I expected, he cannot stop laughing as he thinks it is the funniest thing he has ever heard.
After a visit from the doctor, to check that everything is alright, we finish catching up, with him telling me how awesome shinobi are, and how all of the five great nations are now and will be united for a long, long time to come. Naruto falls asleep, for a much-earned rest, and I still cannot bring myself to leave his side. Almost as if I do, he will have leave to go fight in some other war. So I stay, curled up in the chair by his bedside, even though visitors are not allowed to stay the night at the hospital. But no one kicks me out.
Things start to blur together after that as everyone works to return to normal life. Naruto nii-san goes back and forth from the hospital for check-ups to helping around the village. There is nothing wrong with him, other than his missing arm. But Tsunade thinks she can make it grow back. How? I have no idea. Tsunade is also no longer the hokage. She named Kakashi her successor, and now only works in the hospital. The village as already started to carve Kakashi's face into the mountain with all of the other hokage.
All the funerals took place at the same time. For the first time since he came home, I left Naruto nii-san to stand by Akio's side as he and his father grieved for his mother. Akio kept his head bowed the whole time, and his father never looked away from his wife's grave. Both of them withheld their tears in order to not dishonor her sacrifice at her funeral. All I could do was hold Akio's hand, and promise Akio's mom on her grave that for as long as I am able I will always be there for her son. Maki Suzuki died as a true hero of the hidden leaf. We also mourned for the loss of Neji, Shikamaru's dad, Ino's dad, and every other person who was killed in the war. It was one dark and gloomy day amongst many happy ones, but an important one all the same.
I finally got the key to my own apartment. It had no furniture, seeing as no one had lived there since it was rebuilt. But I was finally sleeping in my own bedroom. Not that I was truly alone though. Naruto nii-san decided that we were as close as any family ever was, so he kicked down the shared wall between our two apartments. Now there is a big jagged hole that we can walk through whenever we want to see each other. I use it whenever I start to get nervous that I dreamt the end of the war, and that Naruto nii-san is not just next door. Naruto nii-san uses it whenever he wants to talk me into going out for ramen, which is most nights. We have yet to tell our land lord about the remodel, and we probably will not until one of us moves out. I do not think I even know who our land lord is. I think we should just consider ourselves lucky that Naruto nii-san did not break a pipe or ruin the any electrical wires when he knocked down the wall.
We talked, and goofed off a lot as the days went by. Mostly it was just me following Naruto nii-san around like a lost puppy as he talked to all the people who wanted a piece of him. My brother is now the most important and popular person in the village. But not once does he ask me for some alone time or tell me to go somewhere else. All he does, when I cling to the hem of his shirt, or refuse to leave the perimeter of his shadow is look down at me and smiles. Accepting my presence with that strange maturity that was not present in him when he left for the war, but has been there since he came back. And not once did I ask about Sasuke. Not why he had returned with Naruto nii-san, or why he brought back the hokage from the dead, or where he is right now. Because no matter how fast everything around me seems to be coming to a happy ending, I am not ready to accept the mysterious part of my life that I had spent so much time trying to solve. I was not ready to be an Uchiha. For once, I wanted to be just Manami, and have everything stay exactly as it is right now for the rest of my life.
The academy reopened today, but I did not go. Naruto nii-san had another check-up at the hospital and I have no interest in leaving him, much to his amusement. "You should have gone to class Manami" he said as we sit on a bench in a grassy area right outside of the hospital. "You could've seen your friends, and I wouldn't have to hear from Iruka-sensei about how I'm a bad influence on you. Whatever that means". He said, relaxing in the sun.
I shake my head. "If I leave you, you'll be sent on some crazy mission, or your rabid fans will sink their claws into you, and I will never be able to get close again". I said, clinging to his arm. I know I am being silly. But still, Naruto came back when no one in my family did. I would be foolish not to hold on to him.
Naruto chuckles, and in that grown-up voice he has been using more and more often he says, "I always come back from my mission, but I won't be sent on any for a long time. Not until I get my arm back. And nothing would ever keep me away from my little sister, believe it." My face warms and I am sure that it is as red as the color of the sharingan. Though, lucky for me we get interrupted by some of Naruto's allies from the village hidden in the clouds so I do not have to respond.
Three of them I have never seen before in my life, but the fourth member I recognize as the raikage, the man that Danzo told could use me to get to Sasuke. My grip tightens on Naruto nii-san's arm. But I have to let go, as Naruto bumps fists with the cloud ninja who has the huge bandaged sword strapped to his back. Greetings and well-wishes are exchanged, and I am grateful that I am not important enough that I have to participate. But they did not get far before the Kazekage and his siblings joins the group. At their arrival, Naruto stands up. "Naruto" greats the kazekage, holding out his hand. Which Naruto gladly accepts, shaking it, as the two boys smile at each other. Boys are weird. "You save me again" the Kazekage said.
"Us too" spoke the raikage, entering the conversation. I take the time to reflect that Naruto nii-san is not just my hero. That he means something to everyone. Looking down, I think that maybe I should not be so selfish with him.
"How's you wound?" asked the man standing behind the kazekage who has purple lines painted on his face. Naruto gladly answered with ease as many ask him the same question as he explains how Tsunade is going to regrow it. Though he does not really understand how that is going to happen either. But that somehow motivated the cloud ninja with a sword on his back to break out into a very awkward rap that I struggle to understand. I do not know what to make of the rapping ninja, but Naruto nii-san takes it in stride and laughs, making sure the atmosphere remains friendly. Though it changes to serious as the Kazekage asked about Sasuke, and Naruto becomes down casted. He answers honestly that there is not much he can say on the matter and that is that.
The next day I go back to the academy. Naruto nii-san does not need me hanging around him all the time. And he did promise that he would see me after school. In the end, I am glad that I made it back to the academy. Akio is there, and even though he has a hard time looking people in the eye and he barely talks or eats, it is nice to see him. But for the first time, I have more than one friend in the academy. With the help of Kouta, Zuzu, Ryo and Shouhei, we all surround Akio. Giving him both the space and support he needs to work through his mother's death. And even though Izumi has rejoined her girlfriends, she no longer calls us names, and she even nods to us when we pass in the halls. Once we are all in attendance Iruka-sensei keeps us in at lunch. For the first half, he lectures about how dangerous and serious our actions were in using our ninja training against civilians. But once all six of us are fully castigated he switches gears and asks us to describe everything in detail. He even goes as far to point out the mistakes we made and how we could have performed more efficiently. He ends the lunch break with the warning that, "if you every pull something like that again, I will have you running katas until your feet bleed and your arms fall off". But I do not think we will ever have a reason to do anything like that ever again.
The next day I skip the academy again, but this time at Naruto nii-san's request. "Where are we going?" I asked as he leads us through the village.
But all he will say is, "There is someone you have to meet." I do not press, happy to follow him, but it is still weird. Usually he cannot keep any details to himself. Like when he came home last night and yelled through the hole in the wall that Kakashi said he would name him a jonin if he did a boat load of studying with Iruka-sensei every day after the academy gets out to catch up. He told me everything about that, from how the dusty old scrolls and books smell, to how boring reading is, and how much his head hurts. For the first time since the end of the war the old goofy Naruto was back. Before then I had not noticed how much I had missed his silliness.
Now though, he is back to his new mature self as he leads us out of the village. "Why are we leaving the village?" I have to ask, surprised when the guards at the gate do not stop us.
"You'll see" he said, looking behind at me with a small smile. "we're not going far." He takes us just far enough up the road that we cannot see Konoha, before he picks a random tree and leans against it.
Slightly annoyed that he has not told me what we are doing out here, I stare up at him, and study him. He seems tense for some reason and just a little sad. "Well?" I finally asked.
"Just wait" was all he would say. Blowing some hair out of my face I give up and move to stand next to him.
But we do not have to wait for long. "I didn't think you would see me off" said a deep, smooth voice. I look up, surprised that I did not hear him coming. A couple feet away stands Sasuke with a black travel cloak wrapped around his shoulders. Just like Naruto, he is a little different that he was before the war ended. I can see no more hate in his eyes. In fact, one of his eyes is completely different, and does not match the other at all.
Naruto nii-san straightens and moves away from the tree. "Here" he grunts, handing Sasuke a worn Konoha headband, with a line scratched through the middle.
"You kept that?" he asked in disbelief, but he accepts it any way.
"I'm returning it" Naruto nii-san said.
"I'll keep it, until we can fight for real" Sasuke said.
Naruto smiles, enjoying the moment with his long-lost comrade. But he does not leave it there. "Besides", he says. "There's someone here that needs to meet you officially". Naruto nodded in my direction once, and in the next moment Sasuke and I are in a staring contest. He is not blinking so neither will I, but I do move to take Naruto's free hand. After all, this is the third time I have seen Sasuke in my life. The first time he saved me from Danzo and threatened to destroy the leaf village. The second time he knocked me unconscious before he went to go fight in the war. So, I do not know what to expect. "Manami, meet Sasuke Uchiha. My rival and friend." I have to blink. "Sasuke, meet Manami. Your cousin, second cousin, however you're related". He finished.
Still not blinking Sasuke stares at me, and I get the impression that he is weighing my soul, measuring my potential, and seeing things in me that I will never see when I look in the mirror. I do not like it, and finally I had enough. "If you ever hurt Naruto nii-san again, I will kill you". I state as threatening as I can and with the best glare I can muster. Completely ignoring the fact that I am talking to someone who could end my existence without even lifting a finger.
"Manami!" Naruto nii-san sputters, as he pulls his free hand out of my own to bop me on the head with a closed fist. "Have you learned nothing from what I've told you? Killing solves nothing! You have to break the cycle of hate!"
But Sasuke stops him before he can continue his very expressive lecture. With a smirk on his face, and no change in tone he said, "I'd expect nothing less from an Uchiha". I blink, taken back. He recognizes me as an Uchiha? He sees me as a fellow clansman? I look down, for some reason, that makes me feel just a little bit pleased. "If you unlock your sharingan, you'll come and train with me for a while". I nod, not because I want to train with him, but because in the moment it just seems right.
"Take care Sasuke", said Naruto, and then the only other living Uchiha was gone.