Title: Rin

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Warning: Unbeta and horrible grammar. Language.

Chapter 17

As Kushina had requested in her letters, I went to the hospital and straight to baby room section. Kakashi did tell me about his teacher son and I stopped outside the room and stood silently behind a glass panel that separated from outsider so that they could see their baby without holding them. I noticed a certain baby with blond hair who was sleeping and I smiled warmly.

"Naruto…" I muttered his name softly under my breath.

Someone stood behind me as I could sense his chakra came into the hallway. From the reflection of the glass panel, I noted the silver hair.

"Rin, it's about time now."

I looked at Kakashi confusedly. After two weeks and that was the first sentence he spoke to me? I frowned slightly. "About time for what?"

"You'll know soon." He grabbed my shoulder and instantly we were stood in front of hokage tower.

I was trying to hold down my breakfast and scanned the surrounding. Calming myself, I straightened my body and noted that almost every people in the village were gathered here. I could see Haru and Hanan stood together in the crowd of Hyuugas and Shizu who silently sat under a tree with a chubby boy beside her. I bet that was Akimichi Chouma who always had sweets in his pockets.

Raising my eyebrows, I looked at the silver haired ninja. "What's this all about?"

Kakashi simply raised his head towards the tower and I followed. On the top of the building I saw a group of people and noted certain old man was wearing the same hat that once Minato worn. I focused my gaze at the man and eyed his physical appearance, from his figures and age lines on his face, this man already faced too many things in his life and he looked very wise. Well, he was pretty old.

"Thank you for gathering here everyone of Konoha. As our circumstance two weeks ago, we had lost our Yondaime and I will take the place as hokage once again. I'm Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime hokage of Konohagakure." Hiruzen ended his introductory speech.

Almost everyone cheered at the speech from the Sandaime. I looked around and noted there were few middle age and older peoples bowed slightly as their sign of concur with our hokage. Knowing that our village really needed a leader by now, Sandaime presence really gave some relief to the villagers. I looked at the tower again; this man was really something I added internally.

The hokage faked a cough making everyone stopped from their cheers and talk. The ground became really quiet as if there was something else was going arrived here. I shuddered at this newly atmosphere and silently anticipated with whatever was going to happen.

The next thing was a real surprised.

Sandaime brought out a rule about Naruto. From his next speech I concluded that everyone in this village was distasted with Naruto presence. It was because he was the next container of the kyuubi no kitsune. I stiffened at that information and looked around. There was a presence of hatred and disgust air around and I nearly gagged from it. Some of the villagers silently shed their tears and at that moment I realized, they had lost their people in the hand of that creature but it wasn't Naruto! He was just a baby who didn't know anything. He was simply a container of that kyuubi without any knowledge about it at all.

"Everything regarding to Uzumaki Naruto is now prohibited to be talk around and no one can relay anything about it to him when he grows up. Everything is now considered as classified materials."

Murmuring from people around was intensified while I silently stared at the ground. What I was going to say when Naruto grow up? Did I have a chance to talk with the poor boy?

"Why?" I asked softly under my breath and looked up at my right as a hand rested on my shoulder. "Why Kakashi?"

The masked ninja closed his eye and slowly shook his head.

This was unfair!

Naruto would never know his parentage!

He was alone in this world now, not even Kakashi and I could claim him since we were underage for acting as his guardian even though Kakashi would be considered as an adult since he was already a ninja. Kushina was right, I was too young for it and taking care of a baby, child was a big responsibility. At time like this, I wished I had my original body.

Ren-sensei was writing something on the blackboard as my mind wandered around. It had already been two weeks since the class resumed. There were casualties around academy ground but it didn't really halt the class progress. We were still having our target practice and taijutsu training. Everyone had changed after the incident. Mizuki was no longer mocking the girls around and he became more subtle and Iruka…

Ugh…Iruka was…

He had…become a little bit difficult.

The brunet still talked to me like usual but the most obvious thing was his performance in class. Before the attack, the Iruka I knew was a clever and hardworking student but since we came back to the academy, he changed. Most of the time during classes, he would staring blankly at anywhere he deemed suitable. Ren-sensei nearly gave up when Iruka didn't really answer his call but surprisingly, the brunet answered at the end. He was also played during class like performing out his pranks on our teacher and some of the students. Suzu was one his favorite target and the raven haired girl complained to me that she didn't really like the brunet anymore. I could see the frustration came from the Uchiha girl and sadly I didn't know what I should do with it.

I didn't really understand his action since he acted naturally outside the academy but once we came back for class on the next day he changed, until I remembered something from my own experience and the courses I took during my study at college.

Iruka wanted attention from people around and the academy was the best place since it was full of people.

Weeks went by and months followed. Silently, I took a look from far how Naruto was doing from time to time. Now, he stayed in an orphanage and good thing was the people there was taking a good care of him. I secretly glad with the arrangement. The blond haired baby was not a difficult baby; he must take it after his father. Always calmed through everything, I wished Minato was around to look at this. I never shared about this with anyone, even Kakashi. At first I would bring Iruka together, but remembering his face at hokage tower ground few months ago making me rethink about it. Iruka didn't like Naruto well since he did lose everything back then. I couldn't really blame him but he should act more rational.

We were in final month of the year and that was meaning that the graduation examination was near. I stared at the grey sky. The weather was getting gloomy and cloudy but there wasn't any snow around. It must relate with the country this village situated. Fire country, I snorted slightly and closed my window.

We were practicing our weapon throw when I decided to confront Iruka about his changes. I couldn't face this fake Iruka anymore. I knew he was suffering inside but the way he taken wasn't the right one and it had been two months already. He was just suffering more instead of became better.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

I eyed the target pole and noted that all of the shurikens perfectly stuck on it. Remembering our practice at academy that morning, I snorted slightly and walked to the brunet.

"Nice throw Iruka. I see that you have perfect line there," I said casually.

"Um, thanks," Iruka said breathlessly and went to the target, picking up his weapons.

Like knowing his doom was near, Iruka spoke softly without turning around. "Do you have something to talk, Rin? I see some unsettled expression on your face."

I sighed loudly. "Kind of, Iruka tell me, what're you doing these days? I mean weeks? No, months already. We're nearing our graduation and you're acting like someone else."

Iruka kept his shurikens in his weapon holster strapped on his tight. He looked at me innocently. "What do you mean by that Rin?"

"You're faking yourself." I spat out the truth making the brunet wavered slightly. "Look, during throwing practice at academy, your performance was really bad and now it's totally perfect! What's wrong with you Iruka?"

Iruka showed his surprised expression but he quickly covered it with a laugh. "I'm not faking myself, you got wrong person and there's nothing wrong with me. I just distracted that's why…"

I frowned. "Wrong person? Distracted?"

Iruka who was still laughing, grinned. I rolled my eyes, even his grin looked faked.

"Yeah, I'm just being myself. You must look at someone else and mistook him or her as me."

"What? No! It's you Iruka! Your act is sickening me!"

"Then you do not really know me well enough Rin."

I eyed the brunet critically. "Face it Iruka! You're avoiding it now."

"No, you're wrong Rin. You just only know me for how long? A year? Two? And now you claimed that I'm faking myself? Ha! Very funny!" Iruka laughed.

I gaped, surprised with Iruka's mocking statement. Gripping my hand tightly and turned away so that I wasn't facing him. "Fine, be yourself. I don't know who real Iruka is anymore," I said softly and felt my eyes watered. This was too much! My body shook slightly as I was fighting so that I wasn't crying.

"Rin."

"Stay away Iruka or you'll regret it."

I felt his chakra wavered. I shrugged, that was good but the next thing happened so suddenly.

Instantly he placed his hand on my shoulder, I immediately turning around and punched his face, hard. Iruka landed on the ground harshly and placed a hand on his cheek.

My eyes widened and my fist trembled. "Tch!" I turned around and ran from the training filed. It was no use anymore; I lost one of my trusted people in this place. I ran to my apartment, unlocking the door and slammed it closed. Entering my bedroom, I landed on my bed and cried loudly.

Iruka was my first real friend here…

He was hurt…

I couldn't help him…

I hurt him more…

I wasn't a good friend…

Sorry, Iruka…

I was sitting alone in front of a convenience shop when someone approached me. Slowly raising my head, I looked at the person who stood in front of me. Nodding once, I stared at the ground again.

"Itachi…nice to see you." I greeted the boy half heartedly.

"Rin…Um, Rin what're you doing here at this time? It's getting late already." Itachi sat down beside me.

I dragged my gaze to the late evening sky. "Oh, I just want to buy some dinner." I turned at the boy and smiled slightly before turning into indifferent expression. I wasn't in a mood of cheery greetings now. "What about you?" I asked before my gaze focused at the ground once again.

Itachi frowned at my reaction but I ignored it. A kid like him didn't really need to know what older figures went through. I didn't want to taint his pure heart.

"I run some errand for my mother, walking around and went training with Shishui."

I looked at the ground again. "Shishui is your friend? I always see you two together." I asked softly.

"Yes, he's my first friend and my mentor too. He is very important people in my life." He paused. "And you too, Rin."

"Oh, I feel much appreciated. Thank you Itachi," I tried to say it with happy tone but sadly it came out expressionless.

"I mean it."

I stared at him, the boy who once I deemed as a cute boy; an innocent and very forward boy and now he was looking into my eyes seriously. Quickly I averted my gaze away and rested my hand on my chest. I felt my heart beat fast under my rib cage. What was that? He was just a kid Rin! Get a hold on your self! I groaned internally.

"Sometimes, Shishui and I have some arguments…"

I slowly raised my head and looked at the raven haired boy who now was staring at the ground. "A lots of arguments but we are still good after that." Itachi continued.

"H-How?"

"We are tolerating with each other and don't keep any secret around, honesty is the key."

My eyes widened. Now I knew that I was wrong from the beginning. I wasn't being honest with Iruka and ignored his changes. I kept bottling my emotions from him and not tolerating it like a wise one while I was the oldest! I was acting like a kid and now Itachi who was far younger had opened my eyes.

Grabbing his hand and pulled him into hug, I thanked him.

"Thank you, Itachi, thank you…"

"Y-You're welcome, Rin."

I felt an awkward pat on my back and I silently shrugged in relief. "Thank you, Itachi."

Iruka was standing in front of his door when I reached the floor. I slowly walked to my door and paused from taking another step when I reached his unit first. Damn the arrangement! I was needed to pass his place first in order to reaching mine. I closed my eyes.

"Iruka."

"Rin."

"I'm sorry!" We both shouted and bowed at each other.

"Eh?"

"Huh?"

We both avoiding each other gaze and shrugged.

Iruka opened his mouth first. "I'm sorry Rin for acting stupid these days. I was lonely and that's why I'm acting like that. I was wrong and you're right, I'm faking myself."

I looked up and stared straight at Iruka. "I'm sorry too Iruka, for not being honest with you, keeping silent when you're acting like that and didn't talk with you directly when I see something wrong and for hitting you too." I trailed at the last part.

"I'm…"

I raised my hand with plastic bag containing instant noodles. Smiling at the brunet honestly, I said cheerfully, "Dinner?"

Iruka grinned. "Sure!"

We bumped our shoulders in friendly manner and walked to my apartment.

"You know what Rin, your punch was really something. My cheek is still throbbing from it." Iruka sulked.

I snorted. "Well, I did warn you…"

We paused for a moment and laughed as we entering my place.

I was practicing my seal writing when a thought came by. Placing down my brush I looked at the box from Kushina.

Knowing Minato, I bet he put something too inside this box. You better check on it.

Slowly sat down in front of the box, I pulled the lid and scanned the scrolls inside it. From my time with Kushina, I could notice that she had her own signatures over her belongings. The red head woman would draw a swirling sign on one corner of the scroll in red colour. I had seen she did it openly in front of me after we came back from a bookstore where she bought a few books. Trailing my fingers over the scrolls, my eyes found one of it which didn't have any Kushina's signature.

"Sealing techniques aren't limited with storage application only," Kushina started her lecture.

I looked up from my book. "What do you mean by that, Kushina-san?"

The woman smiled proudly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "From what I had teaches you so far, most of the application of a seal is to store something. For examples, your weapons, chakra, food, and more, all of those things we stored it under certain seal according to its function. That's the basic of a seal function." She paused and pulled out something from her dress pocket. "Look at this."

"A specialized kunai? Isn't that Yondaime-sama's kunai?"

"Yes, his kunai is a specialized one. Now, do you sense anything from it?"

I stared at the kunai and focused my chakra around it. I looked at Kushina with surprise expression. "It's faint but there is chakra on it."

"Correct, look at its hilt, and see these writing? This is an example of a specialized seal."

I nodded.

Kushina smiled and raised her hand with the kunai. "Now, open your eyes, Rin-chan."

Thunk!

"Wow, you have deadly aim, Kushi…What?" My eyes widened at extra person in the room. "Yondaime-sama what're you doing here?"

The blond hokage ignoring my question quickly went to his wife. "Kushina, what's wrong?"

Kushina tilted her head at her side. "Um, I'm craving some dumplings and ramen too…."

"I'll find it now, just wait dear," Minato said and in flash he gone.

I stared blankly at the spot where Minato stood earlier. "What was that?"

Kushina clapped once and I focused at her direction. She smiled. "That's one of other application we can use with seal. Generally, you can move to marked place with the specialized seal but in certain range but not with Minato. His technique is different. It's like transportation and flickering body techniques but it's more accurate and deadly. Of course your reflexes come along with this kind of technique. The technique Minato used earlier is called…

"Hiraishin…" I read the scroll title and bite my lip. I placed down the scroll on my lap and crossed my arms. "As we had learned in our history class, Nidaime-sama also used this technique. A great chakra control is needed in order to perform this technique properly."

I stared at the scroll and hummed.

"Minato-san knows something that I don't know…or..." I quickly shook my head and focused at the thing on the floor. "Why he give me this? Somehow I had this feeling that he didn't seal his memory about future…is he tricked me?"

A visit to Yamanaka was added in my schedule for tomorrow.