~ Life Is Like A Game ~
"Otou-san, what exactly is a dream?"
"Huh? Why do you ask?"
It was the first thing Naruto had asked his father after he had reached home. He didn't know why it bothered him so much but he simply couldn't stow away the thought of asking what a dream. Everyone his age had one. As insignificant as it may have seemed, Naruto was curious. What exactly was a dream? What was it that drove people to the edge of the world and made people feel compelled to jump off the edge, just to achieve a goal? What was it like to strive for something for years and then how did it feel after achieving it?
Minato himself couldn't bring himself to hide his surprise. He had never heard his son talk about his dream before. He had guessed that whatever his son's ambitions were, they would make themselves known once he was more accustomed to the world they lived in. No one expected a child to have world-altering goals.
"What are dreams? What is it like to have goals you want to fulfill? What is it like once you've achieved them?" Naruto asked, not being able to hide his curiosity at the new found notion of dreams, ambitions and goals.
"That is a... hard question to answer. I don't think there really is a straightforward answer to it but I'll try my best to explain. Dreams, if you go by definition, are an ambition or goal you greatly cherish. At least in this context. However, if you want my version of it, dreams are simply how you see the future. Dreams are how you think that you will affect the world around you as an individual. It is simply a goal you want to achieve, to change yourself, your circumstances or even the people around. Some people have simple dreams, like mine. When I was a child all I wanted to do was become Hokage and lead and protect the village I was born in. However there are other people, like Jiraiya-sensei, that have far grander ambitions."
"Then is it wrong for me to not have any dreams?" Naruto asked, his face set in slight disbelief at his father's answer. Minato chuckled at his son's question.
"No, it isn't. Dreams aren't something you come up with just because you want one. You too, will one day have a dream. It's simply a matter of time. To answer your second question from before, having goals you want to achieve feels almost surreal. Your dreams plague your mind for all day long. Whatever you think about, everything comes back to that one goal you are willing to put your heart and soul to achieve. As for your third question, I don't think I have an answer for you."
Naruto looked at his father in confusion. Had he not said his dream was to become Hokage? Minato, understanding the confusion on Naruto's face, quickly decided to give an answer.
"When I achieved my dream to become Hokage, I thought that my ambition was finished. But then I married your mother and then you were born and later your sister was born. Then once again I had a dream. To wake up everyday see you both smiling and telling you how much I love you both. See you grow into a man and her into a woman, see you both find love and have children of your own. Then do the same again and again till the day I lay on my deathbed, wishing to live another day just to repeat the routine. That is my dream." Minato said, his eyes tearing up a bit at the thought of his children one day growing up.
"Otou-san, I- I don't kno-" Naruto stuttered, not quite being able to grasp the actual weight his father's words carried. Minato quickly wiped away any moisture from his eyes.
"Look Naruto, all I'm saying is don't force it. You'll have dreams, when you find a goal you want to dedicate your life to. You're too young to ponder on questions like these. Just live your life as you have and you'll have a dream soon enough."
Minato gave Naruto a huge grin, which Naruto returned in kind with a small smile of his own.
"Well, that went downhill. I was actually sitting here to congratulate you. Jiraiya-sensei told me you performed splendidly in the test he set for you. To celebrate, I ordered some Ichiraku for us and our guests."
"Our guests?"
As if on cue, the front door opened and three figures walked in. These were Jiraiya, Hiruzen and Kakashi.
"Jiji, Kakashi-san and Jiraiya-sensei?!" Naruto called out in disbelief.
"Hello, Naruto-kun."
"Yo, Naruto!"
"How're ya, gaki?"
Minato chuckled once more at Naruto's stupefied expression. And behind that passive mask of his, Minato could almost see the child-like glee in his eyes. Almost instantly Minato's thoughts turned solemn. That large grin and those sparkling eyes, a constant on Naruto's face when he was a child, was something he hadn't seen in a long time. At least not since the argument between Naruto and Kushina. Another complicated topic which he didn't want to think about. While he didn't entirely blame Kushina, he couldn't support her behaviour either. He knew she had her own demons but the way she had behaved had been unacceptable.
He quickly veered away his thoughts from such subjects. He reminded himself that it was a time of celebration. He didn't let the grin slip from his face. He had to be strong. Naruto may never be able to forgive his mother, but he would understand her reasoning when he grew up.
"Well Rin wanted to be here but unfortunately she went to sleep a little while ago. Satsuki also wanted to be here but she had her own celebration to attend. I know I haven't been around much but the war has been weighing down on everyone."
"Of course Otou-san, I understand. I know that if you could be here, you would be." Naruto said with an understanding tone. An understanding no child was supposed to have. It was sad to think of the things that had happened, to think of the exact consequences of Naruto's loss of a childhood. But everyone ignored the lingering thought of how cruel the world was.
"Well then, let's feast shall we?"
And feast they did. The tower of bowls that stacked up was enough proof of it. They ate as they discussed about Naruto, laughing and chatting without a care in the world.
And for perhaps the first time since his birth, Naruto felt a sense of normalcy in his life. No mother who was haunted by her past, no father who didn't have time to spare, no glares or stares from random people and no inability to understand the social cues of friends or acquaintances.
When all of them were done eating, Naruto was the happiest he had been in a while. But his feelings were only going to increase after Minato's next declaration.
"Naruto, don't you want to know about the gifts we got for you?!" Minato laughed, as Naruto gave an eager nod.
"I'll give mine first. Your father told me that you liked reading, especially about history. So I have a few of books for you. Most of them cover the time after chakra was founded but the one with the slightly torn cover is a book from before the time of the Sage of Six Paths. It has the world's history before chakra and some folk tales and myths from the Old World." Hiruzen explained, a smile on his face.
Naruto quickly took the small bundle of books from Hiruzen, giving a small smile to show his gratitude.
"I'll go next. I noticed that your clothes looked worn out. So, I decided to get you a few sets of new clothes and some accessories. How about you try it?" Jiraiya asked. Complying with Jiraiya's request he went into a bedroom, quickly put on his new clothes and came out.
Naruto was wearing a black uniform jacket with an orange zipper and two stripes of orange going down the arms under which he wore a white tshirt with light padding for protection, a red armband with an Uzumaki crest on his left arm and grey ANBU style grey pants. His headband was tied to his forehead to keep his shoulder-length hair from blocking his sight. His artillery pouches were strapped on both sides of his hip but there was a thing that stood out. He also had fingerless gloves with metal plates, a standard Shinobi accessory, and strapped to the back of his hip was a moderately sized wooden box. He also had on standard Shinobi black footwear.
" I better see you wearing those clothes all the time. They cost me a fortune. Especially that jacket of yours. The pant and the tshirt is made of a special fibre which is chakra resistant. And that jacket is made of chakra conductive fibres, on which I've put special seals for added protection like my own outfit and it also has a special feature which makes it grow in size with you. The other things are standard Shinobi gear. However, the best and the most expensive piece is that wooden box. I personally made it for you. It has storage seals inside it which gives it extra storage, which will help you store your Fuinjutsu gear. All of your brushes, scrolls and inks are in there." Jiraiya explained, looking at the others with a smug expression, almost as if he knew he had the best gift.
"Thank you, sensei. I really appreciate the gift, especially the Fuinjutsu gear." Naruto thanked him, the smile that he had worn almost becoming a constant on his face.
"Alright, it's my turn now!" Kakashi said, as he rummaged through the small bag he had.
"There it is!" He exclaimed, pulling out a scroll.
"This right here is a summoning contract. The wolf summoning contract to be more precise. I had to fight both your father and your sensei to get permission to let you sign this but I somehow convinced them. Seeing as you're going to be a spy, wolves are excellent companions for spying, tracking and combat. And I don't have any family left to actually give this to, so I'm entrusting this to you, my surrogate little brother. I hope you use it well, otouto." Kakashi said, his voice going heavy with emotion.
"Thank you, Kakashi-sa- Kakashi-nii!" Naruto said, overjoyed at the gift.
By now the visage of the stoic and blank boy that Naruto used to be was no more. In his place stood the old Naruto, the Naruto that wasn't afraid of getting hurt if he showed his emotions.
"By the way, if you don't mind me asking, why haven't you signed this?"
"Well, you see, when I was given a chance to sign, I disrespected the wolves by calling them mutts. So, in turn, they banned me from ever trying to sign their contract. But, I was able to sign the dog summoned contract, so..." Kakashi trailed off, his embarrassment evident in his tone. Everyone laughed at his reasoning. Naruto quickly signed the contract and made Jiraiya promise to teach him the summoning jutsu.
"Okay then, it's finally my turn. It isn't as good as the other gifts but I hope you know what it means to me."
As soon as Minato finished speaking, Minato reached out his hand, and on his hand was a headband. The cloth was black, unlike Naruto's blue, and the metal plating had scratches on it, indicating that it had been used many times. Naruto looked at Minato, his heart suddenly feeling heavy because of an unknown feeling.
"Otou-san, I- I don't know what to say." Naruto managed to force out despite feeling as if his mouth was too heavy to move.
It was widely known in the Shinobi world that headbands were a symbol. The headband worn by Shinobi were the indicators of not only their allegiance but also the deeds they had performed in their life. To give away one's headband, it meant that you were passing on your legacy to the next holder. Generally, it was done by teachers and students, in a show of faith. However, for a parent to pass it down to their child was equivalent to passing down their legacy. And that meant a lot in the Shinobi world.
"You don't need to say anything, Naruto. That headband is simply a show of faith for something I've felt for a long time. Whether you know or not, there are many similarities between us. You may look like an Uzumaki but act like a Namikaze. Now that war was knocking on Konoha's door, I don't know how often I'll be able to come around. But I want you to know that whatever happens, that headband is a reminder of my love and faith in you. Remember that, because there will come times when you'll doubt my commitment to our family."
Bending down, Minato ruffled Naruto's hair, his face etched in a smile. Ignoring the guests in the room, he embraced his son. Slowly, he turned his head around to gesture Kakashi, Jiraiya and Hiruzen to exit the house. Understanding that the father and son were having a moment, all three of them took their leave.
With the three gone, the father and son simply enjoyed each other's presence.
~
"Now that they've taken their leave, we still have a couple of gifts left!" Minato cheered slightly, trying to lighten the mood.
"What do you mean? I didn't see any more people."
"Well, I'm not your only family member, am I?"
Naruto's eyes widened at the implication of his father's words. His words meant that his sister and his mother had left gifts for him. It was almost too good to be true. He wasn't surprised that his sister had, but to think that his mother had as well, surprised him more than anything.
'Is Kaa-san finally trying to mend our relationship?' Naruto thought to himself.
However, as soon as he felt a small flicker of acceptance in his heart, he crushed it. Such notions would only bring him pain. The last time he had thought his mother had accepted him, it hadn't gone nicely. His mother had utterly shattered any hopes of having a normal childhood and stomped on his sentiments while doing it.
"I won't say much in defence of Kushina. She left this for you, when she left for her latest mission. I'm sure you'll like it."
His father gave him a sword. A beautiful sword.
It was a Chokuto, a sword which he hadn't used before. But it was still a magnificent sword. Chokutos were single-edged, straight swords. The blade length was around 75-80 cm and the handle was 30cm in length. The tsuba(guard) was in the shape of a spiral, showcasing the symbol of the Uzumaki clan. The handle was red in colour, with the several designs being stitched on it in black embroidery. The scabbard had similar patterns as the handle but it was black in colour with red embroidery on it. When he finally released the blade from its scabbard, the blade glistened in light. The blade itself was split into two parts, the longer edge being the sharper one while the shorter was painted black to signify its defensive nature.
Minato seemed hesitant to talk but decided to do it nonetheless. There were things that had to be resolved even if they only soothed his mind.
Unknown to both Naruto and Minato, the door of a room in their house was slightly open, a set of childish eyes staring at them.
"Look Naruto, I know you aren't exactly fond of your mother but she wasn't always this bitter. There used to be a time when she was the most talkative and lively person in Konoha. I still remember how overjoyed she was when the news of your birth had come. I don't know what happened to her, but -"
"It's my fault, isn't it? I always hear how happy she was before I was born. Then I came along and that happy woman turned into a hateful shell of herself. It's all my fault. Come on Otou-san, you know just as well as I do. Shout at me, shout at me like everyone else does, like Okaa-san does!"
"Naruto, that isn't what I meant, I was trying to tell you that it's no one's fault. Both of you have made mistakes an-"
"Mistakes?!" Naruto exclaimed, his voice stained with disbelief. He couldn't believe that his own father, the man he had trusted more than anyone else was doing this to him.
'Hurts, doesn't it? Being accused of doing something you didn't do?'
Naruto chose to ignore the voice for now.
"What mistakes have I made, Otou-san? What crimes have I committed against that woman you insist on calling my mother? Being born to her? Having some recessive gene in that golden eye of mine that makes her mad? Or was it the fact I interrupted the perfect little relationship you and Kaa-san had going before I came into this worl-"
Naruto's rant abruptly came to a halt when something struck his cheek. He quickly realised that the blow had come from his own father. Naruto rose his head to a point where he could gaze back into his father's eyes. As he stared into his father's furious blue orbs, the anger in them seemed to die down as the horror of the act he had just committed seemed to catch up to him.
Minato stared at his son in horror, the angry visage he had put up vanishing. He had hit his son. He couldn't believe it. He had vowed to never do it and he was sure he'd never have to. He wasn't an angry person by nature and there were few things that riled him up. One of those things was insulting his wife.
However, this was his son. His son who has gone through more than Minato could've ever imagined himself to go through at his age. Becoming the object of his mother's hate and the village's scapegoat for the damage caused on his birthday, Naruto had gone through much more than any child his age or otherwise.
"Naruto, I didn't mean to-"
"You didn't mean to, what?! Hit me? Shout at me? What else, Otou-san? How much more do I have to suffer before you get your act together and start acting like an adult and a father? Is my childhood being destroyed not enough for you? Do you actively seek out my misery and find pleasure in my pain?!"
"Naruto, ENOUGH! You're still a child! You don't understand -"
"What don't I understand, Otou-san! Wake up from whatever delusional world you're living in! I haven't been a 'child' for almost 4 years now. You and Kaa-san took that choice away from me when you decided to seal the Kyuubi into your own son and subject me to the hate of the entire village! I don't talk like a child, I don't think like a child and I don't act like one either! Your decision of being a Hokage over being a father robbed me of a childhood and I'm sure that soon enough, the same will happen to Rin!"
"NARUTO!"
Minato screamed, cocking back his hand, ready to once again hurt his own son, when a figure jumped onto Naruto's frame, holding onto him like a lifeline. Minato's mind registered a familiarity in that figure. The small frame, the blond hair, the blue eyes which were now stained by tears and an attachment to Naruto. It could only be one person.
"Rin!"
And with that, Minato's descending palm slowed down coming to a halt in mid-air. Once again, fresh horror ran through him as the cold hands of regret gripped at his heart.
"R-Rin, it's n-not what it l-looks like!" Minato exclaimed his revulsion at himself pushed to a corner by the fear he felt at the possibility of his daughter finding out. He approached Naruto and her and his heart lurched when the siblings seemed to hold onto each other even tighter than they were before. Rin however, turned her face to look at Minato, her cheeks sporting tear marks, which caused him to wonder just how much of the conversation she had heard.
"No! Go back!" Rin cried, her voice laced with fear at her father's previous actions.
"Rin, I- I -"
However, his muttering was stopped by Rin once again.
"Stay away! You hurt Nii-san! Go away!" Rin shouted at him. However, this time it seemed to have the opposite effect. Rather than the horror Minato's face has shown the last time, this time his face seemed to grow frustrated.
"You don't know what happened! I-It isn't my fault! I don't know what happened! You have to believe me!" Minato pleaded, his voice however held an almost warning tone to it.
"No, you don't know! You're never around for anything! All you do is greet me and Nii-san and move on to go do your job! I hate you! You keep hurting Nii-san! It's all your fault!"
Minato felt like he was sinking deeper into some kind of a hole. Each dialogue exchanged left him with more and more growing anger. Why couldn't they understand? It wasn't his fault! He was trying his best to balance being a Hokage, a husband and a father. They didn't know what that was like. They had absolutely no right to resent him. Especially not Naruto. His life was perfect before that boy's birth. And yet even after all the changes he made to accommodate him, the boy was blaming him for his misfortune.
Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder how his life would've been if Naruto hadn't been born, how happy Kushina and him would've been with just Rin. And that only served to fuel his anger. That boy had taken his wife and turned her into a shelf of her former self and turned his own daughter against him. There was no going back now. As he dug himself deeper into his self-made hole of delusions, he let his anger reign supreme.
"SHUT UP! Rin, move away from him!"
"No!"
"I said, Get. Away. From. Him."
"And I said no!"
Minato couldn't hold in his anger any longer. He shot out his hand, intent on grabbing Rin and snatching her away when his hand was grabbed by someone. Someone who hadn't been present in the room before.
"What is going on here, Minato!?"
In an almost heroic fashion, the toad sage had arrived. The elderly man took note of his surroundings, the crying girl latched onto the traumatized boy, both frightened by the blonde Hokage.
He had decided to give them some time alone, seeing as things were going well between the father and son. Then he had wanted to talk to Minato about Naruto, so he had come back only to find his best student and surrogate son using physical force against his own children.
He let out a sigh. Everything seemed wrong yet this was the world they lived in. A world wherein the parents had so much trauma that caring for their own children became a mental burden.
"You can't understand either! None of you can! I do the best I can and this is the reward I receive? My own son blames me for everything wrong in his life and my daughter sides with my son as if I'm some cruel man trying to hurt them!" Minato exclaimed, his eyes holding the look of a broken man.
"They're children Minato! At least your daughter is and while your son isn't an adult he is far from a child! You made a choice Minato, there were other options but you chose this one and now you must deal with the consequences and calling your own progeny illogical children isn't the way to do that!"
"It doesn't matter! That boy thinks he knows of suffering, so I'll show him what it's like to suffer! Naruto, you will, from this day till the day I see fit never bear the name of Namikaze! You won't stay in this house and you won't claim to be the son of the Hokage or else you will face the consequences of it."
Naruto's eyes widened as Jiraiya let out a gasp. Minato had disowned Naruto. Over a petty argument. However, Naruto wasn't one to back down.
"Fine! I'll go live with Jiji! He's been more like family than you ever have anyway!" Naruto shouted back.
"And that means you don't get to meet Rin now, understood?"
Naruto's resolve faltered, as his anger grew once more.
"W-What? What does Rin have to do with this? You can't stop me from meeting her!"
"I can. You're no longer Namikaze and that means that you hold no relation to her. Which means I can and will forbid you from meeting her, Genin Uzumaki !"
This time it was Rin who had panicked. A life without her brother? She couldn't even begin to imagine it! He had been beside her since the day she was born, supporting her.
"No way! I'll go live with Nii-san if I have to but I won't live with you while he's somewhere else! You're never home and neither is Kaa-san so I'll go live with Nii-san at Jiji's house if I have to!"
"No you won't! I'm your father and I forbid-"
Before Minato could finish his sentence, Jiraiya spoke up.
"Enough, Minato! Think over what you've done for a while, would you? I'll be taking Naruto and Rin with me for the time being. I'll inform Kushina as well. I'll talk to you about this afterwards."
"Sensei, no!"
However, Jiraiya gave no response as he used Shunshin(Body Flicker) to take Naruto and Rin and leave.
As Minato was left there alone, the regret and terror he felt at himself seemed to be rejuvenated once again. Minato couldn't help but think how it had all gone so wrong.
But right before Jiraiya had disappeared, unknown to the children, both of the adults had exchanged a quick glance.
~
The darkness of the night was gone and it was time for the light of the morning star to illuminate the world. It was time for a new day to commence.
It was almost 6'o clock in the morning and Naruto had been awake for almost an hour. He hadn't moved, as his stirring would wake his sister up. However, he had grown tired of just laying in the bed. So, moving as swiftly as possible, Naruto extracted himself from the bed without causing much disturbance. He quickly moved across the room and towards the door to exit the guest room of the Sarutobi mansion.
Entering the living room, he looked at his surroundings and spotted the Sandaime, Hiruzen Sarutobi. His jiji was sitting there, drinking his tea and staring off into space until he had entered the room. The old man looked at Naruto, his eyes looking at Naruto as if peering into his soul and his mouth etched with an ever-present smile.
"You're up early. I expected you to rest more due to yesterday's events."
"I couldn't sleep. I kept getting caught up in my thoughts and waking up."
"Of course, it was bound to happen but I thought you would sleep well tonight. Care for a game of Shogi?"
Naruto thought about it. He'd never played a game but he knew the rules. It was simple, at least in theory. And it would get his mind off of recent events, so he accepted the offer.
As both of them sat down opposite to each other, Hiruzen kept a shogi board in between them. Both of them arranged the pieces and started playing. And for a few minutes they played in silence till Hiruzen spoke up.
"So I take it you've come to terms with what happened last night?"
"I suppose. I think I've always known this was bound to happen. On a deeper level, it's been a while since I've come to terms with the fact that this would happen eventually."
Both of them continued playing, not wavering in their resolve of winning. Their expression didn't change and their body was rigid like a statue.
"And why is that? Minato never showed any intention of acting like he did yesterday. In fact he was acting like a model father until I was there."
"That is exactly why. He acts like a model father whenever there is someone who is watching him. I thought things would turn out to be better. Kaa-san was barely coming home anyways but even before the war started Otou-san started distancing himself. He came home after Rin and I were asleep and went to the office before we could wake up. It came to a point where I was fortunate if I saw him for a few hours in a week. But then that ninja from Iwa attacked and for the first time in a long time, Otou-san was there for Rin and I. I truly thought that things would change."
"That still doesn't answer my question. Why do you think what happened yesterday was bound to happen?"
"I answered your question, ji-"
"No you didn't. You're dodging the main point. Why do you feel like it was only a matter of time until you would be living on your own?"
"I didn't think that."
"Answer the question!"
"Because I know how my parents are!"
Almost instantly, Hiruzen's eyes softened, as Naruto's own widened. Naruto tried to look away but failed. He didn't want to show this side of him to other people. His weak side. He could feel his eyes tearing up but he didn't want anyone's help. He'd sustained himself on his own long enough to know that he would know that his current state would pass.
"Jiji, you know it as well as I do that I am bound to end up alone. My mother hates me, my father is to wound up to care for me and I'm serving the military of a village which hates me. Ever since I've been born, I've been used as a sacrifice and I don't want that. I want normal parents and I don't want to be glared at and ridiculed just for existing. Everyone in my life has put their own interests above mine and look where that has gotten me. I'm not normal."
"You don't mean that Naruto. Being normal isn't always all its cut out to be."
"You know damn well what I mean! When children grow up they like to play and make friends and have a dream as silly or stupid it is! I have none of that. I preferred to train or read rather than play and I have one friend. I don't even have a dream."
"Dreams aren't all they are made out to be. My students used to be dreamers. Think of where Orochimaru and Tsunade are right now. Nonetheless, you will dream. It is only natural for a human to dream. It may take time but eventually you will have an ambition as well."
"How long?! When I think of the future I don't have any idea what it will look like or what impact I'll have on it. How do you bring yourself to protect people who treat a child like an outcast because of a superstition?"
"I don't. I don't fight to just protect the people in this village. They are misguided and easily influenced but they are still part of Konoha. That is why I protect them, Naruto. Not because of what they are but because I know what they can be. That dream was passed down from my master to me and then I passed it down to Jiraiya. To know the faults that plague my family and yet to still continue to protect them because I know they haven't done anything can't be forgiven. That is the will of fire."
Naruto calmed down slightly at that. He had never thought of it that way and it certainly opened up many more scenarios to a potentially happy future. However, he had more important things to do currently. Like playing the shogi match which had been paused.
Naruto wiped his tears away, and looked at the board analysing.
"So, Naruto-'
"Can you not ask any more questions Jiji? I have much on my mind already."
"Of course. How about, one last one?"
"Alright."
"Do you blame your father? For your hard life and for giving you such a heavy burden."
Naruto looked deep in thought at that question. Did he blame his father? He... didn't know.
"I don't know. I don't blame him for my hard life but I do blame him for the choices he has made. I can't forgive him for a long time because of what happened last night."
"Hmm... Alright then. Let's continue playing. I can't say I don't blame him for the mistakes he made."
Naruto looked puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
"How do I make you understand? Perhaps through an analogy. Life is like a match of Shogi. There is no luck. You must make moves, and wether right or wrong, those moves have consequences. Every choice Minato has made, every mistake, he is accountable for it. Do you understand?"
Hiruzen finished, moving his pieces to a position that should've assured his victory. However he hesitated to smirk, looking at the almost predatory glint in the young boy's eyes.
"I... don't."
The retired Hokage raised an eyebrow. What did he mean? The analogy had been simple enough for a boy of Naruto's calibre to understand. However, his thoughts were interupted by the boy, as he made his move. And right there, in front of the wizened man's eyes, his image of victory faded.
No. It was shattered. By Naruto.
In one move, a strategy that had ensured Hiruzen's victory, fell apart.
"I understand that there are no takebacks in real life. Nonetheless, such a concept doesn't bother someone who doesn't intend to make mistakes. But perhaps that is what separates me from Otou-san."
Hiruzen felt his mouth gape slightly at Naruto's sentence. That glint he had seen, hadn't been an illusion. The match was going equally in both of their favour but Hiruzen had thought he'd tipped the scales to his side. And yet in one move, this young boy had defeated him. His king was cornered, there was no escaping. It was a checkmate.
"There is no use in regretting your actions. It simply shows how indecisive you were. When I play, I don't intend on making any mistakes. I play to win."
As Hiruzen sat there, pondering how he had ignored such a large part of the boy's personality, deep inside him, the Shinobi part of him grinned. His personally was something that was rarely seen in their reality. The shining world was full of pessimistic and pacifist ideals and even through those those dull personalities, this boy's shone through. Because after playing with him, one thing was guaranteed. He had the mind of an egoist.
~
Deep inside the confines of Naruto's mind, the giant nine-tailed fox smirked. It was a joy to see how Naruto's mind worked and now that he had access to look through his eyes it was even more satisfying.
The fox had been planning on this for over a century. He was going to make sure that there was a difference between him and his siblings.
He was determined. The old man had given him a task centuries ago and he would fulfill it. He wouldn't be like his siblings, sitting around idly as the humans trampled on the memories of the one who had given them power. He had a plan.
And he could only see to its fruition by pulling the string of a certain golden-eyed boy.
~
"Don't you think that you were too harsh, gaki?"
"No. We don't know how much time we have left sensei."
In the Hokage's office, there two figures, surrounded by shadows. The first one was a blonde man and the second was a white-haired man.
"He doesn't know that does he?"
The blonde figure - Minato - slammed his hands onto the table.
"You think I like doing this?! He's my son and I've seen him get treated like an outcast by his own mother and his village while I did nothing!"
"Minato, calm down."
"I can't! How am I supposed to came down, knowing a new threat is approaching. The toads have warned us, sensei. I know that Naruto will be the one to defeat that threat. He has the most potential I have seen! More than Kakashi, Itachi or even Shisui!"
Jiraiya's eyes widened at the statement. It was a bold statement to make. But he supposed it made sense.
"Minato, you need to go easy on him! He's still a child. He's lost much of his childhood, don't make him lose more of it. Time is still available. We don't know when-"
"Exactly! We don't know when the threat is going to arrive. It can be tomorrow or ten years from now. We need to be prepared. And I'll make sure that Naruto survives it. Even if it means sacrificing more of his childhood."
Jiraiya sighed. Minato always was stubborn. There would be no convincing him.
"There is no convincing you, is there?"
"There isn't. The prophecy clearly states the golden-eyed child will defeat the 'Pale Ones' that will invade the earth."
"How do you even know that Naruto is the golden-eyed child? More than one people have that eye colour."
"I didn't want to tell you this, but I've read some of the Uzumaki clan's scrolls on the golden eye phenomenon."
"And...?"
"Not much is known of it. The whole thing is shrouded in mystery. So far all I've been able to gather is that the chakra of the golden-eyed members is sealed and they're forced down the path of a civilian. The members consider it a curse. The only other thing I know is more information can be gathered but I need some book called 'The Reign Of The Golden Emperor'."
"Still doesn't say much you know. I mean, do they have any feats that we know of?"
"Only one."
Jiraiya raised his eyebrow in anticipation and Minato let out a sigh.
"The golden eye isn't passed down as a bloodline, it just manifests in a member of the clan randomly whithout any pattern. It's wielder before Naruto was kept a secret by his parents. But when he grew up and learned of the atrocities the clan had committed against his kind, he snapped. He his parents away and revealed himself to the clan. When the clan tried to restrain him he activated the powers of the golden eye. Few people were able to escape, Kushina being one of them. Accordingly to her, she saw golden rain falling as if the heavens themselves were furious. She said the island was stained with the blood of its own inhabitants. She-"
"What's the point of this story? I don't understand. Did he have a power to change the weather?"
"We don't know sensei. But there is one thing we do know."
Jiraiya gazed at Minato seriously looking at his solemn expression.
"The previous wielder of the Golden Eye was the one who destroyed the village of Uzushio."
~
That's a wrap!
Sorry if this chapter is a bit more on the verbal side of things but this is probably the last one where we'll see just conversations atleast in a while.
I expanded a bit on the premise of the golden eye as I promised in the last chapter.
Minato's change in demeanour but it's been explained lightly in this chapter itself. Also, aside from the war, this prophecy is different from the canonical one in Naruto.
This will probably be the last chapter in a while. If I do update again it will only be once between either last week of Feb or first week of March. If the update isn't out by that time, then the next one will be updated by first week of April.
I had my mock exams in Jan and now I have the real exams. I'll try to update more frequently once the exams are over, which will be by 25 March. I hope you'll wait until then. Also, when I do update it might be the first chapter of a new fic, sooo...
Anyways,
Bye!
