Chapter 3: A Hero's Funeral (Kaito)
Kaito pulled the hood of his borrowed jacket over his head and followed the procession of civilians towards the ninja cemetery. A light drizzle fell from above, casting the village in a dull grey light, further dampening the mood of the already bleak day.
Seven days he's been in this new reality. Seven days of pretending to be a normal civilian and helping clean up the debris strewn streets of this version of the Hidden Leaf Village. He developed a simple back story of being a traveling merchant unlucky enough to be caught in the village during the nine tails attack. He hadn't been forced to use it on a ninja yet. The village was still in an unorganized hectic state. Everyone just assumed he was a homeless civilian. He certainly looked the part, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
The temporary housing encampments formed for the newly made homeless served as the perfect avenue to collect information about this familiar but new setting. His backstory served him well in this endeavor as he could ask the other civilians questions that any native of the Leaf would know. This is how he learned more about the Yellow Flash.
The Nine-Tailed Fox had attacked on the night of October 10th just like it did in his reality and Minato Namikaze the Fourth Hokage battled it to a standstill.
The civilians in the camps were all too willing to tell him stories of the Yellow Flash's accomplishments. Stories brought a welcome distraction from the devastation outside their tents. The confusion after the battle had made everyone nervous, and that made people chatty. No one knew if the Fourth Hokage had survived. Some thought he died, while others swore he was immortal. It appeared even the majority of ninja didn't know, or were too tight-lipped to tell. Many ninja joined the civilians around the fires in the encampment during mealtime to rest and recover from the days hard work, but all of them were quiet, all of them had red-tinged eyes filled with weariness he hadn't seen since the worst days during the third ninja war. Kaito made a silent prayer for these ninja and the ones back home in his village. Many of them must have lost loved ones and yet they were working their fingers raw to secure the village's defenses and help the civilians adjust to this new routine.
Minato Namikaze, the legendary Fourth Hokage and hero of the third Ninja World War was quite the celebrity to his village. Apparently, he was the fastest man alive, which earned him the nickname The Yellow Flash. Kaito had chuckled at this when he first heard the name. The similarities were uncanny. He too had made a nickname for himself in the third Ninja War and although the meaning was different, the origin coming from his enemies was yet another thing they shared.
It wasn't until three days ago that the news broke of the Fourth Hokage's survival. But it came with the somber news of Hiruzen's death.
As the civilian group he traveled with neared the cemetery, the number of ninja increased. They were everywhere. Dispersed in the crowd, perched on top of buildings, sitting in trees. Kaito recognized many of them as ninja he had led in the war and nurtured during his short time as Hokage, but unfortunately none of them would recognize him.
He was an outsider, an anomaly, a stranger in an all too familiar setting.
As they rounded the last bend, the Leaf Village's sacred cemetery came into view. Its many rows of pristine white tombstones extended out before them. The large red monument to the will of fire at the far end being the immediate focal point of everyone's attention and their end destination.
A stray thought entered his head. Was his funeral being held in the same spot? Were the heavens unleashing a seemingly unending drizzle there as well?
On the stage below the Will of Fire Monument, pictures were assembled of prominent ninja who had died defending the village. At the center was Hiruzen's, flanked closely by his wife, Biwako's portrait. Hiruzen's portrait was a copy of the same picture that hung in the Hokage office. A picture Kaito use to see every day.
The rest of the pictures on display were all ninja from notable clans. As he scanned the portraits, he paused on the far one on the right.
Fugaku Uchiha. The head of the distinguished Uchiha clan.
Oh Mikoto. I'm so sorry.
He was never particularly close to Fugaku, typically only dealing with him during village meetings and the weekly police report. But Kushina was close friends with Mikoto and thus he often conversed with her when Kushina would invite her over for lunch or tea.
A hushed silence washed over the crowd as several figures walked onto the stage. He recognized them instantly as the three council members he met with regularly during his time serving as Hokage.
Koharu, Homura, and Danzo walked across the stage and spread out behind Hiruzen's portrait. All three of them standing solemnly with their heads bowed.
A blonde man and a woman wearing a black veil came into view next. Hushed whispers spread through the crowd as the pair walked to their spots.
"Lord fourth!"
"He doesn't look hurt!
"Oh, thank god he ok."
So that's him. The yellow flash.
The man looked completely unassuming. If you didn't know he was the Hokage you'd think nothing of him, other than the bright yellow hair. Definitely not like the Fourth Raikage, who was about as imposing as one could be.
Minato was of average height with bright blue eyes. His spikey yellow hair, no doubt part of the origin of his nickname, pointed out in every direction. Two long strands of hair framed his face, further highlighting his eyes.
Kaito watched Minato step forward and pause for a moment to let the crowd quiet down.
"Today we gather to remember those who have fallen, not just the portraits on this stage, but all the lives lost seven days ago. Whether it be civilian or ninja, we honor the passing of their souls and pledge to carry their hopes and aspirations forward into the future." He paused and bowed his head. The crowd mimicked his actions. Several moments passed before his voice rang out again.
"When Hiruzen first approached me about becoming his successor, I almost declined him on the spot despite it being my dream since entering the ninja academy. I didn't think I was worthy of the title. I believed myself too young and too inexperienced. How could I measure up to the expectations of a man who has been serving this village for over forty years? Most of that time as its faithful Hokage. But I'll never forget the words he told me. He told me the Hokage's role is to cultivate the flame that already burns within all of us. To make sure it has the resources its needs to burn bright. A village is not strong because of its military might. It's strong because of what drives its citizens to succeed, to chase their dreams. Standing up here morning his passing, I can now see clearly this drive he was talking about. This will. The will of fire is what makes us strong. It's what drove our ancestors to join together and build this village. It's what pushed us through the past conflicts, and it's what will drive us through this latest struggle. Seven days ago, an act of mother nature tore a wound through our village, and yet the wound is already healing, forming a scar that will be stronger than what came before. The fires are already out, the rubble is being cleared, and carpenters from around the land of fire are pouring in, ready to rebuild the homes we have lost. I, as the Hokage, will do everything in my power to ensure you have the resources and protection you need. All I ask of you is to believe in the will of fire. The same will of fire that Lord Third helped me see all those years ago. The will that already exists inside you, inside your neighbors, and the ninja that protect you. We will get through this, I promise you!"
Chants and applause rose from the crowd. Despite the solemn day, Kaito could feel the mood rising.
"Well done fourth Hokage." He whispered.
As Minato backed away from the font of the stage and fell in line with the others, the woman to his left removed her veil and clasped his hand. Red hair cascaded down her shoulders.
Kaito stared in disbelief as his body started to tremble. Only one woman had hair like that.
Kushina.
He started pushing his way to the front, past the endless lines of tightly packed people. His heart raced; his breaths became shallow as he got closer. Those perfect violet-blue eyes he dreamed of so often coming into view as we approached the front.
The women on the stage reached over and grasped Minato's arm with both hands and gently pulled him close to plant a soft kiss on his cheek.
Kaito stopped abruptly. His breaths slowed, and he raised his shaking hand to his face to wipe away the tears.
The way she used a hair clip to hold back strands of hair on the right side instead of the left. How she tilted her head slightly when greeting people as they passed her on the stage. The loving look she gave Minato every chance they could make eye contact.
This was Kushina. But not his Kushina.
Kaito pulled his hood back over his head and slowly backed away from the stage and began to make his way out of the cemetery. Once through, he picked up the pace, trying to get away from the painful reminder up on the stage. He headed into the many streets that formed the ninja district bordering the cemetery.
Once far enough away, he leapt onto the nearest building and headed towards his favorite spot to get away from the noise. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, he pushed a small amount of chakra to his legs to help make the long jumps. The wind rushed through his soaked hair, and he picked up speed. It felt good to use his chakra again. He didn't realize how much he missed this. A week of suppressing his chakra levels and limiting his movement to the streets must have affected him more than he thought.
Kaito leapt off the last house and pushed chakra to the souls of his feet. Just before impacting the stone wall that was the base for the Hokage monument, he twisted in midair so that he would be perpendicular to the wall's surface.
He bent his knees once his feet hit the wall, helping to absorb the impact. Sticking to the wall, he continued his sprint straight up the surface of the vertical stone towards the Second Hokage's visage.
Leaping up and grabbing one of the Second's protruding pieces of hair with his hand, he hoisted himself up. Kaito turned back towards the Village and sat down, his legs dangling over the edge.
When he first entered the academy, one of his first assignments was to write an analytical piece on one of the Hokages. Out of all three of them, Tobirama Senju was the one that captivated his interest and respect the most.
Hashirama had his indomitable strength and the charisma to bring two warring clans together to found the village. Hiruzen, the Hokage he grew up under and served, had his vast jutsu repertoire and longevity. But Tobirama had something else. While being incredibly strong, he tended to use smaller, more focused techniques.
But what captivated Kaito the most were the institutions he created in the village. The doctrines he taught and enforced. Hashirama created the village, but upon his death it was still young, still vulnerable and disorganized. When Hashirama died, the village almost broke apart. It had no vision without its creator, no structure without the God of Shinobi hosting it up upon his back.
Tobirama built the foundation and rules that would keep the village going. He designed the ninja academy system, a system that is still mostly unchanged to this day. He created the anbu to seek out and defeat the village's threats before they become known. His policies on economics opened the Leaf Village up to trade and established it as an economic powerhouse within the land of fire. This transitioned it from being a collection of ninja clans to a vibrant village with a bustling civilian population. A population that brought in different cultures, foods, arts, and ways of thinking. These different ways of thinking only served to strengthen the bonds between the villagers.
Hashirama found the will of fire. Tobirama put that will to work. Hiruzen kept the flame alive.
And Kaito, what did he do? He died not two years into his reign as Hokage.
With his head hung low, Kaito pulled out his head band and flipped it around to its back. Next to his ninja ID number, a small storage seal was implanted in the metal. Kushina had designed the small seal for him and put it on his headband as a present for his 23rd birthday.
Hit bit his thumb and pressed it against the seal, applying a small amount of chakra. A small puff of smoke appeared, revealing a square picture about the size of his palm. The picture depicted him hugging Kushina from behind, her hands overlapping his on her then flat stomach. The picture was taken the day they found out they were expecting a child.
He turned the picture around to read the note Kushina lovingly had written on the back.
Happy birthday Kaito! Keep this on you so that if you're on some far away mission saving the world, you'll know I've got your back! I'll always be by your side, now and forever.
-Love Kushina January 25th
A tear fell onto the picture, and Kaito quickly wiped it away to avoid damaging his most prized possession. Resealing the picture away, he tied the headband back onto his head and gazed out upon the village.
It was a different Leaf village than he grew up in. Slight differences in the locations of buildings and the mannerisms of his friends.
But it was still the Leaf. And as this villages Fourth Hokage so eloquently stated, it had the will of fire. The same will of fire he had pledged to cultivate when his Hiruzen had appointed him as his successor.
Whether it was a cruel punishment dealt by the reaper for his failures, or a second chance to make things right, Kaito didn't know. But he sure as hell wasn't going to fail his village and his loved ones a second time.
Using some of the blood still on his fingers, Kaito formed the summoning technique and slammed his palm down onto the smooth stone below.
Little Ebi appeared before him, her brown feathers ruffling to shake off the rain droplets that fell on her from above.
"How can I help Lord Fourth?"
Kaito pulled out a small, rolled piece of paper and tied it around one of Ebi's little legs.
"Delver this massage to the Fourth Hokage when he is alone."
The hawk looked at him in confusion.
"No, not me, the other Fourth Hokage. The blond one."
"Oh, gotcha sir. Sorry, forgot about this new predicament we are in. Right away sir!" She exclaimed, raising one of her wings into a salute.
"Oh, and another thing. Tell the other summons to call me Kaito from now on. No more of this lord Fourth nonsense. We can't be confusing the locals."
"Understood sir… Kaito!"
Kaito watched as the hawk flew away and smiled. He had a purpose now. No more of this mulling around the streets pretending to be a civilian. He was Kaito Furukawa the Wind Walker, and he was coming for the Leaf's enemies.