VIII - Inheritance

Jin relaxed into the soft fabric as he looked around at the new room he had been given. He wasn't sure how to describe it, but it was better. That was what he thought he was expected to think, at least.

He groaned slightly as he shook the aches from his body. Elder had promised that the training would become gentler, but it had only gotten worse. The physical sections had become more and more intense, along with the introduction of several new injections. At least Jin had his scrolls and books. He loved learning about the human body, about using chakra & jutsus. When he meditated, he felt like the hole inside of him was fixed.

There was something beyond his mind, and for all his wit he just couldn't find it. A flourish in his Katas here, or simply holding his kunai with a twirl of his index finger. For some reason, those actions just felt right.

He didn't know why he felt this way, but there were times when he would gaze into the mirror and look into his face. His white hair, and smooth pale skin. When his bringers brushed across his jaw, there were times when he tried to feel for some soft but could not find anything. He would absently rub his fingers, and let water drain over them, in some mad effort to clean them.

His face buried deeper into the soft pillows, and Jin eyes turned upwards to the grey ceiling. Elder spoke of day and night, but Jin could never comprehend them. His sky was the earth grey of the underground, his sun the solitary lantern on his desk. Why was he even here? Jin couldn't leave, and he knew how Elder was.

But Elder had made a mistake in their last conversation.

I knew your parents. Consider it as repaying a debt.

Who were they? What would they think of him, why did they die? He had so many questions, questions he so desperately wanted answered. His parents would help him understand who he was, and what his purpose was.

It would explain everything. Parents always guided their children and gave them a purpose. Just like in the stories. He resolved himself to ask Elder for some form of answer, to receive something.

"I see you have settled into your new abode, Jin." Elder's kind smile warmed Jin's heart. It was one of the only respites Jin had in his tiny world.
Jin nodded, and he could feel the questions rising up in his throat. "Elder- I wanted to know..." The boy paused, grasping the air with his palms, trying to summon some courage. "Who my parents are!"

"You said you knew them!"

Elder appeared surprised, if only for a second. Jin had always been observant; what else could he do by himself in his room for days on end? Elder sighed slowly.

"Your parents were shinobi who died to protect the Leaf."

So, his parents were shinobi. It was common for children to be like their parents, and Jin let out the breath he had been holding in. "What were their names?"

Elder silently lifted up his hand and a nostalgic smile appeared on his face. "Your father's name was Sukea Take. He died in the Kyuubi Attack."

Jin felt numb when Elder spoke of his father's fate. He was shocked to feel wet pools bubbling in his eyes and dripping down on the fabric below him.
"It's alright to cry child. Even though you might have never met him, his end and actions have passed on to you." Elder closed his eyes slowly and placed a comforting hand on Jin's shoulder.

"W-what did he want? What was his purpose?" Jin looked at Elder with hope in his eyes.

Elder looked at the floor, before meeting Jin's gaze. "Your father's nindo, his ninja way was simple. Those who abandon the village are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are even worse than trash."

"Ninja way...?"

"It was his ideal, his manner of fighting. Your father knew firsthand the tragedies of this world of Shinobi, but resolved to find a reason to live."
Elder continued on. "To him, his teammates were his world, his reason to live. "

The words released a dam of confusion within Jin. He had no friends, no teammates, so what should he do? Should he even follow his father's path?
"I don't have any friends, I don't really have anyone..." Jin could never understand his own loneliness, and the tragedy his life was.

How could he, when that was the only life, he had known? A hand rubbed his back, and Jin looked up to see a sad frown on Elder's face.
"That shall change soon, Jin. I assure you; you shall have friends and your own happiness."

Jin looked at him and frowned inwardly. Elder had lied before, or at least was hiding things. But Elder was his first friend, wasn't he?

"Perhaps you can even make a friend today, if you are feeling up to it?"

That train of thought disappeared as Jin's head snapped up at Elder's words.

"Really?!"

Elder just chuckled at his excitement, before withdrawing a case from his hands.

"But first, there is something that belongs to you, Jin."

Jin gazed at the case, curiosity filling his body as he reached for the box. His hands unlocked it, and his gaze fell on the white short blade resting within.

"This is a tanto, a short sword that your father once used."

The boy's hands brushed over its smooth leather hilt as he gently lifted it out of the case. His eyes were filled with awe as he gazed at the intricate metalwork. Giving it a few test swings, the boy flowed through his katas, to Elder's approval.

It felt like it belonged with him, for some reason. On a whim, Jin pushed some chakra into the white saber, hoping to imitate some of the Chakra flow techniques he had read about.

To his surprise, the blade lit up, heavenly white light flooding the room. Even Elder was shocked, muttering, "It works for you..."

Elder shook his head, before smiling at Jin. "This is not the original blade, merely a recreation using some of the initial blade. May you use it well, Jin."
Jin opted not to respond, instead feeling the weight of the sword in his hands. It felt right, almost as he had held it before. But Jin knew he had not once wielded such a blade in his life.

He looked into the mirror of the tanto's well sharpened edge, and to his surprise, someone else gazed back. The man gazed into his eyes, before his face curved into a smile.

—Good work, 片丹片丹己廾. Keep on practicing with that sword. —

Jin rubbed his head, and he could see Elder's curious stare. Who was that?

"It was nothing. I just felt a little tired." Jin didn't like lying, but he wanted to keep this secret till he found out more. For some reason, he didn't feel like sharing.

It was some primordial instinct telling him not to.

"Get some rest them, Jin. I shall cancel the rest of your training for this week. Tomorrow you can see the world, and maybe make some friends?"

Jin smiled at the mention of friends, and his thumb felt the sharp edge lying in his hands. Dad, would you be proud of me?"

Ok, Elder."

Hiruzen gazed at the Kagami Library and couldn't help but let a smile form on his face. For the Uchiha to open their vast collection to the public, something drastic must have happened. Based on Fugaku's & Danzo's interactions during their announcement and the inauguration ceremony, it appeared that the library was built on mutual acknowledgement, not any underhanded methods.

The Uchiha had become distrusted following the Kyuubi attack, but such a monumental occasion had melted away those fears. The Sandaime has already heard the cheers of the "good Ol' Uchiha" and of how they were Konoha's pride.

He nodded at the various shinobi who were already making use of the faculties and thought of Kagami. Kagami would have been overjoyed at the sight of so many shinobi, of different clans and origins coming together for the Leaf. He had seen his old teammate's grandson at the ceremony, where his family was awarded a seat of honor, and Danzo had publicly acknowledged the young prodigy's skill.

However, the reaction of the other clans did not escape Hiruzen's mind. They had complained about it, calling it preposterous and that it caused an imbalance of power in Konoha. The old Kage didn't have the patience to deal with such petty complaints, and promptly dismissed them. Even Shikaku and Inoichi had been suspicious, pointing to "dubious motives" regarding Danzo's involvement.

Hiruzen knew well of Danzo's activities in the shadows but believed in his old friend. Danzo was not lost in the darkness, and Hiruzen knew it. His interactions with the young Hatake showed it, along with the way he had trained his team.

Danzo had even boasted to Hiruzen about how the boy would become the Godaime, and wasn't that a sight! He frequently would speak about Gai and Tenzo, calling them "superior to the Sannin" and "true shinobi".

Hiruzen wasn't a fool and knew that Danzo genuinely cared for his students. Becoming a teacher, no doubt had left a much-needed positive impact on the old shinobi.

Perhaps he could even leave the Hokage seat behind and finally have the retirement he desired so much.