Hey, sorry it took so long. Getting back into gaming. That and it's a hectic time at work.
SonicBlast4444: In Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, there's an option called Matching Voices that has lines from the various characters. I'm not sure what they're for. I think I read somewhere they're taunts for the online mode. Anyway, one of Fuu's quotes is: "You ok? Having problems with my extraordinary speed?"
Fuu's often portrayed with super strength because Chōmei takes the form of a Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle. Rhinoceros Beetles are the strongest animals on the planet. Depending on the species, they can lift 100 to 850 times their body weight. I opted to go a different route; super strength is Sakura's shtick.
dextron11: You might have a point. I figured that if canon Sakura, a bookworm know-it-all, didn't know...
JintoLin: Honestly, the humor factor is part of why Lee didn't get to fight.
dammyd: Actually, yes it can. During his battle with Deidara, Sasuke was able to see the landmines Tobi placed underground with his Sharingan. I think that may have been a retcon from Kishimoto, an example of the Uchiha favoritism I've heard about, but either way, it's there. It's noted to be not nearly as good as the Byakugan at this, but it can see chakra through objects to an extent.
NoPlan3567: Perhaps...
DarkbladerX666: They're playing along because Orochimaru was in the forest, and they don't know what to do yet. As noted in their POV scene, all of their options are bad.
Ino saw Sakura hold off three strong genin her whole team couldn't beat by herself. She might have even won if they hadn't had sound-based jutsu, which are really hard to counter. Granted, she had set up traps, but still. Then Ino found herself fighting a kunoichi who took her career seriously and got beaten in seconds. I think she's got enough motivation.
NarutoReader750: Of course not. He still had to work hard and overcome harsh trials to achieve his destiny, but it was still his destiny.
ExamPLC: Yeah, I'm not the type to demand a writer change their work; I'll usually accept what we're given, and on the rare occasion I take issue, I'll silently lament what could have been or write fanfiction. And I'm not one to demand girl power just for the sake of girl power. I think Tenten had potential, for example, but I don't really have a problem with how she was handled. Not to say I'm not going to try to use said potential, but still. She had no connection to the main characters. Many of the characters I do feel were handled poorly were girls, but them being girls isn't really part of it, it's just something they have in common.
The way Karin was handled irks me because she's Naruto's cousin. Here, you have an MC who spent most of his life craving to know his family. Granted, what he wanted was his parents, but I think any family would have helped fill the void. He actually meets a member of his family, and it's never acknowledged. I'm not sure he ever even realizes Karin's his cousin in canon.
Then you have Sakura. She's a member of the main character's team and the tritagonist of the story. As such, I expect a good deal of development, growth, and achievements from her. It's like the Straw Hat Pirates from One Piece, the Black Bulls from Black Clover, or the Gaang from Avatar. All involved in the above are given their share of development and badass moments. I expected that from all of Team Seven.
Also, I believe if you're going to include romance in a story, do it well. It's not needed, but if you want it, don't half-ass it. If you're going to half-ass it, just don't bother. How did Sakura's crush transition to love? Don't know, considering how distant he was. They barely knew each other. I think they may already know each other in this fic better than their canon selves do in Boruto for crying out loud! And why did he fall in love with her? Don't know. Can't say she always believed in him: she tried to kill him!
Then there's Hinata. Yeah, my above rant on how romance should be done well or left out of the story applies. For lack of interaction and development. It was so bad, Kishimoto had to add on The Last to try and fix it. Also, I wanted to know more about where the Hyuga clan went after Naruto's match with Neji. He, Hinata, and Hiashi would have been central to such a storyline. And it could have given them all more development. But it was pretty much dropped after the Chunin Exams.
Fuu too, of course. But, there's some bias, as she's one of my favorite characters and got the shaft along with most of the other Jinchurriki in canon.
Edit: Thank you for catching the number thing, Fang723. And you too, Rusty the Banite, for the Sakumo thing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
At the proctor's call, all the genin who'd won their matches made their way back to the floor. Naruto grinned with pride as he looked from side to side. Sakura looked just as proud, while Sasuke was smirking. They'd all made it to the finals. Only one other team could say that.
As Naruto reached the bottom of the steps, he spied Fuu across the room. She had turned to Kaito when they crossed paths as he made his way back to their sensei. She said something he couldn't hear, and he waved her off without looking back. She turned away from him and looked troubled as Giichi shrugged and resumed walking. She then noticed him looking at her and smiled. He smiled back and nodded.
Soon enough, all the genin were lined up in front of the Hayate while his fellow proctors flanked him on either side, and the Hokage stood behind them.
Hayate covered his mouth and coughed. He then took a moment to take a breath before he continued. "Congratulations to all of you who are going on to the final round." He then stepped to the side and gestured for the Hokage to step forward. "Now, Lord Hokage, if you would please."
Hiruzen nodded and took his place in front of the sickly jonin. "Listen closely; I will now explain the Third Phase of the Chunin Exams," The Third God of Shinobi said, looking over the genin. "As I said earlier: many prominent people from across the nations will observe the final stage of the exams. For that reason, they will be held one month from now."
"Eh? In a month?" Naruto said before closing his eyes and crossing his arms. "Well, I guess that makes sense. Not like you can call up a bunch of VIPs from all over at the drop of a hat..."
"As we send out the invitations and organize the event, you all have the opportunity to take this time to make preparations." Hiruzen continued.
"What does that mean?" Kankuro asked, frustration punctuating every word.
"Unlike everything up to this point, you're no longer dealing with unknowns," The Third Hokage explained. "For the most part, you have now witnessed your rivals' abilities firsthand. In addition, your abilities have been put to the test. Consider what you know of them and yourselves, train, and prepare for the fights ahead as best you can."
He paused, probably waiting to see if anyone else would speak up. After a moment, he continued, "Now, before you're all dismissed, there's one last thing we have to do." He then gestured toward Anko, who stepped forward with a box. "You will each draw one sheet of paper from the box."
"I'll come around, so wait your turn," The purple-haired woman said.
One by one, each genin took a slip of paper from the box. When it was Naruto's turn, he opened it to see, 'An eight? Are we drawing lots?'
"All right. Now, tell us your numbers, starting from the left."
Yep, it looked like he was right: they were doing this like a tournament.
"One," Kin said.
"Three," stated Fuu.
"Eleven," came from Giichi
"Two," Gaara said dully.
"Five," stated Temari
"Twelve," said Kankuro.
"Seven," Hinata said.
"Eight," Naruto said
"Four," came from Sasuke
"Ten," Sakura said.
"Nine," said Lee.
"Six," said Shikamaru.
"Alright, now we will reveal the matchups for the final stage," Hiruzen announced before turning to Ibiki, who was writing on a handheld board. "Ibiki." He finished with a nod.
Ibiki nodded in return and held up the board.
Kin vs Gaara
Fuu vs Sasuke
Temari vs Shikamaru
Naruto vs Hinata
Sakura vs Lee
Giichi vs Kankuro
Naruto heard Hinata gasp beside him, and he grimaced as he went over the matches.
Great, two of his friends were fighting. And the winner would probably have to fight Gaara. He glanced at Sasuke and Fuu, both of whom stared at the board with a frown on their faces.
"Now, you can all start preparing or resting as you like, provided there are no final questions," Hiruzen said.
"I've got one," Shikamaru said, raising his hand. He then cupped his chin in thought. "If we're doing this like a tournament, then does that mean there can only be one winner?"
"Not quite," Hiruzen replied with a smile. "Your performances will be judged by myself, the Kazekage, and other ninja leaders as well as visiting lords. Those who we feel meet the qualifications will be promoted to Chunin."
Fuu smiled, clasping her hands in front of her chest. "Does that mean the chief will be there?"
"So, that means we could all become chunin," Temari stated.
Hiruzen nodded. "Yes. Or, conversely, none of you could. Nevertheless, advancing gives you more opportunities to appeal to the judges. Is that a satisfactory answer?"
He paused one last time to see if there were any further questions. When there were none, he said, "Very well. Thank you all for the effort you have exerted thus far. You are all dismissed."
As the genin began to disperse and return to their sensei, Naruto turned to Sasuke. "So, any idea what you're going to do if you win your match?"
Sasuke grunted and closed his eyes before smirking. "What else? I'll fight."
Sakura looked worried, but Naruto grinned and nodded. "Thought so." He then turned, looking past Hinata, who'd only just started to move, to Fuu, who was walking toward him.
"Hey, guys," She said as she neared.
"Hey," Naruto greeted her for his team.
The mint-haired girl then looked uncertain as she looked from him to his teammates. "Um, it's not a problem that I'm going to be fighting Sasuke, is it?"
"Of course not," Naruto replied with a dismissive wave. "In fact, I was just thinking of that tour we talked about." He smiled and put his hands behind his head. "How about you meet me at the north gate? Tomorrow at five sound good?"
Fuu's face lit up with excitement. She raised two eager fists in front of her chest. "Sounds great!"
"Then I guess I'll see you there."
Fuu nodded before she turned and ran to catch up with Giichi, who had been walking back to their sensei without her. "Later!" She yelled, waving at him over her shoulder.
"See you then," Naruto replied as he and Sakura waved after her, while Sasuke gave her one wave and a nod.
"Well, she seems excitable," The familiar voice of their sensei came from behind them. They turned to see Kakashi standing there with his hands in his pockets. "Guess you weren't exaggerating."
"Kakashi-sensei."
The silver-haired jonin gave them one of his eye smiles. "I'm glad to see my faith wasn't misplaced. I'm proud of you." The three genin smiled. "How about we celebrate once we get out of this forest?"
"I know where Naruto will want to go," Sakura said, looking at the blond.
"Pretty sure half the village would," Sasuke pointed out.
Naruto just chuckled.
"Well, it's not like I have a preference," Sasuke said with a shrug.
Naruto turned to Sakura, who seemed to think for a moment. "Hmm... might as well."
"Ah, yeah!" Naruto pumped a fist into the air.
As soon as Fuu and Giichi had returned to their jonin, he'd told them they needed to talk. Together, they had traversed the forest and returned to the village proper. Fuu had watched the trees speeding by, wishing once again that she could explore the massive training ground from top to bottom, but there was no chance of her sneaking off with Yoro there.
Soon enough, they'd made their way back to the building they were staying at and met in their Jōnin's room. He sat on the bed while Kaito sat backward in a chair, Giichi leaned against a table, while Fuu stood at the window, looking out at the village with a smile as Giichi finished telling their leader what had happened since they left for the exams.
Konoha was so much bigger than Taki. Especially considering a lot of Taki was taken up by the lake in the heart of the valley. And there were so many people. The streets here were so much more crowded than they were backing home.
It had been so exciting. Seeing the different buildings, walking around the busy streets as everyone went about their day. Looking up at the Hokage Monument, as one of the citizens kindly told her. One of the first things she'd done was climb to the top, and the view was amazing. As great as the view from Taki's sacred tree.
And no one knew who she was here.
Her attention returned to her leader when she heard him hum in thought. "Well, firstly, good work making it this far, Giichi, Fuu," Yoro said, nodding at the two.
Fuu smiled, and Kaito snorted. "Yeah, if there was ever any doubt she'd make it to the finals." He said, looking away.
Fuu looked at him sadly. It sucked that he was the only one of them who didn't make it through the prelims. She didn't mind him being bitter. Well, she did, but it was like Shibuki said; people didn't understand her. And until that changed, she doubted they'd warm up to her.
That wasn't going to happen in just a few days.
But she believed it would someday. And Shibuki did too, and he was always right. Well, almost.
Speaking of Shibuki.
She turned a hopeful look to their temporary sensei. "Do you think Shibuki will be here for the finals?"
Yoro shrugged and crossed his arms. "Probably. It's been a while since Taki's had a chance to remind everyone of our glory days. I can't imagine he'd miss out if he had a choice."
Fuu squealed in excitement at that. Shibuki was coming! Probably! This was her chance to make him and Taki proud! She had to win.
That meant she couldn't back down. Not against Sasuke or even Gaara.
"Anyway, let's talk about that little exchange we saw back there," Yoro said, and Fuu jerked and turned towards him. The jonin sighed, "I was hoping Giichi and Kaito could keep you reigned in."
"Really? Have you met her?" Giichi asked with a raised brow.
Yoro let out a long breath and closed his eyes. "I guess I can't fault you for how you handled things in the forest. Given your training and how unfamiliar with each other you are, splitting up was a good call. And it did net you a scroll pretty quickly."
"Of course. We should have just turned Fuu loose from the start," Kaito said.
"Meh, I still say that was risky, but I can't lie and say it didn't work out," Giichi replied with a shrug.
"It was too much to hope for that you'd keep your head down, huh?" Yoro asked, looking at her.
Fuu pouted. "But how else am I going to make friends? And doesn't putting myself out there make me look less suspicious than making a big deal out of talking to people?"
"I suppose... and it did pay off with the warning that kid gave you."
"You think his tip was good?" Giichi asked.
Yoro nodded. "Yeah, the way that Shino kid just forfeited the moment he saw he was up against Gaara... if he were willing to throw away all the work he put in getting here, he'd have forfeited like that older genin." He then looked to the ground and frowned. "Besides... when you were all lined up, I saw the look in his eyes... yeah, I got a bad feeling from that kid."
He then looked at Fuu again. "You've got your work cut out for you. First the last survivor of the Uchiha clan, then Gaara. I trust you're up to it?"
Fuu frowned and looked down as she thought. It sucked that she had to fight her new friends' teammate, someone she hoped to add to her list of friends before she left, but at least they didn't have to fight each other.
Gaara, on the other hand...
Her frown deepened as she recalled what Naruto had told her. A merciless foe that went out of his way to kill his opponents, and the way he killed almost made her shudder. She wasn't going to back down and run, especially not with Shibuki watching and Taki's name at stake, but she wouldn't lie and say she wasn't worried.
And yet...
She also couldn't help but feel sympathy for him since she'd heard about the sand and had learned what that meant. She had a pretty good idea of how he wound up the way he did.
Of course, she'd had a taste of it herself.
"Fuu?" She was snapped out of her thoughts by her leader.
She looked up and smiled at him. "Yeah! There's no way I'm letting Shibuki down! And don't worry; I've got some ideas for how to handle Gaara." 'Don't we?'
He nodded. "Good."
Fuu then clasped her hands together hopefully. "So, will you let me go out and play with my new friends?"
"Well, you did have a point. Especially since everyone already knows what you're like now. Never mind that I'm pretty sure you'd try to sneak out if I said no-"
"Whoo-hoo!" She cried, throwing her arms up in joy.
Yoro looked at her sternly. "As long as it doesn't cut into your training, and you don't do anything that might tip them off about you."
"Duh. I'm not stupid, you know. Besides, I promised the chief, didn't I?"
After celebrating at Ichiraku's, Kakashi-sensei had told them to take the rest of the day off. They were to meet up again first thing in the morning to start their training for the finals.
This time, though, they were to meet on some rocky outcroppings far outside the village. Naruto couldn't help but wonder why they were meeting so far from their usual spot. What kind of techniques was their sensei going to teach them? He couldn't wait to find out!
The three arrived at the appointed time, and Naruto and Sakura gaped in shock. Even Sasuke could only stare, wide-eyed at the sight that greeted them.
Kakashi was waiting for them. The silver-haired jonin was sitting on a boulder and casually waved at them. "Yo, right on time."
"W- w- WHAT!?" Naruto exclaimed. "Kakashi-sensei? You're actually on time!?"
"Hey, that's rude, you know? I can be on time when the situation calls for it."
Sakura's eyes darted around, frantically searching for unseen enemies. "What is it? Is Orochimaru up to something? Are we being targeted? Is the village in danger?"
"Alright, enough of that," Kakashi deadpanned. He then swept his arm out and gesturing to the ground in front of him. "Sit down. We need to have a talk."
The genin did as they were asked and sat down in a row in front of Kakashi. The jonin looked over them and sighed, closing his visible eye. "This conversation is long overdue..." The man began. "But before we get to that, there's something we need to get out of the way." He looked over his students, stopping at Naruto. "Naruto, what I have to say is mainly for you; although there's a bit I'd like Sasuke to hear as well. However, Sakura is also on this team, and I don't think we should leave her out. So, Naruto, I'd like you to tell her who your father is."
Naruto stiffened, eyes widening in shock. He turned to Sakura, whose gaze was shifting back and forth between him and their sensei. Sasuke just stared at Kakashi curiously.
"I suspect Sasuke's already figured it out."
Oh, that was why he didn't seem too surprised. He was probably more interested in where Kakashi was going with this.
He looked back to Sakura, who was looking at him worriedly. He didn't have a problem telling Sakura about that.
But he was a bit concerned Sakura might put the pieces together of what happened on the night he was born. There wasn't a lot there, but if she looked deeper...
Not that he didn't trust her, but he didn't want to talk about that. And the more people who know a secret, the easier it got out.
But Kakashi was right; they were a team. He'd have to talk about what was sealed inside of him eventually. But for now...
He took a breath and then said, "My dad was Minato Namikaze. The Fourth Hokage."
Sakura blinked once. Then again. Then her jaw dropped. "Wait, what!? Are you serious!? But that's..." She then looked at him. Deeply. He could see the realization in her eyes as she realized how much he looked like his father. "Naruto, are you really...?" She breathed out in disbelief.
"Heh," Naruto rubbed his cheek. "Yeah, hard to believe, huh?"
"But... but that makes no sense," Sakura said with a frown. "Lord Fourth was practically a legend. If that's true, you should have had people beating down the door to take you in. Not to mention he must have had some property left that should have gone to you." She then glared at Kakashi. "Why did everyone treat him like a pariah if he's the Fourth's son!? Why'd he grow up all alone when everyone and their mothers should have been there for him!?"
That was the part she focused on? The fact that he shouldn't have grown up on his own? Naruto couldn't help but feel warm inside.
Kakashi closed his eye. He looked away and to the side, looking a bit anxious for the first time for as long as Naruto had known him. "There were a lot of reasons. One of which you've already heard; we wanted to keep his identity safe from his father's enemies. Politics was another. That said... there are a lot of people who should have been there for him." He then looked at Naruto. "Myself included. After all, his father practically raised me."
Wait, what!?
Naruto gaped at the man, who looked down at him, sadness in his only visible eye. "Minato was my sensei."
The genin could only stare at him at this admission. For a moment, there was silence as Naruto took in this information.
"My dad... was your sensei?" Naruto asked slowly as his shocked expression turned into a glare. "And this is the first I'm hearing about it?" He asked, his voice transitioning into a growl. "I'd never even heard of you before I graduated!"
The blond stood up, anger coursing through him as he remembered all the times before Iruka had warmed up to him that he'd watched other kids get picked up by their families. When he'd returned to an empty apartment and just fall into bed in his silent room.
"Where were you all these years-?"
"Naruto," Sasuke spoke up, getting his attention. The Uchiha was frowning as he looked from him to their sensei. "I doubt he'd just bring this up if he didn't have an explanation."
Sakura looked between Naruto and Kakashi, shrinking in on herself a bit. "Maybe we should hear him out?" Naruto looked at the pink-haired girl. She looked concerned and uneased at the same time. It made sense, he guessed. This was going to be pretty personal. He took a moment to reign himself in and sat down.
"Thank you," Kakashi said before he took a breath. "It's a long story. And it's not one I like telling, but you deserve to know."
Naruto frowned but sat back and waited.
"Have you ever heard of my father: Sakumo Hatake? I doubt it. It's not a name spoken of very often anymore." Seeing no sign of recognition in his students, he continued. "My father was an incredibly skilled ninja. In fact, he rivaled the Sannin. He was known as Konoha's White Fang for the white chakra saber he wielded and was one of our most respected shinobi until a certain incident." He looked to the ground. "I won't bore you with the details... suffice to say, while on a mission vital to our village, he was forced to make a choice; save his comrades and abandon the mission, or leave them to die to succeed."
Naruto frowned, feeling some trepidation about where this was going. That brought back memories of the day they became a team. That must be what Kakashi had been thinking of when he gave Sakura that ultimatum. To kill him or watch Sasuke die.
Naruto wanted to say he'd do everything in his power to do both. He knew he would try, but that was neither here nor there. And the way Kakashi was talking, this story didn't have a happy ending.
Kakashi would go on to prove him right. "He chose the former. He saved his comrades, and the failure was so damaging that he was left completely disgraced. Everyone scorned him, even the shinobi he'd saved. He fell into depression, and in the end, I came home one day to find he'd hung himself."
Naruto recoiled as if struck, and he saw Sakura flinch beside him. Both looked horrified. Sasuke frowned deeply, looking disgusted. Whether it was at the other shinobi for acting that way, or Sakumo for leaving his son to find him like that, he couldn't tell.
"You can see why I don't like talking about my past, I'm sure," Kakashi said.
"But-. But why?" Naruto asked. "He saved lives, didn't he? What was he supposed to do, just leave them to die?"
"Yes, he did save people, that's true. But what if saving your friends means sacrificing others? More than the people you saved?" Kakashi asked, and Naruto couldn't answer. "It was an intelligence-gathering mission. My father abandoned it for the sake of a handful of his comrades. And because of that, we were blind to enemy operations, and our forces walked into ambushes. Dozens of our shinobi died who likely would have lived otherwise." The silver-haired jonin continued. "I decided not to repeat that mistake. I would put the mission before all else, including my comrades. I decided that anyone who didn't follow the ninja rules was trash and didn't care about my allies. Or I tried not to."
He then looked at Sasuke. "It was a relative of yours who showed me I was wrong."
"Hm?" Sasuke grunted with a frown.
Kakashi nodded. "This is the part I wanted you to hear. About my teammate: Obito Uchiha, and where I got this eye." He said, raising a hand to his covered Sharingan.
"Obito was a lot like Naruto. Funnily enough, he wanted to be Hokage too, and for similar reasons. The type to try and help anyone he came across." Kakashi then chuckled fondly. "The three of you remind me a lot of my team. I was our Sasuke, aloof and distant, and my final teammate: Rin, had talents similar to Sakura. A sweet girl who cared for us and the village deeply. She always got in between Obito and me when we fought. Well, when Obito came at me, anyway. My views really rubbed him the wrong way. Obito loved her, but, well, she loved me, not that I returned her feelings."
Naruto blinked. That was a weird coincidence. It sounded so much like how they were before the Wave mission. It wasn't exactly the same. From the sound of it, Rin was nicer than Sakura used to be. Kakashi sounded like he'd been more apathetic than Sasuke. Even then, they were so similar.
"Minato tried to teach me to value my comrades, remind me that we aren't just tools. He put us through the same bell test I gave to you, but I was a bit too smart for my own good." Kakashi said bitterly. "I realized what the test was, but it didn't change my view. Rin and Obito were just a means to an end." He looked up to the sky. "Minato-sensei was a better leader than I've been; that's for sure. He never needed a kick in the ass like the debacle in the Land of Waves. He was always there for us. Always trying to remind me to value my teammates, as he valued us. He never hid that. He was the closest thing I had to a father for most of my life. And Kushina would come by from time to time." For a moment, he just looked at the sky with a fond look in his eye.
"So, that's how you knew my mom?" Naruto asked.
Kakashi nodded. "They were already married by the time my team was assigned to your father. Rin asked how they met once. I'll tell you that story some other time if you'd like."
"Yeah. I'd like that, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto replied quietly.
Kakashi closed his eye and continued his tale. "We were around your age during the last war. During one mission, while Minato-sensei was away, Rin got caught by Iwa ninja. I wanted to go on without her, but Obito refused. He even hit me. It was there that he made me see, those who'd abandon their friends were worse than trash." He looked back down at them. "He left to save her on his own, and I followed. We rescued her together, but the Iwa ninja we were fighting collapsed the cave they'd taken her to. Rin and I were ok, but Obito was half-buried beneath boulders. The pressure was the only thing keeping alive." He said, now staring at the ground.
Naruto felt cold. For a moment, he was back on the bridge, watching what he'd thought were Sasuke's final moments.
"I'd lost my eye fighting the Iwa ninja. His last act was to ask Rin to transplant one of his to replace it. I promised that I would protect Rin for him." He closed his eye. "I didn't even manage to keep that promise for half a year."
He paused then. Gave them a moment to digest that. Then continued, "I... pretty much regressed to how I'd been before Obito opened my eyes. I tried to block everything out, just focus on the mission and forget. That's become how I deal with grief, after my father." He closed his eye again. "Gai, Minato-sensei, and Kushina spent years trying to pull me back out of that. Minato-sensei even put me on guard detail for Kushina during her pregnancy, just so I'd see, well, life. They'd just managed it right before the Kyuubi attack happened."
Naruto flinched, and once again, there was silence. He looked to the ground, thinking of everything he'd learned. "So, I take it you pulled back from everything again?"
Kakashi grunted an affirmative and nodded. "I went back into ANBU and poured myself into my work, tried hard not to think about anything that would remind me of the past. That included you. I did check up on you on occasion, early on. But not nearly enough. And for that, I'm sorry."
Naruto silently contemplated all that he'd learned while his teammates looked at him. He could understand why Kakashi hadn't been there. That didn't really change how he felt. Finally, he said, "I get it. I'm... not completely ok with it, but I get it."
Kakashi nodded. "Thank you. That's better than I was afraid of, and while I wasn't there for you before, I am now. And I'll do my best to make up for it. And if you want to know more about your father, I'll gladly tell you everything I can about him." He then looked at his students. "I told you my story for four reasons. One, because I thought Naruto deserved to hear it. Two, because I wanted Sasuke to hear about his relative."
Naruto looked over at the Uchiha, who was staring at the ground thoughtfully.
Kakashi continued, "Three, I wanted you to learn from my mistakes. You need to be able to lean on each other. Something you've made great strides towards, but don't pull into yourself if you're hurting, as I did. And never see yourself and those around you as tools. And four... to explain how I know what I'm going to teach Naruto."
"Huh?" Naruto's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"With the competition you're facing, you're going to need something more than just upping your training. That's why I've decided I'm going to teach each of you a trump card technique while we're at it." He looked at the Uchiha. "For you, I think you're best suited to my original jutsu: the Chidori. Its speed makes it dangerous for anyone without a dojutsu or extremely accurate sensor abilities to use, and learning to use a second element will give you more options."
He turned to Sakura. "To you, I'm going to teach a technique I picked up a while back from an Iwa ninja. It's a chakra flow technique that requires a great deal of control. It not only enhances your physical abilities but makes you nigh impervious to physical attacks."
"And for you, Naruto." He said, his gaze settling on the last member of the team. "I'm going to teach you a technique your father invented."
Naruto's eyes widened. "A... a technique from my dad?"
A storm of emotions brewed inside of Naruto as he walked behind Kakashi. Well, one of the man. He'd created two shadow clones to give each of his students' one-on-one instructions on their techniques.
On the one hand, he could barely contain his excitement. He was about to learn a super-awesome jutsu! And it was his father's own technique! Like a piece of him that he'd have.
On the other... he was still mulling over all that he'd learned of his sensei's past. Frustration, sympathy, the hope of learning more about his parents all warred inside of him, as well as one thing he was worried about. "Kakashi-sensei?" He finally voiced what had been on his mind.
"Hm?" The man half-turned to look at him.
"Was... was part of the reason you weren't there for me-"
"If you're going to ask if it had anything to do with your seal, the answer is no," Kakashi said. He didn't need any more clarification on what he was talking about. "What I told you is all there is to it." He let that sink in before he continued, "Anyway, this looks like a good spot."
He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a scroll. "Let's get started."
Naruto looked on in anticipation as Kakashi placed the scroll on the ground. With a burst of chakra, the scroll exploded into smoke, and when it cleared, he saw... "Water balloons?"
Naruto could only look on incredulously at the pile of differently colored water balloons in front of him.
"That's right. This is the first step to learning your father's jutsu." Kakashi said with an eye smile.
"Um... Kakashi-sensei? Are you playing a prank on me right now?" Naruto asked skeptically. If he was, this wasn't a very good one, and he knew pranks!
"I suppose a demonstration is in order." Kakashi mused. He then walked to a nearby boulder. He held out his hand, and all Naruto could do was gape at what followed.
An orb of chakra formed. Naruto stared at the blue sphere, chakra visibly spiraling in multiple directions within it.
Kakashi reared his arm back, and then shoved the orb into a boulder. It tore through the stone with barely any resistance, sending chunks of stone in every direction as it carved a large portion out of the rock before finally disappearing.
Kakashi nodded. "I'm not the best with it, which is why I don't normally use it, but that's more or less what you're aiming for."
"Whoa..." was all Naruto could say as he stared at the damage the technique caused.
"That technique is called the Rasengan," Kakashi explained. "There are three steps to learning it." He then formed another orb of chakra in his hand. "First, you must learn to rotate your chakra the way you see inside the sphere. Then, you need to focus enough power for it to work. Finally, with all that power, you must keep up the motion while keeping it all compressed like so."
"Oh..." Naruto began as realization struck him. He then turned to the pile. "So, those water balloons..."
"That's right. The balloons are here for you to practice the motion of your chakra on." He then picked one up and held it forward for Naruto to see. The surface shifted, bumps popping up and receding all over it before finally it burst. "Your aim is to do that by rotating the water inside it with your charka."
"I see, I see!" Naruto nodded excitedly. "Just you wait, Kakashi-sensei! I'll have this down in no time!"
He then ran to the pile and picked up one balloon. He began to shift the water, but it just bulged out into an oblong shape and occasionally shifted in other ways. After two minutes of nothing, he chuckled sheepishly. "This is harder than I thought..."
"Don't worry, you'll get it. In the meantime, why don't you create a few shadow clones so we can touch up in other areas..."
Sasuke stood with his eyes closed, his hands formed into snake seal, channeling his chakra as he'd been instructed. He focused the chakra into his hands, and tiny sparks of blue electricity came to life around them.
He doubted they'd do much more than sting someone at this point, but it was a start. No different than when he'd learned the Fireball Jutsu. Easier even. While it wasn't his element, he had far better control of his chakra than when he'd pushed himself to learn that technique.
As he opened his eyes and took a moment's rest, his mind returned to Kakashi's tale. He had wondered how Kakashi had gotten one of his clan's eyes ever since he'd found out about it. Well, now he knew.
Obito... the boy who'd taught Kakashi that those who abandoned their friends were worse than scum. Who thought of his comrade's well-being, even in his final moments. Lending his strength to a friend, even as he lay dying.
It sounded like he'd been a credit to the Uchiha clan.
It was a shame he'd never met him. But then, he supposed it might be better that way. At least he didn't live to see their family slaughtered by one of their own.
It had him thinking of his dream: of reviving his clan. He'd focused so much on avenging them that that part had fallen to the wayside. What kind of image did he want to craft them in? What kind of legacy would he leave for the next generation of Uchiha?
The Uchiha of the past had been cold. Distant. Hiding their emotions. Holding tight to any grudges they had. And maybe that was part of what had led to their downfall. He'd never given much thought to what led to the massacre before. Now that story and his own interactions with his team had him thinking.
What had led to Itachi snapping the way he had? Could anyone have done something?
And if he did revive the Uchiha clan, it would be in his image. Did he want the Uchiha to follow in the footsteps of someone devoted to hatred?
Was that the sort of example he would set? The path he'd want future generations to follow. One of hatred... or...
"Sasuke?" Kakashi interrupted his thoughts. The Uchiha turned to look at him. "Something on your mind?"
"It's nothing. Just... something I need to figure out." The Uchiha replied. He paused for a moment, then said, "If I need your help, I'll ask. But right now, I want to figure it out for myself."
Hours later, Naruto walked through the village, eyes focused on the ground and his brows furrowed deeply.
Not long after his team went their separate ways, he'd found his mind wandering back to the talk he'd had with Kakashi. It had been there the whole time as he cleaned up and got ready for his promised tour with Fuu.
His sensei had been his father's student. He still found that hard to believe. It reminded him of how many connections his father had to have had. How many people must have been close to him.
And the only one who ever reached out to him was the Old Man.
How many other people had known his father and not done anything? And why? To help keep the secrets surrounding him? Because they had their own families? Because they couldn't be bothered?
Or was it because of the Kyuubi?
At least Kakashi had had a reason. It sucked that he hadn't been there, but he did understand. To have gone through all that. He remembered how much it hurt to think Sasuke had died for him, and they hadn't even been that close at the time.
If he lost him, then Sakura, Kakashi, and Iruka...
Yeah, he understood how that would make you want to just pull away from the world.
He really shouldn't have been dwelling on it right now. He was almost to the gate, and Fuu had been so excited. He wasn't about to break his word to her. But then, maybe that's just what he needed. A distraction. Training had worked wonders.
Speaking of the mint-haired kunoichi, he looked up as he approached the gate and saw her leaning against it with her hands behind her back.
She noticed him immediately and ran towards him with a bright smile. "Naruto!" She said with a wave that he returned.
"Hey, Fuu." He replied, without his usual enthusiasm.
She quickly realized that something was wrong, though. Her smile dropped, a concerned look coming over her face as she came to a stop. "Is something wrong?"
"It's nothing, don't worry about it," Naruto said with a wave of his hand.
"It doesn't look like 'nothing,'" Fuu replied with a frown. "You look like you've got something on your chest. Want to talk about it? Maybe I can help?"
"... Not really," Naruto replied. He then forced a smile. "Besides, I promised you a tour, didn't I? I just need to get my mind off of it." The blond then turned around and started to lead her away. "So-"
He was stopped when she suddenly grabbed his hand. He turned to look and found Fuu looking at him with a determined expression. "Fuu?"
And then she ran, dragging him with her down the streets. "Hey, wait a minute! Fuu! Where are you going!?"
Fuu nodded with her hands on her hips, smiling as she looked down on Konoha. "Yeah, this is perfect." She thought aloud.
The mint-haired girl stood on top of the Hokage Monument. She turned to Naruto, who was staring out at his village before his gaze went to her. "When my team and I got here, this is the first place I went. The guard told me what this place was, and I thought it'd be the perfect place to get a view of the whole village. Have you ever been up here before?" She asked.
Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Once or twice..." He then smiled sheepishly. "And I may have painted over all the Hokage faces as a prank."
Fuu blinked, briefly rendered speechless. Naruto hadn't mentioned that one before. And no one stopped him? Did that mean he'd managed to pull this off without anyone noticing until he was done? How?
She stared for a moment before she began to giggle helplessly. "How did you manage that?" She asked through peals of laughter.
"Heh... I guess I'm just that good."
Holding her stomach as she finally managed to get herself under control, she turned to see him still looking a bit embarrassed but smiling slightly. Progress! She gave him a small smile. "Taki's built around this one massive tree. Bigger even than the ones back in that forest. I climb it and sit in the branches whenever I want to think. The view always helps me." She told him, sitting down. After a second, he followed suit. "Try it, and if you want, we can talk about what's bothering you. Or we can always play if you really want to take your mind off of it." She reached into the pouch at her side and pulled out a deck of cards. "See? I brought cards this time!"
That got an amused snort out of him. Yay!
She let that hang in the air, waiting for him to reply. Finally, looking back at the village, he began, "I'm an orphan." Naruto began. "No one wanted to adopt me, so I've been on my own for as long as I can remember." Fuu winced. "My whole life, I've been wondering about my parents. I finally learned more about them a little while ago... and more and more I wish I could have met them... and today, I found out my sensei knew them. He was... really close to them in fact, and he only now told me about it."
Fuu frowned. Just now? Naruto must have graduated months ago. What the hell took him so long? That was just... his sensei must have known how much it meant to him. How could he keep silent about that? And if he was close to them and Naruto had just now heard about it, did that mean he hadn't been a part of his life until he'd graduated?
He must have seen her face because he added, "I don't blame him. He had some pretty heavy personal stuff going on. But... that got me thinking; how many other people knew my parents? Why didn't anyone at least tell me where they were. I spent years asking why I didn't have any parents, and no one ever told me. I just..." He shrugged, not knowing what to say.
Silence fell over them as the pair gathered their thoughts.
After a few moments, Fuu nodded. "I think I get it," She said, her gaze falling to the ground. "People who should have been there for you turned their backs on you." And didn't that hit close to home? She looked up at him with genuine sympathy. "I know the feeling," She admitted, and he met her gaze. She smiled then. "But at least someone's trying, right? You have people who are there for you now, and not just because of your parents, don't you?"
Naruto nodded.
She nodded back and continued. "Then focus on them. Try not to think about who maybe should have been there and focus on everyone who is. Life can be harsh enough without negative thoughts dragging you down, you know?"
Naruto seemed to think that over for a minute before he nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
Fuu returned his smile, and the two fell quiet again. As the silence stretched on, the mint-haired girl raised her deck of cards and began to shuffle with a surprising amount of skill. The cards flowed from one hand to the other, practically dancing in her palms. She saw Naruto look over at her, fascinated, and giggled. "I've, uh, had a lot of time to practice."
Naruto returned the chuckle with one of his own. "I can see that." He tore his eyes away from her card tricks to refocus on her face. "So, what about you? What are your folks like?"
"Couldn't say, I barely know them," Fuu answered without taking her eyes off the cards.
Naruto blinked, gaping at the girl. "... What?"
Fuu shrugged. "They gave me up when I was little. Really little. I didn't even remember them, honestly," She admitted, still smiling as she shuffled. "I ran into them a few years ago, but, well, it wasn't exactly a warm welcome."
For a few moments, he could only stare at her as the sound of shifting cards filled the air. Finally, he managed to say, "I'm sorry."
"Hm?" Fuu turned to look at him, tilting her head to the side. "About that?"
"About your parents," Naruto replied, trying not to sound pitying. What she'd just said... it was pretty much his worst hear for most of his childhood. The answer he was afraid he'd get every time he asked the Old Man about his parents. And she'd actually lived it. "I'm sorry they abandoned you."
"Oh," Fuu then returned her attention to the cards. "No big deal." She then held up the deck, her shuffling complete. "'Big deal.' Get it?" She said, giving another small laugh before she dealt out the cards between them with expert precision.
Naruto ignored the cards in front of him. He didn't quite know what to think now. This cheerful girl had just told him she had been abandoned by her parents, and she said it as simply as she would her favorite side dish for ramen. What was even more concerning was how she answered. There was no sadness or anger or... anything. She had stated it as a point of fact. When Naruto thought back to all the years he'd spent alone, he had to admit he was bitter about it. Even after finding out the truth, the pain, the anger, the sadness of being alone? They were all still there for him, if only just.
But she seemed strange, and if Naruto was completely honest, infuriatingly, free of all that, and his curiosity got the better of him.
"How can you say that?" He asked her, just as she finished dealing.
Fuu looked at the cards she dealt herself, a satisfied smile appearing on her lips. She then looked over her cards at the blonde. "Hm?" She cocked her head again in the same manner as before. "What do you mean?"
"Your parents abandoned you! Why don't you feel anything about that?!"
She blinked once, her head cocking even more. "Hm? What do you mean?" She asked again.
"Sad! Angry!" He said. "Your parents left you alone. How can you not..." He stopped short.
"Not... what?"
Naruto gave the word a once over, unsure if he should say it. But in the end, he couldn't help it. He had to know. "... hate them." he finished quietly.
Understanding dawned on Fuu's features. She collapsed her deck of cards and put them in her lap as her eyes closed. She ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath. "Well... I guess I did, at first." She admitted. "I didn't know anything about them at first. My village chief sort of adopted me. Unofficially. He raised me with his son, Shibuki, but he was busy most of the time. It took Shibuki a while to warm up to me, but as far as I'm concerned, they're my family. As for my parents..."
The mint-haired girl paused for a moment as Naruto looked at her sadly, unable to fathom how she must feel. "I'd always wondered who they were. So, you can guess how much it hurt when I finally met them, and they didn't want anything to do with me. Well, to be honest, most of my village doesn't. I was sad and angry for a long time, but Shibuki was always there for me. And eventually, I realized something. Something that made the anger and the sadness go away, and it never came back. A realization about people."
"What?" Naruto asked. "What was it?"
Fuu's genuine smile grew to its usual size. "They didn't know me."
Now it was Naruto's turn to cock his head in confusion. "Huh?"
She laughed out loud at his bewilderment. "They didn't know me!" She said again. "All the people in my village, they don't know me! All everyone knows is the story of how my parents cast me out. They don't know the first thing about me. And how do people react to things they don't understand?"
Naruto was left speechless. "They... I guess they can't relate to it? Can't trust it?" He asked.
Fuu practically jumped at him, pointing a finger directly in his face. "Exactly!" She jumped to her feet. "I mean, look at me!" She said, giving a twirl. "I'm smart! I'm fun! I'm cute! I'm a strong, kick-ass kunoichi! What's not to love?!" She asked, giving a loud, boisterous laugh.
Naruto couldn't help but smile widely. Her positivity was absolutely infectious.
"So I realized; all I need to do is make them see me for me. The real me. That's part of why I want to be friends with so many people, Naruto." She said, tenderness now in her eyes. "Friendship is, like, the ultimate knowing of someone, you know?"
Naruto thought back to how alone he'd felt before Iruka, and all the people who'd come into his life since then. "Yeah, I think I do." He then looked at her curiously. "So, how's that worked out for you?"
"Eh..." Fuu rubbed the back of her head. "It's a work in progress. Things have gotten better, but I've still got a ways to go. But someday, I'm sure I'll win them over."
She turned her head upward then, looking into the sky with hope. "Even my parents. One day, they'll see the real me, and I'll be friends with them too."
Naruto's smile somehow grew even more. "I hope you do, Fuu."
Then everything was quiet. For a few moments, the two were lost in thought. Fuu had a point, Naruto realized. After all, that was why Iruka came around: because he understood Naruto. Saw that he wasn't the monster sealed inside of him.
Fuu then shook her head and broke the silence. "Ah, enough of this sappy stuff." She sat back down and picked up her cards which had scattered when she's stood up. "We got cards to play! Let's get it on!"
"Yeah, alright!" Naruto said, still enthused by her speech as he picked up his cards. A thought then ran through his head, and he looked over to her. "Um... what are we playing again?"
Fuu looked at her cards, then at him. "Uh..."
I had intended to end the chapter on Naruto's tour, but the original version of that scene kind of wrote itself and this version seemed like a good place to end it. Shout out to Zeta The Sixth, who helped me a lot with that scene, and of course to my beta reader: Arch-Daishou00; "Yo!".
One thing that irked me in canon; Kakashi never told Naruto that he was his father's student or gave him an explanation on why he wasn't there for him at all as he grew up. I felt like, after realizing how badly he'd let them down in Wave and beforehand, he'd want to make that up. Plus, since he already knows who his father is, he doesn't have a reason not to tell him. And he's teaching him the Rasengan. For its use, for its connection to his father, and part of a sort of apology. Too bad for Jiraiya, but hey, he's still best suited to help him master sealing jutsu.
And as an added bonus, he told them about Obito. It's a shame how he turned out, but I thought learning about the Obito Kakashi knew would help Sasuke's development.
And yeah, Chōmei told Fuu about Shukaku. They can't sense each other unless their Jinchurriki use their power or have loosened their seals like Naruto did at the end of the series, but Shukaku's sand manipulation is pretty distinctive.
So, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review.