Chapter 8: Dinner with the Hokage, Part II - The Old Guard and New Friendships
"It does not have to be that the greatest generation is behind us. It does not have to be that our children will have a lower standard of living. It will be that way if we choose to believe that. I choose not to believe that."
- Glenn Beck
Shikaku Nara was the epitome of a genius as far as those who knew him were concerned, and even the man himself, loathing the spotlight as he did, would acknowledge that he had never met a person who could truly match his mind. In fact, he often was envious of those around him: it was not a choice to analyze everything he saw, every interaction he had, every experience he lived through, as if it were a puzzle to be solved, but simply how his mind worked. In fact, he felt he was so lazy only to compensate for the fact that when he wasn't, his mind worked at a speed few if any could hope to match, and it was utterly exhausting.
However, sometimes events dictated that he use his analytical mind non-stop no matter how exhausting it was, and the event he was currently participating in was one such occasion. Another ability that set him apart from others was his hearing - a Nara was at their strongest in the shadows after all, and as a result it was quite common for them to develop one of their senses beyond the norm to compensate for the loss of vision.
Some worked on their smell, some their touch to sense shifts in the environment around them. Some enhanced their eyes with chakra - there was a legend that the founder of their clan replaced one of his eyes with that of a cat to allow perfect vision in absolute darkness. Shikaku had trained his ears to filter and pick up even the quietest noises, whether that be over the thrum of battle or in absolute silence.
Thus, the man was having no issue maintaining the minimum input in the conversations happening between his old teammates, other parents, and his own better half while listening to every interaction at the table. His biggest focus was the curiosity that was the newly formed Team 7.
It had quickly become apparent to him who had arranged all this with the Third when Kakashi Hatake had stepped forward to thank the man for hosting them, and when looking at the composition of his team it made clear sense that the old Kage would take a particular interest in the team. The village jinchuriki, the last Uchiha, and the Hyuuga heiress was as loaded a genin squad as any he could recall.
Even Shikaku himself had to shudder at what that group could potentially accomplish should they all reach their full potential. And on top of that, the fact that the other new teams, as well as Maito Gai's, had been invited spoke to the idea that there was currently more potential in this age group than the village had seen in years.
Oh, Shikaku was far too familiar with Konoha's current standing on the world stage. The simple fact was that while they were the supreme power on the continent, they were far from unbeatable. The Nara head himself was likely one of the ten strongest ninja in the village, and knowing his own power compared to the true monsters out there, that was a terrifying prospect should another major conflict like the last war break out.
He took stock of the other teams. His own son's had the potential to be greater than his, a better incarnation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Gai's team had a Hyuga considered a generational genius, a weapons mistress with an innate feel for any armament she picked up if Gai was to be believed, and a practical clone of the man himself, one of the greatest taijutsu masters Konoha had ever seen. Team 8 was comprised of the clan heir of the Aburame, who was rumored to be a genius when it came to cultivating their signature insects, the second in line for leadership of the Inuzuka, and a civilian girl who seemed to be a dream come true for her sensei, the Genjutsu Mistress of Konoha.
'Really the goals for this group are far beyond the norm - these twelve are liable to all be significant players in both the political and military future of the village.' The man acknowledged to himself.
"Shikaku honey, pay attention!" His wife Yoshino broke up his train of thought, chiding him and grabbing his arm.
"What did I miss?" He said absentmindedly. Maybe he hadn't been listening as well as he thought.
"I asked what you were thinking about." Inoichi said, leaning forward from across the table with a grin on his face.
'Of course.' The scarred man thought. Inoichi would be able to tell when he was thinking of something if he was right in front of him, and it was likely a matter of time before Yoshino noticed anyway. Now the question became how to put his thoughts and concerns into words. "Anyone else think it's really convenient that we all had kids around the same time?" He spoke absentmindedly, though he was gauging the reactions of those around him.
The conversation died down, and Chouza scratched his head thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, yeah. There's probably been plenty of graduating classes that had a bunch of clan members, but there sure are a lot of heirs right now."
"I mean, it's not like we planned it. That's not what you're trying to say, right Shika?" Inoichi asked, his eyebrow raised.
"Not at all." The scarred man denied, shaking his head. "But that said, it is a unique opportunity. We were all around the same age, but all of our classes were separate for the most part except us three." And that was true - Shibi and Tsume had graduated a couple years after them, Fugaku Uchiha had been several years older than they were, and Hiashi had been in the class directly preceding theirs.
"What do you mean by unique opportunity?" Tsume asked quizzically. "All our kids went to school together, so what?"
"He likely is referring to the fact that the future leaders of all major clans will have closer bonds than usual." Shibi cut in in his usual borderline monotone. "But I believe there is more to his point. Why, you ask? Because there always is when Shikaku bothers to speak up."
Shikaku smiled slightly - while Shibi couldn't quite match him in raw intelligence, his ability to analyze and deduce was top-notch. "No, it's not. I also think it's a unique opportunity for our kids to push themselves and surpass us."
"How do you figure that?" Chouza asked, his tone very curious.
"Well," the man began, leaning forward and interlacing his hands under his chin to support his head, "think about it. They're going to be growing next to each other and pushing each other, building bonds that will allow easier cooperation between teams and more friendly rivalries. In addition to that, I'm assuming everyone else had their kid's senseis come talk to them about how to further them outside of clan arts - those four teachers all seem hellbent on one-upping each other with how seriously Kakashi seems to be taking things."
As he spoke, he heard some music and noticed that a group of Sarutobi had left the table, their seats occupied by more family arriving, and had started playing some instruments. From where the instruments came from, Shikaku was unsure. He saw some Sarutobi including Asuma - and one Maito Gai - begin dancing to the upbeat tune.
"Yeah, I gotta say I was a bit confused why she would be put in charge of a tracking team." Tsume grunted through a mouthful of roasted boar. "And really I'm not sure what she could teach him either with her being a genjutsu specialist. I just told her to try and get him started on elemental composition early and make sure he's good at dispelling genjutsu. It's nothing against her as a ninja, it's just a strange skillset for the way the team was put together."
Inoichi nodded in agreement. "I feel your pain. I know it's tradition, but Asuma really isn't suited to teach Ino. She'll be learning our clan techniques and doesn't need to be trained as an upfront fighter - he can't even help her with her elemental composition considering she's a lightning type and he's wind."
"I wouldn't be concerned about that." Hiashi cut in from across the table next to Chouza. "Before my daughter borrowed Kakashi and Kurenai, all the sensei were discussing with the Hokage how they help each other's students in areas that they have potential in that may not be a strength of the individual teacher. For example Shibi, I believe Kakashi will be helping young Shino with his earth release to counter the fire techniques often used against members of your clan, while Kurenai is going to help Shikamaru in genjutsu."
Everyone stared at him, eyes wide as they considered the impact of what he was saying. If every genin was getting training that matched their potential from teachers who specialized in those respective fields, then that would mean they would learn not only faster, but overall have a far more diverse moveset than most genin did.
"That's going to be quite the workload." Shikaku said, resting his chin on his elbow. It was his thinking pose - seemingly every Nara had one unique to them. "I didn't start on elemental composition until I was sixteen and a chunin. I didn't master my second elemental release and make jonin until I was twenty, and it was only after that that I started diversifying my moveset with genjutsu. By the sounds of it, these jonin are planning to have my kid accomplish all of that before he makes chunin."
"What if it's too much?" A pink-haired woman spoke up from the end of the group. Mebuki Haruno, Shikaku remembered - she was the mother of the only civilian-born student in the group. "Sakura is a smart girl, but if even all of you are surprised by how much they'll be learning, couldn't they end up overwhelmed?"
"It's a reasonable question." Inoichi agreed, his eyes also filled with concern. Shikaku had to repress a roll of his eyes - his friend had always let his daughter be the worst kind of daddy's girl. The blonde man still referred to his daughter as his "little princess" after all.
"It really may not be a bad thing for them. Mebuki was it?" After the woman nodded in confirmation, Shikaku continued. "Sakura is a civilian student, and the only rookie who is at that. Frankly she'll need to be pushed harder than everyone else: she doesn't have the advantage of years of clan training and clan techniques to fall back on."
He then turned his attention to Inoichi. "And be honest with yourself man, your daughter needs a kick in the ass. Your 'little princess' is spoiled rotten. I mean look at her plate! Is she still on that dieting nonsense?"
Inoichi looked a bit bashful at being called out, but didn't have much of a response. Even he had to acknowledge that without his clan's training, his daughter likely would have been the dead last of the class, not due to a lack of ability but a lack of focus. Her head had undeniably been in the clouds for some time, far too concerned with fashion and being pretty.
"I do not worry about it. Why, you ask? Because I have full confidence in Shino's ability to be exemplary." Shibi stated, expressionless as usual.
Tsume chuckled before throwing back a shot of sake. "Kiba's a strong enough pup, but not as strong as he thinks he is. That kid seems to think he's the toughest shit since the Sage of Six Paths, and I'm worried he'll piss off someone who can make him regret it with that mouth of his."
"And where did he get that mouth from, Tsume?" Shibi asked, a hint of amusement breaking into his tone.
"Ah, shut the fuck up Shibi." The woman groaned, the slight blush on her face betraying the accuracy of his words.
"Choji's a good kid, but yeah, I guess he could use a bit more help getting stronger." Chouza sighed. "He's actually pretty ahead of the curve in our clan arts, but he's not really motivated to be great. Not that I was much better at his age, but still."
"I don't really share y'alls concern." Spoke up the burly individual from down the table. Shikaku recognized him as the man who had been walking with Gai's female student earlier - her father, he supposed. His accent indicated that he was not from Konoha, the country twang pointing towards the farmlands to the south of the village. "Tenten has always been driven to be the best. Hell, I didn't even want her to be a shinobi, I just wanted her to take over my shop one day, but she likes using weapons just a touch more than making them."
"Wait, Masamune?!" Inoichi spoke in surprise, seeming to recognize the man.
The now identified Masamune rolled his eyes. "I was waiting for you to recognize me, Inoichi. I only forged you and your wife's wedding bands, why remember me after all?" He inclined his head at the rest of the table. "Masamune Higurashi at your service."
Shikaku's eyes widened imperceptibly as he was hit with a rare dose of surprise. There wasn't a single ninja in the village unfamiliar with Masamune Higurashi, or at least his work, as his shop had been the leading supplier in the village for high-quality weaponry and equipment for almost twenty years.
"How's Ikari doing, by the way?" The blacksmith continued, looking at Inoichi again.
The man snapped out of his surprise at recognizing his old acquaintance with a smile. "Oh, she's doing well. Minding the flower shop and volunteering around town. Thank you again for your work." He held up his hand, showing a glistening rose gold wedding ring. "It's so well-made that I even wear it in the field sometimes. Hasn't lost a bit of luster since the day you made it."
"Of course it hasn't. I'm a damn weaponsmith making rings! Easy work - you're lucky I've been visiting the flower shop for years when I anger the missus." The man grunted. He turned his attention back to Shikaku. "So what are you really trying to get at then? You've gotta have some bigger point than just saying our kids are special or somethin, bringing all this up."
The Nara clan head sighed roughly. "Our kids have grown up in peace. All of us spent some portion of our adolescence in war. As kids we had family die and knew the realities of this world. While many were lost, it's what forged the next generation of leaders. What seems to be expected of this bunch has me wondering if they're really prepared for the life of a ninja."
There was a silence as the group absorbed that sobering thought. Mebuki looked down at her clenched hands, clear worry on her face. The shinobi present pondered all the loss they had experienced during the third war, and all the family they lost or never met because of the second war. They had known death was a real possibility in a war, and their children simply couldn't have that same mindset in peacetime outside of Sasuke Uchiha and perhaps Neji Hyuga.
Shibi spoke first, his tone calculating. "So you are saying that peace has made our children weaker."
"No, I think it's made us complacent." Shikaku said, his tone getting a bit of steel. "I'm guilty of it. I don't push Shikamaru nearly as hard as my father pushed me."
"I've been telling you that boy needs to try harder for years." Yoshino pointed out something he would have to give to her. "He's capable of more. He's nearly beaten you in Shogi a couple of times."
"Yeah. He is." Shikaku sighed. "And now I'm worried he and his team might get wiped out if they run into something they can't handle."
"Is that likely?" Mebuki cut in, her eyes suddenly filled with equal parts fear and worry. Shikaku couldn't blame her - after all, this was her daughter, and being a civilian meant she had no real knowledge of what she would face immediately in her career.
"Not as of now, they'll be constrained to D-rank missions inside the village to start." Yoshino assured the nervous woman, "Shikaku, don't talk like that! They're just kids."
"Kids with an occupation that will ask them to kill before long." The man replied in a cold tone he only used when he needed his wife to understand something was serious. "Eventually they'll get C-ranked missions, and there's always the chance those get mislabeled and they run into enemy ninja."
The group was quiet again until Tsume spoke tersely. "What should we do then, if our kids aren't ready? Send them back to the academy?"
"No, I'm saying we push them as hard as their sensei do." The scarred man replied with finality. "If our kids can't know what they're signing up for in peacetime, then we make them as strong as possible so they're ready when they find out the hard way."
"It is what I would advise." Shikaku and the others turned their attention towards the head of the table, where the Third had spoken up. "I have great expectations for this group. They are the future of this village, and while I likely will not live to see it, I wish to know the Will of Fire burns stronger after I am gone."
He made eye contact with each parent, and Shikaku easily recognized the steel in his eyes. His words sounded like advice, but at the moment he was giving orders. "I know each of your children has great potential - I have had an eye on this group since they enrolled in the academy. I handpicked their teachers from our best - Gai had been intended for Team 8, but his decision to take on a team early uncovered gems I had not seen. It is imperative they become everything they are capable of being."
Shikaku realized he no longer heard the music or the chatter of others at the table and tensed. "Why is it suddenly so quiet?" He asked cautiously.
The aged Kage smiled, a small twinkle in his eye. "This table dates back to the warring states period. It was custom in the Sarutobi clan that all meetings with allies occurred over a banquet to celebrate our friendship. However there would still at times be discussions too important for just anyone to hear that had to be had. The table is inscribed with a powerful silencing seal - I'm able to determine how far down the table it goes using only my chakra."
His expression dropped then, turning deadly serious. "I hope my worries are just the ramblings of an old man, but there is great instability on the continent right now. In order to stay secure, Konoha needs a powerful new generation of notable ninja. We are still the strongest of the five nations, but promotions from chunin to jonin have been down multiple years now. With the likelihood that many of these young ninja will be leading Konoha's clans in the future, we can't afford for them to simply be strong, for they will be known. If one is known by the enemy, it is important that they be feared as well."
He leaned forward, enjoying the undivided attention of not just Shikaku but every other parent present. He suddenly looked pained, as if something had just become uncomfortable. "I need you to train your children harder than any young ninja has ever trained before. Jiraiya has duties outside of the village. Orochimaru is a traitor, and Tsunade has given up on her home and the people in it. I am old - no, by the standards of our life I am ancient." The man was getting more worked up than Shikaku could recall seeing him since the end of the third war. "The Fourth is dead. And while I am trying to correct it, there is no easy answer for Hokage after I join him in the g-grave."
As he finished speaking, he began to choke, quickly bringing up his sleeve to his mouth as violent coughs racked his body. The sound around them resumed as he struggled to regain his breath. "Damn, it's getting worse." He muttered, quietly enough that only Shikaku heard him.
The old man stood and excused himself, walking to an adjacent room and leaving the clan heads of Konoha, the parents of the next generation with an understanding that their children were not expected to simply be good, loyal shinobi.
No, they were expected to be deterrents.
Kakashi sighed as he walked back into the room next to Kurenai. Hinata had elected to stay outside, saying she wanted to appreciate the beautiful night sky. While he was glad she was coming more out of her shell, the copy-nin was a bit worried at how quickly she was changing.
He knew better than most that no matter how much a person desired change that it could not happen overnight, and that it may very well lead to unintended consequences and thoughtless behavior. After all, he had now lost his cool and given off notable reactions three times today; evidently learning to care meant that he now cared about petty insults he never would've given a damn about prior. His only consolation was that his lack of emotional control was further proof that the teachings of one Danzo Shimura were utter bullshit.
He stopped at the entrance and took in the banquet - though now it qualified as more of a party. Some Sarutobi men and women had produced various instruments - he spotted a couple flutes, three fiddles, two drums, and a harmonica - and began playing an upbeat tune. Several others of the clan had joined in dancing. A group of Sarutobi children spun in a circle nearby, laughing wildly as each one entered the circle and twirled alone before rejoining the group. The sight of the jubilant clan was so eye-catching that he barely registered another boy knocking into him lightly as he rushed by to join the circle.
Kurenai had continued on, evidently having been forewarned about these events by Asuma. Kakashi did a quick headcount of the people at the table and realized the table had been refilled with new members of the clan joining the festivities. The cyclops briefly pondered exactly how large the Sarutobi clan must be - at this point he was counting over one-hundred members.
He spotted Kurenai join Asuma on the dance floor. Meanwhile Gai was dancing - though his moves seemed to consist solely of him throwing his arm back and forth, up and down with a pointed finger as his hips rocked side to side. "Dancing is the most youthful form of physical expression!" He cried out to nobody in particular. Instantly his mini-me was next to him mimicking his moves. "Yes sensei, we must show our youthful moves!"
'Sometimes I wonder how that man is not only as strong as I am but one of the few people I can really trust.' Kakashi wondered to himself as a sweatdrop formed on the back of his head. His mind turned towards his earlier commitments. None of them were too outlandish: helping children learn the basics of elemental composition, teaching Rock Lee how to be stealthy, they were easy asks for his skill set. In truth, there was only one student he was unsure about working with, and that was Tenten Higurashi. He had no concerns about his skills or the girl herself, but rather was realizing he did not currently have a sword to work with.
'I guess I can just buy a new tanto.' He mused. It wouldn't be hard, he had the money for a quality tool, but something about that felt underwhelming. His mind turned towards the first weapon he had wielded in his career as a ninja, the most notable part of his inheritance from his father: the White Light Chakra Sabre.
He still had the hilt and most of the fractured pieces of the blade at his home, hidden away in a case in his closet. He had considered having it repaired many times before, but something had always held him back. 'It didn't feel right that the blade could be repaired, but not Obito.' The realization hit him like a brick to the head.
The weapon did more than just look shiny. There were many tricks and techniques that it was capable of that he hadn't been able to perform when he had last wielded the weapon, and leaving it a shattered pile of metal was a ridiculous waste. 'Yet another way I've held myself back due to nothing but my own self-pity.' The cyclops chided himself with disgust.
There were multiple occasions he could think of that the borderline-legendary sword could have been incredibly useful during his ANBU days, especially if he had learned to wield it as his father had. If he had had possession of the blade during the mission to rescue Rin, perhaps he wouldn't have used the Raikiri, reducing the speed of his last blow and allowing him to avoid killing her.
'I'm getting caught up in what-ifs again.' He mentally sighed, recognizing that down that path lay only a spiral of madness and misery. He was trying to move on from that mindset after all. The point was that he had possession of the blade, or at least enough of it to fix, and it was a tool that would only aid him in his endeavors to teach, train, and protect.
This wasn't a task he could trust to just anybody however. He would need a true master smith if he wanted the weapon restored to what it had been, especially missing fragments of it as he was. He was certain he still had the ingot of special chakra-conducting metal that he had found amongst his father's possessions after his death, something the man had kept specifically for this type of circumstance, but not just any smith could work it.
His eyes scanned the room, quickly finding just the man he needed to speak to. Walking up, he cut into the animated conversation between the parents of the genin present. "Higurashi, correct?" He said from behind the man.
The eyes of just about every clan head in Konoha turned to him when he spoke. "Yeah, what's it to ya?" The burly man replied, pulling his pinky out of his ear and inspecting his mined gold.
"Kakashi Hatake." The cyclops replied. "I wanted to speak to you about a work order - assuming I'm correct about you being a blacksmith."
"Boy, I am the blacksmith." He replied with a grunt, rising to his feet. Before the two could walk off, Shikaku cut in.
"Kakashi, before you go, I have a question." The Nara head said, his gaze turning intense. The Hatake immediately snapped to attention, as could only be expected when talked to in that tone by one of the few ninja in Konoha who factually outranked him.
"Sir?" He replied, a bit of a question in his tone.
"What caused this shift in you? Don't pretend you didn't set all this in motion. Hell, I'm still trying to get over the fact that you passed a team, even if this team needed to pass." Shikaku said, his gaze seeming to pierce through Kakashi. "Two weeks ago you were the same lackadaisical jackass you've been since you left the ANBU. What changed?"
Kakashi was silent for a moment, conscious of the fact that he currently held the attention of just about every clan head in Konoha. After a moment, he simply smiled with his eye. "I've been rethinking some things lately. Feeling as if I've let my past hold me back in a way that shames those who sacrificed for me to make it this far. I feel it's time to change and meet the expectations others had of me, that I should have of myself - exceed them even. And I'm starting by pouring everything I have into making sure the next generation has the strength to avoid the mistakes that broke me in the first place." His words were thoughtful, and he felt the appraising gaze of many significant individuals on him. Deciding there was little he could add worth speaking, he turned back to the blacksmith. "Higurashi?"
"Just call me Masamune." The man said, rolling his eyes. "Formality is for the weak, the stupid, and the borin'."
The scarecrow blinked in recognition of the name as the two began walking to a quieter corner of the dining hall. "Ah, I'm surprised I didn't recognize your last name. Most of my old coworkers from my ANBU days had weaponry from your shop, though I've never been myself. They all told me paying your prices for just kunai was the equivalent of paying genin S-rank mission price to get your fence painted."
"So I can assume yer not about ta ask me to do somethin' asinine like make you some kunai?" The gruff man grunted, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small canister. He popped it open and gathered a wad of ground tobacco, stretching his front lip and tucking it in. "I got apprentices and my daughter for that kinda light work."
"No, not at all. I was actually hoping to get a weapon restored. Are you familiar with my father, Sakumo Hatake?" Kakashi replied.
Masamune's eyes sparked with recognition of the name. "Ah. It's the White Light Chakra Sabre then, hm?"
The scarecrow had to give the man credit, he certainly was sharp and well-informed to have deduced that so quickly. "Even if you're familiar with him, I'm surprised you were able to guess so fast."
The man grunted again - no, Kakashi realized that he had barked a rough laugh. "Kid, my teacher in the art of smithin' was the one who made the damn thing for your pa in the first place. I've always wanted to get a look at it - he told me that outside of the Second Hokage's Raijin Blade, it was the finest weapon ever forged in Konoha."
"Huh, imagine that. It takes a special metal." The jonin explained, unsure exactly how much information Masamune had. "I have a spare ingot of it and should be enough to reforge it. It was shattered during the Battle of Kanabi Bridge in the last war."
The man spit in a bucket located in the corner that they were standing in, proving to Kakashi once again that tobacco was a family habit for the Sarutobi. "I'm aware of the metal boy - my master left me six ingots and said to hold onto them for my greatest work. Surprised to hear that it broke, I am. There are blades forged from normal steel that are still passed down in the families to this day made by his hands."
Kakashi sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "That may have been my fault. I never looked through my father's old journals for guidance on how to use the blade. I only did after finding the ingot - turns out I was using far too little chakra to gain the benefits of the metal. Enough to make it glow, but apparently that actually makes it more brittle if it's not enough to gain the other benefits I've read."
The man clucked his tongue in disgust before spitting again. "If I reforge the blade for ya, I expect that not to happen again boy. No greater disrespect to a blacksmith than usin' his work wrong."
Holding up his hands appeasingly, the copy-nin nodded in agreement. "Yes well, I was young and in need of an ego check. It certainly won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't." The man warned, before stretching his arms wide. "I'm about done with this event, Tenten can find her own way home." He began to walk away, leaving Kakashi standing alone in the corner. After only a couple of steps, the man stopped to say one last thing. "Oh, and boy? I heard earlier all you jonin will be trainin' each other's kids. That true?"
"Well, yes. There are things to learn that would be beneficial for my students but are outside my expertise. The same can be true of the other sensei, so we'll help each other a bit." Kakashi explained, not expecting the question but finding it easy enough to answer.
"You trainin' my daughter?" He asked, his back still turned but the question had a weight to it his other words hadn't.
The cyclops gave an unseen eye smile. "Yes, that's why I need my sword repaired."
The man turned, and Kakashi actually felt the intent being levied his way - not true killing intent, lacking the oomph that chakra imparted, but still a gaze so dark and steely it was as if the smith's eyes had turned into his hammer and anvil. "Then I'll tell you the same thing I told that clown Gai: if she dies, it'll be you getting smashed under my hammer next, you hear?" Without another word, the man spun on his heel and walked away.
Kakashi scratched his forehead, surprised that there was a light but obvious sheen of cold sweat on his fingers. 'What a unique man.'
Turning his attention to the table, he noticed that all of his students were no longer present, though to where they had gone the cyclops wasn't sure.
Sasuke's patience had run thin with this event early in the evening. When he had accepted the invitation to come, he had expected to be a part of the discussions regarding his future, not a bystander made to play nice with the other children.
After a time he had quietly slipped away and left the dining hall, going outside to clear his mind of frustration. He was surprised to see his female teammate sitting underneath one of the apple trees near the larger tree that was the foundation for the Sarutobi home.
Deciding he had nothing better to do, he walked up to her. He noticed that her expression was different than normal - instead of looking pensive or uncertain, there was a small and serene smile on her face as she appraised the moon high above.
"Hey, Wallflower. What are you doing out here?" He asked, his tone the usual demand when a question would've been more polite.
She turned her head in his direction, her smile growing slightly. "I could ask you the same thing, Sasuke." She patted the spot next to her, and the dark-haired Uchiha lifted an eyebrow in response. She raised an eyebrow back at him as if to ask what better he had to do, which he had just acknowledged to himself was a no, so with a sigh he took the offered spot.
"... So I saw you made Sakura cry." He said bluntly after a moment, not finding nearly as much engagement with the night sky as she did.
The girl looked at him with only a second of surprise before sighing and returning her gaze upward. "I suppose I did. It's funny, a few days ago I would have felt guilty. She deserved it, though I do regret making her actually cry even if I lack guilt."
"You're not stuttering." Sasuke noted, his gaze set on her with a look that would have been in place towards a particularly vexing puzzle. "It's tough to get a read on you when you keep going back and forth between cool and collected and a nervous wreck."
"As I said, I am ready to change, but change ebbs and flows. But now I have conviction in trying, and with that conviction, the nervousness that once shone through every word I spoke feels farther and farther away." She replied simply, her smile towards the heavens growing a bit wider. "I want to become strong so my mother can look down on me proudly, and I refuse to allow anyone to tell me I cannot do so anymore, even if I may find them to be right one day. I'm sure you can appreciate the sentiment."
Sasuke started a bit at the off-hand acknowledgement of his own dead relatives, and his immediate reaction was a spike of anger, but the anger cooled quickly as he knew she had meant no harm referencing the topic. He already knew that she knew after all. "Not really… I don't want them to be proud, or really I just don't care about that. I want them to be at peace."
She looked at him once more. She had a small frown on her face now. "I'm sure they would be proud of you, Sasuke. You're a strong ninja - everyone praises your skills. My father spent my entire childhood berating me for not being strong enough. If our skill levels were reversed, he would praise me to anyone who would listen."
"We're not at a point where I'm willing to have this conversation - I doubt I ever will be with anyone." Sasuke said sharply, his eyes flashing. The girl nodded slightly in acknowledgement of his wishes, so he took the chance to change the subject. "Is that what you two were arguing about earlier?" He asked. "You've surpassed my expectations, though I didn't expect much. Daddy dearest wasn't offering enough praise?"
The girl giggled at his words, instead of becoming irritated as he had expected, before sighing. "No, quite the opposite. Ever since I graduated from the academy there has been a shift in my father. He seems to actually want to encourage me now, and believe in me as the future of the clan."
"Then what is there to argue about?" The raven-haired boy questioned, a bit of bewilderment seeping into his tone.
The girl's face fell a bit. "I can't really explain it well. Whenever he tries to treat me differently, turn over a new leaf, I just feel angry. I used to dream of him praising me and being proud to have me as his daughter, but to have him simply turn heel all at once feels… Dishonest. Like it denies what I have experienced all these years feeling like a disappointment as something that can simply be glossed over."
The Uchiha heir remembered shortly before the massacre, when his father had turned his attention from that man to him. How he had trained him more than he ever had before, praising the progress he made in the handful of days before the boy's whole world had come crashing down. At the time he had been elated, as any small child would if they were to finally feel seen by their parents. With what he knew now though, it was easy to empathize with what Hinata was speaking of: was he ever truly wanted and appreciated, or just convenient as his brother changed into the monster he would become? Still…
"Don't be stupid." He said gruffly, his throat suddenly feeling dry as he thought of the severe man who had sired him.
Hinata looked at him with confusion and maybe a bit of annoyance. "I'm f-finally accepting the idea that I may be justified in my own feelings, Sasuke. Who are you to take that away from me?" She questioned, her tone demanding and her stutter rematerializing briefly due to the sudden frustration.
"I don't care if you're angry." The boy shot back, narrowing his eyes at her. "Hell, maybe you have every right to be. But your dad could be gone tomorrow. You really want to be on bad terms with him if that happens?" The boy turned to the night sky himself now, feeling hollow. "A lot of people would kill to hear their dad tell them they were proud of them, but they'll never get that chance. If he's trying, then try back. Don't be stupid and waste the opportunity."
The girl jerked her head back, maybe surprised at the sincerity of his words. Sasuke himself was rather surprised at how candid he was being, but he supposed the combination of some small amount of common ground and his own jealousy that she had a chance to be closer to her father had his lips looser than normal.
She looked down, seeming to ponder his words for a moment before looking back towards the sky. "You're right." She sighed. "Truthfully, I still don't like being angry. I want to forgive my father, it's just… Not coming easily."
"Then don't forgive him yet." Sasuke shrugged dismissively. "I'm just saying don't not let him try." She looked at him again, a smile back on her face. "Or don't let him try, whatever. Just don't let it affect you in the field. And don't look at me like that. You like loudmouths."
Her eyes widened at the insinuation before she laughed, not a demure giggle like last time but an actual belly laugh. After a moment of laughing, just as tears were starting to form in the corners of her eyes, the raven-haired boy had had enough. "What's so damn funny?"
After a moment to regain her composure, the girl replied in a light tone. "It's not you, Sasuke. Sakura and Ino just made a similar insinuation earlier, and I assured them as I assure you now, I only see you as a teammate." She paused for a moment before adding, "Maybe one day we'll be friends, too."
The Uchiha snorted in response. "Yeah, sure. Me, you, and Uzumaki sitting around a campfire braiding each other's hair while sensei praises our teamwork. Sounds real likely."
She giggled again, hiccupping slightly. "I don't quite think any of us have enough hair to braid." She gave him a knowing look. "You act standoffish, but you're not a bad person Sasuke. Maybe rude and sour, but not bad. I think we all will be friends. It's like sensei said, we'll be together too much."
He grunted in reply, and the two fell into an amicable silence, but Sasuke had to be honest with himself - he was actually starting to warm up to her, even if it was only the smallest bit.
"So did you get it?" Naruto asked Konohamaru with an excited whisper, nearly bouncing with energy at the thought of getting one over on his cool sensei again. The younger boy had just met him behind the tree that housed the Sarutobi, the two having snuck away briefly from the festivities.
"Sure did! He seemed super distracted and I had the perfect chance when the dancing circle started to run by him and slip the book out of his jacket!" The boy replied, looking smug that he had gotten one over on the jonin.
Naruto gave him a thumbs up. "Well done student! I knew you had potential as a prankster."
"I learned from the best boss! It was like you said, he gets a weird look in his eye when he's got something else in his head and isn't paying attention." The brown-haired boy exclaimed proudly, smiling with his teeth.
"Well, hand it over and I'll show you how to set up a stink bomb." Naruto said, reaching into his pocket for his emergency pranking supplies - one each of a paint bomb, a stink bomb, and a whoopie cushion. Konohamaru did so, but instead of seeing the soft pink book his sensei had picked up from the store earlier that day, instead the boy produced a book with a plain grey color. Taking it with an expression morphing into confusion, Naruto turned it over in his hands and inspected the cover.
'How to Train Genin by Tsunade Senju?' The blonde thought to himself in confusion. Opening it and skimming the foreword briefly, he felt his mischievous mood slowly morph into guilt. 'Sensei was reading a book on how to train us?'
"What's the matter boss? Did I get the wrong thing? You said he'd have a book in his front pocket, right?" Konohamaru questioned, suddenly looking unsure of himself.
Not wanting the boy to feel bad, Naruto shook his head vigorously, both to deny his counterpart's words and to clear his mind quickly. "Nah, well kinda, but you did really good Konohamaru! But… Maybe we'll do a different prank some other time. I think this book is important."
The young Sarutobi's face fell, and Naruto knew he was disappointed, so he acted on an idea that popped into his head. "Don't look all sad and stuff! I'll tell you what, this Sunday is my off day - why don't we meet at training ground three and I'll help you with ninja stuff!"
The boy's expression did an immediate one-eighty as he looked at the older boy with stars in his eyes. "For real, no fooling?"
"Yeah!" Naruto responded with his usual exuberance. He couldn't place it, but something about having a kid younger than him look up to him for guidance gave him a pleasant rising feeling in his chest. It was nice to feel respected and acknowledged as a ninja by someone younger - even children under him in the academy had been more prone to laughing at him than asking for advice.
"Can my friends Moegi and Udon come? Ebisu always says they can't train with us because he has to focus all his attention on me." The boy asked, his eyes growing wide and begging.
Naruto sweatdropped a bit and rubbed the back of his head nervously, not sure if he could handle helping three kids at once either, but decided he was already in for a ryo. "Sure, yeah, why not?"
"Yay! You're the best boss!" In a flash, the boy shot forward and embraced Naruto in a hug. The blonde boy was shocked by the gesture, but awkwardly wrapped his arms around the smaller boy in return. "Thanks for treating me like a normal kid, big bro." The blonde heard Konohamaru mutter into his jacket.
Naruto was still surprised, but he felt his expression soften into one of understanding as he considered those words. "Thanks for doing the same to me, ya know?" He replied softly. After the two parted, Naruto grinned big. "Now head back inside and have fun with your cousins and stuff! I gotta go find my sensei and return this."
"But won't you get in trouble?" Konohamaru asked, his expression growing concerned again.
Naruto heaved a dramatic sigh. "Unfortunately, getting in trouble when a prank goes wrong is all part of being a master prankster." He nodded sagely after his words, enjoying the look of awe he received from his new protege.
The boy nodded seriously before smiling wide. "Alright, I'll see you Sunday boss!" The boy turned and ran back into the compound. Once he was out of sight, Naruto's expression fell into one of deep contemplation as he stared down at the book in his hands. He had assumed his sensei did everything easily, because he was cool and calm and everyone treated him like a big deal, but to find out even he was trying hard just to be a good teacher for him and his team…
The boy was so wrapped up in his thoughts he almost missed the sound of sniffling from behind an abnormally large and old pear tree nearby. Overcome by his normal compulsion to help people in a bad way, he turned around and walked over to the other side of the topiary and saw, to his surprise, a crying Sakura Haruno. The normally confident pinkette had her knees drawn up to her chest and was shaking intermittently, her head down obscuring her eyes.
Deciding he should speak up instead of doing nothing despite the risk of getting hit, the boy approached her cautiously and cleared his throat to get her attention. "Hey Sakura, what's wrong?"
The girl looked up at him in surprise, her eyes widening in shock as she realized who was in front of her. Just as quickly her expression fell again and she buried her face in her knees. "Go away Naruto."
The blonde's expression grew slightly annoyed, and he crossed his arms. "I'm just trying to make sure you're okay, ya know?" He said, a bit of petulance in his tone.
The girl looked back up at him, her eyes angry and clearly about to default to yelling at him like usual, but then she faltered and her words seemed to die on her tongue. After a moment she sighed and scooted over, patting the spot next to her.
Naruto's eyebrows rose almost as high as his forehead protector in surprise, but he decided not to push his luck by pointing out her out of character behavior and sat down next to her. The two were silent for a bit as the girl regained her composure, wiping her eyes.
It ended up being Sakura who broke the silence. "I'm sorry, Naruto." She said ruefully, looking at him with genuine remorse in her green eyes.
"Er, uh." The Uzumaki spoke eloquently, an apology having been the last thing he expected her to say. "It's okay I guess, but er, what for?"
She sighed again, looking as if she was struggling to find the words to explain herself. After a moment, she seemed to settle her thoughts. "For being so mean to you all these years. For hitting you and insulting you and picking on you and always assuming the worst about you."
Naruto opened his mouth then closed it, trying to process the words of his longtime-crush. Finally he said, "It's okay. I guess I am kinda annoying, huh?" The boy didn't like to admit it, but he knew he was loud and a bit crude. While he lacked self-awareness, he knew that much. It was just acting differently meant nobody looked at him at all.
The girl giggled a bit, though due to her recent crying it sounded more like a wet gurgle. "You're really annoying Naruto. But I don't think I ever really considered what it was like to be you."
Not knowing how to respond to that, the blonde rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "It ain't so bad being me, at least not all the time." Deciding to change the subject, he turned back to the reason he approached her in the first place. "Why were you crying anyway?"
The girl sighed, burying her face back into her knees. She spoke quietly, her companion having to strain his ears to hear her. "Hinata." She muttered quietly.
That, more than ever her comparatively amicable treatment of her, shocked the blonde boy. "Hinata?! How did she make you cry? She's been super nice to me the whole time we've been teammates! She's like the nicest person I know besides maybe the Ichirakus!"
Sakura raised her head and wiped her eyes. "She said something really mean to me about Sasuke, but… I deserved it. I said something really mean about you first and she was trying to defend you."
Biting his lip and feeling like he didn't want to know, Naruto asked anyway. "What did you say about me?"
The girl flushed in embarrassment. "I-I… I said you were an ill-mannered dunce because you didn't have parents, and when Ino and Hinata said I was being harsh I made a joke about you telling your mom on me."
Naruto reeled back as if he had been slapped - for the first time in his life, he felt anger in addition to hurt at her words. Before he said something he would regret, he remembered her earlier apology and huffed. "And what did Hinata say to that?"
The girl sniffled again as she remembered the Hyuga member's words. "She called me spoiled and weak and said I had no idea what it was like to not have parents and that Sasuke would never like me… She kinda said that last part to Ino too, and now the pig is mad at me for dragging her into it." Sakura sighed heavily. "And the worst part is she isn't wrong."
Naruto shook his head in response. "Well I don't know about you being spoiled or Sasuke, but you sure ain't weak - I have the bruises to prove it from all your punches!" The girl looked at him and tears pooled in her eyes again, the blonde realizing that maybe that hadn't been the right thing to say at the moment.
"No Naruto, I am weak." She choked out. "During my team's genin test, I didn't do anything. Kiba and Shino were both doing all the fighting against sensei while I sat on the backlines because I was exhausted after the first ten minutes. All I did was break one of sensei's genjutsu. If I hadn't done at least that much to help at the end, we probably wouldn't have passed."
Naruto grimaced at her words - he couldn't remember the last time he had seen his crush so down on herself. He looked up at the sky and thought for a moment before smiling. "Well, so what if you're weak right now? That doesn't really matter that much."
She looked at him quizzically, as if not understanding his words, so he decided to elaborate. "I was the dead last, remember? I sucked the whole time at the academy, but that didn't matter because I never gave up! Now I can make clones and I have three elemental affinities and a super strong sensei who's going to teach me loads of awesome stuff! So long as you never stop trying it doesn't matter how weak you are because you can get stronger and stuff!"
The girl looked at him with wide eyes for a moment before a small smile graced her features. "You're right, Naruto. When did you get so wise?"
The boy thumbed his nose with a smile - this time one of his real ones instead of the fake ones he gave people when he wanted them to like him or he was trying to hide his real feelings. "I dunno, but I'm glad you're smiling again, you know?"
The girl giggled again. "I really misjudged you, didn't I? You're a really nice guy, Naruto."
"Nice enough that I can get that date now?" The blonde asked hopefully. He quickly figured out that that was, once again, the wrong thing to say as a tick mark developed on her forehead.
However, instead of lashing out in anger she just rolled her eyes and deflated. "Naruto, let me make it unequivocally clear: I am not, nor will I ever be, interested in you in that way. You're a good guy, yeah, but you're just not my type." She puffed out her cheeks childishly. "Why do you even keep trying anyway?"
The boy sighed, fighting back the small bout of disappointment that came with her rejection before pondering her question, realizing he'd never really thought of why before - he'd just decided he liked her one day. He started speaking his thoughts out loud as he tried to figure out why he had done so. "I guess it's because you were always pretty and popular and smart and stuff, you know?" He replied, tilting his head to the side as he thought about it. "And I figured if you liked me, everyone else would too." His eyes went wide as he spoke and a realization hit him. "Geez, now that I say it out loud that sounds like a pretty crappy reason to ask someone out."
"No duh." The pinkette replied, rolling her eyes. Unbeknownst to him, she was internally wondering how the hell the boy hadn't noticed Hinata this whole time if those were his reasons for obsessing over her - and she was realizing how lonely he must have been to have that mindset in the first place. There was also a small part of her that was flattered he had thought she was always pretty and popular, but that vain section of her psyche was irrelevant at the moment.
"Oh yeah, well why do you like Sasuke so much?" The boy replied, frowning at her dismissal. Just because he said it didn't mean she had to agree with it dammit!
The girl pondered the question for a moment, trying to find the right words, before she answered Naruto in a way that surprised him. "He wasn't always the way he is now. When we started the academy, Sasuke was bright and happy. I enjoyed being around him - it was that person I fell for really. I think after a while I lost sight of that. After everything that happened to him, he's been in pain, and now I just want to help him be happy again if I can." She explained, smiling slightly as she thought of the raven-haired object of her affection.
Naruto gave her a perplexed look. "Whaddya mean by that? He's a genius and the rookie of the year. All the girls like him. Why would he be hurting?"
She looked at him incredulously, as if he had just said this dinner was being thrown in his honor to celebrate his appointment to Hokage - which would just be inaccurate, as his banquet would have ramen. "You… You really don't know? About what happened to his family?"
"Well I mean… Not really." The blonde said defensively. It's not like it was his fault after all: nobody ever told him anything. "Why, was it something bad?"
The girl gave him an incredulous look before her face fell. "I guess I shouldn't be mad at you. I was one of the biggest people who always excluded you from everything, so… But yes, it was bad. Sasuke wasn't always the last of his clan. One night when we were all around eight years old, the Uchiha clan was slaughtered, every man, woman, and child, except for him. Well him and… This is only a rumor, but I heard it while my mother was gossiping at the market right after it happened… I heard it was his brother who did it."
Naruto stared at her, feeling every bit of the shock painted across his expression. He tried to fathom that, thinking of how Sasuke must have felt - he really did - but he couldn't. He knew loneliness, but not the other side of the coin. He had never had people to lose, and knowing that his teammate had had his whole clan ripped away from him, by his brother at that…
'I guess I was right.' He thought numbly. 'He does have a reason for being a bastard to deal with.' Out loud, he said, "I had no idea… He never mentioned it but I, well… I guess I wouldn't talk about that either." He remembered what his sensei had said earlier that day about knowing more about them than they did each other, his hand shifting to rest on his gut. Yes, there was something he didn't want his teammates to know about him yet too.
Sakura smiled, though there was no happiness in the expression. "Yeah." The two sat quietly for a moment before the pinkette stood, brushing the light dirt off her clothing. "Thanks for talking to me Naruto. I should go find Ino and apologize to her too, and Hinata when I can. Oh, and… Sorry again. I'm not going on a date with you, ever," she emphasized that last word, and the blonde was surprised at how much less it stung than normal, "but I'd like it if we could start over and try to be friends."
The blonde's eyes widened before he smiled, not an obscene toothy grin but another small and real one. He didn't even realize how much more often he had been able to do that since he had been put on his new team. "Sure - I've been making a lot of new friends and it's awesome!"
The girl giggled a bit at his sheer earnestness. "I'm glad to hear that. Have a good night, Naruto." She turned and walked back towards the home, disappearing around the corner. The blonde boy watched her leave before sighing ruefully. Even though he hadn't been hit or yelled at, something about this rejection felt different and made his heart heavier, but he felt like it would be okay. Even if he was never going to be her boyfriend, it was nice to know they were on good terms now. 'I really am making friends now, huh?' He pondered. He thought back to his sensei standing up to him, working together with his team during the test and then shopping with them, how they had come with him to help learn about his family. He remembered meeting Shikamaru's parents and Choji's dad and how they had been nice to him, and the bonding he had experienced with Konohamaru throughout the evening. Lastly, he looked down at the book still in his lap and thought of how his sensei was going out of his way to be a good teacher for them.
"It's awesome to finally have friends." Naruto said contentedly in the night, hitting his left first against his open palm and smiling wide into the night sky. Standing up and securing the book in his jacket pocket, he turned and made off to look for his teacher and return the tome.
Aw dammit, this dinner is gonna be three chapters. I gotta remember never to do this to myself again, even if it's turning out better than I thought I was capable of.
Okay, a couple of things to touch on this chapter. First, I think in filler it was shown that Kakashi had gotten the Chakra Sabre fixed, but I'm just flat out ignoring that because it's filler. I'm probably getting the ages wrong for the parents with how I lined up their graduating classes, but that's overall irrelevant so I'm not sweating it too much. I'm really glad I took the time to rewrite this, because originally the dinner was ending in this chapter but I realized I'd done absolutely nothing with the parents, and it was from that I decided to include Tenten's father Masamune and the introduction of the Sabre being fixed.
On the scenes between Naruto and Sakura and then Sasuke and Hinata, the latter was planned and the former just kinda came together in a moment of inspiration. While I'm still open on pairings, I hope it came across that I don't intend for either NaruSaku or SasuHina. There's just zero romantic chemistry in those pairings from me unless I substantially change the characters from canon, and I much prefer the parallels I can draw between Sasuke and Hinata in their interactions and the sibling like dynamic Naruto and Sakura develop in canon. I'm glad I was able to plant the seeds for both here.
I briefly considered an additional scene to end the chapter where Naruto and Sakura come across Sasuke and Hinata and get the wrong idea, but then I realized that would be stupid and counter-productive to how I've developed relationships throughout the rest of the chapter, so I scrapped it. Would have had this done yesterday if I hadn't entertained that scenario.
Next chapter will end the dinner, then training and Neji for a couple of chapters, then on to Team 7's first mission - one I don't think has been done before as their first mission out of the village, y'all can probably guess what it will be. Hopefully you'll see chapter nine before you realize you haven't done your Christmas shopping yet - speaking of which, fuck. I need to do that.
Last thing before I go - thank you to everyone who was encouraging after my last post. It felt good to have a lot of people who have been patient with me since chapter one return as well as a lot of people see this story for the first time. The reviews, good and bad, keep me going. Especially since the freaking VIEW TRACKER IS BUSTED I HAVE HAD THAT CONFIRMED.
Until next time y'all.