Chapter Twelve
We'll Learn… (To Love Again)
Naruto was floating. Or maybe he was flying? He couldn't quite tell. Couldn't feel his body, couldn't feel anything at all. There was no silence, no noise. Just his consciousness. His eyes were closed or maybe they were open? Either way there was only darkness. He felt like he was in one of those chakra chambers he'd heard Fuinjutsu masters use except all the lights were off.
He floated there so long, attempting to reach out and feel anything. His chakra, the worlds within him, his nose, his fingers, anything! But nothing worked. He was grasping at space that wasn't there with hands that did not exist. Even his emotions were lost to him. He knew that he should be terrified, worried at the least, but even that was lost to him. He felt empty like someone had turned a cup of ramen upside down and he was the cup. All that he was, had been scooped out. Nothing remained.
As he struggled against the everpresent nothing, he thought he vaguely felt something. At first he thought it was the phantom memories of when he did have a body. When he wasn't a floating soul. When he knew pain, happiness, the caress of a friend. He struggled more even if he knew somehow he hadn't moved an inch. He imagined he was thrashing about in the darkness. But there was nothing. Not a sound, a movement; nothing.
Then something brushed against him again. This time he felt something. The body he thought he lost lit up in that galaxy of nothing. He felt himself feel real again. The feeling ebbed away as he sought after it. In the after shocks it came back again and again.
With it were images. Flashes of things that were foreign to him yet so familiar he wanted to cry out. Vaguely, he thought that the tall man in them was just like him but he didn't know why. He just knew. The woman that stood beside him, that looked at him with love, made Naruto's lost heart sing. He wanted to reach out. To be there again but he couldn't.
"Find me again… in that life…"
He tried to find that voice in the darkness. To reach out. But suddenly, he was floating. Or maybe he was flying? He couldn't quite tell. The ebb and flow was gone. The images snatched away.
Was this death? Was he dying? He wanted to cry, to find the terror in this dark space but even his emotions were lost to him. He sunk into his mind. Deeper and deeper until he was nothing too. Until he barely remembered who or what he had been in the first place. He was caught in this in between, this no place once again.
"...ruto…"
Just when he thought his mind was gone, that he had succumbed, he heard a new voice.
"Na…t.." He thought it sounded familiar. Not strange and familiar, but like he knew this voice. Had trusted this voice. He reached out with an arm he thought he'd lost. He reached above, higher, stretched until he felt a warmth so intense that he reared back. It contrasted so starkly against the nothing, he felt fear finally. Was he safe?
"Come.. ack, Naruto."
Naruto? Was that him? He wanted to know. He needed to know. He reached out again, feeling. Warmth flooded his arm and spread throughout his soul, his body. He opened his eyes only to come face to face with fangs, a white and black pelt that seemed to glow and snow.
He blinked dazedly, watching as the snow fell around him just as it always did. He held up a hand to catch the warm snow in his palm.
'Always…?' he thought. A part of him knew, yes, always and forever.
A warm paw fell in his. He looked, snapping him from his thoughts. The distinct animalistic features of a leopard looked back. He knew this face.
"Ikari?" He said before he fully knew what the word meant. It came back to him then. Who he was, where they sat, even the giant lumbering creature that stayed a bit farther back.
Ikari looked relieved. "Naruto," he sighed, hugging him tightly to him. "You pulled too hard and fell."
"Fell where?" the blond asked, still slightly confused. He remembered pulling on the power within him in his panic but everything had gone bright with pain and then nothing. He shivered at the memory of that empty nothingness. The fear that he had wanted to feel reared forward, encasing his heart and chattering his teeth. He sucked in a breath and listened closely to Ikari's words, attempting to ground himself with the beast's precense.
Ikari wrapped himself around the boy, allowing him to lean his back on the animal. He wrapped a comforting tail around the blond's waist and pulled him a bit closer.
"You fell into the space between your past and present. You could not go to the past so you languished in the In Between." The leopard said, pulling away. He took a breath then glared at him. "Don't you ever do that again. If I hadn't found you, you would've been floating there forever!"
Naruto cringed back a little at the volume, his ears sensitive to the noises around him. He nodded and rubbed the back of his head. "Definitely never going there again. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry."
Ikari relaxed a little as Kurama padded closer. His eyes roamed the boy before he too seemed to relax. It was slightly awkward. The two of them never really spoke that much about things like feelings or anything other than training really. So when the great Kyuubi bent down and gently caressed the blonde's face with one of his ginormous clawed fingers, the blush that bloomed across his cheeks surely looked like fire.
"Never again, brat." Kurama growled slowly.
"H-hai!" Naruto looked at his lap. He felt like he was being scolded by his father somehow. It was oddly paternal.
Suddenly, he remembered how he got there and he shot to his feet. "My team! I have to get back!"
Before either of them could assure the boy they were safe he was gone in a whirl of snow. Ikari sighed and rested on his haunches. Kurama let out a puff of air.
"At least he is back." the fox stated turning back to the tall trees behind them.
"Yes… though I never would've taken you to be so worried." the leopard called back to him. Kurama stopped.
"I was told to look after him. Of course I worry, or have you forgotten that?" He said before disappearing into the brush.
Ikari looked down at the snow. "No, I haven't."
.
.
.
.
Naruto launched himself into a sitting position. His back going ramrod straight. He lost his balance at the suddenness and nearly teetered to the side but was caught by two pairs of hands. He tensed as he took stock of the room he seemed to be in. They must be in the tower.
His teammates were looking at him with surprise as they attempted to steady him. Kakashi-sensei sat in a chair at the end of the bed, the porn he was reading expertly put back in his vest pocket before he gave the boy an eye smile.
"You're awake, that's good." He said, standing up. "Your teammates want to talk to you about something, so I'll step out. Plausible deniability and all that."
Before Naruto could really get his bearings, the man was out the door. He looked at his team and quirked a brow at them. "What happened? How'd we get out of the forest? Where's the Snake-teme? Are you two alright? What's he talking about, plausible denia–"
Before he finished his sentence a sharp sting in his mouth had his eyes watering. Sakura gasped out. "Sasuke!"
Naruto held his face, looking over at the raven in shock. "What the hell!" He yelled in confused anger. "What was that for?"
"Why didn't you tell us?" Sasuke had his head down as he clenched his fists. His whole body was tense in anger, his shoulders held to his ears. "Why didn't you tell us you had the Kyuubi sealed in you?"
It was so quiet in the private medical room you could hear a pin drop. Naruto stared in horror at his team. His eyes went back and forth between his two friends. The oxygen had been sucked out of his lungs, and he couldn't breathe in to speak.
'How did they know?' he thought. 'Kakashi wouldn't have told them, right? No, Kakashi knows it's against the law. He wouldn't have risked it.'
Naruto was too busy panicking to do anything other than stare wide-eyed at his teammates. Maybe if he hadn't just relearned how to be a person again, just remembered that he was not a soul floating in nothing, he would've had a witty come back to this clusterfuck but he had barely gotten his head on straight before launching himself out of his mindscape. He would've preferred being launched back into a fight for his life than this. He would've at least known what to do and wouldn't have to deal with thinking beyond instinct. Now, though, he watched his friend glare at him with the eyes like the rest of the village, and he didn't know what to do.
His right hand began to pull at his hair while the other found purchase in the hospital shirt. He clutched at them to stave off panic. He grounded himself in the present as flashes of a rainy night filled with panicked breaths and blood swirled around him.
'Who could love you… Curse?'
Sakura had pushed her way over to Sasuke's side of the bed and was trying to hold the boy back from hitting him again. She was angry too, but this wasn't how they were supposed to go about this. They were supposed to be calm and ask their friend why he had kept it from them. Key word was calm. Naruto was obviously trying to figure out what was going on, and it wouldn't do to just gang up on him like this. She really wished Kakashi-sensei had stayed. The man tended to let them work out most issues themselves in an attempt not to coddle them, usually it was a good way to build teamwork and independence. Right now, though, Sakura really could've used his help mediating. She sighed.
"Let me go, Sakura." The raven struggled against her monstrous strength. "I poured my heart out about my brother, and he couldn't even bother to tell us about the stupid Kyuubi!"
She understood her teammates' anger. The three of them had spent so much time earning each other's trust. They had become deeply dependent on each other not only as shinobi but also as friends. It hurt to know that Naruto hadn't wholly trusted them even though they had both shared deeply personal things with him in their time together. This wasn't the right way to address it, though. Naruto looked like he was about to have a panic attack.
"I'm not going to let you beat him up just because you're angry he didn't tell us. Maybe he just wasn't ready to say anything. You're not exactly inspiring any trust with your actions!" Sakura yelled back at him. Sasuke's struggle slowed slightly as he grimaced at her words.
That snapped Naruto out of his daze. He looked at them with wide eyes. "You– you don't think I'm… the fox?" he asked in a shaky voice. "You just… you're mad I didn't tell you?"
Sasuke stopped struggling completely then and looked at his blond friend. It was as if the fight had left him. He had put so much trust in the two of them. Had told them his deepest fears, his greatest regrets. They had supported him in ways no one else could. And Naruto, the one he felt closest to, hadn't even trusted him enough to do the same. "Of course I don't care about the fox! I care that you didn't tell us about it. About how the villagers treat you! I told you everything about me, my thoughts, my fears… everything and you… you couldn't do the same?" He asked in a low tone.
Naruto's shoulders relaxed at that. They didn't hate him. He let out a wet laugh; he couldn't help it. "I… I don't think anyone has ever told me that." He ran a hand down his face. "I'm sorry, I just, you two mean so much to me, I thought… I didn't want to lose you. Everyone hates me because of… him and I just thought… I was afraid."
Sasuke's shoulders slouched further. The look in Naruto's eye hit them both like a ton of bricks. It wasn't that the blond didn't trust them. This was deep-rooted. A learned behavior. The puzzle pieces suddenly fell into place with stark clarity. Naruto had learned that the people who knew of his burden would only hurt him, only abandon him. That was just how his world worked. So, of course, he didn't tell them.
Sasuke let out a long breath. "We would never abandon you. We aren't like the stupid villagers. We know you. We trust you."
Sakura stepped up, nodding. "That's right; you're our friend whether you like it or not. We're a team, and we won't have it any other way. It doesn't matter to us that you have the Kyuubi inside you. You'll always be our Naruto."
Naruto blinked owlishly at her. Their Naruto? He blinked away the tears in his eyes. He looked at his friends– no, his family. "I'm sorry, guys." And he was. He never would've thought he would've found something as beautiful as this right before him. If only he had reached out sooner. He launched himself at them, pulling them towards him and forcing them into a hug as he cried. They let the boy cry on them, if only because they had never actually seen the boy cry before and didn't know what else to do.
He sniffled after a while. "By the way, the Kyuubi's name is Kurama. He wants you to call him by his name."
Their eyes bugged out of their heads at that. That launched a long discussion about exactly why– and how, Naruto was talking to the Kyuubi. Two-thirds of the team were left shell-shocked once more as the blond wildly told the story of a tailed beast being controlled.
"The only one that could control a tailed beast like that would be Madara Uchiha," Sasuke said after a short pause. Naruto looked at him, confused. He sighed. "Didn't you learn anything in the academy? Madara Uchiha helped found Konoha with Hashirama, the First Hokage. They later fought for control of the village where he died. What most people don't know is that he used the Sharingan to control the Kyuubi- I mean Kurama. I'm not sure what happened to it after that, but it was written in our secret history."
Naruto leaned back. "If that's true, then Hashirama probably sealed him."
"You seem so sure about that." Sakura piped up. "Couldn't he have just gone off on his own after that? I mean, why would he seal him without a reason?"
Naruto shook his head. "If Kurama were being controlled and suddenly came out of it, he would've been pissed. He probably saw Hashirama and flew into a rage without thinking about it. He's always so easy to rile u– ow!"
Naruto flinched and held his head. 'Careful brat, I may be in this seal, but you had better watch what you say.' Naruto pouted. "Okay, fine, stupid furball."
Sakura and Sasuke sweatdropped at that. "Uh… has he always been able to do that?"
Naruto blinked and blushed a little. "No, not before we began training so closely."
Neither knew what to say to that, so they just moved on. "Riiight… well, do you really think that wherever he was sealed was compromised by an Uchiha? What purpose would they have to release him in the village like that?" Sakura asked.
Naruto just shrugged. "Maybe just to weaken the forces… I heard a lot whenever I hung around Jiji that the council didn't really trust the Uchiha clan as much right after, so maybe they figured something was up and were trying to handle it?" He winced at how that sounded but Sasuke nodded at him.
The raven haired boy suddenly looked at his two compatriots. "Do you think… the Uchiha massacre was done on purpose?" Sasuke did tense up then. "I mean, think about it! The only one who could control Kurama was a powerful Uchiha; there were a bunch of Uchiha around at that time who could've done it. They were the leading force back then, right? What if they tried to finish what Madara started and got caught in the act? The Hokage is the God of Shinobi; he was taught by Hashirama, so he'd know what happened during that fight. He would know about Kurama if he suddenly appeared in the village; why would he have any reason to suspect anyone other than the Uchiha who had the know-how to control it and maybe even the knowledge to find it?"
Memories of his angry father rushed through his mind. He remembered secret clan meetings that his mother refused to go to. He remembered how his father wanted him stronger as if he had been training him for something. The way his brother always comforted his brother after every punishment he received for being weak. He gulped. What if… what if Itachi had been protecting him the whole time?
He had been kept up at night for years after trying to figure out why his brother had left him alive. Why him? What if he wasn't the only one that was supposed to be? Dozens of other children wouldn't have even been of age to remember the events of that night. That would mean there was another that had to finish off the rest of the innocent children. He suddenly remembered an especially terrifying figure that had attempted to worm his way into his fight for the Uchiha clan compound. Danzo had set every hair on his neck on end. He thought it was because the man looked at him with fake concern, but somehow Sasuke just couldn't shake the feeling that the man was more like the Shinigami than a retired shinobi.
He told him his thoughts on the matter, and Naruto made a face. "Oh… him. That guy has always wanted to steal the hat from Jiji. He won't say it, but from the little pieces of information I know about Danzo, that guy is definitely not on the right side of history. He's constantly been scheming behind his… back." He trailed off as though he had made a realization. Sakura looked at him quizzically for him to continue.
"Jiji nagged about him a lot back then. When all that happened, Jiji was so angry for days after and would glare at the man whenever he even passed by the office."
Sasuke wanted to ask how the blond was so close to the Hokage for him to allow him to just sit in his office all day to pick up any of this but decided that could wait. Sakura had no such compunction. When asked, Naruto just blushed.
"Ah. Well, the villagers had attacked me right before the incident, so Jiji didn't let me out of his sight for a while. Neither did Baa-chan and Dog-jiji."
"Dog-jiji?" Sasuke questioned.
"He was an ANBU captain. I think it might've been Kaka-sensei, but I've been too afraid to ask." He admitted.
Sakura squinted. "We'll circle back to that. For now, how do we prove that Danzo was responsible? If he even is responsible."
Naruto looked serious then. "We don't." Sasuke went to argue, but the blond held up a hand. "Danzo is quite literally the most well-guarded retired shinobi in this village. In the Akasen, there are rumors that he's the boogyman behind the scenes. That he just pretends to be crippled. You do not go after him without being an S-rank shinobi, at the very least. So, for now, we do nothing. We hone our skills and get stronger. Meanwhile, I'll be sure to see about some infiltration training. I think Ikari wouldn't mind helping."
Sasuke and Sakura grinned at that. That was the smartest thing the blond had said all year. They leaned back in their seats. "Well, I guess for now, we just have to finish the exam. How long have I been out, by the way?"
"Don't worry, it's only been about two, maybe three hours since we arrived. You weren't even injured, just unconscious." Sakura supplied. "Orochimaru marked you with some sort of seal, but then after the power surge you produced, it vanished."
"Oh yeah, I apparently tried to burn it off. I wonder what it did." Naruto thought, stretching back in the bed.
Sasuke grunted. "Whatever it was, thank you for taking the hit for me. He kept trying to place one on me as well. It certainly wasn't anything good." All three shivered at the thought of the snake sennin.
Later, Kakashi came back in followed by Shizune, both carrying trays of food for the genin. The older two watched the children eat and made sure they knew where the rest areas for each village were before Shizune left, ruffling Naruto's hair as she went.
With full stomachs, Team 7 made it to their respective dorm rooms. Each team had their own living space, with three bedrooms and a common area. A cafeteria down the hall had a well-stocked kitchen for the participants that was closely monitored by ANBU operatives to ensure none of the teams attempted to poison any of the other contestants, though they remained mostly unseen.
As they waited for the second round of the Chuunin Exams to finish, they heard that the Sand Team had successfully completed the exam. Naruto perked up as Sasuke smirked from his place playing cards with Sakura.
Kakashi tilted his head at the three. "Maa, I know those looks." He shut his book. "Neither of you will be seeking a fight with Gaara. Understood?"
Sasuke began to protest while Naruto just waved him off. "No interacting at all, Naruto." Naruto began pouting. "He is unstable and already wants to kill you, Naruto. Do you really want to attempt to see reason with him?" The scarecrow said offhandedly.
"But we're family! At least let me say hi." Naruto whined, crossing his arms childishly. His teammates both looked at him in confusion. Kakashi sighed.
"Listen up. Since you already know about Naruto's burden it's best to let you two know that he's not the only one that has a tailed beast sealed inside of him." Kakashi said, intertwining his fingers in his lap. The three genin gave him all their attention, a testament to how well he'd trained them.
"The biju are nine walking natural disasters, masses of pure chakra so potent that when exposed to one's unrestrained killing intent it can have lasting effects. Each of them are named after their corresponding tails which also serve as a rating system for how powerful they are. As the number of tails go up so too do their power levels, at a rate of about ten times per tail."
Sakura raised her hand. "If they're that powerful, why aren't they just walking around causing chaos? I mean none of us even knew there was more than just Kurama before this."
Kakashi grimaced at the question. "Well, all the major villages have at least one currently. They've all been sealed into Jinchuuriki and get passed on every generation. The holder of the Nibi is also in the exam and her Jonin instructor is the Hachibi's container. No one outside of those select few who organize the Chunin exams and the Jonin instructors are privy to such knowledge so it's not really advertised." He explained. "Gaara has the Ichibi sealed within him. We've found that the seal that's keeping the beast at bay is poorly placed. From what our spies have gathered he's reliant on its chakra completely. Combined with the fact that it's obviously influencing him, he's an extremely volatile enemy. None of you are allowed to go near him unless in a sanctioned match and even then it's preferred that you forfeit immediately. We can't stop you from fighting but keep in mind your life is more important than a petty contest to determine who is stronger or sentimentality. Understood?"
"But they're family! How do you expect me to reconnect with my siblings if I can't talk to him!" Naruto groaned. His team sweatdropped as he fell backwards on the floor, tantrum in full swing.
Kakashi pulled Icha Icha from his shirt pocket. " I don't and would prefer you not. At least not with him."
Naruto stopped rolling for a moment then smiled. "Hai, Dog-sensei! I'll stay far away from Gaara."
Kakashi snorted at that but didn't respond as he turned the page. As soon as the announcement came through that the only Kumo team participating had passed, Naruto stood from his spot watching the game his teammates were playing and casually mentioned grabbing a snack before exiting the room.
Sasuke shook his head. "He couldn't be more subtle if his life depended on it." The two other occupants couldn't help but agree.
.
.
.
.
It wasn't difficult finding the Kumo team. Everyone had an aura around them, a scent that no soap or perfume could mask. The thick smell of cat and ocean was what led Naruto to the Kumo team's barracks. He stood outside of it for a moment as he took in the thrum of energy behind the door. He was sweating a little at the thought of barging into the room of a team of maybe hostile shinobi. He reminded himself that they wouldn't try to harm him with so many ANBU around. If he could discern the seven that were in the hallway alone then he was sure they'd be able to as well. Naruto reasoned that their obvious presence was probably an insurance policy against more… eager teams. He shook his head as his mind wandered away from him. He had to focus, he had to make a good impression.
With that thought he swallowed his nerves and went to knock, only for the door to open to a large man with dark skin and sunglasses. The sheer pressure of the aura that radiated off of the man was incredible. He swore he could see the man's chakra and he wasn't even channeling any. Naruto just stood there for a moment in slight awe.
"Yo, it's Killer Bee, and what's this I spy? A little blonde guy with the Kyuubi, oh my!" The Jounin rapped, waving his arms in front of him like a bad rendition of a DJ. The blonde couldn't help but sweatdrop as his hand fell to his side.
'This is a prank… right?' he thought, an eyebrow quirked up.
A female voice cut through his thoughts. "Bee-sensei, what are you talking about? Who's at the do- oh." An older blond teen opened the door wider and peered out. The two blondes stared at each other for a second.
"Um.. hi? I'm Naruto." The whiskered teen started dumbly.
The look the blonde was giving him was one of suspicion. She squinted at him and tilted her head to the side. "Why are you here?" She asked finally.
"Uhh.. sibling bonding?" He said unsure. Both the Jinchuriki's before him looked on in confusion. "I mean we're siblings! Like not literally- well maybe literally, but, well, since we're all containers we're the closest thing we have to family. I mean it probably hasn't been easy for any of us, and being friendly now won't change that but-" Naruto squawked, waving his hands in the air. The two older nin looked on in understanding as he rambled away.
Killer Bee waved a hand and spoke. "Chill out, little ninja, no need to rush, in the land of rap and rhythm, sometimes you need to hush."
The whiskered nin's mouth snapped closed with an audible click. A blush spread across his face and he heard the distant sound of Kurama laughing at him. He groaned inwardly, he definitely wasn't making the best first impression.
Yugito stepped more into the hall. It was becoming clear that she didn't trust him. He couldn't really understand why. Sure he was talking fast but his intent was clear. He wanted to get to know the only family he could really claim outside his mother. What reason had he given her to be suspicious, outside of popping up during the rest period of an exam. He had come unarmed which was clear since he didn't have any of his usual gear with him. He pouted slightly at her.
The older blonde didn't really know what to make of the whiskered boy before him. She was pretty sure that he wasn't sent to spy on them. He fumbled about in a way that spoke of a bit of lingering childishness that only young Shinobi still had. She could hardly feel the Kyuubi though, his presence dampened by a frigidness that she couldn't quite place. It floated around her like frost. She felt as though she should know it, like she had once before or maybe Matatabi did. It pricked her senses in a way that put her on edge.
She squinted at him. "Listen kid, I get you're young and all but hasn't anyone told you, jinchurriki's don't have families?" She leaned against the doorway, a tired glint in her eye. "If we're lucky we might get a friend or two. That's just how the world views us. We're nothing but weapons for our villages."
Naruto frowned at her. "You're wrong. There are people out there that don't look at us like that. We're more than our burdens, and even if we can't, well that's why I'm here. How can we expect other people to support us when we can't even support each other? How do we find peace and acceptance that way? How can we expect anyone to treat us like people if we allow them to treat us like weapons?"
Yugito looked taken aback for a second, but snorted instead. "So why aren't you supporting that crazy Shukaku, then? For all your talk of friendship and being more than our beasts, you sure are playing favorites. I don't smell him on you so you must not have been anywhere near him recently. I mean, did you just decide that you were going to leave him behind? Did you decide he was too challenging?" She teased.
The whiskered boy grew red as she smirked at him. He hated the way her words pierced him, though he had never consciously decided that he would ignore the red-haired boy's pain, he had far too easily agreed to stay away from him. It angered him that she knew and threw it in his face so easily. Beyond that he felt shame coil in his stomach. He had so readily left him behind. He clenched his fists and glared at her.
"I have not left him behind! He's just–"
"Feral? Angry? Cursed?" Yugito bit out crossing her arms.
Naruto flinched hard at her words. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn't fully recovered from earlier despite the fact that he had allowed his friends to soothe him. Maybe it was the memories that were raw in his mind. But the tone used to say that word had bile rising in his throat in fear. Yugito wasn't Yugito, she was the orphanage matron. They were not in the hall but standing outside of the tall brick building as rain clung to spiked hair and a potato sack they had given him to wear in place of real clothes hung from his shoulders. For a moment, his heart leaped out of his chest and into his throat. For a second, he was unsure of which place he truly stood.
Blunt fingernails carved into calloused palms until blood was drawn. The blond breathed deep and counted backwards. Once he got his bearings and swallowed the vomit that crawled up his throat he spoke in a low tone.
"I won't lie, I was scared to talk to him. But not because he's an omen. Gaara is a person. He eats and he breathes and somewhere under all the hate he has there's loneliness. Maybe I can't help him with his pain, but I sure as hell won't let him be alone in it." He glared up at both of the Jinchuriki before him. "I swear on my life, I'll save him and everyone else!"
Killer Bee, stared helplessly at the two. Looking back and forth between the two as the older one laughed.
"Prove it. I'll hear you out when you win over that idiot." The elder blonde was sure she'd got him off her back. Sending him on an impossible task for an impossible idiot.
A growl ripped itself out of Naruto's chest. It was unintentional, but the blond still felt the ANBU creep a little closer. He clicked his tongue at Yugito's raised eyebrow in an attempt to compose himself. He breathed another calming breath before spinning on his heels and marching down the hall. "I'll wipe that stupid grin off your face!" He called behind him.
As the blonde retreated down the hall he came from, Killer Bee clicked his tongue. "Yo, yo, Cat done wrong- now the games on!"
Yugito rolled her eyes and went back inside. Killer Bee looked down the hall one last time before following. Honestly, he'd need to teach his student not to be so suspicious.
.
.
.
Ibiki circled the chair in the center of the room as though he were a lion on the prowl. The silver haired teen was tied up, facing the door of the cell he was in. There was one light source, a vent that filled the room with unsteady light as a fan circled around slowly. It was artificial light, though their prisoners didn't know that, meant to give them a distorted sense of time as it rose and fell in opposition to the outside world.
The boy lifted his head and attempted to catch the older man's eye but Ibiki refused to actually look at him, instead favoring the file in his hand.
"Kabuto Yakushi, Gennin. A couple of C-Ranks, a B-Rank, and slew of D-ranks. Good with medical jutsu but other than that, a wholly unremarkable shinobi." He rattled off with little emotion to his voice.
"Why am I here? Where is here?" He asked, anxiety filled his tone. To outsiders it might've sounded genuine,but to Ibiki, it was a weak performance. He snapped the folder closed and threw it at Kabuto's feet.
"You're going to tell me everything you know about these." He held up a deck of cards. The same ones he had showed the genin in the first part of the exam. Kabuto felt sweat prick at his neck.
He had failed Orochimaru-sama. Despair pooled in his heart before he hardened his eyes. He refused to break. He'd been subjected to Orochimaru's own torture training, nothing could break him. He may have blown his cover somehow but he refused to give away their plans.
Ibiki smiled as he saw the defiance in his eyes. This would be a long, fun night. "Let's begin then."
The screams that followed were some of the most gruesome the walls of the T Department had heard in a long while. It turns out Kabuto wasn't well prepared for torture. He broke in only five hours. Pathetic.
.
.
.
It was late when Team 8 finally completed the second phase of the Chunin Exams. They were covered in dirt and leaves. Well Kiba was covered in dirt and leaves. Hinata was pristine while Shino had managed to only have a few scuff marks on his knees from kneeing a couple of the other contestants in the face. Kiba, though much stronger than he was during his academy days, was still a wild fighter given the nature of his style.
They trudged along the darkened corridors of the tower as Kurenai led them to their dorm room. Hinata counted each of the ANBU that were stationed down the halls they walked down. She idly wondered when the next shift would come to relieve them before being knocked out of her musings by a solid body– literally.
Kiba was ahead of her so he didn't immediately react, which gave her a few seconds to steady the blonde that flailed in an attempt to catch himself. "Fuck." He muttered succinctly, alerting the rest of the team to his sudden presence.
He rubbed his nose as he allowed her to steady him. "This can't be an accident!" Kiba yelled to his sensei. "No ninja is this clumsy!"
Kurenai shot him a look that silenced him before turning back to the couple. Her eyes swept over the boy who was looking a little sheepish. "I wasn't paying attention, again. Sorry." he winced at his admission.
The dark-haired Jonin frowned deeper. "Do I need to tell Kakashi that you need more situational awareness training?" He paled and shook his head. She didn't blame him, the silver haired man was particularly brutal when it came to training their awareness, citing that it was a life saving skilled that could and would keep them alive.
She raised a brow at how calm he seemed. Or rather the nervous energy that kept him from making too much of a scene. It was apparent to all that spent time with the boy that he tended to be quieter when things were bothering him. She made a note but made no comment on it. She was much more interested in the show that was about to unfold. She had good money on the pair afterall.
"Naruto," the dark haired girl called, drawing his attention away, "congratulations on passing." She said shyly.
Over the last few months of training together, Naruto's confidence had rubbed off and her. Though she wasn't totally different, she was left without her stutter and held a much steadier confidence in herself. She also didn't mind sparring as much anymore. Naruto had made their spars especially fun and she found herself excited for training rather than dreading it.
Her skills grew and it showed even outside of team training. She was sharper and more precise with her katas, even if it was different from the standard Jyuuken. Even the Hyuugas had taken a keen interest in this change. The Hyuuga council were watching her sudden progress closely. Rumors had begun to circulate that they were considering her for the role of heir, though she wasn't aware of it quite yet.
Naruto grinned at her and intertwined their fingers. "You too, Hina-hime!" he gushed, pulling her even closer to him. She blushed a bit and smiled at him. He had given her the nickname upon learning that she was one of the two daughters of the head of the revered Hyuuga clan. He hadn't really paid too much attention to the hierarchy of the clan before and hadn't realized just how high up she was until Kurenai explained why she had to consistently leave practice earlier for clan matters. To most civilians that made her as close to royalty as one could get in Konoha. He was awed by her once again and had refused to call her anything else.
"We were just on our way to our dorm rooms." She said softly, motioning for him to follow.
"Oh I was on my way back! I can show you." He offered, despite Kurenai already knowing where they were. She let him lead them, while Kiba silently stewed about his unwanted presence. Shino, much like Kurenai, was content to watch the two banter themselves into a deeper relationship. He took his role seriously after all.
On the way Naruto talked at length about all the different hallways that led to other villages' sleeping quarters and where they could get food. He always did most of the talking when it came down to it but Hinata never really minded. She let his voice wash over her, he was so warm in his excitement that it felt like the sun was looking down at her. 'Cute…' she thought as she squeezed his hand. He squeezed back and she blushed harder.
When asked exactly how he knew which hallway housed which teams, he offhandedly mentioned how had 'gotten lost on the road to peace.' Kurenai was suddenly annoyed at her fellow Jounin for rubbing bad habits off on his impressionable Genin. She would make sure to speak to him about that later.
He suddenly stopped and HInata, along with Kiba, who was attempting to outpace him without making it obvious, bumped into him. Two figures were walking toward them from down the hall. Hinata peaked around to see it was two Sand shinobi. One was a blonde girl and a boy dressed in all black with war paint on his face, they were both obviously older than them and more experienced if the way they carried themselves said anything. The way Naruto's shoulders tightened had her moving to stand beside him instead of behind, just in case there was a fight.
The two stopped and paled slightly when they saw Naruto. They didn't move but neither did Naruto. The ANBU watching seemed to double in size even if they were supposed to be unseen. Naruto twitched when one got close. It was tense in the hall until Kurenai eventually broke it. "Excuse us, Naurto, let's g–"
"Ne Kurenai-sensei, Hina-hime, I forgot I have something to do. You guys go on ahead." He said, sending a sideways smile her way. Hinata mapped the way his pulse and aura beat wildly within him. Red chakra fluctuated inside his pathways along with the way his eye twitched with nerves, which told her he was nervous.
Kurenai looked at him for a moment and opened her mouth to rebuff him, but he looked more nervous than agitated. There were plenty of ANBU watching them, she didn't need to be there too. Plus the way the two genin in front of her were flinching away every time Naruto moved made her think they wouldn't be doing anything to him.
All of the upper ranks had learned about Naruto's stand off with the tanuki holder. They had also been given specific orders that the two should not interact under any circumstance. This situation was definitely toeing that line. But Kurenai needed to get her exhausted team to their barracks. They had spent the entire day in the forest fighting several teams for their scrolls in a competition that no one actually thought they were ready for. They were still fresh Genin and weren't used to long term missions like this.
There were plenty of ANBU operatives there to ensure that Naruto wouldn't do anything he would regret and given the fact that Gaara wasn't there made her even more comfortable with her decision to leave. She sighed. "Curfew starts soon. Make sure you get to your dormitory before then." She said and motioned for her team to follow. Hinata stood firm next to her crush.
"Naruto-kun will escort me back." She said, brooking no room for argument. Kurenai faltered for a moment, thinking about the ethicality of leaving her student in this position just for the sake of a few ryo but the reminder of the massive winnings stayed her tongue. She knew there was an even higher probability that Naruto wouldn't do anything too crazy if Hinata was there. He wouldn't risk her safety or reputation for whatever his beef was with Gaara.
"Fine but you two don't have much time." She reminded once more before pushing her remaining team onward down an adjacent hall, despite Kiba's loud protests.
Left semi-alone, the two opposing groups looked at each other. Hinata squeezed the blonde's hand once more, serving to snap him out of his staring contest with the Sand shinobi.
He spoke after another second. "Uh… congratulations on making it to the second round." He said awkwardly. "I'm Naruto by the way. You're Gaara's other siblings right?"
That seemed to snap the blond from whatever fear had been gripping her. "Other? What other?" she said in confusion.
Naruto blushed a little and looked around the empty halls. Besides the ANBU, there wasn't anyone else there, his senses counted the hidden figures at first. There was someone else listening however, someone that upon hearing Naruto's voice, presence got even closer. The ANBU grew even antsier. Naruto inwardly grinned.
This was a perfect opportunity, he knew he was dancing on the line of going against orders by talking to the two before him. It didn't really help that Gaara was currently making his way to their very destination. But he needed Gaara to hear what he had to say. Something inside of him told him it's exactly what he needed to hear to break through whatever Shukaku was doing to him. First he had to make sure Gaara could hear him from this far away. Jinchuriki had sharper senses but he wondered if it extended this far.
He sent a sidelong glance Hinata's way, but turned back. "People like me and Gaara have their… burden's essence running through them no matter how tight they're locked up. All of our burdens were once one, so they, and by extension, we, are all related."
Gaara's footsteps slowed and the ANBU were watching him like a hawk. He could practically feel them willing him to shut his mouth, but then again he never did quite curb that part of him.
"Anyways, even if we weren't related by that we'd still be brothers in pain." He continued. "He said I would prove his existence and I will." The footsteps got a bit faster again and Naruto was pretty sure this many ANBU in the tiny hallway was breaking some kind of fire code. "But what he doesn't know is that you two already have."
They both looked at him in confusion and the Gaara's presence stopped moving. "We'd never hurt Gaara!" The blonde bit out. Naruto smiled at her.
"Exactly. By loving him despite his burden and his pain, you've proven that he exists, that he isn't just something that people's eyes pass over. He isn't cursed. I was lucky, I got to learn that earlier than Gaara, but I want to make sure that he learns it while he's here."
Temari and Kankuro were staring at him wide eyed. It wasn't that they were shocked that the Nine-Tails container had had a life similar to their brother's, it was that he was trying to make peace between them for some unknown reason. Gaara had threatened his life just a few days ago and here he was welcoming him with open arms. This smelled like some sort of trap.
"I know I sound like a maniac, but you guys don't know what it's like being the social pariah. Always playing the monster in another person's world will turn you into one and I won't let anyone go through that. I hope one day Gaara will accept me." The look in the whiskered boy's eyes had Temari's words dying in her throat. She could see a look of exhaustion pass through them and then a peace she wished Gaara could have.
Neither her or Kankuro spoke. They didn't know what to say. It was clear the sincerity in his voice. His want to save Gaara from the cocoon of sand and pain he'd wrapped himself in went beyond a helpful stranger or even a sibling who could only watch. The look in his eyes spoke of past pain and the acceptance that healing brought. Call them naive but they wanted that for their brother, and if consorting with the enemy, someone who knew his pain just as well as he did, meant bringing him that peace? Then to hell with the invasion. They had been at a loss at what to do with Gaara, if this was the olive branch they had been looking for then so be it. They would just also need to beg for Konoha to stop suffocating their economy.
Hinata listened carefully, her hand gripping his as he brought up his status. She knew. Of course she knew, the civilians couldn't help but talk about it in whispers when they thought no one could hear. She had known for almost as long as she had known Naruto. Back then she had thought he was so brave to bear such a heavy burden, and then she thought he was brave for never giving up despite the village's treatment of him. She admired him even more after knowing. He was everything she wished to become and so much more. Being a container simply made her believe in his strength even more.
The fact that he was attempting to help another container made her smile soften. He was always looking after everyone else. That was just who he was. One day, though, she would let him rest.
A memory flashed in her mind, then, of rolling hills and soft breezes. She sat under the shade of a tree and a figure laid in her lap. 'Rest now, my love…'
The memory passed just as fast as it appeared and she felt herself relax in a way she hadn't in a long time. It was as if she was somewhere she had always known. Her attention snapped back to Naruto as he pulled her in the opposite direction of the two.
"Just think about it." He called although she could tell it was more so directed at the figure that loomed just beyond a bend in the hall the two Sand shinobi stood at. "Ja ne!"
She let her drag her down the hall and toward their barracks. He talked about different topics as they went. She reflected silently as they moved, about Naruto's status and the look in his eye as he spoke. She wanted to make sure he knew that no matter what, she'd always be there for him. He meant the world to her and nothing would change that. Not the Hyuuga, not the villagers and certainly not the Kyuubi.
The ANBU that were crowding the halls before, evened out as they moved along and Naruto seemed to pout at them childishly. She smiled at him for a moment before digging her heels into the floor. It was time they had a serious discussion.
"Hina-hi–" She pushed him against the wall and looked at him seriously.
"I know, Naruto-kun." His mouth hung open and suddenly look incredibly fragile. He tried to push her off but she used every ounce of courage she had to hold him in place. She needed him to know this. Needed him to know the depth of her love. "I have always known and I wouldn't change you, not an inch Naruto-kun."
He stared wide eyed at her, his breath coming in quickly. He had wanted to tell her but even with his team's acceptance of him, he had been terrified. Hinata was different, she made him steady and yet not in a way he had never experienced before. She took his breath away in such a wonderfully confusing way and he didn't want her to stop. He wasn't sure if it was love like his mother insisted or maybe it was just a crush like Sakura and Sasuke had said but he needed her with him. He didn't want her to leave because she was afraid. It would crush him to see those eyes on her.
His eyes watered and she pulled him close for a hug. He held on to her tightly as silent tears soaked into her shoulder. Since the moment he had seen through Orochimaru's facade, he had been keyed up. His bout of unconsciousness had only made him wearier and every minute after was a new fight. But in this moment, it felt like he could rest, body and soul. And he did, he sunk deep into his mind, not deep enough to enter his mindscape, just enough to only be aware of any dangers that may lay in the tower. A byproduct of his body constantly being on edge in a way it hadn't experienced in years and finally feeling safe enough in Hinata's arms to relax, his body shut down on him. Even in his sleep, he refused to let go of Hinata.
Unfortunately, that meant she had to get them the rest of the way to their barracks. With a little use of her kekkei genkai, she found which dorms were Team 7's and 8's. Considering he refused to let go of her, she made her way to Team 7's dorm first. Kakashi opened the door and she instantly knew he had heard of what transpired earlier. He looked annoyed and slightly concerned. She had only gleaned that the Sand team had another person like Naruto on their team but from his sensei's reaction, they must be dangerous. He probably wasn't supposed to be around them.
Kakashi ushered them in and sent the Uchiha to inform her sensei that she was spending the night when it became clear that Naruto, in his unresponsive state, tried to bite anyone that got too close to tearing his hands off of her. A red energy even circled around him when Kakashi successfully tore them away, even if for a second.
He looked panicked at that, but Hinata just sighed and commented that she had always known and it was fine.
Kakashi privately giggled to himself when the two curled up in one of the rooms, albeit with the door open. The silver haired man was pretty sure both the Hyuugas and Kurenai would take turns gutting him if something were to happen so he took extra precautions.
Sasuke and Sakura shared a look. "Huh… who knew we had a casanova on our hands." Sakura commented under her breath. Sasuke snorted so hard, the water he was sipping shot out his nose.
In the next room over, Kurenai was laughing maniacally at the thought of the large sum of money she was about to come into. Her students looked on in confusion.
On the other side of the tower, a red head stared out the lone window in his room at the moon. His thoughts centered around the whisker boy he vowed to destroy. Something within him fought to reach out a hand and even Shukaku seemed to quiet when he spoke earlier.
When he had finally reached the end of the hallway earlier, Temari cried. He didn't think he had ever seen her do so before. He hadn't been allowed to socialize with them much as a child. His father too afraid that he would hurt them to allow them any real time together. But she had cried for him.
Perhaps what the other container had said was true. Perhaps he could accept the blonde's hand. If only to keep that look off of Temari's face.
Kankuro looked ashamed but he had tried to touch him, if only for the sand's immediate reaction, he would've. He would've liked to feel it, but there were too many walls up. Too much time had passed since he'd felt human touch. Maybe Naruto would show him how to let down his guard.
With the One-tails pacified for the evening, Gaara drifted. It was the first time in years he had relaxed. Just knowing that his siblings were watching out for him somehow made it easier.