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Chapter 3.13 [36]

It had only been a few days since I returned to the village—two if I didn't count the night we arrived. I hadn't left my house for the first couple of days, focusing on getting my apartment up and running instead. With a vacuum cleaner and feather duster in hand, I set out to eliminate the dust cover that had settled over practically everything.

Today, the early summer morning was bright, with a pleasantly cool breeze. It wouldn't stay that way for long, though. People had already hung up wet clothes the night before in anticipation of the coming heat and I'd dressed for it, wearing a white shirt with the swirling Hidden Whirlpool emblem at its centre along with thin, black shorts.

I swept my eyes over the winding streets and alleys, searching for three particular people; they were the reason I was hanging about near the Academy. It took me fifteen minutes to find them—they were taller now, and walked with a little more confidence, but were as childish as always.

Grinning, I dropped down, landing in front of them. They froze, cautious for a split-second before recognition and then joy split their faces.

"Naruto!"

I wasn't even standing straight when they mobbed me. "Relax, guys, but yeah… I'm back."

Ko was the first to step back, red hair tied into a loose bun. "When did you get back?"

"A couple of days ago," I replied, extracting myself from Nori and Haruto. "This is the first time I've left my house since getting back."

"How was it?" Haruto asked, grey eyes peering at me with obvious curiosity. His hair had grown into a messy side part curling outward across from his eyebrows.

"The mission?"

Nori nodded, brushing dark coils out of his eyes.

"Let's walk for a while."

I fell back, watching them fan out in front of me. School kids rushed by to the Academy and yawning parents waved them off further down the street. While the three of them were caught up in the excitement of learning about my mission, I wondered what I should even tell them. They knew what kind of life they were signing up for—the Academy made sure of that—and in a year, they too would go out and take human life.

But was it wrong of me to want to spare them of it for a little while longer?

See, part of me felt responsible for luring them into this life all those years ago and I'd become a strange role model in the time since. They came to me whenever they had trouble in school for advice, for notes, or just to vent.

I sighed. "My mission was to eliminate a rogue group that had taken over a village on the northern border of our country."

They fell back immediately, walking at my sides with barely suppressed glee.

"We spent a week travelling, camping out under the stars or in caves whenever we found them. It was similar to the camping trips back in the Academy, except we didn't have any challenges to do. You could almost convince yourself it was a holiday."

"Almost?" Haruto asked.

"Almost." I smiled at him. "When we reached Tenka Village, it all sunk in. We rented a room, and the very next morning, went to have breakfast with the village's chief to confirm the mission's details. After that, Choji and I hit the streets and started investigating all day."

"Did you find out anything important," Nori asked.

"Yep. I ended up talking to this lady whose husband was killed by the rogues. She was suspicious of me because apparently, a group of hooded people arrived a week before us and she thought they were Hidden Leaf ninja."

I knew I had them hooked now, using the silence as a way to best figure out how to tell the rest of the story.

"The idea that there could be enemy shinobi hunting the rogues—or us—was pretty serious, but it wouldn't change our plans too much. We woke up at the crack of dawn and made our move on the rogues' outpost and just as we were about to head back, we were ambushed."

"By who?" Ko asked.

"Zabuza Momochi and his comrades, all rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist."

Nori frowned. "Who's that again? He sounds familiar."

"Idiot," Ko huffed, "he's one of seven ninja famous for mastering the First Mizukage's legendary blades. Wait… he's a jonin!"

I nodded. "He wasn't alone either. He had the Demon Brothers with him, they're two chunin, and a woman was wearing a Mist Village ANBU mask."

Haruto gaped. "How did you guys win?"

"That's the funny thing," I said with a smile, "my sensei fought Zabuza, taking the fight away from us, and Choji and Hinata fought the Demon Brothers."

"So, you fought the ANBU lady?" Ko asked.

"I did—and I beat her too. Hinata and Choji beat the Demon Brothers and I used the ANBU lady as a hostage. If Zabuza wanted me to return her, he had to leave us be."

"Did he?" Haruto asked.

I nodded.

"Woah…"

I could see the excitement and awe growing on their faces.

Ko's eyes widened with disbelief as she realized just how dangerous the situation had been, the weight of what I was saying clearly sinking in. Nori was deep in thought, his brows furrowed and Haruto's face practically lit up, a mix of admiration and excitement in his eyes as he hung on every word.

I felt a strange mix of pride and concern at their reactions. They were still so young, so eager to prove themselves, but they had no idea what they were really in for. It was all stories and legends to them, something thrilling and just out of reach, even with the Academy's programming.

If I could, I wanted to protect that innocence for just a little while longer, to keep them from realizing that the stories weren't as glamorous as they seemed.

I smiled. "Skip school and come with me."

I'd grown to care less and less for school as the years went on thanks to finding a better teacher in Asuma. It seemed, in a strange way, that those three had found a better teacher in me as well. With my notes to study from, classes stopped being a chore, so it wasn't like skipping a day would hurt them much—still, I noticed the worry in Haruto's eyes.

"Don't worry," I said with a smile, "you'd have to miss a lot more than a day for them to contact your mother."

Ko snickered. "You would know. Mizuki-sensei uses you as an example of the kind of student not to be."

"Well… grades and titles don't have much to do with your actual strength, anyway." I stood tall and folded my arms.

She gave me a mock salute and I walked past her rolling my eyes. "Where are we going?"

I stared at a particular spot in the wall where the paint protruded outward in the vague shape of a child. "I can see you, you know? Come out while I'm still being nice."

The camouflage cover dropped to reveal Konohamaru, scarf and all—but he'd given up on his weird helmet, it seemed.

He nodded appreciatively, not upset in the slightest that I'd caught him. "As expected of you, Naruto Uzumaki."

I blinked. "How do you even know my name?" He opened his mouth but I interjected, "Right, Lord Third. Dumb question."

He smirked. "As expected of you, Naruto Uzumak—"

"That's the second time you've said that. Why are you here, kid?"

"I…" His eyes looked past me at my three friends and I could see a flicker of something—doubt, maybe—enter his blue eyes. It vanished, replaced with a cocksure resolve. "I… you have the honour of having me as your first-ever underling!"

To my surprise—Haruto stepped around me and stared down at Konohamaru. "Naruto doesn't have underlings, pipsqueak."

"Who the heck are you calling pipsqueak?" Konohamaru smirked. "Do you know who my grandfather is?"

Nori and Ko tapped Haruto's shoulders in warning but he wasn't having any of it. I watched his nostrils flair and—with a strange detachment—started to chuckle. Was he… jealous of Konohamaru?

Both of them turned, asking in unison, "What's funny?"

"Nothing," I replied. "Kid, Haruto's right. I don't have any underlings. These three sort of count as my students… maybe?" I looked at them and they all nodded immediately.

Haruto wasn't the only jealous one, after all, it seemed.

Konohamaru folded his arms and looked at Ko, Nori, and Haruto grudgingly, "Then I'll be your… fourth student. When do we start?"

Nori opened his mouth but I raised my hand to silence him.

"Don't you have school to get to?" I asked.

"...What about them?" he jutted out his chin.

I followed his gaze to see Haruto, Ko, and Nori—all three wore light smirks.

Konohamaru stamped his foot. "W-Why, I oughta—!"

"That's enough," I sighed, grabbing him by the scruff of his shirt before he could throw himself at them. "You want to skip school? Fine, just don't come crying to me if you get into trouble."

Ko groaned. "He's coming with us?"

"I am!" Konohamaru grinned.

"Why? You don't like him?" I asked.

Nori shook his head. "It's not that."

"What, then?" Konohamaru looked down, clenching his fists. I stared pointedly at them until they looked away in guilt, laying a hand on the kid's head. "I don't mind him coming and if it's because he's a kid, boohoo. You guys are kids too."

"Hey!" Ko frowned. "You're only a year older than us."

I jabbed my thumb against the centre of my forehead protector. "This thing says I'm an adult and until you get one next year, you're all kids to me. Now, come this way." With a hand on Konohamaru's shoulder, I guided him past Haruto, Ko, and Nori before letting him go ahead and staring at the other three expectantly. "Are you guys coming or not?"

They blinked and started walking, their irritation at hanging out with a kid much younger than them giving way to the possibility that I might leave them, which was good enough for me. I didn't expect or care whether or not they became friends with him instantly. Konohamaru was stubborn enough to keep needling me until I gave in, so why not sic him on Haruto, Nori, and Ko instead?

He was prideful enough to become my supposed fourth student, which meant learning under the other three and they'd be more eager to befriend him once they learned about the benefits of knowing the Hokage's grandson. Genuine friendship would come later and, if not, I'd just have them unify in collective rage against me through training.

I wrestled control of my expression as Konohamaru started needling Nori, the stocky, dark-haired boy too polite to tell him to screw off. This continued all the way to Ichiraku Ramen, where Ko and Konohamaru stopped arguing to stare at the building's back entrance.

"Ramen? It's only nine in the morning," said Ko, taking a moment to re-tie her bun. "Why are we here?"

"Not everyone knows I'm back yet," I said, walking to the door. "Just give me a moment to check in on Mr Teuchi and Ayame and then we can head to a park or something. We'll see if you guys have made any progress since we last sparred."

Haruto grinned. "You bet! Me and Asami have been sparring lots since our taijutsu styles are similar. I even—"

"You and Asami Hyuuga, huh?" I smirked. "What's happening there?"

Ko and Nori took equally devious smirks and turned to Haruto in unison. The brown-haired boy flushed almost immediately.

"N-No! It's not like that—I s-swear!"

I let go of the issue, but his two friends didn't.

Konohamaru walked up to me, but not after scoffing at the three of them. I raised an eyebrow at the reaction, walking to the door. Before I could raise a fist to knock, the door opened wide. Teuchi burst out of its threshold, enveloping me in a massive hug and lifting me off the ground. I blinked, feeling faint vertigo at having been swung around before I looked him in the eye.

"...I'm back?"

His grin widened and Teuchi threw his head over his shoulder. "Ayame… Naruto's back!" He dragged me into the restaurant and I heard the door close behind me. "Over here!"

Entering the break room, I saw Ayame sitting at a circular table reading a newspaper article. She looked up and Teuchi transferred me into her grip and I was enveloped in a less crushing but equally warm embrace.

"When did you get back?" she asked, grasping my shoulders and pushing me away enough to get a good look at me. Her brown eyes eagerly drank in my features and when she was satisfied, Ayame pulled me in for another hug.

I extracted myself from her grip with a smile. "A few days ago. I spent the last few cleaning my place thanks to the lovely new coat of dust on everything."

Teuchi interrupted me by slinging an arm over my shoulder. "You should give us a spare key so we can clean up your apartment while you're away."

"That's…" I tapped my chin. "That's a pretty good idea. I'll get one made soon."

"Good. Now, do you want to tell me why these guys are following you instead of going to school?" His smile turned stern and I looked at the four kids I'd pulled out of school for the morning.

"Uh…" said Haruto, eloquently explaining his thoughts to the world.

Ko and Nori froze, no better than him but it was Konohamaru who put the final nail into the coffin. The little shit marched right up to Teuchi, barely reaching his waist and having to tilt his head back almost completely to look him in the eye.

"I'm allowed to be here," he said, folding his arms.

Teuchi raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"Because I say so."

"And what if I say otherwise, young man?"

Konohamaru smiled. "But you can't. Don't you know who my grandfather is?"

"Hey, cut that out," Haruto interrupted, brows furrowed. "I've been wanting to say that for a while now. Just 'cause your grandpa's Lord Third, doesn't mean you get to be an asshol—"

"The help is appreciated," said Teuchi, smiling at Haruto, "but unneeded, kid. See, my Ayame here used to be quite the little brat—like you, young man." I looked at Ayame with curiosity and she looked away, cheeks reddening. "I know a thing or two about dealing with spoiled children."

"Oh yeah?" Konohamaru poked the bear even further by smirking. "What are you going to do?"

"First of all, the four of you," he looked at Haruto, Nori, and Ko before his gaze returned to Konohamaru, "should still be in school, but because of this one, you're all going to help me before heading back."

I chuckled and walked over to Ayame, pulling out a chair beside her. "This is going to be good."

"Hold on there, Naruto."

"What, why?"

Teuchi fixed me with an unimpressed stare. "You didn't answer my question. Why are these four following you around?"

I squeezed my eyes shut and when I opened them, all four of those brats were smirking at me, triumph glimmering in their beady little eyes. And I couldn't lie, because not only would it piss off the old man, they'd rat me out in an instant.

Konohamaru included.

"Because I told them to." I sighed. "But it was only for the morning. After I visited you, I was gonna take them to the park to spar before sending them back."

Well, now they're going to help me set up because this one," he patted Konohamaru's head, "decided to mouth off. Then, they'll eat some nice bowls of ramen before heading back in time for the afternoon lessons."

Whatever bone the trio had to pick with Konohamaru, Teuchi gave them no time to do so. He set me off to work on some broth for later in the day and, from the sound of it, put all four of them on cleaning duty with Ayame watching them like a hawk.

"Are we gonna spar?" asked Haruto over his ramen bowl when we'd finished after an entire hour.

"Watch the floor," I replied, sipping a spoonful of broth. "You don't want Mr Teuchi making you guys clean it up, do you?"

That got me a round of mutters from all four of them. Konohamaru sat in the corner of the room, silently slurping on his noodles as if he hadn't eaten in days.

Teuchi entered the break room from the kitchen, wiping his brow with a rag. "Spar? No, you guys are going back to school."

Ko and Nori looked to me for help but I shook my head. "You heard the boss man. We'll spar this weekend."

"Why not after school?" Konohamaru whined.

I looked at him with amusement. "Because I've got things to do."

"What things?"

Instead of answering, I walked up and crouched low enough till I was level with him, whispering, "None of your business." He threw his head back, brows scrunched so hard in frustration that I laughed. "...Okay, fine. I've got to go and check in on some more people. Don't give me that look—I know more people than Mr Teuchi and Ayame."

"Really?" Ayame gasped. "No… that can't be true!"

Ko laughed at my expense and even the ever-dour Nori snorted. I clutched my heart in exaggerated hurt, turning my gaze onto Haruto. "Back me up here, man!"

"I dunno…" The corners of his lips curved up. "You're pretty gloomy."

I slumped against the wall in defeat to a round of chuckles.

"Okay, off with you all," said Teuchi, herding the four of them through the backdoor with napkins and bottles of water. "And if I find out you decided to play hooky, I'll make your ramen extra spicy next time!"

He closed the door behind them with a faint smile still lingering on his face.

"I really should be going," I said, leaving behind my empty ramen bowl.

"What's the rush?" Ayame asked. "Can't you stay for a while?"

"Leave him be. He's just come back from a mission." Teuchi swatted her lightly. When he looked at me, I could see neverending concern in his eyes. "How was it?"

I shrugged. "It wasn't great, but it ended well. I'm a lot richer and I got to do some good."

"The number of shinobi who've sat opposite that counter… do you know how many of them come for a hot bowl of comfort after a mission?"

"...No?"

"Too many—but do you know how many of them promise me that they'll come back safe and sound, but don't?"

I looked at my feet. "...Too many."

He hummed, laying a hand on my head. "You might grow taller than me one day, you're stronger than me, but that worry? The worry that gnawed at me the entire time you were gone? I don't think it'll ever go away, even if you became the Hokage."

There he went again, dropping gems of wisdom and a punch to the gut alongside said gem. I snorted, blinking the unbidden heat out of my eyes. "...Like I'd ever choose to do that much paperwork."

"Get out of here," he chuckled, opening the door for me. "But don't be a stranger, you hear me?"

Ayame squeezed her head under his arm in the doorway. "I'm serious!"

I looked back at them and gave a lazy two-fingered salute. "I'll be there for my shift on Thursday!"

Once the amusement faded, I was left wandering the busier streets in… boredom wasn't quite the right word. I knew that there was something I had to do, I just didn't have the desire or energy to do it, so I hopped across the rooftops instead. Hokage Mountain stood tall in the distance, but I kept my eyes off it, at least for the first half an hour. When the beating sun grew too hot to withstand, I fell back to street level and went wherever my feet took me.

I drifted through the village, the familiar sights blurring into a haze as I moved without purpose. The vibrant colours of the market stalls, the distant chatter of vendors, and the occasional glint of metal from a shinobi's forehead protector all melted into the background. My mind wandered as much as my feet, skimming over thoughts and memories that seemed just out of reach.

A gentle breeze swept through the alleyway, bringing with it the faint scent of grilled fish from a nearby stand. My stomach growled, but I ignored it, too restless to stop. Today was just another day, passing like so many others, with no more meaning than the last.

Or so I tried to tell myself.

In time, my feet took me to where my mind was too afraid to go, the building's red tiers stretching higher. Grimacing, I walked past the guarded front gate and entered the building. A cool blast of air conditioning struck me from above as I entered the building.

The receptionist noticed me first, lips pursing into a frown.

"I'm here to see Lord Third."

She relayed my message into the intercom and I walked past without another word, ascending the winding staircase. The door to Lord Third's office was slightly ajar so I opened it without a sound. Somehow, he noticed me, the aged lines on his face relaxing just a little at the sight of me.

"Naruto."

I pulled my lips into a smile or tried to anyway. It felt more like a grimace and didn't come as easily as a smile should have. Lord Third noticed, but only widened his own smile in response. The shadow of our conversation last night hung over the room like a mortcloth, stifling any goodwill I felt despite it all.

I… I understood why he made his choices, but those choices left me without anyone to trust for a long time. What was I to do, then? I'd spent so long seething at my lot in life, being angry at Lord Third. He came to me, explained himself, and even went a step further by revealing my parentage to me.

To be honest, I thought he'd take that secret to the grave.

Shuffling a little, I gave him a slight bow. "Uh… hello, sir."

"Here for the key, I assume?" he continued, undaunted by my awkwardness as he reached into a drawer.

I nodded, inching closer to the cluttered desk, and held my hand out, ready to accept the golden key. Its weight settled into my palms, oddly heavy to touch and I pocketed it, feeling its drag inside my shorts.

"Oh," Lord Third's voice stopped me as I turned to leave, "I forgot to mention this last night, but your friends have also returned from their missions."

"Really?" I turned, momentarily forgetting the weighty awkwardness. "Are they okay?"

"Team 7 failed their mission," he replied. "Jonin Hatake is in the hospital, but is fine to receive visitors."

"Why did they fail?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I can't tell you. It's classified."

Furrowing my brow, I swallowed that information, dozens of questions bursting from the unanswered one. Who had they encountered that was strong enough to land Kakashi in the hospital and prevent them from succeeding? Zabuza had come after the Jagged Blades and was in the Land of Fire, so who had Gato hired?

I wouldn't get an answer from Lord Third, Kakashi or the other members of Team 7 for that matter.

"What about Team 8?"

Lord Third's face wrinkled into a frown. "They did not go on a mission."

I did a double-take at that. "Why?"

"Jonin Yuhi turned it back in and has seen fit to blacklist them from out-of-village missions for the foreseeable future due to Genin Nara's conduct during the joint training. In truth, I agree with her. They are not ready for the responsibility… not yet."

So, that was it, huh?

When no one came to back up Kiba, I realised he was being used as a sacrificial piece but didn't think much else of it since it was a training exercise. However, on a real mission, Kiba would have died. A tactic like that should have been Shikamaru's last resort but he used it right off the bat. In the chaos of Ino's debacle, it slipped my mind but I couldn't argue the decision since Shikamaru deserved it.

I did feel bad for Kiba, though; Ino might have gone along with Shikamaru, but the poor guy did nothing wrong, even eating a food pill was a bit hair-brained because death was never on the table during a training exercise.

"I'll… uh, go talk to him," I said, slipping up, in part, due to the news throwing me off kilter.

"Perhaps the word of a friend will remind young Nara of what being a Leaf shinobi means," Lord Third replied with an appreciative nod. "In a similar vein, Team 7 could do with the companionship of their fellows."

"I'll spread the word to Team 8 as well."

"See that you do."

With a nod, I turned to walk away, moving my left foot from the open door so I could step through it.

"Naruto?" again, Lord Third's voice stopped me before I could leave his office.

I turned around with my eyebrows arched in curiosity. "Yes?"

"Have a good day."

I blinked before a smile stretched across my face against my will. Triumph swam in Lord Third's eyes at having managed to make me smile and I turned around, partly out of embarrassment but also to stop the door from closing.

"...Thank you," I grunted out, closing the door behind me.

The key sat heavy in my pocket, growing heavier with each step I took away from Hokage Mountain but it wasn't time yet.

I had one more thing I wanted to do—no, I had to do before I went there. Arriving at the front of the Nara compound, I was met by two guards reclining in chairs on either side of the massive gate. They took one look at me and gestured me in. By their lazy posture, it was easy to write them off as the usual slothful Nara, but I saw the way their eyes raked over my body as I walked on by.

In time, I stood before the door to Shikamaru's family home, the key in my pocket feeling heavier than it should. I knocked, and Shikamaru's father opened the gate, giving me a curious look but letting me in without a word.

"...Naruto Uzumaki," he said with a raise of his brow. "You've returned."

I bowed. "Jonin Commander."

"None of that, now," he replied with a wave of his hand. "I'm unofficially off-duty for the next four hours."

"Unofficially?"

He winked with a rogue grin that stretched across his scarred face.

"Where's Shikamaru?" I asked. "I'm here to talk to him."

"I figured you would. He's out back."

He gestured over his shoulder to a corridor that led to their garden where I found him lying in the grass, staring up at the clouds like usual. I walked over and sat down beside him.

He didn't bother looking at me. "What's up, Naruto?"

"I heard about the training," I said, keeping my tone neutral.

"Yeah, it was a mess as everyone keeps saying," Shikamaru replied, a hint of irritation creeping into his voice.

"A mess that you're responsible for," I replied. "You came up with that plan, remember?"

He groaned and sat up. "But it wasn't all on me. Kiba was reckless! Why the hell would he choose to fight you, Choji, and Hinata?"

I frowned. "Kurenai-sensei seemed to think it was on you for making the call and I think I agree with her."

"Of course you do," Shikamaru shot back, finally turning to face me. "Unlike you, my team isn't the strongest. I had to make a choice with the pieces that I had."

"But you didn't have to sacrifice Kiba," I pointed out. "There were other options. If this was real, Kiba would have died , man."

He shrugged, the frustration clear on his face. "It's easy to say that now, after the fact, but out there, I did what I thought was best given the situation. If they had just stuck to the plan…"

I stayed quiet for a moment... my words weren't sinking in so maybe another angle would work.

"I get that it's tough, but blaming everyone else isn't going to help. You're the one they'll look to for help. You're practically the second-in-command after Kurenai-sensei. What are you supposed to do if Ino and Kiba can't trust you for fear that you'll sacrifice them like some shogi piece?"

"I get it, alright?" Shikamaru sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's just… annoying , you know? Having to rely on others when they can't even follow a simple strategy."

"Maybe," I said, standing up, "but if you keep thinking like that, you're just going to isolate yourself from them. We all make mistakes, Shikamaru, but the first step to never making them again is admitting that mistakes were made in the first place."

He didn't respond right away, just lay back down and stared at the clouds again.

"In other news, Team 7 is ready to receive visitors according to Lord Third." I stood there for a moment before heading off. "Do you know what would help you with getting your team's trust back?"

"...What?"

"Kiba's friends with Shino and Ino's friends with Sakura. Go to them and offer to check in on their friends. Sure, they might not be very happy with you now—you know, having missed out on an out-of-village mission—but it'd be a step in the right direction and maybe Kurenai-sensei will change her mind if you extend an olive branch."

Shikamaru didn't reply, but I figured he'd come around eventually.

Leaving the Nara compound, I found myself back in the village streets with no clear destination in mind. The sun hung high in the sky and I drifted past the same stalls I'd seen earlier, the vendors calling out their wares to the passing crowds. The smells of grilled meats and fresh vegetables filled the air, but my appetite had faded.

Instead, I kept moving because there was no avoiding it any more.

The building was pretty modest as far as houses went, but it was still a damned sight better than my apartment and surprisingly modern to boot. The exterior was painted in soft, earthy tones and a small, well-maintained garden bordered the front, filled with a variety of plants.

I guess I was… surprised that the house was still being tended to after over a decade, brushing my hands over the bright flowers and eyeing the hardy shrubs beside the stone path leading to the door. A few wind chimes hung from the eaves, their gentle tinkling sound carried by the breeze.

I pulled the key out of my pocket, tongue thickening inside my mouth, and twisted the lock. Gulping, I held the handle to steady myself as a sudden wave of vertigo slammed against me. A wave of damp heat washed over my face and I blinked, getting used to the faint scent of lemon-scented incense. Closing the door behind me, I fumbled for the corridor light, illuminating the frames hung all along the bottom of the staircase to my right.

I inspected the pictures capturing various moments across their lives and swallowed.

The first photo showed my parents standing side by side in front of our home; it looked exactly as it did in real life. My father wore an easy smile, while my mother's face was lit up with a far bright, confident grin, and yet, they looked so happy together, like nothing in the world could touch them.

Clenching my jaw at the memory of Obito's orange mask, I moved my eyes to the next picture—it was a picture of them on their wedding day. My mother's red hair was pulled back into a neat bun, and she was wearing a simple, elegant kimono. Dad stood tall beside her, looking proud and a little embarrassed, like he wasn't used to being the centre of attention.

I chuckled quietly, tracing my fingers over each picture. Each one was a window into a time I couldn't fully remember but could feel in my bones—a past filled with love, hope, and the family I never got to know but that warmth I felt twisted into something darker that had been simmering under the surface for years.

My hand clenched into a fist, and I had to force myself to take a deep breath, but it didn't help because the rage was there, burning hotter with each second.

Obito. He took this from me. He stole my parents, my family, and what my childhood ought to have been. I could have had all of this—a mother's warm hugs, the feeling of being loved, of belonging, but I grew up alone again, with no one to turn to.

All because of him—him and his selfish delusions.

My fingers dug into the wood of the picture frame as I imagined what my life would've been like if Obito hadn't ripped it all away. Every struggle, every lonely night, every time I wondered why no one was there for me—following me beyond the grave and here. Obito turned my life into a fight for something that shouldn't have been so damn hard to find after it slipped between my stubby, infantile fingers.

A family .

My breath came out ragged, and I realized I was trembling. I wanted to smash something, to destroy something the same way he destroyed my life. The way he destroyed my parents. I forced myself to let go of the frame.

The photos were all I had left of them, and no matter how much I wanted to give in to the anger, I wouldn't let it take this away from me too because I had people I cared for; a sister in Ayame, a father in Teuchi, and a team of friends and a mentor who cared for me as family should.

Still, the rage wouldn't disappear, it wouldn't fade nor did I want it to.

I wouldn't let it.

It was the fire that drove me forward at the worst points of my life, the reason I fought so hard. One day, I'd make Obito pay for everything he'd taken from me, but for now, I'd keep these memories close and use them as a reminder of what I was fighting for.

After wandering through the house and finding little more than the remnants of a life left behind, I stood at the door to another study. I hesitated for a moment, resting my hand on its worn wooden handle, before finally pushing the door open. The room was small and cosy, with a single window letting in a soft beam of sunlight that lit up the dust particles in the air.

The faint, musty aroma of leatherbound books and aged paper hung in the air, turned damp and warm with time. Every shelf I could see was lined with books—some old, some newer, all of them carefully arranged. A small desk sat nestled in the corner, cluttered with writing tools and an old, empty ink pot.

I stepped further into the room, running my fingers along the spines of the books—most were fiction pieces—until something caught my eye, its cover worn from years of use. I pulled it from the shelf, feeling the weight of it in my hands, and took a seat at the desk.

The first page that greeted me was a picture of my mum, younger and full of life, holding up a certificate and standing with a broad smile next to Dad after her graduation. As I flipped through the pages, the photos told a story of their lives together—training, laughing, sharing moments that were both mundane and extraordinary.

Like one where Dad lay flat against the ground, crushed under the weight of a blue, haori-clad toad as large as an adult man—but it wasn't just pictures of them. The more I turned the pages, the more I saw my mother with other people, and more commonly, another woman, someone who looked familiar.

They were older in these photos than the ones from before, often caught in moments of laughter, sometimes sitting together under a tree or sharing a meal with other people. I kept flipping through, finding more photos of the two of them, until two folded pieces of paper slipped out from between the pages.

One was a picture of my mother with the dark-haired woman I'd seen her in several photos with and another was a note, weathered and dog-eared, but still whole.

Leaning forward, I began to read:

"Mikoto's always been so good at remembering everything. It's like she has this perfect recall of all her best moments, and it drives me crazy sometimes. I guess that's the Uchiha for you with their special eyes. She doesn't need photos to remind her of the good times—she just remembers. I wish I could do that… just to keep its voice away. Maybe that's why I keep this book, so I don't forget all the love and laughter we've all shared. Like Lady Mito said, sometimes, when things get tough, I look back at these pictures, and it fills me up from head to toe with… I can't even describe it—because it's more than love."

"...Wait," I murmured, reading and re-reading the note.

I leaned back, realising with a start why I found the raven-haired woman so familiar: she was Mikoto Uchiha, Sasuke's mother. Tucking the photobook underneath my arm, I slipped the photo and note into my pocket and left the room as quietly as I entered it. Downstairs, I traced my fingers against the photos, stopping at one of Team 7.

A young Kakashi looked like he was in the middle of scoffing at an irate Obito. Dad had a hand atop both their heads with a helpless smile and Rin stood between them, twin peace signs flashing with an accompanying grin despite her friends' expressions.

"...Kakashi, huh?" I murmured, staring into his grey eyes, unscarred and alight instead of the damp pools they'd become.

I travelled, both certain and uncertain; I knew where I was going and what I wanted to do, but I didn't know how he would react. I didn't want to dredge up bad memories, but he was the last point of connection I had with my parents.

The last point of connection I had access to, so I entered the hospital through the shinobi entrance. The receptionist let me pass without a question and I murmured Lord Third thanks for it. Faint antiseptic lingered in the air, mingling with the soft hum of distant medical equipment. The walls were a calming shade of blue, with occasional framed prints of the village.

The floor beneath my feet was polished and almost too quiet, except for the muted footsteps of nurses and doctors as they moved about their duties. I stopped in front of the door to Kakashi's room. There was no one around, so I knocked on the door, not expecting any response.

"Come in," came his voice, muffled but cool.

I blinked and opened the door, heartbeat thrumming in my throat, walking into Kakashi's hospital room. There was a long, single bed placed by the window, sunlight coming through the translucent vertical blinds and making the room feel a bit less sterile.

Kakashi lay in bed, looking pale but calm. An IV drip was attached to his arm, and the beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound apart from the soft rustle of the blinds. The bed was neatly made with crisp white sheets, and there was a small table beside it with an Icha Icha book and an empty cup beside a jug of water.

The air smelled clean, with a hint of the plant's freshness from the pots on the windowsill. Kakashi shifted slightly and looked my way, offering a weak smile. It wasn't his usual grin, but it was enough to remind me of the person he was, even in this hospital room, and he still wore his mask despite it all.

"What can I do for you, Naruto?" he croaked.

I set the thick photobook on the visitor's chair on the other end of the table. "I can pour you a glass of water for one."

He pulled his mask down, taking a deep gulp from the glass. "...Thank you."

"You're welcome," I said, blinking.

"Didn't expect to see my handsome face so easily, did you?" he said, the crow's feet around his right eye wrinkling. "I usually keep a subtle genjutsu over anyone I'm around when I eat or drink. It makes it look like I have another mask under this one but I'm wiped—have been all week since we got back."

"What happened?" I asked, taking a seat and settling the photobook across my lap.

Kakashi shook his head. "It's classified."

I sighed. "Lord Third said as much. Can you tell me why you're in the hospital at least?"

"Let's just say I used an ability that I haven't mastered and paid the price for it."

Taking the answer for the deflection it was, I nodded slowly. "...Okay."

"More interestingly," he said, pumping energy and cheer into his voice, "why the visit—not that I'm complaining. I've only had Sakura and Shino for company these past few days. Sasuke visited me once when I woke up and never again… my heart weeps!"

I shook my head, not sure what to make of his melodrama-worthy performance but I couldn't let the conversation go his way. After the house and last night's talk, I wasn't in the mood for anything except the truth, so I pushed the photobook across the table, moved the jug to the floor and opened it to a page.

Kakashi sat up immediately, eyes roaming over the pages and his fingers turned them, over and over, until he reached the end. He sighed, and the usual hidden regret in his eyes pushed to the surface in all its damp, pitiful glory.

"So… you know."

I nodded.

He bowed his head. "You must hate me for not being there for you."

"No more than I hate Lord Third for choosing the village over me." He flinched at the heat in my voice and I sighed. "I'm not… happy with your choices, how could I be? But… more than anything, I want to understand them."

"Well, what do you want to know?" he asked, shifting against the mountain of pillows at his back.

I tapped my chin—what did I want to know?

"Why?" I asked, more curious than upset. "Why didn't you reach out at all?"

He looked at the ceiling, mask still around his neck and sighed. "Why, huh? I… to be honest, I was afraid."

"...Why?" I repeated, frowning this time.

"Because you were like me." He looked at me then, and his grey eye hardened so much that I could swear it grew darker. "Always training—and you had that look in your eye too. That look that cared only about results because you had something to prove. I don't know what, but it was there."

I gulped, wincing at my dry, sore throat.

"I might not have been there, but I paid attention," he continued, looking through the vertical blinds this time. "Naruto, it hurt watching you push your friends away and put the second to your training because it's exactly what I did."

"...Is that why you didn't teach me?" I murmured, to myself in part.

Kakashi tilted his head. "Not completely. I found out about you and Asuma. In the few years he'd been training you, you learned to balance training with valuable friendship."

"But you could have still taught me as my jonin sensei," I pointed out. "I… wasn't the best friend, but I was learning, you know?"

"I could have," he agreed, "but on the off-chance that I stoked your worst impulses, I would have never forgiven myself. Besides, I've failed too many people to add you to that list—your parents included."

…That was certainly something. I swallowed, not so much accepting his words as I tried to understand them. I was the least angry at Kakashi out of everyone in my life, which started and ended at Hiruzen Sarutobi. Jiraiya was my father's sensei, and my parents picked a name out of his book, but he wasn't my godfather.

All responsibility over me was on Lord Third's shoulders, as per my mother's dying breath and while I had no want for money, my childhood was no childhood at all.

And now, I knew why and I hated it… but I understood.

Kakashi had spent his life searching for reasons to continue beating himself over the head with guilt and something told me that if I allowed him to use me as yet another reason, he'd never stop.

"Life's not a single straight road," he continued, "and more often than not, it goes to unexpected places. You see, it's not my place to be your jonin sensei anymore, but that's life—it doesn't mean I can't help you out, though, so ask away. What else do you want to know? Not like I get many visitors these days..."

I smiled and leaned forward. "How was it? Learning from my father?"

"First thing's first, get me my flak jacket from the coat rack, will you? It's getting cold but I don't want to close the window."

I did as ordered, draping the green vest across his lap.

He blinked and then a hesitant smile twitched from the corner of his mouth, mask still draped around his neck. "It was… educational—yeah, that's how I'd best put it. I dunno, Naruto… there was so much… so much."

From there, it was perfectly smooth sailing. I don't know how long I sat across the table, listening to stories and cautionary tales about my mother and father. They were close with Kakashi for sure, but I didn't know they were that close. He told me of nights where they'd huddle around the living room and watch television with the rest of his genin team and the weekly dinners with as many as a dozen of their friends.

At the end of it, the regret returned to his eyes and the same emptiness settled deep inside me and I knew that we were both thinking the same thing.

"Hey," I said, eager to continue the positive conversation, "can you use the Rasengan?"

Kakashi blinked away the regret. "Why do you ask?"

"It's my dad's signature jutsu, right? I wondered whether you could use it too."

He nodded and I saw the ghost of smirk on his face. With a practised motion, he extended his hand and at first, there was nothing—a heartbeat of silence that made me feel like I'd made a fool of myself—but then, a delicate wisp of chakra began to swirl from his palm… right before a plume of smoke flooded out of his palm.

It cleared to reveal an orange book with an ever-popular title that had me slumping in disappointment.

"Behold!" Kakashi held out the book, bowing his head in reverence.

I sighed. "What do you have there, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Don't pretend you're unaware of the famed Icha Icha series, young man," he replied with a leer. "I'll have you know that this was your father's favourite edition. Now, I was going to give it to you when you made chunin—that's when Lord Third said he'd reveal your parents' identities to you—but you decided to be extra mature and wring it out of him earlier, so here you go."

My eyebrows crawled up to my hairline at the accusation—something told me my mother wouldn't let those books survive if she found them… unless he kept a stash?

"It's true… and now, I pass it on from father to son—safeguard it." Kakashi's voice was rich with admiration, "The book was a gift from your father. The best gift, even."

I accepted it gingerly. "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei. I'm sure I'll find some use for it… maybe."

"When we're alone, Kakashi is fine, alright?" He chuckled and then nodded to himself in satisfaction. I nodded dumbly, slipping the porno novel into the same pocket that held the key to my family home and then zipping up the pocket immediately.

"Naruto?"

I looked up.

"I need a favour from you—don't worry, it's not in return for the book," he clarified, sliding the mask back up his face, all the previous humour gone. "I'm… worried for Sasuke after our mission. Sakura and Shino tell me he's been avoiding them and, like I said earlier, he hasn't visited me since I woke up. I reckon he's pushing his friends away as a reaction to our failed mission."

"Okay," I digested the information with a slow nod. "What do you need?"

With his mask back up, the crow's feet around Kakashi's right eye crinkled with full effect. "If he's pushing his friends away, maybe his eternal rival can get through to him."

"...For the record, I'm not going to wear a green jumpsuit."

He barked out a laugh at that. "I wouldn't ask that of anyone."

I shared a smile with him and rose out of my chair, tucking the thick photobook under my arm. "I'll see what I can do, Kakashi."

"That's all I ask," was his reply.

Out in the corridor, I opened the front cover out of curiosity—I'd never read an Icha Icha novel before—not even Ayame's secret stash. The inner front cover was empty, and where there should have been a foreword or something on the next page, I found careful penmanship… and a note assigned to me?

Taking a seat outside Kakashi's hospital room, I began to read:

"Dear Naruto,

Honestly, I don't when I'll give this to you and it'll never make up for the years that I wasn't there. I hope you can forgive me, but I'll give this to you anyway. Know that it's incomplete and that it falls to you and me to finish your father's magnum opus—though I've thrown in the towel, so it's all you, kid."

"No way," I breathed, my heartbeat quickening while I flicked through the book.

There wasn't a lick of smut or any prose fiction at all. Instead, I found careful instructions and margin-squeezed tips on learning and mastering the Rasengan and that wasn't even all. I flicked further ahead to a section marked by a dog-eared page and drank in its contents.

"... Furthering the Rasengan," I murmured, "the theory behind the Chidori."

After that, I couldn't read any further.

Slamming the book shut, I raced back into the hospital room, practically bursting through the door. Kakashi lay on his back, snoring loud and hard. I bowed deeply and spoke loud and clear, knowing that he definitely wasn't sleeping.

"Thank you, Kakashi. I'll do you proud."