#call me kushina-san

[seoheesoo]

What if Sakumo were alive and how Kakashi's life would have changed after Naruto was born

[Part 6]

"I can't believe it's been nine months already!" - Obito said excitedly.

The teenagers arrived at the Namikaze family's house. Kakashi raised his hand to knock, but the front door suddenly opened. A young woman came out of the house.

"Tsunade oba-san!" - Kakashi smiled at the woman, who looked at the three teenagers with a surprised look.

"Kakashi! Look how you've grown!" - Tsunade extended her hand and patted the guy’s hair. - "Have you come to visit Kushina?"

The teenagers nodded.

"Come in, she just woke up", - Tsunade stepped aside. - "I'll go see Sakumo-san for now."

Obito and Rin bowed to the woman in farewell.

"Why do you call Tsunade-sama an aunt?" - Obito immediately asked as soon as the woman disappeared around the bend.

"Because Jiraiya is my uncle", - Kakashi shrugged and entered the house.

"So what?" - Obito screamed. - "You're always like this. You can never answer a question directly. You're annoying!"

"Be quiet", - Rin shushed him. - "You'll wake up the baby."

The teenagers took off their shoes and walked into the living room. The door to the bedroom was slightly open. Obito and Rin knocked and entered the room, while Kakashi hesitated at the entrance.

"Obito, Rin!" - he heard a woman's voice. - "Glad to see you."

"Kushina-san!" - Obito rushed to her first. - "How are you?"

The woman was lying on the bed. Traces of fatigue were visible on her face. She smiled softly at the worried teen and squeezed his hand tightly.

"I’m fine", - she reassured the guy.

Obito did not take his eyes off her, in which anxiety was noticeable. At the same time, Kakashi finally entered the room. While Obito and Rin were talking to Kushina, Kakashi moved closer to Minato.

"Do you want to hold him?" - asked the Fourth Hokage as soon as Kakashi was nearby.

Hatake nodded uncertainly. Minato smiled encouragingly at him and held out the child. Kakashi carefully picked him up and pulled him closer.

"Hey Naruto, wake up", - Minato bent over the baby. - "It's time to meet."

The child in Kakashi's arms began to stir. His eyelids fluttered and after a moment he opened his big, blue eyes. Kakashi turned his back to everyone and pulled the mask off his face with one hand. His lips stretched into a gentle smile.

"Hello Naruto", - he said softly. - "My name is Kakashi."

Naruto blinked.

"I’m so happy to finally meet you", - Kakashi leaned over the baby and touched his cheek with his finger. - "From this day on, I will be your big brother. And I will always be by your side. I give you my word."

"Kakashi! I want to hold Naruto too!" - he heard a loud voice behind him and quickly pulled the mask over his face.

"Wait", - he muttered and hugged the child tighter.

"Hey, that's not fair!" - Obito immediately pouted. - "Give him to me."

Kakashi shook his head stubbornly. Minato and Kushina laughed.

"Come on, Kakashi, let Naruto meet his other siblings", - Minato put his hand on the guy’s shoulder.

"Okay", - Kakashi muttered displeasedly and handed the baby to Rin.

***

Three years have passed since Naruto was born and four years since Minato assumed the post of Hokage. Konoha was rapidly changing under the leadership of the Fourth Hokage. The first thing Minato did was remove Danzo from all affairs and abolish the Root. As soon as Kakashi turned seventeen, Minato appointed him head of the ANBU. Not only focusing on changing the ANBU system, Minato also advocated reforming the police department. By concluding an alliance with the head of the clan, Fugaku Uchiha, with the support of Obito, Minato was able to change the attitude of the elders and residents of Konoha towards the entire Uchiha clan.

In addition to changes within the village itself, Minato actively advocated signing peace treaties with other villages and ending bloody wars. The long-awaited peaceful era of shinobi has arrived.

Kakashi was patrolling the borders when he suddenly felt familiar chakra. He stopped abruptly, and his team members immediately froze nearby.

"Go ahead, I need to check something."

Having waited for their nods, Kakashi headed towards the supposed location of the familiar chakra. He landed silently on a tree branch and glanced at the ground. In the middle of the edge of the forest stood a child. Kakashi jumped down. The child turned around and shuddered in fear.

"Naruto", - Kakashi called him quietly.

The boy covered his face with his hands in defense. Kakashi mentally cursed. The child had never seen him in his ANBU uniform before. Kakashi removed the Hound mask from his face and then quickly pulled off the black mask as well.

"Naruto", - he called the child again. - "It's me."

The boy slowly moved his hands away from his face and turned his gaze to the guy.

"Kashi nii-chan!" - with the speed of the wind, the boy rushed at Kakashi and hugged him tightly around the neck.

"I’m sorry I scared you", - Kakashi said softly, stroking the child’s back soothingly. - "What are you doing here? And why are you alone?"

Naruto was silent, still trembling slightly from the emotions he had experienced. Kakashi decided not to put pressure on the child, giving him time to come to his senses. After a few seconds, he felt a familiar chakra approaching. He quickly pulled his black mask over his face and carefully broke the hug from the boy.

"Genma, captain of the Hokage's personal guard", - Kakashi turned to the arriving guy and deliberately emphasized his position. - "Would you like to explain why the hell the son of the Fourth got lost in the forest alone?"

The guy put his palm forward and frowned.

"Do you remember that five days ago the Fourth sent me on a mission to Hidden Sand Village? I returned an hour ago and was immediately informed that Naruto had escaped."

"Escaped?" - Kakashi clenched his hands into fists. - "So, what did your incompetent subordinates tell you? Isn't it their responsibility to protect and monitor the Fourth's son? How could a three-year-old child escape from their surveillance? Do they even understand the danger they put him in? What if something happened to him?"

Genma jumped off the branch and came closer to the guy.

"According to them, in recent days he began to run away more and more often. And it became more difficult for them to find him."

"They also have the audacity to come up with excuses for themselves?" - Kakashi’s cold voice cut deeper and sharper than any dagger.

Genma glanced worriedly at his right hand, which was beginning to gather chakra. The accumulated chakra crackled and enveloped the guy's entire arm in blue bolts of lightning.

"They were very unlucky that it was not the Fourth who found out about this, but me. Minato sensei could have spared them, but I won’t", - Kakashi growled in a slow and low voice. - "I'll kill them."

"Kakashi, stop", - Genma took a step forward, standing in the guy’s path completely without any fear. - "You're scaring Naruto."

Lightning flashed and disappeared. Kakashi turned around and met the gaze of frightened eyes. Hatake dropped to one knee in front of the child.

"This is the second time I’ve scared you, I’m sorry", - Kakashi bowed his head guiltily.

"Kashi nii-chan, I didn’t mean to", - sobbed Naruto.

Big blue eyes filled with tears.

"I ran away and now you’re angry with me", - the child said in a broken voice, rubbing his eyes with small fists.

Kakashi's heart sank. He extended his hand and hugged the boy tightly.

"Naruto, I'm not angry with you", - he whispered, feeling hot tears on his shoulder. - "Listen to me carefully, Naruto Namikaze, I will never be angry with you. You will never disappoint me. And you should never be afraid of me. I will always be by your side to lend you a hand or lend my shoulder. I will always be behind you, protecting you and guiding you. You should never worry about this."

The boy's small arms hugged his neck tighter. Kakashi could feel the child's heart beating fast in his chest.

"Do you promise?" - the boy asked in a quiet voice.

"Promise", - Kakashi vowed, putting all his love and devotion into one word.

***

"I knew I would find you here", - Kakashi heard Guy’s voice, and then felt Might sit down next to him. - "You weren’t near the gate and I didn’t find you in the apartment. You usually meet me after missions. Something happened?"

Kakashi could feel his excitement. Guy knew him too well, he could read all of Kakashi's hidden feelings just by looking at him. Hatake felt Guy's hot hand gently squeeze his palm.

"It’s interesting how much has changed in the village in the three months that I was gone", - Guy decided not to put pressure on Kakashi and decided to continue the conversation, giving Hatake time to find the right words. - "Did Naruto acquire some new techniques? I can't wait to meet him tomorrow and show him some new moves."

Kakashi snorted quietly. Guy loved Naruto very much and if it were his will, he would spend every free minute with the child. Kakashi liked to watch them train while sitting under the shade of a tree with a book in his hands. Guy and Naruto were very similar to each other in Kakashi's eyes. Both had immense energy and literally glowed from within, like two bright suns. And usually, when Guy went on long missions, Naruto's company brightened up the days of waiting for Kakashi. But not at this time.

"I’ve been having nightmares a lot lately", - Kakashi said in a hoarse voice.

Guy tensed.

"Every night I dreamed that I was losing everyone I cared about. Father, Duy-san, Obito, Rin, Minato sensei, Kushina-san, Jiraiya ji-san… They all died right in front of me, and there was nothing I could do to save them. I just watched helplessly as they left."

Guy silently listened to Kakashi's monologue. Hatake could feel how carefully and tenderly Guy squeezed his hand.

"And every night I woke up with a scream in my throat", - Kakashi sighed heavily and turned to face the guy. - "But, you know, there was something that helped me break out of these nightmares and come to my senses."

Guy waited with bated breath to hear the continuation of the story.

"You", - Kakashi finally said.

Guy's gaze warmed. The tense shoulders relaxed and the corners of the lips curled into a soft smile.

"Thinking about you brought me to my senses", - Kakashi continued. - "You know, my brain never formed nightmares about you. Because I know better than anyone that I simply won’t be able to stand it if I see something happen to you. I can and I was able to survive nightmares about all the people close to me, but I know very well that if something happens to you, I will break."

Kakashi pulled Guy's arm, forcing him to move closer. And then put his head on his shoulder.

"You are my anchor, Guy. Always have been. As a child, you always brought me down to earth when I acted like an arrogant kid. In my youth, when I was drowning in the blood of my enemies, you pulled me to the surface, not allowing me to choke. You became my support and my strength."

Guy gently ran his hand through the Hatake's hair.

"I often think about the future when I look at Naruto", - Kakashi admitted. - "This child was born in such a cruel world, but I want to change this world so that he does not have to experience the horrors that you and I once went through. I want his whole life to be filled only with happiness, joy and love. Sometimes I worry that he is too energetic and that it might put other people off. But, you know, this child is special. There is something in him that, on the contrary, attracts other people to him, makes them follow him. Very soon he will go to the Academy. Because of his parents' status, I was afraid that the other kids might shun him, but he manages to befriend every kid he meets. He has already made friends with Itachi's younger brother, the Kazekage's son and the children of Ino-Shika-Cho."

Guy smiled. Kakashi's voice changed when he spoke about his little brother. Guy could feel Kakashi's boundless love for Naruto.

"These are peaceful times, but sometimes this calm scares me."

"I understand what you mean", - Guy nodded.

"It’s like everything can collapse in an instant. It’s like this whole world is an illusion."

"That’s not true, Kakashi", - Guy objected softly.

"I want to believe", - Hatake sighed tiredly and closed his eyes.

He felt like he was falling asleep. And he knew that next to Guy, all the nightmares would finally recede.

"I missed you", - Kakashi said. - "Three months is too long. I was afraid that you wouldn't come back."

"I will always come back to you", - Guy gently hugged him by the shoulders. - "In this world and in all others. In this life and in all others. In every reality and in every universe, I will always return to you. Only to you."

Kakashi smiled.

"Sounds like the most serious promise", - he teased the guy.

"This is my self rule", - Guy lifted Kakashi’s face and softly kissed his forehead.

"Maa", - Kakashi pulled off his mask and covered his lips with his own, feeling Guy’s happy smile. - "I love you too".

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

[ircn-mvn]

Naruto’s parents meet his adoptive family

“Oniichan!”

Kushina and Minato could only stare as their only son turned around and kneeled to welcome twin toddlers into his arms. 

“You’re back,” one of them said. 

“Ruchan was freakin’ out,” the other added.

“Language!” 

Naruto and the twins froze as the other two looked up to watch two shinobis coming their way. It took another moment for Minato to realize the one who had spoken was no other than Kohari and Ikkaku’s son, but literally no time at all to recognize his old student walking next to him.

“Naruto?” Iruka called.

Naruto moved immediately. He got up and walked the small distance between them as Iruka opened his arms. They hugged but soon the obviously relieved expression on Iruka’s face turned into a thunderous one and they understood why Kakashi had stopped a step behind them.

Iruka suddenly grabbed Naruto by his jacket’s collar and started shaking him:

“What the hell were you thinking?! No, you clearly weren’t thinking at all as always!! You were supposed to babysit the twins!! And what, you decide to experiment with their Jikūkan Ninjutsu like it’s some kind of game?! You are lucky they didn’t accidentally kill you, you idiot!! Do you hear me?! You could have died, Naruto!! What were we supposed to do if you had died?!”

“I-I’m dizzy,” Naruto managed finally.

Iruka stopped. He looked shaken under the last trace of his anger. He let go of Naruto’s collar to grab his shoulders.

“You can’t disappear on us like that, Naruto,” he added. “Do you hear me?”

“Uh, I’m sorry,” Naruto answered.

“You better be.”

Iruka’s frown turned into a soft smile after another beat. He brought his and Naruto’s forehead together, closing his eyes.

“Welcome home.”

And that’s when Kakashi moved forward, joining the other two. One of his arms came around Iruka while he put a hand on Naruto’s head before bringing their foreheads together as well.

“Welcome home, kid,” he said.

“Glad to be home,” Naruto answered with a sheepish smile.

There was a pause before Naruto remembered their visitors. Both Kushina and Minato had already started to fade when he turned back towards them. 

“Wait!” he exclaimed. “I want you to meet my family.”

He pointed to the twins who had been staring at Minato.

“This is my little sister, Ren, and my little brother, Jun,” Naruto started before motioning towards Kakashi. “You already know Papashi - I mean Kakashi-Sensei. He has been around for a while, Iruka likes him.”

Naruto’s fake detached expression turned more serious before he grabbed Iruka and pushed him forward, startling the older man.

“Naruto!”

“And this,” Naruto added. “This is Iruka. He was the one who adopted me.”

“Uh, Kushina-sama, Minato-sama,” Iruka said, bowing respectfully.

When he straightened anew, it was to find himself in Kushina’s embrace. She hugged him tightly and he only hesitated a moment before hugging her back.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Minato walked to an uncertain Kakashi. His former student's gaze kept traveling between his eyes and the floor. He grabbed one of his shoulders.

“Thank you,” Minato echoed.

“Maa, like Naruto said, Iruka was the one who adopted him,” Kakashi said.

“But I couldn’t have done it without you,” Iruka corrected him.

“Thank you, to both of you,” Kushina said again.

Edit: Bonus Scene:

“NARUTO-KUN!”

A furious looking Sakura appeared at the end of the corridor and Naruto visibly blanched. She walked to him clearly ready to hit him and yet her blow never landed. When Naruto dared to open his eyes again, there was a tall dark figure standing between Sakura and he.

“Uh, ANBU-san?” Sakura said.

“Naruto-kun already suffered from one concussion today,” the ANBU - Itachi - said. “That might be enough, don’t you think Sakura-san?”

Sakura deflated while Naruto blushed. Also, he wasn’t sure if Iruka was giving him or Itachi the stink eyes right now but he wasn’t in a hurry to find out.

[rosedragonblast]

Naruto AU

Dedicated to @tamelee and other artists who inspired me with a question. What if Mikoto ended up adopting Naruto?

She thought about it at some point, but she wasn't able to. Which is. imo, one of the worst mistakes Konoha made. Mikoto looks at the baby, lying in the cradle. It cries out. She stretches her arm out, touching his cheek. Naruto opens his eyes, smiles and yawns. Mikoto remembers Kushina's eyes, that were a few shades darker than his. She tries to hold in her tears, looking at Hiruzen. He nods.

— I think you and Sasuke would be a wonderful worse to quide this little fella.

— Sasuke?

— They are very close in age. Itachi will also be delighted to have another little brother. He's a gifted child. Perhaps, all three of them will become strong assets to out cause.

Hokage pats infant's head, leaving Mikoto with her newly adopted son. Hiruzen tells her about his plan to conseal the child's relation to Minato. Mikoto follows along, giving him the surname Uzumaki and honoring her late friend.

Fugaku, knowing about this, is a little standoffish about the child at first. But, seeing his potential from a young age, he starts to pay a lot more attention to Naruto and Sasuke. Itachi is joyful from the start. The first word out of Naruto's mouth is his name, which is the funnies thing Mikoto remembers.

They both call Itachi "Nii-chan". Naruto tries to use a more respectful form, Nii- san. But Itachi doesn't see any difference between his two brothers, so Naruto, soon enough, feels comfortable to call Itachi how Sasuke does.

Their rivalry is still there. But it's not as present. It's more of a sibling rivalry. Sasuke, being a little bean he is, competes with Naruto for Itachi's affection more, than for accomplishments. Itachi is torn between those two, but he's successful enough in making Naruto and Sasuke feel like equals in receiving his love.

Naruto isn't sufficient in fire style jutsu. But Mikoto ends up talking Kakashi into helping the child develop his abilities. While Sasuke trains with Itachi, Naruto is trained by Kakashi. In time, he also notices Sasuke's talent, and they eventually become partners in crime and training.

Naruto likes blowing wind inso Sasuke's back. He burns Naruto's eyebrows off at some point as revenge.

Naruto is clingy. He likes hugging Sasuke. Sasuke hugs him back, even though, with time, he becomes a bit more embarrassed by it.

Itachi is more affectionate with Naruto when they become older, but Sasuke doesn't require as much attention. He still likes Itachi's affection though. Naruto reassures him that he isn't stealing their older brother. Sasuke calls Naruto dobe and says he knows it. It's actually a comforting reassurance.

Naruto likes cooking. Mikoto encourages it. Even if Fugaku is hesitant about the idea, Mikoto quickly shuts that down with her glance.

Sasuke periodically helps with it. He likes how Naruto makes his mom smile. He smiles too, sometimes. Naruto tells Sasuke that he looks a lot like Mikoto and calls him pretty. Sasuke is flustered each time. He starts calling Naruto Ussuratonkachi at this point.

When they become old enough for the Academy, they are sent to be guided by Kakashi to become a part of team 7. They only require one more member, which is Sakura. Like most girls, she likes to sneak on him. Sakura proposes her likeness of Sasuke, even though he acts cold towards a lot of them. Naruto is the only one to get a reaction out of his adoptive brother. Their insults become more prominent, although they still are in good relationship.

Uchiha genocide doesn't happen. Uchihas are given a lot more equality for Mikoto's selfless act of adopting a "monster" child. Because of her persistence, jonin start to like Naruto a lot more. He plays with their children when they're younger.

Other parents feel a lot more relaxed about Uchiha's and the Ninetails. Sharingan is a reassurance for the case of the demon fox steering up another havok. Although Naruto is mostly happy and calm, which reduces the chance of this happening.

Naruto isn't told about his status as a jinchuuriki until he's old enough. Once he knows about it, he promises Mikoto to keep himself and his brothers in check, to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone. Especially Sasuke.

That's all for now. I'll make a part two once i'll think about the storyline i like the most. Hope you enjoyed!

[bogbees]

Fuck it I'm reading this sort of thing rn so! FLORIST AND TATTOO AU NINJA DADS!!

7:53 AM · Jan 22, 2018

Kakashi has a flower shop. It was his mom's, cherished by his father and he just kinda ended up taking it over after they died

Iruka is a tattoo artist. Likes tribal designs, Japanese art and ocean themes. Is a master at inking dark skin tones

Naruto is under Kakashi's care, Minato and Kushina were over seas and died in an accident while he was babysitting and now they're just waiting for Jiraiya to arrive to start godfathering

But Naruto is like 9 and is upset and fights a lot with Kakashi - one day he runs away

Iruka is taking out the trash when he finds this little kid hunched up by the dumpster. He's like "you ok little dude?" Naruto ignores him and starts yelling at him

And Iruka fucks off like and Naruto thinks he's won but Iruka comes back with two bags of ice cream and cookies like "I got comfort food for you, come into the shop and I'll give you some"

Naruto's stomach growels obnoxiously but reluctantly listens to the guy. He's shocked to see the tattoo parlour and goes "I don't think I should trust you Anko pops her head around like "Ruka who's the brat? Are we stealing brats now for practice skin??" "Shut up Anko"

So Iruka sets the kid up on a stool and feeds him some junk food "You know you shouldn't run away from your parents" Iruka says "I don't have any parents" Naruto says Iruka feels like he was punched in the gut

"Same," Iruka says biting into a cookie, "mine died when I was 12, there was a fire." Naruto looks up like the very fact there was someone like him !! But he quickly closes off again

Iruka goes "well surely someones worried about you," and Naruto bristles "No that guy is a jerk face nugget fart" Iruka cracks a grin and Anko barks a laugh. Anko looks at Naruto, "brat, Ruka here was king of running away when he was younger. He knows" and sorta hisses

So anyway they feed Naruto some more food and talk with him a bit more ab running away and that sort of thing and eventually get him to give them Kakashi's phone number

Anko really wants to be the one to talk - but Iruka knows she'll just swear the man's ear off and Iruka would rather be in the man's good graces as they've been sorta watching his kid

So he dials him up like "hello? Hatake-san I've found your kid - Naruto - Yes yes, he's fine would you like me to bring him over - oh we're at the tattoo place on 4th, [ocean pun name here]

Kakashi apparently knows it and hell be there shortly. Iruka ends the call and turns to his friends like "time to clean up this mess" But then the door opens with a jingle of bells and a man is yelling out to Naruto

Iruka blinks. It's the florist from across the road??? He looks at the guy chastising the kid and goes to attempt to lighten the load - tell him a piece of his mind bc children run away for reasons and this isn't helping it at all

And Kakashi starts talking shit ab feeding the kid junk food - gesturing wildly to the counter cluttered with cookies and ice cream wrappers "And you call yourself responsible" he sighs

Naruto kicks Kakashi's knee "shut up and stop being mean to Iruka-nii!" Kakashi blinks. He takes the kids hand and says "we're leaving." They walk across the lobby, across the street, and into the flower shop across the road. Anko starts swearing after Kakashi

Iruka bristles and spends the rest of the day - the week in a crappy mood. One day, the door opens, and he hears Naruto's loud voice coaxing his guardian into the store

"Iruka-nii!!" He calls, "Kakashi-san has something say to you!" Kakashi looks 100% anxious and embarrassed to be there and he's holding a potted plant.

The man Kakashi looks awfully anxious to be here, probably because of Narutoxs nagging. He bows a great degree and apologises for his behaviour the other day, presenting the flower as a gift. Iruka, he asks if it was a bribe.

Kakashi looks close to sputtering or walking away in a huff at the very accusation. Naruto just simply nods, "yes." Iruka starts laughing at that and accepts the plant, "thank you for the bribe then!"

So after that it's sorta smooth sailing between them. A couple times Iruka finds Naruto hiding in the alley and ushering him inside to wait out the negative feelings. It gets so accustomed Naruto starts to walk on in, announcing to the shop that Kakashi is a turd.

Kakashi tends to collect Naruto around closing time and is usually annoyed with Iruka when he feeds him (usually cup ramen or cookies) and one night he catches them just before they start boiling ymtge water "You're coming with me." He says to Iruka, "You're getting a good meal" 10:30 PM · Jan 24, 2018

[liarist]

Chains

Genin

Mito was having breakfast in complete tranquility while Kakashi looked notably frustrated, attempting to style her red hair.

"Can you repeat why you want me to do your hair?" he was a great ninja, but a hairstyle was getting the best of him.

"Because today we're taking the exams to become genin. If you style my hair, you'll bring me luck, Kashi," she replied.

He had no choice but to sigh in surrender. He couldn't say no to the redhead.

She wasn't nervous; she knew everything would turn out fine. But she was worried about Naruto. Her friend meant everything to her, and she didn't know what she'd do if he wasn't with her.

"Naruto!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arm around the blond's shoulder. "Have you practiced for today?"

"Of course, Mito! You'll see, I'll be the best," he responded enthusiastically, and Mito smiled, deciding to trust him.

In the classroom, everyone seemed excited, and the nerves were evident. Mito sat next to Shikamaru, who was sleeping. She doodled and occasionally paid attention to the students called to take the exam.

"What kind of drawings are those?" Shikamaru teased when he woke up. She looked at him seriously, making him shrink in his seat.

"Don't judge my art."

In reality, they were very difficult-to-understand doodles, and she knew it. But she had to keep her mind occupied, or she'd die of boredom.

"Nara, Shikamaru," Iruka-sensei called. Shikamaru reluctantly got up from his seat.

"Don't fall asleep during the exam," Mito said, and Shikamaru smiled and nodded before leaving the classroom.

The others were called alphabetically, and when it was finally her turn, Mito almost ran up to the front. She presented herself to everyone and started performing the jutsus they requested.

"Ah, Mito, Kakashi-senpai asked me to tell you to go home directly after the exam," Iruka-sensei said.

"So be it."

After receiving her ninja headband, Mito left the place and went straight home as instructed. When she opened the door, everything was silent. She left her things by the entrance and approached the rooms.

"Kashi?" she called his name. "I'm home."

The sound of the door echoed behind her. Mito turned and sat on the couch, tapping the seat next to her, signaling for the jounin to sit. He left several things on the table and then took a seat beside her.

"Congratulations! Your mother would be so proud of you," he said.

Those words filled the girl with emotion. Kakashi always talked about her mother, and thanks to him, she had learned several jutsus from her clan.

"Can you do me a favor?" That caught Kakashi's attention.

"Of course, what's wrong, Mito?" he asked, intrigued.

"I want to know the truth about that day…"

Kakashi went blank. He had never mentioned many details about what happened that day, only telling her what was necessary for her to understand things at that moment. He never thought the time would come when Mito would want to know the truth.

"Where should I start?" he sighed. "Your mother and Naruto's mother were very good friends. Both came from the Hidden Whirlpool Village. Naruto's mother, Kushina-san, was the host of the Kyubi, and when it was time to give birth, the seal broke. Minato-sensei ended up sealing it inside Naruto."

"Minato, the Fourth Hokage?"

"Naruto's father is the Fourth Hokage, but after what happened, they decided it was best for Naruto and the others not to know the truth."

"Will he ever know the truth?" This question left Kakashi pondering because he truly didn't know if that would happen at some point.

"I won't lie to you, Mito. I don't know."

"I see…"

"But I promise you I'll take care of him…"

"What do you mean by that? Naruto has me to protect him," she replied.

"I'll let you know the teams' arrangements tomorrow."

"Wait! Will he be in your team? What about me? Am I just irrelevant?"

"The teams are formed strategically…"

The conversation ended there, and they had dinner together, talking about other things. The next day, Mito woke up feeling completely disoriented. She sat on the bed, staring at her wardrobe for a few minutes, feeling as if she hadn't rested at all during the night, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the clock and paled. She jumped out of bed, grabbed some clothes, dressed hastily, and then grabbed her things, still by the entrance, rushing to the academy.

Luckily, Iruka-sensei hadn't arrived yet, but she had managed to make it in time for the commotion of several girls arguing about who would sit next to Sasuke. Naruto climbed on the table and stared at Sasuke intensely, and tension filled the air between them. Mito didn't quite understand why. The girls continued arguing, but now it was about Naruto's behavior, and there was even a small incident when someone accidentally pushed Naruto, causing him to get closer to Sasuke and ending up in a kiss.

"Hey! Stop hitting him, you jealous girls!" Mito exclaimed, pushing away all the girls who had pounced on Naruto. "This is easily solved," she said, taking the seat next to Sasuke.

"Move, Mito!" Sakura and Ino screeched.

"Make me," she replied, giving them a cold and emotionless look.

She put on that face whenever someone annoyed her, and according to Naruto, it was something terrifying.

When Iruka-sensei arrived, everyone returned to their seats. He slowly mentioned which teams they'd be in. Not everyone was happy for various reasons; some didn't get along with their teammates, some wanted to be with Sasuke, and so on. Mito could say that she was content; she wasn't with Naruto as she would have liked, but she was with Shikamaru, Chouji, and Ino.

After the lunch break, they were going to meet their sensei. Mito followed Naruto, seeing him head toward Sakura, and how each member of her team went in different directions. She already knew how things might end up, and it was better to prevent Naruto from causing any trouble.

She followed him and saw him enter a room where Sasuke was, then saw Sasuke leaving as if nothing happened. She couldn't help but sigh and went in to help Naruto. But to her surprise, she found Sasuke tied up inside. She started to help him untie the knots.

"I'd say don't take it personally, but I think it has been," she smiled sheepishly, and he looked at her for a moment before nodding.

"It's a shame you're not on our team," he replied before leaving.

When lunchtime was over, Mito went straight to the classroom, where she found the other genins. The senseis arrived one by one, taking their respective genin. Mito went with her team to Asuma Sarutobi.

She already knew the shinobi; he was one of Kakashi's friends, and he had occasionally looked after her, so it wasn't a surprise to see him smoking while others grimaced at the smell of tobacco.

"I understand why they're here, but… Why am I here?" she asked.

"I think I don't understand your question, Mito."

"The Ino-Shika-Cho team is something that has been going on for generations because of their teamwork. What do I have to do with this?"

"Oh, well, that's because of your abilities. With them, the team can be greatly enhanced," he explained.

Mito nodded, not very sure. She knew that because of her clan, she could do great things. Everyone expected her to be an expert in fuinjutsu, but the truth was that she hadn't had the chance to practice much of it. She could barely use the Diamond Chains. She hadn't been able to practice the various jutsus of her clan since most of them were lost, and Kakashi had forbidden her from using the ones he had until she was older.

As evening fell and they were officially approved as genin, Mito lay down next to Shikamaru to watch the clouds.

"I wish I were a cloud," he said, and Mito looked at him sideways and smiled.

"I don't know what I want," she replied. "But I guess I still have time to figure it out."

[the-letter-horror-lover]

Naruto fanfiction..not by me.

Kushina lives by Samusolderbrother

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Point of divergence: Kushina doesn't die in the kyuubi attack when Naruto was born. Minato was just a split second faster than in canon and Kushina didn't take a fatal blow. Obviously, Sarutobi doesn't have to deal with baby Naruto, Naruto isn't an orphan, and so forth. This is not about awesome new jutsu or how much more powerful Naruto would be. Naruto is already a BMF, he just didn't have parents around during his childhood. But what if he did? First chapter in Kushina POV. Later chapters in Naruto POV.

Chapter 1

Kushina woke up in a hospital bed. She remembered Minato finishing the sealing jutsu and the kyuubi was sucked into her son. She remembered being wounded as the kyuubi screamed at being incarcerated yet again. She had thought it had been fatal. Minato said that it looked fatal. So why was she still alive?

A nurse must have seen her eyes opened because she heard them talking about Sandaime. Sarutobi-sama would probably arrive soon with many questions that they hadn't had the time to properly answer the night of the attack. The night of Naruto's birth.

Kushina was weak, but she was alive. And she wanted nothing more than to hold him in her arms. To protect him. She knew all about what it was like to be a young jinchuuriki. She knew what it was like to grow up alone.

"Nurse," Kushina rasped. Her throat and chest hurt badly. She didn't even bother trying to form chakra. She simply searched for a call button. She was still exhausted. Her heritage gave her incredible longevity and health, but she had been injured badly. It would take some time to completely heal. As much as she wanted to storm off and find her son, she would have to rely on others.

The nurse came in and looked at Kushina. "You are an amazing woman, Uzumaki-san," the nurse said. "Nobody expected you to wake. When Sandaime-sama brought you in, you had internal injuries and suffered from severe chakra exhaustion."

"Where is my son?" Kushina asked, grabbing the nurse's arm. "Where is Sarutobi-sama?"

"Please. You must calm down, Uzumaki-san. Your injuries are severe."

Kushina's temper flared. She knew that she should rest. Objectively, she knew that it was a bad idea. But she hadn't seen her son, her husband had used a forbidden sealing jutsu that dragged him to hell to save them, and she thought that she had died. She knew better, but her temper got the better of her.

"NO! BRING. ME. MY. SON," she screamed, forming chakra and channeling it into her body. "NOW!"

The nurse screamed in pain and Kushina realized that she was squeezing the poor woman's arm with a combination of a mother's protective instincts and the enhanced strength of ninja techniques. Kushina let go of the nurse.

"I'm sorry. Please. Just bring me my son," Kushina pleaded.

"Thank the gods," came a familiar voice. Jiraiya-sensei crouched in the window. "I know that I am the boy's godfather, but I would have been terrible at it. Sarutobi-sensei would have had to do most of the work. I know nothing of babies." Jiraiya had his head hung in shame. He wouldn't meet Kushina's eyes.

"Where is he, Jiraiya-sensei? Do you know?" Kushina pleaded.

"Sarutobi-sensei is protecting him." Jiraiya stopped. "I—" Jiraiya turned away. He couldn't even look in her general direction. His favorite students had grown up, gotten married, and had a child. To top it off, they had asked him to be the boy's godfather. He knew his own faults. He knew that he couldn't be around the boy until he was older. He just couldn't. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," his voice was barely a whisper.

Kushina was barely paying attention. Her body was screaming in pain from her exertion with the nurse. Jiraiya was sorry. Why wouldn't he be sorry for her? Her husband, his favorite student, had died protecting the village. It hit her then. Minato was dead. Not only dead, but dragged off by the shinigami.

She wept openly. Her son was alive. Her husband was dead. She was still excited about her son, but it was bittersweet without Minato. They were shinobi. They knew the risks. But she had always dealt with it in the long term by denying the possibility of their deaths.

The nurse led Sarutobi-sama into the room. Jiraiya still wouldn't look at Kushina, but he didn't leave either. Kushina was flooded with joy at the tiny baby Sarutobi brought her. She cried harder, bringing Naruto into her uncharacteristically gentle embrace. He had blonde hair, just like Minato.

—6 months later: the apartment of Kushina Uzumaki—

"Jiraiya-sensei, it doesn't matter. I'm not dead," Kushina said.

"It matters. I heard that you two might be dead and my first thought was, 'I hope Sarutobi-sensei doesn't know I'm his godfather,' because I didn't want a baby around. You and Minato honored me and I nearly blew it off because I don't like babies," Jiraiya said fiercely. He had vowed that he would be the very best godfather possible.

Kushina paused, looking at the Sannin intent on murdering the man. He hadn't left her alone since the hospital. Naruto was finally asleep and the dolt was nearly screaming at her. He really did know nothing about babies. For being such a renowned pervert, the Sannin was amazingly uninformed about the aftermath.

"Shhh," Kushina shushed. "Naruto is finally asleep." She had a hard look in her eyes. She had recovered quickly from her injuries. A testament to her Uzumaki health. She knew that Jiraiya was wracked with guilt. At first, she had been infuriated with the Sannin, but after several months she was mostly just tired. "Jiraiya-sensei, you aren't helping. I'm exhausted. Naruto is definitely an Uzimaki. He has endless stamina and I don't have the energy to be mad at you anymore. We are safe within the village. Just go somewhere. Write your books. If you wake Naruto again, by all that is righteous and holy in this world I swear I will poison you and then beat you to death. I mean it. Come back often, but leave. Tsunade has been gone since the end of the war. You are fantastic with genin, but Naruto is only a baby."

"But—"

"I'm letting you off the hook, Jiraiya-sensei," Kushina said honestly. It wasn't the old lech's fault, really. It was like the scorpion and the frog. "Just make sure that you come back around," she added.

Jiraiya hung his head. They had had this conversation many times before, but he could tell that the Red-Hot Habenero was no longer angry with him. He would have deserved it if she had held a grudge forever. He knew that. After the first time Kushina had forgiven him, he'd made the vow. He intended to keep it, but he couldn't fight her anymore. She was right. He hated that she was right, but he admitted it. "You're right. I'm not helping. I will not fail again. I will return."

Kushina sighed. "I almost wish you'd just go peep at the hotsprings so I could have some peace," Kushina muttered. She was too tired to be offended by the old lech. She fell asleep where she sat on the couch leaving Jiraiya to wonder if she'd meant it. Jiraiya made sure to secure the apartment before he left.

—Playground in the Leaf Village; Naruto, age 4—

"Hi! My name's Naruto Uzumaki!" the boisterous blonde boy shouted at the other children in the sandbox.

Kushina was sitting on a bench watching her son. His spikey blonde hair reminded her so much of Minato. It had been four years and she still missed him, but his absence hurt a little less. Sandaime had been very generous with their stipend and she hadn't been on a mission since before she was pregnant. She still trained, but she hadn't been in the field in years. Every time she got restless, she would look at Naruto and the restlessness melted. She knew that he needed her.

The other villagers always whispered and avoided him. It was supposed to be an S-ranked secret, but somehow it had leaked to the general populous that Naruto was the kyuubi jinchuuriki. She understood their hatred. It was callous and uninformed, but she understood.

At first, she had challenged the villagers who stared and whispered. But it didn't really help any. Naruto would just have to grow up and prove to them that he wasn't the kyuubi. Her ninja friends, on the other hand, were much easier to persuade. She explained to them that Naruto was just a boy, that being the jinchuuriki didn't mean that he was the kyuubi.

She found out who her true friends were, not that she was surprised at who remained. Mikoto Uchiha was one of them, although her husband wasn't. Shikaku Nara had said, "Troublesome," in an understanding tone. She was never close friends with the Hyuuga, but the Hyuuga were more outraged that she refused to remarry and raised Naruto alone than whether Naruto was kyuubi. Of course, Minato's sole surviving student, "Copy" Kakashi Hatake, didn't care. Kushina asked him to visit, but she found him more often at the memorial stone for the Third Great Ninja War.

She shook herself from her reverie to see that Itachi and Sasuke were playing with Naruto. Sasuke and Naruto were both trying to catch Itachi. They were having so much fun that she barely noticed the ANBU in the tree at the park. She saw Mikoto watching the children play with Itachi. Itachi was already a Chunin and Mikoto had bragged that he was applying to ANBU.

Kushina body-flickered to a branch next to the ANBU. "Are you here for me or Naruto?" she asked. The ANBU just shook his head. Kushina body-flickered back to her position on the bench and continued watching Naruto play.

Chapter 2

Naruto was the center of attention, right where he always loved to be. His mother was throwing him a birthday party and all of his friends were invited. He was always trying to make more friends, but the adults in the villages seemed to do something to make sure that other kids stayed away. Very few parents would let their kids get close to Naruto for long.

The only kids his own age in attendance were Sasuke Uchiha and Shikamaru Nara. Sasuke was fun to play with, but he was always going on about what an awesome ninja he would be when he grew up. He always talked about how he would be just like his older brother, Itachi. It took Itachi only a year to graduate the Academy and he already joined ANBU.

Shikamaru was quiet, but he liked to play. He was always trying to teach Naruto to play shogi or Go, but Naruto liked running around more than board games. Still, it was nice to play inside when it rained.

Shikamaru was also friends with Choji Akimichi, but Choji's parents weren't as understanding about the kyuubi incident as Shikamaru's parents. Choji liked Naruto and didn't understand why he couldn't go to the party as well, since Kushina was reputed to cook enough food for even an Akimichi.

It took some doing, but Kushina managed to get Jiraiya-sensei and Kakashi-chan to show up as well. Naruto liked Jiraiya. Whenever Jiraiya was in town, he brought Naruto presents and would spend time helping with pranking the villagers. Jiraiya was especially fond of pranks at the hot springs. Naruto loved to play pranks on the villagers. The villagers generally ignored him, but would sometimes get angry and curse him. Naruto hated being ignored more than being cursed. It made him feel so alone. But the villagers paid attention when Naruto pranked them.

Anytime Kakashi caught him, Kakashi would lecture him about taking things more seriously, but Kakashi was always reading something that Naruto wasn't old enough to read. Kakashi wasn't nearly as fun as Jiraiya-sensei. And Kakashi tried to stop his pranks rather than help. But Kakashi taught Naruto taijutsu. Naruto wasn't terribly skilled, but he still loved to practice.

Kushina made plenty of food. She ate a lot and Naruto ate a lot, so keeping the kitchen well stocked was a requirement. She had a homemade grill and cooked barbeque. There were plenty of chips, drinks, and cakes too. Everyone was having a good time. The kids played while the adults drank adult beverages and chit chatted about current events.

Naruto noticed some of those weird ninja with funny animal masks on the rooftop across from the apartment. And then someone new knocked on the door. Naruto didn't really know anyone else, so he was surprised that someone else would come to his party. "Mom? Did you invite anyone else?" he asked.

"I did invite someone else, but I really didn't think that he'd show. He's a busy man, after all," Kushina replied from the grill.

She left Jiraiya at the grill and went to open the door. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage, bowed and entered. Everyone had some variation of "Hokage-sama" or "Sarutobi-sensei" in shock as the Sandaime entered.

"Hey Old Man. I've never met you before. Who are you?" Naruto asked innocently.

Everyone in the room was stunned into silence at Naruto's bluntness, but the Hokage only chuckled. "Ho ho! We've met before Naruto. I must be keeping myself even busier than I thought if you don't even remember me. I'm Hiruzen Sarutobi," the old man said. "And you should be able to guess my title from my robes and hat."

Naruto frowned. The old man was wearing Hokage robes. Well, the old man seemed nice enough, so he didn't see what the big deal was. Naruto didn't get why everyone was so reverent.

"Nice of you show, 'Old Man,'" Kushina chided. "You must've misplaced the last two birthday invitations I sent."

'If mom talks to him that way, then I'll talk to him that way,' Naruto decided. He went back to playing with his friends, who were both mortified at how he spoke to the most revered ninja in the village. Shikamaru didn't even utter his trademark, "How troublesome." Naruto made a mental note. Knowing what shocked people was always good fodder for pranks.

Kushina, Jiraiya, and Sarutobi gathered around the makeshift grill. Sarutobi said, "Well, it looks like he's healthy."

"Yes," Kushina replied. "He's grown strong. I've been keeping track and he has even more stamina than a normal Uzumaki. Kakashi says that his chakra network is nearly as developed as a low-level chunin. I really wish that the Hyuuga weren't so uptight because I would like to get someone with a byakugan to look at him. But as far as we can tell, everything is just fine."

"Good. Good," Sarutobi muttered. "So he'll be ready to go to the Academy this year?" he asked clearly.

"The war is over, Hokage-sama. I was hoping to let him be a child for a while," Kushina replied.

"Sasuke and Shikamaru are both entering the Academy this year and Naruto should probably stay with his friends," Sarutobi said.

"I suppose if he's to be a ninja anyway, he might as well stay with his friends," Kushina relented.

"Sarutobi-sensei, I would like to remain in the village for a few months when Naruto enters the Academy," Jiraiya finally spoke.

Sarutobi and Kushina were both shocked. Jiraiya was a famous, or infamous, writer and a tremendous asset to have abroad collecting intelligence. Sarutobi said, "If you insist, I can't really stop you, but some of your fans," he eyed Kakashi, "might object to a long hiatus between installments."

Jiraiya nodded. "They'll live. Some things are more important than 'Make-out Tactics, Volume 4,'" he added with a smirk.

Kakashi had been quietly paying attention. He was devastated to hear that his favorite series would be on hold. He had to do something, so he approached the three older nin to speak. "Hokage-sama, Jiraiya-sama, Kushina-sama: if Naruto needs a tutor, I would be happy to assist."

Jiraiya saw through Kakashi immediately. "The part you've left out is, 'if it will help Jiraiya-sama get back to writing,' Kakashi-san."

Kakashi knew that was absolutely the case, but he shrugged. "Well…"

—Naruto's first day at the Ninja Academy—

There were many other children at the Academy that Naruto had seen around town. Many only had one parent. Some had only a father, while others had only a mother. Naruto had never questioned it since it was so common. He quickly found his friends and tried to be as friendly as he could to the other children. He was hoping that the Academy wouldn't be like the playground and that he would have more friends.

He loved Shikamaru and Sasuke like brothers, but Naruto wanted to be friends with everyone. That first day, there were several tests to determine everyone's physical capabilities. But that was only a small part of the day, according to the instructors. There were also textbooks. Reading, writing, math, history, and science were part of the curriculum too.

The instructors for the class were Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei. They both seemed harsh to Naruto, but he was accustomed to new people acting weird around him. They seemed decent, but Naruto devised several pranks that he could play on them both. Just in case they were like some of the villagers.

The physical stuff was Naruto's favorite. He liked being active. Running over obstacles and sparring were the things that he loved the most, even though he wasn't top of the class. Sasuke was the best at sparring and running obstacles. He said that it was because of the genius of the Uchiha, but Naruto was a close second in those two things. With the textbook stuff though, he was dead last.

By the end of the first day, Naruto had discovered that Sasuke was considered a genius by the rest of the class because his family had a long tradition of being awesome ninjas. Itachi was already in ANBU, which was a huge deal in general, but especially because he was so young. The other kids mostly ignored Naruto, but Sasuke and Shikamaru would talk to him, which led to Choji joining.

Choji and Shikamaru both ended up talking to Naruto at lunch, while Sasuke ate quietly beside them all.

"I'm the number one prankster in the village!" Naruto exclaimed proudly. "Nobody can pull pranks like I can!"

"Oh yeah?" Choji replied. "Prove it. Pull a prank now."

"How troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, knowing that Naruto couldn't back down from a challenge, even if he lost.

Naruto inhaled the rest of his lunch because he was always hungry and started sneaking around. The easiest targets for a prank were a group of girls. They seemed to be ignoring the world and whispering about Sasuke. Naruto noticed a stray cat skulking in the bushes and immediately got an idea. He grabbed the cat and petted it, quickly calming the feral beast.

The girls didn't suspect a thing while Naruto held the cat. He tied an orange dye bomb to the cat's collar and brought it over to the group of Sasuke crazed girls. "Excuse me. Does anyone know whose cat this is?" he asked politely holding the cat out into the crowd.

"Naruto, right?" asked one of them.

"Yep. That's me," he replied, smiling.

"Why would we know about some stray cat?" she asked acerbically.

"That's what I thought," Naruto said as he triggered the dye bomb. A cloud of orange dye billowed out of the cat and enveloped all four girls, the cat, and Naruto. Naruto was already wearing his favorite color, so he didn't care about the dye, but the girls' clothes all turned bright orange as well as their faces and hair. Naruto just smiled and set the cat down while the girls were still in shock.

The now boy covered head to toe in orange sat down next to Choji who was laughing hysterically. "That was really mean, Naruto-kun. But you got yourself too, so I guess it wasn't that bad."

Naruto beamed. "See? I told you I'm the number one prankster in the village."

Choji looked to Naruto and said, "Yeah, but those girls are about to murder you."

—Naruto's house, after school—

"You did WHAT?!" his mom screamed.

"It's just dye. It'll wash out," Jiraiya tried calming Kushina.

"But it's his FIRST DAY!" she screamed, exasperated.

Jiraiya's arms were crossed and he was leaning against a wall while Kushina paced, fuming. Naruto just smiled. His mother had a temper, but she always calmed down quickly when he smiled and put his hand behind his head.

He struck the pose that he knew would calm her down and said, "Yeah. I had to show them who the number one prankster is. Choji didn't believe me and the girls were all mean." Kushina calmed down quickly.

'He looks just like Minato. But Minato was so serious at this age,' Kushina thought.

"See? They probably deserved it anyway," Jiraiya said. Kushina glared at Jiraiya.

Damn,' Naruto thought, 'The old perv is gonna screw this up for me if he doesn't shut up already.' Naruto wasn't sure what "perv" even meant, but he was pretty sure that it applied to Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya-sensei, why don't we work on my homework?" Naruto asked, deflecting as much as he could.

"That sounds like a great idea, kiddo," Jiraiya said as he quickly grabbed Naruto and bolted at Sanin speed out of there before Kushina could kill him with kitchen utensils.

—One month later—

"Aaarrgg! This is taking forever!" exclaimed Naruto. "It's SO boring!"

Jiraiya had been exceedingly patient with Naruto, but he still thought, 'Damn. What I wouldn't give to be on the road doing research. And I would love to see the next wave of kunoichi they'll send to tempt me into divulging village secrets. That's always a good time.'

"Naruto-chan, we talked about this," Kushina cooed. "Some ninja are good at some things and other ninja are good at others. But everyone has to work at it. You have to become good at hard work even if you have a kekkei genkai or you'll never be great."

Sasuke was there too. He figured that passing up the chance to train with a legendary Sanin would just be stupid. And Itachi was out on a mission anyway.

"Even Sasuke won't be a great ninja if he doesn't put in hard work. And he's already the top of your class. But if he doesn't train, if he doesn't put in the effort, he won't get any better," Kushina said again. She must have repeated the lecture a hundred times since Naruto's first day. But she only added the part about the kekkei genkai when Sasuke was around.

Jiraiya nodded in agreement. "Naruto, you can't just skip this stuff because it's hard. This is why I'm sticking around: to teach you how to learn this stuff even though it's boring."

Kakashi was in the window. "Jiraiya-sama, Kushina-sama: I've had an idea about how to improve Naruto's studying ability."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and Kushina looked at the Copy-nin who'd been away for months on a mission wondering what this revolutionary new idea could possibly be.

"It struck me that you might be teaching Naruto things out of order," Kakashi continued. "Naruto already has a wealth of chakra. He could probably do a certain jutsu with minimal instruction. It doesn't require much skill at all to use and could significantly multiply Naruto's study time, if my guess is correct."

Jiraiya immediately understood, but it took Kushina a few seconds to understand. Minato had been the brilliant one. Kushina had just worked her tail off, night and day, to try to catch him.

"You're suggesting that we teach him a B-rank jutsu to help Naruto study math?" Jiraiya laughed. "You must REALLY want me to get back to writing!"

Kakashi looked at the floor with his hand behind his head and smiled behind his mask. "No. I was suggesting we teach him the forbidden version of a B-rank jutsu to study math."

'Yes!' Sasuke thought. 'I'll learn something really useful!'

"Sasuke-chan, this is something that you'll have to ask your mother about," Kushina explained as if she'd read his mind. "If you were a genin, then you could decide for yourself, but this isn't something that I'd feel comfortable teaching you."

Sasuke was pissed, but he went home to ask his mother and Itachi about the study-aid jutsu.

"We'll have to work on some other things first, but he'll be a first rate student by next year," Jiraiya said.

—Several months later—

"Okay, Naruto. You've got enough chakra control to try this. You're still dead last in your class, but with this, you'll be able to study at lightning speeds!" Jiraiya exclaimed dramatically.

"Show me already, Pervy-sensei!" Naruto asked excitedly.

"It's called 'Shadow Clone Jutsu,'" Jiraiya explained. "Watch." He made the single hand-sign for the jutsu and poofed into two Jiraiyas. "See?" they said in unison.

"Jiraiya-sensei, how does that help?" Naruto was confused.

"First, learn the jutsu. Then we'll explain," the two Jiraiyas s

It didn't take long for Naruto to figure out how to channel his chakra into the jutsu. His first successful shadow clone filled the entire study room with clones. There were legs and arms everywhere, mashing everyone against walls and floor. Naruto couldn't get the exact number of clones right, but he could easily make too many instead of too few.

After several practice runs, Jiraiya took Naruto to the library. Jiraiya checked out as many books on speed-reading as the library had. "Naruto, Make a shadow clone for each of these books. Then, each shadow clone will read a different one of them."

Naruto didn't understand, but did as he was instructed. He was still at the bottom of the class and wanted badly to improve. His mother had said that as long as he passed, his ranking didn't matter, but he wanted to show everyone that he could be good at things too.

After about three hours of reading, most of the clones had finished their books and were practicing the speed reading techniques at the end. Jiraiya announced to the gaggle of Narutos, "Okay. Now, disperse the clones, one at a time."

Naruto tried, but ended up dispersing them all at once. He still didn't quite get the big deal about them. Jiraiya picked up a book at random and asked Naruto about it. Naruto answered the question correctly and Jiraiya picked up another book. And another. Until Naruto figured it out.

"Everything the clones learn, I remember when they disperse!" he said excitedly.

"Now you're getting it, kiddo," Jiraiya responded. "Every day, after school, I'm going to have ten or twenty books ready for you to read, starting with these books on speed reading. You are going to be so good at academics after just a few weeks that they're gonna think you're a genius." And then he muttered, "Or cheating," under his breath and thought, 'Which he kind of is.'

—Taijutsu training with Kushina after school, several weeks later—

"Why is Jiraiya-sensei leaving?" Naruto asked as he threw a wild punch.

Kushina easily blocked it saying, "He has important work to do."

Naruto tried a kick. "Writing his pervy novels?"

"How do you know how pervy his novels are?" Kushina asked, knocking Naruto to the ground.

"That's what EVERYONE says!" Naruto exclaimed as the ground knocked the wind out of him.

Kushina sat down on the ground next to Naruto. "There's something that we need to discuss, Naruto."

"Okay," Naruto was worried. His mother had never discussed anything seriously with him before.

"It's about when you become a genin," she said. "Have you thought about who you'd like to be teamed up with and why?"

Naruto thought for a few moments before answering. "I'd love to be with friends, but I wouldn't mind making new ones."

"Naruto, I've seen how the Hokage works. I can guess what the teams will be. Some of them are already set, but some of them aren't. The ones that aren't are going to depend on Academy grades," she explained.

"So?" Naruto asked.

"Sasuke is first in your class. If Jiraiya and Kakashi hadn't helped you study, you'd be last. Then you and he would end up on the same genin team. But your grades are improving rapidly now, so that probably won't happen."

"So?" Naruto asked again.

"Well, you've always worked extra hard to compete with Sasuke. The competition between you two is good. You are both becoming strong quickly. If you want to be on the same genin team as Sasuke, you're going to have to make sure that your grades are dead last."

"What?!" Naruto was floored. He'd have to do badly on purpose if he wanted to get stronger? What the hell?

"I think you two would both get much stronger if you continued to compete with each other. The only reason I got to be as strong as I am and your father got as strong as he was is because we had someone to compete with," Kushina said with a far off look.

Naruto grumbled. He liked being good at school. Doing badly on purpose was not going to be easy, but if he could get stronger, he supposed that would be worth it. Naruto realized that it was the first time he'd ever heard his mother mention his father.

"Who was my father?" Naruto asked innocently.

"He was the only man I ever loved," Kushina said evasively. 'Naruto will probably figure it out eventually. He looks so much like Minato. I don't want Naruto to get a big head about being the son of a Hokage. The Hyuuga and the Uchiha have big enough heads for the entire village. But it's still an S-ranked village secret and the Hokage would have to approve disclosing it, even to Naruto,' she thought. 'Not that that would stop me.'

—Two years later, the morning after the Uchiha Massacre—

"What are those alarm bells?" Naruto shouted. He had spent at least an hour a day with twelve clones in the library every day since he learned that trick and knew everything publicly available. Some things he'd had to read twice, but he found that knowing the answers to things made life much easier than not knowing. He hated not knowing almost as much as he hated being ignored.

"I don't know. I don't know," his mother said, still shocked. "Naruto, go to school. I have to speak with some people," she said distantly.

So Naruto went to school. Sasuke or Shikamaru might know something. Itachi was in ANBU and he was probably part of whatever it was.

"Shikamaru, do you know what's going on?" he asked as soon as he spotted the pineapple haired boy.

"I heard my father talking about it. Itachi went insane and killed all of the Uchiha except Sasuke. Everyone," Shikamaru informed Naruto.

Naruto couldn't fathom it. Itachi had been such a nice older kid. He didn't seem like a psycho killer at all. He hadn't been around lately, but Naruto figured that was just because he and Sasuke were in the Academy and Itachi was out on missions.

"What's going to happen to Sasuke? Is he okay?" Naruto interrogated.

"I don't know. That's all I heard before I had to go to school," Shikamaru replied.

"That's so terrible," Choji said emptily. He wasn't even eating, he was so sad.

The teachers came in with solemn expressions. "Class, as some of you may have heard, there was an incident last night involving the Uchiha clan. Itachi Uchiha suddenly and without warning went on a rampage, killing everyone except Sasuke Uchiha. His motives and whereabouts are unknown, but the village has labeled him a missing nin. There are reports that he fled the village. There will be no class today while we try to get answers."

The two chunin left the stunned class. Naruto didn't know where to go. His mother wasn't going to be home and she was always there to let him in after school. He didn't like wandering the streets because of all the weird stares and occasional angry mobs from the villagers, but he felt like he had to do something. The only person that he could think of to find was the Hokage.

The other students went home, but Naruto charged straight into the Hokage tower. The staff at the tower was so shocked by the boy that they didn't think to stop him. They all knew that he was the jinchuuriki and some of them were terrified of what might happen. Some of them just wanted to see what the notorious mischief-maker was up to. And a few hoped he'd piss off the Hokage and get himself killed.

Naruto burst into the Hokage's office. Jiraiya was already inside as was his mother. "What the hell is going on, Old Man?" Naruto yelled.

Normally, Sarutobi enjoyed the high-energy antics of the blonde haired youth, but today he had too much to deal with. "I'm having a meeting about a massacre and I don't have time right now, Naruto. Please leave."

Kushina went over to Naruto to shuffle him out of the office, but Naruto wouldn't back down. "Dammit, I only have a few friends and one of them just lost his entire clan. At least tell me where he is!"

"He's in the hospital. He was under a genjutsu for a very long time, Naruto. He needs to recover," his mother explained.

"Well, what's going to happen to him now? Is he going to stay all alone at the clan's estate?" Naruto persisted.

"He'll get an apartment and live with the other orphans until he graduates," Kushina went on.

Naruto was horrified. Orphans lived in a crummy, dilapidated building. He'd seen it before. It was one of those places filled with people ready to chase him and curse him on sight, if his mother or Jiraiya weren't around.

"Why? Why does he have to be alone?" Naruto shouted. And then he uttered a plea that nobody had even considered. "Why doesn't he just live with us?"

Everyone stopped. The Hokage looked at Kushina. Jiraiya looked at Kushina. Naruto looked at Kushina. Kushina blinked at Naruto. She couldn't think of any reason why he couldn't. She'd been friends with his mother for years and he'd been playing with Naruto since before they could walk. Sasuke didn't have any family to object.

She turned from Naruto to look at the Hokage. "Why can't he just live with us?" she asked the old man.

The Hokage blinked. Twice. "It would be better than the apartments," he finally said. "You can talk to him when he wakes up.

Chapter 3

—Hidden Leaf Hospital, Sasuke's room—

Naruto and Kushina were in the room, watching the unconscious Sasuke twitch in his sleep. He was obviously having horrible nightmares. Sasuke rolled over and opened his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he asked the two Uzumakis. 'Why, Itachi? Why?'

"Well, Sasuke, since you don't have anywhere else to stay, I volunteered to take you in. At least until you graduate from the Academy," Kushina said.

"You're not my mother. You're not family. Go away," Sasuke said.

"As you know, Itachi killed all of your family. So I'm taking you in. Because Mikoto was my friend and Uzumakis take care of their friends. And you don't have anywhere else to go, Sasuke," Kushina said, leaving no room for argument.

Sasuke rolled over.

"Mom, does he even have a choice?" Naruto asked.

"Well, he could run away. But then he'd never finish training to become a ninja. I don't know if that matters to him right now though," Kushina responded.

Sasuke growled and said, "Fine. I'll live with you."

—Naruto's house—

"This is going to be hard, isn't it?" Naruto asked.

"We've been studying with Shadow Clones for over two years, Naruto. Faking it at school is one thing, but faking it at home is going to be nearly impossible," Kushina replied.

"Should we even try?" Naruto asked honestly.

"I don't know. I think honesty is the best way to go with your friends," and then she thought, 'he's gained decades of knowledge in only two years, but he's still a child. I have to remind myself that even when he acts older, he's still a child. Living a life and reading about it in books are two different things.'

"Do you think he'll be able to trust us?" Naruto interrupted his mother's thoughts.

"I don't know. He idolized Itachi. What did the psychology book say about betrayal?"

"It said that it was a hard thing to recover from."

"And what about torture? And brainwashing? You don't know what that genjutsu was that Sasuke was trapped in," Kushina explained. "And who do you think did it to him?"

"Holy crap," Naruto whispered. "Itachi must have done that to Sasuke. But WHY?"

"We don't know. We may never know. Maybe Sasuke knows, but he might not want to share it with us."

"Okay. Honesty was your first instinct, right? It was mine too. One of the psychology books said that the best way to gain someone's trust was to simply BE honest with them, so our instincts can't be too far off the mark. We should tell him at dinner. Ichiraku Ramen?"

"I'll pick it up. Make some shadow clones to clean up and make space for another bed. Sasuke is going to need a bed of his own. But until we figure out what he needs, get a futon for yourself and put clean sheets on your bed for Sasuke"

"Yes, mom!" Five shadow clones poofed into the room and began cleaning.

—Hidden Leaf Hospital, front desk—

"Sasuke, we're going to have dinner at our house. I hope that you like ramen, because it's all I had time for tonight," Kushina explained to the quiet boy.

"Whatever," Sasuke grumbled. 'I will kill Itachi. In order to kill Itachi, I must learn as much as I can. In order to learn as much as I can, I must stay with these people,' Sasuke thought, repeatedly.

Kushina walked with Sasuke down the street to the apartment. "Sasuke, I wondered what you might want from your house. We won't be able to get inside for a few days, so you'll be sleeping in Naruto's bed while he sleeps on the floor. Don't worry, I made sure that you have fresh sheets," she said to the despondent boy.

"Whatever," Sasuke grumbled. His thoughts were the same, but he paused when Kushina told him that Naruto would be on the floor. 'She's putting her own son on the floor instead of me? What the hell?'

"And I want you to start training with us. I know that the Uchiha have their own secret techniques, but you might be surprised at what I can teach you."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted. 'What could she possibly teach me? Naruto is dead last in the class. He's a total moron.'

Kushina walked silently the rest of the way, only stopping once at a flower shop to place an order. She thought, 'It's almost Minato's birthday. I don't know if I can hide the trip to the graveyard from Naruto anymore. He hasn't asked about his father again, but I know he's curious. I wonder when he'll figure it out.'

They continued walking to the apartment where Kushina absently unlocked the door and ushered Sasuke in. There was a futon on the floor with blankets and a pillow set on it. Naruto was already setting the table and there was at least ten gallons of ramen from Ramen Ichiraku. Naruto looked up, bowed, and said,

"Sasuke-san! Welcome! Please sit and have some ramen!" Naruto motioned to the table.

'When did he learn manners? Something is off here,' Sasuke thought. He narrowed his eyes at Naruto and said, "When did you learn manners?"

"Well," he started, but Kushina interrupted.

"Sasuke, we have something to tell you. Please sit down," Kushina said gently.

"Naruto has been failing at the Academy on purpose," Kushina explained.

"Are you serious? Why would he do that? Why would you let him do that?" Sasuke questioned.

"I'm guessing that you already know that genin get assigned to teams when they graduate the Academy, but do you know how the teams are formed?" Kushina asked.

"The Hokage assigns them," Sasuke responded, sure that it didn't matter. Naruto was already slurping down soup and the noise was mildly distracting.

"Yes. But he assigns them on several factors. If any teams have historically done very well, the Hokage will try to recreate it with a new generation. Ino-Shika-Cho, for example. Beyond that, the Hokage tries to create balanced teams. When I was a genin, the lowest scoring student and the highest scoring student were paired with someone from the middle. And every year since then, the Hokage has done it that way. If you are the highest scoring student and Naruto is the lowest scoring student," Kushina trailed.

"Then we'll end up on the same genin team," Sasuke finished. He looked at Naruto and said, "You want to be on the same team that badly? Why?"

Naruto looked down from his noodles and said, "We've always been friends, Sasuke. I wanted to make sure that I knew at least one person on my genin team."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the blonde. "Just how smart are you?"

Naruto finished his second bowl of ramen before answering. Kushina had begun devouring her ramen with as much gusto as Naruto had.

"I'm not any smarter, Sasuke. I've just learned a whole lot more than I let on," Naruto explained.

"How much more? What do you know?" Sasuke interrogated.

"Math, history, literature, biology, physics, psychology, tea ceremony, smithing in theory, chemistry, poisons, cooking, basic chakra theory, basic battle tactics, human anatomy, and ummm," his face blushed, "pervy stuff."

"Naruto!" Kushina shouted.

"I'm being honest!" Naruto shouted in return.

"How did you even get any of that material?" She shouted, disapprovingly.

"We covered henge in class," he said sheepishly.

"We're going to have to talk about that, Naruto. And it isn't going to be comfortable for either of us," she said as she slurped more ramen.

"How? How could you possibly know all of that?" Sasuke said, shocked. For once, he wasn't thinking about Itachi. "I don't believe it."

Naruto looked at him and did a hand seal that Sasuke didn't recognize. There was a poof and then there were five of him. They huddled briefly then each one henged into a different character and began performing a scene from a play that Sasuke barely recognized.

After the scene played out, Sasuke asked, "How do clones and illusions help you learn this? What's the point?"

"They aren't regular clones," Naruto explained. "They're Shadow Clones. They take enormous amounts of chakra, but I have tons of chakra. And when they disperse, you remember everything that the clone experienced. Plus, using them almost constantly builds up my chakra level. I haven't actually compared, but I should have more chakra right now than most jonin. Two years of studying about 50 hours every day. I finished the Academy curriculum after the first six months."

"This is your secret study-aid jutsu?" Sasuke asked. "Let me try." And he started forming the seals that Naruto had used.

Kushina reached over and stopped Sasuke. "Later. You'll need to build up your chakra level first or you'll exhaust yourself and end up back in the hospital. We'll start work on that tomorrow. For now, just eat. You have school tomorrow."

—Ninja Academy, the next day—

"…Naruto?" Iruka-sensei asked.

Naruto hadn't been paying attention. He was thinking about one of the books on torture recovery he'd read. He was still concerned about Sasuke.

"Huh?" he said. He didn't really have to act distracted. It was boring stuff. Stuff that he'd covered long ago. He was genuinely bored.

"Tell the class what chakra is, Naruto," Mizuki-sensei said, annoyed.

"It's a combination of physical and spiritual energy that ninja use," Naruto rattled off without thinking. Sasuke elbowed him in the ribs and whispered,

"Idiot!"

Naruto thought, 'Oh shit! I'm supposed to be dead last. What if they pick up on the charade? Gotta cover!' "And chakra is how you do cool jutsu like fireballs!" he exclaimed, excitedly. The reality was that he thought fireballs were cool and he was excited to try them, but he knew that he needed a strong foundation in the basics before he started learning those things. And he didn't know anyone who would test his chakra affinity, so he didn't even know if he COULD do a fireball. But mostly, nobody would teach an academy student anything useful like that. Even Jiraiya-sensei and his mom told him to master the basics first.

Mizuki-sensei responded, "Yes, Naruto. But chakra has many uses aside from just ninjutsu. There's also genjutsu, taijutsu applications, and medical jutsus." Naruto tuned him out again. One of his clones was in the library reading up on what little was available on genjutsu. He hoped the clone would finish soon and disperse so that he would have something else to think about.

Shikamaru watched Naruto and Sasuke's brief exchange. He had gotten very good at analysis. His father was still better, but he was very good. Sasuke and Naruto were up to something.

During lunch, Shikamaru made sure that he was alone with Naruto and Sasuke. "Okay. What's going on?"

Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other. "If I slip up again, he'll probably figure it out anyway," Naruto said.

"You can't un-ring a bell, Naruto," Sasuke said.

"Shikamaru, you can't tell anyone. Not even Choji. Not until we're all at least genin. Okay?" Naruto asked his friend.

"It's your secret. If you can't manage to keep it, it's not my fault. But I won't tell anyone," Shikamaru responded. "It'd be too troublesome."

"I've been tanking academics," Naruto confessed.

"Why?" Shikamaru couldn't figure it out. Naruto loved getting attention and being the top of the class would certainly have gotten him attention.

"If I'm top of the class or number two, then there's no way that I'd be on the same genin team as Sasuke," Naruto responded.

He liked Naruto and wanted to be on the same team as him. But he had also been friends with Ino and Choji practically since they were born. He wondered how the genin teams were assigned.

"You're going to be teamed up with Ino and Choji. Sasuke is my only other friend. I don't dislike any of the other kids, but it would just be easier to be on the same team as Sasuke," Naruto explained.

Shikamaru looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "Easier to pretend that you don't know anything and barely pass any of the tests than to just tell the Hokage that these are the lengths you are going to in order to ensure that you are paired up as genin?"

Naruto looked at Shikamaru. "When you put it like that, it sounds like the Hokage might actually listen instead of just doing what he thinks is best. This way is much more likely to actually work," he said with a smirk.

Shikamaru sighed. "Telling would be too troublesome."

"It's just until we're genin, Shikamaru," Naruto assured his friend. "Then I won't have to pretend to be totally clueless."

"Do you even care who else is on your team?" Shikamaru asked.

Naruto shrugged but Sasuke said harshly, "Someone who won't slow me down."

Naruto said, "I don't actually care. It'll probably be a girl, just by the numbers. I just hope it doesn't turn into some hopeless love triangle like in stories."

—Naruto's house, several years later, but a few months before Academy graduation exams—

"You only have enough chakra to for eight shadow clones, Sasuke. Your chakra level is improving, but I'm concerned that you have ignored some areas of study. You shouldn't focus completely on battle skills. You need to keep up on the other stuff as well or you'll never be good at anything else," Kushina admonished Sasuke.

Sasuke's bed and a few other things were in with Naruto's stuff in one room and Naruto was reading the chakra theory book again.

"What use will they be against Itachi? What if he comes back to finish the job? I don't need to know any of that," Sasuke replied calmly.

"And what about if you stop Itachi? What will you do then? Do you think that you'll only ever be given combat missions? We have been at peace for over a decade. Broaden your horizons, boy! There's more to life than fighting," Kushina shouted.

"Fine," Sasuke said, grudgingly picking up a book of poetry that Naruto always seemed to enjoy.

Naruto felt a clone disperse. He had gotten his hands on an old enemy bingo book from the Third Great Ninja War. Naruto looked at Sasuke and decided to do something to cheer him up. Something that would probably spark a conversation with at least his mother and the Hokage.

After Kushina left, Naruto said, "Hey, Sasuke. Do you have enough chakra for a shadow clone right now? I want to do something and I'd like your help."

Sasuke looked at Naruto, annoyed that he was interrupted. "Fine. Let's just hurry up."

Naruto and Sasuke went out to Naruto's secret hiding spot behind a hardware store. Naruto grabbed buckets of paint and handed two to Sasuke. "We're going to make a statement to the village, Sasuke." He smiled evilly.

Sasuke was keeping watch while Naruto painted graffiti and swirls on the first three Hokages' faces. He left the fourth untouched. With Sasuke on watch, the pranksters spotted the chunin before they were close enough to see the boys.

"Naruto, incoming. Let's go," Sasuke said calmly.

"It's no fun if they don't know it was me, Sasuke. Get out of here. I'll be fine," Naruto said.

"You'll get in trouble, Naruto. Come on. Don't mess around. Let's go."

"It's the fastest way to see the Hokage. I have questions that only he can answer. I need you to tell my mother that I did this to talk to him. Please," Naruto pleaded.

"Fine," Sasuke said as the clone dispersed.

Two chunin approached and Naruto said, "Well, let's get this over with. Take me to the old man."

Naruto, flanked by the two chunin, went straight to the Hokage tower where Sarutobi was waiting, smoking his pipe. "Leave us. I want to speak with Naruto alone," the old man said to the chunin.

"Mom should be here soon. I don't want to have this conversation twice. But tell me: am I right?"

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow under his hat. "Right about what, Naruto?"

"Minato Namikaze was my father." Naruto brought out a beaten and weathered book with one page dog-eared and tossed it to the Hokage. It was the bingo book that his clone had been reading earlier from the Third Great Ninja War.

"There isn't much personal information about him in any of the history books, but I found this earlier today. He's sixteen in the picture. I look just like him. When I first saw it, I thought, 'Why am I in a bingo book from so long ago?'"

Kushina arrived at the top of the tower where Naruto and Sarutobi were talking. Sasuke had told her that Naruto was seeing the Hokage and she'd seen the graffiti on the monument. She figured that Naruto knew about his father.

"Naruto, are you all right?" she asked.

Naruto just looked hurt when he faced her. "Why was it such a big secret? Couldn't you have just told me?"

"There's more to it than that, Naruto," Sarutobi spoke up. "He wanted you to have a normal life."

Kushina looked at Sarutobi as if she wanted to kill him. "He wanted Naruto to be a hero. I wanted him to have a normal life."

Naruto looked at his mother. "What?"

"I knew that you would have to grow up to become a great shinobi. That it would hard and lonely. But I want you to have friends. I want you to have fun and enjoy life. I want you to know love. How could you do that if you thought that you had to live up to Minato? How fair would that have been, to put such pressure on you?" Kushina started tearing up. "It would be too cruel." She started sobbing, letting it all out for the first time in thirteen years. "I couldn't do that to you. You're all I have."

Naruto had never seen his mother cry. He didn't know what to do, how to respond. He wanted to be mad. He wanted to be pissed that they kept something like this from him. But seeing her in tears, he just couldn't be angry. It hurt him to watch her suffer and to know that it was because of him. His childish outburst. His stupid mouth.

"Naruto," Sarutobi interrupted. "This was a secret that was meant to protect you. Are you familiar with the Hyuuga clan?"

Naruto turned. "Hinata is in my class, but I don't really know much about them. How is this relevant?"

"Just pay attention. Several years ago, a rival village sent ninja to collect the Hyuuga's kekkei genkai. They kidnapped the heir to the clan and tried to blackmail the clan head. The heir, Hinata, was only four at the time. She was a target because of her clan. Because of her affiliation with the Hyuuga. We made sure that any enemies that Minato had wouldn't target you by hiding your affiliation." Sarutobi tapped his pipe and took another drag before continuing. "It wouldn't be wise to advertise your lineage because you only have yourself, your mother, and now Sasuke Uchiha for protection.

"Kushina is a formidable kunoichi," he turned to Kushina, "who should come back to active duty, by the way," and turned back to Naruto, "but there is only so much that she can do if it gets out. You should be safe at home, but you never know who will decide to sell this information to a potential enemy."

Kushina had been composing herself after her emotional breakdown, but she looked up at the Hokage and choked out, "I want his things back."

Sarutobi thought, 'I should have known she would.' "You know that I can only give you his civilian things. His ninja gear is sealed in the vault."

She composed herself. Her voice was hard now. "That's all I care about anyway. And there is a kunai as well. Just the one. It has sentimental value."

Sarutobi nodded, leaving the two alone atop the tower, and prepared to have Minato's things removed from the storage vault.

Naruto looked at his mother and said, "I'm sorry for hurting you, mom."

Kushina just hugged him silently.

—Naruto's house, that evening—

"Why are you putting up pictures of you and the Fourth Hokage, Kushina-san?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto looked at Sasuke. He picked up a picture of Kushina and Minato from their Academy graduation and put it next to his face. He motioned between his face and the picture of Minato.

"No way!" Sasuke exclaimed in shock. Naruto nodded.

"We only ever mention it here though. Nobody else can know. Although, some of the other Leaf Ninja will probably figure it out eventually, if they haven't already figured it out. But we don't have to help them by advertising," Naruto said.

'I wonder what other secrets we don't know. How will I know when I'm ready to face Itachi? I have to be sure or I'm screwed,' Sasuke thought. 'Living here has gotten me at least as far as I saw Itachi get with certain techniques, but without my sharingan I'll never touch him. I have to figure out how to awaken it.'

Chapter 4

"Naruto! Pay attention!" Iruka-sensei shouted.

"Huh?" Naruto turned to the chunin instructor.

"You have to do the clone jutsu," Mizuki-sensei said, expecting the blonde child to fail.

Naruto idly did the hand signs and made the requisite three basic clones. It had taken him months of practice to do a basic academy clone instead of a shadow clone, but he'd finally gotten it down.

"You pass," Mizuki was disappointed. 'The brat is supposed to fail, dammit. He hasn't made a single clone in practice, let alone three. How can I manipulate him if he passes? Crap. I'll have to think of some other way to take revenge on that damned kyuubi.'

Naruto had gotten the bare minimum correct on the written test to pass and he needed to pass all three practical tests in order to graduate. He and Sasuke had long since mastered the practical skills to the point that they didn't even need to use hand signs anymore. The two had even practiced using them in their taijutsu sparring sessions. But the test didn't call for that level of skill and showing off wouldn't help his goals.

Iruka returned Naruto's contagious smile. 'Whatever happened thirteen years ago, Naruto isn't the kyuubi. He's just not that psychotic.'

The students who passed that final test received headbands with the leaf symbol with instructions to return in the morning for assignments. Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, and some pink-haired girl went out to celebrate. Sasuke didn't want to, but neither did Shikamaru. Choji and Ino convinced Shikamaru to come out, while Naruto convinced Sasuke to go. Naruto didn't know what the deal was with the pink-haired girl, but she and Ino were constantly fighting over something.

'Hi! I'm Naruto. Who are you?" he asked.

"I know who you are, moron. We're in the same class. You're always playing pranks on everyone and I can't believe you actually passed," the pink-haired girl said with venom.

"Oh come on! Have a sense of humor! You can't be that mad," Naruto replied. Pink hair was definitely exotic and he had just started to notice things like that on girls.

The pink-haired girl merely ignored him and walked next to Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun, I'm so glad that you decided to celebrate with us," the girl cooed.

'Are you kidding me? She likes Sasuke? Too bad for her, he's not into romance at all. That time I showed him one of Ero-sensei's books was hilarious though,' Naruto mused.

Naruto went over to Ino and said, "Hi Ino. What do you feel like tonight? Choji probably wants barbecue."

"Shut up, moron. I'm trying to listen to Sasuke," Ino replied coldly.

'Oh, COME ON! Is every girl in the village obsessed with him or is someone playing a massive joke on me?' Naruto thought. 'Screw it. I'll just focus on becoming Hokage. That'll teach them for pulling this kind of joke on me.'

The group was stopped by a man about fifty years old with strange markings on his face and long, spikey, white hair.

"This year's graduating class, huh? Who've we got here?" Jiraiya asked.

Shikamaru bowed and said, "It's an honor, Jiraiya-sama. I am Shikamaru Nara. This is Choji Akimichi, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, and Naruto—"

"Hey, Ero-sensei! How's the latest book?" Naruto interrupted with a smile.

Sakura shouted, "You can't talk to one of the legendary sannin like that, you moron!"

Jiraiya chuckled. "You're absolutely right, Sakura-chan, right? He should be more respectful of his elders."

"Shut it, Ero-sensei. Or I'll tell them about that time you took me to the hot springs and—" Jiraiya clapped a hand over Naruto's mouth smiling nervously.

"The class clown/moron KNOWS Jiraiya-sama?" Sakura sputtered.

'And has blackmail material on a sannin. Weird,' Shikamaru thought.

Sasuke maintained his usual calm demeanor, but everyone else was shocked into silence.

"Let me buy you all dinner," Jiraiya said, keeping his hands firmly wrapped around Naruto's mouth.

Choji was the first and most eager to reply, "We would be honored, Jiraiya-sama," with a bow and a smile in his eyes.

—At the barbecue restaurant—

Jiraiya emptied his wallet paying for a meal that included both Naruto and Choji. Naruto wouldn't tell anyone how he knew Jiraiya and Jiraiya just kept saying, "We met a long, long time ago."

The group of freshly minted genin and one sannin left later than anyone anticipated, so Jiraiya offered to make sure everyone made it home without incident. Sasuke and Naruto were the last of the group with Jiraiya.

"Sasuke-kun, where are you staying?" Jiraiya asked.

"He's staying with us. Which you'd know, if you'd come around more often, Ero-sensei," Naruto replied.

Jiraiya winced. "I'm sorry, Naruto. But I had important research to do," Jiraiya lied. 'I wish I didn't have to lie about that.'

The three walked into the apartment and Jiraiya stopped when he noticed the pictures. "I see. You know about Minato then."

Kushina punched Jiraiya hard enough to knock him through the closed door and into the opposite wall. "Hello, Jiraiya-sensei," she said through the hole in the door, smiling. "Next time, please tell me that you are going to be keeping my son and nephew out late so that I don't worry." She turned to the two and wrapped them in a big hug, "Congratulations! You both made it! I knew you would."

'I can't believe I'm used to this kind of emotional outburst. An Uchiha would never have shown this little self-control.' Sasuke thought, but he didn't complain.

Jiraiya picked himself up and entered the apartment again. 'I guess I'll talk to Kushina in the morning. Damn, but those kids can eat.'

—Hidden Leaf Ninja Academy, the next morning—

"Team seven, led by Kakashi Hatake: Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki," Iruka said. Kakashi waved at the three.

'The only other sharingan user left in the village. Perfect,' Sasuke thought.

'How awesome is this? Kakashi is going to be my jonin sensei!' Naruto thought.

'I'm on Sasuke's team! I'll win his heart for sure!' Sakura thought.

"Meet me on the roof," Kakashi said as he thought, 'I really hope that they pass. I don't want to fail Minato-sensei's son.'

The three genin went out to the roof where they waited for Kakashi. He didn't show up immediately and Sakura started to get restless.

"Where is this guy? How long are we going to have to wait?" Sakura complained.

"Sakura-chan, please be more patient. I'm pretty sure that I know where Kakashi-sensei is right now and he'll get here when he's ready," Naruto admonished the girl.

'When did he get so mature?' Sakura thought.

'Naruto knows "Copy" Kakashi too? Who else does he know?' Sasuke thought.

"Naruto! Don't think that because we've met before that I'll let you get away with anything!" Kakashi said sternly.

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, startled.

"Now that you're all here, we should all introduce ourselves. Start off by telling everyone your name, your hobbies, your dreams, and your goals," Kakashi said. "Sakura-chan, was it? You first."

"Well, can you show us what you mean, Kakashi-sensei. I'm not sure I understand what you want," Sakura said.

"Okay. My name is Kakashi Hatake. I have many hobbies, but I like to read. My dreams died. My goal is to make sure that you are all worthy of being ninja of the Leaf. Your turn, Sakura-chan."

The pink-haired girl was a little stunned at how jaded the jonin's answers seemed, but collected herself after a moment. "My name is Sakura Haruno. My hobbies include flower arranging and," she mumbled something that only Kakashi managed to hear, "My dream is to win the love of a certain someone. My goal is to be noticed by a certain someone," she blushed. Profusely.

Naruto rolled his eyes. 'So much for avoiding romantic entanglements,' he thought.

"I'll go next. My name is Naruto Uzumaki. My hobbies include learning everything about everything and eating delicious food like ramen. My dream is to become an even greater Hokage than the Fourth. My goals are to help my teammates and to be acknowledged by the village," Naruto said striking a determined pose.

"Since when do you learn anything, idiot?" Sakura said incredulously.

"You'd be surprised," Sasuke said, rolling his eyes. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't have any hobbies. I don't have any dreams. My goal is to grow strong enough to beat and capture or kill a certain man," Sasuke said.

"It's Itachi," Naruto whispered to Kakashi.

"Shut up, Naruto!" Sasuke screamed.

"You think he doesn't already know? That was for Sakura," Naruto replied, winking to her.

Kakashi just looked at the three genin and smiled. 'They're so young. They're lucky that we aren't at war. There will be plenty of time for them to grow up.'

"Okay. That was great. I'm glad we had this little talk, but you should know that you aren't officially genin yet. There's still one more test that you have to take and if you don't pass, you'll have to go back to the academy," Kakashi explained.

The three genin were silent, waiting for the jonin to explain.

"Meet me at training ground seventeen tomorrow at eight o'clock. It's going to be extremely physical, so make sure that you don't eat anything for breakfast. You don't want to throw up. See you tomorrow," he smiled and waved before a puff of smoke replaced him and he was gone.

Naruto turned to his new team, frowned, and said, "That isn't right."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"If it's going to be that physically demanding, we should eat only certain types of food that will make sure that we have energy, but won't take long to digest, like fruits and vegetables," Naruto explained.

"How do you know that? You failed biology," Sakura said.

"Yeah. On purpose," Sasuke said. "Stamina-freak here knows more about nutrition than most doctors."

"What!? How can you defend him, Sasuke?" Sakura shouted.

"Because I've seen it. I've been living with him since the massacre. He'd have graduated years ago, if his mother would have let him," Sasuke explained.

"No. That would make him some kind of genius. There's just no way," Sakura tried to reconcile what she'd seen of Naruto at the academy with a super-genius who knew so much and she just couldn't do it.

"Not a genius, Sakura-chan. Just determined," Sasuke said cryptically.

"I'll tell you all about it after we pass that test tomorrow, Sakura-chan," Naruto reassured.

'Sasuke-kun trusts the idiot? I don't know about this, but I guess if Sasuke-kun trusts him, I'll trust him too,' Sakura thought.

"Oh, shit. Kakashi already knows," Naruto paled. "It was his idea in the first place," Naruto continued.

Sasuke and Sakura both stared at him.

—Training Ground Seventeen, the next morning—

"Sakura-chan, did you eat breakfast like I explained?" Naruto asked as she arrived.

"Even though Kakashi-sensei said not to eat anything, yes. I ate some fruit, Naruto." She had to admit that she felt much better than if she hadn't eaten anything.

The three waited for several hours alone at the training ground. Naruto and Sasuke argued about training while they waited, but Sasuke refused to waste energy before the test so Naruto practiced taijutsu by himself.

'When did his taijutsu get so good?' Sakura thought as she watched Naruto practice. 'His moves were never that clean at the academy. Just what the hell is going on here?' she wondered.

"I've failed over twenty teams," Kakashi said calmly, perched on a post. "Are you that confident in your abilities, Naruto?"

"I got bored, Kakashi-sensei. But I'm pretty confident too," he responded.

"Well, is everyone ready for the test?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes!" the genin responded enthusiastically.

Kakashi raised two bells and explained, "Your test is to get these bells from me. There are only two bells though, so only two of you can pass."

The genin were all shocked at that.

"You'll have to come at me with everything you've got. Don't hold back or there's no way you'll be able to pass."

Naruto ran at the jonin, trying to tackle him immediately, but Kakashi wasn't there and Naruto's tackle went through empty space.

"I didn't say 'go' yet, Naruto," Kakashi wagged a finger at Naruto.

"Then say 'go' already," Naruto grumbled as he stood up.

"Go!" Kakashi said.

Sakura jumped behind some trees. Sasuke did the same, but left behind a shadow clone and two regular clones. Naruto just swarmed the entire open space with dozens of shadow clones while he moved around.

"You want to face me head-on?" Kakashi said. "That's not a good idea," as he formed hand signs faster than the genin could follow. "Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!" The majority of Naruto's shadow clones dispersed along with Sasuke's shadow clone in the massive inferno Kakashi exhaled. Sasuke screamed from the psychic shock of being "killed." Naruto just frowned and made more shadow clones.

Kakashi leapt back onto the creek and formed more unreadable hand signs. "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" The massive water dragon swept away more of the clones, but Naruto immediately made more to replace them.

Kakashi moved back onto the ground and quickly formed another set of unreadably fast hand signs. "Earth Style: Multiple Suicide Decapitation Jutsu!" The remaining Narutos sank into the ground up to their necks while Kakashi formed more hand signs. "Water Style: Water Bullet Jutsu!"

Sakura watched as Kakashi executed those advanced ninjutsu techniques in rapid succession against what looked like an army of Narutos. 'If Naruto is forcing Kakashi to use those techniques, I'm going to be the one who goes back to the academy. Sasuke is probably planning an ambush and that's the only way I'll be able to stay with him.'

"If you overdo it early, you'll never succeed, Naruto," Kakashi said.

"Overdo it? I haven't even gotten warmed up, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto screamed. "Sasuke, Sakura, get your asses out here and help me or none of us will pass!" And Naruto summoned another army of shadow clones who all threw a barrage of kunai at the jonin. The kunai riddled Kakashi's body, but then it poofed into a log.

'He's pretty good,' Kakashi thought from a tree branch. 'But it doesn't matter for this exercise.'

Kakashi spotted Sakura's hiding spot and body-flickered behind her, "Hello, Sakura-chan," he waved, smiling at her behind his mask. 'Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Jutsu!'

Sakura's eyes went wide and glassy as she was caught in the genjutsu. She sat there while Kakashi tried to find the real Naruto and Sasuke. He spotted them quickly and set up a few ambushes for the two. 'I wonder what those two are up to,' he thought.

"You know she's the one who's going back, Naruto," Sasuke said.

"No. We'll all fail together, dammit," Naruto said. "This is our team and I'm not going to lose someone on our first day. We'll just figure out what happens after that."

'If Naruto was alone, he'd have just passed, but I can't pass the whole team just on his performance,' Kakashi thought.

"Time to chat, eh?" Kakashi asked, while reading his book. He engaged Sasuke in taijutsu to tire the Uchiha out and was surprised at Sasuke's skill. It wasn't near Kakashi's level, but it was better than a normal academy graduate's taijutsu. Kakashi kept Sasuke and Naruto on the defensive for several long minutes, until Sasuke was sweating and breathing heavily. Naruto wasn't even breathing hard yet.

"Slowing down, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked as twenty of him engaged the jonin.

'Damn. Naruto's taijutsu is pretty good too,' Kakashi thought as he absent-mindedly dispelled clone after clone. 'And his stamina is insane, as I expected. I don't know how I can push him to the limits of his endurance. He might have more than I do. But then, he's not the one I have to push.' Kakashi started attacking Sasuke again, but when he landed a hit, it dispersed just like a shadow clone. Kakashi looked around quickly and saw both genin heading deeper into the forest. 'Huh. Naruto must have taught him the Shadow Clone Jutsu.'

Naruto found Sakura lying on the ground where Kakashi had left her. He built up enough chakra to level a house and touched Sakura with it.

"AAAAAAAHHH!" she screamed.

"Relax. I think you were under a genjutsu, Sakura-chan," Naruto whispered. "We have to come up with plan."

"Yeah, right. You two are just trying to figure out how to use me to get the bells," Sakura said.

'That must have been some jutsu to get her to turn on Sasuke,' Naruto thought.

Sasuke shook his head. "No, just me. Naruto thinks we should all fail together."

"Or at least go down fighting. None of us can get the bells alone. If we work together, then we might be able to get them. We can decide who gets the bells later," Naruto said.

Sakura said, "And you two will just decide to take the bells and I'll be back at the academy."

Naruto looked at Sakura, figuring that she didn't want to be left behind. "No. If it comes to it, I'll go back to the academy. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. If we work together, we might be able to get the bells. If we don't, then we'll all fail." And then he thought, 'I can't be the first genin to think of this. Something about this test isn't right.'

Kakashi interrupted the three with a smile and a wave. Sasuke jumped back to get more space, but Naruto stood in front of Sakura with a kunai out. "That was a dick move, trapping her in a genjutsu while you fought the two of us, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi shrugged. "We're ninja," and launched another offensive while reading his book. This time, he went after Sakura, but Naruto kept putting himself in front of her. She wasn't even close to Naruto and Sasuke when it came to taijutsu. It didn't matter though because Naruto just kept taking hits for her while Kakashi watched Sasuke set up some traps. When Kakashi finally knocked the real Naruto out, Sasuke tried to get close to pull Naruto out, but Kakashi didn't leave an opening. Sakura was sweaty and shaking on her feet from just the few seconds she'd tried taijutsu.

None of them got close enough to the bells to even make a grab, but Naruto woke up after less than a minute and tried to grab a bell from under Kakashi, but Kakashi sent him flying with a mule kick before he got close, knocking Naruto out again when he hit a tree.

Sakura screamed, "Are you trying to kill him, Kakashi-sensei!? STOP! Naruto needs help!"

"The test isn't over, Sakura-chan," Kakashi replied, still fighting and reading his book.

Sakura ran to Naruto and Kakashi kept fighting Sasuke while she was checking her fallen teammate. Sasuke looked at Kakashi in disgust and fought harder, hoping to distract the jonin long enough for the others to escape or at least get up. Naruto got back up, shaking his head, as Sakura was checking him for a pulse. "I'm tougher than you might think, Sakura. Now help us out here," Naruto said as he made another dozen shadow clones and charged the jonin.

Sakura watched as her two teammates fought with skills that she couldn't hope to match that day and charged in as well, pulling out her kunai. The three put Kakashi on the defensive, but only just, and he backed away. Sasuke pushed himself well beyond what he thought he could take, but Kakashi was still too fast for him. In the middle of the match, however, Naruto noticed Sasuke's eyes change from black to red with one tomoe in one eye and two tomoe in the other.

Sasuke was significantly faster after his eyes activated and the three managed to push Kakashi back, but Kakashi was still better than Sasuke and the four-way taijutsu match continued. Sakura was the first to be caught in Kakashi's traps, but Sasuke and Naruto weren't far behind. As the three swung in their respective nets, Kakashi held up a hand and said,

"That was an intense workout, wouldn't you say? Sasuke even activated his sharingan, but I think it's time for us to take a break and have some lunch. Unfortunately, Sakura, since you did the worst this morning, you shouldn't get any, but Naruto broke the rules, so you'll get his instead."

Kakashi cut them all loose and brought them to the entrance of the training ground where he brought out two lunches and tied Naruto to a post. "I'll be back, so hurry up and eat," Kakashi said and then poofed.

"I'm freaking starving," Naruto said as he watched the other two eat.

"You shouldn't have jumped the gun," Sakura said. It was hard to stay mad at him after he took such a pummeling for her, but she couldn't shake the image of him as the class clown.

"Screw that. We all need to be strong if we hope to get those bells. We really can't do this alone. I have some ideas for how we can work together better too," Sasuke said as he fed Naruto some of his lunch.

Sakura was hungry, but if it hadn't been for Naruto, she'd be the one tied to the post and she'd be starving instead of just hungry. She sighed and said, "You're right," as she gave Naruto some of her lunch as well.

"What are you doing?" boomed Kakashi.

"We're not going to let Naruto starve just because he broke a stupid rule," Sakura said.

"Oh?" Kakashi asked.

"We can't beat you without him, Kakashi-sensei, so yes, we disobeyed," Sasuke said.

"In that case, you all," Kakashi paused, "pass," with a thumbs up.

The three genin looked at him, confused. "Those who break the rules are trash. But those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash," Kakashi explained. "This test was never about who got the bells." Kakashi pulled out his own lunch and another for Naruto before untying him. "I was surprised that the Hokage put you all on the same team. Naruto should be at the top of the class and the teams are usually balanced," he said sitting against a log. "Sakura is number one in academics and Sasuke is number one in practical. I can't believe that you were dead last, Naruto."

Naruto and Sasuke both looked at Kakashi and Naruto said, "I tanked academics and practical so I'd get teamed up with Sasuke."

Kakashi smiled and said in shock, "You've got to be kidding me."

Sasuke said, "Nope." While Naruto just beamed a smile.

Sakura was just confused by the exchange. "Kakashi-sensei, why would you think Naruto would be at the top of the class? He's always pulling pranks and barely passed anything the entire time he was at the academy."

"I helped Naruto when he was first starting at the academy. I showed him a way to study so that he would be able to do very well. It's something that only someone with a very high level of stamina could pull off though," Kakashi said.

Sakura thought and ate for a few moments before asking Naruto, "Does it have to do with the weird clones that you make?"

Kakashi interjected, "Oh ho! You're a sharp one, Sakura-chan."

"Sasuke made just one and when you dispelled it, he was in pain for a moment. Which must mean that anything that the clone experiences, the original will experience when the clone dispels. And Naruto pumps out shadow clones like they don't cost him anything, which means he must have not only absurd stamina, but immense chakra reserves," she mused. "How long have you been using shadow clones to train, Naruto?"

"Since about the middle of our first year," he said.

"If you averaged twenty clones a day, you'd have covered the entire curriculum in no time. Why didn't you graduate early?" Sakura wondered aloud.

"Short version: mom wouldn't let me. She said we aren't at war and there's no reason to cut my childhood short," he explained.

Then Sakura realized something else. "Kakashi dispelled hundreds of your clones. Why didn't that hurt you?"

"It did. I just didn't pay attention to it," he smiled.

'Not only is he a stamina freak, but he gets killed hundreds of times as part of his battle tactics and doesn't even flinch. There is something seriously not right about Naruto,' Sakura thought.

Chapter 5

Team 7 had completed their twenty-seventh D-rank mission in only six days. Sakura was exhausted. Between the back-to-back missions every day and Sasuke and Naruto's insistence on training every night, she could barely move when she got home at night. The day Kakashi met them for the normal morning update on missions and simply said, "Today, we're taking a break to visit the village monuments," she broke down in tears and hugged the jonin. She didn't care that she'd racked up a month's worth of mission pay in only a week, she was just glad for the forced rest.

"And this is the Hokage monument. Naruto, would you like to tell everyone why you come up here so often?" Kakashi said as the quartet stood on the side of the cliff. Kakashi had given them the tree-climbing exercise on their second day, so they were all practicing vertical surface walks on the Hokage monument.

"Well, it used to be because I could see the whole village and everyone would have to look up to me. I really liked the idea of being admired by the village instead of the weird looks everyone always gives me. But, after a while, I got used to the calm up here. It's very quiet. I also… talk to them sometimes," Naruto explained.

'Of course, he's got a screw loose. Such a freak,' Sakura thought.

After the second week of relentless missions and training, Team 7 visited the empty Uchiha compound. Sakura was surprised that she wasn't as exhausted as the first week. She was stronger and faster due to the training, but her chakra level was also increasing. She was still exhausted at the end of every day, but she wasn't so tired that she slept in her clothes that second week.

"This is where Itachi killed my cousin. This is where Itachi killed my aunt and uncle. This is where Itachi killed my other cousins," Sasuke narrated the tour.

When they got to Sasuke's house, he stood outside, frozen. "You don't have to do this, if you don't want to. We can do something else. Whatever you want to do that isn't training or missions, Sasuke," Naruto soothed.

"No. I want to show you this. I want you all to know," Sasuke said. He reached out and slid open the door to his home, the memories flooding back as if it had been yesterday. "This is where I found Itachi s… standing over our parents w… with his sword c… covered in th…their blood. This is where he told me that if… if I wanted to live, I should run away. And this is where he trapped me in tsukuyomi," Sasuke's voice got hard when he said the last part. "For three days."

'I had no idea. No wonder he constantly trains. How awesome is he?' Sakura thought.

After another week of missions and practice, Sakura was actually able to get into pajamas before bed instead of just stripping off her gear and collapsing into a heap. She was surprised when Kakashi met her at her door at the end of the week though.

"Kakashi-sensei, what's up?" Sakura asked.

"Tomorrow is a day off and it's your turn to decide what we do. What would you like to do tomorrow as a group?" Kakashi asked. "But no training or missions."

Sakura thought for a few minutes and realized that with the amount of mission pay they were racking up, she had a whole lot of money to burn. "Shopping," she said firmly. "And maybe a trip to the spa."

Kakashi smiled reluctantly and said, "It's your day, so shopping it is. Meet at the normal place at the normal time and we'll all go together," before poofing away.

And that was how Team 7 went on a shopping spree with Sakura. The boys were bored senseless and Naruto asked if he could spin off some shadow clones to do some training, but Kakashi told him that they were to stay together all day. Then Sakura took them all to the spa for facials, manicures, pedicures, mud baths, and massages. She felt it was a very relaxing day. The boys came around after the massages.

—The Hokage's office—

"I'm sorry, Kakashi, but there aren't any more D-rank missions. You'll have to wait for more, do some training, or take a C-rank mission," the Hokage explained. "The other jonin are angry that you've taken so many missions, so even if more missions come in, I'm afraid that I'm going to have limit the number that you can take in a month."

The three genin were looking at Kakashi like they'd just caught him with his hand in the cookie jar.

'I knew it!' Sakura thought.

'Why has he been pushing us so hard on this easy stuff? We need to step it up and take something fun,' Naruto thought.

'Finally, no more crappy "catch my missing cat" missions,' Sasuke thought.

Kakashi had his hand behind his head. "Well, I guess we can do some training for a few days while I figure out if we're ready for a C-rank mission," Kakashi smiled through his mask.

Kakashi's idea of training, however, was not skill improvement. He decided to ask the other jonin if they could work together on their missions. Kakashi had to agree not to split the pay, however, which meant that Team 7 spent the week working for free. A fact that did not escape Kushina.

—Kakashi's apartment—

"Kakashi-chan, just take a C-rank mission. Naruto and Sasuke have been asking you for at least a week. You're making them work for free. And I don't know how much more of their training poor Sakura can take," Kushina lectured.

"Kushina-san, we aren't at war, so I'm taking things as slowly as I can," Kakashi countered.

"By doing five missions a day? Are you trying to break records?" Kushina interrogated.

"Naruto has the stamina to handle it and so do the others. Their teamwork is almost perfect now, so I'm going to ask for a C-rank mission in a few days. However, the Hokage mentioned something about you starting back to active duty and I didn't want to leave before you started," Kakashi said.

"You're waiting on me?" Kushina was shocked.

Kakashi looked at the floor. "Yes," he admitted. "You shouldn't sit at home worrying. Minato-sensei would have wanted you to do something. To contribute."

"I'll speak with the Hokage in the morning," Kushina replied.

—Team 7's normal meeting place, three hours later than normal—

"Kakashi isn't usually this late," Sakura whined.

Naruto had long since given up being patient and was practicing throwing kunai and taijutsu with dozens of clones while another dozen clones practiced sealing and unsealing with storage scrolls.

Sasuke leaned casually against the fence and sighed, bored.

"What is up with Naruto?" Sakura finally asked Sasuke. "How can he keep going like that?"

"He's a stamina freak. His mom is the same way. Half the reason I got so far ahead, physically, the last few years is because those two are relentless. It's the only area where he's legitimately better than me," Sasuke responded. It was nice that Sakura wasn't fawning over him, but it was also still a little weird.

"His mom?" Sakura asked.

"Kushina-san. She's got red hair and a fiery temper, but she cares a lot. Without her, I'd probably still be so obsessed with Itachi that I couldn't see straight," Sasuke admitted. "I'm pretty sure she's S-rank, but she hasn't been on active duty since Naruto was born."

"S-rank with red hair and hasn't been active since before the Kyuubi Incident. I'll have to remember to look her up. What's her maiden name?" Sakura asked.

"Uzumaki is her maiden name," Sasuke said tersely. "But don't bother looking her up. Ask Kakashi about her."

"What, is there some village secret about her and Naruto?" she asked, jokingly.

Sasuke sat silently.

"You're messing with me, right?" Sakura asked.

[itsenma-here]

❆ Prompt: The day Minato found Kakashi witnessing his father's death

Tw. Depressive thoughts & suicide

Minato knew there had to be something wrong. He glanced at his watch. His little prodigy was late to their training. Since the personal apprenticeship began almost a year ago, never did Kakashi miss his practice like this. Well, Minato understood that little Kakashi had a certain White Fang to impress after all. He chuckled at the cute thought before remembering the White Fang again.

It had been 5 months after the ill-fated mission. The first few months were the hardest for them. Fortunately, according to Kakashi, his dad seems to be better now and Minato also noticed that Kakashi's body language started relaxing slightly again these days. He took it as a good sign.

Focusing on the matter at hand, Minato extended his sensing perimeter to look for Kakashi's chakra. He frowned when he noticed Kakashi's chakra so dim and clamped to himself. At his own house, on top of that. He felt worried for a second. Were they attacked?, he thought.

He rushed to Kakashi's house and busted open the door. The house was dark and silent except for one study room that had its door halfway open. Light coming from the inside. There was no traces of enemy at all, so the Hatakes must be there.

"Kakashi? Sakumo-san?" Minato called out in the empty hallway, walking towards the only source of light. He still looked around warily in case there was an enemy he didn't realize.

No one answered him. Frowning, he continued walking to the study room. He slided the door open and dread immediately washed over him. His jaw gaped wide and the kunai he had clutched on his hand dropped with a clang.

Kakashi, 6 year-old Kakashi, was standing upon the bloody mess of his father's body. A pool of dried blood was staining the wooden floor, the smell of blood so strong in the air. Hatake Sakumo was lying on the floor, his mouth has lines of blood on the edges and a white tanto was sticking itself from his stomach. Even worse, Kakashi's clothes looked like it was also stained with blood.

"Kakashi!" Minato flashed to the boy and hugged the boy protectively to his chest, as if it would erase the memory of Sakumo's dead body from his mind.

He quickly summoned his toad and ordered it to notify the hospital and the Hokage. Judging from the dried blood, Sakumo had been dead for quite a few hours. Minato scrunched his nose to the metallic smell of blood.

"Kakashi, how long.. have you been here?" Minato looked at the boy before him. He couldn't imagine how being in a room with their father's dead body would feel like.

The boy didn't answer him at all. His eyes were blank and they were gazing downwards his own feet. Looking at Kakashi this close, Minato had just noticed the severe shaking on the boy's body, his hands and clothes with splatters of dried blood. Splatters. Minato froze. Hatake Sakumo didn't just commit suicide. He committed suicide right in front of his own son.

--

The medics came and Minato gave a quick report, intending to flash away from the bloody house with Kakashi asap. He flashed to his own house, surprising Kushina in the process.

He used the standard Konoha sign and informed Kushina of the whole thing. Kushina immediately moved to prepare a warm bath for Kakashi.

Meanwhile, Minato sat Kakashi down and crouched to his height. "Do you want.. to tell me what happened?"

Silence answered him. Minato waited. A few minutes went by and Kakashi's mask moved as if opening his mouth but nothing came out. Tick tock. Minato still waited. Kakashi opened his mouth again and with a small voice he spoke softly,

"It must have been nice to be dead."

Minato froze. His heart was shattered the moment he heard those words. He immediately cradled Kakashi's face with his hands and touched their foreheads together murmuring, "No, no, Kakashi. Don't ever think that. I'm here and Kushina's here. You-"

Minato gulped. He cannot trust his voice to not break that he even paused his sentence. He took a shaky deep breath and pursed his lips. He pulled the boy closer to him. Looks like all he can do for now is stay by Kakashi's side and he swears he intends to do just that, and no one can stop him. Not even the Hokage.

Hi! There's not a lot of dialogue here bcs this scene was just too painful for Kakashi to realistically talk, you know. I dare say this is one of the prompts I created that I'm proud of, I think. one of my personal favorites Hahaha :) btw picture not from tumblr and not mine!

masterlist.

[itsuki-minamy]

MEMORY STORIES: ON A COLD DAY

* Projects & Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

One winter day three bad things happened.

One is that Tokyo was hit by a rare cold snap in the history of observation. Even around Shizume, the snow cover exceeded 20 cm and the transportation network was completely paralyzed. People were isolated in each home and could not come and go.

The second is that the HOMRA bar was without power that night. They could not travel by car, he called the electric company and they told him that it could not be repaired due to heavy snowfall. Looking at the surroundings through the frozen glass of the window, the area was completely black. Apparently the electricity supply had been lost all over the place.

And finally, Anna Kushina had a high fever.

She was fine until noon, but suddenly her complexion turned pale and her breathing became rough at night. When he took her body temperature, she was close to 39 degrees. The consultation time at the nearest hospital had already passed, and it was difficult to move due to the heavy snowfall.

"I just caught a cold."

She smiled and retired to her room, but Kusanagi…

"If the fever keeps going up, even at night, we'll take her to the emergency hospital, okay?"

Saying that, the men who were there happily responded.

"Leave it to me. If it's Anna, I can bring four or five people together!"

Especially Kamamoto, who struck his chest with the impression of being a plow moving through heavy snow, was reliable.

Fortunately, that day, there were Kusanagi, Totsuka, Yata, Kamamoto and a lot of manpower.

They collected the lanterns and candles from the store, made a midnight snack, and looked after Anna. Blankets were brought into her room, given a midnight snack, and the men took turns leaving.

"Anna, are you okay? Tell me if you want me to buy something. I'll run to get it."

Yata said uneasily.

"Anna, I'll leave the flashlight here. Well, I'm glad I had an outdoor hobby right now."

Totsuka's methods were ancient, but they installed a flashlight next to Anna's bed that cast a solid light around her.

"Anna, I brought porridge with milk, apples and honey and ginger tea made by Kusanagi-san. Do you want to eat?"

Kamamoto asked him to put food that seemed to be good for her digestive system on the tray and to take care of her. In the end, Kusanagi...

"Look, I know how you feel, but when you walk in and out, Anna should rest. You're off limits for a while. Anna, don't hesitate to call me. We're awake all the time."

He chases away the guys who wanted to show up.

Anna smiled and laughed. She was happy with the feelings of Kusanagi, Totsuka, Yata and Kamamoto. Anxiety came to her, and her body was aching, but her heart was hot. Anna asked something, since she was only interested in one point.

"Izumo. What about Mikoto?"

Kusanagi said...

"Uh..."

He had a worried face.

"I can't get in touch with him."

Suoh Mikoto went out for a drink last night and he still hadn't come home. He wasn't worried because it was quite common for him not to return for a couple of days, but maybe he was stuck in the snow.

"Well, he will be back when the weather calms down."

Anna had a fever. She then ate as much porridge with milk and apples (in the form of a rabbit) in the room alone, she took the over-the-counter cold medicine that Kusanagi had prepared and fell asleep.

She had nightmares several times on the way, but she was able to sleep about four hours. Then when she changed the date, she woke up shivering with cold.

After all, it was quite painful for her to catch a cold without heating.

The wind was still blowing outside.

(Is it still snowing?), she thought.

When she Anna trembled and she began to wake up to cover herself more with the blanket...

"Sleeps peacefully."

She heard a familiar low-pitched voice and the area turned bright and warm.

Anna spoke in a cheerful voice while still being shy.

"Mikoto..."

Suoh stood up in warm light and warmth. And when he sat in a chair next to Anna's bed...

"In the heavy snow, when I managed to get back, Kusanagi told me to go ask for help. Anna, is there anything you want?"

Anna thought for a moment.

"Yes."

She wanted him to pamper her a little.

"Take my hand."

Suoh responded to Anna's request. Then he stayed until she fell asleep again.

The room was warm due to Suoh's presence. The next day, Anna woke up in good physical condition.

++++++++++

"Ah, no, that was the case too. How strange."

Yata, who couldn't finish even half and finally rolled up his sleeves, said as he yelled to himself as a group.

"But why did you suddenly talk about it?"

"I thought it was a bit like that."

Anna also responded with a bit of sweat on her fair skin. Now, even though it was an unprecedented hot day, the refrigerator broke and the HOMRA bar turned into a blazing inferno.

"It's similar?"

Yata said that with his tongue sticking out like a dog.

"Well, there is a difference between hot and cold, but is it physically tight?"

"I will never forget those days. The days when Mikoto and Tatara were here."

Anna closed her eyes and held her hands together. She smiled a little so could appreciate the precious memories of them.

"......"

Yata was silent for a while. Finally, Anna opened her eyes and said:

"Now I can do the same as Mikoto, but will you try? It will be like a tournament of patience."

She told Yata that he had fallen.

"Please forgive me."

Anna smiled.

[saudade-mayari]

💜 Can I request a short wedding scenario of Kakashi x f! Reader? Thank you if you’ll do it❤️

also congratulations on your milestone you deserve it

Our World

✦ Warnings: Kakashi x fem! reader, non-shinobi reader, domestic fluffs

You and Kakashi have stood upon everyone. A night wedding, like what you’ve always preferred. The fireflies flying around, the moonlight shining above everyone and the cold breeze of the nightfall felt all so perfect. Kakashi’s waiting for you from the opposite side of the aisle alongside with his lifelong bestfriend, Guy.

You’re dashing. Like a goddess, like the moon. The way your midnight gown shines along with the stars above but most importantly, his sharingan eye glows magnificently. He looked formal, naturally delicate and serene wearing his hakama.

Who would have thought he’ll be leading a life of marriage whilst being a shinobi?

For Kakashi, it was selfish for him to do this, he thinks he doesn’t deserve this joy, this type of happiness and let alone having you who’s just as determined to stay despite how horrible he’d become.

But just this once, Let me think of my own. Let me be selfish this time. It was Kakashi’s thoughts as you stood in front of him.

Everyone’s watching the bride and groom but it’s as if the world stopped. It all felt like it was just you and him. The way you glowed like a goddess, the way you smelled like flowers that Kakashi have gotten used to and he absolutely loved it whenever it overcomes the scent of all his clothes. He was silent but he’s been looking up as you put the wedding ring in his finger. He’s trembling and you slowly noticed some wet taints in his silk mask.

He is crying. The man known in the whole world for his incredible skills are giving out drops of his tears. All in pure happiness. The one he truly deserves.

“You know...I haven’t prepared any vows. I can’t think of any, the thought of you marrying me still felt surreal. I would never imagined in a hundred years that you will notice me Kakashi. I just know I love you so much, I am excited to call you my husband for our entire lifetime and of all the dumb shits we did together, I place this ring in your finger as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. I commit my heart and soul to you, Kakashi. Always and forever.”

He chuckled softly. Both of you did your best from stopping the tears but both of you still failed to do it.

“I’m sorry. I don’t belong to your world. I’m no elite like you. I’m never from a prestigious family like your dad or your mom. I..” he stopped for a second before he completely place the ring in your finger.

“I’m just a shinobi of the Leaf. I don’t want you to be in my world. It’s messy and bloody but I will do my best to protect you with all my might. I love you y/n.”

You gave him a smile as you never let go of his hand where you placed the ring. The way your dainty hands intertwined to his felt so natural. His hair that somehow appeared to flow in a way that conveyed an aloof, mysterious and silent strength. Kakashi’s eyes that was just more than those dark orbs and sharingan eye. It was something deeper, more complex than the generation of his family pride and legacy that were so evident within.

Nevertheless, you love every part of it.

“You’re not just a shinobi. You are a shinobi of the Leaf. I want you to remember that. I am beyond proud to have you as my husband. I love you too Kakashi.”

His hands tightened to yours as his other hand lifted the veil. He was inside it now too, Kakashi pulled down his mask and both of your faces are not so visible for everyone. You chuckled by the thought of it. Even until your wedding, many have anticipated to see his face especially Naruto and yet they still failed to do so.

It was as if seeing him bare faced was somehow reserved only for you.

Your other hand traced his wet scarred cheek then up to his glowing sharingan eye, a living memory of how much Kakashi had felt he was a trash but just the way you caressed it felt like a perfect missing piece of his life. You gave him a warm smile.

“I don’t care whatever prestigious and shinobi world they have. Let’s create our own world, Kakashi.”

His lips slowly crashed to yours. It was intoxicating, fulfilling and both of you never felt so happy and as he let go from the kiss, Kakashi gave you a smile that only you have seen. He pulled back his mask before he completely put the veil behind your tied hair. He looked up in the stars above and as you both faced the crowd as Mr. and Mrs. Hatake, Kakashi gave out a whisper:

“Father, Sensei. I’ve found someone like mom and Kushina-san.

Rin, Obito I’ve found my world already.”

Kakashi stood silently as he stared at you while gracefully smiling in front of your dearest family and friends.

“and I’ve seen it with the eye you gave me.”

Send in your reqs! Click here to join our event!

[kashi-prompts]

Flowers For A Shinobi

Chapter 10: A Feeling

Word Count: 2,765

Pairing: Kakashi x OFC

Previous Chapter ❀  Archive of Our Own Link  ❀  Wattpad Link

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Ka-ka-shi. 

The image of his first teammate's soft brown eyes gaping back at him sauntered into his dream as though it had just happened yesterday. Blood dripped from her lips. 

Kak-ashi. 

Obito's crushed face stared back at him distantly. A cough of blood. Dozens and dozens of other shinobi who died before him whirled in his mind. The resolve he made never to let his comrades die only came to be after seeing so many of them perish right in front him. All the instances where he was moments- no, seconds away from saving someone and their lives had quite literally slipped from his hands. 

Ayame's face swirled in his mind. The streaks of orange in her braid and her light green eyes that always catch in the sun. The tension from Rin and Obito's faces dissolved. She reached for his face, touching with hesitancy and admiration as a soft smile drew across her lips. Her fingers felt like small shocks of electricity against his cheek.  

Something grabbed her by her abdomen, drawing her back into an abyss. The shared intimacy quickly swiveling to panic as he jolted forward, calling her name only for it somehow to fall on deaf ears. He reached for her, watching something pull her into the ground, her delicate hand reaching up towards him. 

Kakas-hi!

Kakashi inhaled sharply, both eyes opening immediately to scan his surroundings. A bead of sweat dripped from his hairline and over his silver brow as his eyes rested on Ayame. His ninken stared up at him, curiously concerned for their master's abrupt awakening. Behind his tight ribcage, his lungs felt like a sponge trying desperately to grasp hold of a puddle of water to soak itself. A weak hand lifted to his collarbone, rubbing it uncomfortably to calm his breathing. He noticed his jonin jacket was unzipped. 

He sighed restlessly, closing his left eye slowly as his head fell back against the stone wall. He took in a deep breath, the scent of morning dew and garbage mixing offensively in his sensitive nose. Shifting his head, he looked down at Ayame, her shoulders moving just out of sync with the rhythm of his own breathing. 

His mouth felt dry as his mind wandered back to his dream. What did it mean? Why was he dreaming of her? It was typical for the restlessness of his career to catch up with him in his dreams. But the vision of her affectionate gaze coupled with the imaginary touch of her fingertips to his skin caused an unfamiliar twang in his lower stomach. He swallowed hard, turning his head back to close his eyes. 

A wet nose nudged at his fingers. Shiba's standard rigid glare was soft with regard for his master. Kakashi lifted a hand, petting the dog to comfort his unsettled eye. 

Beyond their makeshift shelter, the maturing sunrise was climbing over the row of hoveled buildings. The orange glow soaked their surroundings in warmth. His breathing finally relaxed as his fingers wove between the hounds grey mane. 

His mind wandered back to the mission assigned to them. A pit arose in his stomach, thinking of those men back in Konoha. He could only hope that Pakkun made it back to the village before dusk, as the Hokage had ordered. If those men died because he was too weak to return to the village on time, he would never forgive himself. Ayame had done her part, causing her to remain unconscious until her body recuperated from the strenuous amount of chakra she had used. 

Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet, dusting off the prior day's dirt he had neglected to clean from himself. He shook his head, scolding himself for the rash decision to rest last night rather than pushing on. It was not like him. But his body was weak from whatever it was he had inhaled. 

As he coolly acknowledged his ninken, he wondered again how he hadn't perished from whatever it was that filtered through his lungs yesterday. Perhaps it was only a temporary toxin meant to knock him out. Still, his body continued to feel off from whatever it was that had entered his airways. 

"I'm heading back to the village now," Kakashi told the dogs, their ears attentive to his words. Each nodded, understanding that they were no longer needed. One by one, they all disappeared from his sight, leaving small puffs of smoke in their wake. 

Kakashi sighed as he knelt in front of Ayame, touching her wrist carefully. He counted her heartbeats. 70, 71, 72. Normal. He exhaled. 

Gingerly, he tucked his hands around her shoulders and the backs of her legs, picking her up and holding her tightly to his chest. The earthy musk of yesterday's work mingling with her natural floral scent reached his nose intriguingly. 

As he began to walk towards the village's gate, he made an effort to look straight ahead. He knew if he looked down at her at such proximity, his whole body would flush. There was something about her that drew him to her, like a mariner to a siren. He could deny it all he wanted for the last two days, but the tightness in his chest as he carried her back to Konoha certainly told him otherwise.  

He felt absurd, like some little schoolboy with a crush on a classmate who would go above and beyond to deny it to anyone who asked, including himself. What would happen if he just ignored it? Perhaps he would leave her at the hospital and never see her again? The mission was complete, he thought. He would never have to deal with these strange feelings of attraction again. 

That is what he would do - ignore it. He didn't need this type of distraction in his life. He had a job to fulfill and a village to protect. It's not that he couldn't have had a relationship before if he wanted one. He could have easily pursued some of the women in the village. And yet, he didn't. The number of people he had lost in his life was a strong indication that whoever was near him died. He didn't need to add to that number. 

He thought of Minato. The way he loved Kushina was something that very few shinobi find. He wished they could have been around longer to see Naruto grow and become the man he was now. He wished Minato could have been around to see who Kakashi had become. Perhaps he would know what to do in this instance.  

The morning light sliced through the forest's tree leaves, reflecting off Ayame's auburn braid tucked around her shoulder. It caught his eye, and he glanced down. All at once, an electric shock ran through his body quicker than his lightning blade could ever penetrate someone. The warmth of her body against his wrists generated a prickle to travel over his skin. He shook his head, taking a deep breath. Looking back up, he began forging ahead on his journey back to Konoha, feeling a strange sense of comfort. 

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"Kakashi!" Izumo called out from behind the green gates of Konoha. His partner, Kotetsu, promptly ran out from behind the watch stand to greet the tired jonin. 

"You look exhausted, Kakashi," Kotetsu pointed out as he reached him. He looked down, observing the bundle of auburn braided hair tucked away in his arms.

"She needs medical attention," Kakashi told them passively. His arms felt numb from the hours of carrying her, but he needed to make up for the time he slept last night while she laid next to him, passed out. 

"Do you need help carrying her?" Izumo questioned, quirking an eyebrow curiously at the copy-ninja as he strode past them, headed in the direction of Konoha's hospital. 

"I've got it," he told them both calmly. He knew she would be alright, he told himself. But there was still that ounce of guilt he felt for getting himself into such a predicament the previous day where she needed to support herself with such little chakra she had. She was not a properly trained shinobi, yet she defended herself favorably. He thought again of how lucky she was even to be breathing. 

The cool air of the night tickled at his exposed cheekbones, causing them to burn the longer he stayed in the cold. He gripped her thighs and shoulders closer to him, feeling that her skin was chilled against his fingers.  

The end of a weekday night was wrapping up as Kakashi made his way towards the hospital, curious eyes accompanying him. Villagers and shinobi alike returning home after an honest day's work. The path to the hospital felt longer than usual, his bones weary from the long trip coupled with whatever it was that he had inhaled the previous day. His body yearned for the comfort of his bed. 

Looking down at Ayame, she stirred slightly against his chest. She grimaced in pain, despite remaining unconscious. The streetlamps above him illuminated the constellation of freckles across her wrinkled nose. He quickened his pace. 

When the two finally reached Konoha's hospital doors, Kakashi believed he might faint. Carefully, he handed Ayame off to a petite nurse with unexpected strength and a troubled gaze. As she left his arms, the warmth she had provided him quickly vanished, and the cold, sterile environment of the hospital enveloped him instead. 

With his mind in a haze, he caught the nurse's upper arm as they followed the petite one. He spewed everything he thought may help her to the nurse. 

"Thank you, Hatake-san," the nurse responded, perturbed by the interaction. "We will take good care of her."

"Kakashi-" he heard from behind him, his shoulders pushing back at the sound of the voice. Turning, Tsunade strode towards him with stern eyebrows. Nurses all around scattered. 

"Oi," He nodded respectively, "Hokage-sama -"

"Come with me," she interrupted him, curling a finger to indicate for him to follow her. Kakashi looked back in the direction the nurses had taken Ayame. He wondered about her condition. Another feeling of guilt washed over him. He had beaten the situation to death in his head as he had traveled back to Konoha. Different strategies he could have applied passed through his head continuously. It was a beginner's mistake.

The Hokage led Kakashi into an examination room, pointing immediately to the examination table to sit down. 

"Did Pakkun-?" Kakashi asked tiredly, his shoulders aching. 

"Yes, he made it back yesterday evening," Tsunade responded, her back towards him as she shuffled medical equipment around on the counter. He could feel his blood pressure rising the longer he stayed in the building. 

"We were able to successfully formulate the antidote, thanks to Ayame's quick thinking. Pakkun relayed the message to me. I'm glad you both made it back in one piece. Although I'm a little disappointed in the way things played out." 

Kakashi hung his head, examining the dirt under his fingernails and restlessly picking it out. 

"All the shinobi that came in have been treated and are on the mend now. Although their chakra levels will suffer, at least they are alive." 

Kakashi looked up, feeling the weight of the mission lift from his chest. He felt relieved to know the mission had been a success. 

"So tell me what it is that happened," Tsunade questioned, turning around to lean against the counter. Her arms folded against her busty chest, her caramel-colored eyes stern as she assessed him. 

Kakashi rehashed the knowledge he had acquired over the last few days. His eyes felt heavy as he told her of the state of Rōtasuagekure, the enemy they had unexpectantly encountered in the cache, and the toxin he had inhaled. 

"Obviously, this man has something to do with the poisoning of our men," Tsunade said firmly. "We need to find out more. You indicated this Daichi is a part of a group, it seems. We have to find out where they are from and how they acquired such a technique. And why they are targeting Konoha shinobi." 

Kakashi nodded, "I agree. It seems their jutsu is similar to Ayame's, more so in the sense of plant-based jutsu mixed with poison. I am unsure if Ayame is capable of creating poisonous foliage, but I'm sure it is not too far-fetched."

"Do you think these men are from Rōtasuagekure?  Or what is left of it?" 

"It could be," Kakashi held his chin, pondering the question as his mind flashed back to the desolate path that wound through that village. He thought of that boy that laid dead against the brick building. What could have happened there in such a short few years for such famine and decay to occur? 

"This Ayame girl," Tsunade began cautiously, "what do you think of her?"

Kakashi looked up, "she seems very capable."  

"I agree," Tsunade nodded, tapping her chin. "Pakkun's report was favorable. She saved herself, you, and Konoha's men. She may not have the shinobi academic background, but she could certainly learn. We could use another earth style on the force." 

Two silver eyebrows knitted together, "what was Pakkun's report?"

Tsunade looked down at Kakashi peculiarly, smiling lightly. "Although he hadn't seen the whole ordeal, he had seen what had happened after a hole had erupted from the ground where you two had disappeared through. He said he had smelled some fumes and came over." 

Kakashi lifted an eyebrow, "had he seen how she had killed Daichi?"

Tsunade nodded, "he said she had used some form of vines to asphyxiate him. It was unexpected of her, to say the least. And the chakra it took was evident by her fainting afterward, just as she did in my office."

"I'm surprised she had enough chakra to use the scroll," Kakashi said thoughtfully. 

"I know," Tsunade nodded in agreement. "Pakkun watched her produce that field. She fainted quickly afterward, and the other ninken kept her safe until you were awake. Her chakra levels are still low, but if she has gone from fainting at the quiver of a leaf to somehow being able to produce vines strong enough to kill someone, she has potential." 

"She learned to meditate," Kakashi explained to the Hokage. "I told her the general basics of chakra levels and how to acquire more through training. She seemed to have grasped it pretty rapidly."

"Well, that explains some," Tsunade mused, looking over at him. "You seem to have formed a good working relationship with her thus far. Perhaps you could train her." 

"I don't know about that," Kakashi waved a dismissive hand. He wanted to avoid her, not spend every day with her.

"With Sakura under my wing and Naruto off with Jiraya, I could easily grant you the time to provide her with proper training." 

Kakashi sighed heavily, rolling his shoulders to relieve the tension. 

"I'll think about it," he said finally, "we don't even know if she wants to be a shinobi."

"Think quickly. And as for you, I need you to lay back so I can examine you." 

"I'm sorry?" Kakashi questioned uncomfortably, his eyebrows lifting to under his silver bangs. 

"The amatoxins that you inhaled could have severely damaged your liver. If not for Ayame giving you the oral antidote, you would have died there slowly and painfully." 

Oral antidote? Kakashi asked himself. He reached up, touching his sternum where his jonin jacket had been unzipped. The tightness in his chest had just barely dissipated. The sticky substance underneath his mask made the realization evident that she had to have seen his face to give him the medicine. 

"Lean back, please," Tsunade demanded impatiently, her palms glowing green. 

Slowly, Kakashi lowered himself back to the examination table, his mind whirling from the influx of news he had just received. She had saved herself, him, and the Konoha shinobi with such little chakra, he couldn't believe she was even alive. 

As Tsunade's hands hovered over his side, Kakashi looked over through the glass door, and down the hallway the nurses had brought Ayame down. He considered Tsunade's words, her recommendation for her to become a Konoha shinobi. He wondered how she would react to such an offer. Would she want to be a part of such a system? To hone her skills and dive back into nature she had left behind in Rōtasuagekure? 

"She'll be alright," Tsunade said to him abruptly, her eyes glancing over at him. 

He turned his head back to look at the ceiling, not feeling himself. 

"I know." 

[ofhoneyandrosepetals]

Bright as Red

Pairing: Yata Misaki x reader

Description: Reader is left on the streets in a severe situation, being found by Totsuka Tatara, who gets to himself the responsability to help and heal the girl in HOMRA's headquarters. When she wakes up, she's led by the wanting to seek for revenge, going after who's hurt her.

Warnings: only a couple of swears.

Word count: 1,868.

A/N: yeah, I did something 🙈 I’ve been going through a nostalgic time and so this idea came to me.

Totsuka Tatara had found her in the streets, tossed in an alley like a ragged doll, her school uniform a bloody mess. She had hair by her shoulders that covered her face while Totsuka brought her inside HOMRA’s headquarters in his arms, her arms and legs hanging freely.

“What is this?” Asked Kusanagi Izumo, the second in command, horrified at the sight.

“I found her like this in an alley nearby. She’s unconscious,” answered Totsuka.

“And you had to bring her here?” Said Kusanagi in annoyance.

“What was I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know, maybe get her to the damn hospital?”

“She’s hurt, Izumo. I… I couldn’t leave her. Look at her. She looks so helpless.”

Yata Misaki saw everything from the couch, eyes wide open in curiosity. Kusanagi took a deep breath.

“We’re not a charity.”

“Please…” Totsuka pleaded, stopped by the hearing of someone’s footsteps. His eyes laid upon his King, who watched silently the scene before him. His amber eyes said enough.

“Tatara…” Kusanagi begin saying, but Suoh Mikoto cut him off.

“I know. Come,” said the King to Totsuka, who followed him. “You can put her in your room,” his deep voice said without any emotion. “Mind to explain yourself?”

Totsuka repeated the story he told Kusanagi while Mikoto sat at the edge of the bed, observing the young and injured girl.

“Give me one reason to accept this situation,” Mikoto said.

Totsuka said without even stopping to think:

“It’s the right thing to do. You helped me, now I want to help her. Who’s the monster who’d hurt a girl in such ways?”

Mikoto took a deep and lazy breath and got up from the bed, tapping Totsuka’s shoulder before saying:

“She’s your responsibility. I don't want her around for too much time. She’s not one of us.”

Totsuka shook his head one time in acceptance and sat by the girl’s side after Mikoto left.

“Don’t worry, girl. I’ll take care of you, and soon enough you’ll be all patched up and new.”

***

Yata avoided the girl’s room - well, actually Totsuka’s room - all he could. Even though she couldn’t see him or as far as he knew, hear him, she still made him nervous. He only saw her three times, when Totsuka had asked him to help with her recovery.

The situation was pretty bad, he imagined. She was there for five days already and hadn’t moved since. Everyone thought that maybe she was close to death when found by Totsuka, but what did they know, right?

Yata helped Totsuka while he patched up her wounds and ran away when Totsuka motioned to change her dirty, bloody clothes with clean ones. They were Yata’s clothes, since him and the girl were close in height. He didn’t mind giving his clothes to her, although this idea made all his blood go up to his cheeks.

Kushina Anna would often be by the girl��s side, only watching her as her chest went up and down as she breathed.

“She’s a little red,” Yata heard the little girl say to Kusanagi, who just slipped her a glass of juice through the balcony.

“Oh yeah?”

“Do you think Mikoto will let her stay with us?” She sounded hopeful.

“I don’t know, Anna.”

“Totsuka-san had been telling her about us. Do you think she can hear?” Yata said, a little bothered.

“Maybe. Who knows. Want a soda, Yata-chan?” Kusanagi asked.

“Yeah, alright,” Yata slid on the barstool next to Anna. “What do you think of her?” He asked while sipping.

“I like her,” was all the little girl said. Yata wondered whether Anna had read the girl’s thoughts or not, or if even she had any thoughts while being unconscious.

“Yata-chan, would you go check on the girl? Tatara left to buy some more things that he needs.”

“Me? Why…?”

Yata was cut off by a tough look of Kusanagi and immediately went to Totsuka’s room.

He took a look at her bandages, but they all seemed alright. Since he felt the room very much silent, he leaned over her, trying to see if she was breathing. With his index finger placed under her nostrils he felt the weak air.

For some external forces he kept there, watching her face as she breathed silently. She was young, but seemed to be his age. Wondering what had happened to her, Yata gently poked the dark bruise on her temple, apparently causing her to open her eyes in a shot.

She screamed when she saw the boy figure so close to her, touching her temple. Yata screamed in response, scared with her scream. So fast that he couldn’t imagine how she did it, she got the metal tray that contained clean bandages and pointed at him. Yata fell on the floor on his ass and started pushing himself backwards until his back reached the wall.

“Who are you? Where am I?” She started asking desperately.

“Kusanagi-san!” Yata called for the second in command.

“What is this place? Who the fuck are you?” She asked more desperately.

“Kusanagi-san!” Yata screamed louder.

The door flew wide open and Kusanagi entered in a storm, only to stop calmly when he saw the girl.

“Oh, so you’re finally awake.”

“Where am I? Who are you?” She asked again, still pointing the metal tray to Yata.

“Why are you still pointing this to me?” The boy asked, getting up.

“My name is Kusanagi Izumo. I’m the second in command of HOMRA. And you are?” He was calm, standing a hand to the girl in an offer.

“Why am I here?”

“My friend saved you. He found you in an alley, almost dead. Do you remember any of that?”

The girl dropped the metal tray on the floor, causing an annoyed sound. She touched her injured temple, frowning.

“Unfortunately,” she finally said, hate consuming her eyes.

“The red,” said a small voice.

Anna was hidden behind Kusanagi, only peaking at the girl.

“What red? I don’t see anything…” Yata complained, scratching his head.

“How are you feeling?” Kusanagi asked.

“Where’s your friend?”

“He left, but he should be back at any time. How are you feeling?”

The girl’s eyes went straight to Yata, examining him and therefore embarrassing him.

“I’m okay. A bit tired.”

“Any pain?”

She nodded negatively.

“Wanna eat anything?”

As in response, her stomach growled. She turned her head, cheeks red.

“No need to be shy. Come, eat something,” Kusanagi pointed his head towards the door.

The girl hesitated, but Anna went straight to her, grabbing her hand and pushing her gently. Yata was the one to leave for last, sitting on the couch and giving some looks at the girl while she ate.

Totsuka Tatara finally arrived, making the room to be all noisy with his excited voice.

“You’re awake! Hi! I’m Totsuka Tatara, and you are?”

He left all his bags to fall on the floor to sit next to her, who seemed to be a little scared by all the sudden attention.

“Calm down, Tatara, you’re scaring her,” Kusanagi said.

Totsuka had the brightest and biggest smile on his face when he apologized. The girl took a moment to finally say:

“I’m Y/N Y/L/N. I was told you’re the one who helped me. Thank you,” her voice was weak, and before Yata could tell, she was crying, her shoulders trembling. “Thank you,” she repeated. “Thank you thank you thank you.”

Everyone in the bar didn’t know what to do, except for Totsuka, who gently grabbed Y/N’s hand.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he also had a gentle smile on his lips. The girl grabbed his shirt and leaned over it, soaking the cloth with her tears. Totsuka hugged her, tapping her shoulder blades. “There, there. It’s over now. You’re okay.”

“No,” she screamed in desperation. No one seemed to notice that Mikoto had gotten to the place. “It’s not over. It’s not over until he’s alive. He won’t give up until I’m dead too.”

“Who?” Totsuka asked carefully.

“He’s disgusting. I hate him. I hate him I hate him I hate him,” Y/N had her hands closed in a tight fist, causing her nails to open her palms and blood drip on the wooden floor.

“Hey, stop it!” Yata exclaimed. When the girl looked at him, he stuttered. “You’re hurting yourself.”

Y/N suddenly took notice of Suoh Mikoto, the Red King. She knew who he was, not because Kusanagi told her while she was eating, but because she heard around. Everyone knew who the red-haired man before her was. And she pretty damn well knew what he did.

She ran towards him, falling on her knees, bowing.

“Thank you. Thank you for allowing me to be healed here. Thank you, Red King.”

Mikoto kept eyeing the girl at his feet, not saying a word. It was impossible to even imagine what was passing through his mind.

“I ask only one thing, if you allow me,” Y/N said.

“What is it?” His deep voice said in return, serious.

“I have nothing. I have no one but myself. I have no purpose but to seek my revenge. Please, let me serve you as a payment for all you did. I’ll do so willingly, Red King.”

Everyone stood in shock at their places as they watched the scene. Yata’s heart was racing.

“Mikoto…” Kusanagi said before red flames engulfed Suoh Mikoto.

His eyes shone.

“Do you really intend it, little girl?”

“Yes. Yes, I do,” Y/N’s voice didn’t tremble as she looked up to Mikoto. “I meant every word I said. I’ll follow you loyally, anywhere you need me.”

“Is that so…?” Mikoto had a half smile, offering his hand to her, flames still engulfing him.

She’s gonna shake his hand, Yata thought.

Y/N stared at the flames, curiously, no fear in her eyes. She grabbed Mikoto’s hand, shaking once.

His red flames engulfed her as well, all of her body. This is so hot, she thought. A specific part of her body burned the most, but it wasn’t a hurtful burn; it was a good burn. She bit her lips to prevent the smile.

Once the flames were over, she felt it. Lifting the shirt that she had on - not before Yata turned his head, cheeks burning red -, she stared at the red mark on her left ribs, touching it with the tip of her fingers, amazed.

She looked up to Mikoto, placing a hand on her heart as she bowed a little, saying:

“My king.”

He shook his head once and went to the bar, being served by Kusanagi.

“This demands a celebration!” The bartender said, giving her a rootbeer float. “Here, finish your food. You need to recover your strength.”

But before sitting on the barstool, Y/N went to Totsuka Tatara.

“Thank you, Totsuka-san. I’ll be forever grateful that you saved my life.”

“I’m glad I did so,” he answered.

Y/N also shot a small smile at Yata, who had his cheeks immediately burning in red, looking away from her.

Y/N sat beside her King and started eating, gaining all the strength she needed to pursue her revenge.

[bunny-hoodlum]

“Untitled” for NH2020 May “Jealousy”

No one prepares you for the first fall.

Nor the vice around one's heart, the kind that feels like you'll never be the same again if you don't remove it right away.

Naruto was twelve when he became vaguely aware of these concepts, that growing into himself -- whomever that was -- meant dealing with new aches of every severity, shape and sharpness, and removing them like the spiny seeds that clung to his sherbet-orange sweater.

Naruto stumbled out of the bushes, urgency bouncing inside his skull like pachinko balls.

Glancing down at his appearance, he wrapped his hands in his sleeves and swiped at the burrs, only to come away with palmfuls of them.

Throwing his head back, he growled in resignation.

He's been coming here after school for the past two years, ever since they moved from the prefecture north of Hi no Kuni's capital.

This particular sight, though familiar and ordinary, has evolved inside his mind. Once a green ocean to frolic across, the large sports field now resembles an emerald moat around a castle of a high school.

He sprinted across the grass, up the slope and onto the dirt path lining the perimeter. Bypassing the wash sink and the enormous gymnasium, he dashed into the outside corridor between buildings and entered the main school.

From there he made a beeline inside, his black Randoseru bouncing against his back with every step.

Here and there were older kids, boys in their black slacks and buttermilk yellow sweaters, girls in their black skirts, black socks and yellow sweaters. Some wore their red ribbons, others wore their loose or completely undone, or none at all.

Gone were their curious, mirth-filled gazes and amused whispers. Well, for the most part.

"Hey bud, you look like you'd been swimming in sea urchins." said one boy in passing, pointing his finger.

"Yeah, yeah! I know!" Naruto hurried along, his lips fluttering with an exaggerated sigh.

That aside, these teens they paid him no mind, as if he were one of their own.

Because they knew exactly where he was headed.

Naruto reached the Staff Room and pushed the slide door open. Instantly he attracted the eyes of the other teachers, their faces lighting up at his presence.

The first one to greet him was a woman with a brown bob parted from the center, with dark kind eyes and purple eyeshadow.

"Oh, Naruto-chan's here! My day is officially brightened!" said Nohara-sensei, one of the Home-Ecs teachers.

"Hey, what about me?!" interjected an Uchiha her age as he gaped at her in betrayal.

Nohara-sensei's smile remained unchanged.

Adjacent from Uchiha-sensei at the foot of the combined faculty desks, the silver-haired Hatake-sensei greeted him with a two-finger salute, his bored gaze glued to a thin book laid atop his stack of graded assignments.

Amongst these three were four other teachers, one of them being his dad.

"Naruto! You're early today!" His father said matter-of-factly as he spun halfway in his desk chair.

"Yeah! That's because--"

"Excuse me, Namikaze-sensei?" Her voice twinkled like the dreamy dulcet tones of the Kalimba, the air playfully plucked with each clear syllable.

Time slowed down, yet his heartbeat jumped and ran off, like a spooked horse after getting spanked in the buns.

The reason why he's early… The reason is...

His father's attention shifted a foot over his head, a cordial smile taking place. "Oh, Hyuuga-san! Those are the propositions for our Culture Day theme?"

"Yes, Sensei." The owner of that voice crossed the threshold, her gaze falling over him for a moment, and when she smiled at him the world grew quiet beneath the swishing of blood in his ears. And when she beheld him, her eyes curved as though her cheeks were swelled with love, and the only colors that existed were hers.

Hyuuga Hinata circled around the island of desks to hand in the stack of papers, and Naruto watched how his father interacted with one of his beloved students, and how she interacted with him.

Of course his father didn't act the way he does with his wife around his student, but somehow Naruto had to make sure.

And his father was a popular man no matter where he went, no matter where he worked. It never took very long until a new Namikaze-sensei Fanclub established itself, so Naruto had to see if she wasn't one of them.

They spoke and spoke but the topic never strayed and their eyes maintained the same friendly regard.

And yet, wordlessly, in the back of his mind he wondered.

If he stared hard enough, would she look his way again?

She excused herself with a small bow and with delicate precision, she strode towards the door, their business completed.

But as she left the Staff Room, she did not look at him again.

Naruto squeezed the straps of his Randoseru, the aches growing stronger around his chest.

"Naruto," His father called out to him. "I'm afraid I'm still going to be here awhile longer. What did you need?"

Naruto flattened his lips together then transformed his chagrin into a cheery beam.

"I just wanted to see you, Dad."

His father furrowed his brows and hummed questioningly, inciting Naruto to conjure a new excuse.

"Also... there's a new figurine I want." He rubbed the back of his head for extra credulity.

"A figurine? You haven't played Gashapon since you were ten." Even so, his father began to dig around for spare coins in his pants pocket. "What changed?"

Naruto wove around to approach his father. Minato furtively surveyed his son's appearance, the frown pretty much saying 'I've told before to stop going through the bushes', but it was faster for him, the walk to the front entrance taking him an extra ten minutes if he did.

Presenting his empty palm, Naruto accepted the coins and idly counted them to give himself more time.

It looked like just enough for a can of 200% Sweet Café Au Lait, rather than a vacuous plastic figurine.

His father was still waiting for an answer.

"Uhh," Naruto pocketed the coins into his back pants pocket. "I just found one that I really, really want, that's all."

Rin watched Naruto exit the Staff Room, her smile broader than before.

"Naruto-chan is getting cuter everyday." She mused.

"Hm? What is that supposed to mean?" said Obito, a trace of a whine still in his voice.

"Did you see his face when Hyuuga-san arrived?"

Minato lifted his head up from his paperwork, trepidation and intrigue washing over him like a chilly waterfall.

"I know exactly the meaning of that face," Rin continued, her gaze sliding over to Obito whose ears reddened knowingly. And Minato was beginning to connect the dots, though he didn't want to. "Naruto-chan is lovestruck."

_____________________________________

Later that night over dinner, Minato was quiet. Which wasn't particularly unusual when his beloved wife and son always had so much to say.

He loved their vivaciousness, how they seemed to boil over with attitude and excitement at even the smallest source of happiness, never dimming, never tiring. He loved listening to their stories.

"-- And the ball bounced off the goal and smacked Sasuke in the back of the head, and he face-planted the grass!"

"So that's what happened!" Kushina was in tears. "Mikoto called me asking if anything happened at school today."

"What did he say?"

"He told his mother he lost in a fight against three older kids!" Kushina clasped a hand over her mouth, he features scrunching up as though her laughter could escape from her eyes, and Naruto broke down into laughter with her.

Minato's gentle smile pulled up higher, and yet that familiar warmth in his face and thumping in his chest suddenly came with pangs.

But now Minato was looking at his son as though he were shining at a brightness never witnessed before.

Like a TZO hybrid star.

This love that he felt for Kushina hasn't changed since their middle school days.

And with great melancholy Minato imagined that these same feelings were growing inside his son.

_____________________________________

This was one of their rituals.

Minato washing the dishes while he handed them off to Kushina to dry.

It was an easy way to speak amongst themselves like two lovers.

"Is everything alright?" Kushina said as she wiped down a plate and added it to the drying rack beside her.

"Naruto likes someone."

"Huh?! No way! How could he not tell me?!"

"Shh!" Minato threw a glance out the kitchen entryway which lead into the living room. Naruto's blond head could be seen beyond the couch where he sat by the low table, transfixed by the prank show on tv. "He didn't tell me at all. Rin figured it out."

Kushina's shock quickly curled into a sly grin. "Did she now? Well, I wonder who it could be."

Minato grimaced. "She figured that out, too."

"What?! How?!"

Indeed, how? Rin had no business in any other school but theirs. Had Naruto being crushing on a fellow classmate instead, Rin's obtaining of knowledge would certainly be more interesting than the knowledge itself.

Minato propped his elbows against the sink and slumped forward, his hair nearly grazing the froth of dish suds.

Minato couldn't bring himself to say.

It wasn't so much respect of his son's privacy than it was his inability to accept the situation.

"He's growing up too fast."

A beat of silence hung between them before Kushina responded with loving circular strokes along his back.

Minato was the last person you would ever hear gripe nor whine, so this was rather serious.

Kushina then grasped her husband's shoulders and pressed herself against his back and held him.

He slowly angled his head towards her, temple kissing temple and they breathed in their mutual resignation that, yes, Naruto would soon no longer be a child.

No more childish fixations and hobbies, no more innocent observations that made him laugh, no more boundless curiosity where he had all the answers not the internet, no more theatrical 'labor strikes' in demand of an increase of allowance or a trip to the waterpark because Sasuke made it sound like a paradise.

None of that.

He could begin working as early as fifteen if he so desired.

He would afford his own fun, possibly sneak around when his sense of curiosity matured.

Rather than the reward of sharing and impressing his dear old dad, he'll be seduced by the appeal of secrecy and keep things to himself.

He won't desire his father's opinion on anything. At that age, teens believe they know what's best, so they trust themselves above everyone else.

Independence like that is inevitable.

And whoever in the future accepts his feelings, they'll have every part of his son that he’s lost, and Minato isn't ready for any of that.

Kushina chuckled lightly before giving him another supportive squeeze.

"Looks like someone's jealous."

[liarist]

Chains

Chapter 1: Where everything started

A great tragedy was happening in the Leaf Village. The Kyubi was attacking, leaving behind a trail of destruction and death. The desolate cries of a small creature echoed through the streets. It hadn't been long since it all started, yet the ninja believed they had already evacuated the area. Kakashi approached the source of the crying, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew these streets well, and he prayed that the person he cared about was safe.

But his pleas went unanswered. Two red-haired heads came into view, and Kakashi rushed towards them. He scooped up the baby, who immediately calmed down in his warm embrace. Just a few steps away stood the woman he knew so well.

"Nozomi-san…" he whispered her name as he witnessed her being crushed by one of the collapsing houses. "I'm going to help you, please hold on."

"Kakashi, take care of my child…" she whispered, as a barrier appeared in the distance. "Take care of Mito, make sure she doesn't stray from Naruto… let her know about me and her family."

"I have to help her, Nozomi-san."

"Promise me, Kakashi."

"I swear, I swear."

Before he could do anything else, more houses started to crumble. There was no hope left. The barrier was up, and they couldn't reach Minato or Kushina. Nozomi was dead, and Kakashi didn't even know if Naruto was alive. And if he was, what would happen to both of them? Would they be separated? He didn't have the answers to these questions and many others swirling in his mind. Mito was only five months old, and Naruto, if everything went well, had just been born. Both of them needed their parents, and Mito had already lost both of them.

A few years earlier, Nozomi Uzumaki had met another member of their clan on a mission. It didn't take long for them to start dating and get married, but her husband, Kaito, died on a mission before Mito was born.

Nozomi and Kushina were good friends, both redheads with similar personalities. It came as no surprise when Nozomi asked Kushina and Minato to be Mito's godparents. It was also no surprise that they asked her to be Naruto's godmother. The three of them trusted each other completely to take care of their children in case something happened to them. But they never thought that something would happen to all three of them on the same night.

When the dust settled and the danger subsided, it was time to rebuild the village and help those in need. Instead of being outside with the rest of the ninja, Kakashi was in the Hokage's office with the baby in his arms. She was sound asleep, clinging to his clothes as if afraid of being separated from him.

"I would like to request custody of her," he said, surprising the Hokage.

"Are you sure about this? You're only 14 years old. It's a great responsibility," the Hokage responded.

"I promised Nozomi-san that I would take care of Mito, and that's what I'll do," Kakashi replied, with the Hokage giving his approval. "What happened to…?"

"He'll be in good hands, but he shouldn't know the truth. It would overwhelm him," the old man answered.

"So you'll simply hide from him who his parents are and why they're not with him? Will you hide what he carries inside? He may not know, but the people do, and they have memories," the gray-haired ninja retorted. "Will they even allow him to associate with Mito?"

"I wouldn't dare to forbid them from being together…"

"They'll hide the rest from him, then… What will they call him?"

"Naruto Uzumaki. If it makes you feel better, they can tell him about the relationship he has with Mito, so they will have each other."

Several years have passed since that event, and you can see a blond-haired child running alongside a red-haired girl through the village, laughing.

"Do you think the old man will get mad?" the red-haired girl asked.

"No, he never pays attention to us. Why would he now?" the blond-haired boy replied.

They kept running until Naruto stopped to look at some masks. It wouldn't have been a problem if it weren't for the shop owner, who started insulting and mistreating the blond-haired boy, calling him a demon. Mito overheard this and quickly turned back to where Naruto was, seeing the sadness in his eyes. She could only react by showing the middle finger to the offended man, who turned away, offended.

"Don't listen to them. Besides, those masks were ugly anyway. Kashi has prettier ones. I'm sure he could lend you one," she said, trying to cheer him up. "Naruto…"

"Why do they treat me like this, Mito?"

"They're just idiots," she replied. "No matter what they say, you'll show the world how good you are, and I'll be by your side to help and protect you. That's a promise."

That promise was sealed with a handshake and a hug.

Their bond only grew stronger over the years, and even when they entered the ninja academy, nothing changed. They remained as close as ever and even managed to become friends with Shikamaru and Chouji. Unlike many others, they showed acceptance and didn't judge Naruto based on rumors.

They felt they could truly trust each other.

[nothingbutfanfiction]

It’s OK If You Forget Me Future Chapter 1

Here’s a second future chapter that’s in-progress for It’s OK If You Forget Me.  I’m currently in the process of completing a commissioned fanfiction, as well as working on any in-progress and future stories.  So enjoy this little tidbit of a chapter!

Rin stared at the letter he held in his hand. Kushina-sensei had given it to him just a few minutes ago, stating that it was from Suguro Tatsuma…Ryuuji’s father. Feeling the comforting and steady support that Gabbie provided him by resting her hand on his shoulder, he gathered the courage to finally open it.  It was hard reading it at first, given the fact it was in cursive, but Iruka-sensei had been nothing but meticulous in his tutoring with Rin.  He stumbled a bit at first, but his voice gained confidence as he continued to read the letter aloud to his friends.  Learning more of Father Fujimoto’s past, his eyes widened in disbelief when he came to the part where Tatsuma and Shiro first met. Knowing that it was because of Shiro’s intervention that Ryuuji was even alive today, he whispered a silent thank you to his deceased father.  Blue eyes darkened when he reached the end, hearing the silent plea from the older man. Tatsuma didn’t fear him…he believed in Rin.  Believed that Rin’s flames were the answer to ending the resurrected Impure King and purifying his miasma.  Glancing up from the letter, he found his teammates’ eyes looking at him, determination written on their features.  He turned back to face Kushina-sensei and nodded.

The redhead broke into a relieved smile at Rin’s acceptance.  “Good. Okay, Team Kakashi…go and get packed. We leave in a few hours.”  As the teens went to their respective dorms, she turned and gave Rin a concerned look. “Rin, are you sure you’ll be comfortable with this mission?  I know it hasn’t been that long since you left and I’m worried that it might be too soon for you to handle seeing your old teammates again.”

Rin smiled at the motherly concern coming from the older woman.  While he had never known his real mother, ever since he’d met Kushina-sensei, he finally got a glimpse of what it was like.  She treated all of them like her children, Rin especially.  “Don’t worry, Kushina-sensei, I’ll be okay.  My friends will be with me and I can trust them to have my back.”  He didn’t mention any comparison of them to his former teammates, but it could be heard in his voice.  The obvious affection when Rin spoke of them versus his stiff demeanor when any mention of his previous home was mentioned.  “I’d better get going.  Knowing Naruto, he’ll be packing my stuff for me if I’m not there.”  With a slight wave, he turned and jogged back towards his shared dorm.

Kushina watched him leave, a fond smile on her lips. He’d blossomed so much during his short time here, it seemed like his emotional wounds were finally healing. And now this…being dragged back into a situation entirely of True Cross’ making.  Gods above, couldn’t they leave that poor boy alone for once?! Shaking her head of any depressing thoughts, she resolved to show them just who they were dealing with.  True Cross had screwed up royally with their treatment of Rin and she intended to throw it back in their face when they encountered the team from Konoha Exorcist Academy.

*******************

Naruto glanced up as Rin entered their dorm room. “Are you sure you want to do this, Rin? I mean, I can understand if…”

“It’s okay, Naruto.  I mean, yeah, it’s going to be tough seeing them again, but I’m not letting it bother me.  They had their chance and they blew it.  End of story. Now, let’s get packed before Kushina-sensei ends up leaving us behind.”

Naruto hid his smile as he turned back to his packing. Rin seemed to be holding up pretty well. But it was easy to say you were okay until you were faced with the real-life situation.  And for their sake, True Cross better not say or do anything to Rin with Naruto and his teammates there.  They might just find out what half-demons really could do if they were antagonized enough.

 *********************

Ryuuji could only stare incredulously as Shura told them about the additional “help” they’d be receiving.  A specialized team from Konoha Exorcist Academy that were coming to Kyoto from the States.  Or to put it more accurately, Rin and his team, were coming to assist them in dealing with the situation involving the Impure King’s eyes being stolen from their two supposedly secure locations. He could feel his heart start beating faster at the realization that Rin would soon be back in Japan.  How many nights had he lain awake imagining how the reunion would go?  And part of him feared how Rin would react when they met again.  He could hear his teammates whispering excitedly at the news of Rin coming back. So much had changed in the short months Rin had been gone.

“Kirigakure-san!  The team from Konoha Exorcist Academy has arrived!”

Shura nodded to acknowledge she’d heard. “Listen to me…all of you.  You will not swarm Rin when he steps into this room. I mean it.  He still has a hard time dealing with what happened and I will not have you undoing any progress he’s made.  Are we clear?  If Rin chooses to talk to you, then fine.  But I’ll be honest with you, I wouldn’t get my hopes up.  He’s not the same Rin that you knew. Then again, considering he’s found people who care about him, it would be hard for him not to change.”

The red-head’s words were like a bucket of cold water doused over their heads.  It was going to take a lot of effort for them to get the half-demon to even contemplate forgiving them.  Their depression was temporarily forgotten as they felt the team’s arrival before they even stepped through the door.  Their spiritual power was overwhelming.  Ryuuji could see Shiemi shaking as she felt it.  Even the usually unflappable Izumo was looking wary.  What kind of juggernauts were on Rin’s team?!  And then the door opened.  Nine teens and five adults sauntered into the room, a hush filling the room as people got their first glimpse of the team dubbed Team Kakashi.  Six pairs of eyes could only widen as they took in their appearance.  Wearing street clothes, the teens didn’t seem to have an assigned school uniform.

Ryuuji saw the familiar swish of a black, fur-tufted tail.  Rin stood only a few short feet away and yet, it felt like a gigantic chasm between them. Keen eyes picked out the minute details of Rin’s appearance.  His blue-black hair had grown longer, almost reaching his shoulders.  Seeing him laugh at something the blond male said made his heart twinge with envy.  He seemed so much happier, freer with his new teammates.  Brown eyes widened when he noticed the absence of Kurikara.  Rin always carried the sword with him.  Why was he here without it?

“Alright, pay attention!  I’m only going to make introductions once, so you’d better listen up.” Shura’s loud voice sliced through the uneasy tension in the room.  “This is Team Kakashi from the Konoha Exorcist Academy.  They’ve come to help your asses, so you’d better be fucking grateful.”  Turning back to face Kushina, she said warmly, “It’s nice to see you again, Kushina-san.  Thank you for agreeing to help us.”  She gave Rin a quick wink before turning back to face the others in the room.  “When I call their name, each member will raise their hand to make it easier to recognize them.”

[rayshippouuchiha]

FOX AND HIS EARTH!!OMG!! I can see it becoming something of a problem... See, I don't think Itachi would go home and tell all about this boy he met and is ready to marry, NOW. Maybe Shisui. But Sasuke? Eventually he demands answers from his parents about almost being killed??When Mikoto and Fugaku find out where Naruto was and how he massacred Root... All hell breaks loose, she unlocks the apocalypse by telling Kakasi, and other friends of Minato and Kushina about their boy being raised by DANZO

See in my mind Sasuke knows what almost happened.  He’s the son of the Clan Head after all and if anything were to happen to Itachi he would one day be head of the family.

So, young or not, Sasuke is informed.  He’s in the Academy after all, on his way to being a shinobi, and if he’s old enough for one he’s old enough to know the truth about the other. Itachi wouldn’t have it any other way because this is, in many ways, about protecting his precious little brother.

He will not take the chance of Sasuke one day making the same mistakes their Father and Elders have made and that Itachi will not be there to save him.

But Sasuke, like the rest of the Uchiha Clan, was not aware of how, exactly, Danzo was punished or by whom.  His death had been reported, but Sarutobi had never realeased any details, not even to his most loyal of ANBU.

One day Danzo and Root both had simply been no more, the remnants being deprogrammed and then folded into various parts of the shinobi corps.

After meeting the blond, Itachi and Sasuke both go home in a daze.  Though, in part, for different reasons.

Mikoto, of course, notices something is up immediately but as neither she nor Fugaku have left the Compound or Police Headquarters today the rumors haven’t reached them yet.

That night at dinner Sasuke, of course, tells her about the boy, the one Masahiro called Papa, and what he’d said.

“He was pretty,” Sasuke admits softly.  “His hair was almost gold, not like a Yamanaka’s, and his eyes? I’ve never seen blue like that.  And those whiskers.”

“What?” Mikoto whispers then, face pale.  “Did you say whiskers?”

“Yes,” Sasuke nods.  “Here on his face, three on each side.” Sasuke trails his fingers across his own face to demonstrate.  “I’ve never seen Clan markings like those.”

“That’s because they’re not Clan markings.” Mikoto’s face is tight with rage then as she abruptly stands from her place at the table.

She leaves the room and then the house without another word. Left behind at the table Fugaku lets out an uncharacteristic groan and buries his face in his hands.

Itachi and Sasuke both are mystified.

~~~

Mikoto, anger and desperation guiding her every step, only has one destination in mind.

Her feet, not slowed at all despite years out of active duty, carry her there swiftly.

Her fist falls on the thick wooden door with the force of a hammer.

Her rage could birth hurricanes.

“Uchiha-san,” Hatake Kakashi nods moments later when he opens the door to his apartment.  “What brings you here?”

“Minato was your sensei and Kushina-chan almost an older sister to you,” Mikoto’s bites the words out through clenched teeth.  Kakashi goes abruptly stiff because everyone knows better than to mention either name in front of him these days.  “But Kushina-chan was my best friend.  The Uchiha Clan allowed you to keep Obito’s gift but if you knew … Tell me you didn’t know.  Swear it to me, Hatake.”

“Uchiha-san,” Hatake’s grey eye narrows sharply.  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“My godson,” Mikoto hisses the name out, “Naruto.”

Everything about Hatake goes dangerously still.

“Explain,” it’s little more than a whispered growl.

And so Mikoto does.

“I think,” Hatake says with a quiet kind of violence after she recounts what Sasuke had told her, “that Hokage-sama has much explaining to do.”

[secret-engima]

Very AU Snip of Calling for Rain verse

(I will explain myself at the bottom of this snip, but for now I want everyone to be surprised. ;))

...

     Nyx-kun idly pushed one of his tiny braids behind his ear and it reminded Kushina of an important question, “Say…” he looked up from the notes he’d been scribbling, —he had relaxed enough now in their presence to forget himself and start jotting down notes for another seal, how cute— and made an inquiring noise. Kushina gestured at his braids, “How do you get the ink inside the stone? It’s been driving Minato crazy trying to figure it out, ‘ttebane.”

     “Oh,” mouthed Nyx-kun softly. He raised his voice, “I forgot about that. Uh…” he fidgeted, “I could show you? It might be easier than trying to explain.”

     “Is it safe?” Minato asked, because he was a wuss like that sometimes, and the glance at her belly told her why.

     She glared at her husband and Nyx-kun hurried to answer, “Yes, Yondaime. I perfected that part years ago. It’s perfectly safe to observe.”

     Minato relaxed, “Alright then, and please, call me Minato when I’m out of my office.”

     She could see the protests getting bottled up and the gears turning in the kid’s head before he tipped his chin and reached into a pouch on his hip. He pulled out a storage scroll and unrolled it on the coffee table. A flick of his fingers and tools puffed out, including an entire sack of rattling stone pieces of lots of different colors. Minato leaned closer to watch as Nyx-kun sorted through them, humming under his breath as he seemed to judge them by some unknown criteria and then find them wanting. Kushina tried to lean closer but … yeah no. Not with Naruto so close to being due.

     Eventually, he picked out a stone and rolled it in his fingers thoughtfully. He looked … unsure of himself, suddenly so very young and tired under the weight of whatever he was thinking. Then he shook it off and set the stone aside, sweeping the others into his bag. He had chosen one it seemed, an oblong one that was a beautiful orangey color with dark blue stripes running through it. She had no idea what set it apart from the others, but he seemed satisfied with his choice. He looked up at them with a smile, “I’ve done this enough times I can just do it with my hand, but when I was first figuring this out, I used to take a little piece of paper like this…” he tore a corner off the scroll he’d used to take notes, and inked out the seal.

     The seal he made was tiny and Kushina’s fingers ached in sympathy for the practice it must have taken to make a perfect seal at that small a size. Nyx-kun’s eyes flickered red for a moment, checking his own work before he showed it to Kushina and Minato. Kushina spotted the difference in the seal, but Minato beat her to asking about it, “The outer ring is new. … Melt?”

     “Absorption,” Nyx-kun corrected absently. He then wrapped the bead carefully in the paper, making sure not to smudge the new ink with his finger’s, and held it out to them, “Hold your hands over mine and push some chakra into the seal. Don’t worry about overloading it, I’ll control the flow.” Kushina and Minato shared a look, then held out their hands and obediently sent the seal some of their chakra. She could feel Nyx-kun’s wrapping around theirs, cool and sharp like thunderstorms and lightning, controlling the flow into the seal until it-.

     Lit on fire. A soft puff of flame that Nyx-kun didn’t so much as flinch from even though it was in his bare hand. The paper burned away, but the ink of the seal … stayed. Wrapped around the bead and then sank into it like the bead was liquid rather than stone-. Kushina breathed, “That’s brilliant, dattebane. You used ‘absorption’ to mean ‘absorb into the stone’.”

     Nyx-kun grinned at them as the ink settled into place inside the stone, “Yeah. That way it can’t get scratched off. The only way to disrupt it is to break the bead itself.” He juggled it a bit until it stopped glowing faintly from heat and chakra. He rolled it in his fingers a few times with a strangely sad look on his face, then he held it out to Kushina, “Here. It’s yours.”

     Kushina blinked, “Eh-, are you sure?”

     The young Uchiha nodded, his gaze solemn and … fragile. Like he was afraid she’d get mad, “You both donated chakra for it, it’s keyed to you now. If someone pushes chakra into it,” his hand glowed and it felt like someone was yanking on Kushina’s hair, drying to drag her attention to the bead even though she was already staring at it, “you’ll both feel it.” He hesitantly reached out, pulling Kushina’s hand toward him with the palm up. He dropped the bead into her palm and curled her fingers around it with a smile, “A gift. For- for the child.”

     Kushina hesitated. Because seals weren’t just something you gave away, especially not one that you had personally created. But there was something fervent in his eyes, that familiar faith and Will of Fire Minato inspired in a lot of his ninja, as well as something almost desperate, worried.

     As she accepted the bead with a laugh and a thanks, she wondered if Nyx-kun had lost his mother to childbirth, if her own pregnancy was making him nervous with memory and this was how he assuaged it. She didn’t ask, just grinned and rolled the little bead in her fingers, “I’m sure little Naru will love it, when he’s old enough I’ll braid it into his hair just like yours. Would you like that, Naruto?” She asked the question at her swollen belly, more as a joke than anything, but the midwife had said talking to the baby was good for him, so she made a point to do it semi-regularly —only semi since Minato talked to Naruto incessantly when they were home alone and she was pretty sure the sheer amount of her husband’s words had any health benefits more than covered—. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nyx-kun suppress a flinch and glance away, heard him take a careful breath she knew by experience was from having to suppress a sharp and grieving memory.

     “Are you alright?” Minato asked him, because he cared about all the village, but he and Kushina knew very well how deeply Uchiha’s emotions effected them, how powerful their reactions could be.

     Nyx-kun took another breath and shook himself, then smiled, “I’m fine. Just- memories.” He cleared his throat a little, suddenly awkward all over again and stood up, “I’m sorry Yondaime, Kushina-san, but I should-. I need to go home now, it’s- it’s late.”

     Kushina and Minato exchanged glances. Having raised a genin team and worked with a lot of younger ninja, they knew the sound of a teenager trying frantically to leave a situation before he made a fool of himself with his emotions. Better to let him go and track him down later for that apprenticeship idea of hers rather than pushing him here, “Of course, I understand,” Minato murmured smoothly, “let me walk you to the door.”

     “Thanks.”

     Kushina waved as they left, “Come again soon, dattebane! I’m sure Naruto would love to meet you in another week or two!” Nyx-kun’s step hitched on nothing, but he smiled over his shoulder and agreed with her invitation like nothing was wrong. She listened to Minato saying his goodbyes to Nyx-kun in the door, and rolled the bead over in her fingers thoughtfully. When Minato came back, they talked for a while, first about Nyx-kun, then about their son who was about to be born.

~~~

     In the quiet of the village at night, no one noticed the Uchiha who fled with feet like wings to a secluded training ground. No one saw as he crumbled in the nook of a high tree branch, knees pulled to his chest and shoulders shaking.

     No one saw tears drip from sharingan eyes over the little orange and blue bead he knew Naruto’s parents wouldn’t live long enough to give to him.

...

(Okay so this is where my muses got weird. I started this to play with what I thought Nyx’s sealing ability/style would be when he grows up, but I’d JUST watched Lost Tower and so my brain went “Hey you know what would be cool? If teenage Nyx met another Seals master and that’s the lens we saw Nyx’s seals through!”

And I went “but we hate Jiraiya and so does Nyx”

And the muses went “TEmpORaRy TImE-TrAVeL AnGsT shOt” and here we are now, so behold the snip of the time travel/exploratory ... THING that I am in no way saying is canon for this verse (I’m also not saying it ISN’T canon because we all know I love my angst).)