Capítulo 13: Chapter 13: Crossroad Part II
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Chapter 13:
Crossroad Part II
Arashi walked calmly to his destination, enjoying the sight of the radiating stars in the night sky. He was grateful that Kenji had been able to listen to him for once. It wouldn't be the first time that the man would be tailing him when Arashi decided to do "stupid" things on his own. This time around, though, the man had remained in his own hotel room just like Arashi wanted it. It seemed as if Kenji understood just how important this was for Arashi. And he was extremely grateful for that. If he were honest with himself, Arashi wasn't sure what he was going to do. It was the first time in his life that Arashi ever felt this way. Well, other than when he first realized that he had feelings for Kazumi. Oh, those anxious days. They were one of the most embarrassing days of his life. Although in retrospect, Arashi realized that it had been all in his head. To this day, however, Arashi still wasn't sure how he had managed to start dating Kazumi. Yes, he had been that shy back then.
Shaking his head, Arashi realized that now wasn't the time to be thinking about such things. Although it did lift up his spirits somehow. Maybe it was because it reminded him of how just important his position was. Not only was his entire family depending on him, but that of his entire clan as well. He couldn't afford to make any mistakes that would jeopardize them in any way whatsoever.
Seeing his destination in sight, Arashi steeled his nerves for what he was about to do. After all, he had never met her before. Only heard of her in rumors and legends. Because that was actually what she was. A legend. One of the strongest kunoichi of all time, if not the strongest. Arashi had even heard some stories that the infamous Uchiha Madara had some level of respect towards the kunoichi. And that said it all. If there was one thing that Arashi knew, it was the fact that the Uchiha didn't show respect of any level to just anyone, especially the strongest one to have ever lived so far.
With those thoughts in mind, Arashi came to a stop in front of the door of the house that housed the said kunoichi. The house was in the outskirts of the village in one of the smallest neighborhoods of the grand village, much like Arashi had first suspected before he had known where she lived.
'She must really value her privacy,' Arashi thought before shaking his head. Taking in a big breath, the Uzumaki clan head finally mustered the courage to knock on the door. Although he had told Kenji differently, Arashi was still surprised when the door opened a few seconds later. It seemed as if she really had been waiting for him.
Opening the door in a calm fashion, Uzumaki Mito didn't show any hint of what she was feeling when she first gazed upon her fellow clan member. Despite having been married to Hashirama, the woman still retained her maiden name, something which she never let anyone know why.
Smiling, Mito showed the first expression that let Arashi know that his arrival wasn't unwanted despite the late hour. "So, you've finally come to see me. I must admit, I had been expecting for you to see me a lot sooner than this. The council must have really been keeping you busy, Shi-kun."
Both Arashi and Mito knew that that wasn't the real reason why Arashi hadn't shown up to her home as soon as he could as well as why he had been trying to steer clear of thoughts about her as much as he could since he had first arrived to the village. Grateful that she wasn't accusing him of anything right off the bat, Arashi still couldn't help but blush slightly despite the situation at the fact that she called him with his old nickname that his mother had given him when he was a little boy. From what he had been told, apparently Mito had met him when he just a baby and even held him as well. His mother had once been friends with her, after all. But it just showed Arashi that, despite how old he was, the woman in front of him was older still. And with the experience to back it up as well.
"It has been a hectic couple of days," Arashi admitted after several moments, reminding himself why he had come to see her. "May I come in?"
"Certainly," was her instant reply as she stepped aside to let him in. Walking inside, Arashi was greeted to the simple home that the once powerful kunoichi lived in. And the man had to admit that it was simple. Of course, one would expect the opposite with the elaborate clothing that the woman wore, but Arashi suspected that that was just to keep up appearances with others. It simply showed that, even with her grand background as the once daughter of the clan head, Mito was a simple woman at heart. It was a wonderful thing in Arashi's eyes. In the back of his mind, Arashi wished that his daughter grew up with the same mindset as well. After all, being arrogant for simply being born into a grand position never won anyone any true friends.
Sitting down in one of the chairs in the living room, Arashi watched as Mito did the same as she sat in front of him, the same smile from before still plastered on her face.
"I'm surprised Konoha allowed you to move out here," Arashi commented, seeing no problem with some small talk before he moved on to what he really wanted to discuss.
Sensing this, Mito continued to smile as she replied, "Oh, yes. They did have a fit in the beginning. Something about me being an important asset to the village and how I shouldn't be too far away from the village center. I tuned them out after a while. Saru had already promised me that he would make it happen, so I wasn't too worried."
Chuckling, Arashi said, "It seems like you've been causing them some headaches then."
Mito let out a small chuckle as well. "I don't see how my moving to this neighborhood is any real danger to the village. Besides, I like it here. It's quiet, and everyone knows everyone. The neighbors are quite friendly as well. That's not something one would find in the larger neighborhoods closer to the village center. In fact, you could even say that things are even more dangerous over there than over here. There's more crime and all that."
Amused at the notion that Mito would be afraid of some simple thieves, Arashi said, "I know that you could still handle anyone that would try to break in to your home, Mito-sama."
"Not as easy as you might think," Mito countered with a small shake of her head. "Despite what I would like to think, I'm not as young as I once was. Far from it actually. Who knows how much time I have left on this earth before I follow my husband to the afterlife?"
"Don't say such things," Arashi replied with a small frown. "You still have much fight left in you."
Smiling again, Mito said, "While I appreciate the sentiment, we both know that's not true. After all, my impending death is the reason why your stay in Konoha has dragged on as long as it has, am I right?"
Sighing, Arashi couldn't help but shake his head. "It really is impossible to keep anything away from you, Mito-sama."
There was a look of amusement on Mito's face at hearing Arashi saying that. "Information is key, Shi-kun. It was one of the few things I prided myself at being better at than my husband. Then again, he was always too impatient to ever think before he acted unless he was in combat."
"Yes, I did hear such things about Hashirama-sama in the past," Arashi admitted with a small smile of his own. A frown soon took its place, however. "But unfortunately, you are correct. The council, in particular the elders, are pressing the issue about a new jinchuriki host for the Kyuubi."
Arashi knew it probably wasn't the most delicate way to go about doing this, but at this point, it didn't matter whether he stalled or not. It was obvious to him that Mito already knew about it all. It only made the clan head wonder what the retired kunoichi thought about it. After all, she was basically being discarded as a tool that had out lived its usefulness. As depressing as that train of thought was, it wasn't an uncommon one. Especially during this era of war. It was just one of the many problems that Arashi saw with the current ninja system. One of the main ones too now that he thought about it.
Almost as if she was reading his mind, Mito said, "You need not worry about me, Shi-kun. I knew this day would come the moment I helped Hashirama in his battle by sealing the Kyuubi within me. My only regret is what the next person after me will have to go through."
It was something that Arashi himself didn't want to think about right now. Or ever. But not giving him that luxury, Mito asked. "So? Have you already come up with a candidate that will replace me?"
Arashi flinched slightly at the question. "Yes. There are several candidates. The elders are being very picky about the requirements. No doubt Danzo is behind that as well."
Seeing his predicament, Mito smiled with a hint of sadness in it. "It's not an easy choice to make, is it?"
"No, it's not," Arashi answered honestly. "I know how the world views jinchuriki. I'm basically condemning whoever I pick to a life of misery and loneliness."
Mito sighed at hearing that while shaking her head. "Now, that's not entirely true. So don't go placing an even bigger burden on your shoulder by thinking like that."
Arashi sent her a look of disbelief at that. "Mito-sama, you must know that I'm telling the truth. When one becomes a jinchuriki, no one looks at him as a person any longer. Rather simply as the beast that he has to carry. Are you telling me that-"
"Are you telling me that you're more of an expert at something that I myself am?" Mito interrupted with another look of playfulness in her eyes. Arashi really found it hard to believe that the cheerful woman would soon be gone.
"It's not that," Arashi quickly said to amend his mistake, knowing that Mito had him there. "But just from what I've seen and heard so far in the other nations, it's the only logical conclusion that can be reached."
"Well then, good thing that I'm here to give you another conclusion, one that's far more favorable than the one that you're thinking of," Mito replied, a look of seriousness befalling her face.
Arashi soon realized what she was talking about. "Do you mean to say that you've been truly happy all these years?" Arashi asked with a slight air of disbelief. "You've been seen as nothing more than a weapon! I know that the Shodai didn't see you that way or the Sandaime for that matter. But the others…"
Chuckling, Mito said, "Are you sure your opinion isn't just biased simply because I left Uzu?"
Arashi looked to the side, knowing that Mito's accusation did hit spot on. Once he had become clan head, Arashi was able to learn that many in the clan at the time that Mito left with Hashirama weren't happy with her decision. Nor were they pleased with the clan head of the time letting her go. Many had seen it as a betrayal. After all, Mito had broken one of their most sacred laws: she had left with an outsider, even if that outsider was a Senju whom they had a good relation with. Of course, from a political point of view, it could be seen as a smart move. The daughter of the clan head betrothed to the clan head of the Senju. This would obviously ensure a powerful alliance between the two clans, even more than the one that they already had had before. The only problem with that was the fact that Mito hadn't married Hashirama because of politics. Nor had her father made her. The simple matter of the fact was that she had fallen in love with the future founder of Konoha, regardless of the fact that he was already clan head of the Senju. Having seen his daughter so happy, her father had instantly approved of the union. But because of that, many of the clan had ostracized Mito. Of course, with time and a new generation, mainly Arashi's, taking over, the feeling had died off.
Mito glanced out the window, her face betraying nothing of how she felt about the matter as she said, "I can't say that I'm one hundred percent happy with how things turned out between the clan and me. But I most certainly don't regret marrying Hashirama. He was the kind of man that only appeared once in a life time, or ever. I couldn't help but to fall for him. Even if my father had disagreed with me and forbidden the whole thing, I still would have gone through with it. There was nothing that could have stopped me."
Arashi was taken back by the conviction in Mito's voice. 'So, she really did love him,' Arashi thought.
Looking at Arashi again, Mito continued. "On the other side of things, no one but a few people know that I'm the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi. Not even my granddaughter. So I've lived peacefully with that. But what I can say has truly made me the happiest, even after I turned myself into a jinchuriki, was the fact that I had Hashirama at my side. He filled me with happiness. I felt complete. Nothing, not even the Kyuubi's power, can triumph over the feelings of love that I feel. It's how I've been able to hold the beast back all these years."
Arashi's eyes widened as he finally connected the dots.
Chuckling at seeing his look, Mito said, "So, it seems like you understand what I'm trying to tell you."
Nodding, Arashi nonetheless said, "Even so, your situation was special. It can't be guaranteed that someone like Hashirama-sama will come along and recognize her for who she really is."
Mito raised an amused eyebrow at the fact that Arashi actually said "she." It seemed as if the man already knew who he was going to choose, after all. And whoever that was, it was causing him the most distress.
'It seems he wants to know that she will at least have a happy life despite being a jinchuriki,' Mito realized. It made perfect sense. Easing his fears, she replied, "The world works in mysterious ways, Shi-kun. You never know what to expect. All that I can guarantee you is that things will work themselves out in the end."
Sighing, Arashi leaned back in his seat. "I wonder just how you can maintain such a positive outlook while we live in such troubled times."
Mito shook her head in amusement. "Tobirama often asked Hashirama the same thing. But one thing that my husband truly believed in is the fact that there will be true peace one day. He saw his finding of this village as the first step to that. Maybe he was right. Or maybe he was not. Either way, as his wife, I will believe in what he believes in. Besides, is it truly such a bad idea to believe that there will be true peace one day?"
"No," Arashi answered. "It's simply naive."
"From the way things are right now, it would most certainly seem that way," Mito replied. "But who knows? There are many things that none of us know of. Anything can happen in this world that we live in. I'm sure you like to think the same way."
'Maybe so,' Arashi thought. But he refused to admit to that. At the very least, talking to Mito did ease many of the concerns that he had. That still didn't mean that he liked what he was going to do. On top of that, he still had to worry about what the mysterious Uchiha had informed him of. But looking at Mito, Arashi knew that he couldn't involve her in it. The aged woman deserved her rest if nothing more. As clan head, Arashi had to deal with the problem himself. Provided that it was true anyway.
Standing up, Arashi bowed slightly. "It's been a pleasure talking to you, Mito-sama. Many of the problems that were troubling me have been put at ease now. Sorry that it had to be this late."
Shaking her head, Mito stood up as well. "It was no problem. We are family, after all. I just don't want you to be worrying too much about things that you shouldn't."
"And I'm grateful for that," Arashi said in sincerity as he made his way to the door with Mito right behind him. "I do hope that I'll be able to see you at least one more time. This was the first time that we ever got to talk like this."
"I'll be here if you ever need me," was Mito's answer as she opened the door for him.
Looking at Mito one more time, Arashi nodded before he walked out into the refreshing night air.
Mito watched him leave with a calculating gaze. For whatever reason, she felt as if Arashi hadn't told her everything. But what else could there be? Maybe she was just imagining it. Closing the door, Mito made her ways to her bedroom, the only slightly elaborate room in the whole house.
She knew that she would soon meet the person that would bear the burden of being called jinchuriki. At the very least, she would be able to help her in finding her own happiness just like she had.
It was the least Mito could do. And she would do so happily.
Sasuke felt more at ease than he had ever felt since he had first arrived to the past. And that was saying something. Add to the fact that he couldn't explain why he was feeling content either. After all, his head was still mixed with the many problems that he was now facing, chief among them being just what he was going to do from now on. One thing that the Uchiha was certain of was that he couldn't continue halfheartedly. He needed to be sure that he was one hundred certain and content with what he was doing.
Despite having many questions to the mysterious man that had shown up before him in his mind out of the blue, Sasuke didn't ask anything as he continued to walk alongside him through the emptiness that was his mind. Sasuke had the feeling that the man would tell him everything that he needed to know within time. On a side note, Sasuke felt even more comfortable walking in his normal height and clothing. For whatever reason, his appearance had reverted to what it had been before he had been turned into a little kid again. The only thing that he was missing was his sword, but Sasuke knew that he probably wasn't going to need it anyway.
"You've been awfully cooperative," the man commented out of the blue. His tone said nothing about what he was currently thinking of. "I would have imagined that you'd be demanding questions by this point. Not that I'm complaining about your sudden cooperativeness. But I'm still a little curious."
Sasuke shrugged at that. "I'm not all too certain myself. But as idiomatic as it sounds, I guess it would have to do with the fact that I'm through walking with one foot down the road and the other down on another one. You did say that that was what you were here to do. To help me get over that and be absolutely certain of what I'm doing."
"Even if that means living without carrying out your revenge once more?"
Sasuke shook his head. "No. I have no intention of letting Danzo go. Or any of the others. Even Naruto would agree with me that killing Danzo would make the world a better place. What I'm talking about is how I'll go about doing that."
The man grinned at hearing that. "Good. It seems you've at least grasped what your problem is. That saves me about half of the work."
Sasuke shot him an annoyed look. "You already know that that's not my concern. I want to know why this is happening. Before coming here, I was certain that killing the Kage and destroying the bijuu were the first step in unifying the shinobi world. Darkness cannot be eliminated. Only contained. That's what a true Kage should be able to do. Just like Itachi once did. But now….."
The man released an amused chuckle. "You know what you're struggling with, and yet you fail to realize why this has happened. You should know that in life, some of the hardest questions have the answers right in front of us. We just can't realize that until it's too late. You would be a prime example of this. You fail to realize just why you're changing again when the answer is staring at you right in the face. After all, you once went through something similar to this. Only then you decided to reject it and instead embraced the darkness that was in your heart. My hope here is that you don't do so again."
"And why is that?" Sasuke asked, not keen on having someone else manipulate him for their own benefit.
"To correct the mistakes that were created in part because of my actions," the man admitted truthfully. Glancing at Sasuke for a moment, he said, "In a way, you could say that we're using you and Naruto. But at the same time, we're not. We've given you the option of turning this down. But you didn't. That leads me to believe that both of you desire what we do as well. In other words, our goals align."
Putting the "we" comment to the side for the moment, Sasuke said, "I had my own selfish reasons for agreeing to this. And that was my clan. I knew that I would have the chance to save them from their extinction down the road. I'm not like Naruto who only wishes for the happiness of others."
Chuckling, the man replied, "True. Naruto has always put the needs of his friends before his own. I only have to look at what he's done for you so far to know I'm right about that." Sasuke didn't reply to that. Seeing this, the man continued. "But you would be surprised to see that he's also challenging what time has already decreed as fact, just like you are. And just like you, he's doing it for his own selfish reasons and not for the rest of the world. You would be surprised to realize that both you and Naruto aren't so different, Sasuke."
Sasuke looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "And you know that based on?"
"On what you two have had to deal with so far," the man answered. "The only difference between you two is that he's struggled with his own demons all his life, while you succumbed to them. When his master died, he had the same reaction you did when your clan was destroyed. He wanted nothing more than to destroy the one responsible for it, just like you did with your brother. And just like you, those feelings almost took control of him. Unlike you, though, he managed to fight against them, no matter how difficult it was."
"You don't have to remind me of that," Sasuke said in a quiet tone, a faraway look in his eyes. "I've known the idiot for a long time now. I've seen it ever since we first became a team. He…..he's stronger than me. I've never been able to figure it out, but there's always been something that he's had that I could never overcome or possess. No matter how much I trained or what jutsu I mastered. I've been watching his back this whole time."
The man looked at Sasuke with a surprised look, but there was also one of respect behind it. "I see. This is the first time that you've ever admitted to such a thing."
Sasuke was just as surprised as the man was. He didn't know why he was being so forthcoming with this guy, just that he really did feel like he knew him. That they were familiar in some way. It was a weird feeling. But because of that feeling, Sasuke felt like he could admit to him anything that he wanted.
"It's how I've always felt," Sasuke added after a few moments of silence. "You could say it was one of the reasons why I've gotten this far. I've been wanting to surpass him for a long time now. But I could never overcome that wall."
'It's funny how things unravel themselves,' the man thought. 'Both Naruto and Sasuke have felt the same way about one another. And yet, neither has realized it. Sasuke has always been Naruto's goal, and Naruto has always been Sasuke's goal. And no matter how hard Sasuke has tried to deny that and break that bond with Naruto, he's never succeeded.'
In its own way, it was a hilarious concept. And an ironic one too.
"And yet, knowing all this, you've still tried to destroy your bond with him."
Sasuke stopped walking at hearing that, causing for the man to stop in his tracks as well.
"Naruto has been the only one that I've ever acknowledged. But I told myself that that wasn't possible. That I didn't need such a bond. That I could achieve everything I wanted on my own. But no matter what I've done or tried, the idiot has always found ways to prove me wrong. And now I'm here, not knowing what I'm going to do from now on. It's embarrassing really."
"That only depends on how you decide to look at things," the man corrected. "What you're admitting to is the first step to achieving a power that not even Madara was able to attain. No matter how talented one may be, there are things that he cant' do alone. And that's exactly what you're starting to realize right now, Sasuke."
Sasuke t'ched. "Is that really true? Someone who isn't nearly as strong as you will only hold you back in the end."
"Even small power, if used wisely, can overcome the highest of walls," the man replied with the utmost conviction. "That was the original design behind chakra, after all. It was never meant to be used in the way that humanity uses it now."
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow.
"That's a story for another time," the man said as he waved his hand in dismissal. "But if you've come this far, then there is only one thing that you need to do so that you'll really be ready for what you're going to have to do."
Despite still being curious about what the man had said about chakra, Sasuke nonetheless asked, "And that would be what exactly?"
"Why, to fully embrace your choice of course."
Sasuke already knew what the man was talking about. And he wasn't sure that he liked it. "That's just not-"
"Like I've told you," he began, cutting in before Sasuke could finish, "the answer has always been in front of you. And that answer is the new bonds that you've started to forge with the people around you. When that happen, you began to doubt yourself and the path that you had decided on. Actually, I could even say before that. And you know what I mean by that."
Of course Sasuke did. It was something that had passed through his mind a couple of times now. It was a feeling that he couldn't help but describe as excitement. Part of him had hated thinking about it like that. But that part had pretty much died out in all honestly. And now that he was being one hundred percent honest with himself, Sasuke did have to say that he was looking forward to fighting with Naruto side by side. And he didn't mean their current position where they were in different parts of the world. No. He meant like in the old days. And it was that feeling that the man was referring to now. Sasuke could see it too. After his initial thoughts about simply using this opportunity for his own purposes, that was what had come up next. And it was then that he had started to stray off from the path that he had been in up to then. Add to the fact that, despite his wishes, more people were ready popping up in his life. His father and uncle were prime examples. But there were also the future Yondaime along with his group of friends who, for whatever reason, had taken to hanging out with him during their breaks these past couple of days. Finally, there was his mother. Sasuke still wasn't sure what to make of her just yet, but he had already resolved himself into helping her in whatever way that he could, regardless of the consequences.
It was weird.
Smiling, the man continued. "It's these new bonds that have started to break you out of the solitude that you tried to surround yourself with. It's as simple as that. But of course, acknowledging it is a whole different story altogether. But I guess that's where I come in."
Sasuke looked at him with an uncertain look on his face, something that he didn't feel very often. "Just…who are you?"
The man hummed at that. "I guess I could tell you now that you've started to acknowledge how you truly feel. I mean, now we're going to be seeing a lot of each other from now on."
"What do you mean by that exactly?"
The man looked at Sasuke with a calculating gaze, almost as if he was trying to decipher something. "Tell me…haven't you always felt that there was something…rather, someone alongside all this time?"
Sasuke's uncertain look left his face, only to be replaced with a blank one. He opened his mouth to answer but closed it back up.
The man chuckled at seeing the reaction of the Uchiha. "It seems that you've already taken notice of that. Interesting."
"And you know of this how exactly?" Sasuke questioned, now more curious than before to know just who this man was.
"You'd be surprised at how many things I know, Sasuke," he answered with some mirth in his tone. "Even if I'm already dead, I've been keeping tabs on this world alongside my brother this whole time."
Sasuke frowned at the answer. And brother?
Seeing Sasuke's look of confusion, the man released even more amused chuckles. "I'm not surprised you've never heard of me. My existence was pretty much wiped out in comparison to what my brother was able to accomplish after my death. Even I have to say I'm impressed. I mean, how many people get to brag that their brother is revered as a god?"
Sasuke's eyes widened in realization, his brain instantly connecting all the dots. It would explain everything! The man's familiar appearance, personality, prowess. Everything!
Nodding, the man said, "It seems you've figured it out. But just to give you the clarification that you so want to hear, I'm the twin brother of the one you call the Rikudo Sennin. You may call me Hamura."
Sarutobi sighed for what was the hundred time that night as he continued to stare out into the village that he had sworn to protect, his pipe no longer in hand. He no longer felt like smoking, not after his almost physical confrontation with Sasuke. Some part of him still wished that he would be out there looking for the boy. But the rest of him understood that that would be a very bad idea right now.
Still, it did make the man feel a bit useless right now. And that was a feeling that Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't well acquainted with.
'If only I knew what he thinks of the Kage…..'
To Sarutobi, that was the main issue that he was trying to figure out. Given what Sasuke had said before he had left, the young Uchiha obviously had his own opinion of what a Hokage should be. Not only that, but his opinion of all the Kage weren't so good given what he had said. Sarutobi was able to at least piece all of that together. But he knew he didn't have the complete thought behind it. And right now, he couldn't really ask Sasuke. Sarutobi wondered for a moment if he ever would. After all, any rational person would already know that Sasuke would most likely return with the intent on finishing what they had been about to do. And if it did come to that, Sarutobi only hoped that he would be able to save the village at the very least. But he had seen Sasuke's memories. The boy was strong, stronger than any Uchiha alive at the moment. Heck, he was stronger than any of the Kage for that matter! And that particular train of thought didn't end well, especially if the boy decided to forget secrecy and expose the whole world to who he truly was.
'I wonder just how I went from thinking about the war to about a single boy,' Hiruzen thought to himself, a bit amused about the prospect.
"Seems like you're down in the dumps right now, sensei."
Sarutobi simply sighed again as he watched Jiraiya climb through the same window that Sasuke had used to leave his office.
"What do you think you're doing here, Jiraiya?" he asked with some exasperation. "You're setting out to the battlefield again tomorrow. Shouldn't you be getting all the rest that you need while you still can?"
Jiraiya waved Sarutobi's concern away. "Don't worry about that, sensei. Sometimes I even went for five days straight without a single minute of sleep. You of all people should already know how it is by now."
"Which is why you should be resting right now," Sarutobi retorted while shaking his head.
"And I would be if you hadn't asked me to look into what Danzo was doing while in the village," Jiraiya said with a shrug. "I mean, when one of my contacts informed me that he saw one of his Root talking with another man about a meeting…..well, I had at least expected for you to send a whole battalion of Anbu to flush whatever that bastard was doing. But you didn't. And it's been eating me away this whole time. Now even more so since I was able to spot a familiar Uchiha leaving your office in a hurry."
Now, Sarutobi began to get nervous. After all, it hadn't been in either his or Sasuke's plan to inform Jiraiya of what was really happening. His student was just that good. But Sarutobi wasn't a seasoned shinobi for nothing. So despite being shocked at knowing that his student already knew that there was more going on than what he had told him, Sarutobi kept a calm face.
Jiraiya grinned at seeing his sensei's look. "You don't have to act with me, sensei. I've known you for far too long. Besides, when I smell a conspiracy, nothing can make me stop until I find out what's really happening. It's almost as strong when I'm trying to find out what's happening inside the women's bathhouse." Keyword being almost.
Sighing, Sarutobi turned his gaze back to the village, unsure of how to respond to his student. Sasuke had already made it specifically clear that he didn't want anyone else finding out about who he really was and what he was trying to accomplish. And Sarutobi agreed with him. The more people that knew the more likely that someone they really didn't want to know about any of this would find out. Like Danzo for example.
Despite the many complaints Sarutobi had against the man, even he had to admit that Danzo was cunning. He could piece many things together in an instant. He would even even more dangerous if he ever figured out just who Sasuke really was.
Looking at his student again, though, Sarutobi knew that he wouldn't be able to get away until he said something. But still. What were his options? Lie? Despite his perverted attitude, Jiraiya was smart. It wouldn't take long for him to figure out that he had been lied to. It was one of the many reasons why the man was on his way on building one of the largest spy networks in the shinobi world. Not only that, but Jiraiya most likely would be able to pick up if he lied to him. But if he told him the truth…..how would Sasuke react?
But Sarutobi realized that the choice was no longer his as he knew that telling Jiraiya nothing would not be enough to deter the skilled shinobi. It would only slow him down before he conducted his own investigation. And Sarutobi needed him to do that, except not on them but on Danzo.
Sighing once more, Sarutobi made his decision. "Yes, you were right. I do know more about Sasuke than from what I told you. A lot more."
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. Not in surprise, since by this point he had already guessed as much. It was simply his way of telling his sensei to continue with what he wanted to know.
Seeing this, Hiruzen thought, 'I just hope Sasuke can understand why I have to do this. Otherwise, it'll only be another reason for him to believe that telling me everything wasn't a good idea.' And considering the wonderful relationship between them right now, Sarutobi knew that that was the last thing he needed.
"It all began when Sasuke woke up….."
Jiraiya listened intently to what Sarutobi told him. Needless to say, as he continued to listen more and more, Jiraiya understood just why the Uchiha intrigued him as much as he did. The boy was definitely different. That didn't mean that he wasn't surprised. Because he was. After all, it wasn't everyday that one heard how a person they knew was from the future and that they were here to save the world from that future. It sounded preposterous, but Jiraiya was always open minded in much cases. Not only that, but it did fill in the gap to the many questions that he had had prior to this.
The only question now was what was he going to do with this information. Considering what he had already been told and what the Uchiha planned on doing, Jiraiya knew exactly what he was going to do despite the fact that he was still in the middle of listening to what his sensei was saying. A certain thought passed through his head as well.
'Hmm…I wonder how the boy would like traveling with me for a while…..'
Unaware of what his student was already planning in his head, Sarutobi continued to ramble on, praying to whatever gods were out there that everything worked itself out in the end.
This was definitely going to be a really long night for him.
Sasuke gave the man who called himself Hamura, something that Sasuke wasn't one hundred percent trusting just yet, a look of complete disbelief.
Hamura grinned at seeing Sasuke's look of disbelief at what he had just admitted. "It seems like you don't believe me."
Sasuke took control of his shock, his face returning to its normal look. "You can't actually expect me to believe something like that so easily."
"Fair enough," Hamura conceded with a shrug. "But there are many things that the rest of the world doesn't know about my brother. Or me. Or the rest of our family for that matter. One of the main examples would be that most even disregard him as a pure myth. But as you now know, that's far from the truth. But very much like you, my brother had a family. Or still does for that matter, even if they don't know it."
"You're talking about the Uchiha clan, aren't you?" Sasuke guessed. It would be the most logical choice.
"Not just your clan," Hamura said in return. "The Senju are another. So is the Uzumaki clan who came from the Senju. While in the past, they had known of their origins, that truth has long since been forgotten."
"So, Naruto and I…are related?"
"In a sense, yes," Hamura answered after a moment of thinking. "Both the lines go way beyond than you could ever imagine. So that relation is just about untraceable now. My brother's descendants, and in an indirect way my own as well, have isolated themselves from each other. Instead of unity, they have chosen separation. Instead of love, they hate each other. This picture is one that Hagoromo never intended."
Sasuke could tell that "Hagoromo" was the Sennin's real name. And if what Hamura was telling him was true, then it would make sense for the man to have a name. It just made the Sennin appear more human. And that was something that Sasuke was starting to see even more and more now. Despite the godly powers that the man had possessed during his lifetime and everything that he had accomplished, he had still been human. It was something that was simply overshadowed by the deeds that he had performed. But despite all that, Sasuke was still having a tough time believing that he was actually trusting everything that Hamura was telling him so easily. In the past, he would have been more suspicious about such things. Just like he had been with Tobi when the man had first appeared before him. But once more, Sasuke felt more at ease with Hamura. And he still didn't know why. Maybe it had to do with what he had said earlier…..
"I'm guessing you still want your answer to what I've mentioned earlier," Hamura said as he continued to observe Sasuke.
Nodding, Sasuke replied, "Yeah. It seems like you know more about it than I do."
Sighing, Hamura looked up to stare at the empty sky in Sasuke's subconscious. "It's not a very easy thing to explain. It's been a curse that's been passed down between my brother's descendants down the ages. It's that very same curse that trapped both you and Naruto as well."
"What are you talking about?"
Turing his gaze back to Sasuke, Hamura said, "In the beginning, there were only two men. They were the two sons of Hagoromo. They were called Asura and Indra, Indra being the oldest and Asura the youngest. They couldn't be any more different, though. Indra was born with all the power and talents of his father while Asura had to train to his bone to attain his. Because of this, the two brothers grew up to appreciate different things. Indra believed that he didn't need anyone. He thought that he could accomplish everything on his own. Asura on the other hand believed that having comrades around you was the only way to truly become powerful. He had a natural talent to attract others to him, much like Hagoromo. I would even go as far as to say that Indra attained all of my brother's powers while Asura was born with his personality. The day came, however, that my brother was forced to make a choice between the two of them as to who would be his successor. I'm guessing you already know whom he picked."
"Asura."
Nodding, Hamura carefully observed Sasuke's reaction to what he was saying as he continued. "That's right. But Indra couldn't live with having lost to his brother who he felt was inferior to him. But Hagoromo didn't pick Asura because he thought Indra was inferior. My brother's hope was that, with having Asura as his successor, Indra would come to believe in what Asura did and use his powers alongside others and not live a life on his own with no one at his side. Indra didn't see it that way, though. Instead, he challenged his brother for the title. But their battle didn't finish with them. Even after their deaths, the two still continue to wage war against one another, only not in their own physical form."
"But of their descendants," Sasuke finished, connecting the dots. "The Senju and the Uchiha…..they're the descendants."
Nodding, Hamura began to walk around Sasuke in a circle. "That's right. But it goes even deeper than that. It's not just the clans that carry this out, but those that they have chosen to reincarnate themselves into."
Sasuke's eyes widened at this particular detail. "Just how-"
"It's quite simple," Hamura said, interrupting Sasuke as he already knew what he wanted to ask. "While their physical forms have all since been lost, their chakra has not. The two made it so that their chakra would appear in those descendants that they each picked. You already had the pleasure of meeting Asura's last reincarnation before the incident with the Juubi that brought you here took place."
"The Shodai Hokage," Sasuke whispered. He now knew where all of this was going. He also noted how Hamura had said "last." It would all make sense now.
"It seems like you know who Asura has chosen to be his new reincarnation now," Hamura said as he stopped in front of Sasuke.
"Naruto."
Smiling, Hamura nodded. "Exactly. If anything, Naruto has come to be the most like Asura in any single one of the reincarnations that have happened all throughout the years. While Hashirama did have the same ideology as Asura, the man was born with extraordinary talents unlike Asura had. Naruto on the other hand is like Asura in every aspect. They were considered weak in the beginning. They were both born from talented parents, but neither inherited those traits. Instead, they both had to train to get to where they have gotten to. They both value comrades, knowing that there are some things one just can't accomplish on their own. The only difference between the two is their appearance honestly."
Sasuke closed his eyes as he heard all of this, knowing it all to be true. He could say that Naruto's power came from Asura, but he knew that that wouldn't be true. The idiot had attained it all through the hard work that he had put in. It was a funny thing. Sasuke could recall how in the past he had considered himself as superior to Naruto. It was hard to believe that he was now even more jealous of the blond than he had ever been before.
"Although, Naruto has come to achieve something that not even Asura, nor any of his last reincarnations, managed to accomplish." Sasuke opened his eyes, focusing them completely on Hamura who was still standing in front of him. "He has finally succeeded in closing the rift between the two lines of the reincarnated." Smiling, Hamura said with a knowing look. "He's finally ended the bitter feud between the brothers."
It didn't take a genius to know what Hamura was hinting at. Nor did Sasuke need to ask who Indra's reincarnation was. The Uchiha knew that that was him. It was something that he had been feeling for a while now. And as much as some part of him wanted to prove Hamura wrong, Sasuke knew that Hamura was correct in saying that the feud was finally over. After having finally come to terms with how he felt and everything that he had never shared with anyone else before, Sasuke already knew what road he wanted to take. It was one that was the complete opposite of what he had done up to this point. It was the road that Itachi had also wished for him to walk but had failed to accomplish it. Closing his eyes again, Sasuke could already feel how he knew he wasn't making a mistake now.
He had new goals now. He still wished to protect his clan. He also still wished to kill Danzo. But at the same time, he wouldn't let his hatred consume him any longer. Instead of doing everything on his own, he would rely more on those around him. From now on, the Uchiha would be reborn. No more would they be consumed with their blood soaked fate. Sasuke would see to that. One day, he would become the leader of the Uchiha and see all of that happen. But most importantly, he would fight side by side with Naruto once more. Unlike how Indra had failed to recognize the Sennin's intent, Sasuke wouldn't make that mistake. That was the answer that he was now choosing for himself.
Opening his eyes, Sasuke looked at Hamura, an actual smile appearing on his face. It was the first time in a long time that Sasuke had smiled in such a way.
"Yeah. From now on, the fighting between the two has ended. I've made my choice."
Hamura nodded as he placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Well said. But remember that the road has only just begun. You and Naruto still have much to overcome. But together, there's nothing that can stop you two. You've always been stronger when you've been together. And with that, I must congratulate you in passing your first trial, Uchiha Sasuke."
Sasuke's vision began to get blurry as the world around him began to disappear.
"When you wake up, you'll have your final gift from us. From now on, it's up to you. Do not waver again. Good luck, Sasuke. I'll be watching."
With that, the world went dark.
In the Hokage's office, the atmosphere was tense. Of course, given the hectic times that they were in, it wasn't that much of an oddity. At the same time, though, Sarutobi was certain that he never would have thought that he would ever be this anxious to wait for his student's, namely Jiraiya, response to everything that Sarutobi had just told him. After all, everything that Sarutobi had just told him would be a one hundred something S-ranked secret if there was ever such a thing.
"Hmm….."
Sarutobi felt even more sweat roll down the back of his neck as Jiraiya hummed after several seconds of silence. What would his first response be? Denial? Calling him crazy? Oh Kami, what if he decided to send him to some sort of asylum or something like that for crazy senile people!? Sarutobi knew that he wasn't a young fella anymore, but still. He wasn't that old either. As a side note, one would figure that the powerful shinobi would be more worried about the asylum part rather than the senile comment that he himself had bothered to think of.
"Do you think he would mind becoming my apprentice?"
Sarutobi opened him mouth to deny that he was crazy until his brain processed what his student had just said. "What was that?"
Shrugging, Jiraiya elaborated. "What I mean is what if I took him around the other nations for a while? If he became my apprentice, then there wouldn't be a problem. I mean, the old farts of the Uchiha council might care. But I'm sure Kenshin could handle them. Especially if he has your support. And-"
"You do know what you're suggesting right?" Sarutobi cut in with a strained voice. Seeing as his student wasn't going to call him insane or anything, he added. "No matter how strong he is, to the rest of the world he is just an ordinary academy student. And why the hell are you taking all of this so calmly!?"
Jiraiya smirked as he answered. "Well, I doubt that you would make something like that up, sensei. You're not all that creative when it comes to lying. And while someone as hard headed as Tsunade might still call you crazy, I'm a bit more opened minded than the regular person. Besides, it would explain quite a bit. Especially how he appeared out of nowhere. Which, now that I know what's going on, is exactly what happened."
Hiruzen thanked whatever deities were out there that Jiraiya was already crazy enough to believe what he had just revealed to him so easily.
"So?" Jiraiya said. "What do you think?"
Rubbing his forehead as he felt a headache coming, Sarutobi said, "I'm not so sure yet. While I wouldn't mind if you rested some more, the idea that you would take a mere academy student out into the world that's engulfed in a war isn't the brightest one."
"Except he isn't a mere academy student," Jiraiya retorted. "You know it's a good idea too. I'm sure the brat wouldn't mind doing some things out there without having to worry about anyone catching him around here. Besides, it's happened before. I mean, you did the same with us when we first got into the academy."
"Except I didn't take you out of the village," Sarutobi said in response. "The Uchiha will-"
"I don't care about that!" Jiraiya stated. "You know that that's not going to be enough to stop me. Only if the brat says no."
"You're too stubborn," Sarutobi said after a couple of moments while shaking his head.
"It seems like you two are making some plans of your own," a voice cut in before Jiraiya could reply. Both men turned to look up at the ceiling to see Sasuke stuck to it via his chakra with his hands in his pockets.
Smirking, Jiraiya said, "You're fast, brat. I couldn't even detect you." Sarutobi shared the same thought as Jiraiya.
Dropping down to the ground, Sasuke looked between the two men. "I take it that you've told Jiraiya everything then."
Sarutobi watched Sasuke with a curious gaze. The boy was…..different. He no longer felt the malice that he had been radiating before. His tone was also completely different from before. Just what had happened?
"Because I figured something was up," Jiraiya answered in Hiruzen's place which caused Sasuke's attention to go to him. "I don't plan on sharing any of this with anyone, so you have nothing to worry about."
Nodding, Sasuke asked, "And? What were you asking him before I showed up?"
Grinning, Jiraiya pointed at himself. "How would you like to be my apprentice? I could even get you out of the village for a couple of weeks. You could know a bit more about what's going out in the world than be cooped up in here. What do you say?"
Glancing at the Sandaime, Sasuke asked, "Is that possible?"
Nodding, Hiruzen placed Sasuke's sudden change in attitude to the back of his mind as he answered, "Theoretically, yes. But there are too many-"
"Then I'm in," Sasuke interrupted as he turned to look at Jiraiya again with a small smirk. "I've been meaning to try some things for a while now. This will give me the perfect chance."
Sensing the truth behind those words and the excitement that was now radiating from the boy, Jiraiya could already tell that he really wasn't going to mind the boy, even if he was an Uchiha. That was good.
Focusing on Sarutobi again who was looking as exasperated as ever, Sasuke walked up to him before he stuck out his hand to him. Seeing the Hokage send him a look of confusion, Sasuke explained. "This is the only time I'm going to say this, Hokage, so listen well. I was wrong before. I shouldn't have tried to do the things the way I was. I've realized that now. From now on, I'll be really counting on you and Jiraiya as well. I hope that you'll still continue to help me."
Looking at the outstretched hand and at the person who it belonged to, Sarutobi was shocked to his core. Just barely an hour before the boy had been trying to kill him. Now he was doing the exact opposite. Just what the hell!
'Just what happened to him for him to actually do this?' Sarutobi thought before he took Sasuke's hand.
"I-I understand. We'll work together now for the future of the shinobi world."
Sasuke nodded, pleased that he was at least able to patch things up with the man. Hearing a cough, the two turned to look at Jiraiya who was looking at Sasuke with a barely restrained look of curiosity.
"While it's good to see you two make up, I do have a ton of questions to ask you if you don't mind."
"That's fine. I have things to talk to you as well."
Sarutobi simply stood back as the two began to converse with one another. Well, it seemed as is his prayers had been answered. Whatever had happened had obviously changed the boy for the better. It seemed as if he was longer looking to walk down the path that only led to darkness.
And Sarutobi was eternally grateful for that. Now, they could truly work together.
Kazuki didn't know what it was, but he certainly knew that there was something different from the person he was sitting next to this morning. As usual, the three young Uchiha were eating their breakfast before they headed out to the academy. Unusual, however, was the fact that Kenshin was missing at the head of the table. But this had been common since the Uzumaki clan head had arrived. All the clans in the village had been busy as they made their final plans for what was, at least they all hoped so, the final push to the war.
But Kazuki wasn't all too concerned with that right now. He was too busy trying to figure the boy out.
Sasuke could feel Kazuki's eyes making a hole in his head as the boy continued to stare him without even trying to hide it. Not being bothered by it, however, Sasuke continued to eat his breakfast in silence, much like his father was doing on the other side of the table.
This continued for several more minutes until Sasuke finally said, "I'll be leaving the village the for a while."
Both Kazuki and Fugaku looked at him in surprise, and that was saying something. "W-what do you mean?" Kazuki asked, obviously taken by surprise by what Sasuke had just said.
"I became Jiraiya's apprentice," he answered like it was nothing. "He wants to take me out of the village to teach me some things."
Both Kazuki and Fugaku knew who Jiraiya was. It was one of the things that they learned in the academy early on. "But that's so dangerous!" Kazuki stated with wide eyes. If he wasn't so composed, Fugaku would have whistled at his brother's unusual behavior.
"Don't worry," Sasuke said. "It's not like we're going far or anything. Nor are we going to try and sneak into any village or anything." At least, they weren't planning on doing any of that. But who knew what could happen?
"Have you told father about this yet?" Fugaku asked.
Sasuke shook his head. "No. He hasn't been around too much for me to tell him yet." Both boys knew that Sasuke had a point there. "But the Uzumaki leave the village today, right? I'm sure I'll have the chance to tell him before I leave."
"Which is when?" asked Kazuki.
"In a few days," was Sasuke's answer as he stood up. "Now, c'mon. We have to go now if we don't want to be late to the academy."
Both Kazuki and Fugaku shared a look before the latter stood up as well and followed behind Sasuke, having already finished his breakfast as well. Kazuki sighed before he followed behind them as well.
"Hey, don't leave me behind you two!"
Unbeknownst to them, Sasuke smiled as he continued to walk in front of them as they made their way to the entrance. He did feel gratitude at knowing that Kazuki was worried about him. But this was something he needed to do. He needed to get even stronger if he was going to protect them, the clan, and the shinobi world.
After all, he had a new eye to master.
In another place, another world, and another time Otsutsuki Hagoromo stood in silence as all around him he continued to observe everything that Naruto and Sasuke had already done up to this point and what they were planning on doing as well. A second later, he didn't need to turn around to know that he was no longer alone.
"It seems that everything went well," he commented as Hamura made his way to stand next to him.
"It did," Hamura agreed. "But it's only thanks to Naruto that this was possible. If it weren't for him, then none of this would have been possible. Now, things can finally move on to the next stage."
Hagoromo looked up to see how Naruto was currently doing. It seemed as if the boy already had a similar idea to that of Sasuke's. "Sasuke was able to overcome his first trial. Now, it's his turn."
"You're not the only one rooting for him," Hamura said with a small grin, thinking of a certain woman. "But we'll just have to wait and see how things turn out for him."
Hagoromo glanced at him. "I see that you didn't tell Sasuke about that other little prospect."
"There's no need to," Hamura replied with a small shrug. "In time, we'll tell them both about it. For now, they have enough on their plates as it is. From now on, our only duty is to observe how they each handle their own adventures."
'Indeed,' Hagoromo thought as he turned his attention back to where Naruto was.
They had each helped the two boys the best they could. Now, it was time for them to see what they could do.
The stage was theirs.
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