Capítulo 23: Chapter 23: Only the Beginning
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
"Hmm…."- Bijuu
Chapter 23:
Only the Beginning
Arashi sighed heavily in his head as all the members that composed the council of the clan stood before him with what could be bluntly described as pissed off expressions. Maybe not so much as pissed as annoyed. And the clan head knew just why they were currently in this mood. Some part of him felt the same way that they did. He honestly didn't know how to feel about that exactly.
It had been a month since that battle at sea in which Uzu had been able to turn the battle into their favor. It had also been about two days since the Second Shinobi War had officially come to an end. Kumo had surrendered first. It was only to be expected of course. For reasons Arashi didn't fully understand, the Sandaime Raikage hadn't shown his face after they had been able to push their way into the Land of Lightning. The aging Uzumaki was certain that things would have been even more difficult if that man had come into the picture. But he hadn't. Arashi hadn't dwelt on it of course. He was only thankful for that fact. At any rate, seeing as if Uzu was really going to get to their village, Kumo had called it quits. In other words, they had officially announced their surrender. It wasn't long after that that Iwa had also announced that they were surrendering since Konoha had been able to push back their offensives on that front. And with Kumo no longer in the war, Konoha could truly focus their attention on them. Arashi found it absently amusing at the thought of Onoki raging in his office about his failure. No doubt the Sandaime Raikage would be the same way. It was also soon after that that the mysterious Uchiha had also disappeared without a trace, something which Arashi was still irritated about. He didn't like the fact that the man was helping them without being explicitly clear with his motives. He had tried asking Jiraiya, but even he had refused to answer his questions. Seeing as he had helped them out of some troublesome situations, however, Arashi didn't see the need to further push the issue…..for now.
At any rate, it was all of this that led to this fateful moment in his office after he had finally returned from the battlefield. In all honestly, Arashi didn't want to deal with this at the moment. But he knew that the longer he pushed it off, the worse things would get. Especially since the mood of the clan wasn't the best at the moment even if the war had come to an end.
"You already know why we're here, Arashi."
Arashi finally sighed out loud, rubbing his forehead. He could feel a headache coming. "Yes. And I would appreciate it if we could skip the whole melodramatic attitude you have going on. All I want to do is go home and spend some time with my family."
The current clan head could see how most of the members of the council understood his sentiment. But they also had a purpose to serve as the heads of the village. The fate of all of the clan rested on their shoulders, after all. It wasn't something that Arashi found comforting in the slightest. But so was the job that he was picked for. And he would do it as best as he could.
One of the members stepped up. He was no doubt the chosen spokesperson for the rest of them.
"As you know, Arashi, the whole reason most of us agreed to Konoha's appeal was in most part because of the plan that you presented to us. We didn't question just how and why you had one already drawn up in such a short amount of time. After all, we have always had close relations with Konoha. However, what has transpired here is something that cannot be allowed to repeat itself."
Arashi had always known that most, if not all, of the members in the council had already known that he had been prepared for Konoha to ask them for aid. It had been the most logical choice, after all. If not, the war would have been forced to be dragged even longer than it had. And the Uzumaki wasn't sure just how Konoha would do in such an event. That wasn't to say that he thought they would lose. But at the same time, victory wouldn't come that easily either.
"I understand where you're coming from," Arashi said after a few moments. "I feel the same way. But it was war. You can never be one hundred percent sure what to suspect in such an event. Besides, there was always going to be the fact that casualties would-"
"Don't give us that crap," the council member cut in with a scowl. At the moment, they weren't in any mood to put up with any bullshit that was thrown at them. Like Arashi, they also wanted to get this ordeal over with. But in such a manner that would benefit the clan and the village. "We've already read the reports. Both Kumo and Kiri were already lying in wait for our forces. Which makes us ask just how they knew what you intended to do."
Arashi frowned. They really weren't beating around the bush either. At the least, they hadn't brought up the Uchiha's role in the attack. Yet. It wasn't like any other shinobi in the clan other than his son and Kenji knew that he had been an Uchiha anyway.
"What exactly are you trying to say here?" Arashi asked slowly.
The clan member shrugged. "We're not saying anything. We're merely speculating. And it's these speculations that have once again reminded us just why we don't deal with outsiders in the first place."
Arashi narrowed his eyes. "Are you insinuating that you want to cut ties with Konoha as well?" Seeing their silence as their agreement, Arashi added, "That's a bold move. Quite radical if I do say so myself."
"Not radical but an adjustment," another member retorted. "It's always been our belief that our stance with isolating ourselves from the rest of the Elemental Nations has always been contradicted by our alliance with Konoha. After all, we never would have been dragged into the war if we didn't have it. Our family wouldn't be suffering right now if it weren't for the alliance."
Arashi t'ched. "You do realize what you're asking me to do, don't you?"
"We're asking you to follow the will of the clan," the clan member from the beginning stated. "Maybe you don't feel it since you didn't lose anyone. But others have lost brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers to this. It's not-"
"I consider the whole clan as a part of my family," Arashi said with narrowed eyes. "I'm suffering just as much they are for the losses we have sustained."
"Then you must understand where we're coming from. Getting dragged into matters that don't concern us will only hurt us. The rest of the world can do as it pleases. We must take care of our own here."
Arashi looked among the council members and realized that they were all in full agreement with this. It was a rare sight indeed. It was mostly split in half in just about every issue that came up. But it seemed as if this was the one thing that they could agree on. And it wasn't just them. Arashi knew that they weren't exaggerating when they told him to follow the will of the clan. Most would agree with the council here all right. Arashi also knew that if he did as they wanted then it would save him from another major issue that he would soon have to deal with as well. But if he did…..
"I cannot do as you ask," Arashi finally stated as he stood up from his seat. Looking at the shocked faces of the council, Arashi added, "I cannot do as you say, but I will do what you want."
The council members looked amongst one another, not sure what he was saying.
Arashi sighed before he elaborated. "Our alliance with Konoha has always been based on our ties with our relatives of the Senju clan. Like it or not, we were once part of the same clan. They are our family. And Konoha is their greatest treasure. That's why our alliance with them has lasted as long as it has. I don't believe that cutting such a tie is the best solution to this situation. However, I also do understand what you're saying. We were asked to take part in something that wasn't any of our concern. And as such, because of my choice, we are now being forced to deal with the losses that have occurred." In the back of his mind, Arashi cursed Danzo and his very existence. There weren't many people that Arashi would bluntly admit to not liking. But Danzo had certainly earned his spot in that list all right.
Turning his attention back to the council members, Arashi further added. "And as such, I will call for an amendment to our treaty with them in which it will be made perfectly clear that in no such event, other than our own rights and freedom being threatened, shall we come to take part in a conflict among the other nations. Even if Konoha were to ask us for any assistance."
After his proclamation, silence followed. Arashi watched how the council considered his proclamation before they began to mutter with one another. The clan leader already knew that if they pressed the issue further, then he would have to give in. With the rest of the village backing them up, Arashi would have no other alternative.
This muttering lasted for several moments until the chosen spokesperson stepped forward once more. "Very well. We shall accept those terms. We only ask that you see to this immediately. The clan is weary at the moment, and they demand this to be done as soon as possible."
Arashi nodded, already aware of that fact. The man sat back down after the council members had taken their leave. Another sigh escaped his lips. Politics were troublesome all right. But this particular issue didn't really deal with politics as much as it dealt with the clan being pretty much fed up with being dragged into the affairs of the rest of the shinobi world. Not that Arashi could fault the thought. He wasn't all that happy with how things had turned out either. It was one of the major reasons why he had decided on the compromise that he had presented to the council members.
Arashi knew that Hiruzen, hell Konoha as a whole, probably wouldn't be happy with this new change. But it was a change that Arashi would stand by with. His family had spoken, and he would carry their will out. Not only that, but Arashi knew that if Konoha did run its mouth too much, then he really would cut all ties with them. To hell with giving them a new container. They would just have to deal with the Kyuubi's wrath on their own. Even if Mito did disapprove of the thought.
Sighing for the fourth time, Arashi ran a hand through his hair, his head filled with a hundred thoughts. There were so many things that he still didn't have any answers to. After all, a new anomaly had presented itself to them: that mysterious and powerful chakra. Arashi could tell that that raw chakra wasn't something just anyone could control. And that was even just assuming that someone had been controlling it. But it was the only logical assumption. Kumo's artillery guns had been destroyed just moments after the mysterious Uchiha had destroyed Kiri's fleet. If the Uchiha could command such a power, then it wasn't all that crazy to imagine that someone else could wield a power that equaled his.
'Are there two of them? Or more?' Arashi thought with narrowed eyes. Could it be yet another Uchiha trying to help them for whatever reason? But that would just be insane! One was weird enough. But two? Not possible.
Shaking his head, Arashi stood up from his chair before making his way out of his office. He could dwell on all of this some more after he got some rest and spent some time with his family. That was all that he cared about right now.
After he had closed the door, there was a burst of smoke from outside his office.
Kushina could tell that Naruto was not in the best of moods right now. And how could she tell that? Well, his frown gave that fact away. As the weeks had progressed, the young girl had taken to observing the blond more and more. And she didn't know why she was doing such a thing. Needless to say, it was infuriating to her. Another feeling that she had been experiencing as well was jealousy towards Aika. And once again, she had no idea why she would feel such a thing towards the girl. After all, her life was great. She had two loving parents. She was the daughter of the clan head. She had a wonderful house. Anything she could ask for and then some were present in her life. So why?
At any rate, the girl waited patiently in her seat as they all waited for her father to arrive so that they could start dinner. It was already nighttime, which made Kushina a bit apprehensive. Her father never did stay out this late. Then again, the girl had a feeling that her father more than likely had a lot of things on his plate after the war had ended.
"What's the matter, Naruto-kun?"
Kushina's ears perked up at hearing her mother ask the whiskered blond just what was wrong with him. Kushina narrowed her eyes when she saw the boy plaster a fake smile on his face. She was at an expert at that, after all. She could pick up on it from a mile away.
"There's nothing wrong, baa-chan. I'm just hungry is all."
Kazumi nodded, an understanding look on her face. The woman already knew how the blond had one of the biggest appetites around, even for an Uzumaki. She then cast a worried look towards the door. A moment later, it was opened as Arashi finally walked into the room.
"It was about time you got here," Kazumi said with a smile. But Arashi understood the hidden meaning she was throwing at him: they needed to talk.
Nodding, Arashi took his usual spot at the head of the table. Kaito merely glanced at his father before turning his attention back to his own food. He already had a good feeling just what had kept his father at the office later than usual. Kenji had pretty much explained things to him already. And honestly, the young jonin was on the fence about the whole thing. He honestly didn't know what to make of the village's demand. Then again, Kaito also realized that such a thing was already out of his hands. The whole village wanted it, so it would get done.
Dinner began after that. The silence that it brought along, however, wasn't all that comforting. Even Kushina could pick up on that. And she didn't like it. She had waited for nearly a month for her family to be back together as one again. She had hoped that things would get better after that. But instead, the opposite was currently taking place. The redhead glanced at Naruto again, trying to get his take on this. But instead, his whole attention was focused on the meal before him with that frown still present. He was at least trying to hide it a little unlike before. But it was still there. Kushina mentally reminded herself that she would need to get some answers out of him later tonight.
"Kushina, Naruto. How are you two liking the new lessons at the academy?"
Kushina turned her attention back to her father. Immediately, she smiled. But it wasn't a true smile either. "They're fine, I guess. Sensei hasn't even taught us any jutsu yet, which sucks. Especially since training with our own elements is so hard!"
Arashi chuckled at seeing his daughter pout. "Well, you'll be happy to know that the lessons will continue as they are. So you'll be able to learn awesome jutsu soon enough."
Both Kazumi and Kaito glanced at him with a questioning look, which the man ignored for now. He already knew what they wanted to ask. The new training regiment at the academy was only supposed to be present during war times. But seeing the losses that they had sustained during the war, Arashi had seen it fit to keep the training regiment as it was so that their future shinobi would be even more prepared in the future for whatever it was that came up. The council had supported his decision as well. So he had no opposition to his new law.
Kushina's eyes sparkled, her previous thoughts disappearing for now. She could already see herself: battling strong shinobi with her ultra secret techniques and becoming the best kunoichi in Uzu. That would definitely show Aika all right!
Seeing her daughter brighten up made Kazumi smile, even though she had many questions to bring up to her husband after their dinner. Both were so distracted in their own thoughts that they didn't notice when Naruto stood up and made his way out of the room and towards the stairs to get to his room. No one except for Kaito that was who decided to follow the blond.
Naruto paused at the top of the stairs at feeling someone behind him. Turning around, the blond locked gazes with his uncle.
"It seems like something is bothering you," Kaito commented from the bottom of the stairs. "You're not being your usual self."
Naruto didn't respond. Or more like he didn't know how to respond. He didn't know that the jonin would even be watching him.
"I'm only tired."
Kaito raised an eyebrow at the response. "So, first you were really hungry. And now you're tired. Are you sure that's all there is to it?"
Naruto simply nodded, not sure where his uncle was going with all of this. Truth be told, this was the first time that he was even speaking to the jonin one on one. It was…awkward to say the least.
Kaito was silent for a few moments. Naruto wondered if that was his cue to leave. But then Kaito continued, "I don't really know how you feel about us. But I know that it can't be that negative if you call my mother 'baa-chan' and have tried to get my sister to come out of her shell as well. Just know that, for better or worse, you're a part of our family now. That means that if you have a problem, you can talk to us for help. We'll be there for you."
Naruto watched his uncle turn back towards the room where the rest were. The blond didn't reply, once more not knowing what to say.
"Well, that was a surprise. I was honestly thinking that he was only a cold hearted bastard this whole time."
Naruto didn't respond to Kurama's statement as he lied on his bed inside his room. Truth be told, some part of him agreed with the bijuu. Except that he also knew that underneath that tough exterior his future uncle was also a good person. But that wasn't what the blond was worrying about right now. He had another important issue that he needed to deal with. Mainly the decision that the council and his grandfather had come to.
"There's not much you can do about it, boy," Son Goku stated in a gruff voice. "Right now, you don't have any say in the workings of the village. Hell, you'll be lucky if they don't start trying to look into just where you came from again now that the war is over."
"The monkey is right, brat," Kurama said, ignoring Son Goku's outraged cry. "It wouldn't surprise me if they start digging things back up about you again. That will be tough to get around."
Naruto stayed silent, his mind going through a hundred different scenarios at the moment. He needed to think of something. And fast. He wasn't talking about the bijuus' concerns, though. He would deal with that when the time came. He wasn't one for 'planning ahead' like that. At the same time, though, he would have to have something ready. Just in case. But for now, another idea came to him.
'Kurama, Shukaku. I'm going to need your help.'
"Eeeeeh?" Shukaku spoke up in a bored tone. "What for? We're not in battle or anything right now."
Kurama decided not to comment, already having an idea as to just what his partner wanted to do.
'I'm doing to need your sand.'
"We're not good parents, are we?"
Kaito sighed at the dejected look on his mother's face. "It's not your fault. The kid is sneaky. If I hadn't been paying attention, he would have gotten past me too."
At the moment, he, along with his parents, were in his father's office inside their house. Dinner had ended with Kushina already in her room and in bed. Kaito didn't doubt that his little sister was probably still up and trying to see if she could listen to anything that they were about to say.
"Speaking of which," Kaito began, making his father look at him from his positing behind his desk, "does this mean that we're going to see if we can locate the boy's parents again?"
"There's no point in that now," Kazumi said with a shake of her head. "I don't care what anyone has to say. He's staying with us. That's that."
Arashi sighed. He had already asked his wife if there had been anything suspicious with the boy since he had left. Some part of him had half expected to see someone trying to attack Uzu while he was away. It was one of the reasons why he hadn't taken every shinobi in the village with him. But Kazumi had told him that nothing of the sorts had happened. Everything had been calm. It had brought great joy to him when he had heard that.
"I think that at this point we can rule out the boy being here for any alternative motives. Wouldn't you agree, Kaito?"
The jonin sighed. "I don't know what to think about him anymore. All I can say is that he's pretty much earned my trust for now. That is all."
Arashi chuckled as his son began to make his way towards the door. "That being said, I'm going to call it a night."
Bidding them goodnight, Kaito walked out of the office and towards his own room to try and get some shuteye.
Turning back towards her husband, Kazumi asked, "So, do you mind telling me why you're leaving the training regiment at the academy as it is?"
Arashi sighed at the question. "The village isn't in a happy mood right now, Kazumi. I'm sure you're aware of that fact by now. Some changes are going to happen from here on out. I have no doubt that the village will dive even deeper in isolating itself from the rest of the world. It's something I can't stop from happening. One of the reasons for that is because I don't think it's a bad idea to begin with. But at the same time, seeing how many of my shinobi died, I want for the future generation to be truly prepared for anything that's to come. I feel that making sure they're able to handle the mantle of responsibility starts at the academy. That's why I don't plan on changing the training regiment. Of course, there will be a few adjustments. Such as there won't be classes everyday as it's been this past month. But I'm sure you understand where I'm getting at here."
Kazumi also sighed but nodded. "Yes. I do. It's not like I'm at a disagreement here. I never even supported getting involved in the war in the first place."
"I know," Arashi said softly. "Maybe I was being naive accepting. But there's nothing I can do about it now. We have to look towards the future."
"At least you understand that much."
Both Arashi and Kazumi were instantly back to back as the strange voice reached their ears. Their eyes were instantly drawn to the windows which had been opened to allow some of the cool night air to reach them. And crouching by one of them was a cloaked individual, no doubt the one that had spoken before.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Arashi asked with narrowed eyes.
"I'm no one you have to worry about," he answered as he instantly jumped inside the office. Both Arashi and Kazumi noted just how short he was. "As to why I'm here…it's because of the direction that this village is heading."
Putting his height aside, Arashi raised an eyebrow at the statement.
"And of what interest is that to you?" Kazumi questioned, prepared to defend herself if the need arose.
"It has everything to do with me."
Both were surprised at the statement. At least, that was until Arashi sensed something familiar with whomever this person was.
"You…you're the one that destroyed Kumo's guns that day, aren't you?"
The person didn't answer. But Arashi didn't need for him to answer to know that he was right. Meanwhile, Kazumi had a questioning look. She had read the reports of that battle of course. But she hadn't heard anything about this.
"Whether or not I was doesn't matter right now. What does is what this village intends to do."
"Whatever path we choose to follow is our own choice to make. We don't want to get caught up in any more battles that have nothing to do with us whatsoever. It'll only bring ruin to us," Arashi stated. "Even if you did help us, that's just the way things are going to be."
"What happens over there matters over here."
Arashi simply raised an eyebrow.
The cloaked individual began to walk around the office. "You think that the affairs of the world have nothing to do with you. Well, that's incorrect. You yourself should already know this. No matter what you say, no matter what you do, there is always going to be someone who will turn his gaze towards you. The embargo Kumo placed on you during the war is a prime example. You weren't taking part in the war. You weren't aiding Konoha. And yet, they still went against you."
"So then, what exactly do you propose?" Arashi asked with narrowed eyes.
"To not isolate yourselves. Because if you do, if you don't start paying attention to what is happening around the world, then one day you might find yourselves stuck in a problem with no one there to help you. I understand that there were losses. But turning your back on the rest of the world isn't the answer either."
"Even if you convince me, the people of the village have spoken," Arashi said with a shake of his head. "The matter is out of my hands now."
"I don't believe so."
Arashi didn't respond as the individual stopped across from him, his back facing an open window.
"If you truly wanted to, I'm sure you'd find a way to fight against this. That's just the kind of man you are, Uzumaki Arashi."
The cloaked individual turned his back towards them, already having said everything that he wanted to.
"Wait!"
He stopped midway as Kazumi's voice reached his ears. "Just who are you?"
"You may call me…..shadow."
He disappeared in a whirlpool of sand after the last word had been said.
While Arashi and Kazumi had their own confrontation, Kushina was gathering her courage to do her own little confrontation. After having made sure that no one had spotted her, the girl, now wearing her purple pajamas, stood before Naruto's doorway. Kushina didn't really know what she wanted to accomplish, except for maybe to understand just what had the blond in such a mood tonight. But some part of her knew that there was more to it than that. And if so, then what would that "more" be? Because the girl really had no idea.
Mustering her courage, the girl finally knocked on the door, making sure not to be loud enough for anyone to hear but enough so that Naruto would hear it. And thankfully, a few moments later, the blond stood behind opened the door with a sleepy expression. He was currently wearing nothing but his boxers with what appeared to have ramen cup drawings on them. Kushina's face turned as red as her hair, her mind too preoccupied to try and figure out just where he had gotten those from.
"Hmm? Kushina? Wazzup? Isn't it too late to be talking right now?" the sleepy blond questioned as he ran a hand through his his spiky hair.
"Just put some clothes on, you idiot!" the girl exclaimed before quickly bringing a hand to her mouth. Looking towards Kaito's room, she sighed in relief when the door didn't open. Naruto had no idea what was happening as he was pushed back inside by a still blushing Kushina.
A few moments later, wearing a pair of black sweats and an orange t-shirt, Naruto scratched the back of his head as he looked at the squirming girl before him.
"So…what's up?"
The blond honestly didn't know how else to start the conversation, especially since he didn't know just what the girl was doing here.
"Why were you all depressed during dinner?"
Naruto was momentarily taken back by the question. "What do you mean?"
Getting out of her meekness, Kushina looked at the blond in the eyes. "You know what I mean. You were all frowny tonight. It was weird. So I just want to know why."
Naruto scratched his cheek, unsure of how to answer that. First Kaito and now her. Weird. It seemed as if his family paid more attention to his facial expressions and mood than he realized. He would have to be more careful from now on then.
"It's nothing really," Naruto said at last. "I was just tired. But I'm feeling better now. Thanks for asking, though. It really means a lot."
"I-it's not like I wouldn't notice, ya know."
Naruto raised an eyebrow at seeing Kushina face away from him. He also took notice of her stutter. How odd. He had to agree with Shikamaru: girls were weird.
"Is that all?"
Kushina paused, unsure of how to answer that. She didn't know what to do from here honestly. Planning things out wasn't exactly her forte. She was severely regretting her decision of coming here in the first place right now.
"Yeah, that's all!"
Naruto couldn't help but look even more confused than before as Kushina literally ran towards the door. But before she left the room, the girl turned around.
"Goodnight."
It went without saying that the whiskered blond was even more lost to what had just happened than ever before as the door closed. Just what had all of that been about?
'Oh well. I'm sure the boss will think of something. I better just enjoy the easy life.'
With that, the clone went back to bed, not bothering to take off his clothes again. It would be too troublesome.
"You're bold, Naruto."
Naruto chuckled as Haru shot him a disapproving look. The two were making their way to the village center after another day at the academy. Aika had quickly gone home, no doubt to be with her father. Naruto couldn't exactly blame her. The man had been depressed ever since he had returned. Aika wanted to make sure that her father knew that she was still there for him, even if she was hurting at the loss of her mother as well.
"I don't know what you mean, Haru. I did what any other person would do in my situation."
Haru shook his head. He knew that trying to talk some sense into his blond friend wouldn't get him anywhere. Nor could he really stop him from spying on important meetings.
Putting that aside for now, Haru asked, "I'm guessing you're really not too happy with this."
"No, I'm not," was Naruto's instant response. "Getting the village to get out of this 'isolationism' will be my first task."
Haru glanced at Naruto, once again admiring the blond's passionate stand on his beliefs. It was something that Haru wished to feel one day as well. He knew that once he did, he would be one step closer in becoming the best shinobi that he could be.
"So what exactly are we doing here?" Haru asked. "You never did tell me."
The blond didn't respond. His head was filled with many thoughts as he observed the many people walking around him and going about their lives. This was his clan. This was his family. The one that he had sworn to protect. At the moment, they thought that getting involved with the rest of the world would only bring them problems. And Naruto could see why they would think such a thing. This place was really peaceful. Violence and crime was pretty much nonexistent. That had to do with the fact that they all considered themselves to be a family. Which they were. So why would they strike against one of their own? It wouldn't make sense. Understanding this, Naruto realized that if he wanted to have any chance of making sure that peace bloomed in the rest of the Elemental Nations, he would have to find a way to get this feeling across to the rest of the nations. Something which he knew wouldn't be easy. By this point, every nation had a grudge against one another. They identified themselves too much with their own village. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. However, it also made it possible for conflict to arise among the villages since they didn't consider themselves to be part of the same family.
'That's going to be the tricky part all right,' Naruto thought. He was brought out of his thoughts at seeing Haru stop in front of him.
"Are you listening to me or what?"
Naruto grinned. The boy had definitely become bolder all right. Good for him.
"Sorry, sorry. I'm just thinking about a lot of things. As for your earlier question, I'm just trying to get a bit more acquainted with the village I guess."
Haru raised an eyebrow at the response. "What do you mean by that?"
Shrugging, Naruto said, "I guess that I haven't exactly walked around the village just for fun, you know. That's pretty much all I'm doing right now."
After a few moments of silence, Haru shook his head before he began to walk again. "Aika is right: you really are weird, Naruto."
Naruto's eyebrows twitched at that before he began to follow. "Oi, don't start saying that now. I have enough of it from Aika."
"Whatever you say."
Haru held back from laughing at seeing Naruto pout. It was more fun to mess with the blond than he had realized. He would have to start doing it a bit more often now all right.
Silence once more reigned between the two. But it was a comfortable one. Naruto's mind returned to what he had been thinking about before. Among other things. More specifically Sasuke.
The blond had yet to understand just what had happened with the Uchiha. He could only guess that it had been something major, just like Kurama had said. Oh well. Naruto already knew that he could count on him on taking care of things on his end. The boy's pride wouldn't allow him to do any less, after all. But another thought also took a hold of him: Sasuke had gotten stronger. The whiskered Uzumaki had yet to determine just how stronger his friend was now; but if that new Susanoo he had seen was anything to go by, then he definitely was a lot stronger than the last time they had seen one another.
'I can't afford to be left behind either,' Naruto thought in determination. He had fuinjutsu to master as well as the Hiraishin. Not to mention the fact that the bijuu also wanted for him to master the individual skills that they all provided him with just like he had done with Shukaku's sand. According to Kurama, he would no longer be able to combine all of their chakra at once like he had done when he had fought against Kumo. Naruto knew that he would have to have a talk with the furball about that later on.
Naruto's eyes were immediately drawn to the sky, a small smirk appearing on his face.
'You better get even stronger, teme. Otherwise, I'm seriously going to blow you out of the sky when we meet.'
And that was a promise.
Sarutobi sighed as he stood on top of the Hokage tower. Even his favorite pipe wasn't calming him down at the moment. And that was saying something. But nobody could really blame him for his current mood. Even if the war was finally over, it had come at a terrible price. The memorial service for all those who had died had just taken place earlier during the day. He had attended of course. It was exactly why he was in his current mood. No matter how many times he saw his shinobi being brought back in body bags, it didn't ease the pain in his heart. That was definitely the worst part about being Hokage. At times, it made him want to step down because he felt that he was the one responsible for their deaths.
His thoughts ceased as he felt a new arrival behind him. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
"You seem depressed right now, Sandaime."
Sarutobi chuckled without any real humor behind it. "Is that so, my boy? I guess I am spoiling the happiness of the village right now."
Sasuke sighed. "Where there is happiness, there is bound to be some sadness as well. I guess that's the price for achieving something. Something is always lost."
Sarutobi glanced at Sasuke as he walked to stand next to him. "Do you really believe that?"
Sasuke smirked. "Of course not. Maybe it's because I have too much pride. Or because I'm too cocky. But I believe that it is possible to gain something without losing anything."
"I wish that were the case here," Sarutobi replied as he looked down at the village. In a few days, there was going to be a festival in celebration of the end of the war. "It seems like the loss far outweighs the gain."
Sasuke shook his head. "I don't think so. Like it or not, the reality of things was that someone was going to die. Everyone knew that the moment they put on the headband and headed towards the battlefield. But they did so of their own accord. Nobody forced them. That's why no one is condemning you, Sandaime. If anything, you should just honor their sacrifices instead of tarnishing them."
Sarutobi was silent for a few moments. Then, he fell into a fit of laughter. "You really do surprise me, Sasuke. You were the last one I expected to come and cheer me up."
Sasuke scowled, unsure as to whether to take that as an insult or a compliment.
"But I do thank you for those words," Sarutobi continued. "Being the Hokage during these times isn't the most pleasant of things."
"But that's why we're shinobi," Sasuke replied, remembering the Shodai's words. "We are those who endure. It's as simple as that."
Sarutobi smiled, feeling content with Sasuke's words. It always amazed him how different the young Uchiha had become since that night. If anything, the boy reminded him a lot of his friend Kagami now.
"You're right about that," Sarutobi said at last.
"I'm guessing that Jiraiya already left," Sasuke continued after a few moments of silence.
Nodding, Sarutobi chuckled as he said, "Yes. He went off to travel around again. Apparently he wants to get some inspiration for a book he wants to write. It's a shame too. I was kind of hoping he would stay so that he could be present with my talk with the Kazekage."
Sasuke had already heard about that. The Sandaime Kazekage was due to arrive in the village later today so that he and Sarutobi could discuss a new treaty between Konoha and Suna. It seemed as if, unlike his predecessor, the Sandaime Kazekage preferred peace instead of war. It was one of the reasons why Suna hadn't been actively involved in the war during the last few months since there had been a change of power in the village.
"I trust you'll tell me how it goes."
Sarutobi nodded. "But of course. More importantly, though, aren't you supposed to be in the academy right now?"
Sasuke flinched at the question. "I'm not particularly keen on going back right now." It was boring to say the least. Not to mention his fangirls. Sasuke was quickly getting to the end of his ropes with them. Not to mention the fact that both Kazuki and Minato always wanted to spar with him. So far, he had always told them no. But he knew that they wouldn't be satisfied until after he finally relented and said yes. Which Sasuke wasn't planning on doing. There was also Inoichi who was always trying to pick a fight with him for reasons Sasuke did not understand. According to Shikaku, though, the young Yamanaka was simply jealous that Sasuke was more popular with the girls than he was. Especially since Minato had already beaten him in that regard too.
"Not so easy being popular, I take it?" Sarutobi said with a chuckle. "You know, Sasuke, there are a lot of people who would love to be in your position."
"Then they can take it," Sasuke muttered. Or better yet, he would hand it to them with a smile on his face. Having fangirls wasn't exactly something that Sasuke enjoyed. The only mystery was: why couldn't they take the hint dammit? Wasn't scowling good enough? Maybe he would just have to unleash the Amaterasu on them. Sasuke was sure that that would be enough to get them off of him. But then again, the Uchiha was sure that the Sandaime wouldn't appreciate him doing such a thing. That just sucked.
Putting his hands in his pockets, Sasuke turned around and began to walk away. As much as he hated to admit it, he still needed to get back to the academy. He had only sneaked off during the lunch break to see if he could kill some time.
"I'll be seeing you later then, Sandaime. Good luck with the Kazekage." He half-heartedly threw a wave behind him which was returned by Sarutobi even if he didn't notice it.
'That boy is something else,' Sarutobi thought with another chuckle before he turned his attention back to the village that stood below him.
His spirits had been lifted at least.
"That's just not fair, Sasuke!"
Sasuke sighed as Kazuki continued to berate him on their way home. Currently he was walking alongside both Kazuki and Fugaku, the latter being even more annoyed with Kazuki's whining than he was.
"What exactly isn't fair?" Sasuke asked, keeping his irritation in check.
"You disappeared just like that during lunch!" Kazuki stated with his arms crossed. "I mean, just how long is it going to take for you to finally face me and accept that I'm just more awesome than you are? You can't keep this up forever."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. This conversation was starting to remind him a lot of the ones he had had in the past, or future or whatever, with another certain blond idiot.
"I'm not running away," Sasuke calmly said. "You just couldn't find me. Your detection skills just suck. That's all."
While Kazuki looked aghast at the comment, Fugaku smirked slightly at Sasuke's statement. Seeing someone else make fun of his brother was always amusing to him, after all.
Taking notice of this, Kazuki pouted. "You don't have to act all happy about this, Fugaku. That's just mean."
A stoic look took its place on the boy's face. "I have no idea what you're talking about." The calm way in which he had replied would be enough to make anyone else believe that the boy hadn't been smirking just moments before. It also made Sasuke smirk a little as well at taking notice of this fact.
Seeing that he was being double teamed at the moment, Kazuki grumbled to himself. "Great. The two are getting along with one another. Definitely spells the end of the world for us now all right."
Both Sasuke Fugaku rolled their eyes at the younger Uchiha's statement. The rest of the trip was made in silence, which was fine with Sasuke. It didn't take them that long to get to the Uchiha compound either. Once there, the three quickly headed towards their home where Kenshin was waiting for them. After he had returned from the front after the war was over, much to the relief of all three boys, the current Uchiha clan head had told them how he would be increasing their training from now on. He also included Sasuke in that. While Sasuke knew that he didn't really need it, he still appreciated the thought. Besides, he still needed to start with his own training as well. After having been stuck in the Land of Lightning for nearly three weeks, he hadn't really had the time to start on it.
As they finally reached the clan head's house, however, three set of eyebrows were raised as none other than Mikoto was standing by the entrance, clearly waiting for someone. Kazuki immediately glanced at Sasuke, no doubt the boy thinking that she was probably here for him for whatever reason. Fugaku merely closed his eyes before walking towards the entrance to the house. He passed by his fiance without a word, Mikoto returning the gesture. Or in this case, lack of.
Kazuki resisted the urge to whistle at that. Even he knew when not to go too far. Giving one last glance at Sasuke, the boy put his arms behind his head before he followed behind his brother. Like Fugaku, he didn't say a word to the girl. Unlike his brother, however, he did send her a small smile and a wink to match. Mikoto ignored both.
Once they were alone, Sasuke let out a sigh while scratching the back of his head. Once more, he had no idea what to do here. He still didn't understand his mother. And that was saying something.
"I decided to cancel my engagement."
That statement was enough to make Sasuke freeze. The boy blinked a couple of times, trying to make sure he had just heard right. Did she really just say what he had just heard? Or were his ears playing tricks on him or something?
"…what?"
Sasuke didn't bother to hide his stupefied expression.
Mikoto rubbed her shoulder, feeling awkward as well. "You heard right. I've been thinking a lot about what you told me. And I decided that I don't want get married this way. That's why I decided to end it."
A thousand questions ran through Sasuke's head. But the most prudent was, "Does Fugaku know yet?"
Mikoto shook her head. "No. Neither does my father. It's something I decided today. And well, I guess I wanted for you to be the first one to know now that you're back in the village."
For a moment, Sasuke wondered if there was more to that statement than what she was saying. But the boy decided to not dwell on it.
"That's…great." What else could he say? It wasn't everyday that one heard that his future parents weren't getting married. Not to mention just how that would impact him. Would he disappear or what? Seeing as though he had yet to cease existing, Sasuke realized that maybe his parents would probably just fall in love or something even without the marriage contract. It was the only way that he could explain his lack of disappearance. Just then the Rikudo Sennin's words about him and Naruto existing outside of this plain ran through his head. Did that have something to do with it as well? Sasuke didn't know. He didn't know because he really did not understand what that meant. So many damn questions and not a single answer.
Mikoto simply nodded before she began to walk away. This made Sasuke raise another eyebrow. Had she just come here to tell him that? Turning around, Sasuke was about to ask her until Mikoto stopped, beating him to the punch.
"I'm going to become stronger. Strong enough to beat even you."
Sasuke was once again taken back by what she said. "What makes you think I'm strong in the first place?"
Mikoto smiled, something which was lost to Sasuke since she was facing away from him. "True, I guess. I haven't exactly seen you in an actual fight. I guess you could call it a hunch."
With that, the girl left without another word, content to have said everything that she wanted.
Sasuke scratched his head yet again, not understanding what had just happened. Every time he had a conversation with her, it just left him even more confused than the last. It was obvious to the young Uchiha by this point: girls were weird. Nothing else could explain it. Sasuke had little doubt that his brother would agree with him.
Shaking his head, Sasuke placed his hands inside his pockets again before he resumed making his way into his home. He put his mother's strange behavior to the back of his mind as his ears picked up the sound of someone sparring from outside the house the moment he stepped one foot inside. Walking to the back of the house, Sasuke came to the sight of his grandfather sparring against his father in a straight taijutsu battle. Kazuki was merely observing the spar on the other side of the field.
The sight once again reminded him that he needed to get started on his training for real as well. He had sensed that powerful chakra at the battle against Kumo and Kiri. It had been powerful. More powerful than the last time he had felt it. Sasuke had little doubt that Naruto had gotten even stronger since the last time that he had seen the idiot. It made Sasuke's body shake with excitement every time he thought about it as well as the one day that he would get the chance to fight against the blond to see it first hand. But for that, the Uchiha knew that he couldn't afford to be left behind.
Kazuki's eyes met Sasuke's. Sasuke knew what the boy was telling him. Realizing that it'd be best to just get it over with now despite his earlier objections, Sasuke merely nodded before heading to the other side of the field, careful to not interrupt his father's spar against his grandfather. Sasuke could tell that Kenshin's eyes were on him as he stopped in front of Kazuki, ready to finally give the boy what he wanted.
A single thought ran through his head before his spar began.
'You better get even stronger, idiot. Otherwise, you're really going to regret it when we next meet.'
And that promise was etched into his heart.
Hagoromo stood before his brother and Miyuki with a calm look. The trio was currently in the only realm that the brothers could be: the space that connected all other worlds. It was where Miyuki had "fought" against Naruto when she had first confronted him. No words were currently being said. And that was because they were still waiting for their final guest to arrive. Hagoromo already knew that the whole reason he wasn't here yet was to somehow annoy him. After all, his fellow clan member didn't have anything else to do. Other than to observe just like the rest of them.
A few more moments passed until Nori finally appeared before them, completing their little circle. The moment she caught sight of him, Miyuki growled, wanting nothing more than to just smash that face of his into oblivion. It was already obvious among them that she really didn't like Nori.
"You're late," Hamura said, even though he knew it didn't matter if he brought it up or not.
Nori shrugged at the accusation. "I was busy." And that was it. He didn't bother to elaborate. Looking towards Hagoromo, he continued, "So tell me. Why have you bothered to call me here for? I thought that everything was proceeding just as you wanted. Or am I wrong?"
"I called you here to ask you to not repeat the incident that occurred between you and Naruto," Hagoromo replied in a calm tone. "It would be too-"
"Oh, is that all," Nori cut in with a bored tone that matched his visage. "Don't worry. I'll let Asura-kun cling to his little beliefs a little longer. Until he faces reality that is."
"You," Miyuki growled again as she took a step forward. "If you do anything, I'll-"
"Your threats mean nothing to me," Nori stated with another shrug. "We both know that I could destroy you anytime if I really wanted to. Besides, I wasn't talking about me." He looked at the three before him. "You already know what forces are making their move already. And he has yet to appear as well. All that's happened so far is nothing but the prologue of this little tale." He looked at Hagoromo this time. "Even your successor will come to see that there is no such thing as hope."
"And what of mine?" Hamura asked with a raised eyebrow. "It seems as if you're not interested in him. Curious."
Nori chuckled. "You know as well as I do that that boy can be dyed in any color as easily as it is to take candy from a baby. No. I'm far more interested in Asura-kun. His will is the one that I will take the most pleasure in breaking."
"Hagoromo-sama, you know as well as I do that we cannot allow this to continue," Miyuki said as she looked at the founder of the shinobi world. "Please allow me to-"
"Miyuki," Hagoromo began with closed eyes. "Do you have so little faith in me? In him?"
Miyuki closed her mouth, not sure how to respond to that.
Hagoromo turned his attention back to Nori. "You seem to believe that all of this is but a game that you have already won."
"But of course," Nori said with a smile. "History is on my side. You may think that those two can work together now. But Asura-kun and Indra-kun just have too much of a difference in ideals to actually work together forever. It's what has led to the current world that we know of today, after all. Do you really believe that they will be able to overcome their natural impulses?"
"I do," Hagoromo answered without any hesitation. "It's why they're here together now. If I didn't believe in them, then I wouldn't have bothered to bring them both here. It's that simple, Nori."
Nori was silent for a few moments until he was overcome with a fit of laughter. "Hahaha! Then I shall enjoy proving you wrong, Hagoromo! Just you wait! The game is only starting!"
"You're right about that," Hagoromo agreed calmly. "This is only the beginning."
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