Bab 14: Dreams and Future

A tiny white fluff fell slowly and touched Naruto's cheek.

'Ick!!'. Naruto is startled and make some noise; really disrupting the sad and heavy atmosphere as Zabuza is leaving out of their sight. The coldness makes him jolted involuntarily.

Kakashi and Sakura glared at him with annoyance and felt like punching him. Can't he see everyone is sad!? Can't he be serious for a second!?

Sakura looked around and noticed everyone is looking at the sky. She also turned her head up and is surprised.

White flakes fell down one by one in a drizzle. Kakashi felt confused.

This is...snow? After moment of thoughts, Kakashi can only attribute this to Shou and Haku because it's illogical for snow to suddenly appear here and so it must be man-made somehow. Perhaps, their emotional state caused them to emit some chakra that cause these...

Sakura reached out to a snowflake, touching it. As it melt, it felt a little cold to her skin. But... it also felt sad. As if these snow represents their tears.

Sakura look at Haku and Shou who had lost the person who they depended on all this time. She felt sad as well for them.

Is shinobi's purpose is only to be used as tools? Is what Zabuza said is true? Is that what a shinobi is?

Sakura contemplates it. Meanwhile, Tazuna finally wakes up. He wakes up confused at first and immediately sat up in panic.

What happen?! What about the enemy!? Is he dead!? Am I safe?!

"Grandpa!". Inari went to leap into him arm seeing his grandpa wakes up. He felt glad his grandpa is safe.

'Ouchh. Inari why are you here?'. He looked around seeing everyone even the villagers are here and they seems like they are grieving. He wondered how he passed out and what happened in that time. He remembered now that, out of nowhere someone forced his mouth and nose close with a cloth of some sort and he remembered smelling something really strong and felt his consciousness seeping.

While thinking about it, suddenly he felt a coldness touching his cheek. He look up and saw snow falling slowly. It's... sad. What happened here?

"Grandpa...". Inari explained to him what happened as far as he know. Shou had saved his grandpa by switching him with a clone, and so he betrayed Zabuza and then he got abandoned. Inari does not really able to understand the deeper reasoning behind it so he explained it simply.

Tazuna looked over the two siblings in question. He knows that taller one is the one with mask on before who is Zabuza's subordinate. As for the shorter one its her little sister for sure. To think they are just two little girls...

Kakashi sighed. Even a demon have feelings. He had to abandon them because of their kindness huh...

Anyways... Kakashi felt all of his energy drained from his body. He had been holding on for so long and now he really can't hold it anymore. His head went dizzy as his legs lose its strength. He fell flat to the ground due to overusing his sharingan and chakra again.

"Kakashi sensei!" Sakura quickly went to see him.

***

Tazuna asked Shou and Haku to come stay with him first, knowing they don't have a home anymore. They are still depressed and just agree.

They had just lost their purpose and someone important to them. Shou sees Haku is even more devastated than he is. After all, he felt abandoned twice; even if the reasoning are... out of Zabuza's own way of caring for them.

Shou too felt lost really. He had been, doing things for Zabuza out of appreciation for him. Although at times its difficult, emotionally and mentally it would drain him time to time, but he is... happy. He's happy that he had someone he can depend on. He is happy that Haku and him were secure with him; that they gain strength to protect themselves, and even having some purpose in this world working for him.

He can only close his eyes, sleeping the weight off his heart. Everyone is tired after everything. Sasuke is injured here and there along with Naruto although the latter aren't that bad. Sakura is completely fine though.

'Tazuna-san. You should hide for the time being and ask everyone to stop working on the bridge for now. Gato might come to check and come back with their men. Once we recovered you can continue'.

Kakashi weakly sat up and tell Tazuna about it. Although Shou had tricked Gato; but the problem has not been solved. Tazuna had to agree and just sit quietly in his home.

'You guys... I make some food. Come eat with everyone'. Tsunami (Inari's mom); called out to Shou and Haku.

Shou sat up and say his thanks and apologize for troubling her.

'It's no problem at all. And... thank you for saving my father... I didn't get to thank you both earlier...'. Tsunami gets the whole story from Inari and his father last night. She felt grateful to both of them for sparing his father even betraying their master. And now they really look like two lost kids with nowhere to go. She felt bad herself.

Shou nods. He looked over at Haku. He had woken up as well but he really looks dismayed.

'Haku, lets go'. Haku just nods. They washed their faces and sat on the table with everyone. He felt quite out of place really.

Also, he remembers his things was at their mercenary base. Umm... should he go get them? It would be awkward if he meets Zabuza there...

It's like some ex coming to your house to pick up their belongings; sort of.

After finished eating; Shou decides to walk around and see the beach. 'Haku, want to come to the beach?'. Haku just nods and followed him. They walked for minutes North. The docks are on the West and East so on this part its clear from boats and what not.

They just sat there, hearing the sounds of the waves hitting the sands and rocks back and forth. Haku saw a seashell and went to dig it up and look it up close.

Shou looks at Haku and had a thought. That, they are free now somewhat. With nothing to do; literally. He could settle somewhere and just live quietly. As for how to make a living... he is thinking about it. As someone trained as a shinobi, he could take mercenary works. But then... it's quite difficult to actually start as a mercenary with zero background.

They do not have an actual affiliation or origin as a shinobi. The underground channel and black market are... dangerous without backing. Both of them are relatively unknown in the circle and many there only thought of them as Zabuza's subordinate with no real name to themselves.

Or should he get away from shinobi world? Maybe... start a business or something?

Maybe open an ice cream shop or something? They can use ice release so that sounds fun. He suddenly had this idea to churn milk using rasengan training method while adding flavors to it and then make an ice cream. To think rasengan mastery would help him make an ice cream, haha... He laughed a little in heart.

Random thoughts run through his head on what to do next. Right... he only wanted strength to be able to protect himself and Haku and be useful to Zabuza. But in a sense he is strong enough for the first part. At least; against most ninjas with normal skills and no weird jutsu and kekkei genkai or some eye powers or bijuu they are relatively safe already. As for the latter Zabuza had cut his ties with them...

Shou had a thought that he can just wait for time to pass; Naruto and Sasuke grows up and bla3 they seal Kaguya and then shinobi world gained true peace. Current time peace is only temporary. The big 4 shinobi villages are looking for any chance to choke each other in secret; the only exception is Kirigakure because they isolated themselves.

Zabuza's rebellion should succeed soon. He already told him what's necessary. In fact, Ao, being a hunter-nin of Kirigakure should have a fairly many chances to see the Mizukage. So once he gets an advance info from Zabuza, he would definitely try to confirm it, and the rebellion would happen sooner. Or rather... is there really a rebellion?

When he try to remember, isn't it speculated Yagura simply died after the genjutsu is lifted? Maybe rebellion is not needed at all.

Wait... I forgot something...

Obito Uchiha.

The reason why Yagura and Kirigakure is like this is because Obito controlled him. He does not really understand what purpose Obito had. Sure the Akatsuki is created there and probably is used as their base for some times. But right now their base is in the Land of Rain right?

So Kirigakure current state of affairs is mostly because of revenge? Shou speculates Obito hated the village for how they caused Rin's death with their scheme by sealing 3 tails into her.

So... would Obito stop the rebellion? As far as he remember, there's no information on what happens and how Yagura died and it leads to Mei Terumi to become the 5th Mizukage. In any case, the rebellion should succeed normally.

Should he come help? The most dangerous threat that he could encounter is Obito. His mangekyou is a bit too OP. And Shou does not have a way to counter genjutsu. Well, he does know Hidden Mist technique that could cover that sharingan and his sensor skill is enough to effectively use them. Zabuza had taught them the seals but neither he or Haku had trained on it much since they had to focus on training other things more.

He really should practice them some time.

But would Obito interfere the rebellion? From Shou's opinion Kirigakure is just some playground he made to avenge Rin and he wouldn't care that much about it now.

Also the Akatsuki is laying low and has not started to capture any Bijuu yet; and Obito too wouldn't show himself so easily. Shou assumes they are still gathering information about all jinchuriki since they wanted to capture all of them in the shortest span of time possible at the same time to avoid the shinobi villages realizing their existence too early.

Perhaps that's why Yagura died along with the 3 tails since neither Obito nor any Akatsuki members are around when it happened as they most likely they took their eyes of Kirigakure at the time. Or they purposely ignored it because they don't want to expose themselves yet.

Shou is daydreaming while making some theory and assumptions about whatever is happening in Kiri.

He looked at Haku for awhile, who is arranging seashells on the sand mindlessly. They both need some times to think and, recuperate emotionally and mentally speaking.

An hour passed silently. Haku went to collect some herbs in the forest nearby to change the environment.

Shou had been walking around the beach, with nothing much in his head after he had done brainstorming stuffs. As he walk along the sands; he found some darker spot, dug it, and found some clusters of reddish spherical eggs. He watched as very tiny crabs walked out of it and head to the water. Quite interesting.

"Oii!!".

Shou turned around to see who's shouting at him. Naruto is coming to his direction. Why is he here?

'Waa! The beach is so nice! What are you doing? Eh? Crabs? So tiny!'.

"Yeah...". Shou replied shortly.

Naruto is really so nosy and noisy aren't he. Naruto went to sit down next to him. Shou had to look and raised an eyebrow. What is he doing here?

'Naruto-kun, what's the matter?'.

"Eh? What?".

'I mean. Why are you here?'.

"I want to see the beach too! It's my first time going out of my village. The beach is really nice! It smells so good!".

'I see'.

... Few minutes passes by.

"In my village, everyone had always ignored me...".

Shou had to look at Naruto who just went to tell his story to him unasked. Still, he listened attentively; knowing and hearing them from that very person is really different.

"Shou-chan. It's okay to cry". Naruto ended his talk-no-jutsu while empathizing with Shou and sharing his own experience briefly.

Shou let out a sheepish laugh hearing it. Naruto... pft... I am not a child... but still,

'Thank you'. Shou just laughed a little. It's kinda funny how this guy really tried to console him in some way.

"Why are you laughing!? I am not joking!". Naruto felt confused and knitted his eyebrows.

'Naruto-kun, what about you?'.

"Hmm? What about me?".

'If you are sad, do you cry?'.

Naruto was quiet for a moment. He reminisce back then; he always felt the hateful gaze from others. No one wants to play with him. No one wanted to talk to him. He sees others always telling each other to not talk to him. Most people chase him away always. While others would try to quickly send him off.

It hurts a lot, to be ignored, to be unwanted, to be hated. He returns to his empty home; with no one there for him and he had to silently endure and cry by himself. But at some point, he realised crying won't change a thing and that's why;

"Not anymore!". Naruto said with enthusiast.

"I cried a lot already, and it cannot change anything. So I decide I will make everyone acknowledge me by becoming the Hokage!".

'I see'.

'It must be hard for you, all this time'. Shou added.

He did empathies with Naruto really. His childhood is traumatizing. If it's modern world Hiruzen would have been charged for child abandonment. And Minato would really send Hiruzen to the afterlife if he knew how Naruto lived after his death. It's sad really.

"Ah...?". Naruto felt a bit stunned hearing such sentence. He felt it hit really close to his heart. He felt, heard. Other than Iruka Sensei, no one had listened to him like this.

"Yeah... it's really difficult...". Naruto quickly wipe his eyes. It's getting teary for some reason.

Shou look at Naruto for a second. Naruto really felt hurt deep inside doesn't he. His dream of becoming Hokage for the sake of acknowledgement; that's just sad to be honest. In Shou's opinion, Naruto shouldn't have needed to become Hokage to make people look at him as a person.

He already is a person much like everyone else. It's really all Danzo's fault for telling everyone about him being the 'demon fox'. What happened to the rest of the story? What happened to the part where Minato and Kushina sacrificing themselves and sealing half of Kyubi into Naruto to save the village? That story somehow is not passed fully. In the end, the normal people in Konoha had 'misunderstood' through omission of information.

Sigh. That old man Danzo really needs a beating.

'Naruto-kun'.

Naruto looked at Shou. He's a bit embarrassed that his eyes are teary.

'No matter what anyone says, I know you are a kind and a great person. And so, you should believe in yourself too rather than proving it others'.

'Even if, you don't prove it to me, I believe you are a great person. You can definitely become Hokage someday. So prove it to yourself that you can be one'. Shou is not sure if Naruto understands what he's trying to say. He don't need to prove to others that he's a great person. Rather, he should believe in himself that he is. And for Shou, he rather have people that believe in him without needing to prove it to them first, you know what I mean?

Naruto went quiet hearing that.

Hmm? Shou sees Naruto had turned his head away.

He peeked over and felt a little bad.

Uh... Did I oversaid it...

Naruto is really crying for real. Is he a sensitive person? Who is consoling who now?

Well. Naruto is just a kid that didn't have a proper childhood. It's even surprising how he didn't become a villain at all after what he's subjected to.

"Thank you, Shou-chan". Naruto also went quiet and just sat next to him watching the sea.

Minutes passed in silence. It's a little weird that kid Naruto out of all people is quiet.

Oh. Right. Shou remembered something about Naruto.

'Naruto-kun, want to know a secret method to get stronger?'.

"Eh!? Nani nani?! What is it!?". Naruto mode instantly gets back into his bright self again.

'Use your shadow clones to train'.

'Eh? But how?'. He tilted his head, not understanding it.

"It's like this. When your shadow clone...". Shou explained how it works as memories and experience of a shadow clones are transferred back to him. So when it comes to practicing ninjutsu, taijutsu, chakra control or what not the experience would be channeled back to him. However only Naruto can train like this and its unique only to him because his chakra volume is abnormal.

'Really!?'. Naruto stood and immediately weaved hand signs.

Multi-Shadow Clone Technique!

Tens of Naruto clones went to randomly kick and punch the air. Some are beating each other.

??? Uh... is this how it works? Shou twitched his eyebrow a little.

"Naruto-kun. It might be better if your clones fight someone other than... yourself (or the air...?)".

'Eh...'. Thinking about it, it makes sense.

'Shou-chan, fight me again! I want to be strong like you!'.

Shou just scratched his cheek. Well, his base taijutsu is definitely better than Naruto although slightly lower than Sasuke in terms of base speed. As for using his demonic ice mirror... He don't think Naruto can learn anything from it.

"Umm. Let your shadow clones fight my ice clones". Shou stood up can weaved hand seals.

Ice Release: Ice Clone Technique.

Shou make 5 real ice clones that are for combat consuming a lot of his chakra. His ice clones are very durable much like his Demonic Ice Mirror. A little fire ninjutsu can't even do anything to it while shuriken and kunai would just bounce off. It's more vulnerable to crushing force though.

Naruto and his clones fought with them. In minutes, cracks appear on the ice clones.

However...

One of the ice clone had its feet touching the water from the sea. If one sees carefully the ice clone had siphoned a little water and began to self repair filling the cracks back in!

It's limited based on how much chakra Shou put inside each ice clone however but the clone can last longer in prolonged battle than usual structured clones through this regeneration.

An hour passed and all the ice clones are destroyed completely from Naruto's endless shadow clones. That's so unfair.

Naruto dispelled the shadow clones and felt as if he had gone through multiple battles as the memories pours in. He thinks he improved a little, maybe.

"Shou-chan! Let's go again!".

'Umm. I am out of chakra already...'.

"Eh...". Naruto felt disappointed.

'You can train on chakra control, like climbing trees or keep balance on the sea waves over there; or throwing shuriken'.

Naruto drop his fist on his open palm hearing such great ideas. Naruto went ahead to train with his shadow clones in variety of ways while Shou just watch in amusement. He meditates a little to gain his chakra back faster.

Naruto would grow stronger earlier won't he. He looked forward to the future of Naruto. As for himself, he needs some time to consider what he wants to do.