face like thunder (old vers.)

by hopeyoustay

Summary:

He can see the golden rooftops of the buildings, taste the salty air, feel the rough stone of the sun-bleached buildings, watch his feet roam over the intricate tile and stone floors of the village. He can feel energy rush through his veins as the sea breeze blows red strands of hair into his eyes. Everything is okay at that moment, everything is at peace. He is at peace.

Then Naruto wakes up.

Re-write in progress! First chapter is up, and the chapters of the new version are significantly longer. Leaving this here for people to re-read, however.

Chapter 1: Prologue

He heard footsteps coming up the cliffside where he sat, looking out at the rolling waves surrounding Uzushio. He glanced back to see his mother, with her long red hair and deep green eyes, looking at him curiously. Tsubaki Uzumaki wore no hair ornaments like the other women of prestigious clans, not even her shinobi headband holding them back as she let it hang around her neck. It shifted in the wind like a hurricane; he wanted his hair to be that long someday, perhaps. Shima kept his long as well, though he used bells and ribbons to hold it back.

She took a seat beside him, nudging him in the side with her elbow, "Something cought your interest on the horizon, Hiko?"

"No. Just watching." He shrugged slightly, looking at the water sway and shift below him, "The seagulls were fighting over a sandwich earlier."

"How fascinating." She rolled her eyes, "Tenma is asking for you at the tower. I told him I'd come to find you."

"Oji-san?" He finally turned to look at her, eyebrows furrowing, "What's he want?"

She shrugged, "Who knows. Better go find out, though."

He sighed, nodding, and began to stand up. A gentle hand on his arm stopped him.

"Amahiko Uzumaki, I'm you're mother and I know when something is wrong." She smiled mirthfully, "Sit and tell me."

"It's nothing." He insisted, "I was just...thinking."

"About?" She prompted, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm the youngest of eight." 

"Trust me, I'm well aware." She huffed, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"What am I going to do? When I get older?" He asked, frowning, "Am I just a...backup? Not even Plan B but Plan H!"

She looked at him, startled slightly, before laughing, "And where'd you get that foolish idea? Did you come up with it yourself?"

"Everyone always talks about the line of succession and...I'm essentially useless."

"Was my brother useless? Or my sisters?" She questioned, "Tenma is the Uzukage. Kaiyo has revolutionized medical practices, saving countless lives. Hikaru...well...let's just say she's the best at what she does."

Torture and interrogation, that is, Amahiko thought with a shiver. Hikaru was a very kind woman off the clock, but she was legendary in her department.

"I guess. I'm just a chūnin, though." He sighed, "It feels like it's taking forever!"

"You're eight years old." She snorted, "Hells, you're just like your father. You realize you nearly beat Nanami and her promotion age of seven, right? Besides, we're all chūnin at some point. Even Tenma, and he's the Uzukage now."

"Hard to believe he was a chūnin, I guess." Amahiko shrugged, "Or you."

"Yeah, well, you want to know something about my dearest brother? His first mission after his promotion, an enemy nin startled him so badly in an ambush that, while he was trying to protect their very rich client, he shoved her into a pond."

He shot her a skeptical look, "You're joking."

She crossed her heart, "By the Sage. He jumped in after her and came out with a koi in his pants."

He burst into laughter, giggling even more as she tickled his neck, "Kaa-san, I'm a chūnin! I'm not a kid anymore, you can't do that!"

"Ah, but you're still laughing." She said in a faux wise voice, "So I think I can. Now, hightail it to my brother before he comes looking for you himself."

"Okay." He nodded, still smiling, "I'll see you later!"

He made to run off before halting and turning back. He grinned broadly, "Maybe I'll become the Uzukage!"

"Where'd you get all that ambition?" She rolled her eyes, "You know what, do it. Tenma's getting tired of the paperwork and I'm scared he'll ask me to take the hat."

"Of course, kaa-san." Amahiko shook his head, "Only for you."

"Uh-huh." She stood, brushing the dirt off her purple kimono, "Bring home some eggs on your way back, by the way. We're nearly out."

"Got it!" He said as he took off, running for the gates of the Uzumaki estate. 

As he enters the village, he sees the golden rooftops shining in the morning sun, casting a brilliant orange glow around the village. He tastes the salt in the air and can feel the sun-bleached stone of the buildings he weaves between. His feet pound on the intricate tile and stone floors as the wind blows red strands of hair this way and that. The streets are alive with vendors selling their wares, civilians going to work for the day, shinobi waking up to start their usual routine of missions.

Many waved as he passed, recognizing the son of Tsubaki Uzumaki. He could see many of his fellow clansmen around, which was unsurprising. He couldn't go anywhere without seeing at least one distant relative. They were the largest clan in Uzushio after all, not to mention the founding clan, and only the Mizushima came close to beating them in sheer numbers. 

The early Uzumaki had risen the cliffs from which their village was built from the seafloor, creating a strong foundation for one of the strongest villages in the Elemental Nations. Located just off the coast of the Land of Whirlpools, their homeland was known for seals and longevity and a carefree lifestyle that had civilians and shinobi alike flocking to their beaches.

T he Uzumaki had always remained the strongest clan on the island, though. Their sheer numbers and long lifespans meant they just stuck around longer; there was the main branch, which Amahiko himself was the youngest child of so far, and then multiple branch families. He didn't pity Nanami, the heiress of the Uzumaki Clan, with her having to memorize the delegates that represented each one.  

He entered Uzukage Tower with a spring in his step, bypassing the secretary who greeted him with a wave and a smile. He rushed up the spiral staircases and reached the top floor, bursting into his uncle's office with a large smile on his face. Tenma, a man of thirty-nine, sat behind his desk with the traditional white and orange garb on, nearly hidden behind the mountain of paperwork he was slowly drilling through. The office was large and spacious, with windows lining the walls so it was just a three hundred and sixty-degree view of Uzushio beside the doors to enter and exit the office. Bookcases obscured some of the view, scrolls and tomes packing them with Tenma's own research. 

"Hiko-hime, why such a grand entrance?" He raised an eyebrow, having observed his nephew's boisterous behavior.

"I decided I'm going to be the Uzukage after you." Amahiko smiled, "I'll be the Yondaime!"

"Gee, thanks for letting me know, that solves so many problems." His uncle chuckled, "Well, it's hard work, but if you think you're up to the challenge..."

"Of course I am!" The boy seemed insulted, "I have to work harder than ever. I'm the eighth child, I'll be totally forgotten otherwise!"

"Well, then, I guess it's good timing." Tenma laughed, "Kid, all your brothers and sisters had a sensei or two. I know you had your jōnin sensei, Tatsu Yoshida, correct?"

At his nephew's nod he continued, "Well, I think you're ready for more than that. She's an excellent shinobi, don't get me wrong, but you and your team advanced before she could teach you anything besides the basics. Now she's out gathering intelligence, and you have no one to teach you. So, today's your lucky day because you're getting a new sensei."

Amahiko perked up instantly, "Who?"

"Me." Tenma smiled, "Your mom wants you trained with someone who's a high caliber ninja, and she was going to ask Hikaru, but I swooped in and saved you. You can thank me later, but I couldn't subject my own nephew to that. I love my little sister but...well."

The chūnin shivered, "Thanks, oji-san."

"So, lemme tell you something upfront. I've been watching you, and I think you have some potential. I'm helping you because you're my nephew, it's true, and you're good for a chūnin. The question is can you be better than just good. If you are worthy of the title Uzukage by the time I'm ready to step down...I'll turn the damn hat over to you."

"Yeah!" Amahiko smiled widely, "Let's start training now! I wanna work some on my chakra chains!"

"Eh, later today." Tenma frowned, "I got mountains of paperwork to do at the moment, and if your aunt drops by and she finds out I haven't done any of it, she'll take the hat and become the Sandaime herself before you even have a shot."

He laughed, "Okay, Tenma-sensei! I'm gonna go get some grocery shopping done for kaa-san, find me when you're done!"

Joy coursed through his veins. His uncle was going to teach him, and he'd become what he'd always wanted. He'd become more than average, he'd be more than just the eighth child. He'd be the Uzukage. Feeling the wind on his cheeks and the energy coursing through his veins, everything was okay at that moment. Everything was at peace.

And then Naruto woke up.

Notes:

This was totally inspired by Stormborn by blackkat, which you should totally read! An amazing (and complete!) story that really inspired the reincarnation aspect of this story.

This is also a rewrite, for anyone confused or curious. I had posted the original Face Like Thunder in 2017 and updated pretty consistently, but I had a really bad bout with depression in late 2018. I lost all inspiration for writing, and I pretty much deleted most of my stories including this one. Luckily I'm doing a lot better now and I also got sucked back into this fandom and had some inspo to finally rewrite this.

Also, if anyone is curious, vegaaltair on tumblr made some pretty cool fan art for this story too, if you wanna check that out. Here it is!

Chapter 2: Old Disappointments

"Okay, Naruto, just make a clone now." Iruka smiled encouragingly

The blonde tensed slightly, sighing as he went through the proper hand seals quickly, "Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone Technique)!"

Naruto tried to tame his chakra, to force the astonishing mass down into three normal clones. He waited for the smoke to clear with apprehension, and what came out of his efforts made him deflate all at once.

The clones were just three deformed masses slumped on the ground. Not even the facial features were correct; they looked like they'd been poorly drawn on by some five-year-old with absolutely no artistic talent. Even the whiskers on his cheeks just looked like meaningless scribbles.

Closing his eyes, he pressed back the tell-tale stinging feeling that went hand in hand with tears and forced himself to look at the two men sitting at a desk in the front of the classroom. Mizuki-sensei looked savagely happy, which made Naruto's gut twist and turn in a mixture of anger and resignation. However, Iruka-sensei's expression hurt him even more. Disappointment filled his eyes as he looked at Naruto with sadness and pity.

He hated pity. He'd always hated pity. The villagers that weren't angry at him, the ones that didn't hate him, always ended up at pity. It seemed his life was filled with those two emotions, and everything circled back around to them one way or another. Hatred or pity, he couldn't decide which was worse. 

Naruto looked at Iruka-sensei and tried to ignore the conflicting emotions welling up in the pit of his stomach. Grief, disappointment, anger, resentment; all of these emotions flushed through him along with embarrassment as he dispelled the three failed clones.

Iruka frowned upon seeing the boy's face, not sure if Naruto knew just how much his expression gave away what he was feeling.

"I'm sorry, Naruto." Iruka pursed his lips, "You have failed to meet the requirements to pass. You can always try again next year, though."

Biting his lip, the blonde boy nodded before rushing out, leaving the room and trying to ignore the condemning eyes of his classmates as he left outside. Soon all the exams were over, and Naruto stared at the patchy grass so he didn't have to watch all the excited children with headbands running out to embrace their equally excited parents. Now, he wasn't even dead last. He was just the only one he didn't graduate.

"Look at it. I almost feel sorry for it."

"I don't. Serves it right, after everything it did."

"It was the only one who didn't graduate."

"As I said, serves it right after-"

"Shh! You can't talk about that!"

His shoulders slumped further, hearing the whispers of the civilian mothers as he sat in the shadows on the swing right in front of the academy. He wasn't stupid, he knew that much. It was just so hard to focus, especially since he was pretty bored the majority of the time.

History was his favorite, and he was really good at it. Except, of course, remembering specific dates, which was pretty much the only part of history the academy cared about. He knew the intricacies of his chakra pathways, but Kami forbid you asked him to dumb the answer down enough to fit in a sentence.

Naruto had even learned to create seals, tracing kanji and symbols into the wood of his desk when he grew disinterested. Sadly, the academy cared very little about fūinjutsu outside of it being a footnote of the past and a village named Uzushio that was long dead.

The fact was he just didn't really care to do well most of the time. He wanted to be outside, running around, pulling pranks and causing mischief. Anything else when the alternative was being trapped behind a desk for eight hours.  Now, after all those years stuck in the academy wishing that he could just become a genin already and escape, he would never be what he was meant to be. He would never be more than the demon kid people snickered about. He wanted to be more, though, he wanted it with every fiber in his body.

He closed his eyes, ignoring the spike of chakra that happened in reaction to his grief, and tried to reign his emotions in. All the glares, the rotten food he got sold, the fact that his birthday happens to be the day the village mourns from the Kyūbi attack, coupled with the fact that he'd seen the seal on his stomach...well, Naruto could put two and two together. Now he'd never have a chance to rise above that, to prove he was more. He had the knowledge for so much, he just didn't know how to apply it in real-life situations. Which, in hindsight, was almost as bad as not having it at all.

Hands tightening around the ropes of the swingset when he sensed another person grow closer, Naruto looked up to see Mizuki-sensei coming towards him with an alarmingly kind smile on his face. Mizuki had always hated Naruto, the blond boy could tell, despite the thinly veiled attempts on the academy teacher's part to hide it. 

"Naruto, are you doing okay?" He smiled, but it seemed more patronizing than anything else, "I know it must be hard to be the only one-"

"What do you want?" Naruto sighed, looking at the man with a borderline annoyed expression, "If you're here to tell me what I already know...please don't."

Mizuki seemed thrown off momentarily because for a split second he didn't see the blond demon sitting on the swing in front of him. His eyes looked so much older, and he was pinned under the gaze of someone who knew what he was trying to do. However, he kept up his smile and continued to speak placidly to the boy in front of him.

"Unless you already know of a way to graduate despite failing your exams, I'd say this is new information." At the boy's confused look, Mizuki couldn't help but laugh, "Exactly. All you need to do, Naruto, is trust me."

Every fiber of his being told him to run away, to go find Iruka-sensei and tell him what Mizuki had just said. Something stopped him, though. He wanted to be a ninja, he wanted to prove people wrong. If he was going to be something more, he needed to be a genin. So he controlled his racing heart and kept his urges to flee locked away and stared Mizuki down, raising his eyebrows and silently prompting the man to continue.

The chūnin was unnerved by the boy's silent stare, his blue eyes intense, but the teacher merely smiled and explained, "All you need to do is sneak into the Hokage Residence and learn one technique from the Scroll of Seals. If you manage to do this and meet me in the forest surrounding the residence with the scroll as proof, you'll graduate."

"Why didn't Iruka-sensei tell me about this?" Naruto's eyes were narrowed now, "Why would you take the time to tell me?"

It was no secret Mizuki hated Naruto, even Iruka could tell that much. Not that this was new, Naruto couldn't count the number of people that despised him the same way he couldn't count the number of stars in the sky. There were simply too many, probably the majority of the civilian population and some of the shinobi population, as well. It had been that way for as long as he could remember, with Hokage-jiji and Iruka-sensei the only ones to really care about him nowadays.

In his younger years, there were a few ANBU agents, like Dog and Crow, who would give him clothes and food occasionally. Cat had even sometimes brought him toys. Now there were no ANBU agents and Naruto spent most of his time alone with his ramen and fantasies. 

"I don't...hate you, Naruto." Mizuki's smile was just as fake as Iruka's when he had first met Naruto, "I want all my students to succeed."

"How long do I have?"

"Until midnight. Don't get caught, remember this is a test to see if you have enough skill to be a genin."

He knew he shouldn't do it. This was shady shit at best, traitorous at worst. He shook it off as Mizuki left and began to plan on how to sneak into the Hokage Residency. It wouldn't be the first time he's ever done it, at least. He once set off a paint bomb in Jiji's private office; it had been funny until he had to be the one to clean it up. Still, he knew how to get in. After sneaking past the jonin guards and while the ANBU were changing stations, which was a pain in the ass to do because they were constantly changing stations, he snuck in.

In the pitch-black night, the moon hung shallowly in the sky and provided sparse lighting as Naruto lugged the huge scroll out of the heavily chained cabinet that held multiple others as well. This one was on the top shelf, though, and the kanji clearly spelled out its name as well as the consequences of opening it. Nevertheless, he closed the doors and relocked the lock he had picked with a kunai minutes earlier. It had been, Naruto felt, far too easy. 

Unrolling the great scroll, Naruto's eyes widened as the massive parchment lay exposed in front of him. It must've been fifty feet long, if not more, and Naruto didn't have a clue how he was going to learn one of these long ass techniques in the squandering hour he had left before Mizuki showed up. But he forced himself over to it, determined, and looked at the first jutsu on the list. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique) was written, and it actually sounded decently easy.

Horse, rat, monkey, ram; that was it, only four hand seals, so simple. He ran through them in seconds, fingers flying as they went through the motions he knew by heart. He felt a large amount of chakra be expelled, though still only a drop in his reserves. Beside him stood a perfect copy of himself, staring back at him. 

That's better, he thought, it uses a lot more chakra. Essentially, he had the shitiest chakra control ever due to the sheer amount of it. A wave of exhilaration washed over him, followed by bubbling curiosity. He dispelled the clone, returning to the scroll quickly. He ran his fingers over the lines of kanji, eyes darting through the mass amount of information.

He finally paused, seeing something far too familiar. The Eight Trigrams, an exact copy of the seal on his naval. The seal that was used to hold the Kyūbi inside him. A jinchūriki, the word came to him unbidden, that's what he was. That's also why people hated him. He frowned, eyebrows furrowing as he remembers the story that was preached at the academy and all over Konoha. The Yondaime Hokage defeated the demon fox and vanquished it permanently. What a load of bullshit. More like the Yondaime decided it would be cool to seal the demon into a random baby.

His opinion of both the village and the Hokage now slightly diminished the more thought he gave to the clusterfuck of a situation, he sat on the ground and rolled the seal back up. He could make a clone now and it was drawing close to an hour being up, so he only had to wait for Mizuki to get there.

He still had a bad feeling about that, as he looked around in the darkness of the forest, his reason told him something was wrong and he was probably in huge trouble. He was used to being in trouble by now, though. It didn't really phase him, at this point. He sensed someone approaching from behind, their chakra alerting him to their presence, and stood. He expected it to be Mizuki; it wasn't.

"It's all over now, Naruto."

"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto's eyebrows rose, "What're you doing here? I thought-"

"What am I doing here?" Iruka seemed incredulous, "Naruto, you stole the forbidden scroll. Why wouldn't I be here? Everyone is looking for you-!"

"They make that big of a deal out of this test?" Unease settled into his stomach, and doubt lapped at him like the ocean does the shore, "Wow. I mean, I technically passed the test. I can make a clone now. Turns out I have too much chakra for the regular ones, I was just gonna explain it to Mizuki-sensei when he got here. Turns out you got here first. You're quick, huh, sensei?"

"Test?" Iruka said, confusion clouding his face, "What are you talking about, Naruto?"

"The test." He knew it, he knew it, it was all a bullshit lie, "If I learn a jutsu from this scroll, I can become a genin. Mizuki-sensei told me that's how it worked, you got an extra opportunity if you failed but your sensei still thought you had potential. Iruka-sensei? Are you okay?"

The man had grown exceedingly pale during Naruto's explanation, "Naruto, we need to go to the Hokage! Right now, come on!"

Iruka grabbed him by the arm, but the snapping of leaves and branches had them both freezing. He hadn't noticed the approach this time, Mizuki showing up in the middle of Naruto's panic, and the boy cursed himself for his lack of attention.

"Naruto!" The other man held out his hand, "Give me the scroll now! This is part of the test, some people in life are going to want you to fail. Iruka does. Give me the scroll, Naruto, and you'll be a shinobi."

Iruka's eyes grew wide as he gave Mizuki a furious look, "Stop lying this instant, Mizuki! What are you thinking?"

"Come on, Naruto." The man was fiddling with the kunai in his hand, and when Iruka moved to flee with Naruto and the scroll, he threw it right at the academy teacher.

Iruka didn't see it coming, Naruto realized. Too focused on getting them both to safety, he didn't realize it was sailing right towards his neck. Naruto shoved him down on instinct, ducking out of the kunai's path himself. He held tight to the scroll as Iruka sat up, confused until he noticed the blade sticking out of the tree right behind him.

"Oh, how pathetic." Mizuki sneered, "You need the dead last to save you, Iruka?" 

Traitor. The thought made him angry despite the fact that he was scared, his heart beating way too fast, and yet his blood was also boiling. He was furious at Mizuki for tricking him and furious at himself for buying into it. He should've known. In truth, he had known. It was obvious, no one ever made genin if they failed the exam. He was so stupid, he'd just wanted it so badly he'd let himself be naive. It'd get him killed one day.

("Yuudai, you don't want to do this!"

He was knee-deep in mud, a nagamaki supporting him as he leaned on it, trying to catch his breath. He'd been fighting for days now, exhaustion weighing him down like a stone. A man with brown hair stood in front of him, disappointment in his golden eyes and a frown marring his lips. He looked at Amahiko with pity and thinly veiled anger.

"Oh, but I do."

Rage boiled in his veins, "You were born here! This is your home! How could you betray us like this? How could you betray me?"

His voice cracked and his chest hurt and the stench of blood permeated the air. He tried to stare at the traitor in front of him rather than look at the dead bodies of those laying on the ground all around him. Oh, Kami, he was supposed to protect these people-

"Power is a dangerous thing, Amahiko, and you have no idea how to use it. The Sandaime was wrong to train you, but I guess he didn't know you'd be a weak-willed coward." Yuudai's smile was twisted, "To think, your uncle would probably cheer for your death if he saw you now."

"We grew up together." His voice was rough, "We...we...You don't want to do this. You know I only do what is best for Uzushio! Are you willing to give up everything this village has given you? Everything I've given you?"

"I'm sure you do what's best for the village, in your opinion." Yuudai stilled, his face going grim, "You have so much strength, I always admired it, but there's so little ambition. You're running Uzushio into the ground! We should stand against our enemies, now cower before them!"

"War is not the answer! You disagree with how I run the village so you decide to destroy it instead?" Blood was running down his face, and red hair was beginning to fall in his eyes and he knew his voice sounded hysterical, "That is not a solution! Look at the dead and wounded, Yuudai! They were your friends! Look at what you've done, because soon you will be lying with them for your crimes!"

His smile was savage, "I'm going to raze this village to the ground with you in it, and then I'm going to raise it up once more to be something better! The Uzumaki clan has reigned for too long, don't you agree? I think it's time for a shift in power!"

Yuudai ran at him as he struggled to stand, katana in hand and fighting to kill.)

He pulled himself from the thoughts as Iruka grabbed him and pushed him behind his back to shield him. Naruto watched in a daze as Mizuki jumped from the tree branch and began to stalk towards them.

"Iruka doesn't want you to graduate, Naruto. Don't blow this for yourself."

"I already told you once to stop lying." Iruka growled, further placing himself in front of Naruto, "You'd better listen this time, traitor."

The white-haired man's face darkened, "Do you really want to talk about lies, Iruka?"

The brunette man's body seized, and he jerked in panic, "It is forbidden, and I will not allow you to speak of it!"

"Says the one who's relying on a child to save him. You can't forbid me from doing much of anything." Mizuki shot Iruka a loathing look, and Naruto had never hated someone so much in his entire life, "Naruto, do you know why the village hates you?"

"Stop!" Iruka roared, "Naruto, do not listen to him!"

"It's because the Kyūbi is sealed within you. The same beast that killed Iruka's parents has possessed your body. You are the nine-tailed fox, Naruto, and I'm doing the village a favor by eliminating you here."

"Naruto, run!" Iruka released him, looking back at him to beg, "Go now! Tell the ANBU and the Hokage to come immediately!"

"Why are you still protecting him?" Mizuki grabbed the Fūma Shuriken off his back, the huge blade dwarfing his hand easily, "He's a demon! He killed your own parents!"

(The woman had her vibrant hair arranged in two buns, tags hanging from both of them as she stood with her hands clasped together. A purple diamond marked her forehead, and her white kimono swayed in the village's wind. 

"Mito-sama, it's an honor."

He bowed towards her and watched her smile, "It is my honor to meet you, Amahiko-san, and to see my homeland once more. You are now the Yondaime Uzukage, correct?"

"Yes, Mito-sama." He inclined his head towards her with a wry grin, "My uncle grew tired of the paperwork."

She clucked her tongue, "Tenma always was lazy. You've made a name for yourself, though. Akai Kami (The Red God), or so I hear they've been calling you."

At her raised eyebrow and calm disposition, he felt horribly belittled by her presence, "Well, they call me a lot of things."

"I'm sure."

He laughed, a little nervously if he was honest, and felt like he was two years old again and clutching his mother's skirts. This woman had sealed the nine-tailed fox within her own body, she was the wife of the Shodai Hokage, and most importantly she was a force of nature in battle.

Sure, he was a fūinjutsu master too, but when this woman who was so many years his senior, this woman who survived the Feudal Era and came out on top, this woman with the audacity to seal the strongest of the Biju inside her own gut...when this woman looked at him, he felt like an ant.)

"You're wrong, you know." Naruto snapped, interrupting Mizuki's rant, "I'm not the Kyūbi!"

Mizuki scoffed, "The demon is in denial. How cute."

"No, I'm not." The blond insisted, "That's not even how seals work, you ignorant shit! A storage scroll doesn't become a kunai, just like a jinchūriki isn't a demon! Would you say the Shodai's wife was a demon? No! So why am I?"

Mizuki and Iruka both looked stupefied for a moment, blinking at him with wide eyes. Naruto moved before they could react, holding the scroll in one hand and jerking the kunai out of the tree behind him with his other. He threw it at Mizuki, watching it land bone deep in his shoulder. He smiled, satisfied when he heard the scream that escaped the man. Mizuki tossed the Fūma Shuriken blindly, and this time Iruka was shoving Naruto out of the way.

He heard the chūnin grunt in pain as he hovered above him. The giant weapon had struck him in the back before falling out due to the sheer size, making blood drip in a steady stream down to the forest floor. Instincts took over and he scrambled out from under his sensei, blood boiling when he saw the man collapse down onto his hands before struggling to sit up. Naruto turned his gaze on Mizuki, and he felt a sick sort of pleasure curl in his gut when the man froze under his eyes, hand still gripping his bleeding shoulder. 

"You aren't going to hurt Iruka-sensei anymore, traitor." He spat the last word with venom, "You'll never hurt anyone in this village again!"

He said it with such an air of finality and confidence, and he never saw Iruka's astonished but proud look behind him. Mizuki sneered, recovering from Naruto's cold gaze, and charged at him with a kunai in hand. Raising his hands, his fingers formed a few seals, and the next thing he knew a wave of chakra flooded his body. He could taste the salty air and he could see a vision of a woman, her red hair flowing loosely in the breeze as she sat beside him on the edge of the cliffs.

He was home.

Water swirled into existence, condensing out of nothing except the moisture in the air. It formed quickly, sharp spikes appearing in the air too fast for Mizuki to react to.

"Suiton: Ōshandagā (Water Release: Ocean Daggers)." Naruto hissed as he thrust his hands forward.

He watched in solemn silence as Mizuki was thrown back by the force of the jutsu, the chakra-enforced water piercing him right through his stomach. He was l eft in a huge puddle, crumpled on the ground and silent, and Naruto wasn't sure if he wanted the man to be dead or not. Turning to see his sensei's wide eyes and the proud quirk of his mouth, Naruto decided he didn't care what the traitor's fate was. He cared that Iruka was safe, and right now the man was still bleeding at an alarming rate. 

"I-I'm sorry, sensei." Naruto knelt by the man, swallowing thickly, "I should've known."

"Did you...learn that in the scroll?" Iruka looked a bit confused, gesturing to Mizuki.

Naruto knew it was a lie, but it was also easier to explain, "Yeah."

The man seemed impressed, "I'm proud of you, Naruto-kun. I think...I think you've earned this."

His breath caught in his throat as his sensei reached up and untied his headband from his forehead. He held it out, and Naruto accepted it with reverence. This wasn't the shiny new ones every graduate got at the academy, no, but it meant so much more than those. It meant so much more than any person would ever know. Looking at Iruka with wide eyes, he had to fight to stop tears from forming.

"I...thank you, sensei."

"I'm not your sensei anymore, Naruto-kun. You're a genin now." His smile was pained but kind, "I want you to listen to me though. I know what you said, but still, you need to hear this. No matter what that filth said, or what the villagers say, you are not-!"

"A demon." His tone was sardonic, "I'm aware."

Iruka seemed lost, "How did you even find out?"

"Well, everyone hates me, and my birthday just so happens to be the day a literal demon attacked Konoha. When you look at my seal, it's not hard to form a pretty basic picture." Naruto admitted, "I know my clan, too. Mito Uzumaki was literally the first jinchūriki ever. It just makes sense."

Letting out an only slightly pained laugh, Iruka pulled the boy into a tight hug, "You're smarter than you get credit for. I'm proud of you, Naruto-kun."

("I'm proud of you, Amahiko-kun." Her violet eyes sparkled, and Tatsu Yoshida looked as though he'd just given her the moon and all the stars, "My own student becoming Uzukage. I'm not surprised, of course. You, Akane, and Raiden always had so much potential, now look at what you've gone and done."

He smiled, his eyes slightly damp, "Thank you, sensei."

He hadn't spent long under her tutelage, but she'd played such a big role in his life. His team, Team Tatsu, had a short-lived but successful career as genin. Bumped up to chūnin only six months after their graduation, and making jōnin not long after that, the Yoshida woman had only had so much time to teach them.

Teach them she did, however, and none of them would ever forget her kindness or her sternness. The way she saw them as individuals when they all came from such big families; Amahiko and Akane especially, both of them being Uzumaki if only distantly related. She helped them with a kind hand and taught them what they had to do to succeed in the shinobi world. Trust your teammates, never give up, and be prepared for anything. 

"Don't thank me, kid." Her smile was infectious, "Do you know how good of bragging material this is? Shoji can shut his mouth now about how his student got a jonin promotion. You three did that years ago. Now one of mine is the head medic at the hospital, one is a fūinjutsu master, and one is the Uzukage. Every other jonin sensei out there can suck my dick, 'cause I think I win at this point."

They heard a snort from behind them and turned to see Tenma Uzumaki, the Sandaime Uzukage, for once just wearing normal shinobi clothing rather than the ceremonial Uzukage garb that Amahiko now donned. He shook his head, not put off at all by her language.

"Watch it, Tatsu." He rolled his eyes at her, "Kiddies might overhear you." 

She smiled, or rather smirked, "Sorry, you're not Uzukage anymore. Hiko-hime, you got a problem with my vocabulary?"

He sighed slightly at the nickname, but shook his head nevertheless, "Of course not, sensei."

"Oi!" Tenma protested, "I'm sensei!"

"Hah!" Tatsu smiled triumphantly, "I'll always be his sensei, I taught him as a genin. It forms a special bond, you know?"

"I'm his uncle though!"

Amahiko just laughed.)

Notes:

Back again with the second chapter! I'm so glad you guys are happy the story is back, I've missed it for a while! Thank you guys also for all your support, I'm doing a lot better and am taking my medication so that always helps. You have no idea how much it means to me that 1) you guys are enjoying the story so much and 2) you guys are leaving such nice comments! It really encourages me to get these written faster lol!

So, Naruto's a genin and having flashbacks. The next chapter is TEAM 7!

Chapter 3: Generations Past

Iruka-sensei smiled at them all, "Today, you begin your journey as shinobi of Konoha. Now, I'm sure you've heard me say this a million times, but I'm proud of you all and know you'll make everyone in this village proud as well. If a few of you can just grow up a little..."

The last part was murmured, barely audible, but Naruto heard it anyways and bit back a laugh. He knew it was directed to himself, maybe Kiba, and probably Shikamaru for being a lazy asshole.

Fidgeting in his seat, as usual, Naruto used the tips of his fingertips to trace fūinjutsu markings on the desk. One day he was going to walk into a shop and buy some damn parchment and ink without getting kicked out. Maybe shinobi specialty shops would allow him to purchase stuff? He could only hope. He ignored the disgruntled side-eye Sasuke was giving him and continued his doodles.

"Next, Team 7 will consist of Uzumaki Naruto," The blond's head finally popped up and paid attention when Iruka announced his name, "Haruno Sakura-"

"No!" The wail of despair cut Iruka off abruptly, the pinkette staring at the academy teacher in horror, "Not the dead last!"

Naruto sighed at the reaction, already knowing how this would go.

Iruka narrowed his eyes at the girl, "Team 7 will consist of Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke. Your jōnin instructor will be Hatake Kakashi."

She perked up considerably, and this time the screech came from Ino who looked angrier than ever, "Are you kidding me? Forehead's not good enough to be on Sasuke-kun's team!"

"Hah!" Sakura fist-pumped the air, "Take that Ino-pig!"

The class broke out into chatter, causing Iruka's eyebrow to twitch. Naruto cringed and braced himself for the impact of the yell.

"Will everyone shut up! You're all genin of Konoha, now grow up and act like it!"

Instantly quiet, the class stared straight ahead in fear of angering their former sensei even more, "Now, Team 8 will consist of Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Hinata, and Aburame Shino. Your jōnin instructor will be Yuhi Kurenai."

After that, Naruto sat back in his chair and ignored the rest of the team assignments. He was happy, of course. Sakura was on his team, which was what he had wanted all along. Well, it was what he'd wanted at least a year or two ago. He still liked her, and found her more decent than most people, but her voice had gone up a few decibels and her obsession with Sasuke had gotten even stronger lately.

As he looked at her and the way she stared at Sasuke with hearts in her eyes, he felt an unsettling emotion stir in the pit of his stomach. Shinobi training wasn't the time for schoolboy crushes, which was what his affection for Sakura had come down to. Maybe that crush was well and truly dead, and maybe it was better for him that way.

It all felt so wrong, honestly, both of his teammates did. None of them cared about each other, they weren't even acquaintances let alone friends. The closest bond Naruto had with Sasuke was as a rival, but the Uchiha didn't even take that seriously. Sure, he liked Sakura well enough, but she blew him off all the time and punched him a lot. In an effort to hide his discomfort, he closed his eyes and focused on literally anything else.

Konoha was bustling outside the academy, he could feel the dull civilian chakra signatures moving around as they went through their daily routines. Beyond that were the more obvious signatures of the shinobi; training, fighting, and leaping from rooftops all across Konoha. He didn't extend his sensing past that; he only did that when he was desperately bored and tried to see just how far he could go.

So far he could barely brush the borders of the Land of Fire, he found out one particularly unfortunate birthday when a group of villagers heckled him in his apartment from the street and he'd needed to take his mind off things.

("Uzumaki Amahiko, Uzumaki Akane, and Hikoki Raiden." Their teacher smiled in the direction of the three young children, "Your sensei will be Yoshida Tatsu."

Naruto whipped around to look at Akane, his distant cousin on his mother's side, and the vibrantly red-haired girl beamed in response. Raiden, too, gave them both a small smile that screamed excitement. As soon as class let out they dashed out of the academy, sailing past the other parents who stood in the cluster with everyone else waiting for their children.

Amahiko's mother was given quite a bit of personal space near the back as she was practically Uzushio royalty, but her cousin by marriage stood close beside her as the two women gossiped. Akane's mother looked nothing like his own, with dark blue hair pulled into a messy bun and eyes a light green color. Amahiko glanced at them in passing, before noticing the man that hid behind his mother that looked nearly as excited as Amahiko himself felt.

"Tou-san!"

The Uzumaki boy flew towards his father, the man easily catching him in a hug. Tsubaki chuckled slightly, a grin curving her lips as she and Akane's mother shared an eye roll.

"I told you it would be impossible to hide from him." She watched them as his father swung him around in the hug, "He's too perceptive. If you gave him enough time he would've recognized your chakra, too."

"I know, he's an amazing sensor, even with so many people around. Just right for a ninja." His father sat him back on the ground before ruffling his hair.

Amahiko quickly reached up and patted the long strands down, giving his dad the evil eye.

Ryota Mori-Uzumaki was a tall man, taller than even his wife, and had a charming smile ever-present on his face. Black hair and tanned skin with rich brown eyes, he looked nothing like his eight red-haired children and fiery lover. From no prominent clan, the child of two civilians with no shinobi background that hailed from Kumo, it amazed most when they find out he married Tsubaki Uzumaki, the clan head and a ferocious warrior. Then again, if you saw him on the battlefield the confusion would quickly be cleared up.

"Tou-san, you made it!" Amahiko smiled as bright as the sun, "I thought you'd be gone another week!"

"I hurried home." Ryota gave a matching smile, "I've never missed any of my kid's graduations and I'm not about to start now.")

Naruto was still spaced out, and Sasuke had been watching his blank face for the past few minutes when all of a sudden the blue eyes cleared and the Uchiha saw sadness sweep over the blond boy like a smothering blanket. The Uchiha had seen a fair share of smiles the boy always had to offer, and this was by far the longest time the Uzumaki had gone without keeping up his sunny disposition.

He seemed downtrodden at times, but within seconds he was back to beaming like an idiot. Now, though, he didn't even try. It cast a somber light on the day, to say the least, and Sasuke stamped down any amount of concern he had for the other boy. Naruto was fond of calling them rivals, so why should he care?

---

The students sat and waited as their respective jōnin came to pick them up. Team after team left, and soon Team 7 was alone in the small classroom when even Iruka left to get lunch after a quick apology to his former students. Naruto sat against the wall, mind racing and mood still dampened from his earlier fantasy.

Ignoring Sakura for once, not that the pinkette even noticed, Naruto sat in an almost comatose-like state. Reliving fake memories in his head, he was none the wiser to the Uchiha looking at him with suspicion. Finally, the door slammed open and a man with gravity-defying hair and a mask covering his lower face entered the room.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, looking at the three genin just sitting there, "How should I put this? My first impression of you is...you're boring."

Naruto snapped to attention and turned his gaze to his new sensei, forcing a big smile. Sakura simply frowned at the man but refrained from speaking a word, and Sasuke just sneered at the jōnin.

Kakashi coughed into his hand, "Just meet me on the roof in two minutes."

Then he was gone in a puff of smoke.

"Wha-? Two minutes?" Sakura echoed, "Two minutes! He can't be serious! That's five flights of stairs up!"

"We're genin now." Sasuke stood, hurrying out the door, "Get used to it or you'll be useless."

Stunned for a moment, the girl frowned before her lips pursed into a hard line, "Useless...I'll show you useless..."

She left grumbling after Sasuke, and Naruto was left alone in the room. The blonde frowned, frustrated. There was no way in hell he'd make it in two minutes going up the stairs! Especially because his teammates were already ahead of them, and that on top of being late would look even worse. There had to be another way. Walking over to the window, he swung it open and looked up. Sure enough, five floors up the roof was practically taunting him.

("Climb the building." Tatsu smiled viciously, "No hands, feet only."

"Are you, uh..." Raiden gestured at the wall with one hand, "You gonna tell us how?"

"Nope!" Their sensei laughed slightly, "Figure it out, boys and girls."

Akane sighed, turning to her teammates, "Listen, guys. I've seen a lot of shinobi walk on water and stuff. What is a resource we have that could help us cement ourselves to the wall and prevent us from falling?"

Amahiko blinked, "Glue?"

"No..." Raiden looked at her, slightly confused, "Do you mean, like, a safety rope or something?"

"No!" Akane sighed, "Chakra! You use chakra!"

"Oh." Amahiko frowned, "Wouldn't that blow us off the building?")

Naruto shook himself slightly. He debated whether he could trust the information. He never recalled being told anything like that before, but then again no one really told the orphan anything of use. The water jutsu from earlier had worked just fine, hadn't it? As long as he didn't use too much chakra, he should be fine...hopefully. Iruka-sensei would kill him if he hurt the academy building, so that was out of the question.

Sliding out the window to stand on the sill, he steadied himself with one hand and crawled to the top of the shutters, putting one foot on the smooth outside wall as he tried to channel chakra to the soles of his feet. Feeling his foot suction to the side of the building, he carefully planted the other foot firmly like second nature.

He finally reached the top, a nervous sweat working itself up as he practically threw himself onto the roof, slightly exhausted from both the walk up and dealing with his ever declining mental state. Kakashi was standing, reading a little orange book when Naruto fell to the ground, and the blond saw his sensei blink, shocked, before checking a timer and giving him a slight eye smile, the rest of his face covered by his mask.

"Only twenty-seven seconds over. Good job, Naruto." The man scratched his mask-covered cheek, "But, uh, when did you learn to do that?"

He looked up from where he was sprawled on the ground, "I watch the ninja train a lot. I picked up a few things."

Kakashi thought back to when he evaded the other jōnin as a child while Kakashi himself was still in ANBU. It made sense. Shrugging, he returned to his book and waited for Sakura and Sasuke to burst through the roof door. About a minute later, the door slammed open and one Sasuke Uchiha sprinted through, drenched in sweat and panting slightly, but otherwise keeping his cool.

Immediately, his gaze was drawn to the exhausted orange genin on the ground. Caught off guard momentarily, he opened his mouth in shock to ask before a pink blur nearly barreled him over. Sakura looked a lot worse for wear than Sasuke, face red and expression screaming exhaustion and anger.

"At least...we beat Naruto, Sasuke-kun!" She smiled widely but the expression faded when Sasuke sneered at her and then looked away.

Her eyes followed his gaze and landed on Naruto, who was now sitting up, and her expression turned outraged, "N-Naruto! How dare you!"

"How dare I what?" The blonde boy tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing, "I didn't even do anything!"

"You cheated!" She snapped.

"No, I didn't!" Naruto snapped, standing up, "I walked up!"

"We started before you!" She glared harsher, "Now you're lying as well!"

"Or he used chakra to walk up the wall." Kakashi looked up, seemingly bored of the bickering, "Maybe you two should work on that."

She reigned herself in, "Of course, sensei."

He raised an eyebrow, "Alright, now why don't you all introduce yourselves."

"Introduce ourselves? Umm...what should we say?" Sakura frowned.

"Likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future. Things like that." Kakashi closed his book and put it in his pocket, looking at them all expectantly.

"Why don't you go first, sensei?" Sakura said brightly, "Show us what to do!"

"Well, my name is Hatake Kakashi. Things I like and dislike...there are a few. I don't have many hobbies. Never really thought about any dreams."

Sakura's eyebrow twitched, "Well, that told us absolutely nothing."

Naruto laughed shortly, "Yeah, aside from the fact that he's depressed as hell."

Sasuke coughed into his fist to hide a laugh, and even Sakura had to suppress a smile.

Kakashi's eye twitched, "Alright, then, blondie. You're up."

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" The blonde smiled brightly, "I like ramen and the ocean! I dislike...well, traitors, I guess. That and however long it takes ramen to cook. My hobbies are training and fūinjutsu, and I guess reading, too, when the librarian doesn't kick me out. My dreams for the future are to become the strongest Hokage ever and to protect the village no matter what! Speaking of all that, hey, sensei, would you mind getting me some paper and ink?"

Kakashi blinked at the word vomit that was spewed at him in such a short amount of time. He liked ramen, that was expected, but the ocean? He was also slightly concerned about the traitor comment which he could only assume came from the Mizuki incident. Maybe the encounter had affected Naruto more than they thought, as concerning as the prospect was.

And hold on, fūinjutsu? It was probably hereditary, Kakashi thought, mentally laughing. With him being an Uzumaki, it wouldn't be surprising.

He was vaguely miffed about the librarian comment, too. Maybe there's a reason the kid was dead last and it had less to do with lack of motivation and more to do with the fact that he's an orphan and no one would let him study. Where else would he get the information? Seeing how he picked up wall walking from just watching other shinobi, he clearly had the talent. Kakashi, unknown to his new students, squirmed in guilt for a second.

"Okay, then. Pinky, you're next."

She pursed her lips, "My name is Haruno Sakura. I like Sasuke-kun and...um, mochi and sushi, I guess. My dream for the future is, well..."

She trailed off, giggling slightly for a moment before, "My hobby is beating Ino-pig in anything and everything."

"Your dislikes?" Naruto asked, peeking around Sasuke to see her glare at him.

"You really want to know that?"

Naruto barely resisted rolling his eyes.

"Broody, your introduction." Kakashi interrupted once more, mentally sighing.

A fangirl. Of course, he would get a fucking fangirl.

"Hn. I am Uchiha Sasuke. I like becoming stronger. I dislike a lot of things. My hobby is training. My dreams are to restore my clan and one day become powerful enough to kill a certain man." He frowned slightly, looking at Kakashi as seriously as possible.

At least his file was spot on, just like the Haruno girl's, Kakashi thought. Naruto's was missing just a few key points, in his opinion. Everyone said the Uchiha was brooding and hell-bent on vengeance, and Kakashi himself would have to agree. Hopefully, he would open up sooner rather than later, but right now he seemed like too much of a flight risk for the village. One tempting offer of power and a chance to kill Itachi and he'd be gone.

Kakashi nodded, "Well, it's late. Tomorrow meet at training ground seven by five in the morning. I'd advise against breakfast; you might puke. Now, you're dismissed."

Before Naruto even had the chance to ask his teammates to get ramen with him, Sakura was off trailing after Sasuke, and Kakashi had body flickered away. Sighing, Naruto walked away from the academy, forehead protector weighing heavily on his head.

All his life he wanted to become a ninja, to make people acknowledge him, most of all hoping he'd find a place he belonged. Now he had the chance yet he still felt like someone had hollowed him out. He'd been living a fantasy in his dreams, and now it was coming back to haunt him in real life.

He removed his headband, looking down at the dark blue strap. He had a preference for black, and maybe a longer tie so it didn't have to be on his head all the time. The weight resting on his forehead was annoying and distracting, but he'd seen ninja wear their hitai-ate along their arms or wrapped around their waist before. Maybe a shinobi-exclusive shop would have one, he wondered as he walked through the civilian district.

A few vendors tossed him glares and people shot him nasty looks as they came out from grocery shopping, but he didn't pay them any mind. He cut through to any ally, climbing the wall of a store and hopping from roof to roof. He avoided the nasty glares this way and, honestly, he really liked being on the rooftops even before he knew he could wall walk. It felt freeing, in a way, and he liked the breeze blowing on his face.

Finally, he reached the shinobi district, where most ninjas lived and shopped. He leaped down from a store's roof, turning sharply when he heard a loud sigh. A girl that looked about his age was looking at him skeptically.

"I thought I heard someone on the roof." She glanced up, "It's usually only the jōnin hopping around like that."

Naruto shrugged, "I didn't want to take the long way."

He glanced behind her at the shop with weapons and seals hanging in the windows and glanced up at the sky that was slowly turning darker with the sunset.

"Is your store still open?"

"Yeah, you can come in if you like. Are you a new genin?" She glanced at the headband in his hand as she held the door open for him.

Nodding, he flashed the metal plate with Konoha's symbol, "We just got our team assignments today."

"It's good fun, trust me." She smiled mischievously as she went to stand behind the counter, "I've been in my team for about a year now."

"Really?" He laughed, "You must get along with your teammates better than I do with mine."

"Nah, I mostly annoy the shit out of one and the other annoys the shit out of both of us." She shrugged, "I'm Tenten, by the way. Suzuki Tenten."

"Uzumaki Naruto." He gave a half-hearted nod, too focused on looking at the shiny kunai and shuriken to invest much in the conversation.

"My dad handmakes those. He's a blacksmith." She said, leaning her arms against the counter, "I can attest to the quality. They're also cheaper than the flimsy ones at civilian stores."

"I like cheaper," Naruto muttered.

Between having to pay for overpriced groceries and rent on his apartment with the meager pension he got from the Hokage, he was almost always strapped for money. They might have to sell him food or risk him telling Jiji, but they didn't have to sell him the good stuff and they didn't have to make it cheap, either. It's why he usually just bought ramen anyways; it lasted forever and didn't rot.  

He kept browsing, reaching the back where there were clothing and weapons galore. His eyes were drawn to the gorgeous various weapons clearly made with the details in mind. Specifically, a set of twin nagamaki that were made with chakra blades that allowed elemental control with the long duel sword-staffs.

The dual nagamaki had specially long handles and equally long, heavy blades that provided high-powered cuts. They were imposing weapons, and taller than he was at this point. The handles were wrapped in deep red silk cords and the guard and collar of the swords were golden. They were made for adults, so they were a smidge too large for him, but he was sure he'd grow into being able to wield them. 

Hell, he was sure he could make it work now if he tried hard enough.

He looked at the price tag attached to them and cringed. They cost a lot more than he had with him today. Even if he pulled all his savings out from under his bed, he'd still be short. Maybe later, after he'd been paid for a few D-rank missions and had some more ryō in his wallet.

He glanced down at himself...maybe clothing should also be a concern in the near future. He loved orange, it reminded him of sunsets and the color of koi in ponds, and the jumpsuits were also the cheapest clothing he could get stores to actually sell him. However, it wasn't the most inconspicuous color in the world, and before he went on his first C-rank, he should probably pick up a new style that better suited his job description.

For now, though, he grabbed the black hitai-ate waistbelt and some scrolls and ink off a stand by the shuriken and went to pay. It rid him of over half the ryō he had on him, and he swore wistfully he'd be back for those nagamaki. 

Tenten smiled at him as she passed him the bag with his items in it, "Here you go. Thanks for your purchase. By the way, if you ever want to train with someone...energetic, you can always stop by Training Ground 3 in the mornings. Our sensei would be happy to have you."

He doubted that but nodded anyway, "Yeah, sure. I'll keep it in mind. Thanks!"

When he finally reached his apartment, he wrenched open the door and immediately passed out on the bed. He'd hardly gotten any sleep since the encounter with Mizuki, and he was dead tired.

("Don't ever fucking do that again!"

"Akane, you know I-!"

"She's right, you know. You always charge in, all by yourself, but you don't have to."

"You're not alone, Hiko. We'll always be here for you, Raiden and I, just rely on us. Please."

"...Okay."

"You promise?"

"I promise, truly. The promise of a lifetime, I swear.")

Notes:

Wow! The reception for this has been so great, I'm glad you guys like it!

Obviously, as this is a rewrite, I'm tweaking some things. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I now have to go to work which high key sucks, so leave me some comments I can read on my break ;)

Chapter 4: Downward Spiral

("Tenma said you're doing well." Tsubaki smiled, looking down at her son as Amahiko looked over his notes, "You're on your way to becoming a master, he says. Even faster than he himself learned."

The boy stilled for a moment, "I've only been this apprentice for two years now."

His mother smiled, but her eyes seemed tired beyond belief, "No matter what, I'll be proud of you. Even if everything goes to hell again."

"Tensions are rising." Amahiko pursed his lips, closing his eyes for a moment, "Oji-san fears another war is to come...you already knew, didn't you?"

"Yes." Tsubaki frowned slightly, "Tenma already briefed the clan heads. The first one ended not long ago. So soon a second is predicted?"

Amahiko looked up at her with grim eyes, "That's what he and the council are preparing for."

The red-headed woman sighed, "Kiri grows more jealous of our power as time goes on. Enough of that talk, though. What's this you're working on? Looks like something Hikaru would have a field day with."

Amahiko smiled slightly before looking at his work again, "Tenma-sensei said the same thing, you know. I just want to figure these seals out, and soon. I think they could help if another war is to come."

Looking closer at the symbols written on the paper, Tsubaki let out a low whistle, "Sage, that's some complicated stuff. You're fiddling with chakra sealing?"

"Yes." He pursed his lips, "Akane and I have tossed around the idea for a while now. The Uzumaki have vast amounts of chakra, and much of it is unused in a typical battle or wasted by putting too much into small techniques that don't require it. These seals would allow-" )

The alarm blared, making Naruto jump awake from his dream. Sighing, he rubbed his eyes and discarded the thoughts to instead get ready and head out the door. He still had forty minutes until five by the time he was done getting dressed, and the instant ramen sitting in his cabinet called out to him.

Their sensei had said not to eat, but...honestly, when did he ever pass up ramen? Ten minutes later he was out the door, stomach full and wondering why the hell Kakashi had told them to be at the training ground so early. When he arrived, he saw Sakura was the only one already present, leaned up against a tree while she tried to stay awake.

"Sakura!" He smiled as she jerked awake, "You're here early!"

She yawned and rubbed at her eyes, "I wanted to make sure I wouldn't be late."

"Not saying it's a bad thing." Naruto shrugged, "I got up early enough to eat and then headed here."

She sighed irritably, "Naruto-baka! Sensei said not to eat before this activity!"

Banshee, he thought before he could stop himself, wincing with guilt afterward. It wasn't the nicest thing to think, but it was true. He was pretty sure if she kept yelling at him like that, he'd need to invest in some high-grade earplugs.

"When has ramen ever hurt me? Never." Naruto shrugged, "Besides, I don't wanna be all sluggish and slow because I'm starving all day. Who knows how long this thing will last? After how late he was yesterday, I'll take my chances with puking over having an empty stomach for hours on end."

Sakura blinked, "I...I guess you're not wrong. I never thought about that."

"Well, if I had anything on me I'd share, but pretty much the only food I own is instant ramen." He laughed.

Her brows furrowed momentarily, "You need better food to eat than ramen. You'll get a nutrient deficiency at that rate."

Naruto shrugged before sitting beside her, nodding at the bag that looked full to bursting, "Oh well. Besides that, what's in there?"

"My parents went all out as a graduation present." She rolled her eyes slightly, "I don't think they even knew what they were buying."

She opened the backpack up and tilted it to the side so Naruto could see it. Sure enough, there was a hell of a lot of stuff in there. Kunai, shuriken, scrolls, ink, and even an extra headband ribbon in black. Envy shot through him, wondering what it was like to have parents who cared that much. They might not have known what the hell they were buying, but they cared enough to try.

Meanwhile, he'd been kicked out of the orphanage at six and had only gotten an apartment because the Sandaime felt bad for him. Jiji was as close to a family as he had, but he still hated to bother the old Hokage who had already done so much for him. He was a genin now, and he accepted the reason people hated him. They didn't understand the concept of a jinchūriki and feared what was different, and as a result, they hated what they feared.

They both returned to an amicable silence after that, waiting for both Sasuke and Kakashi. He played around with some ideas swirling around in his head, just itching to get home and break out the new ink and scrolls he'd purchased the night before. Mentally tracing out the dark lines of ink, he recreated the shockingly crisp images from his dream.

Kanji for the elements, with a series of swirling designs wrapped around them in an intricate and almost beautiful way. Lines curved here and there, each design meaning something that Naruto innately knew deep inside his subconscious. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that the sudden shrill scream had him jumping to his feet quicker than he knew what was going on. His hands twitched at his sides, reaching for something that wasn't there, and he only relaxed when he realized the Kami-damned noise had come from Sakura.

"Sasuke-kun!" She did it again, waving vigorously as though the Uchiha didn't already see her bright pink hair and Naruto's neon orange jumpsuit from a mile away, "We're over here!"

"Hn." The boy grunted as he sat down, a little ways away from both of them. That didn't stop Sakura, though, as she was soon up and glued to his side as always.

Embarrassing behavior. Akane would never dream of acting like that. Naruto blinked at the thought, sighing and leaning his head back against the tree he leaned against. Intrusive thoughts aside, their sensei would be arriving soon and the faster they got done, the faster Naruto could rush home and get his hands inky. However, five came and passed, and soon the next half-hour mark went by, prompting Sakura to growl slightly.

"He's not gonna be two hours late again is he?" Sakura grouched, fiddling with her hair to pass the time, "Because if he is, we're gonna have a problem."

No, Kakashi didn't end up being two hours late. He ended up being four hours late. The jōnin appeared in a small puff of smoke and leaves, a lazy eye smile directed at all of his irritated and near homicidal genin. 

"Yo!"

"YOU'RE LATE!" Sakura and Naruto both roared together, making the man shrug and wave a hand around like it was nothing.

"Just got lost on the road of life."

Eyebrows rising to unbelievable heights, Sakura trembled slightly, looking ready and fully happy to throttle their sensei to a pulp. Naruto cringed, being on the wrong side of her punches was not a fun time, and he'd been the one receiving them enough to know.

"Now, as I'm sure you know, of the nine teams that graduated, only three are actually chosen to become genin. This test is to see if you will pass and continue on to be an active shinobi in Konoha's ranks or head back to the academy to try again until you turn fifteen and automatically enter the reserves."

"W-what?" Sakura's eyes widened, "But we graduated!"

"Which means nothing if you fail this test." Kakashi continued to give them that same, damned annoying eye smile, "Statistically you have a sixty-six percent chance of failure. Now, for this test, all you have to do is get these bells from me by noon. If you manage to do so, you pass!"

"Eh, sensei?" Naruto looked at him funny, "There are only two bells there."

Kakashi nodded, "Only two of you will actually remain on this team. The one without a bell will be sent back to the academy."

Even Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at that, and Sakura's face paled slightly. Naruto, however, scrunched his eyebrows together slightly. When in the history of ever had Konoha had a two genin team with one jōnin as a sensei? Never, as far as he knew. Jiji had taught the sannin, that he was certain, and every genin team he had ever seen running around the village doing D-ranks had three genin grouped together.

Naruto decided Kakashi was totally bullshitting them. If he's learned one thing over the years, it's that he might be going crazy but his common sense was still pretty much spot on.

Kakashi, meanwhile, watched his potential team's faces, Sasuke looking quite shocked and Sakura quite pale. Naruto, though, interested him. At first, he seemed plain confused as though he didn't understand. Then, with a knowing glint in his eye, he smiled a little to himself as though he had figured out a puzzle.

The jōnin wondered if Naruto had actually figured out the plan, and why the orange-wearing eyesore had out of all of them. Surely Sasuke or even Sakura, said to be very book smart in her file, would have figured it out before the dead last? It figured his sensei's son would see right through what he was doing, though. The kid obviously had a lot more going on upstairs than he let on.

"You'll need to come at me with intent to kill to get these bells." Kakashi laughed internally at Sakura's face when he said that, "Your time starts...now."

Instantly, Sasuke took off sprinting to the trees while Sakura ran the other way. The jōnin was curious if that was the first time she'd ever run away from him on purpose. Naruto, however, stood in place, looking at Kakashi with calculating eyes. A little too calculating in the silver-haired nin's opinion. Watching carefully for a reaction, Kakashi was casual as he pulled out his little orange book and seemingly turned his attention away from the blond.

"Are..." Naruto started hesitantly, "Are you reading pornography instead of paying attention to me, dattebayo?"

Kakashi only turned the page. Naruto's eye twitched.

("Ugh!" Tatsu scrunched her nose up in disgust, "I can't believe they sell this shit in stores!"

The book that had garnered her fury was some sleazy romance novel, the cover depicting a half-naked woman hanging off a muscular man. In the corner it indicated it was for adults only, making her three students cringe. Akane especially, because what kind of person would read that dirty stuff? 

"That's just wrong." Raiden frowned, "Couldn't kids get ahold of it with it just sitting there?"

"Ugh. Even the title is nauseating. 'Masumi's Steamy Nights'."

"Maybe she just went to a sauna?" Amahiko scratched his cheek at the looks he got, "I'm trying to be positive, here!"

"Oh, Hiko-hime." Tatsu shook her head, shooting her hand out to cover his eyes, "So innocent, so sweet, so pure! Come, children, we must protect his innocence!"

Raiden and Akane followed their sensei, who still had her hand clamped over Amahiko's eyes as she dragged him out of the store, snickering and snorting behind the two.)

Twitching again, Naruto's face flushed red from embarrassment that wasn't even his. 

"So you're a pervert, dattebayo!" Naruto snapped, "I can't believe this!"

Kakashi simply turned another page. Naruto knew the man was only egging him on, trying to get him to attack alone. Taking a deep breath, the blond was about to turn tail and run to find his teammates and explain what was really going on when Kakashi let out a giggle. The man was giggling as he read pornography in public. Blinking, Naruto stared at the man, absolutely stunned.

He must die, if only for Akane and Tatsu.

Before Naruto really knew what he was doing, he was grabbing a few of his shiny new kunai out of his pouch with strings tied to the end of each. He breezed through a few hand signs before clapping his hands together in a resounding smack.

"Fūton: Reppūshō (Wind Release: Gale Palm)!" He shoved his hands towards Kakashi, the kunai slipping from the tips of his fingers with the powerful gale that swept over the area.

Evading the attack with ease, Kakashi's one visible eye widened just a fraction. This was the dead last? The dead last as in the worst of the graduating class?

The kunai that had been released flew straight past him and both hit the same tree, at least half the blade embedding itself in the wood. With a swift and firm tug, they came sailing back towards Naruto, who caught them with ease. Blinking slightly in shock, Kakashi felt the boys' chakra signature one second and the next it was gone. When he turned to where the brat used to be, he'd disappeared. That good at concealing his chakra at such a young age...the boy had to be a natural sensor.

"Dead last my ass," Kakashi grumbled, standing in the middle of the tactical dust storm Naruto's gale wind had kicked up.

The pages of his book were dirty now, and he was not happy about it. Maybe he'd talk to Iruka later about the files they kept on the students, and maybe he'd ask who the hell wrote them because fuck did they screw up Naruto's.

Meanwhile, Naruto sprinted into the forest as soon as Kakashi had turned his back. When he felt he was alone, he began to form some semblance of a plan. He knew he had to find Sasuke and Sakura soon so they could attack together. The bells had to be a bluff to try and split them up so they had less of a chance at success.

He felt the strong chakra presence he knew to be Kakashi, and there was a much smaller one going in the opposite direction of him. That had to be one of his teammates. Setting off into a run, he soon caught sight of the dark, duck-ass hair that he knew belonged to their one and only Uchiha.

"Sasuke!" He hissed loudly, making the raven-haired boy stop to turn and glare, "Sasuke, I need to tell you something!"

The Uchiha halted, allowing Naruto to catch up, "Make it quick, idiot. And lower your voice, I don't need him finding me because you don't know how to whisper."

"He's tricking us!" Naruto rushed the words, "Think about it! There are only ever three-man genin teams plus a sensei! This is a teamwork test or something, you know how much Iruka-sensei harped on teamwork and the will of fire in class! It makes sense if you think about it!"

The Uchiha scowled deeper, "It's a trick test. If we don't work together to get the bells we automatically fail."

"Exactly!"

"Quiet. I guess we need to find Sakura."

---

"Are you sure this will work?" Sakura fidgeted behind the bushes they were in, "What if he's telling the truth? What if only two of us pass?"

Naruto sighed, "Listen, on the off chance he ends up being truthful, I'll give you and Sasuke the bells. Okay?"

The pinkette looked at him in wide-eyed confusion, "You'd do that?"

"Sure, why not." Naruto shrugged, "Then I'd graduate next year and maybe not get a crazy sensei."

Sakura seemed satisfied with that and turned back to where they saw Kakashi through the bushes. Sasuke looked at his two teammates, "Sakura, do you have the kunai and shuriken?"

"Yes."

"Do you know when to throw them?"

"As soon as Naruto does his ninjutsu after yours."

"Dobe, are you sure you can do your part?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed, "I did it earlier, asshole."

"If you say so," Sasuke said before shooting out of the bushes.

"Ah!" Kakashi eye-smiled once again, "Finally some action. I thought you were going to hide in the bushes all day."

Sasuke breezed through his hand seals at top speed, "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)!"

Naruto was already slapping his palms together and diving from the bushes with Sakura when Sasuke began to expel a rather large fireball from his mouth. Kakashi smiled slightly as he stepped to the side to dodge it when Naruto pushed his hands forward, "Fūton: Reppūshō (Wind Release: Gale Palm)!"

The oxygen of the blowing wind acted like gasoline on a campfire.

The fireball spread out into a solid wall of fire as soon as it was on top of Kakashi, the man's eyes widening at the ball transforming into a blazing curtain. Sakura threw the kunai and shuriken into the flames at the last spot she had seen Kakashi, and the three genin then stood waiting for the flames to clear over the man. When everything died down, Kakashi looked unharmed, he was a jōnin after all, but he was looking at the charred and burnt book he held in shock.

"But...Jiraiya-sama...signed this copy..."

Sasuke looked at the jōnin before looking back and nodding. The three genin rushed the man currently preoccupied with grieving over his porn, Sakura aiming a weak kick to his head which was easily dodged. Sasuke went straight for the throat and also missed, but Naruto completely bypassed the jonin and dove by his side, falling into the scorched dirt and quickly bouncing back up. Kakashi looked back in disbelief.

"Ah, there's the dead last coming out in you. Surely I'm not that easy to miss, Naruto?"

"You weren't his target." Sasuke sounded far too smug for the jōnin's liking.

"Yeah, these were!" Naruto tossed the bells over where Sasuke and Sakura were waiting to both catch one.

Kakashi blinked, losing all semblance of brain function for a moment, before he looked back at Naruto, "Giving up your spot on the team? Probably for the best, as you're the-"

"Cut the crap." Sasuke glared, folding his arms, "We know it's a teamwork test. There are only three-man genin teams in Konoha, not two. We're not stupid. Well...two of us aren't stupid."

"Oi!" Naruto snapped, glaring at the raven who glared back, "I'm the one who told you about it being about teamwork!"

"Clearly Sasuke-kun already knew." Sakura sniffed.

"The hell he did-!"

"Who said I was talking about the dobe?"

Sakura gasped, and Naruto nearly choked.

"Regardless, we figured it out." Coal-black eyes stared at their sensei, "So?"

Kakashi's eye twitched, "It's a start."

---

When Kakashi walked into the Hokage's office, slightly scorched and holding a piece of charcoal in his hands, Asuma and Kurenai nearly fell down. The jōnin simply got in line with the rest of the potential senseis, disregarding Sarutobi's curious look.

"Team 2?"

"Fail, Hokage-sama."

On and on it went, fail after fail until...

"Team 7?"

The Hokage had already marked the team as a fail when Kakashi shocked the living hell out of them all, "Pass."

Sarutobi looked up, "Pass?"

"Pass, Hokage-sama."

He cleared his throat slightly, "Ah...forgive me for asking but...how?"

Kakashi's eye twitched for the thousandth time that day, "Naruto figured out it was a test of teamwork. Apparently, Sasuke has been practicing his fireball jutsu and Naruto uses wind release. Who knew?"

Everyone in the room winced.

Chapter 5: Eye of the Hurricane

It had been a hell of a long day, but that didn't stop Naruto from getting to work as soon as he stepped foot in his apartment.

He let his hand guide itself over the scroll, the ink taking its form as the Uzumaki allowed the brush to paint intricate lines in patterns ancient and old. A line here, connect it to the heart of the seal, add the swirl wrapped around the kanji. Eventually, the voice in his head became his own as he spoke the language of fūinjutsu to himself as he detailed the scroll in front of him.

Smiling slightly as he completed the last of the details, he ensured he had enough specialized ink made for skin before he began. Stripping off his pajama top, he began at the top of his shoulder and wrote the kanji for fire.

Hours later he was still following the detailed plan he had made, using it as a map to guide his brush along his skin. The inner workings of the seal swirled around his arm in a spiral, stopping just above his elbow and brushing the edges of his right pectoral. The kanji for fire, earth, and lightning were the largest symbols featured in the seal and all placed where Naruto had easy access. 

Taking a deep breath and praying to Kami this worked because fuck if his hand didn't hurt, Naruto pressed his hands together and spiked his chakra. The symbols glowed a bright white momentarily before fading to a dark brown, the color of dried ink.

Lifting his hand, he lightly touched one of the seals, wondering if it would come off, but nothing transferred onto his fingertip. Everything had gone as planned, he thought, relieved. At least, he thought so right before he blacked out.

---

He woke up in a sewer. Not a nice, clean sewer, but a nasty ass one with dirty water on the floor and everything. He bolted upright, jumping to his feet as his eyes immediately landed on the giant cage towards the front of what he realized was his subconscious. After all, he didn't think any old sewer in Konoha would house the Kyūbi, of all fucked up things.

Blinking, Naruto pinned the fox down with his eyes as he took a step forward, frowning slightly. As he approached the cage, large claws shot out of the bars trying to reach him. Blinking, the Uzumaki frowned deeper.

"The Kyūbi..." Naruto looked around him, "No wonder you're so grumpy. I would be too if I was trapped in this hell hole."

The fox paused, looking down on his with red eyes filled with disdain, "My jailor arrives. You have more guts than the ones that came before."

Mito-sama, Naruto thinks, looking up at the fox. No way he had more guts than that woman, she was probably one of the most powerful and brave shinobi he had ever come face to face with. Pausing, Naruto froze completely.

Face to face...he had never met the woman. She had died before he was born. He had never met any of the fox's previous containers, for that matter. Taking a breath in through his nose and out through his mouth, he tried to calm his racing pulse. It was getting worse, a lot worse. How soon did he have before he completely lost his mind? 

"Losing your will so soon? Pathetic." The beast spat down at him, "At least the red-haired pests had a bit more fire."

Snarling, Naruto glared at the fox, "You're the one in my fucking head, dattebayo! You tell me what the hell is wrong!"

The fox blinked, unimpressed, "What is wrong? Besides you being a sniveling, disgusting whelp of a ninja?"

"Listen! I'm losing my mind!" The blond yelled, "I'm going completely whacko! I need you to tell me if you're the voice! Then I'll feel slightly less insane in the whole I-have-a-split-personality way, and more in the whole demonic-possession way!"

"Voice in your head? I assure you that blasted Yondaime ensured that wasn't possible." Red tendrils of chakra seeped under the bars of the cage towards Naruto, "Why? Having some personal issues? Maybe I could take care of the voices in your head by ensuring you have no head at all."

Flinging himself back right as the chakra leaped towards him, Naruto expected to be speared by it at the least. Maybe splattered on the walls of this dingy sewer if he wasn't so lucky. However, he cracked open his eyes, seeing something that kind of made him want to vomit.

Pure white chains stuck out of his stomach, pinning the tendrils of red to the ground. Touching one felt cold, almost, but it didn't hurt like he expected the bright links to. Staring at the marvel, he looked up to see the great, tailed beast snarling at him.

"Like vixen like kit." The fox growled out, "All you Uzumaki are the same."

"I don't think you understand." Naruto spoke slowly, staring at the chains protruding from himself, "I don't know what the fuck is going on in my life anymore."

"Why do I feel as though I'm not your largest concern?" The fox seemed almost insulted, roaring out, "I'm the strongest of the nine bijū! I can level villages, kill thousands in an instant!"

"And you're sealed inside my gut." Naruto snapped, "Right now my most pressing concern is my ever declining mental stability and fondness for creating people in my head."

The was nothing but silence for a moment before the fox roared in laughter.

"What?" The blond snapped, "What's so funny about that?"

"You really are pathetic no matter what the time." The beast continued chucking, "Figure it out, Akai Kami."

---

When he woke up again his neck hurt and he was slumped over in his chair drooling on his desk. Wincing, Naruto sighed and wiped his scrolls off the best he could. Well, that wasn't how he thought his first conversation with the Kyūbi would go. Glancing down at the seals, he saw they were still in proper working order.

It must've been the sudden decline in his enormous chakra reserves that made him pass out initially. A quick shock to his system would be enough for a temporary loss of consciousness, but he felt better already so he must be getting used to the chakra being stored and converted. What a useless conversation, though, he thought as he stood. He got nothing out of the damned beast except what sounded something like a moniker.

Akai Kami.

Naruto sighed, sitting at his desk as he tried to dredge up the memories he had surpassed for so long. He was pathetic no matter what the time the fox had said, and then he had called him by that strange name. Was the beast messing around with him, playing with him like prey? Closing his eyes, Naruto thought back and dug into the deep crevices of his mind. What did they call him when he saw things?

Amahiko Uzumaki.

Swallowing tightly when the answer came so easily, so quickly, in a voice that wasn't quite his own. Deeper, an almost tenor tone compared to Naruto's twelve-year-old, just-barely-pubescent voice. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was only nine in the morning. He sighed as he realized he had spent his entire night slumped over in a chair.

He only had five hours until practice at two, and he decided to do some research. Maybe the fox's nonsense would become clear if he could find a book on the Uzumaki? At the very least something about the previous jinchūriki of the Kyūbi. He threw on his jumpsuit and ran out the door, hoping beyond hope he could sneak past the librarian to get into the shinobi section of the building. It wasn't that as a genin he didn't have clearance; no, the librarian just hated his guts. 

He quietly walked into the building, really wishing he had some more inconspicuous clothing than a neon orange jumpsuit. However, when he went to creep by the desk, he stopped short.

"Who are you?" He asked the young woman sitting in front of a computer, popping bubbles with gum in a nonchalant way, "Where's Kokona-san?"

The old crone who acted as the librarian ruined a lot of his ambition as a child; any time he'd come looking for information about something or another from the academy, she'd toss him out. With her grey hair pulled back so tight into a bun Naruto thought her face would peel off and her too-large glasses that made it look like she had bug eyes, her face haunted him in his nightmares.

She had used to tell him she wouldn't serve his kind, and he always thought she meant poor street urchins with no parents when he was younger. No, turns out she meant demon containers, but that didn't really matter.

"She got fired. Not sure why." The girl shrugged, typing away without looking at him, "She was a bitch, though."

He had to agree. 

"Going to the shinobi section." He said, tapping his hitai-ate he had wrapped around his waist, "See you."

"Yeah, yeah." She yawned, "Have fun, genin."

Wandering past the civilian section, he headed towards the parts of the library that required ninja clearance. Smiling slightly at his ease of entry, Naruto zipped straight for the clan section and searched the shelves where the 'U' clans would be. Glancing at the titles, Naruto saw a few books on the Ueno clan of Suna and the Umemoto clan of Kiri. There were nearly five shelves dedicated to the Uchiha, and finally, at the very bottom, Naruto spotted what he was looking for.

The Uzumaki Clan of Uzushiogakure, The Shodai: Ashina Uzumaki, Tenma Uzumaki: History of the Sandaime, The Fall of Uzushio, The Nidaime: Sayua Uzumaki, The Beginning of Uzushio and the History of Ashina Uzumaki, Sukāretto Shi: Tenma Uzumaki, Ashina Uzumaki: Uzu no Densetsu, The Yondaime Uzukage: Amahiko Uzumaki, The Survivors of the Fall of Uzushio.

Snatching the books, Naruto looked at them with wide eyes. The Yondaime Uzukage? The Fall of Uzushio? Going to one of the tables in the back corner, Naruto opened the one penned about Amahiko Uzumaki.

On the first page was a portrait drawn of a man in sleek shinobi clothing, oranges and reds popping out slightly amongst the black. Deep red hair, brown eyes, tanned skin. His hair was long; it reached just past his chest even pulled up with hair sticks that had small ornaments dangling from them. Blinking, the blond felt a severe sense of deja vu looking at the man.

Flipping through the pages, Naruto saw the moniker Akai Kami over and over. Grabbing the two books, he rushed up to the desk and checked them out from the unenthusiastic woman still popping her gum.

Rushing home, he packed away his ink and scrolls and flipped open the book on Amahiko Uzumaki. Eighth born of nine children, son of Tsubaki Uzumaki and her husband Ryota Mori-Uzumaki, Yondaime Uzukage of Uzushio until the destruction of the village just before the beginning of the Second Shinobi World War. The younger brother of Nanami, Ichiro, Fuji, Katsuro, Hanako, Shima, and Umi Uzumaki. The elder brother of Mirai Uzumaki. Naruto's brows furrowed, headache growing as he skimmed through the book.

(He saw the blade pierce his eldest sister's body, felt it like it was his own heart that had just been run through.

"Nanami!" Ichiro screamed, cutting down the Kiri nin who had felled his twin, only to be attacked from all sides, "Nanami!"

Amahiko watched in horror as he, too, fell into the thick mix of blood and water that ran through the streets of Uzushio. If this mess of gore could even be called Uzushio anymore, he though bitterly as he fought through the masses. The first attack had been genocide; hundreds of his clansmen slain within the day.

Those remaining had rallied to Amahiko with the rest of the village, their Uzukage leading them into battle. The civilians were mostly evacuated, not many left on the island that hadn't been slain or shipped off. Mirai had been one of them, the youngest of the main branch Uzumaki family who was no more than six years old.

The most recent addition to his family, and the one that was hardest to let go. She looked more like their father than any of them, with brown hair and eyes unlike the rest of the Uzumaki children. Brown hair that had been tousled when she was tore from her bed and brown eyes that had been crying when she clung to Amahiko and begged not to be sent away.

He wondered where she was now.

His eyes stung as he wondered. He wondered how many of his siblings were still alive. He wondered if he would ever find his uncle Tenma's body, or the body of his mother. He wondered if his father had gotten word to Konoha yet, or if they would all die here on this island, slaughtered like animals while they struggled to survive.

He wondered if Uzushio was done for, or if it would rise again. He wondered a lot nowadays when sun up to sun down was filled with nothing but blood and pain and watching his loved ones die.)

Staring at the names on the page, Naruto didn't realize he was crying until he saw the tears drip onto the thin paper.

Notes:

Name meanings for the past Uzumaki kids:
Nanami and Ichiro - Seven sea and First son
Fuji - Wisteria
Katsuro - Victorious son
Hanako - Flower child
Shima - Island
Umi - The ocean
Amahiko - Shining prince
Mirai - The future

ALSO, YES Kakashi did get the librarian fired. He's already so wrapped around his team's fingers and he doesn't even acknowledge it yet lmao.

BTW are you guys liking the daily update schedule?

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'm off work for today so I'm gonna get the next few chapters lined up and ready!

Chapter 6: Last Remnants

(Mirai smiled, leaning on Amahiko as she watched Nanami and Ichiro spar, her brown eyes wide with awe.

The twins were really going at it, Amahiko was pretty sure Ichiro nearly cut their sister's head off at one point. Chuckling a bit as his elder brother was blown back by one of Nami's wind jutsu, the newly dubbed Yondaime Uzukage leaned back against the wooden post of the Uzumaki compound training ground. Feeling a tap on his shoulder, the red-haired Uzumaki glanced over to see Mirai looking at him seriously.

"Hiko-nii, I wanna spar!" Her face broke out into a grin, "Please!"

Laughing slightly, he shook his head, "Let's just watch Nami and Ichi spar for now, okay? Maybe I'll show you some katas later, but only if you're good for kaa-chan and help her make dinner."

Nanami snorted as she dodged another poorly aimed strike from their brother, "Please, teach her no more, Hiko-hime! She's becoming a little monster of a powerhouse, just like you as a child. Not to mention she has all your ambition to boot."

"Yeah!" The male twin laughed as he swung for his sister's abdomen, "She's a fūinjutsu nightmare, alright."

"Just because she's catching onto sealing faster than you is no reason to be bitter." Amahiko smirked at him slightly, a hand reaching out and ruffling Mirai's bangs, "And just for that, I'll show you some more sealing tonight with kaa-chan, sound good, imouto?"

She nodded, ponytail bouncing, "Thank you, Hiko-nii!"

"You spoil her." Nanami laughed, finally drawing blood on Ichiro when she rushed him and brought her sword down to slice his shoulder open.

"Ah, shiiii-!" Ichiro bit his lip, smothering the word when Amahiko glared at him, "Shoot! Ah, shoot!"

"Ichi-nii, you need to go see Hana-nee!" Mirai looked at him with wide, worried eyes, "Your shoulder's bleeding!"

"Yeah." He grabbed a towel from the sidelines, using that to stop the blood, "I'll be right back. This isn't over, Nanami!"

"Sure it isn't." She drawled, smirking as she cleaned her blade.)

Naruto slumped his shoulders, walking past the training grounds. There was time left until practice, but he was still reeling from the information he'd gathered. He had absolutely no clue what it all meant, but he knew it wasn't normal. Having another person's memories in his head could mean a few things, but Naruto was almost inclined to blame everything on the demon in his gut.

"HOW WONDERFUL, MY STUDENTS! YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH ARE BURNING BRIGHTLY!"

Jumping at the exclamation, Naruto whipped around to look into Training Ground 3, blinking in shock at the green spandex-clad man and his mini-me standing with what appeared to be a Hyuga and the girl who'd worked at the weapons store staring at the two green beasts in what could only be described as horror.

Blinking, Naruto stared in shock at the flamboyant man and his charge. Glancing down at his neon orange jumpsuit, he wondered if this was what people meant when they said 'kill-me-neon'. Shivering slightly at the smallest comparison of his clothes and the green monstrosity, Naruto glanced away for a short moment, prepared to continue walking, when he heard a loud shout of his name.

"Naruto-kun! Your flames of youth burn brightly today!"

Blinking, wide-eyed, the blond realized the mini-me had spotted him looking. Smiling and hastily backing up, it was too late because the boy was over by him in an instant and dragging him inside the training ground.

"I'm, ah, I'm sorry...who are you?" Naruto frowned, wracking his brain for a name, "I, um, I don't-!"

"Lee, you're being overbearing again." The girl, Tenten was her name, spoke up, a small but gentle smile on her face, "He hasn't been in our class for forever. Introduce yourself again."

"I am Konoha's Wild Green Beast, Rock Lee!" He gave a toothy smile and an enthusiastic thumbs up to Naruto, "We were in different classes at the academy, but our paths crossed many times!"

Naruto blinked. Rock Lee sounded familiar...he was pretty sure the kid used to wear a long braid. Glancing towards the other two, he raised his eyebrows helplessly. The girl snorted, earning a disapproving glare from the Hyuga. She smiled widely, setting her large scroll down from where she had it strapped to her back.

"Suzuki Tenten." Her brown eyes twinkled, "You already know me, though."

"Yeah." He returned her grin, mood-brightening, "Thanks for letting me in your store."

She laughed, and the Hyuga nodded towards Naruto, "Hyuga Neji."

"Uzumaki Naruto." He smiled brightly, "Though bushy brows over there already seems to know me."

"It would be most unyouthful to forget friends!" The boy fist-pumped, earning a glare from Neji and a groan from Tenten.

"Look at my youthful students, making friends!" The green spandex man wiped away a single, fake tear, "Your flames of youth burn brightly today!"

"That's Guy-sensei." Tenten pointed towards the man, "He's Lee's mentor if you couldn't tell."

Her eyes held amusement, and Naruto smiled. They all seemed nice, even Neji with his broody attitude. It was nowhere near as bad as Sasuke's.

"Well, I should go to meet with my team. Kakashi-sensei might be on time for training this once-"

"Kakashi?" Guy's eyes bugged out, "My hip and cool rival has taken a genin team? You and your teammates must have been youthful indeed!"

"Yeah..." Naruto blinked, "As I said, I should go now. Sorry for interrupting!"

"Hey, Naruto!" Tenten yelled as he walked away, "My mom and dad will be back in a couple of months with some wicked stuff from the Land of Noodles! Remember to stop by later!"

Naruto smiled, "I'll drop by soon, dattebayo!"

Warmth unfurled in his chest. Was this what it meant to have comrades, people willing to go out of their way to help you? He may not have solved his problem, but he felt lighter as he walked to team practice. 

Kakashi still hadn't arrived even though Naruto showed up ten minutes late, but he got curious looks from Sasuke and Sakura as he sat down under the shade of one of the trees. He was so lost in his thoughts he almost missed the granola bar sailing towards his head.

"You look out of it." Sakura shrugged slightly, "That usually means you're hungry."

"He'd be out of it all the time then." Sasuke scoffed, "The dobe packs more food away than anyone I've ever seen."

"Oi, not my fault your diet consists of only tomatoes." Naruto dismissed him, instead choosing to focus his attention on tearing open the granola bar while Sasuke sputtered.

Sakura shocked them both by laughing at Naruto's rib rather than rushing to Sasuke's defense.

---

1 Month Later...

Naruto sighed slightly, crouched in the bushes, and wound up like a spring. This damn cat was worse than the strays around his apartment, which said a lot. They'd caught the damn thing, what, ten times in the past month as a team? Suddenly he longed for the days Kakashi actually trained them instead of doing missions.

He would even accept tree walking at ass o'clock in the morning if only so he could see Sakura piss Sasuke off to the point of no return again by being better at it than him. Glancing at the two beside him, he had to admit they'd come a long way. At least she didn't blush every time the Uchiha looked at her now.

"Broody, are eyes on the target?"

"Target is spotted, Scarecrow. Blondie, is the net prepared?"

"The net is prepared."

"Pinky and Blondie move in 3, 2, 1-!"

Sakura shot out of the bushes with Naruto, both gripping the net tightly as they threw themselves onto the ground, trapping the cat in-between their two bodies and the net. Tora hissed, claws shooting out the scratch Sakura's arm, making her scream. Naruto held on tighter, squishing the cat down with the net to avoid any flying claws, and Sasuke rushed forwards with rope. The cat screeched and hissed as Sasuke tied the rope in a knot, sealing the net closed.

Naruto held the bundle of hissing away from his body as they made it to Hokage tower, where he practically threw the bound cat at the daimyo's wife. She left, ruffled, and the three ignored the glare leveled at them by Iruka.

"What's next, jiji?" Naruto stuck his hands in his pants and smiled.

The Hokage gave them a blank stare, "Kakashi, your team has completed D ranks at a...startling speed. It's been, what, a month with 52 completed missions?"

The man's visible eye twitched, "They have better teamwork than I originally thought."

"Is that so?"

"Quite, Hokage-sama."

The man looked at his papers, "Well, I think something a bit more difficult is in order, in that case. Still a D rank, but tomorrow you'll be assigned to help a farmer plant his seeds. Kakashi, you know the land just outside the village, correct?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Good, then. Meet tomorrow at the missions desk, and come early. It'll be a long day."

Naruto waited until they were out of the tower to glance at Sasuke and Sakura, "Shadow clones?"

"Duh, dobe." Sasuke snorted, "I have better things to do than plow a field."

Sakura nodded, "I'll read my book on medical jutsu that Kakashi-sensei gave me."

"And I'll work on my specialty." Naruto grinned just a tad viciously, making his whole team shudder.

As it turns out, he has an alarmingly large talent at making exploding tags and other types of offensive seals. Kakashi utilized this for many things regarding their training, often having a Naruto clone trap the whole forest and making his genin go through it without getting blown to bits.

After several times that resulted in them singed and tattered, they got the hang of it. Sakura has gone through more dresses than she ever thought she would in her entire life. There are just some things clothing can't come back from, and being lit on fire and torn to shreds are two of them.

"Okay, good job today my precious little genin." Kakashi eye-smiled at them, receiving only deadpan looks in response, "Meet at the missions desk at six tomorrow morning."

"So eight?" Sakura asked, crossing her arms.

"You've learned so much." He wiped away a nonexistent tear, "I'm so proud."

He was gone in an instant, leaving the three kids standing by themselves outside the tower. Sakura sighed slightly, glancing at Sasuke. Naruto could tell she was weighing her options. After Kakashi-sensei had them do a bunch of placement tests their first week as a team to see what level they were on, the pink-haired girl realized she was behind physically. Devastatingly so, actually.

So when Kakashi recommended she look into medical jutsu to cheer her up, as it would complement her near-perfect chakra control, she eagerly latched on to any resources he gave her. She still had an obvious crush on Sasuke, but she figured they were on a team now. Let friendship happen first, maybe, and camaraderie. Love could wait until after they were chunin.

Needless to say, one Uchiha Sasuke thanked whatever Gods there were that the pink leech made a disappearance and was now trying to become something useful. He could tolerate her like that. Before though...he shuddered to think about it.

"Do you guys wanna go get some ramen?" Naruto asked, pointing in the direction of Ichiraku's, "I didn't catch breakfast this morning."

Sakura frowned slightly, "Nutrition is important, Naruto, how many times do I have to tell you that? You should get up early enough to eat something, even if it is just ramen."

She was beginning to worry over her blond teammate. Once a few weeks ago she'd asked him to go grocery shopping with her when Sasuke declined, but the shop owner wouldn't even let him in. Since then she had begun to get concerned, and it only grew when she realized how little he cared for his own health and safety.

Sasuke she didn't have to worry about; he was responsible, and he knew when and what to eat and how to do basic things for himself. Naruto, though, had never had any parents at all to show him things. Thrown out of the orphanage and left to the streets, she worried about what habits he had picked up. It was silly, maybe, but ever since he seemed to drop his crush on her like a hot potato once they'd been placed on a team together, things had changed.

"Eh, I was busy." He seemed to consider something for a moment, glancing around the nearly empty street save a few chunin here and there, "You guys wanna see something cool?"

Sasuke only raised an eyebrow, while Sakura nodded encouragingly. Naruto began to roll up his sleeve, and the two teammates blinked at the marks that were seemingly tattooed into his skin. Endless patterns and shapes and kanji, all covering the entirety of his right arm. The Uzumaki grinned at their expressions, snickering slightly as he finally got the sleeve of his jumpsuit rolled up to the shoulder. The huge seal was still partly concealed, but it showed them enough.

"Gods, idiot." Sasuke eyed him warily, "You didn't make yourself into a bomb, did you?"

"No!" Naruto rolled his eyes, "This is an old clan technique. Put it on a while ago, and it seems to be working the way I want."

"Clan technique?" Sakura looked up from the markings, "You're an orphan, though."

"The Uzumaki Clan." Naruto shrugged, "Sure, my parents died, but my last name still reveals what clan I belonged to. It's long dead, now, and was way before I was born at that. Uzushio, that's where nearly all of them lived. It was attacked by Kiri and Iwa before the second war. Almost everyone was killed, but I'm guessing a few others got away like my parents did."

Sakura stayed silent, and Sasuke only narrowed his eyes before making a gesture to the blond boy's arm, "You said it was a clan technique? How'd you find out about it?"

"Uh, I got some books from the library. This was talked about in one of them." Naruto lied through his teeth, "You guys know I have a knack for fūinjutsu, I just read about the technique and then recreated it."

"What does it do?" Sakura asked, looking at the intricate brushwork.

"I have a wind and water affinity naturally. That means it's super easy for me to use those elements." He spoke quietly, "Basically, this seal utilizes the huge reserves typically seen in Uzumaki by splitting up your chakra a bit and storing it in these seals. The seals convert my other chakra into lightning, fire, and earth affinities. That way, whenever I learn a technique that isn't my natural affinity, I can still use it to its full potential without running the risk of chakra exhaustion due to the conversion."

Sakura's mouth hung open slightly, "Is that safe?"

"Totally." Naruto shrugged, "Er, well, I've been practicing all this time with it. Nothing bad has happened yet."

"Does sensei know?" The pinkette asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Um, no." He scratched his cheek, "It was a spur of the moment thing. He'll find out eventually."

"Can you put those on me?" Sasuke asked suddenly, making Naruto frown, "I need-"

"They're designed for Uzumaki." The blond spoke, frown still firmly in place, "Not that I care about keeping techniques within the clan, not when you're a teammate and there's no clan left, but they are designed specifically for very large chakra reserves. Anyone else would die of chakra exhaustion."

"I have good chakra reserves."

"Decent." Naruto seemed pained to say it, "Decent, and that's it. It'd be too much."

Sasuke grit his teeth, "Dobe, I need to-"

"Look." The blond interrupted his teammate, "How about this. I'll mess with some seals at home, and see if I can limit the amount it takes from your reserves. Make it a slower process, so it still builds and converts chakra, but gives your coils time to refresh and produce more. In return...you teach me a fire jutsu."

The Uchiha was wide-eyed, "You would...do that?"

He seemed thrown off, and Naruto just smiled, "We're teammates, we have been for a bit now, you know. That means we're stuck together, and what benefits you will benefit us all. We help each other grow, we don't hold each other back. Your dreams are our dreams, teme, so if revenge is what you want, we'll help you get it and kick ass while we're at it! Right, Sakura-chan?"

Her eyes were wide at his speech, but she quickly snapped her head towards Sasuke, a determined expression on her face as she nodded firmly, "Of course! We're here to support each other, and I'll learn medical jutsu to heal you two up when you start being stupid and reckless. Then I'll beat your asses again for being stupid and reckless."

"See?" Naruto's grin grew in response to the Uchiha's shocked gaze, "So, yeah, I'll work on something. You just gotta show me a fire jutsu, got it?"

The Uchiha was silent for a moment, looking at his two teammates stunned but trying to keep it under wraps, "Hn. If you think you can handle it."

"Of course, I can!" He took off down the road, "Now let's go get ramen, dattebayo!"

"Eh?" Sakura yelled, "Narutoooo! Wait up!"

Team 7 rushed down the street, heading for Ichiraku's with renewed vigor.

Notes:

I really love Tenten. The most dedicated young kunoichi of Konoha from the start. As you know, she has a surname in this story, too, but just roll with it. I promise it's important later.

Team 7 is starting to actually be a team! Wow, can't wait for Kakashi to find out Naruto's place gets regularly vandalized. He's gonna be maaaad. So will Sakura and Sasuke. Better watch out, Konoha. Next chapter we see some more intense training and team bonding, and shit will go down towards the end :)

BTW, for those that read the original, this is where the story branches a tad bit. I want it to be very Team 7 focused but also add in the Uzumaki a little. Basically, Kakashi had a much larger roll.

Chapter 7: Dismaying Discoveries

After ramen, Team 7 went their separate ways. Sasuke back to the Uchiha Compound, Sakura making her way home in the civilian district, and Naruto heading towards the shinobi shop just outside the civilian district.

After a month and fifty-two D ranks plus his savings from under his bed, he finally had enough money for new clothes and a certain shiny nagamaki. He got a lot of dirty looks as he strolled down the street, but he didn't care. He'd had a great lunch with his surprisingly cooperative team, which had been a shock. Sakura hadn't even tried to hit on Sasuke once, and the brooding Uchiha had offered to pay for their meals.

Pushing open the door, the first thing he saw was Tenten, who had clearly just gotten back from practice. She had dirt smudged all over her face, and her usually flawless buns were astray. Still, she sat behind the cash register with her feet propped up on the counter, reading what looked to be a weapon catalog.

She looked up when the front doorbell rang, and a smile filled with delight overcame her face when she saw Naruto standing in the doorway. Tossing aside the magazine, she bounded from the counter over to him.

"I didn't hear anyone on the roof. You came the civilian way this time?" She joked.

The blond rolled his eyes, "Yeah, didn't want to give you a heart attack again."

"Like you could give me a heart attack." Tenten scoffed, "You've met my team, nothing startles or embarrasses me anymore."

She drifted back over to the counter, hopping up to sit on the edge, spreading her arms out, and gesturing to the store, "Feel free to look around again. Let me know if you need any help."

"Actually, yeah, I do." He cringed a little, glancing down at himself, "I need, uh, new clothes. I've been a genin for a month and I think it's time."

Tenten smiled brightly, "I can help you with that! We sell shinobi clothing, too, imported from the Land of Tea. Quality fabric, really soft but durable, too."

"Great sales pitch." Naruto followed her to the back of the store, "Got any orange?"

Tenten gave him a sideways glance, "Look, as your friend I feel obligated to tell you that Neji might kill you on principle if you get another all-orange outfit. Besides, we don't carry neon shinobi clothes. Kind of, you know, defeats the point. "

"I was joking." He scratched his cheek, sheepish, "I'll miss it, sure, but I don't know if it's worth getting killed."

Naruto gave it all a once over, his mood picking up as he saw a few kimono shirts in dark, burnt orange. Smiling, he grabbed what looked like a small one and pulled it out. A short-sleeved, kimono shirt fully colored dark orange that would probably land mid-thigh. Smiling wide, he turned to Tenten and held the shirt up for inspection.

"A little orange can't hurt, right?" He asked.

She sighed, a smile twitching on her lips, "I guess. I think that'd look nice with some black shinobi pants and sandals. Maybe a black haori, too, short-sleeved of course."

She dived seemingly headfirst into the racks of clothing, muttering to herself as she looked through the clothes. Naruto glanced around, eyeing some senbon as he waited for her to find whatever she was looking for. Poison wasn't really his thing, but Sakura would probably love learning how to poison senbon since she's going down a more medical route. 

"Found the haori!" Tenten popped back up, holding up the thin, black fabric with looser sleeves than the kimono shirt.

"I think this would look cool." Naruto held up a dark red obi laying in a bin, the color matching the nagamaki he planned on getting, "What do you think?"

"Hmm, you're not color blind after all." She considered it momentarily, "Maybe we could find some strips of cloth the same color that could act like bandages and secure the loose sleeves of the kimono shirt."

"That'd work great." He grinned, "I think I'll buy a few sets if you don't mind?"

"Not at all." She grinned like a shark, "My parents said I keep twenty-five percent of any sales I make while they're gone. Spend some more, if you like."

"Okay." He pointed at the nagamaki, "I'll take those."

Her eyes popped a little bit, "Wow, really?"

"Yeah." He raised an eyebrow, "Why, don't think I can handle them?"

"It's not that, it's just no one in Konoha wields nagamaki. Tou-san nearly took them to the Land of Iron because he was afraid they wouldn't ever sell here." She grabbed a stool, stepping on it to grab the staff-sword hybrids before jumping down and handing them over, "Here you go, I guess. Good luck figuring out a technique."

His gut told him he wouldn't need luck, so he just nodded. He grabbed the senbon, too, and tossed in some chakra channeling gloves and makibishi spikes before he checked out. Gifts for his team, even if they didn't appreciate them. He handed over most of his money to Tenten, who looked like Christmas had come early.

He spun one of the nagamaki experimentally in his hand while she bagged his clothes, careful the long blade didn't damage any merchandise. It felt natural to him, the weight just right like he was welcoming an old friend.

(Katsuro held the blade out for Amahiko hilt first, the thick gloves he wore and years of skill protecting his hands from the deadly slant of it.

The hilt was light blue and silver, with a red Uzumaki swirl at the very bottom of it. The blade were dark, nearly black, and Amahiko could almost see his reflection in it. The elder Uzumaki smiled as his younger brother gripped it with such reverence you would think Kami himself had bestowed upon him the nagamaki. Katsuro ruffled his hair slightly, and Amahiko huffed out a laugh before stepping back and bowing towards his elder brother.

"Thank you, nii-san." He spoke before straightening, "This means...a lot to me."

"Just let Tenma-oji teach you how to use it." There was laughter in his green eyes, "Don't chop anything off by accident. Wouldn't due to have our future Uzukage without an arm, would it?"

The younger scowled, "I'm eleven, not incompetent."

"The two of those things are basically synonyms, otouto.")

He was pulled from his mind when Tenten handed two heavy-looking bags out to him. He put both the nagamaki in the cross sheath he had strapped to his back and accepted the bags with a nod.

"Come back any time!" She waved him goodbye before sitting to count out her cut of the money.

He carried his bags home, setting his clothes out for the mission tomorrow and arranging the gifts he'd bought in a nice little pile before passing out. 

---

Naruto woke up to a tap on his bedroom window. He blearily wiped a hand over his face, seeing a pink blob on his window sill through his blurry vision. He glanced at the clock; it was only seven-thirty. No way he was late, Kakashi-sensei probably wouldn't even be there until eight. That was what they'd decided the day prior, at least.

Still, he removed himself from the soft cocoon of blankets and pried open his window, wincing at the creaking screech it made as he raised it. Sakura, already fully dressed for the day, slid in like this was totally normal and held out a...plate?

"What's that?" He blinked, his sleep-addled brain slow to process.

"My mom made pancakes this morning." She glanced down at the foil-covered plate, "They should still be hot if you eat now. I brought syrup, too, just in case you don't have any."

Good thing she brought some, he knew he definitely didn't have any syrup.

"How'd you even find out where I live?" He asked, suddenly self-conscious of both his apartment and neighborhood.

"I asked Iruka-sensei this morning when I passed by the academy." 

Needless to say, it wasn't the most upscale of places. A street over was the red light district, and a lot of crime was concentrated in his area. Not to mention his apartment probably looked like the scummiest place she'd ever been. No matter how hard he tried to keep it clean and replace things that were broken, people would just break in and do it all over again.

He'd tried painting seals on the doors to keep them out, but someone had gotten burned on the protection seals and the landlord had threatened to kick him out if he did it again. So all he could do was patch up broken furniture, hide his money, and light scented candles to get rid of the aroma of piss.

He really hoped Sakura couldn't smell the piss.

She scrunched her nose. She could definitely smell the piss.

Wanting to literally crawl in a hole and die, he led her into the kitchen and sat down at his two-person table, Sakura sitting on the counter by his sink since he didn't have a second chair.

"So...you've lived here how long?" She glanced around.

"Since I was kicked out of the orphanage. ANBU used to guard me, but they stopped when I was eight," He snorted, taking the foil off the food he'd been brought, "It's not much but...it's all I can afford."

"Now that you're a genin could you afford somewhere else?" Her eyebrows furrowed, "Somewhere that's...not in the shadiest parts of Konoha?"

"On a genin's salary?" He laughed, "Fat chance. Like anyone would even rent to me, anyway. Pretty sure Jiji threatened my current landlord."

Her eyes grew even more worried, and he quickly backpedaled, "It's not that bad though, honestly! I have running water, electricity, a stove-"

"The lovely aroma of urine and graffiti on your walls?" She interrupted, gesturing to his living room wall.

"Ah..." He'd forgotten about that. He'd replaced the lock on the door but he hadn't bought paint to cover up the spraypaint yet.

GO BURN was written in an ugly green color, covering up some of his already ugly beige painted walls. They hadn't even gone for red paint this time; Naruto was kind of disappointed in them.

"They, uh, they spraypaint anywhere and everywhere." He explained it away, shrugging with a forced laugh, "It's not-"

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it." She said quietly, pursing her lips, "I've seen how people treat you, though. So has Sasuke. We're not blind."

He swallowed his emotions, refusing to cry in front of her. He shoveled in a bite of food, savoring the taste, before responding, "It's not as bad as you think."

"Oh, so you piss all over your own walls and couch?" She grumbled, "Finish that up, I have some fruit in my bag you're going to eat."

Sighing sharply, he looked at her with narrowed eyes, "Why are you even doing this? Shouldn't you be babying your precious Sasuke-kun? Since when do you give a single shit about me or my life? If you haven't noticed, it's been shit pretty much since I was born, and I've made it this far."

She faltered, wilting under the harsh words, and he bit back his anger. She was just being nice. What did she know about the trauma he went through as a child by being ignored by literally everything and everyone? What did she know about reaching out for help only to get your hand smacked away for your troubles? He pushed the empty plate away, looking anywhere but at her.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I shouldn't have said that." His voice was tight, "Tell your mom thanks for me."

"Don't apologize." Her voice was quiet, "You're right, aren't you? When you tried to be friends I ignored you, Sasuke ignored you, we all did. Most of the parents wouldn't let their kids around you and we followed suit. Sasuke and I both sat back and watched you get bullied and did nothing. I even...contributed, as ashamed of it as I am now."

He finally looked at her, eyes wide, "No you didn't. You never once-!"

"I never beat you bloody, no, but I still called you names. I insulted your intelligence without knowing you or your situation. I punched you when I thought you were annoying." She looked down at her lap, "You were only ever nice to me, too."

"You're not obligated to like someone back just because they like you, Sakura." Naruto laughed quietly, "The fact that I had a schoolboy crush on you means nothing. You didn't owe me anything."

"I didn't have to like you back, obviously, but it's messed up that I bullied you when all you were was kind." She spoke quietly, "I was a bully, plain and simple. I hated it when I was called names and picked on, but I still did it to you. Everyone did. Even if I didn't like you at all, not even as a friend, it was no excuse to be cruel."

He sat quietly for once in his life, just blinking at her.

"Naruto..." She felt an overwhelming amount of sadness, "Has anyone ever apologized for the way they treated you?"

He didn't respond.

"You know emotional abuse is just as bad as physical abuse, right?" She was basically pleading with him, "That even people who bullied you without violence were in the wrong? That you didn't deserve it?"

"I mean, no one has to apologize to me." He let out a nervous little laugh, "Really, I-I get it, you all were just copying your parents or your friends. It's okay, Sakura. Really. I don't hold it against you. Or Sasuke, for that matter."

Her eyes were sad, "It's not okay, Naruto."

She looked around again before picking up the empty plate, "You should get dressed. We'll be meeting at the missions desk soon."

The window was still open in his bedroom and she slipped out of it again, leaving him alone. He quietly got ready, putting his gifts in a storage seal, and left his apartment after locking the windows and doors. It wouldn't stop anyone who really wanted to get in, but hopefully, it would work to deter petty assholes.

---

"Kaka-sensei! This is where you've been hiding?"

The jōnin practically jumped out of his skin, his concentration on the memorial stone broken when he heard none other than Sakura's voice behind him. He stood up, turning around fast as a whip to stare at the pinkette incredulously. 

"I've been looking for you all over." The little genin huffed, crossing her arms, "I need to talk to you."

"How did you even find me?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

"This place is right next to our training ground, sensei, and I get bored waiting hours for you." She informed him in a matter-of-fact tone, "Sasuke, Naruto, and I have made a game of running around Konoha for a few hours while we wait to see if we can find you. None of us ever have, and I'm running out of places to check. It was just a process of elimination."

"Right." He said slowly, drawing the word out as he silently wished he'd failed them just on principle, "And what was it you needed, oh cute genin of mine?"

"It's about Naruto." She said seriously, her face sad.

He froze for a second, body stiffening, wondering what about Naruto she was referring to. Did she find out about the Kyūbi somehow? Or did something happen to Naruto?

"I know you know something Sasuke and I don't. That's okay. He's still a human being though, no matter what!" She insisted, voice growing impassioned, "I just...do you even know where he lives?"

"Of course I do."

Of course, he does. He used to do ANBU rounds there all the time when the boy was little more than six after he'd first gotten the apartment. Kakashi had already tried adopting him at that point; he'd fought verbal battle after verbal battle with the councils and had even come seconds away from ending Danzō's pathetic life. So he settled for the boy getting his own place, even if he'd been against the location, what with it being so close to the red light district.

The Hokage wanted him as far out of the public eye as possible, though, to prevent harassment from closed-minded civilians. Still, crime wasn't too bad in the area, at least back then. The kid was eight or nine when they'd stopped patrolling for both his safety and Konoha's. On one hand, he wanted Naruto safe, on the other he was looking for possible signs the Kyūbi was influencing him. There were none, and the Hokage removed their patrol.

"Then you know about the people breaking into his place?" She snapped, "About the graffiti on his walls? The fact that people break into his home and pee on his furniture and walls? You know, he tried to go grocery shopping with me the other day. Can you guess what happened?"

He didn't get time to even attempt an answer. 

"They wouldn't let him in the store." She frowned, "That's what. He had to go back home."

Fucking shit. He'd hoped the librarian was a one-off incident. He knew the civilians had no love for the boy but he'd hoped...he wasn't sure what he'd hoped. That humanity and empathy would prevail after all? He should know better. He did know better. He'd just buried his head in the sand due to grief, and every second he spent here mourning the boy's parents was an insult to those very same people. 

What would Obito say?

"And you're wanting me to do something?" Kakashi asked, trying to seem calm while on the inside his blood was boiling, "I have no legal rights to-"

Wait a minute. Yes, the fuck he did have legal rights. He was their jōnin sensei now; if he deemed a living situation hazardous to the young shinobi, it was well within his rights to remove them from said situation. Well, then, it looked like the Hokage was in for a bad evening.

"Actually, you know what, Sakura, thank you for bringing this to my attention." He gave her an eye smile, patting her on the head, "I'll take care of it."

"Really?" She huffed, blowing some of her bangs out of her eyes with a harsh breath, "Or are you just saying that to shut me up."

He crouched down in front of her, meeting her at eye level. "I'm being serious, Sakura. I'll take care of it."

"Good." The girl brightened slightly, some of her bad mood lifted at the promise, "Now come on, sensei, we have a mission!"

To his complete bewilderment, she grabbed him by the arm and started tugging him towards the Hokage Tower and the missions desk. Judging from the expressions of the ninja he saw along the way, he'll never live this down. He just let it happen, simultaneously a bit too shocked to really stop her and also not wanting to upset her further by jerking his arm away.

Naruto was wearing an entirely new outfit when they arrived. Even weirder, Sasuke was almost smiling and had new gloves on. Special chakra channeling gloves. He raised an eyebrow to himself, wondering what had possessed the boy to buy those. Then, of course, Naruto opened his mouth.

"Don't worry, Sakura, I got you a present, too." The blond grinned slightly, holding out a package of handmade, steel senbon that glinted in the artificial lighting of the room.

She accepted them with wide eyes, "You can put poison on these."

"Exactly, dattebayo!" Naruto said excitedly, "Perfect for an aspiring medic! I got Sasuke the gloves so it's easier to control his fire jutsu and maybe he won't burn his hands as much."

Sasuke's face soured, "I don't burn my hands."

Naruto waved a dismissive hand, "Yes, you do. Oh, can't forget Kakashi-sensei!"

The boy tossed him a small linen pouch that jingled as flew to him. He caught it with ease, opening it up.

"Makibishi spikes!" He explained, "I know you probably already have some, but they're really nice and handmade. I didn't want you to feel left out, either."

Iruka passed Kakashi the mission scroll silently, a knowing look in his eyes. His genin chatted behind him as they all walked to the village gates, and his chest felt suspiciously tight the whole time.

---

"I never thought I'd see the day you ditched the orange, dobe." Sasuke rolled his eyes as they walked, "About time."

"Oi, I have orange on my shirt." Naruto said, "Besides, it's a perfectly respectable color."

"It's not neon orange, though." Sakura pointed out, "Burnt orange is perfectly respectable. Neon orange isn't."

Her eyes crinkled around the edges as she grinned, just slightly, and she had such a striking resemblance to...Akane, that was her name, his sister in everything but blood. Akane, with the bright red hair and brighter red eyes. They looked nothing alike, were as different as day and night. Akane's smile had always made him happy, though, just like Sakura's.

"What, is common sense finally getting to you?" Sasuke said, "I guess we should just be happy you finally ditched the jumpsuit."

"I think it looks great, Naruto." Sakura laughed slightly, "More presentable for a ninja."

"Next on the list is getting you to ditch all the pink. And the dress." Sasuke commented without missing a beat, "Kakashi-sensei and I are the only sensibly dressed ones on this team. Naruto now too, I guess."

The pinkette's eyebrow twitched, "How can I ditch all the pink if my hair is pink?"

Sasuke shrugged, "The hair isn't a problem. Put it up in a ponytail or cut it, do something with it. The clothes, however, are noticeable. Especially now since Naruto is wearing mostly black, I wear dark blue, and Kakashi-sensei usually wears black and green. We're all wearing pretty concealable colors. Just tone it down some or you'll be exposing the whole team. You don't want to be dead weight."

Sakura frowned, looking to Naruto, who just scratched the back of his head, "I think you'd look great in dark reds, Sakura. Maybe try that, at least while we're genin. I know a place you can get some great clothes for now. When we get super-powerful, then we can dress however we want."

"Power doesn't mean you should be reckless." Sasuke snapped, pausing to glare at Naruto.

"You're only angry because you care." Naruto crossed his arms, "Come on, Sasuke. Admit it."

Sakura sped up slightly, nearly bouncing up to Kakashi and tugging on his sleeve, "Sensei, should I cut my hair?"

Kakashi shrugged and continued reading that Kami-damned book, "Just braid it."

"Braiding!" Naruto brightened, "That's a great idea!"

Sasuke just nodded.

Sakura accepted the answer, taking her spot between Sasuke and Naruto back, "I'll braid it, then. And...get something that's not a pink dress, I guess."

"Thank Kami," Sasuke muttered, making Sakura accidentally trip and step right on his toes. 

The Uchiha looked both shocked and angry, like he couldn't fathom anyone doing that but especially not Sakura.

"Okay, children, that's enough." Kakashi's monotone drawl broke up the fight before it could begin, "Gather round now. You're about to learn something."

The jōnin whipped three sheets of paper out of his pocket, giving one to each of his students as they continued to walk towards the farm, "Now, we know how to channel chakra to allow us to walk and run on trees and water. So, channel the chakra to your fingers instead and infuse the paper with it. Give it a decent amount too, sometimes you have some hidden affinities that can still be useful."

Naruto smiled to himself. His seals let him use them all, however, he did as requested along with Sasuke and Sakura. Naruto's paper immediately tore into small shreds before the paper actually turned to water in his hands. Sasuke's crinkled up as soon as his chakra hit the paper, the sheet becoming a ball not even a fourth the size of what it was originally. The paper then burst into a flickering, dancing flame that Sasuke dropped onto the ground and stamped out with his foot. Sakura's paper got slightly damp before crumbling to fine specs of dirt in her hands.

Dropping the dirt, she brushed her hands off and turned to look at their sensei along with her teammates. However, Kakashi had stopped a few steps back and simply stared at the three.

"Sensei?" Sakura asked hesitantly, "What's going on?"

I have actual monsters, Kakashi thought ecstatically, three little genin monsters!

"Well, Naruto has a very strong wind and water affinity." Kakashi coughed slightly, motioning to the cuts on Naruto's now wet hands, "As you can see. Normally wind makes the paper cut into two and the water affinity just makes it dampen as Sakura's did."

Naruto looked perhaps a tad smug, even though he knew his affinities going into this. In his dreams he ran on the rooftops and rode the waves of the ocean; it seemed fitting.

"And Sasuke, you have a high affinity for lightning and fire, as your paper overreacted too. Sakura, your earth ability is the strongest, it absolutely crumbled. That's probably the strongest earth release in Konoha since Tsunade of the Sannin."

Sasuke was pleasantly surprised. Not even Itachi had a natural lightning affinity, the so-called prodigy that he was. Sakura, meanwhile, was over the moon. Smiling brightly, she stared down at her earth powdered hands, the dust of the dirt still there, and her eyes were wide in reverence.

Kakashi observed the three carefully before smiling to himself; he was happier and happier that they passed as the days wore on. Sure, they were annoying brats literally all the time, but they were his annoying brats now.

"Cool, dattebayo!" Naruto flapped his hands slightly, like an over-excited bird who didn't know what to do with himself, "Water, earth, fire, wind, and lightning! We've got all bases covered! We'll be the best team ever, everyone else can just quit now!"

"Don't get overconfident." Kakashi rolled his visible eyes, "You haven't even learned how to use them yet."

Sakura huffed, "And that's easy for you to say, Naruto! You've got that fancy seal all up and down your arm. You knew you had all bases covered before this."

Kakashi stiffened slightly. Fancy seal? On his arm?

"Not the one you think, sensei." Naruto smiled, rolling up the sleeve of his black haori and touching the skin there with chakra to reveal Uzumaki fūinjutsu covering his arm like one giant, elegant tattoo. Kakashi looked at it, slightly wide-eyed, before ultimately deciding he had either been blessed or cursed by Kami when he was assigned this team. The seal slowly faded away again, invisible to the naked eye.

"Is, ah, is that your own design?" Kakashi knew the runt could make a decent exploding tag, but this was some next-level shit. Even Kushina-san would've paused at this.

"Yup!" Naruto smiled before faltering, "Well, I got the idea from a book. But I made it my own, you know?"

"And he's designing one for me." Sasuke looked at Naruto questioningly, "Right, Naruto?"

"Hell yeah, teme!" The blond smirked, "I'm getting an Uchiha fire jutsu out of this deal. It's going down."

Sakura sighed, "You two are too much."

For once, Kakashi was inclined to agree with her, "Well, let's keep moving, your monstrous tendencies aside. Just...work on summoning elemental chakra."

Kakashi looked at the blond suspiciously. He had known since the beginning Naruto wasn't really the dead last. He was too smart, too observant, and had sadly been declined many opportunities the other children had. He had certainly shown it a little before, that Uzumaki prodigy gene that kicked in more often than not, but it really shone through now.

He honestly acted like he'd grown up with the lot of them, and maybe Kakashi was tricking himself but he swore he could hear Kushina's Uzushio accent hidden under layers of the intonation every Konoha native had. He suspected it was the verbal tic that made him think that. After all, Kushina had an extremely similar one. Now that he was a full-fledged genin and had formed quite outstanding bonds with his team, if Kakashi said so himself, he seemed to be opening up more. He acted a bit less like the class dufus and more like his hot-tempered but extremely capable mother.

Now if Kakashi could just get him out of that hell hole. Then he'd be able to keep an eye on him and keep him safe, even from the fucking Kyūbi itself. This was his little bratty genin, no one else's, and he'd be damned if he let any council member or any demon try to take control of the Uzumaki.

Regardless, Kami help them if Konoha had a monster Kushina-mini on their hands.

Then there was Sakura and Sasuke, who were in a whole other league regarding personal character development. Sasuke seemed to actually care for his teammates under that brooding facade, and Sakura seemed to forgo her crush for now and was taking her training seriously.

She had perfect chakra control and would make an outstanding medical-nin; maybe even a front-line one like Tsunade was. Hell, if she got her head together with Naruto's apparent fūinjutsu mastery, there was no telling what she could pull out of nothing regarding the limited front-line medical moves. Not to mention she genuinely seemed to care about her teammates, which is more than he could say at that age.

Occasionally glancing over at their happy faces as they whispered together, Kakashi thought this time his team might just turn out alright.

Notes:

More flashbacks are! Next chapter, along with chakra chains ;) They come in the Wave Arc, which is after this time skip cause we don't need to see them plow a potato field ok, that'd be boring cause it'd be them sitting and reading while Naruto shadow clones planted seeds and Kakashi shoved books under their noses.
ALSO...am I the only one that wants Team 7 to NOT be the Sannin OR Hashirama/Madara/Mito, but instead Hashirama/Tobirama/Mito? BECAUSE SASUKE IS BREAKING THE CYCLE OKAY. HIS TEAM'S GOT HIM, HE DOESN'T NEED OROCHIMARU.
 
 
(By the way, Sasuke is totally Mito in the situation. Just saying. Cause I headcanon her as a fire transformation, and I see Naruto as Tobirama and Sakura as like Hashirama cause she'll be a badass healer/earth user and she's gonna be trained by Hashi's granddaughter and also have certain talents ;) so idk ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

And yes, Kakashi is basically adopting Naruto next chapter. Stay tuned to watch Hiruzen and Danzō collectively shit themselves.

Chapter 8: Making a Home

Kakashi waited until Sasuke and Sakura had left. 

They'd returned to the village shortly before sunset, tired from four hours of walking to the farm and back. The team didn't even bother to pick up their paychecks, they just exchanged exhausted goodbyes and went their separate ways. Kakashi is normally long gone at that point, but not tonight.

"Night, sensei!" Naruto waved slightly, the slump in his shoulders giving away that even the endless fountain of energy was feeling the fatigue.

"Actually, Naruto, wait a second." Kakashi sighed, kneeling in the dirt right in front of the gates so he could speak face to face with his student, "I need to speak to you about something."

The blond boy seemed wary, "About what, exactly?"

"Your home life." Or lack thereof, Kakashi thought with a wince, "Your apartment. Sakura said some...worrying things earlier this morning."

"Should've known." Naruto sighed deeply, "It's really not that bad, Kaka-sensei. They never break in when I'm home, I think they're too scared. I'm not in any real danger, especially now that I'm a genin."

"Being a genin won't protect you from a drunk with a knife. Especially if you're a genin who's exhausted and passed out after training." Kakashi said pointedly, "Be honest with me, Naruto. If you could leave, would you?"

Naruto actually scoffed, "Yeah. Duh. There are loud bars outside all night and I never get any good sleep, my apartment constantly smells like piss, I think I've had to sew the stuffing back in my couch cushions ten times now...of course, I'd leave if I could. That's not an option for me, though, if you weren't aware."

The jōnin really didn't like that bitter tone of voice.

"What if there was?" He raised his visible eyebrow, "As your sensei, I can legally remove you from situations that could endanger you. If you wanted to stay in my apartment, I do have a spare bedroom."

Never mind that Asuma usually slept there when he got too drunk to go home. The asshole could find somewhere else to crash.

"Of course, I can arrange for you to stay somewhere else, too, if you wanted." He scratched the back of his neck when he received no response, "I'm sure there's something available-"

He was cut off when he got the wind knocked out of him by a small body crashing into his own. He automatically wrapped his arms around the boy who was shaking like a leaf, hugging him tightly.

Naruto pulled back, eyes wide and a bit damp, "You'd really do that?"

"Yes, I'd really do that."

"But...won't they hate you, too, then?" Naruto asked, eyebrows creasing, "I don't want people breaking into your place, sensei!"

"Trust me, anyone who manages to break in will soon discover what a bad idea it was." Kakashi gave him an eye smile, rising to his feet swiftly, "Go get whatever you need to spend the night and meet me in front of Ichiraku's. I'll order our dinner then show you the way to the apartment, okay?"

The kid nodded eagerly, stars in his eyes, and Kakashi felt totally undeserving of the adoration. Naruto had probably craved attention and care from adults his entire life; now he was finally getting it twelve years too late. Watching the brat scamper off, he still remembers when the orphanage mother would refuse to touch the baby with whisker marks and would leave him crying through the night.

Kakashi used to slip in the window while Yūgao stood to watch outside, rocking the infant and feeding him store-bought formula. As he continued to grow, Kakashi had kept an eye on him up until he'd entered the academy. Now, in hindsight, he wished he'd continued to watch over him and, perhaps, give him the support he'd never gotten from anyone else.

He headed to Ichiraku's and prepared to order one normal bowl of chicken ramen for himself and three large orders of pork ramen for Naruto. Kami, that kid could eat.

---

"Down here." Kakashi said as they stepped off the elevator, Naruto looking around at the apartment complex with wide eyes, "Apartment thirty-six. I'll get a spare key made soon, and we can move the rest of your stuff in later."

Kakashi unlocked the door and opened it wide with his free arm, the other holding the bags filled with bowls of ramen. Naruto stepped through the threshold, two storage scrolls tucked tightly in his arms as he took in his surroundings.

A small and cozy living room with soft carpet, a kitchenette with a small table suited for at least four people, and a hallway that led to what he assumed was the rest of the apartment. There was a sliding door in the living room that led to a little balcony area that was seemingly overflowing with plants. A lot of the apartment was, actually; Naruto could count at least ten potted ones inside sat on various surfaces and even more on the balcony.

It was a lot more lived-in than he expected; Kakashi-sensei had always been sort of aloof, so seeing his apartment so full of life was startling. He had eight dog beds of various sizes lying around a small table with a couple of cushions that looked like they were made for humans on each far side. Bookshelves and cabinets line the walls, vines and leaves spilling out onto the shelves from their pots. The kitchen was the one thing that didn't look too awfully used, pristine and clean like Kakashi didn't cook very often.

"Does it meet your standards?" Kakashi gave an eye roll, "Would hate to be subpar."

"My standards were the absence of my entire apartment, so yeah, this is great." Naruto said, "I'm just curious, though, why do you have so many dog beds?"

"My ninken like to spend time here. They're very social." Kakashi explained, "It was just easier getting them all one rather than dealing with their bickering."

"Ninken, like the Inuzuka's dogs?"

"Not exactly." His sensei explained, "They're summons; they speak our language, unlike the Inuzuka dogs, and can perform techniques of their own when they feel the need."

Naruto nodded and bounced on his heels, "Cool. Can I see my room? Please?"

Kakashi smiled slightly at the kid's barely hidden excitement and led him down the hall. He tapped on the first door to the right, "This is the storage closet. Towels, cleaning supplies, all that. Feel free to get whatever you need."

He pointed at the door on the left, "That's my room. Don't go in there unless I tell you to."

"This is the bathroom." He pointed to the door next to his own, "We share one, so don't be disgusting."

Finally, the last door on the right. He opened it up, revealing a nice room with a queen-sized bed and a large window looking out at Konoha. It was bigger than his old one for sure, both the room and the bed. He dropped the sealing scrolls carelessly on the dresser by the door and ran to jump on the bed. He gasped at the softness of the sheets and how comfortable the mattress was.

"Kaka-sensei, this is amazing! Makes my old mattress feel like a brick!" He smiled brightly, looking around, "I even have a closet? I used to just hang my clothes in the bathroom!"

Kakashi smiled tightly, chest aching. He should've done this forever ago, should have thrown around his weight a little more, and gotten the brat under his care. 

"Glad you like it." He said, instead of sharing what he actually felt, "I have to go run some errands, though, so I'll be gone for a bit. Come on."

Naruto blinked, confused, "I'm going with you for errands?"

"Maa, no, definitely not." Kakashi herded him out the door, "My friend is going to watch you."

"Watch me?" The boy frowned, "I don't need a babysitter. I've lived by myself for years!"

"Too bad." The jōnin shrugged, "My place, my rules. Don't worry, though, Tenzō is nice." 

He grumbled as he was led across the hall, Kakashi knocking on the door right across from theirs. They heard footsteps lightly approaching before the door opened to reveal a man who looked a bit younger than Kakashi. He had dark eyes and unruly brown hair that gave the impression that he'd definitely been sleeping. Well, the hair and the pajamas.

"Ah, didn't wake you did I?"

"Yes." The man, Tenzō, deadpanned.

"Oops." Kakashi didn't sound sorry at all, "Could you watch over this for a second?"

The brown eyes fell to Naruto before nodding, "Of course, senpai. Is it finally happening?"

"No, no." Kakashi waved off the concern before pausing, "Well, I mean, if it doesn't go as planned, maybe."

"Is what happening?" The genin spoke up, narrowing his eyes.

"A murder." Tenzō sighed deeply, "We don't know anything about it even if it does happen, right?"

"Uh, sure." Naruto shrugged, there was no way he'd rat out his sensei anyway.

"Good boy." Kakashi patted his student on the head, "Now, I'll be back. Tenzō, watch him while he eats or something, I don't care. Just make sure no one comes around."

He disappeared without another word. Naruto's eyes widened, glancing at the brown-haired man who was now closing his door and ushering Naruto back into Kakashi's apartment.

"Is he actually killing someone?" He asked, "Are the ANBU gonna come looking?"

"Don't worry about it. Kakashi mentioned food, right?" Tenzō glanced around, "I'm Yamato, by the way."

Naruto blinked, "Eh, but...Kaka-sensei called you-?"

"Tenzō, I'm aware." The man sighed again, deep and laborious, "Believe me, I'm aware."

"Right, um, Yamato-san, then. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, it's nice to meet you." Naruto nodded at the man who simply ignored him in favor of unpacking the food.

"You got three large orders of pork ramen?" Yamato raised an eyebrow slightly before falling back to stoicism, "Here. I'm taking Kakashi's."

"But-"

"No buts." The man silenced him with a look, "He asked me to babysit, this is my payment. Even if it does have the nutritional value of dust, I guess."

Ignoring the sleight at ramen, Naruto finished the bowls slowly because Sakura has been yelling at him for slurping so badly. He watches as Yamato finishes and then goes over to the bookshelves, brushing his fingers against the leaves of the plants. They seemed to perk up in response, making Naruto wonder if he was responsible for all the greenery in Kakashi's apartment.

"So, you know Kaka-sensei?" The blond tried to continue any semblance of a conversation.

"Yes." Yamato answered and then proceeded to not elaborate. 

He huffed. Damn jōnin and their mysteries.

---

"Sandaime-sama," Kakashi spoke as he pushed the doors open, ignoring the flustered secretary trying to keep him out. 

Hiruzen sighed, "Kakashi. What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to inform you," His eyes trailed over Homura, Koharu, and Danzō all seated near him, "Inform all of you, that is, that Naruto will be staying with me until further notice."

The protests began immediately, but he slid the handbook made for jōnin senseis across the Hokage's desk with a smug smile under his mask. He'd have to thank Yamato for doing the leg work later; he'd sent one of his ninken with a letter while they were on their mission, and his kohai had come through per usual. There was no way he was reading the damn book himself, after all.

"Kakashi is within his rights as a jōnin sensei to take custody of a student deemed in immediate danger." Hiruzen sighed, "It's legal."

"Surely there is some exception you can make," Danzō spoke up, as Kakashi expected of the prick, "He is our jinchūriki, he must be loyal to only the village-"

"More like you want him alone and singled out so he's easier to manipulate." The jōnin snapped in response.

"My, quite the accusation." The old war hawk sat back, a cold look in his eyes.

"No accusations." Kakashi's glare was deadly, "Merely observations."

"It's legal, and that's final." The Hokage said firmly, looking back to Kakashi with tired eyes, "Will that be all?"

"No." He said, flatly. 

The old man sighed, "Why did I assume it would be?"

"I want it to be made official." Kakashi leveled them all with a serious look, "Not custody just as his jōnin sensei for the limited time of his genin career, but as his legal guardian."

"But that means-" Homura began, only to get cut off.

"That all issues the shinobi council has with him before he's of official legal age would go through me." Kakashi said, "It also means that he has the full protection of my clan name, along with the Uzumaki name. Just like you wouldn't force the Uchiha into ANBU, secret training, mutations, genetic testing, or any of the other ideas I know you have, you won't force Naruto either. And, of course, on the off chance you try to do that to Sasuke anyways, we'll have an issue."

He looked Danzō dead in the eye, something that didn't go unnoticed by everyone else in the room. The old man merely raised an eyebrow.

"To adopt a parentless genin, you need-" Koharu finally spoke up before faltering.

"The permission of their jōnin sensei." Kakashi sounded far too pleased, "Don't worry, I give myself full and unwavering permission. I have all the faith in the world in myself."

"This is ridiculous-!" Danzō stood, only going quiet when the Hokage raised a hand.

"Danzō, Koharu, Homura, you may leave." He said, and glanced up at them all sharply when they remained where they were, "Need I remind you that I am the Hokage and you are all advisors? I said leave."

Homura and Koharu went quickly, but Danzō trailed behind, locking eyes with Kakashi as he passed. The jōnin had half a mind to raise his headband and remind the old bastard who he was dealing with. When the door finally slammed shut behind the three, he turned his attention back to the Hokage.

"It will be done." Hiruzen sighed, "I'll have the paperwork drawn up, stop by with Naruto tomorrow morning and sign it."

"This should've been done before." Kakashi's voice was quiet, "It's what they would've wanted-"

"The shinobi and civilian councils would've never allowed it, not to mention my own council of advisors." Hiruzen waved a tired hand, "It will be done now-"

"After how many years of abuse and trauma?" Kakashi interrupted, "This village hasn't only failed Naruto, either, you know."

The Hokage's face darkened, "The Uchiha is coping well-"

"Well?" Kakashi laughed, dark and ugly, "If you call being obsessed with revenge and looking for the first chance to get a power trip well. Keep in mind I'm his jōnin sensei, too."

"I'm far too tired and old for an argument, Kakashi." The old man ran a hand over his face, "This hat wasn't meant for me again-"

"No, it wasn't." The jōnin confirmed, "But you still have it. So act like it. The councils are here to advise you, they do not run Konoha. Least of all the civilian council giving recommendations on shinobi matters."

Kakashi turned on his heel to leave the room, "I'll be back tomorrow with Naruto and my team to sign the papers and receive another mission. It was good talking to you, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen had never heard so much sarcastic respect packed into one sentence.

---

He leaves his old apartment with arms full of scrolls, and Naruto has never felt better. He'd pay rent for the last time this month, then he'd never have to worry about petty landowners or spiteful villagers vandalizing his home.

He knew Kakashi-sensei wasn't to be messed with and wholeheartedly believed he would follow through with protecting his apartment. It made him feel lighter, the fact that he had a safe home and someone who cared enough to give him one. He knew it was partly Sakura's doing, too, and she had no idea how grateful he was.

Kakashi was also his legal guardian now. That was kind of weird because he'd never had an adult take accountability for him in his entire life, but it also made a lot of sense with the situation. He'd signed the papers earlier that morning, only a day after his sensei had offered him a new home.

He'd almost cried when he signed them, and he was pretty sure both Kakashi and Hokage-jiji knew. Then Kakashi had bought him dango on the way home from their team missions, citing the fact that he refused to eat ramen for every meal. Yamato had come over later anyway, saying that dango was no healthier than ramen, and made them eggplant casserole for lunch. 

Now he had just finished cleaning out his old apartment, packing all his belongings into storage scrolls, and wishing his landowner a goodbye. The man hadn't responded; Naruto was certain he was happy to be rid of the so-called demon.

As he turned the corner to take that road that led through the training grounds to the shinobi district and onwards, he paused. Four chakra signatures, large ones at that, following behind them at what they probably thought was a safe distance. Pursing his lips, he knew they wouldn't be here on jiji's orders. So that left the councils, and from what Kakashi-sensei had said, nothing involving the councils was good.

He turned, looking in the exact direction he felt the signatures, and that was when he saw them. They wore animal masks, just like ANBU, but their bulky cloaks and the red tanto strapped across their shoulders gave them away. These were no ANBU, they were dressed incorrectly and Naruto was certain they weren't here on the Hokage's orders, which are something ANBU follow unfailingly.

They immediately noticed him looking straight at them, and as one the four moved until they were in front of him. His heartbeat sped up; an empty street, and he had no witnesses.

In hindsight, he knew he'd fucked up by declining Sakura and Sasuke's offer to tag along. Maybe then he wouldn't be in this mess.

"Is this an assassination?" He snapped, taking a step back, "Are you kidding me?"

"Don't damage the stomach, incapacitate but don't kill." He heard the ring leader speak to the others, "Danzō-sama was specific."

So not quite an assassination.

The one in front of the other three then simply drew his blade. Naruto's lip pulled back into a sneer, and he felt every inch of his power seep through his pores in the form of killing intent. The KI was potent, and he saw a couple of them pause, but the one with the blade moved forward at full speed. Jumping back in time, Naruto whirled around and saw the others moving forward as well.

He panicked, reaching for a scroll to get his kunai, and retroactively regretted leaving his nagamaki back at Kakashi's place. He dodged the slice aimed right for his shoulder and launched himself back, gripping the small dagger tightly as he stared at them unblinkingly.

His blood pumped, heart pounding impossibly fast, every fight or flight instinct activated all at once-

(Yuudai swung the blade towards his head, and Amahiko easily evaded it. Their battle of jutsu had simmered down into a kenjutsu duel, katana versus nagamaki. Amahiko knew he could take him out now, one water jutsu attached to his blades, and the man would be felled.

Something held him back, though, something stopped him and he cursed his own weakness. Yuudai was a member of his graduating class. Yuudai was a traitor. He was one of Amahiko's best friends. He was a traitor. They were more than friends. He was a traitor. A constant war of doing what was best for Uzushio and doing what aligned with his heart struggled for control, but he knew what had to be done.

Uzushio's policy for traitors left no room for interpretation; execution is swift and unavoidable.

So he gathered the chakra, the water swirling to life out of the air, and pounced on Yuudai. Forming the water to his hands and twisting it, he infused wind chakra into the jutsu and it began twisting violently. Growing larger, the massive tornado with Amahiko leading it slammed towards Yuudai, attacking him with all the fury of Uzushio's Akai Kami.

Leaping in to finish whatever was left with his blades, he dodged the weak strike thrown at him by the battered traitor and lashed towards him with the water forming a deadly cacoon around his nagamaki.

The blades were headed to Yuudai's throat. A clean-cut, a clean decapitation, and it would all be over.

He hesitated.

Dropping the last minute, one of his nagamaki plunged into Yuudai's chest the same time the man shoved his blade into Amahiko's heart. Swaying on his feet, the Uzumaki felt Yuudai rip the blade from him and Amahiko felt his own blade fall from the traitor's body. He felt blood fly out of his mouth when he coughed, and he looked up the see Yuudai looking at him with a lost expression on his face.

The Uzumaki trembled, the natural healing of his clan trying to patch up the wound but it was too late. Yuudai had always been quite the marksman, and he wanted Amahiko dead. He could feel his pulse slowing, and he looked up at his once friend who could've been so much more.

"Why?" He croaked.

"Why...what?" Yuudai's voice was rough, and everything was silent. The fighting had gone from this area, and everyone but the two left standing were dead.

"You know." Amahiko coughed again, nearly falling to his knees, "Why do this?"

"Uzushio is going in the wrong direction." The man set his jaw, "I'm rebuilding it."

"By killing everyone?" Amahiko hissed, equal parts anger and sadness, "You're sick."

"You're naive." The traitor snapped back, frowning, "I...I'm going to build up this village again to be better than before."

"And you think they'll let you?" The Uzukage snapped, "You think Iwa and Kiri will allow that? You're foolish, and you're not the man I thought you were."

The man growled, "I won't listen to a dying man insult me!"

Amahiko sneered, blood coating his teeth, "Then leave, you fucking traitor. Leave your Kage and your...leave me to die and know that it was your fault. Know it was your fault that everything you helped build has now fallen, that you've killed the only people who ever loved you, that you've killed your comrades who would've died for you. Know you destroyed everything, and live with it. I pray to Kami you make it out alive because death is too good for you."

Yuudai's eyes were wide and Amahiko felt his heart slow down to nearly nothing as he fell into the blood and muck below. He could distantly feel hands grip his shoulders, shaking him, but he closed his eyes and wouldn't open them again for a long time.)

Four opponents, all with a tanto, Naruto reasoned with himself in a brief second, it's a short blade and I doubt they can use chakra to enhance the length. They need to get close to me, need to not only overpower me but catch me off guard as well. Poor choice of weapon. 

If there's ever a poorer choice of weapon to face the fucking Akai Kami with other than plain old senbon, it would be a fucking tanto. At least those Kiri nin could throw those at everything that moved, a tanto is hard to use right.

They began approaching again, cautious steps moving towards the rabid-looking boy.

Naruto pulled two more kunai out of his scroll before retying them on his back. Dropping a low-impact exploding tag, mostly using it as a smoke bomb rather than anything else, he disappeared.

The shinobi froze when he threw down the tag, standing still as he disappeared, engulfed in the puff of smoke. The leader of the squad looked impassively at what was left in his place; a wooden post stood proudly where the boy had once been. The three behind the leader swiftly began looking to sense him, one turning around as if to begin hunting him down. They had been given a mission, and failure was not an option.

The underling that had turned didn't have time to scream when the kunai slit his throat.

"Wha-?" The leader turned, tanto already swinging but halting abruptly at the sight that greeted him.

Naruto Uzumaki, the supposed dead last, stood looking as though he was anything but. His eyes were cold, hard chips of ice as he held the body up. The boy sneered slightly, shoving their now dead teammate towards them. On instinct, the body was caught, but a stunned silence permeated the air.

"I think you're a bit out of your league." His voice had a soft lilt to the words that had become more noticeable, an accent reminiscent of the islanders in the Land of Waves, "Nice try, though. Maybe you'll do better next time."

Was this the nine-tailed fox? They could feel no demonic chakra but then again...they couldn't sense the Uzumaki at all. Truly the power of a tailed beast, they reasoned. The leader made a hand sign to the remaining two members of his squad. Retreat and inform Danzō-sama of the enemy's progress. Fall back and allow a more skilled team to eliminate the threat.

"Though, I'm afraid..." The boy's voice was ice-cold, "There won't be a next time for you."

They were dead before they even had a chance.

The Uzumaki looked at the bodies before glancing around once more. There was nobody around, nobody would know it was him unless they were the one to send the assassins in the first place. Flaring his chakra in a way no Konoha nin would recognize, he searched for any other signature, be it civilian or ninja.

There were none.

Mentally saying his apologies to the traumatized merchants who would find the bodies, he decided it would be good enough. There was no blood, at least. He had charged the kunai blade with fire chakra, which cauterized the wounds immediately. Dusting himself off and making sure all his storage scrolls remained accounted for, he made his way down the path towards the place he now called home.

His thoughts were racing every which way inside his head, old memories clashing with new ones, phantom pains of wounds that he no longer bore itching over his skin. Nonexistent mud and blood clinging to his skin and clothes, dragging him down. Gripping the kunai tighter, he continued his quick trek away from the scene. He was so sick of fighting.

He remembered everything. Everything from his life as Amahiko sat there in his brain right alongside his own memories as if they'd been there the whole time. Perhaps, he thought as he looked back at the past few years, they always had.

Well, at least Naruto knew he wasn't going crazy now.

Notes:

Kakashi: Don’t worry, I have a permit.
Hiruzen: …This just says ‘I do what I want.’

ALSO, AMAHIKO IS BACK. Finally, Naruto knows why the hell he's going crazy. Spoiler alert; it was your past life. The poor baby is really just sick of all of this and needs to be protected. He got really emotional when Kakashi adopted him because no one ever cared that much about his well being tbh. Can I just say Yamato and Kakashi are gonna do a GREAT job co-parenting their three brats?

Kakashi is Ready To FIGHT if you didn't notice. For both Naruto and Sasuke, and Sakura later on when she becomes a person of interest. Yamato and him have totally discussed killing Danzō before and Yamato is just like "yeah I'm okay with it" and is fully ready to cover for him.

(Also, Danzō you fucker what r u planning.)

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the return (or not because he never left) of our resident Seal Nerd and Actual Hyperactive Human Disaster, aka Naruto (Amahiko) Uzumaki.

More team bonding next chapter! And the Wave arc ft Zabuza & Haku, who I might make not die because I just low key want them to live.

Chapter 9: Secrets Unlocked

("Baby brother!" Hanako's musical voice filled the room, "What are you doing here?"

Amahiko turned to look at his sister coming down the hospital's halls like a hurricane.

She was walking fast, heels clicking as she made her way to her brother. Hiding his arm behind him, he yanked Yuudai closer to him to hide his bleeding shoulder. Akane snickered to herself while Raiden looked like he wanted to be exactly anywhere else at the moment. Putting on his best smile, the newly minted jōnin gave his sister a convincing look.

"I'm fine, nee-chan. Just here for a checkup. We all are. Right guys?"

Yuudai coughed, Akane stopped laughing, and Raiden just stared at her with wide eyes. Hanako gave them a raised brow but backed up nevertheless, looking at the four in suspicion. She had her clipboard in hand, and bloody rags were still peeking out of her pocket. She'd probably just gotten out of surgery.

"Hiko-hime, if you're hurt-" She began, only to be cut off.

"Stop using that nickname!" Amahiko's face was as red as his hair, "By the Sage, I'm a jōnin now! I'm fifteen!"

"Your rank and age have nothing to do with the fact that you'll always be my baby brother." She smiled before rolling her eyes, "Fine, though, you win. I have patients to tend to. If any of you are actually sick, check in at the front desk."

Amahiko turned to look at his friends once she was gone, "Look, if I go up there with this gash they'll just call her right back down here and I'll get my ass chewed out by her and kaa-san."

"What are we supposed to do?" Raiden grouched, "None of us are skilled enough healers."

The Uzumaki boy stilled for a moment then looked at Raiden and Yuudai with a sly grin, "You guys can heal my arm."

"Nope." Raiden turned to walk out, "No way, I'm not qualified!"

"I'm game." Yuudai's smile was one part eager and one part vaguely concerned, "My taichou has been saying I need a living person to practice on. She said I can't make my own patients, but Raiden did this, so technically..."

"Look, I already apologized." The boy in question huffed, "And, Hiko, you need to get that checked out by a professional. Now."

"You and Yuudai are professional enough for me." Amahiko smiled and dragged the two budding medics in question out of the hospital with Akane laughing behind them.)

Opening his eyes, instead of seeing the crashing waves of Uzushio and hearing the seagulls sing their enchanting song, he was met with the stark white ceiling of Kakashi's apartment.

A heavy feeling settled in his chest as he stood from his bed and began to dress. His team had their first C-rank mission today, the Hokage agreeing pretty quickly if only because Kakashi was starting to twitch every time they got a new D-rank. So they got an escort mission, one all the way to the Land of Waves.

His heart ached, thoughts of Yuudai and the ocean swirling in his head. Memories of when he was protected on the island of his namesake. Better times, certainly long past but never forgotten.

He could smell vegetables being cooked in the kitchen, most definitely Yamato's doing as Kakashi would rather eat glass than cook. Part of Naruto was pretty sure it was largely an act to annoy Yamato, but he didn't point it out. He'd been living with Kakashi for a month now, and it was strange to think how different his life was two months ago before he'd become a genin. He had friends, now, and family. It was crazy to think he had family, but that's what Kakashi technically was now as his legal guardian. 

Opening the door, he padded into the kitchen and waved hello at Yamato, collapsing onto the cushions on the floor, still in his pajamas.

"Maa, you say I'm the lazy one." Kakashi appeared moments later, lifting Naruto's feet to move them so he could get past, "Out of the way."

"No." The blond jerked his foot out of his sensei's hand, kicking upwards.

"Listen, if you kick me in the face-" The jōnin dodged easily, grabbing the foot again and twisting Naruto so he was out of the way.

"I'm not gonna kick you in the face." Naruto snarked back, "Sadly, you'd dodge."

Yamato snorted from the kitchen, taking the pans off the stove and setting plates around the table, "I hate to break this up, Senpai, but did you get anything of use last night?"

Kakashi sneered, "No. The bastard's office was empty. No trace of anything. He knows not to keep anything of importance in there; he's so cocky he doesn't even have the security seals activated."

"It would be in ROOT headquarters then." Yamato's face darkened, glancing at Naruto out of the corner of his eye, "I could-"

"No." Kakashi interrupted firmly, "You're not going back down there."

Naruto glanced up, eyeing the two of them and the tension that hung thick in the air.

Ever since he'd come home that night he regained his memories, he'd told Kakashi about the assassination attempt. His sensei had been livid in a way that was almost unnoticeable. He was very quiet, but Naruto could see the anger burning in his uncovered eye. Yamato had talked him down from killing the old war hawk then and there, citing that they should know what Danzō wanted before they made their move. 

He'd hovered a lot since then; Yamato, Kakashi, or his teammates were with him everywhere he went. Sakura and Sasuke weren't filled in on the whole assassination plot, but they could sense there was something going on and see how protective Kakashi had gotten. They'd even met Yamato, courtesy of Naruto dragging the man to Ichiraku's and bumping into his teammates along the way. Then they started coming over to Kakashi's as well, and it was all downhill from there.

Speaking of, Naruto perked up when he sensed their chakra and was already half off of the cushion before either jōnin could blink.

"Sakura and Sasuke are here, Senpai." Yamato glanced over at the silver-haired man right before there was a soft knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Naruto announced.

He flung the door open, giving his teammates a grin as Kakashi groaned in the background. He regrets the day he ever let the brats come over and visit Naruto. It had turned into a sleepover and, even though he swore it would never happen again after hearing the giggling all night, he gave in every time one of them batted puppy eyes at him. It was usually Sakura, sometimes Naruto, and Sasuke just tried to glare him into submission.

He was pretty sure the two spent more time in his apartment than in their own homes, and this place was not big enough for all of them. 

The changes that had been made to his apartment over the past month were very clear to him. Instead of two chairs around his tiny kitchen table, five were now crammed in there which led to little to no elbow room for everyone involved. His cabinets were now filled with instant ramen cups and fruits and vegetables that Yamato had insisted on buying. His kohai said that he had a child now and it was the responsible thing to have healthy food around.

Kakashi called bullshit on that when said child could pack away at least ten large servings of ramen at Ichiraku's when allowed. He did make sure to keep plenty of tomatoes on hand, though. Sasuke really liked them for some reason and even managed a small smile when offered one. 

The two little gremlins were already dressed for the day when they entered, smiling at Yamato widely. Sakura darted forward and gave him a hug as she usually did, Yamato patting her on the back before he turned to the pots and skillets he'd taken off the stove.

"Hope you made extra," Kakashi announced from the ground, laying on cushions and dog beds with an arm thrown over his face.

"I always do," Yamato responded without missing a beat, beginning to shovel scrambled eggs out onto the plates.

"Kaka-sensei!" Sakura bounced over, nudging him with her foot, "I brought a fish back from asphyxiation yesterday!"

He moved the arm to squint up at her, "I thought yesterday was our day off."

"For you." Sasuke shrugged.

"Why do I feel shown up by my own students?" He asked rhetorically.

Sasuke responded anyway because he's a little shit, "Because you're lazy."

"Be nice!" Sakura reminded, "Besides, Kaka-sensei needed a day off."

She was right. Kakashi did need a day off, or a week off, or he could just become a missing-nin and flee Konoha forever and escape the various issues that had cropped up the past month. He sighed, sitting up and leaning back against a bookshelf.

"Maa, thank you, Sakura-chan." He grumbled.

Yamato cut their conversation off, "Breakfast is ready."

The three brats were around the table in an instant. Kakashi squinted at him and Yamato gave him a little smile from where he sat between Naruto and Sakura. How awful, his kohai was able to steal his genin away so easily with the promise of food. Thinking for a second, Kakashi decided he didn't really mind. Gave him a break from the brats every once in a while. They always came back soon enough, anyway. Too soon sometimes in his own humble opinion.

Sasuke had immediately gone for the bowl of sliced tomato, Kakashi noted as he took his seat. He ate in peace; none of his brats were even curious as to what was under his mask anymore, which was as relieving as it was annoying.

He wouldn't deny he liked to mess with them, but he was also surprised at how respectful they were. More respectful than some of the jōnin he worked with, anyways. Outside of them, he didn't need to worry about Yamato. The man had seen his face a long time ago, and more than once.

"So, Naruto!" Sakura started off the conversation as she put jam on a piece of toast, "I was looking at some maps, and apparently the island that was allegedly the Land of Whirlpools is only about fifty miles north of the Land of Waves!"

Kakashi froze, glancing over at Naruto. The boy seemed shocked, mouth hanging open a bit as he stared at his teammate in wonder. None of them here knew what it was like to have your entire people wiped out, your whole culture gone in what everyone else considered a footnote of a needless war.

Well, maybe Sasuke could relate, Kakashi thought grimly. The Hatake Clan had started with his father and would probably end with himself, Kakashi knew. There wasn't culture there, hundreds of years of techniques and family. It was still an open, festering wound, but he felt more sympathy for his two students than empathy brought about by shared experience.

"Isn't this good news?" Sakura clapped her hands together, bouncing up and down slightly in her chair in her excitement, "Naruto, we could take you to see your clan's homeland! Your birthright! I mean, sure, it may be not that great now, but I thought you'd like to see where your mother was born-!"

He cut her off with a firm nod, "Y-yeah, it is. Thank you, Sakura."

Sasuke glanced over at Kakashi, eyebrows raised, "So, we're going?"

He made it sound more like a statement than a question. Kakashi sighed as he contemplated both the Uchiha and his answer. Naruto and Sakura were both rays of sunshine and over their past two months as a team, Sasuke had turned into a bonafide bodyguard. He looked over at Sakura's pleading eyes and Naruto's hopeful expression and caved.

"No one knows about this." He threatened, pointing his butter knife at the three brats.

"Of course." Naruto smiled deviously.

"Who would we even tell, sensei?" Sakura batted her lashes in faux innocence.

Sasuke only nodded.

"We need to go soon." He announced in lieu of a response to his students.

"Now he wants to be on time." Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Yamato nodded, "I'll take care of the plants while you're away."

Kakashi sighed, "You would even if I told you not to."

Sakura gently tugged on a piece of Naruto's hair that had grown out to about his chin as they walked out the door, "Are you growing it out, or do you just need a haircut?"

"Growing it out." Naruto smiled slightly, "Maybe you can teach me to braid it when it gets a bit longer."

(Fuji reached out and ruffled Amahiko's hair, the long red strands growing out longer than he usually allowed. 

His elder brother laughed slightly, rolling his green eyes in exasperation, "You growing it out too, Hiko-hime? Am I being peer pressured to grow my hair out by my own siblings? Soon Nanami and I will be the only ones wearing it short."

Amahiko smiled, ducking out of his brother's reach and fixing the messed up hair, "Shima-nii is showing me how to put it up in a ponytail and bun. He even said he's giving me a pair of hair sticks!"

"Not the flowery ones?" His brother raised an eyebrow.

"I'll wear the flowery ones if I please." Amahiko crossed his arms, "But no. If you must know, he said he'd give me a pair Nanami gave him when she cut her hair. The gold ones with the charms on the end."

"Charms?" Fuji snorted, "You'll be dangling wherever you go. I guess Hiko-hime is a fitting nickname, huh?"

Amahiko scowled slightly, "You'll be saying that when I kick your ass again when we spar!"

"My tantō has it covered, baby brother." He patted the blade at his side, "We'll see what Tenma-oji-san has taught you."

"Katsuro's blade is well made. You're no match." Amahiko stuck out his tongue, "You'll see."

"Whatever." Fuji laughed a little, "And I guess the hair is fitting, all the Uzukage seem to have long hair. Ashina, Sayua, Tenma, now you."

"Not Uzukage yet." The younger brother smiled, "I like growing my hair out, though, so thank you.")

"I guess you could make it work." Sakura snickered slightly, not noticing him zoning out for a moment, "Make it long enough and I'll have my mom show you how to make a bun like mine. We'll match!"

"Then we just need Sasuke to grow his out. The braided bun team!" Naruto let out a snort, his mind just not comprehending the idea of Sasuke with long or braided hair, "Maybe we'll get Kaka-sensei in on it too!"

"Of course." She nodded solemnly, "We couldn't leave our dear sensei out."

They snickered all the way to the village's gates, Kakashi and Sasuke talking about something mundane at the front as they made the long trek through the shinobi district and then the civilian parts of town. Their client hadn't arrived by the time they got there, so the team made themselves comfortable. 

"Will we still be training while we're gone, sensei?" Sakura asked, leaning against a tree, the branches falling down like a crown around her head.

"Why, hoping I'd go easy on you?" Kakashi asked, nose stuck in his bright orange book, "This isn't a vacation."

"Not what I meant." She huffed, glaring at him slightly, "And good. I want another earth-style jutsu out of you."

Kakashi groaned, "I hate having to actually teach."

Sakura only rolled her eyes.

"If we have the chance, I finally picked out your fire jutsu, Naruto." Sasuke spoke up, "I think it'll suit you."

The blond grinned widely, "Aww, you put time into picking one out for me?"

Sasuke sputtered slightly at the tone of voice before snarling, "No. I meant I grabbed a random one. You'll just have to deal with it, idiot."

"Did you hear that, Sakura?" Naruto ignored that last comment completely.

"Mmhm." She nodded sagely, "Concrete evidence that Sasuke does, in fact, care."

Their tormenting of the last Uchiha was rudely interrupted by their client. His name was Tazuna, and he wasn't exactly sober. It made Naruto want to deck him, which wasn't great seeing as it was their job to protect the man. Maybe if he kept his mouth shut, they'd all have an easier time of it.

"You sure these brats will get the job done?" Tazuna grouched at Kakashi, "I hired you for protection. Are they gonna cut it?"

Sadly, he did not keep his mouth shut at all.

"I think we'll cut it just fine," Sasuke said with a sharp smile.

Kakashi ignored them all, only sighing deeply and waving them out, the group making their way through the forests at a normal speed so Tazuna could keep up.

"So, Tazuna-san?" Naruto looked at the man skeptically, "Does your country export a lot of fish?"

"Eh?" The old man looked up, slightly nervous at the question, "What do ya mean?"

"Nothing, I just really like tuna and I've heard your nation had some of the best in years past." Naruto's smile was placid, "I'm a fish enthusiast."

The man looked at him strangely before relaxing, "Yeah, some of the best fish around. Used to export a lot more before Gato took over imports and exports. We don't do shit nowadays."

The blond boy frowned, and Tazuna saw actual sadness in the boy's eyes, "That's sad to hear."

Why did this kid give a shit? The bridge builder huffed, turning back around and leaving the genin to their sensei.

"Kaka-sensei?" Sakura looked at the spiky-haired man, "Why doesn't Wave have any ninja?"

"Many countries don't." Kakashi continued to read his book as they walked, "Only Konoha, Kumo, Suna, Iwa, and Kiri have the big hidden villages. Others have smaller ones, less known, but usually, they don't last long."

Naruto blinked at the man, "Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"I'm going to burn each and every one of those books one day, you know that right?"

The man twitched slightly, "Well, then, Sasuke had better teach you that hand-picked jutsu pretty quick, hmm?"

The Uchiha glared at their sensei, sneering, "I'll do it for him."

Naruto wiped a fake tear from his eye, "I knew I could always count on you, Sasuke-kun!"

Sakura snorted in laughter and Sasuke only twitched.

Tazuna watched the events unfold with confusion. What the hell were Konoha nin smoking?

They continued on silently from there on, Naruto stewing silently over Wave's plight. Gato, huh? Surely he could do a little side mission, take care of the asshole for good and liberate Wave once and for all. He knew he could take care of the man and whatever cronies the goon hired no problem, but escaping Kakashi's sight...that was the issue. The man had been as good as an overprotective father since the assassination, and Naruto had a fat chance of being able to sneak off.

He rubbed his eyes slightly, the early morning sun giving everything a soft golden glow, and only faltered slightly when he saw a puddle on the ground. It was a completely clear day and there was apparently a puddle?

How fucking stupid did they think he was?

"Kakashi-sensei-?"

"I know, Naruto."

The boy narrowed his eyes. Sakura glanced over at him, halting her conversation with Tazuna, which grabbed Sasuke's attention, and soon they were both looking at him. They asked a wordless question with their eyes and he only got to nod his head slightly when the puddle exploded.

The shuriken chain shot out and wrapped around Kakashi and the two shinobi that had revealed themselves pulled hard. The body burst into shreds of blood and flesh, the remnants splashing to the floor.

Naruto was revolted for only a minute, but he heard Sakura scream and knew he had to act. Sasuke had apparently gotten the same memo and launched himself at the nearest one, landing a hit on the man's head. He breezed through the hand seals for a fireball jutsu while Sakura threw herself back, landing in front of Tazuna and whipping out a kunai. She looked fierce, but Naruto could tell she was forcing herself to not shake.

As Sasuke tried to burn the first enemy to a crisp, Naruto got up close and personal with the other one. It was then that he saw their headbands; they were Kirigakure shinobi. Perhaps missing-nin, but they were born and bred Kiri shinobi regardless.

He felt anger wash over him, and his hands shook as he slowly reached for the blades on his back. The enemy shinobi simply laughed in his face a mere moment before Naruto shot forward, kicking the man in the chest with every ounce of strength he had. The man crashed to the ground before scrambling to sit up only to meet the blade of a nagamaki and a pair of cold eyes.

Naruto was used to being underestimated.

He pulled his arm back and let one of the blades swing down effortlessly, decapitating the man in a clean cut. Flicking the blood off the nagamaki, he sheathed them both with the promise to clean them later and turned to where Sakura and Sasuke stood with Kakashi in front of them. Tazuna looked more afraid of Naruto than anything, and that didn't sit well with the blond. So he forced what he hopes was an easy smile and shrugged.

"Well, that's taken care of." Naruto was still grinning as he approached his team.

---

Kakashi hadn't intended to leave them on their own very long, he'd just wanted to discern their target. The Demon Brothers of Kiri were not highly ranked as together they only managed a C in combat. They only achieved their overall ranking of a B because of their skill in assassination jutsu, which clearly wasn't working as well as the two thought it would. However, just as he suspected, the two nin seemed to go immediately after Tazuna. They wanted the bridge builder dead.

Narrowing his visible eye, he was ready to leap down into the fray and dispose of them when he saw his students leap into action. Sasuke quite literally used one of their heads as a springboard and then proceeded to throw two fireballs the man's way, effectively burning the enemy nin to an absolute crisp. Sakura breezed past Sasuke, putting herself in front of the client as she pushed him out of the line of fire, and kunai in hand as she prepared herself for a fight.

She reminded Kakashi of someone, what with the way she forced herself not to shake and put on a fierce gaze in the face of an enemy.

Rin.

He froze slightly, realizing he had lost track of his blond brat. Searching for Naruto, he quickly found him standing in front of the Kiri nin...shaking. Kakashi was caught off guard for a moment. Naruto, out of all of them, was shaking in fear? Then he saw the way the boy brought his hand to his nagamaki and unsheathed them in a slow manner. A challenge. Knitting his brows together, Kakashi stopped to think for a second. He wasn't shaking in fear, he could tell now, but in anger. Why would Naruto be angry at the Kiri nin?

Because Uzushio and the Uzumaki were destroyed because of them. Of fucking course. Naruto grew up in Konoha, Uzushio's sister village, and attended the same academy as everyone else. The curriculum had used to cover it extensively, and Kakashi was certain Iruka wouldn't have changed it. He knew all about the fall of his homeland, so of course, he had a grudge against Kiri and likely Iwa as well. 

Fair enough. Iwa and Kiri would likely see him dead given any opportunity, so it all evened out. 

He watched the fight closely, looking for when he needed to intervene, and was slightly confused when he saw Naruto run full speed at the remaining demon brother. Then he kicked the ever-living shit out of the guy, sending him tumbling to the ground, and Kakashi fought back a laugh at the image of a twelve-year-old completely decimating a grown adult.

He dropped down to where Sakura and Sasuke stood with Tazuna, and let him just say he was kind of annoyed because they didn't even look surprised. He watched the events play out with morbid fascination as the enemy struggled for a second then got up only to be halted by the blade of a nagamaki.

Naruto held him there for a moment, still leaking killing intent like he was a fully grown ninja, before he swung his arm back and down to cut through the neck in one clean slice, the head rolling one way as the body fell over the other. Kakashi was slightly concerned about Naruto's mental health, but he couldn't exactly judge on that front. Pot meet kettle and all that.

"Remind me not to piss that kid off." Tazuna seemed a bit pale.

"That's just the beginning." Sasuke crossed his arms as Naruto approached, a clearly fake smile on his face.

"Well, that's taken care of." He nodded at Kakashi, "Good to see you aren't actually chopped up."

Kakashi put his hand over his heart, "I'm so touched."

Tazuna's brows furrowed. Again, what the fuck was wrong with these people?

"Now, team, clearly this isn't within your rank..." He started out sarcastically, purposefully ignoring the snorts he got from his students, "Would you like to head back to the village?"

"Sage, no!" Naruto scoffed, "It just got interesting!"

"He's right." Sasuke crossed his arms, "It's a good learning experience."

Sakura nodded sagely, "I still need to kill someone, too. Eh, that sounds bad but...Naruto and Sasuke did, and I can't afford to freeze up on another, higher-ranked mission. We have to keep going."

He was so proud.

"Although, Tazuna-san." Naruto looked at the man with a cool gaze, "It would be wise to not lie to Konoha in the future."

Sasuke nodded, "I'm guessing it was a matter of finances, but maybe you should be upfront about it next time. You'll find Konoha is pretty sympathetic when you don't lie."

Did he mention he was fucking proud?

"You did well, Sasuke. Going after the enemy immediately was impressive. Sakura, you went to protect the client, that's good. No one else thought to do that, and there could've always been another ninja lurking in the woods. Naruto, excellent form with your nagamaki. You've been practicing, that was a clean cut." Kakashi nodded, mostly to himself. 

Positive affirmations were something good senseis did, right? He wondered for a moment if Kurenai congratulated her students on successful decapitations. If she didn't, she should start; cutting through the neck like that was actually pretty difficult.

---

They approached the docks, the scent of the sea overwhelming and the dirt slowly turning to soft sand beneath their feet.  As Kakashi and Tazuna spoke with the small, rickety boat captain, Naruto knelt down in the damp sand and held his hand out, letting the water run over his palms.

He saw fish through the clear water, small little schools of them edging along the shore, and watched with a smile as they swam up to his hand and peppered it with kisses. The water brushed his knees as the tide rose slightly as if to lure him into a comforting hug.

The sea would always welcome her children home, and the Uzumaki were nothing if not her children.

"Naruto?" Sakura stood behind him, just enough so the water wouldn't wet her feet, "Do you like the ocean?"

"Yeah." He spoke softly, turning his head to look and her and Sasuke, "I've...always wanted to see it in real life. I saw pictures in books, but..."

"It doesn't compare," Sasuke said, looking out at the water with awe.

He forgets sometimes that Sakura and Sasuke have never left Fire Country, or Konoha, really. They'd gone on small trips right outside the village for field trips when they were younger, but aside from that, this was their first adventure beyond the borders of their homeland. 

He looked back down at the calm water, the fog still curling around the top as it was prone to do in the mornings. Uzushio had always been encased in fog, the whole country of Whirlpools was known for it; it had been a gentle mist, just enough to dampen your skin walking through the streets in the morning.

The seagulls would be perched on the fences by the dock, crying into the mist as the fishermen dragged their nets to their boats. Merchants would be setting up shop, their stands and booths adorned with vibrant colors of orange, red, yellow, pink, and purple. The sun-bleached buildings stood tall with strings of lanterns and flags hanging from roof to roof. Every day was like a festival, a celebration of life.

Heaven on earth, his grandmother had once called it.

"You three coming?" Tazuna called out to them, "Your, ah, teacher is already on board!"

Naruto stood and brushed the sand from his damp knees, smiling at his teammates who were respectfully quiet in the face of his obvious grief.

Sasuke knew what it was like for your clan, your culture, to be exterminated. For Naruto to have never known them, though...for him to not even recognize the legacy he was meant to carry was crushing. The Uchiha remembered the cold way Naruto had killed their enemy, and it was clearly about more than just protecting Tazuna. For the Uzumaki, it had been a personal confrontation. Kiri and Iwa destroyed his homeland, his people.

Sasuke knew it was a foolish notion, but somehow it made him feel better. He wasn't the only one bearing the weight of the dead, wasn't the only one cursed with the task of hatred and vengeance. 

"Everyone, keep it at a whisper." The captain spoke as they boarded.

Kakashi was up by the captain with Sakura and Sasuke in the middle and Naruto in the back with Tazuna. The bridge builder looked at the strange blond with high cheekbones and tan skin, as if he'd been raised under the sun. Everything about him, right down to the orange shirt he wore under his black haori, reminded him of the people who visited Wave when it was only a village. Back when Tazuna was not even old enough to be in school, the inhabitants of the other distant island would come looking for foreign fish. They had the same facial structure, the same tint to their skin, and the same way they walked and talked. A culture of their own.

The boy had that same look about him; it was as if he was an islander misplaced on a landlocked continent. Tazuna could see it in the way he looked at the ocean, at the way the water seemed to rise up and meet his hand like an old friend. 

"Do you have family in Wave?" Tazuna whispered to the boy as their sensei discussed something with the pink-haired one and the broody boy.

Naruto glanced up, and smiled slightly, "No, no family in Wave."

That was strange.

"Any family who belong to the islands?" Tazuna scratched his head, "You sure look like some of the folks who grew up on them."

"My mother did." His expression was wistful, "I never got to see our homeland. It was destroyed before I was born."

His eyebrows rose, "Destroyed? Are you-?"

"An Uzumaki?" The blond grinned, "I know, I don't look it."

Tazuna thought back to those elegant people, the ones with blades strapped to their backs just like his, and how they looked like they didn't belong anywhere else but on the sea. Tazuna shook his head slightly, "Trust me, kid, you do."

He got a small smile from the boy, but his eyes were still sad. Tazuna wondered what it would be like to not grow up in Wave Country, where his grandparents and great-grandparents and generations before that were born and raised and died. The old man looked away from the sad picture of a kid and instead focused on the familiar, looming form of the mainland approaching.

"Tazuna-san." The Uzumaki's voice was extremely quiet, "I won't allow anyone else to lose their homeland. Gato won't know what hit him."

He thought back to the ruthlessness this kid had when dispatching that assassin, and he actually had hope for the first time in a long time.

The forest beyond the shore was not as dense as it was in Fire Country, but it still provided decent enough cover as they made the trek to Tazuna's home. Naruto could still smell the salt of the sea that seemed to permeate Wave, a comfort he knew he would miss back in Konoha. Sakura and Sasuke flanked him on both sides with Tazuna right in front of them. Sakura and Sasuke were focused on the foreign landscape, the bright flowers and flora only found in tropical climates like Wave; they'd never seen anything close to it around Konoha.

"Sensei, do countries like Wave not have any daimyo?" Sakura looked at their teacher, "You know, someone to control trade and keep everything legal?"

"Some countries, like this one, aren't big enough to have things like daimyos." Kakashi glanced back, "Wave is still a relatively new country, unlike Fire Country which has been around since before Konoha. Many greedy people, like Gato, try and leech on to these countries while they're still vulnerable."

"That's why we need this bridge." Tazuna explained, "Once we're connected to the mainland, he won't control the only way in and out of the country anymore."

"Therefore he won't control imports and exports." Sasuke nodded to himself, "A wise plan if you can get it done without getting killed."

The old man laughed humorlessly, "That's why you're here."

Naruto rolled his eyes slightly before he sensed something that made him tense. Extreme bloodlust, and some highly negative emotions with pretty big chakra reserves to back it all up. Whoever it was watched them from the shadows of the sparse trees, waiting to pounce. He looked around at his team, trying to tell if any of them sensed it as he did. Probably not. He flared his chakra sharply, succeeding in grabbing the attention of their sensei, who looked back at him with a wide eye. 

"Naruto?" Kakashi said sharply, "What's wrong-?"

They all heard the air being cut through and turned just in time to see the huge zanbato flying towards Tazuna at a startling speed.

"Down!" Sakura shrieked, grabbing Tazuna and pulling him to the ground as everyone else followed suit and ducked with them.

The sword embedded itself deep into a tree, and their enemy body flickered to stand on it and look down at their huddled group. The man wore bandages around the bottom half of his face like a mask, and baggy pants with a striped pattern that gave away his village far before his headband ever did. Naruto raised an eyebrow; another ex-shinobi of Kirigakure? What a day. 

"Zabuza Momochi." Kakashi stood slowly, motioning for his students to stay behind him, "Missing-nin from Kiri."

"The Copy Cat Ninja, eh?" Zabuza looked over the four shinobi, "And three genin. I'll make you a deal; hand over the old man, and I might let you live."

Kakashi scoffed, and Zabuza tore his sword from the tree, jumping to land on the lake beside it. He began amassing a huge amount of chakra, and Naruto could already guess what the man was going to do.

Sneering, he remembered the Invasion of Uzu. The island had been covered in mist just like this, though it hadn't done Kiri or Iwa any good. It only confused the Iwa ninja, and the majority of Uzu's shinobi, Uzumaki or not, had been able to sense them through the thick fog regardless. Reaching, he pulled his nagamaki free from their sheaths on his back. Sakura, on his left, readied a kunai in each hand. To his right, Sasuke held a shuriken at his side. 

"What is this sensei?" Sakura spoke steadily, eyes darting around to try and take stock of what was happening around her, "Why does the mist keep getting thicker?"

"It's an assassination technique, Kiri likes to call it Silent Killing." Kakashi pulled up his headband to reveal a red iris with three black tomoe in it, "You die before you even realize what happened."

Naruto nearly did a double-take and saw his teammates have similar reactions. The kekkei genkai of Indra's descendants? Giving Kakashi a quick glance, he swore he'd weasel that story out of the man eventually.

On the outside, the blond merely grinned sardonically, "Fitting that it's Kiri's specialty, the village of cowards that they are."

Sasuke, meanwhile, looked at the man's eye in confusion and tentative outrage. The dōjutsu of his clan? How in the ever-loving hell...? He gripped his shuriken tighter as he felt the killing intent from Zabuza weigh down on him like a ton of bricks. Forget any anger, he figured as the mist swirled around his feet. If Kakashi got him and his team out of this alive, all transgressions were forgiven.

Kakashi barely spared them a glance as he readied for the attack, "Watch over the client."

A figure charged out of the mist, leaping towards Kakashi at startling speed. Their sensei dodged whatever blows the missing-nin might have landed and sliced him clean in half, the body leaking water instead of blood. Naruto narrowed his eyes, seeing a shadow approach their sensei from behind. He watched the missing-nin cut completely through Kakashi, only to reveal another water clone in his place.

They battled back and forth, Kakashi going overtime in order to protect both himself and his students and client. It wasn't working out for him well, Naruto thought with gritted teeth. He was making mistakes in the process of trying to keep Zabuza away from them. Finally, it all caught up to Kakashi, the zanbato headed right for his chest. Naruto could sense this wasn't a clone, it was very much the real Kakashi who was about to die trying to save their lives.

Chakra burned in his chest and a bright white chain shot out like a nocked arrow. It barreled right at the weapon, knocking it from Zabuza's hands as the brilliant light illuminated their stunned expressions. They burned white, like moonlight washing around him and everyone else in the clearing as they glowed.

The chains barely grasped Zabuza's arm, before the man shot the blond a wide-eyed, stumped look and grappled with them for a moment as he grabbed his weapon before retreating into the mist. If this guy thought retreating into the mist like a coward would help him, he had another thing coming.

Sensing exactly where he was, the chains lashed out again, this time directly into the thick of the mist. They struck the man and Naruto felt the results immediantly. The chakra drained from it's target, the chains acting like a siphon that drained its prey of energy. The mist thinned, and Naruto could see his chains get sliced off by the hulking sword the man carried. Retracting them back into his chest, he glanced over to see Kakashi giving him a look.

A mix of his usual 'we'll talk about this later' look and pride.

He allowed his chains to disappear completely and resigned himself to the fact that he'd never truly get revenge on Kiri, or Iwa for that matter. But kicking the hell out of their ninja whenever the opportunity presented itself was good enough for him. Zabuza charged out of the mist, zanbato lifted like a cleaver as he gave Kakashi with a fierce glare.

"What the fuck is Konoha doing?" He snarled, "Is that a fucking Uzumaki? Where the fuck did you get an Uzumaki? Kushina is dead, did you just find another one on the streets?" 

Naruto froze, looking at Zabuza with wide eyes. Kushina? That was the mysterious Uzumaki woman Konoha had sheltered? She had to be the one. His mother in this life. He grieved her for just a moment, mourned that she was dead and he would never get to meet the ferocious woman himself. 

He'd tried everything as a kid short of begging to get the Sandaime to tell him anything about his parents, be it their names, or what they looked like. Even trivial facts, like their favorite foods or if they liked pranks. He'd always remained tight-lipped, never telling Naruto even a kernel of information. When he was older and wiser and checked the clan registry in the library, her name had been redacted. S-level information, apparently.

The Kiri ninja had paused for a moment, eyes trailing over to Naruto, "Huh."

"Be quiet." Kakashi snapped, readying another attack, "You don't know anything."

Zabuza chuckled lowly, "I think I know plenty. They were in our bingo books too, you know?"

They? His mother and...his father?

Without another word, Zabuza charged Kakashi with a roar, swinging at him only for their sensei to duck and hold a kunai to Zabuza's throat. The man only chuckled as Kakashi cut his throat, revealing another clone. The real Zabuza appeared behind him and kicked him in the chest, digging his zanbato into the ground for leverage. Their sensei went flying through the air as Zabuza pulled his blade free, spinning it easily to dislodge the dirt. Sakura gasped, seeing their sensei come out of the water as Zabuza landed on the surface of the lake, holding his arm out.

"Suirō no Jutsu (Water Prison Technique)!" The man chuckled, a swirling ball of water encasing the jōnin, "Escaping through the water? Bad idea, Hatake. I'll finish you off soon enough, but first, you get to see your brats die."

He made three water clones, all of them running to where the genin stood their ground in front of Tazuna. The mist grew thicker once more, and one of the clones sneered at them all, "You think that headband makes you a ninja, eh?"

The second clone pointed the zanbato at the three of them, "When you've hovered between life and death so many times it doesn't faze you...then you might be called a ninja."

Naruto rolled his eyes, batting off the same killing intent that made Sakura and Sasuke shake easily.

The third clone joined the rest in a line, "To call puny little upstarts like you ninja? Pathetic."

They disappeared and Naruto could sense the clones in the mist; only one was coming directly at them. He could vaguely hear Kakashi screaming at them, probably to run, but nothing could be heard over the sound of Zabuza's laughter echoing around them. He pushed Sakura back toward Tazuna and readied himself for the attack.

"Ugh!" Sasuke went flying backward, knocked into the dirt.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shrieked, pushing Tazuna back farther from the clones as she lifted a kunai.

Naruto snarled, leaping between the clone and the Uchiha. Gathering a portion of his chakra, he let it bleed out into the mist around them and compacted it. Zabuza's clone raised his zanbato, ready to cleave him in half, only to be stopped by a thick wall of water. Naruto pushed the chakra apart with his hands, the crushed them together.

The water formed spikes around Zabuza before stabbing straight through him, the clone dispersing as it was made into a pincushion. Allowing the water to fall, Naruto looked at the other two clones now sprinting towards him. Pulling Sasuke up by the arm, he dragged his teammate back towards Sakura.

"Stay here!" He shouted, before tearing towards the two clones. As long as Sakura and Sasuke were out of the way, he wouldn't have to worry about any friendly fire hurting them.

Forming a hand seal and nicking himself on the top of his arm just enough to draw blood, he created a blood clone and sent it forward as he jumped back long enough to release one of the seals on his arm. The clone was flimsy and rushed, and he'd created far better before, but it'd do to hold off the Zabuza clones long enough for him to prepare. He was a Fūinjutsu Master, after all. That's what he was best at.

---

Sakura couldn't breathe, watching Naruto duel the two clones. He looked like he was getting sluggish and tired, and she knew he couldn't keep this up. Looking over, she saw Sasuke staring at the fight blankly and grabbed his arm, shaking him.

"Sasuke, Naruto is going to die if we don't help him!" The Uchiha said nothing, and she felt like crying, "Sasuke! Can you even hear me?"

Crying wouldn't get her anywhere though, and she looked up just in time to see Naruto get stabbed through the middle. In the mist, she could see nothing but the blood pouring out, see nothing but him collapsing in a heap on the ground. She heard Sasuke scream at the same time she did, and the only thought she had was that she had medical supplies in her bag.

She had to get to him, if she didn't get to him he would die.

Running forward at the same time as her fellow teammate, she felt something spur her on. It soothed the ache in her bones and pushed her to go. She had to go.

"Naruto!" She shrieked as she approached, seeing the two clones of Zabuza turn towards her and Sasuke, "You...you get away from him!"

It was like an explosion.

She heard Sasuke snarl at the same time she screamed, and the ground began to rumble. Large, slithering, vine-like forms erupted out of the dampened earth as Sakura fell beside Naruto's body. She allowed tears to fall, jerking her bag off her as she prepared her chakra. She'd healed a few minor wounds before when she went to the hospital during her spare time. This, though...looking at the gaping wound and Naruto's dim eyes made her sick.

She checked for a pulse in his neck and then his wrist, desperate for confirmation of life and coming up empty. She felt like her chest had been carved out, and she took a heaving breath in as the weight of reality crushed her. The forms of earth erupting from the ground reacted to her grief and charged toward the Zabuza clones at the same time she screamed, gripping them like a vice and pulling them apart. The mist dissipated right after, leaving the scene in front of them clear. Sakura heard Sasuke's gasp and looked up, right as the Naruto on the ground before her vanished.

"Um..." Naruto stood before them, hands froze in unfinished seals, "Guys...?"

Sakura's lips trembled as she leaped up, smacking him on the arm as hard as she could, "You idiot! We thought you died!"

"Guys?" Naruto was looking at the scene in front of him with wide eyes, "I don't...understand?"

Sakura turned around and her eyes widened. The ground had been totally ripped apart, and what she had thought were vines in passing glance were actually huge wooden tendrils. Gasping slightly, she turned to look at Sasuke who was equally wide-eyed. Wide, red-eyed. As is, the iris of his eyes had turned red and had one black tomoe spinning in them frantically. Looking between the frozen wooden forms which erupted from the ground like a deadly jungle gym, and at Sasuke, who had somehow unlocked the Sharingan...she found herself feeling somewhat light-headed.

"Okay..." Naruto looked between the two of them, "I'm just...well. Let's go...get sensei?"

Sakura nodded numbly, and Sasuke silently trailed after them, a dazed expression on his face.

The three made their way to where both Kakashi and Zabuza were locked in battle, Naruto tapping into his unlocked lightning chakra, ignoring the look he received from the others as he breezed through some hand seals.

"Raiton: Sanda (Lightning Release: Thunderstorm)!" 

Zabuza released the water prison to jump up from the water just as the sparks flew across the top of it, only to get dragged down and stabbed in the chest by Kakashi, who had leaped into the air as soon as he was released. Drooping the now profusely bleeding Zabuza onto the ground beside the lake, the sensei turned to look at his students with a tight expression.

"I..." He shook his head, before gesturing between all of them, "I'm not sure if I'm proud or..."

"Sensei?" Sakura pressed her hands together to stop the shaking, "What...what was all that?"

"Sakura-chan..." Kakashi sighed, "You know what Konoha needs to do? Background check the civilian families. That's what."

"Sensei?" She asked, drawing her brows together.

"Just...hold on a moment."

A very frazzled Kakashi turned and spun a kunai in his hand, reaching down to finish the job when a ninja with a painted mask appeared in front of them. Kiri's symbol was carved on top of it, and the red swirls at the bottom signified them as a hunter-nin.

The fog began to swirl around them and they silently watched the group for a moment, likely surveying potential opponents. The genin grew tense behind Kakashi until he waved them down. The ninja opened a scroll to reveal suppression seals and revealed the thick chain they carried in the other hand. 

"Konoha-san." They bowed slightly, "I have come to collect Zabuza Momochi, missing ninja, registered 001783. Thank you for your assistance in stopping him, we've been tracking him for some distance. My fellow hunter-nin and I will attach a suppression seal and take him back to Kiri for execution."

Kakashi hesitated for a moment before waving his assent. Naruto watched the ninja before him skeptically. Wouldn't they just kill him on the spot? Glancing at Sakura and Sasuke, he decided it would be wise to keep his mouth shut. Sakura looked ready to fall down, and Sasuke looked exhausted as well. Their sensei wasn't doing too hot either, and on top of all of that, they still had their client to worry about. Sighing quietly, he watched the ninja carry their opponent away before Kakashi turned around.

"Come on, Team 7." Kakashi waved them forward, "Let's get going."

"But-?"

"I'll explain later, Sakura."

Naruto looked back at the destruction and sighed, holding on to Sakura's arm as she shook like a leaf in the wind. He'd figure it all out later, everything to do with his mother and apparently the new bloodline his friends had activated, when he didn't have to worry about his team passing out on them. They retrieved Tazuna, who looked pale but also grateful, and began the long trek to his home.

Notes:

Hahaaa this took forever literally I'm so sorry. Anyways, here it is, I hope you all enjoyed it! I actually do have the next chapter ready as well, and it'll be out either Sunday or Monday after some last-minute editing.

Mokuton is here! So are the Sharingan and chakra chains. Bloodlines galore this chapter lmao.

AND KUSHINA! He learned her name in this chapter and is about to find out a lot more via Kyubi. Yeah, he has a bigger role in this too, partially because he's bored and wants to stir the pot. What ELSE is a thousand-year-old demon sealed in a Kage turned twelve-year-old supposed to do? Lmao.

Also, Sasuke talks about his trauma next chapter with Kakashi. We're gonna start having more of Sasuke's POV as he deals with all his emotions, especially regarding Itachi and the Sharingan itself. Wow, wait until he finds out Itachi was ordered to kill their clan or they'd kill Sasuke lol. Nah, don't worry, that doesn't happen until late.

Also, yeah, Zabuza totally knows about Naruto's parents. Seeing the chains and realizing he's Kushina's child makes it a very easy connection to make that he's also Minato's child. Which is, to be fair, exactly what the Sandaime was worried about.

Chapter 10: Cracked Surfaces

Sakura fidgeted in her spot between Naruto and Sasuke. Both of her teammates were as exhausted and confused as she was.

Well, maybe not Naruto. He seemed confused but other than that, he was still pretty chipper. The expression on Kakashi-sensei's face did not bode well for her. She wished she could sink in between the thick cushions and never resurface. Kakashi sat in front of them, perched backward on a lone chair he's dragged up from the dining room. She tapped her foot, a nervous tic she had yet to beat, and avoided his eyes.

They had only just arrived at Tazuna's home when Kakashi requested a room for them to stay in. Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter, had given them the spare room with a smile. The house was decently sized for the area, what with Wave being made up of small fishing villages, and Sakura was beginning to feel claustrophobic.

They were all on edge, practically radiating tension; every single one of them, still drenched in sweat, blood, and lake water. She vacantly felt guilty for dripping all over Tsunami's nice wooden floors, but the roar in her head drowned out her usually polite sensibilities. She knew their sensei was concerned, she could see it in the way his shoulders were still tense, and his visible eye was for once unsmiling. 

She wasn't dumb by any means; she knew she was the main reason for the upset. Sasuke unlocking his Sharingan wasn't unexpected, and Naruto doing weird shit wasn't exactly new. Her seemingly having a kekkei genkai that had only shown up once before in the Shodai Hokage? A bit more worrisome.

After all, it didn't take a genius to figure out she was not, in fact, Hashirama Senju. Hell, she wasn't even a Senju at all! A clanless no-name civilian like her having one of the most powerful bloodlines in Konoha's history? It was simply unfathomable.

"Sharingan, Mokuton, Chakra Chains." Kakashi spoke unexpectedly, cutting through the silence as he pointed at each of them respectively and listed off their abilities, "Is there anything else I am missing that wasn't in your damn files?"

Sakura felt like squirming, "Sensei, it's not possible."

"I know that, Sakura." He turned his eyes on her, "How else do you explain what happened, though?"

Hanging her head slightly, she didn't respond.

Naruto pursed his lips before smiling widely, grabbing her shoulder, "C'mon, Sakura-chan. This isn't a bad thing! It's amazing! No one thought Mokuton would ever appear again, and the Shodai's children didn't have it, or his grandchildren. It's a miracle when you think about it, and it's bound to help you become a kick-ass frontline medic. Do you know how talented the Shodai was at healing? Even better than Tsunade of the Sannin."

She looked up slightly, a small smile curving her lips when she felt a touch on her other shoulder. She jerked slightly at the unexpected brush, turning to see Sasuke smirking at her.

"Now you'll be more capable when we find and defeat Itachi," Sasuke smirked slightly.

Sakura's smile tripled in size at Sasuke's remark. Naruto handed out comforting compliments like candy to crying kids, but Sasuke...he must mean it.

Grabbing both the boys by the neck, she pulled the two of them in for a hug, "Team 7, forever!"

Naruto laughed, a lighter look in his eye than the team had ever seen before, "Yeah, forever!"

Sasuke grunted, "I guess."

Bringing her hand down to pinch him on the arm, Sakura glared, "C'mon, Sasuke-kun!"

She received a deep sigh in response, "Sure, forever."

Kakashi just watched the events unfold with something like nostalgia, pain, and maybe hope in his eyes. He couldn't help but wonder what would've happened if his own genin team had been this dedicated to making things work or if they had all cared about each other as Minato-sensei had cared about them. Would they have been this close? Would things have ended differently?

Ultimately, he didn't know. He had no idea how things would've changed. Still, as he watched the three chatter on like the children they were, dog piled together on the couch, and he was surprisingly glad he passed this genin team.

Only this one, though. If he had to deal with the other messes of this new generation like the second coming of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio, he would've jumped off the Hokage Monument. Yeah, Asuma can deal with that shit show, the bastard.

He refrained from thinking of the consequences this new information would surely have for the night. It was late, they were all tired, and he decided to let them be just genin for the rest of the evening. It was quite literally the most he could do; after this mission, they weren't 'just' anything any longer. They were clan heirs, bloodline heirs, and shinobi who were valuable to Konoha and dangerous to other villages.

He would need to guard them against those who meant to harm his students; be it inside or outside forces. The councils would have a field day, and it was his job to put his foot down as their sensei. The brats had no one else to do it for them; Sasuke was an orphan, Naruto was quite literally his child now, and Sakura had civilian parents with no political sway. 

Kakashi, on the other hand, had quite a bit of weight to toss around and he had no qualms about doing it.

---

As the moon rose slowly but surely, Kakashi watched as Sakura eventually passed out on the couch with Naruto on the floor beside her, both armed with only a pillow against the warm and humid night. Sasuke, on the other hand, was outside. He'd left after Tsunami dropped off dinner and they'd all eaten, claiming he was going to train. Sakura had already been half asleep, and Naruto let him go easily as he was fiddling around with something that involved a lot of ink on paper.

With his other monsters now asleep, he descended the stairs silently and took pleasure in watching Sasuke jump when he finally noticed Kakashi behind him on the stairs of the porch. He took a seat beside the silent Uchiha and looked up at the stars until an uncharacteristically small voice interrupted the quiet.

"Can I see it?"

Kakashi blinked before pushing his headband up, his one Sharingan eye on full view. Normally he would have said no or scoffed at anyone who asked, but Sasuke was different. Sasuke was an Uchiha, the last loyal one, and most importantly his student. He had no idea what had run through the kid's brain when he saw Kakashi unleash it against Zabuza; probably nothing good, ranging from murder to bloodline stealing.

He was known amongst the other jōnin as Sharingan Kakashi, but it wasn't a nickname he was happy to spread around. Sasuke had likely never heard it, likely knew nothing about his eye, and Kakashi really should have sat him down for this conversation before something like this happened.

Hindsight was always a bitch.

"How did you get it?" Sasuke asked, only a touch of apprehension seeping into his voice, "I mean, did you-"

"I didn't kill anyone for it if that's what you're asking, and I definitely didn't steal it." Kakashi said shortly, "Someone did die, though. On a mission, my eye was...badly damaged. Irreparable, even with healing techniques, and it's what resulted in the scar. My teammate...his name was Obito Uchiha. When I was blindsided by my damaged eye and would've died under the falling rocks, he saved me. When he pushed me out of the way, he was trapped under a boulder. He..."

He trailed off for a moment, eyes trailing off into the distance to look anywhere but Sasuke. The Uchiha was watching him with rapt attention, dark eyes wide, taking in every detail Kakashi managed to force out. It was a painful tale to tell, a painful memory to relieve. He could still see Obito crushed under that boulder, trapped with no way of rescue, making the decision to give Kakashi back the very thing that got Obito in this mess in the first place.

His eye.

"He was completely crushed on one side." Kakashi's voice dropped nearly to a whisper, though his voice remained monotone in a futile effort to hide his emotions, "He decided since he couldn't be saved to give me his good eye. His Sharingan. Our other teammate transplanted it."

Sasuke was quiet for a moment, "I can't imagine my clan being happy about that."

The comment made Kakashi chuckle, "They weren't. Your own father was the one who allowed me to keep it, though. Fugaku chose to honor Obito's dying actions."

Sasuke made a noise like his breath had been punched from him, and Kakashi wondered how long it'd been since he'd heard someone say his father's name.

"He did?"

"He did." Kakashi nodded slightly, pulling his headband back over the eye.

"Are you...ashamed of it?" Sasuke's brow furrowed, "Is that why you keep it hidden?"

"Well, it's not exactly a reminder of happy memories." Kakashi began dryly, a hint of humor coloring his voice, and the comment made Sasuke wince in understanding, "Besides that, the main reason is I can't turn it off. It drains my chakra rapidly, so when I'm not using it I keep it covered. A simple solution to a complicated problem."

He decided not to mention the Mangekyō form of his Sharingan. It only dredged up more memories and...well, to be frank, he could only handle so much emotional vulnerability in one night.

"That would suck." Sasuke huffed slightly, "I felt like passing out after having mine on for five minutes."

"You just unlocked your bloodline. It's normal." Kakashi shrugged, "Not to mention the fact that the Sharingan can only be awoken in times of great emotional distress, so you were likely already exhausted from that. We can work on it, though, if you'd like."

Sasuke frowned, "Itachi was called the best Sharingan wielder in all of Konoha, in our entire clan."

Kakashi watched him wearily, seeing the resolve in his eyes and dreading where this was going.

"He's great with the Sharingan. Without it, too." His mouth twisted to the side, "I've got to be better."

"You need to stop holding yourself to that standard." Kakashi held up a hand when Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "You think it'll make you grow stronger but, in reality, it'll only stunt your growth. You're so busy constantly comparing yourself to Itachi, trying to be better and stronger, that you're going to miss your own path."

"My own path?" Sasuke furrowed his brows, "My path is to kill him for what he's done."

"Your path," Kakashi patted him on the head once, ignoring his look of outrage, "Is to become an extremely strong shinobi, independent of any other image you hold yourself to. If you keep chasing after him, you'll trip eventually."

Sasuke frowned, his eyes glistening slightly, "So, what? I just forget about him? Forget about what I saw?"

"No." Kakashi said simply, "You'll never be able to forget, even if you wanted to. What you can do is not get lost in revenge. It's okay to want him dead, okay to kill him even, but it's not okay to drag yourself down to that level to do so. Do you really want to be the same as him?"

"No. I'm not like him." Sasuke insisted, "I'm not...not power-hungry. I won't hurt people just to see if I can!"

"Good." Kakashi nodded, leaning back on his palms and looking up at the sky, "Remember this; those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."

"I wouldn't leave them." The younger denied it easily, "They said they'd help me. We're a team, so they said my dream was their dream. We all agreed on it; they help me kill Itachi, and we help Naruto become Hokage. Sakura is...still deciding."

Kakashi snorted, "Good to know. Just don't go running off anytime soon; we don't need two rouge Uchiha, yeah?"

"I already said-!" Sasuke began to snap, making Kakashi raised his hands in surrender.

"Maa, maa, forget I said anything." Kakashi stood up, Sasuke rising with him, and he made shooing motions at the genin, "Go on, go to sleep. Training begins tomorrow."

"Begins?" Sasuke glanced back at him in confusion, "We've been training."

"Real training, I should say."

The evil look in Kakashi's eye haunted the Uchiha all the way up the stairs.

---

(The wind blew across his hair, carrying with it a salty breeze. Amahiko walked the brightly tiled path of the Uzumaki clan compound, the murals on the walls making friendly company as he immersed himself in his thoughts.

A portrait of Honoka Uzumaki and Isora Ōtsutsuki looked down at him with benevolent smiles, the common ancestors of the main branch of the Uzumaki garbed in traditional clothes popular thousands of years ago.

Ashina Uzumaki, the Shodai Uzukage, looked out at the gardens proudly and with a stiff stature. Sayua Uzumaki, the Nidaime, looked like the spitting image of her ancestor Isora and the only Uzumaki he'd ever seen with silver eyes. Her posture screamed pride as her face was forever captured in a furrow of concentration. The Sandaime and his own uncle, Tenma, had a katana strapped to his back and a fearless expression on his face.

Sitting by his mother's koi pond, all those painted eyes burning a hole in his back, Amahiko looked down at the fish with envy. If only he could laze about the water all day, no cares at all and no responsibilities to consider.

Fidgeting, he reached to touch the water with a single hand. The koi came to tickle the tips of his fingers, making him smile. Reaching to the bottom of the pond, he plucked out the tip of an old ink brush and tossed it away. He was avoiding the situation and he knew it. Just like he could feel the koi kissing his fingers, he could feel the searing heat covering his mouth. Smothering him, burning him to ash...

If Amahiko was to die, he wanted it to be in the rain. He wanted to feel the drops of his element splashing on his skin as he left this world.

Maybe that was too much to ask, though.

He stood, leaving the kissing koi behind and shaking their lips off his fingertips, wishing he could do the same to the ones that had captured his own. Unfortunately, Yuudai was apparently unforgettable. He was an indelible mark on Amahiko's soul, branded there forever and never to be washed away.)

He woke to the chirp of birds and Sakura and Sasuke's hushed voices beside him. Cracking open an eye, he groaned slightly as he sat up from the stiff floor. They'd all shared the same small room, Kakashi in the chair and Sakura on the couch, leaving Sasuke and Naruto sprawled on the floor.

"Naruto!" Sakura smiled, "Sasuke and I were just about to get you up! Tsunami-san made breakfast for us, then Kaka-sensei said he wanted to train some this morning and afternoon!"

"I wouldn't be so excited if I were you." Sasuke said, "He looked sinister yesterday." 

"Joy, I do so love when he gets in that mood." He griped as he stood, hearing a phantom pop as his bones readjusted themselves, "My favorite hobby is blowing us all up with exploding tags."

"Endurance training, and maybe some jutsu!" The pinkette corrected as she grabbed him and Sasuke by the arm, dragging them out of the room and downstairs into the kitchen, "No exploding tags."

Kakashi looked up at them as they entered, "Naruto has enough experience with exploding tags."

A dark blue-haired woman with warm brown eyes looked at them and smiled, "Well, don't they look hardy."

"Yup!" Tazuna puffed out his chest slightly, "I retrieved only the best for our home!"

"Or you got lucky with three decent genin and a jōnin." Sasuke deadpanned, "Honestly if you'd gotten a different genin team everyone would've died."

"Maa, that's an exaggeration." Kakashi looked at the morose expressions of his students, "Well, perhaps not, but luckily we're the only team to annoy Hokage-sama into a C-rank so soon."

"Well, those three are little monsters." Tazuna nodded at them gruffly, "The pink one can shoot stuff out of the ground, and the blond one is good with a sword and the chain whatchamacallits. The broody one can use those ninja knives real well, too."

Sasuke opened his mouth and then closed it not a second after. Naruto looked quite proud of him.

"Can I get names for these monsters ?" Tsunami giggled slightly, raising an eyebrow.

"Haruno Sakura!" The pinkette grinned widely, adjusting the headband over her forehead.

"Uchiha Sasuke." He nodded slightly towards Tazuna and Tsunami, before looking back to his plate.

"Uzumaki Naruto!"

The name elicited a wide-eyed gaze from Tsunami, which Naruto ignored. He already had one dream too many last night, no need to dredge up any more past to haunt his every waking moment as well.

"It doesn't even matter." All eyes turned to the small boy who sat beside his mother, probably no older than eight from the looks of it, "They're all gonna die anyway."

Sakura's eyebrow twitched, "Heh. Speak for yourself, please."

"Inari." Tsunami reprimanded him sharply, "These shinobi brought granddad home safely. They beat Gato's assassins."

"So what?" The young boy had tears leaking from his eyes as he pushed away from the table, "Gato has an army! When he faces you again he'll beat you all down and destroy you! The strong always win and the weak always lose, that's just how it is!"

Naruto watched the kid with a critical eye, "I don't know what you're referencing, kid, but we're shinobi. Our sensei is a jōnin, and my teammates and I aren't exactly pushovers."

"You all say those confident things, like everything will turn out the way you want it. Just be quiet, yeah?" Inari turned his head away from the genin, "None of you even know this country, all you're doing is butting in! You look so happy, laughing and smiling! None of you know what it's like, what we've all been through."

The room was silent, except for Tsunami's slight gasp. Sakura turned her head away slightly, trying not to look at her teammate's expressions. Naruto pursed his lips, staring Inari down so intensely everyone was sure he was about to combust.

And Sasuke...Sasuke only continued staring at his plate, scoffing internally. Yes, because he knew nothing of true suffering and pain. Just like how pigs could fly nowadays.

"Listen. You're a kid who still has a loving family and a warm, comfortable home with food on the table nightly." The Uzumaki began, "I grew up on the streets from the age of five after getting kicked out of an orphanage, and only got an apartment on my own at eight years old. I'm lucky to have what I do now."

Sasuke and Sakura both looked at him, knowing he was understating just what he'd been through as a child. Sasuke knew what it was like to be an orphan, but at least he'd had a home and the praise of a village. Naruto had been demonized, torn down, and hated quite literally since he was born.

Sasuke had a house full of ghosts, but Naruto definitely had skeletons in his closet too. It made him feel better in a really fucked up way to not be the only one with severe trauma on the team; honestly, after last night's talk with Kakashi, it seemed their sensei had quite a bit under his belt as well. Sakura was the odd one out, and he wanted to keep her that way.

They say hardship makes you stronger, but Sasuke hadn't needed to be strong as a child. He'd needed to be safe. Now he thought, maybe, protecting others like he hadn't been protected sounds like a worthwhile goal. 

"You're not the only one who's suffered. You won't be the last." Naruto frowned at the still crying boy before glancing at his teammates and back, "You can be the one who decides what to do with your pain, though. Let it eat you away until you're nothing but misery or hatred, or do something useful. It's your decision."

The Uzumaki stood and turned on his heel, going out the front door silently. Sakura stood, rushing after him with worry in her eyes, Sasuke not too far behind. Kakashi sighed, setting his utensils down and bowing slightly toward Tsunami in thanks before following his students to the front lawn of Tazuna's home. They stood in a huddle formation, Sakura whispering to the two boys while Sasuke just had his arms crossed and Naruto just twisted his mouth in displeasure.

"Sensei." Naruto glanced up at him as he approached, raising an eyebrow, "I won't apologize. I meant what I said."

Kakashi shook his head and gave the blond an eye smile, "No, Naruto-chan, I won't make you apologize."

The boy looked startled at the nickname, "Do not call me that! I'm not a child!"

"Oh, you're not? Aww, is Naruto-chan embarrassed?" Kakashi looked at Sasuke, who was laughing to the side, "And don't you make fun, Sasuke-chan, or you Sakura-chan."

Sakura looked at him, a deadpan expression on her face, "We really got the weird sensei, huh?"

Kakashi scoffed, "You'd all be dead by now if I wasn't your sensei."

The pinkette just looked resigned, "We know, Kaka-sensei."

"Good." The jōnin motioned them further away from the house, over near an area filled with trees and a small pond, "Now, we're going to do some training, my little monsters."

"Um, sensei?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, "We've been training this whole time."

"I warned you guys." Sasuke insisted.

"I've been training you like genin this whole time." Kakashi corrected, ignoring the Uchiha's remark and rocking back on his heels slightly, "That's over, because now I know you can do more and because you're all going to have a bounty the size of Fire Country on your heads soon."

Sakura whitened slightly, "Ah, can I ask why?"

"The last Uchiha, the last Uzumaki, and the last Mokuton user." He pointed at them each in turn, much like he did yesterday, "To be blunt, you're all potential powerhouses. Everyone outside of Konoha will want your heads on platters, and perhaps some within Konoha."

Naruto thought of Danzō and those strange ANBU-like assassins seemingly after the demon in his gut and anger built up in his chest. Like hell he'd allow anyone to get their hands on either him or his teammates.

" Inside Konoha?" Sakura's eyes widened, "But, sensei, why would anyone...how could...?"

"Sasuke is protected by his family name, his main fear is outside jobs." Kakashi leveled a gaze at Sakura and Naruto, "Naruto, you have some leeway by being given the Uzumaki name from your mother, and now you've been adopted into the Hatake Clan. Any issue the councils have with you will need to go through me. Since your parents are civilians, Sakura, you're technically an adult in the eyes of Konoha once you became a shinobi. However, as your jōnin sensei, I'll still have the final say over what the council can and cannot do. I will continue to even after you become chūnin and jōnin just because I say I will."

Sakura relaxed some, "The councils...what would they even want with me?"

"Arranged marriage, likely to try and replicate the Mokuton in your children. It's common with bloodline shinobi who have no clan or protection. DNA testing is another fear, too." Kakashi signed, "Beyond that, other villages will want you dead. You're an easy target, living in the civilian district with little to no protection on your home. As soon as you're able, you should consider moving to a shinobi district. Assassins are hesitant to enter because it's unlikely they'll ever leave."

"We won't let the councils do shit." Sasuke sneered slightly, "That and I'll kill anyone who touches either of them."

"I can assure you all that you have my full protection." Kakashi's eye was cold and his voice was dangerous, "If anyone would like to move against my students, they will have to do so through me. If anyone attempts to harm any of you, they will die. Not to say you won't be able to take care of it yourself in the future, but I like to think I'm protecting my precious little genin."

Sakura's chest felt warm, and tears came to shine in her eyes, "Thank you, Kaka-sensei!"

"Whoa!" Naruto looked at where Sakura's feet rested, pointing, "Look at that!"

A bright patch of wildflowers sprouted around where she stood, brilliant in color and shape. Sakura looked down and her eyes widened, taking a step backward over the flowers before squatting down to touch one of the delicate blooms. It seemed to perk up as soon as she touched it, standing a little straighter.

Pulling her hand back, she looked at them in wonder for another beat before standing back up. Kakashi watched the three, secretly smiling. Sakura had a natural-born Mokuton, different from Yamato's in the way that nature naturally reacted to her whims and feelings. Now that she had unlocked her bloodline she would be even more powerful. They all would.

"Despite whatever assassinations or battles that may happen, I believe you three will remain a strong team. I was unsure how well you'd excel at first, but you've all made me proud so far." 

He saw the excitement in their eyes, how they perked up and stood a bit straighter. He smirked to himself silently, allowing them to bask in the moment before he ruined their day completely.

"However, your genin training is over effective today." He could see the confusion on their faces and felt almost giddy, "No more training wheels. From here on out, welcome to hell ."

Even Sasuke paled slightly at that, grimacing, and Kakashi only smiled wider, "Now, I want ten laps around town so we can start building up stamina."

The three only stood there looking at him with mind-blown expressions, and Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "If you'd like incentive, I can summon my ninken to chase you and get you going?"

They shot off like rockets, soon nothing more than specks in the distance.

Kakashi smiled to himself. It was like training the newbie ANBU again.

---

Sasuke was absolutely coated in sweat by the time they made their tenth lap around the market town near Tazuna's house. Naruto looked winded, and Sakura was near collapsing as they sat on the ground in the outskirts of the market. 

"I'm never gonna get the sweat stains out of this top." Sakura panted, "My mom is gonna be a nightmare about the laundry."

"Baking soda works many wonders." Naruto said, sitting beside her, "It also takes out bloodstains pretty decently, but you might need hydrogen peroxide too."

"Great." She grouched, "I'm sure I'll need to get those out as well at some point."

"Hopefully not your own." Sasuke supplied rather unhelpfully, getting a dirty look from Sakura.

Kami, he never imagined the day she wouldn't fawn over him, but he's so happy it's here. She wasn't so awful without all the drooling and heart eyes if he was honest. Naruto surprised him too, but in a different way. The other boy definitely wasn't stupid like they'd been led to believe by him during their academy days. 

"Yeah, maybe it'll be yours instead." She snipped, frowning.

That...was unexpected. Concerning, too, seeing as the grass was wilting around her. 

"C'mon, Sakura, he didn't mean it like that." Naruto said, "Sasuke always calls us useless, it's practically his love language. He's just an asshole, but that's okay, we accept him."

"Yeah, but it's usually me, not you." She sighed roughly, digging into the dying grass with her fingers, "Just because I'm new to a lot of this doesn't make me useless."

"You wouldn't be new to it if you'd actually focused in the academy." Sasuke squinted at her slightly, confused by the sudden anger.

Her jaw clenched, "For your information, I had better academic grades than even you."

"Academics aren't everything." Sasuke argued, "When your taijutsu is shit, knowing chakra theory won't help you not die."

"I'm well aware of that and working on correcting it." Sakura tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "You implying I'm useless or dead-weight every other day isn't exactly helping, though, even if it's a joke."

He opened his mouth to fire back, but caught himself when he saw the genuine hurt in her eyes.

Maybe...maybe tough love didn't work on everyone. It had been his father's preferred method growing up. Even he had always gotten more accomplished when his mother gently guided him as opposed to his father's snapping remarks. That hadn't been his intention. However, now he could see how his often gruffly playful remarks might have hit her sore spots. He pushed the defensiveness that reared its ugly head up away and set aside his ever-present need to be right for once.

"You're right." He pursed his lips, "And I'm sorry, or whatever."

She blinked, more than a little shocked, and nodded her head once, "Okay."

Meanwhile, Sasuke saw Naruto's eyes bouncing between them like he was watching a particularly interesting sparring match. Obviously, Naruto was averse to getting involved or taking sides.

"If you want, I can help with your taijutsu?" Sasuke was hesitant to suggest it, he really hoped she didn't see it as anything but a friendly offer between teammates.

Luckily she only smiled slightly, "Sure, that'd be nice."

Naruto beamed at the both of them, obviously proud, and Sasuke just scoffed and looked away from his team. Not long after, they heard footsteps and looked up to see their sensei approaching them, book in hand. Kakashi looked at them all critically before sighing and putting his book in the pouch of his flak jacket.

Pulling out another book, small and brown, their sensei pulled out a pen as well. He scribbled something down, and Sasuke realized they were probably progress reports. Blinking, he glanced away in shock. He hadn't realized Kakashi cared that much.

"I just got this today." Their sensei's voice was dry, and he spoke like he'd read Sasuke's mind, "Honestly, before this mission, I didn't really think progress reports were necessary because you were all mostly...subpar."

"Subpar?" That finally got Naruto's attention, any sliver of calm he'd had before disappearing like mist, "Subpar? Have you seen the other genin in our class?"

"I assure you, they are much worse than subpar." Kakashi gave them an eye smile, "At this point, I'd say you're all adequate by genin standards, if only because of your bloodlines or unholy stamina."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched slightly. For a moment the rest of team seven swore up and down the boy's eyes had darkened much akin to an ocean storm.

"I'll have you know I'm at least a Level Six Fūinjutsu Master, Level Seven once I can work my chakra reserves up to aligning with any seal matrix-"

Kakashi raised a hand as his one visible eye widened, "Enough, please. Have this conversation with someone who actually knows what you're talking about."

Naruto flopped back to the ground with a huff, "Uncultured swine."

Sakura gave him a wide-eyed glance. Sasuke had to actually put a hand over his mouth to stifle the snickering induced by the offended look on Kakashi's face.

"Be careful, Naruto." Sakura cracked a smile, "You're starting to sound like a Hyūga."

Naruto looked at her blankly, "I've never heard a worse thing come out of your mouth."

The jōnin sighed once more, long-suffering, before scribbling something else down.

He then looked back at his team, " All of you shut up. Now, we're going to start specializations. It's best to begin early, and you all have the basics down and know your nature affinities. Obviously, you all have required training because of your kekkei genkai, but if you have any interests now would be the time to inform me. As your sensei, I can submit an apprenticeship appeal to the Hokage for further instruction, even with your current status as genin."

"Iryō Ninjutsu!" Sakura blurted out immediately, her earlier woes forgotten, "Could you really get me an apprenticeship, Kaka-sensei?"

"Sakura...hmm." Kakashi scratched his cheek, "Well, I assume you're going to be training with a certain shinobi in Konoha who has a capability...similar to your bloodline. If you think you can combine that training, which will be quite extensive, with medical training, which is also very time-consuming, and team training on top of it all..."

"I can." Sakura nodded firmly.

"You know, medics aren't frontline fighters. Are you okay being in the background of your team?"

The girl's smile was feral, "We'll see about that, sensei."

Kakashi blinked, a feeling of intense foreboding washed over him like a waterfall. Was this the second coming of Hashirama Senju, what with her potential pertaining to her bloodline? Not to mention she had quite an interesting outlook on being a kunoichi, one that many female ninjas did not share.

She wanted to be on the front lines, not bothering with the behind-the-scenes like most. She wanted to be right with Naruto and Sasuke, and she was determined to achieve it. He's known many strong kunoichi in his time, many of them just as fearsome as their male counterparts, and she had some of the same traits.

Sakura was also civilian-raised; Senju ancestry or not, her parents were not shinobi and she was a blank slate. She was a kunoichi not set in rigid traditionalism. She was capable of being molded into something powerful, innovative...something different.

Kakashi would need to protect her, from both of the councils and especially Danzō. The old Warhawk had already tried many times, too many times, to get his hands back on Tenzō, and Kakashi was truly a hair's breadth away from removing the old geezer from the equation altogether. 

Smiling slightly underneath his mask, he nodded towards her, "Okay then. I'll put in a formal request. Medical training, Mokuton training, and team training where you'll probably be focusing on genjutsu. It'd be a shame to waste your chakra control, and I think you could have some real talent in the field if you nurture it. Moving on. Sasuke, you'll be training with me to utilize the Sharingan, but are there any specializations you'd prefer?"

"Kenjutsu." Sasuke looked off to the side for a moment, "I'd also like to learn all the genjutsu techniques possible. Both with the Sharingan and without. I've been thinking about what you said and I refuse to allow it to become a crutch. I won't become known for only my bloodline."

Kakashi was, in all honesty, quite shocked. Sasuke had grown up hearing the praises of the Sharingan, first from his clan and then the entire village. Itachi, though, had been known for his skill as one of the best Sharingan users Konoha had ever produced. Maybe the kid had actually taken his words to heart.

He, once more, found himself grinning a bit. He was so proud of his baby genin, wanting to expand and become even better little monsters. Although, Sasuke probably only wanted this because of the chip he still had on his shoulder about Itachi. Nevertheless, it garnered the results Kakashi wanted at this current moment, so he was okay with it for now. He'd have to talk to Yūgao and Hayate, they were better with Kenjutsu and weapons in general. Kakashi could cover the rest.

"Okay, then. I know some specialized shinobi that are probably looking for an apprentice. Now...Naruto."

The blond looked offended, "Why do you always sound like you're facing your death when you say my name?"

"Because I never truly know what's going to come out of your mouth." Kakashi deadpanned, "Now, Naruto-chan, specializations?"

"Stop calling me that." The Uzumaki insisted, "Fūinjutsu, obviously, if you know of any living grandmasters that could help me out."

Jiraiya of the Sannin, though if he counted as a grandmaster or whatever the brat was spouting off about Kakashi had no damn idea.

"Also, I'm specializing in a sub-form of Kenjutsu with my Nagamaki." Naruto furrowed his eyebrows momentarily, "I already have my own style and form going, though, so an apprenticeship would only slow me down. If you know anyone who specializes in water jutsu that'd be cool, and wind jutsu for that matter. I don't think anyone could really help me with the chakra chains, though. It's an Uzumaki bloodline."

"That's it?" Kakashi raised his eyebrow, "Fūinjutsu and some elemental work?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Oi, I'm doing my own thing with Kenjutsu! Some help with Fūinjutsu would be appreciated, but once I get my hands on some Uzumaki techniques I should be pretty golden, dattebayo!"

"Good thing we're going to Uzu then." Sakura supplied unhelpfully with a wide smile.

Kakashi's eyebrow twitched, "I hate you all. Not like it'll make a difference anyway. I've already broken just about every jōnin sensei rule there is in the handbook."

"There's a handbook?" Sasuke scoffed.

Their sensei shrugged, "There is. I didn't read it."

"Don't tell Iruka-sensei that." Sakura shook her head, "He'd be furious."

The Hatake scoffed, "I'd bet money Asuma didn't either, and what Iruka doesn't know won't hurt him. Besides, not like I thought you'd pass anyways."

"Wow, thanks, Kaka-sensei." Sakura laughed shortly, "Glad you had so much faith."

"Well, to be honest..." The jōnin began, "All I had to work with was the dead last, a brooding avenger, and the biggest fangirl since-"

"No!" Naruto yelped, but it was too late.

Sakura glared harshly, the tree beside where she sat completely withered, all the leaves falling to the ground dead. The grass seemed to lose every drop of moisture once more, turning brown and crunchy around the area Team 7 sat. Kakashi watched the death of the flora with wide eyes, before looking towards the pinkette, who looked around seemingly sheepish. 

"Oh, come on, Sakura-chan!" Naruto groaned, "Can you fix it? Wave is so pretty, don't ruin it!"

A tic formed above her eyebrow, "I don't know if I can fix it! It just happens!"

Kakashi sighed. This mission needed to be over soon, lest he loses his sanity and his three little monsters end up ultimately giving him even grayer hair somehow.

"Come along, team." He stood up, ignoring the brats snickering when his back cracked, "We have time to fit in some jutsu training."

---

"Again, Sakura." Kakashi instructed from up on a tree branch, reading his book at the same time, "Your chakra reserves have increased exponentially, you have more than enough to make a bigger wave."

Sakura groaned as she went through the hand signs with dirt-caked fingernails, " Doton: Tsuchi Nami no Jutsu (Earth Release: Earth Wave Technique)!"

She slammed her hands on the ground, cringing as her arms jolted from the pressure she forced on them. The ground rumbled, shaking slightly before producing a medium-sized wave in the earth that hurtled towards the other side of the field. Sakura dropped to the ground in a huff, the dust of the uprooted dirt floating around her at impact.

Kakashi surveyed the girl; she looked fairly exhausted. Dirt smudged her cheeks and her clothes and hair were covered in it, not to mention her hands were practically brown from the earthy residue. She had made a fine wave, though, and only on her fourth try too. Tenzō would have plenty of fun training her, he imagined. She was coming along quite nicely, her only real issues being her stamina and chakra reserves.

He landed on the ground easily, smiling down at the exhausted girl, "Keep doing the water walking exercise in your free time. It'll help you keep building up your reserves, and to increase your stamina at the same time try and do it running. It'll be a useful skill to have, too."

She nodded, pulling herself up with pursed lips, "Thanks."

He knew she got frustrated with herself a lot, more so these past few weeks as she's genuinely hustled to stem the gap between herself and her teammates. She was doing good, though; she was definitely way better than he'd ever expected from a genin.

He reached out, ruffling her hair which had long since fallen out of its bun, "Anything for one of my cute little monsters."

Rolling her eyes, she looked at him expectantly, "Anything else? Have any water-style jutsu?"

"You're not tired?" He eyed her drooping posture wearily.

She snorted in a very un-ladylike manner, he was certain her mother would have a conniption fit, and said, "No, I am. That doesn't matter."

Kakashi blinked, slightly impressed with her drive. He was slowly turning these kids into powerhouses, wasn't he?

"Well, in that case, of course, I do." Kakashi shook his head in mock regret, "How could you doubt me?"

She glared slightly and groaned, "Kaka-sensei!"

"Maa, maa! Fine. Can't have any fun anymore." He gave her an eye smile, "Now, this technique is fairly simple. It's only a C-rank, unlike others, but it is very versatile. Now-"

Meanwhile, Naruto wandered away from the scorch damage of Sasuke working on his fire jutsu, making his way through the trees alone. The foliage was denser in this part of Wave, more landlocked than the shore, but even still it had more than Uzu ever did.

The island had been pure shoreline, all the way around not only Uzushio but the entire country of the Land of Whirlpools. Trees aside from the native palms were far, few, and in between, but he still had fond memories of climbing the towering palms to escape Ichiro and Fuji when he was a child. They refused to go up after him most of the time, and they usually got yelled at by kaa-san for letting him go up too high.

Smiling fondly, still lost in memories, he froze when he felt someone behind him. A chilling presence, absolutely ice-cold chakra, and a lot of control, but he could tell they had no ill intent.

Turning slowly and ever ready to reach for his Nagamaki, he looked at the young man in front of him with a critical eye. He wore a pink, sleeveless kimono that just brushed his ankles; not exactly ninja attire, but Naruto knew when someone had training in the shinobi arts and when they didn't.

The kid was very pale, paler than even Sasuke, and had long black hair and large, innocent brown eyes. Falsely innocent, he could tell, but the guy's acting was fairly decent. He might've actually fooled a real genin.

"Hello, shinobi-san." A small smile graced the other boy's lips, and Naruto thought he couldn't be any younger than himself and his teammates. 

"Hello, shinobi-san." Naruto returned, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

The other male seemed thrown off before laughing, a musical sound that filled the area with a lovely noise, "Perceptive, but no. I've had the bare basics of training, just enough to keep safe."

It was a bald-faced lie, but Naruto nodded his assent before gesturing to his headband which he had taken to wrapping around his waist, "Naruto Uzumaki, Konoha shinobi. Obviously."

"I'm Haku." He raised the basket in his hand slightly, "Are you familiar with island herbs? Would you like to help?"

"Sure." Naruto let a lopsided smile show, "I know my herbs pretty well."

The other boy listed off the plants he needed and Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Ginger, calendula, achiote, comfrey, and aloe? Those are healing herbs, is someone wounded?"

Haku blinked in surprise, "Well, Naruto-san, you do know your herbs. And no, nothing serious. A friend of mine hurt themselves chopping vegetables, you can imagine how a slice on the finger would be bothersome while trying to keep the house up."

Naruto glanced at the blades strapped to his back, "Yes, well, I've had my fair share of cuts."

The other smiled tightly, ignoring the blade and continuing to move around the clearing to gather herbs for his basket. Naruto watched him with a critical eye. Something about the way the boy moved was familiar, and his accent was far too close to one from the Land of Water for his tastes.

He currently held no negative feelings towards Naruto, but that could change the moment the Uzumaki turned his back. And the chakra, he kept coming back to the chakra; it was so cold it sent shivers down his back. He'd felt this before, sensed it, he knew it for a fact.

Watching as the boy pucked up an herb, Naruto felt himself snort. Haku jumped before looking at the blond in a questioning manner, one brow raised.

"That's mallow. It's a great option for battle scarring, especially for the face as it's gentle but potent, but it will do little to help an actual wound." He reached a bush by Haku in a few steps, "This is comfrey, I think it's what you're looking for, yeah?"

The other boy blinked slowly, "Thank you, Naruto-san."

The Uzumaki gave him a skeptical look, "Even if you're lying to me, which frankly I'm sure you are, you mean me no ill intent at the moment. I have no desire for one of your loved ones to die from whatever wound they have, from the amount you're gathering I'm assuming it's no small finger cut."

Haku's shoulders slumped slightly, "You have a good heart, Naruto-san, and you are correct. I fear it is a more fatal wound, or will at least have fatal consequences...Naruto-san, do you have any precious people?"

The Uzumaki raised an eyebrow, "I've had many and have many, yes. Many of them are long dead and three are on this very island with me. I'm an Uzumaki, see. Most of our precious people are dead by now, you'll find."

Haku twitched slightly, a small jerk of the body, but the guilt in his eyes made Naruto's mind go whirling. Why would the boy feel guilty?

"I'm very sorry for that, Naruto-san." He dropped his eyes, "Hold on to the ones you have now very closely and dearly. We are nothing without our precious people."

Unless the boy is-?

"Your chakra is very cold." Naruto tilted his head, trying to look as innocuous as possible, "My teammate's chakra is very calming because of her bloodline. Forgive me for asking, do you have one as well?"

This time it was a full-body twitch, barely noticeable even to a trained eye, and Haku's eyes were wider than normal with pupils dilated with what the Uzumaki assumed was panic, "Ah, yes, I think so. It was an old family one, passed down generations, but it's mostly died out by now."

The boy was from Kiri and clearly knew its history. The long, black bangs and the silent and graceful way the boy walked reminded him of someone as well, and that's when Naruto realized. He was frankly disappointed he hadn't clocked it earlier and would like to blame it on both being rusty and exhausted. This boy was the hunter-nin from Kiri, a fraud like Naruto had assumed, and he was also the reason Zabuza was apparently not dead.

Naruto looked at him consideringly, "I'm no fool, Haku. Tell Zabuza we'll be prepared to protect Tazuna-san when the time comes. I don’t want to fight you, but if I must, I will do it to protect my team and an innocent nation."

Haku's eyes were wide, "You-?"

"Not all the rumors about Konoha are true. Believe me." The Uzumaki's smile was wry as he motioned towards another bushel of flora, "But some are, as well. Pick up some lavender. It can be applied topically and stimulates skin repair."

"Naruto-san, I'm sorry to say we will have to meet on the battlefield." Haku's eyes were genuinely sad, "I will protect my precious person with my life."

The blond raised an eyebrow, "Then I'm sorry Wave will have to see more bloodshed, but Gato must die. No more islands shall fall at Kiri's hands."

Haku's frowned slightly, "You hold a grudge against Kiri?"

"You don't?" Naruto laughed humorlessly, "Even after the bloodline purge? It was genocide, just like Whirlpool Country. Kiri is full of cowards who fear what they don't know, they fear people like you and me. Not just because of our bloodlines or our talents, but because we see past their bullshit."

Haku's eyes had widened at his vehement words.

Naruto still continued, "The Feared Bloody Mist my ass, no one but their own people fear them. They slaughter their own potential genin if they’re not good enough, you know that? Nothing but dead kids and families getting torn apart. I do hate to break it to you, but even Zabuza killed his entire class when he was graduating. That's Kiri's culture, the needless bloodshed, and it will be their legacy if no one steps up to change it."

"Zabuza saved me." The dark-haired boy's voice was quiet, "He's not as bad as you think. We've all done things we regret, some more than others."

He thought of going for Yuudai's neck, but flinching at the last minute. He thought of Yuudai's kiss, his touch, his everything. 

"You're right." The blond sighed, looking far too old for twelve, "The question is does he regret it? I have to go now, my teammates will be looking for me."

"Of course." Haku nodded slightly, grabbing handfuls of lavender, "Thank you for your advice on lavender, Naruto-san."

The blond waved a hand, "Wish you the best and all that."

As Haku turned to walk away, Naruto called out, "Oh, and Haku? If Gato dies, his entire fortune is up for grabs. I'm sure Konoha would be grateful for anyone's...assistance. And if they aren't, well, what Hokage-sama doesn't know won't hurt him. Besides, I'd, uh, hate to have to kill you and all that."

The boy's back was still before he nodded his head slightly and continued on his way. He didn't want to have to fight this boy with kind eyes, but he would if he needed to. He wouldn't make the same mistakes again, and he certainly wouldn't be stuck with the same regrets in this life.

---

Sasuke watched Naruto as he walked back through the clearing, stepping over the still flaming parts of grass. The Uzumaki had small purple petals in his hair and the Uchiha raised a silent eyebrow; had his teammate been rolling around on the ground? The blond smiled when he finally looked up the spot Sasuke, his hair tousled and flowers dancing down to the ground as he moved. Rolling his eyes, the Uchiha scoffed internally. Only Naruto.

"I guess you got the jutsu down?" Naruto looked at the scorched trees and landscape, "Sure looks like it at least."

"Yeah, I did." Sasuke grunted, pulling himself up from the ground, "What were you doing the whole time?"

"Eh, met some boy in the woods." Naruto shrugged, "Helped him pick some herbs for a sick friend. Life of a Konoha shinobi."

Sasuke had the feeling he was missing a big chunk of the story, but he didn't press, "It looks more like you had a tryst in the bushes."

He reached out and plucked a lavender flower from Naruto's hair, dangling it in front of the blond's face with an amused expression. Naruto only smiled easily, "No, of course not. I save my trysts in the bushes exclusively for you."

Winking, the blond walked back to where Sakura and Kakashi would be, leaving a sputtering Uchiha behind as he cackled all the way. 

"Naruto!" Sasuke snarled, "Usuratonkachi! Idiot, get back here!"

Grumbling, the Uchiha stormed off after the Uzumaki.

Notes:

This was beta read by HereticRose!

Hope you guys enjoyed and sorry this was so late! It was an absolutely crazy month, some stuff happened with my computer and phone and my meds have gotten all flipped around, but despite it all it's finally here!

It's funny, the parallels between Sasuke and Naruto/Amahiko. Both's families were killed right in front of them (Uchiha Massacre/Invasion of Uzu), both were betrayed by a dearly loved person (Itachi/Yuudai), both want revenge (On Itachi/On Kiri & Iwa), and both have basically grown up orphans (Sasuke losing his parents very young/Minato and Kushina dying). It's super similar, tbh.

Also, Haku makes me really sad, so I might not kill him. I just have a rlly good idea for a Kiri side plot and I miiiight want him and good ole Zabuza for that lol.

Chapter 11: Shattered Mirrors

Tazuna led Team 7 through the forest-lined trails of Wave, guiding them towards his bridge-building sight for the third day this week.

Naruto had long since told his team about Zabuza, to which Kakashi bashed his head against Tsunami's table, breaking it into pieces. Kakashi had apologized profusely, but the woman had still limited him to five pancakes the next breakfast. Sasuke and Sakura had been surprised, but they had decided to request an up their training in response. Not that it was a difficult task to convince Kakashi; their sensei was now overly fond of flattening them into the ground training whenever they weren't guarding Tazuna.

The building sight was just up ahead when Naruto froze, halting their formation. Kakashi pushed his headband up, his eye easily seeing through the mist. Two figures flickered into being, stopping just out of a normal person's range of vision. Sakura gripped her kunai tighter as her sensei and teammate grew tense, and Sasuke tried to seem unperturbed as he held his Fūma Shuriken loosely with one hand.

The figures began growing closer, running at shinobi speed, and mist followed after them. Kakashi slipped his book into the pocket of his flak jacket, eyeing the condensation in the air with distaste.

"Dearest monsters, you guard Tazuna. I'll take care of Zabuza." He said, cracking his hands.

"Haku." The missing nin's voice rumbled across the mist, "Take care of the brats and the builder."

With a silent nod, Haku came at the genin of Team 7 right as Kakashi ran at Zabuza. Naruto created three shadow clones that formed a triangle around Tazuna just out of the mist's reach. Sasuke and Sakura braced themselves, moving to stand at his side as the blond readied a hand seal. A volley of senbon was released toward them, but they were quickly scattered by a gust of wind as Naruto leaped forward.

"Fūton: Reppūshō (Wind Release: Gale Palm)!" Naruto glared as Haku was forced to move fast to avoid his own weapons, "C'mon, Haku. I don't want to fight you."

"None of us want to fight, but we must protect those who are precious to us." Haku's voice was a near whisper, and Naruto was certain neither Sasuke or Sakura could hear him.

"Naruto, get back, dumbass!" Sasuke reached forward to pull his teammate back before attempting to retreat himself.

"I'm sorry." Haku moved quickly and grabbed Sasuke's arm before the boy could even blink, "Hijutsu: Sensatsu Suishō  (Secret Technique: Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death)."

Water materialized out of the mist, forming needles all around Sasuke and Haku in an instant. Leaping back, Haku jumped out of the way, sending the needles flying towards Sasuke at a high speed.

This is insane, Sasuke thought, I can't dodge these, even with the Sharingan.

Naruto cocked his head to the side, "That was a mistake."

He threw out his hands, watching as the needles froze right as they neared Sasuke. They seemed to shake violently before veering off to the side and fusing to create a giant, rolling ball of water. Suspending it in the air, a tic grew near Naruto's brow as he held the water with one hand and formed hand seals with his other. 

"Uzuton: Saikuron (Whirlpool Release: Cyclone)." Naruto hissed, shoving both hands forward and twisting, melding his wind chakra in with the water, the ball turning into a spinning storm that ripped towards Haku, causing the other boy to dodge instinctively despite the ice users shock.

"I could see him move, but I wasn't fast enough to do anything." Sasuke growled, red eyes glaring before he turned to Naruto and his gaze softened only slightly, "Tch. Thanks for the save."

"Yeah, that was badass." Sakura bounded up towards them, scanning over the boys with a critical eyes, "You're both fine. Naruto what was that? Because I know we didn't learn that in the academy."

"Later." Naruto cut her off, eyes locked on where Haku was catiously approaching them again, "Right now, try not to kill him. Maiming is perfectly fine, just try not to finish the job."

"Why?" Sasuke gave him a dark look, "He tried to kill me."

"Because he thinks it's his only choice." Naruto frowned, looking at the two of them again, "If it's between you guys or him, though, then finish it."

Sakura nodded grimly, holding her kunai, "Got it."

"Hn. Fine." Sasuke gave the approaching enemy a dark look, "It'll be painful though."

Naruto laughed slightly, "That I'm sure of."

Haku sprinted towards them, but Sasuke was already making hand seals, "Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Technique)!"

Sakura followed soon after, "Doton: Dosekiryū (Earth Release: Earth and Stone Dragon)!"

Naruto watched as Sasuke created smaller fire balls, sending them flying at Haku top speed, while Sakura created a dragon made of mud and stone to follow the fire. It wasn't as large as Naruto's water dragon, certainly, but it was big enough to do the job and do it well.

Haku was forced to dodge once more, being put on the retreat again, and Naruto took the time to glance back where Kakashi and Zabuza were locked in a quite heated battle. It wasn't exactly equal, Kakashi was superior in many ways, but Zabuza was crafty and scrappy if nothing else. 

"Naruto! He's behind you!" Sasuke's shout brought him back from his concern for their sensei, making him spin to where Haku seperated him and his teammates. Sasuke readied another jutsu, but Haku had already finished his hand seals.

"Hijutsu: Makyō Hyōshō  (Secret Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals)."

Suddenly, the mist crystalized, wrapping itself around Naruto and Haku until the other boy had dissappeared and a dome of ice surrounded Naruto. Suddenly, Haku appeared in one of the ice mirrors, looking Naruto dead in the face. The blond couldn't see his face, but he liked to imagine those brown eyes were sad. 

"I'm sorry it had to come to this." Haku bowed his head slightly towards Naruto, "You fought valiantly, and I believe should your teammates have been able to nuture their power they might have grown to be powerful shinobi."

"You mean to kill me." Naruto said, "Kill them."

"I have to protect Zabuza-sama." The mask stared at him, unemotional as the voice behind it, "If that means killing you, then I will do what I must."

"You don't want to do this, though." Naruto shook his head, "I told you, we could kill Gato-!"

"Zabuza-sama does not believe Konoha will honor its word, and we are in dire need of the money." Haku interrupted him, shaking his head softly, "I'm sorry Naruto, I promise your death and theirs will be painless."

"The hell it will be." Naruto dodged the senbon, then he sesned Haku appearing in another mirror behind him and turned quickly to dodge the next sharp needle heading his way. He could feel the other boy's surprise.

"You're a sensor." Haku readied another needle, "You have many surprises."

"I have more." Naruto pressed his mouth in a firm line, "Uzuton: Chimei-tekina Sutōmu  (Whirlpool Release: Deadly Storm)!"

Releasing lighning chakra from his seal, Naruto wrapped his body in a cacoon of chakra and allowed the water, wind, and lightning chakras to swirl together. Wrapping around him like his own personal lightning cloud, Naruto flared his chakra outwards, forcing the storm up like a miniature bomb. However, Haku's chakra signature remained in front of him, and the ice mirrors all around him remained intact.

"So this is the power of the Uzumaki." Haku seemed shocked, "Incredible."

"Not incredible enough! That didn't do shit!" Naruto snapped, "What the hell is this?"

"My crystal ice mirrors. No jutsu can defeat them." Haku said, before readying his weapon, "It would not do to make this any harder."

No jutsu, huh?

He summoned a chain, brilliant white and glowing, into his hand and lashed it against one of the mirrors in a swift move. Haku paused as the impact rattled the dome, the chain chipping and cracking the mirror upon impact. The ice user gasped, quickly rebuilding the mirror and readying another round of senbon, but Naruto already knew what he needed. The chains appeared from his stomach this time, one for each mirror, piercing them all with a resounding clatter.

A chain grabbed Haku from the mirrors as they collapsed, throwing him to the ground and allowing Naruto to grab the fake hunter nin. He pushed Haku to the ground and held a kunai up to his jugular, some of the water still floating in suspended forms around them as Naruto drew the moisture to himself on instinct. The mask had been knocked off on impact, leaving Naruto staring into a pair of wide, ashamed eyes. Swallowing, Naruto looked up to see Zabuza and Kakashi had been momentairly distracted by the exploasion of the dome collapsing.

"Zabuza." Naruto's voice was strong and loud enough to carry, "If you help us take down Gato, you can both leave here with half of his fortune. That's a hell of a lot more than your paycheck."

"You're lying, brat." Zabuza snarled, turning back and not taking his eyes off Kakashi, "You all die here, and then we can cash in and go."

"Really?" Sakura walked up to stand next to Naruto, motioning him off Haku with her head. She focused her energy, the swirling power inside stirring her stomach, and gently she forced wooden tendrils out of the ground to wrap Haku's wrists to the ground, "Who's this we you're talking about? Even if you win..."

Naruto pressed the kunai harder into the other boy's throat.

Kakashi glanced over at his students, sighing. He would never hear the end of it if he killed the two bastards, and right now his team was more important than a missing nin from Kiri. Not former Konoha shinobi, not his problem. Turning a sharp gaze back to the man, Kakashi allowed lightning to encase his hand, he stared Zabuza dead in the eye as the sound of birds chirping filled the silence.

"The way I see it, you can work with us and take the money, or I can push this through your chest and let them finish your friend." Kakashi narrowed both eyes, "You're too weak to keep fightning me, but I can keep going for hours. What'll it be?"

There was no chance to answer before they heard a loud clapping, and Naruto gazed over to the bridge, unimpressed. There stood a short man in a black suit, black eye glasses concealing the fact that Naruto was pretty sure the guy was souless. 

"Gato." Zabuza barked, "The fuck are you here for? Those thugs better not be here to cut in on my pay-!"

"Because you got the job done so well." Gato's voice was haughty and dripping in disdain, "Zabuza, you won't be getting paid. In fact, it looks like the Konoha shinobi will take care of killing you for me."

Kakashi allowed the lightning to dispel from his hand, his disguised mouth quirking up into a smirk. Kami really did have their ways, huh?

Zabuza gripped his zanbato, raising to point it at Gato, "You're dead, rat."

Sakura withdrew the wooden cuffs as Naruto began snapping orders at his clones, making Haku turn relieved eyes to her.

"Take Tazuna away from here!" Naruto said sharply to his perfect copies, "Make sure he's safe!"

He got three identicle salutes, and turned back to the bridge where Zabuza began to slaughter his way through the army, his goal to reach Gato at the back of the mass of hired thugs. Haku rushed to his side immediantly, and Naruto saw Kakashi pull his book out and slide his headband down to cover his Sharingan. Laughing slightly, Naruto shook his head before he was startled by Sakura's loud gasp.

"Oh!" She began to run for the bridge, "I still need my first kill!"

"Sakura!" Naruto and Sasuke complained as one.

"Oh, shut up!" Sakura turned to glare, "I'd rather it be a random thug who tortures villagers and small kids! Then I won't feel as guilty!"

She whipped out a kunai and headed for the bridge, Sasuke and Naruto close behind her with weapons drawn.

"Don't touch Zabuza-san with your filthy hands!"

"Whoa! Haku you just gutted that guy!"

"Sasuke! Watch it! You're gonna get blood in my hair!"

"Sakura, priorities!"

Kakashi allowed his eyes to finally drift over the scene in front of him when he noticed-

"Naruto! Sakura! Sasuke! What are you doing?"

---

"I can't believe he had that many pounds of drugs in that little mansion of his." Naruto blinked, "Like...who the hell is gonna do all of that and why?"

"He was probably gonna sell it." Sakura shrugged, "Think, Naruto. I know you have a brain."

In the end of everything, Zabuza had sliced Gato's head clean off his shoulders right as Inari and the villagers arrived on the scene. Needless to say, when weeping women and men ran up to thank him, the missing nin had to restrain himself from throttling someone. 

Now, he hoisted the huge bag of cash over his shoulder with a smug look, "Pleasure doing buisness with you, Sharingan Kakashi."

The man only gave him an eye smile, "The pleasure was all ours. Ever threaten my team again and they'll never find what's left of you."

A shiver ran down his back that Zabuza tried to conceal before turning to Haku and speaking gruffly, "Well, say your goodbyes and all that. We're leaving soon."

Haku had long since been patched up by Sakura, who was simultaniously getting hair care suggestions from the young man, and was now wearing the same kimono that he'd been wearing when Naruto met him in the woods. He turned to look at the three teammates with what might've been guilt.

"I hope there are no hard feelings, and I do hope to see you all again soon one day."

"Yeah, there are hard feelings. You tried to skewer me-" Sakura jabbed the Uchiha in the side sharply, "Tch. No hard feelings."

Sakura smiled back at Haku, "You said honey and coconut oil, right?"

The ice user nodded, "Yes, at least once a month if possible. And Sakura-san, please don't cut your hair. It is very beautiful."

The pinkette nearly beamed, "I won't. It'll be even longer when we see you next!"

Haku's eyes were soft as he regarded her before he turned to Naruto and bowed slightly, "Naruto-kun. Your skills are very great...if terrifying. I do believe you will do great things and protect those precious to you."

Naruto grinned wryly at the two, "Same to you, Haku. And yo, Zabuza? Go take that money and become Mizukage. Turn that shithole around."

The swordsman's eyes narrowed, "Your bias is showing. I do plan to do exactly that, though. Now we've got to hit the road-"

"Wait!" Tazuna rushed over to them, the very bridge he built now standing tall behind them, "We must name the bridge before you all leave!"

Villagers crowded around them, whispering about the possible names.

"We should name it after our hero!" One woman gushed, "The ninja who killed Gato!"

"Yes, yes!" Another woman nodded vigerously, "The Great Zabuza Bridge!"

Said ninja seemed to pale slightly, "Ah, I don't think-"

"You all realized he tried to kill me right?" Tazuna whirled around to the crowd, "Multiple times, actually!"

"What about Haku?" Sakura raised an eyebrow as she nudged the aforementioned boy in the side, "He dropped Gato's body into the water below and protected Zabuza so he could finally end Gato."

Haku's face turned a brilliant shade of red.

"Oh, is that him?" One woman asked another, "He has such nice hair!"

"Yes! The Great Haku Bridge!"

"Seriously?" Sasuke sneered, glaring at the back of Haku's head.

"Come on, Sasuke." Naruto gave him a grin, "Don't be jealous. Do you want me to suggest calling it the Great Sasuke Bridge?"

The Uchiha only huffed, turning his head away as Naruto laughed.

"How about the Great Haku and Zabuza Bridge?"

"Too long! Maybe name it after the Konoha ninja?"

"Yeah, they protected Tazuna! All the way until the end, in fact!"

"I still like the Great Zabuza Bridge."

Tazuna looked over at Naruto, "How about the Great Uzumaki Bridge?"

The crowd went silent, looking up at Tazuna with astonishment at the mention of the extinct clan.

Tazuna just motioned toward Naruto, "This is Naruto Uzumaki. He is from that clan, another islander himself. As well as the fact that Konoha is allied with Whirlpool, despite it's destruction. They even wear the Uzumaki symbol on their jackets. This honors all of the Konoha shinobi, and let it also honor Haku and Zabuza. Let the naming of this bridge be the new start for Kiri, and let it honor them in the fact that they will stop the Bloody Mizukage and his reign of terror. Let it show no other country or clan will endure what the Uzumaki had to at the hands of Kiri!"

"I like it, dad. The Great Uzumaki Bridge." Tsunami smiled at the group of ninja in front of her, "Thank you, all of you. Yes, even you, Kiri shinobi. You killed Gato in the end, I suppose."

"Haku, let's go." Zabuza shook his head in disgust, "Too many...emotions."

As they began to walk away, Tsunami waved from behind them, "Come again!"

Naruto swore he heard Zabuza mutter a quiet, "No fucking thanks."

Tsunami turned to the Konoha shinobi as the villagers began to disperse, "You can stay the night again and then leave tomorrow morning. I'd hate to have children on the road all night!"

Tazuna threw her an astonished look, "These brats can't be classified as kids. They're, well, monsters."

"I don't care. Besides, Inari wants to spend more time with them! I think he kind of idolizes all of you now, if I'm being honest."

"We'd love to stay another night, Tsunami-san." Kakashi nodded his head politely towards her, "Come on team, we still need to have a talk on logical actions in battle."

"Hey, at least we went as a team, right sensei?" Naruto shrugged, the three walking ahead of Kakashi close together, chattering about something or another. 

The man's visible eye twitched, and he suddenly regretted agreeing to go to Whirlpool. Who knows what the little shits would get up to there?

"Goodnight, everyone." Tsunami waved Inari upstairs, cutting off the flow of chatter that came out of his mouth non-stop, "It's bed time."

"But moooooommm-!"

"Now, Inari." She gave him a stern look, making him trudge up the stairs, before smiling back at the Konoha nin in the kitchen.

Sakura laughed, "He had stars in his eyes the whole time!"

After another hour of talking and Kakashi nursing a cup filled with something that was totally not alcohol, Sakura gave in first and trudged off to her blanket bed on the floor of Tazuna's spare room. Kakashi, not even tipsy, followed soon after and Sasuke stood up not even a minute after their sensei left. 

"I'm going, too. Long day tomorrow." Sasuke twitched a brow upwards, "You coming, Naruto?"

Blue eyes let themselves drift over to the window, looking at the dark sky. It looked like it used to on Uzu, no pollution or bright lights tainting the sky. He shook his head, sighing slightly.

"Not right now." 

"Going to star gaze?" 

Naruto's eyes flew upwards to Sasuke's, "How the hell-?"

"Educated guess. I'm going to bed now." The Uchiha turned away before pausing and turning back to Naruto with a small smile, "No trysts in the bushes without me, okay?"

Mouth dropping open, Naruto only responded when Sasuke was halfway up the stairs, "You've got a deal!"

Sasuke paused and Naruto could practically feel him rolling his eyes before he continued up the stairs. Huffing, Naruto stood and slipped out the door, quiet as possible, and sat himself down on the grass. He missed his home, and deep down he knew it wasn't Konoha he was homesick for. Uzu, with her great cliffs and shining seas and thick forests. Uzu, with his family and his friends and everyone he'd ever known and loved.

They were all dead now and he'd never have Uzu back again. He'd never see the packs of dholes running in the sacred forests and sleeping on the cliffs, sunshine soaking their fur. Never see the seagulls flapping and attacking fish with a vicious enthusiasm. Never see the sea lions resting on the rocks by the ocean as the water splashed up on them. It made his heart ache, but he accepted it along with his new reality.

Konoha was home now, and he loved it just the same. It was different, yes, but change was a part of life. It helped that he had people he loved, now, and that those people loved him in return.

Looking at the grass surrounding him, a sudden thought jolted him into biting his thumb so hard he nearly ripped the skin off. He couldn't bring Uzu back, it was lost forever. There were so few Uzumaki left, and he was certain the rest of the clans were scattered just as badly. He could bring some of Uzu to Konoha, though, or at least see an old friend.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)." He whisped as quietly as possible, slamming his palm onto the ground.

His stomach jerked a little and the next thing he knew he was in the thick of Hageshī Cliffs, looking around in awe at the ocean he could see just outside of the thinly forrested area in front of him. The cliffs he was on top of rose greatly into the sky, much like in Uzushio.

Turning around, he nearly choked when he was the small stone structures, some toppled like ruins, but most still standing strong with lanterns illuminating the clearing with an orange glow. A set of stone steps, still overrun by vines and flowers just as he remembered, led up to a rock platform with a temple behind it. His eyes were drawn immediantly to the platform where the greatest beast he'd ever seen sat, looking at him with glowing amber eyes.

"Daiki." His voice broke as tears formed in his eyes.

"Who are you?" The dhole slowly rose and came down the steps, much larger than Naruto himself, "How have you come to this place?"

"Naruto..." He allowed his voice to trail off, "Amahiko. Amahiko Uzumaki."

Daiki tilted his head, lips pulling back into a snarl. He was just like Naruto remembered, except much larger. Amber eyes that flashed when he was angry, pure rust red fur with no other color except a smidge of black on the tip of his tail. Like most dhole, his body resembled that of an exceptionally long legged fox, and his ears were now pressed flat against his head in anger.

"Dare speak that name one more time. Who are you, ninja ?"

His heart sunk in his chest, "Naruto Uzumaki. But..."

"An Uzumaki." Daiki scoffed, "You certainly don't look like one-!"

"My mother was Kushina Uzumaki as far as I'm aware" He swallowed, "But...I'm also Amahiko Uzumaki."

"Lies." The dhole snarled, "He is dead, and you certainly don't even resemble him."

Pursing his lips together, Naruto sighed, "When I was three and chose you to be my personal summons, my kaa-san said that you weren't allowed to sleep in my bed. So I snuck you up in a bag, and did so every night for two months until I found out she knew all along and was only letting me get away with it."

"Anyone-!"

"When I turned 16, Tenma officially announced I would be the Yondaime, and later that night is when I had my first fight with...with Yuudai. You were there. I threw a vase across the room at him and kicked him out of the compound. No one else even knew we were dating but us and you ."

Daiki's expression seemed to twitch, "What are you?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "We both know you're a sensor and I know damn well my chakra feels the exact same as it did in my previous life. And, if you really need more reasurance..."

His chest lit up in a soft white glow and he allowed a single, pure white chain to manifest itself. 

Daiki twitched again, "What took you so long?"

"I only remembered about a month ago when I was almost assassinated, I'm the jinchūriki of the Kyūbi by the way. I'm part of a genin team in Konoha currently and was recently adopted by my sensei, who I now live with. It's...been a wild few months."

The summons only blinked at him before shaking his large head, "You're still just as weird as you were back then, Hiko-hime."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched, "Call me that again and I'll drown you in those koi ponds you love so much."

Daichi grinned, his teeth bared like fangs, "It really is you."

"Yeah, you mutt." Naruto huffed, "I mean, honestly, if I was able to reverse summon myself here without having signed a contract in this life, obviously I have a connection to this place. Then to get dropped right in front of you out of every dhole on this bloody island, you'd think you could put two and two together even before I showed you my chain."

"I didn't want to hope." Daiki approached him and nudged him with his head, "You smelled like him and your chakra felt like him and you even talked like him but...I didn't think it was possible."

"I'm too great to stay dead, Daiki." Naruto patted the top of his large head as the dhole laid down in front of him, "You're a lot bigger now. I'll have to lay on you instead of the other way around. Think you can still play fetch?"

The whole snapped his teeth, "I'll roast you alive-"

"Is that Hiko-hime?" A sandy-beige blur hit him full on from the back, knocking him straight in to Daiki, who yelped like he was still a pup, "Hiko-hime? That's you right? It feels like you!"

He looked up and smiled slightly, "Not missing the comeback of that nickname. Hey, Momo."

"It is you!" The dhole spun around in her excitement, tail wagging furiously, "Oh, I just knew it! And it's Momoka, Hiko-hime!"

She wasn't half as tall as Daiki, maybe the size of a larger wolf, and she had glowing amber eyes just like his own summons. 

"I know, Momo." He smiled, "You've gotten big, just like Daiki." 

"Okaa-san says I still have more growing to do!" She yipped happily, "I am ten years younger than Daiki, and he just had his last growth spurt. At least, we hope. He's already the biggest summons on the island, you know. Oh, okaa-san's gonna be so happy!"

She nudged Naruto, still laying on Daiki where he fell, with her snout, "Come on, come on! We gotta take you to the others and tell them you're back!"

Later, after the dog pile of a century and Naruto crying once or twice, when Satomi gave him the dhole contract with warmth in her eyes, he pricked his hand and prepared to sign. However, just under the last name Amahiko Uzumaki, a new one was already written. Instead of blood, the name was inscribed in gold in Naruto's handwriting, which happened to look the exact same as Amahiko's.

Naruto Uzumaki.

---

"Naruto, did you get enough sleep last night?" Sakura questioned the next day on the road, "You look really tired."

"I feel great, Sakura. Really." Naruto smiled despite the bags under his eyes, "Now come on! Let's get to Uzu already!"

"Maa, maa. Patience, Naruto-chan."

"Shut up, Kaka-sensei. I will knock you into the ocean."

"I'd like to see you try, Naruto-chan."

Notes:

THE DHOLES MAKE THEIR COMEBACK! AND SO DO I!

Even after all these years I still love dholes. They're so pretty, so I'm putting pictures in again for your perusal.

 

A few dholes

 

A baby dhole

 

As you all might remember, Satomi was Tsubaki's personal summons, so she really loves Naruto/Amahiko.

Kiri side plot will officially happen, and Sasuke was promised a tryst in the bushes??

I hope you guys liked this one, and that the fighting was sufficient. Naruto and the Uzumaki are still waterbenders confirmed and he lowkey gave Haku PTSD lmao. Haku's gonna wake up in the middle of the night sweating after that one.

Sakura isn't using mokuton much because she can't really control it yet and didn't want to kill Haku. And it's pretty weak right now too because she needs to train. Also, Sasuke may or may not get his Mangekyo soon- oh hey, Chunin exam arc coming up soon too!

Hope you guys enjoyed even though I went MIA for like ever lmao. Let me know what you're excited for next!

Chapter 12: Echoes and Parallels

I'm drowning, Naruto thought as their boat approached the hulking island he once called home.

The mist was thick, as always, and seagulls flew above in the sky and fish swam in the water and he could almost pretend Uzu was still alive and thriving. However, as they broke through the mist, he could no longer cling to the fantasy of survivors.

The docks were completely destroyed, the wood splintered and busted. The sand looked as though it had been undisturbed since the invasion, and Naruto had a sick thought that made his stomach clench. The bodies, were they left exposed to the elements and nothing but skeletons now? He glanced over at Kakashi.

"Are...are there going to be-?" He coughed slightly, "Are there still bodies?"

His voice was quiet, almost delicate, and Kakashi turned to him, "No. When Konoha arrived, they buried the bodies."

Briefly, he wondered what was worse; bare skeletons abandoned after the war or a mass grave where names would be forever forgotten to history?

Naruto nodded and felt the weight of a hand fall on his shoulder and squeeze. He knew it was his sensei turned guardian without even looking. He watched the island approach with a heavy chest and pressure behind his eyes. The entire Land of Whirlpools had been invaded once Uzushio fell and raided for resources. He knew Kiri and Iwa would have spared no one, not even the civilians. His village, his entire country...they had both fallen.

No one spoke as the boat drifted up on the shore, Naruto standing on shaky legs along with his teammates. He had never stepped on this sand, the shore of his people, in this lifetime. He took one step after the other, watching as the damp ground shifted beneath his shoes. He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry, and left his team behind to marvel at the beauty as he trudged forward to the heart of the village.

Walking through the gates gave him a sick sense of deja vu. They were still torn open from the invasion, wood busted on either side and intricate carvings faded from lack of upkeep. They led him from the docks to the village, and what awaited him was just as heartbreaking. The empty houses and the colorful tiled streets looked nothing like they did in his dreams; empty and ransacked, no sign of life or love to be found. The Uzukage Tower he'd once worked and trained in stood crumbling before him in the heart of it all.

It wasn't raining any longer, and there was no longer a river of blood from all those slain. He knew that time had long since cleansed the village of the scent of iron and death, but he could still catch a whiff of the phantom scent on the wind. Despite the debris and ruin, the shell of a home around him wasn't quite as wrecked as he thought it would be.

The most the civilian streets had faced was a few torn down walls and scorch marks on buildings that not even time could erase. The Uzu shinobi had tried desperately to keep the fighting nearly the clan compounds, which had been better guarded at the time, until the common folks could evacuate. It had helped some, but not as much as they'd hoped.

Most of the former shops and homes along the main street were intact, though the soul was gone. He could feel that much in his bones. The island still welcomed her Uzukage back with warmth and rustling breeze, but no longer were vendors selling food on the streets or shopkeeps calling out about their wares with a smile. Everything was vacant as if someone had ripped out the beating heart of his home and left only a husk to wither. 

His feet dragged him down the streets, strings of flags and lanterns torn from the rooftops and bleached with age. Some houses still had curtains hanging in the windows, though nearly every door was busted open and left to rot. When he saw the bloodstains on the carpet inside one of the houses, he forced the bile back down his throat and continued on.

Soon enough, he came to towering, golden gates with a blood-red spiral in the center of them. They were still locked up tight, as he'd expected. No one could break through the fūinjutsu that guarded the Uzumaki compound, not even a master. He looked to the left of the gate, where there was a white sheet of paper with the ever-flowing Uzumaki seals painted across it. Biting his thumb, far more delicately now than he had for his summoning technique, he smeared blood into the center of the main spiral on the seal and watched as it soaked in, leaving not a trace left.

The gates creaked slightly as they opened, and Naruto saw his family compound for the first time since Amahiko's death.

The grass was as green as ever, and as he walked through the garden, he saw that the koi fish in the pond were dead. He imagined what pain Hanako would feel at the sight; she'd hated death in general, but especially that of innocents and animals. She had always claimed the simple pleasures in life were the most fulfilling. That was the reason she'd retired once she married; she had just learned of her pregnancy when Kiri and Iwa struck. They'd begged her to flee, but she refused. She had been the best doctor Uzushio had ever had and she saw her people to the end.

He tore his gaze away from the bones in the pond and brushed the tears from his eyes, looking to the painted murals on the walls instead. They were suffering from age with no one to restore them frequently, but most of the color remained intact. At the beginning of them was Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, the Sage of the Six Paths. His face was stern, and his eyes were intimidating with the purple hues of the Rinnegan staring into Naruto's soul.

The Uzumaki knew a lot about the beginnings of ninjutsu and ninja as a whole. Way back, before even the Senju clan came into existence, the Uzumaki were a clan of samurai. Skilled blacksmiths and sword wielders with a vitality granted to them from their ancestors long ago. There were myths that Yuuma Uzumaki, a clansman from before even the Sage was born, was the son of Inari Ōkami, the spirit of agriculture and prosperity and lots of other things Naruto couldn't recall at the moment.

Ironically, given the form of Naruto's demon tenant, her mythology states that she used kitsune, or foxes, as her messengers. It's a reason the dholes were held so sacred among the Uzumaki; they looked a hell of a lot like foxes.

His mother always said it was all bullshit, her not being a particularly superstitious or religious woman, but many pointed to the lifeforce of the Uzumaki and said it was the reason.

After the Sage had taught his sons, Asura and Indra, the ways of ninjutsu, Asura had gone on to marry a woman named Kanna and they had three children. One died in infancy, one married nobility named Masao Hayashi with whom she would later become the direct ancestor of the Senju clan, and one had married Hotaka Uzumaki.

Hotaka had been the eldest son of the Uzumaki clan head, a skilled samurai, and the great-great-grandson of apparent demigod Yuuma Uzumaki. Isora Ōtsutsuki taught her husband and his clan many things, including the one skill she valued above all others; the art of Fūinjutsu. 

Legend says that Isora was the only one of the Ōtsutsuki clan that was as gifted in Fūinjutsu as her grandfather, the Sage. That's how the Uzumaki became so skilled in sealing, and with their already powerful lifeforce and vitality, when Isora gifted them with chakra and the secrets of ninjutsu, their clan became the most powerful in their little corner of the world. Under her tutelage they couldn't be anything but the best; legends say she was fierce and powerful and had brought even the wolverines to heel at her feet as her summons.

Years later, Ashina Uzumaki raised the cliffs of Uzushio from the oceans with the help of Daichi and Ayaka Uzumaki, thus becoming the first Uzukage. Later on, their distant blood relatives, the Senju, created a village in the Land of Fire with Indra's descendants, the Uchiha. The rest is, as they say, history. Pretty much everyone knows the story of Mito Uzumaki marrying Hashirama Senju, the Shodai Hokage. It's what came before that, the history of their people, that only a select few know. The Uzumaki had been gifted that knowledge, and with it was a great burden of power.

"Yeah, well, look where that power got us." Naruto muttered, turning away from the first mural and walking down the line of them.

Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, then Isora and Hotaka, then Ashina, then Sayua, then Tenma, then himself. Pausing at the last one, he looked at his previous incarnation with nostalgia. Damn, he really missed his hair. Long, blood-red locks that were just past shoulder length, long enough for a ponytail. His bangs were pushed off to the side, revealing brown eyes that were set with determination.

He remembers clearly that, towards the end of his life, he had been very discomposed and forlorn. Despite his family trying to lift his spirits, and the efforts of his senseis and teammates, nothing could help him climb out of the rut he had been in. He had been a strong but unhappy leader, and as things came to a head with Yuudai it only grew worse.

Shaking his head, he passed the murals and climbed up the steps leading to the main branch compound. Sliding the door open, a solid wall of dust attacked him.

"Shit!" He cursed as he inhaled on accident, waving his hands around to clear a path.

Looking around, finally clearing his lungs from dust particles, he felt like he just got nailed in the gut by Sakura. Everything was the same as when he left that morning so many years ago to head towards his office. He hadn't taken his own nagamaki then, just going to pick up some papers in the early light of the morning. Then he and many others had spotted the ships fast approaching and the world turned to hell.

Three straight days of fighting, three days of his clansmen and his ninja getting slaughters and doing the same to their opponents. He hadn't seen his home since that morning, and he could still see the papers his mother had been reading thrown on the table from when she rushed out once she heard the news.

He felt the tears finally fall as he walked through his house, seeing Mirai's old toy chest filled with dolls and figures. He saw the kitchen, bowls still sat on the counter from being freshly washed. There was a hiccup in his breath as he pulled the door closed, and it turned into a full-blown sob as he sunk down on one of the dust-covered couches in the living room. Bringing his knees up, he buried his face in them and finally did what he'd wanted to do since he remembered; he cried. He cried for a lot of things: for Uzushio, for his family, for his friends, and for those who made it out only to live with being alone and scattered and scared. 

Had Kushina been frightened, alone in Konoha while her homeland faced slaughter? Had she grieved just like this? Had she mourned for the culture she thought Naruto would never know, for the family he would never meet?

She must have, and it's a dagger to the heart to think of the pain shared across time and space.

("Kaa-san." Amahiko looked at her, sitting on the couch and watching her paint a canvas in front of her, "What's being happy?"

She looked up, smiling though there was confusion in the lines of her face, "What do you mean, Hiko?"

"What's being happy?" Barely four, he looked at his mother before looking at his feet that he swung because he couldn't reach the floor, "What is...how do you know when you're happy?"

"Happiness is like a soft blanket or a sunny day. You feel content and cozy, and you feel like everything will be alright." She smiled at her son, "It's not always around, and sometimes we're sad, but happiness will always come back, somehow. That's the beauty of it, it's like a friend you can always rely on."

"Like Raiden!" He chirped, smiling at the thought of his best friend at school.

"Yes, love." She laughed, making another stroke with her brush, "Like Raiden."

He looked at his mother intently, frowning slightly before he spoke once again, "Kaa-san, what makes you happy?"

She looked up again and set her painting and brush aside to sit beside him on the couch. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and Amahiko melted into his mother's warmth easily.

"Your father makes me happy, and all of your siblings and our family. I also enjoy beating Tenma-oji-san in a good spar." She looked down with a smile and tweaked his nose, "You make me happy, my little cherry."

He smiled wide, "You make me happy too, kaa-san!"

"Good." She hugged him tighter to his side, "All I wish for is that my children are happy." 

She leaned down and kissed his forehead.)

The ghost of hands pulled him closer, warmth spreading across him as though his mother were hugging him one last time. Her shoulders had been built to bear the weight of the world and her scarred hands had hunted every danger that threatened them as children. In his mind's eye, he could see two figures. Both had the same ruby hair and bold smiles; Tsubaki's features were clear and familiar, while Kushina's shifted and changed and danced just out of reach.

He knew they both loved him in a way only a mother could, though. They lived for him and died for him and he knew that deep in his soul as he tucked away their love in a safe place along with his grief.

Naruto stood slowly and walked away from the kitchen and living room. He pushed open the last door on the right, another dusty room bathed in light from the window that greeted him like an old friend. His bedroom was the same, though he'd mostly abandoned it to sleep in Uzukage tower once he took the hat. He had always come home in the morning, despite his new position; Hanako's omelets weren't something to be missed.

He looked at all the scrolls piled up on his desk, prototypes of a bunch of seals and jutsu. He opened some and smiled at the ideas Akane had helped him come up with. She'd been a Sealing Master as well, and her calligraphy had been almost as good as Amahiko's even on her off days. Slipping them in a sealing scroll, he also cleaned off his bookshelf and his weapon closet. Turning, he surveyed the room once more when a shining glare caught his eye. 

The hilt was blue and silver, with a red Uzumaki swirl on the very bottom of it. The blade was dark, nearly black, and Naruto could almost see his reflection in it as the sun caused a glared through the window. It was untouched by time, the seals carved into the blade ensuring that, and Naruto held the nagamaki in front of him with the same reverence he'd held for it the day Katsuro gifted him the handmade weapon. It was a singular blade, a bit shorter than the set he'd purchased from Tenten, but holding it was just as familiar as breathing.

Sliding it firmly back into its sheath, Naruto swung the nagamaki around his shoulder so he had a set of nagamaki on his back and the singular one hanging off his shoulder. Smiling, he ducked his head and clenched his eyes shut to stop any tears from escaping. 

"Thank you, nii-san."

Turning, he closed the door gently and wiped any remaining tear tracks from his face before exiting the compound. He had to walk a little way down the path, but his team was already making the trek up to meet him. 

"Naruto!" He looked up to see Sakura waving him over to where his team stood just outside the gate, "There you are! We lost you back on the beach!"

He made his way over to them, smiling, "Sorry. I was too excited and left the docks early."

Kakashi waved his hand, "Maa, it's understandable. Destroyed homeland and all that."

"Sensei-!" Sakura and Sasuke snapped at the same time, only interrupted by Naruto's laugh.

"Yeah. Anyways, we should probably find the vault now. It'd be over here, I think. You guys can, uh, come in. This is your official invite and all that."

They left the main family compound and bypassed the many branch family buildings, cutting through the garden to where a stone building stood, quite small and sun-bleached with only a door in the front. There were no windows, and it was fashioned in the same way all Uzushio buildings were; sturdy but graceful with its swooping red-tiled roof. There was no doorknob on the door, just plain paper with three Uzumaki swirls on it.

Knicking his pointer finger with a blade, if only to save his abused thumb, he smeared blood on the two bottom circles, leaving the top one clean. If he put blood on all three, the mechanism would shock the ever-living shit out of him, even if he was Uzumaki. It was a fail-safe, to ensure the techniques fell in the hands of only an Uzushio raised Uzumaki. After all, who would have thought Uzu would ever fall?

The door swung open, and Naruto was greeted by the scent of fresh ink and old parchment. The shelves were lined with familiar scrolls, books, and boxes. A few weapons, Uzumaki heirlooms that had been untouched years before Amahiko was born, lined the walls or were held in special cases. He handed sealing scrolls to Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi.

"If you see any jutsu or techniques you're capable of and interest you..." He made a vague hand motion, "Go for it. Just show me when I get back to the village so I can catalog it and I know where it is. I'll try and get everything else."

Sasuke blinked wide eyes at him, "These are family techniques, Naruto. You'd let outsiders use them?"

"Who else besides me will ever get to use these again, then?" The blond turned around and began hunting through the scrolls, "As far as I'm concerned, you guys are the only family I have at the moment, so go wild."

Sakura's eyes watered a bit, and Kakashi's visible eye widened so much that Naruto feared it would pop out when he turned around and saw it. Sasuke, though, just looked contemplative. Not that it was much different from his usual constipated look, his eyebrows were just raised a little higher.

He worked around his teammates, grabbing what they didn't and wasn't of much interest to him and putting it all in the larger scrolls to be organized later. The wind techniques, water techniques, and the ever famed Whirlpool Release of Uzushio; those all went in a smaller scroll for his immediate perusal. He continued on, grabbing all the fūinjutsu scrolls he had studied in a past life and putting them in their own dedicated storage. He handled the earlier copies very gently as his mother had told him that many of these aged scrolls were written by Isora Ōtsutsuki herself.

Moving onto the next bookshelf, he paused momentarily before backpedaling to the very first shelf on the wall where the techniques for younger clansmen were. Chakra control techniques, techniques to grow your chakra reserves, basic katas for rudimentary education with the katana and tanto, and katas for taijutsu. He placed them all in a separate scroll and smiled sadly to himself. Maybe Iruka-sensei could use these more than the ghosts on Uzu could.

"Naruto?" He heard Sakura and turned around, "How many of these medical books can I take? They look really helpful!"

He saw the handwriting on the front cover and recognized it as Hanako-nee's. He gestured to the whole shelf on medical jutsu, "Anything you think would help with your training. I'm not a medic, after all, and it'll just be sitting in storage in Kakashi's apartment otherwise."

He cracked a smile when she snorted loudly, "Yeah, no offense but I feel like neither sensei or you would get much use out of them."

"Definitely not." They heard Kakashi speak up from where he looked over some lightning release techniques, "Healing is not something I enjoy; the work is far too delicate."

"Sensei's version of healing is pouring rubbing alcohol on a stab wound and ignoring it until Yamato yells at him." Naruto stage whispered to his teammates, making them snicker.

Kakashi tsked, "I'll have you know I've started using an ointment and not rubbing alcohol."

Naruto only stared at him, "Yeah. An ointment Yamato bought for you."

"The point remains." The man shrugged.

The eye roll was almost in perfect unison as the three genin returned to their previous tasks.

Naruto glanced over to where Sasuke stood, he had grabbed a few fire jutsu scrolls and not much else. What had drawn his attention now was a katana hung on the wall, an old but beautiful work of craftsmanship. A sturdy blade with a pitch-black handle that had an embroidered golden dragon wrapping itself around the hilt up to the guard. Kanji were inscribed on the blade itself in gold, its name being one that frequented Uzumaki legends. 

"Kaminoikari (Wrath of God). They say it belonged to Yuuma Uzumaki, who was supposedly the demigod child of Inari Ōkami. It conducts lightning chakra, I think. At least, that's what I read." Naruto shrugged, "It's pretty popular in the stories, but to see the real thing is..."

Sasuke nodded as he trailed off, "Yeah, and the fact that it was wielded by the son of a kami."

"Yeah, but some historians say it's bullshit, you know. Just used it as an excuse for the Uzumaki life span and vitality." He reached up and slid the ancient sword into its scabbard before thrusting it towards Sasuke, "Here. You said you were interested in kenjutsu, and it'd work well with your lighting release."

"What?" Sasuke looked at him, startled, "You can't just give away a family heirloom like that-!"

"Who else will use it?" Naruto asked, face contorting for a moment before sighing, "I already told you. You guys are the only family I have right now. Honorary Uzumaki, congratulations. Now, take the damn sword, and let me direct you to a shelf with genjutsu techniques on it. I think I saw a really sick one where it makes your opponent think they're in a pit of vipers, I'm sure you'd enjoy it."

The Uchiha's expression was slack before it shifted into something more determined.

He whispered to Naruto, "I'll make your ancestors proud."

Naruto just snorted, "Make yourself proud, yeah? That's all that matters, dattebayo."

Sasuke pursed his lips before nodding, taking the sword and slinging the scabbard across his body so the katana rested on his back. Walking to the shelf Naruto pointed him at earlier, the blond was about to go back to his arduous task of sealing everything up when a heavy hand laid on his shoulder once more. Nearly jumping out of his skin, Naruto whipped around to see Kakashi-sensei standing there with an eye smile.

"You're a good teammate, Naruto." The expression fell slightly, "Your parents would be proud." 

"You knew them, didn't you?" Naruto whispered.

"Yes." Kakashi pursed his lips, "It's supposed to be-"

"S-ranked information. Classified." Naruto grinned drolly at his sensei's surprised look, "I tried looking up the Konoha branch Uzumaki Clan registry in the library once. It was a very short list of three people. The first was Mito Uzumaki-Senju, the third was me, and the other name was redacted. I'm guessing it was Kushina, who was my mother, right?"

The man only blinked before nodding, "Yeah. I'll...tell you about them. About your parents. When we get back I'll answer whatever questions you have."

"Can you do that?" Naruto's brows furrowed, "Sensei, you're already in hot water for taking me in, I know you are even if you won't admit it. I don't want to get you in trouble with Jiji or the councils."

"The councils can go blow one and so can the Hokage." Kakashi's voice was monotone but his visible eye narrowed, "I'll tell you about them. It's the least you deserve."

Naruto choked on a laugh, "That, uh, that sounds great, sensei."

When his team was done they exited the vault and Naruto closed the door firmly behind them, reactivating the seal. There was nothing left in there but shelves and dust, but it still felt like the right thing to do. As he turned away he bowed his head slightly and sent a prayer towards the sky, wishing for the peace of his family and ancestors and all those killed in the fall of Uzu.

I hope, he thought silently as they all spared a moment of silence in front of the Uzumaki gates, that you understand what I'm doing. I hope you'd be proud kaa-san, tou-san. I hope that you approve of my team and them using our techniques. I hope you know I love and miss you, and I hope you know I'll do everything I can to ensure our legacy and culture lives on. Even if it's in Konoha, even if it's present in another clan or civilian child, I hope you'll smile upon them and know you are not and never will be forgotten. I hope you're in peace kaa-san, tou-san, Nanami, Ichiro, Fuji, Katsuro, Hanako, Shima, Umi, Raiden, Akane, Tenma, and Tatsu. I'll never forget you, and I hope you're happy.

They walked through the hollowed-out village quietly after that, noon barely breaking before them, and headed towards their rented boat that sat swaying in the tide on the shores of the Land of Whirlpools. Sakura entered the boat first, then Sasuke followed after having to steady her so she didn't go headfirst into the water.

As Kakashi began to raise his foot the enter the boat, Naruto struck. Swiping his leg under their sensei, Kakashi lurched forward to try and grab onto the boat frantically but Sasuke and Sakura reared forward as one and pushed him backward. He went under the water for a moment before popping up, looking at Naruto with his Sharingan spinning as his headband had fallen around his neck.

"Monsters." He hissed, glaring. 

"I said I'd knock you into the ocean." He smiled, laughing slightly before grabbing Sasuke and Sakura's hands and leaping over Kakashi and into the boat, "Come on, Kaka-sensei. Haven't got all day, do we?"

The man grumbled, the laughter of his students filling the air around him that was previously silent and empty. Naruto's snickering was the loudest even as they began to row back to the Land of Waves, the blond's smile only growing each time he looked at his sensei's drenched form.

("All I wish for is that my children are happy.")

Notes:

HAHASDNKJSBAJHBS I cried a bit. The part where he's thinking about Kushina grieving the same way he is now? TOOK ME OUT WHILE I WAS WRITING IT.

SO UZU HAPPENED. Kakashi is having Dad Emotions for his new son, Naruto's team have all been dubbed unofficial Uzumaki, and Iruka is gonna have a very soft moment with his former student next chapter. Yamato is also going to get the shock of his life when he finds out one of the gremlins he's grown to love has mokuton and he's suddenly going to be her personal sensei.

Kakashi also goes slightly feral on the councils. Hiruzen is minorly traumatized. They're all reminded exactly who Kakashi is and who exactly taught him :)

Naruto also scares the entire life out of Danzo when he senses some...unexplained chakra growths on his arm and comments on his weird chakra flow in front of the Hokage, his team, and the other advisors just to be a little shit. Uh...we all know what those are. Naruto doesn't. Sasuke definitely doesn't. If Sasuke DID he would commit a homicide :) Naruto and Sakura would help :)

Sasuke also gets very protective over his newly minted bloodline heir teammates and fears what they'll be put through at the hands of the council. He, also, goes a little feral on Hiruzen.

Hiruzen, next chapter: What the actual FU-

Chapter 13: Bloodline Heirs

They arrived at the village just before sunset, the sky painted red and gold. Sakura was struggling to stay upright, Sasuke had nearly fallen asleep walking, and only Naruto's unholy stamina had saved him the effects of such a long trip.

Kakashi could tell even he was lagging behind, though. He'd approached the boy when they'd stopped in a town on the border of Fire Country for dinner and the genin hadn't noticed him until he was five feet away. Then again, maybe that was a testament to how used to Kakashi's chakra signature he was rather than his sensory skills lagging with his energy.

So he herded the kids past the gate, past the civilian district, and straight to his apartment. Technically he was supposed to report the clusterfuck that had happened to the Hokage right away, but he wasn't feeling overly friendly towards the Sandaime at that moment to begin with. His monsters didn't even question it, filing into his apartment and scarfing down the water and sandwiches that Yamato had made ready for their arrival. His ninken came in handy more often than not, and they were an excellent way to communicate with his kohai.

"Do you need us to walk you home?" Kakashi looked at Sasuke and Sakura as they sat at the kitchen table, heads laying against the cool surface.

"I'm not doing any more walking tonight," Sakura said.

Sasuke grunted his agreement.

"Well, then," Kakashi glanced around, "No more beds are vacant, but you can use the cushions in the living room-"

Naruto interrupted with a grin, "Nah, this means a sleepover in my room."

Giving his teammates no time to agree, he headed that way with haste. Sakura sighed deeply as she stood, flicking Sasuke on the shoulder until he moved. They trudged in the same direction their teammate had gone, leaving only Kakashi and Yamato left standing in the kitchen.

"Long mission, I'm guessing?" Yamato asked cautiously, sliding a plate with one last sandwich on it towards Kakashi.

"You have no idea." Kakashi put his head in his hands, "Sasuke activated his Sharingan. Naruto has chakra chains like his mother, but white."

Yamato blinked, "That will make hiding him from the other villages difficult."

"Yeah..." He trailed off, wincing as he brought his mask down to shove half the sandwich in his mouth at once.

The other man's eyes softened and Kakashi had no clue as to why, "You're going to choke. Also, I know you're avoiding something."

He swallowed, throwing back the glass of water as if it were a shot of sake, "I can't hide anything from you, hm?"

"I know your tells." Yamato smiled ever so slightly, "What is it, senpai?"

Why was Kakashi getting heart palpitations right now? Had the stress been weighing on him that badly?

He tugged his mask up once more, feeling too naked without it, "It's about Sakura. To put it simply, I'll need your help training her."

Yamato's eyebrows shot upwards, "Me? Why?"

"She has mokuton." He said, still not quite believing it himself despite having seen it firsthand.

"She has..." Yamato cut himself off, "She was...surely not. His labs were shut down far before her birth, there's no way he..."

His kohai's breath was coming fast and heavy, and Kakashi realized he definitely needed to be more specific.

"Tenzō." He said firmly, reaching a hand toward him and pulling it away in the same moment, "Not like that. She wasn't given it, she was born with it."

Yamato froze and his hands slowly uncurled from their clenched position, "How?"

"I don't know." Kakashi said grimly, "I've never seen anything like it, though. They had thought Naruto was injured, and the wood burst out of the ground at will. She didn't need hand signs to use it. Afterward, we noticed the plant life reacting to her moods, as well. It has to be something she was born with to react to easily."

"I see." Yamato breathed out, "That's...good."

Kakashi nodded, "You can see why I'll need your help, though?"

"I'm not sure how much help I can actually be, though." Yamato glanced away, "Despite it technically being the same bloodline, hers will react differently. It already is, from what you've told me."

"Better than me trying to teach her. I don't have Mokuton at all." Kakashi said dryly, "Tenzō, she's comfortable around you. All of them are. I wouldn't ask just anyone to help me with them."

Yamato glanced up, eyes wide. He knew what that meant, the kind of trust Kakashi had to have to entrust any single one of his students to anyone else. Despite never wanting a genin team, Yamato knew he loved these kids even if he would rather choke than admit it.

"Okay, then." Yamato said quietly, "Of course, I'll help, senpai."

"Good, now go get some rest." Kakashi grinned with just a touch of wickedness, "I have a Hokage to give a heart attack tomorrow morning."

Yamato would've pitied the Sandaime if he didn't care for Naruto so strongly. Since he did know what the boy had suffered, however, he hoped Hiruzen had the morning he deserved.

---

Waking his monsters up had been a challenge. They'd been dead to the world when Kakashi opened Naruto's bedroom door, only the blond boy creaking an eye open before he was dragged under by sleep once more. Sasuke was sprawled on the left side of the bed, Naruto was curled up in the middle, and Sakura had one leg over the edge and one arm dangerously close to smacking Naruto in the face from where she lay on the right. They all had different blankets that had been kicked off in the night, and not a single one had even tried to clean up or find anything to wear besides their sweaty mission clothes.

Kakashi made a mental note to have Naruto wash those sheets. 

Still, he wrangled them awake and out his apartment door. They followed after him like a line of ducklings, rubbing their eyes and yawning into their hands. Iruka was already at the missions desk when they arrived, giving the four of them a curious look as Kakashi walked in with his brats stumbling after him.

"This is early for you." The chunin said, "Did you just get in?"

"Maa, no." Kakashi chuckled slightly, "We got in early last night."

Iruka's face pinched, "And you didn't make your report?"

"My monsters were tired." The jonin shrugged, "Didn't seem important."

"Of course, it didn't." Iruka sighed, "You're teaching them bad habits."

Kakashi only shrugged as he swept past the door guard who scrambled to get out of the way, "Good."

When he pushed the doors open, the Hokage and his council froze in the middle of speaking. Hiruzen looked up, shocked at their disheveled state, and sat his papers down. The council members, however, were not as quiet at their arrival.

"You are to wait for permission to enter." Koharu frowned, "We are reviewing sensitive documents meant for the Hokage and his council's ears only."

"Maa, forgive me." Kakashi waved a hand lazily through the air, "I figured the fifty-four million ryō in this sealing scroll would be important enough to catch your attention. I guess I was wrong."

The sight of their faces, already disbelieving, made Kakashi excited for what was to come.

"How much?" The Hokage asked faintly, "You said-?"

"Fifty-four million." Kakashi tossed the scroll over, which Hiruzen caught with ease, "Wave took their cut and paid the other help. What was left was given to us as compensation for the misunderstanding of mission details and rank."

Hiruzen sighed, "Misunderstanding?"

Kakashi gave them all an eye smile, but the Hokage and the council could clearly read his body language that screamed they were in danger.

"Yes, a misunderstanding." Kakashi said, "We ran into missing-nin. We first encountered Gōzu and Meizu of Kiri, but Sasuke and Naruto dispatched them quickly. Then, in Wave, we battled Zabuza Momochi and an unknown."

The Sandaime's took a deep drag of his pipe, considering his next words, "You let your genin team battle an A-ranked missing-nin? And you succeeded in killing him and his ally?"

"Oh, no! Haku's fine." Naruto interrupted, "Zabuza is too. We were fighting, but Kaka-sensei got Zabuza pinned and I beat Haku after he almost killed Sasuke."

"He did not almost kill me." Sasuke sniffed, "I was fine."

"You almost lost your head." Sakura giggled slightly at her own comment, "Literally."

"Then Gatō showed up and refused to pay Zabuza, bringing an army of thugs with him to kill us all. So Zabuza killed the bastard, we all took care of the thugs, and then we searched Gatō's mansion." Naruto whistled lowly, "Trust me, the guy had a lot of drugs and even more money."

Kakashi reached over and patted him on the head, earning him a sunny smile in return.

The Hokage looked over at Kakashi, "And you decided it was a good idea to allow your team to continue the mission?"

"I was outvoted. By then, we had it covered." Kakashi shrugged slightly, "We do have some training developments to report, though, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen was visibly wary. That was understandable seeing as the look in Kakashi's eye was downright feral.

Kakashi looked at his team, "Sasuke-chan, you first."

The Uchiha didn't hesitate, his Sharingan flaring to life with one tomoe swirling lazily in each eye. The council muttered among themselves, but Hiruzen only sighed in equal parts relief and joy.

"That's all? Well, Sasuke, we are very-"

"No, that's not all." Kakashi interrupted as Sasuke's eyes returned to their natural darkness, "Naruto-chan, you're up."

The Uzumaki grinned, just as feral as his guardian, and summoned two brilliantly white chakra chains out of each palm. He spun them around for a moment, enjoying the gobsmacked looks and wide-eyed stares.

Hiruzen sucked in a breath, looking at them with stunned eyes, "White?"

The last to have white chains had been Amahiko Uzumaki, the beast of a shinobi he was. The former Uzukage had fought in the second war as a jonin and the first as a chunin. Half the time it only took his battalion's appearance and their opponent would take flight, much like the Iwa nin fled from Minato in the fourth war.

"Chakra chains." Kakashi explained unnecessarily to those present before he continued, "Like his mother's."

"Hatake-san, that is classified information." Homura snapped, "Kindly be careful with your words."

Kakashi just laughed, "No."

The room went dead silent and Homura gaped like a fish.

"Okay, Sakura-chan!" Kakashi cut her a glance, "You're up now."

She swallowed thickly, visibly nervous even as her teammates nudged her forward. She twitched slightly, tugging at her sleeves and making a small humming noise. She jerked her hand, squeezing her eyes shut, and a pillar of wood burst from the floorboards and skyrocketed upwards. It smashed straight through the ceiling, leaving a hole in the roof.

She gasped, "Oh. Oh no."

"Don't worry!" Naruto grinned, "The place needed some renovations anyway!"

Sasuke sneered, looking past his teammates as if daring the council to breathe a word of reprimand. Kakashi only kept eye contact with Hiruzen, slowly watching the Hokage's face pale as he looked at the giant hunk of wood before them.

The Hokage had a hard time accepting the information laid out before him. For all of his genius and his title of the Professor, this fact simply couldn't be processed despite how irrefutable it was. Sakura, of all his shinobi, had inherited the Shodai's bloodline?

The girl herself merely buried her head in her hands, groaning.

"This place needed a better ceiling anyway." Sasuke spoke monotonously, still staring down the council, "Probably hasn't seen a renovation since the first Hokage."

Koharu opened her mouth, "Someone like her simply couldn't have-"

Sasuke sneered, his Sharingan flaring to life with two tomoe now spinning violently as Sakura wilted between her teammates. Naruto took a half step in front of her as if to act as a shield, the whiskers on his cheeks growing more prominent as he glared. Koharu's mouth snapped shut, staring at the Uchiha and jinchūriki with fear in her eyes.

"Careful, Councilor Utatane." Kakashi looked at her darkly, "I wouldn't finish that thought."

"Please, Koharu." The Hokage interrupted swiftly, "Sakura, don't worry about any damage. Your teammates are right, we're far overdue a new roof."

They all swore that the Sandaime's eye twitched slightly.

"However, we will need to run some blood samples and look into your family history. You all must understand the implications of this." Hiruzen continued calmly, "You can go to the hospital after this, I'll send in an order-"

"Destroy the blood after the tests." Sasuke interrupted him, glaring, "Destroy it completely, nothing should remain on file. No other DNA will be taken without explicit consent."

Kakashi let out a loud laugh as the Hokage raised an eyebrow, humoring the boy, "And what makes you so concerned, Sasuke?"

"Because people do weird things when they get bloodline DNA." He narrowed his eyes, "And you can't tell me they don't."

Sarutobi thought of Danzō and Orochimaru and decided that, no, he couldn't attempt to tell the boy otherwise.

"We'll be present with Sakura." Kakashi assured him, "You can even follow the nurse during disposal if you'd like, Sasuke."

The Uchiha only huffed, crossing his arms.

Danzō looked at them all critically, "Raising a paranoid team, Hatake?"

"Can you blame us?" Naruto butted in with narrowed eyes, "I mean, look around. Bloodline theft is on the rise and will only get worse. Besides, I don't think you can talk about paranoia. I've never felt so much chakra from a resting shinobi before, you must be really antsy to give off that much. Why's it all in your arm, anyway?"

Danzō's opened and closed his mouth for a brief second and even Kakashi could feel the spike in his heart rate. Naruto obviously did, too, as he frowned slightly and studied the man.

"Naruto-kun?" Hiruzen said faintly, "You're a sensor?"

"Sure am!" The seriousness fell from his face as he turned back to the Hokage, "If I really push it I can brush the border of Wave, but not much farther right now. One time I tried to go as far as Wind Country and gave myself an all-day nosebleed back in the Academy."

Koharu and Homura sucked in sharp breaths together, surveying the young Uzumaki with a more calculating gaze. Their former sensei, the Nidaime Hokage himself, had been able to reach as far as Lightning Country even on an off day. Konoha has seen no sensor come even close since Tobirama Senju's death, yet here stood one with the potential.

"Well, you should continue to develop the skill, of course." The Hokage smiled, still off-kilter and likely coming to the same realization as his previous teammates, "I'll inform the hospital of your upcoming arrival."

"Monsters, go ahead and start in that direction. I'll meet you soon." Kakashi flashed them an eye smile, lacking the deadly edge it had when he gave one to the Council.

"Don't be late." Sakura insisted, "I, uh, I want you to be there."

Kakashi felt like he'd been kicked in the chest but in a good way.

"Maa, no worries, Sakura-chan." He gave her a double thumbs up, "I'll be right behind you."

They left without further resistance, and immediately the temperature in the room dropped by more than a few degrees.

"I want to make something very clear." Kakashi said slowly, "If anything, and I do mean anything, happens to any one of them...I'll find out who did it."

Danzō pursed his lips, "Is that a threat, Hatake-san?"

"Only if you intend to harm them." He said sharply, "Do you?"

The room was silent.

"You could face consequences for this. Threatening the Council, let alone the Hokage, is a brazen and inadvisable move." Homura spoke, his entire body tense.

"Oh, consequences?" Kakashi tilted his head feigning interest, "What kind?"

"This is not a game." Koharu snapped, "You are gambling with-"

"With what?" The man stepped forward, relishing the way the councilor flinched back, "You say I could face consequences. Then go ahead, make me."

Kakashi looked them all in the eyes before glancing up, his gaze finding every single ANBU that was stationed to protect the Hokage. His eyes lingered as if counting, calculating, and when he looked at Hiruzen and raised an eyebrow it was clear he'd found himself victorious in his head.

"That's what I thought." The jonin shrugged, "Nice chatting, really, I'd love to stay but I do have somewhere to be."

He was gone in a puff of smoke.

Hiruzen swore to Kami that when he eventually died and rid himself of the hat, he'd strangle Sakumo, Minato, Kushina, whoever Sakura's ancestors were, Fugaku, and Mikoto because dammit if their byproducts weren't a headache.

---

"I can't believe you developed the next level of your Sharingan while threatening a council member." Naruto laughed slightly, "Actually, scratch that. I can."

"Yeah." Sakura scoffed, "A grand total of zero are surprised that Sasuke makes his breakthroughs while experiencing murderous intent."

"Not murderous," Sasuke said offhandedly as he stirred his noodles, "Just with intent to maim."

"Oh, of course. Our bad." Sakura scoffed, wincing slightly as she moved to grab her chopsticks.

"Arm still sore?" Naruto asked, examining the bandages on her upper arm, "And bleeding. Shouldn't that have stopped by now?"

"I have thin blood, and they did take a lot." She sighed, "I just can't believe there was some Senju in my blood ten generations back. Guess it only took them stabbing me with a needle five times to figure it out."

"What a way to find out you have rolling veins." Sasuke said dryly.

"Tama Senju. A common ancestor of Hashirama Senju, who was his great-great-geat-grandchild." Sakura sighed, shifting on her seat, "That's so weird. My parents don't know, I'm sure. They only talk about our Sano and Ishida relatives in the Land of Noodles, who are very much civilians by the way. Not even Kohana-obaa-san knew about it, she would've said something before she died. The training the Hokage talked about at the hospital is going to be awful."

"Awfully fun?" Naruto gave an awkward smile before it fell, "Sorry."

"It's fine." She perked up slightly, "At least it's with Yamato!"

Naruto opened his mouth to respond when a high-pitched squeal was heard from across the street, making the three of them freeze.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Team 7 groaned as one, all three rolling their eyes as they saw Ino drag the rest of her team along, trying to navigate the busy street to reach the ramen stand.

Sakura sighed slightly, turning to a grimacing Sasuke, "Why was I ever that obsessed with you?"

"I'm a catch." He glared over at her, pride on the line "In fact, I'm great."

"Right, right." Naruto snorted, earning the famed Uchiha glower.

Sakura just shook her head, "Half the time you're emotionally constipated, you have a weird obsession with tomatoes, and you snore when you sleep."

"I'm not emotionally constipated." This earned Sasuke looks from both his teammates and Ayame as she refilled their drinks, making his ears flush slightly, "Besides that, tomatoes are great and I do not snore."

"I'm sorry Sakura, Sasuke's right." Naruto got two surprised looks his way, Sakura's disbelieving and Sasuke's smug, "He doesn't snore, that's beneath him as an Uchiha."

Sakura outright laughed as the look on Sasuke's face dropped into his usual expression of annoyance.

"Tch. Dobe." 

"See!" Sakura waved a hand towards his face, "Emotionally constipated!"

"Forehead!" Ino grouched as she tried to wedge herself between Sasuke and Sakura, despite there being no seat available, "Don't insult Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke looked over at Naruto with a completely serious look in his eye, "Could I actually file a restraining order?”

The blond hummed, "Might make missions difficult in the future."

"Even better."

The blond girl was now trying to wedge herself next to Sasuke, who'd sat between the wall and Naruto. She attempted to nudge Naruto out of his chair and, when that didn't work, grabbed it by the back and shoved it closer to Sakura. Sasuke glared, hooking it with his foot and dragging Naruto and his chair back to their original spot. 

"Ino, could you-?" Sakura tried to make out as the blonde girl attempted to cram into the spot between her two teammates, "Ino, don't-!"

"Sasuke-kun, fancy seeing you here!" She smiled brightly, "Do you want to go get barbecue with me?"

"Uh, Ino, all of us are going to get barbecue-?" Chōji was silenced with a glare from his female teammate.

"Yamanaka." Sasuke said, his tone icy, "Get your hands off Naruto's chair."

"Oh, he doesn't mind." She deflected, "So, barbecue?"

"I'm eating with my team. No thanks." Sasuke turned back to his ramen, making Naruto and Sakura share an amused look.

"We'll join!" The blond flashed a dazzling smile before waving Ayame, who'd been watching in mild amusement, over. 

"But, Ino, we were getting barbecue." Choji motioned down the road, "We need to go."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed, "Forget it, Chōji. We can get barbeque tomorrow."

The Nara took the seat next to Sakura, Chōji sat next to him, and Ino was determined to stand between Naruto and Sasuke.

"When's this likely to end." Sakura jerked her head towards the blonde girl, grouching to Shikamaru.

He looked at her, raising an eyebrow, "You like Sasuke too, though."

"Not anymore, no time with training." She sent him a sideways look, "Besides, it's impossible to like him after hearing him snore."

Sasuke leaned over both Ino and Naruto to glare in her direction, "I do not snore."

"Yeah, forehead!" Ino chimed in with a smug smile.

Sasuke stared at Ino blankly. Naruto was concerned that both Uchiha brothers would be wanted for homicide momentarily.

"Ino is training, too." The Nara frowned as he spoke quite enough to prevent his teammate from hearing, "She's just...she has a crush."

Sakura dropped her eyes, "We're not kids anymore."

Shikamaru was, frankly, not sure what had happened to Team 7. Since graduation, they'd done a major change of pace in terms of power and teamwork. He knew whatever happened, it had brought them closer. This was evidenced by the fact that when Sasuke stood to storm off, he grabbed Naruto and Sakura by the back of their shirts to drag them along.

"We're leaving. We have to meet Kakashi and Yamato soon." He said, already pulling them away.

"Who's Yamato?" Chōji muttered to Shikamaru who only shrugged.

"Sasuke!" Naruto complained once they were out of hearing range, "I didn't get to finish!"

"It would've been two hours before you finished!" Sasuke snapped, "I couldn't be with that harpy for two more hours!"

Sakura sighed, "I didn't even get a bite. Oh, well. Maybe if we're lucky Yamato will make sandwiches again."

"Just ask him." Naruto pointed out, "He loved cooking. At least, cooking for other people."

Kakashi's apartment wasn't far away from the hospital, and their sensei had returned home after Sakura's blood tests to discuss things with Yamato. They figured it wouldn't take too long to reach him, but...

"Hey!" They heard a scream, "Put me down! Please! Put me down!"

Things never really work out for Team 7.

Naruto blinked, "We should probably..."

"We're gonna be late." Sakura sighed, "Oh well."

"Not like he can get mad at us." Sasuke scoffed.

The three quickly made their way through the crowded main streets, into a fenced walkway that led to a park. The first thing they saw were two kids cowering on the sidewalk, with another being held up by a boy with paint all over his face. He displayed a Suna headband proudly, giving the three genin pause. The girl beside him, with four blond pigtails and a Suna headband, seemed frustrated. Her arms were crossed watching the scene, but she made no move to help the child.

"Hey." Naruto spoke up as he walked around the other children with his teammate, "Put him down."

"Please put me down!" The boy cried, "My neck hurts!"

"Yeah, and it hurt when you tried to attack me." The boy glared, "Why should I put you down?"

"I just ran into you! It's not like I did it on purpose!" The kid yelled, "Put me down!"

"It sure takes a lot of guts to harass a child." Sasuke's voice dripped in sarcasm, "Put the kid down. Now."

"Make me." The painted boy laughed, looking over, "As if-"

In a flash, Naruto grabbed the boy and pushed him backwards out of reach. Sasuke grabbed the kid in a swift movement, shoving him to Sakura who quickly ushered all three children to stand behind her. Naruto knocked the Suna boy to the ground, the edge of one nagamaki at his throat and another pointing at the girl as if daring her to do anything.

"W-what?" The boy stuttered, "Temari! Help!"

"I can't!" The girl, Temari, snapped, "I told you not to antagonize the Konoha shinobi, Kankurō, especially the jonin!"

"I'm a genin, actually." Naruto smiled slightly, "Thanks, though."

"You're kidding me, right?" Temari gave him a deadpan look, "You're not in the Chunin Exams, right?"

"Now we are." Sasuke stepped forward, nodding at Naruto before looking at the two of them critically, "You're here on official business, act like it."

"You're a genin, too." Kankurō snapped, "Don't-"

"Shut up." Temari glared, "You've done enough damage!"

"Kankurō, Temari. Stop that." An emotionless voice spoke, drawing everyone's eyes to the tree above them, "You're both an embarassment."

A boy, probably the same age as Naruto himself, stood upside down on a tree branch with his arms crossed. He had blank green eyes, surrounded with black as though he'd put on eyeliner. Spiky red hair, parted only to reveal the kanji for love tattooed onto his forehead.

Naruto's heartbeat rose as he sensed the chakra of a biju immediately. A Jinchūriki, but clearly not a stable one. The blond's heart only sunk farther down into his stomach as he saw the fear the other two Suna genin regarded him with.

"G-Gaara!" Kankurō stuttered out, "We were just leaving!"

In a swirl of sand, he was on the ground, making the Temari and Kankurō step back as if to put space between them. The gourd on his back drew Naruto's attention, and he had an idea which tailed beast was sealed inside the boy.

Shukaku, the Ichibi, if he remembered the legends correctly, was the one tailed tanuki and a master of sand manipulation. Clearly not the most stable of tailed beasts at the moment, which made Naruto think something might be wrong with their seal. The redhead looked at him immediantly, deadly intentions found on every line of his face.

"Your blood will be spilled." He said, and Naruto felt his teammates tense behind him, "Mother has deemed such."

Mother...? Naruto bit the inside of his cheek. The crazy fucking tanuki was acting like the boy's parent? Damn, he really needed to talk to his own biju. Maybe the fox would have tips on how to make the Ichibi a little less insane.

Naruto just smiled back, "You can try."

The Suna genin were gone just moments later, and the kids they'd saved descended on them in a second.

"Yo!" The one who'd been attacked ran towards them, "You guys were so cool and fast! Teach me!"

"Not now, kid." Sasuke glanced down, "We have our own business to take care of."

"Please, bosses! I'm the Hokage's grandkid! Me and Moegi and Udon will make great students!"

"Those two statements have nothing to do with each other." Naruto sighed, "You're saved, now run off and play ninja."

He shook his head, insisting, "Teach us how to be shinobi!"

"Kid, listen-" Sakura began but was cut off by all three of them pleading.

"Please!"

"I'm gonna be Hokage, you have to teach me!"

"I wanna be a great kunoichi!"

Sasuke could already feel a tic developing.

"Okay, what about this?" Naruto asked, "You manage to draw a mustache on the Sandaime's face on the monument and I'll think about it."

"Yeah!" The boy jumped into the air, fist-pumping, "Come on, Udon! Moegi!"

They took off, racing after each other with enthusiasm only children could manage. As soon as they disappeared from earshot, Sakura and Sasuke rounded on him.

"What the hell was that about?" Sakura snapped, looking around anxiously, "That guy, he threatened you. There was something wrong with him!"

"He's a jinchūriki." Naruto said simply.

"A demon container?" Sasuke questioned, "Those are rare. Powerful, too."

Naruto suddenly froze, his eyes widening, "Oh, shit."

"What?" Sakura's brows furrowed, "It's never good when you say-"

"I might've forgotten to tell you guys about something." Naruto scratched his cheek, "I didn't mean to. It's not because I don't trust you, I seriously just forgot. A...A lot has been going on, so..."

"Out with it." Sasuke's eyes narrowed, "What did you do now?"

"I'm, uh, the jinchūriki of the Kyūbi."

They both stared at him for a moment, frozen on some back street with nothing but distant noise to fill the void. Then Sakura smacked her head so hard Naruto worried about her giving herself a concussion.

"You're birthday is the same day the demon fox attacked. People call you a demon, you're treated like shit..." She sighed roughly, "How did we not realize?"

"To be fair, demon container is a pretty far leap to make." Naruto smiled sheepishly.

"A pretty big thing to forget, too." Sasuke said, brows furrowed.

"I really did, though. It's just that before Wave there was a lot of stuff going on team-wise and then Wave actually happened and there was no time. I was going to tell you on the trip back, but after Uzu it slipped my mind." He smiled sheepishly, "You're not mad, right?"

"No." Sakura said, smiling softly before it dropped into a glower, "Not at you, at least. Is this why all the adults are so awful to you? They don't even let you grocery shop!"

"They do now." Naruto protested.

"Only because Sasuke threatened that one sales clerk so badly that they're all scared of him now." Sakura said, exasperated, "If I could get my hands on those assholes..."

Sasuke and Naruto only slightly shuddered. Slightly. Because sure, they're on their way to becoming powerful and all in ninjutsu and the like, but Sakura still has the best right hook in the graduating class.

"Right, well..." Naruto said, hoping to draw Sakura from her ire, "That's why he wants to fight most likely. He's a jinchūriki, just like me."

Sasuke's eyebrows rose a fraction as looked at his teammate in disbelief, "I'm going to protest that statement."

"Well, not just like me." Naruto sighed and pursed his lips, "I think his seal is messed up. Something is wrong, and it's driving both him and his biju crazy. If I could just..."

"No." Sakura shook her head firmly, trying to remain quiet, "No. Clearly, I'm going to have to be the voice of reason on this team, and the voice of reason is saying no."

Sasuke sighed, "For now, let's focus on the chunin exams. We are competing, right?"

"Oh, totally. The next step is to have sensei get us registered." Naruto nodded, "Then we can become chunin and we'll be that much closer to Itachi and the Hokage hat. And, uh, whatever Sakura is wanting to do."

"Still undecided." She informed them, "But thank you."

The had returned to the path of their original destination, Kakashi's apartment, when Sakura glanced over at them, "Do you think those kids will actually manage vandalizing the monument?"

"No." Naruto laughed, "They upped security after the last time I did it. There's no way."

Just then they saw a few chunin flying in the direction of the monument and moments later they could hear a kid screaming bloody murder.

"See?" Naruto gestured in that direction with his hand, "All taken care of."

"As long as we don't have to deal with any brats." Sasuke said with a glower, "They're annoying."

"You say that when we're annoying brats ourselves." Sakura grinned as she bounded ahead of them, "Last one there pays for dinner!"

"Cheating!" Naruto cried as both he and Sasuke chased after her.

---

"Kakashi submitted his team?" Iruka asked later that night, glancing at the Hokage as he sorted through the documents, "Already? That makes every rookie genin registered."

"So it would seem." The Sandaime took a puff of his pipe, "Iruka-kun, what is your perspective of Team 7?"

"Honestly, they had no potential for teamwork when I taught them." The chunin frowned, "I almost recommended breaking the pattern of placing the top performers on a team with the dead last just because of that. I don't know what Kakashi did, but it was incredibly effective. I underestimated his teaching."

"It seems we all did." Hiruzen said, gazing out the window as his grandson was, once again, dragged away from the Hokage monument with his friends in tow.

Somehow he just knew Naruto was to blame.

For now, though, he had some messages to send and his own remaining students to drag back home.

Notes:

Sasuke develops his Sharingan just by getting suuuper pissed off lmfao.

The Council, begging: Kakashi, please watch what you say in front of Naruto.
Kakashi, laughing and feral: No! Please, try and make me!
The ANBU hidden in the office: I'm not paid enough for this bullshit.

Naruto casually telling his team about his status as Kurama's landlord lmfao. Also, Kakashi going feral <3 <3 We meet Tsunade and Jiraiya next chapter and they get to meet their monstrous charges and Jiraiya takes a Rasengan to the face. We also meet Yugao, who will be teaching Sasuke. I might let her live this time, what do you guys think? Lmao.

Naruto also introduces his team to his dhole summons next chapter and they have fun team field trips getting their own summons! Kakashi just watches in mild horror when Sasuke and Sakura drag back a giant ass wolverine and leopard respectively.

Itachi, at some point in the future: Foolish little brother-
Sasuke, snarling as he summons the biggest fucking wolverine in existence that could literally eat his older brother:
Itachi, quietly: what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck

Sasuke: Say one more thing about my teammates.
Ino, not getting the hint: What? About dumbass and forehead?
Shikamaru, very much getting the hint: We're leaving now.

Chapter 14: Three Summoners

Two days after their return to Konoha saw the genin of Team 7 sitting around their usual training ground. Naruto was inking something down in a notebook, making broad swipes before concentrating on the more detailed work. Sakura peeked over his shoulder as she passed by, her eyes widening.

"That looks...complicated." She said, "What is it?"

"Sasuke's seal!" Naruto grinned up at the Uchiha, "It should be done in a few days, actually."

Sasuke looked up from sharpening Kaminokari, the katana resting in a gloved hand as he ran a whetstone along the edge of the blade. His lips twitched upwards in a semblance of a smile before he turned his attention back towards the sword in his lap.

"Well, then..." Sakura surveyed the faint flush found on the Uchiha's nose and ears with interest, "Sounds like it's going well."

"It is." Naruto sat his work aside, "And I actually have other news that I totally forgot about."

"Please tell me it's not like the other thing you forgot to tell us." Sakura grimaced as she sat between them, legs stretched out in front of her.

The Uzumaki couldn’t quite smother a bright laugh, "No, not like that. I did sign a contract with the dholes, though. They're the Uzumaki clan summons."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "A clan summons is rare. Did you find the scroll in Uzu?"

Naruto grabbed the excuse with both hands and a smile, "Yeah. I smeared some blood on it and hoped for the best, and now I have a pack of dholes."

"Why dholes, though?" Sakura asked, leaning forward in curiosity, "Out of everything, I mean. I'm sure they're great, but it just seems unusual."

"They're native to Uzu from what I can tell, and they resemble foxes. Foxes are sacred to the Uzumaki because of our supposed connection with Inari Ōkami, who used foxes as messengers. Dholes were considered sacred by extension, even if they are technically canines."

"The connection to Inari Ōkami was through Yuuma Uzumaki, right?" Sasuke asked, shocking both Naruto and Sakura.

"Uh, yeah." Naruto blinked, "Didn't realize you were paying that much attention."

"I'm using his sword." Sasuke remarked dryly, rolling his eyes as he motioned to Kaminokari, "Have to have the barest bit of respect, right?"

"So, back to the summons thing, are family contracts really that rare?" Sakura asked, "Do summons normally find people if they don't have a family contract, or do they have to be sought out?"

"Most clans can't get an animal to bind themselves to a bloodline for eternity." Naruto shrugged, "The dholes are a special case. We saw them as sacred, but from what I've learned they thought the Uzumaki were sacred as well. Most animals prefer the freedom to pick and choose. Usually, a contract is passed down through a sensei after you pass a trial from the summons themselves. Beyond that, you reverse summon yourself and let your chakra draw you to the right summons.”

"So you're the only one signed to the dholes now?" Sakura frowned, "That's sad but...good, too, I guess. They were probably getting lonely."

Naruto thought of Daiki all alone, hiding in the thick of Hageshī Cliffs to grieve away from his pack. Thought of Satomi grieving the loss of her summoner, Amahiko's own mother, because Tsubaki hadn't even had a chance to call on their dholes for help before she'd been ambushed.

"Yeah." Naruto ran his fingers through the grass under the tree they were using to block out the sun, "They were...pretty enthusiastic."

"Are you going to summon one?" Sasuke asked abruptly.

Naruto tilted his head slightly, "Huh?"

"You know, so we can meet them?" The other boy prompted, waving a hand impatiently, "A personal summons is a big deal."

"Yeah!" Sakura nodded, "What's their name?"

"Uh, my summons is named Daiki." Naruto was a bit overwhelmed by their excitement, "I guess I can drag him here."

A few hand seals later saw the great dhole lying asleep in front of them. Naruto saw his teammates gape at the dhole's sheer size, and he could understand why. Even he had been startled by how big his summons had grown since they'd last seen each other on a bloody day in Uzu a lifetime ago.

Poking Daiki hard and repeatedly on the side, he continued until a rumble deep in the dhole's chest announced him waking up.

Daiki growled, one eye peeking open, "Where am I? Who are they?"

Sakura gasped, "He talks!"

"Most do." Sasuke informed her, still keeping his eyes locked on Daiki, "He's a lot bigger than I imagined, though. Even for a summons."

"You're in Konoha." Naruto responded to the dhole's questions, "Those are my teammates."

Daiki's eyes slid from Naruto to the rest of Team 7, his gaze sharp and critical, "And who is it that has the privilege to fight alongside an honored Uzumaki?"

Naruto's face flushed red as he sputtered, "Please shut up. You sound like your mom."

The dhole snorted as he rested his head on his paw, which Sakura privately noted was bigger than her own torso, "I thought the impression was great. Do you think mother would like to hear it?"

"I think she'd try and drown you again." Naruto scoffed, "Quit being an ass. This is Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke."

Daiki's eyes dropped to the sword Sasuke held, "Kaminokari? You've retrieved everything from Uzu, then?"

Naruto nodded, "Yes."

The dhole's eyes scanned his teammates carefully, "And you trust them with Uzumaki artifacts and techniques?"

Sasuke and Sakura were watching the conversation like a spar, eyes darting back and forth with each word.

"I do," Naruto said.

"Meh, good enough for me." Daiki yawned, "I'm going back to sunbathing now. Summon me if you really need me."

He was gone in a puff of smoke. Naruto waved his hand to dispel it, coughing as he accidentally breathed it in.

"He was interesting." Sakura laughed slightly, "So, you said we can reverse summon ourselves to get a contract?”

”If the animal you’re summoned to accepts you, yeah.” Naruto paused, “Wait-“

”So let’s do it!” Sakura said, her face lighting up, “What’s the worst that can happen?”

”What happened to you being the voice of reason?” Sasuke asked, “You know people get injured doing this stuff? An Uchiha once lost an eye when I was younger to the falcons.”

”Oh, Mr. I Need Power is turning down an opportunity for power?” Sakura taunted, “Imagine a summons as big as Daiki just sitting on Itachi. Totally crushing him.”

He looked considering, and she knew she’d won.

“Fine. If I lose an eye, you’re the one that’s figuring out how to fix it.” Sasuke glanced away, “And if I get summoned to the crows, I'm lighting them all on fire.”

Naruto was confused briefly and opened his mouth to ask, but Sakura nudged him sharply in the ribs as Sasuke turned away. She mouthed the word Itachi and he realized those must've been Sasuke's brother's summons.

”You’ll be fine, just cover your face and don't make any sudden movements. Worse comes to worse, the Uzumaki had a whole scroll on ocular regeneration.” Sakura waved a dismissive hand when he turned back to look at them, “Now, hand seals?”

Naruto inched closer to Sasuke, “She’s getting scarier and scarier.”

The Uchiha only grunted in return, but Naruto could almost see the respect in his eyes.

"Okay, watch me. Boar, dog, bird, monkey, ram. Summon a very large amount of chakra, you'll need it to summon yourself to their world, and bite your thumb enough to bleed. Slam your hand into the ground and off you go."

Soon, they disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Naruto alone in the training ground. Sighing, he uncapped his ink again and went back to working on Sasuke's seal.

---

The first thing Sakura registered was that it was hot. Much hotter than Konoha, and the air was dryer than in her village as well. Desert grass covered the plains as far as she could see, acacia trees providing shade to the sun-beaten land. She felt sudden movement behind her, turning sharply right as a leopard was beginning to pounce. She and the animal both froze, looking at each other with calculated gazes. 

She took a step back, shifting her stance to one where she could defend herself, and her skin crawled when the big cat let out an amused, raspy noise. The leopard before her was huge, just as big as Naruto's summons, and tilted its head at her curiously. It was a soft beige-brown, broken up only by the black rosette-esque spots that covered its body.

Its muscles tensed for a split second and Sakura rolled out of the way, bringing her hands into a seal and transforming the wood of the tree behind her to form a protective cage around her body. The leopard stopped, startled, its slitted yellow eyes gleaming in shock at the mokuton usage.

"Hmm...talented, are we?" The voice was smooth, a silky tone that had a slight gravelly rasp resembling the growl it had let loose earlier, "Can you make trees with that skill of yours?"

"I'm still a beginner, I just started lessons with my sensei. It's called mokuton, the Shodai's bloodline. Do you know of it?" Sakura looked at the big cat curiously, allowing the branches to reform to the tree and release her from her protective cage.

"Cub, my leap has not been bothered by ninja since the Sage's children walked this earth." She blinked slowly, baring her fangs in a semblance of a smile.

"Oh." Sakura swallowed, "It's been quite a while, then."

"Yes, it has." She circled Sakura, before stopping in front of her, looking straight into her eyes, "What is your name, pink one?"

The genin smiled sheepishly, "It's Haruno Sakura."

The great leopard blinked, speaking blandly, "How creative. I'm Masuyo, the leader of the leap. Welcome to Ōkusabara."

"You...are accepting my request for a summons?" Sakura blinked, "I thought it would be a lot harder..."

"You can make trees, cub. One thing you will learn quickly is that leopards love trees and that the cubs will never cease bothering you to create smaller ones for them to climb. Now, follow. You must make a bond in blood and meet your leap."

Sakura scrambled to keep up, following the leopard all the way to where the trees grew together and the big cats lounged along the branches as the cubs roughhoused below.

---

Sasuke was fucking freezing. All around him, pine and larch trees rose high into the sky, branches laden with snow. His shinobi sandals, usually quite comfortable, now had him worrying for his toes as they were buried in the snow. Gritting his teeth and wrapping his arms around himself, he turned around in a full circle, trying to find where the hell his supposed summons was.

At least he knew with certainty that this was not the crow's domain.

"Not clothing fit for snow." It was a female voice, grittier and accompanied by a dangerous edge.

Spinning around, Sasuke's eyes widened when he saw a giant bear slowly walking through the snow towards him, two smaller ones behind her. As it grew closer, he realized it wasn't a bear at all, but a huge wolverine that was at least three times taller than him. The things were native to Yuki no Kunai (The Land of Snow), he knew that much. They were small, though. Nothing like the hulking creatures before him.

"A ninja?" The leader of the pack stopped to address him, "Are you lost? I should hope so, most know wolverines are a solitary pack. We hardly like to share with our own, let alone ninja. You should begone soon, boy."

"I was reverse summoned here." Sasuke spoke with confidence he didn't quite feel, "I'm supposed to sign with whichever animal my chakra led me to."

Fucking hell, Sakura. If he lost a limb here there would be hell to pay.

"We haven't had a summoner in hundreds of years." She dismissed, "What makes you special?" 

Sasuke grit his teeth, "Listen, all I care about is protecting my friends and killing my brother. I can do that with or without you."

"Killing for revenge, eh? And fratricide, no less. Sounds familiar." She bared her teeth, razor-sharp, in a semblance of a grin, "Savage, but fitting for an animal such as ourselves. Our pack of wolverines is spread out in Yukinoki, our forest. You probably won't ever get to meet all of them, should we accept you. Which leads us to the ultimate question...why should you be the one to sign the wolverine contract?"

Sasuke set his jaw, slowly walking forwards to the three wolverines, "Want to find out?"

"Confident, possibly bordering on cocky." She bared her teeth once more, a sound coming from the back of her throat that he realized was laughing, "Our first and last summoner was the same, though Isora was more subtle in her brutality and ego. She always did put up a good mask to save face. Come, child, show us your worth."

Sasuke twitched slightly at the intense looks the three giant wolverines gave him, but followed through the snowy trees anyway. He couldn't have gotten dogs or something?

---

Sakura appeared in a puff of smoke with a leopard lounging across her lap. It was small for a summons, which meant it was likely still young and had a lot of growing to do.

"This is Takara!" Sakura said proudly, "She's my personal summons, like Daiki!"

"Leopards?" Naruto surveyed Takara closely, "I've never known any leopard summoners. The Nidaime was signed with the snow leopards, but they're a bit different."

"A bit more stuck up, you mean." Takara purred as Sakura scratched behind her ears, "My mother was a cub when Tobi signed with our cousins. He passed soon after I was born."

"You knew the Nidaime?" Sakura's eyes widened, "Masuyo said you were still a cub!"

"Summons age slower than regular animals." Naruto said, "And it's nice to meet you, Takara."

The leopard sniffed as she stood, prowling around Naruto with confusion, "I smell dog. No, not dog. Dholes? I thought their summoners were all dead?"

"Not quite." Naruto's grin was crooked.

"Oh, great! I've heard from our cousins that the dholes are super fun! They fought with the one who was near Tobi often, they say she ripped out many throats."

"Mito's summons?" Naruto's eyes widened, "I, uh, I guess they would've been around each other a lot."

Kimiko, Satomi's own mother, had been Mito's personal summons and now served as one of the three elder dholes on their council. She'd likely been very familiar with not only the Nidaime but also the Shodai. He was about to ask more questions, maybe grill the young leopard for information regarding the legendary ninja, when another cloud of smoke signified that Sasuke had returned.

Sasuke, who was grappling with quite a large...was that a wolverine? 

A wolverine, as in Isora Ōtsutsuki's contract? Isora, the granddaughter of the Sage? Isora, the great-grandmother of the Shodai Uzukage?

Huh. Small world.

"Stop!" Sasuke threw the wolverine off him with a snarl, "I'm not something to maul!"

The wolverine simply landed on its feet and, when it spoke, the voice was distinctly feminine, "Mother said you were."

Sasuke sneered, "Yeah, well, your mother is a-"

"Sasuke!" Sakura interrupted, smile frozen on her face and eyes wide, "Who's, uh, who's your friend?"

As the Uchiha turned towards them, they realized he was covered in rapidly melting snow and looked like he'd been electrocuted to boot.

"This is Mayako." He glared at the wolverine from the corner of his eye, "She was going to be my personal summons."

"Was?" Mayako asked, blinking innocently.

Sasuke scowled.

"You can't replace me, you know. As if any of my siblings would accept you; they're far too old and grouchy, even with mother asking them it wouldn't help." The wolverine huffed, "And...is that a leopard?"

"So you got accepted?" Sakura raised an amused brow, "Just barely, by the looks of it."

"I got electrocuted," Sasuke said, lips pursed.

"Did you sign the contract, though?" Naruto asked.

"Yes. Unfortunately." Sasuke aimed a kick at the wolverine's side, but she batted his leg away with ease as she continued sniffing in Takara's direction.

The leopard was looking distinctly uncomfortable, her hackles raised as she bared her teeth.

"Oh, some backbone!" Mayako sounded pleased, "Maybe we will get along."

"You can get lost now," Sasuke grunted.

"No, I think I'll stay." The wolverine sounded far too pleased at his frustration.

This was what Kakashi found when he waltzed through the training ground gates, still reading his book. The three genin froze, waiting for him to notice, and at the silence he finally looked up.

"What, no wild goose chase today, monsters? I'm diappointed-" He cut himself off, his visible eye twitching, "What is going on?"

"We got summons!" Sakura gestured broadly to the far larger than average animals, "Naruto's went back home, but this is Takara and...what was it, again, Sasuke?"

"Mayako." Sasuke jerked a thumb at the wolverine, who simply flashed her fangs at Kakashi.

Their sensei just stared back, motionless.

"Is he okay?" Sakura asked, whispering.

Sasuke just shrugged.

Naruto grimaced, "I think we broke him."

"I'm fine." Kakashi said, too loud to actually be fine, "What...when did this happen?"

"About ten minutes ago." Sasuke replied.

"That's what you get for being late, sensei." Sakura grinned, "Naruto showed us the hand seals."

Kakashi blinked, "And where did you-?"

"The Uzumaki have a clan summons, the dholes. Really big, red dogs that sorta look like foxes. Yes, I do understand the irony. We all do."

Sasuke and Sakura nodded solemnly. Kakashi twitched again.

Their sensei took a deep breath, "You told them, then?"

"Sure did!" The Uzumaki nodded, "We met Suna's jinchūriki and I realized I forgot to tell them."

"You forgot?" Kakashi asked, "You just forgot about the demon living in your gut?"

"Well, not about it existing, per say. More like I forgot I hadn't told them about said demon already." Naruto laughed, "Anyway, I found the contract in Uzu and summoned myself there per the instructions. I signed it, obviously."

"Obviously." Kakashi repeated, deadpan, before turning to look at Sasuke and Sakura, "And obviously you two had to follow suit."

Sakura grinned, "Well, obviously."

"I shouldn't get surprised anymore." Kakashi shook his head, "Now look alive, we're running this morning. I want twenty laps around Konoha. Yes, you have to go up the stairs of the Hokage monument every time."

The three groaned.

"I can chase them, if you want." Mayako piped up from where she'd been grooming her fur, "I already have plenty of practice tackling the boy."

Sasuke paled while Kakashi just shot him an eye smile, "What a kind offer. Sasuke, you'd love to take your summons up on her offer, right?"

The Uchiha was gone in seconds, already running at a dead sprint. His teammates groaned, taking off after him reluctantly.

Mayako turned to Kakashi, "I think I'll like you."

Kakashi nodded in her direction, "Likewise."

---

Meanwhile, in a town far from Konoha known for its bars and gambling and other generally unsavory activities, Senju Tsunade received a letter.

"Another Senju?" Shizune nearly dropped the pig she held, looking at Tsunade with wide eyes, "Shishou...that's amazing!"

Brown eyes dark, Tsunade regarded the letter with contempt, "The Sandaime is ordering me back. To train the girl."

"But...aren't you happy?" Shizune deflated, stopping outside the casino to look at her teacher, "There's another Senju, more than one at that! This girl has parents, too, and maybe cousins. Your clan just got much bigger."

"I refused to go back to Konoha for a reason, Shizune." She folded the letter, shoving it in her bag, "There's nothing but bad memories there."

"Maybe you can make better ones." The medic apprentice insisted, eyes imploring, "Besides, this was an official order for your return. You can't just ignore this like it was a request."

"I know that." The blond sighed, "Well, at least the casino can't call me on my debts if I'm not even here-"

"Hey!" They heard a yell, watching as a balding man rushed out the doors, "You owe me twenty thousand ryō! Get back here!"

"Now would be the time to leave!" Shizune held onto Tonton tightly, "If we're going to, that is."

"Might as well." She grumbled, "I haven't got twenty thousand ryō, that's for damn sure."

Shizune only sighed in relief and proceeded to chase after her long-time sensei.

---

When the small white monkey popped into appearance next to Jiraiya in the tree he was peeping in, the old pervert almost dropped his transcript into the hot springs below.

Hissing as his yelp gave him away, he fled down the tree and back into the town before the women could get their towels on. Glaring at the monkey that followed him, Nobu was his name, he grabbed the letter from his sensei's summons and watched morosely as it reverse-summoned itself out of existence. They couldn't contact him normally, no. It had to be inconvenient. More often than not, it got him beaten up as well. Without Tsunade there to heal him, it was quite a painful venture. 

Once safely back in his hotel, he ripped open the letter only to nearly spit out the sake he'd just drank.

Uzumaki Naruto, his godson, Minato and Kushina's only child, was already entering the chunin exams. Apparently the kid also had a knack for fūinjutsu and he'd inheireted Kushina's chakra chains, albeit white instead of gold. If Sarutobi's letter was to be believed, he also gave his sensei headaches on the regular. His sensei who happened to be Kakashi.

Clearly Jiraiya had to get back to Konoha and meet this kid as soon as possible. Forget being ordered to return, he'd do so happily at this point.

So he packed and headed out of the Land of Noodles and towards Konoha. Maybe, if he got lucky, the kid wouldn't be a total brat and would help him with his research. He smiled slightly, thinking of all the possibilities of having a student to exploit in the name of writing. After all, he had to have someone to throw at the packs of angry women.

Maybe the kid would be cooperative.

---

A week later, Naruto sneezed, wiping his nose as he sat under a tree at training ground seven with Sakura at his side, Sasuke up and murdering straw dummies per usual.

"Are you getting a cold?" Sakura spoke up from where she had her nose buried in her book, "I told you, you need more than a short-sleeved haori in winter months."

"It's not even winter yet, it's barely fall." Naruto griped, picking up his ink brush once more, "Besides, I just had a bad feeling."

Sakura looked up, green eyes concerned, "Over what?"

"Nothing." Naruto shook his head, "Oi, Sasuke, get over here!"

"Hn." Sasuke sighed, lowering Kaminoikari, the katana blade shining in the sun, "I'm working on the katas Yūgao-sensei gave me."

Uzuki Yūgao was an ANBU who was apparently scary good with kenjutsu. They'd met her a few days ago when she'd arrived after their normal training hours to pick Sasuke up for the first time. She was nice, too, and offered her help to Sakura and Naruto if they ever decided they wanted to train with her later on.

No matter how gentle her smile was, all three genin couldn't help but look at the tattoo on her arm. Their sensei had one, too, even if they'd never seen it. So did Yamato, for that matter. Two of the strongest ninja they knew, and she was once on a team with both of them. Kind or not, she was deadly, and that's just what Sasuke had wanted in a kenjutsu master.

"Okay." Naruto shrugged, "If you don't want the seal then-"

Sasuke was already walking towards him, katana sheathed, "Coming."

There was a hint of a smirk on Naruto's lips as he showed the design on the scroll he held, "So I finished up by changing the complex, the center of the seal, and bringing everything down to a smaller scale. It shouldn't affect your chakra stores at all. I believe, though don't quote me on it, it may gradually expand your chakra coils which will result in you having larger reserves."

Sasuke blinked, looking at Naruto silently and seeming quite tongue-tied. Sakura just smiled, raising her book to hide it. Boys really were idiots.

"Okay, then." Sasuke nodded slightly, "What do you-?"

"I need your shoulder." Naruto said as he turned to get out his permanent ink from his storage scroll, opening it and laying out his design, "You're gonna have to be very still and not make any sudden movements that could smudge the ink before it dries."

"And after it dries?" Sasuke asked, slipping off his blue overshirt, leaving him in only a loose black tank top, "Is it waterproof?"

"Like a tattoo, just with no needle." The blond prepped his brush, "Fūinjutsu ink is different than regular ink. Once it's applied to the skin, it would take another seal drawn on to remove it with something like water. Or I guess you could chop the offending limb off, too, but that might no be ideal."

"Can you do seals with regular ink?" Sakura put down her book to watch, fascinated, as Naruto began the swooping lines and kanji.

"They're not waterproof like Fūinjutsu ink, and often yield a lower quality product when applied on the skin." Naruto wrinkled his nose slightly in concentration, "You can use them in a pinch though. I save my regular ink for scrolls, and my fūinjutsu ink for body work."

An Uzumaki spiral placed itself on the tip of Sasuke's left shoulder, a bit further up than where Naruto put his own seal, and the kanji and symbols spiraled around his upper arm and onto his shoulder blade. When completed, Naruto resealed his ink and brushes into a scroll and smiled at the finished result. It was a downsized version of his own seal, made specially to compensate for Sasuke's smaller chakra reserves. 

"I don't feel any different." Sasuke looked up at Naruto, "How long does it take to activate?"

"It already is activated." The Uzumaki said, "It's good you feel normal; that means the seal isn't taking too much chakra."

Naruto froze in the middle of his explanation, looking up in confusion as he sat his supply scroll aside and stood.

"What is it?" Sakura asked, glancing around.

"Kakashi-sensei is with three other people. Two of the signatures are exceptionally large." He sat his scrolls aside, slowly standing, "Sakura, Sasuke-"

They were already standing as well, facing the entrance. Sasuke had a hand hovering over his katana, and Naruto could tell Sakura was gathering her chakra. It was unlikely anyone with their sensei meant them any harm, but they'd learned quickly that being wary might save their lives.

A few moments later, Kakashi rounded the corner and paused when he saw them all staring and ready for a fight.

"Maa, monsters, they're allies." Their sensei gave them an eye smile, "Brownie points for being cautious, though."

"Could we maybe get actual brownies?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi shrugged, "Ask Yamato. Now, I have some people to introduce."

A man sauntered through with waist-length, spiky white hair tied into a ponytail. He had two long, red lines running down his face from each of his eyes.

A woman followed after him; she had blonde hair tied in two loose ponytails, and her eyes were a light brown. A violet diamond, small and not noticeable otherwise, was imprinted in the very center of her forehead. Naruto narrowed his eyes, he knew that mark quite well. Mito had one just like it, and many Uzumaki before her. It wasn't surprising, because unlike the man he knew exactly who she was.

From the looks of it, his teammates did as well.

"Tsunade of the Sannin!" Sakura clasped her hands together, eyes glued to the woman in adoration, "Naruto, Sasuke, that's-"

"We know who Tsunade is." Sasuke interrupted, also looking at the older kunoichi in shock.

A second woman, who was holding a pig of all things, inched out from behind Tsunade. She had dark, nearly black, eyes and straight, black hair that fell just short of her shoulders.

”And you know who I am, too, right?” The older man asked, puffing his chest out.

It was dead silent for a moment.

”No…” Sakura hesitated, glancing at Naruto and Sasuke who also seemed confused, “Should we?”

Tsunade broke out into raucous laughter while the man’s shoulders slumped.

”Yes!” He sputtered, “I’m Jiraiya! The Toad Sage!”

”Okay?” Sasuke’s eyebrows drew together in a look of vague annoyance, “And?”

”I’m one of the Sannin! The three legendary ninja!” He gestured over at Tsunade, who was still laughing, as if that proved his point.

”You were one of the Sannin?” Naruto glanced over, “I know Tsunade, obviously, and the one that went batshit-“

”Orichimaru!” Sakura piped up, “Didn’t he eat people…or something?”

”I think cannibalism is the one crime against humanity he didn’t commit.” Sasuke grunted.

”And toads…” Naruto said, trailing off before he snapped in realization, “That is what Iruka-sensei said! Slugs, snakes, and toads!”

”My own godson doesn’t recognize me?” Jiraiya gasped as if he was scandalized, “Wow, that’s a knock on the old ego.”

The training ground went silent. Jiraiya blinked, taking in the sudden change of expressions Team 7 went through.

Naruto had gone blank, just staring at him with wide eyes. Sakura paled at his words, reaching over and grabbing Naruto’s elbow in support. Sasuke just glared venomously, his Sharingan activated with three tomoe spinning violently.

“Uh…did you know about that part yet?” Jiraiya questioned cautiously.

Tsunade, who had gone silent as well, reached over and smacked him on the back of the head, “Clearly not.”

The man stumbled slightly at the hit, rubbing the new knot on his head, “I figured the Sandaime told you already. Sorry, kid.”

”He doesn’t accept your apology.” Sasuke hissed, making both his teammates glance in his direction.

Naruto finally cracked a small smile while Sakura groaned and said, “Sensei, he did it again!”

Kakashi glanced over, “Three tomoe now. Nice going, Sasuke.”

”Oh.” The Uchiha paused, “I didn’t notice.”

Kakashi just gave him an eye smile before trailing down to the seal that now sat on Sasuke’s left shoulder, “That’s certainly new.”

”Naruto did it. That chakra conversion seal he made for himself and scaled down for me.” Sasuke said, “We think it’s working.”

Jiraiya made a noise of protest, “Why are you gakis slapping untested seals on each other? That’s dangerous.”

Sasuke only sneered in his direction, “Deadbeat guardians don’t get to criticize anyone.”

Jiraiya jerked back in shock like the words had been a physical blow.

”Kaka-sensei, as my legal guardian and parent, do you have any bullshit issues with it?” Naruto glanced over, his jaw still tight from the anxiety and tension he felt.

”Maa, maa, Naru-chan, so serious.” Kakashi moved over to pat the kid on the head before glancing over at Jiraiya, “Sasuke’s not dead, is he?”

Sasuke scoffed, “Thanks, sensei.”

”No problem, dear monster.” Kakashi sighed, “Now, to clear things up. Yes, Jiraiya is a Sannin. Yes, Naruto…he is your godfather. And the woman beside Tsunade holding the pig is Shizune, Tsunade’s student.”

The dark haired woman waved hesitantly, seemingly nervous of the odd mood in the air.

“Cool. Good to know I didn’t have to be an orphan living in the red light district, I was just unwanted.” Naruto smiled blandly, “Always fun to find out.”

Tsunade’s eyes widened at that, and Jiraiya looked like he was scrambling.

“I had missions!“ The Sannin said, “They were way too dangerous for a kid. And my spy network-“

Naruto just shrugged, “I mean…I guess I just figured you could’ve dropped by in your free time. Said hi. Maybe helped me get an apartment people didn’t frequently break into to piss everywhere.”

Jiraiya paled at that, Tsunade and Shizune glancing away at the raw expression on the kid’s face.

”But it’s whatever, really.” A beaming smile lit up Naruto’s face again in no time, “I got a new place to crash at with sensei, so all’s well that ends well, right?”

”No.” Sasuke said, giving Jiraiya a dirty look.

Naruto elbowed Sasuke sharply in the gut, “Ignore him. So, sensei, why are two Sannin here? Hope the other one isn’t making an appearance, too.”

“You and me both.” Kakashi snorted, “Sasuke has begun working on his kenjutsu, so the Hokage called Jiraiya back to help you, Naruto, with your fūinjutsu among other things. Sakura, Tsunade was called to help you with your iryō ninjutsu-“

He was cut off by a short squeal as she turned to look at him, “Seriously?”

Tsunade scowled, about to open her mouth, when all of a sudden daisies burst from the ground starting at Sakura’s feet. They spread past her team and Kakashi, stopping just shy of the Sannin and Shizune.

Sakura rubbed the back of her neck, “Sorry! Still getting that under control.”

”What was that?” Tsunade said, quieter than usual as she stared at the daisies grown from nothing.

Kakashi made a confused noise, “Did the Hokage not mention anything about Sakura’s mokuton in his letter?”

Shizune gasped loudly, her hands rushing to cover her mouth as she stared at Sakura. Jiraiya wasn’t fairing any better, going stock still as he looked at the tiny genin who apparently inherited the power of the Shodai.

Tsunade was still staring at the daisies.

”Okay, monsters!” Kakashi clapped his hands, “New mission! Go find Yamato, I’ll take care of all this.”

Sakura looked torn, glancing at Tsunade with a mixture of hope and fear of rejection, “Are you sure, sensei?”

”Positive. Ask him about those brownies. Sasuke, don’t forget you’ll still have kenjutsu this evening.”

The Uchiha nodded, glancing at his two tense and nervous teammates before grabbing them both by the arm and dragging them away.

If there was one thing Kakashi could seemingly always count on, it was Sasuke playing shield for Naruto and Sakura.

”Now,” Kakashi turned to Tsunade and Jiraiya once his students had left, “Let’s go over the ground rules for teaching my monsters.”

---

"Move your foot in, Sasuke." Yūgao smiled slightly, "You're tense. Tell me what's wrong."

Sasuke sighed, not dropping his stance, "The chunin exams are soon."

"And?" She asked, "You're more than capable of passing. Tell me the real reason."

Damn her and her interrogation skills.

"That's it." Sasuke frowned, "The chunin exams."

"Why?" The purple-haired woman raised an eyebrow, "Why, Uchiha? We both know."

Gritting his teeth, he dropped the katana slightly, "He became a chunin at ten."

"He also graduated at seven, went off the deep end at thirteen, and now you see where he's at. You can't rush these things." Yūgao grabbed his arm and pushed it up more, "Hold the stance."

"Yes, sensei." He frowned, "He's so far ahead of me. Will I ever catch up?"

"Catch up to what?" She looked at him, brown eyes calculating, "His body count? The blood on his hands? His power?"

The genin struggled, "I-he...I have to kill him."

"Why?"

"B-because! He killed everyone. I have to do it...for them."

"For you." She corrected, not ungently, "Revenge isn't a good path, kōhai. It'll get you killed, get your team killed. I've watched it tear better men apart. Revenge does not equal satisfaction or happiness."

"What would they say if they knew I let him live?" Sasuke's jaw clenched, "If he keeps living while they're dead?"

"Would your mother have wanted you to throw your life away? If you go on some reckless search for power to kill Itachi, that's what will happen." Her stare was intense, "Nobody wants that for you."

"What would you do?" Sasuke looked away slightly, forcibly crushing the rising emotions in his chest.

"Live." She sighed, "I've seen many of my friends die, Sasuke. My parents died when I was thirteen, killed on a mission together. I know death, but I know life better. That's why I keep on living."

”Alright.” He said, gripping the training sword tightly, “I’m not sure if I totally get it yet, but…”

“Having a goal in mind helps. One that’s not centered on power or revenge.” Yūgao said, “Can you think of anything?”

”Protecting Naruto and Sakura.” He glanced away, breaking her eye contact, “And Kakashi, I guess. They’re the first ones…”

Sasuke isn’t sure if he felt anything beyond anger and grief before his team. Every memory he had before the massacre was tainted, and everything afterwards was dull and lifeless. He went through the motions, but it hadn’t ever meant anything. He knew he’d get revenge and then he’d die himself. That was it.

Then he met his team. He didn’t think he could care about anyone like that. Honestly, he didn’t think anyone could care about him like that, either. They saw beyond his value as the last loyal Uchiha, beyond his money and power, beyond the bullshit.

They saw Sasuke. In all his not-so-glorious glory. They knew he was a bit wrong, a bit fucked in the head, and they still cared enough to dedicate themselves to his own goal of revenge. To protect him from Itachi.

To protect him from himself.

“There you go.” She smiled, "Now move your damn foot in, we’re gonna get you whipped into shape."

He slid his foot into the proper place and felt a cold determination coil in his stomach. His team wouldn't die, and he wouldn't die. He'd make sure of that.

He couldn't let anything happen to Naruto or Sakura, though. Not when they'd given him so much. Not when they’d give him even more, willingly, solely because they cared about him.

Notes:

More of Team 7 being gremlins who only give a shit about each other! Now featuring Kakashi, who would literally fight God for his children.

I love the meme that everyone always recognizes Tsunade and Orochimaru, but they collectively forget about Jiraiya occasionally.

Sasuke, getting hella pissed: …
His teammates taking bets on what happened to his Sharingan: …

All the summons have something to do with the Uzumaki, even by just knowing another summons who knew the Uzumaki lmao (like the leopards who were cousins with the snow leopards, Tobirama's summons, who worked with the dholes through Mito.). And the wolverines were Isora's contract, the granddaughter of the Sage who married the Uzumaki and made them ninja (essentially since they were largely a clan of samurai before).

Takara: If anyone even looks at my summoner, I'll tear their throat out :)
Mayako: I'll tear my summoners throat out :)
Also Mayako, when someone strange is within 10 feet of Sasuke: Hey! Back off, only I can maim him!
Daiki: Just happy to be here, happy my summoner is alive :)

Kakashi: Teaching the three of you is like having a continuous migraine that I’m happy about for some reason.

Jiraiya, having to deal with Sasuke on his ass 24/7: I’m gonna beat this brats ass.
Kakashi, materializing out of thin air: What was that?

Tsunade, watching Team 7 bitch out Jiraiya once they find out he peeps on women: Actually…you know what, I’ll take them all. All three of em.

Jiraiya, at some point probably: I’ll scare Naruto awake as a funny joke heh. Revenge for ruining my research.
Daiki, who sometimes likes to sleep in Naruto’s room because he misses him: …
Jiraiya, not expecting the huge ass summons to be curled up at the foot of his godson’s bed: KAKASHI-

Kakashi, throughout this whole chapter: Yeah, my monsters are just Like That.

Chapter 15: (Not A) Father

"And what did you think of Team 7?" Hiruzen surveyed his student's faces closely, watching as Jiraiya paled and Tsunade grimaced.

"Kakashi is..." Jiraiya trailed off, eyes distant, "Protective, to say the least."

Tsunade hummed her agreement, taking a swig of sake straight from the bottle. 

"That seems to align with his behavior well enough so far." Hiruzen agreed, thinking back to that fateful meeting where the man had seized custody of Naruto, "Why? Did he say anything?"

"The brat was unaware I'm his godfather. He didn't take it well." Jiraiya said, lips pursed.

"I think Kakashi was pretty close to beating him to death with his own book." Tsunade chuckled into her glass, "He was mad."

"He threatened to shave me bald in my sleep." Her teammate griped, "Laugh it up, over there. You know you got the same treatment."

"I was in shock." She snipped back, "He could've cut me some slack. Next time give us a head up on the details, sensei."

She cut a glare towards the Hokage, to which he bowed his head in acceptance. Sighing, she stood and sat the bottle down on the Sandaime's desk with a clatter. 

"I'm going to bed. I have to tain with Sakura tomorrow morning, apparently." She huffed, "You have the same with Naruto. Don't want to get bitched out by their dad, do you?"

"Kakashi sure grew up to be a cocky little shit." Jiraiya grimaced, "When the hell did that happen?"

"They do say having kids changes you," Tsunade said breezily as she walked out the door.

Hiruzen cradled his head in his hands as his two remaining students left his office, already nursing a headache. When did it all happen? When had Kakashi gotten so attached to his genin team and how? He'd been secluded and closed off for so long and suddenly it was a complete turnaround. A total personality shift from aloof jonin to an overly protective teacher. 

Really, though. Threatening Jiraiya with shaving his head was a bit much, especially since Hiruzen knew Kakashi's team would have no qualms with helping their sensei if he only asked.

---

Yamato had, in fact, made brownies, Kakashi discovered upon walking into his apartment. His kohai shot him an urgent look from above the kid's heads as he brought another pan out of the oven, wide eyes darting between Sakura and Naruto. They seemed alright on a surface level, smiling and shoveling baked goods into their mouths like no tomorrow, but there was something off. Naruto's eyes were a bit dimmer, Sakura's shoulders a bit hunched. Kakashi could tell something was wrong, and clearly so could Yamato.

"I'm home." The jonin said mockingly as he closed the door, sending his kohai an eye smile.

"Great." The other man deadpanned, "You can do the dishes."

"So bossy." Kakashi sighed, plopping down in a chair among his students and reaching for a still-warm brownie, "How's everyone doing? Did training with Yūgao go well, Sasuke?”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes pointedly, cutting a sharp glance at his teammates, “I’m fine.”

Kakashi got the message. Sasuke was okay, now focus on his teammates.

Shooting them an eye smile, he turned to the remaining two, “And? What about you?”

"Fine." Sakura shrugged, "Um, was Tsunade-sama...upset? About me?"

"Maa, maa, of course not. She was just shocked. She was very close with her grandfather and seeing his technique again took some time to process." Kakashi truly was a master at bullshitting, "She's meeting with you tomorrow morning at our regular time and place and will begin your training from there." 

Never mind that he'd threatened her to get that much accomplished, the end result was all Kakashi cared about.

He hesitated briefly, glancing over at Naruto, "Jiraiya will be meeting you as well."

The kid looked up sullenly through blond strands, his hair had gotten quite long since he'd graduated from the Academy. With it grown out like that, he looked so much like Minato.

"Can't I just keep training with you and Sasuke? Or just you when Sasuke is with Yūgao-sensei?" He pouted slightly, "He's an old pervert. What do I have to learn from him?"

Kakashi sighed slightly, "Just try training with him once, okay? After that, if you don't want to continue, I'll take over your training permanently."

"Fine." Naruto rested his chin on the palm of his hand, "I bet his calligraphy is shit."

"Oh, for sure." Sakura agreed, reaching for another brownie.

"Sakura, do you even know what calligraphy is? They didn't even cover that in the Academy." Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

She scrunched her nose up some, considering the question, "Fancy writing, right?"

Naruto laughed into his glass of juice, and Kakashi was content that they were okay for now. He really wanted to wring Jiraiya's neck all over again, though. Maybe later.

---

When Sasuke, Sakura, and Yamato had all gone home, Naruto helped Kakashi with the dishes. It was quiet in the apartment, a stark contrast from the earlier never-ending chatter, and Naruto's mind was running at top speed. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about his life and how different it could've been.

Melancholy was pointless. If he started spiraling now, he’d never stop. He had two lifetimes to be melancholy over, after all.

Suddenly, a hand dropped down and patted him on the head. Kakashi smiled down at him from above.

“You look too serious, Naruto. It’s unnatural to see you without a smile.”

The genin gave a sheepish grin, “Sorry, lost in thought, I guess.”

Kakashi paused, leveling a serious look at him, “None of it is your fault.”

”Huh?” Naruto blinked, “What do you-?”

”The way people treat you is a reflection of them, not you.”

”But if-“ Naruto swallowed roughly, “If he was my godfather, my parents must have known him. Trusted him. If that’s the case, why didn’t he want me?”

He felt his lower lip tremble but he refused to allow tears to well up. He couldn’t see Kakashi properly, but his sensei moved the hand from his head to his shoulder.

”Because he’s a fool. All of them are.” Kakashi said, voice quiet, “Just like I was a fool.”

”You aren't!” Naruto vehemently protested that statement, “You aren’t, sensei, you’re the only one-“

The only one who ever cared enough to do something. The only adult who ever gave a shit about him.

”I could’ve done more when you were a child. The rules are mere suggestions for people like me but I was still afraid.” His eye sank into a visible grimace, “And I’m sorry for that. I think it’s time…I did promise you I’d tell you about your parents right?”

Naruto blinked, “I thought you forgot.”

”No, just dreading the conversation. You see, your father was my jonin sensei when I was a genin. He and your mother were like family to me, and to have abandoned their son…”

”You were hurting, too, losing them both at once. Also, you were way too young to have a kid. You were like, what, late teens?” Naruto asked, “Maybe twenty?”

Kakashi’s eye twitched, “I was fourteen, you little shit.”

Naruto couldn't help but laugh, “Wow, you really need to reduce some stress, sensei. I think it’s giving you premature crow’s feet.”

The genin easily dodged the swipe to his head.

”Proves my point even more, though. I blame the fully grown man for blowing me off more than a fourteen-year-old.”

”Still. I should’ve at least been around.” Kakashi bowed his head, “I hope you can forgive me, Naruto.”

He didn't respond, only shrugging off his sensei's hand from his shoulder before lunging to grab him in a hug. Kakashi squeezed him back just as tightly, ignoring the tears that threatened to spill.

The last time Kakashi had been hugged before he became Team 7's sensei was by Kushina. The Uzumaki woman had been a very affectionate person to her loved ones, and it showed both verbally and physically. From what Kakashi had observed, her son was just like her in that way. Leaning against Sakura or Sasuke, throwing his arms around their shoulders, giving out hugs without reservation...It's a miracle he's able to do that, what with his upbringing.

Kushina would be proud of the kid, her own spitting image despite how the village tried to crush Naruto under their heel. Kakashi was proud of him, too.

Pulling away, Kakashi patted him on the head once more, "Now, go sit in the living room. I still have your mother's photo albums, you should see what they looked like as well."

---

This led to Naruto sitting impatiently on one of the cushions in the living room while Kakashi rummaged around in his storage closet. Honestly, the thought of actually seeing their faces made him jittery from both nerves and excitement. He could see Tsubaki's face so clearly in his mind, the mother of his past life, and soon Kushina would be able to join her.

His father, too. He'd focused so much on his mother, the mysterious Uzumaki kunoichi that Konoha had sheltered, that he hadn't spared much thought for the man. Ryota Mori-Uzumaki, Amahiko's father, had always lingered in the back of his mind with his kind lessons and gentle guidance. It left him to wonder who Naruto's father was and if he had been of a similar disposition.

That initial question led to others. Most of all, he had no clue why he hadn't been given his surname, as was traditional in the Land of Fire. Why give him the Uzumaki clan name? Surely that painted a giant target on his back to villages like Iwa and Kiri, who feared and despised the Uzumaki in equal measure.

Unless...his father's surname would've been somehow worse.

Kakashi returned at that moment, interrupting his thoughts. He sat a heavy book down on the coffee table and sat on the cushion across from Naruto, turning the book so it was facing the genin.

"Let me preface this with the knowledge that I am committing an act of treason here, so let's try and keep this within the team, okay?" Kakashi said drolly before a more serious look settled over his face, "Also, I do ask...that you don't judge your father too harshly. I know how it'll look when you find out the truth, but believe me when I say that your childhood was not what he thought it would be when he made his decision."

"What decision?" Naruto's brows scrunched together, "What could-?"

"Your father was Namikaze Minato." Kakashi interrupted him, "He was the-"

"Yondaime Hokage, yeah, I slept through the same history classes as everyone else." Naruto let out a breathy laugh, "Holy shit."

Talk about dramatic irony. The Yondaime Hokage was the father of the reincarnated Yondaime Uzukage? Priceless.

…It also explained why he’d been given his mother’s surname.

Kakashi sighed quietly, "You have to understand that when the Kyūbi attacked-"

"Sensei, the jinchūriki thing really isn't what I'm hung up on." Naruto laughed, "My dad was the Hokage."

Kakashi's shoulders relaxed, "You're not...upset?"

"Why would I be? A giant demon is raging around and you need someone to seal it into. I was the only other Uzumaki around, and this is the Kyūbi we're talking about. The jinchūriki of the Kyūbi have always been Uzumaki." Naruto shrugged, "We're just about the only ones that can handle it."

His sensei chuckled quietly, "I don't know why you surprise me anymore."

The older man flipped open the book, and on the first page was a photo of a young girl with long, red hair and violet eyes. She wore a Konoha headband with pride, her expression proud and determined. Naruto saw a reflection of her every day in the mirror, he realized as he flipped through the photos of her genin days. Her nose, her dimples, her smile; they were all things the two Uzumaki shared.

He paused on her team photo once more. He didn't recognize the sensei at all, with her long brown hair and dark eyes. He could only assume she'd died sometime between then and now. What really made him hesitate was the fact that one of the other girls looked exactly like Sasuke. He pointed the girl out in the photo, looking up at his sensei.

"Who is that?"

"Ah." Kakashi gave him an eye smile, "Perceptive. That would be Uchiha Mikoto, Sasuke's mother. They were both on Team 6, also known as the first all-kunoichi genin team Konoha has ever seen."

Uchiha Mikoto. Naruto studies her face for a moment.

"They were friends?"

"Mikoto and Kushina?" Kakashi rolls his eye, "Thick as thieves. Kushina was younger than Mikoto when they both graduated, but they formed a bond quickly. I shouldn't tell you this, but what’s another act of treason among many, hm? After you'd been placed in an orphanage for the first few months of your life, Mikoto petitioned the Hokage for custody of you."

His eyes widened, "What?"

His sensei glanced away, "She and Fugaku, Sasuke's father, both wanted to take you in. Fugaku knew Minato well, after all. He was quite a bit older than Mikoto and your parents, but he served in the third war with your father on a squad. They didn't want you to be alone."

"Then why...?" Naruto's heart was racing, "Why did jiji tell them no?"

He sounded so young, so defeated...like a child grieving.

"They were trying to hide your identity. It was a half-assed attempt in my own opinion, seeing as everyone knew your parents were together and you look exactly like your father. Still, speaking of your parents and the Kyūbi was banned and the entire council knew Mikoto wouldn't stand for that if she'd been the one to raise you.”

Naruto gazed down at the girl who looked so much like Sasuke. She'd been a good person, just like her youngest son...even if Sasuke had a stick up his ass sometimes.

He turned the page and, for a moment, couldn't believe what he was seeing. When Kakashi had said he looked exactly like his father...

Well, his sensei wasn't wrong.

A young Namikaze Minato stared back at him from where he posed beside Kushina, both of them wearing chunin flak jackets.

"Their chunin exams,” Kakashi said unprompted. “They both passed with flying colors, though your father always told me your mother had made a fool of herself while she tried to show off for him."

Another page, and then another, and then...Kushina was pregnant. 

It was weird, realizing he was the baby she had been carrying.

The last photo was taken in what Naruto assumed was his parent's home. Mikoto and Minato stood with a heavily pregnant Kushina in the middle. Another man stood at Mikoto's side and Naruto could guess it was Fugaku. They all wore smiles of varying sizes, and Kushina was holding a small pair of baby shoes as if to show them off. Her baby shower, perhaps.

He had a jarring realization that every person in that photo was dead. What made it worse was the fact that it was the last photo in the album, leaving the next four pages blank.

A book half complete that would never get finished.

He closed the album completely, sitting in silence for a moment as he tried to process all the information. 

"You can look at these whenever you want." Kakashi said quietly, "If you'd like, you can keep the album in your room."

Naruto nodded, giving the man a weak smile, "Thanks, sensei."

"Don't thank me. You have more of a right to these photos than I do." Kakashi reached over to ruffle his hair, "You should go to bed soon. Training is bright and early tomorrow."

Naruto scoffed as he stood, holding the photo album gently in his hands, "We both know neither of us is waking up before noon."

"I've taught you well." Kakashi clutched a hand over his heart, "The student has become the master."

---

The next afternoon was decidedly not going well for Jiraiya.

Kakashi had said the little shit would be here at eight in the morning. It was currently half past noon.

If he’d been threatened by anyone other than Minato’s bratty student, he’d have left without a second thought. Kakashi was too much like his old sensei, though, that had become abundantly clear. He was just as devious as Minato had been, even if he was a little less subtle.

So he sat around under the convenient shade provided by a tree, jotting down some new ideas for his latest book in the Icha Icha series. Maybe something involving a mountain? Huddling for warmth was an attractive idea…

”That’s so lame.” A voice said from behind his shoulder, “Why would a woman, any woman, wear that kind of clothing for a mountain hike in the winter?”

Jiraiya pulled a kunai on instinct. Naruto was already a yard away by the time the older man had turned to attack.

”Oi, gaki! What’s the big idea? Turning up five hours late then trying to get yourself killed?” Jiraiya snapped, trying to bring his heart rate down, “Damn it.”

Naruto laughed slightly, “Get myself killed? Last I checked it hadn’t even come close.”

“And being five hours late?” The Sannin demanded.

”Maa, just got lost on the road of life.”

Jiraiya wanted to snarl. Kakashi really was raising a carbon copy of himself. Naruto only gave him a shit-eating grin, as if he could hear Jiraiya’s thoughts.

”Well, gaki, we’re headed to the hot springs. You’ve already wasted most of my day, I’m at least getting a few hours of research in.”

“What do you mean we’re going to the hot springs?" Naruto hissed, "The chunin exams are two weeks away. I need to be ready. Besides, you can't just hide being a perverted old man under the guise of research!”

"I've got a prude as a student. Great." Jiraiya rolled his eyes as he stood, "Look, I just need to take some notes for my book, then-"

Naruto reached out, quick as a flash, and grabbed the notebook out of the sannin's hands. The white-haired man looked at the boy, slightly impressed but mostly annoyed.

"Give it back."

Naruto gathered the moisture out of the air using his chakra, gathering it into a ball, "Actually train me, and you'll get this back. Unless you don’t think there’s anything you can show me? In that case, hope you can read runny ink.”

Blinking, Jiraiya looked at his godson and the rolling ball of water he'd gathered from nothing but the air around him. He was more than a little stunned, to say the least. That level of water manipulation took a lot of skill and experience, and to do it so effortlessly...

"Okay, kid. I have a deal for you." The sannin grinned, "I have a special jutsu. If you can master it before the day is over, we'll get into some real training. If not, you'll help with my research. Be a distraction and all that."

There's no way the kid could pull it off, he knew. However, looking at the cool and determined blue eyes, he found himself second-guessing that.

---

"She's so good at dodging!" Shizune watched the pinkette throw herself around the arena like a ragdoll in an effort to dodge the rocks Tsunade hit towards her, "I didn't become that good in...oh...maybe four or so months!"

"Hmm." Tsunade chucked a particularly large one at the girl, watching her lead up into the air to dodge it with skill, "What is Kakashi teaching you? Aside from being an hour late.”

"It's not Kakashi-sensei. Well, the being late part is, but I think Naruto was planning on being even later so don’t feel bad!" She beamed at the two women, proud of herself despite being covered in dirt and having a few bruises from attempts gone wrong, "The dodging part comes from Naruto. He makes really good exploding tags, and Sasuke and I have learned to dodge."

Tsunade refused to believe in this kid, this pink kunoichi who would die before she even reached sixteen. Still, as she watched the girl dart around the field, occasionally taking a hard hit but getting right back up...her heart twinged in her chest. Not happiness, no, because Tsunade had not been happy in a very long time. Maybe it was hope, though.

Hope that this kid wouldn't be another name carved in stone, another child she outlived by some cruel twist of fate. She tossed another stone, the projectile flying with dizzying speed, and watched as it hit the girl square in the chest. She groaned, a bit melodramatically, as she crashed to the ground before getting to her feet. Her face was set as Tsunade let loose an unrelenting volley of hits that the girl weaved and dodged.

---

 Naruto grunted from the ground before holding his hand out, remembering the instructions Jiraiya had given him. Make a rotating sphere of chakra, the man had said before laughing when Naruto had asked for instructions.

"It's a test." His so-called sensei had said before his departure, "If I help you, that wouldn't be fair."

"Ero-sennin..." He grumbled, "The hell you mean, a spinning ball of chakra? What the fuck does that even mean ?"

He was really wishing he'd pressed the issue and just continued training with Kakashi instead.

He allowed his chakra to amass in his hand and tried to force it around, making to chakra jut out in awkward directions. Sighing, Naruto released the chakra, watching it dissipate into the air around him. Shape manipulation is  easy , this should be  easy . He could walk up trees at the age of two back in Uzu, and walk on water not long after. He shouldn't be having any problems with this, yet here he was.

Every time he tried to make the chakra flow left or right, it fought against him violently and nearly exploded in his hand. Wouldn't that be shitty, losing a hand over one of the pervert's bets? Nearly snarling as he amassed a large amount of chakra in his hand, he bit his thumb and slammed his hand, chakra and all, into the ground.

"Well, that was a very violent summoning." Daiki gave a smile, baring his fangs as he looked at the large hole in the ground, "I haven't seen you this annoyed since you were trying to create the  Go Yōso no Henkan Shīru  (Five Element Conversion Seal)."

"I wasn't this annoyed even then!" He snapped, "I wouldn't even care about the pervert's training, but not being able to do this is pissing me off!"

The dhole, a full foot taller than Naruto even on all fours, leaned down to look him in the eye, "Pervert's training? This sounds like an interesting story."

"Yeah, it sure is." The blond muttered before exhaling loudly, "Jiraiya, the toad sannin-"

"I don't know who that is." Daiki scrunched his nose in disgust, laying down and resting his head on his paws, "But he sounds awful. I hate toads."

"I'm sorry?" Naruto rolled his eyes, "You'll see him soon enough. Long story cut very short, he's my godfather, but I only just met him yesterday."

"He abandoned you for twelve years? Just like that?" Daiki growled, "Would you like me to tear out his throat?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "You'll have to fight Sasuke for the honor."

"I've decided I like that boy." The dhole said solemnly as if declaring some grand proclamation.

"That's terrifying." Naruto blinked, "Anyways, he's apparently also very powerful, but he refuses to train me. He wants to go peep in the hot springs instead."

"He ogles women instead of doing...I don't know...anything productive for society?" The dhole rolled his eyes, "Sounds like a charmer. What was the bet you made this time, Hiko-hime?"

"I need to master this jutsu. He called it the Rasengan , and he just told me to make a rotating sphere of chakra. It's basic shape manipulation, you make the chakra spin in one direction and then you increase volume and density, and then you contain it within the sphere and blow shit up."

"Well, you seem to know what you're doing. So do it." Daiki closed his eyes, "I'll just take a nap in the meantime."

"I called you here to help, you great ass!" Naruto snapped, "Obviously it's not  working !"

Daiki sighed, "Show me what you have."

Naruto held his hand out, summoning a large amount of chakra into a shape vaguely resembling a sphere. He then willed the chakra to swirl, and for split second it cooperated. Then the chakra began to run against itself, forcing parts to jut out and shake, becoming unstable. Naruto stopped it right as it began to shake vigorously, viciously cutting off the circulation so the chakra didn't explode. The dhole watched critically as it all happened, before giving his summoner a tooth grin.

"I think I know your plight." His tail wagged once, causing a great gust of wind, "It's not supposed to go the same direction. Remember when Momoka was trying to master  Dōru Sutairu: Isogu Umi  (Dhole Art: Rushing Sea)? She was trying to force the water against its natural flow, attempting to push it in the same direction."

"You can't do that! It has to have a back and forth, a way to release energy or it'll become unstable and explode!" Naruto's eyes were wide, "So you manipulate the chakra in multiple directions, creating friction and a release of energy. The potential energy transforms into kinetic, it's like activating a seal!"

"Not...really." Daiki blinked, "Why do you always circle back to Fūinjutsu?"

"I'm an Uzumaki." Naruto waved a hand, dismissing further conversation, "Now, hush!"

"Thank you, Daiki. You were such a big help, Daiki. I'd never be what I am today without you, Daiki." The dhole grumbled, laying down once more and wrapping his tail around himself, "You have a real gratitude problem, you know that?"

Naruto ignored his summons for the moment, amassing the chakra into the palm of his hand. Instead of forcing it all in one direction, he allowed the mess of it to swirl in different directions, sporadically losing the shape of a sphere but seeming much more stable than before. He forced it in, compressing the chakra and increasing its density, the blue mass twisting like a tornado in his hand. He tried forcing it down, into the form of a sphere, causing it to bust in his hand.

"Shit!" Naruto cursed, holding his hand by the wrist. Chakra burns covered his palm, making him hiss.

"Idiot." Daiki stood in one graceful motion, "Here."

A light green, nearly white, chakra bled from the dhole's tail as it wrapped around Naruto's hand, easing the pain on contact.

The blonde smiled slightly, "How many times did you do this for me back in Uzu?"

"Too many for me to count." The dhole released his hand, revealing a healed palm, "Now, finish. I'll be here if you screw up again, but you need to master that jutsu. Should you not, I fear Yoshida Tatsu herself will rise from the grave if you're forced to aid that filth."

"While I'd love to see my old sensei again, I'm not keen on it either."

---

"Jiraiya, where's Naruto?" Kakashi scanned the area, "Has he gone home already?"

The sannin jumped slightly and looked up from his notebook, "Eh, Kakashi? No, he's somewhere...training."

Kakashi blinked slowly, "And...why aren't you with him?"

Jiraiya swallowed, resisting the urge to shield his hair, "He seems like the type to train alone. Figured he'd appreciate some distance."

Kakashi will concede that point, it's no secret that Naruto is a secretive little brat when it comes to training with anyone besides Kakashi himself and the rest of Team 7. However, even when he's sent one or more of the three off by themselves to train, he always knew where there were. Kept track of their chakra signature. Jiraiya just...didn't seem to care.

Frowning beneath his mask, he wondered in a detached sort of manner how the older man could disregard Naruto like that. Did Jiraiya even care about their god-family ties?

Anger coiled in his chest at the injustice, a sort of anger that he hadn't felt in a long time. The anger that came from helplessness, that came from things he couldn't change.

He hated that the truth had been kept from Naruto for so long. Hated that no one seemed to really give a flying fuck about the boy, and Sakura and Sasuke for that matter. No one gave a shit about Sasuke's mental state except for himself and Yūgao, and no one cared about Sakura before she became one of the last shreds of a formerly great clan. This was the world they lived in, though, so he'd just have to protect his team himself.

Author of his favorite books or not, Kakashi's visible eye trained a harsh glare on Jiraiya, making the sannin look up wearily, "I'm going to go find him. I thought I'd made myself clear yesterday, but obviously, there was a miscommunication. We'll discuss this later."

"Eh?" Jiraiya called after him, "Kakashi, seriously? When did you become such a worrywart? Hey, I'm sure he's fine! I wouldn't- Oh, come on, Kakashi!"

He asked himself the same questions. When did those kids become so important to him?

The forests of training ground 46 were expansive, though not nearly as dangerous as 44. There were nearly no animals in these woods, no dangerous plants or pitfalls to claim lives. Still, as he searched for the blond's expressive chakra signature, he found more than he was expecting. To be exact, he found four signatures directly northeast of him, barely a mile away. Tensing, he took off, his feet barely touching the branches as he rushed towards the signatures.

"-report this to Danzō-sama immediately. He will wish to know of these developments."

"Should we move to neutralize the target for transport?"

"No. Fall back and report. The last team was disposed of, we still do not know who was the cause of the extermination."

"Our mission was to capture the jinchūriki."

"I'm also of the mind that we should make note of these developments and report back to Danzō-sama. He did say that we cannot be discovered under any circumstances."

"Very well."

Looking at the four figures below, he practically snarled at the sight of them. Cloaked in black, practically shapeless figures except for white masks in a crude attempt to dress themselves up as ANBU. He knew of ROOT, Danzō's little project that was supposed to have been disbanded years ago but still operated underneath Konoha.

The old war hawk thought he was above the Hokage and the laws of Konoha, and after Kakashi's brief stint in the organization, he'd had enough of the cold bastard for his entire lifetime. Not to mention what the snake bastard had done to Tenzō under Danzō's orders. 

And now they thought they could capture Naruto? For what? As if Kakashi wouldn't have connected the dots and slaughtered Danzō without hesitation.

He dropped from the tree, landing behind them silently. The four spun around in an instant, weapons drawn, but Kakashi's headband was already pulled up, Sharingan weaving death like a spiderweb around them. As they fell, dead on impact, he heard Naruto's excited shout.

"Yes! Take this ero-sennin! I'll show you!"

He allowed himself to twitch into a smile, hearing the rampant footsteps of the boy sprinting through the forest to reach Jiraiya. He was normally more careful than that, being an exceptional sensor with what little training he had in the art. Something must have really excited him this time.

He heard a distant shout, "Hey, ero-sennin! Take this, you fucking pervert!  RASENGAN !"

Kakashi couldn't help but laugh as he heard the sounds of shouting and, at least on Jiraiya's part, terrified screams.

Notes:

I'M BACK BITCHES!!!

Jiraiya: Each and every one of Team 7 is a FUCKING NIGHTMARE.
Kakashi: Thank you :)

The Law: *exists*
Kakashi: That sign can't stop me, I can't read!

Kakashi being a protective dad who INSISTS that he's not a dad is my favorite trope. It will be featured frequently. Sasuke also unlocks his Mangekyo next chapter. Any guesses as to how it happens? *insert eyes emoji*

THE PHOTO ALBUM SCENE TORE ME APART. Naruto looking at the last pic of his parents with Sasuke's parents and realizing that outside of that photo, that happy moment frozen in time, they were all dead :((

And YES, he will show Sasuke the photos. Obviously.

Kakashi casually wrecking some ROOT ninja because he's protective of his team and he generally hates them for Tenzō/Yamato.

BTW, how badly do you want team 7 to fuck up Orochimaru? Asking for a friend.

Orochimaru: I can beat these little genin-
Naruto, blood-bending his ass: What was that?
Sasuke, setting his fake body on fire with Amaterasu: Yeah, we couldn't hear you.
Sakura, using a tree to try and decapitate him: Speak a little louder, please :)
All of their summons, very angry and very present: Say it again. We dare you.

The Hokage KNEW Kakashi would react like this. He didn't warn his students out of spite. If he has to deal with an overprotective Hatake Kakashi shocking the shit out of him every other day, so do they. He really didn't expect Tsunade to want to (metaphorically) adopt them all next chapter though. She'll have to work out custody with Kakashi and Yamato.

Aside from obviously loving Sakura and Naruto, she finds herself surprisingly adoring the Uchiha brat who spews venom on behalf of his teammates. Her uncle Tobirama would be rolling in his grave.

Also, let me just say, Daiki HATED Yuudai. He absolutely loves Sasuke. He will try to play matchmaker now that his summoner has FINALLY found an adequate mate.

Chapter 16: The Nightmare Trio

Notes:

Content warning for alcohol-induced violence in this chapter. Take care of yourselves!

Hiruzen stared at the bodies that had come out of the sealing scroll grimly. This was...not what he'd expected when Kakashi burst into his private office at two in the afternoon.

The jonin, meanwhile, just stared at him with both eyes. The Sharingan was spinning violently, the three tomoe swirling like a promise. Hiruzen called an ANBU agent down with a tired gesture.

"Please choose the two comrades most skilled in infiltration and begin tailing Elder Shimura at once. I want a report on my desk by tomorrow. Leave nothing out."

The ANBU was gone in the blink of an eye, not even a puff of smoke to signify their leave.

"He wanted Naruto alive." Kakashi's voice was hard, "And here's your proof. What more do you want?"

"I need concrete evidence, Kakashi." Hiruzen placed a hand on his temple, "I can't simply make accusations with only four dead bodies as evidence."

"Four ROOT agents." The jonin corrected, "You know, ROOT? The illegal agency that was supposed to be disbanded years ago?"

"I'm aware." The Hokage's voice was sharp, "But if I want to prosecute him to the full extent of his crimes, which I do, then I need evidence of every single wrongdoing and I need it without him knowing. I need written plans, documents, testimonies...Orochimaru once slipped through my fingers, I won't allow Danzō to do the same."

The jonin stared at him for a moment, before nodding his head. It was a shallow one, barely there, but it had more respect than Hiruzen had seen out of the man in years.

"Fine." Kakashi said, "But if I see one more attempt or have even the slightest notion that you aren't doing as you say, it will be Danzō's body I deliver next."

Hiruzen believed him. Unequivocally.

---

The next two weeks passed...

---

"Sasuke, if you summon chakra through the blade like that-!"

The Uchiha swung Kaminokari down, the katana blade slicing through the air faster than Yūgao's eyes could track. A swift arc of lighting followed, slicing the giant oak tree right in half. As in...down the middle. The two halves of the tree teetered for a moment before giving in to their own imbalance, snapping at the trunk and simultaneously crashing to the ground. 

She bit her cheek to stop herself from smiling. This kid really was something else.

---

"Okay, see this boulder?" Tsunade gesture to the giant hunk of rock twice as tall as Sakura and four times as wide, "Crush it. I want it to be dust, brat."

Sakura's eyes narrowed in determination, clenching her hands into fists. The rough leather of her fingerless gloves had grown soft with use over the course of the past two weeks.

She could do this. There wasn't any other option.

Taking a running start, she channeled her chakra to her feet and jumped up and forward. Flipping midair, she focused all her power into her fists as she crashed them both into her target. Dust flew everywhere on impact, the force of it sending a gust of wind blowing like a hurricane through the training ground. When everything settled, nothing was left but debris.

Dust and debris, to be exact.

Tsunade smiled, patting the genin's head with light in her eyes that Shizune hadn't seen in a long time, "I think you're ready."

---

"That's literal shit." Naruto laid on his stomach, watching Jiraiya work as he used a senbon to pick at his teeth, "I can't even tell what kanji that's supposed to be."

Jiraiya's eye twitched as he looked over at the Uzumaki before freezing, "Where'd you get that senbon?"

"Your pack."

"Gaki, those are poisoned!"

"Not like it'll do anything. My furry little friend is good for something." The genin rolled over on his back, using his arm to shield his eyes from the sun, "Maa, ero-sennin, have any water jutsu I don't know yet?"

"Probably not." Jiraiya muttered, but he put away his scrolls regardless, "How about we try a wind jutsu this time?"

The boy perked up a bit, "Oh? What have you got?"

This little shit. He was just as bad as his father and mother combined.

---

Eventfully.

---

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto called out, freezing in the middle of the street, "Sasuke!"

The Uchiha froze as well, eyes darting up to meet Naruto's. He offered a small smile, the barest upturn of his lips, but it made Naruto beam nonetheless.

"It's been forever!" The Uzumaki claimed, leaning on Sasuke's shoulder with a huff, "When I'm not with ero-sennin, I'm with Kakashi-sensei, and when I'm not with either of them I'm sleeping!"

"It's barely been two weeks since group training, and we all got ramen together literally yesterday." Sasuke pointed out before hesitating, "I've missed you guys, too."

The words were quiet, barely a whisper, and Naruto couldn't help but cling a little tighter to Sasuke's side. The Uchiha spent all his alone time in that huge, empty clan compound...not to mention the memories associated with the place. It was enough to drive the strongest shinobi crazy. It made him sad, not just because of mere sympathy but because he knew he himself wouldn't last.

If he had to sleep in the ruins of Uzu, haunted by his entire clan and country? 

"You should come over tonight. A sleepover! I think Sakura promised Shizune she'd stay with them tonight, something about girl time or whatever, but that doesn't mean we can't hang out!" Naruto watched Sasuke's expression closely, "C'mon, it'll be fun. Yamato is making beef curry tonight, too. You know he always adds tomatoes to his."

"I guess." Sasuke relented with a shrug, "For Yamato's cooking."

Naruto laughed, "Sure. I have something to show you, anyway."

"Another seal?" The Uchiha raised an eyebrow, "Do you ever sleep?"

"Barely! It's not a seal, though, don't worry."

"I wasn't worried." Sasuke muttered, trailing after him as Naruto led the way to Kakashi's apartment, "I just have this feeling that one day you'll try turning your own clones into exploding tags or something and accidentally blow yourself up."

"You know," The blond scratched his cheek, "That's not a half bad idea, really. If you think about it-"

"Shut it, idiot. Let's get moving before the food gets cold."

Naruto gasped playfully, "Hurtful! I think you care more about the curry than me!"

"That's because I do."

---

Sasuke noted that Yamato and Kakashi didn't even seem surprised that he was trailing after Naruto. The smell of grilled beef wafted towards him as the door closed firmly behind them. Naruto turned Sasuke's direction, smiling, and oh.

Suddenly the world wasn't so cold. It was strange.

"Call us when dinner's done!" Naruto took Sasuke by the hand, tugging him back down the hallway towards his room.

Kakashi just waved them off, sprawled across two of the cushions on the floor with one leg propped up against a bookshelf and looking entirely unbothered. 

Naruto flipped his lights on as they entered, releasing Sasuke's hand as he began rummaging around his small desk. Sasuke realized, after a brief moment of wistful longing, that he missed the warmth. No one touched him, nowadays; no hugs from his mother, no pats on the shoulder from his father, no forehead poke or ruffled hair from-

He strangled that train of thought brutally before crushing it under his metaphorical heel. 

Naruto turned around at that moment, sparing Sasuke from the long spiral that usually followed memories of that man. He held a large book in his hands, and Sasuke realized upon closer inspection that it was a photo album.

"I'll tell Sakura later, but I thought you should know first," Naruto said lightly before his face sobered, blue eyes unusually serious, "This book was my mother's."

Sasuke froze in place, staring at the album with wide eyes.

"I thought you didn't know who your parents were?" 

"I didn't, only that my mother was an Uzumaki. Kakashi-sensei told me, though, despite it technically being illegal. So we kind of have to keep this under wraps, okay?" Naruto laughed, "Sensei gets in enough hot water without treason being added to the list."

"Why would it be illegal?" Sasuke's brows furrowed, "Is it because of..."

His eyes slid down to Naruto's stomach, unsubtle.

"Sort of." The blond opened to book to a page he seemed to know by heart, "This was them. Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato."

The first thought Sasuke had was, wow, he could really tell those were Naruto's parents. There was literally no denying it. He was a carbon copy of his father with his mother's smile and nose and mischievous eyes. 

The second thought Sasuke had was holy fuck that's the Yondaime Hokage.

It explained the illegal thing all at once, too. 

"So your dad..." Sasuke hesitated, gauging Naruto's expression, "Sealed the Kyūbi inside you and then, well-"

"Died?" Naruto's smile twisted into a grimace, "Yeah. Both him and my mom, who happened to be the Kyūbi's previous jinchūriki."

"But how did it escape her?" Sasuke watched the grimace deepen, "Did it break loose on its own, or...?"

Or is there someone out there with a technique capable of ripping a tailed beast from its container? Someone who wanted every man, woman, and child in Konoha dead? Someone who could...someone who could kill Naruto?

"I don't know." Naruto said, his stare distant, "Kakashi-sensei didn't either. The Sandaime is apparently very tight-lipped."

It was silent for a moment before Naruto snapped back to himself, a sheepish smile in place, "That's not really the point of me showing you this, though."

Not the point? It seemed pretty important to Sasuke. What else was there-?

His train of thought derailed as Naruto flipped to another page, a photo of three genin and a sensei staring up at him. The one in the middle was obviously Naruto's mother; her red hair and violet eyes stood out amongst the darker coloring her teammates shared. Then he-

Then he saw her. On the left of Kushina sat a girl who looked so much like his own reflection that it hurt. Her hair was a bit spikier than she'd worn it as an adult, but she had the same calm gaze and gentle smile.

His mom. His mom.

His mom was on a genin team with Naruto's mom. Wasn't that just the pinnacle of dramatic irony?

"They were friends." Naruto said quietly, "Really good friends, apparently. After my parents died, yours tried to adopt me. The Hokage wouldn't let them."

Sasuke's throat felt raw and he also felt a blind sort of rage building. His mom was so good and she would have raised Naruto so well. He never would have been cursed at or had rotten fruit and threats thrown at him in equal measure. He could've been happy.

They could've been happy.

The potential future, the what could've been, was so potent it nearly choked him.

Naruto flipped the pages again, and there stood Naruto's mom, heavily pregnant, with his own mother hanging off her side in a loving pose for the camera. His father was there, too, which was just another punch in the face. The fourth Hokage stood on Kushina's other side, a hand placed protectively over her stomach and a smile on his face.

"Naruto..." Sasuke began, pushing back the tears, but his voice still failed him.

It was silent for a moment, Sasuke staring down at the photo of their happy parents, their dead parents, and Naruto reached out to place his hand on top of the Uchiha's. The warmth was back, steady and reassuring, and Sasuke felt impossibly grounded in that moment.

"Naruto," He tried again, "If someone did take the Kyūbi from your mother, if there is someone responsible for their deaths, I'll help you kill them."

The Uzumaki blinked, visually torn somewhere between shock and fondness, and his fingers curled around Sasuke's own to squeeze them lightly. Sasuke couldn't handle the fondness, seeing it in those bright eyes was nearly enough to burn him.

"Thank you." The blond settled on, saying nothing else.

Naruto didn't move his hand until Yamato's voice rang down the hallway, signifying dinner time.

---

Two days later, the night before the exams began, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at some of his most skilled shinobi as they lined up before him, his emotions flickering between concerned and very amused.

Tsunade carried herself in a way he had not seen since Nawaki, since Dan, since they died. She probably did not notice the bud of hope that he could see in her eyes, but it was there and it made his heart feel a bit less heavy, a bit less dragged down by failure and regret.

Kakashi, as well, seems to have found a new purpose, aside from giving Hiruzen a headache every other day. Ultimately, the Hokage was happy that he had finally found something to care about again, and had finally been able to mourn while still opening himself up to others. The Sandaime knew Minato cared for the Hatake greatly and wanted only the best for his remaining student...Hiruzen just wished he'd have been able to help the boy more back when he'd needed it most.

Yūgao was another tragic story but above all, she was a strong woman who stood resolute. He never could get much out of her emotion-wise, even as a young child, but she was as loyal as they came.

Jiraiya, much to his amusement, was still sporting a large bruise on the left side of his face and chakra burns on his left arm and, though it was hidden, part of his stomach and abdomen. Naruto had taken care not to overly injure the man, though he had certainly been aiming below the belt. Tsunade refused to heal her former teammate because she, frankly, found the whole situation hilarious.

"Serves you right." She'd said, after going out and buying Naruto dango for what she called his service to society, "Maybe you'll turn over a new leaf."

The shitty pun aside, they all  knew that was wishful thinking.

Lastly, Tenzō, for once dressed in normal jonin attire, stood next to Kakashi as comfortably as Hiruzen was sure the young man could be. The mokuton user had a rough background, one the Hokage hated to think too long about, but he had made a lifelong friend in Kakashi. There was certainly something to be said about ANBU teams bonding through their shared trauma. Now, unused to being on regular shinobi detail rather than running with the black ops, he practically stuck to Kakashi like cling film.

The Sandaime, very briefly, wondered if the silver-haired jonin didn't notice, or that he just didn't mind. The old man had his suspicions, but they were just that.

"I will now be taking a progress report on Team 7 and begin considering their entry into the upcoming exams." He spoke formally, turning to the kunoichi who was first in line, "Tsunade, you may begin."

She only raised a blonde eyebrow, "Sakura is doing well in my training. Her natural strength was already decent for that of the average kunoichi thanks to Kakashi, and she was already knowledgeable in the art of healing. Obviously, more progress will be made in the month given after she proceeds past the preliminaries and into the finals."

The Sandaime blinked, "You are that confident?"

She gave a smirk, both smug and confident, "Yes. Despite not having our clan name, she's a true Senju. I'll give her that much."

The Hokage simply nodded. It had been a long, long time since Tsunade had faith in anything other than the inevitability of death. Looking towards the next ninja in line, he nodded, "Tenzō."

"Ah, Yamato, Hokage-sama." The man briefly corrected, "Sakura has made much progress in mokuton. As Tsunade-sama said, she's a true Senju and her kekkei genkai is progressing at a fast rate. She's a long way from mastery, but it's more than sufficient for a task such as the Chunin Exams."

"Good. Kakashi?"

"Maa, Team 7 is doing good." He hadn't put his book away even as he spoke to Hiruzen, "Sasuke's Sharingan is coming along, though he refuses to allow it to become a crutch, which is good. Naruto is a little monster, as are the other two for that matter. They'll be fine, Hokage-sama."

Forcing back a smile, he turned to the toad sage, "Jiraiya?"

The man scowled, "I think we all know the answer. He's a shithead and I'd throw him off a waterfall if I didn't think he'd walk right back up it."

Tsunade outright laughed at that point, and Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, "Is that your official report?"

"Yes. Yes, it is."

"Okay, then. Yūgao?"

"Sasuke has made advancements with his kenjutsu and is in the beginning stages of combining his lightning chakra with the Kaminoikari . The sword is perfectly suited for it as the seals enhance any chakra that is channeled into the blade. He's gotten very creative in his attempts."

Her smile assured Hiruzen that the Uchiha's creativity promised nothing good for his opponents.

"Very well. I've decided that Team 7 is currently Konoha's frontrunner in this Chunin Exams. They are our opportunity to make a statement about our next generation of shinobi." He stood, looking at them all seriously, "You have prepared them well, and I ask that you continue to do so. You are dismissed."

---

"We made it!" Sakura fist-pumped, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet as she clutched the admission slip in her hand, "We're gonna be in the exams!"

"If they let the other rookie teams in, I don't think it was ever a question of them not letting us participate." Sasuke said, hands in his pockets as they walked towards Ichiraku's, "Frontrunner sounds pretty good, though."

They turned the corner, only halting when Naruto suddenly ducked. A tomato splattered against the wall of a shop behind him. 

Sasuke blinked, staring at the rotten vegetable for a long moment before slowly turning and facing the small gathering of civilians it had been thrown from, "Who did that?"

"Why d'you wanna know?" A man slurred, stumbling forward.

A brunette woman caught him by the arm, pulling him back, "Perhaps you should take your friend and leave."

"He has every right to be here, same as you." Sakura's eyes narrowed, "Maybe control the assholes in your group."

"I don't know why they let it become a ninja." Another woman sneered, clearly bordering on drunk, "Tell me, do you remember killing my husband and son, or have you conveniently forgotten?"

"You can't talk about that, Mayako." The brunette hissed, "Shut up."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Naruto said solemnly, "But I didn't kill anyone."

"Yes, you did!" The woman, Mayako, yowled like a wounded animal, "My baby! He was innocent! He was, he...he...I'm tired of stuffing it just because the Hokage thinks this fucking demon should live the high life!"

There was a mummer of assent in the crowd, and though the sober brunette tried to dissuade them, they seemed to get rowdier with each passing second. 

"We need to go." Naruto said grimly, "Let's just forget the ramen tonight."

"What?" Sakura turned so fast that Sasuke was surprised she didn't get whiplash, "No! They have no right to run you off!"

"They don't." Naruto said tightly, "But what can we do? We can't hurt civilians, Sakura."

"Can't hurt civilians?" The woman wailed, "You had no problem with it before! You killed them, all of them, you demon! You murderer!"

The next thing someone threw was made of glass.

The Uzumaki was trying to push past his teammates, headed back the way they came, his breaths becoming fast and short. A panic attack, Sasuke knew. He'd had many of them before, and it was usually induced by something traumatic. Memories came back with a vengeance to haunt the victim, leaving them short of breath and in a state of flight or fight.

Naruto was attempting flight. Sasuke knew that. That was when the bottle shattered against the blond's temple, leaving shards of glass and blood to drip down the side of his face. Sakura's mouth fell open, staring in horror as the blood trailed down a whiskered cheek and splattered on the floor. Sasuke, meanwhile, couldn't have been angrier if he tried.

"Hey!" He turned around, barking the word as loud as he could, "Get the fuck away from us."

One of the drunks yelled, and Sakura automatically shoved herself in front of her teammates with a glare. The man threw something, but he wasn't sure what it was. Another bottle? It glinted in the lantern light and Sasuke's Sharingan activated automatically. He was too late, though. 

The knife tore through Sakura's abdomen, and she disappeared in a puff of smoke. A clone.

It was just a civilian throwing the blade, after all. They couldn't really hurt Team7, not by a long shot, not if the genin didn't allow it. Even after taking a glass bottle to the head, Naruto could still easily slaughter them all if he wanted, Sasuke was sure of that. The issue was that Naruto didn't want to hurt these people. He didn't want his teammates to hurt them, either, and Sakura knew that. 

Sasuke knew that, too. He didn't care.

His Sharingan had captured the moment of impact. The second the blade had sliced through Sakura.

He was aware it was a clone. Logically, he knew that. He knew that.

Even when it happened he knew Sakura was too skilled to be taken off guard like that. They'd only gotten Naruto because he was currently having a fucking panic attack and he didn't want to hurt their ungrateful asses.

Still. His heart was hammering in his chest, his entire body shaking. He saw the blood on Naruto's face, and he couldn't get the image of Sakura falling to a blade out of his head. His mind juxtaposed her clone with his mother, with their sensei, with Naruto, with Yūgao, with the real Sakura. Everyone he'd ever cared about, would he eventually have to watch them all get cut down?

The truth is, at the core of it all, Sasuke was pissed beyond measure. He was not letting this bitch of a world take even one more person from him. Especially not his teammates. Not Naruto and Sakura.

The vegetable cart behind the group burst into flames, pitch black and so hot that Sasuke could feel the heat from where he was standing. No...maybe that was just his body. Had he always felt this warm?

He heard a small gasp behind him as the civilians screamed and dispersed abruptly, scrambling over themselves to flee as fast as their drunken limbs would allow. A warm hand was on his elbow now, somehow warmer than the flames engulfing his body. 

Oh, was he on fire? No, no, he couldn't be on fire. Being on fire would hurt much worse than he currently felt.

"Sasuke?" He heard the voice, distant and distorted, "Sasuke, please, can you look at me?"

He did what the voice asked. Furious red and black eyes met concerned blue. 

"Sasuke, I'm sorry."

Naruto was sorry? Why was he sorry?

"She...hit some sore points." Naruto's voice was shaky, "I shouldn't have freaked out like that, though. It won't happen again."

He blinked as Naruto's hands found his face. Reality seemed to recenter itself.

"Hn." Sasuke closed his eyes against the sudden pain, "Idiot. It wasn't your fault."

Naruto gave a weak laugh, "Sasuke, can you open your eyes for me again?"

Open his eyes? Why?

"They hurt." He grunted out against the nauseating wave of pain, "I don't think I can."

Naruto tried to pull away, but Sasuke grabbed his wrists to keep him in place. He liked the warmth on his face. It was soothing.

"Sakura is going to look at them. I'll still be right beside you."

Oh. Sakura was soothing, too. Not as warm as Naruto, but still.

Cool chakra seeped into his optical nerves, and suddenly the fire that had been engulfing him was gone. He opened his eyes slowly, only seeing bright green light until Sakura pulled her hands away. She gasped as soon as she saw his eyes, and Naruto soon entered his field of vision too. 

"Oh, wow." Naruto muttered, "What is that?"

"I think I'm going to pass out," Sasuke said nonchalantly, teetering on his feet.

He crashed to the ground moments after, losing consciousness shortly after feeling two sets of arms saving him from landing on the hard ground.

---

Naruto thought he had seen Sasuke angry before. During the fight with Haku and Zabuza, that one time he'd threatened a merchant on Naruto's behalf so thoroughly the man almost pissed himself, while they were meeting with the Hokage and the Elders after the mission in Wave...

He had not seen Sasuke angry before. He realized that tonight.

After Sakura's clone had been dispelled, the Uchiha had just snapped. Suddenly a vegetable stand was up in black flames and Sasuke's eyes had shifted yet again. It was similar to a red and black kaleidoscope and, according to Naruto was able to sense, it caused Sasuke an extreme amount of pain.

Taking the offered cloth from Sakura and pressing it against his temple where the bottle had crashed into him, he turned to help carry Sasuke. Sakura clearly had a different idea and had already slung the boy over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. 

"You had a bottle thrown at your head." Sakura narrowed her eyes, "You're not lifting anything until I'm sure you don't have a concussion."

"Fine, fine." Naruto waved her off, swallowing his shame, "We need to get to sensei's apartment. The exams start tomorrow and this could cause trouble with the councils if the civilians report us."

Sakura nodded, letting Naruto lead the way.

He had been pathetic tonight. Truly and utterly pathetic. Sasuke's pain was Naruto's fault. If he wasn't such a dumbass, none of this would have happened.

("You had no problem with it before! You killed them, all of them, you demon! You murderer!")

("Their deaths are on your hands, Amahiko! You're drenched in blood, nothing but a butcher!")

The words overlapped in his head, creating a cacophony of noise that threatened to make him go insane. Was he really-?

Naruto sensed Kakashi before they saw him, their sensei dropping to the ground in front of them from the roof above.

"So, want to tell me why I had a squad of ANBU knocking on my door-?" Kakashi cut himself off as he got a good look at his team, "What happened?"

"We were going to get ramen. A group of drunks started throwing things at Naruto and saying awful things." Sakura was practically seething, not wasting any time as she explained, "He tried to leave, we didn't want to anyone, but someone threw a glass bottle at him. I tried to deescalate because Naruto had a panic attack, but one of them had a knife and dispelled my clone. That's when Sasuke...well, the vegetable stand is still burning."

She gestured behind them. Sure enough, the black flames were still covering the ground where the vegetable stand had been turned to ash.

Kakashi's eye widened, "Sasuke did that?"

Sakura nodded, "He...His Sharingan evolved again. It looked like...it was different. There weren't tomoe anymore, just a weird kaleidoscope pattern. He said they hurt and I tried healing him, thinking he'd strained his optical nerves in the process, but he passed out."

For a moment their sensei's hands flexed before they curled into fists. He slowly approached Naruto, taking the cloth from his hand to look at the wound.

"I'm sorry-" Naruto began, only to be ruthlessly shut down.

"No." Kakashi said, firmer than Naruto had ever heard him, "This was not your fault. You will not be punished. The civilian that decided assault against a genin was a good idea will be, though, and I plan on pressing charges as your guardian."

Naruto blinked at the fervent words, "It's really okay. It happens sometimes, it's not a huge deal."

That was clearly the wrong thing to say. Sakura and Kakashi both stared at him, wide-eyed, and he felt the urge to defend himself.

"They don't normally throw things like glass or knives!" Naruto said, "It was my fault, I freaked out and tried to leave, I didn't think they'd...do that."

"Again, not your fault." Kakashi gave him back the cloth, "Once we get home, Sakura can heal that. First, we need to get Sasuke laying down. Come on."

Home. Naruto followed after his sensei, his guardian, and couldn't help but feel happy despite the situation. 

Maybe it wasn't his fault, maybe it was. Either way, he had a home.

---

Yamato had woken up during the bustle in the hallway, gaze darkening when he saw Naruto's bloody face and Sakura carrying an unconscious Sasuke.

While Sakura and Kakashi laid Sasuke out on the cushions in the living room, Yamato sat Naruto down and healed the gash on his temple in seconds. 

"I could've done that, sensei." Sakura began, twisting her hands together in a way that revealed her nerves.

"No, you need to rest." Yamato dismissed, "The exams are tomorrow morning and you all went through an ordeal tonight. I'll check over Sasuke while Kakashi reports to the Hokage. You and Naruto, however, are going to go to bed."

Kakashi moved for the door, "He's right. I'll be back before tomorrow morning."

Naruto passed out within seconds of his head hitting one of the cushions, sprawled out on the opposite side of the coffee table from Sasuke. Sakura watched as Yamato approached the three of them, the kunoichi being the only one still awake.

"Are we really not going to get in trouble, sensei?" She asked quietly, "We really did try to stop anything from happening. Naruto most of all."

"You won't be in any trouble. I promise." Yamato reassured her, patting her head once.

"I..." Her lower lip trembled before she lurched forward, wrapping her arms around Yamato's waist in a stilted hug as the tears ran free, "I know I shouldn't, but I hate them. I hate how they treat Naruto. He doesn't deserve any of that. Even when he had a panic attack, he only thought about removing himself from the situation before any civilians got hurt."

The jonin froze before clumsily wrapping his arms around the shaking girl, "I know, Sakura."

"I wanted to hurt them." She whispered, ashamed, "Not badly but I...that still sounds awful."

"It's a natural reaction, Sakura, to sometimes want to hurt those that hurt our loved ones. What matters is you still did your duty as a Konoha shinobi while also protecting your team. You did well."

She clung tighter for a moment before Yamato gently grabbed her arms and unwrapped them himself. He squeezed her shoulder.

"You need sleep. I'll check on Sasuke." 

"Will you stay?" She asked meekly, "Until Kakashi-sensei gets back?"

His smile was the most genuine Sakura had ever seen from Yamato, "Of course, I will."

She dozed off, the soft green emanating from Yamato's hands being the only source of light in the small living room.

Notes:

TWO UPDATES IN A WEEK? WHOOOO!

Kakashi, gesturing at the dead ROOT members: Fix this. Or I will.
Hiruzen: You know, you're kind of scary when you want to be.

Now it's time for ~~Sasuke's Regularly Scheduled Mental Breakdown~~! This time with the Mangekyo! Lowkey he's already traumatized enough due to the Uchiha Massacre to qualify for it, and the anger mixed with Naruto getting hit and unexpectedly seeing Sakura's clone get cut down was enough to do it.

His mind basically forced him to see everyone he loves or had loved (in the case of his mother) be cut down over and over again just like Sakura's clone had been.

He's very incoherent afterward, which is why he seems a bit loopy. And yes, he did set a vegetable cart on fire with Amaterasu.

And yes, Naruto definitely has PTSD. Living through what Amahiko did and THEN having Naruto's child hood? Several layers of mentally illness right there, and I say that as someone who also has several layers of mental illness.

Sasuke: Naruto, I will help you kill whoever's responsible for your parent's deaths.
Obito, somewhere far away: Why do I feel a sudden sense of foreboding?

Sasuke's love language is promising to enact revenge for his loved ones lmfao.

Sasuke: *waxes poetry about Naruto for an entire chapter*
Sasuke: Idk tho I don't like him THAT much
Kakashi: Oh you sweet summer child

Team 7: *is hurt*
Kakashi: So I'm going to go raise unholy hell.
Yamato: Sounds good, I'll watch the kids while you're gone.

Kakashi, kicking down Hiruzen's door at ten o'clock at night: DING DONG.
Hiruzen: HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?

Kakashi's new favorite hobby is harassing the Hokage. This will continue when Tsunade takes the hat, but she actually enjoys it.

Chunin Exams begin next chapter! Is the world ready for Team 7? No! But the world also has no choice!

Chapter 17: hello and goodbye

Uhhhhhh...hi?

So it's been about three years since I worked on this fic. I lost my drive with three full chapters and all my notes and pretty much gave up after that, working on other projects (fanfic and original writing). However, I saw a tiktok edit of Kakashi/Obito that singlehandedly tossed my ass back into my Naruto phase and started a rewatch. Which made me miss my baby, this fic, and the team as family vibes of it. Wild because I was in high school when I started this fic and now I work at a pharmacy? And I'm in college?? Crazy stuff.

I essentially hyper fixated on this sucker for like, a week. I rewrote all the chapters as I started this thing when I was SIXTEEN (omg) and YIKES lol the writing has certainly improved. The first chapter is up now, about 7k words as I smooshed some shorter chapters together while editing and fixing a few plot holes and characterization moments that bothered me. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it again! Eh, third times the charm, right?

READ THE NEW VERSION HERE!!