[fic]Did You Know?
Title: Did You Know?
Author: creepy_crawly
Rating: PG-13, PG-14 [I'm really bad with ratings...]
Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi. Kishimoto-sensei said I could play with his boys as long as I returned them in mostly one piece. Sorry, sir, but they'll be coming back in eight or nine. Is that ok?
Summary: How much did you know? I guarantee that it wasn't enough. It's never enough...
Did You Know
Did you know that the Man Who Was Yondaime used to just be the Boy Who Was Annoying?
Really, he was. Do you not believe me? When he was young, he used to tag along behind his older brother. He’d tell anyone who’d listen that he was going to be just like him when he grew up! They’d pat his head and smile. His brother would grunt and ignore him. So he’d whine, and complain, and cry. He’d do anything if it would get his brother’s attention. The rest of his brother’s friends would tease him about having a tag-along tail, but the taller blonde would just grimace and tell them to ‘shut the fuck up if they knew what was good for them’. And if he ever got angry at Aniki, all he had to do was tell Kaa-san what Aniki had said most recently, and Kaa-san would wash his mouth out with soap. (Aniki’s, that was.)
Did you know that he stopped tagging along when he was nine?
That was the year he tagged along behind Aniki (this time with permission) to go fishing. They’d just settled down to do some real serious work (baiting the hooks) when a man had stepped out from behind a nearby rock. Before he could even see the man’s headband symbol, Aniki stood in front of him, kunai at the ready. His aniki was a strong ninja. There were a few grunts, quick slices of flashing metal.
Did you know that what followed shaped his entire life?
His brother was dead before he could even work up the horror to scream. The ANBU team that arrived in less than a second killed the other man (a nin from Cloud) with as much deadly precision as ever. One ANBU carried the horrified, silent little boy to the hospital. His clothes were still hot and wet from the jets of blood that had shot from his brother’s neck. Another ANBU went to inform Kaa-san that Aniki wouldn’t be coming home. A third went to tell Hokage that an enemy and an ally had been killed. The fourth set to burning the Cloud’s body and carrying Aniki’s home.
Did you know that Hatake Kakashi used to cry in his sleep?
Really, he did. Do you not believe me? He would have nightmares (memories, really) of when his mother defected to Stone. His father would hear his tears and partially muffled sniffles. He’d come to the door, stare for a short while, then enter all the way and hold his little boy. He’d whisper that it was ok to cry. He’d rock Kakashi back and forth until he fell asleep again. Then he’d lay Kakashi down and kiss his forehead, whispering one last time that it was ok to cry.
Did you know that he never really hated his father?
He was angry, yes. He was sad, yes. He was even confused. But he never hated his father. Kakashi loved him too much to be able to hate him. This was the man who had raised him. His father had taught him everything. Without his father’s guidance, Kakashi would never have reached the heights he did. Kakashi knew this. While he was angry, sad, and confused, he never found it in his heart to hate his father.
Did you know that he still cries at his father’s grave?
He cries at Rin’s, and at Obito’s, and at Sensei’s, too. But he cries most at his father’s grave. He sits there and asks for help, for guidance and understanding. He tells his father about what has happened to him. How he has become ANBU, and lost everything that was ever important to him. How he has found love again, and suddenly all those things don’t seem quite so important to him. How he’s afraid of losing that one most important thing. He cries in front of his father, wishing he could rock him back and forth until he falls asleep one last time, that he could lay him down and kiss his forehead, whispering that it’s ok to cry, just one last time.
Did you know that Uzumaki Naruto always slept through the night as a baby?
Really, he did. Do you not believe me? When he was still an infant, he stayed with the Namiashi clan. Despite having lost many of her family, Raidou’s mother took in the young vessel. She was surprised to find that he slept through the night, and never woke screaming. If he did wake up during the night, he was perfectly happy to stay quietly until she or one of Raidou’s siblings came in to check on him. Then he would wave his arms in the air, for the moment an utterly innocent child. After those first few weeks, none of the Namiashi hated him.
Did you know that he would have died if it would have made Sasuke happy?
He loved Sasuke and always would. Even at such a young age, he knew it. Sasuke was the one person he truly looked up to, yet realising that Sasuke was stronger than him did not hurt as much as it should have. He realised then that he loved the Uchiha, and that nothing would ever change that. Hidden Villages didn’t care about the gender of lovers, the nin life was too short for such a pointless worry. And so Naruto would have gladly died with Sasuke’s hand through his heart if it only meant the other boy were happy. He even would have let him go to Orochimaru, without protest, if he thought it would make him happy. He’d sacrifice anything for the happiness of the one he loved.
Did you know that he still loves him?
Even though Sasuke is still with Orochimaru, Naruto knows in his heart of hearts that he will return. He’ll come home and they’ll be together the way they are meant to be. Tsunade promises that she’ll let Sasuke come home soon. Naruto wants him home before anyone in Sound finds out that he’s a spy. Tsunade insists that he’ll be home soon, and Naruto swears to hold her to it. He never tells anyone the way Sasuke signs his coded mission notes to Naruto (aishiteru, dobe) and Sasuke’ll never tell anyone the way Naruto signs the coded instructions and updates to Sasuke (teme, ore mo onaji-datteba-yo!). Neither of them will tell about what they do in the few short seconds they see each other when mission scrolls are swapped ( hurried kisses and whispers of love in hidden trees). They’re just waiting until he can come home.
Did you know that Umino Iruka was the top of his class?
Really, he was. Do you not believe me? When he was nine, the sensei began compiling lists of who in their classes would be best suited for undercover work. Iruka’s name was on that list. When he left the Academy the first time, when he was ten, his sensei told the entire team that they would have to pretend to fail. She told them without lying and without sugar-coating the truth that they were chosen to become soulless killers, even at such a young age. She told Iruka that he would sell his soul to the devil for the chance to kill a fellow human being. Three months later, out in the field for the first time, he understood what she had meant.
Did you know that he got that scar on the same mission that left more difficult to heal wounds?
He was only eleven when he lost his virginity. His sensei and the ANBU Intelligence Department had dressed him up as a fourteen year old whore and sent him into the target’s house. The woman had never suspected that the little boy in front of her was an eleven-year-old without a soul. She laughed as she began to undress him. She laughed as she aroused him, against his will. She laughed as she made him fuck her. She was still laughing when Iruka’s wakazashi (hidden inside his pants) removed her head from her shoulders. He retied his outfit, washed his hands, and left. On the way home, they stopped to bathe in a cold lake nearby. It was his teammates who found him, rock tied to his leg in an attempt to finally cleanse himself. He’d even gone as far as sealing his nose and mouth shut underwater, so that he really would be clean. One of his teammates had had to cut into his face with her kunai, forcing thin tubing down into his lungs as a med-ANBU watched over her shoulder. Iruka never forgave her.
Did you know that Iruka never cries at the gravesites?
He’s never shed a single tear. Not for Sensei, killed trying to save Nami in a fire. Not for Nami, killed trying to save an entire class of genin during a minor war. Not for Horyuko, killed by Iruka himself, on her command, before the Living Puppet jutsu could truly get a hold on her. Not for his mother, killed when the Kyuubi’s fiery tails swept through the house she was trying to evacuate children from. Not for his father, killed while attempting to evacuate the hospital. He doesn’t even cry for himself. And that’s who he should be crying for, if he cries for anyone. But Iruka hasn’t had enough of a soul to cry since the day Sensei looked him in the eye and told him he would sell his soul to the devil for the chance to kill a fellow human being. Thirteen years later, he finally understands what selling your soul really means.
Did you know that Shiranui Genma couldn’t multiply by twelve when he left the Academy?
Really, he couldn’t. Do you not believe me? It was the beginning of a war, and the Hokage demanded that anyone who could be graduated and pass through the genin stage quickly be graduated right then. And Genma was one of those unlucky lucky ones. His sensei, knowing what was being planned, kept her genin back for as long as she possibly could, teaching them more than most of the others ever learned. Then the Hokage stepped in, and demanded she let her team take the exams. They passed, of course. How could they not? They were all war-trained and ready for the front lines. But Genma was never angry with his sensei about that. Thanks to her, even if he couldn’t multiply by twelves, Genma could kill by them.
Did you know that he learned his greatest life-lesson when he broke his leg?
He was a fresh-minted jounin, out in the field during the war. He fell, foot landing in a hole in the soft loam. Still, he tried to keep running, and his leg snapped, making a sound like a gunshot. The chuunin in front of him grabbed him under the elbows, heaving him over his shoulder. Then, barely bothering to look over his shoulder, he began to run. A jounin had grabbed the chuunin by the shoulder, indicating a buried bunker to their left. He yelled something about a bomb, and the chuunin had nodded, steadying Genma on his shoulder. They made it into the shelter in time, but the other jounin didn’t. When Genma next saw him, he was in the hospital bed next to him, covered in bandages, in third- and second-degree burns. The man had grinned under the bandages covering his face and mimed playing cards. When the day ended, Genma realised he had made a life-long friend, even as the other man teasingly signed his cast with a loopy ‘Raidou <3s Idiot-kun’.
Did you know that he still screams at night?
He wakes up when it’s dark outside and the moon is overhead, Raidou’s hands on his shoulders, shaking him. Most of the time, he barely remembers what it was that had him screaming, but Raidou has heard enough of his feverish mumblings and knows enough of his past just to hold him close. Genma will bury himself in Raidou’s strong arms, shivering and shaking. Raidou will clutch him close, choking out the shivers and shakes with his own strong warmth. He’ll breathe fresh life into him, just like he did that time on that mission to Wave, that mission where they finally got around to admitting that maybe, just maybe, ‘Raidou <3s Idiot-kun’ might have actually meant something more. When he wakes up screaming, though, Genma doesn’t go back to sleep. He stays awake until the sun is shining in his face, bright enough to dispel any lingering memories of when the moon was overhead and it was dark. Genma still shivers.
Did you know that Namiashi Raidou once learned there was no ultimate evil?
Really, he did. Do you not believe me? His mother offered to take in the infant Uzumaki Naruto. Raidou was mad. His younger siblings, his uncle, his aunts, his cousins…they’d all been killed in the Kyuubi attack. He couldn’t see why his mother would bring their killer into the house. That night, his mother sat down with him and explained that there was a difference between Uzumaki Naruto and the Kyuubi no Youko. One was a small, defenceless little baby. The other was a natural born killer. Then she had him hold little baby Naruto-kun and give him his bottle and put him to bed. The baby stared back at him with bright, shiny blue eyes. He didn’t cry when Raidou’s smile twisted his still-fresh burn scars grotesquely. That night, Raidou realised that the little baby wasn’t the ultimate evil…just a little child.
Did you know he always liked being the third of twelve children?
The Namiashi clan had always had huge families. His father had been the fourth out of sixteen kids, and the rest of the families in the clan were equally as large. He rather liked it, actually. After he started doing missions as a chuunin, he appreciated having the warmth of his full house to come home to. His little brothers and sisters helped him bandage wounds, wash clothes, repair clothes, and sharpen weapons with just as much ease as he had helped his older brother and sister. When he became a jounin, he realised just how nice having a warm home to enter at night was. It truly hit home the first time he had to kill a little girl. He held her like he often held his three-year-old sister, then gently snapped her neck. It was a clean break, he told his mother, three nights later. A clean break, and so she didn’t have to suffer. He broke down into tears, right there in the kitchen. His mother had stood up and left the room. Half a minute later, she returned, carrying his little sister in her arms. Raidou clung to the sleepy three year old as he wept, not telling her just why he held her so tight, or why he cried to hard. She didn’t ask, but merely clung tight and cried right back.
Did you know that he loves Genma more than anything else?
He loves Genma more than he loves his own family. His mother thinks it’s sweet. His older sister teases him for having gotten a cuter boyfriend than she did, even if he had to raid the cradle to get him. His brother just snorts quietly. His little sisters think it’s cute, and his oldest little sister, Hana, thinks it’s just plain hot, or so he hears she told her friends. His little brothers can’t seem to decide what to think, but that’s ok, too. He loves Genma more than anything, and he knows he’s lucky that his family loves Genma, too. That way, he doesn’t have to choose between them. It’s a good thing, too, because he knows what he would choose.
Did you know that Hyuuga Neji was afraid of the dark?
Really, he was. Do you not believe me? When he was young, very young, he’d often wake in the night, screaming for some unknown reason. And then he’d scream louder, because it was so dark around him and maybe there were monsters lurking there and maybe that was a mad mass-murder hiding under his chair and oh, what if that was? That was usually when one of his parents would come in, to see what all the screaming was about. And they’d sigh gently but kindly and hug him. Then they’d tell him just to activate the Byakuugan if he was ever scared, because if it could hurt him, then it had chakra, and he’d see it. Once he moved in with the main family, Neji started having nightmares again. Only this time, any night time screaming led to a beating at the hands of his father’s brother. So Neji quickly learned to sleep with the Byakuugan activated. After all, if it could hurt him, then it had chakra, and he would see it. Strangely, this logic applied to dreams.
Did you know that he never wanted to be a member of the main family?
He always figured that as a member of the branch house, he had slightly more freedom than Hinata and Hanabi. The other two can’t do anything without the main house’s knowledge and approval and permission. He, on the other hand, is allowed to breathe and to eat and, occasionally, to speak. He’s seen what the pressure to be the best has done to Hinata and Hanabi, and what it has done to their relationship as sisters. He wouldn’t wish that on anyone’s children, let alone his own. He’s actually kind of sort of really truly humiliatingly grateful to be a member of the branch house. At least he could form his own opinions of himself, rather than having one thrust upon him by the family breathing down his neck, like Hinata. At least he could believe in his own strength on his own, rather than needing the constant backing of the family, like Hanabi. All in all, he thinks that they maybe got the raw end of the deal.
Did you know he actually envies Sasuke?
Neji always was slightly jealous of Sasuke. He’s willing to admit that he still is, really. First of all, Sasuke’s family is rich. And while the Hyuuga main branch has enough money to buy half of Konoha, the branch family depends on the main family’s kindness, and everyone involved knows it. Neji’s never appreciated being in debt to someone. Secondly, Sasuke is free. Free to make his own choices about everything. Free to live the way he wants. Free to be Sasuke. Whereas he, Neji, is just that. Neji. He is who he is told to be, and he does not like it that way. Neji sometimes thinks that if he had the courage to just leave, things would be so much better. He’s not saying he’d go to Orochimaru, but if he just had the courage to do something like that… And then to return? His parents told him that if it could hurt him, then it had a chakra, and he could see it. But no matter how long he keeps the Byakuugan activated, he can never see himself. Maybe there is a hole in his parents’ logic.
Did you know that Uchiha Sasuke had the most beautiful voice in Konoha?
Really, he did. Do you not believe me? When he was three, Itachi taught him how to sing ‘Akai Tsuki’. It was a short little song about love and death and all those sorts of things, and Sasuke could sing it beautifully. Later, his mother had him learn ‘Shinobi’s Lament’ so that he could sing it at his uncle’s funeral. The words of that song followed Sasuke around for a long time, a constant refrain of, ‘though now we part, I’ll ne’er leave you,’ running through his head. The last time Sasuke sang ‘Akai Tsuki’, he was watching Itachi take off in that loping run, out of the village and away from home. He didn’t sing ‘Shinobi’s Lament’ at his family’s funerals.
Did you know that he sang for Orochimaru?
Orochimaru had demanded that Tayuya play. Tayuya, tired and angry and sad and worn out, had unthinkingly begun to play ‘Kiseki no Umi’. Orochimaru was of half a mind to make her stop playing that song, but then he heard Sasuke’s young, just-changing voice begin singing. After that, he let Tayuya play whatever the hell she wanted, as long as Sasuke sang. And he made Sasuke sing. He threatened him with that sweetly-sick smile, the one that promised so much pain. So Sasuke sang, something he never intended to do for anyone anymore, if just to keep those hands, and that tongue and all of him off his own body. Later that night, when Orochimaru was asleep (brought off by the sound of Sasuke’s voice alone-the Uchiha had never felt so violated, not even when Orochimaru was touching him), Sasuke sang. He sang to the moon and stars and everyone and no one in particular. His song didn’t really have words, but the point was clear nonetheless. Sasuke wanted to be home.
Did you know that he still has that pretty, pretty voice?
Sasuke sings for Naruto, now that he’s home. He sings for Naruto, hoping it will wash away the sin of Orochimaru. When he was trapped within the village, not allowed to train, chakra sealed while the elders debated his fate, he sat with the small, small children and sang them to sleep. Sometimes, he still does. Only now the small, small children are the sons and daughters of his friends. Now, he teaches silly little songs like ‘Porkipinu’ and the old Wave song Iruka taught him, ‘Die Katze’, to the little children. And at night-well, nights when he’s not off on a mission, as his ANBU qualification demands he do an A- to S-class mission once a month-he sings to the tiny little child who falls asleep so trustingly in his arms. He then puts her to bed, gently pulling the covers over her as he turns to her other genetic contributor, who is usually removing his Hokage robes by this point. And he smiles gently up at his dobe, and his dobe smiles back, both of them thinking to remember to thank Sakura for being willing to surrogate for tiny little Hikaru, a true Uchiha and a true Uzumaki. And then Sasuke whispers ‘aishiteru’ in that pretty, pretty voice, and Naruto thinks the thanking can wait a little longer.
Edit!
Japanese now makes sense! Thank you to taes for the assistance!!
Also, fixed so that one or two glaring grammatical errors no longer glare. Or exist, for that matter...XD
Author: creepy_crawly
Rating: PG-13, PG-14 [I'm really bad with ratings...]
Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi. Kishimoto-sensei said I could play with his boys as long as I returned them in mostly one piece. Sorry, sir, but they'll be coming back in eight or nine. Is that ok?
Summary: How much did you know? I guarantee that it wasn't enough. It's never enough...
Did You Know
Did you know that the Man Who Was Yondaime used to just be the Boy Who Was Annoying?
Really, he was. Do you not believe me? When he was young, he used to tag along behind his older brother. He’d tell anyone who’d listen that he was going to be just like him when he grew up! They’d pat his head and smile. His brother would grunt and ignore him. So he’d whine, and complain, and cry. He’d do anything if it would get his brother’s attention. The rest of his brother’s friends would tease him about having a tag-along tail, but the taller blonde would just grimace and tell them to ‘shut the fuck up if they knew what was good for them’. And if he ever got angry at Aniki, all he had to do was tell Kaa-san what Aniki had said most recently, and Kaa-san would wash his mouth out with soap. (Aniki’s, that was.)
Did you know that he stopped tagging along when he was nine?
That was the year he tagged along behind Aniki (this time with permission) to go fishing. They’d just settled down to do some real serious work (baiting the hooks) when a man had stepped out from behind a nearby rock. Before he could even see the man’s headband symbol, Aniki stood in front of him, kunai at the ready. His aniki was a strong ninja. There were a few grunts, quick slices of flashing metal.
Did you know that what followed shaped his entire life?
His brother was dead before he could even work up the horror to scream. The ANBU team that arrived in less than a second killed the other man (a nin from Cloud) with as much deadly precision as ever. One ANBU carried the horrified, silent little boy to the hospital. His clothes were still hot and wet from the jets of blood that had shot from his brother’s neck. Another ANBU went to inform Kaa-san that Aniki wouldn’t be coming home. A third went to tell Hokage that an enemy and an ally had been killed. The fourth set to burning the Cloud’s body and carrying Aniki’s home.
Did you know that Hatake Kakashi used to cry in his sleep?
Really, he did. Do you not believe me? He would have nightmares (memories, really) of when his mother defected to Stone. His father would hear his tears and partially muffled sniffles. He’d come to the door, stare for a short while, then enter all the way and hold his little boy. He’d whisper that it was ok to cry. He’d rock Kakashi back and forth until he fell asleep again. Then he’d lay Kakashi down and kiss his forehead, whispering one last time that it was ok to cry.
Did you know that he never really hated his father?
He was angry, yes. He was sad, yes. He was even confused. But he never hated his father. Kakashi loved him too much to be able to hate him. This was the man who had raised him. His father had taught him everything. Without his father’s guidance, Kakashi would never have reached the heights he did. Kakashi knew this. While he was angry, sad, and confused, he never found it in his heart to hate his father.
Did you know that he still cries at his father’s grave?
He cries at Rin’s, and at Obito’s, and at Sensei’s, too. But he cries most at his father’s grave. He sits there and asks for help, for guidance and understanding. He tells his father about what has happened to him. How he has become ANBU, and lost everything that was ever important to him. How he has found love again, and suddenly all those things don’t seem quite so important to him. How he’s afraid of losing that one most important thing. He cries in front of his father, wishing he could rock him back and forth until he falls asleep one last time, that he could lay him down and kiss his forehead, whispering that it’s ok to cry, just one last time.
Did you know that Uzumaki Naruto always slept through the night as a baby?
Really, he did. Do you not believe me? When he was still an infant, he stayed with the Namiashi clan. Despite having lost many of her family, Raidou’s mother took in the young vessel. She was surprised to find that he slept through the night, and never woke screaming. If he did wake up during the night, he was perfectly happy to stay quietly until she or one of Raidou’s siblings came in to check on him. Then he would wave his arms in the air, for the moment an utterly innocent child. After those first few weeks, none of the Namiashi hated him.
Did you know that he would have died if it would have made Sasuke happy?
He loved Sasuke and always would. Even at such a young age, he knew it. Sasuke was the one person he truly looked up to, yet realising that Sasuke was stronger than him did not hurt as much as it should have. He realised then that he loved the Uchiha, and that nothing would ever change that. Hidden Villages didn’t care about the gender of lovers, the nin life was too short for such a pointless worry. And so Naruto would have gladly died with Sasuke’s hand through his heart if it only meant the other boy were happy. He even would have let him go to Orochimaru, without protest, if he thought it would make him happy. He’d sacrifice anything for the happiness of the one he loved.
Did you know that he still loves him?
Even though Sasuke is still with Orochimaru, Naruto knows in his heart of hearts that he will return. He’ll come home and they’ll be together the way they are meant to be. Tsunade promises that she’ll let Sasuke come home soon. Naruto wants him home before anyone in Sound finds out that he’s a spy. Tsunade insists that he’ll be home soon, and Naruto swears to hold her to it. He never tells anyone the way Sasuke signs his coded mission notes to Naruto (aishiteru, dobe) and Sasuke’ll never tell anyone the way Naruto signs the coded instructions and updates to Sasuke (teme, ore mo onaji-datteba-yo!). Neither of them will tell about what they do in the few short seconds they see each other when mission scrolls are swapped ( hurried kisses and whispers of love in hidden trees). They’re just waiting until he can come home.
Did you know that Umino Iruka was the top of his class?
Really, he was. Do you not believe me? When he was nine, the sensei began compiling lists of who in their classes would be best suited for undercover work. Iruka’s name was on that list. When he left the Academy the first time, when he was ten, his sensei told the entire team that they would have to pretend to fail. She told them without lying and without sugar-coating the truth that they were chosen to become soulless killers, even at such a young age. She told Iruka that he would sell his soul to the devil for the chance to kill a fellow human being. Three months later, out in the field for the first time, he understood what she had meant.
Did you know that he got that scar on the same mission that left more difficult to heal wounds?
He was only eleven when he lost his virginity. His sensei and the ANBU Intelligence Department had dressed him up as a fourteen year old whore and sent him into the target’s house. The woman had never suspected that the little boy in front of her was an eleven-year-old without a soul. She laughed as she began to undress him. She laughed as she aroused him, against his will. She laughed as she made him fuck her. She was still laughing when Iruka’s wakazashi (hidden inside his pants) removed her head from her shoulders. He retied his outfit, washed his hands, and left. On the way home, they stopped to bathe in a cold lake nearby. It was his teammates who found him, rock tied to his leg in an attempt to finally cleanse himself. He’d even gone as far as sealing his nose and mouth shut underwater, so that he really would be clean. One of his teammates had had to cut into his face with her kunai, forcing thin tubing down into his lungs as a med-ANBU watched over her shoulder. Iruka never forgave her.
Did you know that Iruka never cries at the gravesites?
He’s never shed a single tear. Not for Sensei, killed trying to save Nami in a fire. Not for Nami, killed trying to save an entire class of genin during a minor war. Not for Horyuko, killed by Iruka himself, on her command, before the Living Puppet jutsu could truly get a hold on her. Not for his mother, killed when the Kyuubi’s fiery tails swept through the house she was trying to evacuate children from. Not for his father, killed while attempting to evacuate the hospital. He doesn’t even cry for himself. And that’s who he should be crying for, if he cries for anyone. But Iruka hasn’t had enough of a soul to cry since the day Sensei looked him in the eye and told him he would sell his soul to the devil for the chance to kill a fellow human being. Thirteen years later, he finally understands what selling your soul really means.
Did you know that Shiranui Genma couldn’t multiply by twelve when he left the Academy?
Really, he couldn’t. Do you not believe me? It was the beginning of a war, and the Hokage demanded that anyone who could be graduated and pass through the genin stage quickly be graduated right then. And Genma was one of those unlucky lucky ones. His sensei, knowing what was being planned, kept her genin back for as long as she possibly could, teaching them more than most of the others ever learned. Then the Hokage stepped in, and demanded she let her team take the exams. They passed, of course. How could they not? They were all war-trained and ready for the front lines. But Genma was never angry with his sensei about that. Thanks to her, even if he couldn’t multiply by twelves, Genma could kill by them.
Did you know that he learned his greatest life-lesson when he broke his leg?
He was a fresh-minted jounin, out in the field during the war. He fell, foot landing in a hole in the soft loam. Still, he tried to keep running, and his leg snapped, making a sound like a gunshot. The chuunin in front of him grabbed him under the elbows, heaving him over his shoulder. Then, barely bothering to look over his shoulder, he began to run. A jounin had grabbed the chuunin by the shoulder, indicating a buried bunker to their left. He yelled something about a bomb, and the chuunin had nodded, steadying Genma on his shoulder. They made it into the shelter in time, but the other jounin didn’t. When Genma next saw him, he was in the hospital bed next to him, covered in bandages, in third- and second-degree burns. The man had grinned under the bandages covering his face and mimed playing cards. When the day ended, Genma realised he had made a life-long friend, even as the other man teasingly signed his cast with a loopy ‘Raidou <3s Idiot-kun’.
Did you know that he still screams at night?
He wakes up when it’s dark outside and the moon is overhead, Raidou’s hands on his shoulders, shaking him. Most of the time, he barely remembers what it was that had him screaming, but Raidou has heard enough of his feverish mumblings and knows enough of his past just to hold him close. Genma will bury himself in Raidou’s strong arms, shivering and shaking. Raidou will clutch him close, choking out the shivers and shakes with his own strong warmth. He’ll breathe fresh life into him, just like he did that time on that mission to Wave, that mission where they finally got around to admitting that maybe, just maybe, ‘Raidou <3s Idiot-kun’ might have actually meant something more. When he wakes up screaming, though, Genma doesn’t go back to sleep. He stays awake until the sun is shining in his face, bright enough to dispel any lingering memories of when the moon was overhead and it was dark. Genma still shivers.
Did you know that Namiashi Raidou once learned there was no ultimate evil?
Really, he did. Do you not believe me? His mother offered to take in the infant Uzumaki Naruto. Raidou was mad. His younger siblings, his uncle, his aunts, his cousins…they’d all been killed in the Kyuubi attack. He couldn’t see why his mother would bring their killer into the house. That night, his mother sat down with him and explained that there was a difference between Uzumaki Naruto and the Kyuubi no Youko. One was a small, defenceless little baby. The other was a natural born killer. Then she had him hold little baby Naruto-kun and give him his bottle and put him to bed. The baby stared back at him with bright, shiny blue eyes. He didn’t cry when Raidou’s smile twisted his still-fresh burn scars grotesquely. That night, Raidou realised that the little baby wasn’t the ultimate evil…just a little child.
Did you know he always liked being the third of twelve children?
The Namiashi clan had always had huge families. His father had been the fourth out of sixteen kids, and the rest of the families in the clan were equally as large. He rather liked it, actually. After he started doing missions as a chuunin, he appreciated having the warmth of his full house to come home to. His little brothers and sisters helped him bandage wounds, wash clothes, repair clothes, and sharpen weapons with just as much ease as he had helped his older brother and sister. When he became a jounin, he realised just how nice having a warm home to enter at night was. It truly hit home the first time he had to kill a little girl. He held her like he often held his three-year-old sister, then gently snapped her neck. It was a clean break, he told his mother, three nights later. A clean break, and so she didn’t have to suffer. He broke down into tears, right there in the kitchen. His mother had stood up and left the room. Half a minute later, she returned, carrying his little sister in her arms. Raidou clung to the sleepy three year old as he wept, not telling her just why he held her so tight, or why he cried to hard. She didn’t ask, but merely clung tight and cried right back.
Did you know that he loves Genma more than anything else?
He loves Genma more than he loves his own family. His mother thinks it’s sweet. His older sister teases him for having gotten a cuter boyfriend than she did, even if he had to raid the cradle to get him. His brother just snorts quietly. His little sisters think it’s cute, and his oldest little sister, Hana, thinks it’s just plain hot, or so he hears she told her friends. His little brothers can’t seem to decide what to think, but that’s ok, too. He loves Genma more than anything, and he knows he’s lucky that his family loves Genma, too. That way, he doesn’t have to choose between them. It’s a good thing, too, because he knows what he would choose.
Did you know that Hyuuga Neji was afraid of the dark?
Really, he was. Do you not believe me? When he was young, very young, he’d often wake in the night, screaming for some unknown reason. And then he’d scream louder, because it was so dark around him and maybe there were monsters lurking there and maybe that was a mad mass-murder hiding under his chair and oh, what if that was? That was usually when one of his parents would come in, to see what all the screaming was about. And they’d sigh gently but kindly and hug him. Then they’d tell him just to activate the Byakuugan if he was ever scared, because if it could hurt him, then it had chakra, and he’d see it. Once he moved in with the main family, Neji started having nightmares again. Only this time, any night time screaming led to a beating at the hands of his father’s brother. So Neji quickly learned to sleep with the Byakuugan activated. After all, if it could hurt him, then it had chakra, and he would see it. Strangely, this logic applied to dreams.
Did you know that he never wanted to be a member of the main family?
He always figured that as a member of the branch house, he had slightly more freedom than Hinata and Hanabi. The other two can’t do anything without the main house’s knowledge and approval and permission. He, on the other hand, is allowed to breathe and to eat and, occasionally, to speak. He’s seen what the pressure to be the best has done to Hinata and Hanabi, and what it has done to their relationship as sisters. He wouldn’t wish that on anyone’s children, let alone his own. He’s actually kind of sort of really truly humiliatingly grateful to be a member of the branch house. At least he could form his own opinions of himself, rather than having one thrust upon him by the family breathing down his neck, like Hinata. At least he could believe in his own strength on his own, rather than needing the constant backing of the family, like Hanabi. All in all, he thinks that they maybe got the raw end of the deal.
Did you know he actually envies Sasuke?
Neji always was slightly jealous of Sasuke. He’s willing to admit that he still is, really. First of all, Sasuke’s family is rich. And while the Hyuuga main branch has enough money to buy half of Konoha, the branch family depends on the main family’s kindness, and everyone involved knows it. Neji’s never appreciated being in debt to someone. Secondly, Sasuke is free. Free to make his own choices about everything. Free to live the way he wants. Free to be Sasuke. Whereas he, Neji, is just that. Neji. He is who he is told to be, and he does not like it that way. Neji sometimes thinks that if he had the courage to just leave, things would be so much better. He’s not saying he’d go to Orochimaru, but if he just had the courage to do something like that… And then to return? His parents told him that if it could hurt him, then it had a chakra, and he could see it. But no matter how long he keeps the Byakuugan activated, he can never see himself. Maybe there is a hole in his parents’ logic.
Did you know that Uchiha Sasuke had the most beautiful voice in Konoha?
Really, he did. Do you not believe me? When he was three, Itachi taught him how to sing ‘Akai Tsuki’. It was a short little song about love and death and all those sorts of things, and Sasuke could sing it beautifully. Later, his mother had him learn ‘Shinobi’s Lament’ so that he could sing it at his uncle’s funeral. The words of that song followed Sasuke around for a long time, a constant refrain of, ‘though now we part, I’ll ne’er leave you,’ running through his head. The last time Sasuke sang ‘Akai Tsuki’, he was watching Itachi take off in that loping run, out of the village and away from home. He didn’t sing ‘Shinobi’s Lament’ at his family’s funerals.
Did you know that he sang for Orochimaru?
Orochimaru had demanded that Tayuya play. Tayuya, tired and angry and sad and worn out, had unthinkingly begun to play ‘Kiseki no Umi’. Orochimaru was of half a mind to make her stop playing that song, but then he heard Sasuke’s young, just-changing voice begin singing. After that, he let Tayuya play whatever the hell she wanted, as long as Sasuke sang. And he made Sasuke sing. He threatened him with that sweetly-sick smile, the one that promised so much pain. So Sasuke sang, something he never intended to do for anyone anymore, if just to keep those hands, and that tongue and all of him off his own body. Later that night, when Orochimaru was asleep (brought off by the sound of Sasuke’s voice alone-the Uchiha had never felt so violated, not even when Orochimaru was touching him), Sasuke sang. He sang to the moon and stars and everyone and no one in particular. His song didn’t really have words, but the point was clear nonetheless. Sasuke wanted to be home.
Did you know that he still has that pretty, pretty voice?
Sasuke sings for Naruto, now that he’s home. He sings for Naruto, hoping it will wash away the sin of Orochimaru. When he was trapped within the village, not allowed to train, chakra sealed while the elders debated his fate, he sat with the small, small children and sang them to sleep. Sometimes, he still does. Only now the small, small children are the sons and daughters of his friends. Now, he teaches silly little songs like ‘Porkipinu’ and the old Wave song Iruka taught him, ‘Die Katze’, to the little children. And at night-well, nights when he’s not off on a mission, as his ANBU qualification demands he do an A- to S-class mission once a month-he sings to the tiny little child who falls asleep so trustingly in his arms. He then puts her to bed, gently pulling the covers over her as he turns to her other genetic contributor, who is usually removing his Hokage robes by this point. And he smiles gently up at his dobe, and his dobe smiles back, both of them thinking to remember to thank Sakura for being willing to surrogate for tiny little Hikaru, a true Uchiha and a true Uzumaki. And then Sasuke whispers ‘aishiteru’ in that pretty, pretty voice, and Naruto thinks the thanking can wait a little longer.
Edit!
Japanese now makes sense! Thank you to taes for the assistance!!
Also, fixed so that one or two glaring grammatical errors no longer glare. Or exist, for that matter...XD