Fic: Break the Sky - Chapter Two [WIP; Naruto; R]
Fandom: Naruto
Title: Break the Sky
Rating: R
Summary: AU. On the night Naruto learns he is the container for the Kyuubi, Mizuki tells him another of Konoha’s secrets.
Warnings: AAANNNNGGGGSSSTTTTTT, WIP with very slow updates.
Chapter Two: Crack in the Shell
( Chapter One)
Kakashi’s slouched stance conveyed nonchalance, but even he was intimidated by the audience seated at the U-shaped table before him. From their high-back mahogany chairs, the Sandaime regarded him impassively, but Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, who sat on either side of the Hokage, didn’t bother to mask their displeasure. He had been called before the three of them to the council chamber twice before - neither were experiences he wished to relive.
“You have disobeyed a direct order,” the Sandaime began. “I’m not interested in excuses. This morning, Haruno Sakura’s parents lodged a request that you be removed indefinitely from the jounin sensei roster and face legal consequences for negligence. Their daughter’s face will be permanently scarred - a cruel souvenir for one who wasn’t even an official shinobi of Konoha at the time of injury. They are civilians, but the Yamanaka clan has agreed to sponsor their complaint, which in turn implies support from the Nara and Akimichi clans as well.”
“The complaint also entails Uzumaki Naruto being banned from joining a genin team,” Mitokado rumbled deeply as he adjusted his glasses. “I was against him being trained like a typical shinobi in the first place, but his tenuous mental state has further deteriorated due to your foolishness, Hatake. Our control over the jinchuuriki is one of the top priorities for Konoha at the moment, and you have jeopardized the safety of the entire village.”
Utatane snapped open a fan and wafted air slowly across her wrinkled face. Her movements were still as elegant and controlled as when she’d wielded a katana on the battlefield. Though the pair of councilors had not been on active duty for decades, Kakashi knew their prowess was anything but deteriorated. Along with the Third, they had been the pride of the Niidame. “As I understand it, Uchiha Sasuke awakened his Sharingan during the confrontation, which is possibly the only positive to this mess - two tomoe … impressive for one so young. I admit that I’m baffled by your course of action, Kakashi-kun. Surely you didn’t believe we would let this slide. I, for one, am very interested in what prompted you to let the situation escalate as it did.”
Kakashi’s back straightened, and he met the gaze of the three most influential entities of Konoha head on. “With all due respect, keeping Uzumaki and Uchiha on the same team would have resulted in greater damage towards Konoha. My test proved that even Haruno’s presence wasn’t enough to neutralize their clashing personalities.”
“That was not for you to decide,” snipped Utatane. “You should have prevented the altercation from ever occurring. You should have given them time get to know one another instead of assuming they were incompatible. Did it not strike you that teamwork has to be built over time? You have never truly commanded a squad of genin, Kakashi-kun, so perhaps your mistake is understandable. No team is ever perfect. Yours certainly wasn’t.”
Kakashi’s visible eye darkened at the reminder.
“I understand that you were trying to keep past tragedies from repeating, Kakashi - an admirable endeavor - but you failed to grasp the most important aspect of teamwork,” the Hokage chided. “Bonds are not forged during a single exercise. Trust, the foundation of any team, comes only after shared hardships and time. As a teacher, your responsibility doesn’t end at imparting knowledge of the shinobi arts. It is to tend to their emotions and strengthen their ties to one another. At this point in time, however, speculation is pointless. What remains is the course of action we must take to remedy the situation. I have agreed to fulfill the request made by Sakura’s parents in return for discretion concerning the incident. You will no longer be eligible as a jounin sensei, and will pay the Haruno family a sum of 150,000 ryou. Team 7 has been disbanded, leaving three not-quite genin without a sensei.”
“Three?” Kakashi questioned in spite of himself.
The Hokage’s lips twitched into a small smile. “I was told by Haruno Sakura herself that she was adamant about remaining a shinobi. A very promising young kunoichi, if I say so myself.”
Kakashi had been sure that Sakura would be scared off of the path of the ninja given the nature of her injury. Kakashi’s own impression had been that despite a spark of bravery, she was both vain and vapid. He realized that he had thought the same of Rin at one point, before tearing the memory from the forefront of his mind.
“She will not be your concern, however. Members of the Cryptology Squad and Medical Department have both expressed interests in taking her under their wing. I believe she would flourish in either with a mind like hers coupled with her superb chakra control.” The crinkles at the corner of the Hokage’s eyes conveyed how much he cared and knew about every ninja in his village regardless of their rank or skill. It still astounded Kakashi at times.
“We have agreed to give you a chance to redeem yourself, Kakashi,” Mitokado admitted grudgingly. “Naruto and Sasuke will each be apprenticed to an elite jounin. It’s a pity that this will mean we won’t be able to showcase their talents in public chuunin exams, but this will allow for them to grow quickly under increased supervision. It is your choice which one you will help mold into a shinobi: your sensei’s son or the last Uchiha.”
Kakashi didn’t need to take any time to consider. “Sasuke. There is no one better suited to teaching him how to use his Sharingan.”
The councilors looked pleased with his choice. The Sandaime nodded, but Kakashi sensed his disappointment by the set of his jaw. “Very well,” the Third intoned. “Hatake Kakashi, you are hereby reinstated into ANBU, in the Hunter-nin Division. You are ordered to take on Uchiha Sasuke as your sole apprentice. You will ensure his loyalty to Konoha is absolute. It’s pity that he won’t be able to experience working with a team of his peers until he reaches chuunin, but such will be his path. Failure to mold him into an outstanding Leaf-nin … will not end pleasantly.”
Kakashi suppressed a shiver at the spike of killer intent that emanated from the Hokage.
“Reports of his progress are to be submitted daily for the time being,” Utatane added. “We are expecting to see him thrive under your tutelage - and not just in jutsu.”
The masked jounin bowed his head in acquiescence. “If I may ask, who is to mentor Naruto?” he asked, face still inclined towards the ground.
“There are several candidates,” Mitokado replied vaguely, “but the jinchuuriki is no longer your concern. While it is not an official order, you are advised to avoid both him and Haruno Sakura.”
Kakashi felt a lump rise in his throat. He swallowed. “I see.”
“Naruto is not his mother anymore than he is his father,” the Hokage murmured unexpectedly. “He is just a boy who grew up alone and unwanted. It would serve you well to remember that, Kakashi.”
Kakashi didn’t respond to the Hokage’s suggestion. “I’ll take my leave,” he uttered lowly. His seemingly leisured steps led him on the familiar path to the Memorial Stone.
An ugly, marred face peered back at Haruno Sakura from the mirror in her hands. A scar ran from under her left eye to the edge of her cheek. The healers at the hospital had done the best job they could at healing her face, but they had been forced to cut out all the tissue that had been contaminated with Naruto’s chakra - making the wound even larger - before sewing her stitches. They said that any remnants would cause her flesh rot because of Naruto’s kekkei genkai. Sakura had been shocked to learn from the Hokage that the dead last of the academy was the recipient of such a power. None of the teachers had acted like he was anything special like they did with Sasuke-kun or even Hinata.
The Sandaime hadn’t told Sakura to forgive Naruto for harming her, but instead let her know that Naruto’s bloodline limit made it very difficult for him to control himself and his special chakra when he was emotionally agitated. He had just learned of his ability recently, and didn’t have any family or friends to help him through the ordeal. The Third seemed very sad when he talked about Naruto.
That didn’t change the fact that Naruto terrified her. She wouldn’t complain if she never saw him again. She didn’t exactly blame him - Naruto was stupid, annoying, immature and totally uncool, but she knew he would never hurt her on purpose. It was difficult connect that horrible creature that attacked her and Sasuke with the boy who’d been chasing after her heart for years. She felt as though that innocent idiot had died and was replaced by a dangerous, angry stranger. She agreed with her parents that Naruto not be allowed to see her in the hospital, despite him bothering the nurses to let him in to apologize. He had asked them to bring her a note. She’d thrown it away without opening it. She already had enough nightmares to last a lifetime.
Sakura had woken up over and over the previous night by the sound of her own screams. Dreams of watching villages burn and people being ripped apart and eaten, of the smell of burning and fresh blood, of the sound of hopeless cries and pleas for help. The medic-nin said the night terrors would lessen with time. They had said she was a very brave, very clever girl.
It felt like they were lying to her face. If she had only been more courageous and smarter, then this would have never happened. She would have been able to leave and find Kakashi when Sasuke had asked her to. She would have been able to calm the boys down instead of causing the situation to escalate. She wasn’t worthy of being on a team with Sasuke as she was now. Last night, he had made a promise to herself - she would grow stronger. She would become someone who wouldn’t let fear win out.
There was a hesitant knock on her room’s door. Sakura tucked her hand-held mirror under the sheets of the hospital bed and pulled her hair over her left eye so it cover her scar before calling, “Come in!”
A girl with long blonde hair drawn up into a ponytail hesitantly opened the door, but it was with confidence that she approached Sakura, an elegantly arrangement of morning glories and ferns in her hands. “Where should I put these, forehead?” she demanded. “Also, I’m opening your curtains. Moping in the dark doesn’t suit you.”
“Ino-pig? What are you doing here?” Sakura asked, half-annoyed, half-grateful. She and Ino were rivals now - but some small part of her missed them being friends. None of her other classmates had tried to see her except Naruto.
Ino placed the flowers on the small desk beside Sakura’s bed, fussing slightly with the placement of a branch. “I heard from your parents that you’d been hurt. It makes sense that a lame kunoichi like you would get yourself landed in the hospital during your genin test. Your mom said that … Naruto did that to you.”
Sakura stiffened. “Yeah, it was an accident, not that it’s any of your business.”
“An accident that can’t be healed with medical-chakra?” the blonde pressed. “I’m not stupid, forehead. What did that idiot do to you?”
“I can’t talk about it,” Sakura huffed, sticking out a tongue. “And even if I could, I wouldn’t tell a piggy like you. My parents weren’t supposed to even tell you, so don’t go spreading it around, or there’ll be trouble.”
Ino pulled a chair up to Sakura’s bed. “I’m not stupid - my parents already told me that this all has to be hushed up. Stupid, if you ask me. This test wasn’t supposed to be dangerous - ours wasn’t. It’s not fair for you … not that I care or anything.”
“So your team passed?” Sakura changed the subject, mouth quirking into a reluctant smile. “How do you like being with a lazy-ass and a fat-ass? Guess they make a good combination with a loud-ass.”
“You know it!” Ino shot back. “It’s not as great as it’d be if I’d been put on Sasuke-kun’s team, but all three of them - if you include Asuma-sensei - listen to whatever I say. I can’t blame then for being awed by my beauty and awesome skills.”
“In your dreams,” Sakura muttered, “and their worst nightmares.”
“So are you being sent back to the academy now or what?” Ino asked bluntly. “You’re not going to give up on being a ninja, right? Because I’ll be sure to be the one to get Sasuke if you quit.”
“No way! In fact, I’ve been accepted as a trainee in the Cryptology Squad. It’s supposed be very difficult to get into - probably someone as dumb as you wouldn’t have a chance,” Sakura bragged good-naturedly. “Sasuke-kun is sure to be impressed by that.”
“Not everyone can have a brain so gigantic it deforms their forehead,” Ino teased, her pale blue eyes sparkling with relief. “It’s a miracle you can walk with that thing weighing you down. I’m glad though. It’d be boring if my rival wasn’t a ninja too.”
Sakura smiled, feeling better than she had since she’d been in the hospital. “You won’t have to worry about leaving me behind - you’ll be the one eating my dust.”
“Well my team’s meeting up for barbeque,” Ino announced, smiling as well. “I guess I’ll see you around, forehead.”
Ino stood up, but before leaving, paused to look at Sakura with an unreadable expression. The pink-haired girl immediately felt a wave of self-consciousness wash over her. Ino reached out to tuck the hair that covered the side of Sakura’s face behind her ear.
“You shouldn’t hide your face,” her rival spoke softly.
After Ino left, Sakura pulled out the mirror from under the sheets and stared at her reflection. She lightly ran a finger along her scar, wincing a little at its sensitivity. The girl staring back at her looked like someone who could be strong. With a final glance, she placed the mirror face down next to the bouquet of morning glories.
In Naruto’s opinion, the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu was second only to the Henge in terms of usefulness. Combined, they were invaluable.
He’d made a discovery in the days after Team 7’s failure, one that arose from the fact that he didn’t feel like leaving the comfort of his apartment. Pictures of his mother were carefully taped all over his bedroom walls, and he didn’t want to be away from her gaze. He’d instead created shadow clones to get food or answer the door when Iruka-sensei came calling. When they dispelled, he was left with the memories of the grocer’s glare, of the warmth of Iruka-sensei’s hand on his head. Shadow clones were much, much more than illusions - they were physical and mental extensions. It felt as though he had grown physically a thousand-fold, extending his senses far beyond what he could have imagined previously. It didn’t take long for Naruto to exploit that benefit.
He’d never exactly been banned from the Konoha’s Shinobi Library, but he wasn’t particularly welcome either. The librarians and their assistants always hovered over his shoulder as though he were planning to cause trouble (which, generally, he was). Never before had he been burning with the need for knowledge as he was currently. Where was Whirlpool Country? What was it like? Why was it destroyed? He’d scanned his dusty textbooks from the academy, but the small country wasn’t even mentioned. He didn’t even entertain the idea of asking the Old Man. Being in the same room as him was like blowing on the coals of his anger.
And so, with the aid of his two favorite jutsu, he’d decided to see what information genin-level clearance could yield. Perhaps a single genin snooping around the library would seem suspicious - but what about a team of three? He couldn’t exactly put his reasoning into words, but he didn’t want Konoha knowing every single thing he did. It was really none of their business. It’d done enough to his mother already.
“Our sensei wanted to test our research skills,” a Naruto clone, disguised as Ino, said matter-of-factly to the librarian at the front desk. “Can you tell us where you have books on the history of some of the smaller countries?”
At her sides, ‘Chouji’ and ‘Shikamaru’ looked around the library furtively with lazy eyes. The library had four visible stories, all linked by stairs that would around the circular building. He knew that each level was for the various ranks: academy students, genin, chuunin and jounin. It was rumored that there were other rooms hidden by complex genjutsu. It made sense considering how much taller the library appeared from the outside. He’d never had much interest in the library prior to now, but now wondered how many truths might be hidden in its walls - how many lies it had the potential to shatter.
The librarian told Naruto the number of the aisle pertaining to history books without batting an eye. He had been wondering how his Henge would hold up against chuunin-level scrutiny (or carelessness), but as previous tests had shown, it was near impossible to see through by people who didn’t know the object of his disguises well. At the academy, it was stressed that the Henge shouldn’t be use for extended periods of times since it drained chakra heavily, but Naruto never noticed, even when holding a Henge up for a whole day. He wondered if it was because of the Kyuubi. Viciously, he thought that it was fair he got something out of it.
Naruto’s clones each grabbed a book that had promise. Each member of ‘Team 10’ pulled out a notebook and pen to take notes to review later for two reasons. Firstly, to keep the illusion realistic, and secondly so he could review any kanji he didn’t know, as reading wasn’t exactly his forte. Naruto began to scan his book.
“Geological evidence showed that Mt. Kajoumon erupted on many occasions over a span of hundreds of thousands of years prior to the destruction of the Land of Whirlpool, cyclically collapsing the island into an ocean-filled caldera. […] The appearance of the Kyuubi no Yoko at the shores of Whirlpool Country is still met with skepticism, with critics arguing the magnitude 7.0 earthquake four months prior to the eruption accounts for the superstitious rumors circulating among Uzu survivors.
[…] The rapid increase in sulfur dioxide emission followed by a swell in seismic activity preceded the mass evacuation. A series of smaller eruptions heralded the climatic eruption on the 7th of July. […] The volcano’s plume extended to the stratosphere, an estimated 20 miles high. The pyroclastic flows traveled over a 2-mile radius. Magma underlying the volcano came into contact with the shore of the East Sea, resulting in widespread steam eruption. […] The over 300-foot tsunami devastated the eastern coast of Fire Country, the southern coast of Lighting Country and the archipelago of Water Country’s western islands. […] The ash clouds covered an estimated 40,000 square miles in darkness, with ashfall reaching as far as Earth Country’s northern mountain ranges.
[…] Over 800 confirmed deaths in the aftermath of the tragedy with many more attributed due to disease spread by lack of sanitation in relocation camps and hunger after arable land was rendered infertile.”
Naruto vaguely remembered the “Day of Darkness” being taught in his academy history lesson, but never had the origin of the volcano been explored, save for locating it on an island in between Water, Fire and Lightning Countries. He wasn’t quite sure, but from what he recalled, the lecture covered the effects the volcano had wrought upon the elemental countries, centered, of course, on Fire Country. Naruto, who had never seen anything like a natural disaster, couldn’t even visualize what the destruction of Whirlpool would have been like. That there was speculation that the Nine-tails was linked with triggering the eruption made his stomach feel like the bottom had dropped out from under it, whether or not it was true.
The demon sealed in his body had already caused the death of countless unknown leaf villagers, as well as the Yondaime and Iruka-sensei’s parents. Was it possible that it had also destroyed his mother’s home country? In some ways, he wished he could ask him. He wanted to know - wanted to ask questions … those questions he’d never bothered to ask for his whole life. Not once could he remember asking the Sandaime about his family. Not once had he asked why everyone hated him. He’d been contented to just accept it as the way things were, and look where it had landed him - alone and miserable. He had been spitting on his mother’s memory by not even bothering to find out about her.
Across from her at the library table, ‘Shikamaru’ cleared his throat, getting ‘Ino’s’ - the lead clone - attention. Both he and the other Bunshin had finished with their books. One had been reading on Whirlpool’s history and culture, while the other had looked through an old atlas to determine the exact location of the former country.
“Finally we got this bore fest out of the way,” ‘Shikamaru’ groaned out, but his eyes didn’t manage to suppress their excitement. “I’ve got everything written down, so let’s get out of here.”
‘Ino’ sighed. “At least it’s better than running laps. I swear I’ll beat sensei up if I break another nail. Anyway, hand me all the notes. You dorks will just lose them. Come on, Chouji, we’re done here.”
The rotund genin nodded amicably, and the trio left the library. They didn’t notice the grim-faced chuunin watching them from the second floor.
Iruka shifted uncomfortably in his seat before the Sandaime. He and a cat-masked ANBU had been summoned to discuss Naruto’s future in Konoha. He recognized the shinobi as the one who had been sent to retrieve Naruto during the incident with Mizuki. He wasn’t used to working around the Hokage’s elite force, and frankly, he was intimidated by a shinobi who seemed to be able to somehow suppress the Kyuubi’s power.
“You may unmask,” the Third told the ANBU.
A plain, inexpressive visage was revealed as the ANBU removed the porcelain mask from his face. The ninja had heavily lidded, dark brown eyes, a strong brow and a square jaw. His hitai-ite was strange in that it was set on a protective metal base that outlined the sides of his face instead of the standard cloth wrapping. Iruka’s impression was that he was more dangerous than he let on.
“You will henceforth go by codename Yamato for the duration of this extended mission. Together with Iruka, you will be responsible for training and monitoring Uzumaki Naruto. There is no one better suited to helping Naruto control the bijuu’s chakra than you. Though I’m reluctant to pull you from your normal duties, there are no others except Kakashi who could keep the Kyuubi’s chakra in check. Iruka, you are on indefinite leave from your duties at the academy. You have been selected because you are the only one who retains a semblance of trust with the child, in addition, of course, to your natural teaching disposition.”
“As you command, Hokage-sama,” Yamato replied stoically.
Iruka was surprised at the Hokage’s decision, but swallowed it down. Normally, training of ninja past genin was limited to jounin and above, but he understood that thrusting Naruto into the arms of a strange shinobi might make things even worse. Instead, Iruka asked, “What, exactly, is Naruto to be taught? I’m assuming this will be different compared with how genin are normally trained, as he lacks a team of his peers.”
“You are correct,” the Sandaime nodded. “Yamato will focus on helping Naruto as a jinchuuriki - the lessons can be selected at your discretion save for chakra control and meditation. I would like Iruka to try and supplement Naruto’s basic skills and accompany him on D-rank missions … also to lend an ear to any troubles Naruto might be experiencing.”
Terseness caused Iruka to frown. “My mission is to be Naruto’s friend? I would do that regardless, Hokage-sama,” the chuunin said with a touch of frost in his voice.
The lines around the Hokage’s face crinkled as smiled knowingly. “Of that I have no doubt. But it is what Naruto needs more than anything else right now. It is a pity that he never made a real friend among his classmates. I had hoped that the prejudices of the old wouldn’t spread to the young.”
“Well, they did,” Iruka said, red rising in his cheeks - ashamed of himself as much as anyone else. “He’s never had anyone make an effort to get to know him, and all of his own attempts end badly. In the past I spoke with you extensively about letting Uchiha Sasuke live alone after the massacre. Despite the fact that neither wanted to live in the orphanage, someone should have taken them in -”
“You’re being a bit too bold, Iruka,” the Third interrupted. “In the case of Sasuke, he requested, as clan heir, to live alone. Only in extreme situations do I override clan law. As for Naruto’s situation … no one wanted to take him in. You certainly never volunteered.”
Iruka’s flush spread across the rest of his face - he couldn’t fault the Hokage’s word. “My apologies, Hokage-sama. I took my own frustrations and worries out on you. I just don’t know what to do now, and can only think of what should have been done in the past. Naruto is … very unhappy. He’s barely been sleeping or eating, and I’m afraid he wants to let himself fall into dreams of the past instead of taking his place amongst the living.”
“It is nothing that time cannot heal,” Yamato, who had been observing quietly, spoke up. “Naruto needs a purpose, or at the very least, a nudge into the right direction. Many shinobi have a difficult past, and most manage to overcome them. I believe Naruto can as well. I’m under the impression that his will is strong.”
“It is,” Iruka acknowledged, impressed with the ANBU. “You’re right - worrying won’t help anything. We just need to do our best to help him.”
The Sandaime pulled his hat down over his eyes. “I’m glad we’re all on the same page. Naruto needs to know this is his home.”
Iruka nodded. He would do anything to lend a hand to Naruto.
The fact that he enjoyed teaching Naruto came as something as a surprise to Tenzou. The boy’s academy records told of an inattentive student, one whose level of intelligence bordered on mental retardation. Tenzou had seriously worried that being the container for the Kyuubi had caused some sort of brain damage, which, while not common, was not unheard of in jinchuuriki. Even Iruka had labeled Naruto as ‘difficult’ and ‘a slow learner’.
In some ways, it was a correct assessment. Naruto’s taijutsu was embarrassingly sloppy. His genjutsu skills were non-existent. As far as ninjutsu, his only techniques were the Henge, Kawarimi and Kage Bunshin. The speed with which he formed seals was pathetic, and his memory was so poor that it seemed he was unable to complete sequences longer than three.
Naruto learned through experience, not demonstration. Simple oral or written explanation of techniques flew over the boy’s head, but once Tenzou informed Naruto why each step of a technique was needed and what the purpose of an exercise was, the boy learned quickly through trial and error. Naruto’s suggestion of using a handful of Kage Bunshin to speed up learning accelerated his growth enormously, even with the downtime that maintaining clones caused. But perhaps the boy’s greatest asset was his will to never give up. Tenzou had watched, for the past week, Naruto fail to master the tree climbing exercise.
It wasn’t a matter of not understanding the concept of controlling his chakra. Naruto had two problems: he had much more human chakra than any genin Tenzou had ever come across, and his chakra levels constantly fluctuated due to the bijuu. As soon as he got a grasp at controlling a certain amount of energy, a sudden increase of capacity would make him start all over again. Puberty was marked the onset of the greatest growth of chakra reserves, but it took other teenagers months, if not years, to expand their chakra coils at the rate Naruto’s had grown since Tenzou began teaching him. Tenzou privately suspected that Naruto’s state of mind contributed to the unprecedented levels of chakra as much as the Kyuubi. Without proper training, to channel the beast twice with such a short interval in between was bound to screw with the boy’s already tumultuous chakra paths.
Kage Bunshin greatly aided in burning off excess chakra, but even they had their limits, as they would exhaust Naruto once dispelled. Also, if Naruto only were able to effectively use chakra when using clones, his real body would be that much weaker. When he told Naruto that in all honestly it would be impossible for him to gain true control over his own chakra until he was fully-grown, especially if he continued to use the fox’s chakra, the boy had take the news as a challenge. He would just need to practice every day, as many times as needed to account for every fluctuation. He would force his body to use less and less chakra until it had the pattern of decreasing memorized.
It was certainly an admirable pursuit, and it had already shown some progress. But Naruto’s greatest improvement had been in basic taijutsu. Tenzou let Naruto retain his own flashy, unpredictable brand of taijutsu, but worked to improve Naruto’s form, flexibility and speed. With Iruka’s help, the two of them developed various kata for Naruto to run through daily, which constantly needed to be upgraded to account for Naruto’s boundless stamina.
Underneath the jinchuuriki’s needless movements and reckless style was a keen eye for strategy. For example, Naruto’s use of Henge was highly unconventional. His clones appeared as weapon or objects of natures as often as in human form, which made for interesting and unpredictable combat. Though Naruto didn’t possess above average intelligence, his fighting instinct bordered on genius. He knew how to adapt, a skill, or perhaps instinct, that was next to impossible to teach.
Mentally, however, Naruto hadn’t made much progress. Meditation exercises just prompted Naruto to retreat further and further into himself. He loathed his D-ranked missions with Iruka, and didn’t bother to hide it. His popularity in the village had plummeted even deeper since the rumors about his genin test spread. The clients of Naruto’s missions regarded him with barely-suppressed hatred and fear, so the boy returned their stares with his own anger, often purposely failing missions when Iruka was distracted: painting fences orange instead of white, pulling crops out instead of weeds, dropping grocery bags full of eggs, turning a load of white laundry pink with a stray sock. His pranks were devoid of humor, and his apologies were insincere.
Tenzou had been asked to start accompanying them after the incident with the cat of the Daimyo’s wife. Iruka nearly had a heart attack when Naruto returned the corpse of Tora the cat to Madame Shimiji, its neck cleanly snapped. Tenzou had requested the post of monitoring Naruto that night. Naruto showered long past when hot water had run out, and dry heaved repeatedly. He did not cry.
It was a situation that Iruka was frantic over. Tenzou had known shinobi far more heartless and emotionally disturbed, so he believed it would still take more time. Perhaps he could speak to the Hokage about doing a joint mission with one of the other rookie teams. Positive interactions devoid of pity might be a nudge in the right direction. His job wasn’t to raise Naruto into who he had been before anyway - it was to raise him into a shinobi. And now, perhaps Naruto had more of a chance to become closer to the ideal of a ninja than ever before.
Kakashi stood before the Memorial Stone, late for his meeting with Sasuke - about an hour so far. The genin had taken to starting his own training without Kakashi’s supervision once his teacher’s habits became apparent as a personality trait rather than a test of patience. Sasuke learned fast, with or without his Sharingan activated. He was clever, determined and physically gifted. Once the genin mastered the tree climbing exercise by observing the flow of Kakashi’s chakra, he’d breezed through water walking almost instinctively. He was incredibly capable with advanced fire manipulation, despite the revelation that lightning was his actual affinity.
The Uchiha had always been a top-tier clan, but the boy seemed to be born to be the ultimate shinobi with his lithe, flexible muscles, dexterity and battle sense. Some of that could be achieved through the conditioning of his body after years of dedicated training, but the majority was a gift from his genes. Though he was far from a genius of Itachi’s caliber, his stamina and passion surpassed what Kakashi could recall of the clan traitor, even if all of his other stats were years behind. Kakashi believed that with Sasuke’s determination, that gap could be closed.
There was, however, another aspect of Sasuke that came as a surprise to Kakashi. Though he tried to mask it with nonchalance, it was clear to Kakashi that Sasuke was intensely interested in Uzumaki Naruto. In the mornings before their training, Kakashi studiously tailed Sasuke, who seemed to be walking aimlessly towards the general direction of Naruto's apartment. Anger, fear and curiosity were plain to see in Sasuke's jet-black eyes.
Apparently, the Hokage had arranged it so that Sasuke and Naruto rarely, if ever, had a chance run into each other. Kakashi agreed - they were volatile alone, but together ... calamitous. In some cases, a 'boom' would yield enormous benefit, but in this case, separation was the best solution. Two angry kids who had been fucked over by the system would feed off of and into each other.
When he sensed Naruto's approaching chakra signature, Kakashi knew this was the time to leave. He'd been all but forbidden from interacting with the jinchuuriki, but he waited. He could tell by the slightly diminished chakra signature that it wasn't the real Naruto anyway, though he doubted the council would accept that as a viable excuse.
The sight of the boy's blond mess of hair and ridiculous jumpsuit assaulted Kakashi's visible eye. And yet, he craved it, the way he craved nightmares that left him shuddering, just to see that face again. Naruto had, however, Kushina's eyes.
"Hey, it's my former sensei," Naruto announced dryly as he stood at the others side. "Should have figured out you liked this place from the test."
"Can't imagine why you would like it though," the one-eyed shinobi shrugged lazily. "What brings you here, Naruto?"
Naruto glanced at his former-teacher from the side, as though evaluating him. "You're right ... seems to me like its a rock full of the names of dead fools. I was looking for Sasuke - to apologize, you know."
Under his mask, Kakashi smiled grimly. They were like moths drawn to flame, if moths were covered in gasoline. "There is no greater honor than to die protecting your comrades ... or so some shinobi believe," he remarked lightly. "In any case, I haven't seen Sasuke, nor do I think an apology will change Sakura's heart."
In a way, he spoke truth. Sasuke was waiting at training ground 19, as he had been since seven, but Kakashi hadn't actually seen him since yesterday. And from what he could make out from Sakura's hospital evaluation, she was scared shitless of her former teammate.
Naruto scowled. "You don't know that until I try," he muttered, but there was no conviction in his voice. The boy scuffed his sandals in the ground distractedly.
To Kakashi, it was plain to see that Naruto was just as interested in him as he was in Sasuke. The members of the former Team 7 were drawn to one another. The feeling of being something like respected by Naruto was like lead in this gut - weighing him down and poisoning him with an ironic guilt. Naruto wanted Kakashi to like him, to approve of him, even if Naruto himself didn't realize it.
And maybe, in his own twisted way, Kakashi wanted to like and approve of Naruto.
"I had a famous jounin sensei," Kakashi found himself saying, turning his body slightly towards the distant Hokage Mountain. "One of the strongest and most brilliant ninja to come out of this village. I idolized him more than even my own father. He later went on to be the Yondaime Hokage."
Naruto flinched, shoulders hunched, and stepped back from the jounin.
"My team, funnily enough, was a lot like yours: a genius, a dead last and a naive girl," Kakashi continued, voice devoid of any humor.
A finger traced over two names that were quite far apart on the stone. "Uchiha Obito: shame of the Uchiha clan. Saotome Rin: a book-smart daughter of civilians. I made jounin during the third shinobi war. I was 13. My first mission was to lead my two teammates while our sensei operated on a solo mission. Due to my lack of teamwork, the 'dead last' sacrificed his life, saving Rin and I. He asked me to take care of her.
“I failed him, obviously. When I first met her, she acted towards me a great like Sakura acts towards Sasuke. She grew up in time though, into a very capable and talented kunoichi. I never loved her back the way she wanted me to ... but she was one of my closest friends, and the only one I had left after the Fourth died to seal the Kyuubi. Rin was 16 when she was inducted into the ANBU corps. She specifically requested her first assignment to be protecting you and your mother, who she greatly admired and respected. Your mother, naturally, didn't know that a close friend was a member of her guard team."
Naruto had gone bone white, and his fists were clenched tightly. "I -" he began hesitantly, but Kakashi was swift to cut him off.
"There was no body to bury, of course - nothing but a broken, blackened mask. It’s pretty amazing how durable those things can be." Kakashi scratched his head absently, voice still as calm as it was when he started talking. He brushed his hands on his pants, as though wiping off dust. “Well, I guess I’d best be off. See you around, Naruto.”
Kakashi didn’t turn around as he strolled away from the stone. The look on Naruto’s face would hurt a bit too much even for his own tastes.
Naruto was determined to make contact with the Kyuubi. Yamato-sensei seemed to believe that it would be possible if he looked deep enough into himself, he would be able to communicate with the bijuu. The Mokuton-wielding shinobi flat-out told Naruto that jinchuuriki who could work together with their beast were almost unbeatable. Despite the fact that the Kyuubi was said to be a manifestation of pure hatred and was under no circumstances to be trusted, Naruto was the one to hold the keys to its cage. The seal of the Fourth was the strongest in recorded history. Never had there been a chance to test what the Kyuubi’s powers in human hands could create or destroy. Naruto intended to exploit his opportunity, and become great - so great that he could obtain everything he’d ever been denied.
He jerked out of his meditation exercise with a gasp as the clone he’d sent to look for Sasuke dispelled. Kakashi’s words burned him, almost as badly as the Hokage’s had.
It seemed that things were not simple, but when had they ever been? He had always known the world was cruel to him, but to realize that he wasn’t the only one… Perhaps Sasuke had been feeling as much pain as he had. Maybe Sakura, maybe all of the smiling families and friends he’d watched from afar - maybe everyone was in pain.
He brushed the bits of grass and bark that clung to his pants as he left his training ground and decided to try and find Iruka.
He was surprised to spot Sakura perched on the bridge’s railing, swinging her feet back and forth over the stream as she gazed into the cloudless, blue expanse of sky. Naruto felt a lump rise in his throat at the sight of her, and mentally debated whether or not he should approach her. She looked strangely at peace, something he didn’t often identify in the energetic girl. In the end though, nothing was gained if you didn’t even bother to try.
“Sakura-chan,” he called out, keeping a good ten feet of distance between the two of them. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets. “How’re you doing?”
Slowly, the girl turned around, dread written clearly all over her face. “N-Naruto…”
Her paper-white skin made the raised, livid scar on her cheek stand out like a splash of blood. She raised her hand - as though she wanted to cover it up - but instead it clenched into a fist.
Naruto stared at Sakura’s shoulder, not wanting to meet her eyes. “I wanted to say sorry for … hurting you. I promise it will never happen again! I never, ever wanted to hurt you -”
Sakura cringed, and turned towards the ground as she mumbled something that Naruto couldn’t quite make out. He stepped closer to her so he could hear her better. “What was that, Sakura-chan?”
“Then please stay away. It hurts to see you, Naruto,” Sakura repeated, a harsh note mixed into her shaking voice. “Just … don’t come near me anymore.”
Her whole body was shaking. It took Naruto a moment to realize what the look her eyes held really was: fear. She was scared of him. Unbidden, tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, but he willed himself to keep them from falling. He didn’t want Sakura to see him so weak and pathetic. He turned so he was no longer facing her, and stretched his arms up so they crossed behind his neck. His mouth twisted into a painful smile.
“Whatever you ask, Sakura-chan.” Naruto promised quietly, trying to keep his voice steady as he forced himself to walk away from her.
He could hear Sakura slide off of the railing back onto the bridge. He imagined her calling out to him, saying it was just a test, a joke - anything. Instead: “Thank you.”
Sakura’s windblown words caused Naruto’s smile to falter briefly before stretching back, bigger and more painful than before.
Iruka awoke to frantic pounding on his bedroom window. Even though he was a teacher before all else, he instinctively suspected the worst. ANBU were notorious for conveying news that a relative was killed in action in such a manner. In any case, it was more likely than a beautiful woman seeking an invitation into his bed, no matter what the Icha Icha series seemed to imply.
He slowly drew his curtains aside, prepared for the worst. A young girl with long, blonde pigtails stared back at him from the other side of the pane of glass. After a moment of red-faced gawking, Iruka managed to shake the sleep from his head and recognize the transformation as Naruto’s. Immediately he slid the window open to let him student in. Even if it was in such a peculiar form, time and manner, Iruka couldn't help but feel warmth that Naruto had come to him for the first time. Maybe the progress that Yamato had spoke of was finally emerging, and Naruto would let his mental wounds heal. And - at least this time - the boy's Sexy no Jutsu was fully clothed.
Naruto released the transformation once Iruka pulled his curtains back into place. "Thanks," his student said between heaved breaths that made it sound as though he had been running around all night. His cheeks were fever-bright, and redness was tinged around his eyes and nose. Despite a strained vivacity that seemed to be thrumming off of Naruto, there was something like reproach in his eyes.
"There's something I need to tell you, sensei" Naruto said quietly. "Um."
Iruka set a hand on the boy's shoulder, unsurprised to find it abnormally hot to the touch. Naruto was almost vibrating in his skin. "Alright," he nodded. "Let's go into the kitchen - I'll warm up some tea to have while we talk."
Naruto shook his head, and it was then that Iruka saw that he was acting ... not scared ... but guilty. "I don't have time for all of that. I just ... I wanted you to know. You're the only one who cares ... at least I think you do -"
"Of course I do!" Iruka snapped, pulling the boy tightly against his chest. "Never, ever doubt that! No matter what you've done, I will do everything I can to help you overcome it. Because I want to, Naruto."
Naruto, as always, stiffened like he wanted to fight against those words and arms that he couldn't let himself believe. Iruka didn't tighten his embrace, but instead let it remain steady.
“Sensei,” Naruto mumbled against Iruka’s chest. “I’m sorry … but I’ve already left.”
Iruka felt his body jerk in shock and pushed the boy back enough to look into his eyes. “Wait - what?”
The Naruto in Iruka’s grip burst into smoke.
Title: Break the Sky
Rating: R
Summary: AU. On the night Naruto learns he is the container for the Kyuubi, Mizuki tells him another of Konoha’s secrets.
Warnings: AAANNNNGGGGSSSTTTTTT, WIP with very slow updates.
Chapter Two: Crack in the Shell
( Chapter One)
Kakashi’s slouched stance conveyed nonchalance, but even he was intimidated by the audience seated at the U-shaped table before him. From their high-back mahogany chairs, the Sandaime regarded him impassively, but Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, who sat on either side of the Hokage, didn’t bother to mask their displeasure. He had been called before the three of them to the council chamber twice before - neither were experiences he wished to relive.
“You have disobeyed a direct order,” the Sandaime began. “I’m not interested in excuses. This morning, Haruno Sakura’s parents lodged a request that you be removed indefinitely from the jounin sensei roster and face legal consequences for negligence. Their daughter’s face will be permanently scarred - a cruel souvenir for one who wasn’t even an official shinobi of Konoha at the time of injury. They are civilians, but the Yamanaka clan has agreed to sponsor their complaint, which in turn implies support from the Nara and Akimichi clans as well.”
“The complaint also entails Uzumaki Naruto being banned from joining a genin team,” Mitokado rumbled deeply as he adjusted his glasses. “I was against him being trained like a typical shinobi in the first place, but his tenuous mental state has further deteriorated due to your foolishness, Hatake. Our control over the jinchuuriki is one of the top priorities for Konoha at the moment, and you have jeopardized the safety of the entire village.”
Utatane snapped open a fan and wafted air slowly across her wrinkled face. Her movements were still as elegant and controlled as when she’d wielded a katana on the battlefield. Though the pair of councilors had not been on active duty for decades, Kakashi knew their prowess was anything but deteriorated. Along with the Third, they had been the pride of the Niidame. “As I understand it, Uchiha Sasuke awakened his Sharingan during the confrontation, which is possibly the only positive to this mess - two tomoe … impressive for one so young. I admit that I’m baffled by your course of action, Kakashi-kun. Surely you didn’t believe we would let this slide. I, for one, am very interested in what prompted you to let the situation escalate as it did.”
Kakashi’s back straightened, and he met the gaze of the three most influential entities of Konoha head on. “With all due respect, keeping Uzumaki and Uchiha on the same team would have resulted in greater damage towards Konoha. My test proved that even Haruno’s presence wasn’t enough to neutralize their clashing personalities.”
“That was not for you to decide,” snipped Utatane. “You should have prevented the altercation from ever occurring. You should have given them time get to know one another instead of assuming they were incompatible. Did it not strike you that teamwork has to be built over time? You have never truly commanded a squad of genin, Kakashi-kun, so perhaps your mistake is understandable. No team is ever perfect. Yours certainly wasn’t.”
Kakashi’s visible eye darkened at the reminder.
“I understand that you were trying to keep past tragedies from repeating, Kakashi - an admirable endeavor - but you failed to grasp the most important aspect of teamwork,” the Hokage chided. “Bonds are not forged during a single exercise. Trust, the foundation of any team, comes only after shared hardships and time. As a teacher, your responsibility doesn’t end at imparting knowledge of the shinobi arts. It is to tend to their emotions and strengthen their ties to one another. At this point in time, however, speculation is pointless. What remains is the course of action we must take to remedy the situation. I have agreed to fulfill the request made by Sakura’s parents in return for discretion concerning the incident. You will no longer be eligible as a jounin sensei, and will pay the Haruno family a sum of 150,000 ryou. Team 7 has been disbanded, leaving three not-quite genin without a sensei.”
“Three?” Kakashi questioned in spite of himself.
The Hokage’s lips twitched into a small smile. “I was told by Haruno Sakura herself that she was adamant about remaining a shinobi. A very promising young kunoichi, if I say so myself.”
Kakashi had been sure that Sakura would be scared off of the path of the ninja given the nature of her injury. Kakashi’s own impression had been that despite a spark of bravery, she was both vain and vapid. He realized that he had thought the same of Rin at one point, before tearing the memory from the forefront of his mind.
“She will not be your concern, however. Members of the Cryptology Squad and Medical Department have both expressed interests in taking her under their wing. I believe she would flourish in either with a mind like hers coupled with her superb chakra control.” The crinkles at the corner of the Hokage’s eyes conveyed how much he cared and knew about every ninja in his village regardless of their rank or skill. It still astounded Kakashi at times.
“We have agreed to give you a chance to redeem yourself, Kakashi,” Mitokado admitted grudgingly. “Naruto and Sasuke will each be apprenticed to an elite jounin. It’s a pity that this will mean we won’t be able to showcase their talents in public chuunin exams, but this will allow for them to grow quickly under increased supervision. It is your choice which one you will help mold into a shinobi: your sensei’s son or the last Uchiha.”
Kakashi didn’t need to take any time to consider. “Sasuke. There is no one better suited to teaching him how to use his Sharingan.”
The councilors looked pleased with his choice. The Sandaime nodded, but Kakashi sensed his disappointment by the set of his jaw. “Very well,” the Third intoned. “Hatake Kakashi, you are hereby reinstated into ANBU, in the Hunter-nin Division. You are ordered to take on Uchiha Sasuke as your sole apprentice. You will ensure his loyalty to Konoha is absolute. It’s pity that he won’t be able to experience working with a team of his peers until he reaches chuunin, but such will be his path. Failure to mold him into an outstanding Leaf-nin … will not end pleasantly.”
Kakashi suppressed a shiver at the spike of killer intent that emanated from the Hokage.
“Reports of his progress are to be submitted daily for the time being,” Utatane added. “We are expecting to see him thrive under your tutelage - and not just in jutsu.”
The masked jounin bowed his head in acquiescence. “If I may ask, who is to mentor Naruto?” he asked, face still inclined towards the ground.
“There are several candidates,” Mitokado replied vaguely, “but the jinchuuriki is no longer your concern. While it is not an official order, you are advised to avoid both him and Haruno Sakura.”
Kakashi felt a lump rise in his throat. He swallowed. “I see.”
“Naruto is not his mother anymore than he is his father,” the Hokage murmured unexpectedly. “He is just a boy who grew up alone and unwanted. It would serve you well to remember that, Kakashi.”
Kakashi didn’t respond to the Hokage’s suggestion. “I’ll take my leave,” he uttered lowly. His seemingly leisured steps led him on the familiar path to the Memorial Stone.
An ugly, marred face peered back at Haruno Sakura from the mirror in her hands. A scar ran from under her left eye to the edge of her cheek. The healers at the hospital had done the best job they could at healing her face, but they had been forced to cut out all the tissue that had been contaminated with Naruto’s chakra - making the wound even larger - before sewing her stitches. They said that any remnants would cause her flesh rot because of Naruto’s kekkei genkai. Sakura had been shocked to learn from the Hokage that the dead last of the academy was the recipient of such a power. None of the teachers had acted like he was anything special like they did with Sasuke-kun or even Hinata.
The Sandaime hadn’t told Sakura to forgive Naruto for harming her, but instead let her know that Naruto’s bloodline limit made it very difficult for him to control himself and his special chakra when he was emotionally agitated. He had just learned of his ability recently, and didn’t have any family or friends to help him through the ordeal. The Third seemed very sad when he talked about Naruto.
That didn’t change the fact that Naruto terrified her. She wouldn’t complain if she never saw him again. She didn’t exactly blame him - Naruto was stupid, annoying, immature and totally uncool, but she knew he would never hurt her on purpose. It was difficult connect that horrible creature that attacked her and Sasuke with the boy who’d been chasing after her heart for years. She felt as though that innocent idiot had died and was replaced by a dangerous, angry stranger. She agreed with her parents that Naruto not be allowed to see her in the hospital, despite him bothering the nurses to let him in to apologize. He had asked them to bring her a note. She’d thrown it away without opening it. She already had enough nightmares to last a lifetime.
Sakura had woken up over and over the previous night by the sound of her own screams. Dreams of watching villages burn and people being ripped apart and eaten, of the smell of burning and fresh blood, of the sound of hopeless cries and pleas for help. The medic-nin said the night terrors would lessen with time. They had said she was a very brave, very clever girl.
It felt like they were lying to her face. If she had only been more courageous and smarter, then this would have never happened. She would have been able to leave and find Kakashi when Sasuke had asked her to. She would have been able to calm the boys down instead of causing the situation to escalate. She wasn’t worthy of being on a team with Sasuke as she was now. Last night, he had made a promise to herself - she would grow stronger. She would become someone who wouldn’t let fear win out.
There was a hesitant knock on her room’s door. Sakura tucked her hand-held mirror under the sheets of the hospital bed and pulled her hair over her left eye so it cover her scar before calling, “Come in!”
A girl with long blonde hair drawn up into a ponytail hesitantly opened the door, but it was with confidence that she approached Sakura, an elegantly arrangement of morning glories and ferns in her hands. “Where should I put these, forehead?” she demanded. “Also, I’m opening your curtains. Moping in the dark doesn’t suit you.”
“Ino-pig? What are you doing here?” Sakura asked, half-annoyed, half-grateful. She and Ino were rivals now - but some small part of her missed them being friends. None of her other classmates had tried to see her except Naruto.
Ino placed the flowers on the small desk beside Sakura’s bed, fussing slightly with the placement of a branch. “I heard from your parents that you’d been hurt. It makes sense that a lame kunoichi like you would get yourself landed in the hospital during your genin test. Your mom said that … Naruto did that to you.”
Sakura stiffened. “Yeah, it was an accident, not that it’s any of your business.”
“An accident that can’t be healed with medical-chakra?” the blonde pressed. “I’m not stupid, forehead. What did that idiot do to you?”
“I can’t talk about it,” Sakura huffed, sticking out a tongue. “And even if I could, I wouldn’t tell a piggy like you. My parents weren’t supposed to even tell you, so don’t go spreading it around, or there’ll be trouble.”
Ino pulled a chair up to Sakura’s bed. “I’m not stupid - my parents already told me that this all has to be hushed up. Stupid, if you ask me. This test wasn’t supposed to be dangerous - ours wasn’t. It’s not fair for you … not that I care or anything.”
“So your team passed?” Sakura changed the subject, mouth quirking into a reluctant smile. “How do you like being with a lazy-ass and a fat-ass? Guess they make a good combination with a loud-ass.”
“You know it!” Ino shot back. “It’s not as great as it’d be if I’d been put on Sasuke-kun’s team, but all three of them - if you include Asuma-sensei - listen to whatever I say. I can’t blame then for being awed by my beauty and awesome skills.”
“In your dreams,” Sakura muttered, “and their worst nightmares.”
“So are you being sent back to the academy now or what?” Ino asked bluntly. “You’re not going to give up on being a ninja, right? Because I’ll be sure to be the one to get Sasuke if you quit.”
“No way! In fact, I’ve been accepted as a trainee in the Cryptology Squad. It’s supposed be very difficult to get into - probably someone as dumb as you wouldn’t have a chance,” Sakura bragged good-naturedly. “Sasuke-kun is sure to be impressed by that.”
“Not everyone can have a brain so gigantic it deforms their forehead,” Ino teased, her pale blue eyes sparkling with relief. “It’s a miracle you can walk with that thing weighing you down. I’m glad though. It’d be boring if my rival wasn’t a ninja too.”
Sakura smiled, feeling better than she had since she’d been in the hospital. “You won’t have to worry about leaving me behind - you’ll be the one eating my dust.”
“Well my team’s meeting up for barbeque,” Ino announced, smiling as well. “I guess I’ll see you around, forehead.”
Ino stood up, but before leaving, paused to look at Sakura with an unreadable expression. The pink-haired girl immediately felt a wave of self-consciousness wash over her. Ino reached out to tuck the hair that covered the side of Sakura’s face behind her ear.
“You shouldn’t hide your face,” her rival spoke softly.
After Ino left, Sakura pulled out the mirror from under the sheets and stared at her reflection. She lightly ran a finger along her scar, wincing a little at its sensitivity. The girl staring back at her looked like someone who could be strong. With a final glance, she placed the mirror face down next to the bouquet of morning glories.
In Naruto’s opinion, the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu was second only to the Henge in terms of usefulness. Combined, they were invaluable.
He’d made a discovery in the days after Team 7’s failure, one that arose from the fact that he didn’t feel like leaving the comfort of his apartment. Pictures of his mother were carefully taped all over his bedroom walls, and he didn’t want to be away from her gaze. He’d instead created shadow clones to get food or answer the door when Iruka-sensei came calling. When they dispelled, he was left with the memories of the grocer’s glare, of the warmth of Iruka-sensei’s hand on his head. Shadow clones were much, much more than illusions - they were physical and mental extensions. It felt as though he had grown physically a thousand-fold, extending his senses far beyond what he could have imagined previously. It didn’t take long for Naruto to exploit that benefit.
He’d never exactly been banned from the Konoha’s Shinobi Library, but he wasn’t particularly welcome either. The librarians and their assistants always hovered over his shoulder as though he were planning to cause trouble (which, generally, he was). Never before had he been burning with the need for knowledge as he was currently. Where was Whirlpool Country? What was it like? Why was it destroyed? He’d scanned his dusty textbooks from the academy, but the small country wasn’t even mentioned. He didn’t even entertain the idea of asking the Old Man. Being in the same room as him was like blowing on the coals of his anger.
And so, with the aid of his two favorite jutsu, he’d decided to see what information genin-level clearance could yield. Perhaps a single genin snooping around the library would seem suspicious - but what about a team of three? He couldn’t exactly put his reasoning into words, but he didn’t want Konoha knowing every single thing he did. It was really none of their business. It’d done enough to his mother already.
“Our sensei wanted to test our research skills,” a Naruto clone, disguised as Ino, said matter-of-factly to the librarian at the front desk. “Can you tell us where you have books on the history of some of the smaller countries?”
At her sides, ‘Chouji’ and ‘Shikamaru’ looked around the library furtively with lazy eyes. The library had four visible stories, all linked by stairs that would around the circular building. He knew that each level was for the various ranks: academy students, genin, chuunin and jounin. It was rumored that there were other rooms hidden by complex genjutsu. It made sense considering how much taller the library appeared from the outside. He’d never had much interest in the library prior to now, but now wondered how many truths might be hidden in its walls - how many lies it had the potential to shatter.
The librarian told Naruto the number of the aisle pertaining to history books without batting an eye. He had been wondering how his Henge would hold up against chuunin-level scrutiny (or carelessness), but as previous tests had shown, it was near impossible to see through by people who didn’t know the object of his disguises well. At the academy, it was stressed that the Henge shouldn’t be use for extended periods of times since it drained chakra heavily, but Naruto never noticed, even when holding a Henge up for a whole day. He wondered if it was because of the Kyuubi. Viciously, he thought that it was fair he got something out of it.
Naruto’s clones each grabbed a book that had promise. Each member of ‘Team 10’ pulled out a notebook and pen to take notes to review later for two reasons. Firstly, to keep the illusion realistic, and secondly so he could review any kanji he didn’t know, as reading wasn’t exactly his forte. Naruto began to scan his book.
“Geological evidence showed that Mt. Kajoumon erupted on many occasions over a span of hundreds of thousands of years prior to the destruction of the Land of Whirlpool, cyclically collapsing the island into an ocean-filled caldera. […] The appearance of the Kyuubi no Yoko at the shores of Whirlpool Country is still met with skepticism, with critics arguing the magnitude 7.0 earthquake four months prior to the eruption accounts for the superstitious rumors circulating among Uzu survivors.
[…] The rapid increase in sulfur dioxide emission followed by a swell in seismic activity preceded the mass evacuation. A series of smaller eruptions heralded the climatic eruption on the 7th of July. […] The volcano’s plume extended to the stratosphere, an estimated 20 miles high. The pyroclastic flows traveled over a 2-mile radius. Magma underlying the volcano came into contact with the shore of the East Sea, resulting in widespread steam eruption. […] The over 300-foot tsunami devastated the eastern coast of Fire Country, the southern coast of Lighting Country and the archipelago of Water Country’s western islands. […] The ash clouds covered an estimated 40,000 square miles in darkness, with ashfall reaching as far as Earth Country’s northern mountain ranges.
[…] Over 800 confirmed deaths in the aftermath of the tragedy with many more attributed due to disease spread by lack of sanitation in relocation camps and hunger after arable land was rendered infertile.”
Naruto vaguely remembered the “Day of Darkness” being taught in his academy history lesson, but never had the origin of the volcano been explored, save for locating it on an island in between Water, Fire and Lightning Countries. He wasn’t quite sure, but from what he recalled, the lecture covered the effects the volcano had wrought upon the elemental countries, centered, of course, on Fire Country. Naruto, who had never seen anything like a natural disaster, couldn’t even visualize what the destruction of Whirlpool would have been like. That there was speculation that the Nine-tails was linked with triggering the eruption made his stomach feel like the bottom had dropped out from under it, whether or not it was true.
The demon sealed in his body had already caused the death of countless unknown leaf villagers, as well as the Yondaime and Iruka-sensei’s parents. Was it possible that it had also destroyed his mother’s home country? In some ways, he wished he could ask him. He wanted to know - wanted to ask questions … those questions he’d never bothered to ask for his whole life. Not once could he remember asking the Sandaime about his family. Not once had he asked why everyone hated him. He’d been contented to just accept it as the way things were, and look where it had landed him - alone and miserable. He had been spitting on his mother’s memory by not even bothering to find out about her.
Across from her at the library table, ‘Shikamaru’ cleared his throat, getting ‘Ino’s’ - the lead clone - attention. Both he and the other Bunshin had finished with their books. One had been reading on Whirlpool’s history and culture, while the other had looked through an old atlas to determine the exact location of the former country.
“Finally we got this bore fest out of the way,” ‘Shikamaru’ groaned out, but his eyes didn’t manage to suppress their excitement. “I’ve got everything written down, so let’s get out of here.”
‘Ino’ sighed. “At least it’s better than running laps. I swear I’ll beat sensei up if I break another nail. Anyway, hand me all the notes. You dorks will just lose them. Come on, Chouji, we’re done here.”
The rotund genin nodded amicably, and the trio left the library. They didn’t notice the grim-faced chuunin watching them from the second floor.
Iruka shifted uncomfortably in his seat before the Sandaime. He and a cat-masked ANBU had been summoned to discuss Naruto’s future in Konoha. He recognized the shinobi as the one who had been sent to retrieve Naruto during the incident with Mizuki. He wasn’t used to working around the Hokage’s elite force, and frankly, he was intimidated by a shinobi who seemed to be able to somehow suppress the Kyuubi’s power.
“You may unmask,” the Third told the ANBU.
A plain, inexpressive visage was revealed as the ANBU removed the porcelain mask from his face. The ninja had heavily lidded, dark brown eyes, a strong brow and a square jaw. His hitai-ite was strange in that it was set on a protective metal base that outlined the sides of his face instead of the standard cloth wrapping. Iruka’s impression was that he was more dangerous than he let on.
“You will henceforth go by codename Yamato for the duration of this extended mission. Together with Iruka, you will be responsible for training and monitoring Uzumaki Naruto. There is no one better suited to helping Naruto control the bijuu’s chakra than you. Though I’m reluctant to pull you from your normal duties, there are no others except Kakashi who could keep the Kyuubi’s chakra in check. Iruka, you are on indefinite leave from your duties at the academy. You have been selected because you are the only one who retains a semblance of trust with the child, in addition, of course, to your natural teaching disposition.”
“As you command, Hokage-sama,” Yamato replied stoically.
Iruka was surprised at the Hokage’s decision, but swallowed it down. Normally, training of ninja past genin was limited to jounin and above, but he understood that thrusting Naruto into the arms of a strange shinobi might make things even worse. Instead, Iruka asked, “What, exactly, is Naruto to be taught? I’m assuming this will be different compared with how genin are normally trained, as he lacks a team of his peers.”
“You are correct,” the Sandaime nodded. “Yamato will focus on helping Naruto as a jinchuuriki - the lessons can be selected at your discretion save for chakra control and meditation. I would like Iruka to try and supplement Naruto’s basic skills and accompany him on D-rank missions … also to lend an ear to any troubles Naruto might be experiencing.”
Terseness caused Iruka to frown. “My mission is to be Naruto’s friend? I would do that regardless, Hokage-sama,” the chuunin said with a touch of frost in his voice.
The lines around the Hokage’s face crinkled as smiled knowingly. “Of that I have no doubt. But it is what Naruto needs more than anything else right now. It is a pity that he never made a real friend among his classmates. I had hoped that the prejudices of the old wouldn’t spread to the young.”
“Well, they did,” Iruka said, red rising in his cheeks - ashamed of himself as much as anyone else. “He’s never had anyone make an effort to get to know him, and all of his own attempts end badly. In the past I spoke with you extensively about letting Uchiha Sasuke live alone after the massacre. Despite the fact that neither wanted to live in the orphanage, someone should have taken them in -”
“You’re being a bit too bold, Iruka,” the Third interrupted. “In the case of Sasuke, he requested, as clan heir, to live alone. Only in extreme situations do I override clan law. As for Naruto’s situation … no one wanted to take him in. You certainly never volunteered.”
Iruka’s flush spread across the rest of his face - he couldn’t fault the Hokage’s word. “My apologies, Hokage-sama. I took my own frustrations and worries out on you. I just don’t know what to do now, and can only think of what should have been done in the past. Naruto is … very unhappy. He’s barely been sleeping or eating, and I’m afraid he wants to let himself fall into dreams of the past instead of taking his place amongst the living.”
“It is nothing that time cannot heal,” Yamato, who had been observing quietly, spoke up. “Naruto needs a purpose, or at the very least, a nudge into the right direction. Many shinobi have a difficult past, and most manage to overcome them. I believe Naruto can as well. I’m under the impression that his will is strong.”
“It is,” Iruka acknowledged, impressed with the ANBU. “You’re right - worrying won’t help anything. We just need to do our best to help him.”
The Sandaime pulled his hat down over his eyes. “I’m glad we’re all on the same page. Naruto needs to know this is his home.”
Iruka nodded. He would do anything to lend a hand to Naruto.
The fact that he enjoyed teaching Naruto came as something as a surprise to Tenzou. The boy’s academy records told of an inattentive student, one whose level of intelligence bordered on mental retardation. Tenzou had seriously worried that being the container for the Kyuubi had caused some sort of brain damage, which, while not common, was not unheard of in jinchuuriki. Even Iruka had labeled Naruto as ‘difficult’ and ‘a slow learner’.
In some ways, it was a correct assessment. Naruto’s taijutsu was embarrassingly sloppy. His genjutsu skills were non-existent. As far as ninjutsu, his only techniques were the Henge, Kawarimi and Kage Bunshin. The speed with which he formed seals was pathetic, and his memory was so poor that it seemed he was unable to complete sequences longer than three.
Naruto learned through experience, not demonstration. Simple oral or written explanation of techniques flew over the boy’s head, but once Tenzou informed Naruto why each step of a technique was needed and what the purpose of an exercise was, the boy learned quickly through trial and error. Naruto’s suggestion of using a handful of Kage Bunshin to speed up learning accelerated his growth enormously, even with the downtime that maintaining clones caused. But perhaps the boy’s greatest asset was his will to never give up. Tenzou had watched, for the past week, Naruto fail to master the tree climbing exercise.
It wasn’t a matter of not understanding the concept of controlling his chakra. Naruto had two problems: he had much more human chakra than any genin Tenzou had ever come across, and his chakra levels constantly fluctuated due to the bijuu. As soon as he got a grasp at controlling a certain amount of energy, a sudden increase of capacity would make him start all over again. Puberty was marked the onset of the greatest growth of chakra reserves, but it took other teenagers months, if not years, to expand their chakra coils at the rate Naruto’s had grown since Tenzou began teaching him. Tenzou privately suspected that Naruto’s state of mind contributed to the unprecedented levels of chakra as much as the Kyuubi. Without proper training, to channel the beast twice with such a short interval in between was bound to screw with the boy’s already tumultuous chakra paths.
Kage Bunshin greatly aided in burning off excess chakra, but even they had their limits, as they would exhaust Naruto once dispelled. Also, if Naruto only were able to effectively use chakra when using clones, his real body would be that much weaker. When he told Naruto that in all honestly it would be impossible for him to gain true control over his own chakra until he was fully-grown, especially if he continued to use the fox’s chakra, the boy had take the news as a challenge. He would just need to practice every day, as many times as needed to account for every fluctuation. He would force his body to use less and less chakra until it had the pattern of decreasing memorized.
It was certainly an admirable pursuit, and it had already shown some progress. But Naruto’s greatest improvement had been in basic taijutsu. Tenzou let Naruto retain his own flashy, unpredictable brand of taijutsu, but worked to improve Naruto’s form, flexibility and speed. With Iruka’s help, the two of them developed various kata for Naruto to run through daily, which constantly needed to be upgraded to account for Naruto’s boundless stamina.
Underneath the jinchuuriki’s needless movements and reckless style was a keen eye for strategy. For example, Naruto’s use of Henge was highly unconventional. His clones appeared as weapon or objects of natures as often as in human form, which made for interesting and unpredictable combat. Though Naruto didn’t possess above average intelligence, his fighting instinct bordered on genius. He knew how to adapt, a skill, or perhaps instinct, that was next to impossible to teach.
Mentally, however, Naruto hadn’t made much progress. Meditation exercises just prompted Naruto to retreat further and further into himself. He loathed his D-ranked missions with Iruka, and didn’t bother to hide it. His popularity in the village had plummeted even deeper since the rumors about his genin test spread. The clients of Naruto’s missions regarded him with barely-suppressed hatred and fear, so the boy returned their stares with his own anger, often purposely failing missions when Iruka was distracted: painting fences orange instead of white, pulling crops out instead of weeds, dropping grocery bags full of eggs, turning a load of white laundry pink with a stray sock. His pranks were devoid of humor, and his apologies were insincere.
Tenzou had been asked to start accompanying them after the incident with the cat of the Daimyo’s wife. Iruka nearly had a heart attack when Naruto returned the corpse of Tora the cat to Madame Shimiji, its neck cleanly snapped. Tenzou had requested the post of monitoring Naruto that night. Naruto showered long past when hot water had run out, and dry heaved repeatedly. He did not cry.
It was a situation that Iruka was frantic over. Tenzou had known shinobi far more heartless and emotionally disturbed, so he believed it would still take more time. Perhaps he could speak to the Hokage about doing a joint mission with one of the other rookie teams. Positive interactions devoid of pity might be a nudge in the right direction. His job wasn’t to raise Naruto into who he had been before anyway - it was to raise him into a shinobi. And now, perhaps Naruto had more of a chance to become closer to the ideal of a ninja than ever before.
Kakashi stood before the Memorial Stone, late for his meeting with Sasuke - about an hour so far. The genin had taken to starting his own training without Kakashi’s supervision once his teacher’s habits became apparent as a personality trait rather than a test of patience. Sasuke learned fast, with or without his Sharingan activated. He was clever, determined and physically gifted. Once the genin mastered the tree climbing exercise by observing the flow of Kakashi’s chakra, he’d breezed through water walking almost instinctively. He was incredibly capable with advanced fire manipulation, despite the revelation that lightning was his actual affinity.
The Uchiha had always been a top-tier clan, but the boy seemed to be born to be the ultimate shinobi with his lithe, flexible muscles, dexterity and battle sense. Some of that could be achieved through the conditioning of his body after years of dedicated training, but the majority was a gift from his genes. Though he was far from a genius of Itachi’s caliber, his stamina and passion surpassed what Kakashi could recall of the clan traitor, even if all of his other stats were years behind. Kakashi believed that with Sasuke’s determination, that gap could be closed.
There was, however, another aspect of Sasuke that came as a surprise to Kakashi. Though he tried to mask it with nonchalance, it was clear to Kakashi that Sasuke was intensely interested in Uzumaki Naruto. In the mornings before their training, Kakashi studiously tailed Sasuke, who seemed to be walking aimlessly towards the general direction of Naruto's apartment. Anger, fear and curiosity were plain to see in Sasuke's jet-black eyes.
Apparently, the Hokage had arranged it so that Sasuke and Naruto rarely, if ever, had a chance run into each other. Kakashi agreed - they were volatile alone, but together ... calamitous. In some cases, a 'boom' would yield enormous benefit, but in this case, separation was the best solution. Two angry kids who had been fucked over by the system would feed off of and into each other.
When he sensed Naruto's approaching chakra signature, Kakashi knew this was the time to leave. He'd been all but forbidden from interacting with the jinchuuriki, but he waited. He could tell by the slightly diminished chakra signature that it wasn't the real Naruto anyway, though he doubted the council would accept that as a viable excuse.
The sight of the boy's blond mess of hair and ridiculous jumpsuit assaulted Kakashi's visible eye. And yet, he craved it, the way he craved nightmares that left him shuddering, just to see that face again. Naruto had, however, Kushina's eyes.
"Hey, it's my former sensei," Naruto announced dryly as he stood at the others side. "Should have figured out you liked this place from the test."
"Can't imagine why you would like it though," the one-eyed shinobi shrugged lazily. "What brings you here, Naruto?"
Naruto glanced at his former-teacher from the side, as though evaluating him. "You're right ... seems to me like its a rock full of the names of dead fools. I was looking for Sasuke - to apologize, you know."
Under his mask, Kakashi smiled grimly. They were like moths drawn to flame, if moths were covered in gasoline. "There is no greater honor than to die protecting your comrades ... or so some shinobi believe," he remarked lightly. "In any case, I haven't seen Sasuke, nor do I think an apology will change Sakura's heart."
In a way, he spoke truth. Sasuke was waiting at training ground 19, as he had been since seven, but Kakashi hadn't actually seen him since yesterday. And from what he could make out from Sakura's hospital evaluation, she was scared shitless of her former teammate.
Naruto scowled. "You don't know that until I try," he muttered, but there was no conviction in his voice. The boy scuffed his sandals in the ground distractedly.
To Kakashi, it was plain to see that Naruto was just as interested in him as he was in Sasuke. The members of the former Team 7 were drawn to one another. The feeling of being something like respected by Naruto was like lead in this gut - weighing him down and poisoning him with an ironic guilt. Naruto wanted Kakashi to like him, to approve of him, even if Naruto himself didn't realize it.
And maybe, in his own twisted way, Kakashi wanted to like and approve of Naruto.
"I had a famous jounin sensei," Kakashi found himself saying, turning his body slightly towards the distant Hokage Mountain. "One of the strongest and most brilliant ninja to come out of this village. I idolized him more than even my own father. He later went on to be the Yondaime Hokage."
Naruto flinched, shoulders hunched, and stepped back from the jounin.
"My team, funnily enough, was a lot like yours: a genius, a dead last and a naive girl," Kakashi continued, voice devoid of any humor.
A finger traced over two names that were quite far apart on the stone. "Uchiha Obito: shame of the Uchiha clan. Saotome Rin: a book-smart daughter of civilians. I made jounin during the third shinobi war. I was 13. My first mission was to lead my two teammates while our sensei operated on a solo mission. Due to my lack of teamwork, the 'dead last' sacrificed his life, saving Rin and I. He asked me to take care of her.
“I failed him, obviously. When I first met her, she acted towards me a great like Sakura acts towards Sasuke. She grew up in time though, into a very capable and talented kunoichi. I never loved her back the way she wanted me to ... but she was one of my closest friends, and the only one I had left after the Fourth died to seal the Kyuubi. Rin was 16 when she was inducted into the ANBU corps. She specifically requested her first assignment to be protecting you and your mother, who she greatly admired and respected. Your mother, naturally, didn't know that a close friend was a member of her guard team."
Naruto had gone bone white, and his fists were clenched tightly. "I -" he began hesitantly, but Kakashi was swift to cut him off.
"There was no body to bury, of course - nothing but a broken, blackened mask. It’s pretty amazing how durable those things can be." Kakashi scratched his head absently, voice still as calm as it was when he started talking. He brushed his hands on his pants, as though wiping off dust. “Well, I guess I’d best be off. See you around, Naruto.”
Kakashi didn’t turn around as he strolled away from the stone. The look on Naruto’s face would hurt a bit too much even for his own tastes.
Naruto was determined to make contact with the Kyuubi. Yamato-sensei seemed to believe that it would be possible if he looked deep enough into himself, he would be able to communicate with the bijuu. The Mokuton-wielding shinobi flat-out told Naruto that jinchuuriki who could work together with their beast were almost unbeatable. Despite the fact that the Kyuubi was said to be a manifestation of pure hatred and was under no circumstances to be trusted, Naruto was the one to hold the keys to its cage. The seal of the Fourth was the strongest in recorded history. Never had there been a chance to test what the Kyuubi’s powers in human hands could create or destroy. Naruto intended to exploit his opportunity, and become great - so great that he could obtain everything he’d ever been denied.
He jerked out of his meditation exercise with a gasp as the clone he’d sent to look for Sasuke dispelled. Kakashi’s words burned him, almost as badly as the Hokage’s had.
It seemed that things were not simple, but when had they ever been? He had always known the world was cruel to him, but to realize that he wasn’t the only one… Perhaps Sasuke had been feeling as much pain as he had. Maybe Sakura, maybe all of the smiling families and friends he’d watched from afar - maybe everyone was in pain.
He brushed the bits of grass and bark that clung to his pants as he left his training ground and decided to try and find Iruka.
He was surprised to spot Sakura perched on the bridge’s railing, swinging her feet back and forth over the stream as she gazed into the cloudless, blue expanse of sky. Naruto felt a lump rise in his throat at the sight of her, and mentally debated whether or not he should approach her. She looked strangely at peace, something he didn’t often identify in the energetic girl. In the end though, nothing was gained if you didn’t even bother to try.
“Sakura-chan,” he called out, keeping a good ten feet of distance between the two of them. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets. “How’re you doing?”
Slowly, the girl turned around, dread written clearly all over her face. “N-Naruto…”
Her paper-white skin made the raised, livid scar on her cheek stand out like a splash of blood. She raised her hand - as though she wanted to cover it up - but instead it clenched into a fist.
Naruto stared at Sakura’s shoulder, not wanting to meet her eyes. “I wanted to say sorry for … hurting you. I promise it will never happen again! I never, ever wanted to hurt you -”
Sakura cringed, and turned towards the ground as she mumbled something that Naruto couldn’t quite make out. He stepped closer to her so he could hear her better. “What was that, Sakura-chan?”
“Then please stay away. It hurts to see you, Naruto,” Sakura repeated, a harsh note mixed into her shaking voice. “Just … don’t come near me anymore.”
Her whole body was shaking. It took Naruto a moment to realize what the look her eyes held really was: fear. She was scared of him. Unbidden, tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, but he willed himself to keep them from falling. He didn’t want Sakura to see him so weak and pathetic. He turned so he was no longer facing her, and stretched his arms up so they crossed behind his neck. His mouth twisted into a painful smile.
“Whatever you ask, Sakura-chan.” Naruto promised quietly, trying to keep his voice steady as he forced himself to walk away from her.
He could hear Sakura slide off of the railing back onto the bridge. He imagined her calling out to him, saying it was just a test, a joke - anything. Instead: “Thank you.”
Sakura’s windblown words caused Naruto’s smile to falter briefly before stretching back, bigger and more painful than before.
Iruka awoke to frantic pounding on his bedroom window. Even though he was a teacher before all else, he instinctively suspected the worst. ANBU were notorious for conveying news that a relative was killed in action in such a manner. In any case, it was more likely than a beautiful woman seeking an invitation into his bed, no matter what the Icha Icha series seemed to imply.
He slowly drew his curtains aside, prepared for the worst. A young girl with long, blonde pigtails stared back at him from the other side of the pane of glass. After a moment of red-faced gawking, Iruka managed to shake the sleep from his head and recognize the transformation as Naruto’s. Immediately he slid the window open to let him student in. Even if it was in such a peculiar form, time and manner, Iruka couldn't help but feel warmth that Naruto had come to him for the first time. Maybe the progress that Yamato had spoke of was finally emerging, and Naruto would let his mental wounds heal. And - at least this time - the boy's Sexy no Jutsu was fully clothed.
Naruto released the transformation once Iruka pulled his curtains back into place. "Thanks," his student said between heaved breaths that made it sound as though he had been running around all night. His cheeks were fever-bright, and redness was tinged around his eyes and nose. Despite a strained vivacity that seemed to be thrumming off of Naruto, there was something like reproach in his eyes.
"There's something I need to tell you, sensei" Naruto said quietly. "Um."
Iruka set a hand on the boy's shoulder, unsurprised to find it abnormally hot to the touch. Naruto was almost vibrating in his skin. "Alright," he nodded. "Let's go into the kitchen - I'll warm up some tea to have while we talk."
Naruto shook his head, and it was then that Iruka saw that he was acting ... not scared ... but guilty. "I don't have time for all of that. I just ... I wanted you to know. You're the only one who cares ... at least I think you do -"
"Of course I do!" Iruka snapped, pulling the boy tightly against his chest. "Never, ever doubt that! No matter what you've done, I will do everything I can to help you overcome it. Because I want to, Naruto."
Naruto, as always, stiffened like he wanted to fight against those words and arms that he couldn't let himself believe. Iruka didn't tighten his embrace, but instead let it remain steady.
“Sensei,” Naruto mumbled against Iruka’s chest. “I’m sorry … but I’ve already left.”
Iruka felt his body jerk in shock and pushed the boy back enough to look into his eyes. “Wait - what?”
The Naruto in Iruka’s grip burst into smoke.