-Kakashi-
"Introduce yourself." Kakashi said as they finally sat down onto the stone steps. "One at a time."
"What are we supposed to say?" Hanako tilted his head.
"Things you like, things you hate, dreams for the futures, hobbies..."
"Why don't you go first, so we know how it works?"
He levelled the boy a disinterested look.
"I'm... Hatake Kakashi- as you should've been told already. Things I like and things I hate... hmm, I don't feel like telling you that." Kakashi usually loved this part when the Genin'd get red in the face in irritation but it was bland when the people sitting in front of him were the Last Uchiha who was scarily like his past self, a civilian girl who was nothing like the reports had said and the stand-in for Minato and Kushina's son.
"My dreams for the future... never really thought about it. As for my hobbies... I have lots of hobbies."
Sakura twitched a little as if wanting to complain but then Hanako beat her to it. "You literally said nothing about yourself!"
"You pinkie, you go next."
Sakura twitched again, more violently.
"My name is Ha-ru-no Sa-ku-ra and not 'pinkie'- as you should've been told already."
Kakashi had to repress a smirk under his mask- a sassy one. He was starting to like her.
"I like-"
She instantly turned to Sasuke before she caught herself with a wide-eyed, self-disappointed way. Interesting...
"-learning about psychology and medicine." She quickly filled in the split second of tense silence. "I also like Ino's pancakes but mine are totally better; Ino herself and the gossip she can always stick her head into; Inoichi-ojisama's kitchen flowers (although his flower arranging skills are nigh atrocious: I only just found out that his flower shop was mainly run by Ino, what the heck?); Choji's chips; and I suppose Shikamaru is bearable although he's such a troublesome smartarse sometimes; and-"
Her nervous expression instantly turned dark, looking so strange on a young, round face. "-Honesty. I like honest people."
Then her face smoothed out into a sweet smile. "I dislike fake people, helplessness, my tendency to ramble when I'm nervous, my previous self and my parents' expectations."
Kakashi tried not to clear his own throat; this got deep for a simple introduction. The Yamanaka heiress was also featured an awful lot- the reports had mentioned that they were bitter fangirl rivals though...?
Then her lips quirked up in a repressed smirk that seemed a tad too malicious for a supposedly adorable and sweet Genin-hopeful. "I also dislike people who call me 'pinkie'. My eyes are clearly my defining feature- Ino agrees as well."
Kakashi had to hold back another smirk. He had a feeling that he'd lean more towards the Uchiha's side because of both his past experiences and the Council's insistence but...
"My dream for the future... I..." Sakura's face dropped. "I don't know. And for my hobbies, I like to... study... and yell at Ino for burning down her kitchen. Or for using a metal spoon on a non-stick fry pan- gosh, she always sucked at cooking; I had to teach her everything and I don't even cook as a hobby, cha! I feel so bad for Inoichi-ojisama."
Kakashi eye-smiled but it was somewhat genuine compared to his other ones. He certainly hadn't expected such a rant from his 'fangirl' student. "Maa, what a chaotic little chibi. You next." He jerked his chin towards the Uchiha boy. Kakashi hoped that the Uchiha would surprise him as well.
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke." His voice was low and spiteful. Whatever little hopes Kakashi had had in that short frame of time disappeared- "I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like-"
-Well, just now, Kakashi's hopes shot right back up because of that peculiar pause right there.
It was barely even half a second- not even a quarter of a second- long but to an Elite like Kakashi, he could hear the rhythmic changes and hitches in a person's behaviour.
He tried not to look too scrutinising as he examined the look on the boy's face from behind his clasped hands: he wanted to know the cause behind that 'pause'.
"-anything. What I have is not a dream because I will make it a reality:"
Those curiosities halted abruptly as the boy's voice darkened into a malice that Kakashi absolutely despised. But that twisting feeling of anger and disgust wasn't directed at Sasuke or anyone at the moment; the fact that such a tone was used by a boy his age was enough to piss him off. They weren't even in war anymore yet that tone still exists in a child.
The world is truly cruel.
(Isn't that just an excuse though? Superiors hold a responsibility to prevent more tragedies from happening and yet-)
"-I'm going to restore my clan and kill a certain Man."
(-And yet the title of the 'Last Uchiha' existed.)
The vengeance driven boy with little consciousness and more hate. Uchiha Sasuke. This one was... expected. (To some extent.) Kakashi mildly debated himself on whether or not he should point out that Sasuke forgot 'hobbies' but decided against it.
"And last one." Kakashi gestured at the last boy.
"My name is Yamashiro Hanako." The boy smiled and it was no where as bright as Naruto's (Minato's) smile. "I like Sakura-chan even though she's been playing hard to get recently." The second part was loudly whispered and followed up with a bashful smile sent the Haruno's way. "I also like soba and cacti."
Kakashi thought someone was really mocking him because it was a known fact that Naruto (Kushina) loved ramen and collected little pot plants for a living.
"I dislike..." Hanako's face scrunched up, his lip curling in distaste, "-demons, nuisances, failures and losers-"
Each word was accented in a purposeful way that made Kakashi grit his teeth in anger.
That little hypocrite.
Team 7 always consisted of two 'genius' students and one 'dead last' student. He'd been handed a report prior- one for each student: top kunoichi, top male shinobi and the lowest scoring student. Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke and-
And then the last was replaced by another 'loser'.
Sakura shifted uncomfortably and Sasuke's interlinked hands clenched in front of him.
Surprisingly, the Uchiha actually spoke up. "You know, it's not advocated for shinobi to show dislike for themselves so openly." His voice was haughty and mocking. Kakashi certainly wasn't surprised to hear that tone but in this case, it seemed to be a little faked and exaggerated... for a purpose.
Sasuke ran a disdainful look up and down Hanako. "Not that I blame you. I certainly dislike you as well."
It took a moment for the penny to drop but when it did, Kakashi had to cough to cover his amused snort.
Nevermind! Nevermind... Maybe he could deal with these brats this time round.
Hanako had turned a bright shade of red as he sputtered. "I wasn't talking about myself, I was obviously talking abou-"
"Aaaand dreams for the future?" Kakashi cut over.
"...Hmph. I want to become a front-line Jonin like Aoba-niisan when I grow older and bring honour to my Clan that the fox destroyed-"
Kakashi instantly sobered up.
'Ah,' He reprimanded himself for forgetting because: 'This is Aoba's little cousin.'
The Yamashiro Clan was a rather small one even before the Kyuubi attack but the shinobi that had survived that night ended up being even more fiercely loyal and fiercely powerful; Aoba was a prime example. While Aoba had understood Naruto's job as Jinchuuriki, he was sworn to confidentiality as all others had been. The younger Yamashiro remnants were only told that their family had majorly died because of the Kyuubi-
...And that Naruto was somehow related to that demon.
This led to an unspoken joint hatred against Naruto. Even those who knew Minato and Kushina beforehand could not help but feel prejudice against Naruto- even if it was just a little bit. That resulted in the rumours being neither stopped nor corrected. Most adults simply ignored or distantly glared at Naruto but children like Hanako, who sees no reason to restrain himself, flaunts his dislike of Naruto openly.
If Kakashi had not been a soldier who had survived through war and blood (and so, so much more), then his hate dislike of Hanako may have eased a little. He knew a good man wouldn't hold it against a child for being ignorant and unknowing. Hanako was young and stupid but he didn't deserve the hate dislike that Kakashi feels towards him.
But Kakashi had enough dirt and blood on his hands that he didn't care so much about being 'good'.
"For my hobbies," Hanako's voice snapped him from his thoughts. "I like to-"
"And for what I like to do..." Kakashi could imagine Naruto sitting there, fiddling with his Konoha headband (because how could he not have passed?) like he was checking it was still there. "Pranking..." He would shrug. "I guess." (Because what else would he have to do?)
"-train and... read about medicine." The boy finished with a coy smile.
"Oh really." Sakura raised a brow. Kakashi sent her a bemused look- clearly she realised that Hanako'd said that just to catch her attention.
"That's right, Sakura-chan, I actually find it very interesting. Did you know that my Kaa-chan actually knows her way around herbs? You should come over and I'll get her to teach you sometime. We can both learn healing stuff together!"
'Naruto would never be that sneaky.' Kakashi thought before he tutted himself for turning back to think about the Uzumaki boy. 'He'd probably just yell something about Sakura being pretty and then boldly inviting her to a date at Ichiraku ramen.'
Obviously, this was from distanced observations; not like Naruto even knew Kakashi existed.
"Did you know that doing 'healing stuff' actually places you off battle?" Sakura gave a little, helpless smile.
"Did you know that Aoba isn't actually a front-line fighter?" Kakashi deadpanned as well. Sasuke gave a committed 'hn'.
When Hanako paused, a finger in the air, Sakura and Kakashi shared a commiserating look. He was surprised to find some semblance of comradery between himself and Haruno of all people already. And they'd only just met.
He clapped his hands together. "Anyhow, let's move on. You guys are not official Genin yet." He watched with mirth as Hanako and Sakura did a whole body spasm.
Ignoring their cries of surprised outrage, he continued, "Of the 27 graduates, only 9 will be chosen to become a Genin. The rest will be sent to the Academy. Each Jonin Sensei gives a difficult test with a failure rate of over 66%."
"Wh- what? Wait, no way!" Hanako cried. "Then what was the point of the Genin Exam if it... wasn't the Genin Exam?"
"Well, it was to see who had the chance to become a real Genin." Kakashi boosted himself so that he was crouching on the bar of the railing. "Anyway, tomorrow you'll have to show your real skills on the training ground. Meet me at six o'clock by Training Ground Seven."
He turned to leave when he decided to throw in a last taunt: "Oh, and skip breakfast."
He gave an eye-smile and hoped that some miracle would allow him to not take on this Genin team.
"You'll throw up."
Day 40
-Meanwhile: Nearby towns in the Land of Whirlpools-
The inn was larger and of a higher quality than before- "We'll be staying here for a while. It's much better than that shitty place we stayed in before-"
The air was fresher: a touch of saltiness, a colder breeze and a clearer space.
He felt at rest... Only... he didn't really?
The Land of Whirlpools. Uzushiogakure. Uzumaki.
Naruto didn't know what to feel.
'Safe Zone', 'trust', 'the Kyuubi', 'the Uzumaki Clan'- the Uzumaki Clan.
He hadn't even thought he'd have a real family, let alone a clan before Shizune had dropped the bomb on him on the very first few days. He asked and she answered- no hesitance, no indifferent masks or implied warnings that he'd had to face when Hokage-jiji Hokage? Sarutobi? the Sandaime turned away from him.
He still didn't know what to feel of their kindness even though it's been more than a month and he was definitely burdening them, or irritating them or- or-
"Trust me." Mizuki said.
"Trust me." Tsunade said.
He trusted Tsunade and Shizune more than anyone else in the world because- who else was there for him to trust? If even their trust was shallow like Mizuki's, what else did Naruto have to live for? What else could Naruto possibly trust in after that?
"Are you alright?" Mizuki asked.
"Are you alright?" Shizune asked.
She had genuinely concerned eyes though. A sincerely worried emotion that made him feel like crying but crying meant sadness and he wasn't exactly sad.
They were just a few dozen kilometres away from Uzushio (home? Would've been- should've been his home but then- what? He ended up in Konoha with a Bijuu stuck in his stomach and everyone hated him and he didn't know his parents and-) and Naruto didn't know what to feel.
He makes up his mind and decides to pull down that last, flimsy wall that still rested between the two women and himself.
He decides to ask who his parents were.
(The question had kept on building since the 'Uzumaki Clan' had been revealed to him but he'd never dared to bring it up lest it reminded them of something bad because his parents must've done something bad and that means they'd remember that Naruto was bad even though he wasn't and they'd ditch him somewhere again and it'd be terrible, very very terrible and-)
-Shizune-
She instantly knew something was wrong as soon as Naruto put down the Uzushio-Kiri history tome; usually he would be so immersed in the subject of his own Clan.
"Is something wrong, Naruto?" Shizune asked worriedly.
"Hey, Shizune-san..." He looked so hesitant that Shizune had a burning urge to call Tsunade in. Nevertheless, she waited for him to speak.
"Do you happen to know... anyone who's..." Instantly looking ashamed, Naruto shook his head and looked back down into the book.
Feeling even more alarmed, she fumbled with her own pen, a tight, wound up feeling of panic stirring in her chest. "Naruto, if there's something bothering you, you can tell me or Tsunade-sama. You know that, right? You can tell us anything."
Shizune always felt sad that every time she uttered such an innocent, sincere phrase, Naruto would jolt like he had been slapped in the face. Every time she showed even an ounce of care towards him, he'd stare at her like she was someone beyond this world.
Every little gift she decided to chuck towards him was treated as something worthy of a Daimyo. A bookmark she'd made. A pencil she'd carved. A Fuuinjutsu dissection of the basic explosion tag. They didn't cost much of her money or time or effort. They weren't really even 'gifts' because if Shizune was to gift something to Naruto, she'd give him something worth hundreds of times more than those little trinkets.
And this simple phrase of: 'You can tell us anything.' Was truthful- was pleading because this poor boy who had so little and expects so little still does not trust them completely.
'I'm a burden' was written across his face. 'I'm weak' was written across his stance. 'I'm not good enough' just radiated from his soul.
Why did Naruto still look like he was going to cry from a phrase that he should've known before?
"Sorry, Shizune-san, I just- I just-..." He appeared so lost and hesitant that Shizune dumped whatever insignificant things in her hands onto the table and rushed to sit beside him. "You were talking so much 'bout the Uzumaki 'n I know you said they were all gone and all that but then- but then, if I'm an Uzumaki- a real Uzumaki person, y'know- then who're my..."
Wide, startling blue eyes stared at her, challenging, untrusting, scared and almost accusing.
'Will you tell me?' Those eyes seemed to cry, angry and terrified. 'Will you tell me or will you ignore me like everyone else did?'
"Who're my parents?"
Oh.
Oh.
Shizune slumped back from where she'd been sitting ramrod straight, panic fading and adrenaline washing out of her body, leaving her with a dizzying sense of relief because-
Finally.
Finally.
"Let me get Tsunade-sama, Naruto." She smiled, feeling more watery than she should be. "Don't look so pained- didn't I say already?- of course we will tell you."
-Naruto-
"Of course we will tell you." Was a phrase Naruto'd yearned for so many times.
Yet given to him so easily...
It seemed surreal. The identity of his parents had been evaded so many times. He'd been lied to so many times so he'd been scared that the trust he laid down in Tsunade and Shizune would've been ill founded.
It seemed like not a second had passed when two people entered the room again.
Tsunade didn't sit across him, and rather, beside him.
It eased him. It wasn't anything out of ordinary in how they sat.
It wasn't like an interrogation. It wasn't like an interview. It wasn't like how the Hokage had stood in front of him before walking out the door- "It won't bring the dead back-"
"Naruto," Tsunade said seriously. "Same as usual."
"Don't lie." He recited in a detached way. His parents though- his parents. They exist? Yes, they did. And Tsunade was going to tell him about them. She will, won't she? She has to. "Trust. Listen."
"Naruto."
Why were they saying his name so much?
"Naruto." Tsunade shifted her arms, placing them palms facing towards him before the hands moved to his shoulders. Her voice was commanding and firm but held a soft edge that made him feel a little pathetic. Naruto looked up into her brown eyes.
They were the same as always: level, collected and loving.
It grounded him.
"I want you to look at me when I talk to you." Tsunade gripped his shoulders. "Do you understand?"
"Don't do that." Gritted teeth, irritation radiating off his frame. "It makes you look like a coward." The voice was low and demanding and scared- but scared for who?.
He sat a little straighter, nodding. "Sorry."
"No, don't be sorry. There's nothing to be sorry for." Tsunade said yet again.
Naruto was just waiting for her patience to snap. Why was she so nice to him? Ever since she'd taken him away from Konoha, he'd made sure to be on best behaviour and never do anything to upset her that much but surely with how much he'd screwed up already, she would've gotten mad-
"I am going to tell you about who your parents are and why what happened... happened."
"This is safe." Shizune repeated, her forehead creased in a way Naruto recognised when she wanted to frown but was trying not to. "A Safe Zone."
Naruto knew all of this yet the words helped him breath better all the same.
(But he's sitting wrong, looking wrong, acting wrong, talking wrong and he isn't good enough for a Sannin and a Jonin so how could they just tell them that it was 'safe' when he knew that everything he'd been doing so far was wrongwrongwrong- they aren't going to tell him about his parents if he doesn't do better-)
"Your mother's name is Uzumaki Kushina." Tsunade articulated before her eyes narrowed, gauging his reaction.
Uzumaki Kushina.
Tsunade's voice bounced around his suddenly emptied mind.
Uzumaki... Kushina.
He mouthed the words, feeling the strange syllables roll over his tongue. He'd never heard that name before.
Uzumaki Kushina.
It was such a beautiful name. It sounded unfamiliar, foreign (although it shouldn't be, because, really, the Hokage should have told him). It made him feel empty and seething because did anyone in the Village even know his mother? Did they erase her existence purely to hide it from him? Why didn't people hear his surname and instantly recognise it to be his mother's?
Wait.
So he didn't get his surname from his father?
Wait, why didn't she tell him his father? Was she going to evade it yet again? Like everyone else- like the Senseis- like the Hokage- like- like all those people that Naruto vehemently didn't want Tsunade to be like-
"And my Tou-san?" He demanded, hands clenched into fists.
('Uzumaki Kushina' though. He has a mother. A mother. Who's probably dead. No, she was dead because remember the Hokage saying-) Naruto yanked himself away from his thoughts.
"Who's my father?"
Shizune shifted but neither of them turned away. Tsunade levelled his desperate stare with a serene one of her own.
"And your father." She slowly articulated, agitating his growing impatience. "Your father's name is Namikaze-"
Namikaze.
He had heard of that before. Somewhere.
In the split second of pause before Tsunade voiced his father's- father's?- first name, Naruto's mind raced (because that surname was darn familiar), searching and filing through each and every one of his memories until it reached one of the snippets from his early childhood.
"Naruto."
The Hokage had seemed so nice and strong to him back in those days. Invincible and impossibly kind. There was no one better than the Hokage in his toddler eyes.
"Hokage-jiji!" His childish voice had giggled back, replying with the brightest exuberance at the littlest display of positive attention. "Tell me 'bout tha Yondaime again dattebayo!"
"Again?" He had laughed back with the gentlest tone. "You don't even remember his name, do you? 'The Yellow Flash' is so much easier to say too."
"Hmph! Thas coz Yellow Flash sounds so much cooler-ttebayo! And- and... O' course, I rem'mba his name." He remembered clumsily justifying himself.
"He's my hero afta' all dattebayo: it's Namikaka... Minata!" He had declared so victoriously that he would've fallen off his stool if it wasn't for the Hokage grabbing him quickly by the scruff of his neck.
The old man had given a hearty chuckle. "Very close, but it's actually Namikaze-"
"-Minato." Naruto breathed in the stead of Tsunade. His heartbeat was loud in his head. "Namikaze Minato, the Yellow Flash. The Yondaime Hokage."