Chapter 17: you're afraid of passing timeNotes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
To be honest, Shikaku is kind of dreading his latest personal assignment at first.
It's not like the Sandaime isn't aware of just how much Shikaku already has on his plate. He's a key strategist in the war they're very much still fighting, as well as a frontline fighter whenever a situation calls for the Ino-Shika-Cho cell. He has solo missions of his own to complete, requests for assistance in the Intelligence department, a clan to run, and that's not even mentioning the fact that he's also currently in the process of training to take over as Jounin Commander within the year.
The absolute last thing he needs right now is another assignment. A long-term one at that.
And then he finds out that this isn't just any old run-of-the-mill kind of long term assignment either. No, because the entire world is clearly conspiring against him for some reason, Shikaku gets saddled with babysitting Namikaze Raijin of all people.
Whatever happened to Nara being the lazy ones? Why the fuck does he have so much work to do? He literally isn't built for this.
That isn't to say that Shikaku dislikes Raijin necessarily. On the contrary, he's quite grateful to the boy for when he rescued Shikaku and patched him up enough for him to get home in one piece. Say what you will about Shikaku, but he isn't the type to forget the ones he owes a debt to. Of course he remembers the interesting boy from the woods who he'd accurately thought to be a relative of Minato's.
But that's the problem: the kid is related to Minato. That would have been enough on its own for Shikaku to know that the brat was going to be troublesome, just like his brother. After all, for all his charisma, Minato is still a magnet for the kind of mischief that usually leaves Shikaku feeling kind of like a raisin left to dry in the Sunagakure sun.
"Why me?" he had asked Hiruzen, hoping to convey the full force of his reluctance to take on even more work.
The old man had smiled apologetically, eyes glittering in amusement. "I'm sorry, Nara-dono," he offered, "but I need a skilled shinobi to keep an eye on him."
That had been interesting. Not surprising at all, but still interesting.
The Sandaime isn't yet senile enough to not see how leaving a strange shinobi nobody knows anything about in charge of high ranking missions is practically begging for trouble. That's the kind of stupidity that ends in betrayal and death, and quite frankly, the village can't take much more damage.
As it is, funding another war is taking enough of a toll on them. The number of missions they usually take has taken a hit with civilians not wanting to involve themselves in the shinobi wars, and they're having to purchase necessities for the population that they would usually get from civilian imports because their borders are too tightly regulated right now for trade to be easy or profitable. They can't afford to screw up and let a betrayal be the final nail in their coffin.
So, Shikaku sucks it up, does as he has been ordered to do, and keeps a watchful eye on Raijin at all times throughout the course of every mission the boy runs for Konoha.
At first, he's mostly just doing it because he has been asked to. But the more he watches, the more he gets the creeping sense that something about Raijin just doesn't quite add up.
On some level, Raijin is everything he seems to be on the surface. Bright, bold and brilliant.
He pulls Shikaku into conversation despite his best efforts to escape interaction, and he laughs wholeheartedly like he didn't just singlehandedly wreak havoc on an Iwa supply camp not twenty minutes prior. He marches on, teeth bared at the world, and he never looks back.
Five missions become ten become fifteen and Raijin doesn't stumble once.
And Shikaku watches all this as a distant spectator, unable to look away. It's a bit like watching an entire forest catch fire; a lot like staring at a hurricane tear through everything in its path.
It is clear the boy is a shinobi through and through. He doesn't balk at anything they see even when they wade through the worst of the damage left behind on their battlefields, his face settling into the grim edge of cold professionalism until his job is done to his satisfaction. Much like Minato, Raijin temporarily discards his friendly openness in favour of responsibility, adapts to every situation, and does whatever it takes.
This is a boy who has seen and fought in wars of his own. There's no mistaking it—shinobi who have been soldiers just have a different air to them.
What does throw Shikaku off is how good a leader Raijin makes. They hadn't expected much from him on that front because the kid grew up on his own without the systematic team-centric conditioning that Konoha puts its shinobi through. It had been mostly for the sake of having a record on him that he'd been assigned as the lead on three team missions—all of them inconsequential to the village in the long run.
Except that Raijin had displayed clear propensity for it, easily slipping into existing team dynamics, regardless of seniority among members, and making smart use of them on the field like he'd been leading people for a living his whole life. Like he has been trained for it specifically.
He doesn't struggle with teammates who are clan members and have additional political dynamics in play either. Raijin is completely unfazed even when he gets assigned to work with a Hyuuga and Uchiha on the same team, and he manages to actually maintain peace between them for the entirety of the mission. He makes considerations for clan abilities and uses them in his plans specifically without ever needing to be told of their strength and weaknesses. If anything, Raijin works better with clan shinobi than anyone else, appearing more comfortable with their quirks and abilities.
He takes clear steps to communicate with his team and account for their skill sets, and he takes their suggestions into consideration before accepting or rejecting them with reasons provided. He's used to it.
By the end of the month, with fifteen back-to-back missions completed to near perfection at the most efficient pace possible, Shikaku finds himself standing back in the Hokage's office to give his report, and this time, he has quite a bit more to say.
"He has been trained by a Konoha shinobi," Shikaku states plainly.
Hiruzen frowns ever so slightly. "Tell me why you think so."
"His taijutsu foundations, his go-to team formations, his reporting style, the Multiple Shadow Clones jutsu, and his knowledge of Konoha hand signs," Shikaku lists mechanically. "There's no way he got his hands on such extensive information without having been trained for it. And it's clearly something he learned early on too—he doesn't realise it's unusual for him to know these things and he uses each one without thinking twice about it. Reflexively."
The Sandaime hums, eyebrows furrowed in thought. "What do you think?"
Shikaku presses his lips together. "He has admitted to having known a Konoha shinobi before," he points out. "Iruka, I believe? And we did suspect he has more than above average knowledge on the village and its workings. He knew I was a Nara when he rescued me before I ever said anything."
"Did he get all that information from this Iruka person or did he go looking for it on his own when he decided to become an information broker is the question," Hiruzen mutters, fingertips steepled.
"Who Iruka even was is another question," Shikaku points out. "A defector, a retiree, a potential threat—it's important to know how he might have influenced Namikaze. He claimed to favour Konoha shinobi because of this man's influence but that could have just as easily been a lie."
Hiruzen doesn't look too pleased. He nods regardless.
"What bothers me is how we never once heard of Raijin until a few months ago," Shikaku admits. "Where did he really come from? Where did he grow up? How did he get this strong and have it fly completely under our radar?"
"You suspect something?" Hiruzen asks.
Shrugging, Shikaku waves his hand noncommittally. "It's a theory," he acquiesces. "I think he might have been part of some sort of unaffiliated shinobi group up until recently."
The old man blinks. "Like the Akatsuki?"
"He's too experienced in working with people for it to not be true," Shikaku points out. "He was probably their leader too."
"And yet we didn't hear a thing," Hiruzen mutters, looking perturbed as he idly scratches against the grain of his desk.
Shikaku smiles wryly. "We can't know of everything. It's possible they operated too far west for our networks to have prioritised or picked up on, especially with two back-to-back wars." He shakes his head. "Besides, I'm pretty sure the kid is all that's left of whatever group he had. It might be why he intervened on Akatsuki's behalf and helped fortify Ame's own defences."
"Do you think he could be a spy?" the Sandaime asks bluntly, his eyes narrowed and cold.
Shikaku shifts. "I'd like him not to be," he says honestly. "If he is a spy, then that says a lot about whoever he works for. It would mean someone found Namikaze's only living relative as a child and trained him specifically to infiltrate Konoha someday. That's meticulous, tenacious, and risky as hell."
"Indeed." Hiruzen sighs, rubbing a hand over his face, looking impossibly old and weary.
"The possibility is never zero," Shikaku points out grimly. "He hasn't done anything yet—that could either mean he's innocent, or that he's good at his job. And with summons like his, it'd be hard to tell if he ever does contact someone outside the village. Land of Fire has plenty of foxes running around."
Pushing away from his desk, Hiruzen approaches the windows that overlook the village. "Jiraiya and Minato trust him."
"I don't blame them. Raijin is likeable. He's cheerful, smart, and passionate." Shikaku shrugs, a humourless smile on his face. "That's just the thing though: he seems too good to be true. Out of nowhere, we have this powerful shinobi who can become another figurehead for people to look to right as we hit a lull in the war, he's literally built to fit in right among some of our most influential, and he has these ideals of peace like he walked right out of Senju Hashirama's wet dreams or something. If he plays his cards right, he could do some real damage. I can't look past that."
Hiruzen hums. "And if it turns out he is, in fact, genuine but we act too harshly on our suspicions and isolate him, he will be too wary to be of service to the village."
And wouldn't that just be a fucking waste. Here is a literal golden boy delivered right to their fucking doorstep, and they could screw it all up and drive away a potential symbol in the making.
Shikaku has heard Raijin talk about his vision of the world; he has seen first-hand how the boy makes you want to believe in his words and his potential. If they could cultivate some sort of loyalty for Konoha in him, Raijin could be instrumental in maintaining inter- and intra-village relations in the future.
He isn't stupid—Shikaku knows exactly what the Sandaime is gearing up to with how much attention and favour he bestows upon Namikaze. Minato probably suspects as well, and puts in the work with their forces now so they'll want to follow him later when the time comes for him to take on the mantle as their commander.
With the kind of reputation Minato is cultivating for himself right now, it'd be easy to turn him into a beloved hero of the village for being instrumental in the war. He has the golden boy thing already going for him with an easy charm curated to perfectly compliment his strength and intelligence.
Raijin's charisma, on the other hand, is a different sort of beast. His likability comes from being approachable and silly and down to earth. He feels like a friend where Minato feels like a role model. Establishing him as a pillar of support for Minato's reputation would work so well, Shikaku kind of wants to march out and make Minato Yondaime right now just so he can see it happen in real time.
The idea of turning Raijin into a facet of Minato's persona is tempting. Where Minato would give the people someone to look up to as young and infallible and just slightly beyond their as the representative genius of his generation, Raijin could become the one that keeps him human to the eye of the public. The one that people can reach for and touch and talk to. Normally, they would do this through the Hokage's spouse and children, but considering that Minato's significant other is Uzumaki Kushina, it's not going to be quite as effective. She's the jailor of the Nine Tails; no one is going to look past that and see her as anything other than a threat. It will just emphasis how dangerous Minato himself is to be able to consider Kushina his equal.
Play their cards right with Raijin, however, and they could have a duo as famous and magnetic as the Senju brothers had been. A symbol that pulls on nostalgia and the kind of awe that comes with admiring legends of past.
As hard as it is to believe, if Raijin really is honest, they can't afford to fuck up that kind of potential. Besides, if they piss off his brother for baseless speculation, Namikaze will probably give them hell for it too.
That'd be a pain. Knowing Minato, he would immediately figure out that Shikaku had some hand in it and then extract his revenge meticulously.
The man clearly loves his brother for all that they've just found each other. Or, perhaps, it is because they've just found each other that Minato seems to be compensating for lost time.
Whatever the reason, the bottom line remains the same. They can't rush into anything regarding Raijin—there's just too much they don't know. The kid could be completely honest and it'd be believable because, at the end of the day, he didn't bother approaching them first. He evaded Jiraiya for months and genuinely seemed to have no idea that he has family in Konoha. The only reason he entered their walls is because he saved a chuunin everyone else believed to be dead and because Jiraiya called on a favour to get Raijin to accompany him and the Uchiha kid all the way back.
On the other hand, it's also possible that he knew exactly what he was doing all along and it's just a matter of time before they find themselves with a knife buried in their backs. It's even possible that Raijin is a spy without even meaning to be, having been trained for this and sent to them without his knowing by someone whose plans involve keeping him in the dark.
With the way that boy dodges questions that start digging too deep like it's some sort of extreme sport, they won't know without outright interrogating him either. Honestly, Raijin performs evasion like it's an artform. It's kind of annoying.
"This will require discretion," Hiruzen states, having come to the same conclusion. "I will not lose a shinobi of such calibre for a mistake."
Shikaku can get behind that. "Will you put him back under ANBU surveillance?"
"It is likely our only option," Hiruzen points out. "We'll need their secrecy and skill. If he does turn out to be a threat, he will need to be dealt with at the earliest notice, and it has become startlingly clear that there are perhaps very few in our forces who pose much of a threat to Raijin." Shaking his head, the man offers Shikaku a thin smile. "Anyway, thank you for your insight, Nara-dono."
Shikaku dips his head, knowing a dismissal when he hears one. "Of course, Hokage-sama. I will take my leave now."
He's still thinking over everything he knows about Raijin when he walks out of Hokage Tower, chewing on the problem. The boy sure is an enigma for someone who talks as much as he does. It's a puzzle to solve if nothing else.
It'd be useful to figure out exactly how Raijin thinks. He appears to be straightforward and open, but it has also become clear that Raijin exercises some admirable restraint over what he actually reveals about himself. That just means Shikaku needs to pick up pieces from what isn't being said.
Perhaps a game of shogi is in order then.
"I wonder where he could be hiding now," he mutters, spinning on his heel to hunt the blond own and wrangle a game out of him.
Raijin jolts in the middle of his spar with Minato and promptly gets smacked in the face for it.
"What was that?" his elder brother taunts, eyes alight with humour. "You totally zoned out for a second."
Blinking, Raijin shakes his head. "I just got a really bad feeling out of nowhere."
That brings Minato some pause. Concern flickers over his face and he straightens, their spar effectively coming to an end. "Are you okay? Maybe you're falling sick. I heard there was some sort of flu spreading in Land of Iron. That's where you were last, right?" He places a hand on Raijin's forehead, feeling for his temperature. "You don't feel too warm, at least."
Patiently bearing the fussing, Raijin hums. "I'm not falling sick," he tells Minato. "It was more like the feeling of being in trouble?"
"Oh." Minato frowns, tilting his head. "Why would you be in trouble?"
Spirits, Raijin doesn't even know where to start with that. So many reasons. All the reasons. Pissing people off and getting into trouble is basically his primary profession at this point.
"I think my time has finally come, nii-chan," Raijin declares solemnly. "This might be goodbye."
Minato rolls his eyes. "Shut up. You're not allowed to die."
"Uhm, I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way."
"Of course, it does." Minato frowns. "Listen to your nii-chan, Raijin."
Raijin stares at him, deadpan. "No, really, I'm pretty sure that's not how it works."
"It does now. I've already said it."
"Nii-chan, you're kind of insane after all, huh?"
"Pot, kettle. Maybe it runs in the family."
"Hey, don't drag me into this!"
Notes:
You could not pay me to write a bunch of missions that literally have no point, so I was dreading this chapter initially. Then I got really into these smart people trying to see underneath the underneath and missing it entirely because time travel just isn't the kind of conclusion sane people jump to.
I also got kind of carried away with writing the potential of MInato and Raijin as a duo political force. Minato would be the reliable leader and Raijin would basically be their ninja Princess Diana.
I think the Hokage are supposed to feel kind of distant and untouchable since Konoha is a stratocracy at the end of the day and that's how military strength typically works. Having someone like Raijin around would soften Minato without undermining his strength. He'd be approachable without actually being approachable. And it really would play off as a parallel to Hashirama and Tobirama. People eat that kind of shit right up.
Positive feedback on this story kind of just proves that too—we're all just suckers for dynasties, fraternal chemistry and symbolism.