"We're almost there! Hurry!" Sakura yelled out at the top of her lungs.
Running down a dirt road, team 7 went through the country side, returning home. The view of Konoha emerged and grabbed the attention of Tam 7.
"Well, I thought we could visit my old team." Kakashi mumbled an excuse.
Caught up by these words, Sakura's emerald eyes sparkled like jewels in the sun. Pinning both arms against her chest, she marveled at her teacher, with an open mouth.
"I'm so excited!" Sakura cheered.
"I just hope your team doesn't share the same amount of laziness as you do." Sasuke cut in.
The differing reactions caused Kakashi to faceplant into the ground, Kakashi groaned in defeat. Afterwards, he instantly appeared beside his whiskered student, combing a handful of blond hair and pat his head as per the usual.
"That's why Naruto is my favorite." Kakashi smiled underneath his mask.
"Does the rest of your team fall for basic pranks as well Sensei?" Naruto asked out of curiosity.
Kakashi dramatically faceplanted to the ground once more.
Sasuke and Sakura both laughed at the display from their Sensei, All three of the Genin had smiles on their faces as they continued the walk onwards. Dampened by the sound of shuffling feet, they strolled across the road, with many tree's lining up the path..
"When are we gonna be meeting your teammates?" Sakura questioned with a thinking pose.
"A special place." Kakashi winked in reply.
Special? Sakura repeated in her mind with even more curiosity.
-Flashback-
"A special technique?" Sakura muttered to herself.
Seated in the center of a grassy grove, Sakura rested on both of her knees, stained and scraped with blood. Pulling an array of senbon from her legs, she winced and groaned in sheer pain.
"It's something Zabuza himself taught me." Haku laughed..
Sighing in response, Sakura sat on top of a patch of grass, panting for air. Brought to her limit by Haku's relentless and very physical training, her outfit was partially tattered and torn from the damage that the fight had done on her.
"Have you ever tried to impress someone? Like, get them to notice you?" Straining to speak, Sakura reached towards the sky.
"Of course... Because I value them, and I want to protect them." Haku muttered with experience, fueled by Zabuza's memory.
Without warning, Sakura jumped to her feet, kicking blades of grass in all directions. Wiping the poorly-dried blood from her face, she became swollen with joy and anticipation.
"That's what I'm going to do! I'll value him! And I'll protect him!" Sakura screamed.
Sakura instantly rushed back to her brutal training. Looking for any excuse or reason to bring Sasuke close, she was finally ready to get stronger and reach her ambitions.
-Flashback ends-
Special? Sasuke thought to himself, drifting into his own memories.
-Flashback-
Sitting up from an ornate bedroll, Sasuke gripped his throbbing side, falling to the floor. Quickly soothed by Sakura's emerald gaze, this kunoichi was seated beside her injured teammate.
"Where's Naruto?" Speaking with heavy breath, Sasuke was muffled by the snap of Kakashi's book.
"Outside." Winking his visible eye, a smile stretched beneath Kakashi's mask.
Taking a glance at the blue blanket over his lap, Sasuke's trembling hands pushed away the cloth so he could find himself on his feet. The rumbling of his stomach made itself known and so he crawled to his feet, searching for food, and his friend.
One hour later.
Well enough to walk, Sasuke limped through brightened landscape inside the Land of Waves. Masked by adjacent trees and sparkling streams, he searched and scanned for his whiskered friend.
Blinded by a vibrant glimmer of blond light, Sasuke stumbled upon his sitting teammate. Eating a mouthful of makeshift ramen, Naruto gagged on wet noodles, crawling to his feet.
"Are you alright?" Naruto slurred, panting Sasuke's shoulder.
Paralyzed and stiffened by this blow, an agonizing scream polluted the air, falling to his knees. Struck on the poorly-healed wound from Haku's senbon, this Uchiha was stunned.
"Idiot! I'm still healing!" Sasuke snapped.
Timidly stroking his scalp in an Iruka-like fashion, Naruto giggled under his breath. Met by the chirping squawk of distant seagulls, silence was pierced by crashing and dense waves.
"Sensei told me what happened." Taking an abrupt shift, Sasuke glared at the ground.
"I don't know how, but I know you have those eyes..." Trailing off, his mind was haunted by rippled Rinnegan.
"But you need to know at what cost, that power always has a cost." Speaking with experience, the Sharingan was well known for its hatred.
Focused on the strange appearance of usage of Naruto's eyes, Sasuke grew silent. After the loss of his clan, Naruto was the only family he had left, the young brother he needed.
"But how will I learn about it?" Naruto pondered.
Instead of words, Sasuke stuttered for an answer, scratching the sides of his black hair. Eventually, this mumbling was interrupted by Naruto's rumbling stomach, rushing back to his meal.
I don't know how... But I'll find out. Sasuke concluded with a grin, inspired by Naruto's chomped food.
-Flashback ends-
Special... Naruto repeated the word, lost in thought.
-Flashback-
"Where are you taking the kid?" Anko asked, chewing on dango.
"Just a walk around town, to see the sights." Kakashi answered, pulling his orange book into sight.
Fresh off a full meal, Anko and Kakashi had spent six years together, they were a strong pair of ninja's. And now, they both looked after Naruto, consoling him after the recent and tragic death of Iruka.
"You know..."Anko exerted, glaring at Kakashi.
"Sometimes... I just want to fucking choke you." Snapping in complaint, she licked the sauce from her fingers.
Standing outside of the restaurant they had just exited, Many civilians proceeded to urgently leave as they could feel fury radiating from Anko in a hurry.
"What flavor dango should I bring home?" Kakashi changed the conversation almost immediately.
Developing radiant stars that covered both eyes, Anko swayed her massive chest, covered by fishnets. Shrouded by a perpetually gray sky, dark clouds swirled for five days straight, since Iruka's death.
"You already know my favorite! Don't forget!" Anko said out loud with a laugh.
Running down the street, Anko disappeared behind a wooden corner, surging through Konoha. Alone with Naruto, Kakashi continued to read, holding the blond head of his student.
"Is she always like that?" Naruto groaned.
"No, she's actually been rather calm today - she didn't even beat anyone so that's already an improvement compared to the usual." Kakashi said with a wink.
Choking with a depressed groan, Naruto swallowed a wad of spit, clenching his pained stomach. Met by the snapping close of Kakashi's book, this elite Jonin encouraged his student to walk.
Naruto was so focused on Kakashi, he didn't notice as crowds of villagers parted in front of him. Whispering with murmured breath, they glared at Naruto, full of hate and mistrust.
Sensei... Kakashi thought to himself.
They don't even know... They don't see the gift you died to give us... Glancing at the stone face of the 4th Hokage.
Suddenly, Kakashi froze mid-step, traumatized by a transparent glimpse of Rin and Obito. Trailed by the smiling face of Minato, this 26 year old shinobi clenched his visible fist.
Is this my fault... Is this another one of my failures... Kakashi cursed his own weakness.
"Are you alright?" Naruto stumbled.
"There it is." A 62 year old man whispered into his wifes ear.
"I can't believe they let that thing just walk around." His wife spat out in reply.
Hearing these words, Kakashi instantly identified the elderly couple, old and tiresome. Losing their young son to the nine-tailed fox, these parents blamed Naruto for everything bad within their own lives.
Kakashi tried to appease the situation, wrapping one arm around the whiskered boy beside him. But this sign of affection was answered by disgust, as dozens of civilians cursed Naruto.
"They should have never let that thing become a shinobi." A middle-aged mom whispered into her daughters ear.
"That creature cursed our village! We've been struggling ever since It's arrival I tell you!" Another middle-aged man remarked angrily.
These comments only served to hurt him, Naruto channeled his gaze towards the ground, staring at his own feet in sadness. An awkward silence began to emerge, Kakashi continued to hold his student tightly, combing strands of blond hair.
"Let's walk around, find someplace quiet." Kakashi ignored several glares, escorting Naruto to safety.
As this student and teacher disappeared from earshot, insults only grew in hostility. Huddled together, various parents were robbed of their youthful children, murdered by the nine tailed fox.
"I hear that monster finally killed Iruka! All he does is take and never anything more!" An elderly man sneered at Naruto with these cold words.
Someday...They'll learn.. Kakashi grimaced.
Fifteen minutes later.
Naruto peered through his bangs, glaring upon the black marble of a kunai shaped stone. A monument for slain and sacrificed shinobi, over thirty names were engraved against rock.
Reading names that he didn't know, Naruto stood into the forested outskirts of Konoha. Looking through all the names of everybody he had known about, he stumbled upon a familiar name, Obito Uchiha.
Ikkaku Umion, Kohari Umino and Iruka Umino, all three died in defense of their village. A revelation that filled Naruto with shock, he reached out before grazing Iruka's chiseled name.
"Do people really remember them...All these different people?" Naruto's question trailed off.
"Of course, there are some people who visit this shrine everyday." Kakashi replied, one of those people.
At a loss for words, Naruto was startled by the sheer importance of his dead father-figure. Noticing a fresh bouquet of flowers, colorful petals framed the stone monument.
"I don't know why he did it... I'm not apart of this village, everyone hates me." Naruto mumbled.
"Did Iruka ever talk to you about his parents?" Kakashi hummed, resting both hands in his pockets.
Shaking his head, Naruto heard a relaxed sigh from his teacher.
Kakashi winked and smiled at his troubled student before speaking up.
"They gave their lives, without hesitation, to save Iruka's life, the same trait Iruka displayed for you when he did the same for your life Naruto." Kakashi said calmly in response.
To Iruka, Naruto wasn't just some random student, or a failed kid that needed his aid. Instead, he was the son that he always want, the family that was stolen by the nine tailed fox. Just like Naruto, he never really got the opportunity to live out a fulfilled life where he could feel the love from those around him.
"To him... You were like a son." Kakashi pulled his book out as he said these enlightening words.
Naruto had thought of his father and mother many times, of where they went, or if they hated him. But, These questions never really seem to go anywhere as it was all simply locked away from his knowledge and he was simply left to only continue thinking about the situation in his head aimlessly with no true direction. Naruto just wanted answers but it felt like every time he was in a position get answers, The road would abruptly end for him.
Like a son... That line repeated itself in Naruto's mind on repeat.
"Can we stop by the Hokage Monument...I really need to-" Ending midsentence, Naruto couldn't finish his statement.
The day of Iruka's funeral, it felt like everything would change for Naruto, a world without his light that shined for him always. He didn't want the day to end, he really didn't want the day to end, he didn't want Iruka to die.
"Anything you want Naruto. I'll always be here for you." Kakashi said calmly.
As memories of a Iruka would cloud his mind, Naruto could only clench both his fists as tears began to emerge.
"Why..." Naruto's tears began to fully emerge as Kakashi rubbed his back in silence as Naruto let out all the tears he had contained all this time.