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Chapter Text

Chapter 1 – To Live Again

Hoarse coughs disrupted the heavy surroundings as dying flames crackled quietly across the corpse-littered ground. A body stirred amongst the rubble and ash as one bloodied hand reached up to sweep aside dirtied locks of blond hair.

'Is he dead, Kurama?'

The demon fox's voice was faint when the answer came. 'As dead as he possibly can be, Kit. Even his body's been completely destroyed.' A pause followed for several heartbeats. 'But we're not far behind either.'

A dry half-chuckle was offered at this statement as Naruto heaved himself into a sitting position, ignoring the blood that dripped from his wounds and joined the dark crimson already staining the battlefield. 'No doubt. I can practically feel our chakra leaking away. Can't believe how strong that bastard is.'

The fox didn't reply, and under normal circumstances, Naruto would've been worried that the demon merged with him now found it too exhausting to even speak. Instead, the blond turned dull blue eyes to the broken figure lying only a few feet away, a hole in his chest, limbs twisted in an ugly rendition of a ragdoll.

Naruto released a bitter scoff at this, too drained to even consider crying for his fallen best friend. He hadn't cried since his godfather had died. The irony here was painful. Once upon a time, he had been the one struck down like this, almost killed by the very attack that Madara had slaughtered Sasuke with not even an hour ago. And the Chidori hadn't even been aimed at the raven-haired ANBU General in the first place. His stupidly proud, unbelievably protective, brilliant best friend had jumped in the way at the last second.

'Hey Kit,'

Naruto blinked slowly, pulling his wayward thoughts back together as the Kyuubi's soft, almost wavering voice thrummed in his mind. 'What is it?'

'What do you think you're doing?'

The blond frowned, dragging himself over to some leftover debris to lean against a slab of fallen rock. He doubted he could stand anymore. 'What does it look like? There's nothing left. Konoha's gone. Madara's gone. Not much left to do but wait until I go too.'

A feeble snort batted at him, somehow managing to convey the same amount of annoyance the Kyuubi once did at full strength. 'That's a pathetic way to die. And I for one am not going to just roll over and wait until death takes us like some common dog.'

Naruto would've rolled his eyes if he had the energy left to do so. 'Don't think we have much choice, Kurama. Unless you want me to commit traditional suicide.'

A growl berated him. 'Think, you damn brat! Last time I checked, you were a Fuuinjutsu Master. What were you working on after that pervert of a Sannin was killed?'

Naruto blinked, mind sluggishly retrieving the memory of a complex seal he had started on after Jiraiya had died. In his grief, he had holed himself up in his apartment and had gone through stacks of paper and numerous jars of ink in a half-crazed attempt at reversing the event of the Toad Sannin's death. It had been a stupid thing to do, and he had always known, in the back of his mind, that he would never go through with it. One man's death, no matter how precious to him, was not worth erasing his other friends' futures. He had put it aside after a week and a furious beat down from a subtly panicking Sasuke once the Uchiha had managed to break through his seals and into his apartment. But now...

Now, what was there to lose?

'I have no paper, no ink,' He thought stupidly even as he cleared a rough patch of ground in front of him. 'And it takes a huge amount of chakra. And it might not even work.'

'You have blood, Kit. And we still have enough chakra to pull this off if we pour everything we have into it. I'll be damned if you won't at least try. We have nothing to lose anymore.'

Focusing now on the seal he had come up with years ago seemed to lift the haze fogging his mind. Naruto held no doubts that it was mostly a last rush of adrenaline that forced him to concentrate even as his life continued to slip away like sand through spread fingers. But his hand was steady as he drew out the seal in his own blood. He only paused when he started drawing the time frame of the jump. Originally, he had drawn it out to be before Nagato's attack on the Toad Sannin, but if he was going to travel back, he might as well do it properly.

‘Kurama, how many years do you think we can jump?'

'...A decade, maybe a little more than that,' The fox responded after a considering pause. 'And it would be easier if you jumped back to a significant point in time. Significant to you, I mean.'

Naruto remained still. The day of the Kyuubi attack was out of the question. That had been a significant date, and he had played a large part in it, but he had also just been a baby. There was no way he could jump back so far to a time he couldn't even remember. The Uchiha Massacre was also impossible. As much as he wished to spare his best friend the loss of his family, he hadn't known Sasuke back then, and the Uchiha Clan's destruction had never affected him directly. The best date to jump back to would probably be the day he had been assigned to Team 7. It had been one of the happiest days of his life, and had occurred before everything had gone downhill.

'Good choice,' Kurama approved. 'It will take every last drop of chakra we have, but that is a strong point in time. It will serve as an anchor for us.'

Naruto nodded absently and quickly drew out the correct symbols before finishing the rest of the seal. His hand dropped back into his lap, studying the seal with a critical eye for any mistakes.

‘Kurama, where will I end up once I get back? My apartment? On the streets of Konoha?' He frowned. 'In my twelve-year-old body? I can't do anything like that.'

The demon fox was quiet for a long moment, the silence contemplative. 'You will most likely still have your own body,' The Kyuubi admitted eventually. 'Seals this strong consist of symbols, chakra, and the user's own desires. You wish for the ability to save your friends and family, as well as the village you call home. To do so, you would need the knowledge of this future and the abilities you have gained along the way. But to retain this self, you risk a paradox, where there will be two Uzumaki Narutos running around in the same timeline. That should not be possible. It should not happen at all.'

'But it will happen,' Naruto thought back fiercely. 'I am going to change it all.'

'Yes Kit, I understand that,' Kurama replied with a surprising amount of patience. 'And your desire to prevent another war of this magnitude and the eventual deaths of everyone around you will be strong enough to keep the paradox at bay. But it will not last forever. Your ultimate goal is Uchiha Madara. The things you change along the way will either help you towards this goal or simply hasten the inevitability of the same thing happening once again. Time is as rigid as it is flexible. You could prove to be strong enough to end up creating a completely different timeline, or prove too weak and end up with the same results. Time does not like being tampered with. But whichever outcome you end up with, it does not change the fact that you do not belong in that timeline. When your job is done, for better or for worse, you will simply cease to exist. As to where you will end up, that I do not know.'

Naruto had remained almost unresponsive throughout this entire explanation. Now he sighed, the movement causing a wave of agony to his already damaged lungs. 'I don't think I really mind,' He thought detachedly. 'I've lived long enough. The only reason I want to go back is because this could be a chance to give everyone a different future. A better one. But if I am to disappear, you will disappear with me. I thought you wanted to live?'

A derisive scoff echoed in his mind as the Kyuubi shifted irritably. 'Only fools and cowards wish to live forever and I am neither nor both. I simply do not wish to die due to a murder-suicide and at the hands of Uchiha Madara no less. At this moment in time, we have accomplished nothing more than ridding a broken world of a madman. When I finally leave this plain of existence for the next to meet my Maker so to speak, I would like a little more than murder to my name. And since those higher beings up there seem hopelessly enamoured with such pathetically weak humans such as yourself, preventing the apocalypse from wiping out your pitiful kind would be excellent fodder to throw back into their faces.'

Amusement stirred in Naruto's chest as the insults flew past him without harm. He was far too used to the Kyuubi reiterating his stance on humans to care. 'You don't seem to like those higher beings very much.'

'I don't. They place nine demons in a world where much weaker creatures roam and give us unlimited power only to condemn us to an imprisoned life in a human container because we brought destruction to those who sought to destroy us. There is neither logic nor intelligence in their decision. No doubt, once I pass on, they will try to condemn me for said destruction.' A dark smile curved the fox's mouth. 'But with this, I shall be ready to face them.'

Naruto just shook his head. He had never asked Kurama about any of the 'higher beings' on high, simply because he had no interest in them. As far as he was concerned, he carved his own path in life and he would deal with any judgment dealt to him when the time came.

'Alright then. Are you ready?'

Immediately, the demon fox settled down and the Kyuubi's red chakra rose to the surface along with his own. Naruto focused on the seal, one hand pressing over it as he concentrated on that fateful Spring day fourteen years ago when he had finally made Genin. Chakra flared around him and the seal flared up under his hand. Gritting his teeth, he forced as much chakra as he possibly could into the seal, ignoring the immediate warning bells that told him when he was at his limit. This technique would take everything he had.

All around him, the world exploded into a blinding landscape of white, the very air around him trembling with energy. An invisible force seemed to close around him and Naruto only had a moment to wonder, distantly, whether or not he would end up arrested and in a prison cell before the day was up.

And then, with a deafening roaring ringing in his ears that Naruto instinctively knew to be the rush of time, darkness engulfed him and he knew no more.

'Kit. Kit. Kit, wake up! YOU LAZY MIDGET-SIZED PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A MIDDAY SNACK! WAKE UP THIS INSTANT!'

Blue eyes snapped open and Naruto jerked up, almost banging his head against a low-hanging branch. With a low groan, the blond's hands reached up to clutch at his head as a jackhammer set off inside his skull.

'Goddamnit you stupid fox! I'm awake! What do you want?'

A snort and Naruto could almost see Kurama stretching smugly in his mindscape. 'We're back, Kit. Just thought you want to get a move on. You've been out for three hours. I was getting bored.'

Naruto would've shot something derogatory back at the demon if he hadn't been caught up in the fact that he was back. Because he knew this forest, knew it like the back of his hand. He was at the very edges of the Forest of Death in the shadows of one of the trees, and from his position, he could see the rest of Konoha, real and bustling with life spread out before him.

‘Kurama, we did it!'

Another snort, this one more of fond amusement than anything else sounded in his mind. 'Yes Kit, that's what I said. And it seems you're wounds have disappeared. You have the scars to prove it of course, not to mention that your clothes are abysmal, but your chakra reserves are almost back to normal and I feel better than I have in a long time.'

Naruto couldn't quite help the small grin that tilted his lips as he staggered to his feet, tugging absently at the torn clothing that hung off his thin frame. He hadn't felt happy in a long time, and it had been even longer since he had shown it openly, but this was it. This could be everything he had ever wanted, and the best part was that his younger self could grow up, ascend the ranks, and become Hokage without half as much suffering as he had gone through. This time, Uzumaki Naruto would have his friends around him, supporting him, and there would be no war to take away the millions of lives that had been lost in that other timeline.

'What will you do first?'

Naruto blinked, frowning thoughtfully as his eyes drank in his village. 'The old man. At least one person will have to know who I am. And I still have baa-chan's necklace to show him. He's reasonable. I'll be able to convince him.'

The fox made a sound of agreement. 'Go on then. I'm going to sleep. Try not to get killed between here and the Hokage Tower. If anyone could, it would be you.'

Naruto rolled his eyes before performing a henge. His blond hair faded to normal brown, blue eyes quickly turned brown as well, and his clothes matched those of an everyday civilian. His henge was also a few inches shorter but his frame was the same slender build. All in all, he looked harmless and nondescript. Still, Naruto hurried along the streets of Konoha, not lingering as he hurried towards the Hokage Tower. He would not be able to get in like everyone else as he had no identification on himself, but his gaze flitted to the open window of the Hokage's office, his eyes quickly pinpointing the small squad of ANBU on guard duty at the moment. Casually, he turned left, putting him parallel to his destination even as he disappeared from the ANBU guards' line of sight. And then, with a quick half-step to turn back towards the Tower, Naruto pushed off from the ground, flashing past the guards and through the open window before coming to a halt in front of a startled Sarutobi Hiruzen.

It was so easy that it would've been funny if Naruto didn't know this also meant that if he had been an enemy, the Third Hokage would've been dead before anyone could've reacted.

Speaking of reaction, Naruto already had his arms in the air in the universal sign of surrender as ANBU rushed towards him, kunai extended and pointed at him. Sarutobi had risen to his feet, eyes narrowed at him, body tense as his sharp gaze assessed the intruder.

"Hokage-sama," Naruto started formally. "I mean you no harm but I have something of great importance to speak to you about. If you would allow me to show you something, I would ask you to consider granting me a private audience with yourself."

The Sandaime stared hard at the brown-haired man, observing the now obvious henge. This man, obviously a ninja, had entered his office before any of his ANBU had even been able to react, and then had stood still while his guards had surrounded him. If he had meant any actual or immediate harm, this man could have already done it. Wordlessly, Sarutobi nodded curtly, keeping his eyes on the man as one of the ninja's hands slowly reached into a hidden pocket and withdrew a necklace.

Sarutobi immediately stiffened, recognizing the necklace instantly. "Where did you get that?" He demanded as he came around his desk and contemplated whether or not the man would give it up without fuss.

The henged nin held out the necklace without hesitation. "From a slug currently on quite the losing streak."

Sarutobi's eyes widened at the analogy and he studied the brown eyes for a moment longer. This man knew Tsunade, and while an enemy nin could just as easily have gotten this information, he also knew his former student would never give up this necklace to some random shinobi.

With a decisive nod, he turned to his ANBU guards. "Wait outside," He ordered, ignoring the silent protest that immediately flared up. "Go. I can handle this."

Reluctantly, the ANBU withdrew, and once they had left the office, Sarutobi quickly activated the privacy seals set up around the room. He turned back to the stranger, blinking in shock as the henge dropped and a tall, slender-framed blond with piercing blue eyes stared back at him, a puzzling sort of affection tilting his lips.

"Minato..." Sarutobi whispered, taking a shaky step back.

The blond sighed, brushing a stray lock of hair away from his face. "Not quite, old man. Try his son. I'm Naruto."

The Sandaime quickly pulled his thoughts together, steadying himself in the present as he studied the man in front of him. Now that he took the time, he could see the differences between the Yondaime and this blond. While the two had the same hair and eyes, this man, Naruto, was more slender than and not as broad-shouldered as Minato had been. His jawline and facial structure were deceivingly delicate but also held the same strength Minato had had. And the faint smile that still quirked the blond's lips as the man waited patiently for him to finish his observations was all Kushina. Absently, Sarutobi wondered if his laugh would be like Minato's.

"If what you say is true," Sarutobi finally voiced carefully. "Then you must be from the future."

Naruto nodded, the slightest flicker of relief flitting across his features. "Yes, fourteen years in the future to be exact, give or take a few months." Here, the blond hesitated before forging on. "You could ask me some questions to make sure."

Sarutobi didn't think anyone could pull off this sort of henge and not many people knew Minato and Kushina even had a son, not to mention that the whisker markings on the blond's face and the distinct Kyuubi chakra he could now sense inside the younger man were dead giveaways, but a few identity questions couldn't hurt either.

"Who were your parents?"

Again, that faint smile appeared briefly, and Sarutobi frowned inwardly at this implication. Naruto had always been optimistic, and always had a ready smile for all. For his expressions to have faded to a mere shadow of what it once was (still is now?), was a clear indication that things in the future had not turned out well. "Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina."

Sarutobi nodded. "Your godfather and godmother?"

This time, a shadow of pain and deep sorrow darkened the cerulean eyes before that too disappeared. "Raiya and Tsunade."

Sarutobi blinked, startled. "He lets you call him 'Raiya'?"

Naruto, for it really could be no one else, blinked back. "Well, I also call him Ero-sennin, but after I did that a couple of times in front of those women he tries to get to as well as a few dignitaries, he finally told me I could call him Raiya instead, at least while in front of other people." The blond scoffed a bit. "There's nothing wrong with Raiya. It's not perverted or degrading or anything. It's just a nickname. If he hadn't told me that he didn't let anyone else call him that, I would have ignored him altogether."

Sarutobi chuckled, finally relaxing entirely. "I used to call him that, but he insisted on his full name after he turned fifteen. He thought the name sounded too female and I believe Tsunade somehow teased him enough when they were younger that Jiraiya now has the irrational impression that the name is a patronizing insult to his sense of self. Or something of that sort anyway." He paused before continuing softly, "You two must have been very close."

The blue gaze darkened once again even as the blond nodded curtly. "Yes."

Sarutobi nodded and made no further comment on the matter, instead taking in the ripped clothing the ninja was wearing. "Very well. I believe who you are. Now, why have you come back? Are things really that bad in the future?"

Naruto closed his eyes briefly before nodding. "Konoha is gone," He said simply even as Sarutobi frowned at this revelation. "Razed to the ground. Its civilians and shinobi all dead. I was the last."

For a moment, Sarutobi couldn't breathe as he tried to imagine a world where Konoha no longer existed. He glanced at the window towards the rest of the village before looking back at the blond.

It wasn't just the inner strength that was so like Minato, Sarutobi realized, because Kushina had had that strength as well. It was Naruto's entire bearing that reminded him most of Konoha's Yellow Flash. This man currently standing in front of him, frame relaxed but ready, had the air of a Kage, and a powerful one at that. The kind of power that Sarutobi had only ever seen Minato exude.

"You became Hokage then," Sarutobi couldn't help but enquire.

Naruto inclined his head in affirmation. "Rokudaime Hokage." The haunted look passed over the blond's features once more. "Just in time to watch my village burn."

Sarutobi almost shuddered at the near-overwhelming grief in the younger man's voice. It was always hardest on the Kage when their people's lives were lost. The entire village was their responsibility after all.

"I came back to change it," Naruto suddenly looked almost anxious, and Sarutobi found himself relieved as he caught a glimpse of the Naruto he knew in this time.

The Sandaime nodded briskly, turning to step back behind his desk. "Of course. If Konoha will fall then we will have to find a way to prevent it. But not now. Can I assume that nothing drastic will happen in the immediate future?"

Naruto frowned in confusion but nodded nonetheless. "Everything will start going downhill at the next Chuunin Exams. Before that, as long as I keep an eye on things and root out some spies, things should be alright."

"Good." Sarutobi pulled out a list of empty apartments and sent a reassuring look when Naruto stared in bewilderment at his assessment. "If nothing will happen anytime soon, I would like to get you settled in. You look ready to keel over, Naruto."

The blond blinked before looking down at himself. "Oh. I just finished fighting Ma-"

Sarutobi put up a hand to halt the younger man's explanation. "Not now Naruto." He chided gently. "No doubt, if you continue, I will have many questions for you and we will be in here for another few hours. Right now, you need rest, not to mention we still have to create a background for you."

Naruto seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding silently in agreement.

"Very well. While you are here, you will need to use a different name. Do you have one in mind?"

"Kazama Haruki," Naruto said after a moment's thought. "That's the name I used when I infiltrated Iwagakure."

Sarutobi opened his mouth to ask before shaking his head ruefully. Questions later. But who knew Naruto had the potential to be a spy? "Alright," He continued on. "I'll write up the necessary papers and tell anyone who asks that you've been on a mission for me for the past eight years. We can use the Hyuuga Affair, you know what that is? Good. We can use that and say you've been in Kumo to make sure they wouldn't try anything again. They won't try anything again, will they?"

Naruto shook his head. "They won't be stealing anymore Hyuugas anyway. But the Council will want proof."

Sarutobi frowned. "Indeed. Is there any knowledge from the future that you can use here?"

Naruto stayed silent, gaze flickering over to the window to stare absently out at the sky. "How long can you keep the Council at bay before they start asking questions?"

Sarutobi shrugged. "As long as you keep a low profile, word won't get back to them too quickly, but even if it does, I can hold them off for several days, maybe a week."

Naruto nodded. "Alright. Give me five days. I can get to Kumo and back within that time. And I'll bring back Hyuuga Hizashi's body. The bastards preserved it so I'll still be able to present an actual body."

If Sarutobi had been anything other than a Kage, he would've gaped. "Wouldn't they keep that well-guarded?"

Naruto shrugged. "I can do it, old man. I'm above ANBU level, plus I've done it before. And I'll leave a body clone behind so they won't notice. As long as the Hyuuga Clan doesn't go flaunting it through the streets of Kumo, everything should be fine."

The Sandaime considered this for a few seconds before nodding in agreement. "Alright, I'll call a Council meeting when you get back. You'll leave tomorrow?"

The blond nodded. "And I'll be back in five days."

"Good. Now for your looks. The village will be in an uproar if they get a good look at you. At first, and maybe even second and third glance, you look very much like Minato."

Naruto frowned thoughtfully before performing a few one-handed seals. His long golden locks immediately washed away, leaving a crimson fire in its wake. The new redhead cocked a questioning eyebrow at the surprised Sandaime. Sarutobi smiled and nodded approvingly. While there were still traces of both Minato and Kushina on the former blond's features, anyone would just dismiss it as a coincidence if they noticed. He couldn't detect the henge either.

"Moving on to where you will be staying then..."

"I'll take the apartment next to my... younger counterpart."

Sarutobi blinked. "How did you... oh. Right. Are you sure?"

"Very. This way, I'll be able to keep an eye on him. Keep him company too. He'll get lonely sometimes."

The Sandaime frowned sadly but said nothing. He had a feeling this Naruto wouldn't appreciate it. "Very well. Just show these papers to the landlady there and she'll give you the keys." He smiled warmly at the redhead. This Naruto exuded a quiet strength and seemed comfortable in his own skin. He had grown up well. "Get some rest, Naruto."

Naruto offered that faint half-smile again before tucking Tsunade's necklace away and withdrawing a small paper seal instead, extending it towards Sarutobi. The Sandaime blinked, taking the seal and noting the complex design.

"Just press it against any piece of clothing you wear and it will automatically imprint itself onto the material," Naruto explained quietly. "If you are ever in trouble, sending even a drop of your chakra into the seal will automatically inform me of your position and I will be able to step to your location in an instant."

Sarutobi examined the seal curiously before pressing it to his kage cloak's inside collar. A flash of chakra and the ink on the paper dissolved, reappearing on the cloak instead. "What does it do?"

"Hmm," This time, Naruto's smile held the faintest traces of mischief and Sarutobi found himself hard-pressed not to smile back in the face of such familiarity. "Try it."

Reaching up, Sarutobi sent a small current of chakra into the seal and then almost stepped back when Naruto appeared beside him, a quiet crackle of dry lightning as his only warning. Wide-eyed, Sarutobi stared between the spot the redhead had been and the spot where he was now standing. "Hiraishin...?"

Naruto was already shaking his head. "One of my own actually, although it is based on the Hiraishin. I call it Raikou Hitokiri no Jutsu. Same concept but less, well, like my dad's I suppose. Enemies rarely see it coming. The seal helps me lock onto the location but if I have a very clear picture of where I'm going in my head when I perform the jutsu, I can get there just as easily."

Sarutobi was speechless for several seconds. While he knew that this Naruto was essentially an adult version of the twelve-year-old Naruto, it was still hard to connect the two. To think that Naruto would one day grow up to create his own jutsus sent a thrum of pride rushing through the Sandaime. "This is amazing."

The younger man seemed to brighten a little, blue eyes glowing with momentary pride at the compliment. "Thanks old man."

Sarutobi nodded before making a shooing motion at the redhead. "Alright, go on then. We'll figure everything else out later. Get some sleep. And," He reached into one drawer and withdrew a wallet, deactivating the seal with a flick of his hand before offering several bills. "Buy some clothes and food. That should be enough for a month, and then you can start doing missions to earn your own money."

Naruto eyed the bills before accepting them with a nod of thanks. "I'll pay you back, old man."

Sarutobi would have refused if he wasn't certain Naruto would be stubborn about it. So he simply nodded in acknowledgement, deactivating the privacy seals as Naruto, now Haruki, sketched a simple salute before jumping out the window and disappearing over the rooftops within seconds.

"Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi glanced absently at his bodyguards as they slipped back into the office. He waved a dismissive hand in the air as he sat back down and started on a new stack of paperwork. "One of my spies. He had to pull out quite suddenly though so I was not expecting him. I sent him out a long time ago and haven't seen him in a while. He was also under a henge and it took me a moment to realize who he was. Now I better start on this. I swear, the paperwork grows every time I turn around."

The ANBU on guard duty seemed to accept this easily enough as they relaxed and moved back into the shadows again, some almost palpably amused at Sarutobi's grumbling.

But even as he started scanning a request for new medical equipment at the hospital, Sarutobi contemplated the few things he had learned in the last twenty minutes. Dark times lay ahead, waiting in shadowed corners. But perhaps, with the time traveler's help, a man who seemed both familiar and foreign to him at the moment, they would somehow manage.

They would have to.

Raikou Hitokiri no Jutsu - Lightning Step Jutsu

I would once again like to make it absolutely clear that this is not my story. Not this part of it, anyway. This story was written by cywsaphyre on fanfiction.net, and put up for adoption after the 8th chapter. The requirements for adoption were as follows:

- If you adopt them – please credit me for the parts I wrote.

- Other than spelling mistakes, do not change anything in my fanfics. You can continue writing whatever you want from where I stopped, but please don't change anything that already exists, or worse, copy/paste chunks of my stories and post them into your own.

- I'd rather you post only on ffnet or AO3 but that's just a preference, not a requirement.

- You don't have to tell me beforehand if you want to adopt one (or more) of my stories.

They still have several stories up for adoption on their page, and if you want to check it out, I would highly encourage it, if only to read them. Not all of their stories are up for adoption. They have a list, so please keep that in mind.

For now, I will only be putting up the first 8 chapters written by cywsaphyre, as I have yet to complete my addition of the next chapter. As I am copying and pasting this story, things like bold or italic text do not transfer over, so I apologize if I miss any, and I would be glad if you let me know if you see any I missed.

I would also like to note that any author's notes from the original story do not apply here as I am not them, so I do not know where this story was headed. If you would like to read the original story before I have it all posted, please use the link above.

Sorry to drag on, and I look forward to hearing your responses!

~Nikki

Chapter Text

Chapter 2 – Mission to Kumo

"Sasuke!"

He fell back, horror twisting his heart as a familiar figure shoved him away, darting in front of the oncoming Chidori.

"Sasuke, no! Move!"

The raven-haired General glanced back a heartbeat before the attack struck, a smirk playing on the man's lips even as Sharingan eyes met cerulean. And then blue-white lightning seemed to explode in front of them, engulfing the Uchiha as Madara's hand thrust clean through Sasuke's chest. Streaks of lightning spread outward like snakes, wrapping around arms and legs and twisting them to awkward angles.

Through it all, he stayed frozen to the ground, breath frozen in his lungs as the lightning died and a broken body tilted backwards. He barely managed to pull enough brain cells together to catch the deadweight before the General hit the ground.

"S-Sasuke?"

His eyes drifted to the gaping bloody hole in the Uchiha's chest, seeing the damning injury and smelling the sickening scent of burnt flesh but not comprehending. This was Sasuke, his teammate, his rival, his best friend, his brother, and this was not supposed to happen .

"D-Don't you- dare," Shocked blue eyes flickered back up to meet dull onyx, the light inside them fading fast even as the Uchiha's gaze clung desperately to his. "Don't you dare..." Sasuke rasped again, crimson spilling from his mouth and staining his lips. "Let him win. Naruto."

And then he was gone, black eyes becoming sightless as the last spark of life spluttered and died, his entire body turning slack.

He couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't hear anything as he strained his ears in vain to catch the telltale breaths from the prone figure he was crouching over save for the harsh raucous laughter of the man standing only steps away from them.

"He's gone now too, Naruto-kun. Another one you led to his death. Another one you killed. When will you learn your lesson? It is futile to stand against me. This one's last of your pawns too, is he not? Or do you have another one to sacri-"

In the next moment, all he could hear was screaming and he barely registered that the agonized sounds splitting the air were coming from his own throat as he hurtled at the mocking figure with a vengeance, insanity threatening to conquer his mind. Yet still, still he could hear the sound of mad laughter, cutting into him with terrifying accuracy because Madara was right , it was his fault, his fault again, and once more he had lost another of his precious people, lost the last of whom he had sworn to protect-

With a choked-off cry, Haruki shot up in his bed, momentarily disoriented and drenched in sweat as he gasped for breath. One shaky hand reached up to cover his eyes, mentally pushing the most recent of his former life's memories back.

Sasuke had been the last of his friends to go, loyal and unwavering to the very end. That Sasuke was gone now, the one with whom he could banter with and spar with and be Naruto with, not Hokage , but there was another Sasuke he could still save, one that he now had a chance of giving a better life to.

Breathing finally steadying, Haruki lowered his hand, dropping it back into his lap as he glanced at the plastic clock he had bought yesterday. 5:10AM stared back at him and the redhead could only sigh as he tossed back the blankets and got out of bed. Three hours of sleep was actually pretty good in his book so he wasn't complaining.

A quick shower and a cup of ramen later and Haruki was on his way out the door, whisker markings hidden behind a henge and his new weapons concealed on his body. He had gone on a shopping spree yesterday and had even managed to find a lightweight katana, one with an indigo hilt and a blade of tamahagane so strong that a hint shimmering blue flashed across the blade when wielded properly. The katana could channel elemental chakra, which was perfect for Haruki because most of his attacks with his old katana consisted of combining chakra with the sword. Haruki had bought it at Tenten's family store, and while he hadn't seen the future Weapons Mistress, he had shaken hands with her father. The man had recommended this katana after listening to Haruki's detailed description of his former blade.

Locking his apartment door behind him, Haruki turned in the direction of the village's front gates, only to stop and blink in mild surprise when he caught sight of familiar blue eyes staring inquisitively back up at him.

"Good morning," Haruki greeted his younger counterpart after a short, contemplative moment. While he was now living next door to the twelve-year-old, he hadn't expected to have to interact with him until after he got back from Kumo. "I believe I'm your new neighbor, Kazama Haruki. Nice to meet you."

This seemed to snap the boy out of whatever fascinated trance he had been in. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" The blond chirped brightly, but there was an undercurrent of uncertainty that Haruki easily detected, recognizing it from his own childhood whenever he had to force aside the fear of being rejected and hated so he could introduce himself. "You're living next to me now?"

Haruki offered a faint half-smile to the Genin. "Yes. I just got back from a long-term mission."

Naruto frowned, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "So you had to get a new apartment?"

"It was an eight-year-long mission," Haruki clarified, suppressing another smile at the awed expression that spread across the blond's face. Had he really been this open when he was a child? "Having to keep up the rent on my old place would've been a waste of money so I had to find a different place to live in now that I'm back."

"You must be really good for the old man to give you such a long mission!" Naruto exclaimed, eyes lighting up with excitement. "And you're living next to me !" The blond fell silent for a moment as he eyed Haruki's ninja garb. "Are you going on another mission already?"

Haruki nodded, slipping his hands into the Jounin vest he was currently wearing. An ANBU had dropped off both the vest and a brand-new hitai-ate last night. "Yes, but it's a top-secret mission and I'll be back in five days so don't tell anyone, okay?"

If there was one thing Haruki knew his current self and his younger self would always share, it was the adamant refusal to break their word. When Naruto nodded seriously, Haruki knew the younger boy would take the information to his grave.

With a satisfied nod, Haruki checked the sky, noting the rising sun before turning back to Naruto. "I still have some time before I have to leave. Have you had breakfast yet? We could go get some ramen or something."

As expected, Naruto immediately brightened at the mention of ramen, but deflated again almost immediately. "I can't. I have to meet my new team at six for our test to become Genin and our sensei told us not to eat anything."

Haruki considered this thoughtfully. Really, looking back, Kakashi could've at least let them eat, especially when the man was going to be late. "Who is your sensei?"

"Hatake Kakashi." Naruto made a face. "He's kinda weird."

Haruki found himself grinning a little at this. "Ah, I've heard of him. He's famous for being late to everything by at least two hours. You must have met him yesterday. Was he late?"

Naruto's eyes widened as he nodded vigorously. "Yeah, he was over three hours late!"

Haruki sweatdropped. He had forgotten how long it took for Kakashi to pick them up the first time around, but even for the Copy-nin, over three hours seemed a bit excessive. "Then I don't think you have anything to worry about. I guarantee he won't meet up with you and your team for at least a few hours. A little breakfast now wouldn't hurt either. You'll have digested it all by the time he arrives anyway."

Still, Naruto hesitated, shifting indecisively from foot to foot. "But Sasuke-teme and Sakura-chan won't have anything to eat."

Haruki smiled again in approval. "How about this then? We still have some time before six so we can swing by Ichiraku's, pick up some ramen, and then you can take some back to your teammates. My treat, since you're keeping a secret for me."

The blond's eyes lit up again, obviously pleased by this suggestion. "'Kay! Thanks, Kazama-san!"

Haruki quirked an eyebrow as they began their trek to the ramen stand. "Haruki is fine. Kazama-san makes me feel old." 'Although,' He thought reflectively. 'I feel old either way.'

"Haruki-san then," Naruto peered almost shyly up at him. "You're being really nice."

The redhead suppressed the faint stirring of anger welling up inside him. While he knew the blond was simply him as a child, it felt worse this time around seeing the loneliness in someone who, technically, was another person. His younger counterpart very much reminded him of Yousuke at the moment...

And thinking of Yousuke, Haruki would have to find a way to adopt him again, but that would have to wait, no matter how much he disliked the idea. Leaving a six-year-old alone in his apartment was hardly ideal. He would work on it when he came back.

"Can't I be nice to a new friend?" Haruki smiled gently down at the boy, who ducked his head and flushed red with embarrassment but seemed equally pleased at the same time. The redhead decided at that very moment that this Naruto, who had already suffered twelve years as the Konoha's pariah, would never know that pain and loneliness again, not while he was here. When he came back from Kumo, if he noticed so much as a glare from any of the villagers, he or she would be getting a taste (only a taste as he didn't think Sarutobi would be very pleased with him if he did any real damage to any of them, no matter how much they would deserve it) as to why enemy-nin had all been ordered to flee-on-sight if they ever laid eyes on him before he had even turned eighteen.

By the time they had reached the ramen stand, Naruto had opened up and had gone through all the reasons for disliking Sasuke-teme (he's a jerk and an arrogant bastard and he has the personality of a rock) as well as all the reasons for liking Sakura-chan (she's pretty and cute and she has cool hair!). Haruki only chuckled, absently surprised at the sound since he couldn't remember the last time he had openly shown amusement. Or shown amusement at all, for that matter.

"What would you like?" Haruki eyed his wallet, wondering if he had promised 'my treat' a bit too soon but Naruto showed a commendable amount of restraint when he only listed three types of ramen.

"Could I have a Miso Ramen, a Tonkatsu Ramen for Sasuke, and a Toriniku Ramen for Sakura-chan? Please?"

Haruki smiled and nodded, glancing up when Teuchi (and oh, the man was a sight for sore eyes. Both Teuchi and Ayame had died when Konoha had been burned to the ground, but up until the very last moment, both father and daughter had carried on working, determined to give the Konoha citizens some semblance of normalcy amidst the depression of war) stepped out of the back of the shop, already smiling a greeting at the short blond.

"Good morning Naruto! You're up early!"

Naruto grinned brightly at the owner of the ramen stand. "Morning Teuchi-san! I have training with my Genin team this morning but I came by to pick up breakfast first!"

Realization dawned on Teuchi's face. "That's right; you've been assigned to a Genin team. Well, a young ninja can't go hungry! What would you like?"

While Naruto rattled off his orders, Haruki caught the older man's gaze as Teuchi gave him an assessing look. He could recall that both Teuchi and Ayame had been very protective of him, especially when he was younger, so the redhead figured he should probably put the man at ease.

"Kazama Haruki," Haruki offered once Naruto finished talking. "Naruto-kun's next-door neighbour."

Teuchi squinted at him. "I haven't seen you around before."

Naruto cut in before Haruki could reply. "Haruki-san's been away for a long time. He just got back yesterday and he's treating me to ramen as a... welcoming present?"

Naruto blinked almost owlishly as he seemed to realize that welcoming presents were usually given to the person moving in, and Haruki chuckled again, not noticing the way Teuchi relaxed at the unexpectedly warm sound, nor the way Naruto stilled at it, a look of wonder lighting his eyes as if unable to believe that anyone could laugh like that in his presence.

"Yes," Haruki shrugged taking out a few bills to cover the ramen fee. "I just moved in and met Naruto-kun this morning. Since neither of us have had breakfast yet (a lie, and Haruki reflexively crossed his fingers behind his wallet), I thought we'd swing by for ramen. Please add another Miso Ramen to the order."

Teuchi smiled again, waving a careless hand in the air as he started on the ramen. "Half-price on everything today. Consider it a welcome home present from me, Haruki-san."

Haruki blinked and then nodded his thanks, placing the correct amount of money on the counter before taking the seat next to Naruto to wait.

"Haruki-san?"

The redhead glanced down at his younger counterpart, raising an eyebrow in question. The blond squirmed in his seat, seemingly torn between two decisions before finally blurting out, "Could you show me a jutsu?"

Haruki blinked at the request, taking in the puppy-like eagerness that was blatant on the blond's face before nodding. As if he could refuse the blond anything with a face like that. Besides, the boy reminded him far too much of his own Genin team eight years ago. Those three had learned how to play him for a sucker way too quickly, not that he had tried particularly hard to stop them.

Staring out at the quiet town, Haruki considered his jutsus before raising his hands and going through the proper seals, "Fuuton: Go-Dankaitsu Hoshi no Mori."

The blue swirl of wind chakra rushed around the street outside the stand, a gentle breeze compared to the maelstrom of wind Haruki was used to whipping up. Lances formed in the air at five equal points, surrounding one area before shooting forward. With a flick of his wrist, Haruki quickly dispelled it. Even holding back, a sizable hole would've formed in the ground and he had no wish to do manual labor for the Sandaime anytime soon.

Turning back to Naruto, Haruki blinked at the awestruck expression on the blond's face. "That was so cool!" Naruto gushed, nearly bouncing in his seat. "You're really strong!"

Haruki found himself rubbing the back of his head in his habitual movement when embarrassed. It wasn't as if the jutsu had been any higher than a B-rank, and Naruto would one day be able to do it as well seeing as he had been the one to create it. It wasn't even all that impressive, but he supposed, to a Genin, it really was something to see.

"You'll be that strong one day too," Haruki answered firmly, and watched in satisfaction as Naruto beamed up at him, obviously hearing the sincerity in the redhead's voice. It wasn't as if he was lying either, and the blond seemed to realize this as he sat a little taller.

"Your ramen," Teuchi cut in, placing four steaming bowls in front of them. As Naruto quickly dug into his bowl, the ramen stand owner glanced at Haruki again, his gaze softer this time but also slightly puzzled.

"You seem somewhat familiar," The man finally voiced, and Haruki forced himself not to tense up. "But I could swear I've never met you before."

Haruki shrugged and said nothing, plucking a napkin from the counter and handing it to his younger counterpart as the blond inhaled his ramen before picking up two more bowls and waiting for Naruto to finish.

Teuchi shook his head, offering a warm smile. "Nevermind. Any friend of Naruto's is a friend of mine. Come back anytime. We're open the entire day."

Haruki nodded silently, gaze sliding to Naruto as the boy finished up, shouted his thanks, and picked up the remaining bowl, Sasuke's, with careful hands as he slid off his seat and joined Haruki as he ducked out of the shop. Teuchi waved them out with a smile, one which Naruto answered with a grin of his own before the two set out towards the bridge. Haruki barely remembered to let Naruto lead, as he wasn't supposed to know where they were going.

Soon, black and pink caught their attention and Naruto quickly shouted out a greeting. Sasuke only cast the blond a disinterested look before glancing at Haruki, black eyes assessing, and Haruki felt his heart twist painfully in his chest. He quickly turned his gaze to the last Genin of Team 7, watching as she scowled in Naruto's direction but directed a curious look at him. Again, the wide green eyes sent a rush of memories through his mind, some good, some bad, and all of them painful. He finally settled for keeping his eyes on his blond companion. Somehow, that hurt less.

"Hey Sakura-chan, Sasuke-teme! I brought you food!"

"Baka!" Sakura immediately snapped, swatting at the blond. "You're late, and we're not supposed to eat!"

Naruto pouted and rubbed his head. "But Kakashi-sensei's going to be late anyway and a small breakfast won't hurt! Besides, Haruki-san says it's okay!"

Haruki almost sweatdropped when three pairs of eyes turned on him. Technically, he hadn't said it was okay, per se, but he supposed he had implied it, which meant he now had to take responsibility for his words. With an inward sigh, Haruki nodded cautiously. "Training with nothing in your stomach is dangerous for you. A small meal wouldn't hurt and your sensei will be late anyway. You'll have digested everything by the time he gets here."

"See?" Naruto thrust the ramen bowl he had been holding in Sasuke's direction, taking the boy off-guard and somehow managing to dump the bowl into the Uchiha's hands. "Eat it, before it gets cold!"

Sasuke barely spared the blond a glance before directing his cool gaze at Haruki. "Who are you?" He asked bluntly, his words falling just short of rude.

Haruki, now more than used to Sasuke's personality, replied without being offended while Naruto scowled at the raven-haired boy, "Kazama Haruki, Naruto-kun's next-door neighbour. I met up with him this morning and thought some breakfast would help keep your strength up today."

Sasuke said nothing more but, after a moment of consideration and a quick scan of Haruki's Jounin vest, dug into his breakfast, nodding curtly at both him and Naruto.

Haruki turned his gaze on the pink-haired kunoichi next and offered the Toriniku Ramen for the girl. Sakura blushed, ducking her head shyly as she glanced at Sasuke before replying uncertainly, "I'm on a diet..."

Haruki tilted his head contemplatively. He had forgotten that the Sakura at this age was much more, well, girl than kunoichi. "It won't hurt," He assured after a moment, searching for the right words to convince her. Sakura liked books and facts so Haruki would use that. "You need a well-rounded diet to get a good figure and that includes carbohydrates. As a kunoichi, you'll burn off anything you don't need when you train later. Not eating or only eating certain foods is bad for your body in the long run."

Sakura's cheeks darkened as she glanced hesitantly at him. "You sure?"

Haruki allowed a small smile to curve his lips as he extended the bowl again. "I'm sure."

Mere seconds later, Haruki had Sakura eating her breakfast as well and he turned to the blond still standing at his side, now eyeing his teammates' ramen enviously. The redhead smothered his amusement and extended his own bowl instead. "I can pick up my own breakfast later, Naruto-kun. Growing boys need food."

Naruto only hesitated for a brief moment before flashing a grateful smile up at him and accepting the bowl, digging in with little fanfare.

Haruki nodded in satisfaction before glancing up at the sky. "I should get going. Things to do. A bit of advice though: do a bit of a warm-up after you finish eating. It'll help digestion," He directed another smile in Sakura's direction who promptly blushed. "And it'll loosen your muscles when you're running around later. And later, during your test and even after that, try not to think too individually. You're a team now, and your teammates are what will make you strong." Haruki carefully kept his gaze focused on all three of them, not singling anyone out. Sasuke would get defensive otherwise. "It's a testament to your own strength if you can see the strengths in other people and learn to work with them. Letting your teammates down because of pride or arrogance means you are just as weak as those who don't have enough physical strength. Weaker, because you have no excuse."

All three nodded, even Sasuke who seemed surprisingly at ease in Haruki's presence, reminding the redhead of his Sasuke, the one who had been happy with himself and content with the people around him. They looked somewhat puzzled at his last hint and Sasuke frowned a little at the mention of pride being a weakness but none of them questioned him further. Haruki hoped it would be enough to get the Uchiha thinking. He knew how the adult Sasuke thought, knew what buttons to push to encourage the part of Sasuke that would one day grow up to be a great man but he could only start the ball rolling now and give a hand to the boy now and then. The rest would be up to the future ANBU General.

Naruto paused from his eating, voicing a question that bordered on insecurity. "I'll see you later?"

Haruki smiled at the blond's tact as he nodded, reaching out absently to ruffle his younger counterpart's bright hair as he stared down into inquisitive blue eyes. "Of course. Good luck on your test, duckling."

Naruto blinked, obviously startled, though it was a toss-up as to who was more so; the blond or Haruki. "'Duckling'?"

The redhead found himself rubbing the back of his head again, repressing the embarrassment threatening to show on his face. "Ah, you reminded me of my old Genin team for a moment. Short and small and, well... My apologies."

Naruto seemed to consider this for a moment, pouting most likely at the 'short and small' part before flashing an almost pleased grin up at Haruki. "It's okay! I don't mind!"

Haruki raised his eyebrows but said nothing more, nodding a farewell to the blond before doing the same to the other two. Without another word, the redhead quickly hurried away. He had planned to start out earlier, but he hadn't taken lingering with the rest of Team 7 to give them health advice into account. No matter; five days was plenty to get to Kumo and back if he kept moving.

"Yo!"

All three Team 7 soon-to-be Genin members turned various expressions of murder on the silver-haired Jounin in front of them. "YOU'RE LATE!" Both Naruto and Sakura accused, while even Sasuke glared daggers at the masked nin.

Kakashi just eye-smiled at them. "Sorry, sorry, I got lost on the road of life-"

"Liar!" Naruto and Sakura chimed again, scowling fiercely at the Jounin.

Kakashi shrugged carelessly, eyes flickering briefly to the nearby trashcan and noting the three bowls of ramen. "Maa, ready for your test?"

Naruto pouted as he eyed the lunch box in each of his teammates' hands. He wriggled from his position, struggling with the ropes holding him to the tree stump. His stomach suddenly growled, breaking the silence and the blond promptly scowled, ducking his head as both his teammates glanced at him.

He jerked a little when a bento box appeared in his line of sight and, following the hand that held it, Naruto blinked in confusion as he found himself staring into onyx. Sasuke only frowned a little, extending some tempura in the blond's direction.

"Eat," Sasuke snapped gruffly. "You got us breakfast earlier. I'm just paying you back."

Naruto gaped before grinning widely and accepting the food. He almost choked on it when another bento was thrust into his face, a red-faced Sakura scowling at him.

"Just this once!" The kunoichi snapped, offering one of the rice balls from her lunch. "And it isn't as if you bought us breakfast, but like Haruki-san said, you'll be useless if you don't eat something!"

Naruto grinned again, features bright. "Thanks Sakura-chan, Sasuke-teme!"

Sasuke just rolled his eyes. "Hn. Just hurry up dobe, before sensei gets back."

Naruto quickly swallowed the rice ball, smiling contentedly for a moment before his eyes widened, watching as a strong wind rolled in and the sky darkened. Kakashi appeared, staring forebodingly at them as the ground shook.

"YOU THREE!" He barked, looming over them. "Sasuke, Sakura, I told you not to feed him! What have you got to say for yourselves?"

Sasuke only glared right back, chin tilted up defiantly as he unconsciously shifted to place Naruto further behind him. Beside him, Sakura had flushed and her eyes were wide with alarm but her shoulders squared as if preparing for battle and her gaze never wavered from the Copy-nin. Behind both of them, Naruto scowled at Kakashi, blue eyes narrowed. This was his team, damn it! They had gone to bat for him. He couldn't let them take the fall.

"We're a team!" Naruto glared fiercely as their sensei's gaze turned on him. "Don't just single them out! Besides, I'm the one who ate the food!"

"Shut up dobe," Sasuke tossed a dark look over his shoulder at the blond. "I offered when you were already hungry. It's not just your fault."

Sakura scrambled closer to her two teammates, elbowing the tied-up Genin roughly. "Yeah, I chose to feed you too! Stop trying to act tough! It makes you look stupid!"

All three turned back to their sensei as Kakashi came even closer, visible eye unreadable. "If that's how you three, then I have no choice but to... PASS YOU!"

A stunned silence fell over the three Genin as their surroundings returned tomorrow and Kakashi eye-smiled at them again, crouching down to their level.

"You three are the first team I've ever passed," He told them cheerfully. "You stuck up for one another instead of just listening to me." His eye turned sombre, studying them with careful consideration. "You have to remember: in the world of ninjas, those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum."

All three Genin were quiet for a moment, taking this in as Haruki's last piece of advice came back to them. They glanced at each other; how had the redhead known?

"Well," Kakashi continued in a lighter tone, rising and stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Team 7 will start missions tomorrow. Meet at the bridge at six!"

With a poof, the Copy-nin disappeared and, unbeknownst to the newly-formed Team 7, reappeared in a tree nearby, observing them with a steady eye.

Below, Sasuke rose to his feet, dusting himself off as Sakura quickly packed up the lunches and placed them by the stump. Kakashi would probably come back for them later. Both of them turned to stare at the blond of their team before Sasuke finally heaved a sigh and took out a kunai, cutting the ropes with quick efficiency.

"Oi dobe," Sasuke voiced, idly twirling his kunai as Naruto landed on his feet and stretched out his limbs. "Who is your neighbour? How did he know Kakashi-sensei's test would be based on teamwork?"

Naruto shrugged sheepishly as even Sakura focused on him with curious attentiveness. "I dunno. He just moved in next to me. He just returned from an eight-year-long mission and needed a new place to live. And he knew Kakashi-sensei was going to be late, which was why he offered to buy us breakfast."

"Just like that?" Sakura questioned, looking puzzled. "I mean, he doesn't really know us, does he? And he's a Jounin. Why would he bother with a bunch of Genin?"

Naruto shrugged again, one hand reaching up to rub the back of his head. "I don't know, but-"

"Dobe, stop." Sasuke suddenly ordered, and Naruto instinctively froze as even Sakura was blinking at him with a startled expression on her face. Sasuke studied the smaller boy with careful consideration before murmuring, "He did the exact same thing."

"Er... did what?" Naruto glanced nervously between his two teammates. "Can I put my arm down now?"

Sakura quickly nodded but didn't look away as Naruto dropped his arm back to his side. "Naruto," She said in a hushed voice. "Are you sure you don't know him? Haruki-san rubbed his head like that too."

Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "Lots of people do that, don't they? I mean I'm sure I'm not the only one."

Sasuke and Sakura actually exchanged a look before turning back to the blond. "Yeah," Sasuke agreed carefully. "But the way he does it just gives off the same..." He trailed off, eyes flickering away as he seemed to realize he was taking far too much interest in something unrelated to his training.

Sakura quickly picked up the train of thought from her crush though. "It gives off the same feel," She tried to explain. "I mean, when Haruki-san did it earlier, the action seemed really familiar to me but I didn't make the connection until I saw you do it now. You always rub your head like that."

Naruto frowned but dropped any suspicions easily enough. "Well I've never met him before but I think he's nice. And I don't think he was faking any of it either. I mean, even Sasuke-teme listened to him without pretending not to."

Sasuke twitched before tucking his kunai away and turning in the direction of his home. "Hn, whatever. I'm leaving. Do us all a favour dobe, and don't get tied to anymore tree stumps."

And just like that, everything went back to normal as Sakura rushed after the raven-haired Genin asking for a date with a rising blush in her face, and Naruto scowled after them and went on his own way, deciding to head to Iruka's apartment first to tell the man the good news.

Still hidden in the shadows of the nearby tree, Kakashi ran an absent hand through his hair. Interesting; someone in Konoha knew of his tardiness and more importantly, his tests, someone who had been away from Konoha for the past eight years. Last time he checked, he hadn't been a sensei eight years ago. He paused to consider this. Surely the Sandaime would be willing to tell him something about this Haruki. He checked the sun's position and, deeming himself a sufficient three hours late for reporting back to the Hokage, disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Late, Kakashi. I don't even know why I bother anymore."

Kakashi eye-smiled at the Hokage before whipping out his newest Icha Icha Paradise book. Around him, several of the other Jounin twitched and Kurenai looked ready to deck him. The Hokage just sighed and waved a dismissive hand in the air.

"Alright, now that we're finally all here, tell me whether you passed your teams or not. Team 1!"

"Pass."

"Team 2."

"Pass."

"Team 3."

"Fail."

"Team 4."

"Pass."

"Team 5."

"Fail."

"Team 6."

"Fail."

"Team 7."

"Pass."

Dead silence met this announcement as all the present Jounin turned to stare dubiously at the Copy-nin. Kakashi glanced up from his book, eye scanning the room lazily and a faint smirk became visible behind his mask.

The Hokage only shook his head, a small smile curving his lips as he marked the answer down. He hadn't expected anything less, seeing as Haruki had given no indication that his younger counterpart would fail, but it was still shocking for Kakashi to actually pass a team.

"Team 8."

"Pass."

"Team 9."

"Fail."

"And Team 10."

"Pass."

Sarutobi nodded his approval. The new batch of Genin seemed to show promise. "Very well, missions for your Genin teams will start tomorrow. Dismissed."

The Jounins piled out of the office, some shooting curious glances at Kakashi as the Copy-nin made no move to leave.

"Kakashi," Sarutobi started, some idea of what the man wanted already forming in his mind. "Can I help you with something?"

Kakashi straightened, tucking his book away as he made sure the office door was shut before turning to the Hokage. "Maa, I came across something interesting today."

"Oh?"

"Yes, a man named Haruki. I only got his first name. My students were talking about him. A Jounin recently returning from an eight-year-long mission who knows how my tests work."

Sarutobi forced down the urge to show his amusement, carefully keeping his face neutral as he studied the curiosity flashing in Kakashi's visible eye. "You must mean Kazama Haruki." Sarutobi offered, watching the faint frown pass over the Jounin's brow. "He just returned yesterday from an infiltration mission. He's good at what he does. Getting information on you wouldn't be too hard for him."

Kakashi nodded slowly but added bluntly, "I've never heard of him."

Sarutobi shrugged nonchalantly. "You were ANBU eight years ago, Kakashi. And I didn't exactly announce his mission to the village. He's a quiet man. You might have missed him."

Kakashi nodded again. "Do you know where he is now?"

"Around," Sarutobi voiced vaguely. "I've given him some vacation time. He deserves it. Planning to interrogate him yourself?"

Kakashi had the decency to look sheepish. "Just curious, Hokage-sama. My kids seem quite taken with him. Besides, if he's a fellow Jounin, I'd like to get to know him. Er, what does he look like?"

Sarutobi chuckled. "Look for red hair. You can't miss him." 'Once he returns, of course.' He added mentally.

Kakashi nodded his thanks, sketching a quick salute before disappearing in a swirl of leaves. Sarutobi stared disapprovingly at the pile of foliage now in his office. Really, couldn't they just use the door? It was there for a reason.

A figure slipped unseen over the wall surrounding the shrine, passing by the lax guards placed at the entrance. Red hair tucked neatly away, the black-clad nin quickly sped into the interior of the shrine, pausing only long enough to deactivate the simple seals placed around the small building housing the body of Hyuuga Hizashi.

For someone as hated as the Hyuuga Clan Head's brother, the man really did get quite a resting place. Haruki supposed this had more to do with the fact that they simply wanted to flaunt the fact that they had Hizashi's body while ignoring the fact that they had failed to get their hands on Hyuuga Hiashi. Either way, while the shrine was simple enough, the place was also built quite elegantly, trees planted on either side of the shrine with statues lined up on either side of the path. The red paint coloring the roof was well-maintained as well, and the grass surrounding the shrine was well-kept.

No torches were lit inside the shrine which made Haruki's work that much easier. Reaching the dust-covered coffin in which Hizashi had been laid out, Haruki noted the somewhat complex seal on the lid.

He frowned. This was not the seal he had come across in his former life. That seal had just been placed on the coffin for keeping the corpse from decomposing. A simple enough seal. This one...

Haruki leaned in closer, studying the symbols that made up the seal. When he had retrieved Hizashi's body with Neji in the other timeline, he had been nineteen, seven years from now in this current timeline. Why would the seal on a dead body be different between the two times?

His eyes suddenly focused on the centre of the seal, a swirl of symbols that defined suspended life. Suspended life? The only reason that would be here...

With a mental curse, Haruki silently pulled out a piece of paper, ink, and a brush. He really, really hoped this wasn't what he thought it was. He had worked with Life Suspension Seals before, having come across them when going through Sasori's heart container. He knew how to counter it.

A few minutes later, he slapped the counter seal on top of the coffin. A brief flash of chakra lit the coffin lid before the ink on both seals disappeared. Quietly, Haruki lifted the lid of the coffin, putting it aside carefully before taking a deep breath and looking inside.

He stared. It was official; someone up there seriously hated him.

Impassively, he watched the gentle rise and fall of Hyuuga Hizashi's chest as his mind raced at this new turn of events. The man had clearly been dead when he and Neji had gone to fetch the body. Clearly . Which meant Kumo or someone else had killed the man sometime before Haruki had turned nineteen. He leaned closer and noted the familiar thin scar marring the man's throat, a calculated cut for murdering prisoners. Obviously, they had planned on killing him, someone had figured out what the Hyuuga's curse seal would do once the man was dead, someone else had then managed to save him, and then had Hizashi preserved until they could figure out how to break the curse seal.

Naruto scoffed. He had figured that out by the time he had turned sixteen. Apparently, one had a lot of free time on their hands when infiltrating enemy countries. He had spent an entire year in Iwa and had managed to figure out both the Caged Bird Seal and Orochimaru's curse seal. Not bad for a fifteen-year-old.

But right now, none of those thoughts helped.

On one hand, if he didn't take Hyuuga Hizashi's body back, he would have a guilty conscience for not getting the poor man out while he was still alive, the Hyuuga Clan would be up in arms if they ever found out, Neji would probably want his head on a silver platter if the same thing happened, and he would have no proof of his 'spying' in Kumo for the Council, but (and it was one hell of a but) nothing unexpected would happen in this timeline if he stuck to his plan and retrieved a dead Hyuuga Hizashi and not a live one.

On the other hand, if he did take Hyuuga Hizashi's body back, he would be guilt-free (and Kami knew how much guilt he already had on his shoulders; he didn't need any more), the Hyuuga Clan would be indebted to him for forever and a day, Neji would have his father back, and he would have sufficient proof for the Council, but (and there was a shitload of buts this time) the Hyuuga Clan would never keep quiet about something like this, he had no idea how the Sandaime wanted to play this, Konohagakure would probably regain an age-old enemy out of Kumo before the week was out, another war would start, his purpose for coming back would become null and void, and the timeline would be completely fucked up .

It would be unbelievable what the difference between a dead man and a live one could make if it wasn't currently staring him in the face. Literally.

Kami, he wasn't even being paid for this.

Haruki grimaced, closing his eyes briefly and pinching the bridge of his nose as he debated on his next action. Given his two choices, the logical one would be the first. There was a whole lot less that could go wrong. His mind said option one; too bad his heart said option two.

He breathed deeply, staring down at the comatose Hyuuga again. Neji had once told him a little about his father during one of the rare lulls in the war, when it had just been the two of them holed up in one of the shabby tents set up on the battlefield. Neji had told him how his father had been quite bitter with the main house because of the Caged Bird Seal. But he had later learned from Hiashi that, while he had been angry about this, his father had also taken Hiashi's place during the Hyuuga Affair of his own free will, having forcefully stopped Hiashi from refusing his decision. To Naruto, Hyuuga Hizashi seemed like a good man, and Naruto knew all about how angry one could get over having a seal put on one's self without consent.

Haruki sighed and straightened, quickly drawing up another Life Suspension Seal and unsealing the body clone he had brought along to replace Hizashi. In the end, he was just stalling for time. He had known, from the moment he had realized that the man was still alive, that he would not be leaving without his former - future? - second-in-command's father. Besides, he doubted the Kumo shinobi came regularly to check up on someone the rest of the world thought was dead. With a little chakra manipulation, the body clone was now an exact replica of Hyuuga Hizashi, down to the scar running across his throat, with the exception of the no breathing part.

Gently, Haruki lifted Hizashi from the coffin with minimal difficulty, making sure the simple kimono he was wearing didn't catch on anything and carefully placing the man on the ground against a nearby pillar. While the seal had kept the man alive without food or water, seals like that also didn't work forever and the seal's recipient's health would decline over time. Hizashi was already too thin.

From there, the redhead quickly replaced Hizashi with the body clone, shutting the coffin again and activating the new Life Suspension Seal. The body inside the coffin would still be unanimated since it had never been alive in the first place, but the seal would look like it was working at the very least.

Clearing up any evidence of his presence from the shrine and brushing away the few fingerprints he had imprinted on the coffin, Haruki scanned the room one last time before scooping up the Hyuuga Clan Head's brother and slipping out of the shrine. Again, leaving the shrine was just as easy as getting in, even with an extra burden. Stopping once he reached the mountain pass that would eventually lead him back to Konoha, Haruki paused to consider his options. He couldn't seal the man into a scroll and he really didn't want to use his space-time ninjutsu with a physically fragile man in tow.

Haruki scowled. This seriously put a wrench in his plans. He had been planning on flashing back to the Konoha gates to cut down travel time, getting him back to the village in the promised five days, but now, with a little over a day to get back...

Kurama , you awake?'

Silence, and then a low grumbling growl reverberated in his mind as the fox yawned. 'What do you want, Kit?'

' I need a lift back to Konoha. Got an unexpected passenger.'

Haruki felt the Kyuubi stir in his mindscape. 'Isn't that human supposed to be dead?'

The redhead sighed gloomily. 'I feel like an ass for thinking this but things would be so much simpler if he was.'

The demon fox snorted and then a bright flash of red glowed briefly beside Haruki and Kurama appeared beside him, stretching languidly as he waved his nine tails behind him. 'Hop on, Kit,' The Kyuubi turned one intelligent purple eye on Haruki. 'I'll get you home on time.'

Naruto smiled gratefully before clambering on, settling Hizashi in front of him to make sure the man didn't fall off along the way. Riding Kurama was a lot like flying during a storm after all.

Kakashi found himself with a slight tick over one eye when his Genin team managed to find Tora in record-breaking time. Again. And the record they had broken was their own. From three days ago.

He had no idea what had happened to his team. What had happened to the fangirl and the avenger and the dead-last? Ever since the Genin test, the three seemed to have clicked and Kakashi couldn't be happier that his students were now working well together, better than he could have ever hoped for, but changes like the ones he had observed didn't happen for no reason. While Naruto and Sasuke still argued and Sakura was still violent-prone towards the hyperactive blond, all three seemed content enough to put aside their differences, or at least work with their differences enough to complete all the D-rank missions Kakashi had thrown at them. Whatever the mysterious Haruki had told them before he had arrived the day of the Genin test seemed to have stuck with them and even Sasuke , the so-called avenger and loner of the group, seemed to have put serious consideration in what they had heard.

But it wasn't even the fact that some other Jounin had managed to inspire them to work together and not Kakashi that irked the Copy-nin so much, it was the fact that he couldn't find the man .

He was an ex-ANBU captain for Kami's sake! How hard could it be to find one red-haired Jounin in his own village? And worst of all, he had even gone back to the Sandaime to ask for the redhead's whereabouts, only to be told that what Haruki did in his own time was his business and Sarutobi was not going to drag the man back to work just because Kakashi was dying of equal parts curiosity and paranoia. For the rest of his life, Kakashi would swear blind that his Hokage had been silently laughing at him the entire time.

With a hidden grimace as Naruto bounced up to him, Tora in his somewhat scratched hands and Sakura and Sasuke coming up behind him, Kakashi sighed and nodded. "Alright, good job. Naruto, let Sakura and Sasuke take the cat back to the Daimyo's wife." Before any of them could ask why, the Copy-nin quickly doled out a half-lie, "You returned the cat last time. I want Sakura and Sasuke to do it this time. Make sure to be polite, no matter what happens, understand?"

Sakura nodded quickly enough, happy to spend more time with Sasuke, and took Tora from Naruto, but Sasuke shot him a searching look before glancing at Naruto, eyes speculative even as he turned away. That was another difference. Whatever Haruki had said, Sasuke now seemed to study his two teammates more seriously, and, on several occasions, had already made use of Naruto's Kage Bunshins (the Uchiha had half-suggested, half-ordered Naruto to send his Bunshins to scope out the terrain when Kakashi had set up an obstacle course for them, and then had Naruto disperse them and relate back to the team what traps the Copy-nin had managed to set up) and had also gotten Sakura, with her knowledge of theory and facts, to teach Naruto whenever the blond couldn't quite understand something Kakashi was teaching them. Sometimes, even Sasuke would listen in, his face carefully blank and turned away but a telltale glint of concentration in his eyes nonetheless.

The Uchiha prodigy was cataloging his team's strengths and weaknesses and utilizing them accordingly! Kakashi knew Chuunin and even Jounin who couldn't do what Sasuke was learning to do.

And it wasn't just Sasuke either. Sakura and Naruto had also changed a little. Sakura, though still obviously crushing on Sasuke, seemed better able to concentrate now that the Uchiha was not completely ignoring the pink-haired kunoichi. She was now eating more too, even though the file Kakashi had received from the hokage had mentioned that the girl was on a diet that leaned towards unhealthy. In addition to that, the regular, civil interactions she had with Naruto when Sasuke asked her to explain something to the blond seemed to gain her some toleration towards Naruto as well.

Naruto on the other hand was still just as cheerful, but the confidence that had seemed somewhat forced when Kakashi had first met him on the roof now appeared more genuine. It showed in the way the blond walked through the streets as the civilians threw him dirty looks and whispered behind his back. Sakura and Sasuke had both picked up on this and would always make sure that the blond walked between them, though Kakashi wasn't sure if this was done unconsciously or not. In turn, Naruto held his head a little higher, and his grins were a little more real, the sunny smiles sometimes causing a slight pain in his chest for reasons he wasn't sure of, though that was slowly fading and being replaced by fondness for his bright-haired student. Naruto was also surprisingly gracious when he couldn't do something that his teammates could, as he had seen during the few obstacle courses he had set up one day. Even Sasuke would try something himself and only turned to Naruto or Sakura when he had frustrated himself in trying to do something he obviously couldn't without help. Naruto instinctively trusted his teammates to take care of themselves in the areas they were good at and backed them up when they couldn't.

Kakashi could actually see the beginnings of what could be an amazing team a decade from now. They were still rough around the edges though, still mere children, and far from skilled enough to pull off any real missions outside of the village no matter how well they worked together, not to mention that they still fought a little too much, though Kakashi couldn't actually see that ever going away.

But he could see it. If he squinted and looked hard enough, maybe turn his head a little to the left and tilted it at just the right angle under the mid-afternoon sun, he could make out what they could eventually become. While Sakura was the voice of reason on Naruto's left and Sasuke the shadow guard on the blond Jinchuuriki's right, Naruto would be their centre, bright and shining, and suddenly, in the rare fascinating times Kakashi could see all this, Naruto's dream of becoming Hokage didn't seem all that impossible anymore.

Of course, then Naruto would do something stupid, Sakura would slap him upside the head, and Sasuke would roll his eyes and heave a put-upon sigh at having been stuck on Team 7, and then Kakashi would blink and wonder if he had gone temporarily insane.

But all this, all these changes, in less than a week! Kakashi's curiosity had kept his Genin team out for training for more than the allotted half a day, but none of them seemed to really mind and Kakashi had managed to learn more about his team this way. It was seriously throwing a wrench in his lifestyle. He wasn't even late by more than an hour anymore, sometimes even less, and, while he usually had his book out in front of him, more often than not, he was observing his team instead.

Which brought him back to the fact that he still couldn't find the man responsible. Kakashi had even dropped by Naruto's apartment building at odd times, though only in passing since waiting for the man outside his apartment was borderline creepy, even for him, and the Copy-nin had drawn the line at outright stalking. But since the Sandaime wasn't inclined to help him and his fellow Jounins were worse than useless since none of them seemed to know Kazama Haruki, Kakashi was now stooping down to drill his blond student. Surely Naruto, who lived next to the man, could give him a hand. (In some part of his mind that Kakashi was adept at ignoring since he had more than his fair share of odd quirks, a voice was cheerfully informing him that his so-called curiosity was quickly becoming an unhealthy obsession and that perhaps he should head over to the hospital for a mental check-up. Like everything else that voice told him, Kakashi ignored it.)

"Naruto," Kakashi started casually. "Do you know where Kazama-san is?" He wasn't sure how old the red-haired Jounin was but Sarutobi talked about Haruki the same way he talked to Kakashi so the Copy-nin assumed they were at least around the same age.

"Somewhere around, I guess. Haruki-san is kinda quiet so he probably likes spending some time alone." Blue eyes blinked innocently up at him throughout the blond's answer. Kakashi was instantly suspicious. For one, he had seen the Hokage himself fold like wet paper when Naruto batted those eyes at him, and for another, Naruto had said almost the exact same thing the Hokage had told him on more than one occasion.

"Really," Kakashi crossed his arms. He supposed it wasn't really fair to seem intimidating but it wasn't as if it actually worked. All three of his Genins seemed immune to his posturing after that first day.

But Naruto only grinned up at him, an excited gleam entering his eyes as he almost bounced on the spot. "Really! You can even stop by our apartment building tonight! You'll probably see him then. I can introduce you!"

Kakashi blinked. This was not what he had been expecting. Naruto was actually giving him a time when the redhead would actually be present. Maybe he should've asked the blond earlier?

"Well okay then," Kakashi quickly eye-smiled at his student and whipped out his book to hide his sudden confusion. He was sure he was missing something here. "I'll swing by at around eight okay?"

Naruto nodded before waving goodbye and bouncing off in the direction of his favorite ramen stand. Kakashi sighed and almost slapped himself with his book. Seriously, he felt like he was completely out of the loop here.

But he wanted to meet this Kazama Haruki. He wanted to know what kind of man could influence a bunch of kids so much with only a few choice words.

'Thanks for the lift, Kurama. I can take it from here.'

The demon fox nodded distractedly, eyeing the village they could just see beyond a thick crop of trees. 'I don't see it,' The Kyuubi finally decided. 'I have no idea what you see in that village. Humans. Emotional lot, all of you.'

And with that said, the fox disappeared with a swish of his tails, reappearing in Haruki's mindscape and promptly settling down for another nap. Haruki huffed in amusement but paid the fox no mind. A demon just didn't see things the same way humans did.

Adjusting his grip on Hyuuga Hizashi, Haruki quickly summoned a small yellow fox without using seals. "Go to Sarutobi-sama." He ordered. "Tell him that I've finished but some complications have risen and I need a private audience. Tell him to use the seal once his office is cleared."

The fox dipped her head in acknowledgement before loping off in the direction of the village. Mere minutes later, Haruki felt a faint tug in his mind and he stepped without hesitation to the Sandaime's location, tightening his hold on Hizashi. A shorter distance was better when he travelled with an unconscious person in tow.

Appearing in the office, Haruki looked up to find a frozen Sarutobi staring at the man Haruki was carrying with deceiving placidity. Several seconds ticked by and the redhead waited patiently for the Sandaime to pull himself together.

"Oh dear," Sarutobi finally managed faintly.

Haruki snorted, glancing around and walking over to the couch in the side office to put Hizashi down. "Yeah, understatement old man."

Sarutobi sighed, walking over to stand beside him. "This really is Hyuuga Hizashi?"

"Yup," Haruki pulled off the bandana that had kept his hair out of sight. "Startled the hell out of me too. In my time, Neji and I went to get him and he was very much dead, but I was nineteen at the time. The seal from that time was different too. It was just a Body Stasis Seal. The seal I came across yesterday was a Life Suspension Seal."

"And you managed to break it?" A note of amazement rang in the older Hokage's voice.

Haruki smirked just a little, a thrum of pride warming his heart. "I'm a Fuuinjutsu Master, old man. I'm better than Raiya."

Sarutobi smiled warmly up at him, noticeable pride glowing on the old man's features and Naruto found himself smiling back just a little. This man's opinion had always been important to him, even after he had died.

"So what should we do now?" Haruki cleared his throat a little, stepping away. He wasn't too used to private emotional moments and too much time actually part of one made him uncomfortable.

Sarutobi hmm'ed thoughtfully, tactfully ignoring the slightly embarrassed shift in Haruki's expression. "Well, the Hyuuga Clan will have to be notified. You replaced Hizashi-san with the clone?"

Haruki inclined his head, arms crossed in front of him. "I did, and I replaced the Life Suspension Seal as well. So long as no one opens the coffin and examines it too closely, the switch should go by unnoticed. At least until one of those Kumo-nins get it into their heads that they might know how to get rid of the Caged Bird Seal without killing the man and the Raikage lets them."

Sarutobi shot him a speculative glance. "Do you?"

Haruki smiled thinly. "I can get rid of any seal, old man."

The Sandaime's eyes widened. "Even Orochimaru's curse seal?"

Haruki's face darkened. "Especially Orochimaru's curse seal."

Sarutobi stared for a moment longer before shaking his head fondly. "You've grown up well, Haruki-kun."

Haruki shrugged. "Circumstances, old man. Circumstances and necessity."

The Hokage only nodded this time, understanding without asking. "Well, we won't be able to keep this a secret for very long. Kumo only asked for Hiashi-san's body though and then eventually settled for Hizashi-san's body. There were no terms for a prisoner. We could use that to our advantage."

"War, old man," Haruki reminded, running a hand over tired eyes. "We don't want war."

Sarutobi nodded in agreement, eyes briefly showing concern at the desolation in the redhead's voice. "Of course not. We would need some legitimate way to place Hizashi-san back in Konoha without alerting them to the fact that Konoha managed to send someone into Kumo for his body."

Haruki absently unsealed his Jounin vest from a scroll and tugged it on, eyes distant as his mind recalled all those strategy sessions he and Shikamaru had sat through, suggesting tactic after tactic, building on them, perfecting them. An idea formed in his mind and Haruki looked back at Sarutobi who, to his credit, had stayed patiently silent as Haruki took a trip down memory lane.

"Ah," Haruki rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry. I have an idea. What if we say that the Life Suspension Seal had been weakened with time? The coffin was covered in dust so it's obvious no one's poked around there for a while. We could say that Hizashi-san managed to escape because the Seal's hold on him slipped enough for him to get out. I could go back to Kumo and blow the shrine sky high. I'll leave some evidence of a faded Life Suspension Seal lying in the wreckage before making my way back to Konoha. We could say Hizashi-san blew up the place. I mean a disoriented man waking up inside a box is hardly ideal for anyone. He would try to get himself out and he could claim temporary selective memory loss. The mountains in Kaminari no Kuni are distinctive and he would've realized where he was and, not remembering much of anything, immediately set out for home. That could place him in Konoha without us ever having to lift a finger. Konoha finds out, the shit hits the fan, and Kumo has no room for deniability this time around. You said so yourself: a prisoner was not the deal we made with Kumo. We get Hizashi-san back, Kumo can't declare war on us, and we'll have total control of the entire situation. This will also solve the problem between me and the Council. In my time, it took a while to find out where Hizashi-san's body was hidden. Eight years in Kumo is sufficient time to find out, and long enough for a less-than-average seal's power to decline enough for someone to break through."

Dead silence met him as Haruki finished and the redhead blinked at the almost slack expression on Sarutobi's face. The man looked slightly dumbfounded and seemed to be trying to find the right words. Luckily, another voice cut in before Haruki started worrying about shock.

"I agree with this plan."

The voice came from the couch and both of them started, snapping their heads to stare into distinctive Byakugan eyes. Hizashi's voice had been gravelly with misuse, but still steady as he gazed straight at Haruki.

Haruki froze, immediately wondering how long the man had been awake. He had been stupid; all ninjas were trained to be able to go from unconscious to conscious without any visible signs. He should have made sure.

"Haruki-san, was it?"

Haruki tensed under the Hyuuga's contemplative gaze. "How long have you been awake?" He asked stiffly.

Hizashi slowly shifted into a sitting position. "Long enough to gather that you seem to be at least acquaintances with a version of my son old enough to infiltrate Kumogakure."

An uncomfortable silence settled over the three of them and Haruki idly wondered if he could whack the Hyuuga over the head hard enough to actually give him memory loss. Then again, he doubted the Hokage would be very happy about it.

"I will not pursue this issue any further," Hizashi suddenly interrupted his thoughts. "Nor will I repeat anything I have heard today to anyone else. It is the very least I can do for the man who seems to have saved my life."

Haruki blinked at this unexpected turn, studying Hizashi's face for any sign of deceit before glancing at Sarutobi. The Sandaime was smiling faintly. It seemed neither of them believed the Hyuuga to be lying.

Haruki grunted and shrugged, backing away into the comfort of the shadows before moving into the side kitchen and out of sight of the other two occupants of the office. He had gotten used to staying hidden whenever he could back during the war. The habit would probably never leave him.

"Well then, moving on," Sarutobi finally spoke, ignoring the slight tension in the air mostly caused by the redhead. "Hizashi-san, how do you feel?"

Hiashi shifted a little, testing his limbs as he clenched and unclenched his hands. "Stiff, but that will go away soon enough. May I trouble you for a cup of water, Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi immediately nodded but Haruki was already moving back into the room, a cup of water in one hand. Wordlessly, he handed it to the Hyuuga before backing away, glancing back into the kitchen as Sarutobi and Hizashi realized that they could hear water beginning to boil.

Hizashi nodded slowly in thanks, studying the redhead half-hidden in shadows with puzzled curiosity. The man didn't give off an unapproachable aura, and when he had woken up halfway back to Konoha on the flying fox, Haruki's hold on him had been careful and protective. Now the man just seemed uneasy, as if he wasn't sure what to do with Hizashi now that Hizashi knew.

And yes, he knew. He had picked up enough to realize this was the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, and last time he had checked, Uzumaki Naruto had been the vessel, and should only be, by all means, eight years older than the last time he had glimpsed the boy. He suspected that the red hair was a henge, though he couldn't detect anything.

Hizashi had also figured out that this man was most likely from the future, or at least a parallel universe, not that he was an expert on the subject. And the casual way he had mentioned his son's name, even in passing, held a certain quality of warm affection and Hizashi had no doubt that the two had been friends.

He could tell that this man was powerful too. A Fuuinjutsu Master, and an excellent strategist if the plan the man had spun on the spot was anything to go by.

Studying the redhead carefully, Hizashi frowned at the exhaustion he could see in the tense line of the man's shoulders, a fatigue that he doubted was from his so-called mission to Kumo. Eyes far too old for such a young man confirmed that. And the way Haruki had mentioned war earlier, the deep disgust and grieving sorrow mixed together to form the word could only have come from a war veteran far too used to blood and death.

But he had also felt the innate kindness in the redhead when the man had carried him home, had seen the absolute trust the Sandaime had in Haruki, and the instinctive attentiveness Haruki possessed when he had guessed what Hizashi had wanted before he had even asked for it.

The kettle suddenly sounded and the redhead was already moving, a flash of crimson fire amongst the shadows. The kettle cut off and the sound of cupboards opening and closing reached their ears. A minute later, Haruki was back, ramen in one hand and a fork in the other. Hizashi's eyebrows rose. The redhead had even caught the fact that there was no way his fingers would have enough dexterity to use chopsticks at the moment.

"Thank you," Hizashi spoke aloud this time, hoping to allay some of the worried anxiety flashing in the man's blue gaze by showing his own sincere gratitude.

The redhead studied him for a moment, blue eyes piercing before the intensity disappeared and a softer look replaced the earlier tension in Haruki's features. "You're welcome." The redhead huffed a little, the slightest hint of embarrassment showing on his face and Hizashi caught a glimpse of the blond boy this man had grown up from.

Sarutobi, watching this exchange, tried not to let his amusement show. Really, first Kakashi, and now Hizashi. Haruki was reeling people in without even being aware of it.

"Alright, back to the plan," Sarutobi drew their attention back to him as he turned to Haruki. "It's an excellent plan. There are a few parts that will have to be smoothed out but overall, since Hizashi-san has agreed, we can work with it."

Haruki nodded once in acknowledgement and Sarutobi turned back to Hizashi. "For now, Hizashi-san will have to stay here. No one comes into my office and the seals on the doors hide any chakra signals anybody give off once I activate them. Is that alright?"

Hizashi nodded as well and Sarutobi turned once more to Haruki. "Good work, Haruki-kun. Go home and get some rest. I'll have one of my ANBU go get you when the Council convenes. You'll want to be present?"

"Yes," Haruki ran a hand through his hair, adjusting his Jounin vest as he got ready to leave. "There is also another matter I want to speak to you about but it can wait until tomorrow, much as I don't like the idea. Right now, I suppose you'll want to move fast."

"Indeed." Sarutobi agreed, already grinning. "And Haruki-kun? You might want to prepare yourself for a visit from Kakashi very soon. He's been running all over the village looking for you since you left five days ago."

Haruki eyed the Hokage dubiously. "Kakashi? Why?"

Sarutobi shrugged. "You seem to have made quite an impact on his Genin team. He wants to meet you but it's been quite entertaining watching him looking for someone who hasn't even been here the entire time. I haven't seen him work so hard in a long time."

Haruki snorted, rolling his eyes. "Great. Not only is he a pervert, Kakashi's turned into a stalker. Just my luck."

With one last shake of his head, the redhead nodded at Hizashi, who had managed to stand, if somewhat unsteadily, and had sketched a respectful bow, the slightest of smiles on his face when he straightened up again. "Thank you again, Haruki-san."

Haruki flashed him the briefest of smiles, something on his face relaxing before he turned to Sarutobi again and sketched his own salute. With a wave, the redhead disappeared and the remaining occupants could just catch the sound of Haruki's foot pushing off from the windowsill of the outer office.

"He's an interesting man," Hizashi commented after a short pause, sitting down again and picking up his ramen.

"Yes," Sarutobi agreed genially. "He has been great once, and there is no doubt in my mind that he will be great again, whether or not he wishes to be so."

Fuuton: Go-Dankaitsu Hoshi no Mori – Wind Release: Lance of the Five-Point Star

Chapter Text

Chapter 3 – Interlude: An Evening of Introductions

"Welcome home, Haruki-san!"

Blinking tiredly, Haruki turned to see a familiar blond bound up to him, blue eyes wide, a bright smile already splitting his features. Only the faintest traces of uncertainty lurked just under the surface of that expression, and that too quickly dissipated when Haruki openly smiled down at the boy.

"Hello duckling, I didn't expect to see you so soon. Did you pass your Genin test?"

Naruto beamed up at him. "Yup! Kakashi-sensei wanted us to learn teamwork but we didn't know that at first and we all tried to attack him to get the bells 'cuz that's what we had to do to pass the test before lunch but none of us could and then I was tied to a tree stump-"

Haruki reached out and ruffled the boy's hair as Naruto broke off for air. "Breathe, Naruto-kun. What happened next?"

Naruto grinned sheepishly up at him but quickly launched back into the story. "So I was tied to the tree stump as punishment while Sasuke and Sakura-chan got to eat the lunches. Sensei told them they couldn't feed me and then he left but he came back and passed us when Sasuke and Sakura-chan gave me some of their lunches!" The blond frowned a little and peered curiously up at the redhead. "He told us that those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum. He passed us because the three of us stuck up for each other. How did you know he would?"

Haruki's smile faded, absently withdrawing his hand. Perhaps he had revealed a little too much that day. "I didn't really," He spoke carefully. "But teams can't work well together without teamwork. Most senseis would want to see their Genin team have some ability in working together."

Naruto still looked a little puzzled but his expression cleared in the next moment, accepting this explanation easily. "Well I think what you said before you left really helped. Sasuke-teme's being less of a teme and Sakura-chan is being nicer to me. But Kakashi-sensei gets this weird look on his face sometimes," The blond frowned in concentration and somehow managed to look confused and ticked off at the same time. He also looked a bit like he had been concussed and Haruki neatly tucked away the amusement threatening to make itself known. "And he's only been around an hour late every day!"

Haruki considered this for a moment. Had he really made that much of a difference? He had only said a few words, but if Kakashi had taken notice of this to the extent that even Naruto had noticed Kakashi's interest, and Sarutobi had even warned him that he would most likely be accosted by the Copy-nin sometime soon, then the team dynamics of Team 7 must have really changed.

All the better, Haruki decided, running a hand through his hair. Team 7 needed to create strong bonds before the Chuunin Exams, especially Sasuke.

"Well, maybe I'll see your sensei around soon," Haruki replied aloud. "He sounds... interesting. I'd like to meet him."

That wasn't actually the entire truth. The last time he had seen Hatake Kakashi had been over two years ago on the battlefield. The man had eventually been overwhelmed by enemy forces where he had been stationed and his Sharingan had burned out. He had fallen at the hands of Madara himself but not before taking down an entire encampment of Oto-nin single-handedly. Kakashi had died in his arms and his last words to Haruki while choking on his own blood had been an apology for failing to save the redhead's Genin team. Kakashi's death had hit Konoha hard and Haruki even harder. The Copy-nin had died with regrets and Haruki had lost another of the handful of people he had been particularly close to. To see him now, alive and healthy and still unmarred by the bloodiest war in all of shinobi history, but not his Kakashi, would hurt. This Kakashi didn't know him, didn't trust him, not like his time's Kakashi whom he had been able to talk to and confide in and vice versa.

In front of him, Naruto was already nodding enthusiastically. "Sensei will be coming by tonight! For some reason, he really wants to meet you."

Haruki frowned. "I guess that's alright." He allowed reluctantly. "But I should probably get some rest now. I haven't slept in days. What time is he coming?"

Naruto rocked back on his heels. "Um, he said eight. I don't know if that means he's actually going to arrive at eight though."

Haruki considered this before shrugging and moving to his apartment door. "Doesn't matter. I'll be up before then. Just knock on my door when he gets here, alright?"

Naruto nodded, unlocking his own apartment. "Sure. You must be tired after your mission. Sorry for keeping you out here."

Haruki waved a dismissive hand as he stepped into his apartment. "Don't worry about it, duckling. I'll see you later."

He smiled at the wave he received in return before closing the door behind him and stifling a yawn. He didn't really want to sleep; he hadn't wanted to sleep for a long time but he had felt tired for just as long. He couldn't physically remember the last time his body had been free of the heavy weariness that insisted on making itself at home in his very bones.

With a heavy sigh, Haruki tossed his scrolls on the coffee table and placed his shuriken, kunai, and katana aside. Not bothering to change out of his ninja wear or make the trip to the bedroom, the redhead simply dropped onto the couch, throwing an arm over his eyes but making sure he would still have a clear view of the front door. A short nap should be alright. If he was lucky, the nightmares would leave him alone for a little while.

"Hokage-sama, you wished to speak to me?"

Sarutobi glanced up with a smile as Hyuuga Hiashi stepped into the office, quietly closing the door behind him. The Sandaime quickly activated the privacy seals before standing and coming out from around his desk.

"I did," Sarutobi nodded. "I will get right to the point as we may be short on time. You recall the Hyuuga Affair nine years ago, of course?"

Hiashi's already-stony countenance shuttered completely. "Of course." The affirmation was clipped and cold but Sarutobi paid it no mind.

"Eight years ago," The Sandaime continued carefully. He and Hizashi had worked out an abridged version of the recent events before summoning Hiashi to the Tower. "I sent a spy to Kumo to make sure nothing like it would ever happen again. A week ago, that spy came back, bringing with him some very startling news."

Hiashi stiffened at this. "Will Kumo try again?"

Sarutobi quickly shook his head in the negative. "No, no, it isn't that. It seems Kumo has been keeping a secret of great magnitude from the rest of the world and, after my spy relayed the information to me, I sent him back out to retrieve that secret. He has just returned with him earlier today." He paused here, glancing at his private office. "I believe showing you would be best. Hizashi-san?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Sarutobi watched the Hyuuga Clan Head freeze, eyes widening when the small office's door opened and Hizashi stepped out, face calm but an almost amused gleam in his eyes, mixed with a healthy amount of concern as the two brothers stared at each other.

"It has been a while, Nii-san." Hizashi hesitated when Hiashi made no move to even speak, only continuing to stare at him, his face having paled considerably. The younger twin glanced wryly at the Hokage. "Perhaps you should have told him first, after all."

Sarutobi shrugged unrepentantly. He rarely ever saw any of the stiff clan heads acting out of character and he needed his own way of keeping himself entertained, Hokage or no.

"Nii-san, it's me. Are you alright?" Hizashi stepped closer and Hiashi finally seemed to pull himself together, rounding on the Hokage with a mixture of confusion and anger blazing in his eyes.

"What is the meaning of this, Hokage-sama?" The Clan Head bit out, jaw tight. "This is not my brother. Hizashi died nine years ago!"

Sarutobi raised his hand in a calming gesture and briefly considered calling Haruki back to explain but decided against it. The redhead was still too thin in his eyes and the shadows that he had seen on the man's face when Haruki first arrived had only deepened. He hoped some rest would do him good. "Hiashi-san, I assure you, this is your brother. My spy happens to be adept at Fuuinjutsu and has assured me that the coffin your brother was found in had a Life Suspension Seal placed on it. He managed to break the seal and bring Hizashi-san back safely only hours ago. Kumo managed to save your brother's life after realizing what the Caged Bird Seal would do upon his death and has kept him alive but unconscious ever since while letting the rest of the world believe him to be dead."

Hiashi took this in with a heavy frown as he glanced between Sarutobi and his brother. Seeing this, Hizashi stepped forward again and bared his throat, letting the older of the two see the obvious scar marring his skin. "I am real, Nii-san," Hizashi reassured softly. "And I am back."

Hiashi continued staring at his twin, eyeing the scar before glancing at the curse seal that, without a Hitai-ate, stood out clearly on Hizashi's forehead. The Clan Head almost stumbled forward a step, unable to look away as if mesmerized. "What was the last thing you asked me to do before you took my place nine years ago?" The man's voice was nearly a whisper.

Hizashi smiled ever-so-slightly. "I asked you to tell Neji why I chose to take your place." He paused in thought. "Though knowing you, you probably have not done so out of some sort of misplaced guilt-"

He was cut off suddenly when Hiashi did stumble forward this time, one hand hovering in front of his younger twin as if afraid that touching him would prove everything to be nothing but a genjutsu. Mere seconds later, the hand reached out and closed tightly around Hizashi's arm, dragging the startled man into a desperate hug.

Several feet away, Sarutobi turned to look out the window to give the two men some semblance of privacy. A smile broke out on his face; it had been a long time since Hiashi had shown any outward emotion. He ignored the quiet murmurs behind him as the two Hyuugas exchanged words and went over the plan in his head instead.

The sound of someone politely clearing their throat behind him caused Sarutobi to turn back, his smile lingering when he saw Hiashi standing with his hands at his side once more, Hizashi a half-step beside him. Both were composed again though far more relaxed and an invisible weight seemed to have been lifted from the Hyuuga Clan Head's shoulders.

"Could you please explain the circumstances, Hokage-sama?" Hiashi restarted, voice somehow warmer while still retaining the neutral formality he typically used.

Sarutobi nodded, moving back around his desk. "Obviously, the fact that I sent one of my shinobi into Kumo cannot be revealed. My spy came up with a plan that should cover this truth and we, Hizashi-san and I, believe that this is the version we should give the Council."

Quickly, Sarutobi recounted the plan Haruki had come up with, smoothing over the rougher parts. "Hizashi-san will slip back outside the village perhaps five to six days after Haruki-kun is finished. If we time it correctly, no one will suspect anything."

Hiashi mulled this over silently when Sarutobi finished, glancing briefly at his brother again as he had been every two minutes since Hizashi had shown himself. The other two occupants of the room politely pretended not to notice, though Hizashi made the effort to stare back reassuringly whenever Hiashi looked over.

"It is a good plan," Hiashi admitted before glancing around the office. "Where is this spy now?"

"I dismissed him for the day," Sarutobi revealed. "He deserves the rest."

"What is his name?" Hiashi persisted.

"Kazama Haruki," Hizashi provided helpfully. "A Jounin."

Hiashi frowned. "I have never heard of him."

Sarutobi quickly took over again when Hizashi shot a subtle glance at him. "Haruki-kun hasn't been back in Konoha in eight years and before that, he was one of the newer Jounins. All his reports to me have been through his summons. But he showed an aptitude for infiltration so I sent him into Kumo on this long-term mission. I've personally erased his files so he wouldn't be traced back to Konoha if he were ever caught. As it is, he's done a wonderful job and even brought back an important figure of our village."

Hiashi tilted his head thoughtfully, looking between his brother and the Hokage as if suspecting something, but Sarutobi kept his face bland and Hizashi blinked calmly back at his brother. The Clan Head accepted this knowledge with a simple nod after a moment though Sarutobi had a hidden suspicion that Hiashi didn't entirely believe the story he had spun.

"Very well," Hiashi continued without giving voice to any thoughts he had on the matter. "If you believe this to be the best course of action, I will accept this plan. I assume Hizashi will stay here in the meantime?"

Sarutobi nodded, mildly relieved. Hiashi was on the Council and he might have been inclined to inform at least a few other members or decide that revenge against Kumo immediately would be the best course of action.

As if sensing his thoughts, Hiashi elaborated after a contemplative moment, "You have said that this plan was suggested by Kazama-san. I will not accuse you of anything Hokage-sama but there is something not quite right about your description of this spy. I keep an eye on all shinobi above Genin level and I have never heard of this man in my life. But it seems as if you feel he needs to be protected from the Council, and while this plan gives Konoha an upper hand against Kumogakure, it also conveniently gives Kazama-san a concrete standing in Konoha. If this is so, I will abide by this plan."

Sarutobi stared back at Hiashi impassively, a glimmer of well-hidden curiosity prompting him to question, "If this were true, you would not question Haruki-kun?"

Hiashi arched an eyebrow. "Hokage-sama, you seem to place quite a lot of trust in this Kazama-san." He paused and Sarutobi inclined his head in agreement. "That would be my only concern. If you trust that he would not bring any harm to this village, then who am I to call out the man who has given me back my brother?"

Sarutobi blinked, understanding flashing through him as he nodded thoughtfully. Hiashi now considered himself indebted to Haruki. He wondered what the redhead would think of that. Having a Clan Head and essentially an entire Clan standing behind you could be a powerful weapon.

"Alright then," Sarutobi spoke briskly now, nodding to his side office. "If you wish, you could use my office to... catch up on recent years."

Both Hyuugas bowed quietly, Hizashi quirking a wry smile at him before both brothers disappeared into the office, the door shutting behind them and their chakra signals disappearing instantly. Sarutobi deactivated the privacy seals but did not summon his ANBU back in as he settled down to work again. He decided to call Haruki back tomorrow. The situation wasn't so desperate that he would need to send the redhead back out when he had just come home.

Naruto perked up when a knock sounded. He glanced at the plastic clock on the kitchen wall. Huh. His sensei was only half an hour late. He was sure this was some sort of record.

"Hi sensei!" Naruto greeted as he opened his door. Kakashi eye-smiled at him but glanced distractedly next door and the blond wanted to snicker. Why was his sensei so hung-up on talking to Haruki?

"Haruki-san was taking a nap," Naruto announced as he stepped out of his apartment, closing the door behind him before making his way to his neighbour's apartment. "But he told me to knock when you came over."

Kakashi accepted this without a word, standing behind him in his usual slouch as Naruto knocked on the door. There was a moment of silence before muffled footsteps approached and the sound of a lock clicking open was heard and the door swung open.

Immediately, Kakashi stiffened from his place behind his student as his eye met a pair of clear cerulean. The man had the red hair he had been looking out for and he had high cheekbones and a deceptively delicate facial structure that seemed distantly familiar to him but it was the eyes that drew his attention in the end.

A pair of blue, blue eyes, a mix of sky and ocean that Kakashi had only ever seen on one other person.

"Sensei?"

Kakashi blinked and glanced down, breaking eye-contact with the other Jounin to stare inquiringly at his student even as his mind raced. Even Naruto's eyes weren't quite that shade though Kakashi supposed that could change when he grew up. Haruki had a shock of red hair that reached past his shoulders but why was Kakashi's first impression of the man a jolting reminder of Namikaze Minato?

"Sensei, this is Kazama Haruki," Naruto introduced proudly, and Kakashi absently noted that the blond had probably never had the opportunity to introduce anyone before. "Haruki-san, this is Kakashi-sensei, the one I told you about."

A slightly stilted silence descended on them as Naruto looked between the two in confusion. In contrast, Kakashi was caught up in that blue gaze again, but this time, now that the shock had died somewhat, he could see several differences between Haruki and his former sensei. Haruki had a more slender build. He was by no means feminine-looking but the redhead's muscles were subtly defined under his ninja uniform instead of the more solid build Minato had had. Kakashi thought the man should've been tanner as well since the current paleness of his skin didn't quite seem to suit him and leaned towards unhealthy, especially with the faint bags under Haruki's eyes that one could only see upon closer observation. The eye color was the only similarity to Minato that Kakashi could see at the moment, though now that he looked more closely into them, he could see the dark, haunted shadows lurking in them that not even his sensei had had after the war. Haruki was Kakashi's age. What had he seen that would leave darkness like that in his eyes? Who was this man?

"Hatake-san?"

The soft tenor snapped him out of his scrutiny and Kakashi instinctively sent an eye-smile at the other Jounin. "Kazama-san, I'm Naruto's sensei, as I'm sure you've heard. I heard you were talking to my cute students and they seemed to take you word to heart so I wanted to meet you."

Haruki studied him for a moment, head tilting in a considering movement as he leaned against the doorframe. "Are you angry?"

Kakashi blinked. Did he seem angry? He was honestly just curious about the redhead. He sighed inwardly. This was what he got for trying to be straightforward. He should just return to being himself. No doubt, it would tick the other man off in no time. With that thought, he whipped out his orange book, ignoring the groan from Naruto as he flipped it open without reservation. "No, no." He assured cheerfully as he focused on his precious Icha Icha. "Just curious."

A long silence followed and Kakashi could see Naruto face-palming over the top of his book. He could also feel Haruki's stare on him and he glanced up to make sure he hadn't scarred the man too much. Again, he was surprised and could only blink when he caught sight of the definitely fond smile playing on Haruki's lips, a touch of wistfulness now lingering in his eyes.

"It's nice to meet you," Haruki offered when he saw that he had Kakashi's full, if somewhat bewildered, attention again. The redhead glanced down at Naruto and reached out to ruffle his hair. "I've boiled water for ramen. Would the two of you like to join me?"

Naruto brightened immediately and nodded enthusiastically. Haruki only smiled again and stepped aside to let the blond in. He glanced questioningly at the Copy-nin and Kakashi, after a moment of contemplation, nodded. He wasn't in the habit of accepting dinner invitations from near-strangers but there was something soothing about this man's aura that should've put him on alert but only served to relax him instead. Plus, he had wanted to find out more about this man and there really was no better time than the present.

Three quarters of an hour later had both Haruki and Kakashi staring with slightly morbid fascination as Naruto downed his seventeenth bowl of instant ramen. "Aah! I'm full!" The blond finally announced, sitting back as he set down the now-empty bowl.

"Finally." "You sure you don't want one more?"

Haruki and Kakashi glanced at each other, exchanging looks of wry amusement as Naruto pouted at them. In the span of forty-five minutes, the two adults had fallen into a quiet sort of camaraderie, exchanging casual words now and then but comfortable when silence fell between them as they listened to Naruto babble about his training in between slurps of ramen.

Kakashi didn't think he had ever taken to anyone so quickly, not even Minato, but the redhead didn't seem to mind his reading material when he brought it out for a while during the meal, nor did he seem at all offended when Kakashi pulled his 'I was reading and I was definitely listening to you but I'm going to pretend I wasn't just to piss you off' routine after Haruki had questioned him on his reasons for being late all the time. Instead, Haruki had only nodded as if Kakashi had actually told the man that he didn't want to talk about it and had promptly done as he wished and changed the subject.

But what confused Kakashi the most were the expressions on the redhead's face when Haruki thought the Copy-nin wasn't looking. When he was supposedly immersed in his Icha Icha, sometimes, out of the corner of his eye, he would see flashes of emotion cross the other Jounin's face. A wistful sort of affection several times, even a desperate kind of fear on occasion, and once, the one that alarmed the Copy-nin more than any of the other expressions, a deep, grieving sorrow when Kakashi had commented offhandedly that he would rather go down fighting than spend any time in a hospital surrounded by nurses who didn't even have the decency to let him keep his reading material while he was there. It had been a joke really, after Naruto had wondered aloud whether or not it would bore him to death if he ever had to spend time in the hospital after a mission. Haruki had flinched minutely at this as if he had been struck and Kakashi had found himself hastily steering the conversation away after that.

"Haruki-san, Team 7 took a photo the other day!" Naruto was now saying, already on his feet. "Do you want to see?"

The faint half-smile that was already becoming familiar to Kakashi appeared on the redhead's face. "Sure. Why don't you go get it while I clear the table?"

"'Kay!" The blond scratched his head for a second before smiling sheepishly up at Haruki. "It might take a while. I haven't gotten a picture frame for it yet so I put it somewhere in my room. Be back soon!" With that said, the boy scampered out of the kitchen, his full stomach doing nothing to slow him down.

As Haruki stood up to gather the empty plastic bowls of instant ramen, Kakashi rose as well and pulled over the garbage can before giving the man a hand. Haruki looked faintly surprised but nodded a silent thanks instead, and the two worked in silence until the table was cleared.

"So what did you say to my students?" Kakashi asked when they moved into the sitting room. He noted the Jounin vest thrown over the back of the couch on one end and quickly took the other side of the couch, taking in the katana leaning against the wall in one corner of the room.

Haruki shrugged, sitting down as well. "Nothing special. I told them to work together. That working as a team would make them stronger and that being able to use your teammates' strengths and being able to cover for their weaknesses, as well as letting them do the same for you in return is a testament to how strong you are." His eyes grew distant. "I told them that pride and arrogance had no place on a team if it got in the way of protecting your teammates. That those would just be weaknesses in the end."

Kakashi stared at the redhead until Haruki actually turned to stare back. The Copy-nin wondered idly if Haruki had Sasuke in mind when he had given that last piece of advice.

"You'd make a good sensei," He finally said, not bothering to hide the respect in his voice at the obvious sincerity that had been in Haruki's words. He didn't expect the frown that appeared after he spoke.

"I wouldn't," The redhead voiced with quiet certainty. He seemed about to say something else before suddenly closing his mouth again, eyes sharpening, and in the sudden silence, the two Jounins heard a faint crash of broken glass next door.

Haruki was on his feet and at his door in a flash, Kakashi only a step behind him. Outside, Naruto's door was open and jeering voices could be heard. A sharp crack of skin on skin reached their ears.

"Got some new things since we last visited, eh demon? Trash like you shouldn't waste space like this. It's too good for you. You don't deserve to get your murdering hands on such good merchandise." The man who had spoken bent down to pick up a plate off the ground that hadn't broken yet. He was just about to throw it when steel-like fingers curled around his wrist and, in one decisive twist, broke it without effort. The man screamed, plate slipping from his hand only to be neatly caught as the intruder spun around, clutching his arm and backing up to stand with the other two that had come with him. "You bast-!"

The words died in his throat, air freezing in his lungs when he met an icy gaze, pinning all three men in place with cold efficiency.

Behind Haruki, Kakashi quickly moved to the blond crouching wide-eyed in a corner of the apartment, an ugly bruise already blossoming on one cheek. With his lips set in a thin line behind his mask, the Copy-nin crouched down beside his student, doing a quick scan for any other injuries and breathing a small sigh of relief when he found none. Seeing Naruto's attention completely focused on his red-haired neighbour, Kakashi too turned back to Haruki, staring dispassionately at the three intruders cowering in front of the redhead. He couldn't quite bring himself to pity them.

Haruki was currently exuding a frigid rage, tightly reigned in, but curiously enough, his body was still relaxed. Moving Naruto to the side, Kakashi just managed to catch a glimpse of the redhead's face and had to suppress a shudder. While Haruki's visage remained deadly still, it was the eyes that seemed to bring the most fear to the men in front of him. Unforgiving and ruthless, the usual cerulean had darkened to a near-twilight blue, almost demonic in its nature.

"Get out."

The order, for it could be mistaken for nothing else, had not been shouted, nor had Haruki snarled at them. In that even, calm tone Kakashi had grown used to earlier that evening, the only difference being the impassive steel that now edged his voice, Haruki had the men scrambling for the door, giving the redhead a wide berth.

"If you or any of your friends ever come back," Haruki's voice, still soft, froze the men in their tracks again as they reached the door. Bottomless indigo turned to stare at them. " I will hunt you down and you will only live long enough to regret every action you ever took against this boy ."

Haruki held their gazes for a moment longer, letting the promise sink in. And then the redhead blinked and the spell broke, and the men were gone a fraction of a second later, fleeing the apartment building as if the devil itself was at their heels.

It might as well have been, Kakashi thought with satisfied amusement, visible eye studying the figure still facing away from them before glancing down at Naruto. The blond was staring open-mouthed at the redhead, and Kakashi suspected that there might even be stars in the boy's awestruck eyes at the moment.

"Naruto!" Haruki suddenly barked and the blond jumped from his spot.

"Y-Yeah?"

"...Do you know what fuuinjutsu is?"

This question was so completely off-topic that even Kakashi blinked in confusion for a moment. Naruto scratched his head. "Er, no?"

"Doesn't matter," Haruki snapped, finally turning around. The ice had melted from the man's eyes, leaving only a protective ferocity behind. "You'll learn one day. For now, I'll maintain the seals on this place."

With that said, the redhead stalked out of the apartment, leaving both Naruto and Kakashi to scramble after him.

"You know fuuinjutsu?" Kakashi eyed the redhead with new interest as he leaned against Naruto's counter, studying the intricate symbols Haruki was currently writing out with a skilled, steady hand. On Haruki's other side, legs swinging in the air, Naruto was perched on the counter, peering at the redhead's work. The bruise on his face was already fading and Kakashi knew it would be gone by morning.

"Some," Haruki replied without looking up. "I picked it up over the years."

It was obvious to Kakashi that Haruki did not want to speak further on the subject so he dropped it without another word. Perhaps another time.

"If you know fuuinjutsu," Naruto chimed in. "How come you can't teach me?"

Earlier, after the intruders had fled, Haruki had given the blond a simplified run-through of what fuuinjutsu was and what the protection seals he was currently making would do ( I could make ones that could set those bastards on fire , Haruki had explained nonchalantly as he glanced at Kakashi, but your sensei over there is duty-bound to protect the citizens of Konoha so he would have to report me . Kakashi had refrained from asking why Haruki wasn't duty-bound to protect the citizens of Konoha and report himself, and could talk so easily of setting them on fire. The small demonic light in the redhead's eyes when Haruki had mentioned said citizens, as fiercely protective as a mother over her child, had convinced him that Haruki wouldn't care. Frankly speaking, Kakashi wouldn't care either but he didn't feel like getting a dressing-down from the Sandaime so he had kept quiet. He figured if they ever managed to get to Naruto again, seals would be the least of their problems when he and Haruki got through with them.). Naruto had readily agreed to the seals and had been asking questions non-stop since Haruki had started.

Haruki paused briefly at the question, brush hovering above the piece of paper for a second before continuing. "There are better teachers out there. And I'm not teacher material."

Naruto pouted. "You gave Sasuke, Sakura-chan, and me-"

"And I," Haruki corrected automatically as Kakashi watched on.

"And I," Naruto repeated obediently. "A lesson before Kakashi-sensei arrived that day. And they both listened . And we've been doing really good on our missions because of your advice. Right sensei?"

Kakashi nodded with no small amount of amusement when Haruki reached out and flicked the blond on the forehead, straightening from the seal as he put down his brush. "Doing really well on our missions, duckling." The redhead corrected gently. "And like you said, all I did was give you advice. I didn't teach you anything."

Naruto only pouted some more, but couldn't stay annoyed when Haruki picked up the small stack of now-finished seals. "What now?" The blond asked inquisitively, jumping down from the counter. Kakashi followed them, hands stuffed into his pockets. It had been a long time since he had seen a fuuinjutsu user at work.

"Now we just place them around the apartment. The door, of course." They stepped outside and Haruki slapped one on either side of the door, discharging a small amount of his chakra into each of them. The symbols on the paper flashed an electric blue before dissipating from the paper. For a moment, once the paper was removed, the same symbols could be seen on the actual wall of the apartment. They shone brightly in the night before they too disappeared, but Kakashi, extending a tentative hand forward to touch the ordinary-looking wood, could feel the steady hum of power under his fingers. He turned back to Haruki, keeping quiet since he was sure he wouldn't be able to keep the amazement out of his voice if he spoke. Most fuuinjutsu users stuck seals, paper and all, to a surface and the chakra placed into it would keep it activated and in place. Kakashi knew of only two other people who could transfer seals directly from paper to the actual object with so little effort: the Yondaime and the Toad Sannin Jiraiya. Did this mean that Haruki was as good as either of them? The way the redhead had spoken about it earlier; Kakashi had thought that Haruki only knew enough to get by.

"Anyone wanting to do harm will be thrown back before they can get within ten feet of this doorway," Haruki announced, sounding satisfied. "If they don't get a clue the first time and try again, they'll get electrocuted and then thrown back. If they still don't get it, they'll-"

"Die?" Kakashi cut in dryly, arching an eyebrow at the redhead as he listened with growing amusement.

Haruki looked highly unimpressed. "Fortunately for them, no. I put a transportation component into the seal. They'll be dumped in the Naka River if they try a third time."

Kakashi was very grateful for his mask at the moment since he couldn't help the grin that surfaced on his features. As it was, the laughter that no doubt showed on the visible part of his face caught Haruki's attention instead and the redhead smirked in response. Shaking his head, the Copy-nin pointed out, "Won't they need to go to the hospital once they get electrocuted?"

Haruki waved a hand as he headed back inside. "When I say electrocuted, I mean that's how I'd like to imagine it in my head. In reality, they'll only get a nasty shock and, if they're smart, go home with mild burns. Otherwise, they'll risk pneumonia. Naka River's still cold this time of the year."

"And if they try again after that?"

Haruki stopped, glancing briefly down at Naruto who blinked curiously back up at him before focusing on the Copy-nin now leaning lazily against the doorframe. "I don't think they will."

Kakashi eye-smiled knowingly at Haruki. He had spent almost two hours now in the redhead's presence and knew, if nothing else, that Haruki was a very careful man. Careful people were dangerous people since they were prepared for almost anything. They had contingency plans for contingency plans.

Haruki glanced sharply at the Copy-nin before continuing in a steely voice, "There is also a gravity component in the seal. It will hold them to the ground until I release them, and by that time, I will know, and I will come and deal with them myself."

Kakashi cocked his head, studying the redhead carefully as the man turned to face the nearest window. He had not yet seen Haruki fight, but he imagined it would be both amazing and terrifying. The unyielding resolve in Haruki's voice rang true, and from experience, Kakashi knew men like that were dangerous to face on a good day. They were downright suicidal to go up against on a bad day. His former sensei had been like that, and Kakashi had seen enemy-nin literally flee for their lives at the first sight of an enraged Yondaime. Hell, they had run when Minato hadn't been angry.

Watching Haruki now though, with the redhead listening attentively to Naruto as his student babbled on excitedly about the first time they had chased Tora around Konoha, actually listening when others would've nodded disinterestedly and tuned the boy out, Kakashi could only wonder why .

Naruto had said that he had only met Haruki when the Jounin had returned from his mission five days ago, and only briefly. Yet, even in the short time Kakashi had interacted with him, Haruki had shown himself to be unnaturally protective of Naruto, threatening intruders and setting up seals for the boy as if it was his responsibility to do so.

"Hatake-san, Naruto wants to try his hand at activating a seal. His sensei should get his mind out of the gutter and come over and watch."

Kakashi blinked and opened his mouth to protest the accusation when he noted the teasing glint in the other Jounin's eyes. He closed his mouth again and scoffed quietly, whipping out his book in retribution instead. As Kakashi now expected but still didn't understand, Haruki only smiled fondly at him without a single trace of annoyance marring the expression. Inwardly sighing, the Copy-nin slipped his book away again and tried not to sulk. It was no fun if the other party didn't get mad, though he couldn't quite muster up any real annoyance towards Haruki for this either.

"Maa, call me Kakashi." Kakashi drew closer, glancing down at the seal now placed on the coffee table. "Hatake-san makes me feel old."

"You are old, sensei." His student retorted, and Kakashi frowned down at Naruto, about to remind the blond that Haruki was the same age before glancing back sharply at Haruki again when the redhead chuckled.

There was nothing special about the action itself. Naruto had given a witty reply and anyone with a sense of humour would've laughed.

It was the sound though. Because for one short, painful, pitiful moment, Kakashi could've sworn it had been Minato standing there, chuckling at something Obito had said.

Kakashi stared for a moment too long though and he immediately regretted it when Haruki seemed to realize something had disturbed him. The humour died from his face and his eyes grew wary again. Kakashi hadn't even noticed that the shadows that he had first observed in Haruki's cerulean eyes had lifted sometime during their dinner until now, when they settled back in place like they had never left. Kakashi felt like kicking himself.

But Haruki spoke again as if nothing had occurred and his voice was still mild when he replied, "You can call me Haruki then, if you want."

Kakashi nodded hesitantly, and then had no more time to think when Naruto, already impatient to begin with, reached out with one hand touched the seal. Before any of them had a chance to react, the seal literally started to smoke before a flash of chakra nearly blinded them and the paper seal promptly disintegrated, along with the part of the table that it had been lying on top of. All three were silent as they stared at the pile of ash and blackened wood on the ground.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Kakashi asked mildly, finally breaking the silence as he glanced sidelong at the other Jounin.

Haruki's face remained impassive for all of two seconds before his lips twitched upwards and amusement entered his features again. Kakashi smiled triumphantly. A smile was better than nothing, especially since he had been responsible for ridding the earlier humour in the first place.

As if realizing he wasn't in trouble for damaging the coffee table or getting it wrong, Naruto's face split into an embarrassed grin, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, Haruki-san."

Haruki shrugged. "It happens. That was a seal for creating sparks for a campfire. You just put too much chakra into it." Almost as an afterthought, he added, glancing in Kakashi's direction, "You could start your team on chakra control exercises. It would help all of them in the long run the sooner they get started on it."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. "I'll get them started tomorrow. Sasuke could do with some training of that sort too, but I think chakra control comes easily to Sakura."

Naruto had brightened with the thought of new training and Kakashi was distracted by the hyperactive blond now trying to wrangle what the exercise would be out of him, so much that he almost missed the look of grim satisfaction that flashed across Haruki's face.

Almost, but not quite. Kakashi said nothing though, and filed this new information away into a corner of his mind that he had set aside for all-the-things-that-didn't-make-much-sense-about-Kazama-Haruki. He would think on it later.

The rest of the evening was spent placing up the seals. When they were finished, Haruki had taken one look at the clock and ordered the blond to shower and get to bed. Kakashi had snickered quietly on the side when he realized what a mother Haruki could be. The redhead only shot him a dirty look before bidding the blond goodnight.

Now, standing in front of Haruki's apartment door, both with their hands tucked away in pockets, Kakashi glanced at the quiet redhead and decided to try for one more round of questions-and-answers. He glanced behind him at Haruki's door.

"Does your apartment have seals too?"

An almost evil grin appeared on the redhead's face for a moment. "Of course, but nowhere near as harmless as the ones I put on Naruto's place. If you had come to my door with the intention to do me serious harm, the seals would've electrocuted you six ways to Sunday. And yes, this time, when I say electrocuted, I mean electrocuted."

Kakashi tried not to look too disturbed as he edged away from the seemingly innocent-looking doorway. They fell into a companionable silence again and Kakashi wondered if Haruki knew he wanted to ask the redhead questions and that was the reason he wasn't being ordered to go home just yet. Deciding to simply speak his mind, he thought back to Naruto and decided to start with his student.

"Not that I think it's a bad thing, but why are you helping Naruto so much?"

Haruki tilted his head just enough to observe him out of the corner his eyes. "Why shouldn't I? He's twelve, he lives alone, and his place gets broken into every other week. What kind of person would I be if I didn't help him?"

Kakashi said nothing, wondering if his student's place really did get broken into every other week, and if so, how Haruki would know about it.

"You broke someone's wrist," Kakashi reminded dryly. "That's a lot of anger for someone as calm as you are."

Haruki snorted. "You wouldn't believe the temper I had when I was young." Young, not younger, Kakashi noted. "I used to get annoyed at everything, though I calmed down pretty quickly too, probably because of my short attention span."

"Not anymore though."

"No," Haruki agreed, and something weary and strained entered his expression as he turned his gaze onto the night sky. "Not anymore. I used up most of my anger a long time ago."

Kakashi frowned but let the matter go. Haruki would probably clam up if he pushed it any further.

"You didn't report me for breaking a civilian's wrist." Haruki was staring at him out of the corner of his eyes again.

Kakashi snorted. "Even if I wanted to report you, do you really think the Sandaime is going to do anything about it? He can't watch Naruto all the time but he treats him like his own grandson. He'd be furious with the civilians."

Haruki nodded in agreement. "True enough."

Kakashi contemplated his next thought for a moment before asking, "Do you want to join our training session tomorrow? Naruto would be happy and I'm sure Sasuke and Sakura would be happy to see you too."

Haruki cast a dubious look at him. "Sasuke? Really?"

"Well, maybe not happy," Kakashi amended. "Interested. Not grumpy. Could-definitely-care-less. You can pick."

Haruki's mouth tilted up in another small smile but shot him a suspicious look this time. "I hope you're not trying to pawn your students off on me, Hatake. I already told you I'm not teacher material."

Kakashi attempted a mildly offended countenance. "I would never try to pawn my cute little students off on anyone." The humour in his eye faded somewhat. "But I don't agree that you wouldn't be a good teacher."

Haruki arched an eyebrow at him. "You've never seen me teach."

Kakashi stared pointedly at him. "Not an hour ago, you just explained basic fuuinjutsu theory in a simple but clear enough way that even Naruto understood it."

A sharp glance was thrown his way. "Naruto will become great at fuuinjutsu."

The absolute certainty in Haruki's voice threw Kakashi a little, but he managed to reply lightly, careful not to let his tone be mistaken for mockery, "Got all that after he put a hole through his own coffee table, huh?"

As he hoped, a slight smile appeared on the redhead's face again and the tension that had gripped the man's shoulders released its hold.

"I'll think about it," Haruki finally allowed. "I think the Hokage will want me to report to him in the morning to discuss my recent mission. I've been resting long enough. But I'll see if I can come by sometime afterwards."

Kakashi nodded but couldn't quite help asking one last thing. "You haven't really been in Konoha for the past week, have you?" He got an impassive stare for his troubles but didn't stop pushing. His ego was on the line here, damn it! "I'm a tracker. My dogs are trackers. We're the best. But I couldn't find you, which means that you weren't here. ...Right?"

Another heartbeat of silence and then soft clear laughter rang out in the night air, brilliant in its genuineness. On the outside, Kakashi was stunned as he watched the face in front of him come truly alive for the first time since he had met this man. On the inside, he was downright thunderstruck. If he had any doubts before, they were all gone now. This Kazama Haruki, whoever he was, had Minato's laugh.

The Copy-nin couldn't quite help the smile that curved his lips as his posture relaxed again. He didn't care what anyone said; Haruki was not a Jounin sent to Kumo as a spy eight years ago. He didn't know the real story and he definitely planned to find out, but even with all the secrets Haruki coveted, Kakashi also knew he could trust this man. There was no way the redhead could be an enemy-nin; not if he could laugh like that in the presence of someone he had known for all of two hours.

And yeah, it hurt a little to hear Minato's laugh come from this strange shinobi, but that feeling was dying even as he thought this. Instead, he found himself wondering what had happened to Haruki for the redhead to lock away this laughter, this happiness, what had happened to hide this man away so that Kakashi was only now getting a glimpse of what Haruki might've been or could've been, and what it would take to draw this man out again, and to keep him here instead of hidden away behind the distant, melancholic, weary soldier that Kakashi had first met.

But for now, this was enough, and as Haruki's laughter died away, fading to a contented smile instead, Kakashi only smiled back lightly. "So does that mean you weren't in Konoha?"

Haruki grinned and headed into his apartment. "Goodnight, Kakashi. I'll see you around."

Kakashi raised a lazy hand. "'Night then. Come by Training Grounds Seven if can."

A nod and then the redhead disappeared, door closing quietly behind him. Kakashi remained motionless for a while longer before heading towards his own home, his steps lighter than usual, even for a shinobi.

That had been an interesting evening. He could honestly say he had not had so much fun in a very long time. He absently wondered if Haruki would ask him over for dinner again. Maybe he could bring Sasuke and Sakura too. That would be all of Team 7.

As he continued to muse over the things he had learned that night and made plans for tomorrow's training, Kakashi didn't notice that his mind had already unconsciously placed Haruki with their team.

As I work on future chapters, does anyone have any suggestions or scenes they would like to see happen? If so, leave a comment or find me on Twitter and Tumblr !

Chapter Text

Chapter 4 – People Take Notice

"But only Hiashi-san knows?"

This question was directed at both Sarutobi and Hizashi as Haruki glanced between them, arms crossed. He had been summoned by the Hokage at six in the morning and had spent the past fifteen minutes being filled in by Sarutobi about yesterday's conversation after he had left.

Sarutobi nodded. "He has agreed to the plan. We will execute this before telling the Council."

Haruki nodded and then glanced over his shoulder when a muffled knock sounded. "Is that him?"

"I asked him to come. We will need to finalize the plan." Sarutobi raised his voice. "Come in."

The door opened and Hiashi stepped in. Immediately, Byakugan eyes clashed with cerulean as the Clan Head studied Haruki with careful intensity. Haruki only stared back impassively, rising slowly to his feet before dipping his head in a sign of respect. Not a full bow though. He didn't care what time he was in; he didn't bow to anyone anymore.

Hiashi closed the door behind him and the privacy seals settled again. He nodded a greeting at his brother and bowed slightly to the Hokage, but his gaze was ultimately drawn back to the red-haired Jounin standing in the room as he listened to Sarutobi's introduction of this man as Kazama Haruki, the spy that had brought his brother back.

There was a puzzling weariness to this man's stance and Hiashi's eyes lingered on the colour of his irises. A distant memory tugged on him but he couldn't quite place it. A mild frown made its way onto his face. Those eyes reminded him of someone but it was just out of reach when his mind tried to grasp it. He dismissed the thought, leaving it for another time and studied the rest of the Jounin instead. There was no doubt about it. He had never seen this Kazama Haruki before. There was no way he could've forgotten such bright hair on a Jounin or even a Chuunin.

Hiashi recalled the respectful nod he had received upon his arrival. A nod, not a bow. This man was proud in the quiet sort of way Hiashi approved of most. And instead of looking down while in a Clan Head's presence, Haruki stared right back, not challenging him, only acknowledging him.

So Hiashi returned it. He nodded back, returning the Jounin's strong gaze with an equal one of his own. "I believe I have you to thank for the safe return of my brother, Kazama-san. I and the Hyuuga Clan will be forever thankful for what you have done."

Haruki blinked once, tilting his head to one side as he tried to adjust to this Hyuuga Hiashi. The one in his time, the Hiashi he had gotten used to, had dropped most of this formality, and while his words had still been spoken with all the polite upbringing of nobility, that Hiashi had also been blunter. Haruki could get away with a simple 'you're welcome' to Hiashi's straightforward 'thank you' and vice versa. Well, he had never learned how to talk like a noble. He wasn't about to start now.

"You're welcome, Hiashi-san- sama." Haruki replied plainly, ignoring the inquiring quirk of one of the noble's eyebrows when Hiashi caught his slip. "I was happy to help."

Hiashi stared at him for a moment longer before the Hokage coughed quietly, drawing their attention back to Sarutobi. The Hokage said nothing, keeping his expression neutral, but Hizashi's features were edged with faint amusement as their somewhat stilted exchange came to a halt.

"Now then," Sarutobi said briskly, turning to Haruki first. "Your plan is good, but there are a few holes in it. Hiashi-san mentioned earlier; the Council will want to know why we did not immediately inform them when you came home with Hizashi-san. Hiashi-san has come up with a solution."

Hiashi took his cue and explained, "Hizashi is part of the Hyuuga Clan, and thus he can be considered Clan business. Hokage-sama's first action after you relayed the information to him a week ago would be to inform me. As the Hyuuga Clan Head, I can choose to withhold this information from all outsiders and deal with the issue in accordance to my own wishes as long as it will not jeopardize the village. The other Clan Heads will accept this explanation without question and the rest of the Council knows not to interfere with Clan affairs."

Haruki stared hard at Hiashi before pointing out flatly, "You'll be lying to the Council."

Hiashi didn't so much as blink. "Yes."

Haruki observed the calm resolve Hiashi's eyes before shrugging. "Sounds good to me. But," He turned to take in all three of the room's other occupants as he continued. "Danzo won't fall for it. He may not challenge it right away, but you can be sure he'll be getting some of his Root to look into it."

Immediate silence descended on the room as Hizashi straightened in his chair and Hiashi turned to look sharply at him. Sarutobi simply stared. "Root?"

Haruki frowned at the sudden tension in the air before realization flooded him. Eyes widening, he blurted out, "Old man, you cannot be serious!"

Both Hyuugas looked a little startled at his outburst but Sarutobi only shook his head. "I know Danzo is still in command of a few nin whom are loyal to him but what you are implying..."

Haruki almost glowered as he looked between the three occupants. He finally opted to close his eyes for a moment. "I honestly don't even know where to start." He muttered darkly.

Opening his eyes again, he caught the two Hyuugas exchanging an unreadable look before turning back to him.

"Haruki-san," Hizashi started quietly. "Whatever information you can reveal to us here, you have the word of both myself and Nii-san that we will not question your information source, nor will anything of what is spoken here today leave this room through either of us."

Haruki eyed them doubtfully for a moment. "You realize you are placing a lot of trust in someone neither of you actually know. I could be an enemy-nin, for all you know."

"I do not believe that," Hizashi immediately denied.

Haruki scowled at him. "Of course you don't."

Hiashi inclined his head. "My brother has informed me that he has good reason to trust you. I believe him."

Haruki sighed and glanced at Sarutobi. The Hokage shrugged and nodded at him. "It is your choice, Haruki-kun."

The redhead frowned at him before staring past him out the window. After a long moment of consideration, he started slowly without looking at any of them, "Danzo doesn't just have a few nin loyal to him. He has an entire army." Haruki ignored the uneasy quiet behind him. "Root was disbanded under the Yondaime but Danzo kept it together in secret. It isn't as big as the ANBU troops but they're well-trained soldiers. Weapons. Danzo made sure to lock their emotions away. They have a cursed seal on their tongue which will paralyze them if they try to speak about Danzo, so you can't interrogate them."

Haruki finally turned back to the others, observing the faint shock on each man's face. True to their word, neither Hyuuga asked how he had gotten this information, exchanging a few words and frowns between them instead as Sarutobi leaned back in his chair and digested this.

"Do you know where Root is hidden?" Hiashi spoke up.

Haruki considered this for a moment. He knew where the future location would be, but he hadn't even known about Root in his timeline at this age and Danzo was damn paranoid on a good day. There was no way their base would still be in the same place.

"No, not right now." He finally settled on a compromise, and saw a flash of understanding cross both Sarutobi and Hizashi's face. Again, Hiashi glanced at his brother and said nothing more on the subject.

"It does not matter," Sarutobi cut in. "You don't have any personal files. I will tell them that I had them destroyed before you left for Kumo."

"Danzo will make enquiries." Haruki pointed out. "There aren't..." His gaze flickered to Hiashi. "There aren't many people who know me anymore."

Sarutobi rested his chin on clasped hands as he stared thoughtfully at the redhead. "...I believe your old team was killed on a mission." He said eventually. "Several of the other shinobi of your generation died as well. I don't believe you ever interacted with the other Jounin of your age currently in the village before I sent you out on the infiltration."

Haruki didn't even bother glancing at Hiashi this time. "That's flimsy, old man. That would never hold against Danzo."

"Does that matter?" Sarutobi asked pointedly. "You kept to yourself and have been gone from this village since you were eighteen. Who can dispute anything? The only thing the other Jounin around your age will say is that they do not remember you. There are shinobi from my days that I do not remember."

Haruki threw up his hands in exasperation, forgetting himself for a moment. "Yes old man, but unlike you, I can't claim senility!"

A muffled cough made Haruki turn and he just managed to catch Hizashi hide a smile behind his hand. Beside him, Hiashi's face was determinedly neutral, white eyes blank as he stared ahead. Haruki turned back to the Hokage, only to be faced with an annoyed glare. Blinking, Haruki just shrugged unrepentantly.

Sarutobi sighed, shaking his head. "It is the best we have. Should worst come to worst, we will handle Danzo then. For now, it is enough to put him off. Besides, he will be more interested in Hizashi-san's return than anything else."

Haruki nodded reluctantly. Danzo would become a major problem eventually, and from experience, Haruki knew he would be a huge pain in the ass.

"Moving on then," Sarutobi inquired. "Are there anyone else in the Council you believe will prove a problem?"

Haruki paused to consider this before shrugging. "Well, you can pretty much expect Shikaku-san to not believe a single word, but I don't think he'll say anything." Sarutobi frowned thoughtfully but nodded for the redhead to continue. "Inoichi-san and Chouza-san won't kick up a fuss about it even if they suspect something. Those two other Council members, Koharu and Homura, they probably won't suspect anything until Danzo updates them and then they'll back him completely." Again, Sarutobi nodded. He hadn't expected anything else from those two. "And the Civilian representative is in Danzo's pocket so he'll go with whatever Danzo wants."

Finished, Haruki fell silent to observe the others. Hiashi and Hizashi were talking between themselves again, having frowned when Haruki had mentioned the Civilian representative. Sarutobi was taking this in much more easily though, waiting patiently for the Hyuugas to finish their exchange.

"I will keep this information in mind," Sarutobi finally spoke again. "For now, we need to finalize our plan and execute it before too much time passes. Haruki-kun, I want you to leave tomorrow morning. How soon can you get to Kumo and destroy the shrine?"

"A day and a half."

Hiashi's eyebrows shot up in surprise but made no comment.

"Alright, three days is the average time a nin can get from Kumo to Konoha. Factoring in rest time for Hizashi-san, we will stage his return four days after the explosion. For those four days, I will pretend to send you out on a simple information gathering mission to Kaze no Kuni."

Haruki nodded. "On my way back, I can henge into Hizashi-san and let a few people glimpse me. Rumours would start up that way."

Sarutobi nodded in approval but Hizashi leaned forward with a sudden thought. "One last thing; wouldn't I be quite a bit weaker once I break the seal? How exactly would I manage to blow up a shrine?"

Haruki shook his head. "When seals are deactivated properly like they should be, there would be no damage to anyone or anything around it. But when a seal is broken by force because it has become weak or someone managed to overpower it, it can cause quite a bit of damage." He paused and noticed he now had a captive audience. "Take the Life Suspension Seal for example; most human beings, even if they are on the verge of death, all struggle to survive for even just one more minute. That is every average human's most basic instinct; to survive, to live. Even under a Life Suspension Seal, the body is slowly dying. Much more slowly of course, but still dying. If that seal slips, the body will automatically start struggling against it. It's instinct. As the body struggles, because the seal is still keeping most of the body's functions alive but blocked off, chakra will begin to build up. The seal is like a dam, the chakra build-up like a raging river. Water is patient, water can wait. Chakra is the same. Eventually, the dam will burst if not fixed and like that dam, the seal would also break. After that, I think you can imagine what would happen."

There was blatant interest in both Hyuugas' faces and, almost like a student at the academy, Hizashi promptly answered, "The chakra would explode outwards. And a build-up of chakra like that could destroy a small area."

Haruki nodded. "Exactly. All I'll have to do is release a burst of chakra strong enough to take out the shrine. Easy enough."

It was Hiashi who spoke this time, his question directed at the Hokage even as his eyes remained on Haruki. "Hokage-sama, yesterday, I believe you informed me that Kazama-san is adept at fuuinjutsu." His stare grew thoughtful. "You do not explain fuuinjutsu theory like someone only adept at the art, Kazama-san."

Haruki frowned. "That was the simplified version. I mean, I can recite scrolls to you. Rai- The one who taught me gave me the scrolls."

Hizashi shook his head. "That is the point. Most novices and even some experts can only recite theory word for word. They are proficient enough at the practical aspect, but if they try to teach others, they simply give them scrolls to learn from. You can talk about it as if you were teaching a class."

Haruki stiffened a little, glancing between the two Hyuugas. "That's how I learn." He finally said. "I've never been good with academics. I graduated from the academy at the bottom of my class. And I used to have a very short attention span. When I am handed large sections of text to read, I lose all interest. But I wanted to learn fuuinjutsu so I compromised. As long as I understood it and I could explain it clearly to someone else, my sensei told me I wouldn't have to memorize it. Eventually, I did memorize all the scrolls but that took years longer for me."

Hiashi nodded thoughtfully but it was Hizashi who spoke. "Have you ever considered teaching fuuinjutsu?"

This was obviously the wrong to say and Haruki's face blanked. "No."

The two brothers glanced at each other before nodding simultaneously, saying nothing more as they turned back to the Hokage. Sarutobi glanced sidelong at the redhead with something like concern but didn't either.

"Very well then. We're done here. And I'm running late. I should be handing out missions right now."

"I'll come with you." Haruki reached into a pocket and withdrew a hair tie, quickly sweeping his hair into a simple ponytail, leaving jaw-length bangs to frame his face. Both Hyuugas immediately frowned, another memory tugging at them but staying just out of reach.

Before either could say anything, Sarutobi voiced curiously, eyeing the flak jacket he had given the Jounin earlier that week as well as the dark long-sleeved shirt underneath, matching trousers, and calf-length sandals, "Will you be training today, Haruki-kun?"

Haruki nodded curtly. "Kakashi wants me to join his team for the day."

"Ah, he caught up to you then." Sarutobi chuckled, rising from his seat.

Minutes later, Hiashi was heading back to the Hyuuga compound, Hizashi had retreated into the Hokage's private office, and Sarutobi and Haruki were both heading to the Mission Assignment Room.

"This is a good opportunity to let the other Jounin see you," Sarutobi remarked as they drew closer to their destination. "I believe you would know Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai?"

Haruki nodded distractedly, steeling himself for another meeting with people he had seen die. He glanced at the Hokage walking beside him and, recalling some of the things Asuma had mentioned in passing to him and Shika before his death, suggested quietly, "You should make up with Asuma. He may seem indifferent to the rift between you two, but he does care. He just doesn't understand you, and he doesn't know how to try."

Sarutobi actually faltered a step as Haruki spoke but recovered quickly enough that Haruki could pretend it hadn't happened. The Hokage was silent until they reached the mission room. At the door, Sarutobi laid a gentle hand on Haruki's arm. The redhead paused, turning to look questioningly at the older man. Sarutobi only smiled. "Thank you. I will try."

Haruki cleared his throat uncomfortably, nodding jerkily before opening the side door and motioning for the Hokage to enter first.

Inside, Haruki immediately caught sight of the familiar senseis of Team 8, 10, Gai, and, shockingly, 7. They all glanced up and straightened when the Hokage walked in, their gazes immediately drawn to the redhead walking a step behind Sarutobi.

"Haruki?" All eyes turned to Kakashi next. The Copy-nin had actually taken the time to look up from his book and his visible eye was watching the redhead curiously.

Haruki smiled a greeting. "By your standards, you're early today, Kakashi."

Kakashi shrugged, stowing his book away and moving forward, ignoring the odd looks he was receiving from the other senseis. "I was over half an hour late. You and Hokage-sama are even later."

Haruki shrugged without concern before glancing at Sarutobi who was watching the entire exchange with far too much amusement. Or rather, he was watching the other senseis' confused expressions as they watched the exchange with far too much amusement. Kakashi never acted this way with anyone. Sarutobi idly wondered what had happened yesterday for the two to seem completely at ease in each other's company. Then again, Haruki was Naruto and he had always thought Naruto could get to anyone if he tried hard enough.

The Hokage quickly handed out the day's missions (painting a fence, mowing a field, weeding, and patrol duty for Team Gai) before he nodded a goodbye to Haruki. After this, he wouldn't see Haruki again for several days.

As they left the mission room, Haruki walking beside Kakashi to peer down at the mission scroll Kakashi had in hand, the other three senseis immediately drifted closer, all of them eyeing Haruki curiously.

"Who's your friend, Kakashi?" Kurenai was the first to speak, features friendly as she faced Haruki.

Kakashi glanced at them before patting the redhead on the shoulder. "Maa, this is who I was looking for earlier. Kazama Haruki."

"You're the one that had Konoha's famous Copy-nin running around on a wild goose chase?" Asuma peered at Haruki with interest.

Haruki offered a small smile and nodded as Kakashi's eye twitched. "Yes. I guess Kakashi just kept missing me all week," Here, the Copy-nin muttered something that sounded insistently like 'you weren't here'. "I just came back five days ago from a pretty long mission."

As Asuma nodded thoughtfully, Gai bounded up, already beaming. "Haruki-san! To best my rival in his area of expertise, your Springtime of Youth must shine brightly in you!"

Kakashi had whipped out his book the moment Gai had opened his mouth while Kurenai was already face-palming as Asuma sighed on her left. "Give it a rest, Gai." Kurenai chided. "You're going to scare him off. At least introduce yourself first."

Without waiting for the spandex-clad Jounin to respond, Kurenai turned to Haruki and offered a welcoming smile. "Hi, I'm Yuuhi Kurenai, sensei of Team 8." Turning to gesture at Asuma, who nodded cordially, she continued, "This is Sarutobi Asuma, sensei of Team 10."

Before she could say anything more, Gai leapt in, "And I'm Maito Gai! Everyone calls me Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey!"

Haruki chuckled, much to the consternation of the other three Jounin and Kakashi quickly cut in, "Gai, no one calls you that. You only introduce yourself to other people like that in the hopes of scarring them for life."

Gai just flashed a white-teethed grin. "My eternal rival! There is no reason to be jealous simply because you do not have a name as cool as mine! In this time of spring, all shinobi are in the springtime of their youths and thus will discover their own names for themselves!"

Kakashi had already gone back to his book and now glanced up from it, visible eye disinterested. "Huh? Did you say something?"

Gai took on an affronted countenance, and watching them, Haruki couldn't help but smile wistfully at the banter. Kakashi had died before Gai, and the optimistic Jounin had never been the same after that. No matter how much Gai ranted at Kakashi and Kakashi pretended to ignore him, the two had been good friends.

"Oh! That was so hip of you, Kakashi! But you should listen to me!" He turned to Haruki, eager to prove his point. "Spring is the best season for one to blossom into true beauty!"

"Hmm, I prefer autumn myself."

Gai looked appalled at this even as the other three looked on, dubious expressions on their faces as Haruki continued the conversation. "How could you? Spring is the stage of life where every ninja starts to grow their roots! We can show our springtime of youth to the world as we begin to flourish!"

Haruki nodded, absently turning his gaze to a nearby window to catch sight of the clear morning spring sky as his voice turned regretful. "Yeah, but once we reach autumn, we've led a successful enough life that we've managed to see half of it."

An abrupt silence fell around them and Haruki turned back to see all four Jounin staring at him in surprise. The redhead shifted minutely as he realized that no one really understood Gai's diatribes, at least not before the first several dozen times. It had taken himself a few years to pick up the subtle insinuations behind the blaring words. As it was, Gai was now staring at him almost thoughtfully, a rare sombre expression shaping his features. Haruki hated it. That expression had become far too common during the last years of the war. As it was though, Haruki was careful to keep his face blank. Gai was much more observant than most people gave him credit for.

A second later though, the spandex-clad Jounin had reached out and clapped him on the shoulder, grin splitting his face again. "YOSH! I've decided! Your Springtime of Youth is indeed exceptional! I would like you to meet my team! They will be delighted to meet such youth!"

Honestly, Haruki couldn't imagine Neji delighted to meet anyone , especially at this age and he quickly turned the offer down as he motioned to Kakashi. "Sorry Gai-san, but Kakashi's already invited me to train with his team. Perhaps another day."

Gai immediately rounded on Kakashi, pointing accusingly at him even as Kakashi heaved a deep-suffering sigh. "My Eternal Rival works swiftly when the result is worth it! Very well! You win this round, but!" He rounded on Haruki again. "Tomorrow, you will train with us, Haruki-san! I insist!"

Haruki paused briefly, considering the option of leaving a Kage Bunshin behind but dismissed the idea. Sarutobi had already given him a reason to be out of the village and it wouldn't be fair to Gai's team. "I'm afraid I am busy tomorrow. Hokage-sama is sending me out on a mission."

Kakashi glanced at him. "So soon?" He asked casually.

Haruki hid a smirk. "It has been five days."

Kakashi scowled. He didn't believe the redhead had been in the village since the beginning of the week. It just wasn't possible.

Gai looked disappointed but perked up again when Haruki continued, "I'll join your team for a training session as soon as I'm free once I get back. Is that alright?"

The Jounin flashed another blinding grin at him. "Of course! I will hold you to your word, Haruki-san!"

His eyes flickered to the window as well before waving his mission scroll in the air. "Now, I must be off. It is not very youthful for the sensei to be late!" He shot a pointed look at Kakashi, who expertly ignored it, before jogging away, waving a hand in the air.

They all watched him go before Kurenai turned back to Haruki. "You actually held a conversation with Gai when he's like that. I wish I had your patience."

Haruki smiled lightly. "He's easy enough to understand if you just ignore the... youthfulness."

Kurenai and Asuma both chuckled at this and Haruki turned to elbow Kakashi. "C'mon sensei," Haruki's hand shot out and snatched the orange book out of Kakashi's surprised grasp. "You're the one who invited me and I am not going to be late."

He nodded to the other two Jounin while holding the book out of a glowering Kakashi's reach before shunshining away. Kakashi disappeared a moment later, hot on his heels.

Asuma and Kurenai blinked before glancing at each other.

"Have you noticed," Kurenai remarked. "Recently, Kakashi's been a little... different."

"Not as late as usual," Asuma agreed. "Because of him? Haruki?"

Kurenai shrugged gracefully before the two started for the door. "Maybe. But did you see Haruki-san when he grabbed Kakashi's book? I didn't even see his hand move. And Kakashi couldn't stop him."

Asuma nodded contemplatively. "He must be really fast. And he got Kakashi moving. His Genin team might get collective heart attacks when he shows up on time." He scratched his head. "Maybe I should invite Haruki to train with my team. They could definitely use the motivation."

"I'd like to see what he can do." Kurenai announced. "He seems kind of interesting. But it's weird that none of us seem to know him."

Asuma just frowned, glancing briefly in the direction where he knew Team 7 trained. That was strange. And now that he thought about it, he hadn't been able to sense Haruki's chakra signal at all, even when they were standing together. Not many could hide their chakra so well, and even less did it in their own village when they were amongst friends.

x.X.x

Gai stared thoughtfully in the direction of the Team 7 training grounds as his team started on their taijutsu sets. There weren't many who actually knew what he was talking about underneath all the drama he thought was definitely necessary to brighten the world. Especially not the first time. Gai had been impressed when Haruki had offered his own opinion on the matter.

Still, there was definitely something off about the redhead. For one, Gai hadn't missed the depression that had surfaced briefly on the other Jounin's face when he had said he liked autumn. That had actually been part of the reason why Gai had immediately offered to drag Haruki to training with them. The depth of that sorrow had troubled him greatly and he hadn't wanted to leave the redhead alone so soon after that.

And for another, where had this man come from? Gai was sure he had never seen the red-haired Jounin before. Perhaps he had changed his appearance. But surely he would've at least recalled the name?

"Gai-sensei, are you alright?"

Gai blinked before smiling winningly down at his only female student. "Of course! My youthfulness would not allow me to be anything but!"

Tenten rolled her eyes but smiled good-naturedly and returned to her katas. Further away, Lee was challenging Neji to a youthful contest of who could do more high-kicks and Neji was simply ignoring him but still doing said high-kicks with deadly accuracy.

Gai smiled broadly at his three students, putting thoughts of the mysterious Jounin to the back of his mind for the moment. They were almost ready. He would be entering them into the Chuunin Exams this year.

"Good morning."

All three Genin straightened from their warm-ups and spun around to blink at the approaching red-haired Jounin. Naruto was the first to speak up, greeting Haruki enthusiastically.

"Morning, Haruki-san!" Naruto chirped brightly. Behind him, Sakura scowled at the blond but bowed a little in the redhead's direction and greeted him shyly. "Good morning, Haruki-san."

Haruki nodded at the kunoichi, studying the more healthy flush to her cheeks. She hadn't developed much muscle yet and there was still some baby fat here and there but Haruki could see she was eating more regular meals now. He turned to the last Genin of the group and nodded a greeting as well.

Sasuke stared back at him with consideration before nodding as well. He seemed to contemplate something for a moment before finally asking politely, "Haruki-san, would you be willing to spar with me?"

Haruki tilted his head thoughtfully, absently pushing a few stray locks of hair out of his eyes. He glanced back towards the village. Kakashi had managed to snatch his book back a minute before they had reached the training grounds and had disappeared to Kami-knows-where. It would be a while before the Copy-nin showed up. He turned back to the waiting Uchiha.

"Are you finished your warm-up?" Sasuke immediately nodded, moving away from Naruto and Sakura before getting into the standard Uchiha-style taijutsu stance.

"Not fair!" Naruto complained, crossing his arms. "Why does Sasuke-teme get to spar with you? Kakashi-sensei never spars with any of us."

Haruki smiled faintly down at the blond. "He asked, Naruto. If you want, I'll spar with you afterwards."

Naruto brightened at that, nodding readily as Haruki moved to stand opposite to Sasuke.

Haruki shrugged his shoulders a few times before nodding at Sasuke. "Whenever you're ready."

The Uchiha darted forward a second later, lashing out with a fist to Haruki's abdomen. Haruki immediately blocked it before jumping smoothly over the follow-up sweep of Sasuke's leg. Haruki frowned faintly when an entire second passed as Sasuke drew back into a ready position before lashing out again, a series of punches and kicks that Haruki easily blocked or pushed aside. This was very... boring.

Dodging a kick that came from the side, Haruki started pushing back, blocking a fist and reaching out to tap the boy's left shoulder, adjusting a slightly wayward palm thrust before tapping at a rib, and then finally twisting effortlessly past the boy and tapping him on the back of the neck.

Sasuke finally jumped back a few feet away, obvious frustration flashing across his face. Haruki held up a hand to momentarily halt the boy.

"Sasuke, your moves are predictable. Try..." Haruki motioned vaguely at the boy in general. "Improvising."

Sasuke frowned heavily, wiping away beads of sweat that had gathered on his forehead. He seemed about to snap something back but stopped, watching the redhead carefully as he mentally reviewed the spar so far. On the side, Naruto was bouncing on the balls of his feet while Sakura shouted encouragement.

A moment later, Sasuke rushed forward again, starting with another fist to the abdomen, but instead of dropping to the ground to sweep out the redhead's feet after his punch was blocked, the Uchiha used his other hand to balance on the ground and kicked his feet up to lash out at Haruki's jaw instead.

Haruki easily dodged it but smiled inwardly. For some reason or another, Sasuke was listening to him. So, instead of just mostly blocking or dodging the next rain of blows the Genin sent his way, Haruki started adjusting the strikes the boy used. Pushing a fist a little to the left one time and gently nudging a hip into a better alignment during a high-kick another, he slowly mended some of the holes in the Genin's fighting style. Sasuke seemed to realize what he was doing and accepted it wordlessly, continuing to throw punches and kicks at the Jounin.

Finally, panting hard but still determined, Sasuke leapt away and into the air, quickly bringing his hands together to form the seals for a jutsu as he started falling back to the ground.

"Katon: Gokakyuu no Jutsu!"

Haruki had already recognized the signature hand signs and now quickly danced away, the fireball soaring harmlessly behind him even as he felt the heat stream past. The fireball quickly faded away and Haruki turned to look down at Sasuke who was gasping for breath as he rested his hands on bent knees. But onyx eyes met his evenly and there was a certain amount of defiance in them as he stared back.

"Sasuke-teme! You cheated!" Naruto bounded forward, Sakura a step behind, already reaching out to bop Naruto on the head.

"Sasuke-kun didn't cheat!" She glanced hesitantly at Haruki. "He didn't, right Haruki-san?"

Haruki glanced briefly at the two other Genin before looking back at Sasuke. He remained silent for a few seconds and wondered if the boy would look away. He didn't.

Satisfied, Haruki jerked his head a little and the hair tie that had been holding back his hair snapped, having been too close to the fireball to escape damage. Haruki watched impassively as all three Genin stared wide-eyed when the hair tie fluttered to the ground and crimson locks fell around his shoulders again.

Waiting until he caught Sasuke's gaze again, Haruki offered him a single nod and a faint smile of approval. "Much better, Sasuke."

The raven-haired Genin straightened at the praise, eyes lighting up as a pleased smile tilted his lips for a moment.

Haruki glanced at Naruto with an arched eyebrow. "Naruto, I didn't say 'no ninjutsu'. There is honour in battle, but we are ninja, and most of what normal people would consider underhanded, we call it fair game. And in a real fight, there are no rules. Your enemies will not abide by any standards you set. Understand?"

The blond nodded, frowning hard as he digested this and Haruki turned back to Sasuke. "Cool down with some katas and drink some water," The redhead withdrew a scroll and unsealed a bottle for the boy. "From now on, try developing your own fighting style. Your Clan's style is a good foundation to build up from, but you'll need more variation if you want to strengthen your taijutsu."

Sasuke nodded attentively before sketching a half-bow, respect flickering in his eyes when he looked up again. "Thanks, Haruki-san."

Haruki managed a small nod, but almost reeled inside as he heard the genuine gratitude in the boy's voice. He couldn't recall Sasuke ever thanking anyone at this age. Then again, he had been the dead-last back then. Sasuke was hardly going to thank him.

"My turn now, Haruki-san!"

Haruki smiled and nodded, glancing at a nearby tree as he waited for Naruto to finish a quick stretch. He had sensed the Copy-nin's presence a moment before his spar with Sasuke began and he now wondered what Kakashi was trying to do by letting Haruki spar with his students.

"Lazy bastard," Haruki muttered under his breath as Naruto got into position in front of him. "Not going to pawn your students off on me my ass!"

"Ready, Haruki-san?"

Haruki studied the blond with concealed amusement as the boy couldn't seem to stop moving from excitement. "Whenever you are."

Immediately, Naruto brought his hands together and Haruki really did smile at the familiarity of it.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Seven clones appeared around them, all holding kunai and Haruki cocked his head and glanced around before focusing on the real Naruto again. "Come then," He voiced, letting a challenge edge his tone. "Let's see what you can do."

All eight Narutos grinned and charged, simultaneously lashing out with their kunai as soon as they reached the redhead. Haruki dodged the swipes without difficulty, noting the wide sweep of each reckless strike.

"Clumsy, Naruto," He called out as he continued to avoid the kunai. "Don't just swing at my closest body part." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke draw closer to their spar before restarting his katas again. "That just wastes both energy and time. Aim at openings. If your opponent doesn't have openings, then make one."

He ducked a rather wild swipe of a kunai from one of the clones before flipping back, balancing on one hand as his left leg came up, catching said clone under the chin and throwing him into the air. Following through, he twisted his body as his right leg came up as well and caught the clone from the side, neatly tossing him away and sending him crashing into the trunk of a tree. The clone disappeared in a puff of smoke as Haruki righted himself again and watched the remaining Narutos back away.

"Make an opening?" The Naruto near the back scratched his head. "How do I do that?"

"Surprise me," When Naruto still looked confused, Haruki clarified. "Do something unpredictable, Naruto. You're good at that. Play to your strengths."

Another moment of thought passed before a wide grin grew on the blond's face. "You asked for it!" He called out almost gleefully as he brought his hands together.

"Haremu no Jutsu!"

Sakura immediately began yelling as six Narutos turned into beautiful naked blonde females. Haruki caught a glimpse of Sasuke wheeling around to face the other direction and heard a faint spluttering sound from the tree Kakashi was still sitting in.

Grinning, he shook his head as he felt the real Naruto run at him from behind. Dodging at the last minute, his hand reached out and snagged the boy by the collar before tossing him neatly into the group of female clones. "Good distraction, Naruto," Haruki called out cheerfully. "But that won't always work. You need to follow up on it if it doesn't."

"I know!"

Haruki's gaze slid to the side as another Naruto came charging at him, leaping into the air with his kunai drawn. So the boy had made more Kage Bunshins behind the smoke his earlier jutsu had produced. Haruki smiled even as he sidestepped the Bunshin and flipped him to the ground face-first where it dispersed. Good. Naruto was learning.

Three more Kage Bunshins came up from behind but Haruki caught two of them with quick sharp jabs to the abdomen before flipping away from the third. The Bunshin followed him though, hands balled into fists as he charged the redhead. Haruki glanced briefly at the ground as he balanced on his hands and quickly swiped up a familiar item, snapping it towards the Bunshin. The clone reeled backwards when the hair tie hit him between the eyes and Haruki quickly took the opportunity to swing around and sweep the clone's feet out from under him.

Straightening again, he noted that the female clones had been dispersed but the Naruto clones were still going strong. There were nearly two dozen of them in the clearing now, scattered around in a loose circle around him.

"We've got you now!" One Naruto shouted as they all charged with child-like battle cries.

Haruki sighed, tucking a few stray locks of hair behind one ear as the clones descended on him, some coming from the air, others charging at a flat-out run.

With the ease of someone who had done little save train, eat, sleep, and fight in open battle, Haruki launched into a counterattack, executing his own punches and kicks to disperse the clones one by one.

Up in his chosen tree, Kakashi observed the spar, unable to look away. This was the first time he had seen Haruki fight and the grace and strength in each action had him mesmerized. Even earlier, during the spar with Sasuke when Haruki had chosen not to fight but to only silently fix the holes in the Uchiha's fighting style, Kakashi hadn't even pulled out his book. The way Haruki had adjusted each stance or punch had Kakashi wondering if Haruki had ever taught before. Now, the Copy-nin absently speculated whether or not Haruki would agree to spar with him sometime. Kakashi suspected the redhead had yet to show even half of his real skill in taijutsu and he wanted to see how far he would have to push the other Jounin for him to show his true strength. Leaning forward even more, he squinted suddenly, picking up some familiarity in the somewhat odd style Haruki was using.

Wasn't that the Hyuuga Clan's Gentle Fist Style? Haruki wasn't closing off any tenketsu points but he was definitely targeting certain areas with deadly precision. Where the hell had Haruki learned the Hyuuga's prized taijutsu style?

And it wasn't just the Gentle Fist. Haruki used a mix of martial arts, all moulded together to form the unique style he now used with easy efficiency. There was the graceful stance and direct but subtle palm thrusts that Kakashi was sure was a variation of the taijutsu the Uchiha Clan used, and as Haruki danced out of reach of the Naruto clones' attacks, Kakashi could also see bits and pieces of the taijutsu that the Nara Clan usually stuck to, as well as...

He leaned forward even further, ignoring the fact that he would've probably toppled out of the tree by now if he hadn't been a ninja. That was definitely the unique style only Gai knew and taught to that equally disturbing protégée of his! The redhead had just pulled off Konoha Senpuu that Gai used and had created . But Haruki had just met Gai this morning. There was no way he could know that.

Down below, Haruki finished off the last of the clones with a series of high-kicks that sent all three Naruto lookalikes into the air, tumbling away head-over-heels and dispersing before they could hit the ground. Whirling around, he caught the fist that had been aimed at his back and with a gentle but deft twist only strong enough to throw the blond off-balance and spin him around, Haruki had Naruto's arm neatly pinned behind him as he flipped out a kunai and finished the spar by tapping the flat side of the weapon against the boy's left shoulder.

"I believe this match goes to me." Haruki said mildly as Naruto craned his head around to scowl up at him. Smiling slightly, he released the blond and Naruto scrambled up, shaking out his arm as Sasuke and Sakura approached them.

"You're crazy strong, Haruki-san," Naruto complained as he flopped onto his back, blond locks damp against his forehead.

Sasuke came to a stop beside them and toed the blond. "Hn, dobe. You need to get faster."

Naruto glared up at the Uchiha, swatting away the Genin's foot. "Shut up, teme! I already know that!"

"Naruto!" Sakura had her hands on her hips and was scowling down at him. "Don't be so rude to Sasuke-kun! He's giving you good advice!"

Naruto huffed sulkily before sitting up and peering at Haruki who had unsealed another water bottle and was now holding it out to the blond. Naruto grinned and took it, downing half the bottle in one go.

"Good job, Naruto," Haruki sank down to a crouch in front of the blond. "Your use of Kage Bunshin is excellent. What you need to work on now is polishing up your taijutsu and, of course, increasing your speed. Right now though, I'm more concerned about your fighting style. You don't follow the standard style the Academy teaches, and while that's good for keeping your attacks unpredictable, it also means you don't have a very strong foundation."

Naruto frowned, glancing up at Sasuke who was listening just as intently. "The senseis show us some stances in the standard style," Naruto admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "But we usually have to learn from the scrolls they give us." He made a face. "I don't like sitting all day studying."

Sasuke snorted while Sakura just sighed, but Haruki nodded instead. "That's alright, not all shinobi learn best by studying. You're better at learning by doing, right?"

At Naruto's immediate nod, Haruki stared thoughtfully at the blond before glancing up at Sasuke. "Sasuke, if you were the one fighting Naruto earlier, what would've happened?"

The Uchiha had an instant retort at the tip of his tongue. "Hn, I would've won."

Haruki arched a challenging eyebrow even as Naruto protested loudly. "With no trouble?"

Sasuke's curt nod seemed to stall halfway through the motion as he glanced briefly down at Naruto. Then, with obvious reluctance, he admitted grudgingly, "I might have had some trouble defending against all the Kage Bunshins. His... second jutsu," Haruki hid a smile at the boy's obvious embarrassment at this. "Would've been distracting as well, but it would be his clones that would be dangerous since they can come at all sides."

Haruki nodded. "How would you have defended against that then?"

Sasuke cocked his head, a faint frown making its way onto his face. "I would've used my Fireball Jutsu to get rid of most of them. Because his taijutsu is sloppy, I would be able to dispatch any remaining clones by myself."

Haruki nodded again and turned back to Naruto. "And you, Naruto? If you had been fighting Sasuke, what would you have done if he had countered by doing this?"

Naruto scowled, striking an unconscious thinking pose as he dropped his chin in one hand. "I would've made more clones to distract him." Blue eyes suddenly sharpened slyly as he glanced up at his rival. "And then, while he was busy with them, I'd attack from his left side, from behind."

Haruki's eyes narrowed as Sasuke started slightly. "Oh? And why would you do that?"

Naruto grinned brightly as he pointed at Sasuke's left leg. "You hit Sasuke-teme three times there back when you were sparing with him. His left side is obviously not as well-defended as his right side and his leg should be at least bruised from the spar. It's a weakness!"

Sasuke scoffed loudly but subtly shook out his left leg. Haruki smiled in approval. Naruto really did learn better by watching doing things hands-on. "Good observation, Naruto. In battle, every weakness should be exploited."

He rose to his full height again, eyeing them both thoughtfully before nodding decisively. "Train together," He advised, much to all three Genin's surprise. "Both of you have weaknesses that the other can see through. Sasuke is more disciplined and has a better grasp of his own actions when he attacks, but Naruto has better instinct and he's good at improvising when he gets into tough situations. You can help each other improve in different areas. I think you'll find a spar between you two interesting."

The two boys glanced at each other, curious but trying not to show it at the same time. Haruki smiled a little, ignoring the sadness that welled up inside him. In his timeline, Sasuke had been his favorite sparring partner. Every spar they had managed to fit in before things really went to hell had been truly enjoyable.

"Alright then, I've talked enough." Haruki turned to blink at the last of Team 7's Genin. "Sakura, would you like to spar?"

The kunoichi blushed a little, hands wringing uncomfortably as she glanced at Sasuke who was suddenly concentrating on drinking more water. "Um, maybe not right now. I don't think I'd do very well."

Before Haruki could respond, Naruto, with his usual amount of non-existent tact, piped up, "C'mon, Sakura-chan! It'll be fun! Sasuke-teme and I couldn't win either! But you could learn some things-"

"Naruto." Haruki cut in, and Naruto's mouth closed with a click at the redhead's sharp tone, blue eyes wide when he caught sight of Sakura's rapidly reddening face.

"That's alright, Sakura." Haruki drew her attention again before she could lash out at the blond. "Actually, it's probably best that you don't spar right now. Kakashi has an exercise for all of you that I think you'll do especially well in. You'll probably move on to more advanced stuff today and you'll need your energy for that."

Sakura blinked up at him in confusion, though she seemed a little relieved at the change of topic. "What exercise?"

"Oh yeah!" Naruto scrambled to his feet, dusting his jumpsuit off. "Kakashi-sensei said we were going to learn chakra control today!"

"When did he say that?" Sakura rounded on the blond.

Naruto grinned. "Yesterday, after we had dinner with Haruki-san!"

Both Sasuke and Sakura turned to look at Haruki, who shrugged, trying not to scowl at his younger counterpart. "Kakashi wanted to meet me, Naruto invited him around, and we all ended up eating at my place."

Without waiting to hear what either of the other two Genin thought about this, Haruki hurried on, turning to stare directly at the tree Kakashi was still sitting in, "Speaking of Kakashi, why don't you come down and actually teach, sensei , or have you decided to just sit on the sidelines for the rest of the day?"

All three Genin peered in the direction Haruki was looking at and a second later, Kakashi dropped out of the tree, orange book in hand as he strolled towards them. "Yo!"

"YOU'RE LATE!" Naruto and Sakura snapped as Sasuke looked on. This time though, none of them seemed particularly upset by the Jounin's tardiness. "YOU WERE HERE ALL ALONG TOO!"

Kakashi eye-smiled at them and waved his orange book at them. "Well, I was in the middle of a great chapter. Miki-chan seduced-"

He got no further than that before Haruki flipped out a kunai and eyed his orange book menacingly. "Not in front of minors, Kakashi."

Kakashi chuckled nervously and quickly tucked his book away. Behind Haruki, Sakura and Naruto were making faces and even Sasuke looked faintly disturbed. "Well, I suppose we should get started on our training session today. You guys still have a D-rank to finish afterwards. Follow me!"

As the three Genin trailed after Kakashi into a more forested area of the training grounds, Haruki fell into step beside him. "You've been watching since I started sparring with Sasuke," He commented. "You could've come out sooner."

Kakashi shrugged unrepentantly. "Maa, it was interesting to watch." He paused to glance sidelong at the redhead. "You knew what you were doing. Have you ever taught before?"

Haruki predictably stiffened and remained silent, gaze focused ahead. "Once," He finally revealed without looking at the Copy-nin. "A long time ago. And only for a little while."

Kakashi nodded and said nothing more. He knew he probably wouldn't get anything else out of the redhead if he continued to push.

"Now then," The group had come to a halt at the base of three moderately tall trees. "You three are going to climb a tree."

"Climb a tree, sensei?" Naruto's face fell as he glanced at the trees in front of them. "How does that help?"

"Climbing a tree without using your hands," Kakashi amended before moving forward to demonstrate.

To the side, Haruki tuned the Copy-nin out as he explained the concept to the three Genin. He moved a little ways away where the trees were farther apart and scanned the small clearing. He could still see Team 7 from here and it was big enough for his jutsu.

Returning to the others, he noted the mild annoyance on the two boys' face as they gazed up at Sakura, who was already sitting on one of the upper branches. Good.

Quietly, he moved to where Kakashi was standing, drawing the Jounin's attention. "Kakashi, may I teach Sakura how to walk on water?"

The Copy-nin turned a puzzled eye on the redhead. "I don't mind, but Naka River's pretty far from here."

Haruki shook his head. "I have a jutsu that Sakura can use to practice with."

Kakashi's eye lit up with interest. "I'll come too. The boys are probably going to be at it for a while."

Haruki nodded and moved away, coming to a stop at the base of Sakura's tree. "Sakura," He called up. "You're pretty good at climbing trees already. If you want, I can teach you how to walk on water next."

Perched on the branch, Sakura brightened a little. She had thought Haruki was only being nice when he had told her earlier that she would be good at this exercise but it came pretty easily to her. She wasn't sure if he would really teach her something else since she had turned his offer down the first time but the Jounin now waited patiently for her reply.

"Okay," She called down, concentrating chakra at her feet again before descending the tree. She jumped the last several feet and shot the redhead a surprised smile when he automatically reached out to steady her. He nodded back and motioned for her to follow him.

"You can do it, Sasuke-kun," She called out encouragingly as she passed the other two. Pausing, she added fairly, "You too, Naruto."

She felt Haruki's eyes on her and glanced up in time to catch a startled look passing over his usually neutral features but the redhead looked away again before she could ask.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, where will you be going?" Naruto's tone was tinged with envy and even Sasuke looked over at her. Flustered as she didn't really know, Sakura glanced up at Haruki again as he answered.

"Just over there," He nodded to a small clearing a short distance away. "I just need a bit of space to use my jutsu."

Sakura could practically feel the excitement emanating from the boys and she could admit to a little curiosity herself as she accompanied the two Jounin to the clearing.

Stepping away, Haruki brought his hands up and went through a long series of seals. "Suiton: Kagami no Mizu."

The air in front of the Jounin seemed to waver before a swirl of white chakra extended across the clearing, a thin plain of light briefly lighting up the area and then fading away again as the quiet sound of rippling water reached their ears.

In front of them, a thin plain of water that took up the entire clearing but was only perhaps an inch thick floated about a foot above the ground. Drawing closer, Sakura's eyes widened as she realized that it was indeed a lake, a, quite literally, bottomless lake. Ducking her head, she swept her hand under the flat plain of water and found nothing but empty air beneath it. Mystified, she turned to face the red-haired Jounin even as Kakashi stepped up beside her to peer into the water. Sasuke and Naruto had completely abandoned their trees and had hurried over as well, enchanted by the jutsu.

"Impressive, Haruki," Kakashi commented, dipping a finger into the water and setting off a ripple effect. "How deep is this?"

Haruki shrugged, stepping up beside them and looking pleased that he seemed to have caught their interest. "I have no idea. I've never tried to touch the bottom."

"But how?" Sakura stammered, dipping a hand into the clear lake. The water was cool against her skin. Besides the occasional ripple caused by some invisible wind that Sakura knew wasn't real because the wind that ruffled her hair was blowing in the opposite direction, the water was the clearest of blues. It was the most beautiful lake she had ever seen.

"It's a combination of water ninjutsu and space-time ninjutsu." Haruki explained. "Basically, it's a dimensional pocket filled with water."

"Why 'water of mirrors'?" Sasuke inquired from the ground, having dropped into a crouch and was trying to stick one hand into the lake from underneath. Said hand passed completely through the plain of water, dry and untouched.

Haruki pointed at the sky. "It reflects the weather. Have you noticed the wind? It's blowing east today but the ripples in the lake are moving west. It's a calm, sunny day so the lake is calm and clear as well." His mouth twisted into an odd smile. "In a storm though, this lake becomes a typhoon."

"That is so cool !" Naruto crowed, looking about ready to dive in. Before he could move though, Kakashi's left hand had dropped onto his head and his right onto Sasuke's.

"Alright you two," Kakashi announced cheerfully. "Back to work. You're supposed to be climbing trees. This lake is for Sakura right now."

Visibly sulking, Naruto stalked back towards his tree, throwing longing looks over his shoulder as he reluctantly moved away. Sasuke lingered as well, a scowl etched on his face as he headed after Naruto. Both looked determined to master climbing trees before the day was out or die trying.

"Alright Sakura," Haruki turned to the pink-haired kunoichi. "It's the same concept as climbing a tree, but water is always moving so you'll find balancing that much harder. Give it a try."

Sakura nodded resolutely and placed a foot on top of the water, testing the surface as she made sure her chakra coated her feet evenly. Three small wobbly steps later, a particularly large ripple threw her off-balance and she dropped into the lake with a loud splash. Spluttering as she came up again, she caught Haruki's gaze and felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment as she clung to the thin edge of the lake.

"Hey," A hand dropped on top of her wet locks as the stern voice made her look up. "None of that. You got three steps, Sakura. When I first started, I couldn't even get one step without soaking myself to the bone, and that was after I half-killed myself learning how to climb a tree."

A giggle slipped out before she could stop it and Sakura glanced apologetically up at the Jounin, but Haruki only grinned back at her, amusement clear in bright cerulean. "Your chakra control is near perfect so if anyone can get this down in a day, it's you. Now get back to work. I didn't summon a lake just to give people pep-talks."

This drew a grin from her even as Haruki stepped away, and she used the edge of the lake to heave herself out of the water to try again, confidence restored. Her chakra control was pretty good, not to mention Haruki did seem to think she could do it and the Jounin had yet to be wrong about anything. She was going to learn how to walk on water by the end of the day if it killed her.

Retreating from the lakeside, Haruki settled himself against a tree and found himself joined by Kakashi a moment later. "My students are going to be demanding a switch of senseis by the end of the day," The Copy-nin told him mournfully.

Haruki just rolled his eyes. "Don't sell yourself short, Kakashi. Just pay them all equal attention and push them a bit."

Kakashi tilted his head to study him. "You handle them pretty well."

Haruki shrugged. "They remind me of my old team."

Kakashi glanced across the clearing as Sakura fell in again. "Your students?"

Haruki frowned and shook his head. "No. No, my... my team. The team I was on."

"...Who would you be then?" Kakashi asked lightly, cautious of the redhead's reaction.

Haruki's mouth twitched up into a bitter smile. "Like Naruto, I guess."

Kakashi mentally compared the two. One quiet, the other loud. One patient, the other brash. One calm, the other hot-tempered. But both friendly enough. Both unpredictable. And both charismatic.

"I can see that," He nodded, only to be met with a sad smile.

"You shouldn't," Haruki said quietly, tilting his head back to set his gaze on the morning sky. "I never want to see him turn out like me."

A frown crept onto his face as Kakashi studied the redhead. It was clearer right now, but no matter where he saw Haruki, yesterday in his apartment, back in the Mission Assignments Room, even during the spars with Naruto and Sasuke, a shadow of something dark and unhappy always seemed to cling to the Jounin, never letting go.

"I'm rambling again," Kakashi blinked when cerulean eyes turned back to him and Haruki rubbed the back of his hand (much like Naruto, he noted). "I still do that, now and then. Sorry."

Kakashi shrugged, eye-smiling at him to assure the redhead that he didn't mind. The sadness still remained though so he subtly led the conversation in another direction by nodding at Sakura. The kunoichi seemed to be able to walk six or seven steps or so before slipping a bit, but she didn't completely fall in anymore.

"So I'm guessing that jutsu is yours."

Haruki smiled a little. "Yes. I created it several years ago."

"And you know space-time ninjutsu." It was not a question.

Haruki hmm'ed noncommittally. "Some."

Kakashi arched an eyebrow. "You said that about fuuinjutsu."

Haruki shrugged. "It's true."

Kakashi gave him a flat stare. "You transferred those seals from paper to wall with a drop of your chakra. Most people who know some fuuinjutsu can't even get it off paper."

"I practiced a lot. And I suppose I have a knack for it."

Kakashi just shook his head and glanced back at the lake. He was itching to try out this jutsu and was now kicking himself for keeping his Sharingan hidden earlier.

"Would you like to learn?"

Kakashi glanced over and scratched his head sheepishly at the amused smile on Haruki's face. "Ah, well, you went through quite a lot of seals earlier."

"Use your eye then. I'll go through them one more time."

Kakashi started, turning sharply to face the redhead. "How did you know?" He finally asked.

Haruki's mouth pulled up into a grin that never reached his eyes. "I know everything, Kakashi." Abruptly, he pushed off of the tree to face the Copy-nin. "So do you want to learn?"

Kakashi studied him for a moment longer before nodding silently and reaching up to uncover his eye. He wasn't sure what Haruki meant, but it wasn't as if it was a great secret either. He was called Konoha's Copy-nin after all.

As soon as his Sharingan focused on Haruki's hands, the redhead quickly went through the seals again and Kakashi memorized them, making a mental note to start practicing the jutsu as soon as he had some free time. Space-time ninjutsu was nothing to fool around with in a real fight if he didn't actually know how to use it properly.

"Thanks," Kakashi said as Haruki finished. He quickly hid his Sharingan again and the two were soon back to observing Sakura practice her chakra control.

"You give out your jutsus pretty easily," Kakashi remarked after a short silence.

Haruki chuckled. "I've got more in my arsenal, Kakashi. That jutsu I just showed you was one of the earliest I created."

"How old were you when you made it?"

"Umm, sixteen? Maybe seventeen."

Kakashi snapped his head around at this. "You made a water and space-time ninjutsu combination when you were a chuunin?"

Haruki opened his mouth as if to refute this but closed it again and settled on a stiff nod. There was a strange look on his face now but it was gone when Kakashi blinked.

"But I've never seen enemy-nin use it before. Surely someone would've been able to figure it out and copy it eventually." Kakashi pointed out.

Haruki shrugged. "All the enemy-nin I used this jutsu against aren't in any condition to try to reproduce it."

Kakashi blinked before nodding reluctantly. He supposed that made sense but he had a feeling he was missing something here.

There was a sudden yell from the trees and both Jounin turned to look as the sound startled Sakura enough that the kunoichi went under again. By the trees, Naruto seemed to have made it halfway, lost concentration, but had somehow managed to transfer chakra to his hands and was now hanging from a side branch by his palms.

Kakashi sweatdropped. "That's... different," He commented, watching the blond flail in mid-air as he contemplated whether or not he should give his student a hand. "I've never seen that happen before."

Haruki smirked, leaning back against the tree again. "Leave him. He'll figure out how to get down on his own."

Kakashi shrugged and settled back as well. "You have a lot of faith in him. With fuuinjutsu and this."

Haruki turned to glance at Naruto, who would no doubt become Hokage one day. At Sasuke, who would become ANBU General and Naruto's trusted Second. And at Sakura, who would be Naruto's Head Medic and the occasional nudge to keep the blond focused.

"I have a lot of faith in all of them." Haruki turned a smile on Kakashi, less shadowed and more genuine. "They'll be great one day."

Three hours later found Haruki walking through the village, having parted ways with Team 7 a few minutes earlier. Sakura could finally walk across the lake without falling in, though she still wobbled almost drunkenly every few steps. Naruto and Sasuke had managed to reach one of the topmost branches of their respective trees but had yet to actually stick there for longer than a few seconds.

At that point, Kakashi had announced that it was time to do their D-rank mission and all three had reluctantly stopped their training. But while the boys had been smudged with dirt after all the times they had face-planted back to Earth, at least they were both still completely dry. Sakura on the other hand had been soaked from head to toe and highly embarrassed as she shivered next to her teammates. Haruki and Kakashi had taken one look at her before they had each picked up one of the boys and promptly dumped them into the lake. Naruto and Sasuke had surfaced quickly, one shouting while the other glared, but Sakura had started laughing even as she had made a valiant attempt to look sorry.

All three had been ordered to go home for a change of clothes before meeting up again for their mission and Haruki had excused himself for the rest of the day, explaining that he still had a few errands to do before his mission tomorrow. All three children had had varying degrees of disappointment etched on their faces, but Kakashi had nodded and wished him good luck on his mission before ushering his students away.

Now, Haruki found himself walking a familiar route down a side street to where one of his future students lived. In his timeline, he hadn't met Kisaragi Yousuke until the boy was twelve and he was eighteen and saddled with a Genin team by the Godaime. It had taken one look for him to realize that the boy was being neglected and a grand total of three weeks to remove the boy from his home and into Haruki's.

Up ahead, Haruki caught sight of a familiar head of dark-brown near-black hair, walking hand-in-hand with a tall man with similar features. Haruki stiffened but kept his distance. Yousuke had eventually told him that the negligence and occasional abuse had only started after his mother had died in a house fire. Before that, his father had been a good man and as good a father as anyone could ask for.

Judging by the six-year-old's smile as he listened to his father speak, the mother probably hadn't died yet, which meant that Yousuke still had an opportunity to keep his family intact. Haruki couldn't take the kid if there was nothing wrong.

Weighing his options, he decided it was better this way. Yousuke was six, not twelve, and Haruki wouldn't be able to stick around as much. He wasn't a sensei anymore and he would probably need to leave the village from time to time. He wouldn't have time to look after a child on top of everything else. Mind made up, Haruki quickly summoned a small orange-furred fox.

"Stay out of sight and follow them," Haruki ordered softly. "Protect them. Make sure nothing happens to any of them."

The fox dipped his head to show he had understood before trotting away, disappearing into the hedges of a nearby house. Satisfied, Haruki turned and walked away. Perhaps, in six years, this time's Naruto would become a sensei again. And perhaps the Godaime would see fit to give him the same three Genin she had given Haruki in his time.

"Welcome!"

Haruki nodded a greeting at the smiling shop owner as he stepped into the bookstore. He hadn't actually been planning to stop by this place but his feet had taken him here and he had decided that another trip later would only waste time. He automatically moved to a section set apart from the other books, gaze skipping over the rows of distinctive orange spines before coming to rest on the plain brown covering of the book he was looking for.

The shop owner blinked down in some puzzlement as Haruki brought the book over to the counter to pay. She had watched the Jounin head over to the special section set aside for the Legendary Sannin's books but most who wandered over there came back with at least a few volumes of Icha Icha. She shrugged mentally and quickly accepted the money that the handsome redhead held out. Oh well. The less perverts in Konoha the better.

"Thank you and please come again!"

Haruki nodded his thanks and headed for the door, Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi tucked under one arm. He had read it numerous times already, but the book was still his favourite read.

Haruki's next stop was a clothing store for ninja and he immediately headed over to the coat section, scanning the trench coats on display with a critical eye. His old coat had been made by Shizune as a gift for becoming ANBU General. He had loved the short-sleeved, open-collared, chakra-infused, midnight blue coat with tongues of flames decorating the bottom edge, coupled with pockets on the outside for his hands and on the inside for storing weapons and poisons. He had worn it everywhere after Shizune had presented it to him, much to the woman's delight. The medic had admitted that she had based the design on his father's coat after hearing a description of it from Tsunade, but Haruki had been quick to assure her that he didn't mind. Unfortunately, said coat had been all but shredded barely halfway through his battle with Madara and he had been forced to leave it behind.

The redhead finally decided on a simple dark brown trench coat, lightweight and durable and similar in cutting to his old one. It would do for now, until he could perhaps convince the Shizune in this timeline to make the coat again. He just didn't feel right without a long overcoat thrown on over his uniform.

Haruki's final stop for the day was, of course, the Hokage Monument. Thinking back, he figured he had spent a good third of his time in Konoha simply sitting on the edge of the mountain staring out across the village and beyond that. The view was always excellent from so high up and he had done everything from drinking sake to napping to doing absolutely nothing up here.

Standing here now with his eyes closed and the wind weaving through his hair, Haruki could almost pretend that he was still in his own time, back before Konoha had fallen, and was simply waiting for Team 7, all of Team 7, to join him on one of those rare days when they were all free from their duties for a few hours.

With a sigh, his eyes blinked open and he settled down into his usual spot on the Hokage Monument, leaning against one of the spikes of the Yondaime's hair. With his eyes open, everything was different. There were no foreboding dark clouds on the horizon like there had been throughout the entire war. The clouds made it seem as if the battlefield was an entirely different world. It could be as bright and sunny as any summer day could be but the world darkened and the temperature dropped the moment one stepped onto the battlefield.

And the village. It was almost sleepy . Lazy. Careless. The village he had come to recognize as his own had always had a certain tension and weariness weighing it down as if Konoha itself had been tired with the war. Now though, in the distance, Haruki could make out the civilians talking easily with one another and a smattering of shinobi exchanging easy conversation, happy and ignorant of all the things that would eventually lead this village to its doom.

But that was what he was here for. The future was his burden to bear. His duty was to give these people a chance to live out their lives on their terms.

And this time, he would not fail.

Sunrise saw Haruki slipping out of the village unseen, hair tied back and brown coat flapping behind him as he ran through the forests of his home country. He never had much opportunity to just let loose and run to his heart's content anymore, but if he kept up this speed, he could run straight out of Hi no Kuni and right through Yu no Kuni and Shimo no Kuni before hitching a ride with Kurama to reach his destination in the promised day and a half.

"Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi glanced up at the formal address as his two councillors filed into his office. "Homura, Koharu," He acknowledged. "What can I do for you?"

"Word has reached Konoha of a sudden explosion of chakra in Kumogakure," Koharu began stiffly. "And there have been sightings of someone who appears to be Hyuuga Hiashi in Yu no Kuni and Shimo no Kuni. We wish to know if you have received any information on the recent events."

Sarutobi hid a satisfied smile and frowned thoughtfully instead. "I have spoken to Hiashi-san but he too has expressed his lack of knowledge on the matter. I have also checked over the recent missions but we have not had many requests from either of those countries, and no Hyuuga has been sent on the ones that have come to us."

Both of his old teammates frowned and Homura took over for the two. "Yet there must be some sort of connection. The rumors that have leaked back to us were very clear that the man that was sighted has Byakugan eyes."

Sarutobi mentally congratulated Haruki on a job well done, making a note to have the man's pay ready for him upon his return. Before he could come up with a reply though, rapid light footsteps reached their ears and all three of them turned to face the open doorway as a Chuunin skidded to a stop just outside the office.

"Hokage-sama!" The Chuunin sketched a hasty bow in the general direction of all three shinobi in the office before focusing on Sarutobi. "Sir, a man, definitely a Hyuuga, just appeared at the gates. He claims to be Hyuuga Hizashi!"

Sarutobi forced a look of surprise on his face as he watched his councillors stiffen with shock. Before either could say anything, Sarutobi quickly rose to his feet. "You are certain he said 'Hizashi'?"

The Chuunin nodded. "Yes sir, the Jounin at the gates asked several times."

Sarutobi nodded curtly. "I will go myself. Please go to the Hyuuga Compound and inform Hiashi-san of this development."

The Chuunin shook his head. "Hiashi-sama is already there, Hokage-sama. I believe he sensed the man's chakra signal and went to verify it himself."

Sarutobi came out from behind his desk. "Then I think I will join him. Homura? Koharu?"

Both councillors nodded grimly and all three shinobi swept out of the Hokage Tower, the Chuunin leading the way. As they passed one of the open windows in the hallway, Sarutobi instinctively glanced outside, just in time to catch a familiar flash of crimson disappearing over one of the nearby rooftops.

"This is a surprising turn of events indeed, Hokage-sama. Why was the Council not informed of such a significant development?"

Once Hyuuga Hizashi had been confirmed as Hyuuga Hizashi through two blood tests, a verification of his chakra signal, curse seal, and Byakugan, and a somewhat lengthy interrogation that Hiashi adamantly insisted on performing, the Council, the Clan and Civilian representatives, Danzo, the newly-returned Hizashi, the Hokage, and Haruki had all assembled in the Council Chamber.

Sarutobi hadn't wasted any time and had immediately launched into the heavily edited version of what had really happened, introducing Haruki and explaining his part in the discovery and resulting retrieval of the Hyuuga Clan Head's brother. Haruki had stood at his shoulder, face about as helpful as a stone wall when the other occupants in the room all tried to gauge the redhead's reactions throughout Sarutobi's explanation.

Currently, Homura was staring frostily at Haruki even as he directed his question at Sarutobi, but it was Hiashi who answered, rising from his seat amongst the Clan Heads.

"This was a problem for the Hyuuga Clan to deal with," Hiashi stated coolly, white eyes surveying the room. "When Kazama-san returned with news of my brother, I requested that this matter be dealt with quietly and discreetly. It could cause a potential war with Kumogakure if a spy was discovered to have been in their territory, and by handling this issue as we have, Kumo cannot claim ignorance of my brother's survival," His gaze hardened here. "As they did on the attempted kidnapping of my eldest daughter nine years ago."

A quiet murmur spread across the room and Sarutobi watched Inoichi and Chouza nod in acceptance of this justification while Shikaku remained still in his seat, a calculating glint in his eyes as his attention remained on the redhead standing behind Sarutobi. He said nothing though and the Sandaime let his gaze move on to the other occupants of the room. The Civilian representative was frowning heavily, occasionally glancing at Danzo further back in the room. Danzo remained expressionless, seemingly weighing Hiashi's words as Homura and Koharu exchanged a few words between themselves.

"Very well, Hiashi-sama," Koharu accepted grudgingly, nodding at Hiashi as the man sat down again. "This issue seems to have been handled quite efficiently. We will now be able to demand compensation from Kumo's Raikage, which will be quite beneficial for Konoha."

"And wonderfully executed, Kazama-san," Inoichi added, blue-green eyes on the Jounin at Sarutobi's side.

Haruki dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Thank you, Inoichi-sama, but credit must also go to Hokage-sama and Hiashi-sama, as well as Hizashi-sama. I simply followed their plan as instructed."

Sarutobi remained neutral on the outside but he felt a thrum of worry inside. The plan was undoubtedly suggested by Haruki. For the future Hokage to downplay his skill as a strategist, Sarutobi knew the redhead wanted to remain unnoticed for as long as possible. And to blatantly lie in front of the Council, the Sandaime wondered just how dangerous Danzo was to make Haruki this cautious.

"Of course," Chouza nodded from next to Inoichi even as Shikaku cocked his head and the interest on his face went up another notch.

It was here though that Danzo finally spoke up, shifting forward to stare intently at Sarutobi. "I do wonder though, Hokage-sama, where this Kazama-san came from? I have never seen his face before, nor do I recall sending any Jounin to Kumo for infiltration."

Sarutobi didn't even blink. "I destroyed all his files, down to his Academy records before sending him to Kumo as a spy. If he had been caught and traced back to Konoha, Kumo could demand much worse from us. And I do not remember needing to inform anyone before sending out any of my shinobi on a mission."

The reprimand was subtle but sharp and Danzo reluctantly backed down, inclining his head as he settled back in his seat.

There was a slightly tense silence as Sarutobi glanced around the room before speaking again. "Then for now, this matter is closed. I will send a courier to Kumogakure to request a meeting with the Raikage, but everything we have discussed here obviously cannot be leaked out." Concurrent nods responded this statement and Sarutobi continued. "Then this meeting is adjourned."

As everyone rose and bowed to the Hokage before making their way to the doors, Sarutobi glanced over his shoulder at the impassive redhead. "Get some rest, Haruki-kun," He said softly. "You've done very well. Come by the office tomorrow and I'll have your paycheck ready."

Haruki blinked, his neutral features never shifting as he sketched a slight bow before heading to the door as well. He waited patiently for the others to file out first, never missing the drilling stare from across the room where Danzo still stayed seated, before making his own way out of the Hokage Tower. His shoulders relaxed slightly as he stepped outside but stiffened again when he felt a somewhat familiar presence approach him.

"Haruki…-san?"

Haruki turned to face Shikaku, maintaining an iron control on his expression as he gazed back at the scarred features of one of his future best friends' father. He had gotten to know this man in his own timeline, spending hours at a time crouched over battle plans with him and his son.

The Jounin Commander had an odd, crooked smile on his face; the one Haruki had come to recognize as one that Shikaku always wore when he had discovered something particularly interesting. At the moment, it was an unnerving expression for Haruki.

"May I help you, Shikaku-sama?" He asked politely, remembering the correct honorific for the strategist.

Shikaku only waved a lazy hand in the air before tucking it back into his deer skin coat again. "Shikaku is fine. And perhaps you could." Intelligent dark eyes sharpened as the smile widened fractionally.

"How would you like to play a game of shogi with me?"

Katon: Gokakyuu no Jutsu – Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu

Kage Bunshin no Jutsu – Shadow Clone Jutsu

Haremu no Jutsu – Harem Jutsu

Konoha Senpuu – Konoha Whirlwind (Taijutsu)

Suiton: Kagami no Mizu – Water Release: Water of Mirrors

Kaze no Kuni – Land of Wind

Hi no Kuni – Land of Fire

Yu no Kuni – Land of Hot Water

Shimo no Kuni – Land of Frost

Chapter Text

Chapter 5 – Of Opinions and Games

By the time Haruki reached his apartment, he was tired, hungry, and beyond irritated. Really, did he have 'SPEND TIME WITH ME' tattooed on his forehead or something?

Tossing his coat onto the couch, he made his way to the kitchen, grimacing as he remembered being accosted by three different people before finally reaching his flat.

* Earlier *

"How would you like to play a game of shogi with me?"

Haruki stared for a long incredulous moment, mind racing to find a good excuse to turn Shikaku down. Naras never did anything for no good reason. Of course, they thought not doing something because it was troublesome was a good reason, but there must have been an alternative motive for the Jounin Commander to ask.

"I'm not all that good, Shikaku-san," Haruki voiced uncomfortably, slipping his hands into his coat pockets to hide their minute restlessness. It was true. In his timeline, both Shikaku and Shikamaru had kicked his ass almost every time they had played, though both Naras had admitted that he had become more and more of a challenge to defeat as time passed. He had even won the last few games he had played with them but after Konoha had been destroyed, none of them had had time for shogi anymore and Haruki hadn't so much as touched a piece in over a year.

"Well I can be the judge of that," Shikaku's posture was still in a somewhat lazy slouch but his eyes never wavered from Haruki's. "Shikamaru has training tomorrow until late afternoon and the other people I usually play with are all busy so I won't have a shogi partner." (Here, Haruki snapped mentally, ' You have an entire clan of shogi partners! They can't all be busy! And you're the Clan Head! You can order them to play with you if you want your shogi fix so badly!' ) "You can come over to the Nara Compound any time before that."

A dozen excuses raced through his mind, just as quickly dismissed a second later. Shikaku would counter every one of them anyway. It wasn't that he didn't particularly like playing shogi, he really had nothing against it, but to Haruki, he would technically be sitting across from a dead man, most likely fielding questions the entire time because he had no doubt Shikaku had seen through the earlier farce and would probably want answers, and that was fine because Haruki had expected it. What he hadn't expected was for the Nara to come straight to him. He had figured that Shikaku would go bug the Hokage and Sarutobi would be the one stuck with dealing with the Jounin Commander.

And the other problem he found with Shikaku's request was the fact that he knew Shikaku's playing style inside-out. This didn't matter in his timeline since Shikaku knew his playing style as well, not to mention that it had been the father and son whom had taught him how to play in the first place. But here in this timeline, Naruto would have quite a bit of an advantage and it wouldn't be fair to Shikaku.

So here he was, impassive on the outside but somewhat frantic on the inside as the Nara Clan Head waited for his reply. Somewhat belatedly, Haruki realized that he had been silent for several long seconds already, and though Shikaku looked as patient and unbothered as ever, the silence around them was beginning to turn awkward.

"I am... busy tomorrow, Shikaku-san," Haruki finally threw out, shoving down a flush of embarrassment when the Nara Clan Head raised a half-skeptical, half-amused eyebrow at him.

"Oh?" The Jounin Commander cocked his head and the slightly mocking edge that his smile had taken on was definitely calling the redhead out on his bullshit. "With what? Perhaps we could schedule the match afterwards."

"With..." Haruki casually turned to his left and gestured vaguely in that direction to stall for time. And lo and behold, his gaze fell on a familiar figure and he almost cheered when he realized his excuse had, quite youthfully, presented itself to him.

"With training," Haruki announced triumphantly as he turned back to the waiting Nara. "I promised Gai-san I'd train with his team as soon as I got back."

He turned away again, unconsciously forgetting his current Jounin status and reverting back to his 'Kage voice', as Sasuke liked to call it, in his haste to bow out of this conversation with Shikaku as soon as possible. As it was, his voice, now sharp with command, cut through the murmur of other ongoing conversations around them as he barked out, "Gai-san!"

Haruki didn't notice the slight widening of Shikaku's eyes nor did he notice the immediate, instinctive straightening in the Jounin Commander's posture, but he did take notice when everyone within earshot abruptly stopped talking, slightly bewildered expressions all turning to face him.

With one word, Haruki had managed to seize the attention of all those in the area. Quickly realizing his mistake, Haruki only let slip his alarm for a fraction of a second before he clamped down on the rush of anxiety welling up inside him and walked forward to meet a stunned-looking Gai, ignoring those around him. It wasn't as if he had even shouted. His voice had been the same volume as it always was; he had simply changed the tone, albeit reflexively.

"Gai-san, I promised a training session with your team after I came back, didn't I?" He managed a small smile for the Jounin and Gai seemed to give himself a mental shake before his usual bright grin spread across his face again.

"Indeed you did, Haruki-san! You are truly a man of your word!" Gai glanced distractedly at Shikaku still standing a few feet away but hesitated to greet him when he realized that the strategist's entire attention was solely focused on the redhead.

Shikaku hadn't really meant to approach the recently-returned Jounin on their way out of the Hokage Tower. Oh, he knew the story Sarutobi had spun had been just that; a story, with bits and pieces of half-truths slipped in to hold the entire thing afloat. It had been put together quite nicely, with a few small holes here and there that, had he been privy to the truth, Shikaku would've patched up without a problem. Sarutobi's plans usually did have minute gaps in them as the Hokage didn't always catch all the miniscule details and left that up to the Jounin Commander to take care of, but it was also this exact reason that Shikaku knew that the red-haired Jounin was hiding something big.

Sarutobi's plans always had at least a few tiny flaws in them, but the approach that Haruki insisted that the Hokage, along with the two Hyuugas, had supposedly come up with was completely airtight. It was the exact method Shikaku would've used in that same scenario because it was the best course of action with the least amount of backlash.

And it was completely different from the Sandaime's style of approach. The plan brought up questions of course, like where had Haruki come from, because there was no way an entire village could have no knowledge of one of its shinobi no matter what records Sarutobi destroyed, and how had the Jounin managed to get to Kumo and back within the hypothetical four days it took for Hizashi to make the return trip, while stopping several times along the way to henge into the Hyuuga Clan Head's brother to spread rumours, but Shikaku wasn't interested in these questions. It was obvious to anyone with eyes and half a brain that Sarutobi trusted Haruki explicitly, and Shikaku trusted his Hokage enough to not question this line of thought any further.

No, what interested him was the core of the plan itself, the tactic that Shikaku knew had not come from Sarutobi or either Hyuuga. The Nara had worked with all three at one point or another and he knew that none of them could've come up with a plan so... well, so similar to one Shikaku himself would make.

Which only left this Kazama Haruki as the only other option. It was brilliantly done. Within less than two weeks, the red-haired Jounin had returned Hyuuga Hizashi alive and safe, protected Konoha from any outside force looking to gain something from this incident, achieved a concrete standing within the ranks of Konoha's ninja as a loyal and capable shinobi in the eyes of most, if not all, of the Council, secured the favour and debt of two of the most powerful Hyuugas in the Hyuuga Clan, and finished off the entire performance by cornering and crippling Kumo in one decisive strike, delivering to the Hokage a golden opportunity for Konoha's economy on a silver platter.

Shikaku had seen and heard all this under the incomparable fiction that Sarutobi had recounted, and, sitting there in the Council chamber and not seeing any true comprehension on any of the others' faces, it had been one of the rare times that the Jounin Commander had felt truly frustrated towards the less insightful minds around him. He had felt a little like bashing heads together and a little like screaming because none of them, not even Danzo whom Shikaku knew had also seen through some of the layers of deception, none of them had been able to see the true beauty of what Haruki had done.

Heck, Shikaku wondered if even Haruki knew what he had done, standing there with stony features that seemed unsettlingly out of place on a frighteningly familiar face, all the while downplaying his own skills and redirecting the credit to the more powerful players in the web they had spun.

But either way, it had been Haruki who had come up with the plan, and it was Haruki's mind that now intrigued him to no end.

So, in an uncharacteristic move on his part to satisfy his own curiosity, Shikaku had called out to the red-haired Jounin, and he had found himself amused when he realized that Haruki couldn't lie at all. How could this man possibly be a spy if he couldn't even lie to his own allies who wouldn't be looking for anything suspicious? No wonder Haruki had stayed so quiet back in the chamber.

And Shikaku believed that right up to the moment when Haruki had called out to Maito Gai, which had then promptly blown the Jounin Commander's conviction clear out of the water as he had found himself automatically straightening to attention at the tone of voice the redhead had used.

Sharp, even with the weight of command, and quiet, even with the expectancy of respectful deference, Shikaku would swear blind up to the day he died that he had been listening to a Kage speak, a Kage used to snapping short rapid-fire commands out of necessity that those who reported to him could and would immediately understand and obey.

And now, here he was, still standing in front of the Hokage Tower, more determined than ever to con the man back to the Nara Compound for at least one round of shogi. He wanted to know how this man thought, and there was nothing more telling than a game that pitted one mind against another.

"Gai," Shikaku finally dragged his gaze to the spandex-clad Jounin standing beside them and nodded a greeting at him.

Gai sketched a quick salute, a wry glint in his eyes as he studied his commanding officer. Shikaku let his frame relax again and tucked his hands back into his coat. He sometimes forgot that Gai was one of the sharper Jounin under his command.

"What time should I come by?" Haruki was asking now, and the calm demeanour and steady gaze made Shikaku wonder just how he could think that this man was not capable as a spy.

Gai struck a thinking pose before flashing a grin. "Yosh! Lee's youthfulness usually has him training by five, but the official meeting time is six. You can come to Training Grounds 14 anytime between then!"

Haruki inclined his head. "I will be there. Do your students specialize in any area?"

"Lee is a youthful taijutsu specialist while Neji has his Clan's Gentle Fist!" A fleeting frown passed over the Jounin's face. "And Tenten is excellent with a wide variety of weapons."

He seemed about to add something more but changed his mind at the last second and grinned again. "I will go tell my students that we will have a youthful guest for training tomorrow! We will aim to impress!"

Haruki smiled and nodded, and Gai clapped a good-natured hand on the redhead's shoulder before snapping another salute at Shikaku. Before he could run off, Shikaku quickly cleared his throat, sharp eyes darting momentarily back to Haruki and just managing a glimpse of the slight stir of relief under the redhead's neutral features.

Oh no you don't , Shikaku scoffed inwardly. As if a training session could put him off if he really wanted something.

"Gai," He spoke aloud. "Haruki-san is unsure whether or not he can make the shogi appointment with me tomorrow. Around what time would you be willing to let him go?"

Gai looked surprised but smiled broadly, missing the dark look that Haruki tossed at both of them. Shikaku smirked inwardly. So there was a fire somewhere under that placid facade.

"Do not worry, Haruki-san!" Gai beamed. "A youthful game of shogi, especially against a master such as Shikaku-sama, is something that cannot be missed! Our training session will end at noon since my team has border patrol tomorrow. Will that be enough time for you to make your appointment?"

Haruki's smile looked strained and Shikaku bit back a chuckle. "Oh, undoubtedly, Gai-san. Thank you for the consideration."

"Yes," Shikaku nodded as well. "Thank you, Gai. That will do nicely."

Gai just flashed another smile before sprinting away in the direction of the training grounds, kicking up dust as he ran.

A long moment of silence followed as neither of the remaining shinobi spoke. Shikaku spent the time studying the redhead, unconcerned that his open observation might seem rude. He idly speculated whether Haruki would get angry or not, and if he would insist on turning down the shogi game anyway. The Nara might be the Jounin Commander but that didn't mean his Jounin needed to obey him in matters unrelated to work. And for a reason he had yet to figure out, he very much doubted that this man was suited to obey anyone .

But after a few drawn-out seconds, the redhead only sighed and pinned him with a piercing cerulean gaze. "You are used to getting your way in the few times you want it, Shikaku-san," Haruki said at last.

Shikaku blinked in surprise but relaxed with a lazy smirk playing on his lips a heartbeat later. "And you are much more straightforward when you lose that act you parade around in."

Haruki shrugged. "I prefer being straightforward."

Shikaku's gaze sharpened. "Then be straightforward. I'm not calling you out for work-related issues, Haruki-san. It's just a shogi match between two colleagues. Work has nothing to do with this."

Haruki studied him for a moment longer before his whole bearing seemed to change in front of Shikaku. He watched as the redhead relaxed somewhat in his presence and the walls that had been resurrected in his eyes fell away, revealing amusement and faint annoyance behind them. His mouth twisted up a little in a faint smile as one of the Jounin's hands reached up to brush back a few strands of crimson bangs.

"Alright then, Shikaku-san," Haruki dipped his head before stepping away, more as acknowledgement than anything else. "I will come by the Nara Compound tomorrow at one. Do try not to be too disappointed when you fail to find out what you want to know."

And with only a passing wave goodbye, the redhead disappeared a moment later, shunshining away from the Hokage Tower and leaving a mildly shocked Shikaku behind.

Shikaku stared after the Jounin before huffing a laugh, shaking his head as he turned towards his own home. He could honestly say that no ninja under his command had ever left his presence like that, without all the tedious bowing and saluting that his position called for. It was an interesting change, and he found himself mildly impatient for tomorrow to come.

He always found out what he wanted to know in the end. It was just a matter of how long Haruki would manage to put him off.

Running across the rooftops, Haruki grumbled wearily to himself. Now he was stuck with playing shogi with the Nara Clan Head, and he couldn't blatantly downplay his skill either. Shikaku would catch it immediately and call him out on it, and knowing his luck, Haruki would be stuck with another shogi appointment after that. He would have to be subtle about it or Shikaku would realize just how much Haruki actually knew.

A moderately fast-approaching chakra signal made him glance up and Kakashi appeared beside him a moment later, matching him step for step as the Copy-nin eye-smiled a greeting at him. "Yo! Welcome home."

Haruki almost tripped at those two words, catching himself at the last moment as his mind momentarily threw him back to the last time he had ever heard them, two and a half years ago and the final time he had ever stepped foot inside Konoha before the war had kept him on the battlefield. He hadn't returned to his village until Konoha had become the battlefield.

He managed to smile and nod but said nothing else as he sped up a bit, not really wanting to talk. Kakashi seemed to understand and kept his next words short and simple, but very unwelcome to Haruki.

"The team's coming over to your place for dinner at seven, okay? We'll knock on your door when we arrive."

And without giving Haruki a chance to turn the invitation down, the Copy-nin pulled away, disappearing over the rooftops in a blur of silver.

Haruki would've given chase and kicked the Jounin's ass six ways to Sunday if he wasn't sure that that would do nothing to get him out of this. So he clenched his jaw and put his frustration in his steps instead, being careful not to actually punch holes through the rooftops though.

* Present *

Now here he was, stewing sulkily over a simple bowl of udon as he lounged on his sofa. What was wrong with the people of Konoha? Either they hated him and stayed as far away as possible unless they were trying to hurt him, or they couldn't seem to get enough of his company.

Haruki heaved a sigh and swallowed down the rest of his food before placing it on the coffee table and stretching out on the sofa. While he did have large chakra reserves and his need for food and sleep had greatly diminished after spending so much time trying not to get killed on the battlefield, it didn't mean he didn't get tired. Four days out and about on a diet of soldier pills wasn't healthy but he'd done it before and for much longer periods of time. Four days was nothing in comparison but he wished he could have a night in to himself right after completing the mission.

It wasn't like Kakashi wouldn't understand that either. For someone who knew what it was like to come home from a mission and just get some rest, Haruki wondered what had happened in his absence for the Copy-nin to seek him out so soon after he had come back.

Ah well. He would just have to wait until tonight to find out. For now, a nap wasn't sounding so bad and he would need the extra energy to deal with Team 7 later.

A quiet knock on his door woke Haruki up and he jerked out of his half-doze to stare blearily at the kitchen clock just visible from his position.

Huh. Six-thirty. Well, he had either slept through the entire night without knowing and Kakashi had come to wake him up or the Copy-nin was shockingly early.

Hauling himself off the couch, Haruki ran a hand through his hair and tried to look less tired than he felt before opening the door. Judging by the veiled concern that immediately sprang up in Kakashi's eye when the man caught sight of him, he had probably failed.

In no mood for pleasantries, Haruki frowned at the other Jounin, not quite ready to let the man in just yet. "This had better be good, Hatake."

"Naruto and Sasuke had a fight."

Without a word, Haruki stepped back from the door to let the Copy-nin inside, closing and locking the door behind him before joining the Jounin on the couch.

Sighing, Haruki settled down against one arm of the couch and motioned for Kakashi to start talking. The Copy-nin absently fingered the orange book tucked in his jacket but didn't take it out.

"I took them to Naka River to practice walking on water," Kakashi finally started, an uncharacteristic agitation in the subtle way that his left fingers tapped out a random rhythm. Haruki would've thought nothing of it if he didn't know the Copy-nin so well.

"The boys finally finished with the tree-climbing after the second day so I started them on the next step. I still can't do that jutsu yet," Kakashi added with a disgruntled note to his voice. "Anyway, they started out with the usual falling in and splashing around. Sakura's gotten pretty good and I started her on walking through the rougher parts of the river but she was close enough to give them pointers too and they both gradually got better. Overall, it went pretty well."

Haruki raised an eyebrow, question silent but clear. So what's the problem?

Kakashi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose through the cloth of his mask. "The problem was when they took a break from water-walking. On the day they started that exercise, they broke for lunch and started sparring after they finished eating." The Jounin glanced at the redhead. "The boys took your suggestion and started sparring. It didn't end well."

Haruki frowned and Kakashi hurriedly tacked on, "The spar itself was a good idea. You were right; they saw through a lot of each other's attacks so they managed to figure out what they still had to work on. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that Naruto won."

Again, Haruki let his silence speak for itself. But he could already see where this was going without Kakashi having to continue. Sasuke had never taken defeat well, especially when he was still at this age.

"It wasn't as if it was a decisive win either," Kakashi continued. "They were even until one of Naruto's Kage Bunshins managed to sneak up on Sasuke's left side and disarm him before he could retaliate. But you know Naruto; he gloated a bit, harmless enough, and Sasuke was more than a little annoyed, but he didn't really get angry until Sakura cut in."

Haruki had to hide a wince. No doubt, Sakura would've said something in favour of Sasuke and mostly insulting to Naruto.

Kakashi heaved a sigh, shoulders slumping. "She said something about Naruto only getting lucky because Sasuke didn't expect him to do something as cowardly as sneaking up from behind. Naruto didn't take that well and said that Sasuke would've done the same thing if he had been strong enough to produce more than a couple Kage Bunshins, and things just went to hell from there. I don't even remember all the insults they shot at each other, something about Naruto being weaker than Sasuke, and Sasuke never being able to get strong enough if he couldn't even defend against a Kage Bunshin, and then parents were somehow thrown into the mix before I could shut them both up. Naruto's an orphan and Sasuke's Clan's gone so that didn't go over well and they were full-out brawling before I could stop them." He ran a hand through his messy hair and shook his head. "I managed to pull them apart and send them home after that but the team dynamics are completely skewered. Naruto and Sasuke refuse to work with each other and they're both ignoring Sakura. The poor girl's already apologized multiple times to both of them and I'm pretty sure she went home crying after yesterday's failed D-rank, but..."

Haruki closed his eyes and tried to force back a building a headache. He should've known the camaraderie he had seen between Team 7 was too good to last. He opened his eyes again, shifting to cross his legs on the couch and shot the Jounin an inquiring look. "So what exactly do you want me to do about it?"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably as he leaned back against the couch. "I need help. I've tried talking to Sasuke, and I told him that he would get stronger and encouraged him too but he just shuts out everything I say. Why... Why does he listen to you?"

Haruki stayed silent for a long contemplative moment, propping his head up in one hand as he used one knee as an elbow-rest. He studied the Copy-nin for a while, watching him slowly stiffen uneasily under his blatant stare.

"You know what your problem is, Kakashi?" Haruki finally asked when he felt that the Jounin had suffered enough. The Kakashi in his timeline had eventually realized his mistake, but not until it was too late and Sasuke was long gone from the village.

Without waiting for a reply, Haruki continued, straightening up as he dropped his hand back onto his lap. "You're too soft on Sasuke."

The Copy-nin's visible eye widened fractionally and Haruki sighed and explained, "Why did you only talk to Sasuke? Naruto may have won and Sakura may have inadvertently started the fight, but it wasn't as if Sasuke hadn't done anything wrong either, and he knows that. And yet you're singling him out, and I know you're trying to make him feel better by telling him that he will get stronger, but he doesn't see it that way. Sasuke called Naruto weak as well but you didn't tell Naruto that he would get stronger too, did you? By singling Sasuke out, to him, you're telling him that he is weak because you obviously think that he needs his hand held, unlike Naruto or even Sakura."

"But I don't think that!" Kakashi was blinking, looking mildly stunned as one hand jerked in unconscious denial.

"Yes, you know that and I know that," Haruki pointed out calmly. "But Sasuke doesn't. I told you, Kakashi, to pay them all equal attention. I didn't just mean for training. You have to be careful of the way you act around them as well. You're their sensei. They'll always be watching you. If you keep treating Sasuke differently," His eyes darkened with memory. "Not only will you push Naruto and Sakura away, you'll lose Sasuke as well."

What could be seen of Kakashi's face paled as he slumped back against the couch.

"He wants to become an avenger," Kakashi revealed after a long moment of silence. There was a note of helplessness in his voice that startled Haruki. "The Hokage, he assigned me Team 7 on purpose. He thinks I can help him for some reason. It isn't just because I can teach him how to use the Sharingan either. The Sandaime thinks I can somehow keep him from going off on his own for revenge or something." There was a disquieting amount of self-doubt in Kakashi's eye when the Copy-nin made eye-contact with Haruki again. "How the fuck am I supposed to do that?"

Haruki could honestly say that, after everything he had been through, he had never thought he could ever be truly surprised again. But this was a side of Kakashi that he had never seen before, not in all the long years he had known the man. Had his time's Kakashi felt like this? He must have since he was technically an alternate version of the same man. But Kakashi had always seemed so self-assured when dealing with their team. He had never shown any uncertainty when handling them, and he and Sakura had eventually assumed that Kakashi just favoured Sasuke, liked him better perhaps because he hadn't been as annoying or as undisciplined as they had been.

But now that Haruki thought about it, he realized that the Copy-nin had never had to deal with children before Team 7. Kakashi had said so himself; he had failed every Genin team before them, and to be suddenly told that the first team he had ever passed and taken on consisted of an angry twelve-year-old bent on revenge that he was responsible for keeping on the straight and narrow would unnerve anyone. And yet, Haruki had never seen it, had always just thought that Kakashi hadn't seen much in him as a twelve-year-old. But what if the Copy-nin had only been trying, in the way he had thought was best, to keep the team together and prevent Sasuke from defecting? What if it hadn't been favouritism after all? Well he had proof right in front of him. Kakashi looked as uncertain as one could possibly look under the circumstances.

"I'm sorry," Haruki spoke up abruptly.

Kakashi looked taken aback. "For what?"

"For misunderstanding," Haruki voiced softly before giving himself a sharp mental rebuke. "Nevermind. Well, if Sasuke wants to become an avenger, then all we have to do is get it into his head that cutting ties with this village is the last thing that will help."

Kakashi scratched his head, shifting with a nervous sort of energy. "Er, 'we'?"

Haruki snorted, rising to his feet and grabbing the empty bowl still sitting on his coffee table before moving to his kitchen. "Well I certainly hope it's 'we'. You've already decided to turn my apartment into your base of operations."

Kakashi followed him into the kitchen, having the decency to actually look sheepish as he leaned against the counter. "You're good with kids, and especially with them. Sasuke wouldn't want to go anywhere near Naruto's place right now and it would be a cold day in hell when he invites us into the Uchiha Compound. I don't want to scar Sakura's parents for life if the boys end up in another fistfight in Sakura's house, and my place," Kakashi shrugged, a slight smirk made its way onto his face behind his mask. "My precious books are there. I didn't want anything destroyed. Your place was the only one left."

Haruki threw him a dirty look as he put on the kettle. "So it's alright for them to destroy my place then?"

Kakashi stared pointedly first at the empty bookcase outside the kitchen (the only book Haruki had bought was on his bedside table), then at the bare minimum of dishes and bowls in the cupboards, before waving a hand in the general direction of his apartment's bare walls. "Your place is practically empty. And I'm willing to bet that there are seals everywhere. If the boys get into a fight, the only cause for concern is the damage they'll do to each other. Besides, this was the only house I could convince them to come to without too much fuss. I told them you wanted to see them."

Haruki rolled his eyes before settling back into something more serious again. Kakashi still looked a little unsettled and Haruki sighed before catching the Jounin's eye again.

"You asked earlier why Sasuke listens to me," Haruki started softly, finding it rather sad when Kakashi seemed to hang onto his every word. How could this man be so afraid of letting his students down yet Haruki had never realized it? "He listens because I treat them all the same. He knows I'm fair and that I'm just as hard on him as I am on his teammates. He's seen that firsthand when I made sure to give them all an equal opportunity to train with me. I pointed out what he and Naruto could work on, and what areas they were good at. I made them figure out each other's strengths and weaknesses after I sparred with them to force them to acknowledge each other as equals, not just a prodigy and a dead-last. And I made sure Sakura got the attention she needed when it was obvious she was much better than either of the boys at chakra control. No singling them out. Pay them all equal attention and push all of them to be the best they can be in their own way."

As Haruki finished, the silence that descended on them was only broken by the quiet ticking of the kitchen clock. The redhead couldn't quite decide what Kakashi was feeling at the moment since the Jounin had his best poker face on as they stared at each other.

But it was Kakashi who finally chuckled and relaxed, returning to his typical laidback air. "Just so you know," The Copy-nin informed him cheerfully, voice light again. "I don't believe any of that 'not teacher material' stuff you insist on. You realize you just gave me a lesson on my own students, right?"

Haruki rolled his eyes and started pulling out drawers to start on dinner. "Whatever, Hatake. When your students get here, you can talk to them in the sitting room. I'll start on dinner while you give them the third degree. If they don't shape up, you'll be stuck failing D-rank missions with them for the rest of your life."

Kakashi offered him a lazy salute and sauntered out of the kitchen to make himself comfortable on Haruki's couch again. The redhead smiled a little when he saw that the languid confidence had returned to the Copy-nin's slouch and silently activated the privacy seals around the sitting room when a knock came at the door.

This was no longer his Team 7 anymore and it was up to them now to pull themselves together. Haruki could give a nudge now and then to move them along, but he wouldn't be here forever and Team 7 would have to stand on their own someday.

When Haruki finished making dinner (miso soup, rice, tomatoes, tempura, deep-fried tofu, and a side-dish of dumplings; one favorite of each of the members of Team 7), he made his way to the sitting room, deactivating the privacy seals when he found them sitting around his coffee table and chatting companionably. Or at least Naruto was talking while Kakashi and Sakura contributed occasionally as Sasuke listened on, but any rift between them seemed to have disappeared. Naruto and Sasuke were sitting beside each other on his couch, faint bruises marring a cheek and an eye but fine overall, while Sakura had taken the armchair by the window, now-bright green eyes slightly red but still smiling at something Naruto was saying, and Kakashi had settled on the floor, leaning against the wall opposite the couch. He was much more relaxed, Haruki noted, and there was a certain pride in his visible eye as the Copy-nin surveyed his students, not all of it for them either.

Haruki looked too, at the contented faces of his old team members and at his own younger counterpart, for once comfortable in his own skin in the knowledge that the company he was keeping welcomed him, and he couldn't quite help the jealous resentment and overwhelming loss that welled up in his chest and clogged his throat for a moment.

It isn't fair , a part of his mind whispered. This is the team I want. It isn't fair that they get it and I never did because my team never had help. We were left on our own and tore ourselves to pieces trying to stay together. It isn't fair.

"Haruki?"

Kakashi's voice snapped Haruki out of his thoughts and the redhead was immediately ashamed of himself. This was his job, his duty to make a better future for everyone in this timeline. He had no place actually trying to fit in. There was no point anyway; he would disappear once his time was up.

Kakashi had noticed the moment Haruki had pulled down the privacy seals of course, and had seen him approach. He had assumed that the redhead would join them or at least call them for dinner, but the other Jounin had stopped just outside his students' line of sight, hovering in the doorway and half-hidden in the shadows to watch them. Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi had observed the flash of jealousy and that crushing depression that sometimes surfaced on the redhead's face when he thought no one was looking. And it was his team that had caused it, of that there was no doubt as the Copy-nin watched the man stare at them with a painful sort of longing twisting his mouth down.

So he had quickly called out, intent for the Jounin to join them. Haruki had been a big help in pulling his drifting team back together and Kakashi's task of keeping Sasuke from going off the deep end didn't seem too out of reach anymore.

What he hadn't intended to do was draw out the immediate shame that followed his greeting, shoved away under neutral features again before his students had even turned his way. Haruki only turned back to the kitchen again, tossing a quiet "dinner's ready" over his shoulder before disappearing from their sight, and Kakashi wondered if Sasuke was indeed the one who needed support right now.

"Ne, sensei, is Haruki-san alright?"

Kakashi glanced distractedly at his blond student as he rose and headed after their host. Honestly, he didn't think the redhead was alright at all, hadn't thought that since the very first time he had met Kazama Haruki, but he couldn't exactly say that to Naruto, could he?

"Of course, Naruto," Kakashi eye-smiled down at the boy, remembering to include Sasuke and Sakura as well when he noticed their attention on his answer. "He's probably tired. He did just come home from a mission today."

"Hn, then why are we bothering him? Shouldn't he be resting?" Sasuke's accusing glare told Kakashi that the Uchiha knew exactly why Kakashi had told them to meet at Haruki's apartment and was obviously not pleased that they seemed to be cutting into the redhead's life again before he even had a chance to settle back in. Kakashi found it rather cute that his moodiest student could worry so much in his own subtle way.

"It's fine, Sasuke," Haruki's voice caught their attention and they entered the kitchen to see Haruki setting the table. Even in the dim kitchen light, there was no mistaking the pronounced shadows under weary cerulean, but the redhead only continued, "I took a nap earlier and I do need to eat. Come sit down."

Sasuke only shot another glare in his sensei's direction, who at least had the decency to look a little guilty, before moving forward and reaching out a hand for the dishes that the Jounin was juggling. "I can set the table, Haruki-san. You've already made us dinner."

He found himself under Haruki's appraising stare and forced himself to look back steadily. There was something about the older man's stare that made Sasuke, not uncomfortable, but maybe a little anxious, whenever that sharp scrutiny was turned on him. It never made him feel inferior or as if he had to prove something to the Jounin like he had felt when the teachers back at the Academy had always expected him to be the best, but Sasuke found himself wanting to do better because the only expectation he ever found in Haruki's eyes was for him to give his best, nothing more, nothing less. He sometimes thought it might be easier to look away when that blue gaze pierced him, but somehow, he knew instinctively that that would disappoint Haruki more than anything else.

So long as you can meet my eyes without fear or shame , the gaze always seemed to say. There is nothing you could ever do to disappoint me .

And for a reason Sasuke had yet to figure out, he didn't want to disappoint this Jounin that had already helped him with his training without holding back all that needed to be said. Praise and criticism came in equal amounts from Haruki, which was already more than Sasuke had gotten from any of the instructors back at the Academy. He wasn't quite sure what to make of Kakashi yet, though he had been leaning towards scorn after the Copy-nin had kept trying to single him out for the past few days, but he had decided to withhold his judgement after the discussion earlier. Kakashi had been uncharacteristically sharp with all three of them, forcing them to apologize for their own actions and not letting them so much as twitch from the sitting room until they had managed to sort out their differences. Sasuke had to wonder if Haruki had given their sensei any advice on dealing with his team. He must have; Sasuke hadn't ever seen Kakashi early for anything.

"Alright," Haruki interrupted his thoughts with a slight smile as he handed the dishes to Sasuke. "Thanks."

"We'll help too!" Sakura bounded into the kitchen with Naruto half a step behind her and the three Genin were soon bustling around the dinner table, setting out plates and bowls and chopsticks. Kakashi had shrugged and taken a seat beside Haruki, ignoring the stern looks of disapproval from his three students. Leaning sideways, he murmured, "Mind telling me how you got them to wait on you hand and foot?"

Haruki kicked him gently with a scowl marring his features and Kakashi grinned back unapologetically. The depression seemed to have lifted somewhat and the Copy-nin would count that as a victory.

"This is really good!"

Several minutes later, they were all seated around the table, digging in with enthusiastic delight after the first bite. Haruki chuckled quietly, thanking the kunoichi with a nod.

"Ne, Haruki-san, where did you learn how to cook?" Naruto stared back at him, blue eyes curious.

Haruki's mouth twisted a little, eyes hardening briefly before softening again. "My godfather taught me a while back. He was a bit of a traveler and he insisted that any ninja who didn't know their way around ingredients were as good as dead if they ended up stuck in the middle of nowhere with no provisions." He paused before quirking a rueful smile at his guests. "Then he told me that I had to know my way around a kitchen because he was as good as dead if he had to keep eating the stuff that the people at the hotel we were staying at served us. And he didn't want to work. So," Haruki shrugged, snickering inwardly at the incredulous looks on his audience's faces. "I learned how to cook."

"Wow," Naruto scratched his head. "Your godfather is really lazy. Kinda like Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi twitched, shooting an annoyed look at the blond.

Haruki laughed outright at that. "Oh, he's exactly like Kakashi. You could ask anyone who knew him; they would all describe him as lazy and perverted."

Sasuke snorted, a smirk twitching at his lips, while Sakura giggled and Naruto grinned on either side of the Uchiha. Kakashi turned his annoyed expression on him, kicking him back for the comment. Haruki grinned openly at him and said nothing more, picking up his rice bowl again.

None of them mentioned the noticeable past tense that Haruki used when talking about his godfather, content to simply take the redhead's words as Haruki wanted them to.

The rest of the evening was spent making idle conversation as the three kids took turns recounting the embarrassing failure of their D-rank mission yesterday. The tension between them was gone, and even Sasuke stayed relaxed in his seat when Naruto teased him about his abysmal performance during the mission. Of course, the Uchiha pointed out the blond's mistakes right after that and the two descended into a light banter of who had been worse, while Sakura claimed that they had both been just as bad as each other but neither had been as good as she had been.

Kakashi had done a good job, Haruki thought reflectively as he nursed a cup of tea in his hands and watched the three kids bicker good-naturedly. If they kept moving forward like this, then they would be ready for the Chuunin Exams.

At the same time in the Hyuuga Compound, Neji was pacing his room, having been stuck between shock, anger, disbelief, happiness, and downright fear all day.

When he had heard the first whisper that his father was alive, Neji had refused to believe it and had tracked down the Hyuuga who had spoken of this and promptly sent him to the hospital. Strangely enough, he hadn't even been reprimanded.

But the entire compound had soon started talking about his father, as if the man would come strolling back into their home any moment, so Neji, seething, had stalked back to his room and shut himself inside, ignoring the muffled voices outside.

It hadn't been until a timid knock had sounded at his door that he had stirred from his meditation. He had said nothing, waiting for his cousin to get discouraged and leave. But the girl hadn't retreated, calling out in her usual stutter that his father was waiting for him in the meeting room.

Enraged, Neji had all but ripped the door aside, startling Hinata enough that she stumbled back and fell, recoiling away from his anger. He had opened his mouth to shout at the girl, but a stern, painfully familiar voice stopped him before a single syllable could slip out of his mouth.

Shaking, he had turned stiffly to the right, only to see two copies of his uncle (no, not a copy because his father looked different from his uncle, even if they were twins) standing at the end of the hall. The one on the right had approached him, footsteps steady even as the man's Byakuyan eyes had shown a sense of wonder as they looked back at Neji, only the slightest undercurrent of hesitation swimming under the warmth of that gaze.

Neji had unfrozen only enough to take an unsteady step back before tripping over thin air, falling to the ground with a thump and just catching himself with his elbows. He had remained still, a flush of embarrassment rising in his cheeks because this uncharacteristic clumsiness was not what he wanted his father (because this was his father, damn it; he had known that the moment he had sensed the foreign-but-familiar chakra signal enter Konoha and seen his uncle rush out of the compound) to see after nine years apart.

But Hizashi had just quickened his steps, dropping carelessly to his knees in front of Neji (and Neji remembered the biggest reason he had for loving his father: Hizashi, unlike his twin and most of the other adult Hyuugas in the Clan, never allowed etiquette or reputation to stop him from showing affection to his son) and extending a tentative hand to help Neji sit up.

Neji had stared at the hand without comprehension for a long moment, absently wondering if he had finally snapped and gone insane and this was all just a figment of his imagination. But if this was his imagination, then there was no way he would've embarrassed himself like this, which logically meant that this had to be real.

So he had reached out slowly, his own hand hovering uncertainly over his father's as his gaze flickered up to meet Hizashi's gaze. For a moment, Neji had felt a brief flash of irrational fear at the thought that maybe this man would disappear again if he touched him and had made to retreat, but his father hadn't allowed it and had been quick to wrap a strong hand around his own, squeezing tightly for a fraction of a second before hauling him forward in one decisive pull and sending Neji tumbling forward.

The moment Neji had collided against his father's chest, Hizashi's other arm had snaked around his back and Neji had found himself crushed against his father's body in a desperate hug that spoke of apologies and relief and love, and Neji hadn't even realized he had been crying until he had finally pulled back and found his father crying too.

Minutes after that, Neji had been more than reluctant to let his father out of his sight but Hizashi had assured him that he simply had to report to the Hokage and the Council and that he would be back in a few hours, and then they would sit up all night catching up if Neji wanted to. Neji hadn't even remembered to feel embarrassed when he had immediately nodded in agreement.

Now here he was, pacing the length of his bedroom while reciting ninjutsu theory, mentally going through all the different katas of the Gentle Fist, and ignoring the fact that he was keeping his Byakugan deactivated because he didn't think his heart could take it if he knew his father was coming.

What if his father didn't like him? The last time Hizashi had seen Neji had been when he was a four-year-old boy. What if his father was disappointed in the way he had grown up? If his father was disappointed in him, Neji would never forgive himself for the rest of his life. He didn't think he could stand-

His head jerked up and he froze in the middle of his room when muffled footsteps approached his room, growing louder as each second passed. Neji swallowed convulsively and dimly knew he should probably sit down or straighten to attention and not remain standing like a fool and gaping like a fish in the middle of his bedroom.

But before he could make up his mind, a quiet knock sounded at his door, echoing like a gong in his head as the telltale voice of his father called out, "Neji? May I come in?"

It took Neji three tries before he managed to pull himself together and get his voice working. "Y-Yes. Please come in." He almost slapped himself when his words came out stiff and impassive as he had trained himself to speak. Kami-sama, his father was going to think Neji didn't want him here!

The door slid open smoothly and Hizashi stepped inside, gaze instantly finding his son. He couldn't quite hide a frown as he watched him stand at attention, hands clasped behind his back and his face utterly blank. The Neji he remembered had been much more open; granted, he had been a child, but surely Neji couldn't have changed so drastically? Hiashi was in for one hell of a reprimand when he got some free time. With an inward sigh, he closed the door behind him and stepped further into the room, scanning the bedroom discreetly.

There were no toys, no pictures, not even one of his Genin team that Hizashi had heard about when Hiashi had informed him of his son's rank on their way back to the compound. The room didn't seem to have much life in it and was as bland as one of the elders' rooms. He would have to work on that. He knew that the fire his son had always possessed was still in there somewhere.

For now, Hizashi offered a small smile and glanced questioningly at the wooden seat tucked into Neji's desk. His son stiffened and Hizashi caught the faint flush that briefly stained his cheeks before the boy quickly moved to his desk and pulled out the chair, offering him the seat. After a moment of hesitation, Neji took a seat across from him, perching awkwardly at the end of his bed.

"Now then," Hizashi began, choosing his words carefully. There was one thing he wanted to say before they got into anything else. "First of all, I would like to apologize for leaving you alone all those years ago. It must have been difficult to grow up without a father, and I am truly sorry for putting you through that."

Neji had sprung to his feet by the end of his apology and the boy was already shaking his head. "No," He denied. "It was not your fault. Hiashi-sama ordered it-"

Hizashi quickly held up a hand to quiet his son and, after a moment's contemplation, rose to his feet and shuffled Neji over before sitting down on the bed and pulling the boy down beside him. He could feel his son's tense frame and felt a stir of anger that Hiashi would let Neji become so unused to affection. But again, that was a matter for another time. For now, Hizashi contented himself with holding the boy's hand in his own.

"Neji," Hizashi began again. "How much did your uncle tell you about what happened nine years ago?"

Neji frowned, shoulders relaxing ever-so-slightly as he adjusted to his father's presence. "He did not tell me anything. He did not have to. Everyone in the Clan knows what happened. When the elders talk about it, they discuss Hiashi-sama's decision to perform the switch as a wise one."

The bitter anger made Hizashi's eyes close and he mentally cursed the elders. "They are wrong, Neji," He finally spoke, opening his eyes to look down at his son. "Your uncle never made that decision. I did." And he proceeded to explain the events of the Hyuuga Affair, watching a desperate edge crack the wooden expression on Neji's face as he did so.

"That's not true!" Neji tried to pull away but Hizashi only tightened his grip on his son's hand. "Hiashi-sama never said anything! Even when the elders praised him for it, he only nodded and said nothing to refute them!"

Hizashi scowled at this. "That stupid-" He cut himself off when Neji flinched a little, and heaved a sigh instead.

"Your uncle is a very stubborn man, Neji," Hizashi finally said, turning to face his son again. "When he makes up his mind on something, it would take quite a lot to change it. He decided a long time ago that my supposed death was his fault. By incurring your hatred, he believes he is... atoning for his mistake."

Hizashi fell silent and observed his son. Neji seemed a bit pale as he stared ahead sightlessly. The hold he had on Hizashi's hand was bordering on painful but he really couldn't care less. At least his son wasn't shying away from him.

"But then," Neji finally spoke, voice barely above a whisper. "The fate of those in the Branch House is to sacrifice ourselves for the Main House. Why would Hiashi-sama not make that decision?"

"Because he is my brother," Hizashi said simply. "No matter how indifferent he may seem, Hiashi does care. But he is Clan Head and sometimes, that burden is easier to bear if he pretends not to care." He paused, cocking his head in consideration. "And who said that our fate is to sacrifice ourselves for the Main House? I'm back, aren't I? And it was my choice to take my brother's place, not the other way around."

Seeing the bewilderment in his son's eyes, Hizashi only smiled again. "Trust me, Neji. I know your uncle better than anyone. I know what he is like."

When Neji remained silent, Hizashi slowly released his hand and circled his arm around the boy's shoulders instead, ignoring the immediate stiffening in his posture. "I am not asking you to change your mind about Hiashi or the Clan in general right away, Neji. Just give it some thought." He smiled inwardly when he felt Neji slowly relax before nodding in acknowledgement.

"Good," Hizashi turned a lighter smile on the boy beside him. "Now let's talk about you. You are a Genin now? Who is your sensei? Your teammates?"

Neji had automatically stiffened again at the questions and his hands twisted nervously together in his lap.

"Maito Gai is my sensei," He paused and glanced up to gauge Hizashi's expression. Hizashi couldn't quite hide the twitch of one eye but cheered inside when Neji's mouth quirked up as well. Good, his son could still smile. This would be easier than he had first thought. "Tenten and Rock Lee are my teammates. Rock Lee is the second coming of Gai-sensei."

Neji had said this all with a deadpan expression and Hizashi couldn't help the chuckles that slipped out of him. "A second coming of Gai? Is he difficult to work with?"

Neji shook his head, his whole body finally having relaxed beside Hizashi. "He challenges me to ridiculous contests every other hour and he is very loud. But he is a taijutsu specialist and he... works hard. He works very hard and he is beginning to become a challenge against my Gentle Fist."

Neji's voice had slowed near the end as if he had just realized something but he continued before Hizashi could ask. "And Tenten is a weapons specialist. She can wield any weapon you give her."

Hizashi nodded thoughtfully. "You have training tomorrow, do you not?"

At Neji's nod, Hizashi smiled and suggested, "Then perhaps I could come watch? I would like to see my son train with his team."

Neji seemed torn between pride that his father wanted to watch him train and worry that he would disappoint him. Pride seemed to win out in the end as Neji nodded firmly. "Practice is at six tomorrow, and Gai-sensei says we have a guest joining us. A Kazama Haruki. He is..."

The boy trailed off when Hizashi stiffened in surprise. "Otou-sama?"

Hizashi glanced absently down at him and shook his head. "Not 'Otou-sama', Neji. 'Otou-san' is fine. That is what you have always called me."

Neji seemed to hesitate before dipping his head in acquiescence and prompting, "Is something wrong, Otou-san?"

Hizashi hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "If you are training with Haruki-san tomorrow, Neji, pay attention to what he has to say and show you. He is an intelligent man and you could learn a lot from him."

Neji blinked up at him. "You know him?"

Hizashi inclined his head. "I have met him. He is a good man." He glanced sidelong at his son but said nothing more. He wished he could tell Neji that it was Haruki who had brought him back, knew that that would most likely cement his son's loyalty to the redhead for the rest of eternity, but the secret had to be kept and he didn't think Haruki would appreciate it much either.

"Now tell me about your life," Hizashi encouraged. "I have missed out on far too much. You must tell me everything."

Hizashi considered the faint blush and pleased smile on his son's face a huge victory for the moment and settled down to listen to his son speak for the first time in nine years.

"Gai-sensei! If I cannot do 300 push-ups, I will do 600 sit-ups! I will be ready when the youthful Haruki-san arrives!"

"That's the spirit, Lee! Do your best!"

"Before anyone does their best, can we do introductions first?"

The light voice behind them made them both spin around, and Gai took a moment to wonder just how the red-haired Jounin managed to hide his chakra signal so completely.

"Haruki-san!" Lee had already jumped forward, bowing from the waist in greeting. "Gai-sensei has told us of your youthfulness! I, Rock Lee, the valiant green beast of Konoha, am honoured to make your acquaintance!"

Gai beamed proudly at his student's youthful greeting and cocked his head to observe Haruki. Most people seemed to find Lee's exuberance unnerving but if he was right...

Haruki chuckled and sketched a quick bow himself. "It's an honour to meet you too, Lee-kun."

The boy beamed and Gai chuckled. He absently wondered if Haruki could be unnerved by anything. Stepping up beside his student and flashing a grin at the redhead, the Jounin did a quick scan of the other's face. Well, Haruki certainly looked better than he had yesterday. There were still bags under his eyes, but they were less pronounced and the man no longer looked like death had warmed over.

"You are quite early, Haruki-san!" Gai said aloud. "Lee has just finished his first set of warm-ups!"

"Ah," The redhead reached up to rub the back of his head. "I couldn't sleep and you did say I could come anytime between five and six. It's around five-ten right now, I think."

Gai shook his head, hiding the brief concern that surfaced inside him. Haruki certainly looked like he could do with some sleep. "We don't mind! Now that you're here, we might as well start!"

Turning to his student, Gai clapped a hand onto Lee's shoulder and smiled at him. "Lee, stretch for a taijutsu spar."

Lee straightened to attention. "Hai, Gai-sensei!"

As he jogged off, Gai turned back to the waiting redhead. "Can you spar with Lee? I'm not quite sure what you specialize in. If not, I can spar with him so you can assess him."

Haruki only offered a slight smile as he shrugged off his coat and hung it on a nearby tree branch before tying up his hair. "I specialize in ninjutsu and taijutsu, among other things. Just don't get me to teach anyone genjutsu. I'm terrible at those."

Gai chuckled. "You'll do fine then. Lee is training to become a master in taijutsu alone."

Haruki nodded silently, eyes already taking in the smooth, sharp movements of Lee's katas. Already, he could see the powerful shinobi Lee would eventually become. He still had a long way to go, but the beginnings of his full potential could already be seen.

A few minutes later, Haruki was standing opposite of Lee, with Gai stationed several feet away, glancing between the two before raising his hand. "Taijutsu only; no weapons! Winner is called when one of you yields. Begin!"

Unlike Sasuke or Naruto, Lee stayed in one spot, body falling into his starting stance as he eyed Haruki carefully. The redhead nodded inwardly. A taijutsu specialist couldn't afford to charge right in when they knew their opponent was stronger than they were. It was better for the opponent to start.

So, Haruki decided to start, pinpointing the holes he could already see in Lee's defence before dashing forward, letting his momentum help him spin on one heel and bringing up his other leg to lash out at the Genin's open side with vicious accuracy. Haruki had only dropped his speed enough to allow Lee to defend against him only when the boy was fully concentrating.

Lee did not disappoint, his right arm dropping to block his leg and, instead of digging his heels in to hold his position against Haruki's obviously stronger kick, let the blow propel him away from Haruki's striking distance.

The redhead allowed a satisfied smile flicker briefly across his face before following Lee, readying his next strikes as the boy stood his ground against him.

Several feet away, Gai observed the blows being traded with great satisfaction and no little consternation. Lee was holding up well against Haruki, who had already gauged the boy's level and adjusted his own skill accordingly. But it was Haruki's style that troubled him. He wasn't both Lee and Neji's sensei for nothing; he could see their two styles mixed into the redhead's taijutsu. The Gentle Fist style could be explained away as Haruki having a friend in the Hyuuga Clan, but Lee's style was completely his, and some of the moves the redhead was pulling off, though watered down and probably unseen by those who didn't know what they were looking for, were moves that he hadn't even taught Lee yet. Who was this man?

"I thought we might find something interesting if we arrived early."

Gai blinked and glanced behind him. He had sensed Neji approaching earlier with his father and he now smiled at both of them, gaze taking in Hyuuga Hizashi.

"Hizashi-sama, it is wonderful to see you again. You have been missed." His gaze slid down to Neji, who, for the first time since Gai had laid eyes on him, looked completely at peace with himself. The boy was standing as close to his father as he could without seeming clingy and there was a lightness about him that made Gai breathe an inward sigh of relief.

"It is good to be back, Gai." Hizashi placed a gentle hand on Neji's shoulder and the boy only stiffened for a second before relaxing again and glancing up at his father with a small smile tilting his lips. Gai could honestly say that it was the first smile he had ever seen Neji wear.

"Well, Haruki-san arrived earlier than expected so I paired him against Lee. It's a... an interesting match."

Gai kept a subtle eye on Hizashi and Neji as he turned back to the spar, noting the recognition that dawned first on Hizashi's face, and then his own student's.

"Otou-san," Neji spoke up as his Byakugan activated. "Haruki-san knows the Gentle Fist Style."

Hizashi remained neutral on the outside, studying the redhead carefully. He thought something like this might happen, which was partly why he had suggested coming early. His son would no doubt have questions.

"Perhaps he has seen Hyuugas in battle," Hizashi replied out loud. "It seems he has incorporated pieces of the Hyyuga style into others."

Neji nodded, mostly focused on the spar, but Gai caught the slight flicker in Hizashi's eyes and the vague way he had worded his answer. It seemed Hizashi knew more than he was letting on, but Gai couldn't sense any concern from the Clan Head's brother so he pushed any remaining worries he had out of his mind. If such a high member of the Hyuuga Clan wasn't worried that someone outside the Clan knew their fighting style, it was hardly Gai's place to make waves.

But that still didn't account for the youthful style he could see in Haruki's taijutsu. Even in bits and pieces, slipped in when one least expected it, Gai could see that the other Jounin knew his style, and knew it well.

"Gai-sensei," Neji interrupted his thoughts. "Isn't that your style mixed in as well?"

Gai mentally winced at Neji's acute observations. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hizashi stiffen and look over at him. The man's expression was as unreadable as ever but Gai sensed that what he said next would be very important, in what way or to whom, he didn't know, but he was beginning to sense that there was something bigger in the process of being carried out right now.

"It seems Haruki-san is able to pick up different taijutsu styles quite quickly," Gai finally settled on a compromise. He hadn't lied. He could see at least half a dozen styles in Haruki's taijutsu and even if the redhead had years to practice, it would take a high level of skill to incorporate it altogether as flawlessly as Haruki had done. His answer was as vague as Hizashi's had been, but he liked Haruki, the man had never shown any discomfort towards him or Lee, and there was something about this whole situation that set off warning bells in his head and told him it would be best to get the full story before saying anything concrete to anyone.

Beside him, Hizashi's shoulders relaxed again and Gai knew he had said the right thing. For now, he would simply keep an eye on the red-haired Jounin. It didn't hurt that he was a great sparring partner as well. Haruki was pushing Lee to his very limits.

In the training grounds, Lee was astonished at the speed at which Haruki was delivering his strikes. Gai-sensei was still the epitome of cool, but Haruki (here he had to completely stop thinking as he dodged and defended against a sudden flurry of punches and kicks as if the redhead knew he wasn't completely concentrating) was somehow testing every single aspect of his training, forcing him to block properly and strike at just the right places or his attacks would be met with an iron wall of defence instead of just a simple block.

And slowly, as Lee got used to the speed (because this Jounin was teaching him to settle into a faster-paced fight instead of slowing down for him, pushing him to stop thinking and simply go with his instincts), he realized that Haruki wasn't just sparring with him, he was fixing the spots Lee knew he was still prone to leaving open. Striking anywhere other than the center of the sternum and then the abdomen when executing a Konoha Senpuu got him tossed back by a swift uppercut. And the simple rear spinning low kick when he tried the Konoha Reppuu only got himself knocked off-balance by the redhead if his leg was so much as an inch off from the best position.

This form of teaching forced Lee to learn on the spot, to fix his mistakes after the first time around or risk getting dumped to the ground again. It was hard and it forced him to concentrate solely on perfecting his entire fighting style, stance, alignment, offense and defence strength, and timing, instead of just parts of it as he usually did when he sparred against Neji or Tenten.

It was hard and Lee couldn't remember the last time he had had so much fun sparring against someone else. Haruki wasn't trying to defeat him; he was trying to teach him.

Finally, as Lee lashed out with a roundabout high-kick, Haruki simply ducked around him, one hand catching his wrist (Lee ruefully noted that his arm should've been tucked more closely to his side) and the other clapped onto his left shoulder, bringing him to the ground and expertly pinning his left arm behind him.

For a long moment, all Lee could hear was his thundering heartbeat as he gasped for breath. The spar had finally come to a stop and only now did he realize how fast he had been moving as his muscles felt like liquid fire as struggled to stay upright.

A light chuckle came from behind him and Lee found himself released and gently pushed into a sitting position. A bottle of water was suddenly produced and Lee took it with a grateful smile. He was too tired to say anything out loud.

Clapping reached his ears next and Lee turned to see Gai-sensei approaching them, Neji and another Hyuuga behind him. Lee blinked in surprise. He hadn't even sensed them in the clearing!

"Great job, Lee." Gai-sensei dropped into a crouch in front of him clapped him firmly on the shoulder. "I have never seen you move so fast or attack so accurately."

Lee managed a grin as he rubbed an arm across his forehead. He looked up to see Haruki standing a few feet away, quiet as his gaze met Lee's. The Jounin hadn't even broken a sweat!

Lee forced himself back to his feet, wobbling a little but finding his balance before Gai-sensei could offer him a hand. He stood in front of Haruki and bowed deeply. "Thank you very much for the spar, Haruki-san!"

When he straightened again, he made sure to stand tall despite his nearly-shaking legs. Haruki observed him for a moment before nodding once and asking, "Did you learn anything?"

Lee nodded immediately, breaking out into a determined grin. "Yes I did! Your training method is amazingly youthful! I promise I will fix everything you pointed out today before our next sparring match! If I cannot do so, I will run 100 laps around Konoha before practicing everything again!"

Haruki smiled faintly at him and nodded again. "Good then. You're welcome."

Lee beamed at the redhead before spinning around to face his sensei, only to lose his balance and tip backwards as his legs protested against the movement. Instead of meeting the ground though, Lee collided with a softer material and he glanced back to find Haruki standing behind him. He directed a sheepish look up at the Jounin but Haruki only shrugged and steadied him again.

"Lee, was this spar helpful?"

Lee turned back to his sensei, grinning excitedly at him. Gai-sensei was so cool! To invite someone like Haruki to practice with them was a stroke of genius! "Hai, Gai-sensei! Haruki-san improved my accuracy and speed and timing and..."

He trailed off as he realized the list was a bit long but Gai just laughed and nodded. "Good. Starting tomorrow, you will go over what Haruki-san taught you today. For now, cool down and do your katas after you get your breath back."

Lee nodded and then turned to Neji and the man standing beside him. Wait, wasn't that his uncle?

Seeing his teammate's questioning look, Neji took a step forward and motioned to his father. "Father, this is Rock Lee, one of my teammates. Lee, this is my father, Hyuuga Hizashi."

To his credit, Lee only looked mildly surprised before his face split into a wide grin again as he carefully moved forward (Neji couldn't believe that Lee, with his stamina, could be so completely exhausted after one spar with the Jounin that even his father praised. As soon as he finished the introductions, he would ask for a spar of his own.) and greeted his father. Youthfully.

"It is very nice to meet you, Hizashi-san! I am youthfully surprised by your unexpected presence today!" Neji had to stop himself from face-palming. Why did his team have to be so damn weird?

Luckily, his father didn't seem too perturbed and only inclined his head in greeting. "It is nice to meet you too, Lee-kun."

With the introductions over for now, all attention now turned back to Haruki, who had been standing off to the side, patiently silent as he observed their interactions. Hizashi hadn't missed the way that the Jounin had seemed unable to tear his eyes away from his son, regret and sorrow mingling in darkened cerulean. If he had had any doubts about Haruki's origins before, they were all gone now. It seemed that his son and Uzumaki Naruto had been good friends in the redhead's timeline. He didn't want to know how his son had died to put that expression on Haruki's face though.

"Good morning, Haruki-san," Hizashi greeted instead, and watched as the redhead stirred, his usual impassivity surfacing again as Haruki looked at him.

"Good morning, Hizashi-san. This is your son then?"

Hizashi had to hide a wince when the redhead tried to smile at Neji but the action came out pained and even his son looked startled. "Yes, this is Neji. Neji, I believe you have training now?"

Neji nodded briskly and stepped forward in the redhead's direction. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the odd expression Haruki had when the man looked at him but bowed respectfully anyway. "Good morning, Haruki-san. I would like to ask for a spar as well. Your match with Lee was very interesting."

Haruki nodded once. "Warm up first. We can spar afterwards."

Neji nodded and quickly moved away to begin his katas. If his spar would be anything like the one Lee had been put through, he would need to be in his best condition.

As Neji started his warm-up, Hizashi remained beside Haruki as Gai and Lee drifted further away to discuss his training. Glancing sidelong at the redhead, Hizashi couldn't help asking, voice low so as not to attract the others' attention, "You were good friends?"

Haruki flinched minutely, hands tucked in his flak jacket as he stared ahead, avoiding Hizashi's gaze. "The best of friends," He finally revealed, just as softly. "We knew each other since we were both Genin. When...When the war started, we were assigned to the same ANBU team."

Hizashi was captivated. Unlike last time, Haruki was actually revealing specific parts of his past. And though the Neji Haruki was talking about belonged to a different timeline, Hizashi still felt a glow of pride that his son would one day become ANBU.

"...I was promoted after a while," Now that Haruki had started, it didn't seem like he could stop until he finished. "ANBU Captain. I picked Neji as my second on my squad. When I became General, I made Neji captain of his own squad and my Second-in-Command of the ANBU troops." He was silent for another long moment, and Hizashi waited patiently for the redhead to finish.

"... And when I became Hokage, Neji became one of my ANBU generals."

ANBU General. Hizashi watched his son go through a kata, smooth and well-practiced. He had no doubt that Neji could become great, but it was a pleasure all the same to hear what his son had become in another time.

"One of your generals?" Hizashi continued lightly. He wasn't surprised that Haruki really was a Kage. He talked to Sarutobi as an equal, after all. But a Kage usually only assigned more than one general when there were too many men to lead.

Haruki shrugged. "A few of the other countries had fallen and requested to join us. We needed all the help we could get. So I assigned two people as my generals."

Hizashi frowned. The other countries had fallen? If that was what would eventually happen, no wonder Haruki had travelled back in time. He didn't ask anything more though. The redhead seemed to have used up his sharing quota for the day and was already moving towards his son as Neji finished his last kata.

Again, Gai started the spar and, like Lee, Neji held back and waited for Haruki to make the first move. Haruki closed his eyes briefly, firmly reminding himself that this was not his time's Neji, not as strong, not as knowledgeable of his movements, not him . And then he opened his eyes, and attacked.

He knew the Hyuuga style's strengths and weaknesses, knew them like he knew the back of his hand having sparred with Neji even more than he had with Sasuke. So the standard Gentle Fist Style, the one Neji had used before he had modified and improved it, was slow and predictable to Haruki, so much that he could predict each attack several seconds before Neji even started executing it.

Haruki sighed inwardly as he easily fended off the blows. This wouldn't work. It was obvious that Neji was already quite good at the style and he had the skill to move on. He also knew that Neji had already learned, if not mastered, some of his clan's secret techniques and Haruki wouldn't force Neji to show them here. But perhaps, Haruki could get the boy started on his future style.

Jumping back, he raised a hand to pause the spar, and Neji pulled up, a slight frown on his face.

"Neji-kun, I think you can see that I know how to counter the Gentle Fist Style quite well already." Haruki paused and Neji nodded stiffly, obviously not knowing what to do about it. "If you wish, I could teach you a more... advanced style."

The silence that descended on the training grounds was loud and tense as Neji looked stunned at Haruki's offer. He seemed to waver and then turned to look at his father. Haruki tilted his head as well, gauging Hizashi's reaction. The man was frowning, not with disapproval but concern.

"Are you quite certain, Haruki-san?" Hizashi called out after a moment. Haruki heard the unspoken question: Can you afford to show your hand here?

Haruki glanced at Gai and Lee. Neither said anything, observing silently at their exchange. But Haruki knew them. They understood that training secrets were not to be given out unless permitted to. They would not say anything about this to anyone. Hizashi already knew the truth, so...

"I am sure," Haruki replied as he turned back to Neji. "Neji-kun, what I want to teach you is not a completely new style. More like your Gentle Fist Style with more layers added to it." He paused, watching the Genin. "I would appreciate it though if you kept quiet about where you learned this."

Neji stayed silent, weighing his options. To learn something new on top of his Gentle Fist would be very beneficial, and he was interested to see what someone who wasn't a Hyuuga could teach him on said style. If the price was simply to keep his silence if questioned on this new style's origins, so be it.

"I would like to learn, Haruki-san," Neji straightened from his stance. "And I will not say anything to anyone else about this."

Haruki nodded, satisfied. This style would help, especially in the Chuunin Exams when Orochimaru attacked. Any extra strength Haruki could give them would keep them alive that much longer.

"Alright then, start in your usual stance," Haruki watched the Genin settle into the stance, recalling the lessons his time's Neji had given him. When the Hyuuga had started giving him lessons, Neji would attack in specific places and Haruki had gradually learned his friend's style by defending against those attacks. He had complained once that he had only been defending, and had asked Neji how he could learn a fighting style when he wasn't even fighting.

Neji had laughed at him and invited him to attack in return, using the Gentle Fist Style as a basis. Naruto had, and had been astonished when his body had immediately followed the movements Neji had been drilling into him for weeks. Yes, he had been defending, but the way his muscles had moved when he had defended had automatically given him a powerful offence, hidden behind an iron wall of defence.

So, "Defend yourself only while I attack," Haruki ordered, and then shot forward, pinpointing all the tenketsu points Neji had aimed at when the Hyuuga had taught him.

And so it went for the next half hour, with Haruki attacking in swift, precise movements, and Neji defending accordingly.

On the sidelines, Hizashi hadn't been able to stop himself from activating his Byakugan and following the movements, his own arms twitching to learn as well. Though Neji was only defending, he could see a new style coming together. Where Neji was blocking with an open here and a forearm there, Hizashi could see the potential this defence could become when Neji reverted it into an offensive style.

Hizashi's muscles hadn't weakened too much due to the Life Suspension Seal, but he still needed to start training again. When Neji managed to pick up enough of this style to start practicing the offensive part on his own, he would ask his son to teach him as well. Or maybe he could just corner Haruki when the redhead had some free time and ask for training too. That could work.

But what amazed him the most was the thought of where Haruki had learned this fighting style. He had obviously been taught by a Hyuuga, which meant that someone had had to develop it in the first place. Haruki had seemed to imply that Neji was one of the few Hyuugas he had associated with. Did that mean that his own son would eventually develop this style? And if he had, did that mean that Neji would be able to create something even more powerful if Haruki was teaching him this style now?

Barely able to think, Neji was defending for all he was worth. Haruki's attacks were different, tugging Neji's arms and legs to positions that were similar to his usual fighting style but not exactly the same either. It was strange and he couldn't quite see how this would build up to better taijutsu. But he had caught a glimpse of his father's face when he had been forced to twist away from a sharp jab and follow through with a diagonal block of an open fist heading towards his side. His father had looked openly interested, Byakugan activated and never wavering from the battle. Hizashi must have picked up on something Neji had yet to see, enough so that it had drawn his complete attention. Either way, Neji was at least building up a very powerful defence.

"What's going on?"

Gai glanced back and offered a distracted grin to his final student jogging up to them. "Tenten, Haruki-san came a bit early and we decided to start sparring. Start stretching while you watch. You're up next."

Tenten was a little on the bewildered side at her sensei's abruptness but understood when she caught sight of the ongoing spar. Falling into her katas, she almost gaped at how fast the red-haired Jounin had pushed Neji into moving. And was her teammate defending on purpose? There was a few times where he could've attacked, although Tenten had to admit that Haruki was leaving very little opportunities.

Ten minutes later and the spar was over, Neji panting for breath as he leaned his weight on his knees. Haruki simply reached into his jacket and withdrew a scroll, unsealing a bottle of water for the Hyuuga as well. Neji managed a nod of thanks and quickly downed a third of the bottle. A full work-out was not what he had been expecting when he had woken up this morning and it wasn't even seven yet.

"Neji-kun, keep practicing the movements you went through today. Treat them as katas even."

Neji tried to settle his breathing as he straightened and nodded. His muscles remembered each move, even if his mind didn't. But he could see a pattern to the movements, a little strange, but now that he had the time to think instead of just react, he was also starting to have an inkling of what the Jounin was trying to teach him.

"Thank you for the spar, Haruki-san." He sketched another bow and made a mental note to ask Gai after practice if it was possible to invite the Jounin again next week. That way, Haruki could point out any flaws in his new training.

Moving over to his father, he caught sight of Tenten and quickly introduced his father again. The words felt nice on his tongue. He had never been able to introduce anyone as his father before. Tenten also looked surprised but greeted Hizashi politely as she straightened from her katas. Neji knew that the Hokage was going to do a village-wide announcement of his father's return sometime soon so there would no doubt be quite a number of shocked people if Hizashi decided to walk through Konoha.

Soon, Tenten was standing in front of Haruki while the redhead studied her with a critical eye. She blinked and shifted a little nervously as she got into her taijutsu stance. Was there something wrong with her stance? She was quite good at taijutsu but she preferred having some sort of weapon in hand whenever she fought.

"Wait," Tenten pulled up short as Haruki shook his head. "Do you have a katana or a ninjato? Or even just a tanto?"

Tenten immediately brightened, nodding eagerly. "Are we going to use weapons?"

Haruki inclined his head, turning to glance at Gai. "Gai-san, I'd like to see Tenten's skill with a weapon, if that's alright?"

Gai was already nodding. "Go ahead. Tenten is at her best when she is wielding a weapon."

Tenten flushed a little but pulled out a scroll and unsealed a pair of tanto. Haruki nodded in approval and pulled out his own scroll, unsealing a beautifully made katana that Tenten instantly recognized.

"Hey, that's from my family's store!" She stared wide-eyed at the Jounin. "My dad talked about you! He said you must be great at kenjutsu since you knew exactly what you were looking for!"

Haruki glanced down at the blade before nodding at her. "My old one was destroyed. I had to get a new one and this was the closest I could find in Konoha. Now then, shall we?"

As metal clashed against metal, all those watching noted the difference immediately. Haruki was good, very good, when only using taijutsu, but he was great with a sword in hand. The Jounin practically danced as he wielded the blade with the skill of a master, and even toned down, no one could deny the power accompanying every strike.

Tenten found herself caught up in a whirlwind of blades as she defended rapidly against the red-haired Jounin. She knew he was holding back and she could barely take the time to draw breath as Haruki bore down on her, as unrelenting as the steel he wielded. But once in a while, when she managed to strike back, Tenten caught a glimpse of bright cerulean and she knew that the gleam she saw in them matched the one in her own eyes. Unlike the taijutsu spars Haruki had had with Lee and Neji, Haruki was having much more fun now, even with a mere Genin like herself.

And this made her grin because she hadn't ever sparred with a kenjutsu master before. Sure, she knew there were Jounin in the village who wielded swords, but it wasn't as if they were going to take the time to practice with her. Her eyes followed the katana that thrust at her ribs and she half-jumped, half-threw herself back, already panting but still grinning.

"Haruki-san," She called out. "Those blades channel chakra. Aren't you going to use their full potential?" She knew she was pushing it and if Haruki decided to humour her, his next attack would finish the spar. But she wanted at least a taste of what this man could do at the height of his power with a katana and if she could see that, then she wouldn't mind ending the spar prematurely.

The redhead tilted his head, a few bangs brushing over one cheek before he smirked. Actually smirked. Tenten hadn't thought he ever would what with the controlled smiles and neutral expressions Haruki usually wore.

"Alright, you asked for it." And with a flick of his wrist, chakra crackled down the blade in his right hand, curling around the katana like a snake.

Tenten's eyes widened and she quickly raised her tanto again. It would do no good, she knew, but it would be better to at least try to defend herself.

On the sidelines, the glow of white chakra had the audience backing up a few steps. Gai almost reeled as he finally got a taste of the other Jounin's chakra. How had Haruki managed to hide so much power?

Readying his katana, Haruki cut his thumb against the blade and let his blood mingle with his chakra. He didn't need seals for this attack.

"Raiton: Hyou no Soshaku."

Tenten remained frozen as lightning exploded around Haruki's katana, the head of a panther forming at the blade's tip and jaws made of pure lightning yawned open as the redhead flashed towards her at a terrifying speed.

Before she could even think to move, the teeth of the panther had closed around her tanto and ripped them from her hands with as Haruki's katana came down, slashing downwards across both her weapons and leaving her empty-handed.

Mere moments later, the glow of the lightning ebbed before disappearing altogether and she was left staring at Haruki standing calmly in from of her, katana lowered to his side and her two tanto scattered on the ground. She had no doubt that the redhead had pulled back the jutsu at the last second, preventing it from destroying her weapons.

Silence settled over the training grounds but Tenten couldn't even consider speaking right now, too busy reviewing the Jounin's attack in her mind. The lightning had been channelled into the katana in the form of a panther. The jutsu itself had been directed by the sword. Had Haruki's control of the chakra that had tempered the lightning been even slightly off, he would no doubt have lost control of his blade entirely.

"That was so amazing !" Tenten bounded forward, glee lighting her eyes as she bent down to study the blade that Haruki still held. Without waiting for a reply, she whirled to face Gai, her excitement keeping her exhaustion at bay for the moment. "Gai-sensei, did you see that? Why didn't you invite Haruki-san sooner? He's a kenjutsu master ! I mean, did you see that !"

Gai sweatdropped before shaking his head. He had no idea why Tenten would want to be a medic-nin when it was so obvious that she was much more suited to become a weapons specialist instead. Still, the jutsu Haruki had just pulled off would amaze anyone.

"That was very cool, Haruki-san!" Beside him, Lee sprang forward, all thoughts of rest gone. "You must have a lightning affinity!"

Haruki blinked and moved to reseal his katana but sighed at the stars in Tenten's eyes and passed her the katana. She brightened even further, though Haruki had no idea why. The katana came from her family's store, after all.

"No, actually," Haruki replied, tugging the hair tie out of his hair and shaking it out. "My affinity is wind, but I'm alright with lightning as well."

Hizashi twitched from where he was standing. Alright? Haruki called that 'alright'? Well then. "Are there any other elements you are adequate with?"

Haruki blinked, eyes narrowing a little and Hizashi was careful to keep his features blank. "Water and fire," The redhead replied slowly. "Some of my jutsus are based on those elements as well."

Hizashi's eyes widened. Water and fire were complete opposites, as were wind and lightning. To have mastery over all four... "Not earth then?" He asked lightly.

Haruki was quick to shake his head. "I know a few simple ones that I learned as a Genin but that's it. I can't do many earth jutsus."

Well that came as some relief. Hizashi didn't anyone who could proficiently wield four elements, much less five. Absently, he made the connection that Kazama Haruki was actually Uzumaki Naruto again. This man was the one Konoha had shunned and feared and hated. Some people were truly stupid.

"Haruki-san, when can you come back to join us for a sparring session again?"

Haruki took back the katana Tenten held out as she grabbed her tanto from the ground. He shrugged and glanced at Gai who grinned back.

"Come back anytime, Haruki-san! So long as it's at least once a week!"

Haruki arched an eyebrow as he resealed his katana and unsealed a bottle of water for Tenten. "I don't want to intrude on your own-"

Gai waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Nonsense. You've been here for two hours and my students have already become more youthful. You must come back."

Haruki blinked before glancing between the three students around him. Tenten and Lee were both nodding in agreement and Neji gazed back at him expectantly.

"You have only just started teaching me that new style," The Hyuuga pointed out. "I would not be able to advance if you do not make sure I am learning correctly."

Haruki sighed and then nodded. "I'll come back sometime next week. For now though, doesn't your team have to start actual training, Gai-san?"

Ten minutes later, Gai had his students running laps around the clearing while Haruki nursed his own bottle of water on the sidelines with Hizashi beside him.

"Thank you for teaching my son that style," Hizashi spoke up once Haruki had tucked away the bottle.

Haruki shrugged. "It belongs to him. If I didn't teach him, he'd develop it himself in a couple of years. But he needs it right n-"

He fell silent abruptly and Hizashi glanced over, a faint frown creasing his brow. "Will something happen soon?"

Haruki was silent for a long moment, debating on how much to say. "Everything will start during the Chuunin Exams. In my time, that's when everything began."

Hizashi sorely wanted to ask but held his tongue. Haruki wasn't likely to say more on the subject. He trusted the redhead to tell him when he needed to know.

For now, they watched Team Gai train, slower than usual as all three of them were still tired from the spars but still determined to do well.

Haruki stifled a yawn as he made his way to the Hokage Tower. He had forgotten what training with Gai was like. It was a wonder nobody died when subjected to his regimen.

He glanced at the midday sun and sped up his pace. He wanted to tell the Sandaime about the Chuunin Exams before heading over to the Nara Compound. As he walked past the Yamanaka Flower Shop, the redhead grimaced at the earlier conversation that surfaced in his mind.

Shortly before Haruki had been able to make his escape from Team Gai's training session, Asuma of all people had accosted him with an easy smile and a determined glint in his eyes. The man had told him that he had seen the jutsu Haruki had used earlier when he had happened to pass by on his way to see the Hokage. Unfortunately for Haruki, this had piqued the usually laidback shinobi's interest and the Jounin had proceeded to ask the redhead to join his team for a training session tomorrow.

Haruki had wanted to say no, but he hadn't been able to think of a good excuse and it didn't help that the last time he had seen Asuma, covered in blood and missing an arm while the man had clung to life to say a last farewell to Shikamaru, who had been rushing to the scene at the time, he had promised that he would look after his team. Of course, back then, he had been ANBU Second and Asuma's old Genin team had been one of the squads under his command. But later on, he had failed all three and they had died fighting on the battlefield.

Haruki didn't think that Asuma meant for him to carry that promise all the way back in time, but he had failed once; he didn't want to fail again. So, he had agreed.

Finally reaching the Tower, Haruki shunshined up and through the Hokage's office window. It was so much easier than using the door.

Inside, Sarutobi looked up in mild surprise from his paperwork before dismissing the ANBU in the room with a wave of his hand and activating the privacy seals.

"Good afternoon, Haruki-kun," Sarutobi greeted, pushing away his paperwork.

Haruki offered a half-smile and took a seat on one of the chairs in the room. "I have to tell you about the Chuunin Exams."

"Ah," Sarutobi clasped his hands and his face turned sombre. "Very well."

Quietly, Haruki recounted all that he could remember of the events of his first and only Chuunin Exams. Of Suna and Oto and Orochimaru, of Gaara and Sasuke and the Curse Seal, and of spies and the absence of Tsunade and Sarutobi's own death.

The office was quiet when he finished, the silence neither tense nor horrified, just thoughtful as the Hokage digested this new information.

"We will need to bring Jiraiya and Tsunade back before the Exams," Sarutobi finally said, voice grave. Haruki nodded in agreement. They would need all the help we can get. "But getting Tsunade back will be very difficult. I will send word to Jiraiya and have him try to retrieve Tsuande but..."

"If worst comes to worst," Haruki offered. "I will go get her myself."

Sarutobi studied him for a few seconds before giving him a small smile. "I suppose if anyone would know how to change her mind, it would be you. What should I tell Jiraiya though? I expect you would want to tell him the truth yourself?"

Haruki nodded stiffly. "I'd rather tell them both at the same time. If you could just tell him it's an emergency and that everything would be explained once he got back with her..."

He trailed off almost uncertainly and Sarutobi quickly nodded in acquiescence. "That will be fine. I will send a message to Jiraiya. For now though, that is all I can do. I trust you will know the right time to deal with the spies and this Gaara?"

Haruki nodded. "Leave all that to me. I will take care of them when the time comes."

Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction before opening a drawer and withdrawing an envelope. "Alright then. Here is your pay for your recent mission. I will get started on researching this summoning jutsu Orochimaru has created." At the flash of worry in Haruki's eyes, Sarutobi smiled reassuringly. "Do not worry, Haruki-kun. I will not die this time. I do wish to see Tsunade become Hokage. It would be an interesting change for this village."

Haruki sighed but rose to his feet and left with a short bow. He only hoped Sarutobi knew what he was doing. Things would be moving fast before long and they would not be able to afford mistakes then.

"You're finally here, Haruki-san," Shikaku drawled, waving him inside when he caught sight of the redhead lingering at the gates. "Waiting was getting troublesome."

He glanced back in time to catch Haruki rolling his eyes and quickly hid a grin. He definitely liked this Jounin more than the impassive one from yesterday.¸

"I already set up the board," Shikaku waved a hand at the shogi board set up on the wooden table and they both took a seat on either side of it. The Jounin Commander discreetly observed the way the redhead's eyes were already flickering from square to square, no doubt figuring out different starting moves.

He scoffed inwardly. Not all that good his ass.

"You can start first," He offered aloud, watching that cerulean gaze flicker up to meet his. He had finally placed that color after thinking on it yesterday evening. Those eyes were the same as the Yondaime's, and there were gestures that the redhead made that reminded Shikaku of Minato as well. He had a few suspicions on what this meant, but he wasn't sure yet.

The Jounin Commander watched as Haruki slid a pawn forward. A simple enough move and he moved one of his own in return.

And so the game began. Shikaku had no time, nor did he have the desire, to make idle conversation as he frowned inwardly at the red-haired Jounin's wild playing style. There wasn't much logic to each of Haruki's moves, as if he was simply picking a random piece up and moving it. But after the first time that Haruki had made a seemingly useless decision of sacrificing a lance and, eight moves down the road, Shikaku had found himself caught between losing a knight and losing a silver general, he had sacrificed his knight and never made the same mistake again.

But still, there was something strange about Haruki's playing style. Shikaku had never played against anyone who could read his moves so far ahead and counter them accordingly. He had thought that maybe the redhead had picked up on a tell and had glanced up at Haruki several times but each time, he had found the Jounin staring avidly at the board, one arm balanced on a knee when he wasn't moving a piece, the other upright to cushion his head in one hand.

Of course, Shikaku wasn't the Hokage's Chief Strategist for nothing and, after studying the redhead's playing style for several minutes, he was able to counter some of Haruki's moves.

And so they played for the next four and a half hours, neither able to outmatch the other but Shikaku had found a diamond-sharp mind behind Haruki's neutral facade, one that intrigued him all the more because every unpredictable move on the shogi board meant one more unpredictable thought. And if there was one thing Shikaku had learned since the beginning of the match, it was that Haruki had a very illogical mind.

"You are very good," Shikaku finally spoke, breaking the silence for the first time since they had begun.

Haruki's eyes flickered up to meet his. It was Shikaku's turn at the moment and Haruki was forced to respond when the Jounin Commander made no move to continue. "I have not beaten you."

Shikaku's mouth quirked up into a slight smile. "Most people wouldn't measure their skills in accordance to mine."

Haruki managed a shrug without dislodging his head from his hand. "I am not most people."

With that, Shikaku agreed wholeheartedly. And if Haruki was not most people, then perhaps he shouldn't ask his questions the way he would with them. Haruki had said he was straightforward. Shikaku preferred that as well. He left the twisting interrogations to Inoichi.

"Then," He finally moved his rook forward. "Who are you?"

Haruki countered with a bishop. "I'm not quite sure what you mean."

Shikaku arched an eyebrow. "Alright, I'll be clearer. There are two things I want to know above all else right now: What relation do you have with Namikaze Minato, and what are you planning to do in Konoha." He moved a pawn.

To his credit, the redhead only tilted his head and moved a knight forward without looking away from Shikaku. "That's what you want to know above all else? Really?"

Shikaku offered a lazy shrug. "I could ask you if you plan to harm Konoha, but that's somewhat pointless. I trust the Sandaime and he trusts you. Explicitly. I could also ask you how you managed to find Hizashi in the first place, but that's even more pointless. You're obviously partial to information I'm not and I'm not interested in finding out something that's already over and done with. I could ask you how you managed to get from Konoha to Kumo and then back again while stopping multiple times on your way back in only four days when it would take an average ninja six days to make the entire round trip, but again, you must know some sort of jutsu I don't and I'm not interested in that as I have no reason to go to Kumo anytime soon. And finally," Shikaku had now propped his elbows on the edge of the wooden table and propped his head on his clasped hands as he surveyed the motionless redhead with sharp eyes.

"Finally, I could ask you why, when you entered the Nara Compound," Shikaku slowly turned his head, gaze still fixed firmly on the Jounin as he freed one hand to tug aside a curtain that had been half-drawn over the window they had been sitting beside and revealed a seal, glowing a faint red on the glass. Haruki's entire face had frozen over, any remaining warmth disappearing as recognition flickered briefly through cerulean. "Did this Chakra Sensing Seal, given to me by the Yondaime before the Kyuubi attack to pick up any demon chakra should it wander too close to my Clan grounds, activate?"

Shikaku watched Haruki closely for any reaction but the redhead simply sat there, still sitting in the same position, eyes now focused on the seal. When it was clear that Haruki could not be speaking anytime soon, Shikaku sighed and rubbed at his goatee before reaching out and moving one of his gold generals.

"I could ask you that," He continued casually. "But even though the seal picked up the demon chakra, I still can't sense anything from you. Your control over whatever chakra you have inside you is good enough. As long as you're not about to go insane and destroy the village, it's none of my concern. Your move."

Haruki remained still for a few seconds longer, gaze still fixed on the seal before turning back and extending one hand, moving a pawn forward. Half a dozen plays that Haruki could make with that move sprang up in Shikaku's mind but he dismissed them. He could stop each of them if he took the pawn now. Moving his knight, he secured the pawn.

"It's not finished," Haruki's quiet voice accompanied his next move as he shifted a lance.

Shikaku frowned. "What isn't?"

Haruki flicked a finger at the seal. "That seal. The centre is not finished. At the moment, it can only detect the Kyuubi's chakra."

Shikaku immediately stiffened, eyes narrowing as he realized what the redhead had just told him. But how? The Kyuubi jinchuuriki was Uzumaki Naruto.

"Who are you then?" He asked again, moving his rook to the left. "You look like the Yondaime. I can almost see it. Change your hair and you'd be an almost exact copy. Long-lost brother? Cousin?"

Haruki gave a half-shrug as he moved his lance again. Shikaku scanned the board before moving a silver general and capturing another of Haruki's pawns.

"Maybe I just look like him," Haruki tapped a finger on the edge of the wooden table before shifting a gold general. Shikaku immediately took the knight that Haruki had failed to move with one of his gold generals. It seemed like the game was coming to an end. Haruki wasn't concentrating anymore.

"I highly doubt that but we'll leave it for now," Shikaku observed the redhead for a moment. "So what are you doing in Konoha? You're definitely not one of my Jounin. I was Jounin Commander eight years ago. I would've remembered sending out any of my Jounin. Even if the Hokage didn't inform of it, I would've at least noticed you missing."

Haruki finally straightened from his lazy slouch, meeting Shikaku's gaze evenly. "Protect Konoha. That's what I've always tried to do."

Shikaku frowned. The devotion that now shone in Haruki's eyes was startling. What attachment did he have to this village to show that much dedication to it?

The sound of a door sliding open and closed signalled his son's arrival. "I'm home."

Shikaku quickly pulled the curtain back and turned to face Shikamaru as the boy stepped into the room. "Welcome back. How was training?" Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the oddly wistful expression flickering briefly across his temporary shogi partner's face as his focus turned to his son. Strange.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru had paused to take in Haruki and then the shogi board. "Are you the one training with us tomorrow? Asuma-sensei described you."

Shikaku blinked in surprise before turning to look at Haruki. The redhead seemed to struggle with himself before producing a strained smile in his son's direction. "Yes, he invited me to train with his team tomorrow."

Shikamaru nodded briefly, stepping forward as he glanced at the shogi board again. "I'm Shikamaru. You'll probably find training with us troublesome."

Haruki only shrugged before rising to his feet. "Perhaps. We'll see." He turned back to Shikaku and nodded at the board. "I believe this game goes to you, Shikaku-san. It was an interesting match, but I'd better be going. Thank you for having me. I'll see myself out."

With a low murmur of "See you tomorrow, Shikamaru-kun", the Jounin swiftly departed the Nara household, disappearing from sight without another glance at either of them.

Shikaku remained in the same position for several seconds after the redhead's abrupt departure. He only stirred when his son dropped down in Haruki's vacated seat, waving a hand at the board to get Shikaku's attention. "You were playing?"

Shikaku hmm'ed an affirmation. "Five hours. He's good."

Shikamaru nodded distractedly, eyes on the board. "When he left, why did he say that the game went to you?"

Shikaku arched an eyebrow and glanced down at the board as well, reaching out to tap one of his silver generals. "I would've checkmated him in three moves. He was distracted near the end."

Shikamaru frowned and scratched his head. "Yeah, but if he moved this," His son tapped a simple rook sitting innocently near the left side of the board. "He would've checkmated you in the next move."

Shikaku sat in frozen silence, eyes glued on the pawn as he reviewed all the moves that had been made in the last six minutes and all the possible moves he could've taken or not taken.

The two pawns and the knight. They had been distractions, mere diversions to draw the gold and silver generals that had been guarding his king away from their positions and remove the knight that had been blocking the rook's forward movement that now trapped his king. If he moved any piece to stop the rook now, he would leave the redhead's lance or gold general free to attack his king. Those two pieces, he realized, were the very ones that the redhead had seemingly carelessly moved last, and the two pieces that stopped them at the moment were the two generals he had moved to capture Haruki's sacrificial pieces. Instead of capturing the pieces in his way, Haruki had simply moved them elsewhere. Instead of going to the effort of cornering his king, he had let Shikaku do it for him.

And like any fresh amateur, he had fallen for it, so preoccupied with his questions and Haruki's answers that he hadn't seen it. And the runt had forfeited and given him the win!

"That damn-!" He cursed long and hard inside his head when he remembered that his son was still in the room. How dare he? He couldn't remember the last time he had lost a game!

And with that thought came a rush of respect as he allowed his short-lived annoyance to leave him in a rueful laugh. Haruki was an excellent shogi player. Even if he had lost, the redhead had still matched him move for move for five hours. The strongest player Shikaku had played before Haruki had come along had only lasted three and a half.

"Shikamaru," He barked out sharply as he suddenly straightened.

Shikamaru pulled back, looking mildly alarmed. "What?"

"You have training with Haruki-san tomorrow?" At his son's wary nod, Shikaku continued, a foreboding glint in his eyes. "Don't let him get away afterwards. Drag him back here if you have to. I want a rematch."

But his son only scoffed and rose to his feet, stretching and making his way out of the room again, no doubt to go cloud-watching. As he left, Shikamaru only tossed back, "Old man, if he can beat you , then the only one Haruki-san will be playing tomorrow will be me. I've never met anyone who could trump you in a shogi match before. Besides, dragging him all the way back here will be too troublesome."

Shikaku twitched as he watched his son leave the room. "Damn brat," He growled, glaring at the board. And then he leaned back and smirked, turning to glance at the curtain now covering only blank glass once more. He had learned some things today, some from his own observations, others that Haruki had willing imparted to him. He would have to think on it some more, and in the meantime, he would need to come up with a way to convince Haruki to come back for another round of shogi.

Konoha Senpuu – Konoha Whirlwind (Taijutsu)

Konoha Reppuu – Konoha Gale (Taijutsu)

Raiton: Hyou no Soshaku – Lightning Release: Panther's Bite

Chapter Text

Chapter 6 – Interlude: Friends, Old and New

"Are you people going to make sure I return to my apartment every night from now on, or will this stop sometime soon?"

Lazily, Kakashi glanced up from his book and eye-smiled a greeting at the approaching redhead from his position against Haruki's doorframe. "Yo! You didn't come to practice today. We wanted to make sure you were alright."

Beside the Copy-nin, Sakura was seated on his doorstep while Naruto and Sasuke were lazing in front of Naruto's. Kakashi pretended not to notice the twitch that was developing in HarukI's right eye.

"You did fine without me while I was away on my mission," Haruki pointed out dryly as he drew to a stop in front of them. "And I'm not exactly on Team 7."

"But Haruki-san," Naruto jumped to his feet, blue eyes innocent and pleading at the same time. "You need to keep up with your training too and joining us would be perfect!"

Haruki arched an eyebrow at the blond. "Who said I wasn't training? I trained with Gai-san's team today."

Kakashi blanched. " Gai's team? For the love of God, why ?"

Haruki's mouth tilted up into a slight smile. "I promised, remember? I told him I'd train with his team as soon as I got back from my mission."

Kakashi blinked. "I thought you just said that to get away."

Haruki frowned at him. "Of course not. Only you'd do that."

"What's wrong with that team?" Sakura piped up, her head cocked in a confused manner.

Ignoring Kakashi's muttered "everything", Haruki smiled a greeting down at the kunoichi before replying, "Nothing's wrong with Gai-san's team. It's just that Kakashi here can't seem to stand Gai-san's... enthusiasm for training. One of his students takes after him too. The other two are quieter; Tenten, a weapons specialist, and Hyuuga Neji."

Sakura frowned a bit as she rose as well, dusting her red dress off. "I don't remember them in our graduating class."

"They're a year above you." Haruki explained. "Still Genin, but I believe Gai-san will be nominating them for the Chuunin Exams this year."

"Chuunin Exams?" Naruto scratched his head. "That's the thing we have to take to get to the next rank, right?"

Sasuke had straightened visibly at this, getting to his feet as well and now turned to look at Haruki. "Are they strong?"

Haruki gazed back at the Uchiha, carefully considering his answer. "In terms of physical strength," He answered slowly. "I'd say all three of them are already at Chuunin-level or just about there. But it takes more than brute strength to pass the Exams. Other aspects are considered."

"Like what?" Naruto looked excited now and Sasuke seemed to have a hard time hiding the interest trying to surface on his face. Sakura looked less enthusiastic, but any new information was always welcome to her and she paid attention as well.

Haruki paused for a moment and glanced over at the Copy-nin, gauging his expression. Kakashi shrugged at him but nodded fractionally, giving Haruki free reign to tell them what he wished. Turning back, Haruki compromised, "It wouldn't be fair to the other teams if I told you anything specific, but from my own experience, I found that they usually test your willpower and strategic thinking," He stopped for a heartbeat, gaze deepening as he stared down at the three Genin. "And teamwork. Teamwork is huge. Don't let anything tear you apart."

A stilted silence followed this last bit and Haruki blinked when he found himself the recipient of three confused stares and an odd one from Kakashi. He plastered on a small smile again and rubbed the back of his head, "What I mean is that you're stronger together. And the examiners will take into account how well you can work as a team."

"Of course," He added, glancing at Kakashi and pretending not to see the faint frown still marring the Copy-nin's brow. "That would all depend on whether or not Kakashi nominates you for the Exams."

Instantly, all attention was fixed on the Copy-nin and Kakashi quickly eye-smiled at his students, absently noting that Haruki was very good at redirecting attention away from himself. "Maa," He said aloud. "At the moment, none of you are good enough. But the Chuunin Exams are still some time away. Maybe you'll be ready then."

Naruto grinned and gave them all a thumbs-up. "I'll definitely be ready! And Sasuke and Sakura-chan will be too! We'll show everyone that we're the best team ever! Believe it!"

Sasuke crossed his arms and rolled his eyes but a confident smirk had made its way onto his face. Sakura just shook her head but she couldn't quite hide the anxiety in her eyes and Haruki made a mental note to do something about his old teammate's confidence level.

"Now," Kakashi straightened from his slouch against Haruki's doorway. "Didn't you want to ask Haruki something, Naruto?"

The blond's face scrunched up in thought for a second before his expression cleared and he turned eagerly to Haruki. "Oh yeah! Remember how you treated me to ramen that first day? Well I've got several paychecks now from all the D-ranks we've been doing, so I can treat you to ramen now!"

Haruki stamped down the amusement welling up inside him and nodded instead. "Sure Naruto. Ichiraku's then?"

Naruto nodded enthusiastically but clutched at his head when Sakura whacked him with a scowl. " We're treating Haruki-san today! He treated all of us, remember? We just agreed that you'd be the one to ask him!"

She turned to smile hopefully at the redhead. "I mean, if that's okay, Haruki-san? Sasuke-kun and I would like to repay you too, especially since you cooked for us yesterday as well."

Haruki blinked at her before sliding his gaze over to Sasuke. The raven-haired Genin nodded an affirmative and Haruki smiled back at both of them. "Alright, I expect an extra-large bowl then."

Naruto grinned brightly up at him before bounding away, Sakura and Sasuke beside him and Kakashi and Haruki falling in behind them.

An hour and a half later, only the two Jounin remained in the ramen stand, the three kids having left after Kakashi had cheerfully informed them to meet at the bridge for training at six in the morning. Haruki had sent a Kage Bunshin with each of them, henged into a bee, as they had departed, and hadn't relaxed again until the Bunshin that had followed Naruto home dispersed without fuss.

Now, Haruki poked absently at the remains of the large ramen Team 7 had promised him. Beside him, Kakashi had flipped open his book again and had already finished, his mask firmly back in place.

Not that the man's face was anything Haruki hadn't seen before, but Kakashi didn't know that and the redhead had made an effort to keep his eyes on his food earlier.

"Will you train with us tomorrow?" The question was voiced nonchalantly but Haruki glanced up in time to catch the intent glint in the Copy-nin's visible eye.

Haruki shook his head. "I'm training with Asuma's team tomorrow."

Kakashi looked mildly taken aback. "Are you going around training with all the teams? Kurenai's the day after maybe?"

Haruki just sighed and took a sip of sake. "No, no, Asuma just caught me using one of my jutsus today when I was sparring Tenten and managed to con me into going."

"So you trained with Gai's team all day? That must've been..." The Copy-nin seemed to struggle for an adequate word.

"Youthful?" Haruki offered helpfully.

Kakashi's mouth twitched from behind his mask and he nodded. "Youthful. Times two. I hear that protégée of his is just as bad as Gai."

Haruki chuckled. "Lee-kun's not that bad. He's a good kid." The redhead tapped his chopsticks against the edge of his bowl for a moment, gaze becoming distant as his expression became more thoughtful. "He'll become a great taijutsu master. Better than Gai-san."

Kakashi watched the other Jounin curiously out of the corner of his eye. He never could understand the way Haruki said some things; those occasional thoughts that sounded more like facts with the solid amount of confidence and sincerity that Haruki curled around them.

They fell silent for a while, comfortable with the lack of conversation as one concentrated on his book and the other turned to look out at the darkened street outside, back against the counter with one elbow balanced on it.

"So did you really spend the entire day with Gai's team?" Kakashi turned as well after finishing a chapter, reclining against the counter as he started talking again.

Haruki tilted his head just enough to glance sidelong at him. "No, I spent the morning with them. Visited the Hokage in between. Then went to play a shogi match against Shikaku-san."

Kakashi stiffened in surprise. "Shikaku-sama? Really? Why?"

Haruki shrugged. "He invited me yesterday. I couldn't get out of it."

Kakashi frowned. He had heard of Hyuuga Hizashi's miraculous return, of course. The Hokage had announced it privately yesterday to all the ANBU and the Jounin. And Kakashi hadn't missed the coincidental timing of Hizashi's return and Haruki's mission either. He already suspected that the redhead had something to do with it all, but he had kept his suspicions to himself then, and he would keep them to himself now. If the Hokage hadn't said anything, then it had to be a secret. But the Council, at least, must've been told, and Shikaku must have found Haruki's role interesting enough to warrant a personal visit.

"So who won?" Kakashi asked absently. He had played the Jounin Commander once, and had been thoroughly thrashed in two hours.

"He did." "Haruki-san did."

Both Jounin blinked and turned to find the owner of the new voice. Kakashi's visible eye narrowed in concern when he saw Haruki's jaw clench at the sight of the Nara heir entering the ramen stand. Hoping to take the redhead's mind off of whatever was troubling him, Kakashi restated his question to the Genin (he couldn't quite remember the boy's name), making an effort to keep his voice light.

"So who exactly won? You seem to have a difference of opinion."

Shikamaru stepped into the ramen stand, hands stuffed into his pockets as he focused on the two Jounin. He frowned inwardly when he noticed that the redhead wasn't quite meeting his gaze and was busying himself with drinking his sake instead. With a mental shrug, he turned his attention on the Copy-nin sitting beside him.

"Haruki-san won," Shikamaru stated again, glancing at Haruki to gauge his expression. The man had a faint frown creasing his brow but didn't respond otherwise. "But he forfeited and left before anyone noticed."

Kakashi casted a curious look at Haruki and, catching his eye, the redhead sighed and elaborated, "Shikaku-san would've won in three moves."

"And you would've won in one," Shikamaru quickly cut in. He wanted to know why Haruki had forfeited on purpose.

Talking directly to the Jounin seemed to finally gain his attention because Shikamaru soon found himself on the receiving end of an endless blue gaze. He stiffened at the flash of grief that surfaced briefly in Haruki's eyes, but when he blinked, the redhead looked as impassive as ever and he would have dismissed it as something he had imagined if it wasn't for the fact that he had seen the exact same expression back at his house when he had first met Haruki.

The redhead only shrugged though and went back to his sake. Shikamaru didn't let it go. "Why did you forfeit the game?" He persisted.

Haruki stared into his drink as he contemplated the Nara's question. How the hell had he gotten into this mess? And how could he get out of it now? Of course, he knew exactly why he had forfeited the match. Because Shikaku's interest in him would've reached new heights if Haruki beat the Shogi Master at his own game. Because the Clan Head would've tried and probably succeeded in wrangling another shogi appointment out of him. Because he hadn't wanted to answer any more of Shikaku's questions. Because he hadn't wanted to spend any more time in the place that he had gotten to know like the back of his hand in his own timeline.

But most of all, it was because of the very person now standing in front of him. He hadn't wanted to continue looking at the younger version of his Chief Strategist and close friend any longer than he had to. Shikamaru's death had been ugly ( bloodied chest, half his face gone , broken limbs, stomach sliced open and his organs spilling out ) and Haruki's vision had blurred and he had seen the adult instead of the boy, dying on the battlefield with a smile on his face as he was finally allowed to let go of life and follow his friends and family.

And it had taken everything Haruki had not to throw up right then and there. He had all but fled the Nara Compound, and the walk back home had cleared his head a little. He had wanted to lock himself in his apartment and just curl up in bed and shut everything out, but Team 7 had been waiting for him (and God , when was the last time someone had waited for him?) and he hadn't been able to say no when they had invited him out for dinner.

Now he wished he had as he tried to find a suitable answer for the Genin he still had trouble looking at. The others he had interacted with so far had had cleaner deaths in his time (still horrible and agonizing and he had felt a little bit of himself die after each one of them had been killed, but at least their deaths had been less bloody), and by the time Sasuke had gone as well, he had been half out of his mind with grief already and total recall of his General's body only came in his nightmares, so they had been easier to deal with. But Shika...

"I did not wish to continue playing," Haruki finally voiced, eyes focused somewhere over Shikamaru's left shoulder. "And your father would have asked for another match had I won."

Shikamaru's frown was now more pronounced as he tried to catch that cerulean gaze again. "Would that have been so troublesome? It's shogi ."

Haruki downed the rest of his sake in one gulp before getting to his feet, placing some money on the counter to cover the cost of the alcohol. Next to him, Kakashi also slid off the stool, eye darting between Haruki and Shikamaru.

"I can handle a shogi match now and then," Haruki steeled himself and finally turned his gaze on Shikamaru, keeping it there for more than a few seconds this time. "But a game with your father takes time and concentration. He's no pushover and I can't afford to be distracted when I play him." He managed a slightly strained smile at the boy and forced down the bile that was rising at the back of his throat ( because his face should be torn apart, his body shredded ). "I have other things to concentrate on as well at the moment. Perhaps we can play again later."

Barely pausing to nod a goodnight at Teuchi, Haruki stuffed his hands into his coat pockets and ducked out of the stand, offering a hurried "good night, Shikamaru-kun" to the bewildered Genin still standing inside the shop before disappearing from view. Behind him, Kakashi hastily tossed his own money down, nodded at Teuchi and Shikamaru, and then quickly ducked out as well, falling into step beside the fast-paced redhead.

Kakashi didn't ask, though he sorely wanted to, but there were some things that one simply left alone until it was brought up on its own and the Copy-nin respected the other Jounin's privacy. So he simply kept pace with Haruki until he had to turn off towards his own apartment, parting with a simple nod that the redhead returned curtly before turning down a street and quickly melting into the evening shadows.

Kakashi watched him go for a moment, recalling the Nara heir's expression when he had been interacting with Haruki. The Genin had looked just as confused as he felt. What had set the redhead off like that?

With a sigh, the Copy-nin started making his own way home. This was just another piece of the puzzle that was Haruki that he was trying to put together.

Shikamaru shoved his front door aside with uncharacteristic irritability, making his way into the kitchen and dumping the take-out ramen in front of his dad at the dinner table.

"There you go," He announced distractedly, not noticing the odd look his father was sending his way. "Next time, get your own dinner. Just because Kaa-san is out doesn't make me your delivery boy. How troublesome."

He opened a cupboard for a glass and poured himself a cup of water before leaning back against the counter, still frowning in thought.

"Did something happen, Shikamaru?" His father's voice made him blink and Shikamaru glanced up to meet Shikaku's gaze.

He shrugged, taking a sip before speaking. "I bumped into Haruki-san at Ichiraku's." He paused and noted the immediate interest surfacing on his father's face. "We talked."

I talked , he mentally amended. He just wanted to get outta there .

"What about?" Shikaku prompted.

"His match with you," Shikamaru gulped down the rest of the water and placed the glass in the sink. "Kakashi-san was asking him about it. He said you won. I arrived in time to correct him."

"And what did he say?" At this point, Shikaku had lowered the newspaper he had been reading and turned his full attention on his son.

"Not a lot," Shikamaru scratched his head and made his way to the dinner table, taking a seat across from his father. "He said he didn't want to continue playing, and that you would've asked for another game if he had won. He said he wouldn't mind playing you again but he doesn't want to play too often. He said he would need to fully concentrate when playing against you and he had other things to think about at the moment."

"Those all sound like excuses," Shikaku observed after his son fell silent.

Shikamaru just shrugged again, slouching back in his seat and stuffing his hands into his pockets. "...Did you do something to him?"

Shikaku frowned, noting the troubled scowl on his usually laidback son. "No. We just played a game of shogi." And did 20-Questions in the process , he added fairly in his mind.

Shikamaru glanced at him, expression suspicious. "Are you sure you didn't insult him or something? Or did he move here from a different country and you killed one of his family members on a mission?"

Shikaku placed his newspaper aside, straightening in his seat. "What are you talking about, Shikamaru? We played shogi and we talked a little. I've never met him before yesterday. What did he do?"

Shikamaru ran a hand through his ponytail, tugging at the ends in frustration. "I don't know. I didn't understand. ...He could barely look at me."

Shikaku's frown deepened. "What do you mean? He didn't look at you when you were talking to him?"

Shikamaru heaved a sigh. "No. I mean yes. He did; a couple of times. Briefly. It's not that he didn't look at me. It's that he tried and it was like he couldn't bear to." He stopped talking for a moment and gauged his father's expression. The man was still frowning but there was confusion in his features now.

"Near the end, he managed to keep eye-contact for longer than a few seconds, but the look in his eyes," Shikamaru held back a shudder because even as young as he was, he knew he never wanted to look into a mirror and see that same tortured despair stare back at him. He wasn't quite sure, but he expected that that had been the look of someone who had lost everything. "I've never seen someone look like that before. And then he got outta there so fast you would've thought he was running away. Actually, I think he was running away."

Shikaku leaned back in his seat. He had noticed the air of depression shrouding the redhead during the shogi match and even yesterday after the Council meeting. But it hadn't been well-hidden, and the amount sorrow Shikaku had felt had been small. Every shinobi carried their own grief, buried away so others wouldn't see it. But what if that grief was well-hidden? It was obvious now that Haruki could hold a poker face with the best of them. So very good at keeping his thoughts and feelings from being noticed, and yet Shikaku had still sensed that sorrow.

"And this was when you entered the picture?" Shikaku prodded. "Maybe it was Kakashi who..."

Shikamaru was already shaking his head. "No, they were on friendly terms. He definitely started looking like that after I stepped inside that ramen stand."

Shikaku rubbed at his goatee before sighing and reaching for the ramen. "You mentioned a look. What did he look like when he looked at you then?"

Shikamaru shook his head, accepting one of the boxes his father handed to him. "I don't know. I can't describe it. And I don't think it was actually me he was seeing when he looked at me."

Shikaku nodded and started on his ramen. It probably wasn't. Haruki hadn't even met his son until today. Someone who looked like him then? Shikamaru was a Nara through and through. But Shikaku had seen none of what his son had obviously witnessed so it couldn't have just been physical similarities.

"Maybe I shouldn't go to practice tomorrow," Shikamaru grumbled from across the table.

Shikaku blinked in surprise. He wouldn't be startled if his son was skipping out on practice because it was too troublesome, but this was because of some stranger he had just met. "It's not like you to go out of your way for someone you don't know. Isn't it too troublesome?"

Shikamaru shrugged, chewing on his ramen. "You didn't see his face, Tou-san. He just can't stand looking at me."

Shikaku sighed but refrained from saying anything when a knock came at the door. Frowning, he rose to his feet and went to answer it. Outside, a member of his clan nodded respectfully at him before gesturing in the direction of the front gates. "Shikaku-sama, a Kazama Haruki wishes to speak to Shikamaru-sama."

Shikaku arched an eyebrow, taken aback for a moment before nodding. "I'll handle it, thanks."

The man sketched a quick bow before strolling off, the Nara's signature lazy slouch in his gait. Shikaku turned back into his house and called out, "Shikamaru! Haruki-san's at the front gates. He wants to talk to you."

His son appeared a few seconds later, looking confused. "Me? Why?"

Shikaku shrugged and motioned for him to get going. "I don't know. Go see what he wants."

Shikamaru sighed and slouched out of the house. "Troublesome. You could've just invited him up to the house." In truth, he just didn't know what to do when the redhead faced him again. Why would Haruki want to see him when it was obvious that he really, really didn't?

Haruki had been halfway home when his mind had finally caught up to him and shoved his memories back into the darkest corner of his head. Then he had stopped, right in the middle of the street and remembered the look of slightly troubled bewilderment on Shikamaru's ( a younger one, a different one ) face. And knowing the Nara, the Genin would realize that Haruki didn't want to see him. That would, in turn, most likely throw a wrench in Team 10's dynamics tomorrow if Haruki couldn't even get his act together around the Nara heir.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair before turning decisively in the direction of the Nara Compound. Enough was enough. That was twice he had run out on Shikamaru, and if his time's Shika was here, the strategist would've laughed at him for being an idiot. They were not the same person and he had to stop seeing his Chief Strategist in this Shikamaru.

Damn. That was easier said than done. Well, if he kept his focus on the Genin and ignored the part of his mind that kept trying to replace the boy's face with a bloodied adult version, he would be fine.

He would have to be. There was no way he was going to just avoid Shikamaru from now on. That would be more than unfair to him.

So, mind made up, Haruki leapt to the rooftops and headed to the Nara Compound. He would apologize and make sure the boy didn't do anything stupid like skip out on tomorrow's practice.

"Haruki-san?"

Haruki glanced up from his position against the walls of the compound, focusing on the features of the young Genin. There. He could see this Shikamaru if he concentrated.

"Sorry to bother you so late at night, Shikamaru-kun," Haruki started, straightening from where his place against the wall. "I wanted to apologize for earlier, at Ichiraku's."

Shikamaru blinked before rubbing the back of his head. Of all the things he had expected, it wasn't this. He had been prepared to agree if Haruki came to ask him not to go to training tomorrow, or something of the sort. He hadn't been expecting an apology, and the sorrow he had seen before was gone from the redhead's eyes. Or carefully tucked away.

"So... I'm sorry," Haruki sounded awkward and Shikamaru realized, with a mildly embarrassed start, that he had simply been staring at the redhead without responding.

He quickly shook his head. "It's alright. No harm done."

They stood there for a moment in stilted silence, and Shikamaru frantically tried to think of something to say. Should he offer to skip out on tomorrow's practice? Maybe he should just wait for the Jounin to say something first. Or should he invite the man in? God, this whole situation was troublesome to begin with.

"You will come to practice tomorrow, then?" Haruki finally spoke, taking the decision out of Shikamaru's hands, and the Nara heir was startled when he heard the hopeful note in the Jounin's voice.

"Are you sure?" He stuffed his hands into his pockets for lack of anything better to do with them. "I mean, I don't have to. It's just for a day, and-"

"I'm sure," Haruki cut in firmly, blue eyes still holding his own. Shikamaru absently wondered how hard the redhead was trying right now. "What happened earlier didn't have anything to do with you. It was just my own mind being stupid. I have nothing against you, Shikamaru-kun."

"Well I definitely hope not. A Jounin having something against me is just really troublesome." He responded automatically, and then paused to study the redhead's expression. Maybe he shouldn't have said that.

But Haruki surprised him again with a slight smile, the first genuine one Shikamaru had seen on the Jounin. "Then you'll be there tomorrow?" The redhead continued lightly.

Shikamaru sighed but nodded. "I'm not sure if Asuma-sensei told you, but we usually meet up at Ino's, she's one of my teammates, at her family's flower shop before going to train."

Haruki nodded an affirmation. "He did. I'll be there at ten."

Shikamaru nodded again and the awkward silence descended around them once more. He could swear he heard his father snicker from somewhere out of sight and mentally scowled at the man. Eavesdropping. If only his mother was here at the moment. She'd have him cowering in a second for being so troublesome.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow, Shikamaru-kun." The redhead finally offered, and then raised his voice a little after Shikamaru muttered a goodnight. "Goodnight, Shikaku-san."

Shikamaru blinked and then spun around. He knew it. From the shadows of the compound walls, his father stepped into the dimly lit street, already nodding cordially at Haruki. "Goodnight, Haruki-san."

Shikamaru expected his father to mention the earlier shogi match but Shikaku stayed silent as the redhead disappeared into the night.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Shikamaru fell into step beside his father as they headed back indoors.

Shikaku shrugged. "He came all this way to apologize. I'll give him a break for now. There's always next time."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and idly wondered if he would be pushing too far if he asked Haruki for a shogi match tomorrow. Then he sighed. Why did even asking for a shogi game have to be so troublesome?

At six in the morning, Haruki was up and dressed for the day, leaping over the rooftops towards the Hokage Tower. An ANBU had swung by earlier and informed him that the Hokage wanted to see him. Haruki suspected that Sarutobi had more questions about yesterday.

"You wanted to see me?"

Sarutobi glanced up as a familiar redhead leapt in through the window. His ANBU guards didn't even straighten at Haruki's appearance anymore, letting him pass without comment. He mentally shook his head. Was that a good thing or not?

"Yes," Sarutobi briskly activated the privacy seals again before turning his full attention on Haruki. "I've sent out a message to Jiraiya and his reply just came back earlier this morning. He's on his way to track down Tsunade. In the meantime, I wanted to know more about your abilities in fuuinjutsu. Jiraiya couldn't find a way to permanently counter Orochimaru's Cursed Seal. You mentioned that you could?"

Haruki nodded, already sensing where this was going. "If you can make Anko-san believe that I can, I could get rid of her seal, easily."

Sarutobi frowned faintly. Haruki had said he could, but only in passing. Now the redhead was confirming it, but surely there would be some complications?

"But what would you need?" Sarutobi had to be certain of all the aspects of this counter-seal. "How much time? And what would be the side effects?"

Haruki tilted his head, observing him with careful cerulean. "Old man, you don't have much confidence in my fuuinjutsu skills, do you?" He asked mildly, ignoring the immediate protest that surfaced on the Sandaime's face. "There aren't any side effects. I need some of Anko-san's blood, her patience, her strength of will, her high pain tolerance, and a blank scroll. As for time," He paused to consider this, noting the Hokage's astonished face with some amusement. "Two hours."

"...You're serious?" Sarutobi asked with some disbelief. "You can really get that seal off with only those things?"

Haruki nodded, eyes grave. "Yes, especially since Anko-san doesn't even have the full Cursed Seal. And I've done it before. I got rid of Anko-san's seal in my timeline."

Sarutobi relaxed at this. If Haruki had already done it once, then that was a different matter. "Very well. I've actually already summoned her and she's on her way. Is it possible to do it now? You said two hours would suffice."

Haruki nodded and reached into his coat to pull out a scroll. It was a good thing he was always prepared. A quick knock at the door made them both refocus their attention and Sarutobi temporarily pulled down the privacy seals to call the person in.

Anko swept into the room, a good-natured grin on her lips and a stick of dango in one hand. "Morning, Hokage-sama!" She greeted, her gaze sweeping the room before landing on Haruki. "What's this about?"

Making sure the privacy seals were up again, Sarutobi motioned to a chair as he spoke. "Good morning, Anko. A bit early for sweets, isn't it?"

Anko waved a dismissive hand in the air as she took a bite of her makeshift breakfast and made her way over to the chair. "It's never too early for sweets. You should really get some too. Now seriously, what's the problem? You never get me this early in the morning."

Sarutobi nodded and waved a hand at Haruki. "Anko, this is Kazama Haruki," He paused when Haruki nodded briefly at the kunoichi in greeting. "He's a Fuuinjutsu Master. He can get rid of that Cursed Seal."

A moment later, Anko was on her feet again, chair clattering back on the floor, glaring furiously at the redhead. "That's impossible! No one's been able to do anything but hold it back! Even Jiraiya-sama's tried and failed! How could some damn Jounin be able to?"

Haruki didn't so much as blink at Anko's tirade. "I'm better than Jiraiya-sama."

Anko froze, mouth opening but not finding any words to say. Better than Jiraiya? Impossible. Yet here was this pretty boy openly claiming it without any sort of arrogance. Stating it as if it was a simple fact.

She shouldn't believe this. Getting her long-dead hopes up now would be pointless when the redhead failed later on. And yet, he was still staring at her patiently, a scroll in one hand, the other still stuffed in his coat pocket, waiting for her to decide.

Fuck you! Her mind snapped.

"What would you have to do?" She said aloud, eyes narrowing. She noticed the dango stick clutched in her right hand and made an effort to relax her grip.

Haruki waved the scroll. "I'll need some of your blood to write out the seal. I'll be using my own chakra to make it. Then you'll activate it with your own chakra. You won't need to put a lot into it to start the process; the first bit of your chakra's just to let the seal identify you as the owner of the Cursed Seal we want to remove. Then my seal will do the rest, but while it's working, it will keep drawing on your chakra. Not enough to kill you but you will feel tired afterwards."

Anko stared in disbelief. "Just like that? No after-effects? You just make this seal, I activate it, and boom, my fucking Cursed Seal's gone?"

Haruki shrugged. I'll need an hour and a half to get this seal ready and it'll take about half an hour for it to do its job." He paused, and then warned, "And it'll hurt. A lot. Like I said you'll feel drained afterwards and you'll be suffering from chakra depletion, but that'll come back soon enough."

Anko dismissed this easily. Chakra depletion was the least of her concerns. "But nothing else?" She pressed insistently. "I'll still be able to continue as a kunoichi, and all my skill would be just as good as it is now?"

Haruki gave her an odd look. "Of course not."

She stiffened immediately and opened her mouth to curse the redhead out but the Jounin continued before she could. "Without the Cursed Seal, you'll be better. How much better is up to you, but the Cursed Seal won't be hindering you anymore."

If Anko hadn't been so stunned, she would've swore at him when she detected amusement floating just underneath the redhead's features. As it was, she scowled fiercely at him before turning to the Hokage who, now that she thought about it, she had honestly forgotten up until this point.

"Is this guy for real?" She demanded. "He's a Konoha Jounin but I've never seen him before. Where has he been?"

Sarutobi chuckled. "He's been away on a mission, and yes, I do believe he is telling the truth."

Anko frowned. How long was this mission that she had never seen him before? He looked around her age.

Turning back to Haruki, she debated the pros and cons of the situation. If she believed him, then there really weren't any cons. Yeah, from what he had told her, it would hurt like a bitch, but she was a ninja; she could take it. Besides, she would put up with any pain if it meant getting her former sensei's seal off of her.

But should she trust him? How often was it that some shinobi popped out of nowhere claiming to be able to break one of the strongest cursed seals known to mankind? And yet, Sarutobi obviously trusted him and Anko could sense no malice coming from the redhead.

Despite her reservations, she could feel a faint stirring of hope inside her. If this worked, Orochimaru's mark would no longer be on her. She wouldn't ever have to worry about the seal being activated again. She would be free again.

"How much blood do you need?" Her mind made up, Anko barrelled forward as usual, gaze steel-like as she pulled out a kunai.

Haruki nodded and withdrew another scroll, unsealing a small empty ink jar. "Half of this would be enough."

Anko nodded briskly, finishing off her dango before dropping down onto the floor with the ink jar to start her part of the process.

Haruki glanced over at the Hokage before motioning at the privacy seals. "You should probably strengthen those if you don't want anyone hearing screaming or feeling bursts of chakra coming from your office."

Sarutobi blinked but nodded, rising to fully activate the privacy seals. He told the ANBU at his door that, short of the announcement of the apocalypse, no one was to enter. He locked the office door for extra measure and closed the windows as well.

"There," Anko held up the ink jar, now half-filled with her own blood, and Haruki accepted it with a nod, taking a seat on the ground as well with the blank scroll open in front of him. Anko eyed his empty hands curiously as she quickly bandaged her palm. "Don't you need a brush or something?"

Haruki smiled faintly at her before holding up one hand. Blue-white chakra immediately began glowing around it and Anko gasped as she felt the power extend from that hand. A hum of raw strength edged it, but the pure energy emitting from that hand, down to its very core, was soothingly warm, like sunlight.

And Anko was sure she had never felt any chakra like it in her entire life.

Before anyone could say anything, Haruki moved his hand over the ink jar, letting his chakra draw out the blood. With deft control, he coated the blood with chakra and brought it over the scroll. Tuning everything else out, he started drawing out the seal, each crimson stroke he depicted on the paper glowing in his wake.

Anko was staring at the redhead's work with open interest. She had never seen anyone perform fuuinjutsu this way. Weren't seals written with blood or ink and then activated with chakra afterwards?

Sarutobi had drawn closer and, after a short undecided moment, sat down next to the other two shinobi as well. It wasn't as if anyone else was around to see him act un-Hokage-like. And he had never seen anyone, not even Jiraiya, draw seals with chakra like Haruki was doing.

I'm better than Jiraiya-sama.

Haruki had sounded certain, but it wasn't until now that Sarutobi fully believed the redhead. After all, Minato had been the only one to ever surpass Jiraiya in fuuinjutsu. But each precise stroke of crimson against white proved Haruki's skill and Sarutobi could only watch with a sense of proud awe as an intricate seal slowly formed under the time traveller's steady hand.

For the next hour and a half, the only sounds in the Hokage's office were the near-silent hum of chakra and the whisper of liquid on paper. Haruki worked out each part of the seal without hesitation. He had already done this seal three times; once for practice, once for his time's Anko, and once again for his time's Sasuke. Sasuke's Seal had been no picnic to remove, being the most powerful of Orochimaru's Cursed Seals, but the Snake Sannin had finally died so that at least had made the process that much easier.

"Finished," Haruki glanced up, releasing the chakra he had gathered to his right hand as he used up the last of Anko's blood. He blinked, somewhat startled when he realized that both the room's other occupants were still staring avidly at his seal.

"That's it?" Anko's voice was subdued for once as her eyes traced the design Haruki had made. Only the centre, depicted with a sun-like pattern, looked simple. "That will remove Orochimaru's Cursed Seal?"

Haruki nodded, scanning the scroll for any mistakes. "We can start anytime."

Anko took a deep breath before nodding firmly. "What do I do?"

The Jounin placed the scroll back on the ground in front of Anko, spreading it open as he motioned for the Sandaime to move back. Sarutobi rose to his feet and retreated to his desk, still studying the seal. He had never seen anything like it. He could pick out pieces of designs, a few swirls for foreign chakra removal and some strokes twisted together for stability, but it was the intricate kanji on either side of the centre that interested him.

All the kanji were tied into the wind element. The kanji for wind served as the base before spreading out from there. Airstreams, breezes, and gales; all the way up to monsoons, squalls, even storms, and tied together again with zephyrs.

"Haruki-kun," Sarutobi interrupted. "Why is this seal based on so much wind element? How would this be able to remove the Cursed Seal? The only part of this that relates back to the actual seal is the centre, and it is only a basic design for curse removal."

Haruki offered a half-smile as he settled on the opposite side of the scroll. "My elemental affinity is wind, old man. This seal will be the support for me . I'll be the one removing the Cursed Seal through this."

Anko straightened, looking mildly alarmed. "Wait a minute; I thought the seal would be doing the work. You didn't mention anything about yourself."

Haruki frowned at her. "I won't hurt you."

Anko snorted derisively. "If I was worried about you hurting me, Red, I wouldn't have agreed to this in the first place. The seal could just as easily kill me. I'm asking what will happen to you."

The redhead's brow cleared, taking the sudden nickname in stride as he smiled again. "Ah, I see. I'll just be a little tired afterwards. Like I said, no after-effects."

The kunoichi eyed him suspiciously before shrugging grudgingly. Sarutobi quickly cut in again before they could start. "But I still do not understand how so many wind elements could help in this process."

Haruki pointed at the hollow centre. "This is where the Cursed Seal will end up afterwards. I'll be drawing it away from Anko-san and into the scroll. Orochimaru's Seal is strong, yes, but in the end, when broken down, it is still built up from any other basic seal. The wind elements I've put into this seal will help me break the curse down. By the time it leaves Anko-san, only the most basic component will be left, which will be easy to lock away with a simple Curse Removal Seal." He paused and glanced up at the Hokage. "Trust me, old man. I know what I'm doing."

When put like that, and explained so thoroughly, Sarutobi could hardly find fault with it. He nodded and settled against his desk, watching as Haruki directed Anko to place her hand on the centre design.

"This'll hurt," The redhead warned once more, extending a kunai. "Bite down, though that'll probably shatter in the process anyway."

Anko rolled his eyes but complied, placing her uncut hand on the centre of the seal and biting down on the kunai.

"When you're ready," She heard the other Jounin say as both the redhead's hands moved to hover over the wind kanji. "Send a little of your chakra into the seal."

Anko sucked in a bracing breath and then shot a small flare of her chakra into the scroll. Almost immediately, pain spiked through her body as the seal lit up in front of her. Biting down on the kunai, she tried to hold back the scream threatening to tear from her throat but as her neck burned , her vocal cords reacted and the kunai shattered as chakra rushed through her and her voice rang out in the room.

Opposite her, Haruki clenched his jaw and concentrated on the Cursed Seal that he had connected to with his own chakra as soon as the process began. Closing his eyes, he used his chakra to close in around the seal.

Cage it, with the winds of a monsoon.

Lock it down, with the everyday winds that seemed so insignificant apart, yet held so much power together.

Then fight it, with the howling power of a tempestuous squall.

And finally, destroy it, with the untamed strength of a raging storm.

The half-finished Cursed Seal stood no chance and Haruki could almost hear its frustrated shriek as its power broke, snapping under his hands as it yielded to his control.

Drawing it away from Anko's body was much easier now that its power had been reduced. Opening his eyes, Haruki watched the fading patterns of the Cursed Seal of Heaven run down Anko's arm and spill onto the scroll. The kunoichi had stopped screaming at this point but the hand still pressed against the seal was near-white and shaking.

Haruki waited until the last of the Cursed Seal left Anko's skin and then reached out to wrap a gentle hand against the kunoichi's. "We're done, Anko-san. You can rest now."

Anko could barely keep her eyes open but she still managed to rasp out, "It's gone? The Cursed Seal?"

She managed to catch the smile Haruki offered her as he confirmed, "Yes, it's gone. Completely."

The relief and gratitude that crashed into her at this reassurance was enough to knock her out and she slumped sideways, not even feeling the strong arm that wrapped around her shoulders and carefully lowered her to the ground.

Haruki made sure Anko was no longer touching the scroll before focusing on his task again and performing a set of seals. Instantly, the centre sun pattern flared red as he pushed some of the Kyuubi's chakra into the seal. Orochimaru's Cursed Seal immediately disappeared within the crimson light and Haruki finally released his chakra, shoulders slumping with mild exhaustion as he snapped the scroll shut.

"Haruki-kun?"

Haruki glanced up, blinking when he realized that the Hokage had dropped down across from him beside Anko and was currently checking her pulse. He released a short sigh and mustered a small smile. "She'll be fine. Just let her sleep it off. And," He waved the scroll. "Orochimaru's Cursed Seal is locked away. We just need to burn the scroll and it'll be completely destroyed."

Sarutobi easily picked up the unconscious kunoichi but kept a concerned eye on the redhead as he moved her to the couch in his private office. "And you?"

"I'll be fine," Haruki assured, rising to his feet as well without showing any fatigue. "I just need some rest. Do you want me to get rid of this, or shall I?"

Sarutobi extended a hand. "I'll take it. If you don't mind, I'd like to show it to Jiraiya when he comes home."

Haruki frowned, glancing down at the scroll before handing it over with a shrug. He planned for both Jiraiya and Tsunade to know the truth about him anyway. Letting him see some of his seals wouldn't be that big a deal.

"I should get going, old man," Haruki straightened completely, walking over to give Anko a once-over before turning back to the Hokage. "I have training later with Asuma's team."

Sarutobi smiled at this. "Ah, he asked you then."

Haruki immediately stiffened in suspicion. "You did something." It was not a question. "I knew he didn't ask me just because of my jutsu."

The Sandaime's smile widened a little. "I thought about what you said; about Asuma." He paused and a thoughtful frown drifted onto his brow. "I had a chat with him a few days ago. We went to the Hokage Monument and I tried to show him a little of what I saw in Konoha." He shook his head ruefully. "He really is quite detached from this village. But he didn't refuse when I invited him to dinner with me and Konohamaru afterwards."

"And let me guess," Haruki rubbed a hand over his eyes. "He wanted to know why you were acting out of character."

Sarutobi chuckled. "Well, we haven't eaten together since before he left Konoha, so of course, he wanted to know why. But I told him it was because of something you said. Nothing specific, but he seemed to take an interest in you."

Haruki heaved a sigh. Not only did he have to deal with Shikaku, now he had a curious Asuma on his hands as well. Team 10's sensei was usually laidback and easygoing, but once something caught his attention, nothing would deter the man until his interest was sated.

"Did the dinner go alright then?" The redhead finally asked.

Sarutobi nodded cheerfully. "It went better than I hoped. Konohamaru being there helped too."

Haruki grunted but said nothing more as he stifled a yawn. He barely got any sleep at night and removing Orochimaru's Cursed Seal didn't help keep him awake. Nodding an abrupt goodbye to the Hokage, he headed for the window.

He still had a few hours before he had to meet up with Team 10. The convenience store should be open. He could grab a few popsicles and kill some time on top of the Hokage Monument.

It was funny, he mused as he leapt out of the window. Once upon a time, ramen would've been the first food to come to mind. But he didn't eat anywhere near as much as he used to nowadays and frozen ice-creams had become something of a habit.

Because his stupid old sensei always loved sharing them with him.

"Good morning, Asuma. Ino should be out in a few minutes."

Asuma turned at the greeting, nodding cordially at the Yamanka Clan Head as Inoichi stepped outside the flower shop. "Good morning, Inoichi."

The two fell into a comfortable silence as Inoichi watered the plants outside the shop and Asuma continued smoking, keeping an eye on his other two students several feet away across the street. Chouji was munching on chips as usual (Asuma made a mental note to suggest dieting) and Shikamaru was slumped against a pole next to him, not bothering to hide a wide yawn. He sighed inwardly. There was a reason he started their training so late in the morning. He had a feeling that Shikamaru wouldn't even be able to stay vertical if he called them out at seven.

And then there was Ino, who had to help her mother set up shop for the day at nine in the morning. Asuma didn't particularly mind though. If they were going to meet late, then they might as well meet at a time that was suitable for everyone.

His thoughts turned to the Jounin who would be joining them today as he glanced up and down the street. Haruki seemed to spend a lot of time with Kakashi. Would the redhead have picked up the Copy-nin's habit? It was already five minutes to ten.

And Asuma couldn't really blame the man if he was late. He knew Haruki had been very reluctant to join them in the first place, and while he had been willing to insist until the redhead capitulated, why Haruki had agreed after only a few minutes of persuasion from him was still a mystery. And he was curious to see who this Jounin was.

As far as he knew, Kakashi never willingly spent much time with other people. He wasn't a loner and he socialized when he joined them for a few drinks at the bars, but the man never went out of his way to seek out company, preferring to stay to the side and read those damn books of his. Yet Kakashi had invited Haruki to train with his team and the short interaction he had seen between them after they had been given their missions by the Sandaime had been relaxed and comfortable. The Copy-nin obviously considered the redhead a friend, even though they had only just met. This fact only served to mystify him even more.

And of course, there was his father too. Asuma could barely remember the last time he had sat through a dinner with Sarutobi without getting into an argument or sitting in stilted silence, much less actually enjoyed one. His father had clearly been deliberately cautious whenever he spoke, careful not to come on too strongly when voicing his opinions as he had in the past, but Asuma couldn't ever recall his father trying to hold a conversation and not attempt to make Asuma see things his way. He had appreciated it and they had somehow managed to get through dinner with only friendly exchanges between them. And afterwards, once Konohamaru had gone home and he had walked his father back to the Hokage Tower, his curiosity had gotten the better of him and he had asked, just before they had gone their own ways for the night, why .

Imagine his surprise when Haruki's name had come up. Sarutobi hadn't said much more than that, and Asuma had left, mulling over the mysterious Jounin no one seemed to know. The very next day, he had checked the mission registry and noted the day that the redhead would be returning from his intel mission (which, now that he thought about it, suspiciously coincided with Hyuuga Hizashi's miraculous return; he would have to think more on that later) and had sought out the redhead as soon as he could. He had remembered Haruki's promise to Gai and had wondered whether the other Jounin would keep it or not. He knew when and where Gai's team trained (there wasn't a single shinobi who didn't , what with Gai's youthful rants) and had swung by the training grounds on his way to the Hokage Tower. He had only been mildly surprised when he had seen the redhead training with one of Gai's students. He had been much more stunned by the jutsu he had witnessed Haruki execute. The lightning jutsu, at least an A-class, had been flawless, but from what he had managed to overhear without being detected, lightning wasn't even Haruki's natural affinity.

Wind was. Same as him. Asuma could count on one hand the number of ninja that had a wind affinity in Konoha and still have fingers left over, and most of them hadn't even completely mastered it. Wind was the hardest element to control after all. But if Haruki could pull off such a powerful jutsu with an element that wasn't even his main affinity, he had no doubt that the redhead could do some serious damage with wind chakra.

A couple of approaching Chuunin came into view and distracted him from his thoughts when they drew level with his students. He didn't have time to do more than frown in their direction when he saw the sneers on their faces before Inoichi spoke up.

"Ino tells me that you invited Kazama-san to your training session today."

Asuma turned his head to take in his female student's father. Inoichi had a broom in hand and was sweeping up some of the stray leaves and petals littering the ground even as he pinned Asuma with that piercing blue-green gaze. He mentally shook his head. Sometimes, he still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Konoha's greatest interrogator had retired and become a florist.

"Yes," He replied, removing his cigarette and putting it out first. Inoichi didn't mind that he smoked as long as he didn't do it while they were having a conversation or when he was within a few feet of his daughter for an extended period of time. "He caught my attention when he was training with Gai's team and I invited him to train with my team for a day." He glanced up and down the street again. "He should be here soon."

Inoichi's thoughtful frown made him think back to the Clan Head's words. 'Kazama-san', Inoichi had called him, but there had been an underlying edge of something that pinged on Asuma's radar. "Do you know him?"

The man may have been retired but he hadn't lost any of his famed impassivity that hid his emotions from the world and made enemy-nin quiver in the interrogation rooms. "We have met," Inoichi acknowledged without pause. "In passing only though."

Which really didn't give away anything but Asuma was willing to bet that Inoichi was interested in the red-haired Jounin as well. Suddenly raised voices caught both their attentions and they turned simultaneously to watch the obvious argument between the two Chuunin and Asuma's students. Neither Chuunin had seen Asuma or Inoichi or they would've probably had second thoughts about picking on the two Genin.

"-fatty like you could never become a shinobi,"

Asuma visibly winced. Chouji hated being called fat and Shikamaru could be fiercely protective of the Akimichi heir when the occasion called for it. As it was, Chouji had flushed deep red, hands curling into fists, his bag of chips crumpling in one angry grip, and Shikamaru had straightened from his lazy slouch, eyes narrowed.

"Shut up! I'm just big-boned!" Chouji snapped back. "What's your problem anyway? Don't you have anything better to do?"

One of the Chuunin's lips curled up mockingly. "What, can't even stop for a chat? You're not very nice. Guess you inherited bad manners as well as your figure from your folks."

Asuma's jaw tightened and he made to move forward to stop the altercation, feeling more than seeing Inoichi tense up beside him even as Shikamaru took a step forward and snapped, "Oi, back off!"

But the damage had been done and Chouji moved to lunge forward, face twisted into a rage.

Only to pull up short when both Chuunin were, quite suddenly, yanked off the ground and into the air by some invisible force, hanging upside-down from one ankle as their other limbs flailed and startled yelps slipped from their mouths.

Asuma watched with growing astonishment when, a fraction of a second later, a familiar figure leapt down from the flower shop's roof and landed beside the group, crimson hair and long trench coat trailing behind him.

Wind , Asuma realized, eyes picking out the faint traces of wind currents wrapped neatly around both Chuunins' right ankles before moving to the motionless hands stuffed in the redhead's coat pockets. Haruki is manipulating the wind itself without using any hand signs .

"Good morning, Shikamaru-kun," Haruki had turned to the Nara heir, who now looked slightly wide-eyed, and now greeted him with a small smile. Blue eyes then flickered to the still red-faced Chouji and offered a similar greeting. "And you must be Akimichi Chouji. Good morning. I'm joining your team for practice today."

Asuma's students blinked before glancing at each other, and Asuma found himself relaxing again when the red started to seep out of Chouji's features and Shikamaru's slouch returned. Beside him, Inoichi made no move to stop this new exchange. It seemed like they both wanted to see how Haruki would handle this situation.

"Morning, Haruki-san," Shikamaru's lazy drawl had returned and Asuma made a mental note to ask the boy about the note of familiarity in his voice when he addressed the redhead.

"Good morning," Chouji echoed, peering almost hesitantly between Haruki and the two Chuunin hanging in the air.

"Hey!" One of the Chuunin, the same one that had spoken last, snapped. "Are you doing this?"

Haruki turned to face the upside-down shinobi, head tilting to observe them with a thoughtful air. "Yes, I suppose I am," The redhead agreed after a moment, and Asuma had to suppress a snicker at the bug-eyed looks Haruki received after the nonchalant concession. He heard a quiet snort of amusement from his right and was quick enough to catch a shadow of a smile on the Clan Head's lips.

Both Chuunins flushed darker, their faces already red from the blood rushing to their heads, before the other Chuunin snarled, "Well put us down! Who are you anyway? Are you even a Konoha-nin?"

It was then that Asuma noticed that Haruki did not wear the Konoha headband anywhere on his body, at least not visible to public eyes, nor was he wearing the flak jacket issued to Jounin underneath his coat, only a simple black long-sleeved shirt.

"Yes I am," Haruki replied easily, not at all perturbed that he was talking down at the Chuunin, whose heads were hanging about a foot off the ground. "I just don't carry the headband around with me."

The first Chuunin just glared back at the redhead, struggling in vain against the wind holding him in the air. "You're attacking a fellow shinobi then! That could get you demoted! Let us go!"

Haruki gave them a thin smile that didn't come close to reaching his eyes. "No."

The Chuunin all but growled, one arm swinging out in a heated attempt to hit the red-haired Jounin, but a gentle gust of wind rushed by and his coat flapped out of the way of the flailing fist. Asuma wondered if that breeze was natural or not.

"Why the fuck not?" The Chuunin demanded angrily, humiliation lining his face.

All at once, Haruki's features froze over and mercilessly cold eyes drilled into the Chuunin's brown ones. The teen immediately recoiled. Out of the corner of his eye, Asuma saw Inoichi take a step forward, one eyebrow raised in interest.

"I don't know," The redhead's voice was still deceivingly light. "You tell me."

The other Chuunin seemed a bit smarter and his eyes darted between Haruki and Chouji before glancing up at the wind still wrapped tightly around his ankle. Finally, the teen cut his losses and relented, eyes on Chouji as he forced out through clenched teeth, "Sorry, Akimichi-san."

The first Chuunin glared, arms folding in front of him with some difficulty and Asuma scoffed at how ridiculous the teen looked.

"I ain't apologizing," He sneered. "Why should I when everyone knows that the Akimichis are just a bunch of fa-agh!"

His words tapered off into a screech of alarm when he dropped abruptly towards the ground, arms shooting out to flounder wildly around him as he came dangerously close to face-planting into the earth before Haruki's wind yanked him back up again. Asuma hadn't even seen the Jounin's hands twitch.

"Come again?" Haruki asked coldly.

The Chuunin seethed for a long moment, eyes taking in the unforgiving cerulean gaze piercing him before self-preservation instincts finally kicked in. "Sorry, Akimichi-san," The teen spat out at last.

Haruki shrugged and turned back to Chouji, the previous coldness leaking out of his features as he focused on the Akimichi heir. "Well, Chouji-kun? Personally, I've heard more sincere apologies from my enemies but I think that's the best we're going to get out of these two right now."

Chouji looked downright baffled but the anger had died and the Genin only observed the two Chuunin with a sombre air before announcing firmly, "Okay then. Let them go."

Haruki smiled a little before turning back to the two Chuunin. The first one just had to open his mouth one last time.

"We fucking apologized!" He bit out. "Now let us down!"

Without a word, the redhead blinked once and both teens found themselves released and freefalling for all of two seconds before crashing face-first onto the dusty ground. Muttered curses cut the air but they jumped up soon enough, hands nursing their noses as they backed away, their entire focus on Haruki.

Haruki only smiled at them again, his expression hard and icy. "You should watch what you say in the future, boys. It might come back to bite you in the ass one day."

Both Chuunin tried glaring at the redhead but Asuma could detect visible fear in the way they scrambled out of sight, hurrying away from Haruki's frigid stare.

As soon as they were gone, Haruki's expression warmed again, features falling back to their typical neutrality as he turned back to the two Genin. The three stared at each other for a moment before Haruki sighed and reached a hand up to tuck a lock of hair behind one ear.

"Interesting way to start off our training session," The Jounin finally commented, before adding somewhat hurriedly, "And what I just did? I don't think you should do that. That was a pretty bad example considering I'm supposed to help teach you today. So, um," Haruki rubbed the back of his head, and Asuma could suddenly see a softer side to the redhead, and he wondered if this was the side Kakashi knew, because the man didn't seem so unapproachable anymore. "Just pretend you didn't see that, okay?"

A few seconds of silence ticked by before Shikamaru broke out into snickers, hands stuffing themselves back into his pockets as an amused smirk tilted his lips. Chouji joined in after a moment, chuckling along as Haruki blinked down at them almost uncertainly.

"No way, Haruki-san. Your method's effective. I'm pretty sure they were about to wet themselves near the end," Shikamaru observed lazily.

Chouji laughed outright at this, noticeably warming to Haruki as the Jounin stared down at them with a wry grin. Still smiling, Chouji glanced at Shikamaru and then up at the redhead before asking almost hesitantly, "What would you have done if I didn't want you to let them go?"

Haruki cocked his head in contemplation before his gaze swept the street and landed on the two garbage cans Inoichi had dragged out earlier. "Well," He gestured towards the trash cans. "They probably would've fitted in those."

Chouji grinned and Shikamaru huffed out a laugh, and Asuma knew neither of them would have any problems interacting with Haruki. The Jounin was good with kids.

A moment later, he found himself staring into steady cerulean as all three made their way over in unspoken agreement.

"Good morning, Asuma, Inoichi-sama," Haruki greeted quietly as the group reached the flower shop.

"Morning," Asuma grinned a little as he nodded in the direction that the two Chuunin had disappeared in. "Nice entrance."

Haruki actually looked faintly embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." He paused before amending, "At least not in front of your students."

Asuma chuckled. "You didn't do anything to hurt them; except their pride anyway. And it was a nice display of your wind affinity."

The redhead stiffened briefly and Asuma found himself on the receiving end of a sharp searching gaze for a fraction of a second before nodding briefly in acknowledgment. Asuma blinked. Had he imagined that?

"You are very proficient at manipulating the wind," Inoichi cut in thoughtfully. "Can you travel long distances in a shorter amount of time that way?"

Asuma found this question somewhat strange but Haruki took it in stride and nodded. Inoichi seemed satisfied with the answer and offered a slight smile instead. "You're standing outside my home. No need to be so formal."

Haruki blinked before dipping his head in acquiescence. "Inoichi-san then."

"Now you just have to meet Chouji's old man and you'll have met the whole set."

All eyes turned to the slouching Shikamaru and Asuma raised a questioning eyebrow at him. Shikamaru just shrugged a little before glancing up at Haruki. "He's already met my dad."

Inoichi switched his gaze back to Haruki. "You've met Shikaku?"

Haruki looked mildly uncomfortable but nodded somewhat warily. "Yes. I met him a few days ago." He paused, a small amount of irritation surfacing on his face. "We played shogi."

Inoichi chuckled and Asuma felt his lips quirk up again. Most of the village knew of the Nara Clan Head's prowess in shogi. "Well," Inoichi grinned a little. "No one's beaten Shikaku in decades. Don't feel too bad."

Shikamaru spoke up before Haruki could get a word in edgewise, scoffing, "My dad lost. Haruki-san won."

"Shikamaru-kun!" The redhead had probably been aiming for annoyed but the warning came out more exasperated than anything else. For his part, Shikamaru didn't look all that concerned.

Inoichi's eyes widened. "You beat Shikaku?"

Haruki grimaced, shifting in his coat. Asuma had no idea why the other Jounin seemed to think beating the Sandaime's Chief Strategist at his own game was a bad thing.

"Yes," Haruki finally admitted, glancing reproachfully down at Shikamaru, who shrugged unrepentantly. "I suppose so."

The interest in Inoichi's eyes was visible now and Asuma guessed that this was why Haruki seemed uncomfortable with the whole situation, though why the redhead disliked the attention of a Clan Head was still a mystery.

Behind them, the door to the flower shop suddenly swung open and Asuma arched an eyebrow at the relief that flooded Haruki's features for a moment. The red-haired Jounin really didn't like attention.

"Morning, sensei!"

Asuma turned to smile down at his third student as she finished pulling on her elbow warmers. "Morning, Ino." He turned to nod at the redhead beside him. "This is Haruki. He's the one training with us today."

Ino turned her attention on the redhead and smiled up at him. "Hi!" She jabbed a finger at Shikamaru and Chouji. "Those two idiots probably didn't bother introducing me before. I'm Yamanaka Ino. Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too, Ino-chan," Haruki replied with a half-smile, but Asuma frowned when he detected a trace of wistfulness in the upward tilt of his lips. He glanced sideways at Inoichi and noticed that the blond had also caught the emotion and was frowning attentively once again.

"Alright then," Asuma clapped a hand on Haruki's shoulder. "I was thinking that we could start on chakra control today." He glanced at the redhead. "We're probably starting that a bit late but I've been seeing what they could do with their clan techniques."

Haruki nodded. "Not that late. Kakashi's team only started about a week ago."

"You trained with Fore-Sakura's team?" Ino piped up.

"Yeah," Haruki shrugged. "Kakashi invited me. Sakura's got near-perfect chakra control."

Asuma speculated whether or not the Jounin had said that on purpose when Ino turned on him and demanded, "We have to start practicing chakra control now!"

Asuma sighed and nodded before glancing at Haruki again. "I guess I'll let you take over today. I was planning to do the tree-walking exercise and then get them started on their D-rank mission."

A strange glint entered the redhead's eyes. "What mission is it?"

Asuma withdrew a mission scroll from his hip pouch. "They're going to be retrieving the Daimyo's wife's cat today."

Simultaneous groans erupted from all three Genin and even Inoichi chuckled at them. Haruki on the other hand brightened visibly and Asuma wondered if he should worry for his team.

"Great!" Haruki turned an almost evil grin on the three Genin who all promptly took a step back. "I know exactly what to do today."

Shikamaru eyed their temporary sensei. This really didn't bode well. The smile Haruki was wearing reminded him of the one Naruto always wore just before one of his pranks blew up in someone's face. "Troublesome," He muttered, stifling a yawn at the thought of training. But at least the Jounin was looking at him today. Shikamaru couldn't detect any shadows in the man's eyes and he even seemed a bit more open. And defending Chouji was definitely a bonus in his book.

Chouji only smoothed out his crumpled bag of chips, shaking it rather forlornly before tossing it away in a nearby trash can. He didn't really mind training, and he was curious to see what this Jounin would come up with. Besides, Haruki was nice. He didn't look at him with that amused indulgence that most people looked at him with when they found out he was training to become a shinobi.

Ino was somewhat nervous about the gleam in the Jounin's eyes but she hid it well. She hoped whatever training he had in mind wouldn't mess up her hair too much. She might see Sasuke today and she really didn't want to be a sweaty mess if that happened.

"If you don't mind, Asuma," Inoichi suddenly spoke up. "I'd like to come as well."

Ino whirled, eyes wide with surprise and a small amount of apprehension, but it was Haruki's face Asuma automatically checked. The redhead looked as impassive as Inoichi on a bad day and he couldn't pick out any emotions at all. He turned back to the Yamanaka Clan Head and agreed with an easy nod, but he suddenly had a feeling that, if Inoichi wasn't present, he'd probably have been blistered by a death glare from the Jounin standing next to him.

Asuma sighed as Inoichi disappeared back into the shop to grab a coat and drop a word to his wife. Glancing sidelong at Haruki, he abruptly felt a bit like an ass when he caught the restless frown marring the redhead's brow. Now that he looked closer, Haruki seemed a little on the tired side as well. The Jounin was already training with them per his request; he could at least cut the man some slack if he really didn't want Inoichi tagging along.

"If you want," Asuma voiced quietly so that only Haruki could hear. "I could tell him I changed my mind." Refusing a Clan Head could be a little daunting; refusing Yamanaka Inoichi even more so, but he would manage.

Haruki was already shaking his head, withdrawing a hair tie and pulling back his hair into a simple ponytail. "It's fine, Asuma. Don't worry about it."

The redhead offered him a reassuring smile before moving away to talk to his students, asking them about their training up until now. All three kids answered easily enough and Asuma was surprised to see that even Shikamaru, who usually couldn't be bothered to join in on a conversation, was responding to Haruki's questions.

With another sigh, he lit a new cigarette. Training hadn't even started yet and he was already thinking too hard for his liking. Wasn't being a sensei supposed to be easier?

Twenty minutes later, they were in the more forested part of the training grounds and all three Genin were making half-hearted attempts at climbing their respective trees.

Asuma, Inoichi, and Haruki stood to the side, watching as Ino managed to make it about a third of the way before the wood crunched under her foot and gravity dumped her back to the ground, Chouji managed a few running steps to about a quarter of the tree before tumbling back down as well, and Shikamaru took a few steps upwards, only reaching about three feet above the ground before he too had to jump back to the forest floor.

Asuma said nothing, content to let Haruki run the show today. He wanted to see what kind of sensei Haruki would make. Beside him, Inoichi was leaning against the trunk of a tree, arms folded in front of him as he kept an idle gaze on the Genin.

"They're exactly the same, the little brats ."

At Haruki's irritated mutter, Asuma and Inoichi both glanced at him before following his line of sight. Surprisingly, his gaze was settled firmly on Shikamaru. Who was the Nara heir similar to? One of Kakashi's students perhaps?

Haruki, for his part, was mentally comparing Shikamaru to one of his own former students, a Nara as well and one of the Nara heir's younger cousins. Akio had been just as lazy as Shikamaru and had also pretended not to know the tree-walking exercise. A Nara needed to learn chakra control to be able to control shadows effectively. Heaving a sigh, he moved forward until he was staring down at Shikamaru, who was lying flat on his back at the moment. When it came to a Nara, bribery was the only way to go.

"Shikamaru-kun," Haruki smiled pleasantly down at him as Ino and Chouji also paused and he felt Asuma and Inoichi's attention focused on his back. "If you make it up this tree using only your chakra in the next five seconds, I'll play a game of shogi with you."

Haruki had noticed the familiar calculating glint in Shikamaru's eyes during the few times the boy had brought yesterday's game up and, knowing his time's Shikamaru's love of a challenge when it came to shogi, he knew the Genin would take his offer up in a flash.

Indeed, a moment later, the brown-haired Genin was standing again, pausing only long enough to gather chakra into the soles of his feet before taking off for his tree. Five seconds later, Shikamaru was standing sideways at the very top, obviously knowing he had just been bribed but smirking triumphantly anyway.

Haruki snorted, shaking his head in exasperation before jerking his head at the ground to prompt the boy back down again. "What amazing progress," He deadpanned dryly. "Now get back down here."

Shikamaru just grinned a little and scampered back down as able as any squirrel. "Do I get my shogi game?" He asked as he came to a stop in front of Haruki again.

Rolling his eyes, the redhead nodded. "After practice, or later, whenever you're up for it. Now go sleep or something. You'll need your energy later."

Shikamaru's grin widened as he sauntered away and settled at the base of his tree for a morning nap. Haruki hid a smirk of his own. There would be no shogi game today. After the training he was going to put these three through, they would be dying on their feet.

Turning, he caught sight of Ino and Chouji gaping at Shikamaru. Catching their attention, Haruki stared pointedly at their own trees. "Well what are you waiting for? The longer you two take, the more free time Shikamaru-kun gets."

Immediately, Ino scowled but her face flooded with determination and she took off for her tree again. Chouji glanced enviously at his best friend but straightened and continued the exercise, redoubling his efforts as he concentrated on his chakra.

Making his way back to Asuma and Inoichi, Haruki found himself on the receiving end of twin stares of disbelief. He mustered an innocent look that almost always worked to get him out of doing paperwork whenever Sasuke or Neji hunted him down to complete it.

Both shinobi blinked in surprise before Inoichi released a startled laugh and Asuma shook his head.

"You just bribed one of my students," Asuma pointed out, voice mildly amused.

Haruki scoffed. "All three of them are unmotivated right now. Trust me; you'll be resorting to bribery in no time."

Asuma sighed and glanced at his students. "I don't think Shikamaru would agree to shogi matches with me. Kid's a genius."

"No," Asuma's eyebrows shot up at the redhead's certain tone. "He'll enjoy playing against you."

Blinking, Asuma glanced at Inoichi who had been silently observing their exchange. The blond shrugged a little even as Haruki continued, oblivious to their confusion.

"But you could always bribe him with cloud watching or something," Haruki continued easily. "And you could treat Chouji-kun to lunch. Though not too often." He added with a slight grin.

Asuma just sighed, scratching his head. "He really should go on a diet."

Haruki tilted his head thoughtfully. "Perhaps a small one," He conceded. "But he'll grow into himself."

Inoichi glanced curiously at him. "What do you mean?"

Haruki hmm'ed absently, eyes focused on Chouji. "He's an Akimichi. Can you imagine what would happen if he had the body size of, say, Shikamaru-kun? He'd never be able to handle his Clan's techniques." He shoved his hands into his coat pockets. "He'll be fine. In a couple years, he'll be all muscle." Turning to give them a sharp, fierce smile, he added darkly, "And then we'll see what other people say about him when he can put them through the floor."

Asuma looked between the redhead and Chouji, not quite able to hide a smile. He knew not many people saw Chouji as shinobi material. It was nice to hear someone speak about him with so much faith.

Inoichi remained focused on Haruki. He remembered, back in his Genin days, that Chouza had had the same problem. His size and love of food had made it difficult for the other kids their age to accept him. But Chouza had grown up to become a powerful shinobi, and Inoichi had never had any doubts that his son would be the same. But it wasn't every day that he heard someone else say something similar with so much conviction.

"And what about Ino?" Inoichi spoke up again, glancing at his daughter. He was curious to see if Haruki would speak as bluntly about her as he did the others while he was around. "How would you get her to work?"

Haruki didn't even hesitate, turning his head to look at him. "Her rivalry with Sakura. Ino-chan wouldn't want her to get ahead."

Inoichi nodded in agreement as Asuma listened on. He knew of Ino's rivalry with Haruno Sakura, but didn't really know the details.

"It's too bad, really," Inoichi eyed his daughter with a small frown. "They used to be pretty good friends."

Haruki surprised them by actually laughing out loud. It was soft and didn't last very long, but it was genuine and the first one either had ever heard.

"The best kind of friends can be rivals as well, Inoichi-san," Haruki commented lightly. "They'll make up sooner or later."

Asuma cocked his head, fiddling with the pack of cigarettes in his jacket but not pulling it out. There was a ring of familiarity in the redhead's voice when he said this. "Did you have one then? A rival?"

Immediately, the cheerful light died in Haruki's cerulean gaze and something dark and ugly and haunted replaced it, making both shinobi freeze. And then the redhead blinked and they found themselves staring at ice, blank and impassive as Haruki replied curtly, "Everyone has rivals."

Before Asuma or Inoichi could ask further, Ino called out from the base of her tree, panting for breath, "Haruki-san, how did you know Shikamaru could climb the tree?"

The redhead turned his attention back to the three Genin, forcing himself to relax. Chouji was looking over as well and Shikamaru had opened his eyes to peer at him.

Haruki nodded at Shikamaru's tree. "What's the difference between Shikamaru-kun's tree and yours and Chouji-kun's?"

As Ino drew closer to Shikamaru's tree, Haruki glanced at Inoichi. "You knew Shikamaru-kun could already do this exercise, didn't you?"

Inoichi shrugged, smiling slightly. "Shikaku did the same thing when we first started, though," He glanced sharply at the red-haired Jounin. "Our sensei couldn't tell."

"Shikamaru's tree doesn't have any dents or scuff marks!" Ino exclaimed, turning to Haruki again.

Haruki's mouth twitched up at the dawning realization on both Asuma and Inoichi's faces. "Exactly," He nodded. "I knew someone who had near-perfect chakra control, even as a Genin. But even she left small dents and scratches up and down her tree when she did this exercise. Shikamaru-kun's tree is unmarked, even though he was dropping back down to the ground at around the same height for ten minutes." He eyed the lazy Nara with some amusement. "You may not want to work much Shikamaru-kun, but what you did only showed that you already knew how to regulate chakra properly and it was actually more work than if you hadn't been able to climb the tree."

Shikamaru stared at him before thumping his head back down onto the arms folded neatly behind his head, grumbling under his breath. Haruki grinned before nodding at Ino. "That's how I knew. Now back to work."

Haruki settled back against a tree again as Ino made a face and trotted back to her tree. Beside him, Inoichi had arched an eyebrow. "Good observation. I never really paid attention to that."

Asuma nodded in agreement. "How'd you realize something like that? Most senseis wouldn't point something like that out."

Haruki shrugged. "The one I mentioned, the one with good chakra control, she was... my teammate. She managed to get up to one of the higher branches on her first try and only improved from there. I wasn't very good. I put too little chakra into my feet so I couldn't really get that far. I asked her for some tips and noticed it when I was bugging her."

'Who was your teammate' was on the tip of Asuma's tongue but a warning glance from Inoichi was enough to keep the question to himself. The Clan Head was right; Haruki probably wouldn't take the question well.

With a mournful sigh, Asuma slid down the length of the tree and settled on the ground. If he couldn't smoke, then he could at least make himself comfortable. He was probably in for a long wait.

Three hours later, Asuma jolted awake when a sandaled foot prodded his ribs. Blinking, he stared blearily up at Haruki, who looked rather annoyed. Yawning, he stretched and got to his feet, noting the amused glint in Inoichi's eyes as he took in his surroundings. His three students were gathered in front of him, munching on sandwiches and drinking from water bottles while staring at him with varied expressions of irritation and, on Ino and Chouji's part, exhaustion.

"Had a nice nap, Asuma-sensei?" Ino scowled at him.

Asuma stifled another yawn and mustered up a sheepish look for them. "How're the exercises coming along?"

Ino and Chouji both brightened at this question. "We got to the top of the tree," Chouji announced proudly, and Ino grinned beside him.

Asuma blinked in surprise before smiling broadly at them. "Great! You both got it in only a few hours. That's amazing!"

"What's amazing is your need for sleep, old man," Haruki grumbled from beside him. "Not even Kakashi slept during his team's exercises."

"I'm not an old man!" Asuma protested, holding back a grin at the easy banter. Haruki was good company when he opened up a little.

"With that beard, you look like you could be in your late thirties," Haruki shot back.

"I'm your age!" This time, there was real offense in Asuma's voice as he reached up to rub at his beard. It did not make him look old.

Laughter rang out and all three adults turned to look at the Genin on the ground. Ino bounded to her feet, having finished her lunch, and reached out to tug at Haruki's sleeve.

"Yeah, but Haruki-san doesn't have a beard, Asuma-sensei," Ino teased. "And," She turned to glance pointedly between the two Jounin. "He's better looking."

Asuma was somewhat surprised that Ino had said something so bold and guessed that they had gotten more comfortable in each other's company while he had been asleep. Ino may be outspoken and confident but Asuma had come to realize that she only spoke about people so playfully when she was at ease in their presence.

For his part, Haruki blinked down at the blonde, feeling rather thrown at the comment but chuckled good-naturedly after a moment. "Exactly, Asuma. Even Ino-chan says so, and she's the only one here who's got an eye for that sort of thing, which means I'm right."

Asuma scoffed, rolling his eyes as his female student beamed. He shot Inoichi a reproachful look when the man laughed and then turned a small scowl on the two boys still sitting on the ground. Both had amused grins on their faces as they finished up their lunches.

From his spot a few steps away, Inoichi surveyed Team 10 and the red-haired Jounin, and decided that accompanying the group today was one of the best decisions he had ever made. He eyed his daughter's hand tucked in a friendly manner in the crook of Haruki's arm as she continued to tease Asuma and debated the likelihood of the redhead shaking her off.

Earlier, while Asuma had slept, Haruki had simply heaved a resigned sigh and left him to it. Instead, he had moved away to help his daughter and Chouji as they continued their attempts at chakra control. Chouji had steadily gotten better and better, inching his way up the tree as the minutes ticked by, but Ino had only managed to get about halfway and no further. Two hours into the exercise and Inoichi had almost seen her frustration manifest a physical form when Chouji finally reached the top and flopped down on the ground for a breather.

In this, he and his daughter were the same, at least when he had been her age. He had been every bit as impatient and easily frustrated as Ino was now and that usually made itself known through an explosive temper. Inoichi had tensed when, after dozens of attempts and even more dents in the wood, his daughter had finally whirled on the sleeping figure of Shikamaru, mouth opening to vent her pent-up anger. He had often blown up at Shikaku and Chouza as well whenever he had failed at something multiple times and he knew Ino was no different.

But to his surprise, Haruki had cut in before Ino could say a word, and had asked the strangest thing.

"Azalea. What does it mean?"

Inoichi had had a hard time keeping the confusion off his face, and his daughter hadn't even bothered trying.

"What?" She had snapped, her ire obvious in the tone of her voice, and Inoichi had inwardly winced at the rude attitude directed at Haruki.

But the redhead hadn't even seemed to notice and merely cocked his head as he repeated his question. "What does an azalea mean? You work in a flower shop; you should know, right?"

Ino had pushed away a few sweaty bangs before snapping irritably, "Temperance, or to take care of yourself for me. What does that have to do with anything?"

Haruki had only shrugged and nodded at the tree. "One step. Go on."

Ino's brow had furrowed even further but had obeyed after a moment of hesitation, taking a step onto the tree so that she was standing sideways at the very base of the tree trunk. She wobbled a little and her arms flailed, and Inoichi had been sure she would fall again, but Haruki had quickly continued with another question.

" Bluebells. Meaning?"

Ino had automatically answered, having been drilled on the many different types of flowers since she was a little girl by her mother, and she had steadied against the wood as her mind focused on something else. "Humility and constancy."

Haruki had nodded and motioned for her to take another step.

" Tiger lilies?"

" Wealth and pride." Another step.

" Magnolias?"

" Perseverance, dignity, and nobility." And another.

" Buttercups?"

" Childishness or cheerfulness." And yet another.

And so they went; Haruki would toss out the name of a flower and Ino would counter with its meaning, and Inoichi could only watch in amazement as the red-haired Jounin talked his daughter down from her rage and up the trunk of the tree. Her two teammates had sat up at this point, watching her progress with quiet astonishment.

Finally, just before she had reached the top branch, Haruki had paused in his long list of flowers, head tilted back to maintain eye-contact, and offered a small smile up at Ino.

" One more then. A solidago?"

Ino had grinned, sweaty and smudged with dirt from all her failed attempts but had crowed triumphantly, "Success!" , and had taken the final step, bringing her level to the highest branch of the tree.

Haruki's face had relaxed into a wide grin, hands still stuffed into his coat pockets as he rocked back on his heels. "Well, look at that. It seems like you can do it after all."

Inoichi had found himself smiling as well as his daughter's grin threatened to split her face. She had carefully made her way down the tree again, her steps much more sure and steady than before, and then she had bounced over to the redhead and thrown her arms around the Jounin in a grateful hug.

Haruki had frozen, flinching minutely in surprise, and Inoichi had almost frowned when the redhead glanced over at him with something akin to uncertainty. He would've thought that Haruki had been worried about his reaction if it wasn't for the fact that his long years as an interrogator had helped him pick up the confusion and discomfort and distress in the man's stance, as well as the silent scream for help in his eyes.

Inoichi had seen those emotions in some shinobi, not many, but enough to recognize it. He usually saw it in ninja that had been out on the field for too long and had forgotten what friendly human contact was like.

Inoichi had seen it before, but only ever in the war veterans after the Third Shinobi War.

He had straightened, mouth opening to tell his daughter to let go now because he had gone into the minds of some of those veterans and had seen a wrecked and ravaged world, desolate and dying, and if they weren't reintroduced to human contact in slow steps, it could ( would ) cause a breakdown or worse.

But Haruki had surprised him again when his body had forced itself to relax and an arm had circled around Ino's shoulders in an awkward hug, one hand patting her back before pulling away.

" Thanks!" Ino had exclaimed brightly, none the wiser as Haruki had smiled easily down at her, all the anxietyfearpanic hidden safely away from prying eyes.

" Don't think too hard," Was all the redhead had told her. "You were just concentrating too much chakra before, and it was dragging you down."

And then, fifteen minutes later, Haruki had settled the three Genin down with water and sandwiches and a soldier pill each. The redhead had made his way back to the tree he had originally been leaning against and Inoichi had found an apology at the tip of his tongue. It hadn't been his fault and it certainly hadn't been his daughter's fault, but the haunted, lost expression Haruki had directed at him had hit him hard, had brought him back to his days on the battlefield, and he had figured that someone should be sorry for putting that look on the Jounin's face, if only because Inoichi wasn't sure how to fix it. He barely knew anything about Kazama Haruki. At least with the war veterans, he had been ordered by the Hokage to mend the shinobi's mental stability as best he could. Somehow, he doubted Haruki would want him poking around inside his head.

But Haruki had only smiled at him, a little weary and a little grateful at the same time, as though Inoichi had already helped just by recognizing some of what the Jounin was going through. In the face of that smile, words had somehow seemed inadequate and Inoichi had remained silent in the end.

Blinking out of his thoughts, Inoichi studied the subtle tension currently lining Haruki's shoulders. Body language was something every interrogator had to know inside out and he detected the way the redhead would stiffen ever-so-slightly when his daughter or her teammates crowded too close. Yet Haruki was still bantering effortlessly with Asuma, actions relaxed and easy to the untrained eye.

Haruki was good, Inoichi approved. Even he probably wouldn't have noticed if not for Ino's hug earlier. But right now, to him, Haruki was clearly uncomfortable and it was even clearer that he wouldn't say anything to push the Genin away.

"Ino," Inoichi interrupted smoothly when the conversation paused for a second. "Did you take your soldier pill?"

"Oh!" Her hand slipped away from Haruki's arm and Inoichi waited until he saw the redhead relax again before turning to watch his daughter gulp down the military ration. Her two teammates followed her example before turning back to Haruki.

Haruki glanced at Inoichi out of the corner of his eye. The Clan Head wasn't even looking at him but he knew the interrogator well enough that he was sure Inoichi had called his daughter's attention away from him on purpose. Still, the man wasn't showing any signs of it so he put it to the back of his mind.

"Now then," Haruki began once he had all three Genin's attention again. "Your D-rank. Like Asuma said, you'll have to catch Tora for the Daimyo's wife." Here, a smile bordering on sadistic curled his lips up as he handed out wireless radios for the Genin. All three students eyed him warily as they accepted them. "But, instead of just running around anywhere you want, you'll be putting today's lesson to good use. Until this mission is completed, all three of you are only allowed to walk sideways or even upside-down. Buildings, trees, whatever; just so long as you don't walk upright. Understand?"

A horrified silence descended on the group. Asuma looked half-amused, half-appalled. "Are you trying to kill my students?"

Haruki attempted a reassuring smile that, in Asuma's opinion, wasn't all that reassuring, especially with the evil glint in the redhead's eyes. "Of course not. It's good practice. I've seen Genin do it before and they survived." Of course, they were his Genin, and his students had been downright awesome in his opinion. Nevertheless, after the exercise Haruki had put them through, all three probably would've cursed him out if it hadn't been for the fact that they had been too tired to do so.

Inoichi frowned, glancing sympathetically at his daughter. This would be tough, but if they succeeded, all three would never have to worry about chakra control again. Water-walking would come that much easier as well. "You heard him," He remained blank-faced when Ino shot him a betrayed look. "Get moving. It's already past one. At this rate, we'll still be here by dinner time."

Shikamaru looked like he would rather be anywhere else in the world and the doomed expression on Chouji's face made it seem as if Haruki had sent them off to the gallows. Ino stayed silent for several seconds before throwing up her hands and marching forward, grabbing her two teammates by the arm and dragging them off to the nearest building. "Alright, let's do this. C'mon Shikamaru, stop being so lazy! Chouji, cut the mournful look! The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we get to rest. Move it!"

Haruki chuckled and called out one last time, "We'll meet up with you once you complete the mission."

Shikamaru glanced back at him briefly, and Haruki hoped that at least the Nara heir had caught his hint. Akio had, and had prevented his two teammates from failing the mission in the end.

"Well," Haruki turned to the other two shinobi beside him and pulled out three more radios. "Let's go see how they do."

It was a rare sight for the former Head of Interrogation, the son of the Sandaime, and a rather unknown red-haired Jounin to be seen squatting on a rooftop together and snacking on dango while listening in on the curses and yells and 'troublesome's of a bunch of Genin, but Team 10 had been at it for four hours already and all three adults had gotten hungry.

It wasn't so bad, Inoichi mused as he listened to his daughter shout at the Nara heir for the umpteenth time since their mission had started. At the very least, he hadn't been this entertained in a long time.

"Ah, they got stuck again," Asuma observed from beside him, lying on his stomach as curses rang over their wirelesses. Where the heck had his students picked up some of those swear words anyway?

Haruki just sighed and checked the sky. His own Genin team had completed this mission in just under five hours. At the rate Team 10 was going, they probably wouldn't beat the record.

Because they could only walk on the side of buildings and telephone poles and upside-down under alcoves, all three students had had to keep doubling back whenever they found that they couldn't keep going on the route they had taken without jumping back to the ground or clambering up to the top of the roofs. Shikamaru had had the least problem with this, only getting stumped twice, but he had been too lazy to even try to give his teammates better directions, and it wasn't until Ino had caught on to this fact and had started yelling at him over the wireless that the Nara heir had started giving them instructions. Now they had their work cut out for them trying to catch Tora. While Haruki's rule restricted them, nothing restricted the cat from moving however she wished.

"Don't you think this is a bit hard for them?" Asuma winced when yowling was picked up on the radios, followed by more swearing when Tora inevitably escaped again. Judging by the rather stern frown on Inoichi's face, Ino was going to get an earful tonight.

Haruki shrugged, sitting with his legs dangling over the side of the roof on Inoichi's other side. "They can handle it. And once Shikamaru-kun gets his act together and stops sighing over everything, maybe they'll get somewhere."

"You think Shikamaru can come up with a plan?" Inoichi asked, somewhat curious to see how Haruki thought this strange mission would pan out.

Hauki hmm'ed an affirmation. "Chouji-kun's pretty good at sensing chakra signatures. He's the one who found Tora the last five times. Ino-chan's the fastest though and she's already managed to get her hands on that cat three times. She just hasn't been able to hold on to her. If Shikamaru-kun can come up with a plan to utilize those two strengths, maybe we'll all be home in time for dinner."

Inoichi nodded thoughtfully as Asuma dropped his head back down on his arms. "This is going to take a while," He muttered gloomily as his stomach growled.

Haruki rolled his eyes. "Go get more food if you're hungry. Oh, here," He withdrew a few bills and thrust them at the Jounin. "Get me some gyoza while you're at it."

Before Asuma could look more than a little indignant, Inoichi had also extended some money at him, nodding in agreement. "Get me some yakisoba, Asuma. The chicken one. Thanks."

Asuma spluttered out something that sounded a bit like 'lazy asses' but heaved himself up anyway, taking the money before shunshining away.

Inoichi and Haruki traded an amused look before settling into a companionable silence, listening to the latest generation of Ino-Shika-Chou stumble around the village.

"How did you know all those flowers?" Inoichi spoke up suddenly after a few minutes. "Some of the ones you threw out aren't all that well-known."

Haruki shrugged, his face carefully blank. "I had a friend who knew her flowers. Her family owned a flower shop as well; she'd talk about them sometimes when I dropped by."

Inoichi glanced sidelong at the redhead, and the interrogator part of him wanted to continue asking, but a bigger part of him wanted to leave it alone. It wasn't any of his business what the Jounin chose to say and not say.

They fell silent again and this time, it was Haruki who broke it.

"May I ask a question about your former job?"

Inoichi stiffened but nodded after a contemplative moment. The Jounin could ask; it didn't mean he would answer.

"If the Hokage asked, not ordered, asked you to take up your position in T&I again, would you?"

Inoichi arched an eyebrow. "Most people would ask why I left in the first place."

Haruki shrugged. He already knew why Inoichi had left. But he had always wanted to know if the feared interrogator would have refused to return if the Sandaime hadn't ordered him to. "Well, I'm not most people."

Inoichi fully agreed with that statement. He considered the question. It was a simple one, and it didn't require him to go into any details about his choice to retire.

"No," He voiced after a long moment. "Probably not. If the Hokage doesn't order me to, it wouldn't be an emergency. Short of that, I won't ever return."

Haruki nodded, quiet and unsurprised and said no more. He knew Sarutobi would order Inoichi back before the Chuunin Exams, but if the Yamanaka Clan Head didn't want to, then Haruki would put a stop to it. His time's Inoichi had taught him a few interrogation techniques privy only to the Yamanaka Clan just before he had infiltrated Iwa. He could do it now instead if he had to, although he shuddered at the thought of having to tear through another person's mind. He didn't know how interrogators could stand it day after day.

"Your food," Asuma appeared beside them again, looking mildly grouchy as he passed out their meals. The Jounin sensei had a dish of gyoza as well, though it was a larger portion than Haruki's.

Haruki accepted his with a grin and Inoichi nodded his thanks. All three dug in and almost choked when Shikamaru's voice finally rose to something above his typical lazy drawl and overrode Ino's ranting and Chouji's complaints.

"Alright, that's it . I can't stand this anymore. This is all so troublesome. Stop talking for a minute, woman, and listen to me. You're in charge of catching that stupid cat, but you'll come from the north. Chouji, find the damn thing but don't charge in. You've pinpointed it? Good. Stay where you are until I get into position. We're going to catch it just as it's leaving the alleyway. Ino, wait just around the corner. Catch it when Chouji chases it out. I'll snag its shadow once you've got it. Ready?"

There was a slightly stilted silence over the wirelesses as all three adults paused and listened intently until they heard two confirmations.

"Finally," Haruki gulped down the rest of his gyoza before rising to his feet. "Let's go watch."

Inoichi quickly swallowed the last of his meal and tossed the plastic bowl away in a garbage can down below. Haruki swiftly did the same before they both turned to Asuma. The Jounin blinked back at them, chewing slowly on a gyoza before shrugging as he swallowed. "I like to actually taste what I eat. I'll take it with me. Where are we going?"

Haruki twitched a little before heaving a sigh and waving a hand. "Follow me. We'll stay out of sight."

Ten minutes later, they watched from a distance as Team 10 grappled with a wildly struggling cat, all three gathered together on the side of a building as Tora's caterwauling rang throughout the street.

"Great," Asuma looked relieved. "They're done. Let's go cash this one in and go home." He made to jump down but Haruki's hand on his arm stalled him.

"Wait," Haruki murmured, blue gaze steady as he watched the three Genin. "They're not done."

Asuma and Inoichi shared a frown but stayed still and watched, listening to Team 10's conversation over the wirelesses.

"Finally!" Ino huffed, all but smothering the squirming cat inside Chouji's green jacket. "We're done, right? Let's get down! My legs are killing me!"

Chouji nodded in agreement, face red from exertion as they both made to step down.

"Wait a second," Shikamaru's hand shot out to snag Chouji's shirt as he glanced up and down the street.

"What now?" Ino snapped, frowning heavily as her feet slipped a little.

Shikamaru stayed silent for a moment longer, looking hard in all directions before running a tired hand through his ponytail. "I was afraid of this," He grumbled. "Wasn't sure if this was what he meant, but it seems like it."

"What are you talking about, Shikamaru?" Chouji took a steadying step up the side of the wall as he felt his bottom foot slide.

Shikamaru exhaled gustily, irritation warring with exhaustion on his face. "What was the last thing Haruki-san said to us?"

His two teammates frowned before Chouji spoke up, "He said he'd meet up with us after we completed the mission."

"Yeah," Shikamaru nodded. "So where is he?"

They both looked around. Ino scowled. "You mean we're not finished? What else do we have to do? We caught the stupid cat!"

"He said after we completed the mission," Chouji recalled, tugging at his scarf. "And to complete a mission, don't we have to report back to the client or the Hokage?"

Ino looked gobsmacked while Shikamaru just tipped his head back as best he could while standing sideways. He had better chakra control than the other two but even he was ready to just give up. Actually, he had been ready to give up twenty minutes into the mission, but Ino would've never shut up if he had.

"Exactly," Shikamaru poked at the bundle Ino was still holding. "We need to get this thing to the Hokage Tower while walking sideways. God, we're going to be the laughing stock of Konoha by the end of the day. My old man is never going to let me live this down. This is so damn troublesome."

For once, both his teammates looked like they fully agreed with him. Shikamaru's shoulders slumped even further. "Can't we just give up? We could-"

"No way!" Ino barked out, elbowing him so hard he almost tumbled to the ground. "We just spent the last five hours chasing this stupid thing," Here, she shook the cat almost violently, jacket and all. (Shikamaru wondered if it would be considered a failed mission if they returned a dead cat to the Daimyo's wife. Then he wondered why he even cared. If it was dead, then they would never have to do this troublesome mission again. One failed mission was worth that, wasn't it?) "I am not going to give up now! We are going to complete this mission even if I have to drag you both all the way to the Hokage Tower!"

Shikamaru sweatdropped and shared a weary look with Chouji. His best friend shrugged, already resigned to their fate. They both knew better than to argue with their female teammate.

"Alright then," Chouji tugged off his scarf completely, too hot to keep it on. "Let's get going."

"You're a sadist," Asuma muttered, watching his team straggle towards the Hokage Tower. "Those three are never going to forgive me for inviting you."

Inoichi was torn between laughing and sighing. He settled for the latter and eyed the red-haired Jounin standing beside him. "What would you have done if Shikamaru hadn't caught what you said?"

Haruki shrugged. "They would have to do it all over again tomorrow."

Inoichi shook his head as Asuma stared at him in uncomprehending disbelief. "I am very glad you weren't my sensei." He spoke with feeling. "I would've died."

Haruki snorted. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. Now go ahead to the Hokage Tower, will you? Tell all the shinobi on guard duty not to move, even if they're asked to."

Asuma looked horrified. "Those guards stand on either side of almost every doorway!"

"Yup," Haruki almost chirped. "Your students will just have to go over instead of jumping across."

Asuma's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Fine. I hope you realize that my students are going to hate me for the rest of eternity."

He shunshined off, leaving a satisfied Haruki and an utterly bemused Inoichi. "You push them pretty hard."

The smile on Haruki's face slipped a little as he turned to give Inoichi a fleeting look. "They're good. They've got a lot of potential. Asuma might enter them into the Chuunin Exams. If he does," His eyes flashed back to the group of Genin slowly making their way forward. "They'll need as much training as they can get."

Inoichi frowned. He was missing something here. Oh, he could see Team 10's potential as well. If they continued at this rate, he would approve of Asuma's decision to nominate them for the upcoming Exams. But Haruki's words sounded almost like a... warning.

"Come on," Haruki prompted, setting off after the Genin. I want to see how they get through the Hokage Tower."

Inoichi jumped after him, leaping to the next rooftop after the redhead.

"Haruki," He called out, eyes hard and voice completely serious for the first time since meeting the Jounin this morning. Haruki paused, coat flapping around him as a gust of wind rushed by. "Ino's my precious little girl. I wouldn't want anything happening to her. That goes for her two teammates as well."

The wind around them picked up for a moment and Inoichi knew it was reacting to Haruki when the redhead tipped his head over his shoulder to meet his gaze head-on, and for once, that cerulean gaze was completely unveiled. And Inoichi read understanding there, and silent promises grimly made and fiercely kept, all tied together with the adamant steel of a man who knew what it was like to lose something irreplaceable and cherished, if only because he had already suffered through it once.

Haruki inclined his head, eyes grave and meaningful. "They will be safe."

Four simple words, spoken quietly and without theatrics, and Inoichi, who had always been taught to look further, dig deeper, never stop until he hit rock bottom, believed him instantly.

And then Haruki blinked and the spell was broken, and the redhead moved away again, following Team 10. Without saying anything more, Inoichi followed, and wondered, for just a moment, why follow felt right.

"You were told not to move, weren't you?" Shikamaru accused through gritted teeth. At this point, he really couldn't have cared less that he was on the verge of strangling the Chuunin on guard duty.

The shinobi blinked blandly back at him. "We cannot move," One said. "It's our job to stand guard here."

Swearing violently in his head, Shikamaru scooted around the guard, circling overhead to walk above the doorway. They had already passed several guards and Shikamaru had thought that maybe, if he asked nicely, then the guards would step aside so he could simply jump from one side of a doorway to the other. The width of the frame wasn't all that far and he would simply be able to move forward without taking detours. But the guards had refused to move, and Shikamaru swore that he would make Haruki pay for this torture in shogi, even if it took him a decade to thrash the man in a match.

Behind him, Ino was cursing under her breath almost maniacally as Chouji trudged after them, each step coming down probably harder than necessary.

"Shikamaru? What are you doing?"

Shikamaru froze, heart dropping when his father's voice sounded from somewhere below him. Stiffly, he turned his head to stare at his dad, and caught sight of Chouji's father a step behind him, frowning in consternation. Shikaku looked completely bewildered as he stared back, a few files tucked loosely under one arm.

Shikamaru felt for him; he was pretty damn bewildered himself. Why was he doing this again? He would've given up eons ago if Asuma had been the one to assign a mission like this to them. Granted, Asuma would never assign a mission like this, and even if he had, he wouldn't have cared much if Shikamaru did give up. But somehow, he thought maybe Haruki would be disappointed if he quit now. Later, he would have to think more on why he was actually bothered by that.

"Training, though dying is closer to the truth," He grounded out, before jabbing a finger over his shoulder. "If you want to know more, ask our sadist of a sensei. He's probably having a good laugh right about now."

"What he said, Tou-chan," Chouji piped up from behind him. "But we're almost done."

Shikamaru grimaced visibly, eyeing the last flight of stairs that would lead up to the Hokage's office. If they walked on the ceiling and then went over the stairwell...

"See you later, Tou-san," Shikamaru muttered distractedly as a route panned out before him. It would work. He was sure of it.

And without further ado, he hurried on, his teammates trailing behind him with dragging feet.

This was so troublesome.

"Our sons claim that they're dying. Would any of you happen to have some idea as to what's going on?"

Shikaku's dry tone came from behind them and the three shinobi, crouched in the shadowed doorway of an empty meeting room as they watched the Genin's progress, turned to blink at the approaching Jounin Commander and the Akimichi Clan Head beside him.

Without hesitation, both Inoichi and Asuma pointed at Haruki. "His idea."

Haruki arched an eyebrow at the other two but turned a slightly strained smile in Shikaku's direction without calling them out. "They're training. Their D-rank was to catch the Daimyo's wife's cat and now they're returning it to her."

"While walking sideways inside the Hokage Tower?" Shikaku pointed out.

Haruki shrugged. "They just learned the tree-walking exercise today, so I told them that they could only walk sideways or upside-down." He paused, and then added, "By the way, your son should polish up his acting skills. He's not very good at pretending to have no chakra control."

Shikaku shrugged, apparently not at all surprised that Haruki had caught on. He glanced at Chouza instead and gestured, "Haruki-san, this is Akimichi Chouza, Chouji's dad. You remember him."

Haruki nodded politely. "Hello again, Chouza-sama."

Chouza actually made a face. "Chouza is fine. No honorific please. It makes me feel older than I already am."

Inoichi snickered and Shikaku's mouth twitched up. Haruki looked between them for a moment. Even in his own time, these three were always much more comfortable and relaxed in each other's company.

"Chouza then," Haruki blinked when Inoichi cut in.

"Then me too. Inoichi is fine," The blond glanced at Shikaku with a smirk. "And Shikaku's just Shikaku. He already acts like a grouchy old man; there's no need to add anymore years to him."

Shikaku frowned at him before shrugging casually at Haruki. "Shikaku's fine."

Haruki nodded silently, glancing over at Asuma, who was looking somewhat amused. With an inward sigh, he turned back towards the group of Genin. "They're almost out of sight. I want to see them get past the Hokage's door."

Trading puzzled looks, the other shinobi trekked after the redhead as Team 10 disappeared to the top floor.

" Now what? " Ino glared furiously at the two guards on either side of the Hokage's office door. If she hadn't been so angry and tired, she would've felt rather sorry that they both shrank back a little. Apparently, they saw her father's glare on her face.

Shikamaru crouched on the wall, studying the doorway. On their way up, only the door at the entrance of the Hokage Tower had given them any real trouble. But that door had been high enough that they could go above the guards' heads and cross the threshold sideways. The Hokage's door, on the other hand, wasn't high enough for that. There was only about half a foot above the guards and that wasn't enough room for Ino, much less Chouji.

Which left the top. Which also meant, unfortunately, that they would have to enter the room by swinging down from a sideways position, standing upside-down on the thin ledge that was the doorway, before yanking themselves back up to a sideways position again on the other side.

This was beyond troublesome.

"Alright, let's get this over with," Shikamaru sighed, straightening. "I'll go first."

Cautiously, he inched his way to the edge of the doorway, took a deep breath, planted a foot as close as he could to the underside of the door, and let gravity do the rest.

Shikamaru could swear his heart stopped when he saw the floor rush up towards him and he had to fight to not throw up his arms, concentrating on keeping his feet stuck to the top of the doorway instead. It didn't help that Ino had yelped "Shikamaru!" as soon as he had swung down.

"I'm fine!" He snapped back, sharper than he had intended it. Grumbling wordlessly under his breath, he pulled himself up on the other side, gritting his teeth against the strain of his leg muscles. "Alright, next!"

Ino and Chouji looked at each other and it was Chouji who spoke up first. "I'll go first," He said firmly, clamping down on the embarrassed flush threatening to rise in his cheeks. "I'm heavier. If I lose my footing, I'll have both of you to catch me."

Ino blinked, obviously surprised, but nodded in agreement. She shuffled as close to the door as she could, glaring nastily at the guard below her when he glanced up.

Chouji gulped as he stared down at the floor. It seemed even farther than it had a moment ago. He took a deep breath, his grip on the scarf wrapped around his hand tightening. He had come this far. There were loads of times during the afternoon that he had wanted to just give up, but Shikamaru hadn't and Ino would've chewed his ear off, and he had figured he would eventually stumble and fall and that would be the end of this strange mission.

But that eventually had never really come. He would stumble and slip but he had caught himself with his chakra every time in the end, and pushing himself a little more and a little more after that had ultimately brought him to the last obstacle of this mission.

"Oi, Chouji, c'mon," Shikamaru's voice sounded from the other side of the doorway. "If you slip, we'll catch you."

A finger poked him in the shoulder and he blinked over at Ino.

"You can do it, Chouji," Ino grinned at him, and Chouji thought back and honestly couldn't remember a time when Ino had encouraged him. He couldn't remember his female teammate ever looking so sweaty from training either and not seem to care about it.

He took another deep breath and straightened. He had come this far; failing now would just be stupid. And Haruki had been the one who had assigned this mission. If the Jounin didn't think he could do it, he would've stopped him by now. He paused for a moment at that thought. Thinking back, he remembered that Haruki had never looked at him like he couldn't . And during the tree-walking exercise, the Jounin had only smiled at him and nodded at his progress. Chouji had ended up reaching the top before Ino, who was usually better when they trained.

Chouji straightened, frowning determinedly before sucking in a breath and letting himself fall. His eyes clenched shut instinctively even as he fought to keep chakra at his feet. He felt his left foot slip and panic immediately set in, his arms shooting out to grab at something .

Two hands clasped his own, and above the roar of panic in his head, he heard his teammates' voices shouting at him.

"Chouji, stop kicking! Calm down and concentrate!" "Dammit, Chouji! Foot! Your foot!"

His left foot slammed against a flat surface and he sent a surge of chakra down (or up, a part of his mind provided somewhat detachedly) and he was suddenly hanging upside-down, as if he was back in the forest and sticking from a branch.

"Man, that was way too close."

Chouji slowly opened his eyes, meeting Shikamaru's gaze above him. He stared back for a moment before a weak chuckle left his mouth. There really wasn't anything funny to laugh about but the sound made Shikamaru grin and set Ino off as she laughed, a little amused at their situation but mostly relieved.

"C'mon, step up," Shikamaru ordered, extending a hand to pull him up. Chouji accepted it without hesitation and pulled himself over to the other side of the door.

"My turn then!" Ino called from the other side.

Chouji blinked and then quickly spoke up, "Wait, Ino. Pass us the cat first."

Shikamaru patted his shoulder. "Good thinking. If we lost the cat now, I think I'd go crazy."

Muffled footsteps sounded before a bundle (which had long since stopped moving, and Chouji hoped rather half-heartedly that the cat was still alive. He didn't want it to die of course, but he couldn't seem to muster up much sympathy for it right at the moment.) was passed over to them. Chouji tucked the cat under one arm before shuffling over to the other side of the door, his other hand free to catch Ino in case she slipped.

"Ready?"

Shikamaru sighed and leaned forward. "Ready. Go."

Ino grimaced at the floor before gathering every last bit of courage she had. She had two teammates on the other side, ready to catch her if she fell, and as lazy and gluttonous as they could be, they had always listened to her. Perhaps it was time to listen to them, just a little.

"Ino? Come on. Don't worry. We'll catch you."

Ino huffed. They didn't have to say it as if she was going to fall for sure.

"C'mon, woman. Don't be troublesome. We're right here."

She scowled. She was not troublesome, stupid Shikamaru.

But, "Alright, I'm coming." She glared at the floor, daring gravity itself to pull her down, and then shut her eyes and dropped.

For a fraction of a second during her freefall, Ino seriously considered chopping off her hair as soon as she got home. The extra weight did her no favours and only served to unbalance her as she swung down. Her arms jerked out, grasping at air as she fought against the downward pull and momentum. Hands suddenly clapped around her feet and she found herself hanging only by her ankles for a brief moment when her concentration faltered. And then sense rushed back into her mind and she circulated her chakra back down to her feet, not breathing until she found herself firmly stuck to the top of the doorway.

Almost laughing as her heart pounded in her chest, Ino reached out a shaky hand that was immediately grabbed by Shikamaru and she was hauled up onto the other side, still slightly unsteady but slowly brightening as she realized they had done it .

"That was an impressive display of chakra control,"

The mild voice made all three of them freeze.

They were in the Hokage's office. The Hokage's office. Which would actually mean that the Hokage would be in here...

Their heads snapped around and they stared in growing dread at the Sandaime standing a few feet in front of them.

"Yes, they are amazing aren't they?"

All three automatically looked down to meet a familiar blue gaze, a proud glint reflecting back at them. Haruki gestured at the floor. "Come on down. You've done great."

Shikamaru was the first to move, all but leaping away from the wall before sinking to the floor, sitting down with a thump. Apparently, he had chosen to ignore the Sandaime's presence for the moment.

Chouji was next, jumping down and then staggering a bit but extending the cat in the general direction of the Hokage. The Sandaime chuckled and accepted the bundle, uncovering the jacket just enough so that one ear was revealed, twitching in irritation. Chouji sighed and dropped down beside Shikamaru, shoulders slumping with exhaustion.

Ino leapt down almost right after, legs giving out as she plopped down beside Shikamaru. Mission accomplished. Now she just wanted to sleep until the cows came home.

A hand on her shoulder made her stiffen and look around. She blinked in surprise as she caught sight of her father. How had she forgotten he was here? "Otou-san!"

Shikamaru and Chouji looked around as well. "Tou-san." "Tou-chan!"

Shikaku and Chouza stepped into the office, smiling at their respective sons. Asuma entered behind them, shaking his head in a mixture of pride and disbelief.

"That was some training," Shikaku remarked, crouching down beside Shikamaru.

Chouza nodded in agreement, placing an arm around Chouji's shoulders. "Unbelievable. I can't believe you all got into the office."

The Hokage chuckled and moved to place Tora into a small cage by his desk before returning with Chouji's jacket. "I will have Tora delivered back to the Daimyo's wife. And of course, this mission has been completed. I'll have your pay ready for you when you come in tomorrow morning."

All three groaned simultaneously. They didn't even want to think about tomorrow.

Foreign chuckles made them glance up as Haruki stepped in front of them, hands hidden in pockets again as he crouched down in front of them.

"Great job," He smiled softly at them and, despite their fatigue, they found themselves listening. "That was awesome teamwork between you three."

He paused before turning to Chouji first. "Chouji-kun, good job at sensing Tora's chakra signature. Not many people your age can track chakra as well as you can, and you'll only get better as you practice more. Your chakra regulation is excellent; while you were chasing the cat, you were able to switch from one surface to the next with barely any pause. Just work on your stamina; the only reason you didn't make that swing just now was because you were tired. The switch with your right foot was flawless."

Chouji flushed a little, straightening under the praise and nodded determinedly. "Okay, Haruki-san. Thanks."

Haruki nodded before shifting his attention onto Shikamaru. The Nara heir stared back grumpily and Haruki arched an eyebrow. "Perhaps we'll leave that shogi game for another day, Shikamaru-kun."

Shikamaru scowled. "You knew we'd be dead on our feet. Or our butts. That's why you promised me."

Haruki smiled easily at him. "I did say anytime later. Don't worry; I'll play you whenever you want. I don't go back on my promises."

Shikamaru just huffed and slumped back against his father's knee. "So? What do I need to work on?"

Haruki tilted his head thoughtfully. "Great stamina, especially for someone who would like nothing more than to laze around all day. Good strategic thinking, although you could've thought up a plan earlier. I know you could have," He gave the boy a pointed look before continuing. "Your Kageshibari no Jutsu could use some work. I'm no expert on your Clan's techniques but your target won't always stay in one spot for a long period of time. You need to up its speed. Your father can probably give you some tips." The redhead glanced briefly at Shikaku, who nodded. It was only at this point that Haruki realized that he had the entire room's attention. Clearing his throat uncomfortably, he tuned them out and turned back to Shikamaru. "Other than that, there wasn't much else I saw today that you would need to pay special attention to. I'd suggest eating more though." He reached out to gently circle one of Shikamaru's wrists with forefinger and thumb. "You're a bit skinny and I bet you're exhausted right now. Good stamina doesn't necessarily mean you'll still have energy after you slow down."

Shikamaru blinked at his own wrist before nodding. He supposed eating more would probably be a good idea. And he knew his shadow technique was slow. Maybe he could practice catching leaves first. Lighter objects would be easier to work on.

He didn't notice the veiled astonishment on his father's face as he accepted the redhead's advice. "Thanks, Haruki-san."

Haruki smiled again before turning to Ino. "Well, your chakra control's improved quite a bit from this morning."

Ino grinned tiredly. "My legs are dead."

Haruki chuckled. "Maa, your stamina needs some work as well. But you've got excellent speed. When you ran across flat surfaces without having to turn a corner, even if you were just leaping from building to building, you didn't have to slow down at all. Unlike Chouji-kun though, you do need to work on your chakra regulation. I think that's the biggest problem you'll have with chakra control. Water-walking will be a bit of a challenge."

Ino pouted before brightening hopefully. "Will you come back to train us for that?"

Chouji straightened as well and even Shikamaru glanced up attentively. Haruki arched an eyebrow. "You want me to come back? Asuma's been convinced all afternoon that you'll be cursing me out by the end of the day."

Asuma smothered a laugh with a cough, moving forward to stand beside Haruki. Chouji looked up at Asuma with a small frown. "I don't mind if Haruki-san comes back."

Asuma scratched his head. "Really? From all the swearing I heard today, I thought you'd be boycotting training sessions from now on."

Chouji looked a little flustered but shook his head anyway. "It was hard; really hard, but..." He glanced at Shikamaru and Ino who both had matching smiles on their faces, exultant and proud. "We did it. I mean, how many other Genin teams can say they learned chakra control and got through Haruki-san's mission all in one day?"

Asuma did laugh at that. "I don't think anyone's gone through Haruki's mission before."

Haruki shrugged in response as he rose to his full height again. "Just doing the D-rank mission is boring."

"For you," Shikamaru griped. "At least it's less troublesome for us."

"But it helped, yeah?"

Shikamaru blinked and then heaved a resigned sigh. "Yeah, but it was still troublesome."

"Troublesome, but worth it in the long run. A lot of things in life are like that, Shikamaru-kun."

Haruki stepped back glancing absently at the window. His time's Shikaku had said that to him once, and he had never forgotten it. Checking the sun's position in the sky, he missed the startled look from Shikaku.

"But you will train with us again, right?" Ino persisted. "And next time, you can come earlier so I can show you around my family's flower shop." A bright grin, childish and innocent, and one that Haruki hadn't seen on Ino's face in a long time. "We even have solidagos, though most people don't want them."

Haruki smiled and looked over at Asuma. "Well, if Asuma doesn't mind, I'll come back next week."

Asuma nodded readily. "If you can spare a few hours, come back anytime." He grinned. "I had fun today."

Three glares were immediately shot at him.

"You didn't do anything!" Ino protested.

Asuma drew himself up in mocking indignity as he waved a hand at Haruki and Inoichi. "That's not true. Those two made me their food runner today."

The two aforementioned shinobi shared an amused look.

"He was a good food runner," Haruki commented.

"I agree," Inoichi nodded sombrely. "He was very quick about it."

Asuma frowned at both of them while his students grinned. It was fun watching their sensei get picked on.

A quiet clearing of someone's throat made all of them look around. They all straightened (or scrambled to their feet in the Genin's case) when their attention fell on the Sandaime.

"Sorry, old man," Haruki apologized sheepishly, not seeing the startled looks behind him. "I made all this part of their training."

"I gathered that," Sarutobi watched them with an amused air about him. It was rare for the senior Ino-Shika-Chou generation to be so relaxed in the company of others nowadays, even when together. "But I do have paperwork to complete, so, if you're done here," He glanced meaningfully at the door.

All the adults sketched hasty bows or nods before ushering the Genin towards the door. Sarutobi met Haruki's eyes briefly and nodded when Haruki glanced at his private office. With a nod in return, Haruki turned and left as well, closing the door behind him.

"...And I don't care how tired you are; eat a full dinner before you go to bed. Understand?"

Much to the amusement of their fathers, all three students nodded obediently as Haruki lectured them. His eyes seemed to focus on Shikamaru as he finished, and the Nara heir rolled his eyes but nodded once more to show his agreement.

"Okay then; I guess that's it for today. Unless Asuma has something to add?" Haruki glanced over at Team 10's actual sensei but Asuma only shrugged good-naturedly.

"Nothing to add," The Jounin said with a wry smile. "Haruki covered everything. We'll meet for training tomorrow at ten as usual."

Groans immediately filled the air.

"But sensei!" Ino protested. "We're exhausted!"

"I have never worked so hard in my entire life," Shikamaru complained. "Give us a break, Asuma-sensei."

"We're dying," Chouji announced, rubbing at a thigh. "Give us an extra hour at least?"

Asuma crossed his arms. "No way. Ten's late enough."

Ino huffed. "I have to get up early to help my mom set up shop! Ten's not late!"

Asuma didn't even blink. Haruki shook his head and crouched down to whisper something in the blonde's ear. Ino's eyes widened and a gleeful light appeared in her eyes. Asuma watched her warily.

"Got it!" Ino sang out before looking up at Asuma. "Asuma-sensei, please give us an extra hour to sleep in tomorrow."

Asuma shook his head. "I already said n..." He trailed off when he caught sight of the big baby-blue eyes staring teary-eyed up at him. Oh crap .

"Ino..." He warned. The puppy-dog eyes intensified.

Asuma stared for a moment longer and then folded like wet paper. "Fine. We'll meet at eleven."

Ino cheered while Chouji and Shikamaru scoffed but didn't complain.

"Cool, that works!" Ino beamed at the red-haired Jounin. "Thanks, Haruki-san!"

Haruki chuckled, ignoring the dirty look Asuma tossed his way. "Maa, just don't use it too often or it might lose its effect."

Ino nodded enthusiastically while Inoichi sighed behind her. He had a feeling that look would be turned on him sooner or later. He shot a glare at Shikaku when the man elbowed him with a smirk.

"See you later then," Haruki nodded at the six in general. He and Asuma were going the same way.

Several goodnights later and the two Jounin were heading down a street away from the Hokage Tower, the setting sun casting an orange-red glow over everything.

Asuma had quickly lit a cigarette as soon as the two groups went their own way. He hadn't smoked all day and it had been chaffing on his nerves. Haruki didn't seem to mind and they walked in a companionable silence as they headed back to their respective homes.

"There was actually another reason I invited you today," Asuma admitted out of the blue. He wasn't sure how to post his question so he figured he might as well start with a confession. Beating around the bush never did any good.

Haruki only turned a mildly curious look on him. He had pulled out the hair tie holding back his hair and the crimson locks now hung around his shoulders again.

"The Sandaime is my father," Asuma started, but forged on when he didn't detect any surprise. "We had dinner a while back. We don't usually; I mean, we're not on the best of terms at the moment."

Again, he paused, waiting for the shocked exclamation that usually followed this revelation. After all, who wouldn't want a good relationship with the Hokage? But he wasn't all that surprised either when he didn't receive it.

"He invited me for dinner though, and it was actually alright." He turned to study the redhead. "He said he kept your advice in mind; what did you say to him?"

Haruki was silent for a while, gaze flickering from house to tree to shop. "Maa, it wasn't anything special." He finally said. "I just told him that, while he can have his own opinion on something, he should also try to understand the same issue from someone else's point of view."

He paused for a heartbeat before a small smile tilted his lips up. "Hearing someone is easy; understanding them is much harder. The trick is to find the key. Some people use words and that works, while others trade blows," His smile grew a little wider. "And that works too. But either way, you still have to really look and really listen to understand."

Asuma frowned a little. He wasn't sure he completely grasped what Haruki meant, but he thought he might with some time. His father had prompted him to talk about some aspects of his life and the man had listened attentively the entire time, hung on to every one of his words as if they were important .

"But why?" He finally asked. This had been bothering him the most. It didn't really surprise him that Haruki had already known about his familial connection to the Sandaime; the redhead always seemed to know more than he let on. But he didn't get why the other Jounin would go out of his way to prod his stubborn father into action over something that really didn't impact Haruki in the slightest. "Why did you tell my father all that?"

Again, Haruki was silent for a long while, and Asuma was starting to think that the Jounin wouldn't answer as they reached the end of the street. And then Haruki smiled, sad and wistful and tired all at once.

"My parents died when I was a baby," Haruki didn't look at him, simply staring ahead with the glow of the sunset in his eyes, turning them to an almost-purple. "And I never had the opportunity to say goodbye to either of my godparents before they died too." The cerulean-turned-amethyst gaze finally met his own head-on. "I guess I told him because I think family is important. I think that if I ever had any family, even if I got into the mother of all arguments with them, I'd still want to do everything I could to make up with them."

Asuma couldn't even blink if he wanted to as Haruki's gaze seemed to deepen for a second. "Because you never know when that chance will be taken away. Then you'll be left with nothing but regrets, and I think that's the saddest thing of all; to know what you could've had and know what you should've done, but not have any way to fix it."

Asuma stayed still and silent, not sure what to say as that mesmerizing gaze finally pulled away and the redhead seemed to burrow deeper into his coat as a gust of wind rippled by.

"Well," Haruki continued in a much lighter tone. "I turn off here. I'll see you around, Asuma. Good night."

"Night," Asuma echoed, cigarette dangling absently from his right hand as he watched Haruki disappear down the street, crimson hair like a beacon of fire.

He didn't move until Haruki was completely out of sight, the other Jounin's words still ringing in his head. And then he turned and started making his way back to the Hokage Tower.

He wondered how his father felt about Korean; he had heard that Yakiniku Q had a discount tonight.

Kageshibari no Jutsu – Shadow Bind Jutsu

Chapter Text

Chapter 7 – More Training and Several Surprises

He frowned hard, almost glaring as he willed the shadow to move faster. The stupid leaf was going to hit the ground before he could-

"This is rare. You're up early,"

Shikamaru jerked up, his concentration breaking instantly and he could only watch in glum dismay as the shadow he had been extending shrank back to normal size. A few feet away, the leaf fluttered to the ground to join several more, all sitting innocently on the damp spring grass. Shikamaru wanted to stomp on them.

With a sigh, he flopped backwards, the cold grass under him coming as a relief to his skin while the morning dew soaked through his shirt. Tilting his head back to look at his father, he grumbled, "Tou-san, you couldn't have come a few seconds later? I almost had it."

Shikaku stared from his son to the small pile of leaves. He had woken up about an hour ago, getting ready for another day at work. It had been mere chance that he had glanced out a window and had seen his son perched on one of the Compound's hills under the six o'clock sunrise. He had done a double-take, wondering if his mind had been playing tricks on him as he had squinted against the morning light. Curious, because his son never rose before eight-thirty, he had gone out to investigate.

"You were... practicing?" He asked, mildly dumbfounded.

Shikamaru scowled before switching his gaze to the sky above. The sunrise splashed streaks of soft orange across the gradually brightening blue, and lit up the clouds themselves. "Yeah, but it's troublesome. I've decreased the time for my jutsu by a couple seconds, but that's it." His scowl grew fiercer. "I'm getting beaten by leaves."

Shikaku stayed silent for a moment longer, wondering if he was still in bed and actually dreaming. "How long have you been out here?" He asked carefully.

"Hm? Oh, about half an hour."

Shikaku breathed an inward sigh of relief. At least he had woken up before his son.

"Would've been longer, but making eggs is harder than it looks. Shoulda paid more attention when Kaa-san was teaching me."

Shikaku's jaw almost dropped open. What? "What?" He moved forward to look down at his son. "Then when did you wake up?"

Shikamaru frowned up at him. What was wrong with his dad? Was the man always like this in the morning? "Four-thirty. Stayed in bed for a while. Why?"

Shikaku looked around for a genjutsu, and then, finding none, pinched himself for good measure. God, this was real. This was surreal.

"Shikamaru," He finally asked faintly. "Why aren't you still in bed?"

Shikamaru sat up, propping one knee up to rest his right arm on. "I told you; I'm practicing. Haruki-san said my Kageshibari no Jutsu needed to get faster. You were there yesterday; you heard him."

Shikaku pinched the bridge of his nose before dropping down beside his son. "I didn't hear you cooking," He glanced sidelong at Shikamaru.

The Nara heir shrugged, dropping his arm to cross his legs. "I used one of the kitchens in the guest houses. Didn't wanna wake Kaa-san up."

They both sat in silence for several seconds as Shikaku digested this. His son, who usually didn't want to get up before noon, had gotten up before five, cooked himself a breakfast, and was now training because...

"Because Haruki said so?" Shikaku prodded.

Shikamaru frowned quizzically at him. "What? You mean breakfast? He told me I should eat more."

"Your mother and I tell you to eat more!" Shikaku pointed out indignantly.

Shikamaru scowled again. "Yeah, but you two didn't put me through a workout hard enough to almost kill me. I was exhausted yesterday, and I didn't even really feel it until after the mission was over." He raised a hand and absently studied the wrist Haruki had held yesterday, missing the silent amazement on his father's face. "I mean, you had to carry me halfway home. I couldn't even walk the entire way. But he said that eating would help so..."

He trailed off, shrugging, and Shikaku made a mental note to hunt down the red-haired Jounin and thank him. Shikamaru usually preferred sleeping to eating, and his appetite had adjusted accordingly, dwindling down to something bordering on unhealthy. He and Yoshino had often worried when Shikamaru only ate small portions during meals, and that was only when the boy could be bothered to drag himself to the dinner table, usually after his wife had yelled at him. If he had known that putting his son through strenuous exercise would get him to change, he would've done it ages ago.

"And what are you doing now?" Shikaku prompted, turning to look at the pile of leaves.

Shikamaru scratched his cheek, smudging a bit of dirt there. "Leaves are lighter, so I'm trying to catch their shadows before they hit the ground. But it's hard, and I'm already tired."

He scratched his head and then sighed before heaving himself back on his feet. "Well, whatever. I almost had it the last time." He shot his father a dark glower as he made his way over to the leaves again. "Would have too if you had walked slower or something."

Shikaku shrugged apologetically before remarking, "I would've thought you'd sleep in today. Ino managed to squeeze an extra hour out of Asuma after all."

Shikamaru frowned, scuffing at the grass around the leaves. "That was the plan, but I woke up at four-thirty and couldn't get back to sleep. Kept thinking about this stupid jutsu so I figured I'd just get up and do something about it."

Stooping down, he picked up a handful of leaves and tossed them into the air. Scrambling back to his position a few feet away, he activated his jutsu and concentrated on the dancing shadows, extending his own as fast as he could without losing control.

There! Two leaves froze in midair as his shadow snagged theirs. Quickly, he redirected his shadow to several others, grinning in spite of himself as he caught three more. The others fluttered to the ground, but he congratulated himself on paralyzing five. He had only been able to catch four ten minutes ago.

Letting his hands drop back into his lap, he watched the leaves fall back onto the ground before turning to his father. "See that? My time improved again. If I can just..."

Shikamaru trailed off as he noticed the odd expression on his father's face. "Tou-san?"

Shikaku blinked and then reached out to pluck a stray leaf out of his son's hair. "If you keep this up, I might have to invite Haruki to come live with us."

Unfortunately, he was only half-joking. The red-haired Jounin was turning out to be a very good influence on his son, plus he was a great shogi player. And he had a feeling that his wife would instantly like the redhead as well when she found out about Shikamaru's new eating habits.

"Eh," Shikamaru flopped backwards again, blowing away a strand of hair that had escaped his ponytail. "That would be troublesome. He'd probably have me out at the crack of dawn to train."

That wasn't a 'no', Shikaku snapped his gaze down, speculating on whether or not his son had realized what he had inadvertently said. Judging by the half-lidded eyes, probably not.

"Well," Shikaku rose to his feet, glancing up at the sky. He still had time to spare. "I'll help." He moved to the pile of leaves and picked up a handful, noting the way Shikamaru hurried to an upright position again without complaint.

He didn't think anything could motivate his son until after his first mission gone wrong. That was what had happened with him after all. His first botched mission had sent him home in frustrated tears and gut-clenching fear when he had been too weak to protect both Inoichi and Chouza. Both of his teammates had ended up in the hospital for three weeks, their sensei had ended up dead, and Shikaku had ended up with two knife wounds gouged into his face, a lifetime's reminder of his failure. After that, he had never skipped out on training again.

But he hadn't counted on Kazama Haruki appearing, and as Shikamaru sent out his shadow again, Shikaku thought that maybe, because of this unexpected development, he could step up his son's training earlier than he had planned.

Huffing as she stepped through the side door of her family's flower shop, she wiped her brow and downed the rest of the water in her bottle. She almost choked when a familiar voice sounded behind her.

"Ino, what are you doing? Where have you been?"

Coughing, Ino spun around, frowning at her father. "Otou-san, don't scare me like that!"

Inoichi held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Sorry, sorry. But where have you been? It's seven-thirty in the morning!"

Ino stretched before reaching up to tug her hair tie holding her hair in a bun. "Practicing. I can go up and down buildings with no problem now, and I'm getting faster at regulating my chakra so I won't have to stop whenever I turn a corner."

Inoichi stared, barely registering the words as he stared at his daughter's hair. "Ino, is your hair..."

"Oh, you noticed!" Ino beamed brightly at him. "I cut it a little, earlier this morning. It actually looks pretty good like this, doesn't it? And it's still long, so Sasuke-kun will still like it."

Inoichi ignored the reference to the last Uchiha (he had been doing that for a few years now, ever since his wife had reassured him - multiple times - that it was one of those crushes that would go away sooner or later; that it wasn't serious so he wouldn't have to go and have a little chat with the boy) and asked, somewhat bewildered, "But why did you cut it? You love your hair!"

Ino scoffed, tossing her empty bottle in their recycling bin before rummaging through a cabinet for a clean towel. "Don't be silly, Tou-san. It's not like I shaved it all off. I just shortened and thinned it a bit. When I swung down yesterday to get past the Hokage's door, my hair almost threw me to the ground. If it hadn't been for Shikamaru and Chouji, I would've failed the mission!"

"Oh," Inoichi said rather stupidly. (Just last week, he had been yelled at for suggesting that Ino trim her hair. Teenage girls; he'd never understand them.) He racked his mind for something other than what the hell is going on here. "...You woke up early to train?"

His daughter shot him an annoyed look. "That's what I said, Otou-san. Mou, what's wrong with you this morning? Are you usually like this at this time?" She checked the clock on the wall. "It is kinda early. Do you need coffee?"

I need to see a doctor, Inoichi thought absently. Out loud, he voiced carefully, "Ino, you're not usually up this early. What brought this on?"

Ino shrugged, wiping her face with the towel. "I couldn't sleep. I mean I did sleep, but then I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep again." A slightly embarrassed smile. "I thought that maybe if I left it too long, I might forget what I learned yesterday, so I headed out to practice."

She turned and moved deeper into the shop, making for the stairs that would lead up to the interior of their house. Inoichi followed, still feeling somewhat lost.

"Wait, you just asked Asuma yesterday for an extra hour to sleep in. Now, instead of doing that, you get up early and go out training? When did you get up anyway?"

"Umm, around six? I didn't leave 'til six-thirty though since I had to eat breakfast first. And I told you; I couldn't sleep. I just kept thinking about that stupid door."

Inoichi dragged a hand over his eyes. It was too early for this. He had woken up at seven. Since when did his daughter find the ability to wake up earlier than he did?

"But why?" He asked, flabbergasted. "What about all that stuff you said about beauty sleep and dieting and other... stuff?" He twitched when Ino turned an arched eyebrow at him. Sometimes, he hated the fact that his daughter was so much like him.

"Well," Ino's voice was generously patient as she entered the kitchen. "Haruki-san said I needed to work on my stamina and chakra regulation. And if I really train like I did yesterday, I'll just burn away anything I don't need. And my hair's not going to look the same afterwards anyway, so I figured that I might as well be practical. A bun is much easier to work with. I can look good after training once I take a shower."

"...So all this is because Haruki gave you some advice?"

Ino shrugged again as she broke out a bowl of cereal and took a seat at the dinner table. "Well, it would be kinda embarrassing if I haven't improved at all when he comes to train us again."

Inoichi stayed silent as he sat down across from Ino. This was... very strange. Usually, his headstrong daughter didn't care about training. Granted, she had gone through the mother of all D-ranks yesterday, but Inoichi had been more afraid that Ino would be put off of training after going through the difficulty of Haruki's training exercise. Obviously, his worries were completely unfounded.

"So you've improved then?" He asked lightly.

Ino grinned at him, bouncing to her feet again. "Watch!"

A moment later, she had scurried up the side of the kitchen wall, pausing only for a few seconds before settling herself firmly on the ceiling. "Ta-da! I'm pretty fast now, aren't I? It took me at least ten seconds to switch surfaces yesterday."

Inoichi stared in shocked silence. It was true; Ino had taken quite a while every time she had wanted to step onto another surface during the D-rank. "...Haruki said he'll be coming again next week, right?"

Ino walked back down to flat ground and took a seat again. "Yup! And I can show him our flowers then."

She stopped talking, looking suddenly contemplative, and Inoichi frowned. "Something wrong?"

Ino poked at her cereal. "Not really. Just..." She paused again before glancing up at him, eyes unusually sombre. "Do you think we could ask him over for dinner next time we see him?"

Inoichi blinked, feeling rather taken aback. He hadn't been expecting that. "I don't mind, I suppose, and your mother should be alright with it, but why?"

His daughter flushed a little, quickly finishing off her cereal before moving away to put it in the sink.

"I'm not sure," She said at last, turning back to him with a thoughtful frown marring her features, so like his own when his own thoughts fell on something important. "But you know how you always tell me to try to look into a person and not just at whatever front they put up?"

Inoichi nodded. That was one of the top rules of a shinobi, and the top rule of an interrogator.

"Well, I don't always do that," Ino looked a little sheepish. "But I tried to with Haruki-san yesterday. Because whenever he smiled at me, or at Shikamaru or Chouji," She shifted a little when Inoichi abruptly leaned forward, interest piqued. He had learned, years ago, that sometimes, children saw things down to their very core far easier than adults. "His smiles always seemed a little sad. I thought that maybe he had lost friends or children of his own or something, so I tried to look a little closer; you know, like I'd glance at him when he wasn't talking to anyone; when he was just listening to us."

"And what did you see, Ino?" Inoichi asked quietly. He had done the same, and he wondered if Ino had arrived at the same conclusion. He had seen grief and sorrow, and thought, perhaps, that the red-haired Jounin had lost quite a few people close to him.

But his daughter tilted her head, blue-green eyes sad in a way that made Inoichi want to punch something to make it go away.

"Loneliness," Ino answered softly, rocking back on her heels. "He looked really lonely, Tou-chan."

Inoichi stilled, a little stunned as he thought back to Haruki's brilliant cerulean eyes. He remembered the way his daughter had gotten more affectionate near the end of the tree-walking exercise, and she had chattered on about everything and nothing throughout lunch, telling the red-haired Jounin about her everyday life. Maybe that hadn't all been just gratitude and friendliness after all.

"Sure," He nodded briskly. "I'll talk to your mother about it. When he comes by next week, invite him over for dinner."

Ino brightened immediately, leaning forward to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Tou-san!" She danced out of the kitchen. "I'm going to take a shower now. Start on some breakfast; I'm still starved!"

Inoichi chuckled as he rose, absently putting on the kettle.

A war veteran. That was what Haruki reminded him of. And even though he had retired, he still kept tabs on the T&I Division, but he hadn't heard anything about a shinobi getting therapy from anyone there. Haruki had just returned from an eight-year-long mission as a spy. Surely at least a mental check-up was necessary. All shinobi returning from extended infiltration missions had to go through it.

He would go see the Sandaime later, Inoichi decided. Maybe Sarutobi just hadn't noticed yet. If even the Yamanaka Clan Head brought it up, the Hokage would agree, and maybe Haruki could get some help. In the meantime, he'd make sure to... insist when the redhead inevitably turned Ino's dinner invitation down.

One more lap. That should be enough for today. Trying to keep his breathing steady, he jogged past the main gates again, ignoring the dubious looks the guards kept throwing at him.

"This is unexpected, Chouji. Did something happen?"

Chouji started, almost tripping before catching himself and slowing to a stop to watch his father approach. "Oh, good morning, Tou-chan. I'm just running a few laps."

"I... see," Chouza squinted at his son, noting the flush of exertion in his cheeks and just managing to stop himself when he made to check for a fever. "Ah, why?"

Chouji shrugged a little, still breathing hard. "I need to work on my stamina."

"Oh," Chouza glanced at the guards standing by the main gates. Good; it wasn't just him. They looked as lost as he felt. "Is this because of what Haruki said yesterday?"

His son nodded. "Yeah, I promised I'd work on it."

"I... see," He repeated, wincing inwardly when Chouji gave him a strange look. But it was hardly Chouza's fault that he had somehow woken up in the twilight zone this morning. "Shouldn't you eat breakfast first? Exercising without food is bad for you."

Chouji brightened a little. "Oh I already ate. I made my own breakfast this morning since Kaa-chan was still asleep."

"You already..." Chouza was starting to feel slightly alarmed. "It's barely eight! When did you wake up?"

Chouji frowned in thought, glancing up at the sky for a moment. "Umm, well I woke up at around six-thirty, but it took me a while to get breakfast ready, so I didn't start doing laps until around seven-ten."

"And how many laps have you done?" Chouza asked weakly.

"Well this would be my tenth," His son shifted, looking embarrassed. "I'm kinda slow at the moment, but the compound's pretty big and I don't think I'd make it if I went any faster."

Chouza mentally traced the border of his compound, wondering if it had shrunk sometime in the night. Nine laps around the compound in less than an hour. He had no idea Chouji had it in him at this age. It seemed that his son was pretty good when he actually put the effort in.

"All this because Haruki gave you some advice?" Chouza asked incredulously.

Chouji nodded, oblivious. "I promised I'd work on my stamina. He's coming back to train us next week, remember? I have to be better by then."

Chouza had a hard time keeping his jaw off the ground. "But why? Asuma's been training you for the last two weeks and you weren't out here training so early then!"

Chouji scratched his head before swinging his arms a little. "... Yesterday's mission was really hard, Tou-chan," He admitted unexpectedly. "I was exhausted after it was over. That's never happened when Asuma-sensei trained us. I'm not saying he's bad," Chouji tacked on hastily. "I wouldn't trade Asuma-sensei for anyone, but he's never pushed us like Haruki-san did."

Chouza stared down at his son, recalling the lack of motivation in all three of the newest generation of Ino-Shika-Chou. He had expected it. It had been the same with himself and Shikaku and Inoichi. Occasionally, he still felt a twinge of guilt whenever he caught sight of the scars on Shikaku's face, reminding him of a time when he had been too weak to protect his team and had had to fully depend on his teammate to get him home alive. When he had woken up in the hospital afterwards, he had been horrified when he had seen the price Shikaku had had to pay, and even more so at seeing the deep bags under the Nara's eyes and the guilt aging his friend's teenage face. After that, he had thrown himself into his training, determined to never place such a huge burden on someone else again. He had sworn to pull his own weight from then on, and he had never broken his word since.

"You could have given up anytime yesterday," Chouza's expression turned thoughtful as he considered his son. "Why didn't you? Like you said; the mission sounded pretty hard. It's not a requirement to do the mission Haruki's way."

Chouji surprised him by frowning fiercely up at him. "I couldn't give up! Even Shikamaru didn't give up!"

"But why not?" Chouza persisted.

"Because Haruki-san never looked at me like he thought I couldn't!"

Chouza pulled back a little, blinking down at his son and feeling somewhat stunned. Chouji's fists had balled instinctively as he barrelled on.

"He showed us how to do the tree-walking exercise and I reached the top before Ino did, and he knew I could work it out myself! And he wouldn't have given us that mission if he didn't think we could do it!" The colour in Chouji's face deepened as he paused, before continuing, "I know what other people think about me. They all think I won't be able to become a shinobi. Shikamaru and Naruto and Kiba were the only ones who didn't care. Haruki-san doesn't care either, and he gave us the mission as a challenge to see if we could meet his expectations," His head tilted up defiantly. "And we did!"

Chouza stood frozen for a long while, studying the way his son seemed to stand more firmly now, a little straighter even though he was undoubtedly tired.

He had never thought his son couldn't; had always known that one day, Chouji would become a great shinobi. But he had been content to let his son build his own confidence, guiding him with gentle reassurances that he would one day find real friends to stand beside; and Chouji had, had found a great friend in Shikaku's own son, but was that really enough? What good were friends if his son didn't have the strength to protect them when it mattered?

"Is this your last lap?" Chouza finally asked, watching his son blink in confusion at the sudden change in topic.

"Yeah. I want to get some more food and a shower before I meet Shikamaru."

"Okay," Chouza nodded, gesturing to the path in front of them. "Mind if I join you?"

His son brightened visibly, beaming up at him. "Sure, Tou-chan!"

Chouza smiled back and slowed his pace to match Chouji's as they moved forward. Maybe he could see how his son was doing with their clan techniques during his spare time. If he was good enough, Chouza could start him on something more advanced.

His mind turned to the red-haired Jounin he had finally met personally yesterday. Inoichi had been with Haruki all day, hadn't he? Chouza would locate his former teammate later and find out more about this man that had made such a huge impact on his son.

"Hokage-sama, with all due respect, what do you mean he's 'fine'? I know a ninja's psyche better than anyone, and I am telling you that Haruki is anything but 'fine'!"

Inoichi glared furiously at his Hokage, part of him wondering how he had gotten into a full-out, if rather one-sided argument with the Sandaime.

He had skipped out on another day of work at the flower shop and made his way to the Hokage Tower instead, planning to drop a word to the Sandaime about Haruki so Sarutobi could do something about it, and that would be that. Said plan had been thrown out the proverbial window when the Sandaime had listened patiently to his concern and then promptly shut him down with an Inoichi, Haruki-kun is fine. He does not need help.

Inoichi had blinked and thought maybe Sarutobi hadn't understood, so he had proceeded to list out the things he had seen in the red-haired Jounin, throwing in the fact that Haruki had just returned from a long infiltration mission for good measure.

But again, he had been assured, as if he didn't have eyes, that Haruki was fine, and that there was no need to worry. The entire conversation had quickly gone downhill from there, with Inoichi growing increasingly frustrated at the Hokage's adamant refusal to see sense.

Inoichi respected and admired the Sandaime, he really did, but he did not appreciate someone else thinking that they could do a better job than he could when it came to the mind; when it was obvious, even to his daughter, that there was something wrong with the redhead.

So what had started out as a pleasant request had quickly dwindled to a forced-calm, through-gritted-teeth sort of dispute, with Inoichi doing most of the teeth-gritting.

Now he stared darkly at the man in front of him, unsympathetic even when Sarutobi heaved a tired sigh.

"Inoichi," Sarutobi started again (and if he said 'fine' one more time, Inoichi would start shouting, the guards within hearing distance be damned). "There is nothing we can do-"

"I trained the T&I Division myself," Inoichi snapped in a low voice. "I can pick someone out to at least guide Haruki through the first stage of therapy; someone who knows how to be discreet if need be. Give him at least that much-"

"Inoichi," And this time, Sarutobi's voice was a mixture of warning and resignation (but not the resignation Inoichi was looking for). "We cannot help him."

Inoichi's mouth closed with a near-silent click, staring in utter disbelief at his Hokage. Even the shinobi that had come out of the Third War so worse for wear that Inoichi had only needed to take one glimpse at the outer layer of their mind to know that they were beyond help had gone through every stage of therapy. Sarutobi had ordered it back then, even when Inoichi had insisted that it would be futile, so why wouldn't the man at least let him try now? What made Haruki different?

"Why not?" He finally grounded out tightly. "What makes him different? Why can't we help him?"

Sarutobi released another heavy sigh, eyes sombre under his hat. "Because we could never understand what he is going through. Because all the people who could ever help him right now no longer exist. I am sorry, Inoichi, but in this matter, I ask you to trust me. Cease and desist from pursuing this issue any further. That is an order."

Inoichi stared hard at the aging man. That was it? Some vague response about not understanding? Since when had that ever stopped the Sandaime?

He wanted to ask, to demand a real answer, but the hard expression on Sarutobi's face told him that he would get nothing more out of the man. He had been ordered to stand down and was expected to do so.

But this wasn't right. Since when did Konoha just give up on its shinobi? Since when did the Hokage just admit defeat and leave a man on his own to deal with his own problems?

Inoichi closed his eyes. He knew, more than most, just how delicate the mind could be. But at the same time, it was a precious thing, with thoughts and memories and feelings all entangled together, and it was this very reason that had made him retire from active duty. Because no matter how many times he did it, he simply couldn't get used to tearing another human's mind apart for answers, intruding, raping, until he found what was needed. To see someone's mind suffering, especially when that someone had helped his daughter and had become something of a friend, was a kind of torture all on its own.

"Inoichi."

Inoichi's lips thinned as he opened his eyes again, effortlessly pulling on the impenetrable mask that he had perfected over his long years as an interrogator, and met his Hokage's gaze again.

"As you wish, Hokage-sama," He nodded stiffly, trying to ignore the disgust curling in his gut, at Sarutobi, at himself, at the situation in general.

Without a word, Inoichi spun on his heel and stalked out of the office, closing the door behind him with a quiet but sharp bang. He pulled up short when he turned and found a familiar figure leaning against the wall beside the office door, arms crossed and staring ahead without moving.

"Shikaku," Inoichi frowned a little when his former teammate tilted his head to give him a sidelong look, eyes grave and mouth a grim slash across his face. The Jounin Commander looked every bit his rank at the moment. Inoichi glanced around, spotting the two guards that Shikaku had most likely sent away when he had heard him talking to the Sandaime rounding a corner. Wordlessly, they moved away from the Hokage's office, heading back downstairs in heavy silence.

Neither said a word until they reached Shikaku's office, and Inoichi closed the door behind them as they walked inside.

Glaring moodily out the window as Shikaku stationed himself at the edge of his desk, arms folding together once more, Inoichi snapped, "That's bullshit. Haruki's still walking and talking. As far as I'm concerned, that's all the requirement a shinobi needs to start healing."

Shikaku was much calmer as he watched the blond pace and rant in his office. He had been on his way to the Hokage's office to pick up the day's paperwork when he had caught Haruki's name and Inoichi's voice, the subtle undertone of anger clear only to himself and Chouza. Instinctively, he had sent away the two guards posted at the door, telling them to return in five minutes. Then he had settled himself beside the doorway and listened in on the conversation.

"Shikamaru was up at the crack of dawn this morning," Shikaku interrupted abruptly, stopping Inoichi in mid-tirade. The best way to head Inoichi off before his anger became a full-blown paroxysm was to change the topic to something lighter but still somewhat related. "He was training."

Inoichi blinked at him before sighing, "You too, huh? Ino was up early as well. Went out to polish up her chakra control."

He stopped, shooting Shikaku a half-hearted look of accusation. "Stop trying to distract me. The Sandaime's wrong."

"You're not really supposed to say that," Shikaku remarked.

"Unless he's wrong," Inoichi pointed out. "And in this case, he is."

Shikaku sighed. "You are so troublesome. Ever thought that maybe the Sandaime might have a good reason to think that Haruki can't be helped?"

"So you agree with him?" Inoichi scowled angrily. "You think we should just leave Haruki-"

"Hey, I didn't say that," Shikaku's voice came out uncharacteristically sharp and it silenced Inoichi immediately. "Haruki got my son to start eating properly again. Yoshino and I have been trying to do that for years, and he succeeded in a day. If anything, I owe him. But I think you and I both know that there's something bigger going on here, and whatever it is, Haruki's right in the middle of it. Before we do anything else, we should find out more about this whole situation first."

They stared at each other for a moment, only stirring when a knock at the door sounded.

"Come in," Shikaku called out, wondering if he should at least look like he was working. He would have to make another trip up to the Hokage's office for his paperwork later.

"Inoichi, Shikaku, good morning," Chouza walked in, raising an eyebrow when he sensed the tension in the air. "Or not so good?"

"Oh close the door," Inoichi grumbled, taking a seat at the couch on one side of the office. "It's been one hell of a morning."

"I have to agree," Chouza shut the door behind him, eyes focusing on Inoichi. "Chouji was up at six-thirty this morning, and he ran ten laps around our entire compound in about an hour. Stamina training apparently. I thought I was still asleep."

"Join the club," Shikaku snorted. "Shikamaru was the same, and he got up even earlier than that. And Inoichi's girl was practicing chakra control."

"So what's wrong with you two then?" Chouza eyed them quizzically. "I was surprised, but not in a bad way."

Shikaku and Inoichi exchanged a look before the Nara Head recounted the conversation with the Hokage. By the time he finished, Chouza was frowning, glancing at Inoichi from time to time.

"I don't know much about Haruki; definitely not as much as you two," Chouza finally spoke. "But even if it was just some random shinobi, shouldn't the Sandaime at least book them a check-up appointment at the hospital? That's usually a requirement for all of us."

"Exactly," Inoichi leapt to his feet again, ignoring Shikaku's warning look. "But I already checked, before I went to see Sandaime-sama, just to make sure Haruki didn't already have an upcoming appointment. He doesn't. And I know the Hokage told us that he's destroyed all of Haruki's records, but how exactly does that account for the fact that no one knows him? I asked some of the older medics at the hospital to see if Haruki had dropped by and didn't bother signing in, but none of them even knew who I was talking about. They've never heard of him before."

"That's a good point, actually," Chouza gestured behind him at the door. "I've heard the other Jounin and Chuunin talking about Haruki. Some of them have seen him walking around and want to know who he is. They've been waiting for him to come to the station for days now, but he hasn't stopped by even once." He frowned again. "Not very social, that one, except with our kids."

Shikaku stayed silent as he watched his two friends debate back and forth. His mind called up the seal that had been briefly activated when Haruki had entered the Nara Compound but said nothing of this. He had, indirectly, given his word that he wouldn't say anything about it, and he wasn't about to break it. Sighing quietly, he recalled his son's words the day before, after he had come back from Ichiraku's. Haruki had apologized, and hadn't seemed to have any problems interacting with Shikamaru yesterday.

"Oi, Shikaku," Inoichi's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "What do we do about all this?"

Shikaku shrugged, straightening as he let his arms drop back to his sides. "We keep doing what we're already doing. Talk to him when we see him, ask our kids about him. But leave him alone, Inoichi." He raised a hand when Inoichi opened his mouth to protest. "I meant about therapy. Feel free to spend time with him, but I don't think Haruki would want anyone even bringing up the suggestion of someone poking around in his head."

He paused, smiling grimly as his two former teammates exchanged glances. "I think we can all agree that he's hiding something, and it looks like the Hokage is in on it. If Sandaime-sama is going out of his way to override even your request, Inoichi, just to help him, then whatever this secret is, it's big and it's important. We don't want to mess with something like that until we know what it's about."

"Makes sense," Chouza approved first. "We keep this to ourselves. ...And from the rest of the Council." He added. "There are certain members who don't need to know."

Shikaku inclined his head. They all knew the very real threat hiding in the darkness of Konoha.

"Fine, Shikaku," Inoichi relented grudgingly. "But are we really going to just cool our heels and wait for, what? For the Hokage to bring us into the loop, if he ever does that?"

Shikaku smirked. "Of course not. Give me a little time. One more shogi game with our mystery Jounin should provide me with enough information to figure all this out."

Inoichi snorted and rolled his eyes while Chouza chuckled.

Shikaku glanced out the window as both accepted the plan. He would figure it out. An idea was already starting to form in his mind, especially after considering the Demonic Chakra Sensory Seal in his house. Exactly what he was going to do about it afterwards was the real question.

Three days after his training session with Team 10, Haruki was sitting in his favorite ramen stand, reclining against the counter and staring idly up at the sky outside Ichiraku's as Kakashi sped through a meal beside him. The Copy-nin had become something of a constant in Haruki's life, appearing without warning whenever the mood suited him. For the most part, Haruki didn't mind; Kakashi knew how to stay quiet, and usually just read his Icha Icha as he accompanied Haruki around town.

"Oi, aren't you going to finish that?"

Haruki glanced at his companion and then at his half-finished ramen. God, had his appetite really diminished so much? He hadn't really noticed when he was living on the battlefield, subsisting on ration packs and adrenaline.

"No," He answered curtly, throwing some change on the counter as he rose to his feet. "I'm finished."

He didn't expect the firm hand on his shoulder pushing him back onto his seat.

"Finish it," Kakashi's visible eye narrowed at him. "You can't tell Sakura to eat more and not do the same yourself."

Haruki frowned at the Copy-nin before grudgingly picking up his chopsticks again. It didn't matter what time he was in; he knew better than to argue with Hatake Kakashi unless it was a matter of life and death.

Forcing down the noodles, Haruki thought back to the last three days. Kakashi hadn't asked questions when he had taken to walking circles around the village, even though Haruki was sure that the Copy-nin had drawn his own conclusions. He had been avoiding several people for a while now, and said people might find him if he stayed in one place for too long.

Shikaku had almost cornered him several times already. Haruki knew a Jounin Commander didn't have that many reports to pass to different Jounin while they were off duty, but the Nara Clan Head had started to scour the village with a stack of folders tucked under one arm. Haruki had witnessed the man personally demanding a late mission report from a mildly alarmed Genma only a few hours ago.

If Shikaku was looking for him, then Haruki had no doubt that Inoichi was also, at the very least, keeping an eye out for him as well, so he had avoided the Yamanaka Flower Shop like the plague. The former interrogator would probably detain him until he managed to contact Shikaku.

And then, of course, there was Anko, whom Haruki had been ducking and dodging from since the irritating woman had recovered from chakra depletion. He had no idea how she did it; there was no way she could sense his chakra signature, and yet she always managed to pop up when he least expected it. He supposed he should count himself lucky that Sarutobi hadn't given out his address yet.

"Anko's coming this way," Kakashi suddenly remarked, and Haruki stiffened, tuning back into reality and quickly pinpointing the kunoichi's chakra signature. Speak of the devil. With an inaudible curse, Haruki leapt up, gave his nearly-finished ramen a cursory glance before ducking out of the ramen stand, Kakashi a step behind him.

"What exactly did you do to piss Anko off?" Kakashi asked idly as they hurried away from Ichiraku's.

Haruki shot the Copy-nin a deadpan look. The man had had a good laugh when he had realized who Haruki was trying to avoid most of all, but he had helped once or twice by delaying her when she got too close so he couldn't complain.

"Nothing," He muttered. "Trust me; she's not angry with me. Or if she is, it'll be because she found out that I've been avoiding her."

Kakashi looked contemplative as he glanced behind them to make sure they weren't being followed. "Did you sleep with her?"

Haruki almost tripped over his feet as spluttered a little at the Copy-nin's question. "What? No! What the hell gave you that idea?"

Kakashi shrugged, eye-smiling at him in a way that made Haruki want to punch him. "Maa, she's been stalking you for the past three days. Only three things can keep Anko that interested in someone; you've pissed her off so much that she can't get over it without doing some serious injury to your person; good sex, and she wants another round; or new sweets, in which case she'd go to Kurenai."

Haruki looked horrified. "I swear you just called her a whore. She's not that bad! And she likes to train!"

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "But she doesn't have to take an interest in someone when she's training. And liking good sex doesn't necessarily make someone a whore. Just shows good taste."

Haruki felt his face warm. Damn Kakashi. He had no problem reading the crap his godfather doled out, and even editing it was fine, but he usually drew the line when other people's sexual habits were brought up, especially for someone whom he had come to see as an older sister in his own time.

"So if you didn't piss her off and it's not sex," Kakashi continued languidly. "Why is she chasing you?"

Haruki scowled. "Because I did her a small favour and she's decided that talking about it is the best course of action right now."

Kakashi eyed the redhead thoughtfully. "Must be quite a favour. Why don't you just let her buy you some dango or something and get it over with?"

Haruki huffed irritably. "Because she'll ask questions, and I'll most likely not wanna answer them."

"Hmm," Kakashi nodded without comment as they sped down another street.

This was one of the reasons why Haruki didn't mind having the Copy-nin as a tagalong. The man simply took everything in stride without batting an eye.

Of course, that didn't mean he wasn't nosy about other issues.

"Mind if I ask you a question then?"

Haruki glanced warily at Jounin now eye-smiling disarmingly at him. "What?"

"When did you become ANBU?"

It took everything Haruki had not to let his sudden apprehension surface on his face as he racked his memories of the last few days. What did Kakashi mean? He hadn't said anything about being ANBU.

"Maa," Kakashi's right hand reached out to brush briefly over his left shoulder. "If you don't want people to find out, you should keep that hidden at all times."

Haruki stopped walking, and Kakashi slowed to a halt a few feet in front of him, body half-turning to face him. "When-"

The Copy-nin's dark eye, no longer half-lidded and lazy, studied him even as he answered, "Day before yesterday, when you joined us for training again. You weren't wearing your coat and you got your shirt wet after you went to get Naruto and Sasuke out of the river. You took it off to dry it, and you only had a sleeveless underneath." He shrugged carelessly. "It was only for a few minutes; the kids didn't see. But..."

He trailed off and Haruki cursed violently inside his head. Goddamnit, what kind of amateur mistake was that? He had completely forgotten about his ANBU tattoo, and of course, Kakashi would see it because the man was always looking underneath the underneath, quite literally in this case, even when he looked like he was doing the complete opposite most of the time.

"I won't say anything," Kakashi looked stern all of a sudden, as if Haruki's silence was questioning the Copy-nin's integrity as a friend. "I'm just curious. I know next to nothing about you."

Haruki started walking again, slower this time as Kakashi fell into step beside him once more. He knew the Copy-nin wouldn't leave all the holes in his life alone for long. It was in the man's character to puzzle out anything that piqued his interest.

But could he afford to let Kakashi know some of his real past right now? Then again, he already knew about Haruki being in ANBU; the Copy-nin would have figured out that the edited version of his life so far was absolute crap.

Absently, Haruki reached up to rub his shoulder. ANBU tattoos were normally placed on the right shoulder, and almost all shinobi had it drawn near the elbow so that arm guards or bandages up the arms or even just elbow warmers could cover it more easily if they ever needed to go undercover and henge wasn't an option. But he, being the stupid idiot that he was, had decided to copy a certain ex-ANBU and had asked Tsunade to place it high on his left shoulder for the whole damn world to see. He had thought it a good idea at the time though; Kakashi had been the first ANBU, albeit former, that he had ever met personally.

And of course, now he was paying for it. He sighed and resigned himself to answering a few questions. At least he could hold the Copy-nin off for a while.

"Sixteen," He finally replied, glancing to his left to meet Kakashi's interested gaze. "But the Hokage had me work solo."

That was true enough; Tsunade had put him on a few solo missions. Of course, they had mostly been on the battlefield, but his squad had technically been recalled to the village while he had stayed and flitted between the other teams, helping out as best he could. So; solo.

Next to him, Kakashi nodded in acceptance and asked nothing more. The Copy-nin seemed content with the one truth, however simple, that the redhead had given him. It made Haruki feel just the slightest bit guilty but he quickly shoved that sentiment away. It wasn't like he was lying; merely settling for half-truths.

"The Jounin Station's up ahead," Kakashi pointed out after a few minutes. "Want to stop by?"

Haruki waved a hand, already turning to a different direction. "You go. I don't really know anyone there."

Yet again, he found a hand on his shoulder that pushed him firmly towards the station.

"Sorry," Kakashi said cheerfully, not sounding sorry at all. "I didn't mean you actually had a choice. There are several people who've all seen you around and, even worse, have seen me walking around with you. They're curiosity got the better of them and they wouldn't stop bothering me yesterday until I agreed I'd bring you in today."

Haruki spluttered indignantly, trying to tug himself away from the Copy-nin's grip. "You don't have to walk around with me! Go hang out with Asuma or Kurenai or something! I'm sure Gai-san will be happy to see you."

The mask Kakashi wore didn't do anything to hide the grimace that surfaced on his face. "Don't even joke about that," He ordered with a shudder. "That's just disturbing. I spend enough time with Gai on missions. Anymore and he'll drive me over the edge."

Haruki rolled his eyes, trying to dig in his heels. "Then you should've found Asuma or Kurenai. You don't mind their company, do you?"

"I don't mind your company," Kakashi pointed out bluntly. "And I definitely don't mind spending my free time walking around town reading Icha Icha. But a quick introduction will get the others off my back, so that's what I'm doing."

Before Haruki could protest any further, the Copy-nin had shoved him into the Headquarters, almost ploughing him straight into a startled Kotetsu. Catching himself just in time and dodging around the Chuunin instead, Haruki straightened and shot a glare at Kakashi. He twitched when the man simply eye-smiled at him and pulled out his book.

With an irritated sigh, Haruki turned back to Kotetsu. "Sorry 'bout that. He's an asshole."

Kotetsu released a startled laugh, glancing at the Jounin behind the redhead. "No worries," He blinked curiously at the man in front of him before recalling the latest gossip around the station. "Hey, you're that Jounin nobody knows- ow!"

Izumo came up behind his partner, ignoring the scowl being directed at him as Kotetsu rubbed his head and focusing on the newcomer instead. "Ignore him; he's a bit slow when it comes to manners. I'm Izumo. The idiot's Kotetsu."

Haruki smiled a little, hiding his discomfort at seeing the younger versions of two old friends. He had gotten to know many of the older generation of shinobi during the war. Kotetsu and Izumo, along with Genma, Raidou, and Yuugao, had made up Squad 14, and their tent had been stationed next to Haruki's.

"I'm Haruki," He offered. "Nice to meet you." He glanced back sharply, suppressing his annoyance when he found Kakashi deeply immersed in his book.

"Hey," He swatted at the orange book. "If you're gonna drag me here, at least have the decency to introduce me to whomever it is you wanted to introduce me to."

Kakashi heaved a long-suffering sigh (as if Haruki was the one who had insisted on coming, the bastard) and lowered his book to look around. "Maa, these were two of them, actually." He nodded at them. "Kotetsu, Izumo."

The two Chuunin stared dubiously at the lazy hand Kakashi waved in their direction. Last time they checked, the Copy-nin had gotten away before any of them had managed to force him to bring the red-haired Jounin around. What was the man trying to pull?

Noting the suspicious looks he was receiving from his two colleagues, Kakashi quickly ushered Haruki further inside the lounge. He hadn't exactly been planning to bring the redhead here; it had been more of a spur-of-the-moment thing. But after spending some time every day with Haruki, Kakashi had quickly realized that the other Jounin didn't interact with anyone.

Oh, he talked to Kakashi of course. He didn't have much of a choice there what with the Copy-nin accompanying him around town and all, and it wasn't as if Haruki was rude. If someone talked to him, Haruki always replied. And the redhead obviously talked to his students, helping him train them by giving advice and tips and holding conversations with them during their breaks.

But that really was it. Kakashi had watched Haruki walk around the village, blue gaze darting here and there, soaking everything in with a hungry sort of desperation as if it was the last time he would ever see any of it, but never actually stopping to chat with anyone. Didn't the redhead have any friends he wanted to talk to after eight years apart? He was sure Haruki was from Konoha though; the moving-here-from-another-country idea had been dismissed after noting how Haruki never got lost no matter where he went.

But so far, Kakashi hadn't seen anyone who recognized the former ANBU. After finding out about Haruki's previous rank, he had immediately gone to the ANBU Headquarters and wheedled the roster out of the Second-in-Command. The man still owed him a favour and Kakashi didn't need to see his face to identify his confusion when the Copy-nin used it to get his hands on the register for a few minutes. To his great dissatisfaction, even after scanning all the names twice, including the MIAs and KIAs, he had still been unable to find Haruki amongst them.

Beyond frustrated, Kakashi had reluctantly considered that the Hokage had had them destroyed in case Haruki had been caught, though something about that just didn't sit right with him.

So he had gone back to spending his afternoons with the red-haired Jounin, surprised at how content he was with simply walking around with one of his books and occasionally running away from the people Haruki was avoiding like the plague (which was another mystery Kakashi had to solve; Haruki really was something else to give Nara Shikaku enough cause to comb the village for three days straight in an attempt to find him. Kakashi found it even more amazing that their Commander was currently failing.).

Now, Kakashi was by no means a sociable person. He went out for drinks with Genma, Asuma, and Kurenai (and Gai, if Kakashi was unfortunate enough) on occasion, but he usually sat to the side with his book, half-listening to his friends' easy chatter and perfectly content to fade into the background. He'd join in sometimes, and his friends always seemed glad to include him in their conversations, but sooner or later, he'd return to his Icha Icha and they'd leave him to it.

It was different with Haruki. With him, Kakashi usually found himself starting the conversations. And when they weren't talking, Haruki had never voiced a complaint as they walked through the streets of Konoha with Kakashi's nose in his adult literature. Most of his friends, even Genma, had, at one point or another, complained about his reading habit, either embarrassed or annoyed or both, but the redhead barely seemed to notice, as if he was used to hanging around someone who publicly flaunted a hobby that would make most people blush.

And while Kakashi was half-pleased, half-sulky that he had finally found someone who was immune to his quirks, he didn't think it was all that healthy for Haruki to simply cut himself off from the rest of the population. So, when he had seen the Jounin Headquarters, he had decided to use his colleagues as an excuse to at least introduce Haruki to the other shinobi their age. If the redhead didn't have friends, then Kakashi would simply have to make sure he got new ones.

(Once upon a time though, he never thought he would see the day when he would be voluntarily pushing someone else to make friends.)

"Yo, Genma," Kakashi called out, and the senbon-wielder turned, the bored look on his face fading as his eyes flickered between them. "You wanted to find out who this is. Haruki, Genma. Genma, Haruki."

The redhead nodded politely. "Nice to meet you."

Genma eyed the Jounin curiously for a moment, chewing on his senbon. "You sure you're just a Jounin?" He finally asked, face blank. "Word has it that our Commander's been running all over town looking for you. Didn't believe it myself 'til he showed up at my front door demanding my report and asking if I had seen you."

Haruki blinked, feeling a little taken aback at the question. Genma was usually more laidback than this. Was he annoyed that...? Haruki stiffened and then relaxed when he caught a hint of a smile tilting up one corner of the man's mouth.

"Loosen up," Genma waved a hand at the far end of the lounge where two other shinobi were seated. "Come join us. Everyone's asking about you. We've never seen Shikaku-sama so active when there's nothing going on."

A minute later, Haruki was settled between Genma and Kakashi, Kotetsu and Izumo on the right across from him and Yuugao and Gekkou Hayate on the left. He sat stiffly in place, not quite comfortable being surrounded on all sides. There was no immediate way out if he had to run.

You're not in a war anymore, he chastised himself firmly. You're among friends. Or at least colleagues.

So, instead, Haruki tried to relax and concentrated on the other two shinobi as they introduced themselves. Unflinching, loyal Yuugao, whom Haruki had worked beside on more than one occasion, was smiling contentedly in a way that he had never seen before. His gaze drifted to the man sitting next to her and knew him to be the reason.

Haruki had never known Gekkou Hayate; only that he was the proctor during the final rounds of the Chuunin Exams and that he had been killed trying to take down Baki. He had also found out, later on, that the man had been skilled at kenjutsu but a chronic illness had held him back from his full potential.

He frowned a little as Hayate coughed, rasping and harsh. In his time, Sakura would eventually develop a cure for the lung infection, something even Tsunade had been unable to do, but that had been years from now, and judging by Hayate's pallid features, he didn't have years. Sakura had once explained the process to Haruki, but he had never been very good at listening to scientific lectures and had inevitably fallen asleep. Still, Kurama had heard the same thing. The fox could tell him later and Haruki would send it on to the medics at the hospital. He would be able to save this man, in more ways than one, and Yuugao would never lose that smile again.

"So why is the Commander looking for you?" Yuugao asked, leaning forward. The red-haired Jounin seemed nice enough, if a bit tense-looking. Perhaps some casual conversation would put him more at ease.

"Ah," Haruki glanced at Kakashi, who was absolutely no help as he slouched against the couch, his porn out in the open again. "He probably wants to play shogi with me again."

They all looked surprised. "Just a shogi game?" Kotetsu asked, puzzled. "You must be pretty good."

Haruki tried not to scowl at that, and then dropped the attempt and scowled anyway when Kakashi spoke up from behind his book, "He's excellent. Shikaku-sama wants a rematch after he lost last time."

Feeling a tick develop over one eye, Haruki reached out and swiped the Copy-nin's book in retaliation.

"Oi, give that back!" Kakashi narrowed his eye in warning as he jolted upright.

Haruki scoffed and tucked the book away inside his coat. "No. You can have it back later. If you're going to talk, then you're not allowed to read."

The other shinobi watched the exchange with wide eyes and dropped jaws. No one got their hands on Kakashi's precious books. The Copy-nin was usually too quick, and most people were smart enough not to try it anyway in case they incurred the man's wrath.

They stared as Kakashi glowered for a moment longer before slumping back against the seat, posture suspiciously sulky. But there was no sudden spike of killer intent and the Copy-nin made no attempt to take his book back from the red-haired Jounin. Who was this man?

Genma hastily closed his mouth before his senbon slipped out. "Kakashi, if I had known that taking that book away from you was all it took for you to pay attention, I would've done it ages ago."

The Copy-nin shot him a sour look. "Why would I want to pay attention to you and your latest sexual escapades?"

Genma looked mildly offended but didn't have the chance to defend himself when Yuugao kicked him. "Oh be quiet, you two. Haruki doesn't need to hear your crap." She turned a warm smile on the redhead. "Well now I know who to go to when Kakashi's being more of a pervert than usual."

Haruki released a soft laugh at that. "Glad to be of service. Don't think I can do much about him being late all the time though."

They shared grins as they glanced at the Copy-nin. Kakashi had recovered his usual lazy-eyed look that still somehow managed to convey his disdain.

Hayate stifled another cough before enquiring, "But it's true? You beat Shikaku-sama in a game of shogi?"

Haruki sighed but nodded. At the rate this news was being revealed, he was honestly surprised that it wasn't all over the village by now.

Izumo whistled. "Impressive. I think Genma played him once. The Commander completely destroyed him in fifteen minutes."

Genma shot him a good-natured scowl. "I didn't see you lining up to try. Besides, he said he'd give us an extra day off if one of us beat him." He turned to Haruki to explain, "It was the day after New Year's and the party we had the night before was crazy. Someone spiked the alcohol so that painkillers wouldn't work the next day. Everyone came in with a hangover and no one wanted to work. You should've seen this place. Most people just stumbled in and went right back to sleep on the couches. Or the floor; wherever there was space. Then Shikaku-sama came in looking ridiculously not hungover. Guess all that alcohol he usually drinks on a daily basis is good for something."

Yuugao laughed as the others grinned in reminiscence. "That was a hellish day. Even us ANBU just stood by the walls feeling sick. Anyway, he took one look at us and broke out a shogi board. That sadist enjoyed every minute of it. I mean, there we were, elite shinobi cueing up one after another across from Shikaku-sama trying to stave off the jackhammers in our heads while attempting to beat the greatest shogi player in existence at his own game. I don't know what we were thinking."

"Guess that day off didn't happen," Haruki remarked with a grin.

Kotetsu grumbled. "Hell no. Izumo and I were back on gate duty within the hour. It was torture."

Izumo rolled his eyes, annoyance flashing across his face. "What are you talking about? You fell asleep the moment we sat down. I was the only one working!"

Kotetsu waved a dismissive hand in the air. "We're partners, Zumo. We share the pain."

Izumo snorted but didn't have time to shoot back a retort as the door to the Headquarters slammed open.

"WHERE. IS. HE! There is no way I can miss someone for three days straight, Kurenai! I'm no Kakashi, but I'm not that bad at tracking! I swear he's-"

Anko abruptly stopped talking as she found seven pairs of eyes focused on her. And one of those belonged to the very person she had been searching for for the last three days.

"You!" She barked, striding forward and only dimly aware of Kurenai following close behind. "The one time I'm not looking for you and I find you right away! Where have you been?"

Haruki heaved an inward sigh as he offered a weak smile in the kunoichi's direction, suddenly finding himself the centre of attention again. "Hello, Anko. I've been around. How are you?"

"How am-!" Anko stalked forward, ignoring Kotetsu and Izumo even as they shrank away from her and stationing herself directly in front of the redhead. "How do you think I am? Aren't you supposed to check up on your patients afterwards? And after removing my-"

"Anko," Haruki tried to interrupt, stiffening in alarm.

"-Cursed Seal, at least have the decency to stick around so I can repay you!"

Dead silence met her words and Haruki closed his eyes and willed the whole situation away. Needless to say, it didn't work.

"You call removing Orochimaru's Cursed Seal a 'small favour'?" Kakashi couldn't quite hide the mix of incredulity and amazement that seeped into his voice as he watched the redhead's shoulders slump in defeat. Why did finding things out about Haruki always have to be a battle? Most people would be boasting from the rooftops if they managed something of this magnitude.

"Anko, I told you to be careful about who you say that around," Kurenai cut in sharply, stepping up beside the irate kunoichi who hadn't seemed to notice the tense atmosphere.

"Why do I have to do that?" Anko snapped back irritably. "Let Orochimaru find out. I'll gut him when he comes to investigate."

"That's not the point," Kurenai chided, glancing with some concern at the fatigue aging the redhead's face all of a sudden. "You should talk about it with Haruki first."

For his part, Haruki was suddenly fighting an onslaught of pain and nausea. It felt like a headache, but even Anko wouldn't have caused something like this. 'Kurama, what the hell's going on?'

'It's started. I was afraid of this.'

'What's started? What's going on?'

'You're fighting a paradox, Kit, against the laws of the universe itself. There are bound to be repercussions.'

'Repercussions? I was fine a second ago! There's no way any consequences could just hit me like this!"

Kurama growled crossly, pacing in Haruki's mindscape. 'What do you think I've been doing all this time? My power has been holding back the backlash but it's not enough anymore. Think of it as a sickness. You humans are full of those, aren't you?'

'Well if it's a sickness, then what are the symptoms? God, I feel like I'm going to throw up!'

'Headaches, for one, like right now. You'll probably start coughing up blood later as the paradox attacks your physical state as well.'

'The hell? And how exactly am I going to fight Madara if I belong in a damn hospital?'

'I'm not finished, brat. These episodes won't happen often. Only once in a while. Outwardly, even if a medic does a scan of your vitals, nothing will look wrong. Your power level will be the same as usual too. I said to think of this as a sickness, but you're not really sick. These symptoms are just warnings.'

'Warnings? Of me dying?'

'You're still thinking of this as an illness. It's not. You, we, are not going to die. We will disappear. There's a difference. Our existence in this timeline will be erased because we do not belong here. Because there's another version of you running around who could still be like you, so, time paradox. Understand?'

'I... guess. But I'll still be alright otherwise? There'll just be pain from time to time?'

'Yes, I suppose you could say that. Though the episodes will get progressively worse as your time here shortens.'

'That's fine. As long as I have enough strength to finish what I have to do. ...I think my headache's passing. Shit, I've been quiet too long. We'll talk more later. You really should have told me all this earlier.'

"-ko, you've finally done it. Yelled someone to death. That's a first, even for you."

"Shut up! He's not dead! And it's not like you didn't say anything, Hatake!"

"I didn't yell at him; I was only commenting on something he said earlier."

"Would both of you shut up? Neither of you are helping!"

"Shouldn't we lay him down or something? Move over, Izumo."

"Not like that, Kotetsu! Jeez, you suck at taking care of sick people."

"Well it's a good thing I'm not a medic-nin then, isn't it? Damn, he's light. Doesn't he eat anything?"

"Put him down. He doesn't like being touched too much."

"Calm down, Kakashi. He's just moving him to a more comfortable position."

"So now what? Do we dump water on him?"

"No Anko. And you men aren't helping matters by crowding him. Kurenai, help me out here."

A hand brushed against his forehead and Haruki instinctively flinched away, trying to fight his way back to the outside world. He hadn't even felt himself lose consciousness. With a near-inaudible groan, he forced his eyes open, blinking as his sight cleared and he found himself staring up at a worried-looking Yuugao. Haruki smiled wistfully. The kunoichi had always been a bit of a mother hen. She had definitely taken care of her squad and friends as fiercely as a mother would her children.

"Haruki?" Kurenai appeared in his line of sight, a bottle of water in hand. "Can you sit up?"

Haruki nodded tightly, mind racing as he tried to think up a good excuse for passing out. He accepted the water silently, remembering not to check for poison and thanking her with a nod as he avoided their gazes.

"Sorry," He finally offered, capping the bottle. "I didn't mean to do that."

Anko made a skeptical sound at the back of her throat. "I doubt anyone would want to faint on purpose," She was still scowling fiercely but her voice was carefully lowered, and she had backed up a few paces from where Haruki was currently sitting.

"Are you alright?" Kakashi finally shuffled forward, pushing past Kurenai to crouch down in front of Haruki. "Do you need to lie down some more?"

Haruki shook his head, mentally noting that his headache was gone and the nausea had receded. "I'm fine. Just felt a bit light-headed." He smiled reassuringly. "Guess I should've eaten more ramen earlier."

Kakashi's visible eye narrowed, obviously not buying it, but said no more, rising to his full height as Haruki stood up.

"I'm alright now," Haruki turned to Anko. "And if you want to repay me, don't spread the fact that your Cursed Seal's gone any further. Please."

Anko stared back for a long moment, studying the redhead carefully. "Fine," She consented at last, before glaring around the room. "Pretend you didn't hear me," She ordered.

Everyone sweatdropped but nodded without reluctance. Anko turned back to Haruki, frowning at him. "Why though? Orochimaru will find out eventually."

"Yes," Haruki agreed, allowing his expression to darken. "And it'll be one hell of a surprise for him then."

He glanced around before deciding to expand a little. They all looked far too curious for anyone's good. "You all know about Hyuuga Hizashi's return?"

There was a round of general nods. The news had spread like wildfire amongst the shinobi and most had already seen the Hyuuga Clan Head's brother walking around at one point or another.

"Then you should know that there will be a meeting between the Hokage and the Raikage sometime soon," Haruki paused, considering his words. "And after what happened the last time Kumo was invited into Konoha, the Sandaime won't allow them entry again, but neither will he want to meet on their home turf. The meeting will probably take place on neutral ground, in either Yu no Kuni or Shimo no Kuni. During that time, the Hokage will be out of the village, along with quite a few of Konoha's top shinobi. If Orochimaru were to find out something like this, he would take that opportunity to strike, since he knows his Cursed Seals won't work long-term anymore."

Haruki stopped, glancing between his colleagues as they all stared back at him with something bordering on thoughtful surprise.

"I can see why you beat Shikaku-sama," Genma finally acknowledged, twirling his senbon in one hand. "I haven't even thought about the meeting yet, but you're right. If this gets out, that snake will become a problem."

"We'll keep it to ourselves," Hayate agreed before peering at Haruki with open concern. "But are you sure you're alright? Kotetsu said you were really light," He was cut off with a few rough coughs. "And people don't just pass out if they skip a meal."

"Aa, I'm fine. There's really no need to worry. And I've always been light, ever since I was a kid." Haruki smiled in a hopefully convincing manner. Why were they so worried anyway? They had just met him not an hour ago.

"If you're sure," Kotetsu was scrutinizing him closely as if staring hard enough might give him the real reason why the redhead was so light. Haruki wasn't about to indulge him and he quickly turned back Anko.

"You feel alright though?" His gaze flickered to her neck. "No sluggishness, no sudden bouts of dizziness...?"

Anko shook her head. "I feel perfectly fine. Lighter, actually," She brought a hand to her face, clenching and unclenching it thoughtfully. "My chakra feels like my own for the first time since that bastard bit me."

Haruki nodded. "Good, you should be fine then."

In the silence that followed, Anko suddenly looked awkward, glancing almost nervously at Kurenai. When the woman gave her a pointed look, the violet-haired kunoichi flushed a little but turned back and stared squarely into Haruki's eyes.

"Thanks," Anko said gruffly. "I didn't think anyone could get it off me. I appreciate it. If ya ever need anything, just ask."

It was with some effort that Haruki held back a fond smile. In his time, Anko had become something of an older sister to him. They had been similar in many ways; stubborn and short-tempered and hyperactive in public, somewhat quieter alone.

"You're welcome," Haruki smiled warmly at her, not noticing the startled looks around him or the fact that this action made him look much younger, putting a brighter light in his eyes as his features lit up. "Thanks for trusting me."

The red that rose in Anko's cheeks was quickly covered up with a fierce scowl. "Whatever, pretty boy. I always pay my debts."

Before Haruki could say anything else, Anko quickly motioned towards Kurenai. "I hear you've met. Kurenai wants to ask you something."

Haruki blinked, surprised, but obligingly turned to face the black-haired kunoichi.

Kurenai shifted, looking suddenly embarrassed. "Well, actually, I have a request of sorts. I talked to Asuma a few days ago and he told me about your training session with his team-"

"Wait," Kotetsu interrupted, taking a step forward. "You're the one who made those Genin walk sideways all the way to the Hokage's office?" He grinned at Haruki's nod. "Man, I wish I had been there. Must've been fun to watch. And those Genin must be something else."

Haruki nodded. "They're the next generation of Ino-Shika-Chou. They'll surpass their fathers one day."

"Confident, aren't you?" Izumo eyed him curiously. "One of them's our Commander and the other two are nothing to laugh about. Their kids will have to work hard."

Haruki just grinned back, relaxed and sure. "They're going to be great. I guarantee it."

Izumo exchanged a glance with Kotetsu, mouth quirking up involuntarily. Well, when put like that, it was hard doubt the redhead's words. Then again, there was something about Haruki that made what he said believable, even if there was no proof.

Haruki glanced back at Kurenai, already guessing what her request was. "Would you like me to join your team for a day?"

Kurenai nodded with a smile. "If you're not too busy. How about tomorrow?"

Haruki hmm'd thoughtfully. He didn't have much to do tomorrow and he had already trained with Team 7 for the last three days. He glanced over at Kakashi who shrugged and eye-smiled his agreement. "Sure, I'm free. When should I meet you?"

The Genjutsu Mistress brightened. "We usually start practice at seven so just come to Training Grounds 16 around that time."

Haruki nodded. "I'll be there."

A chirp from a nearby window distracted them and they turned to see one of the village's messenger birds perched on the sill. The bird spread its wings when it saw that it had been noticed and flew across the room to land on Haruki's shoulder. Its beak opened and a distinctive trill sounded in the lounge; the tune that summoned a Jounin to the Hokage's office.

"Ah," Haruki straightened, nodding slightly at the bird on his shoulder. Message delivered, the bird took off again, disappearing as quickly as it had come. "It seems that the Sandaime wants to see me. I should get going."

Before he could take one step for the door, Yuugao quickly moved forward, frowning sternly at him. "After your meeting with the Sandaime, remember to go eat something. It's not healthy to skip meals."

Haruki rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. The ramen wasn't exactly a meal; it was more of a late afternoon snack. But he doubted that Yuugao wanted to hear that. "Yes, ma'am. I'll get dinner afterwards."

"I'll make sure of it," Kakashi spoke up from beside him, lazy-eyed as ever as he turned to Haruki. "I'll bring my team over again."

Haruki immediately scowled and opened his mouth to protest but Kakashi beat him to it and compromised, "We'll even bring the groceries, and I'll cook."

Haruki's eyes immediately narrowed. "You can't cook."

Kakashi looked indignant. "You've never tried my cooking. How would you know?"

A lifetime ago, you almost burned down my kitchen. "You just don't seem the type," Haruki retorted. "You can bring the groceries, but Naruto and I will cook."

Kakashi looked almost sullen for a moment. "You trust a kid's cooking skills more than mine?"

Haruki waved a hand in the air. "Naruto lives alone. He has to be able to cook."

Turning back to the others who all looked somewhat dumbfounded at their exchange, Haruki nodded at them. "I'll be going now. It was nice meeting you all. Sorry for the trouble earlier."

Several reassurances and see-you-arounds later, Haruki had disappeared from the station, coat flapping behind him.

Seconds after he was gone, Kakashi was patting himself down, looking mildly panicked. "He didn't give me back my book!"

Kotetsu and Izumo guffawed while Genma and Hayate grinned. A laughing Yuugao quickly explained to the two newcomers, and Anko and Kurenai quickly joined in at the horrified expression in Kakashi's visible eye.

"Serves you right, Hatake!" Anko cackled. "I hope Red doesn't give it back. It'll teach you a lesson about whipping that thing out in public."

Kakashi huffed and poofed away without waiting to say goodbye. He would get the book back tonight, and maybe bring over a few copies of his other Icha Icha as well and wave them around a bit in front of the kids. That would teach Haruki not to steal his precious literature.

"Old man?"

Sarutobi glanced up with a smile, doing a quick scan of the time traveller as he activated the privacy seals. Still tired, he noted, and still a bit pale, not to mention thin, but at least it was better than when he had first arrived.

"Good afternoon, Haruki. Sorry to call you on such short notice but the Raikage has finally replied. We'll be meeting them in Yu no Kuni three days from now. Their Daimyo has agreed to lend us part of their land in the forested area outside of Yugakure for the summit conference. We have agreed to bring twelve shinobi each as our guard. I wanted to ask your opinion on that."

Haruki blinked in surprise. This he hadn't expected. He had known that a maximum number of ninja would be set, but he had thought that Sarutobi would pick his own people.

"Well," He started slowly, going over the shinobi he knew. "Hiashi-san and Hizashi-san would have to come of course," Sarutobi nodded in agreement. "Having Shikaku with you doesn't hurt either, and you might as well bring the other Clan Reps with you too. It would probably be best if you showed a united front when it comes to the Clans in Konoha."

Sarutobi nodded thoughtfully. "Tsume and Shibi are both on a mission at the moment. That's why they weren't present at the Council meeting concerning Hizashi. Then again, those two try to avoid Council meetings as much as possible anyway. They should be done and rushing back though. No doubt, they've heard about the new development. They'll be back by the day after tomorrow at the latest, so they'll be able to join us. Chouza and Inoichi should agree as well. That's eight in total."

"Eight?" Haruki mentally counted again. He came up with seven.

Sarutobi arched an eyebrow at him. "You will be coming along as well, Haruki."

Haruki blinked. Well, that actually made a lot of sense. "Right, of course." He smiled sheepishly. "That's eight then. I'd like Kakashi to come."

Sarutobi nodded at the questioning look directed at him, finding himself mildly amused. "Kakashi's grown attached to you. I don't believe he's ever voluntarily spent so much time with anyone."

Haruki rolled his eyes. "He's just curious. He can't figure me out."

"Ah, well," Sarutobi hid a smile. As far as he knew, not even curiosity could make Kakashi lose the aloof distance he usually set between himself and other people. The Copy-nin didn't have many people who called him friend, and even less people he called friends. Haruki was already one of the latter, whether either of them knew it or not. "He will figure it out eventually."

"Eventually," Haruki agreed. "But not right now."

Sarutobi inclined his head. "Who else then? Three more."

Haruki tilted his head in contemplation. "Asuma," He finally decided. "It'll show the Raikage that you trust blood as much as your other shinobi. I can guarantee that the Raikage will bring his own brother as well. And it'll mean a lot to Asuma."

Sarutobi nodded. He had been debating on whether or not to bring his son, and was glad that Haruki had pushed his final decision for him.

"I'd like one ANBU with me as well," Sarutobi brought up.

Haruki nodded immediately. "I was thinking that we could bring Uzuki Yuugao. She's a captain, and she's dependable. Keeps a cool head in tough situations but fierce as heck when she needs to be. There will be a woman in the Raikage's party who will be a lot like her."

Sarutobi nodded. He knew Yuugao. The kunoichi had been one of the ANBU he had picked out for consideration.

"And the last?"

"...Hayate. Handy with a sword, works well with Yuugao, and he's a Tokubetsu Jounin. You should have at least one representative from that group as well."

Sarutobi frowned. "Gekkou Hayate? Haruki, I'm not saying he isn't up to the standards of the other Tokubetsu Jounin, but he does have that cough. Perhaps Shiranui Genma would be a better choice."

Haruki shook his head. "The sickness won't be a problem by the time we set out for the conference. My old teammate created a cure for it and she told me about it. I'll write it out tonight and then send it over to the medics at the hospital to sort out. They should have all the necessary ingredients already, and if Hayate rests for the next two days, he'll be fine when we head out. Besides," He added. "You need Genma here. The other Jounin respect him and he's calm and collected in difficult situations. He wouldn't be a Tokubetsu Jounin if he actually got off his ass and took Jounin Exams. There's a reason he's one of the first people Shikaku talks to whenever there's a crisis."

Sarutobi was silent as he mulled over Haruki's words. "You seem to have a cure for everyone, Haruki," He smiled a little at the embarrassment on the time traveller's face. "Very well, we'll go with that line-up. But you know that the people you picked will have to know the part you played in Hizashi's retrieval, right?"

Haruki nodded. "I think they're all trustworthy people, and they know how to keep their mouths shut." He paused for a moment before adding, "And I think Genma, Kotetsu, Izumo, Raidou, Kurenai, Gai-san, Anko, Hana, and Ibiki-san should be brought into the loop as well, even though they're staying behind. It would be better if someone in the village knows what's going on."

"Kotetsu and Izumo? And Hana-chan? Aren't they Chuunin?"

Haruki shrugged. "Kotetsu and Izumo will be on gate duty and Hana's an Inuzuka. We should probably have a tracker on standby just in case. I want them to know the full story if Kumo tries anything to sneak into Konoha. I trust them."

"Very well," Sarutobi glanced out the window at the setting sun. "I'd also like my ANBU General and Second to be there."

Haruki nodded. He had worked under both in his time. "Of course."

Sarutobi nodded briskly. "Then I think that's all for today."

"Wait, there's one more thing," Haruki cut in. "There's something I want to talk to you about. It concerns the two Kumo-nin I mentioned earlier; the Raikage's brother and the woman. I have an idea."

Sarutobi's eyebrows got steadily higher as he listened to the redhead lay out his plan. It wasn't a bad idea. It wasn't a bad idea at all.

"Excuse me?"

Miki glanced up, blinking in surprise at the red-haired shinobi standing in front of her. She hadn't sensed anyone approaching. Quickly pasting on a polite smile even as she scanned the ninja with mostly a medic's eye (shadows under tired eyes, too pale, too thin) and partly a woman's eye (quite good-looking, even with the visible exhaustion; man would be gorgeous when he was completely healthy), she asked, "Hi, may I help you?"

The shinobi nodded. "Could you direct me to the medic that usually treats Gekkou Hayate?"

The medic-nin frowned thoughtfully, quickly opening a file cabinet and flicking through the numerous dossiers neatly sorted there. "Ah yes, you must mean Kano Takumi-sensei. He should be free in ten minutes actually." She turned back, smiling again. "Would you like me to book you an appointment then?"

The red-haired Jounin shook his head. "I'm only here to see him about Hayate. It won't take more than a few minutes. If you could just point me to his office and tell him that I'd like to see him, that'd be great."

Miki pursed her lips. How could this man just stand there looking like death warmed over and tell her that he wasn't here for medical attention?

The Jounin seemed to sense her concern and smiled reassuringly at her. "I am fine. Just had a late night."

Miki glared at the shinobi, unimpressed. She was a medic-nin for heaven's sake! But short of the Hokage's own order, it wasn't as if she could force him to see a doctor.

"Very well," She acquiesced reluctantly. "I'll contact Kano-sensei and tell him to meet you in his office, er...?" She trailed off, glancing questioningly at the Jounin.

"Kazama Haruki," Came the prompt reply.

Miki did a double-take. This was the shinobi everyone was talking about? The crazy sensei that had made a team of Genin practice their chakra control through the Hokage Tower, favoured by the Hokage himself, and had practically been adopted by Konoha's famed Sharingan no Kakashi?

"Ma'am?"

"Yes, of course, Kazama-san," Miki managed to splutter out, cheeks flushing at being caught staring. "Just head up the stairs. Kano-sensei's office is the second door on the left in the east wing."

"Thank you," With a last grateful smile, the red-haired Jounin left, leaving a flustered Miki behind.

As Haruki waited patiently in the office, he flipped through the folder containing the information on the cure one more time. It had taken five hours last night to write everything out. Kurama knew the information of course, but the fox's knowledge of it was a bit skewed; apparently, demons just didn't retain human facts the same way humans did. The order, for one, really meant nothing to the Kyuubi. After all, what would it matter if one item went before another when demons simply used chakra to heal?

But they had worked it out in the end, and by that time, it had been past four in the morning. The earlier dinner with Team 7 hadn't exactly helped either. He and Naruto had cooked up a meal fit for kings while Kakashi had wandered around with multiple copies of porn, pissing off Sakura and embarrassing Sasuke to no end. But they had gotten through the evening without needing too much damage control and Haruki had promptly shoved them all out the door at ten. As he now tended to do, he had walked Naruto back next door, not leaving until the boy was tucked in and halfway to sleep.

Closing the folder, Haruki sighed. Kakashi had been extra vigilant last night as well, hovering a few feet from him even as he teased his students as if afraid that the redhead would keel over at any given time. Haruki had been appreciative and annoyed in equal measure.

"Kazama-san?"

Haruki blinked and straightened up as a man in his late thirties walked in, medic coat flapping around him. He had thick brown hair and kind green eyes that reminded Haruki of Sakura's.

"Yes, that's me." Haruki offered a hand that was firmly shaken without hesitation. "I'm sorry to bother you while you're working."

Takumi waved a hand in the air as he ushered Haruki towards the two chairs by his desk. "It's fine; I'm free at the moment. What can I do for you?"

Never one to beat around the bush, Haruki pushed the folder across the desk towards the medic. "It's about one of your patients; Gekkou Hayate. This is a cure for his sickness."

Across from him, Takumi froze, hand hovering over the folder, eyes wide. "You're serious?"

At Haruki's nod, the doctor quickly flipped open the folder, eyes keen as he scanned the contents. Haruki stayed quiet as the man read through his notes, waiting patiently for him to finish.

"Are you a medic-nin?" The quiet question didn't come as a surprise, though the fact that it was the doctor's first was.

"No," Haruki denied as Takumi stared at him with a sharp green gaze. "But a while back, I met a woman, she was a medic-nin, and she told me about a few things. This was one of them. I only recently returned from a mission and met Hayate for the first time. I recognized the symptoms and thought I'd pass on what I learned."

"And this medic-nin would be...?"

Haruki smiled blandly at the doctor. "She's dead."

Takumi nodded once and pursued the issue no further, glancing back down at the file. "Well, this is amazing. You've written out every step and it would only take a few hours to develop this cure. The process is simple enough; I suppose the only reason no one else has been able to create this is because the formulas are so complicated. They're completely based on each other; one mistake would throw the entire thing off."

"So you'll be able to heal Hayate?" Haruki pressed.

Takumi nodded again, a faint smile surfacing on his features. "Most definitely. We'll call him in later today and start the treatment."

Haruki relaxed and found himself smiling as well. "That's great. Thank you."

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "I should be thanking you. You've just cured a supposedly incurable lung disease." He paused, a frown forming at his brow. "I suppose I should ask now; how much would you say you'd want in return for giving this to our medical community?"

Haruki stared stupidly for a several seconds. "Er, 'want'?"

Takumi tilted his head. "Well yes. What would be the cost of such information?"

Haruki blinked at the doctor, feeling completely out of his depth. Was this how medical circles worked? Buying and selling what might as well be people's lives?

He shot to his feet, ignoring the startled look on the medic's face. "Why would I want anything?" He demanded, anger tightening his chest. "Hayate's life is on the line here, as well as all the other people who have the same disease. I don't want you giving me money or whatever; I just want you to do your job and heal them!"

Haruki's voice had risen a little and he forced himself to calm down. It had been a long time since he had found anything to explode over but this was something new. What if the medical community refused to pay someone's price for a cure? Did that mean that the patients who could benefit from it would be left to die? Weren't medics supposed to cherish life once they took their oaths?

"I apologize," Takumi's soft acknowledgment made Haruki narrow his eyes at the doctor. "You have to realize that cures like this don't usually come freely."

Haruki pressed his lips together but sat down again. "Well they should," He snapped darkly. "What if the price is too high? What would happen to the patients then?"

Takumi studied the redhead carefully, trying not to smile. This Jounin was one surprise after another. When Miki had told him of the shinobi waiting to see him in his office about Hayate, he had expected another friend come to insist on knowing if any progress had been made on the cure. He hadn't expected a cure to land, quite literally, in his hands. Takumi had been prepared to pay whatever price Haruki wanted; he liked Hayate and didn't want to see him or his lover and friends suffer more than they had to. But again, the Jounin had surprised him, refusing payment and even taking offense at the implication.

"Most people do not think the way you do, Kazama-san," Takumi smiled somewhat deprecatingly. "They only think of how much they can earn and forget that there are lives at stake. Or if they do remember, they do not care."

Haruki snorted derisively. "Then they're all idiots. There are enough people dying every day without greedy fools hurrying it along."

"Very true," Takumi nodded, not holding back a smile this time. He liked this shinobi. There weren't many nowadays with such honour. "Then I can only say thank you, Kazama-san, and I promise you that Hayate will be cured as soon as possible."

Haruki nodded and made to rise, but hesitated at the last second. Takumi frowned. "Something wrong?"

"There is one thing. Two, actually." The redhead frowned, looking troubled enough that Takumi immediately found himself wanting to promise anything Haruki asked, but he held his tongue and heard the man out.

"The first is that I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention my name to Hayate or Yuugao or anyone else who asks about the cure,"

Takumi stared in utter bemusement. Did the man not want any credit? "I can agree to that," He finally allowed. "Though they'll want to know who to thank and I won't lie to them about it."

"Just tell them that I don't want them to know."

Takumi nodded in agreement. "And the other?"

"The other..." Haruki glanced at the office door before lowering his voice even further. "It's pretty much the same as the first. Just don't tell anyone who gave you that cure. And since I gave it to you, you'll be heading its production, right?" At Takumi's nod, Haruki continued, eyes intent, "Then please keep this away from Yakushi Kabuto."

Takumi's eyebrows shot up, thoughts flickering through his eyes at light speed. "Yakushi-kun, you say?"

As he observed the Jounin staring back at him, Takumi thought back to the Genin that usually helped out around the hospital. There had always been something about the young man that rubbed him the wrong way, but the other doctors and nurses all seemed to like him well enough and Takumi had never seen anything outwardly bad. Kabuto had impeccable manners, was always kind to the patients, and worked hard at everything he did. The general agreement in the hospital was that Kabuto took after Konoha's Medic Corps' captain, but to him, Yakushi Taichi had something genuine about him that his adoptive son had never managed to inherit.

"I see," Takumi finally spoke. "I don't have a problem with that, though this information will have to pass through his father before I can begin making it."

Haruki nodded. "That's fine. I hear Taichi-san is very well-respected."

Takumi nodded back and rose to his feet as Haruki did the same. "Then I will get started immediately. Would you like me to send word to you once Hayate has been cured?"

Haruki shook his head. "No need. I'll leave it to you."

They shook hands again but before Haruki could depart his office, Takumi called out one last time, "Perhaps, sometime in the near future, Kazama-san, you'll come in for a check-up of your own. It seems you are in need of one, and just the other day, Yamanaka Inoichi came around to ask after you."

Haruki stiffened momentarily before tossing a small smile over his shoulder. "Thank you, Kano-sensei. I'll keep that in mind."

Takumi shook his head as the Jounin left. He had recognized the name the moment Miki had mentioned it of course. But he hadn't really thought about the Yamanaka Clan Head until he had laid eyes on Haruki and seen the detrimental signs in the man's health. It was no wonder that Inoichi had come by to personally ask after the redhead if they knew each other.

But that would be a matter for later. At the moment, he had made a promise to Haruki to get this cure out as soon as possible, and if he had his way, which he would because it was the very least he could do for the red-haired Jounin, then Hayate would be cured before the day was out.

Kurenai stared critically at her students, holding back a sigh. Kiba was at it again, his short temper exploding over something Shino had said. She had just arrived herself, and hadn't managed to catch their no doubt one-sided argument. Hinata on the other hand was standing off to one side, hands wringing together and eyes darting nervously between her teammates.

After hearing from Asuma about his team's sudden motivation, Kurenai had figured that it couldn't possibly hurt to invite Haruki to one of her team's training sessions as well. Perhaps he could help her pull these kids together.

"Kurenai?"

Kurenai almost started, quickly turning around to meet the startlingly blue gaze of the Jounin she had just been mulling over. How did he do that? She hadn't been able to sense his chakra signature at all.

"Haruki," She smiled cheerfully in welcome. "Good morning, you're right on time. I'm glad Kakashi hasn't been rubbing off on you."

The boyish grin he sent her way lifted some of the fatigue from his face, though Kurenai frowned. Maybe she should sic Yuugao on him again. He was obviously not getting enough rest.

"So these are your students?"

Kurenai nodded and quickly called the three Genin over. They lined up in front of her, staring curiously (at least in Kiba's case anyway; Shino was as blank as ever and Hinata was staring at the ground) at the redhead.

"This is Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Hyuuga Hinata. Guys, this is Haruki. He's the one who's going to train you today."

"What can you do?" Kurenai winced as Kiba immediately piped up, bold and demanding.

Haruki only smiled, calm and untroubled in the face of the younger version of his hot-headed friend. He had already been prepared to deal with these three, and he was finding it easier to meet each of his old friends as he spent more time in the past. "Maa, that depends on the team." He glanced at the kunoichi beside him. "Do you have anything specific for them to do today, or can I just train them any way I want?"

Kurenai nodded. "Go ahead. I've cleared their schedule today."

"Alright then," Haruki turned back to the three Genin. "Basically, we're going to play a game of hide-and-seek. Kurenai and I will be hiding; you three will be seeking."

Kiba immediately scoffed. "That's easy! Akamaru can find anyone!"

Haruki shrugged easily. "There will be rules of course. Or rather, obstacles. I will be using Kage Bunshins for one. That would be a bit difficult for Akamaru, don't you think?"

Kiba frowned, glancing up at the dog perched on his head.

Haruki pulled out three ribbons, one green, one blue, and the last yellow. "This will be your goal. Either I or Kurenai will be holding these. All you have to do is ask. But our Kage Bunshins will be holding these too. The only rule is that you will fail if you take the wrong ribbons. Time limit is the rest of the day. You can use your dog," He looked at Kiba before switching his gaze to Shino. "Or your bugs," And then turned to look at Hinata. "Or your eyes. Use whatever means you can. Understand?"

Kiba nodded determinedly while Akamaru yipped above him. It didn't matter that there would be Kage Bunshins. He would disperse them and, if they didn't, they would be the real ones. This would be easy.

Shino inclined his head, silently directing one of his female bugs to land on Haruki's shoulder. The Jounin didn't seem to notice. He would be able to find him soon enough. His kikaichuu would only stay on the real one.

Hinata nodded meekly, glancing up briefly. She knew Kiba and Shino already had a plan. They always did. But she wondered if they would ask for her help. She had the Byakugan after all. She would be able to tell the difference between the Kage Bunshins and their real senseis. But, probably not. Just because she had the Byakugan didn't mean that she could use it well enough to help her teammates. Her shoulders slumped. She supposed she would leave this to them then.

Haruki eyed all three of them. Jeez, this was the quietest team he had ever worked with. Even Neji and Sasuke had been more talkative than this lot, with the exception of Kiba. He sighed inwardly. He hoped this exercise would help. He didn't know what else to do. He had spent a lot of time thinking up this plan and had even approached a few other shinobi for help earlier as he had set up the village-wide obstacle course. They had both agreed, eager for something to brighten up the monotone day.

"Alright then. When I say..." He glanced meaningfully at Kurenai and the woman blinked in abrupt understanding, tensing subtly and nodding slightly in return. "Begin."

Kiba blinked when neither Jounin moved, Haruki still holding onto the ribbons. "Well?" He asked impatiently. "Aren't you going to hide?"

Haruki shrugged, hefting the ribbons absently. Kurenai tilted her head at them, frowning a little.

From his right, Shino suddenly spoke up. "These are clones. They are already gone."

Kiba glared sullenly at his teammate. "How would you know that?"

Shino nodded at the copy of Haruki. "The kikaichuu I placed on Haruki-san's shoulder is no longer there. Thus, this is a Kage Bunshin."

Kiba huffed in irritation when the two in front of them smiled and dispersed, leaving only small puffs of smoke. "Fine then. Akamaru!" His partner leapt to the ground, nose already twitching. "Let's find them, boy! Which way do we go first?"

Shino frowned, irritation tilting his mouth down behind his collar. Why didn't Kiba ever listen? He should at least hear him out fully. After all, Shino had already noticed the clones. Feeling disgruntled, he headed off on his own, a male kikaichuu flying ahead of him. If Kiba didn't want to listen, then Shino would find the Jounin on his own.

Hinata glanced uneasily between the two boys. Now what was she supposed to do? Kiba had shot a nasty glare at Shino as the bug-user walked off before ignoring him entirely. Should she follow Kiba? Or maybe Shino?

"C'mon, Hinata!" Kiba suddenly called out, waving at her. "They're this way!"

Well, Kiba seemed to want her along. Nodding timidly, Hinata hurried after him. Maybe they could meet up with Shino later.

"I admit, I didn't think this exercise would be very hard for them earlier, but this could get interesting," Kurenai leaned against a tree as they watched several pairs of Kage Bunshins walk off in different directions.

After Haruki explained the plan to her, Kurenai had found herself looking forward to the rest of the day. This exercise would take all three of their skills combined and would help strengthen their tracking skills as well as their teamwork.

"Could I see some of those seals then?" She asked eagerly as they watched the last pair walk off. "I've never seen anything that could block the Byakugan."

Haruki chuckled but motioned her forward, extending a hand to touch the air. Kurenai gasped in surprise when kanji flashed into appearance in front of her, glowing with blue chakra.

"Wait a minute," She murmured, leaning forward. Her eyes widened as she saw wind currents shifting in the air, knotted tightly together with chakra. "You drew the seal with wind and chakra? No one does that! No one can!"

Haruki grinned at her, something like pride shining from that expression. "Well, I can. Pretty awesome, right? I can only hold it together for about a day though. Wind is damn hard to control."

Kurenai tried not to gape as the seal faded again. A day? She didn't know anyone who could do this for a second, much less a full twenty-four hours! There was a reason why wind-based ninjutsu was quick and lethal. Shinobi used chakra to shape the wind and throw it at the enemy, but even seasoned ninja couldn't hold it for too long or the attack would injure themselves. Wind was untameable. For Haruki to shape it into a seal and keep it activated with nothing but his own chakra was nothing short of insane. "Asuma is going to have a heart attack when he finds out," Kurenai said with feeling. "You have amazing control over the wind element."

Haruki just smiled at her. "Thanks," He glanced distractedly to the right. "Shino-kun's coming this way. Oh, that's right. Almost forgot,"

Kurenai blinked when Haruki created another Bunshin before removing a kikaichuu from his shoulder and placing it on the clone instead.

"Shino always does plan several steps ahead," Kurenai voiced, amused. "You're not going to kill it?"

Haruki frowned thoughtfully as he examined the kikaichuu. There was no way he was going to kill any of the Aburame bugs if he could help it. They had saved his life on more than one occasion. "It's a 'her', I think, and no, Shino-kun would be very angry with me." With a nod, he sent the Bunshin off and they took to the roofs again.

"Kikaichuu only have a lifespan of a few hours," Kurenai pointed out. "It- she'll die soon anyway."

Haruki shrugged. "Shino-kun is a bit different, I believe. He cares about his bugs."

Kurenai glanced sidelong at her companion. Strange. Haruki seemed so sure. "So what now?" She asked instead.

"Sit around and watch," The redhead flopped down on the roof before pulling out two paper seals and handing one to her. "Here, press this to your clothes. It'll hide scent and chakra signatures until we deactivate them later."

Kurenai accepted one, examining it curiously as she pressed it to her clothes. It was a complex seal, one she had never seen before, but then again, she hadn't expected anything less from the man who had removed Anko's Cursed Seal.

"Damn it! Is this the real one or the fake?"

Kiba glared furiously at the redhead in front of him. Haruki had dodged all his kunai, looking more and more amused as time passed, and he still couldn't tell if this was the real one or another clone. He frowned in thought, absently scratching behind one of Akamaru's ears. And then he brightened.

"Hinata!" Kiba whirled on her excitedly, ignoring the way she flinched. "Use your Byakugan! You can tell, can't you?"

Hinata shifted nervously in place. "Y-Yes. D-do you want m-me to check?"

Kiba nodded vigorously. "That'd be great!"

Hinata took a deep breath and then activated her kekkei genkai. Kiba wanted her help! She had to be able to do this. "No, he's just a Kage Bunshin..." She trailed off and looked around. What...

"Thanks, Hinata! Hah! We can totally do this! I'll find all of them and you can check if they're clones or not!"

"W-Wait, Kiba-kun," Hinata stuttered out, almost forgetting herself as she spun in a circle, bewildered.

Kiba frowned, taking a step towards her. "Hinata? Are you alright?"

Hinata squinted. What was going on? Why wasn't her Byakugan working? But it worked fine a moment ago. She could tell the clone apart from the real one.

"I did say that there would be obstacles," The Kage Bunshin spoke up suddenly.

Hinata whirled around again. "P-Pardon?"

The Haruki-lookalike smiled a little. "Find the correct route, Hinata-chan. That's the only way you'll be able to find us." Abruptly, the clone dispersed, leaving only a cloud of smoke behind.

"Hinata? What's he talking about?"

Hinata blinked at Kiba's confused voice before deactivating her Byakugan. "M-My Byakugan," She murmured. "It-It doesn't work when I l-look in s-some directions." Her face crumpled miserably. "I-I'm sorry."

The hand on her shoulder made her jump.

"Don't worry!" Kiba grinned at her. "You heard Haruki-san; you just have to find the correct route! That's a hint! Once you find it, we can go straight to him instead of just wasting time on every Kage Bunshin!"

Hinata stared before managing a tremulous smile. "Th-Thanks, Kiba-kun."

Maybe she wouldn't be too much of a burden after all.

Shino stared at the Jounin standing in front of him, eyeing his Kikaichuu. This was the real one; he was sure. Holding out a hand, he waited for Haruki to hand him the ribbons.

"Oi, Shino! That ain't him!"

Instinctively, Shino jerked his hand back and turned to look irritably at his teammate. "My kikaichuu is still attached to him. He is the real one."

Kiba rolled his eyes as he raced up to his teammate. Why did Shino always have to be so stuck-up? "Look," He explained impatiently, gesturing at Hinata behind him. "Hinata says that's a Kage Bunshin and she can't be wrong. Haruki-san probably found your bug and moved it."

Shino stiffened, glancing at his female teammate. Hinata had her Byakugan activated and was between them anxiously. He pressed his lips together and turned back to the clone. So Haruki had caught on after all. Well, he was a Jounin; it wasn't so surprising. He silently summoned the kikaichuu back to him and the Kage Bunshin smiled before dispersing in a cloud of smoke.

"Alright then, Akamaru can catch the scent of the next Bunshin until Hinata can find her way through the village!" Kiba looked at both of them expectantly. "C'mon then!"

Shino frowned at the youngest Inuzuka. Just because Kiba had Hinata's help didn't mean his own kikaichuu couldn't do the same thing as Akamaru. "I will find my own way," He announced firmly as he sent out his kikaichuu.

Hinata watched, wide-eyed as Kiba predictably exploded, yelling at the stoic bug-user once again as they moved off to the side. She sighed and glanced up. This was getting old. At the rate they were going, they would definitely fail this mission. But what could she do? They weren't going to listen to her. She could barely hold her own in a spar with either of them and with her Byakugan closed off-

"Won't you at least try, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata jumped and spun around, eyes widening when she caught sight of their temporary sensei. "Y-you're-"

Haruki chuckled, leaning against a tree on the side of the road. "Aa, I'm the real one, but unfortunately, Kurenai has the ribbons right now."

Hinata's face fell even as she deactivated her Byakugan. She quickly ducked here head when she caught a glimpse of steady blue eyes studying her. Haruki's gaze made her feel uneasy, as if the Jouninn could see all her faults and shortcomings.

"Well? Won't you at least try?"

Hinata flushed, ashamed. God, Haruki must think so little of her. "I-I'm not good e-enough," She trailed off, floundering for more words.

A thoughtful silence. "How do you know?"

Hinata froze, not sure how to answer. She just knew. She wasn't good enough. Her sister never looked at her with anything but subtle contempt. Her father was always disappointed in her. And her cousin, her cousin whom she had played with as a child didn't even bother hiding his dislike and scorn for her.

"Hinata,"

She jerked up at the stern voice, not quite sure what to expect. Her gaze caught Haruki's again and she found herself unable to drop her eyes this time.

Haruki frowned a little as he moved forward to crouch down in front of the Hyuuga heiress. "Hinata-chan, how do you know you can't if you don't at least try?"

Wide-eyed and nervous, Hinata opened and closed her mouth several times before whispering, "B-Because Otou-sama and Neji-nii-sama and Hanabi all th-think so. A-And my entire Clan th-thinks so too."

Haruki tilted his head, remaining silent for a while longer. The embarrassed flush quickly returned to the kunoichi's cheeks and she made to duck her head again. A startled yelp escaped her when a gentle finger poked her in the forehead.

"First of all," Haruki smiled at her. "No looking down. You've got nothing to be ashamed of. And you're beautiful. Why would you want to hide your face all the time?"

Hinata turned beet red, flushing violently at the Jounin's words. She automatically tried to lower her head again but was immediately met with a poke to the forehead once more. Hesitantly, she raised her head a little instead, shifting nervously when Haruki arched an eyebrow.

"Now," Haruki continued once the timid girl met his gaze again. "You said that your family all think you can't do anything?" At Hinata's nod, Haruki frowned again, leaning forward a little to peer more closely at her. "And what if they're all wrong?"

Hinata jerked, staring wide-eyed at the red-haired Jounin as she gaped at him. "Th-They c-can't be wrong!" She stammered out, twisting the hem of her jacket. "I-I'm-"

"Hinata-chan," Haruki interrupted, choosing his next words carefully. "The only way they can be right is if you believe they are."

Hinata fell silent, hands frozen in motion as Haruki's words replayed themselves in her head.

Haruki inwardly sighed. God, this was hard. He was much more used to the quiet but confident woman Hinata would eventually grow up into. "It's easy, Hinata-chan," Haruki continued patiently. "There's only one thing you have to decide: do you want them to be right?"

Hinata instantly shook her head before she could stop herself. Flushing again, she just managed to remember not to look down and felt a stir of warmth in her chest as Haruki smiled his approval.

"Well then," Haruki reached out to gently untangle her fingers from her jacket. "I don't see the problem. If you don't want them be right, then prove them wrong."

Hinata deflated. "I-I can't-"

"Try," Haruki cut in again. "You never know until you try. And you just keep trying until you get it right. Besides, what do they know? Who can possibly know you better than you know yourself? Your thoughts, your feelings, your insecurities, your dreams; no one can possibly know those things better than you. And anyone, anyone can do anything as long as they never give up."

Hinata stared at the man in front of her, not quite sure how to react. No one had ever said these things to her, as if they thought...

As if they thought she could do it. As if they believed in her.

A tear slipped unbidden down her cheek and she quickly reached up to scrub it away. She didn't want Haruki to see her crying, but, checking his expression, all he did was continue smiling back at her. Her father would have disapproved.

They both glanced up as Kiba's voice rose again, loud even at this distance. Hinata sometimes wondered how her teammates managed to stay alive in each other's presence.

"They're both far too proud," Haruki commented mildly as he stood up again. He glanced down at the Hyuuga heiress beside him. "That's where you come in, you know. You're they're bridge."

Hinata frowned, feeling confused. "B-Bridge?" She made sure to keep her head up instead of glancing down. Somehow, she felt herself relaxing in this Jounin's presence.

Haruki nodded. "Well, as you can see, those two definitely aren't going to become friends by themselves anytime soon. Someone's got to pull them together."

"B-But I don't know i-if they'll listen to me," Hinata glanced anxiously at her teammates again.

Haruki chuckled, slipping his hands into his coat as he rocked back on his heels. "Every team's like that, Hinata-chan," Noting her quizzical expression, Haruki clarified, "Your cousin's team is like that. Neji-kun and Lee-kun are as different as night and day. Tenten's the one who keeps both of them grounded and tied to the team."

Hinata blinked, thinking back to the few times she had glimpsed her cousin during one of his training sessions. The green-clad teammate of his was a bit... different. But the female kunoichi did seem more level-headed and Hinata had even caught her lecturing Neji once.

"W-What about N-Naruto-kun's...?" She trailed off, blushing furiously.

Haruki held back a smile. Hinata did have a crush on him back in the day, didn't she? And being the clueless idiot he had been, he had completely missed the Hyuuga heiress' affections, but perhaps that was best. Things had turned out fine in the future and Hinata had found her own love in the end.

"Naruto's team is just as bad; probably worse," Haruki told her cheerfully. "He and Sasuke are similar and different in so many ways. Those two fight all the time. If it wasn't for Sakura, they'd be at each other's throats every five minutes. Half the time, I'm surprised Sakura doesn't go insane having to deal with those two all the time."

An unexpected giggle slipped out and Hinata quickly clapped a hand over her mouth. But Haruki only laughed softly, one hand giving her a soft pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry; laugh at them all you want. Those two are a comedy show all on their own."

This time, the giggles came more freely and Hinata found herself smiling openly for the first time in a long while. She hesitated for a moment, glancing between the boys and her temporary sensei before asking shyly, "W-What do you think I-I should do? A-About them?"

Haruki hmm'd thoughtfully, inwardly dancing on the inside. "Well, you could try yelling at them," He grinned at the horrified expression on Hinata's face. "Hey, it would definitely work. You could shock them into compliance. But I suppose that's not your style." He paused, glancing down at the kunoichi again. "What do you think you should be doing right now?"

Hinata looked around nervously before activating her Byakugan and scanning their surroundings again. She had caught a glimpse of something that looked like a path and she concentrated in that direction now. Yes, she could still see it! There was nothing blocking her Byakugan this time and she could see right through the buildings blocking her way.

Deactivating her Byakugan again, she glanced brightly up at Haruki, forgetting her reticence as she piped up excitedly, "I found it! I can see the way!"

Haruki quirked a smile at her as he nodded. "Okay then. You're already one up your teammates. Now you just have to get them to listen." He reached out to give the Hyuuga heiress a gentle push forward when she remained frozen in place. "You're constantly changing at your own pace and you're fine just the way you are. What you want to become, what you want to prove; you already have the strength to do both. All you have to do is find it in yourself and take the leap. Now go on. Show them what you can do, Hinata-chan."

Hinata watched as the Jounin gave her a last smile before melting into a nearby alleyway, a mixture of hope and disbelief forming hard lump in her throat. That was the first time anyone had ever told her she could do something. But what could Haruki see in her? She turned back to stare at her teammates, one still shouting, the other doing his best to ignore him.

You're constantly changing at your own pace and you're fine just the way you are. What you want to become, what you want to prove; you already have the strength to do both. All you have to do is find it in yourself and take the leap.

Hinata pressed her lips together before straightening her shoulders. She didn't want to stay like this forever. She wanted to get stronger. And if she already had the potential to do that, then the only thing stopping her right now was herself.

Taking a deep breath, Hinata marched forward, coming to a stop just a few steps behind her two teammates. "K-Kiba-kun…"

She frowned when her voice came out barely above a murmur. That wouldn't do. If she wanted them to listen to her, then she'd have to speak up. She winced when Kiba reached out to grab Shino. That probably wouldn't be a good idea.

"Kiba-kun! Shino-kun! Stop fighting!" Her voice almost cracked at the end, but Hinata determinedly held the volume until the very last word. To her shock, both boys froze, heads snapping in her direction with shock evident on even Shino's face. She flushed but kept her head up defiantly when she remembered Haruki's words.

"I found the path Haruki-san left f-for us," Hinata forced the stammer out of her words as much as she could. "Shino-kun, Haruki-san gave us th-this mission as a team. I think it would be best to stick t-together. Kiba-kun, don't get m-mad at everything Shino-kun does. You b-both specialize in tracking. You have your way and Shino-kun has his. W-Wouldn't we finish th-this mission even faster if y-you two work together?"

Hinata felt her clenched hands tremble just a little by the end of her monologue. She had never spoken so much at one time. Actually, she was pretty sure she had never spoken so much in a day. Both her teammates were staring at her as if she had suddenly grown a second head and Hinata fought the urge to shrink away and look down, staring resolutely back at the boys.

Surprisingly, Shino was the first to capitulate, shoulders suddenly losing their tensed slant and his entire countenance regaining their previous stoicism. "If you have found the path Haruki-san designated for us," Shino muttered. "Then it is logical to stay together."

Kiba couldn't quite tear his eyes off his female teammate. What the heck had happened to Hinata? Where was the shy, timid girl he knew as his teammate? At the moment, all he could see was a subtle ferocity in Hinata's face, almost daring him to argue with her.

"A-Aa," He managed, rubbing the back of his neck as his expression turned sheepish. "Well if you know which way to go, then staying together sounds good."

Hinata brightened visibly. They listened to her! Was this all she had to do? Give them something important enough that they would see the value of sticking together as a team?

"O-Okay then," She stammered out when she noticed that both boys' attentions were still glued on her. "L-Let's go this way. I think w-we're heading towards the v-village's gates."

Hinata turned and began walking, stamping down the urge to check if they would follow. She found herself smiling when she heard the shuffle of footsteps fall into step behind her.

Maybe she could do something if she tried.

"Asuma was right; you're great with children."

Haruki snorted, perched at the edge of a rooftop. "Kurenai, it was touch-and-go for a while there. I'm not used to talking to girls like Hinata. Until the last moment, I still hadn't decided how I was going to get through to her."

Kurenai blinked, leaning forward curiously. "Undecided? What would you have done instead if not that?"

Haruki shrugged before grinning wryly. "Got her mad. Insulted her until she got pissed enough to yell back at me," Haruki raised his hands in a placating gesture at the appalled look on the kunoichi's face. "Hey, don't look at me like that. I know people that just won't respond unless I piss them off."

"Like Anko," Kurenai shot back huffily. "Not Hinata. I would've punched you if you had picked that method."

The redhead rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Good thing I didn't then, huh?"

Kurenai just rolled her eyes before nodding at her students. "Let's go then. They're almost at the gates."

Kotetsu perked up from his slumped position at the wooden desk when he caught sight of three distant figures making their way toward them. "Hey, hey! They're coming!"

Izumo rolled his eyes but couldn't help straightening up as well. Gate duty was damn boring when there wasn't anything going on and damn annoying when there was. Either way, it wasn't the best job in the world.

"You think they'll ask us?" Kotetsu leaned forward impatiently, peering at the approaching Genin. "Maybe we should give them a hint."

Izumo couldn't suppress an exasperated sigh as he reached out and yanked his partner back into his seat. "Would you stop that? With the way you're acting, you might as well be waving a red flag at them. Besides, Haruki said they'd get it. We're supposed to give them the hint after they come to us, not give them a hint to get the real hint."

Kotetsu huffed but settled back down in his chair. He had been bored all morning and it was already nearing midday. There hadn't been so much as an ant crossing into Konoha. No one could blame him for being a little excited.

When Haruki had approached them at six-thirty this morning looking like death warmed over, they had immediately enquired after his health. The redhead had assured them that he was fine and had just had a late night, looking almost puzzled at their concern. The two of them had been hard-pressed not to call Yuugao up immediately and have the woman drag Haruki to the hospital. The man looked like Hayate on a bad day.

But before they could make up their minds, Haruki had launched into a brief explanation of the training exercise he had in mind for Kurenai's Genin team and had asked them if they wanted to help. Neither of them needed any time to think on it and agreed immediately. The makeshift mission sounded entertaining and would make their day more interesting.

"Genins are kinda slow," Kotetsu commented in a low voice and Izumo held back the urge to whack him over the head.

"They're just starting," He whispered back. "What did you expect?"

Kotetsu shuffled his feet as he watched the group draw closer. They could at least walk faster. And how exactly was that dog supposed to pick up on all the chakra threads if it was sitting on top of the boy's head? And he couldn't see a single kikaichuu flying around either. He squinted at them and willed them to walk faster. They stopped and looked around.

Kotetsu twitched and growled, "Damn, they're either not that bright or, well, not that bright." An elbow in his ribs made him grunt.

Izumo glared irately at his partner. "If you don't shut up, I'm going to knock you out and do our part by myself."

His voice bordering on a whine, Kotetsu retorted, "C'mon, Zumo. We could've done this when we were Genin."

Izumo gave him a pointed look. "You sucked at sensing chakra signatures. How would you have found the chakra threads?"

Kotetsu grinned at his partner. "You were amazing at sensing chakra. I'd just ask you. Anyway, Kurenai's team have an Aburame and an Inuzuka, plus the Hyuuga. They should be rushing through this with no problem."

Izumo just heaved another sigh but didn't bother arguing back. Prolonged arguments with Kotetsu usually resulted in headaches. The man just didn't give.

"Hey, they're moving again! They're coming this way! Act normal!"

Izumo could feel a tick developing over one eye as he tried not to slam his head into the wooden table. A bored Kotetsu was a stupid and mildly hyperactive Kotetsu. He aimed a kick at his partner's shin.

"Settle down!" He snapped as best he could without raising his voice. "If anyone needs to look normal, it's you! Calm down, idiot!"

Izumo turned to glance at the Genin as Kotetsu obeyed somewhat reluctantly and settled back again, shifting occasionally in his seat. He glanced down at one hand and flexed it. He was no puppeteer and sending out chakra threads wasn't something he did on a regular basis, but it was challenging enough to be fun. Maybe he would try to lead them astray. Haruki had said they could do anything they want.

"Th-The trail ends here," Hinata stopped to look around. The main gates loomed in front of them but there wasn't anything eye-catching within sight.

Shino glanced around, noting the two Chuunin on gate duty. He frowned. One of them looked... excited. Silently, he directed his bugs out. They were back within seconds, relaying their conversation to him. He took a step towards the two shinobi before stopping to consider his options. And then, with a mental sigh, he turned back to his two teammates.

"My kikaichuu say that those two Chuunin are part of this mission. They will direct us to our next destination."

Kiba's jaw dropped open, blinking in surprise at his teammate. Did Shino just offer up information of his own freewill?

Hinata smiled timidly at the older boy. "Th-Thanks for telling us, Shino-kun. I guess we should go ask them?"

Kiba closed his mouth with a click and offered a wary grin at the bug-user. "Alright then; let's go see what they know."

A minute later, they were assembled in front of the two suddenly bored-looking shinobi, and like always, Kiba spoke up first, bounding up to the wooden desk with his usual enthusiasm.

"Hi! Did Haruki-san, Jounin, red hair, blue eyes, did he come by?"

The two Chuunin exchanged a disinterested glance. Or at least tried to. The one on the left suddenly made a face and broke out into a grin.

"Okay, I can't do this," He announced as the Chuunin on the right face-palmed. "C'mon Zumo, what am I supposed to do? I can't treat a bunch of Genin like they're foreign nin come to visit."

The shinobi on the right snapped, looking annoyed, "No one told you to! We're supposed to pretend we don't know anything until they give us enough proof that they know what they're doing!"

The first Chuunin shrugged and turned back to them. "They asked about Haruki; that's good enough for me. Now let's get started."

The second Chuunin sighed and gave up, casting a critical eye over them.

Kiba exchanged bemused expressions with his fellow teammates. What could these two possibly tell them? Couldn't they just point them in the right direction?

"Alright then, here's the deal," Kotetsu stood up and came out from the station. "Izumo, that's him by the way, and I'm Kotetsu, we're going to send out chakra threads toward certain parts of the village. Your job is to follow the right thread to find Haruki. And Kurenai I suppose. Understand?"

Izumo frowned over at his partner as he also stood up. "I seem to recall longer instructions, Kotetsu," He turned back to the Genin. "There will be two correct threads among twenty. One will lead you straight to them while the other will lead you back to us eventually and then you'll be able to follow the other one to find them. The two correct threads will have the most amount of chakra put into it. Any questions?"

All three Genin shook their heads. Kotetsu and Izumo exchanged a glance before turning simultaneously towards the rest of the village, spread their hands, and shot out a web of chakra threads, the shimmering blue almost glinting under the midday sun.

Izumo frowned in concentration, mentally ticking off the list of places Haruki had given him as he directed his threads to different parts of the village. Well, this wasn't too bad. So long as the Genin didn't take too long, he could probably keep this up for a few hours. Although, he twitched a finger to extend one last thread, reducing the chakra output by about a tenth, towards Shushuya, he figured it took Suna-nin quite a while to become puppet masters.

Kotetsu inwardly made a face as he controlled the chakra regulation in his threads. Huh. This was harder than he thought it would be. But, he thought as he tagged the side wall of Ichiraku Ramen with a thread, it was also just as much fun as he had thought it would be. Guiding the threads through the twists and turns of the village any way he wanted was good practice and it would be interesting to see what these Genin could do when he adjusted the chakra level of some of the threads.

"Alright!" Kiba turned to Hinata. "Hinata? Just find the right threads and leave the rest to Akamaru!" He paused, glancing hesitantly at his other teammate before adding grudgingly, "And Shino's bugs can help too."

Hinata nodded and activated her Byakugan, and then almost reeled when she saw the village open before her. "Haruki-san took down the barriers!" She stared in surprise.

Kiba glanced between her and the village. "Really? So you can see through stuff again?"

Hinata nodded happily before her face fell a little. "But I c-can't see that far."

Kiba shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh, who cares? You can work on that from now on and it'll get better, right?"

Hinata smiled tentatively at that as she nodded. Turning her Byakugan to the chakra threads, she frowned closely at the strings, quickly ruling out nine of them. She glanced nervously at the two Chuunin and quietly pointed them out. The shinobi exchanged an amused look before releasing them, leaving eleven behind. This time, Hinata had to peer more closely at the threads, ruling out two more before becoming stumped. The last nine looked identical.

She glanced uncertainly back at her teammates and Kiba promptly bounded forward. "Alright! Let's each take a path and follow it. Whoever finds them first can use a Bunshin to send for the others, okay?"

Hinata nodded and Shino inclined his head before all three set off. The threads faded in colour as they drew farther away from the two Chuunin but Akamaru had already jumped to the ground to lead Kiba, Shino had his bugs spread out in front of him, and Hinata quickly followed the trail with her eyes.

Behind them, Kotetsu and Izumo smirked. Haruki had said they could do anything they wanted to the incorrect strings and none of them had picked the right one. Without a word, they adjusted the threads so that they ran through alleyways and down streets, looping around the buildings to lead the Genin in useless circles.

"Wonder how long it'll take for them to catch on?" Kotetsu settled on the ground, transferring his remaining four strings to his right hand and withdrawing a kunai with his left to draw idle doodles on the ground.

Izumo rolled his eyes but sat down as well. They made a rather strange sight. He was glad Anko wasn't around to laugh at them as they sat in front of the entrance gates with chakra threads attached to their hands. Then again, she could just as easily want to join in. It was always hard to tell her.

Three hours later, they were both twitching.

"God, how long are they going to take?" Kotetsu flopped back on the ground, ignoring the fact that it shook the two remaining chakra threads attached to his fingers. Damn, he was starving!

Izumo tried not to scowl and reminded himself that they were only Genin. Seeing as he had been telling himself that for the past two hours, it wasn't working very well. He transferred the three threads from one hand to the other.

By some sort of bad luck, all three Genin had managed to pick every thread except the two that they needed. He and Kotetsu had played with them for a while, adjusting the threads so that they led the students in circles. But seriously, how much longer were they going to take?

"Hungry?"

An amused voice sounded from beside them and they turned to see Haruki and Kurenai approaching, weighed down with boxes of food.

"Our saviours!" Kotetsu cheered, shooting up again as he accepted a box from Haruki. "Ooh, yakisoba! Thanks!"

Izumo grinned a thanks up at the two Jounin as well before digging in. "You really should've come earlier," He commented reproachfully. "I had to listen to Tetsu moan about his stomach."

Kotetsu shot him a scowl as he swallowed a big mouthful. "Hey, you were just as hungry as I was. Don't put this all on me!"

Haruki exchanged an amused smile with Kurenai. These two were always good for a few laughs.

"Hey, are your students doing anyway?" Izumo enquired.

Kurenai shrugged gracefully. "They're following the trails well-enough. Shino's been the quickest to figure out that his strings are just misleads. Kiba's the slowest."

"Heh, we played with them for a bit," Kotetsu remarked with a grin. "We can't extend chakra strings through the entire village so we just keep looping back. Needless to say, it's been working."

They all glanced up as they sensed Kiba's chakra signature storming towards them and Shino and Hinata not far behind.

"Ah," Haruki straightened. "We better get going. Thanks for the help, you two."

The two Chuunin waved their chopsticks in the air. "No problem. It was pretty fun. Come back anytime. And remember to buy lunch for us again."

Haruki chuckled and waved a hand behind him before shunshining away, Kurenai a few steps behind him.

"WE FOUND YOU!"

Haruki and Kurenai turned from their spots on the Hokage Monument, legs dangling over the edge. They both held back smiles as Kiba stormed up to them, expression thunderous and looking dusty and exhausted. Akamaru was resting on top of Kiba's head, obviously dozing, and Shino and Hinata didn't look to be fairing much better. The Aburame heir was as stoic as ever but there was a tired air around him as he came up to them. The Hyuuga heiress was panting, her Byakugan deactivated as she half-stumbled towards them as well.

Haruki smiled and stood up. "Congratulations. We just talked with Kotetsu and Izumo a few minutes before you followed the last string. You've gotten faster."

Kiba scowled and glared suspiciously at the ribbons, sniffing at them. "Alright, they're the right ones. Now I can rest." He flopped to the ground, reclining back on his hands.

Kurenai chuckled and rose to her feet as well, smiling at her students. Hinata had somehow managed to pull them together, though she suspected that there was still something unresolved between Kiba and Shino. "Good job," She said instead. "I didn't expect you to get here so quickly after returning to Kotetsu and Izumo again."

Despite his fatigue, Kiba grinned up at her. "Akamaru's the best. He can find anyone quickly once he gets a lead."

A near-invisible frown marred Shino's brow as his irritation from the long mission and Kiba's usual antics came to a breaking point, and he remarked sharply, "My kikaichuu helped as well. If it were not for them, your dog would not have been as fast."

Kiba was immediately on his feet, almost dislodging Akamaru. "Hey, don't insult Akamaru!" His temper flared as Kurenai tried to calm him down. "He's an Inuzuka dog! We're the best trackers in the world!"

Shino's voice was tight with tension as he retorted flatly, "Kikaichuu are less noticeable. They are obviously better trackers. Akamaru got confused when two chakra threads crossed each other. If you were older, perhaps you two would have been able to tell the diff-"

Kiba cut in, eyes glaring as he snarled, "We're getting better every day! And Akamaru's the best partner anyone could have and I'm not weak so just shut up!"

And then, without a backwards glance, the Inuzuka rushed off, shoving roughly past both of them as he descended the Hokage Monument again.

Kurenai stared at her team, wondering how things had gone downhill so quickly. Why would Kiba snap like that? Granted, he was more tired than usual but Shino's first remark hadn't been very out-of-character. It was along the same things the bug-user always said.

Hinata stared between Shino and Kiba, unsure of how to proceed. A soft voice interrupted her thoughts and she turned to look at Haruki.

"Could you go after him, Hinata-chan?" Haruki hadn't moved from his spot and he waited for Hinata to nod and, throwing one last worried glance at the motionless Aburame, hurry after Kiba. He glanced at Kurenai and tilted his head at Shino. The kunoichi seemed to understand because she nodded after a moment and, reaching out to pat Shino's shoulder as she passed, took off after her other two students.

Haruki waited until the others were out of sight before letting his gaze slide over to Shino. For once, the bug-user looked almost unsettled, shifting subtly on the spot as his kikaichuu, sensing his anxiety, stirred beneath his coat.

"Shino-kun," Haruki finally called out softly as he dropped back down to sit at the edge. "Indulge me and come sit with me for a bit, please?"

A long moment of silence resounded around them, broken only by the soft whistle of the wind. And then there was a shuffle of footsteps and the Aburame heir carefully sat down on the ledge as well, leaving a good two feet between them.

Haruki remained quiet, staring out over the village as he waited for Shino to speak. From long experience, he knew that the bug-user would only talk when he was good and ready and no amount of prodding would get him to do otherwise. The fact that Shino had chosen to sit next to him instead of simply walking away meant that he was actually willing to talk.

"I did not mean it that way," Shino finally said, hands stuffed deep in his coat as sat stiffly beside the red-haired Jounin. He wasn't quite sure why he was even sitting there really, but his feet had brought him over to Haruki so there he was. "Kiba is always..."

He trailed off, not knowing how to describe his teammate without insulting him too badly.

"Touchy?" The Jounin beside him offered, a tinge of hollow amusement in his voice. "You could say that he has reason to be."

Shino glanced over at Haruki out of the corner of his eye. What did that mean?

But the Jounin didn't expand any further, instead continuing with a completely different line of conversation. "What did you think of the exercise today?"

Shino frowned, absently tapping a heel against the Yondaime's hair. An amused snicker made him glance to the side again, only to find Haruki staring at his foot with a private smile glinting in his eyes. Abruptly, he stilled his foot even as Haruki turned his gaze back to the village again.

"It was different," Shino revealed. "Kurenai-sensei has never done something like that with us. Why you ask? Because Aburames and Inuzukas and even Hyuugas are natural trackers. Our skills are honed with age." He paused for a moment, considering the difficulty he had had. "It was... easier with Hinata and Kiba," He admitted at last. "It would have taken much longer if I had had to do it alone."

Haruki smiled. "Maa, that's what teammates are for. So you don't have to carry your burdens alone. It takes a while, for teams to click. Some teams fall together immediately, like Shikamaru-kun, Ino-chan, and Chouji-kun. Other teams have a lot of infighting, but they pull together when it really counts, like Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Then there are teams like yours," The redhead glanced down at Shino. "Who don't really mesh until you get the opportunity to understand each other."

Shino's frown deepened but he remained silent. He still wasn't sure he understood.

"Was it hard?" Haruki asked, going off on another tangent again. "Sending out your bugs to retrieve information and all."

Shino glanced suspiciously at the Jounin before inclining his head cautiously. "It was time-consuming, especially in places where my bugs have not been yet." He hesitated before continuing, "I have been working on a new jutsu but it is not going well."

"Oh?" Haruki looked over. "Maybe I could help. What's the jutsu?"

Shino silently pressed a hand against the ground, muttering, "Hijutsu: Mushiyose."

A faint web of chakra extended from his hand but it stuttered to a stop about a meter away. Lips pressed together in frustration, Shino withdrew his chakra and turned back to the village.

Haruki hmm'd thoughtfully before extending his own hand. "Well, why don't you try making chakra threads, like Kotetsu and Izumo today?"

Shino blinked as blue threads shot from the Jounin's fingers and attached itself to a nearby rock. With a subtle twitch, the string yanked the rock off the ground and Haruki caught it neatly as it flew through the air.

"How did you-" He leaned forward before catching himself. But Haruki only grinned, dropping the rock and reaching for his own hand. Shino hesitated. He usually didn't like anyone touching him. His kikaichuu sometimes didn't move fast enough and would get crushed in the few times someone did. But to his surprise, Haruki made sure to circle his fingers only around his hand and not above his wrist, gently extending his fingers.

"First of all, concentrate a controlled point of chakra to your fingers. Try your index to begin. And then just imagine pushing your chakra out in a controlled way, only through that finger. Try it."

Shino silently did as he was told, eyes narrowing in concentration as he released the chakra. To his alarm, a burst of chakra poured out of his hand, jerking him backwards and shaking a few kikaichuu loose from where they were resting under his coat. The kikaichuu instinctively flew towards the small explosion of chakra and Shino instinctively opened his mouth to cry out a warning.

Two hands suddenly shot out and caught the three kikaichuu in cupped hands, drawing them away from the fading burst of energy and returning them to his coat. Wide-eyed, Shino stared at the very-much alive bugs fluttering lazily on his sleeve.

"Shino-kun?" Shino jerked up to stare at the Jounin. "Are they alright? Sorry, I guess I should have warned you that that might happen." Haruki reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind one ear and Shino caught the reddened skin on the back of one hand.

"You are hurt," He stated (somewhat stupidly, he thought. Of course the Jounin knew he was hurt. Chakra burns stung.)

Haruki glanced down at his hand. He had barely noticed. "Don't worry," He reassured the Genin. "I've had much worse. This will go away soon enough. Are your bugs alright?"

Shino nodded, letting the kikaichuu crawl back under his coat. "You did not have to save them," He said after a moment, not really sure where he was going with this; only knowing that the brief flare of panic in his stomach had faded when Haruki had saved his bugs. "They would have died in a few hours."

Haruki only smiled warmly down at him. "Yes, but they're important to you, aren't they? No matter how unimportant something may seem to others, if it's important to you, then you have to protect it at all costs. You're my student, at least for today, so as your sensei, what's important to you is important to me. Besides, I know how important kikaichuu are. Konoha's lucky to have them."

Shino stared some more, finding himself completely out of his depth. He wanted to say 'thank you', or do something to show his gratitude for the Jounin for doing something so seemingly insignificant, but he couldn't quite get the words out and, in the end, simply extended a hand again. "Show me again, please?" Shino found himself unsurprised when Haruki simply nodded and took his hand again.

They worked on producing chakra threads for several more minutes until Shino could extend a weak thread of chakra outwards. It wouldn't attach to anything but Haruki assured him that simply creating them was the first step.

"Now," The Jounin continued briskly. "Try doing your jutsu again."

Shino nodded and placed his hand on the ground again. To his surprise, the web seemed to spread from his hand more easily, extending a good two-and-a-half metres before stopping again. He glanced up questioningly at Haruki.

"A web is easier to create than singular threads," The redhead explained. "Chakra threads are more concentrated, so if you can do that, a web should come much easier."

Shino nodded again and this time managed a quiet "thank you."

Haruki smiled before reaching into a pocket and withdrawing a green ribbon. "Your prize for successfully completing the mission today," He announced cheerfully, extending the thin strip of cloth towards him.

Shino blinked as he accepted it, not quite sure what he was supposed to do with it. His hands stilled as he caught sight of the design, small and meticulously depicted, on the surface of one end of the ribbon.

It was a kikaichuu. The detail was amazing. Looking closely, Shino could pick out the faint lines on his clan's bugs' wings, sewn on the forest green cloth in silver thread. Only the eyes were a different shade; an emerald green that almost seemed to shine under the afternoon sunlight. Aburames were quiet because they wanted to be, not because they couldn't find words to express themselves, but for once, Shino found himself at a loss for words.

"When I was young," Haruki said beside him, voice measured. "I lived alone. I had to learn to do a lot of things most of the other kids didn't and sewing was one of them. Had to fix my own clothes, you see, so I'm pretty good at that." An almost self-conscious pause. "Do you like it?"

Right away, Shino nodded, clutching the ribbon tightly in one hand. Again, he managed a soft "thank you" before carefully tucking the ribbon away in his pocket. He would carry it with him from now on, perhaps for good luck.

"Listen to those around you, Shino-kun," Haruki's voice made him look up again. "Not just to what they say but also to what they don't say. And look at those around you too; not just at what they show you, but what you can see when you really look at them."

Shino considered the words, still not quite understanding. He glanced up at the redhead and tilted his head in question.

Haruki nodded decisively back at him before clambering to his feet, tugging at his coat. "Alright, come on. Kiba's probably gotten into trouble by now; he always likes to pick fights when he's angry. I think you'll see something interesting if we hurry."

Mystified, Shino rose to his feet as well, trotting after the Jounin without a second thought.

Five minutes later, Shino stood in the shadows of an alleyway, staring with a strange mix of consternation and anger at the altercation playing out before him.

"-runt of the litter is a bit far from home, isn't he?" One Chuunin jeered.

Kiba glared furiously back at them, fists clenched as Akamaru growled on top of his head. Behind him, Hinata stood frozen to the spot, looking shocked and uncertain, but a rising flush of anger coloured her cheeks. "Shut the hell up! I'm going to be Clan Head one day! I'll be the strongest shinobi in Konoha!"

The trio of Chuunin scoffed. "That's what you always say, but how are you gonna do that if you never get stronger? Besides, everyone knows Hana's going to be the next Inuzuka Head. At least she's strong. All you ever do is fail at school and skip out on training to play with that pathetic excuse of a dog. Little boys shouldn't play at being shinobi."

"Don't insult Akamaru!" Kiba yelled, and Shino inwardly winced at the familiar words. "He's gonna become the greatest Inuzuka dog in the Clan!"

The Chuunin near the front laughed, loud and mocking. "Yeah? What's he gonna do? Woof someone to death?"

The teen took a step forward and Akamaru immediately leapt to the ground, young voice yipping madly as his hackles raised. This only made the Chuunin laugh harder even as one aimed a kick at the dog. Kiba lunged forward and managed to drag his partner back just in time.

"Do you understand now, Shino-kun?" Haruki's voice sounded above Shino and he nodded woodenly, a funny ringing in his ears when the Chuunin made for his teammate again.

"Well?" A gentle push to his shoulder propelled him forward. "He's your teammate, isn't he? Perhaps even a rival and maybe a friend one day. What are you waiting for?"

That was all the prompting Shino needed and a silent command to his kikaichuu had them shooting towards the jeering teens with single-minded intensity.

Kiba pulled back, still clinging onto a growling Akamaru when a cloud of bugs swarmed the Chuunin in front of him, dissolving their laughter to shrieks of alarm. Seconds later, they were scrambling away, chased down the streets by the Aburame Clan's signature partners.

Slowly, Kiba rose to his feet, blinking bewilderedly as his other teammate stepped from the shadows of an alleyway. They stared at each other for a long moment, but surprisingly, it was Shino who spoke first.

"I apologize," The Aburame heir said clearly. "I did not mean what I said on the Hokage Monument. I was only tired and took it out on you."

Kiba stared wide-eyed at the bug-user, opening his mouth to say something back only to find himself gaping. "I- That's alright," He finally spluttered, surprised to find that he meant it. "I'm, er, I'm sorry too. I said some pretty bad things as well. Not just today."

A stilted silence fell between them and Kiba concentrated on patting Akamaru. This was really weird. Usually, he and Shino just didn't get along, but, well, this side of Shino he could live with. And he had defended him.

"Thanks," He said awkwardly, gesturing in the direction that the Chuunin had ran off in. "I 'ppreciate it."

Shino nodded once and the silence this time wasn't as bad. They both glanced at Hinata when a soft giggle was heard.

"S-Sorry," She stammered out, hands clasped together. "But y-you two can actually get along pretty w-well when you both try."

Kiba turned back to Shino, a little bemused at the change in team dynamics. They were completely different this morning.

A throat clearing drew their attention to their sensei and they all straightened when Kurenai approached them, a broad smile that spoke of pride directed at them. She didn't say anything though, as if any words mentioned about their tentative camaraderie might ruin it. Behind her, Haruki followed at a more sedate pace, hands comfortably stuck in his coat.

Feeling suddenly embarrassed, Kiba glanced down again, crouching to pick up Akamaru. "Sheesh," He grumbled half-heartedly. "You're always jumping out at people way bigger than you. Why are you always doing that? Can't you use your head first before you go rushing in?"

Soft laughter snapped his gaze back up and he frowned at the red-haired Jounin as the man approached. Haruki quirked an eyebrow at him, mouth curved in a gentle smile. "You should know, Kiba. Dogs aren't like humans, no matter how intelligent they are. They don't need a reason to protect their important people." He glanced down at the white puppy. "Right, Akamaru?"

Akamaru yipped in agreement, tail wagging. Kiba stared in shock at Haruki before blinking down at his partner. Not many people talked directly to his dog, as if Akamaru couldn't understand. A rustle drew his attention back to the Jounin and his jaw dropped when Haruki pulled out a bag of Inuzuka dog treats.

"Where did you-!"

Haruki grinned a little as he withdrew a treat. Akamaru's ears suddenly perked up. "Your sister sold it to me earlier this morning. May I?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," Akamaru was already wagging like crazy and he snapped up the two treats that were offered at once, yipping a 'thank-you' and a 'they're delicious' afterwards before jumping towards Haruki, settling into the arms that automatically came out to catch him.

Kiba watched, astonished when Haruki chuckled and replied, "You're welcome. And I wouldn't know but I'm glad you like them."

"You can understand him?"

Haruki shrugged, shaking his head as he put away the treats before passing Akamaru back. "No, but I can guess. I've spent time around a few dogs over the years."

Without waiting for a reply, he withdrew a blue and a yellow ribbon next, offering the yellow one to Kiba and the blue one to Hinata.

Kiba examined it curiously as Akamaru clambered back up onto his head to get a better view. "Hey! That's Akamaru!"

And it was. The depiction of his partner and best friend was sewn in white and brown thread against the sunshine-golden yellow of the ribbon, and even as small as it was, the figure was clearly standing guard over something, jaws opened as if barking and tail flaring behind him.

"Thanks, Haruki-san!" Kiba openly beamed up at Haruki, grinning happily as he showed it to Akamaru.

Haruki only gazed back almost solemnly. "You did well today. Regardless of what other people say, if you think you can do it, then show everyone else what you and Akamaru can do. Become the best Inuzuka combo to ever come out of Konoha."

Kiba stilled, hand clenched around the ribbon. Haruki hadn't told him to train harder, like his mother, or study more, like his sister; simply do. Show me you can do it. Show the world you can do it.

He looked back up, gaze firmer this time and nodded sharply, once. Being one of the strongest shinobi with Akamaru beside him had always been what he wanted. If he tried hard enough, if he didn't give up... He glanced up at his partner. They could do it. And they'd show those who called them runts just who were better.

"Hinata-chan, something wrong?" Haruki turned to the Hyuuga heiress who was looking mildly confused as she stared down at her ribbon.

"Um, why a tiger?" Hinata asked timidly. She had always liked the magnificent cats but surely one wouldn't fit her.

Haruki smiled, a tinge of wistfulness entering his expression. One day, Hinata would sign a summoning contract with tigers, and he couldn't say any other animal suited the Hyuuga heiress more than the majestic animals.

"Tigers symbolize courage, Hinata-chan," Haruki chuckled at the blush that rose in the girl's face. "They also represent improvement and change, triumphs and the impossible, and above all else, freedom. Don't let anyone or anything hold you back, Hinata-chan, and that includes yourself. You'll become far greater than you could ever imagine; all you have to do is let yourself do that."

Hinata was wide-eyed and blushing when Haruki stopped but she didn't hesitate to nod this time, and she carefully wrapped the indigo ribbon with the flame-orange and black tiger design around her wrist, carefully tucking the ends away. She would carry it with her, as a reminder of what Haruki had taught her today.

"Alright then," Haruki took a step back and glanced briefly at a bemused-looking Kurenai. "I've gone on long enough. Thanks for going along with my tedious mission. All three of you have done really well today. I was impressed with the way you clicked together once you actually started trying to work as a team. But I'm sure you've had enough of me for one day, so I guess I'll just let Kurenai take over now."

Kurenai quirked an eyebrow at him but stepped up with a warm smile. "Great job today, everyone. Your teamwork's improved quite a bit, and I've spotted some areas in your tracking skills that could use some work, so we'll start on that tomorrow. Training is at the same time in the morning, so get a good night's rest, okay?"

All three Genin nodded obediently and it wasn't long before Kurenai and Hinata departed first. Kurenai brushed by Haruki, thanking him warmly for the training session though her eyes thanked him for a much deeper reason. He had pulled her team together for her; something she wasn't sure she would've managed for at least a few months more. Of course, the dynamics still needed work and Kiba and Shino would no doubt get into another fight sooner or later, but something between the boys had disappeared, and Hinata now looked at her and not at the ground.

Hinata left next, needing to be home before her sparring session with Hanabi started. She would try harder this time. Her sister couldn't look up to her if she was always looking down. She thanked Haruki shyly and the Jounin smiled back at her, friendly and warm and entirely focused on her. She left the practice with an almost-skip in her step.

Haruki stared with some puzzlement at the last two of Team 8, not quite sure what they wanted. They glanced at each other and then seemed to come to some sort of silent agreement.

"Haruki-san, would you be free for a couple minutes tomorrow, sometime around six?" Kiba asked eagerly. "It's just that our parents, my mum and Shino's dad, are coming home and I want my mum to meet you. No one's ever actually took the time to listen to Akamaru before and she'd be interested to see you. She can be a bit scary though, and she's impatient and gets angry easily and really tough."

Haruki sweatdropped. Yeah, that sounded a lot like the Tsume he knew. "Should I be worried?"

Kiba rubbed the back of head. "Nah; Kaa-chan's great once you get to know her and she can be all those things but I, well, I love her anyway, ya know?" He ducked his head, hiding the embarrassed red as it rose in his face.

Haruki chuckled but nodded. "I get it." He turned to Shino. "And you'd like me to meet your dad too?"

Shino inclined his head. "You treat kikaichuu very differently than most people outside of the Aburame Clan. I would like to introduce my father to you."

Haruki sighed, running a hand through his hair. Well, he would have to meet the last two Clan Heads sooner or later, so it might as well be now. "Alright, but on one condition," Both boys blinked at him. "Go get a bowl of ramen together."

Both Genin looked taken aback, glancing at each other before looking back at him. Haruki held back a smile and nodded firmly. "Go on. I'll meet you at the park near the Academy tomorrow at six if you go get dinner together. Consider it boys-only team-bonding training. Hurry up."

The two boys blinked at him again before Kiba shrugged and grinned a little, less cautious and friendlier. Shino remained stoic but he nodded once and made no move to protest.

Haruki grinned inwardly. It was a start. He waved the two boys off and didn't start moving away until they disappeared around a corner, Kiba already talking a mile a minute about something or other.

Satisfied, Haruki turned and headed back to his own apartment. Overall, he supposed he did an okay job with Team 8. He had given them a push in the right direction and he hoped it was enough to cement the team together.

Resting beside the hospital bed in the uncomfortable plastic chair, Yuugao listened to the steady beep-beep-beep of the heart monitor and offered up thanks once again for the umpteenth time that day.

Her boyfriend was going to live. Hayate would live a long and healthy life, missions notwithstanding. And she couldn't even thank the right person for it because she didn't know who it was.

"I'm sorry, but he doesn't wish to have his name revealed," Takumi shrugged apologetically at them.

Yuugao clutched at Hayate's hand as the man slept on, for once undisturbed by rasping coughs. "But I have to thank him," She said earnestly. "I didn't think this could ever happen. I have to at least thank him."

Takumi merely shook his head. "He doesn't want you to know, and I gave him my word that I wouldn't say."

Yuugao's face fell. "But why would he do this and not want anything in return?"

Here, the doctor smiled, genuine and thoughtful. "He is something of a rarity these days. I asked him what he wanted in return for the cure and he got angry with me." He chuckled. "Refused payment right then and there."

Yuugao couldn't help the bewilderment that surfaced on her face. "But why would he help Hayate specifically?"

Takumi smiled again. "Yuugao-chan, there are people out there who help just because they can. He seems to be one of them." He turned to leave, tossing one last comment over his shoulder. "You two have a very good friend. Perhaps one day, if you ever find out, you might be inclined to help him in return. He certainly looks like he needs it."

Yuugao leaned forward and rested her head on the edge of the bed, cheek against the white sheets. What did the medic mean by that? Was their mysterious benefactor in some sort of trouble? And did Takumi really mean that he was a friend? But why would any of their friends keep something like this from them?

"Yuugao?" The sleep-roughed voice stirred her from her position and she quickly jerked up, leaning over her lover anxiously. It was the first time Hayate had woken up since going through the surgery.

"Hayate, you're awake. How do you feel?"

Hayate smiled sleepily up at her. "Fine. Great. I don't think I've ever been able to breathe so well."

Yuugao almost burst into tears as a wave of relief crashed into her. Takumi had assured her that the surgery had been a success but it was far better to hear it straight from Hayate.

"I'm so glad," She whispered, clasping one of her boyfriend's hands again. "Takumi-san said that you'll need to rest for a couple more days, just to get any lingering side-effects of the treatment out of your system, but you're going to be back to full strength really soon."

Hayate quirked another crooked smile at her; the one that always made her feel like the luckiest woman alive (and yes, she definitely was, because how many other women with terminally ill boyfriends were suddenly given another chance right out of the blue?).

"So did you have any luck finding out who saved my life?"

Yuugao shook her head, absently lacing her fingers with Hayate's. "No, Takumi-san wouldn't tell me. But I think he did say it was a friend though."

Hayate's brow furrowed. "All our friends act like they're walking on ice when they talk about my sickness. They'd never be able to keep something like this a secret."

Yuugao nodded in agreement. "Well whoever it is doesn't want to be known."

Hayate arched an eyebrow at her. "I don't suppose that's going to stop you?"

Yuugao grinned back. "Of course not. I'll do some digging. Surely someone must know something."

Hayate chuckled, shifting a little. "I'll leave you to it then. In the meantime, when should we tell the others?"

Yuugao brightened, eyes dancing. "Do you really think I was going to keep it from them any longer than necessary? I sent Saya off with messages a while ago. She's to deliver them the moment you woke up."

Her cat summon had the odd ability to communicate telepathically with her from certain distances. Quite useful in tight situations.

Hayate gave her a puzzled look. "You told them I've been cured with pieces of paper?"

Yuugao scowled good-naturedly at him. "Of course not. I just told them that you're in the hospital and to come right away."

Hayate started, eyes widening as he pushed himself up. "What? Wait, then they're-"

"HAYATE!"

The door burst open and Kotetsu and Izumo piled in, looking frantic and prepared for the worst. Another flurry of footsteps sounded behind them and Anko, Raidou, and Genma pushed their way in as well. Anko's expression was darker than a storm cloud, brow furrowed as she tried to cover up the anxiety flashing in her eyes. Beside her, Raidou's lips were pressed tightly together and he began scanning Hayate as if by simply looking hard enough, he would be able to tell what was wrong. And bringing up the rear was Genma, who looked as calm and collected as ever, senbon stuck in his mouth, but his face was almost completely white and the brown eyes that surveyed him were narrowed with tightly-reigned apprehension.

"Hayate, what's wrong? !"

"Why are you in here? A relapse?"

"The fuck is the doctor? ! Shouldn't he be here doing his fucking job? !"

"How do you feel? Nausea? Fever? Pain?"

"Are you even dying?"

Genma's pointed question overrode everyone else's babbling and they all turned to stare at him. The senbon-wielder's face seemed less pale now as he studied the kenjutsu expert sitting up in the hospital bed. He had come in expecting the worst news possible; that his long-time friend had finally used up his nine lives fighting the disease and they were supposed to come and say their last goodbyes. He had almost thrown up when he had gotten Yuugao's message.

But when he had walked in, inwardly terrified to the core, his friends' rapid-fire questions had given him enough time to take in the situation and he had noticed the light in Yuugao's eyes and the relaxed slant of Hayate's shoulders, no longer tensed to stave off continuous bouts of coughing.

On the bed, Hayate sighed and shot his girlfriend an exasperated look.

Yuugao grinned sheepishly. "Whoops."

"'Whoops?'" Anko snapped, taking another step forward. "What 'whoops'? What the hell's going on?"

Both Yuugao and Hayate smiled at this, bright and happy. Hayate spread his arms, smile morphing into a small grin. "All cured."

Stunned silence descended on the room and Yuugao hurried on with an explanation. "Early this morning, someone approached Takumi-san and gave him the cure for Hayate's sickness. Takumi-san called us in, explained the treatment, did the surgery to remove the disease, and here we are." She leaned in, pressing closer to Hayate. "He's all cured. Totally and completely cured."

Nobody moved for several long seconds and the ticking of the clock on one white wall echoed loudly around them.

And then Kotetsu and Izumo were surging forward, all but tackling Hayate as Yuugao hastily backed away, laughing and almost crying at the same time. Anko whooped happily, bounding forward as well as she promised to buy Hayate a number of sweets that he had previously been unable to eat. Raidou and Genma remained a few feet away but Raidou was grinning broadly and Genma was smiling around his senbon, shoulders slumped in relief.

Ten minutes later, when they had all calmed down enough that the nurses had finally stopped threatening to kick them out, Raidou inevitably asked, "So who exactly approached Kano-sensei? Or are you not supposed to say?"

Yuugao shook her head. "We don't know either. Takumi-san promised him that he wouldn't say anything." She glanced at them. "Though I guess your reactions rule out you lot."

Izumo frowned a little. "Rule us out? Why would we have anything to do with it?"

Hayate shrugged, now reclining against the raised bed. "Apparently, whoever he is, he's supposed to be a friend."

"Dude," Kotetsu quirked a smile at him. "I think anyone who saves your life can be considered a friend."

"But the way Takumi-san said it made it sound as if he knew us," Yuugao spoke up again. "And he said that whoever he is seems like he needs help too."

Hayate glanced sharply at her, having not heard that part yet. "'Needs help'? Is he hurt? In trouble?"

Yuugao shook her head again. "Takumi-san said he 'certainly looks like he needs it'. Could be both."

"Well if he needs help," Anko announced. "We'll just find 'im and do that. We can all do some pokin' around."

There was a general round of agreement from all of them before Kotetsu and Izumo turned the conversation to something lighter, filling them in on the fun they had had earlier that day during the training exercise that Haruki had invited them to take part in. Anko chimed in enviously, grouchy that she hadn't been invited as well until Raidou reminded her that she had been away on border patrol with him and Genma. None of them noticed the thoughtful frown that passed over Genma's face as the red-haired Jounin was brought up.

It was a few hours later before the nurses finally had enough of them and shooed them out. They all departed for the day, promising that they would return early the next morning. Hayate just waved them out cheerfully, falling back on the bed to get the first peaceful night of sleep since he could remember.

As Genma made his way home, waving a lazy goodnight to his friends when they parted, his mind turned back to the sneaking suspicion that had crept up on him the moment Yuugao and Hayate had revealed what little information they had on their benefactor.

A 'he'.

A friend.

Someone who knew them, or more accurately, someone who knew of Hayate's sickness and had most likely found out only recently.

And someone who looked like they needed help.

There was only one person Genma could think of that fit all four descriptions.

But why? Why would Haruki not want them to find out? Surely the Jounin wouldn't mind some appreciation from them all.

But did it really matter? Haruki had helped Hayate without asking for anything in return, had acted like a real friend would even though they had only just met the day before. And judging from Kotetsu and Izumo's recount of their day, the red-haired Jounin seemed to honestly want to help the people around him, from twelve-year-old Genin to terminally ill adults. As far as Genma was concerned, that was enough to convince him of the redhead's sincerity.

Takumi had said that Haruki seemed to need help, and after the fainting episode yesterday and the fatigue that Genma had noticed was always weighing the man down, the senbon-wielder fully agreed with the assessment.

If Haruki didn't want anyone to know what he had done for whatever reason, then Genma would respect that. The others would find out eventually anyway. But that didn't mean he couldn't keep an eye on the redhead in the meantime, just to make sure he didn't do anything recklessly stupid or keeled over again because he was too stubborn to go to the hospital.

After all, it was the least Genma could do for the man who had saved one of his closest friends from a premature death.

As Tsume rushed towards her village's gates with Kuromaru loping at her side and Shibi on her tail, she expected to head straight to the Hokage Tower, check in with the Sandaime, be briefed on whatever the hell was happening with the Hyuugas at the moment, and then go home and crash for the next ten hours.

That didn't happen.

"Kaa-chan! Kaa-chan! Welcome home!"

Tsume skidded to a stop in front of the main gates, feeling mildly bemused as her son bounded up to her, Akamaru on his head and an excited grin on his face, and- wasn't that Shibi's kid behind him?

"Aa, I'm back," Tsume managed to return. "What's with the personal reception, brat?"

"C'mon, c'mon! Shino and I wanna introduce you to someone!" Her son glanced at her mission partner as he stepped up beside her. "And Shino's dad too, of course. C'mon!"

Tsume shared a look with Shibi, not bothering to hide her bewilderment. 'Shino and I'? Last time she checked, their sons didn't get along at all. What the hell was going on?

"What the hell is going on?" She demanded, crossing her arms and ignoring the warning elbow she got from Shibi to curb her language. "What are you planning, Kiba?"

Her son took on a mildly hurt countenance and glanced at Shibi's son for support. For support. And Shino stepped up to give it. Had the world flipped itself when she wasn't looking?

"Kiba is not planning anything, Tsume-sama," Shino started in that stilted way all Aburame talked in. "We simply wish to introduce both of you to someone we know."

"Drop the 'sama', kid. Seriously," Tsume told him absently as she stared between the two of them, standing companionably next to each other. She traded another glance with Shibi. Her former teammate and long-time field partner looked as emotionless as ever to most people, but Tsume could pick out the confusion in the slight frown creasing the man's brow. Oh good; so it wasn't just her then.

"Who is this person then?" Tsume finally asked, letting her son tug her along as they entered Konoha while Shibi followed at a more sedate pace. She flicked a glance at Kuromaru and the dog nodded and loped off towards home. Her partner deserved some rest after such a long mission.

"A Jounin," Shino spoke first (and since when did an Aburame speak first, especially in the presence of an Inuzuka?). "He was our temporary sensei yesterday. Why you ask? Because Kurenai-sensei invited him to join us. He helped with our tracking skills..." The Aburame heir trailed off and glanced at Kiba with an almost thoughtful air. "And our teamwork."

"I... see," Tsume really didn't see because she had always thought that it would take months and a miracle for their sons to see eye-to-eye. She and Shibi hadn't gotten along at first either and it had only been after their third mission when she had been saved by her reticent teammate that she had started to see him as something more than an annoyance, and she had thought that Kiba would be the same.

Walking beside her, Shibi observed his son from behind. Shino was still keeping several inches between himself and his boisterous partner, but he didn't shy away or step to the side when Tsume's son brushed against him. What had happened? His son usually came home from the Academy in a typically-silent but foul mood whenever he had a brush-in with Kiba. Granted, he hadn't seen Shino in almost two months, missing his graduation because of the damn mission, but surely being put on the same team wouldn't suddenly make them friends.

As if sensing his gaze, Shino turned to look over his shoulder and glanced up at him. "Otou-san?"

Shibi blinked behind his sunglasses. "Which Jounin is it, Shino?"

His son cocked his head. "Kazama Haruki. Recently returned from an extended mission." A short pause. "He is respectful of our bugs, Otou-san."

Shibi's eyebrows shot up a fraction even as Kiba jumped in enthusiastically, "And it's like he understands Akamaru! I mean he says he doesn't really, but he can guess what Akamaru's saying! Right, boy?"

Akamaru yipped happily, wagging his tail.

Kiba laughed. "That's right; Haruki-san spoils you with treats too. Kaa-chan, Haruki-san knows how to treat our dogs properly. Before he came to train us, he bought a bag of the food that only Inuzuka dogs eat."

Shibi glanced at his former teammate, noting the consternation on her face. He knew the food Inuzukas fed their dogs were only sold in one specific store and was completely run by the Inuzuka Clan. One would have to do some very fast talking and have a very good reason to buy anything from them.

"Who was manning the store?" Tsume demanded.

"Hm?" Kiba looked confused at the annoyed tone that his mother had taken on. "Nee-chan was."

Tsume blinked, stunned. Her own daughter, who was almost as protective of her Clan's dogs and secrets as she was, had sold their specially-developed food to some Jounin Tsume had never heard of? Who was this guy?

"We told him to wait for us at the park near the Academy," Kiba continued, walking even faster now. "Hurry up!"

Five minutes later, they walked into the park and Kiba pointed excitedly, "There he is! That's him, Kaa-chan!"

Tsume squinted at the red-haired shinobi. He had his back turned so she couldn't see his face, but she was sure she had never laid eyes on any ninja with hair that colour for a long time.

"Do you know him, Shibi?" She muttered quietly, glancing beside her.

Shibi shook his head minutely, eyes glued to the shinobi across the playground. Moments later, he felt his kikaichuu stir. He frowned. They recognized the Jounin to some degree. He silently asked for a clarification but his bugs didn't seem all that inclined to answer him. Shibi only managed to pick up detached whispers that didn't particularly make much sense.

familiar... descendant... know him, know him... strong, very strong... stronger than the one before... sad sad sad, so very sad... sacrifice... alone, always alone... lost forever... danger danger... help him help him help him-

Shibi quickly cut the connection, mind racing. Though kikaichuu only lived for several hours, they had the ability to pass on knowledge to each generation after them, retaining a long memory of people they had come into contact with even decades after. Remarkably, they were also able to sense a shinobi's chakra as well as anything they had come into contact with, and pick up on their emotional state to an extent; a useful skill when judging an enemy shinobi's condition in a fight. But Shibi had never met anyone who could cause such a strong reaction from his bugs. Obviously, this Kazama Haruki reminded them of someone that their earlier generations had met before. But Shibi didn't know any ninja with this Jounin's surname. And his kikaichuu, who usually simply reported back to him as they were trained to do, were openly insisting on giving assistance, as if they sensed something of great enough importance that helping this shinobi was for the best. Kikaichuu didn't live long; as helpful as they were to the Aburame Clan, they didn't particularly care whether or not their hosts died and vice versa; they simply moved on once their chakra supply was cut off. Death was literally part of life for them and they didn't have complicated feelings about it like humans did. But did this mean that something was going to happen, something big enough that even the kikaichuu were worried?

"Shibi, what's wrong with you?" Tsume hissed beside him, gaze sharp.

Shibi shrugged a little, trying to settle down again. "My bugs recognize him to some degree."

Tsume glanced at the red-haired Jounin again. "I don't sense malicious intent; your bugs?"

Shibi remained silent for a moment before replying slowly, "They seem... partial to him."

Tsume did a double-take. "They like him?"

Shibi's frown deepened. "Something has them worried."

Tsume tensed, hand automatically drifting down to her hip pouch. "Is it this guy? Because I've never seen him before. I don't care how long a mission he's been on; I've never laid eyes on him before."

Shibi glanced sharply at her. "No. They are worried for him."

Tsume pulled up, hand dropping back to her side. "What? Why?"

Shibi shook his head. "I do not know."

Before either of them could say anything more, the Jounin they had been discussing turned to face them, and both took an immediate sprint down memory lane as brilliant cerulean pinned them in place.

"Shibi," Tsume murmured without looking away from the blue-eyed Jounin. "Is it just me, or does this guy remind you of...?"

"The Yondaime," Shibi finished gravely. He would never forget their old friend's eyes; Minato always seemed to be able to look straight into a person's soul with them, and even from this distance, Shibi got the exact same feeling from this shinobi.

"Um, are you two alright?"

They both blinked and tore their gazes away from the red-haired Jounin to look down at their children. Kiba was blinking up at them with confusion and even Shino had raised a questioning eyebrow.

"We're fine, brats," Tsume told them briskly. "Now are you going to introduce us or not? We don't have all day."

"Haruki-san! Sorry to keep ya waiting!"

Haruki smiled down at the two boys of Team 8 as they approached, Shibi and Tsume several feet behind their children. "Don't worry 'bout it; I wasn't waiting long. How are you today? Still tired from yesterday?"

Kiba grinned up at him. "Nope! I bounce right back! And Akamaru's back to full strength too!"

Akamaru yipped and leapt off Kiba's head, settling in the arms that automatically came out to catch him. He liked this person. Haruki smelled like sunlight and summer and always gave him treats. And whenever Akamaru snuggled against him, some of the loneliness he could sense disappeared as well. He hoped his human visited this man more often. Kiba seemed less angry and more relaxed ever since meeting Haruki. Akamaru would have to do his best to repay him.

Haruki sighed as the white pup made himself comfortable in his arms. "Kiba-kun, I think there is something wrong with Akamaru. He keeps doing this."

Kiba grinned even wider, baring sharp canine teeth. "He just likes ya so ya better get used to it. He's gonna be doing that a lot."

Haruki just sighed again and turned to Shino. "And how are you, Shino-kun? How's that new jutsu coming along?"

Shino nodded once. "I am fine. The jutsu is difficult; I am still working on it but I have improved the distance to five meters since I started making chakra threads. That is much harder to do."

Haruki nodded, not missing the miniscule but sharp jerk of Shibi's head. "Keep at it then. When you can extend them from all your fingers at the same time, I'll teach you how to attach them to objects so you can move them."

Shino nodded back, silent again, but there was a hint of a smile peeking out from behind his collar.

Haruki smiled back, amused as he watched the younger version of his friend, before finally looking up at the two adults still standing several paces away. "And these are your parents then?"

"Oh yeah!" Kiba bounded back to his mother. What was wrong with her today? He didn't usually have to drag her anywhere. Maybe she was tired from her mission. "This is my mum, Tsume! Kaa-chan, this is Haruki-san."

Tsume stepped forward, eyes narrowed as she studied the redhead. Haruki only smiled back and nodded a greeting. "Hello, Tsume-san. Kiba's talked about you."

Tsume arched an eyebrow. So this Jounin knew not to call her by the formal honorific. Did Kiba mention that to him? "Oh? What about?" She knew her son; Kiba wouldn't hold back on the comments. He would've told Haruki both good and bad.

Haruki tilted his head, considering the woman in front of him. He knew how to handle Tsume from his time; the woman was loyal to the core, as were all Inuzukas. She appreciated honesty, no matter how harsh, and detested sugar-coated words and traitors more than anything else.

So, "Impatient," Haruki stared steadily back at the Clan Head, catching the surprise that flitted across her face and ignoring the slightly nervous look on Kiba's. "Short-tempered, tough. Quite frightening when lecturing Kiba-kun. But your son says that's okay because he knows you love him anyway."

"Haruki-san!" Kiba spluttered, looking embarrassed and indignant.

Haruki smiled innocently down at him. "You did say that, Kiba-kun."

"You're not supposed to repeat it to her!" The younger Inuzuka sibling wailed, face red. He yelped when Tsume suddenly laughed and slung an arm around his shoulders.

Tsume could only stare in astonishment as Haruki told her straight to her face what he had heard. Of course, it sounded just like her son, but she really hadn't expected the Jounin to repeat it word for word. Most people took one look at her and quailed. Haruki looked at her without the slightest bit of apprehension. Hearing the end of Kiba's account of her, she couldn't help but bark out a laugh as a rush of affection welled up inside her. That last part she hadn't expected.

"Tsume's fine," She told the redhead as she straightened up and offered him a sharp smile. "I hear you've been teaching them?"

Haruki shrugged. "Just for a day. Kurenai invited me."

Kiba grinned proudly. "It was really hard but we managed it in the end!" He blinked, glancing up at Shibi as if suddenly remembering his presence before reaching over to poke his teammate. "Oi, Shino! Introductions!"

Shino arched an eyebrow at Kiba but didn't get too annoyed. Yesterday was still fresh in his mind. He turned a little to his father instead. "Otou-san, this is Haruki-san. Haruki-san, my father, Aburame Shibi."

Haruki's greeting to him came just as freely as it did to Tsume. Shibi nodded briefly back, noting how the Jounin's gaze seemed to slice right through his sunglasses and straight to his eyes. He wanted to ask more, very out-of-character for him, but he wanted to know why his kikaichuu picked up such a tangled mess of emotions when all Shibi could see right now was a warm smile and a cheerful countenance.

But, "Well, we'd like to talk more, but we haven't reported in to the Hokage yet," Tsume said briskly, one hand on top of Kiba's hood. "Maybe later, Haruki?"

Haruki nodded quickly. Sarutobi would need to fill them in before he called everyone together tomorrow. "Of course, I won't kee-"

He stiffened and glanced to the right, as did Shibi and Tsume. The children looked confused and Akamaru raised his head, sniffing the air questioningly.

"Ah," Haruki rubbed the back of his head. "I suppose it would be bad manners to run away right now?"

Tsume glanced curiously at him. "Run away? It's just Shikaku. Man's not that bad. Granted, he could lighten up a bit but it could be worse."

Haruki just heaved another sigh, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets. "Maa, that's not it. He's-"

"-been looking for you for the last three days. If I didn't know better, Haruki, I'd say you've been avoiding me."

The sarcasm was thick in the Jounin Commander's voice and Haruki inwardly winced as he turned around to face the Nara Head. "Good evening, Shikaku."

Shikaku stared menacingly at him, torn between wanting to wring the redhead's neck for forcing him to endure so many troublesome hours and congratulating the man for avoiding him so well. He knew ANBU who couldn't hide from him, which only served to pique his curiosity even more.

"You are a difficult man to track down, Haruki," He finally said, frowning irritably at the redhead.

Haruki tried a Kakashi-eye-smile as his lips tilted up unrepentantly. "Maa, I didn't want to play another round of shogi so soon."

Shikaku just sighed before glancing at the newly-returned Clan Heads standing behind the Jounin. "Shibi, Tsume, good to see you back." He frowned again as he glanced at Haruki. They needed to be filled in soon. "You need to head over to the Hokage Tower. Sandaime-sama's been expecting you."

Both shinobi heard the weight in his voice and they quickly nodded.

"I'll see you at home, Kiba," Tsume ruffled her son's hair before giving a general nod at the others and shunshining away.

Shibi patted his son on the shoulder before following his old teammate. He would ask Shino about Haruki when he got home, and enquire about the chakra threads as well.

"Well, see ya later, Haruki-san!" Kiba waved as Akamaru jumped back onto his head. The dog yipped as well, looking almost expectant.

Haruki chuckled and reached into a pocket to withdraw a small bag of dog treats. "One; that's it."

Akamaru snapped up the treat, wagging vigorously as his best friend laughed below him. Haruki was quickly becoming one of his favourite humans.

"See you tomorrow, Kiba-kun, Shino-kun," Haruki glanced up at the darkening sky. "Go straight home, alright? It's getting late."

Both boys nodded before heading off in their compounds' direction. It helped that their homes were so close to each other.

Haruki watched them go before turning warily back to Shikaku. The man had watched the entire exchange quietly, content to wait Haruki out.

"So," Haruki began, slouching a little in his coat. "You want a match."

"Partly," Shikaku agreed. "At the moment, I mostly just want to figure you out."

Haruki eyed him dryly. "You'd suck as an interrogator."

Shikaku shrugged easily, motioning for Haruki to join him as he headed away from the park. "That's why I leave that job to Inoichi. Or Ibiki now."

They walked in easy silence for a while. Despite Shikaku's desire to figure out his secret, Haruki was almost completely relaxed in this man's company. The Nara Clan Head wasn't all that different in the future; always a steady, solid presence that Haruki had learned to depend on. Of course, there would be no depending here, but that didn't mean that he couldn't feel comfortable around the Jounin Commander.

"Inoichi is worried about you," Shikaku started again, glancing sidelong at the redhead.

Haruki nodded. "I heard. I don't know why."

Shikaku dearly wanted to ask have you looked in a mirror lately, but held his tongue. "You haven't been by to Yamanaka Flowers either," He said instead.

Haruki shrugged. "Inoichi is one of your best friends. He wouldn't have let me leave until you came."

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Shikaku asked dryly. "I simply have a theory I wish to confirm."

Haruki automatically scoffed, amused and nostalgic in equal parts. "Of course you have a theory. A Nara without theories is a dead Nara."

A slightly stilted silence followed as Haruki blinked at the odd look on Shikaku's face.

"Be careful with your words, Haruki," Shikaku said at last, and Haruki frowned a little as a belated alarm bell rang in the back of his mind. "You have the disturbing tendency to repeat things that you shouldn't know."

Haruki frowned a little more and repeated his words in his head.

A Nara without theories is a dead Nara.

He had heard this from Shikamaru, but it wasn't something his Chief Strategist had ever voiced as a kid. This time's Shikamaru shouldn't have said it yet.

"My wife once said that to me," Shikaku revealed quietly, face half-hidden in shadows as they passed under an alcove. Haruki remained stubbornly blank-faced. "Before Shikamaru was born. As a joke, of course." His head tilted in a mockingly contemplative manner. "But I could swear you've never met Yoshino before."

Haruki walked on, refusing to acknowledge Shikaku's faint smirk and cursing himself inside his head.

"And of course," The Jounin Commander continued relentlessly. "The day you trained my son and his team; you repeated my words as well. And I know I have never said them to Shikamaru, and it would be somewhat redundant to say them to someone who isn't a Nara. Strange, isn't it?"

In his coat, Haruki's hands clenched into fists. How the hell had their conversation deteriorated to this point so quickly? There were times that he hated this side of Shikaku; the ruthless, uncompromising shinobi who excelled at continually boxing in his target even after they were completely cornered with no way out. Even worse was that Shikaku wielded this skill like he would a piece in a shogi game; seemingly careless, outwardly effortless, and utterly destructive. In the future, Shikaku had passed this skill onto his son, and during the few times either of them had carelessly turned it on him, Haruki had been beyond pissed off.

He had spent his entire childhood running, always running, and knew the pain and fear of being surrounded with no way out. It was why, when he had to kill, he almost always made sure to do it as quickly as possible. If someone was going to die either way, the terror that set in if a kill was drawn out too long was unnecessary. They were ninja, not psychopaths, though he'd seen the two combined more than once in his life.

At the moment though, Haruki was facing a friend, someone he would gladly die for, and the man was playing mind games with him. Maybe he would have to retract his previous statement; Shikaku could give Inoichi a run for his money when he was like this.

"I've made you angry," Shikaku's sudden observation, quiet and a touch apologetic, snapped Haruki out of his thoughts but not his anger.

"Damn straight," He snapped back, low and dark and not bothering to hide the fury (and, even after all this time, just the smallest amount of panic) that roared in his chest. "Either get to the point or get lost, Shikaku. Don't turn that cornering crap on me!"

Shikaku almost stepped back at the unveiled tangle of emotion that made Haruki's eyes blaze. Shit, he had overstepped his boundaries. It occasionally happened when he was angry or when he caught onto something interesting that kept him occupied for more than a couple days. The habit had slowly gotten better after Inoichi had taken him aside one day, years ago, after he had reduced a fellow shinobi to a shaking heap of fear for insulting Yoshino, and had warned him of the consequences of what he could so easily do.

You're smart, Shikaku, Inoichi had told him, blue eyes intent. And that brain of yours is as deadly as any weapon, but you have to be careful. Say the wrong thing one too many times and you could destroy someone's mind. I don't care if you do it to enemy nin, but keep a lid on it when it comes to allies. You could seriously hurt them.

And here he was, doing the exact same thing Inoichi had warned him not to do to someone that Shikaku knew didn't have the best mental health at the moment. Shit.

"I apologize," He said quickly, automatically raising his hands in a placating gesture when gleaming cerulean narrowed. "It's a bad habit. I did not mean to turn on you like that."

Haruki studied the Jounin Commander for a moment longer, struggling to shove his emotions back down as he did so. He took a quiet deep breath, slowly letting it out along with his anger and then immediately wishing he hadn't. Now that he was no longer angry, the heavy exhaustion from before seemed to come back in full force, settling on his shoulders like deadweight once again.

"What do you want, Shikaku?" Haruki suppressed the urge to close his eyes. God, he just wanted to go back to his apartment and rest, maybe even risk sleeping for a few hours.

Shikaku stayed silent for a long moment. A part of him wanted to just leave and call it a night. It was obvious that he had just botched their entire conversation. But a bigger part of him, the shinobi side, the strategist side, the Nara side, wanted to know.

"I was going to ask you for another shogi match," Shikaku spoke at last, choosing his words carefully. "Just to verify some things, but I'm pretty sure I've already figured it out, so I won't. All I want right now is a confirmation."

This time, Haruki did close his eyes, sighing deeply before opening them again. "What exactly do you know right now?"

"...You have the Kyuubi sealed inside you," Shikaku started after making sure Haruki really did want to know. "You have Namikaze Minato's eyes, and your face is a bit like his. I thought you were his brother or cousin, but I forgot to consider his wife, and you have her smile and mainly her facial structure. So I'm inclined to believe that your hair colour is a henge, and you've hidden the whisker marks on your face because you can only be one person. But that should be impossible because Uzumaki Naruto is just a boy and I know you have not henged into one or the other. You have the Hokage's ear, you repeat words that you shouldn't know, you navigate the Nara Compound like a second home, and," Shikaku stopped for a heartbeat, watching the shadows creep into those sorrowful eyes again before ending softly, "And apparently, you look at my son and you see someone else, someone you can't bear to look at."

Whatever light that remained in Haruki's eyes flickered out and Shikaku almost wanted to take every word back as a deadened gaze stared back at him. But he had come this far, said this much, and he needed to push because if he was right (and he knew he was), then Haruki needed help since there was just no way he could do everything alone, no matter how strong he was.

So he continued, concluding in a gravelly voice that was barely above a murmur, "One person from two different times. You are Uzumaki Naruto from the future, from a different timeline, from a world beyond repair. So you came back, to change things." Shikaku stared hard as dull blue eyes closed. "Am I correct, Haruki?"

Haruki didn't answer him directly, only opening his eyes and turning to stare down a surprisingly empty street. The sunlight was almost completely gone by now and most people had headed home for dinner.

"Bodies and ashes," Haruki finally spoke, and Shikaku contained a shudder at the raw haunted expression that finally surfaced on the redhead's face. "Can you imagine Konoha reduced to nothing but bodies and ashes? And everyone dead. Everyone. Babies, children, civilians, shinobi. All gone." He turned back. "Can you imagine that, Shikaku? Because, funny enough, until I saw it myself, I couldn't imagine it either."

"It won't happen," Shikaku was startled to hear how rough his voice had become but continued anyway, looking the time traveller in the eye. "We won't let it."

Haruki smiled, humourless. "'We', Shikaku?"

"Yes," Shikaku frowned sternly at the Jounin. "I don't know what kind of person I'll become in the future; I can only speak for myself in the present. I know what's going on now; don't think I'll let you handle this on your own, especially if Konoha's on the line. The Sandaime has told Inoichi that you can't be helped, that we should simply leave you alone. I won't lie and promise you that everything will be alright. After everything you've been through, maybe you'll never completely heal; I don't know. But the Hokage is wrong to leave everything to you. We can at least try."

Haruki stared at him, expression twisting a little in a way that Shikaku couldn't read.

"You're exactly the same," The redhead finally muttered, shoulders hunching just a bit. "You wouldn't leave me or Shika alone in the future either." He glanced up, a morbid smile curling at the corners of his lips. "It got you killed."

Shikaku didn't blink. "I'll be more careful this time around."

Haruki snorted but Shikaku felt something loosen in his gut when some of the dead expression lifted from the Jounin's face and blue eyes became a little more alive again.

"I won't tell you everything," Haruki said at last. "I might not even come close to telling you half of that."

Shikaku shrugged, shoving his hands into his coat as he walked forward, unbelievably glad when Haruki didn't move away from him. "That's fine. So long as you warn me of something that's about to happen so we can prevent it, I won't push anymore. Much." He added as an afterthought.

Haruki let out a sound that was a half-laugh, half-sob. But his shoulders relaxed and he walked willingly enough beside Shikaku as they moved aimlessly down the street again.

"You called my son 'Shika'," Shikaku recalled. "You were good friends then?"

Haruki smiled a little, more genuine this time. "More like brothers. I made him my Chief Strategist. Er, other Chief Strategist anyway. I kept you on until you...well."

Shikaku nodded thoughtfully and absently wondered how he had died. "Ah. Rokudaime Hokage, I assume?"

Haruki nodded but didn't expand on it and Shikaku didn't ask. Instead, "I haven't had sake in three days because of you. Let's go to Shushuya. You can tell me who knows what over dinner."

Haruki bit back a smile as he nodded and followed the Nara Clan Head to the popular restaurant.

It was... strange. He had thought that it would complicate matters if more people found out, had thought that maybe Shikaku would insist on knowing everything right away, but the man had never, at any point in time, rushed into things without thinking it over first. And Naras were always smart enough to know when to defer to someone else when they weren't as knowledgeable in the area.

Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad then. The Sandaime knew, but the Hokage could hardly sit around all day listening to tales of another time if they weren't relevant to any immediate danger. And while Hizashi knew, Haruki wasn't all that comfortable relying on someone whom he had never known in any time. But Shikaku was someone he was familiar with, even if this was a younger version of him. Haruki had properly met the Nara Head when he was fifteen so a couple years wouldn't make much of a difference. And Shikaku was patient and a good listener and an excellent advisor. He had been a steady rock for Haruki right up until the day he died, so maybe depending on this man in this timeline was something he could do after all. Besides, it didn't look like Shikaku was going to give him much of a choice anyway.

Shikaku heaved a tired sigh as he sat down on the wooden porch, reaching down to take off his sandals. What a night.

Hyuuga Hizashi was the only person other than the Sandaime who knew the truth. No wonder Haruki looked so tired all the time; he doubted the Hyuuga Clan Head's brother had been much help. Hyuugas were an emotionally stunted lot; even if Hizashi was better than the rest, he doubted that the man would ever go out of his way to take on such an emotional mess like Haruki.

"Shikaku?"

Shikaku stifled a yawn before glancing up to smile at his wife. "Sorry I'm late, Yoshino. Got held up with some business."

Yoshino could no doubt smell the alcohol on him but Shikaku had always marvelled at her ability to tell when he was giving a half-assed excuse and when he was serious, even when he said both in the same tone of voice. His wife only nodded before taking a seat next to him, leaning into him when he curled an arm around her waist.

"Can you imagine Konoha reduced to nothing but bodies and ashes? And everyone dead. Everyone. Babies, children, civilians, shinobi. All gone. Can you imagine that, Shikaku? Because, funny enough, until I saw it myself, I couldn't imagine it either."

His arm tightened just a little around Yoshino and his other arm suddenly felt a little empty without his son beside him. No, he couldn't imagine it, couldn't see it at all, and god he hoped he never would.

He had always known that real Kages were a rare breed of shinobi, set apart from the rest of the population, but he had always contemplated on what it was that made them different. Physical and mental strength, of course, but it couldn't just be that. Charisma and a genuine desire to protect the village and its people, but Shikaku had seen quite a few shinobi like that as well.

So perhaps it was what he had seen in Haruki tonight. The will and resolve to never give up, to sacrifice not the people but himself to protect what was important. To keep on going even after everything had been destroyed. To put the people who followed him above everything else.

The Shodaime had been like that, killed in the many battles of the First Great Shinobi War, but not before passing on his Will of Fire to the next generations of Konohagakure.

The Nidaime had been that way as well, sacrificing himself to give Konoha a future in Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The Sandaime had lost two teachers, a student, a wife, a successor, and many, many shinobi in the Third War, and had still come back to take up the mantle to keep the village going.

And the Yondaime, of course, had sacrificed himself and both his family members to ensure Konoha's survival from the Kyuubi. But his old friend would be disgusted with the very village he had protected if he ever saw his son's abysmal childhood.

"Shikaku, are you alright?"

His wife's concerned voice made him blink and he managed a small smile for her. "Of course, Yoshino. I just have a lot on my mind."

"More theories, Shikaku?" Her gentle teasing warmed his heart. He'd do anything to keep this in his life.

"Well, you know us," Shikaku grinned a little, repeating her words even as he recalled his earlier conversation. "Naras without theories are dead Naras."

Yoshino huffed exasperatedly, but her mouth curled up into a smile. "Just don't think too much. You'll get frown lines if you do."

She settled against him again and Shikaku turned to look up at the moon. They had a chance now. Haruki had come all the way back, fourteen years into the past, and Shikaku would be damned if the same thing happened again.

Another day passed without further incident and Konoha went about its business per usual, but that very evening, twenty-one messenger birds were sent out, and twenty-one people received the Hokage's urgent summons to a meeting. Dinner utensils were dropped, books were set aside, training equipment was put away, and twenty-one shinobi from all across Konoha headed for the Hokage Tower.

Kageshibari no Jutsu – Shadow Bind Jutsu

Yu no Kuni – Land of Hot Water

Shimo no Kuni – Land of Frost

Yugakure (no Sato) – Village Hidden in Hot Water

Hijutsu: Mushiyose – Secret Jutsu: Insect Gathering

Chapter Text

"The Hokage couldn't have called us earlier or something? Or tomorrow? I was eating dinner."

Kurenai patted her irate friend on the shoulder. "Anko, Sandaime-sama wouldn't have called us at this time if it wasn't important."

Anko rolled her eyes but settled for sulking as they approached the Hokage's office. She had bumped into Kurenai outside the Hokage Tower and, after realizing that they had both been summoned but having no idea why, had made their way up together.

As they stepped into the office, they both blinked in surprise when they saw other shinobi already assembled in the room, a bunch of chairs lined up neatly in the room.

"Yuugao? Hayate?" Anko made her way over to the small group gathered on one side of the office, Kurenai following behind her. "And you four idiots too. What's goin' on?"

Used to her personality, they all took the insult, which was really more of an endearment, in stride and greeted the two kunoichi with a round of nods.

"Not sure," Hayate was the one to reply, straddling a wooden chair with his arms propped on the back of it. "We all got here only a few minutes ago."

As they pulled up chairs as well, Kurenai frowned at Hayate, studying the kenjutsu expert closely for a long moment. There were only the faintest of bags under his eyes and his shoulders were completely relaxed for once. "Hayate?" Kurenai noted the others' grins with some consternation. "You look… better today. A lot better. Did something happen?"

Hayate grinned openly at her. "Oh good; it really is noticeable. I just got out a few hours ago and haven't really seen anyone yet."

Kurenai looked around, feeling completely lost. "Guys, what's going on? Got out from where?"

Anko spoke up again, waving an excited hand in Hayate's direction. "Ya can't tell, Kurenai? Hayate's been cured!"

Kurenai sat frozen in her chair, stunned as she looked from one face to another, all smiling broadly back at her. "You're serious?"

Taking turns, Genma and Raidou explained the previous day's events to her as Kurenai took it in with wide eyes. And then, smiling in delight herself, she congratulated Hayate enthusiastically. She wasn't as close to Hayate or the others as much as Anko was but she still considered them friends and she was grateful to whoever it was that had managed to pull something like this from thin air.

"You all seem happy. What's the occasion?"

They all turned to see Asuma walk in, Gai following close behind. The story was repeated again with no less feeling and Asuma smiled and clapped the kenjutsu specialist on the back before taking a seat next to Kurenai while Gai all but bounced in his chair, proclaiming about the wonders of youth. This continued on for several seconds before Anko shut him up with a well-placed threat to his manhood.

"So does anyone know what's going on?" Kotetsu asked as they all finally settled down.

Asuma shrugged. "I got a message to head to the Hokage's office but nothing more than that."

"That's what the rest of us got too," Izumo nodded, leaning back in his chair. "Wonder what the Hokage wants."

Genma suddenly straightened, eyes focused over their heads. "I'm going to guess that it has something to do with what Haruki was saying the other day. Take a look."

They all turned and then hastily straightened in their seats as the six Clan Heads of Konoha filed in, with Hyuuga Hizashi walking alongside his brother and Inuzuka Hana walking beside her mother. All of them glanced briefly around the office before quietly taking seats on the left side of the room. Hana exchanged a few more words with the Inuzuka Clan Head before rising and making her way over to them.

"Hana-chan, is this about the meeting with Kumo?" Kotetsu immediately asked as she took a seat with them. At her amused nod, he exchanged a bewildered glance with Izumo. "Then what the hell are we doing here? We're Chuunin!"

Hana shook her head. "I'm not sure about the details. My mom just mentioned a summit conference with Kumogakure. But I got the Hokage's summon as well so," She shrugged. "Here I am."

Footsteps at the door made them turn a third time, and the entire room rose to their feet as the Hokage walked in, Ibiki, the ANBU General, and the ANBU Second a few steps behind him. Sarutobi moved to the front of the room while Ibiki veered off, stopping near the back a few feet away from Anko, arms crossed and looking as imposing as ever. The two masked shinobi settled similarly on the right behind the Clan Heads.

"Please sit," The Hokage called from the front, taking a seat himself behind his desk. "This will take a while. Thank you for coming on such short notice."

They all sat down again, attention focused entirely on Sarutobi now. The Hokage looked around before releasing a resigned sigh. "It seems we're still waiting for two more though." He paused before glancing at Hayate. "I heard about the good news, Hayate. Congratulations on the recovery."

Hayate bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

Beside him, Anko piped up, "Hokage-sama, do you know who gave the doctors the cure?"

Everyone was focused on this exchange now even as Sarutobi inclined his head. "I do, but I believe we both know he has no wish to be identified."

Anko scowled, crossing her arms. "C'mon Hokage-sama! Even a hint would-"

"Leave it, Anko," Genma interrupted from his seat, senbon stuck in his mouth as usual. "Whoever he is doesn't want to be known."

The purple-haired kunoichi snapped her head around to study the senbon-wielder suspiciously. From Hayate's other side, Yuugao spoke up, interest clear in her voice, "Do you know who it is, Genma?"

Genma shrugged. "Just suspicions."

Anko immediately glared. "Well let's hear them then!"

The Tokubetsu Jounin grunted indifferently. "I only have suspicions, Anko. Nothing concrete."

"And you wouldn't say anyway, would you?" Raidou observed dryly. He knew his friend. If Genma was being tightlipped on purpose, no amount of prying would get anything out of him.

Genma smirked around his senbon and proceeded to ignore the dark glower Anko sent his way.

A few of the Clan Heads had blatant interest on their faces but none of them had time to raise their own questions before two voices, muffled but slowly coming closer, drew their attention to one of the office windows.

"-ven know where I live? Only the Hokage knows where I live."

"I used to be a spy. I'm rather good at finding things out."

"Do you have any idea what this is going to do to my reputation? I'm going to give the Hokage a heart-attack!"

"I doubt the old man's gonna keel over just because you showed up only a few minutes late. Now stop complaining; we're here."

A moment later, two shadowed figures landed on the windowsill, silver and crimson gleaming against the evening sky in the light of the Hokage's office.

"Hey old man," Haruki jumped inside, absently tugging his coat back in place as Kakashi followed him in. "Sorry we're late."

The entire room stared, speechless for several long seconds. Kakashi and Haruki exchanged a glance and before turning to stare back.

"It isn't that shocking, is it?" Haruki finally said, exasperation leaking into his voice. "He's still a few minutes late."

Sarutobi was the first to speak, chuckling as he rose to his feet. "True, Haruki, but it has never happened before."

Haruki just grinned a little, nudging the Copy-nin forward. Kakashi looked as bored as ever but there was a pleased glint in his eye as he surveyed the surprised shinobi in the room.

"How in the world did you do it?" Kurenai voiced, astonishment clear on her face. "We'd usually have to wait at least an hour before Kakashi turns up."

Haruki shrugged, stepping further into the office as he glanced back at Kakashi and tipped his head towards the chairs. Wordlessly, Kakashi sauntered forward and took a seat at the end next to Asuma. "I just went to pick him up. Has no one ever thought to do that? He can't exactly avoid a meeting if someone makes sure he gets here on time."

"No one knows where he lives," Genma pointed out, but Haruki caught a puzzlingly thoughtful look in the senbon-wielder's eyes, as if he was thinking about something else entirely as he studied the redhead.

"Ah, well, he lives-"

"Haruki."

The warning came from the Copy-nin and Haruki sighed and shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, can't say."

Again, the rest of the room was watching them with something akin to incredulous fascination and Haruki frowned a little before glancing at the Hokage again.

Sarutobi just shook his head before coming around the desk to stand beside Haruki. "Alright, let's get this meeting started. I'm sure everyone realizes that we are here to discuss the summit conference with Kumogakure. Before we start on that though, some of you still need to be filled in on the real details of what brought us to this point in the first place." He gestured to the Jounin next to him. "As most, if not all of you know, this is Kazama Haruki. He is the one responsible for bringing back Hyuuga Hizashi."

The next ten minutes were spent giving a semi-detailed explanation of the circumstances surrounding the Hyuuga Clan Head's brother as Haruki stood motionless under the other shinobi's sharp gazes, features blank.

When Sarutobi finished, there were varied expressions on each of the room's occupants' faces. The Clan Heads and Hizashi already knew but the other half of the room hadn't and was now staring at Haruki with everything from thoughtfulness to amazement.

"So this is why no one really seems to know you?" Kotetsu enquired. "You haven't been back in eight years?"

Haruki inclined his head, ignoring the part of his mind that admonished him for lying. It was necessary, and he didn't have time to indulge in his conscience at the moment.

"That's amazing," Yuugao remarked, respect evident in her words. "You managed to corner Kumo in less than two weeks and they won't even be able to accuse us of anything in this."

"Yes," Sarutobi agreed. "Which brings us back to the point of this meeting. The conference with Kumo will consist of myself and twelve others. Haruki will be one of course, and we have come up with a list of those who will accompany me as well. The Clan Heads make seven, and Hizashi will make eight," There was a general round of nods from the right side of the room. "Yuugao and Hayate will come as well," Mild surprise flashed across Hayate's face but he nodded a moment after Yuugao inclined her head. "Asuma," Asuma blinked, mildly startled but straightened and nodded without pause. "And Kakashi." The Copy-nin acknowledged this with a single nod though his visible eye slid over to the red-haired Jounin for a brief moment, calculating behind the lazy perusal.

"The rest of you will remain in Konoha on standby in case Kumo tries anything while I am away," Sarutobi continued before gesturing to Haruki again. "One of the things we will request from Kumo is something Haruki and I came up with. I'll let him explain."

Haruki nodded and took a step back, steadying the mild stir of apprehension in his stomach with relative ease. He had long since gotten used to talking in front of crowds.

"Right," He started, noting the attentiveness in every shinobi's expression. "I'm sure you all know Uzumaki Naruto?"

There was a rush of murmurs around the room before Anko spoke up. "He's the demon brat, isn't-"

The kunoichi abruptly cut herself off when cerulean eyes froze over and pinned her with an icy stare. From her right, Kakashi's typical lazy drawl wasn't so lazy anymore. There was just the slightest edge of steel underlying his voice as he spoke.

"Maa, Anko, that 'demon brat' is my student."

It was strange, a detached part of Anko's mind thought. Sharingan no Kakashi was famed for his detached nonchalance and cool head in any situation and often showed nothing but disinterest in everything not directly related to the immediate safety of Konoha. The man was hard-pressed to care about anything on a good day. And yet, here he was, defending one of his students for something Anko had said that she hadn't even meant as an insult. She wondered if Haruki had anything to do with this change.

"That's not what I meant," She snapped back, mostly at Kakashi because Haruki wasn't even frowning and she could already feel the chill trickling down her spine. She almost pitied any poor fool who pissed him off enough to receive the full brunt of that glare. "I've got nothin' against the kid. I can tell a child from a demon, Hatake."

Anko breathed an inward sigh of relief when Kakashi relaxed enough to eye-smile an almost-apology at her. She shot an irritated glare back before turning to Haruki again to check his expression. The frigid stare was gone, replaced by his typically neutral expression again.

"What about him then?" She asked, not quite able to hide a scowl from surfacing on her face.

Haruki had the decency to look apologetic for a brief moment and Anko settled back down with a huff.

"Well then," Haruki continued, his gaze sweeping around the room. "As you know, Naruto is the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. But right now, all he knows is why this village hates him so much," Cerulean darkened to indigo as he spoke. "He doesn't understand the Kyuubi's power, nor does he realize how strong he can become if he manages to work together with the fox."

"Wait, wait, wait," Asuma straightened from his seat, something like alarm flashing across his face. "We don't want Naruto to use that demon fox's power."

"Why not?" Haruki immediately countered, and several in the office noted the way his shoulders squared, as if preparing for battle. "The Kyuubi's chakra is just another source of strength one can use. The Uchihas have their Sharingan; the Hyuugas have their Byakugan; the Aburames have their kikaichuu; the Inuzukas have their dogs. Naruto and Kurama are no different. Working together, they could become very strong."

"…Kurama?" Asuma frowned, confused.

"The Kyuubi's name," Haruki answered shortly, leaving half the room looking nonplussed. "If Naruto can work together with the fox, his potential would increase even more and Konoha would become that much stronger."

"The Kyuubi tried to destroy Konoha twelve years ago," Tsume cut in flatly, eyes narrowed. "I've got nothing against the brat; my own son is friends with him, but who knows what that monster would do if he could influence the boy."

Haruki opened his mouth before closing it again, mentally calming Kurama as growls resonated in his mindscape. 'They don't know yet,' He reminded the fox.

'Then  tell  them. This is degrading.'

"Alright," Haruki said aloud, glancing sideways at the Hokage. "I think I'll have to go further back and tell you something else then. Old man, you remember what I said about who was really behind the Kyuubi attack?"

Sarutobi nodded thoughtfully as his gaze swept over the occupants of the room. He had been told of the real mastermind behind several disasters hitting Konoha but he suspected that there was still something Haruki was holding back from him. But the former Hokage had said nothing more on the subject so Sarutobi had not pushed. He trusted Haruki to tell him when he needed to know. "Tell them. But this is an S-class secret. Word of this must not get out."

There was a general round of nods as the Chuunin shifted uncertainly, glancing at each other. Why exactly were they here again? They wouldn't tell anyone of anything they heard here today but it was rare for someone below Jounin to be privy to top-secret information.

"Okay," Haruki nodded decisively. "How many of you know who Uchiha Madara is?"

There were several sharp intakes of breath as all the Clan Heads glanced sharply at one another. Shikaku kept his gaze firmly on the red-haired Jounin. He had already heard about the events of the Kyuubi attack from Haruki when they had gone out for dinner the other night.

"Uchiha Madara was the Clan Head of the Uchiha Clan during the Shodaime's reign, right?" Hayate put in slowly. "He helped found Konoha but he betrayed it in the end. He and the Shodaime fought at the Valley of the End and he was killed in the battle, wasn't he?"

"No," Haruki observed the shock that appeared on several shinobi's faces but there were a few who only looked pensively thoughtful, as if they had suspected this all along. "Uchiha Madara survived that battle. Barely, but he did, and he's still around today. Needless to say, Konoha isn't his favorite village at the moment. Madara's Sharingan has the ability to control Kurama and use him in battle. It was Madara who forced him to attack Konoha all those years ago; it was not Kurama's choice. By the time the Yondaime managed to stop Madara's influence over the Kyuubi, Kurama was already too angry to stop."

Absently, twitching the senbon in his mouth, Genma glanced wryly at his friends. They looked almost catatonic with shock. Then again, he wasn't doing much better. Whatever he had been expecting in the meeting today, it was not this. In his mind, he had imagined the briefing to be something along the lines of we will be meeting with Kumo; get your gear together; meet at the main gates; dismissed. Judging by most of the Clan Heads' expressions, they hadn't been expecting this either.

He turned back to the front of the room, cocking his head to observe the red-haired Jounin standing calmly beside the Hokage. Surely an infiltration mission to Kumo, no matter how long, wouldn't result in uncovering something of this magnitude, so how did Haruki know? He wanted to ask, but held his tongue. There was something… off about Haruki's background and he wasn't sure if the questions he wanted to voice would put him in a difficult position.

As it turned out, Genma needn't have worried. Someone else posted the question before he could contemplate it any further.

"Wait, you got all this in an infiltration mission to Kumo?" Tsume demanded, not understanding the heavy frown that Shikaku suddenly directed her way. "Does that mean they know this stuff?"

"No, no," Haruki shook his head. "I'm good at finding things out and I've done a little digging while I was away."

It was clear that Tsume was not satisfied with this answer but Shikaku spoke up before she could probe further, focusing everyone's attention back to the main point. "Then we know to keep an eye out for Uchiha Madara. But what does the Kyuubi and Naruto have to do with the conference with Kumo?"

Haruki nodded. "The Kyuubi is not just a mindless beast. He has his own thoughts and, in his right mind, would only attack places where human malice has collected and festered since his ability is to detect negative emotions. If Naruto gets in touch with the fox, Kurama could be convinced to work together with Naruto. And if that happens, someone will have to teach him how to wield the Kyuubi's chakra. That's where Kumo comes in. During the conference, we will most likely agree to a diplomat from Kumo to come live in Konoha as a sign of continued peace between our two villages."

Haruki withdrew two scrolls and unraveled them, showing the audience a depiction of the two shinobi he was about to introduce. "This," He held up the scroll in his right hand. "Is the Raikage's adoptive brother, Killer B. I believe he's powerful enough to be ANBU-level but he is named the Guardian of Kumogakure since, in addition to being their kage's family, he is also the Jinchuuriki of Gyuuki, the Hachibi."

Ignoring the startled gasps from his captivated listeners, Haruki held up the scroll in his left hand. "And this is Nii Yugito, a Jounin-level kunoichi and a good strategist, as well as one of the Raikage's most trusted. She's the Jinchuuriki of Matatabi, the Nibi."

Haruki paused and scanned the room, wondering if that had been one too many surprises in the last half hour.

"…Two Jinchuurikis?" Kurenai finally voiced faintly. "But… we've never heard of any of this before!"

Haruki shrugged, rolling up the scrolls again. "Kumo doesn't go around proclaiming it to the world, though they don't exactly hide it either. And it isn't as if either of them uses their bijuu's chakra every time they enter a fight. They're both quite strong on their own. One of them can train Naruto in the beginning steps of contacting Kurama."

"Are you saying that they can fully control their bijuus?" Inoichi enquired, blue-green gaze unwavering as he stared back at Haruki.

Haruki nodded. "Very well too. Both of them are quite adept at working together with their bijuus." A mirthless crooked smile flitted across his features. "They are two of their village's most prized shinobi; Kumo's pride, you could say."

The red-haired Jounin's tone wasn't quite accusing - more reproachful than anything else - but several of them shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

Haruki ignored this and focused on the gathered Clan Heads instead. "I'd like the Clan Heads to agree to this plan before we go ahead with it."

A short silence followed and Haruki forced himself to stay still. It wouldn't do to look too eager.

"I agree to this plan," Shikaku suddenly spoke up, cutting the tension in the air. Inoichi and Chouza both turned to blink at him, mildly startled. It wasn't like the Jounin Commander to acquiesce so easily without going over everything several times first. Shikaku paid them no mind, continuing evenly, "If Naruto can fully harness the Kyuubi's power, it would be beneficial to Konoha, and perhaps even turn the people's views of him to something more positive. Though I believe Naruto to be quite loyal to this village, what with his eagerness to become a Konoha shinobi, having almost the entire population against him is a disservice to both him and ourselves, not to mention it is downright shameful to treat the boy so badly when he is holding back the Kyuubi for us. And whether we like it or not, the fox, though dormant, could one day break free of its seal. Since that is a possibility, I'd much rather have the fox on our side than against us."

Thoughtful murmurs swept the room as Haruki shot the Nara Head a discreet look of thanks. Shikaku gazed back calmly, tilting his head in a miniscule nod. He had meant what he said two nights ago; he wouldn't leave the time traveler to fend for himself anymore. Although he would have to pull the redhead aside later and maybe lecture him a bit about giving him the full details before telling anyone else. He could've come up with an even stronger defense had he had time.

"Well if that's the case, I agree with Shikaku," Inoichi nodded at Haruki. "I'd much rather fight beside- Kurama, was it? I'd much rather fight beside him than against him if it comes to that. And the boy deserves a break from the things the villagers say. Maybe if they see that he can work with the Kyuubi, they'll be more open to his presence in Konoha."

Chouza wasn't far behind as he nodded in agreement. It was widely known and accepted that one concession from their clans really meant three. "Agreed. Konoha would be much stronger with a bijuu on our side, and Naruto-kun would benefit from this as well."

Near the back, Hiashi glanced at his twin, raising a questioning eyebrow. He had already accepted that Hizashi knew something about Haruki that he didn't - like how the Jounin seemed to know so many things that he really shouldn't (he didn't believe for a moment that Haruki had just picked it up by doing a little digging) - and usually turned to his brother in cases like this. "It sounds like a good plan," He commented in a low voice as he studied Hizashi's expression. "What do you think?"

Hizashi just smiled and inclined his head. "I think it is a good plan as well. Naruto working with the Kyuubi would greatly benefit Konoha."

Hiashi nodded, shooting an exasperated look at his twin for the unhelpful agreement. He had been hoping for a hint to the mystery surrounding Haruki, at the very least. Turning to face forward again, he spoke up, "I agree as well. But whoever is chosen should be closely watched."

"Of course," Haruki nodded. "That would go for anyone coming to the village as a diplomatic envoy."

Tsume listened to the other Clan Heads' agreement before glancing impatiently at Shibi. "Well?" She asked in a lowered voice. "What do you think?"

Shibi glanced sidelong at his former teammate and raised an eyebrow. Tsume rolled her eyes. Sometimes, she wondered when she had managed to pick up enough patience to dissect an Aburame's silent-speech. A raised right eyebrow alone had thirty-six different meanings (she had counted). This one meant why are you asking me?

"Because I think it's a good idea but I'm not just gonna pitch headfirst into this like everyone else is doing today," Tsume muttered back. "I mean, since when does that stick-up-his-ass Hyuuga agree so easily to anything?"

This time, Shibi frowned at her (which had fifty-two different meanings), a minute crease in his brow that was only noticeable to someone looking for it. Tsume huffed in irritation. "You got used to my language a long time ago. Concentrate on the important thing here, Shibi."

Shibi finally sighed (and even Tsume had lost count of how many meanings that could amount to; she had given up after ninety-four and had simply memorized the sounds instead) and said curtly, "I agree with this plan. It is sound, and advantageous to Konohagakure."

Tsume nodded, suppressing a sigh of her own as she turned back to the front. Personally, she had no objections, and if even Shibi agreed, she would support this plan fully. But still, there was something bigger here, something someone in the room must know and wasn't telling, and Haruki was smack in the middle of it.

"We agree too," She called out bluntly. "But I'd like a general idea of each one of them before deciding who to pick."

Haruki nodded, mentally releasing a relieved sigh. Tsume and Shibi had been his biggest worries. He hadn't interacted with them very much in this timeline and wasn't sure if his plan would be enough to put aside the suspicions that he knew they both had of him.

"Great. Then," Haruki turned to look at Kakashi. "We'd need to work out some sort of deal with Kumo first, and in this case, Kakashi would get the last word in Naruto's training."

The Copy-nin lifted an eyebrow at this, gaze flickering briefly to the Hokage and then moving on to focus on Shikaku before returning to Haruki again. He had been annoyed when a spark of betrayal had stirred inside him after catching the unsurprised expression on the Nara Head's face once Haruki had revealed the mastermind behind the Kyuubi attack, as well as the short exchange between them after Shikaku had defended the redhead's plan, and it was still nagging insistently at the back of his mind right now. With hidden irritation, he shoved it down and concentrated on the matter at hand. What did it matter if Haruki had told Shikaku first anyway? It certainly didn't concern him. The Nara Head had probably finally caught up to the redhead and had managed to worm a straight answer out of Haruki.

"Whoever trains Naruto will have to do it while I'm there as well," He said instead, voice light. "And my other two students will have to know about Naruto's circumstances too."

Haruki nodded immediately. "Of course, but whether or not you tell them about the Kyuubi should be up to Naruto. He should be the one to choose whether or not they should know."

Kakashi inclined his head in acquiescence. "That sounds fine. I'll take it up with him after the conference."

Haruki nodded again. His younger counterpart would most likely want his teammates to know, nervous though he'd be, but he was sure both Sakura and Sasuke would take it in stride.

"Alright then, moving on," Haruki turned back to the crowd in general. "I'll give you an overview of Killer B first." He pulled out a small booklet that he had spent a few hours filling up with all the things he could remember about the allies and enemies he had had in his former life. "Killer B is very proud of his own power so the first thing to remember during the summit is to not insult his bijuu. Like Naruto can be at times, Killer B can be quite cocky and stubborn, especially in terms of his own strength, and he demands respect from others and asks to be called "Jinchuuriki-sama" and his bijuu be called "Hachibi-sama"."

Haruki paused and glanced up. The entire room looked to be in a unified state of incredulity. Smothering laughter, he continued his summarization.

"He has a, er, special way of expressing his pride through song, more specifically in rap-style. Oh, and he'll even write his rhymes in the middle of a fight, or during an important meeting, even if they're no good, which is usually the case, so just go along with it."

Haruki looked up again. The incredulity had turned into the beginnings of traumatized disbelief. Kakashi was glancing between the booklet Haruki was reading out of and Gai. The taijutsu specialist was the only one who seemed to be completely at ease with Killer B's description. Still trying not to snicker, Haruki returned to his report.

"B doesn't respect anyone who makes fun of rap or his lyrics, so in other words, don't laugh, or mouth off to him, or do anything to offend him if you want to work out a deal to bring him back to Konoha. For his battle skills, he's not the type of person to work with strategies with other people; he was already completing missions that were supposed to be assigned for both him and his brother, without the Raikage's knowledge. The only person B will listen to is the Raikage since he's the only one able to keep him in check. B knows talent when he sees it though, and he respects those with it. A good example would be his fellow Kumo jinchuuriki, Yugito; he really looks up to her for her abilities. B has a very close relationship with his older brother, and the reason behind him becoming a jinchuuriki in the first place was for the sake of the Raikage. He didn't complain, and he's always cheerful and determined, much like Naruto is.

"However, even though he sounds pretty hotheaded, when someone close to him is in danger, he has no qualms about putting himself at risk to save them, if necessary. As far as I know, he has a pretty good relationship with Gyuuki. They don't have any problems working with each other and both of them are damn strong by themselves. As far as abilities go, B's good at taijutsu and kenjutsu, and he has the ability to flow lightning-natured chakra through his blades to increase their cutting power." Haruki stopped for a moment. He was very familiar with B's skills but he wasn't quite sure if they reached the level he knew them to be yet.

"Never underestimate his ability with Raiton techniques," He said at last. "He's a monster with them." He scanned his book. "He has full control over his bijuu, and he's the only living jinchuuriki who can retain his full bijuu form indefinitely." He paused again, hesitating for a moment. "Though when I say 'control'," Haruki clarified. "B and Gyuuki are more like partners than anything else, which makes them even stronger in battle. Anyway, B's also kind and compassionate, so he'd probably make a pretty good teacher for Naruto if we go with him."

Haruki looked up once more as he finished, studying his audience for a reaction. Most looked a little stunned at the summary of Killer B's abilities, but surprisingly, it was Kakashi who spoke first.

"So basically," Kakashi said in an oddly neutral voice. "This Killer B, with his rap and- and lyrics and whatever else he's got, is the Maito Gai of Kumogakure."

It wasn't a question but Haruki contemplated it for a moment before nodding somewhat cautiously. He supposed, in terms of, well, eccentricities, that was true. "Er, I guess so, yeah."

"I see," Kakashi raised one hand, deadpanning, "I don't care who she is; I vote for the woman."

This set off an immediate chain reaction. Beside him, both Asuma and Kurenai raised their hands as well and chorused, "Seconded!"

"Us too!" Yuugao, Hayate, Kotetsu, Izumo, Anko, Raidou, and Hana's hands all shot up.

There was a distinct pause as everyone blinked. Gai looked mildly offended.

"I think Killer B-san is extremely youthful," He announced, much to the visible annoyance of Kakashi. "I would not mind such youthfulness in Konoha!"

"You wouldn't," Kurenai sighed. "What do the Clan Heads think?"

Inoichi chuckled but turned back to Haruki. "Let's hear about the other one first."

Haruki nodded and flipped a few pages. "Er, right, Nii Yugito; she's a hard worker, proud, wise, and a courageous kunoichi. I hear she's also firm and decisive in battle, and thoughtful of her teammates as well. She's younger than Killer B but, like I said before, he looks up to her for her skills. She's a decent strategist, and better at close-ranged combat. Because of the Nibi, she can grow her fingernails and toenails into claws, and she uses fire against her enemies very efficiently. She has the ability to fully transform into the Nibi while keeping her mind, and while she doesn't have complete control over Matatabi, she can control the transformation and how much of the Nibi's chakra she wants to use."

Clapping his book closed, Haruki scanned the room. "Obviously, I don't have as much on her as I do Killer B, but from what I gathered, she sounds like a pretty good candidate as well."

"She sounds like a good all-rounder," Shikaku commented. "Killer B may be very strong but he sounds like more of an offensive type."

"And we want someone strong, not overly strong," Tsume agreed. "This Yugito sounds like the best option."

Murmurs swept the group of Clan Heads while the Hokage glanced at Haruki. "Who do you want here?"

Haruki shrugged, making sure to keep his voice low enough so not to be overheard. "I don't really mind either one. Naruto would probably butt heads with Killer B at first, but then again, he butts heads with most new people. Yugito's the calmer of the two though, and B is..." He trailed off, eyes glazing over a little as memories with that particular Jinchuuriki surfaced.

Sarutobi frowned a little with concern. "You two were friends?"

Haruki stirred, shrugging again. "Allies, friends; we were on pretty good terms." His mouth twisted a little. "He saved my life."

Sarutobi observed him for a few seconds. "He sounds like a good man."

Haruki scoffed. "Drove me crazy sometimes. And he was crazy, jumping in front of-" He cut himself off before his shoulders slumped a little. "He died, to save me," He finished lamely.

Sarutobi said nothing. There really was nothing to say. It wasn't anyone's fault if one ninja died to save another, but there would always be a part of the survivor that would never let go of the guilt that came with it.

"We've agreed on Nii Yugito," Shikaku announced. "She seems more disciplined than Killer B as well, which would probably be good for Naruto."

Haruki quirked an inquiring eyebrow at this. What exactly are you implying here?

Eyes could laugh, and Haruki knew the Nara Head was mocking him right now.

With a mental snort, Haruki straightened and nodded. "Alright then, I'm finished here. Old man?"

Sarutobi stepped forward again. "The summit conference will be held tomorrow at nine in the morning, in the forested area outside of Yugakure. I expect those who are coming to be at the village gates by five, and those who aren't to be in position at that time as well." He paused and the occupants of the office took this as a cue to nod. Sarutobi continued, "I will also need a sweep patrol to head out in front of the rest of us. Kumo will likely do the same. Any volunteers?"

"I'll do it," Haruki offered immediately. He didn't know what kind of reaction he would have when he saw B and Yugito again. Better to catch sight of them first without a group of ninja around him.

Sarutobi nodded, expecting as much. "Pick someone to go with you, Haruki. Not the Clan Heads though."

Haruki's gaze, to his belated puzzlement, jumped straight to Kakashi before Sarutobi had even finished talking, eyes already asking before he could open his mouth. He blinked when he thought he caught a pleased glint flash through Kakashi's lone eye.

"Well?" Haruki prompted more grumpily than he had intended. Distantly, he noted that the entire room had leaned forward with interest again.

Kakashi seemed to ponder his request before eye-smiling at him and holding out a hand. Haruki understood instantly and scowled.

"No."

Kakashi didn't look all that concerned, lowering his hand again. "Then no," He countered easily.

Haruki scoffed, crossing his arms. "I don't need you to come with me. I could take Asuma then."

Asuma put up his hands, already wary. "Oh no, I'm not getting into whatever this is."

Kakashi's smirk widened behind his mask. "Well then, it looks like you don't have much of a choice."

Haruki's scowl deepened. "This is blackmail."

Kakashi snorted. "That's rich, coming from you. You've been doing the same thing for days."

"Sacrifice is good for the soul!" Haruki retorted crossly.

"I could say the same thing," Kakashi said cheerfully.

Haruki glowered at him. Seconds ticked by as the two ninja waited in a stalemate. The rest of the room waited to see who would capitulate.

Finally, Haruki sighed and Kakashi's expression turned triumphant. He raised his hand again.

"Fine," Haruki pulled out an orange book from his vest, much to the astonishment of everyone watching. "But if you pull this or any other volume out at any time during the summit, I'll show you just how creative my seals can get."

Kakashi huffed but nodded reluctantly. "Deal. I'll even leave it at home." He gleefully tucked his precious Icha Icha away before turning to a bemused-looking Sarutobi. "So, Haruki and I for scouting tomorrow. When should we leave?"

Sarutobi shook his head, half-amused, half-exasperated. Since when did Hatake Kakashi act so childishly? "Four-thirty. You'll start out half an hour before us. Report back before we reach our destination."

Kakashi inclined his head along with Haruki and the meeting came to an end. Most of them filed out the door, stealing shrewd glances behind them as Kakashi and Haruki headed for the window and leapt out into the night.

"Hatake's finally lost it," Anko muttered, shaking her head.

"He's more relaxed and not as distant," Kurenai corrected. "I'm glad he's found someone to relate to."

Anko rolled her eyes, not quite able to hold her tongue. "Yeah, and next thing you know, he'll be handing out sweets to civilian children. What is the world coming to?"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Yugakure (no Sato) – Village Hidden in Hot Water

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

As Haruki breezed over the rooftops with Kakashi at his side, he sent an amused glance towards the jounin when he realized they were headed towards his home. 

“Maa, Haruki,” Kakashi started. “Have you eaten yet?”

Sending a somewhat cynical glance the copy-nin’s way, Haruki shook his head.

“No, but I have the feeling that I won’t be eating alone tonight,” he said with a somewhat self deprecating grin.

“Why Haruki,” Kakashi gasped. “Are you asking me to eat with you? I didn’t know you felt that way about me! I would be honored.”

“Oh fuck off, asshole. Getting tired of dates with your right hand?” Haruki smirked.

“I’ll have you know I’m ambidextrous,” Kakashi sniffed. “So, what do you have in the way of food at your place?”

Haruki hummed in thought. “I’d say mostly cup ramen, but honestly I think Naruto finished off the last of it. I might have leftover miso, though.”

Kakashi slowed to a stop next to him, and Haruki was forced to flip backwards to accommodate. He quirked an eyebrow in clear question.

“You know, Haruki, I’m pretty sure we already covered this, but telling Sakura to eat when you aren’t doing so yourself is pretty hypocritical. When, exactly, were you planning on getting groceries?” Kakashi said with an accusing tone.

Rolling his eyes, Haruki was quick to placate the opposing jounin. “I knew this meeting was coming up so I put it off. I have no idea how long it’s going to take, especially trying to negotiate the terms of the jinchuriki. No point in buying food just to have it rot.”

Kakashi heaved an over exaggerated sigh before gesturing in a grandiose way towards himself. “Well luckily for you, you have friends who actually know how to take care of themselves,”

Kakashi ignored the raised eyebrow.

“I, being your benefactuary, will do you the honor of allowing you to eat with me at my own home.”

Haruki’s eye twitched. “You’re just doing this because I found out where you live,” he deadpanned.

“Highly likely. Let’s go.”

Haruki let out an unrestrained laugh as they turned towards the west not quite noticing the way Kakashi’s eyes lingered on his smile. Kakashi would get back at him for that whole debacle, he was sure of it. 

“You know, Kakashi, for a man who preaches to me so much about eating healthy, you’re fridge isn’t exactly fully stocked either.”

“Well,” Kakashi began, “similarly to you, I figured we would heading out pretty soon, so I put off going to the store. I, however, actually have food.”

“Alright alright. You win, bastard,” Haruki chuckled before digging through his fridge and finding what he was looking for. Pulling out his desired ingredients, he began digging through cupboards looking for pots.

“Eggplant? What’s that for?” Kakashi inquired. 

“Eggplant miso. Thought it would be nice. It’s not like you don’t already have it, and it’s certainly more entertaining than what I have in my fridge.”

Glancing over, Haruki noticed the other jounin giving him an odd look. “Something wrong, Kakashi?”

Shrugging, Kakashi turned towards his fridge and opened it once again. 

“I wonder sometimes about you, Haruki. I mean, sometimes I wonder just how you find out some of these things,” Kakashi began cutting up vegetables as he continued. “You took Naruto to Ichiraku on the first day you met him without even knowing of his almost morbid obsession with ramen, and knew exactly what to say to get Sasuke working with the team in only a few moments. Now, you even managed to pull my favorite food out of thin air. Seriously, what kind of techniques do they teach you over in Kumo?”

Kakashi had been aiming for a raised eyebrow, or maybe an unimpressed stare, but when Haruki’s shoulders had tensed by the end of Kakashi’s small tirade, he realized he had overstepped. Kakashi considered himself friends with the redhead, but Haruki always seemed to remain a bit… detached from everything going on around him. It had seemed Haruki was in a joking mood, but with nearly ominous silence creeping in around them, Kakashi was quick to backtrack. 

“I just don’t know how you do it,” he said with a shrug.

“Practise and a lot of luck I guess,” Haruki muttered. “Now, where do you keep your rice cooker in this house?”

Noticing the obvious subject change, Kakashi decided to drop it. He knew many of the Jonin were plotting to do something about Haruki’s reclusive nature, but in all honesty, it wasn’t really their place to intervene. His philosophy was as long as it didn’t affect him on the field, then it wasn’t a big enough deal to bring up with, well, anyone.

It had gotten him this far, hadn’t it?

“Out of sheer curiosity, who taught you to cook, Kakashi?” Haruki asked as they finished their meal. Eggplant miso soup and stir fried vegetables certainly weren’t the most exotic of foods, but they did the trick. 

“I mostly taught myself,” Kakashi smiled faintly behind his mask as he recalled Minato’s horrified expression when he (begrudgingly) asked him if he could teach Kakashi to make anything other than fish and rice.

“I did a lot of that myself. I never cared much what I ate growing up, but I met a few people who would kick me onto the street if they saw me eat pre-packaged food three times a day. I learned pretty fast how to use a rice cooker,” Haruki smiled ruefully, and Kakashi could tell they had stumbled across yet another sensitive topic. Really, it seemed anything involving his past was like walking around landmines.

“Naruto seems really excited about the concept of learning fuuinjutsu. I’ve had to confiscate several exploding tags from him that he’s been attempting to mess with already. You’ve created a monster; you realize this, don’t you?” Kakashi said looking up from his dinner with a serious expression.

“He’s not a monster,” Haruki said, sounding a little miffed. “He’s an Uzumaki with a penchant for sealing. That’s a good thing, Kakashi-sensei.”

Rolling his eyes, Kakashi went back to his food. “Yeah, well, he’s certainly no prodigy. Nearly blew a hole through his whole team. If I hadn’t shown up when I did, he would have taken a chunk out of the poor, abused bridge.”

“I don’t know about that, but you’re a genius yourself, aren’t you? With my teaching and your ability to show up late every time, surely the kids must be learning something,” Haruki jabbed.

“I open my heart to you-”

“Here we go again,” Haruki muttered, shaking his head.

“-and you disrespect my teaching methods, insult my cooking-”

“Did I? I don’t remember doing that…”

“-and dare imply that I am in some way lacking. That is simply bad social graces, Haruki. You can’t do that, someone might take offense, and then we could have and international disaster on our hands. You don’t want that, do you? I recommend learning to apologize, starting with doing the dishes. Even as a guest, it’s expected that you help out in most households, and I hope you don’t have the misconception that I’m one of them.”

“Fine, fine,” Haruki relented. “I’ll do the dishes; you did provide the food after all. I don’t mind. But Kakashi?” 

“Yes, my dear slave?” Kakashi fluttered his eyelashes as Haruki made a face.

“I’m not sure what it is about you and your team, but they really remind me of my old one,” Haruki said with a wistful smile. “It’s… nice to watch them flourish. You included, Sensei. Watching all of you, I think I can trust that Konohagakure will be safe, even long after I’m gone.”

Kakashi sat there, somewhat dumbfounded by the unusual confession from the normally tight lipped jounin, before he rose and snatched a plate out if the redhead's hands.

“I thought I was doing the dishes?” Haruki teased.

“You know,” Kakashi groused, “You make it near impossible hard to stay mad at you. I think some of your goodwill and, god forbid, friendliness has seeped into my apartment.”

Haruki laughed before looking around again. “It’s not really much to look at, though.”

“You’re one to talk,” Kakashi grumbled.

It wasn’t though. It was nearly as spartan as Haruki’s own, simply slightly better furnished. Sure, there was a shelf actually full of things, but it was all kunai, ninja wire, and one oddly sentient seeming plant. The couch didn’t look uncomfortable to sleep on by any means, although Haruki wasn’t about to test that theory, and there were two small, bone shaped pillows on either end. The small glass coffee table in the center of the room was definitely something Sasuke and Naruto would figure out how to break in some sort of freak accident, surely. But still, even if it was cramped, the apartment felt relatively empty with it’s plain white walls and no decoration beyond what one might see hanging in a nice inn. The hardwood floors were clean and uncluttered, and it certainly made Haruki question whether or not Kakashi spent any time here doing anything other than sleeping.

“What’s with the tacky wall art?” Haruki asked.

“Oh, that? When I decided to move out of my old apartment, Kurenai and Anko decided to pitch in and help with the decorating, even if they didn’t know where I was going. I was opening my storage scrolls and these just appeared,” Kakashi elaborated.

Haruki figured the pictures were largely a result of Anko’s planning and Kurenai getting dragged along, but he decided not to say anything. “Is that where the bone pillows came from?”

He was met with silence.

Snorting, Haruki shot the opposing jounin an amused grin. “Why bone pillows of all things?”

Kakashi intentionally flicked water at the redhead before drying his plate. 

“I’ll have you know Pakkun picked those out, and I happen to think they’re quite nice,”

“Yeah,” Haruki snorted. “If you’re looking for neck problems maybe.”

“You’re very negative for a man who wants to convince the Raikage of all people to give up one of his jinchuriki.”

Haruki groaned. “Ugh, don’t remind me. All I’m imagining for tomorrow is a catfight between the Hyuuga and A. I really hope Hizashi can help his brother keep his head.”

“You know, if I was in his shoes, I would probably take quite a bit more offense to the situation than he is. I mean, they kept him immobilized and alive away from his family for years,” Kakashi said.

“That’s because you’re a suicidal bastard who has no mind for his own safety. Of course you’re mad on his behalf,” Haruki replied with a sideways look.

“Where on Earth did you hear that? I’m not suicidal.”

“It literally says ‘self sacrificial if pressured’ in the bingo books. If enemy shinobi can tell, I think that’s taking it a step too far, Kakashi.”

Kakashi huffed and finished drying the last pan. “I don’t think I like your attitude, Haruki.”

Haruki snorted before turning to face the copy-nin fully. “I should probably get going if I want to be ready to go in the morning and get any sleep. Are you going to get there on time, or am I going to have to come get you?”

Kakashi glared at him before walking Haruki to the door. “I’ll be there. It’s not like you care about reputations to uphold.”

Haruki laughed again and opened the door. “So I can trust you to be there bright eyed and bushy tailed, then?”

“Maybe not bright eyed,” Kakashi mumbled. “But yes, you can trust me.”

Haruki’s eyes slid to the floor as he began to turn away. “Thanks, Kakashi. See you tomorrow, then.”

“Tomorrow,” Kakashi agreed as he watched Haruki slip away into the night. If Kakashi was being realistic, he knew that comment was more loaded for Haruki than he would probably ever understand, but thus was the life of a shinobi. Haruki had been through a lot, and despite appearances, it would take a while before he got used to being safe again. In Kumo - playing by the story Haruki had chosen - he would have been constantly on edge. Based on the use of past tense and if Kakashi understood right, the team that Haruki grew up with was no longer here. 

He would be alright though. Somehow, without even realizing it, Haruki had managed to charm nearly every jounin and clan head Konoha had to offer. Try as he might, it looked like Kakashi wasn’t going to be able to bully the redhead into joining his team exclusively, and as much as it irked him to share, Haruki really was helping all the genin that had been entrusted to everyone so far. That really just left one question.

Who was Haruki? Sure, he had supposedly been gone for eight years, but seriously. There was no way that absolutely no one but the Hokage would remember him. Kakashi wasn’t about to question Haruki on it, but he didn’t just show up. There had to be somewhere that he came from, and Kakashi had a feeling it wasn’t good. Tenzou was a good example. He himself had even been briefly recruited into Root, and if Haruki was even fleetingly associated it would make sense that no one would know him. He would have to ask Tenzou if he recognized him next time they met up.

Either way, if Kakashi wanted time to visit the Memorial Stone before he left, he would have to head to bed soon. Sighing, he gathered himself and went to start packing his gear. Kakashi had most of what he needed put away already, but a few extra ration bars never hurt anyone.

Arriving back at his apartment Haruki sighed. Leave it to him to royally mess up already. The whole point of remaining detached was to avoid making connections, not to foster stronger ones with his former sensei. Brushing a hand through his long hair in aggravation, Haruki began packing his gear once again. Sleep was for the weak, he supposed. Back to back missions were something he was acutely familiar with after his years of avoiding Madara and well aimed guerrilla attacks. His body didn’t really need any more than three hours of sleep at any given time, and even with a safe place to rest it wasn’t like the nightmares would simply fall away.

Rifling through his extra kunai, he pulled out an achingly familiar gift that his Kakashi-sensei had left him before falling to Madara. (Like everyone else. It was your fault. You couldn’t protect them.) This was a kunai that his father had given Kakashi many, many years ago. Before he was born, and before Obito had been corrupted. Before Madara. 

It was the simple three-pronged design that Minato had been so fond of for marking with his Hiraishin. It had been a gift, Kakashi had told him, and that if he ever needed help all he had to do was throw it in the air and Minato would be there in a flash. Haruki remembered Kakashi’s wistful smile as he said that, probably recalling how his father had given it to him. ‘I know it’s not much,’ Kakashi had said, ‘and I can’t even use it like he could, but I want you to have it. All these years, and I’ve never even used it once. I simply kept it around for luck I suppose. I think if anyone is going to find use for it, it would be you.’

He was right. Unravelling Minato’s seal took months, yet Haruki managed to not only perfect the Hiraishin, but create a version entirely his own. Jiraiya had taught Haruki a lot in his time, but Kakashi was still his jounin sensei. No matter how long or hard a battle was, he would always be there with a witty remark or flowing commentary of the wonders of being young. A pervert never changes, no matter what the circumstance.

Kakashi would have made a great Hokage, even though he never wanted the hat. Tsunade hadn’t either, though, and she had still done a wonderful job. It was almost humorous to think how little this world’s Kakashi had seen compared to his sensei. The Kakashi here, he was jaded and stilted; not trusting anyone. He kept to himself and wore a mask so thick it was probably near indistinguishable which was the mask and which was the person underneath.

Haruki wanted to help him. Granted, Haruki wanted to help everyone, bleeding heart and all, but Kakashi was a special case. He was really the driving force that had kept their entire band together. Even after they had lost Asuma, and long after Genma and Raidou, Kakashi had kept it together. He would never forgive himself for letting Kakashi die. He would stop it this time around; or better yet make sure the village itself never had to fight for its life.

He would make up for it, Haruki had decided, in the limited time he had left. Kakashi wouldn’t get attached, that much he was certain of, so at the very least he didn’t have to worry about forcing him to lose another precious person. He only hoped that his students would be able to bring some light into his life like Kakashi himself had done to Naruto’s. Honestly, the man underestimated himself if he didn’t think Naruto would take to having a steady adult figure in his life like a fish to water. Naruto’s team was his whole world right now.

Haruki startled slightly when he heard a knock on his front door. He’d been too lost in his own thoughts to sense them approaching his apartment, but it wasn’t as if they were too far from home. He was already smiling as he opened his door.

“Hi there, Naruto. What can I-” Haruki cut himself off as he took in the sight in front of him. Naruto was covered nearly head to toe in what looked to be eggs, and his blue eyes were full of unshed tears. Haruki nearly reeled back in shock.

“H-hi, Haruki-san,” he mumbled. “Um, I was walking home and someone accidentally dropped a carton of eggs out of the window, and my hot water isn’t working. I-is there a-a-any way I can-”

Haruki neatly dropped to one knee and spread his arms. He felt the filthy boy lunge into him as he enveloped Naruto in a tight hug, and he felt the dam break. Sobs wracked Naruto’s entire body as he shook in Haruki’s hold. The redhead bit his lip viciously as he felt the genin break down against him, but quietly stroked his back. His anger could wait until Naruto had calmed down.

Rubbing his back patiently as the sobs slowed to mere hiccups against him, Haruki gently raised Naruto’s face to meet his eyes. He gave him a soft smile as he watched the face before him puff up in an effort not to start crying again.

“People really are cruel sometimes, huh, Naruto?” he asked.

“Y-yeah,” Naruto gasped. “Why do they hate me, Haruki-san?”

Haruki sighed. It had taken him years to really cope with everything that had happened to him when he was young. Naruto knew now what he was, but that didn’t explain why.

“People are scared of what they don’t understand,” Haruki started, “and unfortunately, you happen to be one of those things. I promise it’s nothing against you personally. When I was growing up, people were really poor to me as well.”

“Seriously...?” Naruto asked, aghast. “But you’re so nice! H-how could anyone hate you?”

Haruki flinched minutely as he heard Naruto say ‘hate.’ Haruki had worked nearly his entire life so far to undo the vicious cycle, but it was never enough.

“Like I said, Naruto, people just don’t understand. I was a prankster who wanted to stand out, and I did everything I could to make sure of it. I’m pretty sure I was the bane of Anbu’s existence.”

Naruto giggled. “Tora told me that I’m the one who always makes his job the hardest. He’s the nicest, though.”

‘Tora’ was Genma, if Haruki remembered right, and it would make sense that he would be kind to Naruto. He had been part of the Yondaime’s personal guard, so he had been there for most of Kushina’s pregnancy. Genma always got along better with Kushina, he’d told Haruki before the village had fallen, and he’d been nearly as excited as Minato about Kushina’s pregnancy. There was an order forbidding any of the Hokage’s personal guard, Kakashi included, from interacting with Naruto to avoid anyone linking him to the Yondaime and targeting him for it, but honestly Haruki doubted anyone would draw that conclusion now. It’s funny what people will overlook for the sake of ignorance.

Peeling a yolk soaked piece of hair away from Naruto’s forehead, Haruki stood back up. “Why don’t we get you cleaned up, and then we can talk some more, okay?”

“Okay,” Naruto limped his way towards Haruki’s bathroom, chunks of egg falling on the ground behind him. He wasn’t injured, but only so much could be said for the soul.

“Put your clothes right inside the door. There are towels underneath the sink,” Haruki instructed gently.

“Thank you, Haruki-san,” Naruto said with a forced smile as he hesitantly closed the bathroom door behind him.

Haruki walked over to retrieve a rag and some water with a sigh. He didn’t want to say it, but he knew that this wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. Haruki had all sorts of things happen to him as a child, and even with himself around, Naruto’s life wasn’t exactly going to change very drastically in that department so soon. On the bright side, if he managed to get Jiraiya here sooner rather than later, Naruto wouldn’t have to put up with it too much longer. 

Haruki wouldn’t allow Sasuke to leave. He was going to kill the snake bastard before he got anywhere near the Uchiha, even if he had helped during the war. Orochimaru was twisted, and there was no changing that. He had forsaken his morals long ago, and nothing was worth allowing him the opportunity to corrupt Sasuke again. He planned on helping Itachi out, too. They had never truly learned what Itachi was suffering from, but Sakura had theorized that it was some sort of microscopic polyangiitis . His symptoms seemed to match with what was to be expected, and years sooner than when Sasuke had finally confronted him Haruki might be able to get him treated. Hopefully. Really, it depended on how damaged his organs were at this point, and if it actually was microscopic polyangiitis… 

Oh well. That was a problem for another time. There were floors to be cleaned and clothes to be washed. Once Haruki was through scrubbing the spots of egg off the floor, he went to the bathroom door to retrieve the dirty laundry left by the young jinchuriki when he felt Kurama stir for the first time in a while.

Kit, came a rumbling growl from the back of his head. You’re leaving tomorrow morning, correct?

Yeah, Haruki replied. Is that a problem?

Kurama seemed to shift a little somewhere in his mind. Come see me for a second.

Really? Haruki asked. Naruto is right there.

It should only take a second. Come here, Kurama assured.

Sighing, Haruki slipped into his mindspace, taking a brief look around at the familiar environment. The sewer’s water seemed warmer than usual, though. Just on the side of uncomfortably hot.

“What’s up, Kurama?” Haruki asked.

“I assume you’ve already noticed,” the fox started, “but my ability to block out the effects of the time paradox are reaching their limit. Soon, you’re going to start showing more signs than just the occasional fainting spell.”

Haruki’s eyes widened. “You mentioned coughing up blood, but there isn’t actually anything wrong with me, right?”

“No, nothing physically. If the slug princess were to check, she might find some internal bleeding during a bad spell, but afterwards there wouldn’t be anything left behind. Theoretically, your body should be fully functional right up until you’re no longer here.”

“Okay, but why did you have to bring me here now to tell me that? Why not wait until Naruto is gone?” Haruki inquired.

“That,” Kurama said, “is the fun part. From what I’ve gleaned so far, the more you use your chakra, the faster your body deteriorates. You’re going on an extended mission, and if you intend to keep your ailment hidden from everyone else, I suggest you keep your chakra usage to the bare minimum.”

“ Shit ,” Haruki hissed. This was bad. He needed to be at his strongest for the meeting with Kumo, and something as stupid as a fainting spell could literally get him killed. This was literal shit.

“Anyway, you should probably get back to the brat now. Just thought I’d warn you before you passed out and landed in the middle of a ditch somewhere.”

And with that, Haruki felt himself being forced back into his own body. Taking a moment to adjust his bearings, he could hear that the water from the shower had turned off, so he quickly grabbed a shirt from his room and walked back over to the door. Knocking, he called out “Naruto? Are you done?”

“Yeah, I’m all done,” came the peppy response. “Do you have any clothes I can borrow to get back to my apartment?”

Haruki knocked on the door before slipping it open a little and passing a shirt through.

“I know it’s not a lot, but it should be big enough to cover you if you just have to go next door.”

There was a beat of silence before Naruto slipped out of the door wearing what looked to be a dress. Haruki, while he wasn’t exactly the tallest person ever, still reached a respectable 5’11”, which dwarfed Naruto’s tiny 4’9” form. It was a rather cute picture, though, and Haruki belatedly wished he had a camera with him as the blond moped out of the apartment.

Haruki scooped up the filthy orange jumpsuit before walking to his kitchen and tossing it in the sink. If anything was going to save it, a long soak would need to happen first, so hopefully Naruto could make due with something else for the time being. Haruki had a long mission ahead of him, and this certainly wasn’t a good note to leave off on. It wasn’t often Naruto had to deal with more than harsh glares and passing comments, and he had always been super shaken up after being physically attacked. This wasn’t the worst thing that had happened to Naruto. No, that had happened when Haruki had been only five years old.

If he had one regret, it was that he couldn’t come back and prevent that from ever happening. Haruki worked hard to avoid thinking of himself as the younger Naruto; their paths would diverge from here on out and Naruto’s future would be nothing like his own, so he thought of the blond more like a younger brother. The world was a cruel place, and Naruto had been forced to learn that much younger than most kids. Haruki would give him a home as long as possible, and hopefully get Jiraiya and Kakashi in the same boat. 

Naruto needed to feel like he was loved, and to know he was important. He was going to be Hokage after all. A little confidence never hurt anyone, and the less Naruto felt like he needed to defend himself, the more results he would get. It might even convince him to start wearing more sensible clothing; not that there was anything wrong with orange. Haruki would be lying if he said it wasn’t still his favorite color.

There was a muffled crash from next door and Haruki chuckled at the muted cursing he could make out through the walls. After a beat of silence, Haruki heard Naruto’s front door slam shut as he made his way back to the redhead’s apartment. There was a loud knock before Naruto let himself back in.

“Thank you for letting me use your shower, Haruki-san,” Naruto said with a shy, wavering smile. “I can take my clothes back home and wash them. Sorry for leaving them in the bathroom.”

“I’m thinking not, duckling,” Haruki answered. “Those are going to need to soak for at least an hour before we throw them in the wash if you don’t want them to stain. I would however like to talk to you about your clothes.”

“My clothes?” Naruto asked. “Is there something wrong with them?”

“No, of course not Naruto. Can you keep a secret?” Haruki asked.

“Of course I can Haruki-san! You can trust me with anything,” Naruto whispered earnestly, practically vibrating with excitement at the prospect of learning something new from the red head.

Leaning in close, Haruki whispered in Naruto’s ear, “Orange in my favorite color too.”

Even though Haruki knew it was coming, he certainly hadn’t prepared himself very well for it.

“ What? ” Naruto screamed loud enough to wake the dead. “But, but Haruki-san, Sasuke-teme and Kakashi-sensei told me it was a bad color! Were they just saying that to piss me off?”

“Not so much to make you angry, Naruto, as telling the truth,” Haruki explained. “Stealth-wise, orange is one of the worst colors you could have picked. I used to wear it all the time when I was young too, but when I switched to browns and dark greens, it was like I could disappear without even trying.”

“Well, I don’t know Haruki-san,” Naruto said squinting warily. “You’re like, the best Jounin ever, so I don’t think anyone could see you if you were in bright pink.”

Haruki chuckled. “Naruto?”

“Yeah?” he inquired.

“I was a Genin at the time.”

So he’d technically been eighteen at the time, but Naruto didn’t need to know that.

“Wait really?” Naruto asked. “I have a really hard time imagining you as a Genin I guess. So, you think if I switch from orange to green I can be stealthier?”

Haruki smiled. “Exactly Naruto. Here, I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you some money so you can go buy some new ninja gear, and tomorrow I want you to try and follow around any Anbu you can find for as long as possible without being caught. Let’s say twelve hours is you maximum, and if you haven’t been found by then, you win?”

“What do I win, Haruki-san?” Naruto asked with shining eyes.

“How about if you win, I’ll take you for ramen after you get back. All you can eat?” Haruki proposed.

“Free ramen? How could I say no to that?” Naruto shouted with a smile. “Uh, but did you say you’re leaving?”

“That’s right. Tomorrow Kakashi and I are heading out on a mission along with several other Jounin in the village for a while. Don’t tell anyone; it’s top secret,” Haruki said with a wink.

“But I thought we had training with Kakashi-sensei tomorrow?” Naruto asked.

Haruki blinked. “He didn’t tell you that training was cancelled?”

“Nope.”

“Bastard,” Haruki muttered under his breath. “Yes, training is cancelled tomorrow, and until we get back. That doesn’t mean your team should be slacking off, but somehow I find that hard to imagine.”

“There’s no way I’d slack off and let Sasuke-teme beat me. So, instead of training tomorrow I’m trailing Anbu?” Naruto confirmed.

“Yep. And if you want to up the ante, try following one the next day in orange and avoid being detected. If you can do that for twelve hours, I’ll buy you lunch for a week ,” Haruki proposed.

Naruto’s eyes seem to catch fire. “Can I try as many times as I need until you get back, or only once?”

“For now, I’ll say as many times as you need. Stealth training is never a bad thing. However, don’t forget to work on other areas as well,” he reminded him. “Your taijutsu is getting better, but it still needs a lot of work.”

“Of course I’ll work on other things! By the time you get back, I’ll be as strong as the Hokage! Believe it!”

Haruki laughed aloud as he ruffled Naruto’s hair. “Sounds like a plan.”

With a broad grin, Naruto raced to the front door. “Well, I better let you go to bed so you can kick Kakashi-sensei’s ass at your mission tomorrow. Goodnight Haruki-san! Thank you!”

Haruki was left blinking as the door slammed behind Naruto before he could wish him a good night as well. Oh well, Naruto was quite a bit happier than when he first arrived, so Haruki counted that as a win. He didn’t fully remember if eggs had ever been dumped all over him, but the faulty hot water was a common one in the apartment. He also knew where the water heater was, so applying a seal to self heat might be a good idea as soon as he got back.

For now, though, he would try to sneak in as many hours of sleep as his mind could handle, and hope that the nightmares would stay away. If there was one good thing about being in the field, it was that he was always too on edge for any sleep deep enough to activate the wealth of memories inside his head. Three hours would be good.