Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Third person pov

The breeze is gentle and cool, yet not so much that it causes a chill. It brushes featherlight against Naruto's face, ruffling through his hair like phantom fingers. He can't quite stop himself from grinning, his shoulders loose and his heart light. Today, he knows, is going to be one that he remembers for the rest of his life.

Overhead, leaves rustle in the faint wind. The sky is as blue as its been every other day that Naruto has come here, and it feels like a victory to look up at it and see the fluffy white clouds drifting by. They are a testament to all they've overcome and, peering at them, he thinks he understands how Shikamaru can spend hours of his day simply watching them float by.

The trunk of the tree has grown thick and strong over the years. It's just as tall as the ones that surround Konoha's giant walls, though its branches fan out far more. The canopy is vast and full, dotted with white flowers that bloom and reach out to the warming sun overhead. Naruto hadn't thought all this was achievable. 

Yet here he is. Grass beneath his feet, and flowers for as far as the eye can see. The hills roll and the flowers go with them, sheets of bursting color. Some are in hues so vivid he hadn't known they could exist, and he thinks he could cry if he stared long enough. 

Once upon a time, the flowers had seemed out of place. A patch in a damp sewer, so dark it seemed impossible that anything could grow and thrive there. It was strange to think how things had flipped so quickly. Now, it was Kurama's cage that did not belong, slate grey against an endless background of color and light. 

It's not that the plants hadn't tried to take it over too. Vines curled up the bars, and grass encroached on the edge of the metal, seeking to spread inside. The tree partially hung over it, shading Kurama from any harsh light. Even in the nature's attempts to reclaim it, it still didn't make it belong anymore than before.

Inside, Kurama lay, head on his paws and eyes partially shut. His nonchalance is betrayed by the grin already beginning to form on his face, razor sharp teeth peeking out at him. The fox was happy, and Naruto beamed back, eyes alight with excitement.

On his forehead, a shiny new Konoha forehead proctor shone in the light. They both knew exactly what that meant.

Exuberance filled Naruto to the brim. Adrenaline was like gasoline set aflame in his veins, eating through him and making everything burn. He welcomed the feeling, welcomed the intense thumping of his heart and the way it pounded loud in his ears. Finally, he'd done it. Finally, the day was here.

The thing about Naruto is that everything he does has to be at a fast pace, or else he's not going to want to do it at all. He's impatient, jumping from step to step without falter or thought, always eager for results. Naruto moves through life one foot in front of the other as fast as he can go. He's enthusiastic, driven, and he doesn't back down from anything once his mind is set to it.

This has been nearly six years in the making. He's been waiting for over half a decade to do this.

"Are you ready?" Naruto asks giddily, hardly able to contain himself. He feels ready to vibrate out of his own skin, his fingers itching. He's been jittery all day. It had been nearly impossible to get to sleep, his mind had been racing so hard.

Kurama's chakra is already swirling, tendrils of glittery orange snaking through the grass. Naruto doesn't flinch when they make contact with him, wrapping around him and lifting him up and into the air. It's strange to be put on Kurama's eye level like this as the fox raises to his full height, but it only makes the moment all the more exhilarating and real.

Kurama looks painfully fond as his chakra gently brings Naruto higher. He's always careful when handling Naruto, who is so fragile and fleeting compared to the vast strength and longevity he carries. Naruto is twelve years old now and sturdier than the stick of a boy that fiercely made this promise to Kurama to begin with, but it doesn't stop him from exercising caution. 

Naruto is still so young, and Kurama looks at him like anyone would look at their own child. They are best friends, but Kurama is a teacher too. A caretaker. A guardian. Naruto loves him with every part of his heart, and he knows with absolute certainty that Kurama loves him back.

That, Naruto earned. His parents gave him their love freely and he holds it like a torch of victory everywhere he goes. But Kurama's? Naruto proved he was worthy of it. He won Kurama's love, through fighting words and flower petals and a whole lot of effort. 

It's paying off now. Naruto wouldn't trade it for anything.

"I'm ready." Kurama's voice rumbles gently, almost reverently. And then, he grins, something like amusement sparking in his eyes. "Believe it, kit."

Naruto throws his head back and laughs. 

~~~

The village doesn't feel the way Naruto rips the seal off all in one fail swoop, without flourish or special care. He pulls it off, crumbles the paper into a ball and chucks it over the shoulder, happy to see it gone. The rush of warmth that meets him is something he's grown accustomed to in spades, and he closes his eyes at the fiery glow of it.

Kurama's chakra is hot from the forge. It is a crackling campfire, fueled with dry kindling to spark high and heated. It is a racing of something biting through every one of his limbs, something that marches down his chakra pathways and meets his own at the core. It is something that resonates within him like the beat of a gong, high and heavy, echoing in him like a howl through an empty chasm. 

The fox is a natural disaster compressed down into tangible shape. A force of nature waiting to be unleashed. The gates fly open, and the entirety of Kurama hits him like a punch to the face. He could drown in it, there's so much. He might've if they'd tried to do this any sooner.

But Naruto has learned more than a few things over the years. He knows how to keep his head above the water, and he does so with ease. The chakra lowers him back to solid ground, and Kurama peers down at him in a way that would seem imperious to anyone else. Naruto can see that it's more searching than anything, his red eyes zeroed in on Naruto's form.

Naruto starfishes out on his back amongst the flowers and lets himself breathe. They've trained for this, but it's nothing like the real thing. It's just as Kurama described it. Everything all at once. A flash of torrential rain, followed by the steady pattering of much kinder sprinkle.

Kurama's chakra, given in increments over the years, had prepared him-- he can feel it, the way things shift within him to make more room. It had grown with him partially, bleeding its way into his system the more and more he used it as his pathways matured. He had adjusted. And now, he has it all sat right there next to his, no longer wrapped up deep and held apart. 

It's... completely badass, if Naruto is going to be blunt about it. Like a giant hug. But like, a powerful hug. A hug if a hug were a potential weapon. Friendship and a strong bond, but mutually weaponized or something. It's awesome-- Kurama is awesome.

The cage starts to crumble. Kurama turns to watch it go. It sinks into the earth, the flowers rapidly reaching to finally consume it as they'd sought to for so many years. The fox grins even wider, and Naruto can see the way his shoulders droop and his ears fall back. When he turns to look back at Naruto again, there is something disbelieving and a little awed in his gaze.

The sinking in realization of wow. Holy fuck. They just did that. Just like that, in seconds, they did that. And Naruto isn't even like, dead or anything. He's actually fine. Literally fine, and the only adverse effect is that he now feels like he wants to cry for the next four consecutive days from happiness alone.

The seal is gone. The cage is gone. Kurama has his field of flowers. Kurama has flowers, and a sun to bathe under, and a tree to doze beneath. Naruto gave him that. Naruto actually gave him that, and now he gets to have it.

Naruto wishes he could look his six year old self in the eyes and tell him they'd done it. The one who'd been so afraid of losing his friend forever, who'd had doubts this was achievable at all.

Naruto blinks rapidly to right himself from the faint vertigo that still dashes through his senses. Kurama's chakra settles in him and he adjusts, and the village does not feel a thing. His parents don't stir down the hall, and the ninken draped all around him don't so much as flinch. Naruto sleeps soundly and without a twitch.

When Naruto pops to his feet with a laugh and a grin, holding his fist out to Kurama excitedly, and Kurama obligingly brings his own far larger one to lightly bump against it? Now that-- that the village feels.

The shockwave that explodes out from around Naruto's body is enough to send the ninken flying to their feet. It's golden, pure energy that makes a deafening boom with its entrance, one so big and loud it shakes nearly the entire village with its force. The windows of their house all shatter. A room over, Minato and Kushina jolt out of bed.

It's a miasma of something lighting bright and fast. It surrounds Naruto for the briefest of seconds as his eyes fly open, but it's over as soon as it starts. Kurama pulls himself back as though shocked by a live wire, and the shimmering cloak of chakra that had surrounded Naruto-- all-encompassing and almost too much to handle-- vanished with the fox's retreat.

Naruto gasps for air as the oppressive feeling rips away. Pins and needles explode across his skin. Pain pierces through the side of his skull, the power simply too much. He can feel his chakra pathways buzzing fiercely. 

"Breathe!" Kurama's voice barks from inside his head, barely audible through the fog. He sounds panicked and fearful in equal measure. "Deep breathes! Dammit-- I should've known it was too soon to do this!"

It wasn't. Not technically. There was a reason the typical graduation age was twelve years old. Though Naruto's chakra reserves would grow, his actual pathways had reached the final stages of maturation through training and careful exercise. The risk of Kurama hurting him had lessened to practically nothing.

In another world, this was around the time Kurama would've awoken in the seal in the first place. His chakra might've leaked through the seams of it, far less kind and far more corrosive. There was no lasting damage that would come in Naruto being exposed to it now-- not with all they'd done over the past six years in preparation for this exact moment.

Like acclimating a goldfish to a pond, Naruto and Kurama had worked tirelessly in tandem to expose Naruto to more of the fox's chakra. His system was used to it, welcomed it, even. It recognized it as something positive and healing, and it opened its doors rather that locking them tight and rejecting the flow.

Naruto could feel the two energies twisting and mingling into one. Kurama's warmth, multiplied tenfold. His irritated, concerned muttering a welcomed addition in the recesses of his mind. Naruto was so happy he could practically float away.

Blinking rapidly, Naruto's vision came in to focus just in time for him to witness his parents crashing through his bedroom door. They were quite the sight, his dad's hair pressed down strangely on one side and his mom still with drool drying on her cheek. The pair were both just as wild-eyed as the disoriented ninken in the room.

His chest heaved. Naruto... had no idea what the hell that was. It had been Kurama's chakra, but somehow more at the same time. The aftershocks of it sent small jerks through his body, involuntary responses to the mere memory of whatever the fuck had just happened.

Outside, he could hear doors opening and people starting to shout into the street despite the late hour. Whatever it was, his parents hadn't been the only ones to feel it.

"...Naruto?" His dad asked quietly when all he did was sit there and blink. Slowly, he lowered the three pronged kunai he'd come in holding. "Are you... what was that?"

"Did you... you didn't take the seal off now, did you?" His mom asked, flabbergasted. Naruto made a face.

Technically speaking, Naruto had only implied that he planned to take it off with his parents present in the room. Along with the old perv, Kashi, and Ayumu. Like in his defense, he'd never 100% said for certain that he was going to wait. Believe it.

Realization dawned on his dad's face when all Naruto did was stare at them with a scrunched up nose. He couldn't be mad, though! Seriously! Naruto had been raring to do this since the ripe young age of six years old, and he'd actually held out until the agreed time. Through like four other kidnappings and that one thing in Suna, he'd held strong!

He had graduated. Legally, he was an adult. Legally, he could do whatever the fuck he wanted with his seal. Including crumbling it up into a ball and chucking it on the ground where it belonged. 

"I maybe took it off like a little." Or all the way. But details. "But I'm fine! And it was awesome! Believe it!" 

Outside, the village sirens began to go off-- something they only did when an attack was either here or on its way. His dad put his face in his hands and groaned.

~~~~

Minato Namikaze is beginning to think he's simply not paid enough for this.

He stares contemplatively at the only lifeline he has in situations like this. In a hand painted frame, covered in glitter that still manages to get on all his most important documents to this very day, is a crayon drawing. His favorite crayon drawing, actually.

Done by Naruto's artistic hand, it's perfection in its purest form. A depiction of their entire family, full with Kakashi and the ninken. Even Ayumu is lingering in the background with his clipboard out, tactfully sketched. Naruto even got the shade of his eyes right. Minato had no idea they made crayons that pale.

It's beautiful. It's a bit dangerous to keep the original in his own office, where it could easily be taken or destroyed, but the fact that he has fourteen different copies hidden in various parts of the village brings him some small amount of comfort. Times like these, anything less than the first hard copy would be hard pressed to save him.

It's like-- like a lifeboat. A reminder of all the good things in his life. Minato is drowning in the political nonsense and stupidity that surrounds him in his day-to-day life, and what comes to his rescue? 

Right, exactly. Obviously Naruto's overall love, affection, and adorableness. How did he get a son so perfect?

So many questions, so few answers. Naruto is honestly an anomaly. The best child to ever exist. Kind, smart, hilarious, did he mention adorable before? He's adorable. Minato loves him. He wants to hug him forever.

He wonders what Naruto is doing right now. Painting all the Uchiha clan symbols pink again? Maybe eating ramen with his mother, the two of them a literal oasis amidst the desert in Minato's eyes? Maybe he's with the ninken, running around. 

God, what if he is and Minato is missing it? His son, playing with puppies? It never gets old. Literally never. Minato has video and photograph record of all the times Naruto has tumbled around in the backyard with Kakashi's summons and somehow it's never too much.

 In fact, Naruto could be hitting milestones right now. Milestones Minato isn't there to photograph. He knows his office walls are getting a little full of frames-- the ANBU have been complaining that it's harder to get into the ceiling with the sheer amount of them-- but Minato missed where that was his problem. Maybe he could start putting some out in the hall, too...

"Hokage-sama." Koharu snapped. "Are you even paying attention?"

Shikaku Nara let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Minato hummed, eyes not drifting from the crayon drawing he'd practically burned into his brain by now, he admired it so often.

"Yes, absolutely. I am listening to every word." Minato answered absentmindedly. Maybe Naruto would draw him another picture today. He didn't do it nearly as often, being twelve and all, but his creativity was never one to wane. "Something about taxes?"

Shikaku Nara let out another suspicious sounding cough. Fugaku sent him a look at the same time that Inoichi Yamanaka reached over to try and whack his fellow-clan head. The jonin commander ducked the attempted blow with ease.

Somehow, the two elders sat in front of Minato's desk didn't seem amused by the antics. Lord Third just looked bone-achingly tired and like he wanted to be literally anywhere else. Minato had no idea why.

"No. Not taxes, Hokage-sama." Homura spat the word out like it was day old gum he'd forgotten he had tucked up against his teeth. "The Kyuubi. The Nine Tails. Last night, we all felt its chakra flare. So alarmingly so that the chunin team manning the south tower set the alarms off thinking it had gotten out! Even the civilians felt it!"

Right, that. Minato had forgotten about that. He and Kushina had tried to make a vague plan about how they were going to answer questions about, but said plan sort of equated to just pretending it never happened. Which... might work. Now that Danzo wasn't around anymore-- and thank god for that.

"Yeah, I didn't feel that." Minato immediately lied, still staring. Was that a flower by his foot in the drawing? Had he ever noticed that before? He'd never noticed that before! Oh, wow. He needed to tell Kushina immediately. "We would know if the Kyuubi was out. There'd be a lot of screaming, probably a lot of fire."

He sounded unconvincing even to himself, but he's tired. He's had so much paperwork for the chunin exams coming up in a few months that he's hardly had time to go home. And hardly having time to go home means he doesn't get to recharge by photosynthesizing the pure sunshine his son radiates.

He and Kushina have both discovered that, in becoming parents, their son is now their lifeblood. The source of all their energy. Sometimes they both just hug him and that's all they need to keep grinding for another twelve hours without sleep. He smiles at them and it's like a shot of caffeine and dopamine straight into their respective bloodstreams. 

Having a son is the best thing ever is what he's trying to say. Most kids Naruto's age get embarrassed by their parents, but Naruto? Different. Best kid ever. Better than all the other ones. He invites Minato and Kushina both to do things, some of questionable morality at times, and he makes them handmade art. 

Name any other twelve year old that does that, and does it cutely. He'll wait.

"Lord Namikaze, I'm afraid we all felt it." Hiashi Hyuga's eye twitched slightly. Which Minato would've noticed if he cared enough to pay attention, but surprise surprise...  "Reports have run rampant. There is a mob of shinobi in the lobby asking questions and demanding answers."

"Mass hallucinations aren't as uncommon as you'd think." Minato offered genially. Shikaku's face was turning a little red. Fugaku dragged a hand down his face with a sigh. Inoichi looked just... honestly tired. "Nothing's wrong. Obviously."

He gestured to the gigantic window behind him. The village was peacefully quiet and unharmed below. Were people out on the streets bustling about, doing their business, living their lives? Uh... some were. Others had gone into hiding for fear of a repeat of twelve years ago, but you know. They'd be over it in a day when they realized it wasn't going to happen.

Naruto's friendship with the Nine Tailed Fox had been near impossible to accept, but now that Minato had warmed up to it, he had to admit they were pretty adorable. Their dynamic was truly something to behold. Minato didn't get to witness it as often as he liked-- he only got reports of it from Naruto, really, and from the scant few times he'd gone along with Ayumu over the past few years-- but it had blossomed beautifully. Pun intended. 

It was wonderful. Naruto was wonderful. Minato still awed over the sheer feat he'd pulled off in befriending a tailed beast the way he had, but he did, and they all seemed better off for it. Naruto had truly come into his own, and Minato felt at peace knowing that Kurama had too in a lot of ways.

It had been hard to think about the fox as an intelligent, separate entity at first. But put into perspective... Minato had killed countless during the war in the name of loyalty. He'd slaughtered entire platoons in a flash. He was feared by many, revered across the lands, and listed in the bingo book in almost every single one of the other great nations for some bounty or another.

Kurama had fought first for freedom, then for rage. After suffering so much, who wouldn't? Naruto had brought him back from that. Minato had seen firsthand during the war what an alliance like that could bring-- had seen what the Eight Tails and its jinchuuriki had evolved into and become capable of.

He wanted that for Naruto. He wanted the world for Naruto. 

"Perhaps checking the seal would bring some comfort, Lord Fourth. I know Jiraiya is supposed to be in town soon as well. Having you, your wife, and the addition of a sannin inspect it could help settle everyone's nerves." Shikaku offered diplomatically, an amused smile threatening to curve his lips. "You could even show it to them, so that they know it's in tact."

Minato, for all his training and poise, froze at the words. Shikaku froze too, brief alarm flashing in his eyes. Right. Shikamaru knew all about Kurama, but why would he assume Shikaku knew too?

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Minato silently mourned before prying his gaze away from Naruto's drawing. Everyone was looking noticeably more tense than before. Which was fair. It's not like he'd... informed anyone of Naruto's alliance with the Nine Tails.

It's just-- how did you bring that up in conversation? Did you call a meeting specifically for it? Bring it up in the middle of one that was already happening? There was no right answer there. Minato didn't want to deal with it.

Someone... was definitely going to notice, though. If Naruto started popping out gold chakra and tails to go with it, eyes red and pupils slit, there was going to be a lot of concern batting around. The brief thought that someone could attack his son on the basis of them thinking he was "losing control" flashed through his mind, and Minato blanched a little. 

Nope. No, he definitely needed to make sure people knew. Kumo knew that their jinchuuriki was friends with his tailed beast, right? They could make a PSA. Something along the lines of not attacking his child even if his eyes turn red, or he starts talking to himself. Because Naruto definitely would-- and he wasn't shy about it either.

It had been strange, to eat breakfast that morning with Naruto jabbering excitedly away into thin air. He was a little concerned about what a "tailed beast bomb" was supposed to be. Cue more flashbacks to the showdown he had with the Nine Tails six years ago, before he'd been quelled by Naruto's adorableness. 

"...So. Anyway." Minato awkwardly cleared his throat. "Who here knows anything about Kumo's jinchuuriki, Killer B, and his relationship with the Eight Tails?"

Hiruzen spit the tea he'd been taking a sip of right back out. Minato thought that answered the question pretty well.

~~~

There's a storm brewing in the distance. It's the kind that devastates, that all you can do is hunker down and pray through. It swirls over the ruins of Uzushio, where sealed spirits cry up at the roiling clouds, their outrage caught in the howl of the wind. In the oceans surrounding, whirlpools form in monstrous numbers and size, ready to swallow anything that falls into the vicious cycling of their waves.

There are still buildings of gold, still with enough shine to reflect the warm hues of the sun. They are painted red by the low light that glows against them now, a testament to the unfading rage, to the blood the land was painted with. Uzushio mourns its people like a conscious entity, and not a single living soul dares venture near its shores.

It is hurt, cracked and grievous. Perhaps it always will be. A mother that has lost its children, that saw them laid to waste on its very own soil. A vast and great injustice, faded in the back of minds. Once, those of Uzu were revered. Once, they were known.

A well done seal never fades, though, and some connections can never be severed. Uzushio is a great well of knowledge that craves to teach, to be dipped into. Given respect, it will return it tenfold. It offers gifts to those who deserve them. It offers refuge to any descendants who seek it.

It calls. Over any distance, to any soul that has the ears to listen. A seal done right has layers, each stronger than the last, a building foundation that will not shake. A seal done right can breathe life and soul into things, in ways most normal people could never hope to imagine.

There are words in the breeze. They talk of something to come. They are foretelling, a warning wrapped in the tumble of every gust. The clouds carry the message. The time is nearer now, and Uzu will wait as long as it needs to in order to be heard.

Sat eating ramen in celebration of Naruto's graduation, Kushina and Naruto both turn in tandem, heads tilted oddly. 

"What is it?" Minato asks, sat casually on a stool like he's not currently hiding from every clan head in the village and the elder council to boot. Naruto frowns, and Kushina hesitantly shrugs after only a moment more of thought.

"...Nothing, I don't think." She offers, though she doesn't sound like she means it. "I just... I guess I thought I heard someone call my name, ya know?"

"Believe it." Naruto agrees. "Weird. It sort of sounded like they were crying, too."

In his stomach, Kurama stirs from his nap. Weird, indeed.

Chapter Text

Third person pov

It's a well known fact that, after the return of his apparently-not-so-dead parents, Naruto grew like a weed-- or perhaps like a flower would be more appropriate to say. With steady meals and affection to guide the way, the time had flown at a riveting, startling place.

Life as a Shinobi brings with it many absurdities. Almost any ninja you ask will be able to bring up at least one instance of something unexplainable that happened to them during their career, something no amount of logic could even begin to justify. Something that seemed so impossible that it sounded like an absolute lie when you said it out loud.

Minato and Kushina, living through the Third War on the front lines, had several of these instances. Of moments they looked back on and squinted at, wondering if they'd really happened or if they'd just hit their heads a little too hard. 

Normally, such events were one time things. So short and fast you could blink and miss it. Something that confounded you for the rest of your life, that you laid awake thinking about. 

Somewhere along the line, their son had become one of those things. Minato had realized this the first time he caught his son, at the ripe age of eight years old, skittering along the ceiling with glowing red eyes, the remnants of home-made beef jerky sticking out of his mouth. Minato had thought he was hallucinating until it happened a second and third time.

Naruto marched to the beat of his own drum. It's one of the many, many, many reasons he was the absolute best child to ever exist in all the history of children existing. He was unlike any other Minato had ever met, brilliant and strange and just... his son. 

His son, who was weird. Concerningly weird. Minato didn't personally mind, and he knew Kushina didn't seeing as a whole lot of said weirdness had been inherited from her to begin with, but they weren't the problem. The council was.

They were going to take one look at Naruto and they simply weren't going to understand. That all on its own was terrifying.

Minato knew he was going to to have to face the aftermath of the bomb he'd dropped eventually. Minato is incredibly good at evasion tactics-- including but not limited to jumping out his office window and running when he felt familiar chakra approaching-- but it was only a matter of time before he was cornered. And when he was, they were going to want to talk to Naruto themselves.

Naruto was charming. He was adorable, resourceful, and the fastest learner Minato had ever seen. Minato's son was every ounce of brilliance he and Kushina held mashed into one, and then some on top of it. He was the best of both of them. He was just also... very... spontaneous?

Yeah. Spontaneous was a good word. A great word, even! He didn't conform to anyone's expectations of him at all. He was going to say what was on his mind and he wasn't going to try and give false platitudes to a bunch of "crotchy old fucks who don't know how to mind their own business." Naruto's description of the council, not his.

"Alright. We have to convince them that you and Kurama are absolutely not risks to the health and overall safety of the village." Minato proclaimed. They were holding court in Ayumu's living room. To say the man was displeased by their sudden appearance would be a vast understatement. "Right now, they're nervous and scared, and that means they're unpredictable. We have to approach this delicately."

"Hypocritical coming from someone who dropped it on them with absolutely no warning and didn't wait around to give more than a two sentence explanation, ya know." Kushina drawled out drily. Next to her, Naruto offered a fist bump. She took it. "You could've at least warned us before you did it."

Minato pressed his lips into a thin line. In the corner, Ayumu pursed his and slowly clicked his pen. He'd gotten a new clipboard, this one bright green. The color made its presence all the more glaring as he started to scribble on it. 

To be fair, it was two in the morning and they had fled here after Choza Akimichi tried to forcibly break past the seals Minato put on their front door by expanding and punching his way through. Ayumu's overall exhaustion was reflected in his irritated silence and mismatched pajamas, as well as his hair, which was a mess compared to its usual neatness.

"Maa, maa. Minato-sensei had to tell them something." Kakashi came to his defense, draped dramatically over the loveseat like he was on his deathbed. "Honestly, we should've said something ages ago when we decided to let Naruto continue talking to Kurama to begin with."

Minato completely agreed with the sentiment, but it was too late for that now. They were in it. The council knew and they were actively hunting them for sport. Hence why they were here and not at their home, which may or may not be in shambles right now. Depending on the success of the village's clan heads' attempts to get in.

"The plan was to explain, then have Naruto remove the seal after." Minato gave his son a pointed look. Naruto just shrugged. Ugh, why's he so adorable? "Unfortunately, this is a no-takes-backs situation. So, plan. How do we convince them that Kurama isn't going to eat them?"

Crickets. Chirping crickets. 

"...I'm willing to speak up on the matter." Ayumu offered after a beat. He sounded as haggard as he looked. They weren't paying him enough. "If you get out of my house. Right now." 

"We could just ignore them." Kakashi offered. Ayumu clicked his pen again, and he quickly backtracked, sweat beading his brow. Only just now had he graduated from weekly sessions to monthly. No need to say goodbye to all that progress. "Ignore the uncomfortable questions and set healthy boundaries that fit within the confines of what we are obligated as shinobi to disclose versus what breaches the line into our private lives, which should be kept separate."

Wow. He'd been trained well, hadn't he? Minato never thought he'd see the day. Just what was happening during those therapy sessions? Kakashi looked like he was about to have some sort of PTSD-related attack if things kept along this route. 

Ayumu slowly unclicked the pen. Naruto's eyes pinged between all of them, his head whipping every direction. He brought his hands together in a sharp clap, and Minato could almost see the lightbulb going off over his son's head. Carefully, Minato started to shimmy the camera he had in his pocket for moments like this out. Naruto's expression was too cute not to document.

"I've got it! Why do we have to convince them to go with it when we can just threaten them instead?" Naruto beamed. Minato paused, camera still held in hand. He and everyone else in the room narrowed their eyes skeptically. "No, really! We just say Kurama will eat them and destroy the village if they don't sit down and be quiet about it, and what're they gonna do? It's foolproof! Believe it!" 

Minato opened and closed his mouth. That... was not foolproof. In fact, that was a terrible idea that was going to end with Naruto getting kidnapped even more. Maybe even targeted for assassination, which was as far from okay as okay could get.

Kushina seemed to agree with the sentiment if her expression was anything to go off of, like she was questioning every decision they'd ever made as parents that had led them to this point. Kurama's influence clearly hadn't been that bad, but there was still evidence of it right here. Or maybe some of that had come from Kakashi...

Glancing at him, the masked man was pointedly not looking their way. Ayumu flipped to another page on his clipboard, evidence of how dire the situation was growing.

"...Okay. I see your point now. We need a plan." Kushina agreed grimly, determination shining in her eyes. "Alright, team. Let's do this. How do we convince a bunch of whiny old people and wary clan heads that Naruto isn't a threat without using threats, blackmail, or any other morally dubious methods of persuasion?" 

Silence rang. Naruto, who had opened his mouth to speak, closed it all over again at the blackmail comment. Kakashi was once again pretending the ceiling was the most interesting thing he'd seen all day. Kushina was twitching in the way she always did when she had no ideas, and for once, Minato was just as lost as she was.

How were they supposed to pitch the Nine Tailed Fox-- the literal Kyuubi, considered by most to be a demon, a construct of pure hatred-- to a group made up half of scared people and half of stuck up pricks who thought they knew better than everyone else? 

How were they going to convince them that he was harmless? Had turned over a new leaf, was good, was friendly (enough not to destroy the village), and would be an asset going forward? A genuine, honest to god benefit?

Minato had given it his best go and it had ended with him fleeing the scene. Which meant they had only one other resource before they were entirely out of hope. 

Sheepishly, they all turned to look over at Ayumu. The man was already tense, like he'd been anticipating this. He held out staring them down for about ten seconds before he broke under their desperation and sighed heavily, like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

"You are paying me for this." It wasn't a request. "First, we pinpoint what they are fearful of and make it a priority to target those concerns directly, with provable, sound facts. Gathering anyone who knows about Kurama to give statement and opinion of their own will also be important. Most valuable are going to be the remarks of Itachi Uchiha and Shikamaru Nara, the heirs of two incredibly smart, incredibly influential clans."

Naruto beamed like the sun. Clasping the fabric of his shirt over his heart with one hand, Minato snapped a photo with the other. That one was going on his office wall. No question. If he couldn't find the room, he'd make the room.

"Oh! Shisui also knows, and so do Teuchi and Ayame at the ramen stand! Believe it!" Naruto chirped out. Kushina and Minato boggled at him. "And Gaara, obviously! He can write a letter or something, right? Oh, we can totally ask Lee too, and I think his teammate Neji knows also. Sometimes he gives me really weird looks, and stares at my stomach with his eye-thingy on."

Minato put his face in his hands and groaned. Ayumu resignedly clicked his pen again. This was going to be a long morning.

~~~

If Shikamaru has learned anything in his time being friends with Naruto, it's that he's fucking crazy.

Naruto isn't the type of friend a Nara would typically keep. Insanity seems to follow him, mayhem abound, and Shikamaru has learned well over the years that being around him is a sure way to get yourself involved in a crisis. From their very first abduction together, to the three that then followed over the years, there's never a dull moment when he's around.

The thing is that Naruto is interesting. He's bright, a well of knowledge that Shikamaru thrives off of to an extent. His energy is an antithesis to essentially everything Shikamaru has ever claimed to be, but he makes up for it with his zeal, his loyalty, and the sheer interest he arouses in everything he does.

He's always getting himself mixed up in something new. Some unseen thing that nobody else ever has before. With the Nine Tailed Fox in his stomach and a willingness to throw himself into danger without a hint of hesitation, Shikamaru feels like he learns something new every day that he spends with the blond moron. To a Nara, that's priceless.

Knowing is power. Knowing things nobody else does is even more so. Shikamaru's stuck with Naruto throughout the years and he's never regretted it for a second, not even that one time they somehow got stranded in rain country with Rock Lee of all people and almost drowned after falling in an icy river. Which was a whole ordeal all on its own, but at least he has a cool story to tell now.

Naruto's loyalty is nothing to scoff at. He'll have Shikamaru's back in anything, for anything. What kind of shinobi, what kind of Nara, would he be if he didn't return that tenfold? His dad had always said friends were the most valuable thing for a ninja to have. People you could fully trust down to your bones were hard to come by.

Naruto's a rarity. Shikamaru's gotten to know him and has been known in return, and honestly? Naruto's too good for half the shit the village throws at him. Shikamaru forgets that sometimes, but sitting here at the dinner table with his father sat across from him has been a stark reminder. 

"Why're you asking how Naruto's been?" Shikamaru eyed him dubiously. He'd almost want to assume the blonde had been kidnapped again, but no... no, this was something else. "You just saw him yesterday. He almost uprooted the tree in our courtyard."

He had. It had been miraculous and spectacular. Between the Fourth Hokage and Kakashi of the Sharingan, not to mention his absolute beast of a mother, Naruto was shaping up to be a well and true monster at the rate he was going. And Shikamaru was going to gleefully witness it.

Safely. From the sidelines. Whilst taking intermediate naps in-between the grievous injuries that Naruto is sure to both acquire and afflict through his bullheadedness and spontaneity.

"I had just... wondered how he was doing. If he seemed different to you." Shikaku prodded, not bothering to hide the furrow in his brow. Shikamaru would only see through it if he tried. "I got some startling news from the Hokage today. We've been trying to pin him down to learn more, but..."

Shikamaru squinted at his dad for the few seconds it took for it to click. He blinked. Oh. Right-- he'd known this day was coming eventually. 

"Oh. He told you about Kurama." Shikamaru realized. Shikaku immediately blanched as his son sat up straighter, a light of near feral interest coming on in his eyes. "Hey, wait. Does this mean he actually did it? Is the seal finally off?"

"Finally off?" Shikaku sounded horrified. Shikamaru was already standing, shoving his half-finished plate back. His mom would whack him for it later, but she was out eating with a friend. He could deal with it later.

"I can't believe he didn't say anything!" Shikamaru couldn't stop the excitement in him from growing, because this was interesting. And there was nothing more he loved than interesting things. "I'll be back later!" 

Shikaku opened and closed his mouth speechlessly. His son had known. His son knew and seemed... shockingly unconcerned considering this was the Nine Tailed Fox they were talking about. Kurama? That's what Minato had insisted his name was before he smiled, waved, and then took off faster than anyone could blink.

Shikaku's mind had been going wild with the implications of what this meant. The fear that came hand-in-hand with uncertainty danced along his ribs, making his sides feel tight and constricted. He wanted to bash his head against the nearest wall just to get rid of the feel of it.

What the container of the Eight Tails had with his tailed beast had taken years upon years to cultivate, and even then there was still a seal. Rumors of him isolating himself away on an ancient island just to avoid hurting other people whilst he got a hold on his power had run rampant in the earlier days of the Third War, and Killer B--

He was an adult, a trained shinobi. Naruto was a child hosting a malevolent chakra structure that had wanted for nothing more than destruction practically its entire existence. It was made of hate-- the history books, Mito's own journals, even Kushina's accounts all spoke of such. Acrid power that bubbled and festered like an infected wound. The Kyuubi was seen as a curse.

The idea that his son knew about it, had been interacting anywhere near such a thing, made his chakra fluctuate wildly. This whole time, Minato had known the danger lurking beneath Naruto's skin. And this whole time, he'd stayed silent. He'd let Shikamaru grow up next to it, next to a boy in contact with a demon, and that... was terrifying.

"Shikamaru, wait--" Shikaku started to say, but Shikamaru cut him a sharp glance over his shoulder. The words died in Shikaku's throat at the glare. It was harsher than any other look he'd ever gotten from his son, stilling something inside of him.

"Whatever you're assuming, I suggest you stop now. Take a minute and think about it. Really think." Shikamaru toed on his sandals, eyes tearing away from his father's. "If Kurama was going to kill me, he'd have done it by now. He's saved me more than once, and he's done the same for Naruto. How do you think we kept escaping those kidnappings? Don't let fear and hate cloud your judgement. You'll be no better than everyone else if you do."

Shikamaru sounded bitter and almost resigned as he said it. The boy didn't look back as he walked out the door, his new headband glinting sharply from its place tied around his upper arm. Shikaku watched him go, throat tight and mind already beginning to race anew. 

It seemed... he had a lot to think about.

~~~

Naruto met Rock Lee when he was seven years old, on a hot summer day when the air was painfully sticky and all he wanted to do was eat his weight in popsicles and lay on the floor in front of his oscillating fan at home. He'd felt like he was melting where he stood, the sun beating down on him hard.

Kashi was his top babysitter. He took the duty on with great pride, allowing Naruto to shadow him dutifully and doting over him as any adoring older brother might. Where most kids would eventually grow annoyed by the antics, Naruto still drowned in the affection, sucking it up like a sponge and beaming beneath his head pats and closed-eye smiles.

It was fairly common for Naruto to accompany him out of the house. His dad had work and his mom was on active ninja duty again, kicking ass and taking names as was in her nature. She was an absolute beast on the field. Obviously they were going to throw her at their enemies and laugh when she burned them to the ground like it was nothing-- that was like, the best part of having a mom, bedtime stories and hugs aside.

Naruto's got normal friends. He's always had normal friends. In fact, as a certified regular child, he can in fact confirm that yes, Shikamaru is about as plain and to-the-point as you can get. Maybe a little lazier than most, but nothing like... uh. This.

Meeting Might Gai is like meeting a cracked out gym bro that really, really likes the color green. He's like, absolutely horrifying, but the longer you stare the more you kind of love it. Naruto's numb to the absurdity his life brings but even meeting him has his brows furrowing a little bit. Kashi, exasperated as he is, even bends to his whims to do silly challenges despite their insanity.

Gai is like, Kashi's only friend. It's monumental. News to share with Ayumu. Kashi actually interacts with real human beings outside Naruto and his parents! It's absolutely crazy, but the facts cannot be denied. They'll be out walking, Gai will see them, and then they're helpless to escape.

It's great! And it becomes even greater when Gai shows up with a small clone of himself that he obtained from... fuck knows where. Naruto's never planned to ask, and he definitely isn't about to now. A part of him fears the answer, honestly.

Naruto's friendship with Rock Lee had seemed unconventional at first, but it worked out perfectly. Lee is crazy, and Naruto is also crazy, and therefore it was basically meant to be. While Kashi and Gai run around like chickens with their heads cut off, they hang out and get up to mischief. It's a great way to bond! 

Having friends is one of the best feelings in the world. The novelty of getting to know Lee in all his unique glory is a privilege he covets. Naruto isn't as fast to trust as people think he is. For all that he comes off as a bumbling and loud idiot, he's more cautious than most his age.

But Lee accepts him, strangeness and all, and doesn't bat so much as an eye at learning about Kurama. He's a friend on par with Shikamaru, someone that Naruto would absolutely trust with his life in a heartbeat. If anyone aside from Shikamaru is going to have his back, it'll be Rock Lee. And he'll do it gallantly and dressed all in green, too.

Them getting kidnapped together those few times-- it has nothing to do with the forming of their friendship. Though Naruto is beginning to see connections there... but never mind that. The role their subsequent abduction may or may not have had in the forging of their bond is in the past! And the people who did it are in the ground! 

"Anyway, so that's where you guys come in. I have to convince the council that Kurama doesn't suck! Believe it!" Naruto chirped out. Lee nodded avidly. Shikamaru gave a grunt of acknowledgement from his place face-down in the grass. "So, what do you think? You guys up for it?"

Shikamaru grunted again, but Lee was a man of not so few words. He beamed like the sun, straightening importantly. He raised his fist, and with it came a fire ignited in his eyes.

"Yosh! We will do our utmost to support you during this daring trial, Naruto!" Lee proclaimed boldly. His fist raised higher. "They will see the true youthfulness of the bond you and Kurama share, and come to realize his true value as an ally of the Leaf! If we work together, I am certain we can bring them around!"

Just seeing him so pumped up was getting Naruto pumped up. He was completely right. They had this in the bag! Kurama was... uh... kinda amiable to other people these days! They just have to convince other people of that and Naruto will be all set.

He knows what could happen if they fail. He knows he took a chance, freeing Kurama as suddenly as he had, but it was beyond time. Naruto didn't really give too much of a shit about anything else. The village already shuns him. May as well continue rocketing down the winding path he's kept along his entire life thus far.

"You're an idiot." Kurama intones from within him. "You and your runt friends are going to get me sealed all over again. You think they'll accept this so easily? It took your impudent parents years."

That sounds like a challenge if Naruto has ever heard one.

"Believe it!" Naruto cheered, high fiving the now-vibrating-with-excitement Lee loudly. "Ayumu says the best way to go about this is by being considerate and with moderate gaslighting, which seems like something Shikamaru'd be good at."

"Already working on my dad." Shikamaru admits, turning his head to the side so that his cheek squishes against the ground. He looks tired. "He's the most reasonable of the bunch, though, and even he seems afraid you'll suddenly flip a switch and claw my face off out of nowhere. We've got our work cut out for us. We'll have to come off as casually confident as we can, but not arrogantly so. Which means following my lead, you two. Unless you want Naruto locked up somewhere for life."

"It will be nothing compared to our time in the Land of Earth!" Lee boasted. "This springtime of youth we now face ahead of us is nothing put up against such an international crisis!" 

They all simultaneously shivered at the reminder of the Land of Earth incident. Never again. Naruto still couldn't look at a melon without breaking out into an intense sweat.

"...Right. Well. Let's change the subject." Naruto decided executively, feeling offput by the mere mention. He'd never step foot in Iwa for the rest of his days if he had anything to say about it. Nevermind that they didn't really like the Leaf anyway. "I'm thinking we go for the clan heads first. If we get them on our side, those stubborn old farts that make up the inner circle won't be able to do shit."

Lee pumped his fist again. Shikamaru gave Naruto an appraising look. In the back of his mind, Kurama's sleepy snort of amusement echoed. Naruto felt warmed by it, knowing he was probably leisurely napping away in the sun right now. Just the mental image made this all worth the trouble.

"That's the smartest thing I've heard you say since you ripped the Kazekage apart at the seams for being a dick." Shikamaru sounded surprised. 

Naruto opened his mouth to rebut that, because that had been almost two years ago and surely he'd said something smarter since then, but then paused. He... had a point. Man.

"Then the clan heads we will go after first! In fact, I know just the person to recruit! My teammate, Neji, will surely be amiable to our cause should we explain ourselves!" Lee was already standing. "Yosh! Youth!" 

Naruto adjusted the headband on his forehead, mind feeling somewhat faraway. This would either go great, or it wouldn't go at all. He guessed they were about to find out.

~~~

When Naruto says the village eventually came around to him, he means that in the loosest sense of the word.

His mother and father were like a pair of wards, keeping their hatred at bay but not able to completely banish it. Naruto knows that the likelihood of it simply fading out of existence isn't high, and he's long since resigned himself to the fact that he's going to have to do more to prove himself if he's going to achieve true acceptance within his home. And that... is total ass.

Naruto shouldn't have to throw himself into all the danger being a ninja brings just so they won't despise him. Maybe they don't openly glare or try to deny him service, or sell him rotten goods anymore, but he can feel their discomfort in the way they avoid his gaze, and shift their feet. 

Naruto tries not to become combative in the face of it. He pushes back the natural defensiveness that prickles and makes his hairs raise on end, choosing to beam a grin instead when he spots their sneers. It doesn't really bother him that they look at him like that. It's that they look at Kurama like that.

He gets why they haven't said anything about it yet. Looking from the outside in, it sounds absolutely insane. Naruto, befriending the legendary Nine Tailed Fox, believed to be a construct of pure hatred and destruction? Yeah, alright, Naruto wouldn't believe that either if he were in their shoes.

That doesn't make it suck any less. He wishes he could shout at the top of his lungs just how awesome Kurama is. He's Kurama's number one fan! His top advocate! He's been lobbying for him to his parents for years now and he's finally made real ground, getting them something close to trusting and comfortable with the mention of him. 

That had already been hard enough, and they actually love him. Trying to achieve any level of that trust with the villagers... well, it seems a bit like a pipe dream. But flower fields in his mind and a giant tree for Kurama to laze under had seemed like one too, so maybe not all hope is lost. Naruto's never been one to give up.

First things first though-- the council, and all the uptight wannabes that make it up.

Some of them are fine. Most of the clan heads are alright, most either friends with his father or friendly enough. That's a leg up they're going to abuse to its dying breath, he already knows, though he's obviously not going to say as such out loud. He's instead going to sit here like a good little boy and keep his trap shut.

"A true rarity." Kurama teases. He pauses, contemplative. "I could just eat them. It would be far easier than all this pathetic drivel."

He could, but then they'd have all the clans after them. Which would suck major balls. Besides, he doesn't think Shikamaru would really want to be friends with him if he willingly let Kurama eat his dad, anyway.

Everyone in the room looks past the point of just tense. They look like they're standing in front of a live explosive tag of epic proportions, staring at Naruto like he's about to blow. Each and every one of them has an expression upon their face as though they're about to march off to war. It would be hilarious in any other situation.

Ayumu lurks like a specter in the background, the bags under his eyes truly speaking to how little sleep he got. A semi-delusional Ayumu was just as effective as a fully-functioning one though, so Naruto wasn't too worried about it. With his clipboard, anything as possible.

Shikamaru was lounging next to him, leaned back in his seat so far he looked like he was about to tip out of it. He didn't react to Lee bouncing in his own seat, nor to the way his father was drilling holes into the side of his head. He just closed his eyes like he was about to drift off into a nap. Knowing him, he might.

On Lee's other side was Neji Hyuga, who fidgeted uncomfortably as his asshat of an uncle glowered at him from across the room. Naruto wondered if Lee had actually explained anything to him or if he'd just dragged him here assuming he'd figure it out. Based on the lost expression on his face, Naruto would bet his ramen on the latter.

His mom and dad were sat side by side, backs ramrod straight and smiles straining. Kakashi was shamelessly reading his porn. Naruto... kinda didn't want to be here. He had better things to do than to convince a bunch of shallow-minded idiots-- sorry Mr. Nara and typically-amiable company-- of something he already knew as fact.

Naruto had been down this road before. They weren't going to want to hear him. There was a good chance that no matter what he said or did, they'd always look at him with fear and disgust in their eyes. Acceptance wasn't the goal here, though. Compliance was.

"Great, great! We're all here!" Minato chirped as soon as Itachi Uchiha ducked into the room, Shisui stumbling in after him and looking for all intents and purposes like he had no idea what the fuck was going on. "Let's get started!" 

"I agree. You have avoided us long enough, Lord Hokage." Koharu sneered at him. Naruto idly wondered when the witch was going to finally have a heart attack and drop dead. The day couldn't come soon enough. "You have plenty of explaining to do. Starting with why you thought it was okay to allow your son direct contact with a chakra being constructed of pure hatred! There is no doubt he is corrupted!" 

Immediately, the room erupted with shouts. Naruto blinked, forcing himself not to leap to his feet and shout back. This was off to a super great start!

Naruto's dad seemed to be thinking along the same lines, nose scrunched up and lips twisted. His mother looked moments away from pulling out a wooden hammer and calling order. Naruto was literally fighting tooth and nail not to say something. Anything. Someone duct tape his mouth right now, he's not gonna make it.

Like an avenging angel, Ayumu swept forward, glaring green clipboard and all. The annoyance on his face was severe enough to quell even his own cousin, Inoichi Yamanaka, the head of his clan. He demanded attention and authority, his face set in a scowl and judgement obvious in the glint of his pale eyes.

"You'd think this was a meeting made up of academy children and not noble clan heads, the way you're all acting." He didn't even say it in an insulting tone of voice, just as though it were a fact. "This is a discussion that must be had with maturity, from both sides. It is pertinent we all reach an understanding considering Naruto and the future security and prosperity of this village. There is a story here that you are obligated to hear in full before you make such harsh judgements, so I ask that you sit down and listen with an open-mind before you damn anyone for their decisions."

"This is the Nine Tailed Fox." Hiashi Hyuga spit. Neji tensed, looking even more lost. Yep. Definitely was not warned. "Unsealed! There is nothing to discuss!"

More clamor. Ayumu sighed, and Naruto and his family all blanched when he lowered his clipboard. Which was just as bad as him raising it was, possibly worse.

"This is Kurama. Unsealed, yes." Ayumu corrected, grimacing. "Which means if he wanted to eat you, he would've. And yet he hasn't. There is a reason for that. Do you want to hear it, or are you going to continue shouting as though that will fix anything?"

It was interesting to watch Hiashi Hyuga's frustration flash across his face. Naruto had no idea a human could turn so many colors. Was that a healthy shade of purple for a person to be? Was Ayumu going to get assassinated by a member of the Hyuga clan for this? So many questions, so few answers.

Bubbling inside him, Kurama's chakra swam. It was warm and present. The fox was obviously awake, listening to the proceedings with swishing tails and stress abound. Naruto shifted in his seat. He had explicit instructions not to say anything unless instructed to. Explicitly instructed to. Clearly instructed to.

Shikamaru was eyeing him warily as he held his breath, swallowing the many, many curse words waiting to leave his tongue. The silence in the room was heavy.

"He's right. You don't know the first thing about Kurama, or the story of how he and Naruto got to know one another, or what led to the seal being removed to begin with. You have no idea how many times he's saved us in a tight spot." Shikamaru piped up when it seemed no one else was going to, Ayumu holding the room at a stand-still whilst the Hyuga clan head sputtered. 

"Yosh! Kurama is an ally that values youth and new life!" Lee chirped out before Shikaku could open his mouth, fist raising, determination alight. "He is an avid fan of flowers, you see! He holds much love in his heart, for Naruto and for all Naruto holds dear! He is a mighty protector!"

There was a notable pause in the air as everyone processed. Ayumu smiled at their contribution. Naruto wanted to make a contribution. Naruto wanted to make a contribution so bad. 

"...Flowers?" Tsume Inuzuka asked stupidly. Naruto and Kurama both snorted.

"Flowers." Ayumu agreed, smile going benign. "Which you would all know. If you would sit down and listen for more than two seconds." 

Quietly, the still-standing clan heads all awkwardly sat down, lips pursed. Ayumu picked his clipboard back up and beamed at them. 

Chapter Text

Third person pov

Well. That... was something. Believe it.

The support Naruto had garnered from others throughout the village seemed like just enough to pull the tide in their favor. Shikamaru's righteous anger had been hard and slippery to combat, and Ayumu was well-practiced in talking around people when he needed to. Maybe the note they left off on could've been a better one, but just the same, it almost certainly could've been worse.

At the very least, Naruto didn't think there'd be any coups to overthrow his dad from his mantle as Fourth Hokage. The general conclusion reached was that even if the clan heads and elders did want to do something, what was there to even do? What could any of them do to contain the Kyuubi without releasing him, or without Kurama getting mad and lashing out without the seal to hold him back?

Naruto's parents were Konoha's resident seal masters. They were experts in a dying breed of shinobi art that took practice and precision to understand, let alone to perform. And they'd made it pretty damn clear that they weren't going to be participating in any attempts to restrain Kurama.

Beyond all that, it also boiled down to the simple fact that Naruto's dad was... well, he was Hokage. He was the the ultimate authority. Going against his orders was the same as betraying the village as a whole, and anyone who did could be legally branded rogue. They could argue, and whine, and groan, and shiver in fear, but any actual action against Naruto would be an action against Konoha itself.

Honestly, the only reason they got anyone to reluctantly subside-- at least for now-- was because Ayumu had taken the patented "cute and cuddly and definitely not going to kill us all if we piss him off" angle when talking about Kurama. Emphasis on the flowers, emphasis on the hugs, emphasis on the foxes are actually kind of cute! Even if Kurama sort of didn't look like one with his weird, long ears and--

Yeah. Anyway. Having the heirs of two clans speak out for him had definitely helped. Itachi Uchiha had been surprisingly vocal in his defense. Pays to save someone from dying out in the middle of some random woods that Naruto definitely wasn't supposed to be in at the time!

"That was awful." Shikamaru grimaced, cracking his back like the arthritic old man he was on the inside. "I'm never doing that again. I'm just going to let them burn you at the stake next time. My dad's going to be asking me all sorts of questions in the morning, and if I want to avoid them, I'll have to wake up early. It'll be such a drag." 

Naruto didn't know Shikamaru's dad well, but he knew him well enough to know the guy played mind games on par with whatever Ayumu was doing to Kashi during their therapy sessions. Naruto would not want to tango with that first thing after rolling out of bed either. Believe it.

"I thought it went wonderfully!" Lee chirped out, because he's Lee and he thinks everything goes wonderfully. "The first glimpses of the springtime of youth are beginning to show themselves after a long, harsh winter. In no time at all they will be accepting Kurama into their ranks as one of their own! Soon, we will all be able to peacefully coexist! Yosh!" 

That... was probably not going to happen. 

"Tell the green one I'm going to eat him if he doesn't pipe down." Kurama grumbled out, as though confirming his thoughts. His voice was rife with irritation. "This pathetic excuse for a village is lucky I let them remain standing in the face of their own impudence. They insert themselves into our affairs uncaring of the fact that I could, and will, devour them if they step so much as a toe past the line we've set."

Yeah, definitely not going to happen. Sweet! 

Kurama has an image to upkeep, so Naruto gets why he's standoffish. The beauty of him is that he doesn't have to like anyone else so long as he tolerates Naruto enough not to blow up and kill everyone. Bonus points, nobody else needs to know that Kurama doesn't like them so long as they think he does!

Politics is all about lying to old people to get what you want. Naruto's mom had told him herself, and she was always right. His dad had something different-- something about truthfulness and integrity? Naruto doesn't know what the hell he was going on about, honestly. His mom's line of logic made way, way more sense.

Anyway, in selling Kurama as a lovable, family-friendly furball, they were basically set. For now. Sort of. So long as no incidents occurred, the chances that anyone was going to try and lock him up in a sealed tower somewhere for fear he was going to go on a rampage were slim to none! Or that was the hope, anyhow. 

Did that leave people with the super false impression that Kurama was a fun-loving comrade that they could completely rely on to get them out of any and every bad situation? Well... maybe. Or maybe that was just Lee setting a really high bar that nobody was going to come anywhere near reaching. It was hard to tell some days.

"Who gives a damn about coexisting? As long as they don't pin him down and try to paint a fucked up seal on him to quote-on-quote "fix the problem", I'll count it as a win." Shikamaru looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He and Ayumu both tended to look that way, actually. "Now, let's get out of here. I didn't finish breakfast and that took way longer than it should've. I need barbecue and a nap."

"Believe it!" Naruto beamed. Hiashi Hyuga, who was haughtily leaving the Hokage's office after what was no doubt a long-winded tirade that Naruto's dad had tuned out entirely, glared at them as he went. "I'm starving! Maybe we should invite Ayumu to go with us. He can be emotional support and he can decompress at the same time."

Naruto reached over and snagged Neji Hyuga by his upper arm before he could follow his uncle out with his head hung low. The boy nearly tripped at the suddenness of the motion. His asshat of an uncle continued on, not even seeming to notice his nephew was no longer accompanying him.

"Yosh! A therapy meeting!" Lee beamed out. "That, and we can finally celebrate your graduation properly as friends, Naruto, Shikamaru! It is perfect! Neji, you can come as well-- perhaps Ayumu can give you tips on how to deal with your present mental illnesses!"

In the depths of his mind, Kurama snorted. Neji shifted from looking surprised and a little dazed to looking deeply offended. Naruto released grip on his arm and sidestepped. Yeah, no need to get caught up in that. 

"I think Ayumu would sooner die than spend another minute with you after suffering through that." Shikamaru noted drily. Naruto wanted to say that wasn't true but no, it probably was. Ayumu had said many times before that he wasn't paid enough and the more shit Naruto got himself into, the more he realized just how right the man was. "Let's go with just us. Who knows when we'll be able to all get together again once missions start."

Naruto hadn't really... thought about that, actually. 

He knew realistically that Shikamaru wasn't going to be on his team. There were traditions to uphold-- it was practically written in stone that he'd be on a team with Ino and Choji. Lee himself had already long since graduated, so that wasn't so much of a fleeting surprise. It was just... odd to realize his entire life was about to change.

Well. It's not like it hadn't before. In the form of a father and Kashi, Kurama, a therapist, a mother. Friends he never imagined he'd have and a life he never thought someone like him would get to live. This was just another step. They'd find time. Friends always found time! Believe it!

"You are insufferable." Kurama sounded like he was in disbelief. As though Naruto hadn't befriended him out of sheer willpower alone. "Is this how to view everything, all the time?"

Naruto shrugged. Thought about it. Nodded a bit. The first law of Naruto's philosophy is to never go back on his word. The second was that if he didn't laugh, he'd cry. Even if the situation probably wasn't going to call for crying to begin with, laughter was the way to go anyway. Just to be safe. No need to be caught off guard.

"Mental illness?" Neji seethed out, uncaring of their conversation or of the fact that he'd just been abducted into joining them for lunch. All that Kurama stuff had clearly been a dropped bomb on him. Naruto had totally thought he knew! Apparently not!

"Illnesses." Lee corrected happily, not seeing a problem. Shikamaru made a face. "You definitely have more than one, my dear teammate! As is expected from one in the springtime of--"

Lee's shriek echoed down the hall shrilly. Naruto wondered if he could convince Shikamaru to get ramen over barbecue today on the basis that Ichiraku's was closer, and therefore his "pain and suffering" would end sooner. There was only one way to find out!

~~~~

Recently, Kurama's been smelling salt in the air.

It clings to Naruto like a second skin, like the ocean is reaching over miles and miles and grasping desperately at him. It hangs around in a sharp cloud, and Kurama knows he's not imaging it because he's seen Dog-Breath's nose crinkling beneath his idiotic looking mask anytime he gets too close to the kit. The scent is real and it's there, and it's only getting stronger by the day.

Kurama doesn't know where it's coming from. The outside world is clearer ever since the seal came off, his window to reality dusted off and cleaned of its deluding haze, allowing him to see in full technicolor. It had been a long time since he'd had such full exposure to anything happening outside his container, and Kurama can't help but revel in it a little bit.

It's strange to fully see and fully hear everything. To have actual smells seep through, even more so. Kurama's ears flick with agitation as he tries in vain to detect the source. It isn't coming from Naruto-- it's not coming from anywhere, it seems. And such a fact is driving Kurama nearly insane.

Naruto's mindscape is full of fresh, rolling hills. The smell of the ocean seeps in even here, intermingling with the sweet fragrance of flowers and the freshness of grass on the wind. It's so distinct that Kurama half expects to find the sea waiting for him over the next slope as he bounds freely through the hefty space, but it's never there like he thinks it should be.

There are no real reasons he can come up with to explain why Naruto may smell of the coast. For as adventurous as he is, Kurama is unable to recall anything that might've led into this. Naruto has not immersed himself in anything deadly or potentially life changing for over a month now. Nearly a new record.

It is a sign. A sign of what, Kurama fears he will be finding out soon whether he wants to or not. There's a storm brewing on the horizon. The ocean is a ill-tempered beast, untamable in its wild abandon. Wind whips past his kit and sometimes Kurama swears words carry with it. If the smell is not coming from Naruto, if it is not coming from anything around him, then--

Something is reaching. Closer and closer, it draws. Kurama cannot help but wonder what Naruto will do when his birthright finally finds him

"Does it ever rain in here?" Naruto asked abruptly, drawing him from his thoughts. Kurama's eyes slide open to peer at the boy. "Like, the sun is great and all. Believe it. I just feel like a hurricane could spice things up a little, you know? Or maybe a tornado. You seem like you'd like a tornado."

"Why the hell would I want a tornado?" Kurama grumbled out, though there wasn't any heat in it. Naruto gave him an incredulous look. Kurama willed himself not to bristle at it, instead settling for flicking a few of his tails.

"Because they destroy stuff and that's like, a cornerstone of your entire personality or something?" Naruto looked at him like he was the weird one. Kurama wasn't sure why he tried anymore. Frowning and shaking his head, Naruto made to stand. "Bend down and try this on. I know it was too small last night, but I've made real progress, believe it!" 

Once upon a time, Naruto would've never dreamed of picking the flowers in the mindscape. They were treasured things back at the start, something he tiptoed around and was overly cautious of. Kurama too had been fearful for them, for their delicacy and their small number. In such a desolate place, it had seemed like the slightest thing would cause them to wilt. 

It was almost refreshing to see that caution thrown to the wind and swept away. Naruto didn't hesitate to pick flowers now, tucking them into his hair and into Kurama's fur whenever he could get away with it. For the past four nights he had taken on the great task of making Kurama a flower crown, a gigantic, linking chain of white daisies.

Even picked, the flowers here seemed to stay lush and vibrant. Kurama stared dubiously down at the crown, which Naruto had weaved with more patience than he'd normally afford basically anything else. He had his own crown-- far smaller in size-- loosely draped over his spikey blond locks. It looked moronic. 

Naruto was not nearly as small as he used to be, but to Kurama he was still miniscule. And if anyone found out that Kurama was letting such a puny thing put a flower crown on him he'd never live it down. Shukaku already thought he was a fucking joke. The rest of his siblings would almost certainly think the same.

It was a flower crown. A pathetic, mortal thing. Something for those weak of heart and pride. Overly-emotional imbeciles were the only ones who partook in such acts. What sort of tailed beast would he be to willingly wear one made by his container, to bow his head? 

Naruto blinked up at him expectantly, like Kurama allowing him to put such an infernal thing on him wasn't even a question in his mind. His eyes were such a contrasting blue to Kurama's own red. Like the sky and ocean-- maybe the sea salt smell truly was coming from him, and Kurama had simply been wrong.

Kurama heaved a sigh, mused to himself that the mightier the beast, the harder they fall, and ducked down anyway without argument. Naruto's grin was brighter than the sun. He squinted against it, grimacing slightly. He wouldn't trade Naruto for anything, but did he really have to be so... happy?

"Tell anyone about this and I'll eat you." Kurama growled out, knowing full and well the kit was going to blab to that Yamanaka man as soon as he next saw him.

"But now we match!" Naruto crowed out. He felt like hardly anything at all against Kurama's snout as he awkwardly slung the crown up as far as he could. Kurama's eyes slid shut again as the boy scrambled up to the top of his head. "Wow! I always forget how soft your fur is up here! Can I take a nap here?"

Kurama didn't bother answering. Naruto was going to do what he wanted no matter what he said, after all.

~~~~ 

Whilst becoming Hokage one day is definitely up there on Naruto's list of dreams, it isn't at the absolute top like it might've once been. His priorities have shifted. Yes, he wants to be acknowledged, and he wants to be powerful, and he wants to be trusted.

But he has people who love and care about him for who he is now, not what he might become. The village isn't something he relies on as a whole to provide him with validation anymore. He's found support elsewhere and that's good-- healthy, Ayumu says. 

It's good he's settling the basis of his goals on what he truly wants to achieve and not on what he thinks will get him basic human decency. 

Since first getting to know Kurama, Naruto has wanted to give him everything he deserves. Kurama gave him a friend when he had none to call his own, and Naruto wants to give him that back. Kurama has never trusted anyone before. Before Naruto, he had never had anything given to him. Just taken away.

Naruto wants to find Kurama's siblings. Half because he wants Kurama to have the chance to reconnect with them the way he knew the fox so desperately wanted to, but also because he knows now that if Kurama wasn't the monster people claimed him to be, why would they be? They were just as locked up he was, just as exploited for what they were. 

Up somewhere alongside that overall goal of reconnecting Kurama with his siblings and allowing him actually see the world he belonged to as it was now was the loose idea of... well, of world peace, Naruto guessed. Of treaties, of the cycle of hatred ending. It was something he and his dad both wanted to work towards, and Naruto felt like tailed beasts may be the first step.

But how, pray do tell, was he supposed to take those steps when his life is a living, breathing fucking nightmare? 

His future is sabotaged. This is it. This is the actual worst day of Naruto's life. He has seen many things in his time on this Earth and not a single one comes close to the absolute horror he is experiencing in this moment. There are no words to accurately describe the feeling of dread that falls over him.

Betrayal is something Naruto knows well. Though he hasn't known it for some time now, one doesn't simply forget what that feels like. And from Naruto's own father, too. He'd... He'd ripped Naruto's heart out and stomped on it, doing this. Put simply, Naruto was never going to recover from this. Ever.

His career as a shinobi is ending right out of the gate. Why did Naruto bother to graduate at all, if this was the outcome? He should've just dug a hole in the backyard and buried himself in it, because that's where he's inevitably slated to end up if this is the reality of his team.

"They put me on a team with you?" Sasuke asks. To his credit, he sounds just as stunned as Naruto feels. He looks Naruto up and down, as though seeing him for the first time. "Did your dad hit his head?"

Did Naruto's dad hit his head?

"If he hasn't, I'll hit it for him." Naruto responded dazedly, feeling like he'd just been socked square in the face. Even Shikamaru looked like he hadn't seen this one coming, sat up straight in his seat and glancing between Naruto and Sasuke both in surprise. "Someone pinch me."

Sakura, who looked completely apprehensive of their announced team despite the fact that she had a raging crush on Sasuke, obligingly leaned over and gave him a polite pinch to the forearm. It was painful. God, Naruto is going to drown. 

In his head, Kurama seemed stuck between cackling at his suffering and also being horrified that they'd have to be in the same vicinity as Sasuke. The result was odd choking noises that made him sound like he was having some kind of allergy attack. Naruto made a distressed sound, so overwhelmed he couldn't even form words.

Your teammates were like, a second family! You were supposed to protect and look out for them at all costs, and they were meant to do the same for you. Sure, maybe Sasuke's brother was alright, and maybe his cousin Shisui was too, but Sasuke himself? They were rivals for a reason! Insulting him comes as naturally as breathing to Naruto!

It's not that Naruto didn't trust him, per se. Everything else shoved aside, the dick bag wasn't the worst person to ever walk the planet morals wise. He wouldn't let Naruto just up and die if he was standing there and could do something about it. Probably. Actually, now that Naruto's thinking about it...

"Your luck." Kurama wheezed out. Wait, was he having an allergy attack? Those flower fields did have a lot of pollen. "Let me at the Uchiha. I will rip him to shreds. No teammate, no problem."

Naruto was so, so tempted to say yes. But then he remembered that they had just gone through a very stressful meeting with all of Konoha's most influential figures of authority, and Ayumu had threatened to kill them dead if they ruined it. Or at least he'd implied that he would. Therapeutically and in a constructive manner, because he's Ayumu.

Murdering Sasuke would probably be not good, then. Letting Kurama murder Sasuke would be worse. Which meant that the only other option was to either swear off being a ninja and become a turnip farmer instead, or to simply sit down and let fate play its hand.

(Fate's hand sucked, by the way. Just if you were wondering.) 

Why does this shit always happen to Naruto? What did he even do? No, really! Name one, singular thing he did to deserve this. What's that? You can't? Right, because he's done literally nothing ever at all in his entire fucking life!

Barring all those incidents outside the village, but those were barely his fault. Life had been fucking him over way, way before any of those even happened. Yeah he got his parents back, but at what cost? A valuable chunk of his too-short life stuck dealing with Sasuke Uchiha, whose hair somehow still looked like a duck's ass even after six years?

"Death is an option." Naruto mumbled more to himself than anything. Is he really going into shock right now? Sasuke scoffed at him.

"I should be so lucky." He bit out scathingly. "Stuck on a team with you. Who'd you piss off, anyway? Your dad's the biggest suck up I've ever seen in my life. I doubt he'd approve of his precious little baby being unhappy."

Naruto wasn't going to crush Sasuke's skull in. He wasn't going to crush his skull in at all. Naruto doesn't do that. He doesn't get mad and fly off the handle and crush people's skulls in. Never in his life. He has a real, running streak of never once doing that, and he's not going to break that now! Not when he's going so strong!

He can imagine it, though. Sasuke would be so quiet and so not on his team anymore. And it would be bliss. Naruto knows that life is hard and all that, and that it presents trials to overcome, but this? This isn't a trial. This is punishment.

"Wait." Naruto realized, eyes growing wide with realization. "Oh my God. Is this because they think the Sharingan can control the Nine Tailed Fox and they think that if push comes to shove, you'll be here to maybe subdue me one day?! Are you fucking serious?!"

Kurama's weird choking abruptly cut off. Which meant it was probably laughter, because nothing about Naruto's present statement was amusing whatsoever. In fact, it was actually kind of shit. Shit that made sense, but still shit.

Sasuke froze, and Iruka-sensei did too, pausing in the middle of another team announcement. Sakura's jaw dropped as she stared at him. On his other side, Shikamaru smacked a palm into his face. Naruto was too busy being angry to really care that everyone was now staring at him with varying degrees of horror.

"...Are you telling me you have a literal demon in your stomach?" Sasuke asked after a beat, staring at him in a new light. He looked less annoyed with him now and more appraising and satisfied than anything. "That explains everything."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Naruto practically howled, flying out of his seat. Several people screamed. Naruto felt his eyes start to burn and knew they were probably growing red. They did that a little easier since the seal's opening. "He's gonna eat you and I'm gonna let him! Believe it, you bird-headed ass!" 

More screams erupted as Naruto kicked off his desk and lunged, Sasuke's intermingling amongst them as Naruto full-body tackled him out of his seat. Kurama started up again. This time, he was definitely laughing.

~~~

"Ah, Naruto. Good morning." Kakashi hummed out as he opened the door to the classroom. Naruto stared at him blankly. "I'm your new genin sensei! Surprise! I heard you had your first kiss today as well! Congratulations. Kushina had to duct tape Minato-sensei to his office chair. He was still foaming at the mouth last I saw him."

His one visible eye cut to Sasuke sharply, assessing despite his lighthearted tone. The Uchiha shivered, already pale from the trauma both he and Naruto had experienced just earlier today. Neither of them were speaking. All of Sakura's awkward attempts at conversation were met with ghostly silence and a thousand-yard stare.

The kiss had been an accident. Naruto's not even sure how it happened. One moment Sasuke was trying to scramble out from beneath Naruto's hands, which had been attempting to wring his scrawny little throat. The next, they were slipping and struggling not to collapse into a heap and their lips were... locking. And now that death option from before seemed a whole lot more appealing.

His first kiss, stolen by Sasuke. Naruto was sort of being dramatic before when he said his entire life was a nightmare, but maybe that was more accurate than he thought. Why couldn't have his first kiss been... honestly, literally anyone else in the room? 

Hinata, even though she was kind of creepy and definitely stalked in him his free time. Choji was nice enough, even if he probably had potato chip breath. Maybe Ino despite her general loudness. Even Shikamaru would've been better than Sasuke, even though it completely went against their bro-code for Naruto to even be considering it. 

His dad had banned him from dating until he was thirty anyway, so really no first kiss should've happened at all. Least of all with Sasuke. Naruto's going to be sick. This is the most scarring thing to ever happen to him. Genuinely, it is. He's going to have nightmares about this day for the rest of his life.

"Are you that guy that sits in the rafters and stares down at us sometimes?" Sakura made a face as she finally placed Kakashi. "Why's a creep like you our sensei? And why're you so late? It's been three hours!"

Kakashi twitched. Naruto hoped Sakura's comment hit him deeply and that he was in emotional pain. He deserved it, walking in here like he didn't know today was going to be the worst day of Naruto's life. A little warning would've been nice-- would've given Naruto time to leave the country before disaster could strike, at least.

His life is falling apart. Slipping right between his fingers. 

"I had a therapy appointment that ran long." Kakashi chirped out, giving a closed-eye smile instead of destroying Sakura with an insult about her massive forehead like Naruto knew he desperately wanted to.

"Liar. You only see Ayumu on the third Thursday of every month now." Naruto hissed out, jabbing a finger at him. Kakashi looked genuinely a bit startled by his venom, blinking a bit. "You're a traitor. You let me come into this blind! Completely blind!" 

Kakashi's startled expression had the audacity to shift to one of amusement. No. No, no, no. Naruto doesn't care if he's throwing a tantrum right now. Everything sucks and he wants to kick Kashi in the shin so hard his ancestors feel it. Naruto is going to have the dogs rip up every single one of his stupid pillows.

"Not a lie, Naruto. I knew I'd be having you and Sasuke on the same genin team and asked for an extra session." Kakashi chirped out. "Aren't you so proud of my development? You and him are so bad that even I asked for extra therapy!"

He clapped his hands together for emphasis. Sakura opened her mouth, paused, and then nodded in understanding. Naruto threw his hands up in exasperation, collapsing back into his seat and wondering why he tried anymore.

"I would do that too if I were you." Sakura admitted. She eyed Naruto and Sasuke both. "...Actually, do you think it's too late to--"

"Here." Kakashi whipped out a business card from who knows where. Ayumu really had trained him well if he was carrying those around. "Beg for Thursdays. Maybe he'll finally say I've graduated."

Naruto almost snorted at the thought. In his dreams. 

Sasuke wasn't moving. He was still staring vacantly at the corner of the room, brows drawn in tight and expression twisted into something complicated. That was perfectly fine by Naruto, honestly. At least he wasn't speaking. Naruto had been so close to just ending it all right there, especially after the accidental lip touching. It was by the grace of Shikamaru's shadow jutsu that he didn't.

"You know what? Why do I care anymore? Life has no outward meaning." Naruto slouched. Sasuke made a vague humming noise of... fuck, was that agreement? From him? With Naruto? He wasn't sure Sasuke was coming back from this one, actually. "Just tell us what to do next. End my suffering. The sooner we get going to sooner it can be over."

Kakashi looked... actually a little concerned. He eyed Naruto suspiciously, like he hadn't seen this response coming from a mile away. They put him on a team with Sasuke and then he and Sasuke accidentally kissed. What did Kakashi expect from him? Unbridled enthusiasm?

"Considering you were smiling and laughing even with your foot almost entirely severed, probably." Kurama noted drily. Right. Naruto had forgotten about that. 

"Well... I was going to tell you all to meet me on the roof. Not sure if that's the best idea anymore." Kakashi gave Naruto another look. "Just stay away from the edge. It's always okay to ask for help."

He puffed away in a cloud of smoke before Naruto could say anything more. Naruto leapt from his seat, outrage burning in his eyes. The only reason he'd be getting near the roof's edge was the throw Kakashi off of it for having the fucking nerve! He loved him, but this level of bullshit from him was unprecedented! 

Naruto flew out the door, teammates left in the dust. He had a new teacher to drop kick!

Chapter Text

Third person pov

He didn't succeed in dropkicking Kakashi off the roof, but that's not to say he didn't try. Multiple times, and from multiple different angles. Naruto would get there one day.

Their introductions had gone about as smoothly as they could've, which is to say that they went incredibly rockily and they'll be lucky if their team lasts the week. Normally, Naruto probably would've rambled on for the sole purpose of annoying Sasuke as much as humanly possible, but he was still recovering from the incident. 

Better to keep it succinct-- the sooner he got it over with, the sooner he could go cry himself to sleep. After tattling to his apparently-already-pissed dad. Kashi was going to need more than one therapy appointment after everything was all said and done, that's for certain.

It could've been worse. It just also could've been way better. Sakura still looked vaguely wary of Naruto, glancing at his stomach every so often like she expected Kurama to explode out of it at any moment and rip her face off. As if he'd bother. If Kurama was eating anyone, Sasuke was first on the menu.

Naruto's introduction could be summed up into a short collection of major points: He liked ramen and flowers, he didn't like Sasuke, and his dreams for the future were to achieve world peace and be as put together as Ayumu was. One of things was never gonna happen-- you can probably guess which one. 

He would've gone on a long rant about finding Kurama's siblings, but that was certified P.P.I. Personal Private Information. He wasn't at liberty to discuss that with anyone aside from Ayumu. And Shikamaru and Lee, because they were all super tight and also Naruto had no idea how to shut the fuck up. Kurama had given up being upset about it, honestly.

Sakura's entire introduction had been along the lines of wanting to marry Sasuke and make babies with him, which was... special. Naruto hoped she really did utilize that business card Kakashi gave her. She clearly needed it.

Sasuke didn't even give an introduction, that's how shellshocked he still was. If he never talked again, maybe the sacrifice of lip locking was worth it. Naruto would never be subject to his (not very good) insults, nor would he have to deal with the daily headaches that would inevitably come with having to listen to him breathe his thoughts out into the open air.

Kakashi's introduction was useless, but Naruto knew him well enough that it didn't really matter. Maybe he'd give his new bunk buddies the PSA on him tomorrow, but honestly? There wasn't much to the masked man. He was traumatized, a pervert, liked dogs, and not all that bad once you got to know him. Comments on the incident aside.

As much as Naruto wanted to be angry at him for not mentioning Naruto's team placement, he couldn't muster up the fire. He knew it wasn't his fault-- he knew it wasn't his dad's fault, either. It was the council doing what they did best: slimy council things. And worse, Naruto wasn't sure how much he could blame them as well.

The idea of anyone wanting to control Kurama made his blood boil and his stomach turn, but he simultaneously understood the mortal terror that had to come from knowing the fox could come out at any give time. As much as Naruto trusted and loved Kurama with all his heart, he was under no false illusions about what he was capable of, or what he'd done in the past.

Naruto knows the fox did it because he was angry-- angry of being treated like a monster, of being locked away and left to rot inside a seal, inside of people who didn't even see him as a thinking and feeling being. Naruto would rampage too if he were in Kurama's... paws? Yeah, paws.

Even with his reasons though, that didn't change the fact that he had hurt people. He'd destroyed the village, he'd killed thousands in his lifetime. He'd killed Naruto's parents in a fit of outrage, all to try and keep from being sealed again. Naruto understood, knew the fox had changed, but how was anyone else supposed to know that?

They didn't know him like Naruto did. They never would, either. They'd never see endless flower fields and the way Kurama would look at him, soft but trying not to show it.

"Did you just call me soft?" Kurama's voice rumbled, sounding utterly affronted. As if he didn't already know. Had he been sleeping this whole time? Should they get that checked out? "You moron! I wouldn't have to sleep all day if you didn't make my ears bleed all night with your incessant chattering. Or did you forget that you spend hours upon hours telling me all the trivial details of your mundane life?"

Wow, bite his head off much? Someone was in a bad mood today. But he was kinda right. Naruto totally did do that, didn't he? Whatever. Kurama actually sort of really loved when he visited and talked about anything and everything. The vibrancy of the flowers gave him away. 

It was strange that Naruto could be conscious in the mindscape and still wake up refreshed, but Kurama wasn't afforded the same. Maybe because Naruto was a mental construct within his own head, but Kurama was actually himself, solid and whole? Hm... no. No, that sounds like too smart of a guess for someone like Naruto to make. He's going to stop while he's ahead.

"I expect you all at the training grounds bright and early! Six on the dot." Kakashi chirped out, as though he hadn't been like, a thousand hours late today. The man stood, pausing in an overdramatic manner that made Naruto's entire face scrunch up. He tilted his head slightly. "Oh, and I wouldn't eat breakfast if I were you. Not unless you want to lose it." 

The man was gone before Sakura could open her mouth and ask what the fuck he even meant by that. Naruto pressed his lips into a thin, unimpressed line. Right, well. He knows exactly what he's doing tomorrow morning.

"...You're not going to listen to that impudent fool, are you?" Kurama sounded reproachful and still a little drowsy. Naruto was immediately offended.

"Of course I'm not going to listen to him! What do you take me for?!" Naruto scoffed out. Sakura jumped at his sudden outburst. Not so subtly, she glanced down at his stomach. Naruto looked at her, and then at-- ugh, Sasuke. He pointed firmly for emphasis. "You guys, don't listen to him. Eat breakfast. And also expect him to be like, super late again. Believe it."

See? He can be a good teammate. This is camaraderie. He's practically an expert on it... kinda. 

Sasuke nodded robotically in agreement rather than arguing like he'd half expected, which was special. Naruto turned away to hide his gagging. Something about Sasuke agreeing with him is making him feel sick. Is this what having an allergy is like? It's too unnatural for him to process. His body is rejecting the mere notion. 

"How would you know?" Sakura asked skeptically, sounding like she absolutely did not believe him even slightly. Naruto gave her a look that he hoped conveyed how absolutely stupid he thought she sounded right now. Like, hello? 

"Because he lives in my house?" Naruto offered back in the exact same tone, though slightly more mocking. Sakura's face immediately started to flush, but Naruto didn't pay it any mind as he stood up. "You don't have to, but I'd suggest taking my advice, believe it. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go wash my mouth out with acid and ramen and then go cry myself to sleep! See you tomorrow!"

Sakura blinked rapidly at his chirpy tone of voice. Naruto didn't bother glancing back, launching himself over the side of the roof without hesitation. He could feel their eyes drilling into him as he went, but he paid them and their bewilderment no mind. After all, he had food to eat and a therapy session to get to!

~~~~~~

The ramen is delicious. He tells Ayumu this as soon as he walks through the door before he then proceeds to collapse onto the couch in his office, bury his face into one of the many throw pillows populating it, and start screaming.

To his credit, Ayumu is utterly unphased. He just raises a singular eyebrow at him and pulls out a stopwatch to time how long it takes him to get it out of his system. Naruto's current standing record is twenty minutes. That had been following the-- yeah, you guessed it-- melon trade debacle. He seriously still can't look at one without breaking out into a nervous sweat.

Naruto screams. Screams because they put him on a team with Sasuke, and it's less about Sasuke and more about the fact that they think that they can control Kurama that way. He screams because the council hates him, and Shikamaru's dad looks at him like he's an explosive tag about to go off these days. He screams because he's a ninja now, and holy shit. He screams about the incident, and about everything, and just--

"Sleep? Who needs sleep?" Kurama grumbles in the back of his mind as Naruto angrily kicks his feet, still shrieking at the absolute top of his lungs. "My life is a fucking nightmare."

Yeah, well. He can join the club. At least Kurama's first kiss hadn't been Sasuke Uchiha of all people. How're they supposed to be sworn rivals after that? Naruto just wants to crawl into a hole and never come back out.

The session is just about halfway over when Naruto finally stops, feeling oddly freed of his burdens. Ayumu makes a considering hum, clicking the stopwatch and writing something down. If Naruto didn't know any better, he'd say the man looked almost impressed. Naruto flops over onto his back, staring at the ceiling blandly.

This was his life now. As though it hadn't been absurd enough before. Maybe it was his fault for wishfully assuming it would probably level out into some semblance of ninja normalcy. Naruto and the idea of normal had never coexisted, and now he was starting to see that they likely never would. 

Ayumu didn't speak for a moment. The scratch of his pen flying across his clipboard was familiar and cathartic. Naruto sunk into the sound, listening to the wind rustling the leaves outside. Ugh. Things would be totally fine, right? He could (hopefully?) do this. Naruto could do anything he set his mind to.

"...Kashi said he was late because he had an extra therapy session with you." Naruto noted after another beat of neither of them speaking. He rolled his head to the side to peer at the Yamanaka man. His hair was up in a bun today instead of a ponytail, and it made him look younger. "Was he lying?"

"Patient confidentially law states that I'm unable to discuss the details of another patient's sessions with you." Ayumu responded automatically before he stopped, considering. He pursed his lips. "But yes. Yes, he did. And he spent half of it crying."

Naruto nodded, feeling infinitely lighter. Hearing that was all the therapy he needed.

~~~~~~~ 

Shikamaru's genin team was decided before he was even born. He always knew exactly who he was going to end up fighting alongside most closely, and Naruto was sort of envious of that. At least he had forewarning. This? This was sprung on him out of literally nowhere.

Never in his wildest dreams would he have thought he'd get put on a team with Sasuke. It's not even that he hates Sasuke. Sure, they don't get along even on their best days, but that's just the way they've always been. They take potshots at one another like it's going out of style. Naruto gives as good as he gets, and they fight like a couple of stray cats-- it's just how things are.

Naruto has no idea how they're going to work together functionally without butting heads every two seconds. He knows that they have no choice but to, and it's driving him up the wall. Ayumu says that acceptance is the first step, but Naruto has always been stubborn as a mule. He can't help but internally resist. 

He laments over his bad luck from the dining room table, shoveling ramen into his mouth. His mom sits across from him, patting the back of Naruto's crying father. He'd collapsed into his chair like a puppet with his strings cut the moment he walked in and saw Naruto dressed and ready for the day, headband shining on his forehead.

"H-He's just grown up so fast." Minato practically wails, face buried in his arms. Kushina hums, still half-focused on her own bowl of ramen. "He's a shinobi now! A-And he had his first kiss!"

Naruto hesitates to actually call it a kiss. More of an accidental mashing of lips. He's already long since cleansed his body of the travesty with ramen, an entire glass of lemon juice, and a shower so hot it nearly boiled his skin right off the bone. He has let go, because he will go insane if he doesn't. 

"Yeah. Time flies." His mom let out an overexaggerated, wistful sigh. "Next thing you know he'll be getting married."

His dad let out another sob, heavy and choked. Naruto shoved some more ramen in his mouth, sharing a look with his mom. His dad had been like this since waking up, and it only seemed to be getting worse. It had been... a longer than usual morning. Kurama growled irritably in the back of Naruto's mind, evidently not happy with his sleep being interrupted.

Naruto shrugged and went back to his food. The sun was already high in the sky, long since having risen above the horizon to take its place amongst the lazily drifting clouds. Naruto watched them go by, feeling strangely more subdued. He'd had trouble getting to bed last night, so that could be a part of it.

He could do this. As he'd said before, Naruto could do anything he put his mind to. People learned, and they grew, and they changed. Maybe Sasuke would change to be... cooler than he was. Cool like his brother, Itachi. Those genetics were in there somewhere, weren't they?

Ugh. No, it was a pipe dream. Itachi and Sasuke couldn't possibly be more different from one another. For one thing, Itachi was seemingly born cool. For another, he also wasn't a raging dick that told Naruto his hair made him look like an undercooked tater tot. Naruto knows life is supposed to have its fair share of trials to overcome, but this one is testing him.

"M-Marriage." His dad sounded scarily close to passing out. Naruto slurped up some more broth, morbidly interested in the way his face seemed to be changing colors. Blue, purple, red. He looked like he was about to be sick. "T-To Sasuke?"

Yeah. Yeah, he'd be horrified too. Absolutely not.

The sound of nails on hardwood sounded from down the hallway before Naruto could claim his intent to sooner die than get married to Sasuke, or really to anyone at all at this point. Again, he's not allowed to date until he's thirty anyway. Marriage is a really big leap. Off a cliff. Into an icy ravine.

Naruto twisted around as Kashi sleepily stumbled his way into the room. The masked man froze as soon as his eyes landed on him. He stood, watching blandly as the dogs all swarmed Naruto for love and attention. He blinked slowly, gaze ticking over to the clock they had hanging in the kitchen.

The mask hid his frown, but Naruto knew it was still there. He raised an unimpressed eyebrow in return.

"You're eating breakfast." Kashi pointed out. How smart and observant of him! Naruto never would've known if he hadn't said anything! "And it's eight o'clock."

"You're just waking up." Naruto pointed out back. "And it's eight o'clock."

And yeah. There really wasn't much he could say to argue with that, was there?

~~~~

Naruto had thought the fight of his life was when he almost had his foot entirely chopped off that one time, but no. No, getting Kakashi out the door trumps even that.

It's literally the hardest thing he's ever had to do. When he says words were said and feelings were hurt, he means it. Kashi may very well need to go back to weekly therapy sessions after this. Hell, Naruto might need a couple extra tacked onto his usual ones too.

Even despite the struggle, it's a little reassuring to see that Kashi is clearly just as reluctant as he is, probably even more so. He sees the situation for the clusterfuck it is and knows that whatever happens, new scars will be obtained no matter what they do. At least they're suffering together. That's two out of four people on their team resonating-- they're already halfway there!

The only word that can be used to fully describe Sakura's expression when Naruto finally manages to wrangle Kashi to the training grounds is absolute fury. Naruto's not sure he's ever seen anyone as royally pissed as Sakura clearly is, and that's saying a lot when you consider who his mother is and what she's named for.

Sasuke just stares at them, seeming unamused. At least he doesn't look like a possum trying to play dead like he did the other day.

"Before you scream at me, know that I fought for this." Naruto hastily shoved Kashi out in front of him. He wasn't sure if he was using him as a human shield or if he was presenting him as an offering. Maybe it was both. "Look! I got him here. I dragged him halfway across the village and I got him to actually show up."

If they knew Kashi at all, they'd know this was a big deal. That he could've kept them waiting upwards of five hours instead of just three. Sasuke probably knew to an extent, learning vicariously through his brother and cousin who had to have complained about Kakashi's lack of punctuality at some point in their time working with him.

Sakura, though, had no real point of reference. All she knew about Kakashi was that he sometimes sat in their academy classroom watching them like a creeper. Naruto living with him was basically just guilt by association in her eyes. Fuck, Naruto should've just left the masked man behind and pretended he overslept by mistake instead of showing up with the most incriminating evidence he ever could've produced.

"You're LATE!" Sakura's voice was so shrill and loud it scattered birds from the trees. Naruto winced from his place behind Kakashi, who twitched like he was viscerally resisting the urge to run away. "Where have the two of you been?! It's been hours! You said six AM sharp!" 

Naruto slowly released Kakashi, inching out from behind him and hopefully out of the line of fire. He could feel Kurama stirring irritably in his stomach, his frustration settling under the surface of Naruto's own emotions. First his dad crying, then him and Kakashi almost killing each other on their way out the door, now Sakura doing her best impression of a banshee.

Sasuke eyed him dubiously as he gradually slid his way over, and he looked a bit constipated. Naruto gave him a look back. Were they commiserating right now? Maybe this is the first step towards true teamwork. There are two evils, and this is the lesser one.

"Well!" Kakashi chirped out. And then he stopped, because he had no idea what to say. It took him a solid five seconds to come up with something on the spot. He snapped his fingers as it came to him. "I told you to come at six in the morning! I never said when I'd be here!" 

He sounded so enthusiastic, offering a closed-eye smile. Naruto immediately knew it had been misstep. Even Sasuke winced this time. Was Sakura's incandescent anger going to be the thing that brought them together? Naruto had no idea how to feel about that, actually. Was it a good thing or just super depressing?

Sakura's face slowly got redder and redder. Naruto brought his hands up to his ears and braced.

~~~~ 

Bad news, team. Sakura's incandescent anger did not, in fact, bring them together. The moment Kashi took those bells out of his pocket, it was every man for himself.

Naruto had never been explicitly told about the point of the bell test, but it didn't take a genius to figure it out either. If his dad had given the exact same test and all three of his genin they had still passed, that meant the obvious point of the exercise was to get them to work together. Naruto had never seen a team with just two genin and a jonin sensei before.

The bells were just a ploy to pit them against one another. As much confidence as Naruto had in himself, he also lived with Kashi and knew him well. He'd have to be a moron to think he could go up against him alone and come out the other side with the bells. And even if he could, the point stood that they'd (probably?) still fail if they didn't accomplish the true point of the test.

"You sounded... almost smart, kit." Kurama sounded flabbergasted and maybe even a bit apprehensive. He was notably less grumpy now that it was just them and the trees, no screaming or crying to be heard. "You are running a little warm. You've never gotten sick before, but--"

"Why's everyone assume something's wrong with me as soon as I say something that makes sense?" Naruto whined as he fought his way through the brush, following his nose towards Sakura's flowery perfume. His sense of smell had always been better than most, but releasing Kurama from his seal had only seemed to make it all the stronger. "Besides, Kashi told me all about his time training under my dad after--"

Well. After Shikamaru and Naruto came across the photo of Obito.

It wasn't something that had been brought up in a long time, and even if it was, the general consensus reached was that there was simply an Uchiha from his branch out there wreaking havoc. They insisted it had to be someone else-- that Obito was dead and gone for certain-- but Naruto wasn't so sure. Shikamaru and Kurama didn't seem to be either.

There was no use dwelling on that right now, though. Point is, Kashi had given him all the details of his past teammates. Apparently, he hadn't been very happy about having to do the bell test with his newly assigned teammates, having graduated early and having had Naruto's dad all to himself for a fair amount of time before.

Young Kakashi sounded like a total dick. Also not the point. Point: it's not super surprising that Naruto was able to deduce what's going on, seeing as he had insider information. Now if he could just convince his new team of that so they didn't all get sent back to the academy for another year of suffering and humiliation...

Iruka-sensei would probably shed genuine tears if they turned back up in his classroom.

"Ah, yes. The Uchiha who kidnapped you." Kurama's tone was sour. "The one they deny could possibly still be alive. As if that pineapple boy did not see him with his own two eyes, and you as well."

"Stop calling Shikamaru that." Naruto half-heartedly jabbed. "He has a name, you know. He uses yours. The least you could do is give him the common courtesy, believe it."

"Why? It's not like he can hear me." Kurama snorted. "Aren't you humans keen to respect your elders? By the standard of your pathetically short lives, it's--"

Sakura's shrill scream of terror cut Kurama off before he could continue, and it sent Naruto jolting forward in a fit of adrenaline. He practically threw himself through the giant pair of unruly hedges in front of him, fully expecting to come upon an incredibly gruesome scene, full with blood, guts, and who knows what else.

He stumbled to a stop, blinking. Kashi, who had porn in one hand and the other planted on his hip, stopped to blink back. He pulled his foot back from where he'd been using it to nudge Sakura's unconscious body on the grassy forest floor. Naruto sighed, shoulders slouching as his heartrate died down.

"Genjutsu?" He asked morosely. Kashi smiled a closed-eye smile. "Man. Why am I even bothering?"

"You have until noon, Naruto. That gives you a whole two hours." Kashi sung. Naruto was going to let Kurama come out and use him as a chew toy. Then there really would be blood, guts, and who knows what else. "Better not to waste them!" 

He jangled the bells at him teasingly before he was vanishing in a puff of smoke. Naruto stared at the place he'd just been with a scrunched nose for a second before allowing himself to look at Sakura, who was laid out face-down and looking a little dead. Immediately, he released a heavy sigh. 

He had his work cut out for him. Only two hours to convince his teammates to rally with him, make a plan, and effectively enact that plan without any of them trying to kill each other. Sakura he felt confident he could get, but Sasuke's favorite hobby was going against anything Naruto said, and vice versa. 

Two hours. Two hours to make this count. Two hours to pass.

Naruto can do this.

~~~~ 

Naruto can not fucking do this.

Sakura reluctantly agreed to come with him, but Naruto suspected it was probably just because she was traumatized from whatever Kakashi had shown her. Pile that on with his promise that they were going to track Sasuke down, she's managed to pull herself up and shaky legs and promise not to run off again.

When he explained it and how he knew, she seemed a bit more inclined to believe him. Naruto was too tired to be offended by her suspicion that he was maybe full of it. Stress was beginning to mount the longer and longer it took to find Sasuke, whose Sharingan gave him the upper hand in terms of speed, stealth, and evasion.

Sakura complaining didn't help either. About how hot it was, and how harsh Kakashi was, and how unprofessional, and about how he "took it too far, showing her that". Naruto's not saying that to be insensitive, but let's just say he's been in one too many near death experiences to sympathize. 

Naruto's nose twitched further, and he veered right. He didn't bother trying to keep quiet. If Kashi wanted to know where they were, he'd know where they were regardless of how quiet they were or weren't trying to be. It was likely he was somewhere in the trees watching, whether it be with his own eye or the eye of a clone. He'd been an ANBU captain for a reason-- his nose and ears weren't something they could evade.

"He's left." Kurama sleepily grumbles. "Go left. Left, you brat."

"He doesn't smell left." Naruto complains, but he changes directions anyway because Kurama probably knows best. Sakura sucks in a sharp breath of air. "His smell is everywhere, though. What'd he do? Rub his sweat on every tree trunk this side of th--"

Naruto's foot hits a rock. The rock makes a sound of protest. Naruto looks down and yeah, never mind. Not a rock.

Sasuke's red glare doesn't look very intimidating, as tied up in ninja wire as he is. Kashi got him good, leaving him with no wiggle room to try and cut himself free or maybe squirm his way out. Shoving his own headband in his mouth to keep him shut up was probably a step too far, but whatever. Sasuke probably did something to deserve it.

Sakura gasps in absolute horror, like this is the worst thing she's ever seen, some heinous crime against humanity. Immediately, she's pulling a kunai out and dropping to her knees to cut him free. Naruto snaps out of his train of thought, reaching out to grab her shoulder before she can.

"Naruto! What are you doing?!" Sakura sounds genuinely confused as he pulls her back. He holds a hand up.

"No, wait. This is perfect! Now he can't run away or tell me to shut up, believe it!" Naruto cried out happily, also dropping down. Sasuke's glare became all the more deadly, though it looked less intimidating as a red flush joined it on Sasuke's cheeks. Good, he should be embarrassed. "Alright, listen. I'm gonna explain this fast, and you're going to listen if you want to pass!"

Sasuke made a muffled sound of what was probably denial. Kashi has no idea the solid he just did Naruto. Or maybe he does? No, that's ridiculous. Kakashi definitely wanted them to fail so he could go back to spending his days reading porn and not having to worry about herding a trio of children who don't get along around.

Sasuke's humiliation is obvious, but Naruto wants him to comply so he doesn't make fun of him for it. Do you know how hard it is to resist saying anything? Naruto and Sasuke's entire way of communicating has been through insults and punching each other since like, the dawn of time. Now that he's actually having to talk to him with socially acceptable words and phrases... ick.

"Can we cut him out now?" Sakura asks anxiously, eyes darting about like she expects Kakashi to leap out of the woodwork and scare them. Which honestly, Naruto wouldn't put it past him. "I think Sasuke-kun gets the point, Naruto."

Naruto, who'd been stumbling over his words in a rush to simply get them out, squinted down at Sasuke consideringly. He wasn't looking at Naruto anymore, instead choosing to stare blandly at the sky. He wasn't thrashing around either like he had been originally. Naruto... had no idea what that meant.

"Is he breathing?" Kurama asked, sounding excited at the prospect that he maybe wasn't. Naruto swallowed a snort.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Naruto agreed, also shooting a glance back over his shoulder. He could smell Kashi, close but not too close. He gave Sasuke a look as his new teammate blinked back into awareness. "Do not run away. I will literally cut your anchovy tendon."

"Achilles." Kurama corrected.

"Achilles." Sakura corrected.

"Achilles, you idiot." Sasuke bit out as soon as he was able to yank his headband out of his mouth. He still looked a little red in the face, refusing to look at either of them. He scooted further away from Naruto, jaw clenched as he glanced up. "But whatever. You live with the guy. Not that I think working with the likes of you will get us that far."

Naruto is the bigger person here. He is like, the biggest person. He can rise above this. If he doesn't quip back, he's automatically a better person than Sasuke and it's more proof that the Uchiha sucks. They just-- have to pass. If they can pass and secure their place, Naruto can go back to insulting him. 

So instead of sniping back, he takes a deep breath instead and squares his shoulders. He forces the tension out of his body. Kurama snickers as he lets an easy smile fall across his face, determined and bright. Sakura squints in the face of it, and Sasuke is starting to look a bit like a possum trying to play dead again.

"Right! Well! That was insulting and I'm not going to say anything! Believe it!" Naruto clapped his hands together, beaming. "But never mind that! Are you guys ready to get those bells?!"

Sasuke is definitely looking like a possum trying to play dead again, but Sakura smiles back tentatively, his vigor evidently at least a little contagious. Naruto shakes his hands out, steeling himself for the fight ahead. They can do this. Kakashi won't know what hit him!

(Kakashi does know what hit him, actually. After all, you'd have to be an idiot not to know what a fireball is.)

Chapter Text

Third person pov

Minato's life can be put into three simple categories by order of importance: fatherhood, husbandhood, and Hokagehood. 

He and Kushina had long since agreed that whilst they were both high on each other's priority lists, Naruto and Kakashi were always going to come before their own relationship did. Minato loved Kushina like a limb and he knew that Kushina felt the same for him, a fire so strong it was never going to go out. Kushina would always be it for him, together or apart.

Naruto and Kakashi are their babies, though. Kakashi had come to Minato fresh out of the academy, five years old and already hardened by the heavy expectations set upon shinobi children during the times of war. He never got the chance to be a kid, growing impossibly more distant when Sakumo left him. 

Minato had practically raised him. Had watched him grow into a strong, self-assured young man who'd lived through all sorts of hardships and impossibilities. He had persevered through personal tragedies that would put lesser men in the ground, and though he'd come out the other side mellower and a little lost, at least he'd come out at all.

It was a miracle he was still around when Minato came back. The mere possibility of him having woken up to a world in which Kakashi couldn't keep going makes Minato's stomach roil. Sometimes it floors him just how lucky he is to have all this. To have not only Kakashi, but to have Naruto too, and to be living a life that should've been taken from him.

So why wasn't it? Why was he still here?

Minato's not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. There's a reason he hasn't gone looking all that hard for answers-- sometimes, it's better not to poke the sleeping bear and to instead let things lie. If it's not broken, there's no reason to fix it. That's Minato's philosophy.

There's just moments, in the quiet stillness of his home after Naruto and Kakashi have rushed out the door, that he can't help but wonder. He knows Kushina feels the same.

It's monumentally strange to think that, once upon a time, he might've held his duty as Hokage over all other respects of his life. Minato realistically knows that's what's expected of him, but he can't help but feel a little ill at the thought of it. A good leader would put all personal attachments aside to do what's best for the whole of the village, even if it meant hurting the ones they love for the greater good.

Minato, after coming back to a village that had shunned Naruto, isolated Kakashi into ANBU, and then had the audacity to keep them apart in the face of their loss? He just can't... he can't do it. He loves them too much to ever place anything above them. In many ways, he hasn't forgiven Konoha-- he's not sure he ever will.

Kushina hasn't. She's very loud about that fact. Even now, their son is not treated the way they wish he was, isn't looked upon with particularly kind eyes. It makes Minato's skin crawl. It makes Minato wonder why he's Hokage to begin with.

This is his home and he loves it. He will defend it, because it's the place his sons were both born and it's where they've chosen to make their life. There's just something inherently wrong with the way it runs. The way the village turned against the Uchiha Clan so easily, swayed by the machinations of Danzo, who had come close to doing something so unforgiveable-- 

Minato had burned those files with Fugaku at his side, wordlessly and without preamble. They had never spoken of it, and they never would. And if Fugaku hugged Itachi a little more often than not afterwards, Minato wasn't going to draw attention to such. 

A change needs to happen. Minato has had six years to put it into motion and he feels like he's not a single step closer to his goals. Like nothing he's done in an effort to truly bring everyone together under the collective ideal of peace has worked. Because for all Minato has instilled his good will into every decision he makes, these issues still persist so strongly that he's starting to doubt that they can be fixed at all.

Minato gets that some of it is human nature, and that it's not going to change. But that doesn't mean it can't at least get better.

People still judge the Uchiha Clan for something they never did in the first place. Something is going on in the Hyuga clan, but nobody can figure out what it is because they will literally kill anyone who tries, and then cover it up and gaslight everyone into thinking they didn't. ANBU, for all it's been adjusted, still produces men and women who experience life-long psychological issues that even Ayumu would be hard-pressed to tackle.

Kunoichi in the village are treated like actual dirt, and expected to seduce and give their bodies to the cause on the simple basis that they're women. The entire council operates on self-interest and not actually in favor of what needs to happen. Everyone's got clan secrets they hoard like a dragon does gold, and nobody wants to trust each other.

And Minato gets it! Really, he does. Back stabbing is like, a running issue within the confines of politics. If they could just break through that barrier of trust and lay a foundation for being open with one another, it could just-- make all the difference in the world.

"I don't know where to start." Minato groaned, dragging his hands down his face. "How am I supposed to change anything if the people I need to cooperate with me are too afraid to try? There's too many conflicts of interest, and even though the civilians live in a ninja village, they somehow still seem insanely ignorant of shinobi life as a whole!"

Ayumu, who looked like he had no idea how Minato had gotten into his house, squinted at him from over his bowl of cereal.

"Do you think a part of it is lack of representation? Or it could be a lack of awareness. People are naturally afraid of what they don't understand, ya know." Kushina pointed out. Her red hair stood out starkly against the cool blue of Ayumu's kitchen backsplash. "We don't have a reliable way to get news out beyond word of mouth and the occasional flier. Printing is time consuming and costs a lot of money, but it might be worth it. How're they supposed to understand anything if we don't tell them?"

Ayumu's eyes darted between them as he took another slow bite of now-soggy cheerios. Minato hummed consideringly. 

"That's a good idea. How would the civilians know what's going on if nobody explains it? All they've ever really had to go off of is rumors. So long as we can get an open, honest news source out to them-- we just have to remember that any information they have is information that potential enemies will have too." Minato noted. He wondered how Naruto's genin test was going... "It doesn't account for the corruption of the council, though, or the lack communication and transparency between the clan heads." 

Ayumu swallowed, still staring at them with a somewhat defeated, somewhat bewildered look on his face. Like he wasn't sure if he was actually awake or not. He checked the watch on his wrist with furrowed brows, as though he expected this to all be a nighttime hallucination he'd sleep walked his way into.

"Just straight up call them out on their shit." Kushina pointed her chopsticks at him, leaning back against the counter and cradling her styrofoam cup of instant ramen close. "Be so blunt about it that it makes lying awkward. Spying on them to learn more isn't gonna do shit at this point, ya know? You just have to go for the throat and squeeze." 

Minato nodded, feeling disheartened. Now that Naruto was entering his time as a genin, it seemed all the more imperative that he get his shit together and fix things. It had been too easy to just go do paperwork and stand outside the academy with Kakashi, watching Naruto be adorable. Now, that wasn't an option. 

His baby was all grown up! He and Kakashi were off doing ninja stuff and Minato wasn't really supposed to interfere. At least, not so overtly as following them around, even if he desperately wanted to. He could only cross his fingers and hope Kakashi put the camera that Minato gave him to good use to capture all Naruto's ninja firsts. 

Kushina and Ayumu had both told him that he needed to give Naruto room to grow and be his own person. Which Minato had thought he was doing spectacularly, but apparently that means letting him live his own life and forge his own path without following two feet behind him whilst he does.

Minato just loves him! And Naruto spent six years without them, and Minato-- 

Kushina didn't see him like Minato did when she first got here, and he's glad she didn't. He's glad she didn't have to watch him dawn with the stunning realization that he was loved, like it was a surprise, and that he wasn't going to have to leave. He was glad she didn't see the way he doubted everything Minato did, and everything he said, fearing it would all be ripped away from him if he held on too tight.

Minato knows things are different now, but those are moments that changed him irrevocably. That shattered a part of him he doesn't think will ever heal. Because even if Naruto is smiling and happy now, he wasn't before, and Minato hates that some of the most impactful years of his life were spent alone and unloved.

"Why're you in my house?" Ayumu finally voiced, apparently coming to the conclusion that they weren't a mental manifestation of his life's greatest inconveniences. 

"There were people trying to talk to us at ours again, so we left out the back." Kushina shrugged. "Something about being worried about the Nine Tails killing everyone, but it was Shikaku, so there were a lot more big words used, ya know?"

Ayumu sighed, heavy and tired. Minato perked up. Maybe he'd know how to get the clan heads to open up about all their greatest secrets.

~~~~~~~

They don't get the bells, but their running around like headless chickens is coordinated enough to count as teamwork so they pass anyway. Naruto tries not to feel too smug at the sheepish look Sakura gives him, and the skeptical one Sasuke shoots his way.

The fact that Kashi got set on fire is just a bonus. Naruto loves him, really, he does. He's just a dick sometimes and needs to be put in his place. If Naruto's not going to be the one to relentlessly annoy and occasionally beat him up, who is?

Well... Gai, probably. But whatever. Not the point.

"Great, you passed." Kurama's voice is sleepy and agitated from the excitement. No doubt he'll spend most of tonight dozing. "Now you get to go outside the village. I'm so excited. Absolutely nothing will go wrong, I'm sure." 

It's said in what is quite possibly the most sarcastic tone Naruto has ever heard from anyone in his entire life. It's dry, flat, and could probably kill a puppy with how utterly unimpressed it comes off. Naruto presses his tongue to the back of his teeth, wishing he had the grounds to make a rebuttal but knowing well and good that he definitely does not.

Naruto hadn't been out of the village any huge number of times despite what recollections indicated. It's just that every time he did leave, something happened. Not just once, or twice, or maybe three times. Every single time he stepped foot out of Konoha's gates, it's like all his collective bad luck decided to step up to bat.

It was actually a bit uncanny. The instances of him getting into shit he shouldn't be in had gotten so flabbergasting that even Kurama couldn't get mad at him anymore. Do you know how absurd shit has to get for people to stop assuming Naruto is the problem? He doesn't find it-- it finds him. Proven fact through several instances of observational experimentation on Kurama's part.

Anyway. He was hoping him being a ninja would negate the effect. It was wishful thinking, but it made logical sense in his head. Sorta. When he's not a ninja, trouble finds him, so when he is one maybe everything will be peaceful and they can all sing kumbaya. 

"The day you have a peaceful outing out of this fucking cesspool of a village is the day I go belly up." Kurama grumbled out, already sounding like he was drifting off. Naruto pursed his lips. So much for keeping hope alive and doing his best, or whatever train of thought he'd been trying to follow there.

"I expect to see you all here bright and early tomorrow morning for our first drills as a team!" Kakashi chirped out. His flak jacket was still smoking slightly. Sasuke may be a trick ass bitch, but Naruto's got to hand that one to him. "We've got our work cut out for us, but I'm sure we'll get you three up to par in no time!" 

He said "you three" but he was looking at Sakura. Naruto wondered if she was going to need any cream for that major burn. First day in and she's already getting singled out. Couldn't be him. Kurama has trained him for this exact moment, and his mom runs training sessions like the house is on fire and the roof's about to come down. 

And even if she didn't, Naruto's entire life is kind of on fire enough to have him prepared anyway. Not in a good way, either. Something is almost always happening. If it's not him going out of the village, it's someone coming into the village to try and rock his shit for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Naruto breathes and someone is suddenly trying to kidnap him.

"Wait, why're you telling us to be here bright and early if you're not gonna be?" Naruto blinked out of his train of thought as Kashi's words registered, his entire face scrunching. Kakashi paused. "I had to bodily manhandle you out the door this morning. Believe it."

Sakura nodded vigorously. Apparently him being right about the point of the test was grounds for him being right about others things. Call him the Kakashi whisperer, because he's got his tricks and trades down to a pat.

"This morning was a special circumstance, Naruto." Kakashi chided lightly, never looking away from his book. "I was testing your punctuality, that's all. I'll be here right alongside you tomorrow." 

That sounded like a super giant lie, but whatever. They'd cross that bridge when they came to it. Naruto's starving, he's pretty sure he actually fractured a bone in his shin when he got thrown into that tree, and also he needs a nap. Not because the fighting is exhausting, but because being in Sasuke's general vicinity is steadily draining his life force.

Kakashi was puffing away in a cloud of white smoke before Naruto could plunder his wallet for funds, probably because Sakura had that look on her face again like she was about to start yelling. Honestly, Naruto would too in her shoes. Even if he did give her fair warning to actually eat something and expect him not to be here until well past the shit hour he gave them to show up.

His departure left an awkward silence in its wake. Naruto glanced at his teammates, wondering if their quota for bonding for the day had been met and he could go, or if he was supposed to say something else here. Sasuke was staring at him with that constipated expression again, and Sakura looked oddly intense as she sized him up.

Naruto wondered if Shikamaru was done. Or what Lee was doing. Lee always had time to talk to him, even if he was doing handstand pushups whilst he did it. Naruto could go grab some ramen to go and track him down. Celebrate his not having to go back to the academy, because even though Naruto knew the point of the test, the real miracle here was the fact that he'd gotten Sakura and Sasuke to actually listen to him.

"...Well. I'm gonna go this way. Believe it." Naruto decided, nodding more to himself than to them. He swore he could feel Kurama roll his eyes. How was his sass so tangible that Naruto was sensing his physical movements now?

Sasuke looked intent to go along with it and also book. Sakura stepped forward before either of them could run off, however, completely ruining Naruto's entire day.

"Wait." She blurted out, looking wide-eyed and anxious. "I-I feel like I should apologize to you, Naruto. For doubting you when you said you knew what the test was about."

Uh.

Right, cool. That was super fucking weird. Was she actually apologizing to him of all people right now? Naruto had no idea she knew how to do that. He doesn't know if he should be terrified, impressed, or some mix of both. Probably the latter.

Maybe he was being dramatic. Sakura apologizing wasn't all that strange. She actually wasn't so bad, and they got along alright in the academy. They hadn't exactly been friends, but they certainly weren't enemies either. They just sort of coexisted as acquaintances. 

Sakura was reasonable! They'd probably be great teammates when they got down to it. Top kunoichi in their class, which meant she wasn't a total moron. Great news, because he definitely was. Though she typically didn't afford him her manners, she could still be polite enough wh--

"I'm sorry too." Sasuke muttered out. Immediately, Naruto froze solid.

His heart stopped beating. The entire world stilled, the Earth no longer spinning on its axis. Were Naruto not utterly paralyzed right now, he'd be looking to the sky in search of the fiery meteors that would signify this as the beginning of the fucking rapture. 

Naruto must've hit his head earlier. He's hearing things. This can't be happening. It's even possible that he actually hit his neck in such a way that he straight up dropped dead, and this is his version of his life flashing before his eyes. 

Is this a sign of the end? Will he at least get to go on the KIA stone? Does this count as being killed in action? He thinks this counts. He'd never had a hallucination quite so vivid before. Naruto is fully expecting the universe to implode on itself, and for him to wake up and find out he's been in a coma for ten years when he comes to.

Only Sakura looked like she'd seen a ghost too, staring at Sasuke open-mouthed and wide-eyed. Which meant Naruto wasn't the only one seeing and hearing it. Sasuke was also looking increasingly more and more like he just sucked a lemon, all signs pointing to this being reality. Naruto's genuinely horrified.

Sasuke scowled deeply. Slowly, Sakura and Naruto turned to look at each other, eyes big. Nobody moved, or spoke, or breathed. The stillness brought with it a heavy, almost crushing silence. 

"...All in favor of pretending that never happened?" Naruto asked, voice coming out a bit strangled and wheezy. Sakura and Sasuke both cringed. To him, that was agreement enough.

~~~~~~~

Deciding that Sasuke's increasingly odd behavior was something that Naruto never wanted to think about ever again in his entire life, Naruto did what anyone in his position would and ran off to go burden Shikamaru and Lee with all his problems, as he so loved to do.

They've bonded, okay? Bro-code officially states that there's no TMI, and thus any of them can complain about anything they want. There are no secrets within the bro-code... though, Naruto is sort of beginning to regret that agreement now. Just a little bit.

It's not that Naruto doesn't care about the feelings and issues of his best friends. Of course he cares. Naruto would die for either of them in an actual heartbeat if he thought it would increase their chances of living even just a little bit in a dire situation. They've accepted him, flaws and all, and Naruto values the friendship he's forged with them above most anything else.

They've been through too much together for Naruto not to rally with them on anything and everything. This is just... a little... well, he's not exactly sure how to put it. He's actually not sure what he's supposed to do at all.

Naruto has heard his dad talk and he understand that there are certain conspiracies within Konoha, and especially within the bigger, older clans. The Nara have a super secret bunker underneath the village that they're not planning on sharing with anyone else. Shikamaru definitely wasn't supposed to share its existence with either of them, but here they are.

The Hyuga clan has always been super close-knit, hiding behind the high walls of their compound and hoarding their clan secrets close. After that time where Hinata almost got kidnapped when she was three-- that was a whole incident, Naruto remembers it vividly-- they became even more closed off than before, strict in the managing of their members.

Naruto's dad had been complaining of it lately, worrying that they were hiding something potentially detrimental to the lower members of the Hyuga clan or to the village as a whole. Naruto had sort of suspected the same, but he never saw this coming. Not in a million years.

Naruto only knows Neji by association with Lee and Gai. Being Lee's teammate for over a year, he and Naruto have had their fair share of run ins and they've even had meals together, Naruto crashing in on their team lunches with Kashi and/or Shikamaru in tow. 

Still, Naruto hadn't expected something like this. Something so morally questionable and just wrong. It changed his entire view on the clan within a few seconds of realizing just what he was looking at. It painted them and everything they did and said in an entirely new light.

Apparently, Lee and Neji had gotten to talking after their argument about Neji's supposed mental illnesses. And apparently, that argument had gone somewhere.

"Is there any point to this?" Neji snapped out, eyes red rimmed and teeth clenched as Naruto observed the cursed seal on his forehead. It was done in green ink, stamped across his forehead like a brand. "I told you they'll kill me if they found out I told outsiders, Lee. What about that sounds like an invitation to spill to your idiot friends?" 

Apparently, all Hyuga aside from the main branch were marked with seals that would destroy their kekkei genkai upon their death to prevent it from being stolen or studied. Which seemed reasonable until you realized it could also be used by the main branch to control anyone who had it, to cause extreme pain and basically force anyone who had one to do whatever they wanted.

It was, in so many words, absolutely fucking terrible. Naruto was no seal expert, but his parents were and they'd been steadily passing it on to him over the years. It's a part of Naruto's heritage, practically his birthright. It's no surprise Lee brought this to him.

That doesn't make it any less of a clusterfuck, though. Naruto can't tell his parents because Neji will die if they interfere, and none of them want to risk that. If Naruto is reading this thing right, it could melt Neji's eyes right out of his skull and slowly kill his brain cells. An excruciating death.

"Aside from his parents, nobody in the village knows seals like Naruto does." Shikamaru sounded drawl, though the disturbed look on his face spoke to his unease. "What's the verdict? Can you get it off?" 

Neji flinched at the question, looking rattled by the mere notion of freedom. Naruto took a deep breath to keep his eyes from flashing red in his anger. This was... it was despicable. It was simply despicable.

There was no reason to be tagging their clan members like cattle. The Uchiha had a very much stealable eye dojutsu and they didn't do it. It was no wonder the Hyuga clans secrets never got out, and no wonder they were all so fucking stringent with themselves. Their lives were on the line if they slipped up.

"I don't know. Not right now, and not without a lot of research." Naruto admitted, scowling. "It's single layered on the outside, but there's chakra runes etched under the ink, and twisting spirals joints here on each of these ends. The X complicates things too-- it's a mark that's intended to be permanent as far as seals go. Most seals are built with some kind of failsafe, but this one was made without one in mind. It was never meant to come off."

Lee, whose eyes are also red-rimmed, sniffles a bit. He'd been wobbly when Naruto first found him. Naruto had been fully intent on asking him if he wanted to get celebratory ramen with him at the time. One look at his face had had Naruto asking if he was okay instead, and the question had tipped Lee over the edge and into full blown tears.

Naruto had run recon on Shikamaru at this point. If he was going into the deep end, the Nara was going with him.

They'd never seen Lee so upset before. He looked utterly crushed, quiet in a way Lee simply wasn't supposed to be. His entire body seemed to slouch, his eyes occasionally trailing back up to his teammate's forehead. To know his life was hanging in someone else's hands, that it could be ended at any time--

It was like Neji had a bomb strapped to his forehead. And if he made the wrong move, said the wrong thing, talked to the wrong person... that was it.

"I never--" Neji shook his head sharply, sending a venomous glare Lee's way. "Just forget what you heard here today. I never should've mentioned it. I don't know why I did. I knew it wouldn't be able to come off, I just..."

"I didn't say I couldn't at all. Believe it." Naruto frowned, reaching up to brush his hands and chakra against it. Neji looked about ready to bite him for daring. "Man, this is super fucked up. You know this is super fucked up, right?"

A life of servitude to the main house. There could be no freedom with that seal on his forehead. It was no wonder Neji was always going on about destiny.

"Pretty sure it's somewhat of a war crime, actually. Certainly goes against Konoha's greater principles." Shikamaru agreed, grimacing. His eyes slid to Naruto. "What're we gonna do about this?" 

Great, this had been adopted as their problem now, hadn't it? Whatever. Sure. Super secret clan dirt that nobody else could ever find out about, because there'd be a hit put out on Neji if they did. Even if they did get it off, the political uproar was going to be absolutely insane. They'd want Naruto's head on a pike if he actually did it.

(And he would do it. Naruto's made up his mind, and there's no going back once that happens.)

His dad would be their fastest bet. But Naruto's dad also had a duty to the village, and Naruto didn't want to put him in that kind of position if he didn't have to. He didn't want to do that to his mom, either, because he knew it would kill her to hide anything from his dad. They practically shared a brain, they were so in-tune.

This was going to be on them. Lee was upset, and if Lee was upset? Fuck it. Naruto's been sort of slacking on his sealing lately, but he's about to master it if it's the last thing he does.

"You aren't going to do anything." Neji hissed out venomously, yanking himself away from Naruto. He swiped up his headband, hands trembling as he brought it back up to his forehead, fumbling to tie it. "We aren't teammates, and we certainly aren't friends. This is none of your business. Lee never should've involved you--"

Lee reached out lightning fast, grabbing his teammate's wrist before he could fully stand. Naruto and Shikamaru both winced, shrinking back against one another at the look on his face. Typically, Lee's name and the word "intimidating" didn't belong in the same sentence, but sometimes exceptions can be made.

Like right now. Lee being even moderately terrifying seems like a joke, but that's only because he's so hard to piss off. He's the least sensitive guy there is in terms of temper. Making him genuinely upset is like seeing a unicorn in the wild. 

Here, his glare is sharp. The darkness of his eyes make them look bottomless, inky pools of swirling rage. There's a certain coldness to him that apparently takes Neji off guard, because he stops moving too. He blinks down at Lee like he's seeing him for the first time, mouth slightly agape.

"Neji." Lee's voice is like ice. "Sit down."

Neji sits back down. Naruto laments to himself that he never did get that celebratory ramen.

~~~~~~~~ 

"So, to tally," Kurama's tails swished lazily behind him. "You became an official ninja, that damned Uchiha brat actually apologized to you for once in pathetic his life, and you've decided to become a seal master to crack open the petty conspiracy of one of your sorry village's larger clans."

"Specifically, I need to be a master in cursed seals. But yeah, believe it." Naruto nodded avidly. "The Hyuga are super fucked once I figure this one out. I mean, I get wanting to protect your bloodline and dissuade people from killing your family just to get to your kekkei genkai I get, but seriously? Melting people's brains if they get out of line? That's fucked."

Kurama had technically been there anyway, so talking to him about it was fine. If anyone would have insight, it would be him. He'd been sealed in two seal masters before Naruto, which boded well for his future success in his chosen endeavor. Neji's cursed seal would be off in no time at all.

Kashi couldn't know, though. He'd tell their parents and that would pretty much uproot the entire thing, so Naruto couldn't risk it. He'd already established that his mom and dad couldn't be aware, and telling Ayumu wasn't worth the risk either. This needed to stay tight knit, and Naruto knew how to keep a secret if he needed to.

He just kept thinking about how defeated Neji looked. The way he'd seemed to shrink down in on himself, like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. That seal on his forehead meant his life would never be his own. Any dreams he had, he couldn't chase. If he wanted to leave the village, he couldn't.

He couldn't marry anyone they didn't approve of. He couldn't go anywhere they didn't say he could go. Neji couldn't do a damned thing without the permission of the ones actively puppeteering him. A mistake would mean excruciating pain, and if anyone found out he'd told...

Needless to say, Shikamaru and Lee were better at keeping secrets than they looked too. 

Naruto was glad Lee had trusted them with this. Though he had to agree with Shikamaru's assessment that this was going to be troublesome, it would be rewarding at the same time. Neji needed help, and he was a friend too in a way, even if he denied it.

(Naruto would do anything to help his friends. Lee had come to them because he knew they'd help, and help was exactly what they were going to give.)

Shikamaru would find out what he could about the seal did physically, because that would help break it down. It probably wouldn't be much, but his father was jonin commander and thus had a lot of files. Maybe details of those files wouldn't stand out to someone who didn't know, but Shikamaru would be able to pick up on patterns nobody else would in the autopsies of deceased Hyuga branch members.

Naruto's job was to focus on sealing. He'd already pillaged what books he could from his dad's office and the bookshelf in the living room, systematically sorting them into piles of importance. He'd have to study within the confines of his own room. If anyone saw him reading them out in public and associating with Neji, lines could be drawn, and Neji could... 

The risk wasn't worth it. Naruto would have to pour himself into it in his free time, alone. Lee and Neji were counting on him, after all. 

There was something strange about really, truly poring over the sealing books. Naruto had always been interested in seals. His parents had showed him the basics and walked him through the different forms, giving him the bare bones foundation he needed to build on. He knew what the parts were and what they meant, he just hadn't really learned how to put them together or take them apart.

He could recognize and identify. That was the first step for any seal master. Naruto had never taken initiative to study himself before now, however. It felt... odd. Not in the fact that it was actually interesting enough to hold attention, but because something about it just felt inevitable.

It felt like it was always going to happen. Something in him settled. That weird feeling that had been lingering around him as of late wrapped up and through him, and breathing felt easier. Naruto had no idea what it meant, or why the smell of the ocean kept brushing past him when there was no salty waves to be found anywhere near the Leaf.

"Your life is a fucking nightmare." Kurama grumbled not for the first time. 

"It is, isn't it?" Naruto paused in his weaving of a new flower crown, beaming. Kurama looked vaguely repelled. "Now, tell me what you know about cursed seals!" 

Kurama's sigh was full of annoyance, but he complied anyway. Naruto pretended not to notice the way the fox's eyes softened fondly as he did.

Chapter Text

Third person pov

Do you know how hard it is to read?

Naruto has no idea how people do it! And for fun, no less. The concept of willingly doing this for any other reason than absolute necessity is positively mind boggling. There's just no way people wake up and decide this is what they're going to do with their time.

Naruto's never been all that good at focusing on any one thing for any period of time. He can be dedicated, can work towards a goal and not give up on it, but his attention is erratic at best. He jumps from thing to thing like a lively frog jumps from lily pad to lily pad, only stopping briefly to bask in the sun before he's moving again.

There's no real narrative in seals. Maybe they tell a story all on their own-- maybe they can make a story when put together-- but the separated parts are little more than chunks of information he needs to memorize. Hours spent squinting at blocks of text, trying to parse out what it's saying and what it means.

Kurama is the biggest help he has in the moments he spends curled up in his bedroom in the evenings, hunched over his dad's annotated texts and making a futile attempt to absorb it all. Kurama can glance it over through Naruto's eyes and re-explain it in a way that he understands. Naruto's pretty sure that fact alone is the only reason he makes any progress at all.

It's, in so many words, total ass trying to figure out what the hell is even happening. The vague foundation in sealing his parents had given Naruto definitely gives him a leg up, but that hardly matters in the face of his overall struggling. Everything he's picked up through osmosis feels obsolete. 

"Okay." Naruto massaged his temples. He felt like he was hardly sleeping these days between training, studying, and dodging all the wary elders trying to prod him more about Kurama's seal. "Let me get this straight. The centerpiece of Neji's seal isn't an X form seal, it's actually a linear bolt construct crossed over with a modified confinement strait that's been literally branded onto his fucking forehead?" 

Naruto... has no real idea what he just said. God, what is he turning into? Had those words all just come out of his mouth?

"Yes." Kurama responded drily, sounding about as unamused as Naruto felt. "That's exactly what that is. Keyed through the blood and chakra of the main house, and involving a spiritual facet on confinement and a physical facet on the bolt."

Naruto stared down at the notes he'd been taking, utterly unimpressed. Cursed seals were controllable-- they'd known that. But to have one this complicated and layered... where the hell had they even gotten work like this? 

The invisible eight-pronged ring seal securing its permanency was so deeply entangled with the waterfall-style, dormant five element seal that would blow Neji's eyes up upon his death that Naruto had no idea if taking it off without blinding him in the process was even possible. The entire thing was heinous, meant to enslave and control in all the worst ways.

Without being to see the invisible layers of the seal, there was simply no way for him to find out more. It was driving him insane. Agitating it with chakra to show itself could kill Neji if he wasn't careful, but simple observation wasn't going to cut it. Cursed seals were the kind that twisted their way in and poisoned. And if he didn't know exactly what kind of poison, there'd be no combatting it.

"Cool. Cool, cool, cool." Naruto muttered to himself breathlessly, despite the fact that this was as far from cool as they could possibly fucking get. "And do we have any idea how to get either of those two things off?" 

"Separately, perhaps, though the processes for each are tedious and riddled with risks." Kurama's tails swished lazily. He wasn't near as invested in this as Naruto was, that's for sure. "Crossed over? I doubt such a thing has ever been done."

Naruto's nose scrunched up so hard it hurt. He hummed to himself in a way that was deeply pained and full of hysteria, his fingers drumming on the edge of the book he was reading. Said book was old as shit and full of archaic language which also didn't help at all. Who knows how out of date it was.

Cursed seals were ass. This was all ass. He should've said no when Lee asked for help. Being a good friend? What's that? Naruto has no idea! Sometimes cutting ties is worth it just to get some actual sleep and peace for once in your life. 

Ugh. Ugh. No, he doesn't actually mean that and he knows it. He's just exhausted, sort of (read: most definitely) doesn't want to be doing this, and is heavily questioning whether or not he's even smart enough to pull this one off. All signs so far are pointing to no, even with Kurama's casual, uninvested guidance.

Logically, there is only one conclusion Naruto can draw.

"We're fucked." He decides firmly, nodding to himself. From his place snoring atop Naruto's bed, Bull snorts, almost as though he's subconsciously agreeing in his sleep. "We're fucked and Neji is going to live the rest of his life as a prisoner by his own blood. Or we're going to accidentally detonate his eyes trying to free him from it." 

Kurama pauses, clearly thinking. Naruto carefully bookmarks his page, closing it as gently as he can muster. Resisting the urge to throw it out the nearest window and shoot a flaming projectile after it to finish the job is one of the hardest things he's ever done in his entire life.

Instead, he sets it on the ground and nudges it under his bed with his foot, where all the rest of his pilfered information on seals goes, including several semi-detailed diagrams on Neji's seal. He wonders if Suna has any cool and useful and super duper easy sealing books that will magically carry him through his travesty.

Considering the state of Gaara's seal when they first met, probably not. Naruto will write a letter to his redheaded friend anyway, just to keep hope alive.

"...There may be more resources. More information on cursed seals." Kurama says after a beat of Naruto desolately squinting at his ceiling, flopped back onto his bed in defeat. The blond shoots into a sitting position at his words. "They will not be easy to obtain, should they still exist at all."

What about any of this is easy? The fact that Kurama isn't automatically agreeing that this is a lost cause means that there's an actual chance. Like, a real one. To fix stuff. Like he already said he would-- it would be super embarrassing to back out now. He's already in it.

"Okay? So?" Naruto impatiently flopped back down, closing his eyes and willing himself to fall asleep faster just so he could face Kurama head on. "I'm literally open to anything at this point. Except maybe math. Which I know is like, a key part of seals, but I'm super desperate. Believe it."

Kurama is once again uncharacteristically quiet for a moment, contemplative. There's a strange wariness in him that Naruto can feel building like pressure in a can ready to pop. Naruto feels oddly tense waiting for him to speak, holding his breath. 

Anything that has a being like Kurama hesitating is something to be inherently wary of. Naruto has learned this well over the past few years and he'd be an idiot to ignore it now. He pretends idly that his heart isn't thundering, even though they both know it is. Kurama doesn't mention it-- who knows. Maybe his heart is thundering as well.

"Your mother has told you tales of Uzushiogakure. Her homeland, and yours by extension." Kurama started off, sounding like he was picking his words very cautiously. "She has shared her stories, but what of its nature do you actually know?"

Naruto knew that the answer to that question should be not much at all. That his mom's grief was too strong for her to go into any depth. That really, she'd only shared a few childhood stories and a brief overview of their culture and what it meant to be a member of one of Uzu's clans. 

A wistful note of the land being sacred and lost since their fall. A simmering anger at those who'd done it. A regretful whisper of all the things Naruto had never got to see. Really, Naruto did not know Uzu at all.

So why did he, laying here in the darkness of his room, feel so distinctly that he did?

~~~~~~~~~ 

D-rank missions are... something. 

Honestly? Nobody wants to hire Naruto. Literally everyone knows exactly who he is, and not a single person wants him working for them in any capacity. And worse-- because he's the Hokage's son, they can't even outright deny him.

It makes for a lot of glaring, tension, and awkward shuffling. Anyone who gets saddled with Team 7 seems to viscerally cringe, shying away from Naruto like he's going to lash out and kill them where they stand.

In their defense, Kurama is tempted. Like he totally wouldn't, but he does think about it. Naruto can feel the way his irritation rises like a wave in him, a sharp anger that's separate from his own exasperation and resignation over the whole thing. Kurama is just as done with this shit as Naruto is.

"Wow. They really hate you." Sakura marvels a bit as the old lady they'd been assigned the mission of came out to bite Naruto's head off about pulling the weeds out wrong. Again. "Is there even a wrong way to weed a garden? You're doing better than I am."

From his place looming behind them, Kakashi twitched slightly. Naruto wondered if this woman was going to also find herself with a ticket for something menial that came out of seemingly nowhere at all, as pretty much every single one of their past mission givers had. 

"They don't hate him. They hate the thing in him." Sasuke scoffed in correction. Naruto inhaled sharply and willed himself to know peace. Peace. He can be peaceful. He will not attack his teammates.

Standing up instead of lashing out and obliterating Sasuke where he stood, Naruto brushed the dirt off his pants as best he could, grimacing as he did so. The texture of the dirt on his hands was gritty and uncomfortable, and the smell of it pierced his sensitive nose. Maybe Kashi was onto something with that mask of his.

"Kurama is not a thing." Well. He sorta was. But because it's Sasuke saying it, Naruto's choosing to take offense. "And besides, it's not like they see us as any different anyway. Kurama and I may as well be the same entity in their eyes." 

It was the sorry truth of it. Naruto and the Nine Tailed Fox had always been an overlapping image in the eyes of the public. Naruto born the night Kurama was "defeated". Him being a jinchuuriki was the worst best kept secret in the village.

Kakashi's hand landed on his shoulder firmly, squeezing in reassurance. Naruto wasn't really upset-- he was too used to it to be. Just a little bitter, perhaps. It was disgruntling to try and try and never have it to amount to anything because everyone's impression of you was already set in stone.

Sakura looked away awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable. Sasuke just grunted, because he's Sasuke and that's one of the mere five things he knows how to do. Naruto ignored the looks they shot him, instead forcing himself to let out a breath. He let the tension drop out of him, his shoulders slouching.

"You're more tired than usual." Kurama observed from within him, and Naruto could hear the frown in his voice. "You're not sleeping enough."

Naruto wasn't. They both knew why.

The research on seals was beginning to consume him just a little. Between the exhaustive training they were going through as new genin and the missions they ran day in and day out all across the village, it left him with very little free time to fully explore all the facets of seal making he needed to. 

Naruto was going to have to delve deep to learn how to crack this thing. And now that he was in it, there was no backing out. Even if he lost sleep over it, it felt like it'd be worth it in the end. With Kurama in him, Naruto had more zeal, more energy than regular people did. He could go for longer on less.

Eventually, though, it was bound to catch up with him. He could already feel himself becoming more irritated in general. Maybe tonight he'd take a break. Though he hadn't disclosed his seal research to Ayumu, the man still stressed the importance of moderation in relation to other subjects-- no doubt it would apply to this too.

"You and Kurama are completely separate, Naruto. And I'm sure the village will see that soon." Kakashi's words sort of sounded threatening, actually. "In the meantime, let's finish up here and see if we can't find a mission that doesn't..."

"Suck ass?" Naruto tried. Kurama snorted. Kakashi offered a closed-eye smile.

"I was going to say that doesn't discriminate based on things they know nothing about, but sure." He chirped out, giving Naruto another clap on the shoulder before pulling away. "Sucks ass works too!" 

Sakura's affronted squeak at their language was drowned out almost entirely by the shrewd gasp of the woman who'd hired them. Naruto ducked his head to hide his grin, tuning her sputtering about language and propriety out and instead crouching back down in front of the garden beds. 

Wind rustled past him, through his hair and across his skin. Naruto thought it smelt of salt.

~~~~~~~~~ 

Naruto watches as his dad drums his fingers on his desk, his brows drawn in as he looks at the immaculate mission report Kakashi had filled out and delivered directly into his hands rather than to the chunin manning the desk downstairs. No doubt it documented every grievance the woman had taken out against Naruto, even the mildest ones.

There was a strange itch under Naruto's skin that he couldn't place. Naruto had no idea what the hell it was, or why it seemed to be getting progressively worse. Trying to mutter his questions to Kurama brought no answers. If Naruto was feeling something unusual, Kurama sure wasn't.

Next to Naruto, Sakura was curiously eyeing all the pictures on the walls. This was the first time they'd actually come up to the Hokage's office, and clearly she wasn't expecting to see Naruto's face plastered across every surface. Naruto was too numb to it to bother feeling embarrassed.

It was nice, in a way. He didn't personally care if every man, woman, and child who passed through the doors of this office saw Naruto's face plastered across every available vertical surface. It was... nice. Nice that his dad loved him enough to want to see him even when he wasn't around.

"...I see." Minato said after a long, long moment. His voice was tight and his blue eyes narrowed, the smile on his face fixed. "Excellent work completing your mission as always, Team 7. I'm proud of you. And thank you for delivering this directly to me this time, Kakashi."

His professionalism is shaky at best, his growing anger obvious in the way his teeth grind and his hands curl into fists. Naruto just hopes he doesn't go out and uproot anymore trees later. He's wrecked the same woman's garden a solid fourteen times over the past six years, and that's even with her having moved its location twice. 

"Of course, Hokage-sama. We strive to do our best. And so far, we have. No other team of genin have completed the sheer number of D-ranks that we have." Kakashi hedged. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke all froze, seeming to hold their breath simultaneously. They knew what this was. "I was hoping you may have something a little more... serious. For us. I believe they're ready, ne?"

Naruto could immediately see the way his dad froze at the careful prodding. Naruto shared a wide-eyed look with Sakura and Sasuke both, all of them tense, shoulders hunched waiting for the verdict. A shocking show of solidarity between them, Naruto knows.

This wasn't the first time they'd tried for a C-rank mission. They had an unprecedented success rate with D-ranks, often flying through several a day. Sasuke and Naruto were both several steps up from the other graduates of the academy, trained in ways most weren't, and Sakura was rapidly gaining ground in terms of catching up.

It wasn't that they weren't ready. They were beyond ready, teetering right on the marker for their first C-rank. It was a milestone most genin teams hit around this time, and that was typical even without two of the members being ahead of the curve. No, their preparedness wasn't the issue.

Naruto's dad was. And honestly? Naruto... can't blame him.

Naruto's track record with trips out of the village isn't good. Like, there's never been a single instance in which he has stepped foot outside these walls and not had something happen. If Naruto is out of the village, there will be an incident. The statistic is impossible to deny. Naruto's long since resigned himself to his cursed fate.

His dad, however, is not so resigned. If Naruto decided to turn in his headband today and take up being a ramen chef instead, he'd probably cry tears of relieved joy. These days, any excuse he could make to keep Naruto from going out of the village was one he'd hold onto with an iron grip.

Unfortunately, he was steadily starting to run out of reasons not to let Naruto go out. It would have to happen eventually. Yeah, the likelihood of it going to shit was 105%, but that's life. Naruto's a ninja and besides, it's not like he's ever died before or anything.

"Well--" Kurama started to say. Naruto tuned him out fiercely. 

The silence in the room was stifling. Kashi's closed-eye smile remained unwavering, and Naruto could see the cogs in his dad's brain turning rapidly, obviously searching for some sort of excuse. Naruto checked his imaginary watch, wondering if he'd get in trouble if he curled up in the corner and took a quick nap.

"...Right. I... agree... with you." The words sounded like they'd been torn from his dad at kunai point. Naruto winced at the look on his dad's face. He looked on the verge of a mental breakdown. "I'm sure we have something a little more... complicated--"

"We want a C-rank." Kashi chirped out relentlessly. Naruto's dad stared blankly as he swept forward, swiping a file off his desk idly as he did so. He let it flutter open in his hand, humming. "Ah! Would you look at this! It's perfect!" 

The noise his dad made was that akin to a dying cat. And when Kashi reached over, grabbed the official Hokage seal and stamped it himself, those noises increased tenfold. Immediately, his dad was over the desk reaching for the file.

"NO!" Naruto's dad shrieked. Kakashi threw himself backwards and out of reach. "That's in the wave! You'll be gone months! Let me--"

Naruto wondered if he should say anything. Probably not. All the other times he'd tried concerning C-rank missions, he'd just made things worse. No need to lose them this opportunity. He's sure he'll hear all about it tonight at dinner anyway.

Though admittedly-- the prospect of being away from home for literal months was fairly daunting considering all it took normally was a single day for him to get himself in deep shit anytime he did leave. He wasn't sure how he felt about that one. Mildly disconcerted. Or maybe majorly disconcerted? 

Yeah, it's hard to say. Naruto's just going to make the executive decision now to accept the very real possibility that he may not survive this. He will stand here in silence and accept whatever fate befalls him without complaint. Kumbaya, or whatever.

"A simple escort mission! What a wonderful start for Team 7!" Kakashi beamed. "I'm assuming the client is waiting downstairs? We'll see ourselves out!" 

Kashi dodges another swipe for the file and throws the door open, practically skipping out of it. Naruto winces a little as his dad flounders at the space his former student once stood, looking like a confused deer with no idea what direction to go, head swiveling back and forth between the door, his desk, and Naruto like he can't quite believe what happened. 

Naruto wants to feel pity, but he can't quite bring himself to. Is Kurama's semi-heartless nature rubbing off on him, or has this just been a long time coming and it needed to happen? Naruto's not levelled up enough socially to actually know, so if anyone figures it out, let him know.

Nobody moves. Naruto sort of wants to make for the door and he's pretty sure Sakura's thinking something along the same lines based on the awkward shuffling she's doing in the vague direction of the exit. His dad looks like he's just lost everything, a desolate expression on his face that speaks to future appointments to be made with Ayumu.

"...Did we just get our first C-rank?" Sasuke mutters into the still silence of the office. 

Immediately, Naruto's dad bursts into tears. It's answer enough.

~~~~~~~ 

Their client's name is Tazuna. He's old, he's drunk, and the first thing he does when he sees them is scoff and ask if they're actually qualified to protect him. 

Naruto wishes he could confidently say they were, but he's a certified trouble magnet. If someone's going to go out of their way to kill someone, it's going to happen whilst Naruto's around. They may've just damned the guy, but whatever. That's a future Naruto problem. Right now, he's more focused on where they're going to be going.

The Land of Waves is an island that borders the Land of Fire's coast so closely that they're going to build a massive bridge to connect to two. As it stands now, the only way to cross is by boat, and that's inconvenient for trade and travel if you don't own a boat or have no idea what you're doing when the waters start to get choppy. 

The channel that separates the two lands tends to have particularly bipolar conditions thanks to the cold water that comes in on one end and the warm that comes in on the other, their currents conflicting. The Land of Waves is longer than it is wide, stretching across one side of the Land of Fire in the form of a continental archipelago. 

It's supposed to be a beautiful place, if not excessively prone to fog and high humidity. The weather's starting to cool enough that Naruto's hoping it'll be a pleasant few months, with dewy mornings and plenty of time to train without overheating as Tazuna works to complete the bridge. They're already part of the way done, but stolen supplies and a few petty thugs had apparently driven them to seek a little extra protection.

Personally, Naruto finds that part a little suspicious. But that's also not what he's focused on, either.

That same feeling from before vibrates under his skin, less of an itch now and more of an incessant tugging in all directions, like something was trying to pull him apart. It doesn't hurt-- isn't even irritating, really. It's just ceaseless, like the world is trying to tell him something without using words.

The wind rattles outside. Clouds form overhead and rain patters down hard on the roof, a symphony he can't help but listen to. The weather howls, but it does not feel angry like one would expect a storm to be. It feels victorious. Hopeful.

The Land of Waves isn't the only island off the Land of Fire's coast.

Not far from the very island Naruto will be going to, he knows, is Uzu. It feels a little bit like fate when he realizes, tracing his mother's finger on the map as she excitedly jabbers over his first mission, pride bursting from her pores. His eyes lock onto the red whirlpool symbol set square between their elemental nation, the Cloud and the Mist. 

His mom had told him once that the waters there had always been unforgiving, but that since the fall of Uzu, they were unable to be sailed at all. That the ocean raged, unwilling to let anyone near the lost island it once cherished. Warm water from the Fire, cold from the Mist, and wind currents from the Cloud. The area was rife with cyclones and waves that towered high enough to swallow a warship. 

Uzu was lost. They say it sank. Naruto feels a tug in his gut and wonders how true that actually is. If Kurama thinks they could find the information they need there, then he guesses there's only one way to find out.

"I don't see why you're so upset, Minato. This is great! His first mission-- our baby's growing up so fast, and I couldn't be prouder." Kushina chirped out happily, a grin on her face. Naruto snapped his gaze away from the map, blinking rapidly. "Though leaving tomorrow is a little soon..."

"He's going to be gone months, Kushina. Out of the village." Naruto's dad was on the floor, face down on the carpet. He'd just finished crying about thirteen minutes ago, give or take. "Not hours, not days, not even weeks. An undetermined amount of months. And we won't get to see him!" 

His head popped up off the carpet, red rimmed eyes wide and insistent. Naruto felt another swell of doubt rise in him, looking at his dad. They'd been apart before, since his coming back six years ago, but not... not like this. Not for this long. 

Naruto would have Kashi, and that was something. He'd have his teammates, which... probably counted for something? He's going to say it does because he's pretty sure he's still supposed to be channeling the essence of friendship and teamwork through his veins, and Kashi will probably be able to smell it if he isn't.

Naruto glanced at his mom and did a doubletake when he saw the conflicted expression on her face. Fuck. No, okay, he does have to go on the mission. How's he ever going to find Kurama's siblings and achieve world peace if he holds the hands of his parents and never lets go? They'll be here when he gets back. He's certain of it.

"I'll be fine. Believe it!" Naruto gave a thumbs up, portraying confidence he didn't feel out in a beaming grin. "Besides, I've got Kurama on my side and he'll totally eat anyone or anything that tries to get us. This mission is practically already in the bag, it's so easy! We're totally gonna kill it."

His dad sniffles, eyes growing misty again. Naruto almost thinks he must've said something wrong just now before he realizes that anything he did or said would probably be met with tears no matter how encouraging he was.

"More like get killed, with your luck." Kurama grumbles out, but there's something underlaying his tone that makes Naruto perk at attention. "I see you're looking at routes to Uzu. You'd be abandoning your mission if you did that."

Uh. Excuse him?

What was he even talking about? Naruto wasn't going to abandon a mission. He'd sooner die than abandon a mission, in fact! He was a loyal Konoha shinobi, dedicated to his village, to his home. He was beyond excited to get out there and actually face the world, to climb the ranks and make everyone proud. 

He was going to show them he was a ninja to count on. He was going to bring on an age of world peace if it was the last thing he did, he was going to make sure Kurama had his family, he was going to pry that cursed seal off Neji's head, and everything was going to be awesome. 

Being a shinobi has been a part of his dream since like, forever. It's practically ingrained in his very identity at this point. Naruto may be knuckleheaded, but he's not a deserter, that's for sure. He knows the Will of Fire and what it means, and he does his best to carry it on like an Olympian torch.

Now. If he accidentally got lost and accidentally fell into a boat and that boat accidentally sailed off in the right direction...

"You're a fucking menace." The remark should've been scathing, but instead it just came out tired. "Why'd I even bring it up? Of course you don't give a shit. Your sorry excuse for a father is the leader of the village. Of course you won't face consequences."

Naruto grinned. He had some bags to pack.

~~~~~~~~

Minato's actually going to drop dead on the fucking floor.

No. No, no, no, this cannot be happening to him right now. This is not how this was supposed to go. None of this was according to plan! Not that there'd been a plan to begin with, but if there had been, he'd like to go on the record and say that it wouldn't be anything like this. Thank you.

Pretty much everyone with the bare minimum of one eye and half a brain knows that Minato lives and breathes fatherhood. His son is the sun he orbits around. He loves him like he's loved nothing else, down to his bones and the marrow in them. He would do anything for him.

And Minato-- understood. He understood that his going out of the village was an inevitability. He trusts Naruto for how capable, strong, and clever he is. He trusts Kurama, who has so far not eaten him or mentally damaged him... anymore than he already is. 

Probably. Hopefully. That's not really the part he's worried about right now.

It's just that Naruto is... accident prone. Or maybe accident prone isn't the right term. It's more along the vague line of everything ever in the entire world deciding it wants to kill him the moment he steps foot outside the village, almost as though Konoha's walls are dampening the effects.

Minato cannot lose his son. Point blank, he will lose his mind and actually go on some sort of heinous rampage that will probably end not so great. He acknowledges this, and that it's probably not healthy, but you know what? Being dead for six years while your son gets traumatized and neglected isn't very healthy either. So. There.

He gets that over half a decade has passed, and things have developed, and that's great. Minato just... 

Naruto always has something happen to him when he goes outside the village. A kidnapping, or a nearly severed foot, or his heart stopping, or him randomly being in the fucking woods and almost dying in the process of saving the Uchiha clan's heir.

It was always something. Minato knew Naruto would be going out eventually, but he'd been waiting, anxiously skimming through C-rank after C-rank trying to find one that wouldn't take them far and wouldn't keep them long. Something short and nearby, so that when something inevitably went wrong, they were close enough to receive aid.

Minato knew it wouldn't be a sustainable thing to do long term, but this was Naruto's first time going out there as a shinobi. Minato wanted-- needed-- him safe. Near. He'd been kidnapped one too many times for him not to have PTSD over it.

Now, he was going to be gone for months. Literal months. For as long as it took for them to get to The Wave, for the bridge to be finished, and for them to get back. That's how long his son would be away from him, communicating through nothing but the weekly mission reports and updates of status. Maybe a convoluted message or two sent through Pakkun.

He'd be miles and miles and miles away. And Minato knows he's bigger now, but sometimes he looks at him and he still sees that six year old boy he stumbled across in the street, looking worn down by life. Sometimes he sees the boy who looked up at him with wonder and surprise, shocked to find out he was actually loved.

It's hard to let that go. Minato didn't-- he didn't get thirteen years with his son, watching him grow and change. He's only gotten six so far. From a baby to a boy in the blink of an eye, and then onwards. Maybe his perception was skewed because of it. 

Though, he had to admit it was sort of justified. Naruto was in mortal peril more often than he wasn't half the time.

"Is... he okay?" Sakura was one of his son's teammates, a headstrong girl with bubblegum pink hair. According to Naruto's recollections of his day at dinner, she was getting progressively more tolerable and not nearly as mean. 

"He'll be fine!" Naruto chirped from his place holding Minato up, because his legs had given out and he was, again, about to drop dead right here, right now.

Naruto is bright and sunny as always, teeming with excitement for his upcoming mission even as Minato flops into him and hugs him close. He seems content to hug back for the time being, the backpack on his back bulging with supplies that will last him the months he'll be away.

He won't be at breakfast, or lunch, or dinner. He won't crash into Minato's office unannounced. He won't get into trouble with Shikamaru and Lee, and he won't set anything on fire. He won't ask him about seals endlessly, or ask about his day at work, or see if he wants to go out to eat, because they don't spend enough time together these days, as he says.

"I wanna die." Minato announced, voice a croak. Tazuna was looking more concerned by the second. If this was what Konoha's Hokage was like, what did he have to look forward to with his protection? "My baby. My baby is leaving."

Naruto patted him on the head gently, because Naruto's an angel who can do no wrong. Minato sniffled loudly.

"We'll be back before you know it, Sensei. You'll hardly even notice we're gone." Kakashi chirped out with so much enthusiasm that it just had to be fake. "I'll be keeping a close eye on him. We'll bond. Train. Spend a lot of quality time together. Don't worry, I'll take pictures of the many milestones he's sure to hit."

If Minato didn't know any better, he'd say Kakashi sounded almost smug. He squinted at his former student, contemplating the pros and cons of strangling him. Naruto's mission would probably be cancelled if he did that, so the idea did have merit.

Ayumu, who'd come along to see Naruto off and definitely not to play emotional support counselor, sighed heavily, almost as though he could tell what Minato was thinking. Minato let out a noise of discontent when the Yamanaka's hand landed on his shoulder, gently tugging at him. 

He tightened his grip on Naruto, wondering if he could call in a vacation and just go along. Maybe it was time to turn in the hat. Sure, they'd been making plans to unite Konoha together again and bring it out of its state of mild disarray, but surely someone else was perfectly capable of doing that if they just gave them their loose step-by-step instructions.

"You've got to let him go." Kushina prodded, though she looked a little misty-eyed as well. "He's going to be fine, Minato. Kakashi will watch him. He'll write to us, ya know?" 

"Believe it." Naruto reassured, foot lashing out to catch Sasuke in the shin when the Uchiha rolled his eyes. His teammate leapt back with a hiss. Naruto didn't bat an eye, pulling away from Minato to grin up at him instead. "Nothing will go wrong this time! And now that Kurama's out and free to do whatever he wants, I'll be practically indestructible!" 

Kakashi nodded widely in over-exaggerated agreement. Behind him, an irritable Tazuna was grumbling about how long they were taking, muttering about Kurama and clearly trying to figure out which one of them that was. If only he knew.

Minato felt his heart break a little as Ayumu finally tugged him back. They'd already talked about Naruto leaving. Not in any official session, more like Minato had shown up at his door sobbing and the man had been too exhausted to keep Minato from barging in and flopping face down on his couch.

Letting Naruto find independence away from them was going to be important. Acknowledging the fact that he'd be leaving and letting him start to make his own life for himself was vital to the health of all of them. Holding on forever wasn't healthy.

It was just... hard. Minato didn't know why he was having such trouble coping, or maybe it really was just rooted in the fact that he was afraid something would happen to his son. Letting him go out there, knowing something was probably going to hurt him, and knowing he wouldn't be there to do something about it--

"Alright." Minato choked out despite himself. He gave a smile, hand coming up to run through Naruto's hair. "But if anything happens, anything at all, you-- you send me a message, okay? However you have to, you send me a message."

Naruto beamed. Kakashi offered a hum.

"We will, but I have a good feeling about this one." Kakashi offered. "I'm sure it'll go perfectly fine."

Chapter Text

Third person pov

"Perfectly fine" was a vast overstatement of how things were going, if you were wondering. 

At first everything seemed fine. Considering they were all sort of expecting a literal bomb to drop from the sky and kill them all the moment Naruto stepped a single foot past the village gates, it was actually a bit of a surprise that it took so long for shit to go sideways. Things were going good! Great, even!  

Did they stay good and great? Obviously not, because why in the world would they do that? Silly of them to want that. Hopes and dreams are a joke in this society. Naruto knows better than to set his expectations so high! It always make the crashing and burning much, much harder.

"What's wrong with you now, Naruto?" Sakura sighs, stopping in her tracks to turn and give him a flat look. He and Kakashi-sensei had been on edge from the moment they hit the road and it was driving her nuts. "What, is there a pebble in your sandal or something? You need to pee? We're on a schedule, you know!"

Sasuke grunted in agreement, and Tazuna slurred something that was probably derogatory enough that it shouldn't be repeated. Naruto hummed absentmindedly, not looking at any of them.  

He was too busy staring at the very large, very obvious puddle sitting in the middle of the road some ten feet or so ahead of them. Super distinct, super uncannily round. Super not supposed to be there.

Kakashi came up to a stop next to him, also staring at it. He looked beyond defeated, his shoulders slouched as he took it in. Already, exhaustion was lining his face-- which was saying something considering he had only one eye exposed. Naruto reached out to pat him on the back, grimacing.

"The beginning of the end. It's all downhill from here." Kurama mused, though he sounded tired too. "There's absolutely something inside that thing. I hope you know that. I'd say two lifeforms, though notably pathetic in chakra capacity."

Naruto does know that. He can literally smell it. When did his nose get so sensitive? Is this a part of his seal being gone? Take him back to his days of ignorance and naivety. Life was much less disappointing back then, believe it.

"No. I'm great. Everything is great. Believe it." Naruto answered belatedly. He looked at the cloudless sky. Then at the dry road. Then at the sky again just to make sure, hoping against hope Kurama and his nose were both wrong. No dice. "...Man. Should we do something about that?"

Kakashi doesn't even get a chance to respond before a chain is exploding out of the fake puddle, two figures darting out right after. Sakura's scream is shrill enough to shatter eardrums.

~~~~~~ 

It's been three hours, thirty-seven minutes and exactly fourteen seconds since Naruto left on his mission. Minato feels nothing anymore. He is numb. His heart and soul have left him. They're now fluttering int he wind, and he fears they will never return. There is no point in living anymore-- in functioning.

Why be Hokage when he just wallow instead? His son is out there somewhere, braving the wild world all by himself... with his teammates, but that doesn't really count, does it? Right. Absolutely.

Naruto could get hurt, or die, or get hungry, or get lonely. Literally any number of things could happen to him out there. Minato will be there to prevent none of them, either! Or take any photos of his successes! He's probably hit so many milestones by now, and he bets Kakashi hasn't documented a single one. 

"...Lord Namikaze?" Shikaku Nara's voice was hesitant. Minato grunted a bit but didn't otherwise respond. "Are you listening?"

Minato shouldn't even be here. Shouldn't even be in these stupid meetings that he finally couldn't put off any longer. Apparently Naruto going on his first mission didn't qualify as a "family emergency". Can you believe it? If this isn't an emergency, what is?

"He's not paying attention." One of the elders snapped out. Minato doesn't know or care which one. "He's too caught up in his childish dramatics to give this village the time it deserves! First he lets his sorry excuse for a legacy put everyone at risk with that monster, now this! He's not fit to lead! We all know it!" 

Shikaku made an alarmed noise in the back of his throat. Everyone in the room seemed to freeze at the elder's-- Homura's-- exclamation. Minato blinked down at the grain of the table, processing the words that had just been spoken at a snail's pace simply due to the fact that they were just that unbelievable.  

Had he... really just said that in Minato's presence? Was he serious? Sorry excuse for a legacy-- he'd definitely said that! In front of Minato!

The tension immediately skyrocketed, the temperature dropping in contrast. Minato could hear the way everyone seemed to hold their breath as he slowly raised his head, eyes narrowed. He rolled the words around in his head a few more times and came to the executive decision that he was super pissed about it, eyes narrowing more.

And look. Look, Minato gets it. Really, he does! He's more dedicated than most fathers. He worries about Naruto to a degree that, according to Ayumu, is 'definitely not healthy, no, really, I'm a professional and I'm telling you that it's not'. 

Minato's annoying. He's dramatic! He is so overwhelmingly dramatic, in fact, that it's probably beyond irritating to everyone surrounding him, his wife included! His entire personality has been built around loving his son and being there for him, and you know what? Minato is fine with that, and he doesn't really give a shit if no one else is. 

Realistically, he knows that Naruto will probably be okay, awful track record of luck aside. He has Kakashi with him and he has Kurama too, and he's resilient. He's not just going to roll over and take whatever hand fate decides to deal him. And that's great. That's dandy.

Minato still going to worry. He's still going to flop over and lament over the fact that he didn't get to go along. He's still going to bite his nails and anxiously await an update from Kakashi, because Naruto has gone missing, almost lost limbs, been poisoned, been taken, been tortured, even once been killed when stepping out of the village. And you know what? Minato is justified in worrying it may happen again, this time without him there to help!

The elders can be annoyed with that. With Minato-- they can disrespect him and call him names all they want if it makes them feel better. But there's a line drawn in the sand that Minato knows everyone can see, and never should it be crossed.

"I understand that you're worried about the allocation of the budgeting for the expansion of our police force in preparation for the upcoming chunin exams, which are crucial to our relations with other villages. I understand that you're stressed about the state of our surveillance and security seals and wish for me to stop my 'childish dramatics' so that I might update them!" Minato pressed his hands together happily, tone deceptively light. Because really, do they think he can't sadly cry and listen at the same time?

"Lord Fourth, wh-what we meant--" Koharu started to say. Minato held up a hand to silence her. Next to her, Homura gulped, looking vaguely terrified. 

Everyone was averting their gazes. The clan heads looked alarmed, probably because Minato was staring wide-eyed, smiling unblinkingly at the soon to be ex-council member in their presence. Not a good look for him, but calling someone's son a sorry excuse for a legacy wasn't a good look either!

"I also understand that you just referred to my one and only child, my pride and joy, my spot of light in this dark and awful world as a sorry excuse for a legacy. And Kurama! You called Kurama-- what was that again? A monster, you said?" Minato drummed his fingers on the table. "Or did I misunderstand that?"

There was silence. Minato waited patiently, propping his elbow on the tabletop and his chin on hand, watching idly. Homura seemed to realize he needed to verbally respond after a few beats of nobody saying anything, his already pale face growing even whiter.

"I-It was a slip of the tongue, Lord Fourth." Homura offered. "I-In my older age I find myself more... quickly overcome with emotion. Please, forgive my blunder."

...Yeah. Whatever. God, Minato hates it here. He'd much rather wonder what Naruto is doing right now. Being happy, healthy and safe, Minato hopes. 

Kakashi better have a bare minimum of a hundred and fifty photos by the time they get back here, or else. God, he's going to need so many new scrapbooks. One for Naruto's first mission where the best photos will go, and then a few more for the ones that don't fit.

Maybe Naruto would help him decorate the cover. Oh, they could go to the craft store together! That would be fun. They could make it a whole day. Kushina would love it too-- she was just as artistic as Naruto was, and in all the best ways. 

"And the fox! Surely you can't expect us to accept it so soon, Lord Namikaze." Koharu forced a weak smile, though her voice was shaky. "It has only been just over a decade that it destroyed the entire village! Surely you understand how concerning it is to hear the seal is now gone!" 

There's some mutters of agreement. Minato wonders if he should get an orange scrapbook or go for a nice shade of blue to represent the Wave. They ready have six orange ones. It might be good to mix it up a little. 

"Your comment about Lord Namikaze's son was still out of line." Fugaku Uchiha butt in. "Is your loyalty so weak that you can't trust in your Kage? When has Lord Fourth ever done anything of detriment for the village? So far, all he's done is improve it since his return. The fox has harmed no one, and if Lord Fourth says it won't, I choose to believe him. He has never been wrong before."

A burnt orange could work, though. They don't have a burnt orange scrapbook yet. It would create a nice ombre of oranges if they could find the right shade.

"You're biased." Homura snapped out. "Of course you defend his actions. He gave you your land back!" 

 The blue would have greater contrast on the shelf amongst all the fiery hues, though. They have lots of yellows, oranges, reds. Blue could be just what they need to spice things up.

"Why do you offer that as an accusation? That is their ancestral land. It's only right it be returned to them." Inoichi cut in, tone sharp. "This has nothing to do with what Lord Fourth has and hasn't done. Regardless of Lord Namikaze's status as Kage, the point stands that you disrespected his only heir! As a member of Konoha's esteemed council, you should have more decorum! And stating he should be replaced-- that is direct insubordination to a man you've sworn to serve!"

Wait. What if they did a rainbow of scrapbooks. What would come before yellow? Maybe a lime green?

"I agree. Letting your emotions take such hold of you is dishonorable, Homura." The lack of honorific made the man gasp, but Shikaku didn't budge. "We've all been discussing it for a while now, but I think it's finally time. The council... it needs to be replaced. We're entering a new era. Your old ideals won't fit the Konoha we're trying to build. We're not at war anymore! Your acts are all out of self interest, wanting to shape this village for the worse just to stay satisficed and comfortable. We all see it." 

There are several gasps of scandal. Minato thinks that lime green may actually, genuinely be the way. They could work their way up to blue much smoother if they went with that.

"You have no right--" Koharu started to choke out, tone shaky.

Yeah... yeah, and then they can do a flora theme. They do have a lot of nature related scrapbooking stuff they haven't ever gotten to use just laying around. Minato wonders if they have any wave-country specific plants, just to give it a little more flare.

"They have every right." Lord Third insisted. Koharu gaped at him. "And I agree with them. For too long, we were too blind to Danzo's machinations behind the scenes. We were too complacent, too willing to go along with plans under the excuse of it being 'better' for the village. Do we truly know what's best for Konoha? Did we ever? It's up to the younger generations to decide. This is their home, the one they're raising their children in."

If they don't have lime green, they could also go the other way. Pink off red, then purple after that, then blue. Minato almost likes that a little better, actually. Pink is a very first mission color, isn't it? It seems like it is.

"So we're truly doing this? Just like that, a vote to replace the council?" Hiashi Hyuga drawled out. He raised a hand. "Personally, I am all in favor. Your isolation of our greater clans, your efforts to separate us, have been long evident."

It'd be really pretty. Minato knows they sell them, too. There are tons of shades to pick from. Minato's pretty sure they can find one that goes well with the reds they have.

"You wanted the Uchiha out of the picture once." Tsume agreed gruffly, baring her teeth. "You told us not to trust them, but that was all founded on a misunderstanding! What's to say you won't turn around and try to do the same thing to one of us one day? We are better united-- now more than ever we need to stand together. I'm in favor." 

Pink it is. Kushina will be on board with it too. Naruto is bound to love it. But if not nature, what theme goes with pink? Maybe nature, but more floral?

"I am as well." Shikaku raised his hand. "We need people we can trust and collaborate with. People who will hear us. So far, Lord Namikaze has allowed us to express our worries about the state of our clans, our relationships with other villages, and any issues we want to discuss. He takes action and does not stagnate on old ideals as your generation seems so keen to. We honor you for your commitment to Konoha, but now it is your time to rest."

One by one, other hands began to go up, all with a not-so-shocking lack of hesitation. Tsume Inuzuka in particular seemed especially delighted, cackling as she threw her hand up in the air even higher. Her ninken even raised a paw which really drove it home. The Third smiled, seeming amused by the indignant sputtering of Koharu and Homura both.

Minato blinked out of his train of thought when Lord Third jammed his sandal down on his foot, giving him a pointed glance. He paused for a moment before raising his hand as well, offering a bright smile in response to the venomous glares he received from the two elders. 

...Former elders. Right. See, he's been paying attention. He knows what they're voting on. Wow, who knew that his whole plan to start changing the village for the better would be this easy. He didn't even have to do anything to get rid of the corruption. The corruption practically got rid of itself.

"You'll regret this." Koharu hissed out, though she did primly stand. Hiruzen rose to follow, bowing his head to all the clan heads briefly. They were respectful in their nods back, though their expressions remained tight. 

Minato had sort of wanted to chew Homura out more for his son comment, but whatever. He can do that later. Or just tax him some insane amount for something he didn't even do. He'll decide later with Kushina's help. She's way better at vengeance than him.

The exiting of the former council left a weird silence in its wake. Nobody knew exactly what to do or what had even just happened. The council was sort of set in stone traditionally, but this batch just... didn't have the respect of Minato or anyone else anymore. They hadn't for a long time. 

Konoha needed a change. They all knew it, whether they'd discussed it in depth or not. They were a nation aging out of a need for war as they modernized and found their footing. Territory was established now, and Minato knew that it was time to start looking inwards instead of fearing what might come from outwards. 

He hoped everyone else knew it too. To him, it seemed they did.

"Huh. Well, that worked out." Minato said into the silence. He frowned. "I guess it's time to start nominating new council members. Any ideas?" 

Everyone made various faces of discomfort at the realization that they were going to have to replace them with someone knew and potentially unknown. And yeah-- yeah, Minato could get that.

~~~~~~ 

"Not even a day out and I immediately get poisoned." Naruto sighed heavily as he dug his kunai into his hand, letting the poison bleed out. Tazuna gawked at his casualness. "I guess it could be worse. At least it's not like, good poison. Believe it."

And it really wasn't. Kurama was already healing the wound up, and soon there wouldn't even be a scar left behind. Good, too, because there was no way he was explaining that to his dad. As far as his dad was ever going to know, they made it to the Wave with minimal altercation and absolutely no injuries. Regardless of what was to come the rest of the way there.

Sasuke gave him a look, staring at his hand and frowning for a moment before looking away. Naruto glared at him back just for fun, ignoring the way Sakura shivered off to his right, her teeth chattering from the adrenaline. All the color had been sucked from her face. 

Apparently this was her first real fight-- not that she did anything. Who would've thought. Naruto hoped that, for her sake, she got used to it soon. Because no fucking way it didn't happen again with him here.

"Y-You just killed that guy! And got stabbed!" Tazuna waved his flask at Naruto, who scrunched up his nose when a little sake splashed out near his feet. "You're children!" 

"Children who are certified to kill." Sasuke muttered. He looked suddenly annoyed by the comment, crossing his arms over his chest. "And it wasn't just Naruto. I killed one too."

Tazuna stared at Sasuke like he was seeing him for the first time. Naruto had to pity the guy just a little. Probably a total mind fuck to have a band of kids still going through puberty swoop in and save your ass. Talk about embarrassing for him, by the way. No way he ever lived that one down.

Anyway. Those guys sucked, but they were also remarkably... well. Not as weak as they should've been considering this was supposed to be a C-rank mission. Nothing they couldn't handle, but nothing they were meant to handle either.

Naruto flicked as much blood off his kunai as he could before wiping it on his pant leg and jamming it back in his kunai pouch. He'd brought a collection of jumpsuits, and this had just become the certified fighting one that he would burn at the end of this. Lest his parents discover it and realize he got more hurt than he ever planned on letting on.

"You think you're going to go back home and tell them everything went great?" Kurama snorted lazily. "No way in hell they believe you. Sure, they're pathetically slow, but not that pathetically slow."

They didn't need to believe him. They just had to be unable to prove him wrong, which meant no lasting injuries, no bloody clothes, and no dirty weapons. He and Kakashi hadn't made a verbal agreement on it, but the mutual understanding hung in the air nonetheless. 

"It doesn't matter who killed who." Kakashi sighed like the weight of the world was on his shoulders even though he hadn't even had to do anything. "Those were chunin from Kirigakure. They weren't waiting here for no reason-- they had a target."

They all turned to look at Tazuna. His shoulders raised defensively almost immediately, discomfort clear on his face. His gaze darted down to the cooling bodies on the ground, his expression growing tight. Naruto sniffed a bit.

The more Tazuna hesitates, the worse the situation probably is. Which is ass because they really, really can't turn around and go back. If they go back now with failure, Naruto's dad is going to use it as an excuse to literally never give them another mission out of the village again. Whatever lies and deceit are going on here, they're just going to have to weather the storm. 

They stare. Tazuna fidgets. They stare some more. Tazuna fidgets. Kakashi raises a brow and starts to turn on his heel, raising a hand to wave them along, and--

"Th-The corrupt Tycoon, Gato." Tazuna blurted out. Kakashi stopped. "What... What do you know about him?

~~~~~~~~

So the C-rank turns into a B-rank, which they're sort of equipped for but also sort of not equipped for. They end up flipping a coin and then decide to go on with it. How bad can a corrupt business man possibly be? Or are those famous last words? Those might be famous last words.

Anyway, apparently Gato is trying to completely assume control over the Wave. He's keeping them broke, starving, and trapped. Tazuna didn't have enough money to afford a higher level mission so he'd paid for what he could and hoped for the best. Not the most solid course of action, but Naruto could see where the guy was coming from.

He wanted better for his homeland. Someone had barged their way in and was changing things for the worse. People were getting sick and dying, rebellion was met with execution, taxes were imposed and farmland sabotaged. A reign of terror was cast across their entire island, and it wasn't going to stop unless they could get that bridge built and open trading back up. Tazuna had already risked everything crossing the water to begin with.

Was he disappointed to receive a bunch of kids instead of getting lucky? Yeah, definitely. Was he pleasantly surprised? Uh... Hopefully? That part was still up in the air, honestly. Naruto thought he'd gotten pretty fortunate all things considered.

Not only does he have Kakashi of the Sharingan, he's got the Nine Tailed Fox-- not that he knows about that currently-- and... ugh. Sasuke. Naruto hates to admit he's capable, but he did unlock his Sharingan when they were like, six. Which was totally thanks to Naruto and he takes full credit, but still.

Sakura was maybe an outlier-- no offense to her. She just wasn't as up to snuff yet. Naruto had faith she'd get there eventually. If she could get over the whole getting paralyzed in action situations thing, she'd probably deal a great right hook.

"What Gato's been doing to you is horrible." Speaking of Sakura, she sounded incredibly distressed and full of sympathy right about now. "It's no wonder you came to the Leaf for help! He sounds awful!" 

"Awful might be an understatement. Believe it." Naruto grimaced. "Imagine getting your land owned by a guy named Cat. And imagine that guy being like, four feet tall with a receding hairline. I'm pretty sure I've had a nightmare about that exact scenario."

Sakura elbowed him in the side. Naruto hissed in pain, jolting away from her in such a way that the entire boat seemed to jostle and rock. Sasuke grabbed him by the back of his shirt and yanked him back into a sitting position, shooting them a glare heated enough to melt steel. 

Kakashi stared blandly out into the fog, definitely questioning all his life's decisions. Naruto winced in sympathy. Someone was going back to weekly sessions with Ayumu when they got back to Konoha, that's for sure. Trauma comes in many forms.

"Try not to drown us, would you?" Tazuna sighed, taking another swig of alcohol. "These waters are dicey as is. We're in the channel now, so it's not so bad here, but further out it's almost impossible to navigate. That's one of the main reasons it's been so hard to get off the mainland. The water sinks anything we try to take out the back or sides, and it's too easy for him to police the inner strip between the mainland and the Wave."

Inside Naruto, Kurama roused at the words. Naruto perked up too, mind flashing back to the maps he and his mother had studied, and the books collected under his bed back at home. He glanced down at the boat they were on, wondering if it would stand up to a (completely accidental) trip across the ocean.

"Choppy?" Naruto couldn't help but ask. He must've sounded way too interested because Kakashi's sharp gaze fell on him and narrowed. "Has it always been like that?"

Tazuna frowned, shaking his head. A tight expression crossed his face, his brows creasing. He slouched into his seat and it made him look far older than he was. Naruto let his hand dip over the side of the boat, his fingertips skimming the salty water. Something in him shuddered when he did.

"No. Not always. The sea was once kind to us. I remember sailing it myself as a much younger man." Tazuna sighed. "It must've been near three decades ago or so that it simply... grew angry and never stopped."

"They say the fog got thicker, the waves more dangerous." The man steering their boat agreed tensely, tone quiet. "Go too far out and it's a death sentence." 

Sakura gulped. Naruto pressed his lips into a thin line, not meeting Kakashi's gaze as it stayed trained on him. Sasuke grimaced a little, looking contemplative as he turned to observe the mist around them as if it would tell him its secrets. 

Naruto shifted in his seat. The air was wet, smelling of the sea. It was almost deafeningly quiet out there, a sort of stillness that made it a little harder to breathe if you focused in on it too closely. It surrounded them on all sides, pushing in tight and narrowing the world into a single pocket. Most would feel uncertain and claustrophobic in the face of it.

Naruto couldn't help but notice that rather than unsettled, this was the safest he'd felt since stepping foot out of the village. He wondered what that said about him-- if it meant anything.

"It seems pretty calm right now." Kakashi pointed out, still staring at Naruto. And he was right. Their boat ride, barring Naruto almost tipping them over, had been completely smooth. They glided through the water cleanly, the waves lapping lullingly, gentle in their nudging. 

Tazuna got an odd look on his face. He glanced up at the man steering the boat, sharing a look with him. They both look a bit perplexed.

"Yeah." The boat driver agreed, tone considering. "I think this might be the calmest I've ever seen it." 

Kurama's chakra shifted inside him. Naruto got the impression the fox was probably grinning.

~~~~~~~~~ 

Naruto knows the moment he sees that snowy rabbit that they're fucked. And lo and behold, he's right.

Remember when they said it was a B-rank and everything was going to be fine, they'd have a great time, and it would all go smoothly? Totally a lie and Naruto definitely jinxed it. This is ass, Kakashi's about to pass out from Chakra exhaustion, and Naruto is contemplating undergoing his Nine Tailed Fox Magic Girl Transformation so he can go gold and clean up.

"Stop calling it that. It's not magic. You are not a magic girl." Kurama snapped out. "And you will burn yourself if you try to use my chakra in such a large quantity with no training. You're not ready. Your body can hold it, not harness it." 

"Dude, stop being a buzzkill." Naruto hissed out. "What else am I supposed to do? Put my hands together and ask him to pretty please not kill us and to let Kakashi go? He's a crazy man in cow print leg warmers that carries around a giant cleaver for fun. There's no way that's going to work."

Sakura and Sasuke both turned to him in perfect sync, looking both concerned and flabbergasted by his poor timing. Which yeah, fair. Probably not the time to start talking to the voices in his head, but at least his is real. 

Anyway, not the point right now. Let Naruto get you back up to speed. White rabbit showed up: bad sign, because it's not winter. Giant sword almost beheaded them all: bad sign, because they almost got beheaded. Dude that owns the sword is quote-on-quote "legendary": bad sign, because they're not.

Well, Kakashi is. But Kakashi also has to make sure they don't die and Tazuna doesn't die, which adds a whole new limit on what he's able to do and how far he's able to go from them. To make a long story short, they totally duked it out for about thirty or so minutes before Kashi went in for a killing blow and got stuck inside a water bubble.

They're sort of at a western stand off now. Zabuza wants to kill the bridge builder. He also wants to kill Kakashi. He can't kill Kakashi without letting him out of the bubble. If Kakashi tries to get out of the bubble, Zabuza will attack them instead. 

It's all very dicey. Nobody is sure what's happening, Naruto least of all. He just knows it's high stakes and they should probably do something about it as soon as humanly possible.

"Are you seriously talking to yourself right now?" Sakura hushed out in a low, harsh voice. Naruto shot her a look.

"No, Sakura. I'm convening with the demon fox in my stomach and asking him for ideas." Naruto gestured wildly at his stomach. She blanched. "What are you doing? Helping, perhaps? Coming up with a super genius plan? No? That's what I thought." 

Okay, that was harsh. This is a high stress situation though, right? He's definitely stressed. That's his basically-brother in that bubble right there. If they come back without him, Naruto's dad will definitely know it didn't go well.

"I forgot about the fox." Sasuke muttered with dawning realization. He turned to Naruto, observing him in a new light. "What're we still standing here for then? Just go have it eat him."

Naruto made a face. Sakura made a face. Tazuna made a face. Kurama was also probably making a face. Just his BFF intuition telling him so, that's all.

Who do these people think he is? Naruto doesn't want that dude anywhere near his or Kurama's mouth, thank you very much. Who the hell knows where he's been. If the striped pants weren't already a red flag, then the shirtless part would have to be. And again, that's not even considering the cow print arm and leg warmers. Who told him that was okay? Do rogue ninjas even care about fashion? Does Naruto want to know?

"Yeah, uh. Kurama is a he, and he doesn't eat people." Anymore. "Also, I may or may not explode if I try to channel his chakra. Don't ask why. It's just a thing, believe it."

"And it's too wet to set anything on fire." Kurama added, sounding sour. Naruto was sort of grateful for that one in all honesty. Who knows what the fox would do. 

Sasuke and Sakura looked not impressed at all by the conclusions being drawn here. Naruto's not impressed either. He can't even blame them. It 100% sucks booty ass that he can't use the whole golden cloak thing. Man, he knew he should've spent less time reading seal books and more time trying to up his resistance to it!

"What's the point of having a demon fox in your stomach if it can't even do anything?" Sakura muttered. Seeing Naruto's glare, she rolled her eyes. "Ugh, fine. If he can't do anything."

Sasuke grunted in agreement. Across from them where he stood on the lake, Zabuza's water clone turned to look back at its creator, who was stuck holding Kakashi hostage still. The main Zabuza shrugged. The clone shrugged back.

Actually... wait a second.

"I'm sorry, what fox are we talking about?" Tazuna cut in, voice shaking. "Are you going to do anything? Because it's been five minutes and it's only a matter of time before he finally gets bored and kills us."

"Clones." Naruto realized, eyes wide. "Kurama, I can't cover myself in your chakra but could-- could a clone, or something? Or would it pop? Because a souped up tailed beast powered clone might be a little sturdier than a regular one, you know?"

There was a moment of silence. Naruto could feel Kurama's chakra swell in him, distinctly warm against the chill. Sakura made an appreciative noise as heat began to radiate off of him, scooting a bit closer. She was taking this fight a lot better than the last one, Naruto was glad to find.

Naruto flexed his hands open and closed for a moment whilst Kurama moved things around. For clones, chakra wouldn't need to be channeled to the entire surface of his body. Just into his hands-- really just his fingertips, even. 

More shifting. Naruto felt a bit dizzy, almost high under the sudden increase and decrease of Kurama's power. Kurama hummed consideringly. Naruto could almost imagine his expression, ears pressed back in thought and eyes narrowed contemplatively. 

Standing on the lake, Zabuza's water clone checked its imaginary watch. Kakashi was dragging his hands up and down his face, exhausted beyond measure. He'd already tried telling them to run. They hadn't listened, clearly.

"...Well, I guess we could try." Kurama didn't sound too sure. "Do the hand signs but let me channel the chakra. We'll see what happens." 

Naruto does as he's told. It's weird not channeling chakra when he does. He very nearly brings some forward out of reflex, just barely managing to stop himself. It's like trying to go through the motions of writing without actually holding a pencil or something. Everything about it feels wrong.

Kurama's chakra barely skims its way out as he reaches the end. It feels unfamiliar and strange, but he feels the jutsu trigger as he finishes the signs nonetheless. There's a trio of puffs in front of him-- probably the smallest assortment of clones he's ever managed to make, but then again, Kurama's chakra control has always been a whole lot better than his.

Sakura lets out a horrified gasp as the smoke clears, taking the barest of steps back. Tazuna chokes. Even Sasuke looks unnerved, shoulders going tight and hunching to his ears. Zabuza straightens considerably, eyes zeroed in on them and sword already sliding off where he'd had it propped on his shoulder.

Naruto stares at the clones, eyes wide. They look like a children's drawing gone wrong. 

They're him but they're... not at the same time. Red eyes, teeth too big and too sharp, gold and orange swirling chakra bubbling from their mouths like foam. They look near feral with their slitted pupils and jagged whisker marks, twitching oddly and strangely hunched, limbs contorted in ways no limbs should contort. They've got weird, furry hands and claws.

They're, in a word, awful. Absolutely the worst thing Naruto has ever created. Inside him, Kurama's wince is so strong he can literally feel it rattling up his spine. 

"Wow. That's definitely... something." Naruto and Kurama were going to have to work on that, because this was not okay. "What, did my chakra get mixed in with yours on accident or something? Why do they look like that?"

One of the clones snapped its teeth at him. Naruto drew back, offended.

"Clearly." Kurama said dryly. "Because I channeled my chakra raw into just your hands instead of letting it resonate with your core-- which is the cloak thing you are not ready for, so do not ask-- I'm assuming something got lost in translation."

"Yeah, and gave them rabies." Naruto winced, taking another step back. "Are they going t--"

Zabuza's clone took the barest of steps forward. In an instant, the three clones were snapping their heads towards them, eyes so wide they looked ready to bulge out of their sockets. Their heads all cocked, necks cracking when they did. Zabuza froze, staring. 

Zabuza didn't seem to know what to think-- and he could join the goddamn club on that one. Naruto's got no idea what to think either. Sakura looks like she might actually be sick, which is fair. One of the clones has a backwards leg. Literally it is backwards. He's looking right at it. 

Just how little does Kurama know about human anatomy that his clones came out like that? He should've just made himself or something. It probably would've been... actually, no. Kurama's pretty cute, and he'd be even cuter at domesticated dog size. These were way scarier.

One of the clones opened its mouth, releasing a strange, eerie clicking noise. It's limb cracked oddly, twisting. Naruto's grimace deepened. Zabuza's entire face scrunched up.

"What the fuck are those supposed to be?" He asked, sounding like he might genuinely want to know. Naruto didn't have time to answer him. The clones were all snarling and leaping at him before he could so much as open his mouth.

(Zabuza never stood a chance.)

Chapter Text

Third person pov

Naruto's not going to lie here. It's... pretty gruesome.

Zabuza puts up a good fight, Naruto will admit. Just not a good enough one. Whilst he managed to take out clones One and Two, he failed to account for the third stalking him from behind in the bushes like a rabid honey badger. The poor guy never stood a chance. 

When he says that Zabuza's face gets torn to ribbons, Naruto means it looks like a barbecue platter gone wrong by the end of things. It's brutal. Naruto's definitely swearing off red meat for at least a month or two following this, and he's pretty sure the sentiment is shared by his teammates.

Sakura has to physically turn around about halfway through the assault just to keep her lunch down. Sasuke still has the same, twisted up expression on his face. Naruto's starting to think his eyebrows are going to get stuck scrunched up like that if he doesn't relax them soon, believe it.

It's not pretty. The screams are even worse. Tazuna looks an unhealthy shade of green by the time Zabuza finally goes quiet. Naruto half expects the remaining clone to turn around and maul them, but instead it just hisses furiously and bounds off into the woods. Naruto doesn't have the spine to try and follow and get rid of it, since dispelling it remotely sure as shit doesn't seem to work.

"Not sure where we went wrong, but let's never do that again." Naruto decided after a beat or two of silence, all of them staring off in the direction the clone fled with varying degrees of horror on their faces. "At least we're alive!"

"Your bare minimum will never cease to astound me." Kurama sounded deeply disturbed which is how you know it's bad. "Next time you ask for my help, know that I will be saying no. There will be no chakra from me unless it's a life or death situation. I want you bleeding out on the ground before you so much as think about tapping into my reserves."

Arguably, that was a life or death situation. But whatever, sure. Bleeding out on the ground-- Naruto can do that. With his luck, he'll be bleeding out on the ground before he knows it! 

"Alive is a low bar." Sakura murmured out dazedly, eyes still wide and unblinking. Naruto wondered what she'd say if he told her she was currently agreeing with the one and only Nine Tailed Fox. "Besides, one of those things got Sensei. I'm not sure why you're counting that as a win, Naruto!"

Ah, right. That had happened, hadn't it?

It's not as bad as it sounds. Kakashi was already on the verge of charka exhaustion, so really a stiff breeze could've knocked him over. The fact that one of Naruto's feral monster clones drop-kicked him halfway across the pond so hard he skipped like a stone has absolutely nothing to do with anything.

It's not like he's dead or anything. Is he going to be unconscious for several business days? Probably, but Naruto is sure that would've happened anyway. If Naruto's luck is the worst, Kashi is heading a close second. Likely, the curse is generational and Kakashi is gradually passing it on every time he and Naruto spend time together.

"He's fine! He's even breathing." Naruto nudged Kakashi with his foot, beaming down at him for a few seconds too long. He was breathing... right? Yeah. Yeah, no, his chest is definitely rising and falling right now. "This has totally happened before, believe it. He'll wake up in a few days and it'll be like it never happened!" 

Sakura didn't look like she completely believed him for some reason. Sasuke was still staring off after the clone, as though worried it might come back and leap out of the darkness at him. Naruto wanted to make fun of him for it, but honestly? It was a valid fear at this point.

Rolling his sore shoulders a few times until they popped, Naruto conjured up a few clones for the job of carrying Kakashi. Normal ones, thank you very much. He's not looking to have a round two with those things. Seriously, he hadn't even gotten their memories when they were popped. Almost like they were separate entities entirely-- he is not dealing with that shit again.

His clones looked irritated to have been called on at all. Naruto had no idea where they were getting the audacity from. Yeah, he got it, their legs hurt-- his did too. But either Naruto could help them carry Kashi's 170 pounds of pure muscle and they could all suffer, or they could take one for the team and lend a helping hand. 

Zabuza's body was... well, Naruto couldn't tell if it was growing pale or not seeing as it was literally coated in blood. Like, insane levels. Like, spilled a bucket of red paint over the top of your head, and then a second bucket flew out of a canon and exploded all over you, and then you also stepped in some. It's not pretty. 

"...I-I think that... might've been a war crime." Tazuna murmured, looking horrified. Naruto squinted. Zabuza hadn't been that brutalized, right? He should've seen it coming, waltzing out here in cow print like they weren't going to diss him for it. "Who are you people?"

"Are you seriously going to complain about our methods when you're the one who lied at the hiring desk? Man up, bro." Naruto clapped Tazuna on the back a few times. Even for as tall and sturdy as he was, he still stumbled. "Can we blow this popsicle stand already, or do we all want to spend another fifteen minutes standing here having existential crises? Because I'm starving." 

His clones all nodded in agreement, hoisting Kakashi up. Kurama muttered something about a one track mind, but that was big talk coming from a guy who's sole ambition in life was to burn Konoha to the ground for like, a good century and change. Nothing else, just that-- he could've at least like, added in a little side goal of learning to knit, or trying a new food. Just to be adventurous and switch it up.

"You want to eat after seeing that?" Sakura asked incredulously. The crack of a branch sounded behind them before Naruto got the chance to reply with an obvious yes. They all whirled around in near perfect sync, high alert.

Naruto fully expected it to be his own fucked up clone back to exact revenge. Revenge for what, exactly? Naruto doesn't think the clone even needs a reason. It had been created out of pure rage and Kurama's incessant need for destruction at every turn, or something along those lines. Don't ask him for the details.

The fact that Naruto didn't hear or smell the ninja in front of them approach goes to show just how quiet they actually are. Them having a branch snap under foot at all had to be completely intentional, because they gave off practically nothing else. Their scent was wet and mild, blending seamlessly into the climate around them.

They were dressed in traditional clothing, with a mask reminiscent of ANBU, though not depicting any specific animal that Naruto could make out. They crouched over Zabuza's body, fingers on his pulse point, seemingly unbothered by their presence. All red flag's in Naruto's admittedly miniscule book of known social and combat cues. 

Pressing his lips into a thin line, Naruto planted his hands on his hips. It was a pose his dad typically put on when he caught Naruto or Kashi doing something they absolutely weren't supposed to. He cocked an eyebrow as well just for good measure, doing his best to look as unimpressed as humanly possible.

Chirping crickets. Literally. And maybe a few croaking frogs or something. He's not super knowledgeable on what fauna they've got going on here.

"...You going to say anything?" Naruto asked after a moment of nobody moving. "Are you going to try and kill us? Because I know I said I wasn't going to make anymore rabid clones, but desperate times, desperate measures."

Kurama made a noise of discontent. Naruto resisted the urge to shush him, instead maintaining his disappointed post. The mysterious ninja let out an audible exhale, which told Naruto... nothing at all, actually. 

"He's dead." They said after another moment, voice smooth and toneless. Naruto nodded slowly. "I thank you for doing my work for me. My village will be most pleased."

Naruto's eyes flickered up to the symbol on their headband. Right. Mist village. His symbol wasn't slashed like Zabuza's, so that was a good thing, right? Probably not in cahoots with the enemy? That might be wishful thinking on his part, but a boy can dream.

The tension in the air rose. Naruto tilted his head to the side, listening close. The air smelt overwhelmingly of copper. Naruto's ears were still half full of water from getting tossed into the water one too many times, but even then his hearing was still better than most.

He couldn't hear a pulse from Zabuza. There was no breathing, either. His body was still, but something still seeming inexplicitly off. Naruto didn't know how to describe it.

"Who are you?" Sasuke's voice came out sharper than Naruto would expect seeing as he was coming out of a haze of shock. Good for him for not being a total loser. "A hunter nin?"

The ninja bowed their head in assent. Naruto squinted. Hunter ninja-- he'd heard of those before. 

"What, so you hunt bounties or something for your village?" Naruto eyed Zabuza skeptically. "Aren't you supposed to chop his head off or something?"

Naruto was pretty sure Iruka-sensei had said that once at some point. Or maybe it was his mom. More likely his mom, actually-- she was way scarier. If anyone was going to bring up decapitation, it was going to be her.

The hunter ninja didn't tense, but Naruto's strained ears could just barely make out the sound of their heart rate picking up. Definitely suspicious, because let's be real here. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura all look like drowned rats. His clones look uninterested and annoyed enough to stage a mutiny. Tazuna is an old drunk guy, and Kakashi is basically a corpse at the moment. They aren't exactly the picture of intimidating.

"You're more perceptive than I thought you'd be." Kurama sounded mystified by his insight. His shock was understood, but not appreciated. "He isn't who has says he is. The senbon he inserted into Zabuza's neck are evidence enough of that-- enough to momentarily stop the heart and the body's greater functions."

Naruto's eyes ticked down to said needles. The quote-on-quote "Hunter Nin" was on the move before Naruto could get a good look. 

In a flash, the ninja had an arm around Zabuza's shoulders and up under his knees, hoisting him up and blurring off into the trees without so much as another glance. Naruto watched the dude go, mouth still half open in preparation to call bullshit on what really wasn't all that fleshed out of a scam. His nose scrunched up.

Next to him, Sakura let out a sigh of relief, visibly slouching. Sasuke grunted a bit. Naruto eyed their lax shoulders, wondering if he should say something or not. It probably wouldn't be super great for team morale to mention that the dude that just tried to kill them definitely just got away with a friend. 

Naruto tilted his head side to side, considering. Ignorance is bliss, right? The news can totally wait. For all they know, Zabuza could still succumb to his wounds and leave them home free! Worst case scenario, Naruto can just pretend he didn't notice and act surprised alongside everyone else when the guy inevitably shows back up.

"I'm starting to think there's other factors aside from bad luck contributing to your propensity to end up in shitty situations. Like sheer idiocy." Kurama said in a flat voice. "On that note, that cow-printed insect is absolutely going to come back and kill you. And I'm going to watch, because you will have deserved it."

Naruto wished he could argue with that, but Kurama is like, never wrong. So that sucks ass. Zabuza is totally going to come back from the dead and kill them later-- if the rabid clone in the woods doesn't get him first, but that would work too well in their favor for it to realistically happen. 

"R-Right. That's--" Tazuna shook his head, eyeing the flask in his hand like he wasn't sure if he wanted to keep drinking more to make himself forget, or stop in hopes it might make things better. "My house is this way. My daughter is there-- she can help your sensei." 

"A-Alright! That's awesome. Let's go, you guys. Before anything else happens." Sakura gave Naruto's clones a pointed look, like she thought they were going to snap and lunge. If they're forced to stand around holding Kakashi any longer, they might. 

"Hn." Sasuke agreed. What a valuable two cents from him.

"Believe it! What a total win!" Naruto chirped out. Sasuke and Sakura both side-eyed him hard. Naruto ignored them, squinting. "Though... if my dad asks, this didn't happen, alright? Unless we all want to see the Old Man on a guillotine for lying about the mission details."

Tazuna looked a few shades paler at that, sweat beading his brow. Naruto hoped he had ramen at his house.

~~~~~~~

Ughhhhhhhh. 

So, the thing with dispelling the council for sucking is that now there's no council. Which is bad because, apparently, they need one. For balance, fairness, and representation of Konoha's vast civilian population. According to every rule book he's painstakingly read so far, the "shinobi folk" weren't entirely capable of thinking on their behalf. 

There are exceptions to the whole council structure, he's come to find. Danzo was a former Shinobi after all, there to weigh in from the perspective of a former service member and active member of the community. Or that was the thought, anyway. 

Turns out the only communities he was into were creating secret underground organizations to potentially take Konoha over one day, orchestrating the annihilation of entire ancient clans, and experimenting illegally on children. Not the picture of a noble and wise voice for the people, but what does Minato know?

Anyway. Minato should've booted him and his buddies out ages ago. If he hadn't had his hands so full of trying to reintegrate the Uchiha into Konoha's little society without anyone killing each other, he probably would've. Do you know how hard it was to restructure the entire Uchiha police force? He still has nightmares about it sometimes.

There was also all the traumatized soldiers-- kids and adults alike-- that Danzo left behind. It had taken a long time to get the cursed seals off their tongues so they could speak. Many had been brainwashed into loyalty to Danzo, and that wasn't something they could just sort out in a day. Finding out their real names, reconnecting them with their families, and making sure they all settled down had been Minato's job to head.

Beyond that, there was the rebuilding of international treaties, strengthening bonds with other villages, and in general just catching up with the six years he missed. They'd made changes, but they needed more than that now. It was time to start hammering away at Konoha's finer points-- leadership included.

That brings them to now. They need four council members, including the one who will lead the council. Minato can think of no better candidate. 

"No." Ayumu says the moment Minato pitches the idea, not even looking up from his clipboard. "Besides, I'm a shinobi. It's not allowed."

Minato offered a closed eye smile, unfazed. Ayumu thought he hadn't already gone over every possible loophole and demolished it? The far wall of he and Kushina's bedroom was covered in sticky notes and red string. Ayumu was a difficult fish to catch, but not if you knew how to hook him.

"Actually, you haven't been on a mission in over a year. That puts you off active duty and into a state of 'retirement'." Minato slid the stack of papers on his desk forward, propping his chin on his other hand. "Every single clan head has signed and thus sworn you in, appointing you to the position via the village's collective authority. Congratulations!" 

Ayumu very slowly looked up from his clipboard. Minato couldn't tell if the creepy creaking noise was coming from his neck or from somewhere else, but he willed it not to phase him. This is fine. He has this under control.

Was inviting Ayumu here under the guise of wanting to talk about Naruto's mission a bit underhanded? Maybe, but Minato had spent an entire two hours talking about it, so really it wasn't a lie. He just... also had other motives. 

He's playing the long game. And he also misses his son and is going to cry himself to sleep later, but you get the point. Minato wouldn't be a very good Hokage if he didn't use every available resource.

"I went on a mission last month. And another a few months before that." Ayumu's eyes flicked from the papers to Minato's face, his eyes narrowing. Minato's smile widened.

That was true. Minato had thought a lot about how to get around that little fact in order to get Ayumu classified as qualified to sit on the council. It helped that he had what was widely considered to be a civilian's profession, but even with that they were cutting it close. And with those active missions-- there was only one thing he could do.

"I burned them." Minato beamed. "I destroyed every single physical record of them and swore everyone involved into secrecy!" 

Which was super illegal, but if you asked anyone involved, they'd have no idea what you were talking about. Since those missions never happened.

Ayumu took in a very deep breath. Minato held his, not daring to blink. Ayumu could try to run, but Minato had long since motioned for his ANBU guards to barricade the door. The only way out of here was through the windows, and he'd had the glass replaced with ballistic grade in preparation for this alone. Just in case.

Every base was covered. Now, all they needed was Ayumu's agreement to seal the deal. Ayumu was the most realistic choice for council leader. He was smart, intuitive, and had the ability to put himself in the shoes of just about anyone whilst also looking from outside the box. If anyone was going to find happy mediums that the civilians and shinobi populations could both be happy with, it would be him.

He was also a Yamanaka-- a neutral, well-respected clan. Not as ancient as the Uchiha, but old and deeply rooted within Konoha's community all the same. They were trusted, and the other clan heads were content to have him serve as council leader. Though the issue of finding two civilian members to advise alongside him still remained, that was something they could get to later.

"You do realize that this is very illegal, don't you?" Ayumu sounded more done than he did annoyed. Minato perked up hopefully.

"I do. Unfortunately for everyone, there's currently no council to try me for my crimes." Minato scooted the papers a little closer. "It comes with good dental. And you can nominate someone to take your place after a month of service."

That nomination would require approval from all the clan heads, and from Minato himself as Konoha's leader. Which he would roll over and die before giving, but he wasn't going to divulge that right now.

Ayumu tapped his pen on his clipboard a few times, staring at the stack of papers like he thought they were going to bite him if he reached out. He had a sour expression on his face that was gradually growing more and more defeated. With each downtick in his eyebrows, Minato sat up a little straighter.

Minato knew it was underhanded to force him into it, but Ayumu was the only one he knew and trusted in a position to take this on. After Danzo's scandal, everyone was on edge-- civilians included, because many of their children had been casualties of ROOT's recruiting operation. Konoha needed someone with a good head on their shoulders.

Ayumu would be amazing at it. He'd probably even enjoy it once he got into it, with how promptly he seemed to jump into managing things when it was needed. For all he moaned and groaned about paperwork, he was excellent at it.

"...Fine." Ayumu sighed after a second. "I'm double-charging all your sessions from here on out for conflict of interest. Do this again and I'll tell Naruto to never draw you another picture again."

Minato broke out into a grin despite the absolutely horrific threat, leaping out of his seat. Ayumu sighed again as Minato whooped in victory, throwing his hands up in the air and cackling wildly. Kushina was going to be thrilled when he told her their plan worked. 

"Yes!" Minato laughed. "Yes, yes, yes! Now all we have to do is wait for the ANBU to unbarricade the door and we can go straight to the meeting!" 

Ayumu clicked his pen and started to write something down, looking tired. Minato couldn't imagine why.

~~~~~~~~ 

Kakashi was down for the count. Tazuna's daughter Tsunami did, in fact, have ramen. Tazuna's trick ass little grandson tried to nail Naruto in the balls, and it's by the grace of god (AKA Kurama trying not to laugh because he saw it coming and Naruto realizing something bad was about to happen to him) that he wasn't victim. 

"I apologize for Inari. He has a difficult time sometimes, but he's a good boy." Tsunami smiled kindly as she settled a sixth bowl of ramen down in front of Naruto, apparently unfazed by his appetite. "Ever since his father passed, he's been bitter. I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive him if he's rude."

Naruto slurped down some noodles, nodding. Yeah, yeah. Tragic backstory, now you're angry at the world and hate everyone in it-- he knew the drill. Trying to kick someone in the nuts for saying they were going to dribble Gato like a basketball straight over the edge of the bridge was a little far, but whatever, sure. 

"No, no! We should be apologizing. Naruto can be a bit... crude." Sakura had her customer service voice on, sweet and syrupy. "Thank you for your hospitality, and for the food. It's very kind of you!" 

Sasuke grunted in... Naruto wasn't sure if it was agreement or if he was just making noises. Seriously, what was up with him today? Did one of the clones bite him? Was he turning? If he and Kurama triggered the downfall of humanity somehow and victim number one was Sasuke, Naruto--

Wouldn't be that upset, actually. Or surprised for that matter.

"It's the least I can do! You're out here risking your lives when you're only children yourselves..." Tsunami trailed off, looking guilty. Naruto slammed down his empty bowl. Tazuna looked disturbed by his speed.

"We signed up for this, believe it." Naruto patted his stomach, still vaguely hungry but equipped with enough social awareness to know he was pushing the line here. "We're also getting hella coin. So."

Sakura reached out to smack him. Naruto dodged, giving her the stink-eye as he did so. Tsunami laughed at their antics, seemingly more amused than offended. That, or she was just really good at pretending. It was impossible to say.

Tazuna's home was modestly sized, set on the edge of the water enough for them to put out fish traps and throw out lines. It was probably what they primarily survived off of, the island's economy was so wrung out and restricted. Gato's fist was iron, and this bridge was the only way to get The Wave out from under it.

Sakura continued to chat with Tsunami, helping gather up dishes. Sasuke was dozing off at the table and trying to pretend he wasn't, blinking rapidly and straightening out his spine anytime his head started to dip forward. All he'd done was get punched a few times, so Naruto had no idea why he was so tired.

The house was cute, but not very secure. Naruto poked his head through all the rooms, eyeing the rickety windows and sliding back door. Apparently all his reading up and practicing with seals was actually good for something because scratching security seals into the frames and popping his chakra into them was practically cake.

"This place is about as secure as a cardboard box against someone like Cow Print." Kurama muttered out, sounding disgruntled. "You brats should've turned back when you had a chance."

"And abandon the mission? Are you crazy?" Naruto scoffed, like he wasn't planning to sneak off, highjack a boat, and... hope he ended up in Uzu? The plan was still shaky. "Besides, my dad would wrap me in bubble wrap and force me to stay on the couch for the rest of my life if we'd gone back. With breaks to go out into the backyard and run laps for enrichment." 

Kurama grunted but couldn't deny it, since Naruto is stone cold right for once in his life. He loves his dad, but his dad's default assumption when he and Naruto aren't together is that something bad is going to happen to him. Which is totally justified, since that does usually happen, but still.

The sky outside was rapidly beginning to darken. The Wave was quieter than Konoha, the lapping of the water on the island's bank rhythmic and soothing. The salty smell of the ocean seemed soaked into everything here, even the wood of the house, and something about it made the tight ball of tension in Naruto's core loosen.

He was close. Naruto could feel it like a whisper against his skin. The wind seemed to tug at him, urging him out the back door. He resisted the pull, putting the finishing touches on his seal instead and pressing his thumb to it. It flashed blue briefly before it settled more firmly into the grain, almost imperceptible unless you knew what to look for.

Kashi's breathing had evened out after a brief transfusion of chakra. He and Naruto weren't an exact match, so there was a limit to what Naruto could safely give him. A little bit wasn't going to hurt though, and a soldier pill crushed up and fed down gave him the boost he needed to stabilize. His heart was thumping stronger and firmer now-- from Naruto's experience, he'd be just fine so long as they tended to his wounds.

"Are you heading to bed?" Sasuke asked in a tone that was damn near civil. Naruto eyed him suspiciously, looking for evidence of a bite wound. "Why the hell are you looking at me like I'm diseased?"

"Are you diseased?" Naruto asked under his breath. Sasuke's eyes flashed a brief red. Naruto held his hands up in surrender. "Anyway! Yeah, I'm bunking with Kakashi! Catch you on the flip, see you never, I hope you sleep like shit."

Sasuke's eye twitched. Naruto scratched his cheek... with his middle finger. Sasuke looked like he was genuinely debating setting a fireball on him right there in the hallway.

"Whatever. Just stay out of my way, loser. Or I'll kick you in the shin." Sasuke grunted, bumping his shoulder hard into Naruto's as he passed. Naruto pursed his lips slightly, turning to stare after him. Just how tired was he to come off that weak sauce? Jeez.

Overall, things could've gone worse. Everyone is alive and all their limbs are accounted for, and Tsunami is a killer cook. There is the slight downside of the clone being missing, Zabuza getting away, Kakashi being out, and Sasuke existing. But honestly? Not the worst go of things he's ever had.

"You've literally died before. It can't get much worse than that." Kurama muttered, which was an arguable point. "Just shut up and go to sleep, brat. We have things to discuss and I'd rather do it face to face."

Ominous. Naruto sniffed a bit, tugging off his orange jacket and tossing it off into the corner. Kashi was laid out flat on his back, blanket pulled up over the bridge of his nose. Naruto had protected his honor, even when Sakura and Sasuke were circling like sharks wanting a glimpse of his face.

It felt like he was on the cusp of something. Uzu was just out of reach, hovering in the peripherals of his existence. The answers to the Hyuga Clan's problem could be found there. Naruto had promised Lee he'd get Neji his freedom and he was too far in to back out now. 

Was it all chance that his first mission out of the village had been here? As close as they could conceivably get to Uzu without stepping on the toes of another great nation or hidden village? It seemed almost like fate that they were here now, like Uzu itself was pulling strings just to get him there. Or maybe that was a stupid thought to have.

"All thoughts you have are stupid on principle." Kurama informed him. The fox had been antsy all day-- what was up with that? Did he sense the shift in the air too? Hear the weird whispering in the wind? "Are you hearing voices other than mine? Because you're not supposed to."

Naruto hunkered down into the futon laid out my Kakashi's. Something in him loosened having him close. Kakashi was his sensei now, but he'd always be his pseudo-brother first. For as offhanded as Naruto acted, he was glad he was alright.

"I'm not hearing voices. Sometimes I just swear I hear someone calling my name or something." Naruto muttered, turning over onto his stomach. He propped his chin up on his pillow, frowning a bit. "And it sort of feels like I've got eyes watching me or something, you know? I might be imagining it."

Kurama didn't say anything for a moment, so maybe Naruto's not imagining it. Go figure. What's next? Is he going to find out he's the reincarnation of the son of the legendary Sage of the Six Paths and is destined to wield his ancient vitality and strength in an all out war against the forces of evil that seek to destroy the world via the moon or something?

"That felt oddly specific." Kurama said, sounding weirded out. When wasn't he these days? "And I... don't think you're entirely imagining it, but that's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. So hurry up and fall asleep already. I don't have all day."

Naruto wanted to point out that technically, he did, since he's sort of sealed in Naruto and has nothing else to do. He decided he'd wait until he was there in person to do it.

Chapter Text

Third person pov

For once in his life, Naruto's honestly got no idea what to say.

The silence is borderline awkward, tension seeming to rise with every rock of the boat. What do you even do in a situation like this? Are there truly any words to encompass it? If there are, Naruto is completely open to ideas. Absolutely nothing else is coming out of his mouth otherwise.

He taps his fingers against the wood edge of the boat, staring out at the seemingly endless body of water in front of him. Idly, he turns around to look behind him, but nope-- it's endless that way too. They are officially in the middle of buttfuck nowhere. 

The sun rising over the murky horizon is the only tell of what happened. Well, aside from the obvious fact that he's in a boat and not passed out on the floor of Tazuna's home, kicking Kakashi in his sleep and making his injury ten times worse. Naruto had only been sort of serious when he talked about "accidentally" making his way to Uzu.

Funny how that works out. Naruto peers up at the sky, squinting slightly. He can't see Kurama, but he can vividly imagine the face he's probably making right about now. Lips curled inwards, ears laid flat, eyes narrowed slightly. Barely holding on by a thread.

"...Did you sleep walk to Tazuna's fucking boat and take off?" Kurama asks after a length silence, even though they both know that's definitely what happened.

"And neither of us noticed a thing." Naruto nodded. They'd been too busy squabbling and debating more about cursed seals. Go figure. "You think it'll rain? Or is dehydration going to be what takes me out?"

The ocean was remarkably calm for supposedly being too treacherous to risk sailing. A point in their favor. A very, very small point, but still a point. Naruto's willing to take what he can get, even if the sky is looking suspiciously dark. 

There's nothing on the boat, sustenance or navigational wise. Not that a map would be much help at this point. Naruto's got no fucking clue where they are. The sun is a small indication, but nowhere near enough for Naruto to pin down even a relative guess as to where they've drifted. How long have they been out here? 

"You've never sleepwalked." Kurama had the barest hint of hysteria in his voice, clearly driven a step closer to insanity by the situation. "Never! This-- you're not even coordinated enough awake to unmoor a boat from a dock, even one as pathetic as this one. You're seriously telling me you did it unconscious?" 

"Hey." Naruto protested half-heartedly. He was kind of right. It's a miracle he didn't drown and wash up downstream somewhere. 

Kurama continued to ramble on. Naruto figured it was probably best to just let him get it all out. He could totally see where the fox was coming from. He has no idea what's going on, or how it's going on, or where they're even going. Though he does have a vague idea.

Honestly, he should be panicking. Naruto's not typically one to freak out, but this is like, some next-level what the fuck, you know? He's literally in the middle of nowhere, stranded on a rickety boat with nothing but Kurama, his jumpsuit, and some vague hope that maybe the ocean will take him to where he needs to go before he starves.

Naruto squinted at the waves. He could probably find a way to cook a fish on this tiny, super flammable boat without killing himself, right? Totally. Naruto is like, super capable when it comes to keeping himself alive. Kind of. Mostly.

Overhead, lightning flashes across the sky, thunder booming loud after it. Naruto purses his lips slightly. Inside his head, Kurama gives a slightly hysterical laugh. 

"This is it. This is where you finally die." He sounds absolutely disbelieving. This must've been his last straw. "Out on a boat. In the middle of nowhere. And I'm going to have to listen to you whine about it every second of the way."

Naruto, who'd just been about to open his mouth to complain he was hungry, cleared his throat. He sniffed as the wind gusted by, the boat rocking precariously as it did. The grey clouds overhead gave another mighty rumble, the smell of rain nearly lost in the overwhelming scent of sea salt.

"Well, at least my death won't be from dehydration or anything." Naruto reasoned as he observed the weather. If anything, it'd be from a massive, pissed cyclone, since the ocean didn't seem to like people. "On an unrelated note, do you know what to do during an ocean storm when you're on a boat that looks like a firm kick could make it fall apart? Because I'm pretty sure the rain is going to fill it up, and I totally don't have a bucket to scoop water out with, believe it."

Kurama let out a tired, tired sigh. Cold against Naruto's skin, the first drops of rain began to fall.

~~~~

The tension in the room is so thick it's practically suffocating. Sasuke very pointedly doesn't look at the unconscious form of their teacher, gaze focused off to the right somewhere. Sakura sits on their teacher's others side, fingers drumming anxiously on her thigh. Neither of them say anything.

They had looked everywhere. Literally everywhere. If there was a place to check, they'd checked it. Sasuke had even walked the water, looking for signs of orange on the shore or floating atop the precarious waves. 

It was only a heavy downpour of rain that sent him trudging the six miles back, the sheets of falling water too thick to reliably see through, even with his Sharingan on. Count on Naruto to somehow go missing within the span of a single night, seemingly off the face of the entire fucking island.

It wasn't a big one, the houses tightly packed and the woodland areas small. Asking around, nobody could recall seeing a moron with bright blond hair running around in borderline neon orange. That, paired with Tazuna's conspicuously missing boat, painted a pretty shit picture.

If Kakashi were awake, he could summon a dog or something. At least then they'd have a better lead than just a missing boat, which apparently could've drifted off all on its own. According to Tazuna, it wasn't uncommon for the waves to rip them from their docks and carry them away, ever aggressive.

Sasuke wished he could believe that. Aside from the idiot taking the boat and launching off, the only other viable explanation was that his feral clone had come back out of the brush and dragged him off as a midnight snack. It was a tempting conclusion to draw-- the only hole in it was that Naruto's screams probably would've woken up half the town. 

"...I just don't understand why he'd run off." Sakura finally said, voice coming out tight and sharp. "Naruto would never abandon a mission. Something-- Something else must've happened. Maybe someone found out we were here and they took him!" 

Well. The idiot could've gone out of the house on his own and gotten his ass taken that way. There'd be no signs of a struggle inside, in that case. The rain would've washed any other remnants away by now. 

"Tazuna's boat is missing. It didn't storm last night. You saw how calm the waves were." Sasuke bites the words out sharply, scowling as he does. He ignores the way Sakura flinches as he does. "We didn't find any blood or evidence of a fight. That moron probably ran off."

It would be just like Naruto to get some idea in his head and go with it. Worse, the fox might've convinced him. Finally out of the village on his first mission-- it would be the perfect time to lure him off. For all that Naruto insisted the fox was quote-on-quote "good" now, how were they just supposed to believe that?

"But why? Where would he go?" Sakura stressed. Sasuke frowned.

He knew a lot about Naruto. Not as much as Shikamaru or that kid with the bowl cut, but they'd grown up with one another. Naruto was a firecracker, spontaneous and willing to jump into the heat of whatever new and exciting thing he was faced with without considering the consequences. He was bright, lively, and--

Stupid. Irrevocably, horrendously stupid.

"Who knows with that idiot. For all we know, he saw the moon starting to rise and decided he wanted to try and sail to it." Sasuke scoffed out derisively. "The ocean is going to rip him apart, if it hasn't already. There's no telling where it carried him off to. No matter what way he went, he's long gone by now. Besides--"

Between them, Kakashi let out a choking wheeze, cutting Sasuke's grumbling off abruptly. Immediately, the two genin tensed, looking down at the man in near perfect sync. He'd opened his right eye and was blinking wildly, hazy gaze darting between Sakura and Sasuke both.

They didn't dare move, noses scrunched up. Was he supposed to be awake this soon? Or did he have some superhuman level of resilience that had woken him up? Actually, talking about Naruto's potential drowning had probably been the thing to rouse him. If anything was going to bring Kakashi Hatake back from the brink of death, it'd be that.

Naruto was, unironically, probably fine. Sasuke's not saying that because he's an optimist, but instead because Naruto is like... well, a cockroach. Something is always happening to him, it's almost always deadly, and he's always perfectly fine. This probably won't be any different. 

"N-Naruto." Kakashi wheezed out, brows furrowing. He looked distressed as he tried to lean his head up, obviously searching for him in some vain hope that maybe he'd misheard them. "Missing?"

His voice sounded like sandpaper grating on stone. Sakura's grimace deepened. Sasuke grunted.

"He, uh-- we think he maybe... got on a boat and sailed off in the middle of the night?" Sakura offered weakly, the statement coming out as more of a question. Sasuke grunted again. Kakashi groaned, head thumping back on his pillow. 

"Fuck." Kakashi sounded pained. The silver-haired man paused briefly. "...Don't... Don't tell the Hokage." 

Of course that's what he'd be worried about. Sasuke doesn't know why the hell he thought otherwise.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear, apparently. A tap on the window had Kakashi tensing like he was ready to fly up and run for his life, his entire body coiling in a way that had to be painful with his injury. Sakura yelped, jumping. Sasuke scowled. 

One of the Hokage's falcons was there, a scroll tied to its leg. It looked disgruntled to be out in the rain. Sasuke raised a brow, standing up to let it in. They'd only been here around a day, and the Hokage was already sending word? Sometimes, Sasuke swore he was more dedicated to his son than to the village.

"Kakashi-sensei, Naruto is missing. I don't think keeping it from his dad should be our top priority right now." Sakura tried to say it delicately, but instead it just came out haughty. "I mean, do you even hear yourself? He could be dead!" 

Kakashi snorted, and... yeah. Yeah, that just about summed it up, didn't it?

~~~~~

"It's just now occurring to me that I didn't tell anyone that Zabuza's totally alive before I got taken!" Naruto calls out over the heavy downpour. It's by the grace of the chakra in the soles of his feet that he doesn't go flying off the boat, which bobs over the waves violently. "Do you think he's going to like, kill them or something?!"

"Shut the hell up and keep shoveling!" Kurama hollers back at him snappishly. Touchy. "And you weren't kidnapped, you moron! You did this to yourself!" 

"Did not! Sleep took me." Naruto denied, scooping up some more water and tossing it overboard. Not that it was doing much. How they hadn't sunk or capsized yet, he wasn't sure. "If I wasn't conscious for it, I constitute it as kidnapping. Even if that kidnapping was done by myself."

The clone that had transformed into a bucket for him to use couldn't verbally say anything, but Naruto got the distinct impression that it was agreeing with him. Kurama let out a long groan that made him sound like he was in pain. Naruto ignored him with practiced ease.

For as awful as the storm was, it somehow wasn't bad either. Naruto didn't feel panicked by the violence of the waves, or the way they sailed over them in great, heaping bounds. Up to great heights, practically flying and crashing back down, only to repeat it over again. Their boat shouldn't have been able to stand up to such a thing, all crudely cut wood and rusty nails.

This was the type of storm that devastated. That took lives, and sunk ships, burying them beneath the waves never to be seen again. These were waves with the potential to capsize much bigger vessels, forceful in their pushing and pulling. It should've been terrifying.

It just... wasn't. There was a reason Naruto hadn't sunk yet. He wasn't entirely positive of what that reason was yet, but he had this strange sense that maybe he wasn't being eaten by the ocean as so many others in the past had been. It wasn't taking him to keep, but rather bringing him somewhere else. The water cradled his ship, seeming intent to keep it upright and afloat no matter how much water he let get into it.

It was harsh, and violent, but they were sailing it. There was mercy in the way the water soaked into his jumpsuit and sloshed around his feet. There was something almost smooth about their rolling through the great peaks of saltwater. 

They moved fast. Swept away in the chaos of the storm, they were a pinprick in an endless, tumultuous blue. Thunder boomed and lightning crackled, sometimes flashing down too close for comfort. Naruto could feel his chakra tingling, humming in his fingertips and up all four of his limbs. It felt like it was twisting up around his spine, keeping him upright.

He didn't know if Kurama could feel it. The fox seemed far more panicked than Naruto did about all of this, hissing curse words to himself and giving Naruto short, stressed commands. Lean your weight this way, or that way. Shovel water out there-- never mind that it was raining, and the water seemed to fill up faster than Naruto could ever hope to get rid of it.

Adding another clone to help seemed like pushing their luck on balance. Besides-- anytime the boat got too full of water, they conveniently seemed to hit a bump in their watery road, sending half of it out. It happened every time, so much so that it couldn't be a coincidence.

The wind was whispering again. It was getting louder and louder, to the point that Naruto knew for a fact he wasn't imagining it anymore. Rays of hesitant sun poked through the clouds, painting warm patches in the dark that their boat almost seemed to follow, skipping from light to light like it was a guiding force.

Knowing how fucking weird his life is, it probably was. Naruto was honestly just along for the ride at this point.

"None of this was worth it." Kurama grumbles out, barely audible even in his own head. The roar of the waves was fierce. "We should've let that kid live and die in slavery like his ancestors before him. Since when is it our fucking problem?"

Yeah, since when was it? Wait, no-- slavery is wrong. Justice must be served... or something. Free the children. That's what they're doing this for, right? That, and friendship? Lee never asked Naruto to do anything. He could do at least this much for him.

No one should have to live under the expectation and restraints of others, and especially not against their will, with no hope of escape. Naruto's committed himself to getting that seal off. If he gets to learn some more about his heritage in the process? Bonus points.

Assuming Uzu is where he's going. Who knows.

"At least we get bragging rights for being the first to step there since like, forever." Naruto grunted as they went over another wave, hard. "If that's where we wash up. Alternatively, we could be sailing into certain doom, lost at sea forever! Believe it!"

"Don't sound so happy about that." Kurama sounded disgusted with his go-getter attitude, but you know what? A wise man once said that it sucks to suck. And that wise man was Naruto.

More wind whistled past, the distinct murmur of his name curling through it this time, clear as a ringing bell. Lightning arches overhead like the roots of a tree reaching down towards him, far enough away that they don't hit their mark, but close enough for him to feel their charge.

There is energy in the air. Anticipation builds around him like the walls of a building, and within it, Naruto feels untouchable by the danger of the storm. This is where he's supposed to be. This is what's been tugging at him for weeks now, spurred on by his sudden need. Neji or not, this was always going to happen.

Naruto makes his own fate, and he's going to help Neji make his. Answering this call is a choice he makes. Naruto's ears are open. He's never been the best at listening, but for this he can make an exception. 

"...Hey, do you think I'll get the ability to wield lightning chakra if I get struck by lightning?" Naruto wondered aloud after a few moments of silence. Kurama's heavy sigh was answer enough.

~~~~

The Uzumaki were not just worshippers of the sea and all it had to provide, were not just beloved by it. They were masters of it, of its waters and the navigation of them. Whilst their specialty lied in seals, they were clever in the crafting of other things too.

Their proficiency in the construction of ships had been only offhandedly mentioned by Naruto's mom. Something she spoke of in passing, brushing it off as a menial detail of their identity. Perhaps it's because she left too young to truly experience the art, or perhaps sealing really had been the forefront of everything the Uzumaki were. Either way, Naruto finds himself floored when the first vessel comes into view.

The water has calmed. The rain is down to a slight patter, weighing down the blonde spikes of Naruto's hair and making his headband feel heavy against his forehead. A thick fog has rolled in, making it near impossible to see more than a two dozen or so feet in any direction. The waves gently carry him, and Naruto just has to trust that he's being brought the right direction.

The silence is almost deafening. The lapping of the water becomes white noise, leaving nothing else in its wake. Even Kurama seems to have a new tension in him, not a word escaping him or Naruto as their boat is carried forward by a seemingly invisible force. They both know they're close-- which really shouldn't be possible, honestly.

It should've taken days to reach Uzu. The fact that they're so close now-- close enough for Naruto to feel it in his bones and behind his teeth-- is a testament to the severity of the storm they went through. Hours spent propelled faster than any wind could've taken them, bouncing from arch to arch of sea.

At first, Naruto thinks he must be imagining the loud creaking noise. The sound whines and groans, almost like an injured animal. It isn't until Kurama's hackles raise that he realizes that no, that noise really is there. And it's getting closer.

"Are we about to die?" Naruto asks, squinting in to the fog for any sign of the noise's source. Kurama scoffs.

"You only ask that now? Are you serious?" Kurama sounded disgruntled. "I am the only reason you've lived this long. The only reason. Without me, you'd be cold in the ground right now."

Absolutely correct. Naruto would be so incredibly dead without Kurama that it's not even funny. That, however, does not answer his present question.

Before Naruto gets the chance to smarmily repeat it, something breaks through the fog. Massive, carved out of wood bleached by the sun, the intricate shape of a lion lunging out towers over him, casting a heavy shadow over him and his pathetic excuse for a boat. It is the bow of a ship, big and colored in chipping, worn paint. 

"Oh." Naruto's not ashamed to say his voice comes out a squeak. The massive ship gives another groan, drifting forward. It's angled in such a way that they'll only just barley skirt by it. "Shit." 

"Shit." Kurama agrees flatly, sounding unimpressed for some reason. Probably because he's a loser. Naruto doesn't know. He's too focused on this to ask.

It's bigger than literally any boat Naruto has ever seen in his entire life. Not that he's seen many, but still. Naruto cranes his head to take in the sheer size of it, boggling at the intricate carvings etched into the ship's side. They're seals, though he only recognizes certain layers of them. The rest are lost to him-- a testament to how much he still has to learn.

They're... they're magnificent. Painted in bold colors that have only just faded in the sun, they are still unabashedly bright. Vivid hues swirl across the strong wood that makes the ship up, and Naruto realizes somewhere along the way that this particular vessel must've been fashioned for war. The gunports in the hull tell him that much.

It's amazing. One of the most amazing things Naruto has seen by far. He takes in the artistry put into it and awes. This wasn't a boat that sought to sneak up on others, to blend in. It was a contrasting beacon to the dreariness and the blue around it, adorned by a tattered sail with the remnants of Uzu's bright red swirl proudly emblazoned on it.

Naruto could hardly imagine how powerful they must've been to be that loud about it. And he could only imagine the terror enemies felt, seeing that kaleidoscope of colors breach the horizon. Taking in this ship, aimlessly drifting around the outskirts of Uzu even after all this time, Naruto thought he understood why so many might come together to take them out. 

The people of Uzu had been a threat. And even in death, they still were. The ocean carried out that will.

"Did they--" Naruto cleared his throat when it came out croakier than he meant it to. "Did they have a lot of ships?"

Kurama was quiet for a moment. Naruto wasn't sure if he was being judged or if the fox was just thinking. He was too busy twisting around to stare after the boat as it sunk back into the fog, passing by him harmlessly. It was deadly quiet save for the agony of the wood, mildly warped from lack of care.

"Uzu was better known for their exploits, but that's mostly because they were the unchallenged masters of the ocean. In my memory, nobody contested them on the water-- and anyone who did met a swift end." Kurama sniffed a bit. "Nobody could construct vessels as they could. I do not know much about the way humans build their modes of transport, but I know it's not usual for cannonballs to bounce off wood like a rubber ball off a wall."

The seals. Barriers, or something repelling. Naruto wished he'd gotten a better look.

"That's so badass." Naruto couldn't quite keep himself from grinning. There was an odd ringing in his ears. "I want to build a ship. Can we build a ship?"

"Do you know anything about physics?" Kurama asked sarcastically. Naruto squinted. "And before you ask, hell no. I'm not giving you a crash course in naval architecture."

Wow. Quitter talk. Who wouldn't want to build a warship as a little side project? After getting that seal off Neji's forehead, Naruto was going to have so much free time. He would need something to fill the void, or else he'd inevitably get entrenched in something he wasn't supposed to.

"You won't do it, or you can't do it?" Naruto leaned back, squinting. He dropped his voice slightly, shifting-- his clothes were still damp, sticking to his skin uncomfortably. Salt water chafes. "Oh, wait. No, no, it's okay. I guess you can't know everything. I'll just pick a book up on it sometime. I bet Uzu has like, tons. Since you can't help me. Believe it."

Kurama growled, launching into a lecture almost immediately. Naruto's lips curled.

~~~~ 

Kakashi is having a day. 

First, Naruto's clones jump into the fray of the fight and almost kill all of them. Apparently one got away, though he really doesn't want to think about the implications of what that means right now. A feral version of Naruto, running around in the woods, resistant to being expelled and possibly mauling innocent civilians? That sounds like a recipe for...

Nope. No, not going to think about it right now. Kakashi will think about it the day he inevitably has to testify in court and not a day sooner. Right now, he's more focused on the fact that Naruto himself... apparently isn't here. 

It is horrifying. More horrifying than the demon brothers turning this C-rank into a B-rank, and more horrifying than Zabuza coming in after and shifting it into A-rank territory. At least Kakashi could deal with that. This, though? He's going to need to switch back to weekly sessions with Ayumu at this rate.

"So he came to sleep in here." Kakashi repeats for the millionth time. "And when you got up this morning, he was just... gone? Without a note or a preceding, very loud incident of some kind?"

"Yes." Sasuke answers drily, looking more unamused by the second. Kakashi purses his lips beneath his mask, gaze sliding to the messy, skewed bedroll next to him. It corroborated the story, but...

"We've been over this, Kakashi-sensei. He's gone, and Tazuna-san's boat is missing. He didn't even take anything with him." Sakura sounded genuinely distressed. Kakashi had sort of thought she hated Naruto. "I think he was taken, Sensei. Naruto would never abandon a mission!" 

Well. Never was a really strong word. The list of stuff Naruto wouldn't do was a lot shorter than the list of stuff he would.

Kakashi drummed his fingers anxiously. He wanted desperately to go back to sleep and pretend this wasn't happening, but unfortunately the responsibility of being a teacher had been bestowed (read: forced against his will) on him. Being in charge of Naruto inside the village was one thing. Being in charge of him outside of it?

Literally a living nightmare. One he's walking right now. And the letter from Minato, bubbly and full of adoring inquiries to Naruto about how the mission is going, only makes it all the worse. He can't know.

"...Okay. Okay, new mission." Kakashi took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. It did nothing to alleviate the ache in his temples. "First, under absolutely no circumstances can the Hokage know that Naruto is missing. Not now, not later, not ever. We will be eviscerated where we stand, likely by an uprooted tree. I may not have much will to live left dealing with you brats, but that is not how I'm going out." 

"An uprooted tree?" Sakura asked before she processed the rest of what he'd said, blinking rapidly. "Wait, are you telling us to keep something from the Hokage? But--"

Kakashi held up a hand, silencing her. She clearly didn't understand the stakes and he wasn't willing to explain them right now.

"Eviscerated." Kakashi reminded, with emphasis. "Second, we have to find Naruto. At all costs. Likely, he will show up on his own at the last second, half dead and potentially with some enemy-turned-friend he found and reformed on the way back. Until then, we have to keep up the guise of him not being missing."

Sakura looked like she sucked a lemon. Sasuke looked like he maybe understood, but also like he maybe didn't care. Fine by Kakashi. He didn't give a shit. As long as word didn't get back to Minato-sensei that Naruto was missing, he really didn't care what they did or thought. This wasn't a surprising situation, but it was a dire one.

If Kushina found out Naruto was missing? She'd shrug. She'd be fine. Maybe a little, mild freak out, but she had faith in her son. Naruto always defied odds and survived. With Kurama unsealed on his side, it was practically a law of nature that he'd bounce back from whatever was thrown his way.

Minato-sensei, on the other hand? His entire mental health and general existence hinged on his son. He would lose his fucking mind and they all knew it. The reins of sanity would slip from his hands, and he would implode into a devastated ball of potential destruction that would likely result in another great war, because Minato pointing fingers of blame would be unavoidable.

He was already spinning like a top over Naruto leaving the village. If he thought this mission went anything less than perfectly and without a hitch, they were all going to be toasted into a crisp, buttered, and served sliced. No exceptions made. 

Naruto was fine. When was he not fine? Well, aside from that time he died, but that was a one-off sort of situation. He was older now and he had Kurama. For as grouchy as the fox was, he wasn't about to let anything happen to his host. 

Kakashi ran his hands down his face, taking a deep breath. This was fine. Minato-sensei didn't have to know. It wasn't that serious yet, right? Right. There was no blood found, no severed limbs, no signs of a fight. If Naruto had been taken, he would've been as obnoxiously loud about it as possible.

They could do this. He'd send the dogs out as soon as he had the energy to summon them and they'd figure out where he went. If he did sail off alone like Sasuke said, then that at least meant he probably went willingly. That implied he'd come back-- though, tracking him down to drag him off would be a pipe dream in that case. There was no telling what direction he went.

"Okay. Alright." Kakashi dragged his hands down his face again, looking at his other two students tiredly. "Do either of you know how to fabricate Naruto's handwriting? Because if we don't get a letter back to Minato-sensei today, he's going to be here before the sun rises tomorrow." 

Sasuke made a face, which he was going to take as a yes. Kakashi wondered if Tsunami had any paper they could borrow.

Chapter Text

Third person pov

Sasuke went to the academy with Naruto for too long not to know how to fabricate his handwriting, luckily for all of them. Enemies or not, that chicken scratch of his had been practically impossible to miss.

"Get into the character of Naruto." Kakashi was looming over the Uchiha's soldier, anxiety radiating off of him. Tsunami had been kind enough to find him an old crutch to use, and he was a menace now that he was mobile again. "Make up as many cute scenarios that could plausibly have happened in the amount of time that we've been gone and add them in, too. To minimize the chances of him showing up. But-- not too cute, or he might get upset he's missing them and come anyway."

Sakura's nose scrunched up. Sasuke could feel his eye beginning to twitch. 

"What does that even mean?" Sasuke grit out. "Cute scenarios-- what, like him running into a litter of puppies and befriending them all?"

It was meant to be sarcastic, but a single glance at Kakashi showed that the man was absolutely eating it up. He looked at Sasuke like he'd just struck gold.

"Exactly that." Kakashi breathed out. His one visible eye narrowed. "Do you think there are any puppies around here? It'll be more believable if we have Naruto bring one back with him."

Naruto, who was MIA currently and had given no indication of any kind that he'd be back anytime soon. He had until the bridge was finished to show back up, which sounded like a lot of time, but realistically? Naruto was always going to get into the absolute most amount of trouble possible.

Sasuke understood, sort of. On the off chance that he managed to stumble his way back over here-- assuming he hadn't been capsized by a shark and subsequently eaten in the process-- they would need as solid a background story as humanly possible if they didn't want the Hokage to sniff out their lies. That man was batshit insane when it came to Naruto.

But again, that was an off chance. Naruto's luck was so hit-or-miss that he was either going to pull through perfectly fine, or his body was going to wash up on the shore. No in-between. Kakashi was being optimistic, wanting to look for a puppy when they didn't even know if Naruto was going to make it back in one piece or not.

"Kakashi-sensei, you can't be serious." Sakura sounded incredulous. Kakashi gave her a flat look.

"Eviscerated, Sakura." He reminded, voice dead with its seriousness. "Sasuke, start writing. Sakura? We've got until the end of the day to find a puppy. Minato-sensei will know if it's too young or too old, so we need one the right age. Chop chop."

Sasuke sighs hard through his nose but doesn't bother trying to say no. On some level, he knows Kakashi is right. If anything is off, Naruto's dad is going to know. And it's going to be them answering for it. 

Personally? Sasuke would rather like to keep his headband. And his life. He refuses to lose it because that moron walked himself off a pier. 

"Fine." Sasuke grumbled, slightly venomous. He couldn't believe his first mission out of the village was amounting to this. Really, he should've seen it coming considering he got stuck with Naruto as a teammate. "Go get the stupid dog. But after this, you're going to actually teach us something. Or I'll send the Hokage a letter telling the truth myself."

It's a bluff, because doing that would be suicide. Kakashi probably knows it's one, but that doesn't stop him from jolting back, a look of dawning terror encroaching upon his expression. He straightens as much as his injuries allow him, looking newly frantic.

"Consider it a deal. Sakura." He cocked his head sharply. "Now."

Sakura looked like she wanted to argue, but whatever she saw on what little was visible of their teacher's face was enough to stop her in her tracks. She sighed and stood up instead, expression twisted into one of general disdain. Sasuke hated that he could relate.

Turning back to the blank parchment in front of him, Sasuke took a deep breath and tried to dumb himself down. After all, there was no way this letter was going to sound like Naruto otherwise.

~~~~~~~

The boat scrapes up on the gravelly shore of the island, and Naruto knows immediately, without a shadow of a doubt, that he is on Uzu.

His sandals hit the sand and it comes to him as a certainty. It crawls through his veins, washes up and and over his spine like the waves that lap at his ankles. The obscuring fog lessens, like doors opening up to let him inside. Naruto can feel himself be recognized, and the next breath of air he takes in brings with it a sense of familiarity that isn't his own.

Kurama is strangely silent, cowed in the face of such a strange sensation. Nothing about the island feels natural, and yet Naruto has never felt more at ease on foreign land. He feels like nothing can touch him here. Like something stronger and older than even Kurama has looked him in the eyes and smiled.

Tentatively, Naruto takes a step forward, and then another. That tugging sensation is back and stronger than ever. He's so close. The island knows it and it wants him here, ushering him along with whispers that whistle past his ears like gusts of wind. 

The sounds swirl around him in a way that should be disorienting, but Naruto is clear and steady as ever. Sun refracts off the sea glass and different stones scattered amongst the shore, which is littered with an array of colorful shells. Bright and loud, just like the ships.

A path comes into view, paved with red brick reminiscent of his mother's hair. It's overgrow by wild brush and a tangle of flowers he doesn't recognize, but the plants almost seem to lean away to let him through as he sets on it.

For such an abandoned island, Naruto cannot help but notice the way it teems with life. Birds sing, and twigs crack under the foot of active wildlife, and plants arch towards the sun. As heavy as the rain was coming in, the sky above Uzu is clear, and the rays of sun have no trouble beaming down at him and warming Naruto's skin. 

His clothes dry, feeling strangely soft when they do. Naruto's chakra hums, and something embedded in the very earth of the island hums back. Home. This is home. This is where his blood originated from, where it will always have a place should he seek it. 

Naruto needs something from his ancestors, and Uzu has made sure to get it to him. Maybe it's weird that such a realization makes Naruto want to cry. He's been given a lot in life-- he got his parents back, a brother, the best friends in the world, and he got a bond with Kurama that no one else has ever had the honor of having. 

This is just different. This is something bigger than all of them put together, and it's reached out a hand to him and guided him here. It pulled him here, a rope tethered, and made sure he got here safe. The very sea had cradled him, and Naruto's throat feels tight at those implications.

"Don't get too emotional." Kurama mutters, though his voice is low too. In respect for Uzu and those whose bones forever rest here, perhaps. "Keep going. You're almost there. Try not to cry-- I don't need anymore headaches from you today."

Naruto's nose scrunches up as he ducks under another tropical looking leaf. He's about to open his mouth to tell him that he's not going to cry, and that crying over something like this would be a totally weak move on his part, but he doesn't get the chance to get the words out. They're dying in his throat before they're even halfway up. 

He carefully slips between a flowery pair of bushes, and there it is. The fallen village of Uzushiogakure. 

(It is more magnificent than his mother's words could ever, ever serve justice to.)

The buildings are ancient, domed with gold tile that shines like treasure in the light. Intricately carved wood lines it, framing it into sections and twisting into spires at the top. The etchings are just as complex as the ones he'd seen on the ship, depicting waves and animals and unique swirls he's certain are seals.

The buildings are a mixture of brick and hand-painted stoneware. More seals glaze their surfaces, disguised expertly amongst patterns and bright colors Naruto hadn't even realized existed, they're so vibrant. The houses are vivid conglomerations of art and power, and Naruto suddenly realizes exactly why this place feels as alive as it does.

It's because in some ways, it is. The chakra of all those who stepped foot here before him still swims through these seals. It is weaved in the very foundation of these walls, in the stone of the street, carved into the concrete with a careful hand. The Uzumaki clan had breathed their very essence into everything they made, and it had stuck.

Naruto doesn't feel alone, standing here. The city is empty, but it doesn't feel abandoned. They're all still here, in the fountain ahead of him that still spurts crystal clear water, and in the window sills with swirling foxes painted on them. In the overgrown flowerboxes with vines spilling over the sides, and in the gold doorknobs forged hot in a fire and molded by chakra to be solely unique.

An entire culture sits before him, and it's his to claim. Parts of the city have been destroyed-- he can see holes in walls, and broken windows, and gaps where doors should be. He can see cracks in the road and shattered rooves. He can see bones, stark white against the colorful backdrop, left here to rot.

Naruto blinks rapidly, bringing a hand up to his cheek. His fingers come back wet. He swallows thickly. Inside of him, Kurama is quiet and solemn.

"Th-They were killed here." Naruto stutters, because the people of Uzu made all of this. They were creative, and bright, and strong. They were an entire clan, with a past, with ambitions, with wishes, with feelings. They were his family, and nobody had come to help them when they needed it. "They're gone now." 

They're gone now, and the island hurts for it. Uzu screams. Naruto understands the rage of the ocean more than ever now, feeling this chakra rush through him, knowing the ones who put it here were cut down where they stood. In their homes, and in their streets. 

Children, slaughtered where they should've been safe. Shinobi, feeling helpless and desperate. Mothers, bloodied and clenching their teeth. Fathers, feelings like failures. Men and women, fighting hard, taking down as many as they could, even knowing they were overwhelmed.

Their blood sunk into the grooves of these roads. Their souls never left, steering the waves, screaming at the skies. There is no rest here. They echo, and they will echo for all eternity, even when they're forgotten and there's no one left to hear them. 

"They're gone." Kurama agrees quietly. 

Naruto lets himself stand there and take it in. He lets himself cry. He doesn't say a word more, and Kurama doesn't either. Uzu takes Naruto's grief as though it is an offering-- a gift. It sings back to him. 

Something reaches out to him once more. It's warm, reminiscent of his mother's chakra chains and his father's hugs. It feels like the flowers he and Kurama created. It feels like Kashi's grin. It feels like Ayumu's laugh. It feels like Shikamaru's lazy shadows, and Lee's whoops of victory. 

Naruto cries harder. He doesn't have anything else aside from his tears to offer Uzu, but the island doesn't seem to mind. Naruto doesn't know if that makes it better or worse. 

(Crying over something like this is decidedly not totally weak. That, at least, Naruto is sure of now.)

~~~~~~~

It's getting dark when Naruto finally gathers himself up enough to let himself be tugged again. Uzu is patient and Kurama doesn't make fun of the way he sniffles and hiccups, even if his lip does curl at the way Naruto wipes his running nose on his sleeve.

"God, you are disgusting. Children are disgusting." Kurama is curled up and yawning, though he doesn't let himself drift off like he normally would. That alone shows how much he cares. "Why do I put up with you again?"

"You love me." Naruto chokes out petulantly, voice a little raspy from crying. He frowns. "I think I just shed enough tears to fill a kiddie pool. I'm probably going to shed more. I mean, this is just--"

Heinous. Inhumane. Awful in literally every sense of the word. Any synonym with one of those works, really. 

The bones in the street are in perfect condition. Naruto tries not to look too closely at them, but he can't help but notice the breaks in the ivory. He can't help but envision the exact ways they died, and all the ways they suffered before they did. People were afraid of Uzu, and Uzu suffered for it.

A part of him wants to bury them. He thinks it might be appropriate. He doesn't think the island would be mad, but--

The people of Uzu do not want to rest. Perhaps they'll be ready one day, but today isn't that day. They want to be in their homes and in their streets. The village is a city of ghosts, and Naruto can feel that they want to inhabit it, even in death. Naruto has to respect that.

"Yeah." Kurama acknowledges with a harsh exhale. "Yeah, brat. It's... humans are capable of some of the most vile atrocities that have ever laid waste to this world of yours. For all that they point fingers at us tailed beasts, they have just as much capacity to be monsters."

Naruto thinks back to the time before his dad, when people would throw things at him and call him names and try to kill him in various ways, and he grimaces. Cruelty, he understands perfectly.

"It's ass. All of this is just-- it's ass." Naruto's throat tightens again as he looks over the mesmerizing architecture. How much care and love had been put into the creation of these homes, he wonders? "I came here to learn about cursed seals, not get sucker-punched by my feelings. This was..."

"Genocide." Kurama provides bluntly. Naruto takes a deep breath. "It was a genocide. Sacred holiday had brought the residents of Uzushiogakure back to congregate, and their enemies monopolized that. Your mother was only spared thanks to being wrapped up in the war. Everyone else was here."

Sacred holiday, and they'd been killed. Naruto is all for world peace and stuff, but holy shit. He's not sure he wants to take the high road on this one.

"Fuck." Naruto mutters, clenching his teeth. His mother's bottled up anger is starting to make a whole lot more sense, fiery personality aside. "This is so messed up. I mean-- I'm glad I'm getting to see it, but I feel like I have been irrevocably changed from this entire like... thing. Believe it."

Naruto's feet carried him to a quaint house on the corner. Well, quaint wasn't quite the right word, honestly. By Konoha's standards, none of these homes were humble, all of them with a unique flare that set them apart. 

This one had a concrete pathway that was swirled with different sand tones, marbles embedded in its surface. The windows on either side of the heavy door were stained glass, still in tact, if not a little dusty. There was a gold knocker on the door, a fox with a sly look on its face.

"Goody. More irreversible changes to your personality." Kurama intoned drily. He sounds tired. Naruto gets the impression that he's squinting. "This home looks... familiar to me." 

And isn't that just great. That sounds like more trauma just waiting to happen, but whatever. In for a penny, in for a pound. Naruto reaches out for the knob, which is warm under his palm. It turns without resistance, the hinges squeaking as he swings the door open.

A rush of uncannily cool air meets him head on, ruffling his hair. This is another welcome, different than the one Naruto got stepping off that boat. It feels eerily personal.   

The house isn't completely trashed, though it's obvious some sort of struggle went down here. Naruto steps in tentatively, almost afraid he might be trespassing even with the slight breeze that seems to coax him forward. Dust stirs as his sandals settle on the beached hardwood, eyes adjusting to the lighting change.

The house is full of windows, fluttering, sheer curtains covering them. Seashell windchimes hang from the ceiling, the couches made of soft leather. There's a handmade quilt over the back of one that Naruto can't help but reach out and run his hands over.

Some of the stitches are crooked, others neat. Two sets of hands working together-- a lesson in yet another one of Uzu's traditions, likely shared between a parent and child. Naruto resists the urge to scoop the blanket it up and wrap it around his shoulders, eyeing the different squares of fabric and wondering if they wove and dyed those by hand too. 

Inside him, Kurama prickles. Naruto flinches slightly at the way his chakra goes sharp. The fox inhales audibly. 

"Naruto." He rumbles out, almost like a warning. Naruto turns almost on instinct and freezes.

Through the doorway directly to his right is a traditional dining room. The table is overturned and there's old blood splattered on the walls, staining them. That's not what catches Naruto's attention, though. 

The painting centered on the wall is big and carefully done in oils, the frame made with care. The seals on it are ones Naruto recognizes to be preserving, meant to keep the paint looking fresh and clean even in the worst of conditions. It's done wonders.

There's a man and woman depicted in the picture, grins on their face. And between them, beaming so wide it looks like it hurts, is a little girl that is unmistakable even at that age.

It's his mom. Bright-eyed, probably around the age Naruto was when his dad came back to life. She looks happy, cheeks rosy and hair just as bright as her mother's. Naruto is frozen in place staring at it, hands curling into fists so tight his knuckles go white.

"Oh." Naruto squeaks out, voice small. He once again feels like he's been sucker punched in the gut. The sensation that brought him here to begin with coos, and Naruto views it through a new lens as he gazes at the faces of what are very clearly his grandparents. 

"Oh." Kurama agrees, sounding as though he may be cringing. He pauses. "...Are you going to cry about this too?"

Naruto bursts into tears. Because yeah, obviously he's going to cry about this. He falls back onto the couch and puts his face in his hands, taking deep breaths and forcing himself not to look. Outside, wind rattles the loose shutters. Kurama's chakra heats up and fights the chill the draft brings, peripherally comforting.

This is so messed up. Naruto hadn't really thought about what coming here would actually be like. He'd known they'd been massacred, but seeing and knowing were two very different things. It was so much realer, being here. Naruto just... he needed a moment. 

He should've thought more about the implications of venturing to Uzu. Though, it's not as if he'd really gotten much of a say. He'd been asleep when the whole thing happened. Uzu had clearly thought he was ready to come here, but sitting here? 

Naruto really wasn't sure. He certainly didn't feel ready.

Kurama doesn't rush Naruto. Naruto doesn't rush himself either, because this entire thing is just-- a whole new level of fucked that Naruto has never broached into before, shockingly. Neji may be free from the Hyuga clan by the end of this, but he's going to owe Naruto for life for this one.

"I'm a good friend. I'm a great friend who never breaks his promises, believe it." Naruto scrubs at his face. "I'm already here. Literally already here. Point of no return. May as well get it over with." 

"Are you talking to me or yourself?" Kurama yawned. "There there. Reassurance. It'll all work out. Sunshine and rainbows. Flowers. Puppies. Ramen-- you love that stuff." 

"You are so bad at this." Naruto muttered, sighing. He sat himself up fully, feeling tired and suddenly super hungry. He tensed when he felt something slide off his shoulders and pool down his back. He twisted around. 

The quilt was there, unfolded and shaken free of dust. Naruto stared at it blandly. Yeah. Yeah, Neji was going to owe him through this life and the next for this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Naruto sleeps on the couch that night, curled up under the quilt. There's instant ramen in the cabinets, somehow. It's sort of stale and Kurama might have to fight off some food poisoning, but it takes more than that to bring Naruto down. He brushes off the brief sway of his stomach and gets to business. 

Sleep and food makes everything better. Naruto views the house through new eyes and it's not as devastating as it was the night before. It still hurts-- the grief is there and so is the sorrow, but Naruto breathes through it. 

It happened. He can't change it. Those facts are set in stone.

What Naruto can do is get to know the people who were once here. He can learn about them and who he is, and he can be as respectful as he can manage. It's not the best, but it's better than nothing. Naruto gently collects what little photos he can find of his grandparents, family, and their friends-- his mom will want them. 

Keeping this whole trip a secret isn't worth her not getting these again. Naruto is feeling this loss secondhand. He hadn't even been alive when they died. In contrast, his mother had been young, whisked away her home to become Konoha's Jinchuriki thanks to her impressive reservoir of chakra, even for an Uzumaki. 

It must have been impossibly hard to lose them and be unable to do a thing about it. Naruto takes in the bright colors of his mom's childhood bedroom, still set up as though just waiting for her to come home and visit. His heart feels heavy. 

Only a few things call to him. Naruto gathers them up. He pulls the painting off the wall and doesn't look at the blood dried and flaked on the floor, turned brown after years left to sit undisturbed. He scoops up the quilt, and the plush toy that sits on his mom's bed. 

There's a hand carved wooden spoon in the kitchen he plucks out, and a book sat on the small table in the hall. He doesn't open his grandparents' room. The trail of blood that leads there tells him of what's likely inside, and he knows he won't be able to bear seeing it.

"Alright." Naruto dusts off the containment scroll he found tucked away in a jacket pocket in the hall closet, looking at his haul outside. He'd brought it all to sit by the fountain, not sure how much longer he could stand to stay in the house knowing what had happened there. "Sweet. Familial obligation fulfilled, believe it."

"Can't wait to bear witness to all the therapy sessions that will be borne from this very moment." Kurama's voice is laden with sarcasm, though he doesn't judge Naruto for his hasty retreat. The island doesn't seem to either, nor does the house. 

It had welcomed him. Showed him what he needed to see-- he'd witnessed and gathered snippets of their life there. His grandfather's fishing lures, and his grandmothers sewing. The seals of their specific design, painted carefully on the walls, bright and loud as they must've been. Their chakra had still thrummed through those walls.

It was a brief introduction, but enough. Naruto let out another breath. He didn't feel the pull to go back. They'd met him and they felt content, and Naruto had gotten exactly what he needed from them and then some. 

"Man. So much for monthly sessions. Ayumu is going to be spinning on his head." Naruto unraveled the scroll. It looked a little different than most storage scrolls, though not by much. He flipped it to the sealing side, letting his chakra pour into it. "Now we've just got to find out where they were keeping all their super secret sealing clan knowledge and--"

The items he collected from the house were quickly sucked into the scroll. Next to him, the fountain gave an ominous rumble. Naruto paused, pursing his lips as he slowly turned to look at it. 

The water flowing through it sputtered a few times before turning off completely. Naruto made an effort to withdraw his chakra, pursing his lips harder when it refused. It flowed out through his feet instead, leeching out and into the ground beneath him against his will. 

Around him, several seals lit up blue. Flickers of Kurama's gold popped off like additional fireworks as light rushed through the grooves between the bricked road, circling the fountain. Naruto struggled to keep up with the rush of energy, following it as it filled in spaces he hadn't even realized were here before.

It wasn't just that there were seals carved into the bricks. This entire road--

"It's all a seal." Kurama didn't sound particularly surprised. The fountain drained of water, rumbling some more. "Your luck is truly something to behold, Kit. I don't even know why I bother anymore."

The stones of the fountain made a loud grinding noise as they shifted. Naruto leaned forward as they dropped, stairs spiraling down into a dark well. The dimness was quickly lit by the flickering on of candles, held aloft by gold sconces.

"In literally any other situation this would be a bad idea." Naruto peered down the stairwell skeptically, jamming the sealing scroll in his pocket as best he could. A weird hum was echoing up the chasm. "Chances of me getting murdered?"

"On a deserted island? Zero to none." Kurama ushered, tails flicking. "Though with your track record, it wouldn't be much of a shock. If it's statistically going to happen to someone, it'll be you. Every single time."

Naruto wasn't sure if that was an insult, a fact, or some mixture of the two. If he dies, he'll have to remember to save Kashi a seat on the other side. Since Naruto's dad will be killing him in cold blood where he stands the moment the news of his being missing drops. They really are on a time crunch, aren't they?

Naruto hesitantly stepped over the rim of the fountain. There was no dampness from the water. Naruto wonders if he could adapt whatever seal did that part to operate in their bathroom, since Kashi fucking floods it every time he showers.

Naruto has no idea what the man's doing to turn the entire floor into a swimming pool, but Naruto's gotten his socks wet one too many times to be okay with it. Something has to give.

"You're entering the ancient stronghold of the Uzumaki clan and you're thinking about your bathroom floor?" Kurama sounded utterly unimpressed. It was the same tone he'd used when Naruto woke up in their shared mindscape last night and immediately began ranting about how to couch he fell asleep on was too comfortable to just be sitting there for all eternity with no one to enjoy it.

"It's a serious issue. One day I'm going to slip and that'll be what takes me out, believe it." Naruto grimaced. "Why's it smell like a peat bog in here? And before you say it's because we're by an ocean, I mean it's a strong smell. Think Gai that one time he spilled eighteen bottles of soy sauce on himself after trying to juggle them."

Naruto gets the distinct impression that he's being judged. Simultaneously, Kurama also seems relieved. Naruto hasn't cried once today, acting notably more like himself. This entire trip is quickly shaping up to be a journey of self discovery, but Naruto's holding strong. Or-- stronger than most would in this situation, anyway.

"Everyone you know is pathetic." Kurama grouses. The flickering candles are making this whole dungeon place way more ominous. "And it's not a dungeon."

"If it looks like a dungeon, and smells like a dungeon, and is built like a dungeon, it's probably a dungeon. Believe it." Naruto halted as he came to the last step. The sound of him coming to a stop echoed in the tall room before him. "Woah."

It was... massive. The entire door was a seal, shining gold, like it'd been polished just yesterday. Naruto can't even begin to imagine how they must've made it. He can only guess the different chakra natures they must have had to wield to bend it with such accuracy. There's no room for error in seals, and metal can be unforgiving even on its best days.

The energy that thrums through the island is strongest here. It's physical against his skin, a static that races up his arms and across his shoulders. If Uzushiogakure has a heart, Naruto is certain this is it. 

It had seemed like an accident that he stumbled upon this place, but it wasn't, was it? None of this was. For all that Naruto's life has been full of the impossible and strange, sporadic chance encounters that all cumulate to the conclusion of him having the shittiest luck known to mankind, this isn't that.  

This is all intentional. He was brought here not by fate, or accident. There'd been a call and this was the answer. 

Realistically, Naruto shouldn't know how to open the door. There's no handles and he's never actually been here before, so how would he have any idea where to start? This thing is probably booby-trapped to the nines to keep intruders out. Not that anyone seemed to have discovered it down here.

There'd probably be bones down here if they had. And the fountain wouldn't have been working, that's for sure.

Despite never once standing before this door, Naruto steps forward anyway. His chakra swirls in an odd spiral in both hands, almost like a Rasengan is trying to form. Naruto lets it, raising his arms and letting his palms come to sit on the left and right of the centered yin yang seal respectively.

There are layers among layers, unlike anything he's ever seen. Naruto bets there's more embedded beneath the layers of metal, inlaid with crystal to keep their form against the scorch of fresh metal being poured over. He takes a deep breath as something in him corkscrews outwards, heat radiating through his fingers.

His chakra surges out of him, lighting the door up into a miasma of colors. Despite himself, Naruto can't help but grin.

Chapter Text

Third person pov

"Well, the bad news is that there's not a single puppy on this entire island." Kakashi says once he and Sakura finally stumble back into Tazuna's house hours after leaving. "The good news is that there's an abundance of raccoons, and Naruto was stupid enough to mistake the Nine Tailed Fox for a giant rat. I think we can sell it." 

Sasuke shot them both an unimpressed glare from where he'd been moving through various stretches, having long since sent the fake letter off. Kakashi didn't have a hair out of place, brandishing the baby raccoon he'd pilfered forward like it was some sort of a weapon. 

In contrast, Sakura looked like she'd just come back from the trenches of war. Mud smearing her face, hair in disarray, and clothing stiff in a way that implied she'd gotten soaked by salt water at one point and had it dry. She looked like she'd been gone three years, not three hours.

"Are you serious? That thing probably has diseases." Sasuke scoffed out. Sakura made a face that heavily implied she'd already tried this argument with him. Clearly, it hadn't worked. "You do realize that means we have to take care of that thing now, right? Until that moron finds his way back."

"If he finds his way back." Sakura muttered under her breath. 

Kakashi gave a closed eye smile. The baby raccoon in his hand made some vague squeaking noise. It had its tiny hands smacked over its eyes, as if to shield itself from the horror before it. Sasuke could honestly relate right about now.

"This is a wonderful teaching opportunity." Kakashi seemed to decide, because of course he did. "Discipline is vital for any shinobi! However, it's important to retain a soft, caring touch when dealing with any children or civilians that may get caught in the crossfire. Being able to do so under any circumstance, and in any state, is going to be a core skill."

Sasuke eyed him dubiously, wondering where this was even going. His eyes widened when Kakashi took a hobbling step towards him, his crutch still jammed under one arm. With the other, he reached out. 

The raccoon was small. In a certain light, Sasuke could maybe see how it would be mistaken as a puppy. Maybe. Excusing its opposable thumbs and the fact that Naruto, though an idiot, had grown up with dogs. Sasuke would know-- the moron had brought that asshole pug with the smoker voice with him to school every day whilst he was in the academy. 

Surely he wasn't actually stupid enough to mistake a raccoon for a dog. Sasuke has zero faith in Naruto's intellectual abilities, but come the hell on. Even if Naruto is stupid enough for it, no way in hell his dad buys their story.

"Don't you dare." Sasuke hissed out. Kakashi dropped the raccoon. Sasuke's hands flew up, catching it on reflex.

"It needs milk every four hours on the dot! It eats in another two." Kakashi chirped out joyfully. Sasuke stared up at him in horror, raccoon cupped precariously in hand. "Good luck! You and Sakura can take shifts!" 

And then he cheerfully swept his way out the door, leaving Sasuke and Sakura to stand there staring at one another. Sasuke could feel his eye twitching, chakra swirling in his temples, threatening to make his Sharingan bleed through. Sakura just looked defeated. Clearly, she'd seen this coming.

Grimacing, Sasuke slowly looks down at the raccoon. He holds it as far away from him as possible as it shakily tries to balance itself up. It's young. Tiny, fragile, and with beady black eyes. There's a distinct lack of coordination as it tries to mindlessly pull itself out of his grip and flop onto the floor.

It's just a baby. Now that they've all touched it, there's no way the mother will be wanting it back. They're stuck with the thing. Based on the growing grimace on Sakura's face, she knows it too.

Silently, they look back up at one another again. A wordless communication passes between them. Sasuke will take the first shift. Sakura needs a shower.

"This better be worth it." Sakura says darkly. Sasuke scowls. 

"Either way, I'm killing that orange idiot." He lowers the raccoon awkwardly, peering down at it with narrowed eyes. It looks utterly terrified. "Wait. Where the hell are we supposed to get milk?"

"I just spent three hours trudging through the middle of the rainy, foggy woods. I fell in a sinkhole and almost drowned. I'm pretty sure Naruto's weird, feral clone was still out there and stalking us from the shadows trying to decide if it could eat us." Sakura shivered slightly, sending Sasuke an uncharacteristically sharp look. "All you had to do was write a letter. You figure it out."

And then she was sweeping out the door with as much dignity as someone who looked like they'd lost a fight with a mud puddle could. Sasuke glared after her as she went, though he couldn't really find it in himself to begrudge her. They were both stuck in this shit together.

Sighing, he looked down at the raccoon again. It was starting to give up its struggle, seeming to realize it wasn't going to be able to escape and instead settling for going limp and covering its face again. It looked cold.

"Alright. Baby raccoon, then." Sasuke muttered sarcastically. "The epitome of the ninja life. How hard can it be?"

~~~~~~~~~

So like, remember when Naruto went down that super secret staircase and came to that super secret door? He'd sort of thought it would be an in and out job. Like, he'd go into the vault, get what he needed, and see himself out. 

Turns out that was like, the most wishful thinking known to mankind. What the Uzumaki made beyond that door wasn't just a little room full of their most precious secrets. It wasn't a come in, find what you need, come out situation. Not even close.

Naruto opens those doors and there's... there's no words to fully describe it. The space is cavernous, so incredibly massive that Naruto can hardly wrap his head around it. An entire carved out den of space, with ceilings so high he has to strain his neck to see them. It's packed to the brim with rows upon rows of towering metal shelves, the etchings on them just as unique as the ones on the door.

It's all scrolls and books for as far as the eye can see. Seals light up the ceiling in a stretch of color, like the Uzumaki clan created and mapped their own constellations out just for this. Swirling depictions of whales and other sea life decorate the roof above him, pulsing bright with blues and purples so rich they seem alive.

Chakra is already otherworldly, but Naruto thinks this is the closest to real magic that he's ever seen.

It's unreal. Naruto spends so much time just standing there and taking it all in, breath stolen from him. It's the same feeling of awe that overcame him when he took in the enormity of the warship out at sea, but somehow so much more. For as old as Uzu's village is, this feels so much older.

The energy is palpable. The life of Uzu is concentrated here, and Naruto feels respect on the deepest level for all they did here. The sheer amount of knowledge here is enough for several lifetimes, and there's no telling if it extends beyond just this space. Naruto sees doors off to the side and can't help but wonder.

Swallowing thickly, Naruto takes his first step into the space and lets the chakra of the seals overhead wash over him. Kurama is quiet again, and Naruto can feel his wonder. It's a true testament to just how amazing this place is that a being as old as Kurama would be struck speechless by it too.

For a while, Naruto just walks the aisles. There's no dust down here. Everything is clean and the metal shiny, and the scrolls look well cared for where they sit in their respective spots. Everything has an allotted space. It's neat considering it's a stronghold, but maybe that makes sense. 

Naruto has come to find, in his time studying seals, that power can come in many forms. Sometimes, there is nothing more valuable than words. Than brushstrokes on parchment, passing on techniques that would've been lost otherwise. A chance to keep memory alive where it might've been forgotten. 

This place is sacred. Sacred like the shores of Uzu, like the streets of its colorful village, like the bows of its warships. Naruto takes a deep breath and the air is fresher than it should be. It smells like new paper and freshly cut wood, and he grins with the next breath he lets out. 

"Alright! This is gonna to take forever!" Naruto decides, because he knows without anyone or anything having to tell him that he won't be taking any scrolls out of this room. Anything he does bring with him will have to be a copy. "Shadow clone jutsu, go!"

He does the hand signs and watches as a few dozen clones pop out. Even then they're still dwarfed by the space, boggling around at it. Naruto sniffs a bit.

"You'll be here a while." Kurama noted idly, not sounding upset by the fact. 

"You're telling me. This is going to take ages." Naruto sighed. Hopefully his dad didn't catch on and flay Kakashi alive. He clapped his hands together, shaking his head and banishing the thought from his mind. "Nevermind that, though! Everyone, listen up! We're here to find information on cursed seals for Neji, got it? Anything that looks like it could be related, don't even worry about reading it all! Just bring it here!" 

"We can look for blank scrolls! For copying!" A couple of clones chime from off to the side in ringing unison. Naruto snaps his fingers and points at them. 

"Alright, you guys are on that! Everyone else, go look! If you see anything else interesting, bring that here too." Naruto scratched his cheek, squinting. "And, uh, try to remember where we got stuff? And also be careful! These are like, super ancient grounds. Believe it." 

The clones erupted into various salutes and confirmations, looking just as excited as Naruto felt. With one last nod, they all scattered. Naruto watched them vanish between shelves with a growing sense of adrenaline, planting his hands on his hips and looking up at the shelf right next to him.

It was ginormous. Naruto wasn't even sure where to start, there was just so much. He wanted to consume it all. He wanted to sear it all into his mind, but there just wasn't time. They'd come here for something specific. 

"There'll be time to come back one day." Kurama rumbled out. Naruto pouted a bit. "Gather and learn what you can. The rest will wait."

Learn what you can. Naruto can do that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So." Kushina whispered as lowly as she could. "We both agree that letter is total bullshit and Naruto is definitely missing and/or unavailable for some reason, right?"

Next to her, Ayumu winced and gave a miniscule nod, not looking away from Minato for even a second. Not that the man was paying them any attention.

The letter from "Naruto" had come half an hour ago, but Minato was still huddled in the corner reading over it obsessively. It was actually a little concerning, as was the hysterical giggles he'd give out in three-to-five minute intervals. Kushina hadn't realized just how deeply his separation anxiety ran. 

It was out of hand. Like, so extreme that it almost seemed exaggerated. Like something out of a really cringey fanfiction written by someone who had no idea what they were doing. Minato had experienced at least four separate mental breakdowns since Naruto left and was seemingly doing very little to cope.

Him starting the reestablishment of the council had been good. If he could just stay on that vein of productivity without falling into a weird, twitchy episode of sheer panic-- where his mind came up with every scenario that could've possibly gone wrong with Naruto-- that'd be great. 

(Not that he was wrong, since that letter was definitely forged. Something had happened. More than likely, it had been Sasuke who wrote the thing, or maybe Kakashi if he'd memorized Naruto's handwriting.)

"Him finding and befriending a group of puppies is what really put it into unbelievable territory for me." Ayumu murmured, shaking his head slightly. "The Land of Waves is a poor country. Many people can't afford to have pets."

Minato let out another round of giggles. Kushina and Ayumu winced.

"We can't tell him. I'm sure they'll work it out. If it were serious, they would've sent for help." Kushina ran a hand through her hair a bit anxiously. "I already had to stop Minato from mailing a thunder kunai to him. He's barely holding himself back from storming all the way down there himself. Naruto had six Hiraishin seals on his person before he left. It took two hours to go through all his stuff to peel them off."

"It's not healthy." Ayumu agrees, grimacing. "We have no choice but to keep up the guise for now, however. If he thinks Naruto is having a good time full of sunshine and rainbows, that will at least keep him at bay this time. I think a new round of therapy is definitely in order."

Minato hiccupped a bit, his giggling turning into what sounded suspiciously like tears. Kushina's wince deepened.

"Yeah. I love him, and I love Naruto, but he's got to let him grow up." Kushina shook her head. "Not that he's completely wrong to be worried. Naruto does have incredibly bad luck. Even worse than mine, ya know?"

Yeah, Ayumu knew. Naruto dying in the woods and getting kidnapped several times over was enough to prove that. Maybe Minato wasn't overreacting, actually. Maybe they should all be more worried. If all Naruto's casual excursions out of the village had gone sideways, who knows how wrong an actual mission had gone.

The Yamanaka shook his head, letting out a sigh. Naruto would be alright. With Kurama at his side, there was little he couldn't face down. What they needed to focus on now was keeping Minato here, in the village and distracted.

The pandemonium that would break out if he found out something was up... Ayumu didn't even want to think about it. Perhaps they should look into getting Minato a therapy animal. For his obvious anxiety.

"Naruto's a shinobi now. Minato will come around to the idea if Naruto can make it back unscathed." Ayumu sighed. "Until then, we just have to keep him calm."

Easier said than done now that Minato was crying. It didn't seem like distressed tears, at least? More over the sheer cuteness the mental image of Naruto befriending a bunch of puppies evoked than anything.

"Calm. We can do calm." Kushina nodded dutifully. Bravely, she took a step forward. "Minato! We should go get pet supplies for the puppy Naruto is surely going to bring back with him. He'll be tired once he definitely comes home super safe from his threat-free mission, ya know?"

The sobbing stopped abruptly. Minato's head popped over the side of the desk. He hiccupped slightly. 

"Pet supplies?" He asked, sounding tired. Kushina didn't allow her grin to strain around the edges. If they so much as breathed wrong about this, he was going to be gone.

"Pet supplies! We should get him a super cute bed of his own, since all the rest belong to Kakashi." Kushina nodded rapidly. "Come on! Let's go right this second. Just put the letter down nice and slow on the desk, alright? I love you and we should also go on a date that will take up the entire rest of the day!" 

Minato sniffled some more, hesitantly setting the letter down on the desk. Ayumu was furiously writing on his clipboard, offering a brief thumbs up when Kushina glanced back at him. Kushina gave one of her own back at him, letting out a breath of air.

Slowly, Minato stood. He looked like he'd just been through the emotional upheaval of the century. Longingly, his eyes fell on the letter again, fingers ghosting along its edges.

"Are you sure I can't bring it with us?" Minato asked sadly, staring at it. "I want to relive this moment forever. Also, don't the A's look a little off to you? Naruto writes with a very distinct slant, and--"

"Nope! It has to stay here!" Kushina clamped a hand down on her husband's wrist, eyes a little wild. Minato leaned away from her slightly as if she were the crazy one here. "I'm glad you love our son so much but you need to calm down. So, let's go! Chop chop! We can even get barbecue instead of ramen!" 

Minato let out a despairing noise as he was pulled away from the letter, but he didn't complain. As if he'd ever say no to his wife. Just the thought sounded like a sin. Kushina's always right, after all. 

Ayumu waved pleasantly at them as they went, holding his neon green clipboard in front of him like a shield. He felt exhausted. If someone came and told him several years had been shaved off his lifespan from this day alone, he'd completely believe them. 

Minato vanished around the corner, Kushina already jabbering his ear off about something or another. Ayumu waited a few seconds until he couldn't hear their voices anymore before he dropped his gaze down to the letter, his eyes narrowing. 

The letter is definitely not done by Naruto. Ayumu can tell because asking Naruto to write in a straight line would be like asking Kakashi to attend therapy with a positive attitude. It's not going to happen. And as soon as Minato calms down and comes back from his date, he's going to know that. 

Or he would, anyway. If the letter were still here.

"My first official duty as a council member." Ayumu decides, swiping it off his desk. He eyes the ceiling where the ANBU stationed still rest. "None of you saw anything."

There's no response aside from a faint tapping noise. Ayumu takes it as a confirmation. The ANBU aren't new at this-- they know what will happen, how Konoha will fall apart, if Minato suspects his son may in danger. He gives a curt nod of thanks, making to jam the paper in his pocket before pausing.

Slowly, he turns towards the oil lamp still flickering on the desk. He looks down at the letter. Really, the decision is an easy one to make.

(After all, Minato can't sniff the letter back out if it's ash, can he?)

~~~~~~~~~

The Uzumaki were beyond geniuses. They're so smart that Naruto actually sits back for a moment and genuinely contemplates how likely it is that he's actually related to them. He gets that he came out of his mom's womb and that's kind of hard to mistake, but come on.

This stuff is like, next level. This place is a well of knowledge, of techniques Naruto never could've imagined. He pours over it, invested in a way he's never been invested before. Suddenly, reading doesn't seem quite so hard anymore. Not when this is the content.

They were innovation given human form. Naruto had known that-- had known when he saw the seals incorporated into the village's architecture, into the ship's structure-- but this... they weren't just a threat. 

They could've taken down entire countries with this information if they wanted to. They could've leveled the other hidden villages, and they could've done it well.

He learns more than he ever thought there was to know about seal layers. His clones spend hours upon hours copying information down, and who would've thought that would make it stick better? Muttering it aloud to himself, jotting it down-- a lot of it implants itself conveniently in his brain.

Anything that doesn't, Kurama greedily devours. His memory is far better than Naruto's ever has been or will be. If Naruto's eyes glance over it, he knows it. If only that translated into the clones. If they could just master combining their chakra to make them...

"Absolutely not." Kurama's voice cuts through the train of thought before it can fully form. Naruto's nose scrunches up. "No. You make one of those things in here and it's going to start shredding scrolls with its bare teeth. We're not doing that."

Naruto thinks back to the way the clones had practically mauled Zabuza and yeah. Yeah, he really can't argue with that.

"Okay, but one day we're revisiting that. Believe it." Naruto sets the scroll he's reading down, sniffing a bit. "Can you imagine? Clones infused with your chakra that aren't the human embodiment of the rabies virus? It'd be epic!" 

"Epic." Kurama repeated dryly, apparently not sold. Certified killjoy.

"Epic." Naruto echoed with certainty, already imagining it. God, their enemies would never stand a chance. Naruto would never get kidnapped or almost killed in the woods again. Not if he could summon an army of non-feral attackers to do his bidding. "Maybe something in here can help us! I mean, we've already found the whole section of dual seals and how to combine chakras to activate them in different ways. Who knows what else there is."

Kurama hummed half-heartedly, though it wasn't a complete no. There was no way to say for certain exactly what was in here, after all. There was so much of it that it was hard to say exactly what the Uzumaki had dabbled in.

They'd been somewhat of a secretive clan. Kurama's lack of knowledge on them is evidence enough of that, seeing as he'd been in two Uzumaki's in his lifetime. Many of their ways had likely been lost when they died, laid to rest on this island. 

It might be better that way. Some of this stuff, nobody else had any right to touch. 

"Boss!" A clone hollered from... somewhere. It echoed oddly off the walls. Naruto and half his other clones twisted around to blink curiously as a group of five other Naruto's sprinted out from between two shelves, arms laden with scrolls. "We found it! We found the cursed seals section!" 

Naruto immediately lit up, popping to his feet. Several of his clones clamored to follow, swarming the others and snatching scrolls left and right.

"Alright! Neji'll be free in no time!" Naruto took a scroll for himself, grinning furiously. Fucking Hyuga clan, ruining his day. He's glad he came here, but he's serious. Lee owes him. Neji owes him. Both of them owe him. "Let's get reading, guys! This is why we came here!" 

The clones erupted with cheers. Kurama groaned.

"As if one of you wasn't already obnoxious enough. At least they're relatively quiet when they read." Kurama grumbled out. Naruto stuck his tongue out, plopping down hard on the ground. The scroll in his hands popped open with just the slightest bit of his chakra, unraveling smoothly. You'd never have guessed how old it was. 

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. I'm the most annoying creature on this godforsaken planet and you should've let me die." Naruto mocked, squinting down at the scroll. It was a lot of diagrams and tiny words in handwriting that was almost worse than his was. "You're in a bad mood today. Is it because you missed your nap?"

"No." Kurama scoffed, sounding offended and suspiciously like that may be exactly the reason. Naruto snorted. 

"I completely believe you." Naruto said wisely. He could practically feel Kurama's stink eye. "You can sleep later! This is important. Probably. What exactly am I looking at?"  

Kurama's pause wasn't very confidence inspiring. Naruto held his breath to prevent himself from blurting out some comment along the line of 'who's the slow thinker now, weenie', because he had a feeling that wouldn't go over super well. Kurama would curl up and go to sleep if Naruto dared.

A few seconds passed. The muttering of his own clones doing their best to study was the only sound aside from the distant twinkle of the seals overhead. Naruto would've thought the shifting colors would give him a headache after a while, but so far that hadn't been the case. If Naruto didn't know any better, he'd say they were somehow helping him focus better.

Naruto squinted, craning his neck to stare up at them again. The seals were so expertly woven amongst the pictures that you could easily miss them if you weren't looking. Naruto felt proud to have recognized their presence at all. 

"Look down again. I didn't get a good enough look at whoever's shit writing this is." Kurama snapped out. Naruto's head bobbed back down, eyes falling incomprehensibly on the scroll. "...It looks like the deconstruction process of a three-gear, multi-layered seal. Up to eight layers of deconstruction. There's likely more if you unravel it."

Naruto tilted his head slowly. 

"Okay. Believe it." Naruto agreed, because that... seemed right? "...Does Neji's seal have gears in it?"

"Not a single one." Kurama offered nonchalantly as ever, ears flicking. Naruto pursed his lips. "Or rather, not one we can see. There's no telling what's beneath each layer that isn't yet visible."

Great, cool. So basically Neji's seal could be made up of literally anything and they weren't going to have jack shit of an idea until they actually started taking it apart, a layer at a time. Working seals backwards had always been ass, but this was truly like, bottom of the barrel work out here.

Naruto respects all the work the Uzumaki put in here. This stuff is beyond his greatest comprehension and, until Kurama takes the time to explain it to him like he's a literal three year old, it's going to stay like that. But--

They're going to have to go through it all. Every single bit of it. All because Neji's stupid seal has more than one stupid layer-- one on the outside and who knows how many others elsewhere, with those stupid runes and spiral joints-- and Naruto might run into something he doesn't even know is there yet. He can't afford to skip anything and get stuck.

Neji could die if he did. It was a possibility Naruto refused to consider. For all he complained that this was ass, Lee is one of his best friends. Naruto won't let him down.

"Does it have anchors?" One of his clones asked hopefully, waving the scroll in their hand vaguely in the air. "This one is all about unweaving anchors from multiple layers deep. Believe it."

Naruto has no idea what the fuck an anchor even is.

"What the hell is an anchor?" Another clone voices in a mutter, sounding a little scared of the answer. The clone in question gives a pained smile.

"Apparently you like, put it on last. And it sinks through all the layers of the cursed seal and roots in place." The clone gave a somewhat crazed laugh, unraveling the scroll again. "Most of the time you don't even know they're there until you start trying to take off the outer layer and it either won't lift or starts to have an adverse reaction! And then you have approximately fifteen seconds to work before the seal retaliates! I've copied it all down!" 

Alright then!

This place is great and all, but it also might be the ninth circle of hell. It's getting progressively harder to tell. Naruto is not an academic. He is so far from an academic that he's not even view of the scholarly building of people who are scholarly. He's not even on the same planet.

"Well then how are we supposed to know if it has anchors? We haven't tried to take it off yet, believe it." Another clone complained. There were several noises of general distress. "You should read it again, though. That sounds like exactly the kind of fucked up thing the Hyuga clan would do. Believe it."

It did, didn't it? Naruto scrubbed at his eyes, feeling exhausted already. He had his work cut for him.

(Never let it be said that Naruto Uzumaki backed down from a challenge, though.)

~~~~~~~~~

The letter being gone when Minato gets back to his office sets him back three days. He almost falls into a state of mild psychosis. It takes several home videos of Naruto doing cute things played on a TV dragged to his office and set directly in his line of sight to snap him out of it. 

Does Minato have a problem? Majorly. Is it justified? In his eyes, absolutely. His son literally died once. He gets kidnapped two-thirds of the times he leaves the village. Minato's one singular baby, and you think he's not going to dote on every facet of his existence?

Hilarious. Yes Ayumu has put him in for twice a week sessions. But let's move on to the point.

The whole plan to give Konoha some sort of newspaper, beyond the cost of said newspaper, brings with it another issue: who's going to write the newspaper.

The idea would be that selling the newspaper at a decent rate would pay for the bulk of printing, and the addition of Konoha citizens being able to put out ads would pick up the rest and give them some wiggle room to save in case they had dry months. 

They'd start printing on a weekly basis. Four papers a month, maybe increasing to more if it were popular. Word of mouth simply wasn't working anymore. A flyer every so often wasn't cutting it. The civilians couldn't keep getting their news from faint rumors.

Minato was Hokage and couldn't write it himself seeing as that would be a huge conflict of interest. Not to mention his proposal draft for the first paper had basically been a dramatic ballad on how he had the best son in the world. Which he didn't really see a problem with, but come on now.

Ayumu would sooner die than put anything else on his plate, so he was off the table. They weren't willing to push it with him. The whole council wound was still fresh. They couldn't lose him to the madness or they'd all drown.

Kushina didn't have a very good way with words, nor was she a strong writer. None of the clan heads could do it because again, conflict of interest. That left Minato with... limited options.

"You want... us." Ino Yamanaka pointed at herself, gesturing to her two teammates with a flick of her hand. "To write the newspaper?"

"Isn't that still a conflict of interest?" Shikamaru yawned out, scratching the back of his neck and looking for all the world like he'd rather be literally anywhere else. "We may not be clan heads, but we're the heirs of three. We're also like, thirteen."

Minato nodded wisely. All amazing points, but they had yet to consider this: Minato has no friends. 

His social life is his immediate family and therefore he has no idea who else to nominate. The only reason he has any notion that these three may be a good fit is because he loves his son and pays attention to every single miniscule word he breathes. 

Said words have, at times, included the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Shikamaru in particular. Minato had practically watched his son grow up next to the Nara. If Minato was going to trust anyone with this, it was going to be someone Naruto trusted.

"You'll have to sign NDAs that will prevent you from mentioning this to your parents. You're heirs which means your affluent, but you're still too young to be embroiled in the bulk of politics. I trust you to be impartial." Minato offered. "You'll be anonymous authors, but on the off chance that your names do get out, this will at least save face."

They overheard just enough of politics from their parents to report on the general goings on. They were all like, fairly reasonable. Right? For teenagers. They had graduated the academy, which made them legal adults. They could totally handle this. 

None of them looked convinced or particularly enthusiastic. They were all staring at him like they were trying to sus out whether or not he was crazy. Minato tugged the rim of his Hokage hat down slightly, clearing his throat. He was only wearing it to hide his red-rimmed eyes.

The loss of Naruto's letter had been devastating, alright? He's in mourning. He has every right.

"...Alright. So basically you can't think of anyone else." Shikamaru deduced. Minato cleared his throat again, louder this time. "Why us specifically? Why not-- Lee, or something?"

Lee, like Rock Lee? Minato was half tempted to pull his hat off to give him an incredulous look.

"If I wanted a bible written on the springtime of youth and all its covenants, I'd have said so." Minato folded his hands atop his desk. "My process is simple. You three hit all the major groups. It's a no-brainer to assign you to this."

Choji chomped loudly on his potato chips. Shikamaru and Ino shared a look, clearly trying to figure out what about this situation was a no-brainer. Which was... fair. The newspaper would sway the entire village. 

Sure, it'd be proofread before they published it to make sure they weren't promoting weird propaganda, but it would still have a massive influence. Putting that in the hands of children was probably his worst move yet. Or, arguably, his best. The new generation seemed to have far more sense than their predecessors.

"What three groups?" Choji asked, sounding like he didn't actually care all that much. Minato beamed.

"I'm so glad you asked! There's three things people are going to want to hear about." Minato chirped out. "Secrets and politics, gossip, and restaurant ratings."

The three genin stared at him. Minato beamed back. 

It was perfect. Shikamaru knew way more than any child his age should about just about everything. Ino had a finger in every pie if Naruto was to be believed. Choji was a food connoisseur and boasted as such. People loved to know where to eat-- Konoha's culinary scene was one of its biggest tourism draws.

He could see the realization dawning on them. Minato wondered what Naruto was doing right now. Probably playing with his new puppy. Being cute. Doing other amazing stuff, like breathing. Kakashi better be taking pictures.

"That... makes sense." Shikamaru said, sounding horrified. He frowned. "What a drag."

"Wait, does that mean I can talk about that fight that went down by the nail salon next to that second rate ramen stand?" Ino asked. Minato opened his mouth to respond, but the Yamanaka was already flying to her feet. "Because I can definitely do that. Choji! Get me a pen!" 

Shikamaru groaned as Choji popped out of his seat, his teammates already falling into a heated discussion about the literary future of Konoha's streets. Minato settled for waving at them as they left, beaming and feeling self satisfied. Kushina would be so proud of him for doing... literally anything, honestly.

"I should write another letter to Naruto and tell him all about this." Minato decided, nodding to himself. "Maybe two letters. Or even three. Would four be too many?"

No one answered, but Minato could practically feel the judgement radiating down from the ANBU in the ceiling. He pulled out a pen and fresh sheet of paper anyway. The more letters he sends, the more he'll get back!

Chapter Text

Third person pov

Naruto's not sure how long he's in Uzu, exactly. 

Time has little meaning on an island like this, Naruto's come to find. Sequestered away underground, Naruto's only concept of the days passing is his own exhaustion and bouts of sleep, which are filled with more seal revision rather than the usual peaceable conversation and companionship he and Kurama share.

In hindsight, Naruto probably should've wondered a little more where all the food and water was coming from. The canteen at his side always seemed full. There was always a snack within reach whenever his stomach called for it. It's as eerie as the rest of Uzu is, yet it simultaneously warms something in him as well.

Uzushiogakure takes care of him during his time there. It feels strange and almost wrong to trudge back up the stairs, head spinning from the dispelling of so many clones which had all been active for so long. The waves of information that pour into his head nearly knock him flat on his back, leaving his thoughts racing and his heart thundering.

"I... I think we need to reread some of the copies we made, but I've got an idea of where to start with Neji. Believe it." Naruto digs the heel of his palm into his temple, hoping that'll soothe the ache forming there. 

The notion of him actually having any fucking clue how to tackle the monstrosity on that guy's forehead is mind boggling in and of itself. Just a few weeks ago, Naruto had been too much of a moron to have any clue where to start. Even just thinking he might have a chance now is a turnaround that leaves him dizzy.

"You'll have to run it by me later, brat. I don't get the memories of your dispelled clones." Kurama's tails flicked. The fox was exhausted, staying up during the day to help Naruto look over scrolls, and at night again to reiterate information he didn't understand. "If you don't drown on your way back, anyway. Wouldn't surprise me."

"After all that? Have some faith, Kurama! I'm sure we'll survive!" Naruto chirped out, hauling his bag over his shoulder. It was chock full of scrolls sealed in scrolls, along with the assortment of items he'd collected from his mother's house. "And if we don't, oh well. At least that means I won't have to slog through that stupid seal of his and possibly fry his brain and/or blind him for life."

Kurama grunted in agreement. Naruto ascended the final steps of the staircase and stepped into the sun.

It was glaringly bright, stuck high in the middle of the sky. The smell of sea salt struck Naruto freshly, seeming to wash away some of the cramping in his hands. It had been nonstop reading and copying with careful brushstrokes, and his brain felt mushy as he stumbled onto the cobbled streets of the village the Uzumaki once inhabited.

Honestly? Naruto hadn't thought himself capable of sitting down and focusing that hard, but what do you know. Determination really is the crux of the indomitable human spirit. Naruto's getting that fucking seal off, and he just spent an undetermined amount of time reading to do it.

"You did, didn't you?" Kurama muttered, sounding disgusted at the realization. "It has to have been at least three weeks, if not more. Who are you?"

"I've been down there so long that I'm not even sure anymore. Never let me use clones for that long ever again. I think I'm developing a second personality." Naruto shivered slightly. There's an academic lurking in him now. Naruto's too much of a certified moron to have something like that ruining his reputation. "The weight of this knowledge is almost too heavy to bear, believe it. If I start coming up with plausible ideas on my own, assume I've been possessed by the collective consciousness of all the clones I just expelled."

The clones had started developing individual traits and becoming their own people down there. One took a particular interest in the type of seal that blows people up, so Naruto's got that in his head now, along with a startling amount of fantasies about planting the seal equivalent to land mines in enemy territory just to see what'll happen. 

He brushes them off for now, shaking his head and taking a deep breath. There's a nagging in the back of his head that makes him want to set off to explore the farer reaches of Uzu. To venture into its dense tropical jungle, to catalogue the plants and unique wildlife that reside here. 

It's only the thought of his team and Zabuza that gets him to keep going towards the shore. It seems like it's been a small eternity since he first walked this path. Naruto doesn't feel like the same person he was when he got here-- but maybe that's not a bad thing. 

It's actually kind of fulfilling to feel gravel crunch beneath his feet and to realize that he actually, really just did that. Naruto isn't saying he's smart, but maybe genius wasn't the only thing the Uzumaki had going for them. Maybe sheer tenacity was a part of it too. 

"Is this proof that I'm an Uzumaki?" Naruto asked aloud, wondering. Kurama gave another grunt.

"You coming out of your mother's womb is proof you're an Uzumaki." Kurama said flatly, followed by a quiet mumble that sounded a lot like him calling Naruto an idiot. "Hurry up and get on a boat so I can take a nap."

"You think you're the only one who wants to sleep? All I've been doing is reading. I'm probably going to read some more while we're at sea, and then we'll get to talk about it when I do finally get to fall asleep." Naruto threw his hands in the air. "It's an endless cycle! How do people live like this? Some people enjoy this, Kurama. Enjoy it!"

"If you come in here and start trying to ask me questions about hexagonal passes, I'm kicking you back out." Kurama hissed out. "If I had known you'd throw yourself into this so surely, I would've encouraged you to try taking the seal off the Hyuga right then. To put us all out of our misery."

Naruto shoved a low-hanging branch out of his path, half ducking under it. He scrunched up his nose.

"This is my glaring reminder that you're actually, sort of an awful person. Are you seriously saying that killing Neji would've been worth it to avoid all this reading?" Naruto asked. He paused, considering it. Actually...

"He is a little twat." Kurama pointed out. 

"He's a mega-dick. Put he's also like, traumatized. That gives him a 75% pass, which leaves him at only a moderate level of dickishness. I think." Naruto's not good at math. He doesn't know what's going on. "Besides, this isn't about how much we like him. It's about how much we like Lee. And Lee is great!" 

"Is it?" Kurama asked in a distant voice that spoke to his bone-deep exhaustion. "Is it really?"

Naruto had no idea where Kurama, a giant nine-tailed chakra construct, found the audacity to call Lee an it. He wasn't going to ask, either. He had bigger things to worry about. 

Reaching Uzu's beach did not bring him back to the same dingy little ship he'd originally sailed in on. The ramshackle boat was nowhere to be seen-- not all that surprising seeing as Naruto had made no efforts to moor it. That did not, however, mean they were stranded.

It's not close enough to the shore to run aground, though not so far that Naruto doesn't think he can't easily run across the water's surface to reach it. It's just as big as the warship Naruto saw when they first drifted in, though he notices immediately that it's far from the same one. 

Worn but sturdy, the hull of the ship is lashed with fiery seals carved into the sleek wood, painted a chipping orange that gives the illusion of nine tails snaking out from its back. The figurehead is that of a snarling fox, teeth bared and ears pressed back, paws hooked into claws not unlike Kurama's.

The woodwork is just as exceptional as the first one, even from this distance. The sails look strangely clean and whole, halyards in tact, lines far from as frayed as you'd expect. The mast is straight and strong, painted fire licking up it in a furious, swirling tornado.

It looks terrifying, the reds and oranges and yellows such a bold contrast to the blue sea around it that Naruto's breath is momentarily taken from him. Uzu's swirl is just as proudly emblazoned on this sail as it was the last one. 

It... is quite possibly the most badass thing he's ever seen. 

"The trip to Uzu is so not staying a secret." Naruto said, because there was absolutely no way he lied his way around how he managed to procure a gigantic, nine-tailed fox themed warship. "This is so cool. You have merch!" 

"Never call it that again." Kurama rumbles, though Naruto thinks he sounds the slightest bit flattered. 

Uzu clings to him as he takes his first step onto the water. His chakra wavers oddly on his soles as it grows used to the lapping of the waves, but the sea is remarkably calm. It gives him gifts endlessly, ceaseless in its spoiling of him. Naruto feels loved as he pads out towards the ship. 

The closer he gets, the more details Naruto can see. Carvings of running foxes, projectile seals hidden beneath their darting paws. Fortification seals found in fire, shielding in the protective tails that cage its sides. The wood creaks like a welcome as Naruto approaches, and his throat tightens. 

Glancing back, Naruto takes in the island of Uzushiogakure one last time. The land itself is not terribly big, but Naruto can't help but think that everything else about it is. Even after all this time, even with the grief that hangs over Uzu like a heavy fog, there is something bright and sure about it all the same.

Naruto smiles, pressing his arms to his sides and giving a bow. Maybe he should feel stupid bowing in thanks to an island, but Naruto can't think of anything more right. It's not nearly enough for all he's been given, but it's something. 

"Thank you!" Naruto calls out as he pops up, just for good measure. "I'll see you later! And I'll try to bring my mom next time! And probably my dad, if you'll let him come too without killing us in a giant whirlpool! Also my brother Kakashi! And his dogs! And maybe my therapist! Oh, and--"

"Get on the damn boat." Kurama sighs. Naruto grins as the first patters of rain start to fall. 

~~~~~~~~~

The launching of the newspaper is a complete and utter success of the likes Minato never could've imagined.

Turns out, people love knowing what's going on. Even more than that, they love gossip. And even more than that? They love to know where to get the best food. Minato's theory that the Ino-Shika-Cho genin trio was the best fit for the job turns out to transcend a hunch, veering into an act of sheer genius.

They're almost too good at it. Add on the fact that Asuma casually talks about all the best bars whilst they're in earshot, they're not just a media weapon. They're an entire artillery, and Konoha's citizen and shinobi populations alike eat it up.

The revenue is immediate. People vie to have their businesses, announcements, and other such ads presented in the paper-- to the point that they're booked out for almost a year. They gain the printing funds they need for the next six months within a matter of weeks. 

There is some worry that the paper will get out of Konoha's walls. It's inevitable, and Minato isn't too sure how he feels about their political state being put out in the open. Shikamaru rolls his eyes when he brings it up. 

"We're not actually putting anything important in there." Shikamaru says, which is news to Minato. The Nara rolls his eyes again. "Why would the other hidden villages care if we're passing a new law about environmental regulation to preserve the ancient forests of Konoha? It's useless to them, but it makes everyone else feel like they're finding something important out."

"Oh." Minato blinks at him, because that... makes sense. "The election of new council members is important."

"Only if we tell them every painstaking detail. Again, who cares if other villages know we booted the old members? That information isn't going to give them a leg up. It would've gotten out eventually." Shikamaru shrugged, yawning. "I'm not about to go out dropping all the reasons the others were dispelled. Even if it would be really funny."

Minato nods slowly. Again, it makes sense. His brain just isn't operating at full capacity at the moment. He's been having trouble sleeping, so caught up in the reform of the village that Ayumu has swept him into that he's hardly had time to think. 

It's been... hard to cope without Naruto being here. Letters keep coming and Minato keeps replying, but it still feels like there's a hole in him. The space Naruto and Kakashi occupy in his life is cold and empty, making him feel on edge and ill at ease. It's not that he's lonely-- not with Kushina around. He just... 

He misses them. He misses Naruto, worries for his safety. There's some comfort in the consistent stream of letters, all happily reporting that all is well. Kakashi's follow up confirmations start to slowly soothe him as the time goes on.

It helps that he's so busy, he thinks. The days pass faster when Minato's not allowed to sit down for even a second. Unrest in the Hyuga clan this, Ninja Academy overhaul that, trade and commerce regulation over there. 

His paperwork triples. Minato has no idea where it's all coming from, or why everyone is so adamant he do it all right this second. Most of it is busywork, menial and a bit pointless. Minato would much rather stare at Naruto's drawing or ponder what he's doing. 

"He's gonna come back soon, ya know." Kushina reassures him, reaching out to give his shoulder a squeeze as soon as he gets home that night. Minato lets out a deflated sigh from his place face-down on their couch. "The chunin exams will be right after, so you won't have to worry about him leaving for a good long while. Plenty of time to hear every painstaking detail of his first mission!" 

"And to scrapbook it." Minato mumbled, feeling warm at the mere thought. "Kakashi better be taking photos. So many photos." 

"He definitely, totally is." Kushina gave a strained laugh. She must be missing him bad too. "The bridge is almost complete. He could be back in less than a week!" 

Minato's head popped up, eyes a little wet. He sniffled a bit. 

"You're... you're right. It could be any time now." Minato perked up, suddenly excited. "We should buy him a coming home gift!" 

"You already did that." Kushina gently reminded, giving him a gentle smile and pat on the shoulder. "Eight times, actually."

"And nine is Naruto's lucky number! That's such a good point. You're right, he definitely needs at least one more." Minato popped off the couch, suddenly invigorated. Kushina opened and closed her mouth a few times. "I'll get my shoes!" 

Kushina let out a heavy sigh, likely contemplating what to get their son next. Minato couldn't wait to see what she came up with. 

~~~~~~~~~ 

The boat is stocked with food and old seals that Naruto seals up in yet another scroll to keep, tucking them away in his already-stuffed bag for later. He explores the murals within the ship's cabin, and the complex arrays within the hold. He runs his hands over salt-worn cannons and observes the metal shots that load into it. 

There are seals on those too. Exploding ones. Naruto imagines being on the receiving end of this ship's attack, witnessing it broach the horizon. They'd see the snarling maw of the massive fox on the front first, eyes a pure and blazing red, a testament to what was to come. The Uzumaki's swirl would be next, loudly displayed for its enemies to see. 

It would be terrifying. Surrender as a last hope, death a certainty if that fell through. Naruto feels pride course through his veins, because he came from this. From these people, these seals, this blood. 

The crow's nest is big, equipped with a telescope that has a strange seal etched into its lens that makes things look clear as day. Naruto has never used a telescope before, but this one seems like it can spy things especially far. 

He uses it to look at the seals stained into the deck's surface from a distance, magnifying the finer nuances of their structure. He observes the sea and its crashing waves. Storm clouds are angrily beginning to darken overhead, and Naruto hopes it's not because of anything he did.

"Brat." Kurama suddenly pipes up. Naruto had thought he fell asleep. "Turn the telescope back a few degrees left."

As if Naruto knows what the hell a degree is. He inches it left slowly nonetheless, right up until Kurama grumbles at him to stop. Naruto twists the eyepiece, marveling in the way it zooms in. At first, Naruto doesn't see anything aside from angry blue and slops of foam. 

He waits. Zooms out a little. Zooms back in. Kurama doesn't say anything else, but Naruto assumes he saw something in particular if he--

"Wait." Naruto jerks the telescope slightly to the right. He zooms back in. "Is that... is that a person?"

Kurama doesn't respond, though Naruto is pretty sure he can hear the beginnings of him snoring. Naruto curses slightly, squinting as if that's going to help him see through all the waves crashing and water spraying. It takes him a moment to focus in, but once he does, he's sure.

Sprawled out on their back on a raft so shitty it makes the boat Naruto sailed to Uzu in look good is a... dude. A whole entire dude. Passed out on what might as well just be a few pieces of plywood and a dream at this point. There's no discernable details Naruto can make out about him aside from the strange, bandaged thing at his side.

That, and the fact that Naruto swears he looks blue. For some reason. Does that mean he's drowned?

"Okay. Okay cool. That's a guy." Naruto rips himself away from the telescope. He eyes the waves dubiously, wondering how well his chakra will hold up if he tries to walk them. Probably alright... right? "I can totally rescue him. I rescue people all the time. I'm rescuing Neji right now. Have been for weeks. It's a long con."

"Either let him drown or shut up." Kurama grumbled. "And drop the anchor unless you want the boat crashing off without you, kit. If you die and my chakra has to reform in the middle of the ocean, I'll kill you twice."

Naruto opened and closed his mouth a few times, uncharacteristically panicked. Time crunch alert Right, cool. Yeah. An anchor. Big ships have those and they do things. Naruto is actually pretty sure he saw the anchor earlier. 

"Okay! Okay, yeah! Believe it!" Naruto practically flew off the crow's nest. "How do I drop the anchor again?"

Kurama groaned. Really, if he hadn't wanted to save the guy, he shouldn't have pointed him out in the first place.

~~~~~~~~  

Naruto is confused. Kurama is confused. The guy he just hauled onto the ship is unconscious, but he'd probably be confused too if he woke up.

Behind Naruto, clones run amuck pulling on sails and reading various, mildew-covered manuals on ship operation they found in the captain's quarters trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Naruto is stuck squatting over the body of a dude who only half seems like he's breathing. Him and his weird... is it a sword? A club?

Naruto isn't sure, but the thing keeps hissing like it's alive. Super disconcerting. Naruto's not a fan, doesn't know what the hell it means, and he doesn't plan to find out.

What's concerning him right now is that yes, the guy is blue. But not because he's hypothermic and/or a bloated corpse. Arguably a good thing, if you excuse the fact that the actual reason is that he's got gills.

He looks like a shark. Naruto's just going to point blank say it. Blue, leathery skin. Sharp teeth, weirdly cut cheek bones, and-- just to top the shit salad off with a little ranch-- a headband with the exact same symbol Zabuza's had on it. Because of course. Of course! 

What is it with Naruto and rogue ninja? Is this going to become a trend? There are seven legendary swordsmen, according to what Kakashi said. Naruto is beginning to think this guy might be one of them. 

That means Naruto has five more to get through. Fuck. He's so fucked if this is a thing.

If Naruto threw him overboard right now, would that make him a bad person? He has gills. He looks like a shark. That means he probably can't drown, right? Or would he have been on a raft if that were the case? 

"Just throw him back over!" Kurama hissed out. "I'm never showing benevolence again. I should've let him die."

"We couldn't just let a--" Naruto paused for a moment, eyeing the headband. "-- uh. Semi-innocent dude die on a sad excuse for a raft! He might be a chill guy. Those exist."

"He's from the same village as the pest that tried to kill you, Dog Breath and the other two brats you associate with." Kurama said flatly. Which, point. But he hasn't even done anything yet! "You don't want to wait for him to do anything. You want to get rid of him before he does anything. Before. Have your clones pick him up and throw him over." 

That sounded a lot like murder. Maybe there's a prison on the boat. The Uzumaki seem like they'd have holding cells. Can Naruto seal him in a scroll? He probably has one somewhere that lets you seal living things in it. Would a food storage preservation scroll work? If it was a really, really big one?

Naruto doesn't get much time to debate the pros and cons before the shark dude's face is scrunching up. Naruto immediately freezes, staring at him with wide eyes. The clone right next to him, who'd been getting a barrel of who knows what, freezes too. Both of them stare with big eyes.

Kurama lets out a groan of frustration. Naruto is too busy watching the shark dude crack his eyes open-- which are beady and weird-- to pay him any mind.

A few other clones stop to watch too, leaning in. Behind them, the sails start to roll up. The oncoming storm meant oncoming wind, which was apparently not super great if there was a lot of it. Something about stability and damage prevention. Naruto has no idea.

The shark guy shifts, hand blindly reaching for the handle of his maybe-sword. Naruto winces a bit as his fingers close around it, his other hand coming to press at his forehead. Blearily, his gaze finds Naruto. Naruto clears his throat a bit.

They stare at one another. The shark guy gazes at him, and then glances at the clone next to Naruto, and then the six others hovering behind them. All with identical expressions. His nose wrinkles. 

"I--" He coughs hoarsely, eyeing Naruto's headband dubiously. "Am I in hell?"

"Close. I saw you drifting around and pulled you onto my ship so you didn't die. Believe it." Naruto offered a hand, not knowing what else to do in a situation like this. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki! Are you evil?"

"Kisame Hoshigaki." The guy said dazedly, taking his hand. He shakily pushed himself up into a sitting position, hand slipping off the hilt of his weapon. "And, uh-- not last time I checked, kid. Are these all clones? Is this a warship? Am I fucking dreaming right now?"

"Yes, yes, no and awesome. I ran into this crazy dude like, a month ago from your village who tried to kill us. I had to check." Naruto dropped Kisame's hand, beaming. "Enough about that, though! You look hungry and I also think that, for our mutual safety, we should be best friends from here on out!" 

Behind them, a few clones screamed as thunder boomed overhead and the entire ship practically flew into the air, the waves were so strong. Naruto reached out and grabbed Kisame by the shoulder, chakra rooting his own legs to the ground as the rest of the clones shrieked and slid down the deck. 

There were a few pops, chakra releasing in steady thumps. On the ground, the giant seal that took up most of the deck lit up in response, glowing ominously. Naruto and Kisame both turned slowly as the light of it spread, stretching out beneath them like a web and climbing across the entirety of the ship. 

The vague sensation of chakra being sucked into it caused the other clones piled atop it to pop as well, their chakra feeding into it. Gradually, the entire ship lit up. Naruto pursed his lips.

"Wh-What is that?" Kisame coughed out. He sounded like he needed some water, stat. If they didn't die from the ship blowing up, Naruto would totally get him some.

"I have literally not a singular clue." Naruto squinted as the symbols became more visible. "Uh, it's a seal. I don't know what it does though."

A loud whirring sounded. There was a bang. Kisame pressed his palms flat on the ground, looking like he'd been smacked in the face. Hell of a way to wake up, to be fair. Naruto's happy not to be the most lost one in the vicinity for once in his life.

There's a moment where nothing happens. The entire ship is alight like a beacon in the storm, bobbing on the roaring waves. Rain began to fall overhead, slow at first, and then all at once. Barley audible over the sheets of it slamming down, there was a faint clicking noise. 

The ears on the fox figurehead, previously down, carefully raised. The sails fell from where they'd been rolled up, ballooning out. On the side of the ship, something started to grind. 

"Are we about to die?" Kisame asked dizzily, hand flying out to clutch Naruto's shoulder for stability. Naruto clutched his back, eyes wide.

"I think so." Naruto squeaked out. "It was nice knowing you. Thanks for not immediately trying to kill me with your sentient sword." 

"No problem." Kisame choked over the strange splashing noise now coming from behind the ship. "You should've left me on that raft, kid."

The fox on the figurehead opened its mouth, and just like that, the entire boat shot off across the water.

Something bubbled out of the fox's mouth, a field that stretched forward, large and shimmering. It cut through the waves and rain, an orange field that stretched up and around the entirety of the boat. It sliced through the wind, sails billowing, wood creaking, seals aglow. 

The sudden jerk of movement sent Kisame and Naruto flying forward in a tangle, screaming and grasping at one another as their chakra-covered feet came unpeeled from the deck, which was greedily drinking the energy up rather than allowing it to stick. They slammed into the side of the boat hard. 

"Why do I still bother with you?" Kurama hissed out, though he didn't exactly sound the definition of calm either. "Get below deck before you're thrown overboard!" 

"Wow! Below deck! Why didn't I think of that?!" Naruto laughed hysterically. Kisame looked terror-filled, one arm around Naruto, the other hand grasping his sword, his entire body curled up oddly and his eyes wide. "Let me just stand up and--"

The boat jerked again, sending them sliding the opposite direction and screaming once again. It was going to be a long day.

~~~~~~~~~

"We should start considering the possibility that he's not coming back." Sakura says, not for the first time this week.

Naruto has been missing without a word for over a month now. There hasn't been a whisper of him beyond the occasional rogue sighting of that stupid clone of his, which is still roaming the woods like a native cryptid and scaring the locals. It hasn't killed anyone yet, but someone did find an ominously ripped open deer carcass.

They're all choosing to believe it's not related. Not just for their peace of mind, but so they're not obligated to go out and deal with it.

"He's coming back, Sakura." Kakashi denied, which sounded a whole lot like a lie. He smiled serenely, fully healed from his injuries and content to read his porn whilst they loitered around the bridge. "He's perfectly fine. Naruto has been to hell and back. This won't be what does him in."

"We don't even know what "this" is." Sasuke grumbled. "There's no telling where the hell he's gone. At this rate we're going to have to track down that clone, drag it back, and lie and say he hit his head and started acting like that as a result. Just to avoid execution."

Posing as Naruto through letters had given Sasuke horrific insight into the Hokage and the lengths he'd go to for his son. Between his flowery, bubbly, adoring language towards Sasuke's moronic teammate in question, there were thinly veiled threats towards the perceived imaginary forces that sought to do Naruto harm.

He was literally going to implode if they came within a ten mile radius of the village without some hint of Naruto. Sasuke now understood Kakashi's mortal terror. Braving the rabid clone in the forest was a better option than facing Lord Fourth without his son. 

"Please tell me that's a joke." Sakura grimaced. The raccoon, still unnamed, snuffled around her feet. 

"...If it comes to it." Kakashi responds, which is about the time everything goes horribly, terribly wrong.

The bridge is near completion. Tension has never been higher, workers quitting left and right under the pressure, the rest slaving away well into the night to make headway. To just get all the way across the water. Just to give the Land of Wave some chance at a future out from under the foot of someone who wants nothing more than to exploit them and watch them crumble under the insurmountable threat driving them into the ground.

It starts with a heavy fog rolling in-- not terribly unusual given the Wave's unpredictable weather, if you put aside the shouts and screams that immediately followed it. Kakashi was moving in an instant, kunai twirling between deft fingers, hand going to his headband. 

Mist engulfed the bridge in record time, so thick it was hard to see more than even a foot in front of them. Kakashi cursed under his breath, assuming formation. Sakura and Sasuke leapt to do the same, kunai out and hearts racing in Kakashi's sensitive ears.

"What is all this?" Sasuke hissed out, Sharingan active. A rain of senbon flew out from what felt like every direction, and he hissed again as he knocked them aside. 

"I should've known he wasn't dead." Kakashi's chakra reached out far, searching. "This is Zabuza's hidden mist jutsu. I didn't expect him to strike so soon, if he was still out there." 

"You mean he survived Naruto's clones?" Sakura sounded flabbergasted by just the idea. Which was... fair. They'd been out in the woods with just one whilst looking for the puppy that would solidify their story and hadn't been confident they'd be making it out of there without getting pounced on. "But the hunter nin--"

"Was obviously a fake and working with him." Sasuke muttered out, bitter. He glared down at the senbon on the ground spitefully. "Pressure points could've easily made him appear dead. Not that it was really needed with all that blood, but still."

Kakashi had suspected when Sakura gave him a rundown of what happened after he passed out. He'd been hoping his suspicions were wrong. Really, he should've known better. The lack of head removal had been the first red flag. Sakura stating that Naruto had 'seemed suspicious of the guy' was another.

Only Naruto wasn't here now and hadn't been, and as much as Kakashi insisted he was coming back, he could feel himself quickly encroaching upon nervous breakdown territory. Because whilst Naruto had gone missing a fair number of times before, it had never been like this. It had never been for over a month.

The time felt insurmountable. He grit his teeth against the reality of it, feeling like a caged animal. He hadn't been able to leave Sasuke and Sakura here to go look himself. Naruto would've never forgiven him if he had, and Kakashi never would've forgiven himself either. 

Besides, where would Kakashi even go? Naruto didn't even leave a fluttering of scent in the wind. The ocean was too vast a beast for Kakashi to have any direction. He was far more likely to get himself lost and drowned than he was to find Naruto in the endless blue like that.

In a perfect world, he'd have brought Sakura and Sasuke with him. If it didn't mean abandoning the mission, he would've.

"Everyone, get ready." Kakashi breathed out. "He's coming."

Zabuza's sword swung down, cutting through the mist. Kakashi's kunai met it with a clang.

Chapter Text

Sakura is just going to come out and say it plainly. The fight is not going well. 

Zabuza is fairly healed, but he still looks like a cat with kunai for claws went to town on his face. The scars are thick and jagged, white against the brown tone of his skin and still an aggravated red around their edges. He throws himself into a fight with Kakashi ferociously, sharp teeth bared and eyes wide with a type of mania Sakura has never seen on another human being before. 

It leaves her and Sasuke with Tazuna, who looks about two seconds away from pissing himself. Sakura can't really blame him. She has no idea what the hell is going on, and she has even less of an idea when Sasuke jumps into the fray to deflect a spray of needles that comes from seemingly nowhere. 

"This is bad." Sakura announces unhelpfully, because she's panicking and decidedly not a literal spawn of hell like her teammates-- one of which is conveniently missing right when they need him most. She cringes as a giant dome of what looks like ice forms on the bridge, Sasuke inside. "This is really bad."

It's the hunter nin, because of course it is. Why had Sakura thought anything about this mission would go right? Naruto being missing did nothing to detract the amount of trouble they magnetized in. In fact, him being gone seemed to be making it worse if the blood dribbling down Kakashi-sensei's temple was anything to go off of.

Part of the problem was that her teacher wasn't fully recovered. Physically, he was okay, but chakra exhaustion like what he went through... nobody was supposed to run out of chakra. It wasn't possible, really, to lose it all, or to even survive when you came as close as Kakashi-sensei had.

It was like blood-- it flowed through their pathways, powering their body and all its functions. It was the very root of a person's life. Even civilians had it, though they had less than a trained shinobi might.

Kakashi-sensei had so much chakra that, if not masked, even someone like Sakura could feel it. It was nowhere near the booming light that Naruto radiated out like a miniature sun, but it was nothing to scoff at either. He was a complete powerhouse.

Right now? Sakura wouldn't be able to sense him even if she tried. His body had been so focused on healing that he hadn't recovered all his energy yet. Sakura is no medic nin, but she knows the basics. His pathways would be raw and sore for a while, struggling to regenerate enough chakra to self sustain.

"Should we be doing something?" Tazuna hissed out. Sakura clenched her kunai tighter, eyes darting to the ice dome Sasuke was currently trapped in. "Something like running away, maybe? Jumping off the side of the bridge and hoping the waves don't drown us?"

Sakura hesitated for a shameful half-second as she considered it, glancing over the side of the bridge. The fog was too thick to see anything, but she could hear the tumultuous water below. 

"We'll definitely die if we do that. Don't worry, I won't leave you." Sakura wanted to jump in with Sasuke, even if she knew she'd probably just slow him down, but that would go directly against the mission objective. "It'll be alright. You have no idea how strong Sensei and Sasuke are. If anyone can beat these guys, it's them."

If Naruto were here, their victory would be set in stone before the fight even started. Not because Sakura had any faith in his ability to fight or anything, but because he had an uncanny ability to survive literally anything. Sakura had been in the peripheral of his childhood all their lives and it was downright supernatural the way he came out the other side of anything thrown at him with a grin.

There was a brief scream from somewhere in the ice dome. It was impossible to see what was actually going on inside, but Sakura was hoping that meant Sasuke was making some headway. The raccoon was still just sitting there by her feet, apparently unbothered by the chaos. She wished she could relate.

It was hard to see anything at all on the bridge or outside of it. The sound of snarling dogs was prevalent, barely audible over the roar of the ocean channel below the bridge. The wind seemed to be picking up, which you'd think would help clear some of the fog, but on the contrary-- it only seemed to make things worse.

Some texts describe fog as being representative of a grey zone. A middle existence, a place between reality and unreality where anything can happen. It is a pocket of possibility, a chance that could tip either way. There's uncertainty in fog, and a sense of isolation that can cut you off from the world around you even when things are only a few steps away.

Sakura could walk twenty steps left and find the edge of Kakashi-sensei's battle, his kunai and jutsu clashing with Zabuza's own. She could walk ten steps right and be right at the edge of the hunter nin's ice dome, where Sasuke was likely fighting for his life inside.

Instead, she was here. Standing with Tazuna staring off into the vast endlessness of the fog around her and doing nothing. She didn't have enough chakra to make a solid clone like Naruto, let alone multiple. Rooted in place, bound by duty and inability, and she wasn't sure which one was worse.

If something did come at Tazuna, was she even capable of stopping it? If that uncertainty wisped into a threat, would it be hopeless for her no matter what she did? Sakura is smart, but there's more to a fight than brains and Sakura knows that. 

She's seen it in the way Kakashi-sensei moves, and the speed at which Sasuke makes decisions, and the sheer force Naruto is capable of exuding. They are all Shinobi deserving of their headbands. This fact hammers its way into her bones the longer she stands here and breathes. 

The moisture in the air makes her clothes stick to her. Orange flares from inside the ice dome, fire that licks the walls but does nothing to melt them. Kakashi-sensei dips in and out of sight, a hazy figure in the distance. They are ninja. This is their job. 

Sakura hates that she does not genuinely feel capable of doing her own.

"You think you'll win?!" Zabuza's voice laughs from somewhere, echoing like some sort of sick prophecy. "I'll slice you to pieces! They'll never find them all to bury you, Hatake. That little blonde demon of yours isn't here to get you off the chopping block now, so meet your demise with pride and let me cut you down!" 

Yes, this is a higher level mission than what they thought it was. If it were a d-rank, maybe she'd have done better. That's not the point here, though. 

They're ready. They're prepared. They're capable. Sakura isn't.

If they make it out of this, she has a lot of catching up to do. If she's going to be on a team made up of monsters, she might as well put some effort into becoming one of her own.

"Alright." Kushina finally says, setting her chopsticks down and shoving her bowl away from her. The fact that she would ever do such a thing to a fresh batch of Ichiraku's proves just how serious and pressing a problem this is. "What's wrong?"

Minato had been acting odd all day. Which isn't that strange-- he's fucking weird. Everyone in the village who spent more than ten minutes in his presence knew that. If he wasn't doing his duty as Hokage, he was muttering to himself about Naruto and twitching slightly from withdrawal. People had learned to ignore it by now.

This was different, though. The deeply speculative look on his face was reminiscent of the days when Kushina was pregnant with Naruto and he was doing everything he could to research her seal and all the things they could do to make sure it went well. This level of seriousness from him-- it had hardly been necessary since their coming back, their problems fleeting, there and gone in a snap.

The lands were in a lull. Any stirrings were vague, most having quieted after the news of his return finally settled. There had been brief tensions with Kumo, but they had backed off, sinking back down out of their reared position to exist neutrally. Intel suggested it wasn't that they didn't want a conflict, but rather that they weren't in a position to start one.

Konoha honestly wasn't either. There was still a distinct lack of unity. The last six years had been rocky, with them dismantling the remains of Danzo's ROOT system piece by piece and doing their best to integrate the unjust victims back into society. Even now Kushina wasn't entirely sure the shadow of it was gone.

"Nothings wrong." Minato responded after way, way too long of a pause. Kushina propped her chin up on her hand, staring at him unblinkingly and watching his nose scrunch. Naruto did the same thing when he was disgruntled. "...Just-- don't you feel like something is wrong? Just like there's a... disturbance?"

Kushina raised her eyebrows at him. 

"In what? The general atmosphere?" Kushina waved a hand around. The ramen stall was empty save for them, but the bustle of the street outside was loud. "Tourists are already coming in for the chunin exams, that's all. We've got ANBU and the Uchiha Police force working overtime to control everything. Newspaper sales have gone way up too, ya know."

"No, not with that." Minato shook his head. "I mean with Naruto. Don't you feel that tingling? The one every parent gets when their child is getting into trouble? It's like a sixth sense. It's been going off since he left, but now it feels especially strong."

Oh, alright. So this was another delusional super dad thing. Kushina can deal with that. Again, she's glad he's so dedicated to his life as a parent. She gets it. She's dedicated too. Kushina just isn't literally insane about it to the point of everyone wanting her to take weekly drug tests to makes sure she's clean-- that had been an awkward request from the advisors, that's for sure.

"I think you're imagining it, Minato. Naruto is perfectly fine! Kakashi promised to send word if something went wrong, and he never breaks his promises, ya know?" Kushina grinned, shoving another bite of noodles in her mouth. Minato made a face. 

"He always breaks his promises. Daily." Minato ran a hand through his hair, looking frazzled. "Like promising to be on time. And to do the dishes. And to go to therapy regularly so we don't have to hunt him down and drag him there. And also not letting his dogs sit at the dining room table like people to eat."

"I think that last one is Naruto." Kushina pointed out, squinting. 

Minato glanced at her, seeming genuinely confused by the statement. How had Kushina married a man so blind? She guessed she had to, seeing as he was the only one capable of handling her fiery disposition. He just sort of smiled through it.

"Don't be ridiculous. Naruto has never done anything wrong in his entire life." Minato said, sounding as if he genuinely believed it. Kushina slurped up some noodles. If Naruto had a cult, Minato would be the one spearheading it. "Things just feel off. You're telling me they don't feel off to you?"

Of course they felt off. All their letters from "Naruto" were entirely fabricated and there was no telling why. Kushina was honestly just blindly trusting that Kakashi was going to work it out or pay the price. Which wasn't like, the most A-plus parenting response, but it was definitely... a method. Of sorts.

 With Naruto, blind faith was best. Kushina completely believed in his ability to survive. And-- though she never thought she'd be saying this-- she believed in Kurama's will to keep him safe too. She knew exactly what love for Naruto felt like. She had so much of it herself. He was her entire heart, and she'd seen it with her own two eyes more than once over the years. 

Naruto was their son and always would be, but in a way, he was Kurama's too. The fox had been with him in every instance of his life. They had never once been apart, not even when Naruto was the size of a jelly bean in her stomach. Kurama had been right there next to him, and Naruto had hammered that connection into being with sheer determination and obliviousness to Kurama's true nature all on his own.

The Nine Tailed Fox would die before he let anything permanent happen to Naruto. And Kurama? Kurama wasn't going to die, period. 

"It'll be fine. Things have been hectic lately, ya know? There's a lot going on." Kushina reached out, smoothing a hand across her husband's shoulder and letting it come to rest on his upper back. She grinned. "Our son is just fine. Focus on getting things ready for when he gets back, alright? This may be his only chunin exams if things go well! It has to be perfect! There's no way Kakashi won't nominate his team." 

Minato's eyes widened, his spine straightening as he sat up in his seat. He blinked at her rapidly a few times, as if this had just now occurred to him. Kushina lifted her bowl to start sipping the broth, eyeing him from the corner of her eye. 

"I- I didn't even think about that! You're right. Naruto is so talented there's no way he'll have another chunin exam after this." Minato realized, horrified. He leapt out of his seat so fast Kushina almost expected to see it on fire. "I have to get a new camera. Right now. And revise every single last detail of the stages."

"I thought you already revised every single last detail of the stages." Kushina said, voice muffled by the noodles in her mouth. Minato's hair was quickly becoming a mess with how many times he was running his hands through it. 

"I lied! I completely lied! I just said that and signed the papers to get Ibiki Morino off my back!" Minato threw his hands in the air, like this wasn't of his own doing. "Come to think of it, what if it's dangerous? What if they have them do something like, life threatening?"

Kushina stared at her husband. Nevermind how he managed to put up with her temper. How did she put up with his... this?

"Minato, it's the chunin exams." Kushina pointed out, raising a brow. "They're supposed to be dangerous. He's a shinobi, ya know."

Minato made that sound like a tea kettle he made anytime he thought Naruto might be the subject of danger. It was hilarious. Kushina was in the process of making a seal that could capture the sound so she could find a way to make it their doorbell tone. 

"I hadn't thought that far ahead!" Minato practically wailed. "I was so caught up on the newspaper thing! We've got to go, Kushina! Where is Morino right now? I need a play-by-play of how this is going to go, now!" 

Kushina barely had time to get the rest of her ramen broth down before he was dragging her off her stool by her middle and throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Kushina let out a shriek as the pull of the Hirashin yanked them forward, blurring her vision and making her stomach turn, like she was being shot down an incredibly narrow tube. 

"Minato Namikaze!" She shrieked, though the noise was lost in the wind. Deep down, she really wasn't that upset. Any distraction from Naruto's predicament was a good one. Until he got back safe and sound, Minato couldn't know. 

She'd have to coordinate with Ayumu and let him know of the new development. At least Minato was going to give the chunin exams the attention they deserved. Kushina knew he'd been working on them-- more on the international relations side than the actual exam side than anything, though. 

"Ibiki Morino!" Minato shrieked back, practically slamming through the T&I building's front door. Everyone in the room was at attention immediately, the front desk receptionist almost upending all his paperwork. "Someone get me Ibiki Morino!" 

It was going to be a long, long day. But with Minato so fired up and the prospect of Naruto finally coming home looming on the horizon, she found she couldn't wait. 

Kakashi is just going to come out and say it plainly. The fight is not going well.

He hates to admit he's not fully healed, but that's the simple fact of the matter. He got his ass handed to him in those woods and he hasn't recovered all the way yet, with only limited access to medical care and soldier pills. There are no healer nin to soothe the ache in his pathways, to ease the flow and regeneration of his energy. 

To be fair, Zabuza doesn't seem to be doing much better. It's obvious he's still recovering from their fight and the devastation Naruto's rabid clones bestowed upon him. Simultaneously, however, it's also clear that the swordsman has had someone experienced caring for him. 

It gives him the leg up he needs to get one over on Kakashi. This, naturally, is not a good thing. Actually, it's super fucking bad and in about ten minutes when his fractured ankle finally starts giving out under him, he's not going to have to worry about Minato-sensei killing him for losing track of Naruto.

The rumble of a coming storm overhead really sets the tone. Kakashi's teeth clench through the pain pulsing from his middle and his arms, which are covered in the thin cuts of a sharp water jutsu he hadn't been able to dodge. 

He has no idea where Sasuke and Sakura are. He doesn't have enough chakra to reach out and search for them without leaving himself open to be cut down for good, which would be redundant to begin with. He can only hope they got away-- that they ran, got Tazuna out and found somewhere to lay low.

Kakashi knows it's wishful thinking. He'd been preaching the 'no teammate left behind' rhetoric a little too hard for them to do anything but stick around. Besides, Sasuke doing anything even adjacent to running away would be like seeing Minato-sensei throw one of Naruto's drawings in the trash. 

Zabuza is relentless. Kakashi's ninken latch onto him, but he tears himself from their teeth regardless of how much blood is drawn when he does. The way he was defeated before-- with a couple of particularly unhinged clones-- had been shameful. It's not something he will let go.

Kakashi grits his teeth, his body trembling as Zabuza's blade once again clashes against the cross of his kunai. His muscles strain as he pushes back against it, the sword mere inches from his face. If he gave in now, he'd be cleaved clean in half in an instant. 

Rain starts to fall harder. Zabuza's eyes avoid Kakashi's own, refusing to fall victim to his Sharingan, but there's determination burning through the brown of his irises nonetheless. Kakashi is already formulating plan after plan, trying to come up with some way he can get himself and the kids out of this without any of them dying. 

Some first mission out of the village this is. Kakashi pushes Zabuza away, watching him skid. The man opens his mouth to make some biting remark, sword already raising again, but then--

There's a creak. 

It's a strange enough noise that it gives Kakashi pause. Even Zabuza stops for a moment, blinking and turning in the direction it came from. The distant swish of water being displaced is masked by the rain, and the only reason Kakashi picks up on it is because his ears are more sensitive than most.

The creaking is ominous and loud. The red light that begins to glow from somewhere within the fog is even more so. 

Neither of them move, Kakashi's breath caught in his throat as the light gets nearer and nearer, the creaking with it. There's a dull thumping in the air, and it takes Kakashi a moment to identify it as chakra. Booming, pulsing like a heart, beating like drums. It tangles around them like loose string, snaking its way forward and clinging to everything it touches.

The lack of visibility makes the tension of the situation higher. Kakashi can feel that something is coming, and whatever it is-- it's large. Even without the chakra swimming around him, it's obvious, a feeling that sits in the base of his gut and screams at him to listen. 

"What the hell?" Zabuza breathes out as the feeling washes over them. Despite the circumstances, Kakashi can't help but agree. 

Wind whips past, whistling strangely. An odd cadence hits the air, drenching the atmosphere in something heavy and almost tangible with its presence. The creaking, the rain, the thunder that growls like a wild animal ready to attack. 

Sakura's yelp catches his attention, but Kakashi doesn't dare look away from the fog in front of him. He watches, astonished, as a nose starts to poke through the haze. Just the very front of it first, but the maw its attached to quickly follows. 

It takes Kakashi a moment to register exactly what he's looking at. All at once, he wants to laugh when it finally hits. 

The fox's eyes are glowing an ominous shade of red, massive and towering as it pokes over the side of the bridge. It's a ship. It's a giant ship, built with craftsmanship of the likes of which Kakashi has never seen. His Sharingan takes in every divot in the wood, every expertly carved edge and the chipped paint of the colors adorning it. 

The fur of the fox is twisting and swirled, engraved down into the intricate bow. It's a figurehead, ears upright, mouth open and teeth sharp. The glow is strongest in its mouth, like fire sitting in the base of its throat ready to spew out onto them all like a dragon's angry breath. 

The ship comes to a stop what has to be inches from the side of the bridge, which it could easily send crashing down into the water below. There's the sound of faint talking about, and then shouting. The fog starts to part to reveal the rest of the massive vessel, and Kakashi's eyes catch on the sail just as whoever is aboard begins to pull it up.

Uzu's swirl stares back at him, big and proud. This time, Kakashi really does start laughing. Zabuza is too stunned to do anything but stand there stupidly. Kakashi laughs harder at the head that pokes over the edge, feeling just on the edge of hysterical. 

He is going to need so many appointments with Ayumu Yamanaka to work through this.

"Wow! I did not think we were going to survive that, believe it!" Naruto is soaked to the bone from the rain, eyes bright and practically luminescent even with how dreary it is. He beams a grin when he spots Kakashi, waving wildly. "Sweet! Hi, Kashi! I forgot to tell you before I left, but I think that cow print dude is still alive! Also, sorry I was gone so long! Also, do you know anything about anchors? Because we can't find ours!" 

Of course. Of course, of course, of course. Kakashi never should've expected anything less from Naruto. It's just as he said. Naruto was always going to be fine, and he was always going to find his way back, and-- in true Naruto fashion-- he was always going to show up at the last second.

Relief crashes into him like a wave. Kakashi's shoulders slouch, the tension that had been haunting him this whole time melting off him like wax off a candle. He releases a breath and feels a million times better than he did before. Impossibly, Naruto is okay. 

More than okay, he looks good. He's not visibly injured, his face practically glowing. He's the picture of health if you ignore the fact that he's drenched to the bone, his cheeks and nose rosy. Kakashi is half tempted to jump up there and smother him in a hug.

Count on Naruto to give him a heart attack, shave ten years off his lifespan, and give him twenty more all in one go. He may look like Minato but god, it has never been more obvious than in moments like these that he's also Kushina's son.

"Did you say cow print?" Another head pokes over the side of the ship. Kakashi recognizes him from the bingo book immediately. "Momochi? What the hell are you doing here? Wait, is that the guy that tried to kill you?"

Kisame Hoshigaki, another of the Seven Deadly Swordsmen of the Mist. That is somehow on a gigantic battleship with Naruto. Naruto, who has been missing this entire time with no word. And now he is magically back in their most dire time of need, on a massive ship with Uzu's symbol all over it and a glowing array of seals so intricate even Minato-sensei would probably struggle to understand them.

Maybe Kakashi already died and this is what he's seeing as his brain fizzles out. Though, then again, Naruto has always been prone to finding himself in increasingly absurd situations. 

"Uh, yeah. He's totally crazy, believe it. Awful fashion sense too. I have no idea where he's shopping, but someone should go serve them a cease and desist. The cow print was bad, but pinstripe blue? To a life or death battle? As if leg warmers are even in right now." Naruto shook his head, disappointed.

"He probably made them himself, actually. He's always loved sewing. He's really good at it, he just doesn't have an eye for design." Hoshigaki shook his head too, like this was just another day. Him, on a battleship with Naruto Uzumaki, son of the fourth Hokage, holder of the Nine Tailed Fox. "Hey! Zabuza! Stop trying to kill these guys, alright? I owe the kid like, at least two favors."

Kakashi is so, so tired. He's so tired. He's exhausted. He doesn't want to be here. He wants to go home, and he wants to curl up in bed with his ninken surrounding him and Naruto rolled into a blanket so Kakashi can cry and hug him like a teddy bear. Or a straitjacket. The stress is seriously too much.

"And this counts as only half of one, on the basis that I could easily defeat that guy myself." Naruto climbs up onto the edge of the ship, squinting as he judges the distance between it and the bridge. "Anyway, I think Sasuke is in danger, so I'm going to go save him. That's bragging rights for life. I'll never let it go. I'll never shut up about it. He's going to hate it, believe it."

"I'll watch your brother, then." Hoshigaki nodded, clapping Naruto on the back. Kakashi wasn't sure he wanted to know the story of how they became friends. He already felt near a heart attack. From one deadly swordsmen to two-- could Hoshigaki be trusted? "Or is he your teacher? Which is it?"

Why did Naruto have to befriend anything that was vaguely nice to him? How did he befriend everything that was vaguely nice to him? 

"It's both." Naruto took the leap, landing not even feet away from where Kakashi stood. Immediately, he brought a hand up to clap over his nose, eyeing him wildly. "Wow. I was going to hug you, but you do not smell good. What even is that?"

Blood, dirt, and whatever else he'd been rolling in during this fight. Fish guts, he thinks. There was a basket that exploded somewhere. Naruto's entire face scrunches up, and Kakashi's Sharingan catalogues every slightest shift. 

Naruto didn't so much as flinch as Hoshigaki landed hard next to him, massive sword propped on his shoulder and gills flexing. An S-rank rogue ninja, who Naruto is just-- casually here with. After weeks upon weeks of being missing. This is okay, totally fine, amazing even!

It's just also... entirely surreal. Kakashi would pinch himself if not for the agony pulsing through his entire body already. Instead he just stood, watching as all his ninken apparently forgot the job they were supposed to be doing and took off towards Naruto, yipping and wagging their tails wildly as they circled up around him.

Naruto beamed a grin, reaching down to pet them. Pakkun shoved his way into his arms, uncharacteristically happy as he reached up to bump under Naruto's chin. Kakashi watched as he laughed, clones popping up around him with only a few quick hand signs. 

"Alright! Let's get this on! Vacation-- which was actually sort of book haters hell and I want to sleep forever-- over!" Naruto popped to his feet, taking Pakkun with him. "Sasuke saving, here we come! Does anyone have a camera? I want to capture the horror on his face when he realizes what's about to happen and frame it to pass on to future generations."

Yeah. Yeah, Naruto is perfectly fine. Kakashi is likely going to survive-- this and Minato-sensei, if he's lucky.

"Never create spawn." Hoshigaki requested with a grimace, sword sliding off his shoulder. Kakashi blinked wildly as the man stepped forward. Not against Kakashi, but in front of him. Defensively. "Well, Zabuza? Like I said, I owe the kid a favor. He's also right about your leg warmers. I know you've always insisted you're not colorblind, but I still think something's got to be going on." 

Zabuza brought his sword up and charged. It was answer enough.

Naruto waves at the slack-faced-in-shock Sakura only briefly before throwing himself blindly into the ice dome. Sasuke is inside, laid out on his back and stuck with at least two dozen needles. The wounds all bleed lazily, but the guy is definitely alive. 

Naruto nudges him with his foot slightly anyway, just because he can. All around him, the reflection of the hunter nin appears into the strange, icy mirrors that make up what must be the result of some kind of... kekkai genkai?

"That's surprisingly insightful." Kurama said, sounding genuinely shocked. "Did you get too much water in your lungs on the ride back or what? You're not this smart."

Wow. Naruto just spent like, a literal eternity reading a bunch of books and scrolls. He even understood at least two of them all on his own. Maybe even three! 

"It's not my fault we couldn't get down to the lower deck! We couldn't get our feet to stick! The boat kept eating our chakra and speeding up when we tried!" Naruto argued, nudging Sasuke again. And by nudging, he means forgetting himself and accidentally kicking him really hard. "Oops. Wait, where'd that needle go? Do you think I just kicked it in and punctured one of his lungs?"

Sasuke let out a wheeze. Naruto pursed his lips. His heart's still beating, he's clearly breathing. That's probably a good enough sign. Naruto shrugged it off, looking up. He nearly jumped when he saw how close the hunter nin's masked face was.

It was bigger in the mirror than it should've been, expressionless eye slits staring at him from all angles. Naruto backed away from the mirror slightly, eyes darting around. Kurama curled back into a ball in the back of his mind, yawning. Apparently nothing about this was concerning enough to him to incite his staying awake. 

Compared to Naruto getting waterboarded by ocean water with a rogue Mist ninja whilst their Uzu escape vessel bumped across the ocean so fast Naruto is pretty sure they almost broke the sound barrier... fair. 

"You're the boy from the forest." Is the first thing the hunter nin says, voice echoing out all around him and bouncing off the crystalline walls. "The one who tried to bite me as I gathered herbs."

Naruto winces slightly. Right. He'd almost forgotten about that thing. Feral clone lost in the woods. Talk about longevity. How was that thing still alive? 

"Yeah, I'm like, 98% sure that wasn't me. Believe it." Naruto scratched the back of his neck. "If you see it again, please report it to animal control or something. Or just kill it. You'd be doing all of us a favor. How long ago was this, by the way? And was the other me armed?"

He doesn't get a reply, which is rude enough as it is. Instead, a barrage of senbon needles fly out at him. Naruto very nearly jumps to dodge them before realizing they'll hit Sasuke if he does. Which doesn't sound that bad, but he's Naruto's teammate now. So. Solidarity?

Naruto deflects half and takes the rest as gracefully as he can. One still manages to hit Sasuke. Which was totally intentional because Naruto is so fast and skilled that, obviously, a senbon would never make it past his ultimate defense. Naturally. 

On the ground, Sasuke groans again. Naruto really should've patted Kakashi down for a camera of some kind. He knew he always had one on him. The fish smell had just been really overwhelming, believe it. 

More senbon, more deflecting. Naruto summoned a gang of clones, his chakra spreading out in a sheet trying to figure out which mirror this asshole was in. Despite the chill in the air, Naruto felt heated. He was back. He was really back!

It felt good to be. To see everyone again, even if one of those everyones happened to be Sasuke. More than that, his mission to Uzu had officially been a success. He'd gone, he'd got the info, and he'd actually made it back in one piece. Not a single limb lost!

"Am I dead?" Sasuke groaned out, Sharingan eyes cracked open and taking in Naruto's form standing in front of him. He propped himself up shakily on one elbow. "You... You died." 

"I would never die. I'm cooler than you, believe it." Naruto said automatically, opening his eyes and zeroing in on one of the mirrors to his right. He grinned, glancing at Sasuke only briefly. "I'm also going to save you. And then I'm going to brag about it for the rest of our lives!"

Naruto punctuated his declaration with a peace sign. Sasuke's look of absolute horror made the entire incoming fight, no matter how exhausting it was after trying to survive an Uzumaki War Vessel Gone Wild without drowning, worth it.