Log; Complete

[relimited.livejournal.com]

When; December 17th
Rating; PG
Characters; Uzumaki Naruto and Kazama Arashi
Summary; Even after everything that's happened, families seem to stick together, no matter what. ...or perhaps it's just theirs?
Log;
It'd grown dark fairly quickly, signalling the approaching time for his 'meeting'. He hadn't seen his father since the morning that he'd gone to meet with the rogue Itachi, and now things had completely changed. Decisions had been made that the outcomes had seemed to grow from. He'd made trades that he knew he shouldn't have. Heard things he would've rather not known.

All for one reason. The same one reason that he was sneaking out of the building from at that precise moment. Practically forcing the other to get some rest, Naruto had waited a few hours before making his way outside. Pushing the door to the building open, he glanced around briefly, before stepping out onto the crisp snow. The sound of crunching was the only thing he could hear as he wrapped his arms around himself and stepped out into the darkness.

He had surveyed the area first, perched on the top of a nearby building to ensure he had not been followed. Itachi was blind, but Kisame was still on the loose. Sealing the body flicker technique, he appeared close to Naruto and stepped towards him, allowing his sandals to crunch on the snow as well to announce his presence with his chakra masked.

The Yondaime looked as though he'd gone a few rounds fist to fist with the Kyuubi again. Black bruise forming on a previous shattered cheekbone that Shizune had mended, broken ribs, a half healed (with the help of Shizune) gash to his side from Kisame's Samehada. For a moment his gaze was haunted as he looked Naruto over, assuring himself that Itachi's illusion had been just that.

"Naruto." He said, voice that same low, calm tone.

As the sound of a second set of footsteps, Naruto spun round, unable to help himself from falling into a fighting stance. Given what had already happened, he couldn't help but be prepared. However, his body relaxed the moment he realised who was standing there. A faint smile making its way onto his face. It disappeared a moment later as concern took over. Sure, he was meant to be annoyed with the other...or something, but that didn't stop him from staring at the man in shock. "Wh-what happened?!"

"I told you I would go after Itachi. He's blind now. Though I'm sure he'll search a way to heal." Arashi replied. He'd only gotten one scream out of the man, even with malicious attempts to hurt him. But Arashi had fought angry and that had been foolish of him. Had he only kept his head, the fight might have gone more smoothly.

"You...you..." He couldn't tell if he was angry or not with what he'd just been told. Arashi had gone after Itachi, and he'd ended up hurt. "...why?" He asked despite already knowing the answer. It just didn't mean he'd be happy with it. So instead, he took a deep breath, frowning slightly. "...are you...alright?"

He arched a brow, about to point out that he was already dead. "I'm fine and whether you are happy with my actions or not, I couldn't let him use that seal against you. Or let him keep harming people here."

Looking away, Naruto nodded, unable to say anything against him. He knew that, had he been in the same position, he probably would've done the same. Well, he already had, to an extent. He'd foregone his own safety for those he cared about. In fact, most of the things he'd done recently were things he'd scorned others for doing. "...I'm sorry," he finally muttered quietly.

Nodding at that, Arashi offered a half smile, "It's okay. You were stressed and upset. I understand why you reacted the way you did." Then paused, before adding, "Things should be better now. At least for a while." Then blinked and tilted his head, "He put your friend in Tsukuyomi, didn't he?"

"I...said things that..." A sigh. "I shouldn't have acted like that. Not to you especially." He was only worried about him after all. "I...I think so." Most of what he knew so far was guesswork. Sasuke hadn't told him much about what had happened yet, and Naruto hadn't pushed him into it. When he was ready to talk, he would. "Itachi said he'd shown him things from the other side." What that meant, he hadn't known until later, after thinking about it for some time. He saw his own family die by his own hands.

"I should have told you, anyway," Arashi replied. "I gave him the ammunition by keeping it a secret." Then inclined his head, eyes narrowing slightly, "If Itachi kept him in the illusion the full amount of time. . your friend must be very strong. If he survived that, he'll overcome this eventually."

It was something he really didn't want to think about. He knew now, and that was enough. "It...it doesn't matter now." Turning back to look up at Arashi, a hopeful look crossed his face. He didn't know much about the Tsukuyomi, beyond being caught in it and how to break out of it. If he was right about that... "...you think so?" He could only hope.

"I do. And I think your being with him will go a long way to help. Then, once he starts getting better, we can work on removing that seal." Itachi was still dangerous, but now to a vastly lesser degree than before.

Relief. It was something that seemed to happen easily around the other. Since he'd first spoken to the Yondaime, Naruto had found it hard to worry for too long. The moment the Yondaime had become Arashi, his father, that feeling had simply grown. As much as he may've acted otherwise, he seemed to take the man's words to heart, no matter what they were. Which was why the things Itachi had said had affected him so much. "I hope so. Things were already bad enough for him before all this." As for the seal though... "...if Itachi finds out though... I don't want him to do anything again."

"He'll be out of it for a while," Arashi replied. "And with any luck, anyone with healing power around here can be warned against helping him. For the two of you, don't forget, you're not in this alone. You have friends and allies who can help watch your back." His own relief was almost tangible, nothing Itachi had said resonated with him in Tsukuyomi as much as the words of Naruto's last message to him before the fight.

"...I know." Sasuke on the other hand, he wasn't so sure. But he knew he had Naruto, and Naruto knew he had friends. So it was almost the same. Releasing an arm, Naruto reached out carefully, taking a careful hold on the material of Arashi's sleeve. A small smile, and he finally felt happy enough to say a quiet, "...thanks...dad."

For a moment he was very nearly overwhelmed. For all the things in his life, that one small gesture and those two quiet words nearly had him in pieces. He fought to keep his voice steady as he replied. "You're welcome, son." Then inclined his head, smiling, "You better get back to your friend. And if you get in trouble again, use that kunai I gave you."

Nodding his head slightly, he glanced back up toward the darkened building. "We'll be alright." He turned back, his free hand moving down to his weapons pouch where the tagged kunai sat in wait. "When he's...feeling a bit better, can we both come and move in? I don't want to leave him alone, but I...I don't want to waste this time either."

"Of course. I would be more than glad to have both of you," Arashi smiled. "I want to spend as much time with you as I can, in case-" Well better not to bring that up. "Whenever the both of you are ready."

"I'll talk to him about it." Again. A frown and he was looking at the floor again. He knew about the limitations of the city. They'd been forced into his mind the moment he'd arrived there. But that didn't make it any easier each time he heard mention of the fact that this wasn't permanent. "...we're...we're still going to find a way to...to get you back..."

"We will. After some of this is cleared up, I'll start looking into it." And he would, but he would not try anything that would put his son or anyone else in danger.

And as Arashi had been the one to say it, he couldn't help but believe him. "I want to help too. If there something that we can do, then I'm gonna help you!" And once again, he found himself grinning up at the man.

Returning the grin, he replied, "Deal." It would be odd to go back- very odd. But he for the chance to stay in Naruto's life when he had already missed so much. He would take it.

Bringing his arms back, he wrapped them back around himself to keep him warm. "...are you sure you're okay?" He knew what Itachi was capable of, and he doubted that Arashi had gotten away without parts of it. Especially considering the way he looked. "What happened?"

"I am now," He replied honestly. "I got in one hit before he used mangekyo, but I had gone into it with a plan. The pain helps you concentrate on your body outside of the genjutsu. With his eyes like that, I knew a flashbang would blind him. I probably should have played along. He brought out an illusion of you. Even if it wasn't real, watching you be harmed was far worse than anything else."

"...oh." So he had used the Tsukuyomi on him then. At least if sounded as though he'd been able to break out of it...eventually. He'd blinded the man before actually blinding him. But how much damage had he actually gotten? The mention of the mangekyo had explained that look at the start though.

"I don't think it had the complete effect that he wanted. Sixteen years inside of a death god, Tsukuyomi was a walk in the park," Arashi replied. Well, almost. Not quite. If Naruto hadn't been involved in the illusion, he'd have been fine. "I think the key to helping your friend, will be the ability to put aside what happened as an illusion. Much easier said than done." Changing the subject, not wanting Naruto to worry for him.

Frowning to himself, Naruto reached out once more, this time wrapping both arms around Arashi in an almost uncomfortable hug. It wasn't something he'd ever really done before. Not since he was a child at least. However, even he wasn't so dense as to realise what Arashi was doing. Or trying to. He'd done it enough times himself. "That's what you've done now though. I'm okay. It wasn't real." Or at least, he hoped it wasn't. He wouldn't have shown him something that had actually happened. Not when he could make up much worse. "Sasuke'll do the same...eventually."

He returned the hug, a bit fiercely, "I know. You're all right. I'm not sure if any of what happened was from your encounter or not, but that doesn't matter now, you're all right." Though Sasuke's encounter would be all the more difficult considering his had actually happened, just not in the way Sasuke was forced to relive it.

"I told you most of what happened when I went." He wasn't going to ask Arashi what it was he saw, but he could probably guess, considering some of the things other people had seen before. "...nothing's gonna happen again. I wont...I'm not gonna do something like this again." Or at least, not until he was holding a few cards of his own first.

"Good. Even what I did was stupid, entering a battle in the heat of emotion only gives the advantage to your opponent," Arashi replied. Not pointing out that Naruto said he had told him -most- of what happened. Itachi had taunted him with a kunai supposedly smeared in Naruto's blood. Yondaime would have preferred not knowing whether it was real or not.

"But...you're okay." It was said as much for himself as it was for Arashi. "It wont happen again." Pulling back a little, he smiled up at Arashi. "I'll tell you what happens if you tell me, okay?" He shook his head, expecting his words to be taken the wrong way. "If he tries to start anything again, I'll tell you everything. But you have to do the same too."

Tilting his head, he realized he probably shouldn't be making this bargain with a teenager, but Naruto was used to impulsively taking care of things, it seemed. Might be the only way to keep track of him. "All right." Then put up his finger, "But no acting until we consult each other."

As strange as it may've seemed, if it meant that it'd keep his father safe, then he'd agree to anything. "Okay, deal!" He was one of the few people he'd agree to a deal with without hesitation.

He felt better knowing that Naruto wouldn't just act now, though, that also meant he couldn't just act. Which might be a good thing considering his newly discovered impulsive streak. With a smile he inclined his head, "All right. Now go back inside before you get sick. We'll see each other soon. And if you two need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Stepping backward, Naruto nodded his head, glancing to the building once again. Still dark. That was good. "Okay, but remember it's the same for you." He didn't care about the fact he was still considered a kid by most people. "If you need something, I'll help if I can."

With a nod of understanding he added, "Good night." Before sealing a jutsu and disappearing. In truth, he was only atop the building next door, making sure no one would follow him or his boy.

Watching as the man disappeared, Naruto smiled to himself, feeling a lot happier than he had all day. Turning on the spot, he shook himself out, regaining the feeling in his feet before dashing back toward the building once again. That was one problem sorted, now just one more to go...