tampered | Log: Complete

Log: Complete

When; Sunday Evening
Rating; E for Everyone
Characters;

yellow_flash
Summary; The Yondaime Hokage has come to polychromatic and meets a now-nearly adult Naruto for the first time since sealing Kyuubi in the infant boy. What will happen?!
Log;

Ever since his initial contact with the genin Naruto, the Yondaime Hokage had been following the boy, carefully concealing his presence. Their first contact hadn't gone exactly how Arashi had planned, ending in something of an argument.

But that boy- he was difficult to deal with. Just like the Third said. And with good reason, he'd been nearly fed to the wolves after that sealing. Left not only an orphan with no one to watch over him in a village where family was everything, but left with the legacy of a demon. The Yondaime Hokage had wanted the boy looked on as a hero; the village had other plans, however. Those who had lost family had still been angry, had needed someone to blame.

But Arashi was glad to see Naruto had overcome that, had won the village through his hardwork and dedication. And as Naruto moved from his building, Arashi followed, wondering if he was going to train as the Yondaime had done many times in his living years when things perplexed his emotions and challenged his normalcy.

Silently, he followed, using a quick jutsu to mask his presence while his mind warred against himself, on the one hand, Naruto deserved the truth even though he most likely knew it, but on the other, he deserved his anger and Arashi had no right to press him on this.

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There were eyes on him from somewhere, Naruto could feel them. Then again after all the voices and ticking, a pair of eyes watching him should hardly have been a shock. He chalked it up to silly paranoia after a while. As much as he should have known better than to drop his guard in a place like this, he simply had too much on his mind.

When he first discovered that the Yondaime was in the city with them, he didn't know what to think. How to react, what to say. This was the man from their history books that saved the village by sacrificing his life. As an aspiring Hokage, Naruto admired him.

But Yondaime was also the man that made him into what he was. Despite Yondaime's intention of wanting Naruto to be seen as the hero, Naruto had had a very difficult life.

"It's not like... I'd change things or anything," he said under his breath as he approached the fountain. He was very proud of who he was. As a result of the village's predisposed hatred, the payoff for all his hard work was all the more sweet.

The reflection Naruto saw in the fountain was not of his present self, but himself from when Iruka was his sensei. "It's just that... you know, it was really lonely." The reflection shifted, showing the fragment of a particular memory that made him smile slightly. Himself as a child, exhanging grumpy looks with an equally tiny Sasuke who was sitting on a dock.

Okay, so it wasn't completely lonely.

"I would change things, if I could," the Yondaime said from behind Naruto, dispelling the jutsu and allowing his reflection to be seen over the young man's shoulder in the fountain's surface. "I wouldn't have died."

He paused, waiting for Naruto to say or do something, but then continued, "But I can't change things. Being hokage isn't just about being strong, it's about putting everyone else in the village before yourself and your own wants."

The Yondaime saw the reflection that Naruto saw, the child alone and felt his heart squeeze tightly. "Life isn't fair, but you're all the better for it, aren't you? Strong. Self sufficient. You know suffering and you have compassion for others who have suffered."

He turned then, away from the fountain and the reflections and sat down, glancing over his shoulder at Naruto and then into the water.

Seeing the Yondaime's reflection in the water next to his own, Naruto wondered when he had bunshined and did a double take. Realizing it was Yondaime - and that he must have been following him - Naruto found himself facing very difficult feelings. The first of which being, sudden and inexplicable anger.

He regarded Yondaime with a sharp look. "If it had been anyone but me?" His thoughts drifted to Gaara. "It might have been a lot worse."

Naruto's features softened. There was feeling number two; a sense of relief that was an odd contrast when put side-by-side to his previous anger. This was his chance to get answers to questions he'd wondered about his entire life.

"I want to know who my parents were. You have to know, you were there when I was born."

The boy was not only strange, but thick. The Yondaime half smiled at Naruto's assertion that it had to be him the demon was put in as well as his demand to know who his parents were, "There was no one other than you that the demon could have gone in." Then paused, he would elaborate later.

"Your mother was a kind woman," The Yondaime began. "Her health was frail, however. The pregnancy was hard and because of the kyuubi attack the medical nins were all out in the feild. She chose your life over her own. That's what mother's do."

He paused, glancing over his shoulder into the fountain, the picture of a small child appeared, with blonde hair and blue eyes and a seal on his stomach. "You weren't supposed to be told your parentage until after ... a while, at least. The Third knew, so do Jiraiya and Kakashi."

Scratching his head, the Yondaime continued, "But this seems the best opportunity to tell you. In person." Then paused, "Your father died in the kyuubi attack. That's why you had to bear this burden, not because you were going to be an orphan, but because... it isn't only the Hokage who bears responsibility for the village, but the hokage's family as well."

[[OOC: Just made up the stuff about his mother since they never mentioned it.]]

After almost sixteen years of never even having heard one word from anyone about his parents - not even knowing so much as their names - hearing Yondaime talk about his mother was a little much. He fell quiet and listened intently, feeling a strange sort of pang in his heart. A woman he'd never even known chose his life over her own.

His mother.

But why all the secrecy? Naruto didn't understand it. He remembered how upset he had been back when Mizuki-sensei revealed the village's greatest secret. That it took almost sixteen years to hear anything on his parents - from someone he wouldn't have even met had he not somehow been brought to this city - made him upset as well.

Then Yondaime mentioned his father and something about family. Math had never been Naruto's forte but even he could add two and two together. "So that would mean--" The way he gripped his hair and screeched might have been comical were the air not so thick. "But why's it gotta be a big damn secret! I'm not a fucking kid anymore."

His heart felt so heavy, he swore he could feel it dropping right through his stomach. Shock was beginning to settle. "Even so... I still think that you were really brave for doing what you did. And it must have been painful." He smiled. "Haha, it all makes sense now, though! that's the same kinda thing I would have done, you know! Like father, like son, or something along those lines..."

Naruto refused to blink. His vision was getting blurry.

The boy was not a boy anymore, but a young man but even still, the Yondaime drew his arm around Naruto's shoulders, glad that he had caught on without Arashi having to spell it out. "It was. I- I didn't want to burden you and then leave you, but there was no other choice. I thought at least you would be able to use the power of the kyuubi to enhance your own chakra. And I can feel that I was not wrong."

Then paused, inclining his head, "Kakashi followed my orders, constantly tardy, but a good pupil. I told him that you were to be seen as an orphan, that is why your family name was made up. Uzumaki, probably named from the spiral on the seal and on the village symbol."

Reflecting for a moment, he added, "You are my son, of course I thought you would become hokage, but I wanted you to earn it on your own merit, to be proud of your own strength. That's what all the secrecy was for. Maybe it wasn't fair, but could you say that had you known and been treated like my son your entire life, that you would have worked as hard as you have?"

"But that's okay, you know now. And you have the right to be angry," Then half smiled, "I'm surprised you didn't figure it our on your own. . or that anyone else in the village didn't. You're the spitting image of me. Except for these. ." And poked at Naruto's whisker scars. "How...do you feel about all of this?"

Not one for beating around the bush, Naruto got straight to the point. "I'm really pissed at you! But it's selfish of me to feel that way because you did what you had to for the village. I know I would have done the same." The blond shinobi laughed and shoved his nose into the air haughtily. "'Cept I would have done one thing differently: I wouldn't have died!"

"And I'm glad I wasn't treated as your son..." It sounded strange and it would probably take Naruto a while before he was completely comfortable referring to himself as the Yondaime's child. "Because... I'm really proud of who I am! And everyone's come to like me for me... I'm not just the dumb kid scrawling all over the Hokage monument or screwing up every exam anymore."

Leaping up onto the fountain's edge, Naruto lifted his face towards the sky. The initial shock was wearing off and his ability to clearly rationalize - as clearly as his impulsive and often rash disposition allowed - began to return. "As the Yondaime, I think you're awesome. But as a dad... I don't think I like you very much."

"We all make mistakes, don't we? But I didn't get the chance to rectify them. And- that's fine. You've done very well without me, in fact, better than you would have done with me," the Yondaime replied. "I told you it was okay to be angry, you're right, I'm an awful father. Not only did I alienate you from the village as a child, but I left you as an orphan and without any knowledge of your heritage, I would be angry too."

Then half smiled, "But, I didn't leave you completely without legacy. Jiraya is supposed to teach you a very powerful technique that only he and myself were able to master. Though I imagine he will teach you when you are a bit stronger."

His voice was a bit strained, Arashi would have preferred to be the one to teach the Rasengan to Naruto, but once everyone was set to their right world, he would be dead once more and Naruto would still be very much alive.

But he did believe one thing, that Naruto wasn't lying when he said he wouldn't have died had he been in the Yondaime's place. "It may not mean much to you after all of this, but ... I'm very proud of you, Naruto and I know you will be a great Hokage.

Jiraya is supposed to teach you a very powerful technique that only he and myself were able to master.

Wondering if the super pervert had been holding out on him all this time, Naruto blinked owlishly a few times before gaping. "Haah? A powerful technique? Something stronger than Rasengan, you mean? Or Kuchiyose? Oh man, that would be so cool! He better teach me it! What is it?"

Hearing that Yondaime was proud of him almost made his knees go out; he almost fell right over into the fountain. And it was the part about the failed exams that actually did make him tip over into the fountain. "Aahhh--"

Splash.

"--ahh, goddammit!"

His tears were thoroughly camoflauged, thanks to being soaked to the bone. He was glad, even if they were tears of happiness.

The Yondaime's eyes bugged for a moment, "WHAT! You already mastered the Rosengan AND Kuchiyose!? How old are you, anyway!" Then blinked as Naruto fell into the fountain. Dropping to one knee at the edge of the fountain, as Naruto emerged, the Yondaime flashed a smile that was the mirror image of Naruto's and reached out, ruffling his wet hair.

"There are a few, more powerful techniques left. Don't let the old pervert be lazy and refuse to teach you. But... remember that he's not a legendary sennin for nothing and you should be respectful," the Yondaime added. Then rose, offering Naruto a hand up and out of the fountain.

His own eyes were shiny with the emotion he was holding back. This was his son, the tiny baby he had sacrificed along with his own life a little over sixteen years ago.

"'Course I did! Not only was I thirteen when I learned Rasengan, it only took me a week to learn it, too! I could probably do it in my sleep! And I also learned how to control the kyuubi's chakra so much, but after I manifest like, three or four tails I kind of black out and can't remember anything-- " Naruto rambled on proudly, knowing since Jiraiya told him that it took Yondaime much longer to perfect Rasengan. He accepted the help out of the fountain and, after regaining some semblance of composure, tried to wring some of the water out of his shirt.

"I've been more respective to the old fart since he started taking my training seriousl--" Naruto stopped when his gaze met with Yondaime's own and he half-frowned. The way he was looking at him was breaking his heart and Naruto didn't understand why, but he found himself wanting to help him. If there was any sadness there, Naruto wanted to take it away.

"Maybe we can start off little? I'm big now and I don't want parental supervision... but I don't think it'd be bad to have you in my life."

The Yondaime inclined his head, keeping his eyes on Naruto, "I'm glad. You know where you come from now, there are no more big secrets hanging over your head. I won't try to parent you, that didn't work out so well the first time either; but I do care about you and your welfare is my business, not just as a former Hokage, but as your father. We can take things slow."

His mind was worrying over what Naruto had said, manifesting tails and blacking out. That sounded like he was overloading on the kyuubi's chakra. But the boy didn't seem worse for wear, and that meant the demon fox was not harming him. A good sign.

"I know you don't have to give me a second chance," He added after the long silence, "Thank you."

"As long as you let me finish doing things my own way..." The blond held his hand out to the other to shake, as if cutting the Yondaime a deal.

"Even if it doesn't work out, I could always use another friend."

[ooc: wanna wrap it up soon? :D]

"I won't interfere. Whatever you're doing, you're doing right!" And took his hand, shaking on it.

[[OOC: Yup. This the last post or do you want to take the last one?]]

[That looks great! ♥ Awesome scene!]

[[EHEH thanks, you too <3 So precious. I'll mark this as complete!]]

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Log: Complete

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