Chapter Text
Kakashi hopped in the open window, careful to avoid the plants beneath the window. Kazuya could be extremely protective over them and he had no desire to provoke the man. He took in the quiet and empty flat; he didn’t see Naruto. He’d asked Kakashi to meet him here to talk but hadn’t mentioned what it was about.
The scent of cold ginger tea tickled his nose along with stale bread; there was only one bite taken out of the piece of toast as it rested pitifully on a plate on the kitchen table. He heard a sound and watched Naruto emerge from his room, wrapped in a fluffy, blue blanket that was looking a bit threadbare with age. His hair was down and frizzy and he smelled nervous. Kakashi cocked his head; what could he possibly be nervous about? It was just him.
“Thanks for coming,” Naruto smiled weakly as he gestured Kakashi towards the couch.
“Of course,” Kakashi raised an eyebrow. “Are you okay?”
He sank into the well-worn couch as Naruto sat beside him a bit more timidly. He wouldn’t look at him for more than a few seconds at a time and Kakashi did not like it. There was something going on here and nothing pointed towards it being good.
“Kakashi, you know I trust you, right?”
He really did not like the sound of that.
“You know I would never hurt you or hide something unless I had a really good reason, right?”
“Naruto, what’s going on?”
Naruto curled further into his blanket.
“I just…I wanted you to hear it from me,” he said quickly, his breathing increasing with every word. “I mean, not that I’m going to tell anyone else, but Genma-sensei and Hana found out so that’s already like double than who knew before and I kind of feel like I’m losing control of everything and I really don’t want that and…”
“Naruto.”
Kakashi reached out to place a hand gently on Naruto’s blanket-covered knee, trying to ground him a bit. Naruto nodded as he managed his breathing, going quiet for several minutes. He didn’t know what had him so riled up but he hated to see Naruto in distress.
“You don’t have to tell me, you know that right?”
“No, I want to,” Naruto shook his head. “I want you to know. I don’t want you to find out one day and never talk to me again. I can’t tell anyone else; I can live knowing Rio and Sasuke might hate me because I’m doing this for their futures but you, you’ve already been through so much and I’ve thought about this a lot and I don’t want to just drop dead on you one day without a word…”
Drop dead.
Kakashi’s hand tightened on Naruto’s knee.
“Drop dead?”
Naruto sucked a deep breath in and held it for a second, finally nodding.
“Do you remember the training accident I had as an academy student?”
Kakashi frowned. It’d been around Naruto’s second or third year in the academy. He’d heard about him landing in the hospital for a few weeks from Gai but he’d been out on a mission at the time. By the time he’d returned to Konoha, Naruto had been discharged and he’d heard nothing more about it.
“It’s the reason you had to get the chakra blocked in your arm?” Kakashi replied, not quite knowing where this was going. “You reinjured your left arm and the chakra network was unsalvageable so they sealed it off to preserve the physical function.”
Naruto nodded, seeming to calm down the more they talked.
“Yeah, that’s most of the story,” he said quietly. “What no one knows is that it was a lot worse than just losing the ability to use my left hand in jutsu and seals.”
He felt Naruto’s hand rest on his and he turned his around so he could grasp it tightly. There was something about that physical contact that settled him. The warmth and coarseness of Naruto’s hand kept him grounded.
“Remnants of the Kyūbi’s chakra were released from where it was trapped in my arm and it spread to my chest and abdomen; more specifically, my organs,” he continued. “Nothing happened right away. I was thirteen when the first signs started showing up.”
“Naruto…”
“It was minor at first, you know?” Naruto pushed on, as if he was just trying to get all out before he lost his nerve. “I got more colds and bugs than normal and then one day, I coughed a little blood. There wasn’t any reason to say anything because it was a one-time thing; I didn’t want to worry people. It…it wasn’t just a one-time thing though and it got worse…much worse.”
He wiped the tears at the edge of his vision away roughly.
“Sorry, I should be immune to this shit by now. Anyway, um, yeah, I have a bunch of, um, symptoms and stuff but Tsunade’s helping me to control them. She says that while they’re not going to go away that I can still manage them well and I’ve been doing much better. I started meds over two months ago and it’s like I’m back to three years ago. I still get rough days but I really am okay.”
Kakashi processed his words. He felt numb; he didn’t know how he was supposed to respond to something like this.
“How long?” He heard himself ask, but it was like it was someone else’s voice.
“I…I won’t make twenty-five.”
It was like a knife cutting Kakashi’s heart out of his chest. He tried to pull his hand away but Naruto gripped it tighter, the blanket falling off his shoulders.
“Kakashi, please, I’m sorry I kept this from you.” His blue eyes were desperate. “You’re only the second person I’ve told but I couldn’t keep it from you anymore. I’m improving but it won’t last forever. I didn’t want to leave you like your team did. I know it doesn’t make it better but I still have years left and I don’t want to lie to you. I will lie until my dying breath to everyone else but not you.”
Kakashi stopped trying to pull away. Something had developed between them in recent months; he didn’t exactly know what to call it. He’d always held himself apart from other people, purposely holding himself back from making connections because he knew people would expect things from him that he couldn’t give. His Icha Icha was a good deterrent but there was still the occasional shinobi or kunoichi that tried their luck. He knew he couldn’t commit to them in the way they wanted so he just avoided them all.
Naruto understood; he was in the same position. They hadn’t exactly had the most linear relationship. From tolerance to absence to earning trust to sharing fears to fucking up to finding comfort, he and Naruto had been through a lot. It had been a long road to get to where they were now; friendship was the closest that Kakashi could think of, even if it was slightly deeper than that since that day in the hospital. He didn’t want to lose what they’d spent over a decade building together.
Naruto was showing him a level of trust Kakashi didn’t think he deserved. He’d kept this secret for a decade now and could have continued without Kakashi being any the wiser. He hadn’t even known to look before today. While he was still reeling at how much had been hidden from him, he couldn’t take that out on Naruto. He couldn’t make Naruto think he’d made the wrong decision to trust him; he might never depend on Kakashi again.
“Who else knows?”
“I told Kazuya when it happened,” Naruto answered quickly, hope beginning to spark in his eyes. “Tsunade, Shikaku, Hana and Genma-sensei found out outside of my control.”
“That’s it?” Kakashi frowned. “Just five people know?”
“Well, Tsunade, Hana and Genma-sensei found out recently and Shikaku found out four years ago,” Naruto grinned weakly.
So Naruto had been carrying this burden practically alone all this time? Kazuya would have been there for him but they were both just kids back then. He was probably thinking that he was protecting everyone by hiding it; Kakashi would do the same and he hated it. He hated that he understood what Naruto was doing because the Uzumaki deserved better than this yet Kakashi couldn’t argue with him. How many nights had he spent suffering alone with this?
“You’re impossible, you know that?”
Naruto didn’t have time to reply before Kakashi let go of his hand and pulled him into his chest. Naruto froze for a long moment before he melted into Kakashi’s arms. The fluffy blanket was soft and Naruto’s warmth sank into Kakashi’s chest.
“I’m sorry that you felt like you had to go through this alone.”
Naruto chuckled wetly.
“I’m sorry for putting this on you. I know this is kind of a burden…”
Kakashi squeezed so he would stop talking.
“I want to help you carry it,” he whispered into red hair. “You can depend on me; until the very end. I won’t leave you.”
He wouldn’t run away. He’d run from this family before and he’d promised to never do it again. The mixed feelings still swirled in his chest but he shoved them aside to sort through later. Naruto was more important right now. He wouldn’t fail him again. They still had years left and Kakashi wouldn’t waste them being angry and bitter. He’d wasted the years before he’d lost Obito and Rin and Minato-sensei and he wouldn’t allow himself to do that with Naruto.
“Thanks for not yelling at me,” his voice was small and Kakashi rested his masked face on Naruto’s head, his heart aching at the implication of those words.
“Thank you for trusting me.”
Naruto opened his apartment door, crossing his arms as he looked at Jiraiya, unimpressed.
“Can we help you?”
“I need to talk to you about Rio,” the Sannin said firmly.
Naruto spent a long moment just looking at the man and when he finally saw the signs of discomfort he stepped aside. As long as Jiraiya knew he was at a disadvantage here. The man kicked off his geta sandals and shoved them neatly to one side and Naruto followed him further into the apartment. Kazuya looked up from the book he was reading. Sasuke was out finalizing his ANBU application with Kakashi and Sakura was with Ino in one of the training grounds. Rio was at the Inuzuka compound training with Kiba.
“Jiraiya?” Kazuya placed his book on the coffee table. “What are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to you both about Rio,” he replied, standing next to one of the bookcases. “It’s about the group wearing red clouds.”
Naruto frowned as he stood behind the sofa Kazuya was seated on.
“Red clouds?”
The image of Itachi and the Kiri missing nin flashed across Naruto’s mind. He knew they’d been after Rio but no one he’d spoken to had known why. There wasn’t much known in Konoha about people who wore that cloak although he’d heard rumours that they were mercenaries.
“The group is called Akatsuki,” Jiraiya began gravely. “They’re a group of missing nin after the tailed beasts. We don’t know why yet or what they’re plans are but they’re going to come back for Rio. He’s not safe in Konoha.”
“Surely, he’s safer here than anywhere else?” Kazuya pointed out. “He has the whole village to fight them off and Naruto will be able to sense them coming so they can’t exactly surprise us.”
Kazuya had a point but there was more to this. Naruto knew Jiraiya had already considered these points so there had to be something else. He knew something they didn’t.
“This organization, there’s ten of them,” he said grimly. “Every single of them is S-rank; even Konoha would struggle if they all attacked at once.”
Naruto cursed silently. They could win against a team like that but not without significant casualties. Not even advance warning could be enough against people with that level of power; but Kazuya was right. Having Rio outside of the village wouldn’t be practical either. It would make him an easier target with much less protection.
“And what do you propose to do about that?” He asked with a neutral tone, ignoring Kazuya’s confused look.
“I could take the kid on a training trip,” Jiraiya suggested. “If we keep moving then Akatsuki will turn their eyes away from Konoha and we already know from when we went to find Tsunade that I’m a deterrent for them. He would be safe with me.”
Naruto scanned the Sannin’s signature carefully. It fluctuated slightly and he narrowed his eyes.
“And the real reason you want to train him?”
Jiraiya wasn’t quick enough to hide the surprise that crossed his face. His features hardened into a determined grimace.
“I want the kid to learn how to use the Kyūbi’s chakra.”
“Fuck no,” Kazuya shot to his feet. “That’s not even an option.”
“Minato designed that seal so he could do it safely,” Jiraiya argued. “The Suna jinchūriki and the Kumo girl can do it with ease. It’s a waste not to utilise that kind of chakra resource.”
“That monster killed my mom!” Kazuya spat. “It killed Naruto and Rio’s parents and Iruka’s parents and hundreds of other people and it destroyed the lives of hundreds more! It should have died that night! It’s bad enough it’s sealed into that kid but you want him to use that chakra? The chakra that’s killing Naruto?”
Naruto knew that Kazuya still had strong feelings towards the Kyūbi. He’d separated Rio and the demon in his head so that hatred didn’t affect his relationship with Rio, but the hurt from that night hadn’t completely healed over even thirteen years later. He knew it was the same for most of the village. The Kyūbi had caused a lot of damage and even Naruto still felt the absence of his parents from time to time.
“And what if this group comes after Rio in the future?” Jiraiya argued hotly. “Regular jutsu and training won’t be enough to protect him! Learning to use the Kyūbi’s chakra is the best chance he has of protecting himself!”
“What if the Kyūbi decides to use him instead? What if it escapes?” Kazuya’s tone was still full of anger but Naruto could see the spark of fear in his eyes.
“Minato’s seal won’t let that happen!”
“You can’t know that for sure!”
Naruto remained silent, thinking over Jiraiya’s words. He may not be on the best of terms with the man but he couldn’t dismiss him out of hand either. He’d looked over his father’s seal himself and Jiraiya was right, the Kyūbi couldn’t get out on its own. Rio would have to unlock the seal himself and he knew better than do something dumb like that.
He considered the Kyūbi itself. It had caused a lot of hurt and pain but there was something about it that made Naruto hesitate to call it a monster. He knew it’d been trapped inside his mother for years and then Rio for over a decade now and he couldn’t help but think about how it must feel to be caged like that. He knew they had sentience; Shukaku had shown him that in their fight in Suna. He also knew they were dangerous and to have them free would pose an incredible risk to both Konoha and the other villages.
He paused at that thought. That wasn’t always necessarily true. He’d heard about the release of the Sanbi after the death of the Fourth Mizukage and so far there had been no reports of the beast attacking or wreaking havoc.
Maybe the Kyūbi had attacked them in revenge for spending so many years locked up against its will. It wasn’t a great arrangement for the container either. ‘Jinchūriki’ meant ‘power of human sacrifice’ so while the villages prospered from it, the humans chosen didn’t. Naruto himself had dealt with the rage and pain directed at Rio when they were younger just for containing the beast. He wondered if anyone had thought about the Kyūbi as its own being, rather than a demon intent on just destroying everything in its path.
“Enough.”
He didn’t shout or yell but that one word was enough to stop Kazuya and Jiraiya in the middle of their spat as they turned towards him.
“Kazuya, I think Rio needs to do this.” He held up a hand to stop Kazuya’s retort. “No, listen to me.”
He looked over at Jiraiya.
“You have a point but I think you’re doing it for the wrong reasons,” he stated plainly. “If you’re going to do this, then nobody can know where Rio is, okay? You need to keep moving and use disguises and take every precaution.”
Jiraiya opened his mouth to speak but Naruto cut him off.
“I also don’t want you to only focus on the Kyūbi. There’s a lot more he needs to learn; ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, he needs to improve as a whole. The Kyūbi should be a part of his training but not the main objective.”
“You’re seriously agreeing to this?” Kazuya asked, outraged. “You are going to let Rio out of the village with only this guy as protection? You don’t even like him!”
“True,” he watched Jiraiya flinch, “but I want what’s best for Rio and that means ignoring my personal biases. Keeping on the move is going to be a lot safer than just waiting around like a sitting duck for the Akatsuki to target him. Jiraiya also has a point about using the Kyūbi’s chakra. I’ve seen how Gaara and Yugito use theirs and Rio will be safer if he masters it.”
He took a deep breath.
“Since Rio came back from looking for Tsunade, all he’s been talking about is his time outside the village,” he continued calmly. “He loved it; the new sights and cultures and festivals and people. He won’t say anything but I know he wants to head straight back out there and forge his own path. This is a way for him to do that, no matter how we may feel about it.”
Kazuya swore as he flung himself back onto the couch.
“Fine!” He flung his hands up in surrender. “I am stating for the record that I do not support this and it’s a terrible idea!”
Naruto waited.
“I won’t stop you though,” he finally grumbled, crossing his arms petulantly.
Jiraiya clapped his hands together, grinning widely.
“That’s great, so…”
“Hold on,” Naruto held a hand up. “You also need to ask Rio. We can’t just assume his decision and this is his life. It will be his choice at the end of the day.”
Jiraiya nodded seriously.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me,” Naruto rolled his eyes. “This is about Rio. I haven’t changed my mind about you but I am willing to work with you for his sake.”
Jiraiya deflated slightly but nodded again.
“I won’t let you down.”
“You do and the Akatsuki will be the least of your worries.”
Rio loitered around the edge of the training ground, pacing back and forth as he tried to build up the courage to enter. This had seemed like such a good idea when he’d made the decision ten minutes ago but now he felt the nerves swirling in his gut and his palms were sweaty and was he going to vomit, no he couldn’t do that, she’d hear him and…
“Rio-kun?”
He jumped several feet like a startled cat as he spun, eyes wide.
“Hinata,” he grinned nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “How are you?”
She smiled gently at him and Rio felt his heart skip a beat. She was so pretty; her navy blue hair was short, with strands framing her kind, heart-shaped face. It complimented the soft lavender of her eyes and she looked so cute in her slightly too big, fluffy, beige jacket. He wiped his hands on his jumper discreetly but that didn’t help.
“I’m fine,” she glanced away from him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “And…and you?”
“Yeah, I’m…I’m great.”
Silence fell over them and Rio internally groaned. Why couldn’t he just talk to her like he did everyone else?
“Is…is everything o-okay?” She asked hesitantly.
“Yeah,” He grinned. “Yeah, I’m going to leave Konoha at the end of the month on a training trip with Jiraiya. It’s gonna be really cool; I’m going to learn so much and see loads of new places and come back so strong!”
Hinata smiled but Rio could tell there was something up.
“How long will you be gone?”
“Jiraiya said like two years give or take a few months,” he replied.
He took a deep breath. He came here for a reason; he had to tell her. He couldn’t leave without knowing.
“Hinata…” he began, forcing himself to look directly into her eyes. “Hinata, I really like you. I know I’m about to leave but I know I’m still going to like you in three years so what I’m really trying to ask is if you’ll go on a date with me? When I come back?”
Wide-eyed, she just stared back at him. Rio didn’t know what to do so he just kept talking.
“I’ve always really liked you, you know? Back in the academy, you were the strongest girl and you were always so nice to me and you’re super smart! Then even after we graduated you are such a good person and so nice and so pretty and you could kick everyone’s ass if you believe in yourself a bit more and I love how you collect flowers and stuff and…”
He finally cut himself off, his cheeks hot. He knew he probably looked like a tomato right now. He’d spilled way too much and oh no she was going to think he was weird and a total stalker and what if she never spoke to him again…
“I…”
He froze, fighting the instinct to flee. He should have just left this until after he came back. Sure, she probably would have found someone much better than him while he was gone because who wouldn’t want to be with Hinata, but now as he stood here waiting for her answer a part of him thought that might have been the better option. It would have crushed him to see her with someone else but he could have handled it. It was her choice at the end of the day.
She mumbled something and his heart stopped.
“I’m sorry,” he said faintly. “I couldn’t hear you.”
“I like you too,” she whispered and Rio didn’t know it was possible to feel so much joy and relief in one instant.
She liked him back. She really liked him back. Why hadn’t he done this earlier?
“Oh my gods, really?” He breathed out. “That’s amazing, great, yeah.”
He paused.
“So, is this a yes?”
Hinata nodded, her small smile growing. Rio could count on his hands how many times he’d seen her smile this wide and it was because of him. He wanted her to smile like that every day.
“I’ll wait for you,” she said, her voice a bit louder. “I’ll wait as long as it takes.”
“I’ll come back for you and take you on the best date you’ll ever have,” Rio grinned brightly. “I promise, Hinata, I’ll do my best for you.”
“I know you will,” Hinata nodded. “You always keep your promises. It’s your Ninja way, right?”
Rio grinned. He’d inherited it from Nii-san and tried to adopt it in all parts of his life. This was no different.
“Yeah, it is.”
Naruto hopped lightly up the rocks until he came to the peak, the soft lights of Konoha illuminating the dull evening sky. He took a moment to appreciate the sight below him before he continued to his destination.
“This seems familiar.”
Kakashi’s head snapped round in surprise. Naruto smiled as he sat himself down next to him, pressing his shoulder against Kakashi’s arm. He felt the warmth seep into his muscles and sighed happily; they may live in the Land of Fire but winter was no joke.
“The kids are looking for you,” he continued. “Any particular reason you’re hiding from them?”
“Mah, Naruto, why do you assume I’m hiding?” Kakashi replied lightly. “Maybe I just wanted to enjoy the view and lost track of time.”
Naruto just silently waited.
“The end of the month is almost here.”
Naruto nodded.
“And you’re about to lose your team to other teachers,” he finished for him.
Kakashi took a deep breath.
“Yeah,” he quietly admitted. “I mean, I know I wasn’t the best sensei and I went about it completely the wrong way in the beginning…but they’re my team. Mine. And now I’m going to lose them all.”
Naruto reached up and lightly swatted at Kakashi’s head.
“Idiot,” he smiled in the face of Kakashi’s pout. “Just because they’re going off to do different things doesn’t mean you’ve lost them. Kids grow up, Kakashi, and just because they’re leaving the nest doesn’t invalidate the fact that they were there. They’ll come back to you even stronger but they will always come back. Once a genin team, always a genin team; Genma-sensei still buys my team ramen even now.”
Kakashi mulled over his words as Naruto continued.
“You’re the one that got them to the point that they can take on these kinds of challenges. They’re not going to forget that. You’ll never be free of them,” he nudged the man’s ribs, chuckling.
“How have they been?”
“Sasuke is being very dramatic about the fact that he has to stay in the ANBU barracks for his year’s training. He found out he’s not allowed to visit home until he earns his mask and has taken to making sure we can survive without him in his own way,” he grinned, shivering as a gust of wind cut through him.
Kakashi drew him in and Naruto let him, ending up between the man’s legs with his back against his chest. Warmth surrounded him and he sighed in contentment; he’d never been great with the cold. It made his arm ache. Kakashi popped his head on Naruto’s shoulder.
“I then reminded him that I’m one of his stealth assessors so he’ll see me in four months,” he chuckled. “I think that took some of the wind out of his sails. He likes to pretend otherwise but that boy lives for being ‘the most’. If you gave him the choice of punching an opponent or using an overly complicated, unnecessary jutsu…”
“…He’d use the jutsu every time,” Kakashi finished for him.
“Sakura is a bit nervous about apprenticing under Tsunade but absolutely thrilled. Kazuya has spent every minute that he’s not working on his lesson plans trying to teach her tips and tricks for studying medicine. She even made her first poison with him the other day.”
Kakashi just nodded silently beside him.
“Rio is floating on cloud nine,” Naruto continued. “I don’t know if it’s from the training trip or him asking Hinata out though.”
“Yeah, I heard about that,” Kakashi said, amused. “Kurenai was saying that Hinata is catatonic; in a good way, I assume.”
Naruto laughed and leaned back, gazing down at the village with fond eyes. He was so grateful for Kakashi. He’d finally told him about his illness and while he could tell he was upset, he didn’t shout or yell. Instead, he’d just looked at Naruto and asked what he could do. He wasn’t used to people just…accepting it and not being angry that he hid it. He knew if the kids ever found out or his coworkers he would be in for a world of anger and resentment. Kakashi didn’t do that and it just made the bond between them unbreakable in Naruto’s eyes.
He knew what they had wasn’t exactly the norm. The closest thing Naruto could label it as is friendship but that word didn’t quite fit. There was no romantic or sexual attraction but Naruto knew for a fact he’d never let anyone else hold him like this. Kakashi wouldn’t allow this much physical contact with anyone else either. They wouldn’t share this much of themselves with anyone but each other; it was deeper and more intimate than friendship but Naruto didn’t know the word for that yet.
“I’m going to train my Mangekyō Sharingan,” Kakashi said out of nowhere. “It shouldn’t just be my team getting stronger while we’re apart; I should be trying to be better too.”
Naruto was about to ask if he was sure but stopped himself in time. It would be disrespectful to Kakashi’s resolve to ask something like that. Instead, he asked,
“Do you want a training partner?”
Kakashi pulled away slightly and Naruto turned to look at him. He couldn’t see much beyond the mask and hitai-ate but he knew Kakashi well enough to see the gratitude in his soft gaze. Naruto was just glad he could return the favour.
“Yeah,” he eye-smiled. “You just saved me from Gai.”
Naruto threw his head back in laughter at the unexpected comment.
“Poor Gai,” he shook his head. “All he wants is some quality training time with his esteemed rival and you do him dirty like that.”
“I wouldn’t have to avoid him if he didn’t insist on challenging me every five minutes,” Kakashi grumbled playfully as he rested his head back onto Naruto’s shoulder. “One of my worst nightmares is him finding out where I live. I’d never be free of him.”
Naruto grinned evilly.
“I wonder what that kind of information would be worth to him?”
Kakashi’s arms froze around him and Naruto quickly managed to escape before Kakashi could grab him.
“Naruto! Naruto, don’t you dare!”
He stuck out his tongue as he danced his way down the path back to the village. They would survive the kids leaving the nest and they’d continue putting one foot in front of the other. It made Naruto feel a little better knowing that they’d be doing it together.
Kazuya looked up from his spot at the kitchen table as the front door opened. Naruto kicked off his sandals and ditched his jounin vest, leaving him in a thick black jumper and black shinobi trousers.
“I made tea,” Kazuya nodded his head towards the stove.
Naruto immediately headed in that direction, getting a mug from the cupboard and pouring himself a cup. He came back to sit opposite Kazuya, dumping his fingerless gloves on the table and wrapping both hands around the ceramic. Kazuya raised an eyebrow.
“Cold?”
“December is the worst month ever and winter is the shittiest season,” Naruto huffed, taking a sip. “We live in the Land of Fire; where’s the fire?”
Kazuya shook his head, chuckling to himself. Naruto had always hated the winter months. He was pretty sure the Uzumaki had never gotten over their mission to the Land of Iron on their first C-rank; apparently he wasn’t designed for the cold.
“How did it go?” he asked instead.
Naruto fell quiet and Kazuya placed down the brush, really looking at his friend. It was Sunday so Naruto was just back from seeing Tsunade. Had something happened?
“Is the treatment still working?”
“Yeah, it’s still slowing it down,” Naruto nodded. “She wants to keep meeting weekly and we’ve found a good balance for my medications.”
“Then why does it feel like you have bad news?”
Naruto became quiet again and Kazuya’s heart picked up.
“Naruto, please tell me you’re okay.”
“I’m okay, Kaz,” Naruto was quick to reassure. “It’s just not working as much as we’d hoped.”
Time seemed to freeze.
“What?”
Naruto took another sip of tea and rolled his eyes.
“Tsunade was never going to cure it,” he said. “We knew that. We were just trying to manage the symptoms and we did that. I still have years left.”
“Years that Rio is going to miss,” Kazuya couldn’t help but add and Naruto slammed down his cup, spilling a bit of tea on the table.
“We discussed this,” Naruto said firmly. “We are not telling Rio. If we told him, then he’d never go; he’d waste his time hovering over me and being angry and that is something that he can’t afford right now.”
“It wouldn’t be a waste…” Kazuya tried to say but Naruto quickly interrupted.
“Is there anything Rio can do to change it?”
“No…”
“Would Rio leave with Jiraiya if he knew?”
“…no.”
“Then you have your answer,” Naruto slumped. “I know this isn’t fair but we both know that this is the right decision for Rio’s future. This trip is going to impact him long after I’m gone and I can’t sacrifice his future for my present. I’ll still be here when he gets back.”
An awkward silence fell over them as Naruto went to grab a rag to clean up the spilled tea. Kazuya tried to find something else to say but in his heart he knew Naruto had a point. He doubted any of the kids would leave if they found out; the only reason might be anger that Naruto had hid it in the first place. He knew Naruto had been hurt a lot deeper than he was willing to admit by Hana’s reaction. It was like every nightmare and worst case scenario had come to life for him. Kazuya knew he couldn’t use the argument that people wouldn’t react badly because Hana had already proven that wrong. They’d made up after a couple months but Kazuya could see the wound ran deeper than that, even if Naruto and Hana couldn’t.
At the end of the day, it was Naruto’s decision. It wasn’t for Kazuya to tell so he would just be there for his best friend as long as he could. He would be there for both himself and the kids until there came a time they could be there themselves.
“How are you going to cope with having no kids in the house?” He changed the subject, keeping his tone light and teasing.
Naruto paused as looked over at Kazuya carefully. He seemed to take the olive branch as he shrugged.
“I’ve still got Momo.”
Kazuya couldn’t help but laugh as the last of the tension melted away.
“Momo isn’t a child,” he pointed out.
“Don’t you listen to him, Momo,” Naruto walked over to the couch to rub the dog’s ears as she lay flat on the cushions. “You’ll always be my cutest little baby.”
“If the kids could hear your treachery,” Kazuya snorted.
His laughter died down as he looked at his friend.
“Seriously, Naruto, you’ve been looking after Rio for thirteen years. You adopted Sasuke five years ago and Sakura almost a year ago now. We’ve had another six genin traipsing in and out of our house for almost as long as Sasuke’s been here.”
“I believe you are the one who adopted Sakura,” Naruto replied amused but Kazuya didn’t play along.
He may have been there for a huge part of the journey and had the same feelings of family and parenthood, but it was a part of Naruto’s identity. Kazuya had never seen him without a kid or not worrying about a kid; he didn’t know if Naruto knew how to live without them.
“Naruto, you’ve been a parent practically since birth and now, all your kids are leaving the nest at once. You’re going from three kids to none next week. Are you going to be okay with that?”
Naruto sighed as he slumped back into the chair opposite Kazuya.
“I’m going to have to be,” he said quietly. “This is what’s best for them.”
“Don’t you ever get tired of focusing on what’s best for them?” Kazuya asked curiously. “Don’t you ever just want to…I don’t know…like, yell or hit a wall or be selfish or something?”
“That’s not what a parent does.” Naruto turned his words back on him. “Just because they are leaving doesn’t mean they’re never coming back or that they no longer have a place here. We’ll always have an open door for them and as long as they know that, then they’re never really gone. Moving forward doesn’t erase the past. They’re just expanding their definition of home.”
Kazuya sat back in his chair, processing his friend’s words.
“Hana was right,” he said, only half-joking. “You really do sound like one of those wise old men from the academy textbooks.”
Naruto rolled his eyes but Kazuya could see the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. They’d be okay. It would be hard but they were strong. This is what was best for them.
Rio hugged Sasuke tightly, ignoring the Uchiha’s grumbles. He let go, grinning.
“Good luck with ANBU.”
“Don’t do something dumb and get yourself killed before I can kick your ass again.”
Rio laughed as he nodded. Looking over at Sakura, he hesitated for only a brief second before he pulled her in for a hug. He and Sakura may have had their differences but they’d come a long way since the academy. She was a part of the family now and he would miss her. Bonding over recent D-ranks had done wonders for their friendship.
“Keep Sasuke’s ego in check for me,” he winked. “We both know what he’s like.”
Sakura rolled her eyes but grinned.
“Don’t let your own head get too big.”
He turned to Kashi. His godfather wasn’t one for physical contact but the man held his arms open for him anyway. Rio launched himself into his teacher’s arms.
“I’m going to make you proud, Kashi,” he mumbled into his jounin vest. “I’m going to take everything you’ve taught me and come back super strong.”
Kashi’s arms tightened around him for only a moment before he stepped back.
“Strong enough to steal a bell from me?”
“Believe it,” Rio laughed. “When I get back, we can have a fight to find out.”
Kashi eye-smiled as Rio turned to Kazu-nee next. Rio didn’t have a chance to move before he was engulfed in Kazu-nee’s warm embrace. He clutched his eldest brother back tightly, closing his eyes as he tried to brand the feeling into his memory.
“Remember what I said about three meals a day, okay?” Kazu-nee pulled back, keeping his hands on Rio’s shoulders. “Make sure to get at least eight hours of sleep and stretch before and after training sessions and be careful with strangers and…”
“Kazu-nee.” Kazu-nee cut himself off and Rio shook his head at the tears in the man’s eyes, smiling fondly. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
Kazu-nee pulled him back in for a tight hug.
“You’re growing up way too fast,” He mumbled into Rio’s hair. “I love you, kid.”
“I love you too, Kazu-nee.”
He was finally let go and he grinned, turning to the final member of his family. Nii-san was just gazing at him, his blue eyes soft and shining with pride.
“Make sure you go to Kiri at some point,” Nii-san began. “The Mizukage would love to meet her other cousin and Haku is looking forward to seeing you again. You can steal a bunch of suiton jutsu from them.”
He finished off with a wink; for some reason that just made the tears start to well up in Rio’s eyes. Rio went and pulled Inu-chan from his backpack, shoving it into Nii-san’s arms.
“I’m leaving Inu-chan in your care,” he said, his voice wobbly. “You have to look after him and give him back when I come home, okay?”
Nii-san gripped the stuffed toy tightly.
“You got it.”
Rio launched himself into Nii-san’s arms and tried not to sob. It was supposed to be easier than this; he’d been preparing all month and he was so excited and he had so many great plans but now it had come down to this, a part of Rio didn’t want to go. Of course it was Nii-san that triggered the doubts. He’d managed to hold it together with everyone else but Nii-san was different.
He was going to be travelling the Elemental Nations alone, with just Jiraiya for company. Nii-san wouldn’t be there. If he got stuck with something or got hurt or anything like that, Nii-san wouldn’t be there to help him. Nii-san had always been there, as a pillar of support and acceptance. Rio sometimes hated that about him, wanting to stand tall on his own two feet, but even when he rejected Nii-san he knew his brother would always be there for him. He wouldn’t see Nii-san for over two years. How much will change in that time?
“Hey, what’s all this about?” Nii-san whispered as he held him close. “You’ll see me when you get back. It’ll probably be too soon and you’ll get sick of me and end up on another training trip.”
“I’d never get sick of you, Nii-san.”
“Even I get a little sick of me sometimes,” Nii-san gave him one last squeeze.
Rio chuckled at his joking tone and wiped the tears off his face with his sleeve, sniffling loudly.
“You’ll be fine, Rio,” Nii-san said softly, ruffling Rio’s hair gently. “You’re ready for this.”
Rio forced a bright smile on his face as he looked up at Nii-san’s kind expression. He felt the excitement begin to eclipse the nerves; Nii-san believed in him. They all did. Rio didn’t know how he’d been so lucky to end up with a family like this but he vowed he wouldn’t let them down. He would come back so strong that he could protect them all from anything that came their way.
“I love you, Nii-san. I’m going to make you proud.”
Naruto shook his head, chuckling to himself.
“Rio, I’m already proud of you,” his blue eyes glistened. “I love you too.”
Rio finally stepped back and grabbed his bag, hauling it onto his back. He walked to stand beside Jiraiya, having already presented their papers to the guards. He looked back at his family one last time.
Sasuke had his arms crossed, looking more grumpy than usual but he was staring straight back at Rio. Sakura was giving him a small wave, a dampened smile on her face. Kashi stood with his hands in his pockets, looking exactly like he had in the bell test almost a year ago. Kazu-nee was openly crying as he waved, a small smile curving his lips and brightening his pink eyes. Nii-san was standing firm, a proud grin in place, and he nodded at Rio as he caught his eye.
“Ready, gaki?”
Rio turned back to look at Jiraiya, the Sannin patiently waiting for him. Rio switched his gaze so he could look at the open dirt road leading out of the village.
“Yeah, I’m ready.”
He took his first step outside the village, and then another. He kept putting one foot in front of the other and soon Konoha disappeared in the horizon behind him. He faced forward, determination shining in his violet eyes, as he walked into his future.