Skeletons in the Closet

Skeletons in the Closet Chapter Two
Skeletons in the Closet

Chapter Two

Sasuke was confused as to why the female was at his apartment and why Naruto seemed to be expecting the visit. Not that the ghost was visible at the moment—Sasuke could somewhat tell he was there, after living so long with the spirit, but he didn't know where he was or why exactly he was hiding. Considering he was snickering right before he vanished, he was going to observe the confrontation with great amusement.

He let her in, though—not showing any of his reaction to the woman. She was dressed much as Naruto did, which led him to believe she was at least a higher ranking ninja, but she seemed too young for the position.. She didn't waste any words as she sized him up. "Your presence is requested by our village leader." She said shortly, eyes focused in on him.

His eyebrows simply rose at the demand. "Why should I go?" He questioned smoothly. "I don't live in the village, I shouldn't have to answer to anyone there." Part of his brain was telling him it was stupid to argue with someone who could easily disable or kill him—and he had been raised to respect the shinobi, but he also wasn't used to be ordered around.

Her eyes flashed at him, but she relaxed her angry stance slightly, obviously trying to rein in her temper. "I understand this, but you mist also understand where you live. It used to be a part of Konoha, and we have been remiss in seeking you out earlier. If it wasn't for a missive…" Her voice trailed off for a moment. "We wouldn't have known you were here at all." She was about to say more, when her eyes shifted elsewhere and focused on an empty spot in the room. "Show yourself!"

Naruto faded into view, grinning cheekily at her. "Aw, and I thought I was hiding myself better than that." He pouted. "I guess it's harder when you're nothing but energy." He seemed to enjoy the look of shock on her face and he shared a smirk with Sasuke, who had known where he had been the entire time.

"You're… you’re…" She stammered, losing her composure for the first time since arriving at the Uchiha estate. "That was supposed to be nothing but a legend!" She protested. "Something to tell us at the academy!" Glaring at Naruto, she demanded an explanation. "Just what are you doing here?" It looked like her worldview had been shaken, and she was determined to get it righted.

Naruto shrugged, the grin fading from his face. "I have my reason—probably similar to what you learned at the academy." He raised an eyebrow at her for the way she was treating him. "It's not for you to question or even demand explanations for. That's up to the Hokage." There almost seemed to be an emphasis placed on that title, and she blanched slightly.

"Yes… of course…" She murmured, bowing slightly to Naruto. "It was you that wrote that missive…wasn't it?" She asked, her voice hesitant—unsure if she should ask anymore questions. Sasuke was more intrigued than ever at the obvious deference. There was obviously more to Naruto than he let on. He hoped he'd either be able to pry information out of his unwanted escort, or the Hokage when he got to the village.

His eyebrows rose and he looked surprised at that. "No, I didn't actually—but someone must've been keeping an eye on him." They were obviously referring to Sasuke, who was getting annoyed at being talked about over his head. He grinned again. "I just didn't kick him out on his ass, so I guess they saw it as a positive sign that I didn't mind him being here."

Sasuke snorted and both Naruto and the girl turned to look at him. "As if you could ever keep me out of here, Naruto. You may be able to manipulate things, but I managed to stay here all this time, haven't I?" His voice was coolly arrogant as he dared Naruto to refute that statement. He wasn't expecting the amused and almost pitying look tossed his way from the female.

"If he wanted you gone, you would have been gone a long time ago." She smirked at him. "Trust me on this one. Being dead obviously hasn't hindered him too much." The look aimed toward Naruto was dry. "Although I really didn't expect to see him here." Business-like again, she turned back to Sasuke. "Come on, we won't keep you all day, but if Naruto approves of you, it's doubly okay to take you to Konoha." Looking back at Naruto, she raised an eyebrow. "Am I correct?"

Naruto gave her an absent nod. "He's not a threat, if that's what you mean." Only Sasuke caught the flash of pain that was quickly masked behind a teasing look. "And it's not like he'll go blabbing to where Konoha is. Most of the people know where it is—but they can't get to it." He smirked. "In fact—I'll should release the jutsu enough so that you can go back."

Her eyes widened at the implication she could be stuck here, and she held Sasuke's arm lightly, eyes warning him to just cooperate for the moment. Part of it was trying to look responsible and in control of the situation, even though she was at least four years younger than Sasuke. He gave in with a sigh and let himself be led out to the edge of the Uchiha estate. With a quick set of movements, the seal around the Uchiha estate was momentarily lifted and Sasuke got his first glimpse of Konoha.

~

He couldn't keep the surprise off his face entirely and the number of looks he was getting from people was annoying. It was worse than the town he went to school in, and the fact that a kunoichi was escorting him made it worse. He could feel eyes on him the entire way to the large tower. He took in the scenery around him, gaze everywhere. The most dominating feature was the mountain with the faces carved into it. He gave it a fleeting glance, promising himself that he would examine it more closely later. For now—he had to meet with the Hokage of Konoha.

His escort left him the care of two other shinobi, both of them masked. He shivered at not being able to see the expressions on their faces, and was glad when he was shown to a large room at the top of the tower. There was a middle-aged shinobi behind a desk and he beckoned Sasuke forward. He couldn't help but look around the room, his eyes caught by the pictures lining the wall. Especially when one of the pictures was of Naruto, looking more serious than Sasuke thought he could be.

"Sit down, Sasuke." He was startled by the voice and took the offered chair. "You are probably wondering why we called you here—it is not a normal thing to invite outsiders to Konoha. We're a hidden village for a reason." His smile was kind. "But you're a special case, considering where you live."

Sasuke gave a cautious nod. Just as he was brought up to be respectful to the shinobi, he was doubly respectful of the strongest of them—one of the kage. "I know that where I live used to belong to Konoha." He said carefully. "But…it isn't any longer." His tone was questioning. He wanted answers…

The Hokage nodded and looked thoughtful. "It's true—around a hundred or so years ago, almost every last member of the Uchiha clan was… killed." He said softly. "All but one member survived, and there were no more heirs after that. The Uchiha estate became seen as bad luck and the Rokudaime had no choice but to seal it off from Konoha."

"The Rokudaime?" He blinked in shock as some of the pieces fell into place and he glanced up at the pictures again. "Naruto was one of the Hokage?" He couldn't believe it—the ghost seemed to be too much of and idiot at times, and the serious moments were far and few in between. He couldn't imagine some shinobi that got stuck as a ghost could have once been the leader of the Fire Country shinobi.

The Hokage smiled faintly. "You've met Naruto, then. Only a few people actually know that he's still there. Most of the kids think it's a legend we attached to him to make him seem more important." He gazed was sad. "He sacrificed himself to save the village from the Kyuubi, much like the Yondaime did years before that, but he was still dedicated to his task of watching over Konoha, electing to watch it from a distance—taking care of the Uchiha estate at the same time. You are truly the first one he's let stay there."

"But…why?" Sasuke was puzzled and he leaned forward slightly. "Why does he keep me around, why is he always bugging me? From what I've heard—even from you now—he chases off people or ignores them entirely. That he's scary and evil and most people stay away from the Uchiha estate so they won't have to cross his path." His expression displayed his frustration. "Do you have an answer?"

"I may." The voice of the elder shinobi was calm, not reacting to Sasuke's outburst. "Do you know the name of the last Uchiha?" He asked. "It may be why---no one else remembers, but as the Hokage, we have access to other information that most of the shinobi simply don't. There are no pictures of him…" Here he paused and looked at Sasuke. "Except for the ones that the Rokudaime Naruto has, but I do have his name." His smile was almost as teasing as Naruto's could be. "Would you like to know?"

~

Sasuke was left with a lot to think about as he walked out of the Hokage's office. The man had promised that he could visit when he wanted—provided that Naruto 'let him in' and let him see Konoha. Even though Naruto had long been dead and didn't have any sort of real power anymore, it seemed that he was still looked upon with respect. Whether it was for his sacrifice to save his village, or simply the things he did throughout the years he served as Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto was a name to be treated with respect. Somehow that made him happy.

He stropped to look at the Hokage monument, and picked out Naruto's face easily. His was the only one with the whisker marks on his face, and he realized that he never figured out why he had those. It was more of the mystery that Naruto presented. He vowed to get to know Konoha better, and maybe he'd get answers to his questions. Now that he had something to work with, it would be easier.

"It's different from what you expected, isn't it?" Sasuke nearly jumped out of his skin at the reappearance of the kunoichi who brought him here, and he slowed his pounding heart, hoping his surprised didn’t show on his face. "Not many people see this place, except those that grow up here." Her smile was warm as she turned to him. "I'm Inara, and most of already know you're Sasuke."

He groaned. "Does my name get around that easily?" He questioned. "It was all over my university, too—because of where I live." He shook his head. "If I had known that it was going to be that big of a deal, I never would have signed the contract." He started walking faster, not surprised when she easily kept up with him.

"But then Naruto-sama would be alone." Came her unexpected reply. "He's been alone for a really long time—if all the stories are true…." Her voice trailed off. "We learned a little bit about him in the academy, but no one ever thought that he stuck around. It must have been really lonely for him to be at his friends place this entire time."

"Well, it's not like he welcomed visitors." Sasuke pointed out. "He scared everyone away. It sounds like its his own fault that he didn’t have any visitors." His look challenged her to refute that.

She flushed, shrugging a little. "He…well, Naruto-sama was always seen as strange, according to some of the history on him. Maybe he only liked certain people. I think… " Her voice was softer now and she stared at the ground. "I don't believe it, but…maybe he didn't have a lot of friends."

Considering how idiotic the blond acted sometimes, he didn't doubt it, but chose not to voice that particular opinion. Naruto was obviously an important figure in Inara's history and he didn’t want to crush her view on him. "Maybe." He was all he said. "I guess if you're alone for so long, it's hard to be around people again. Especially when they don't understand."

Her eyes flicked over to his face, but it was impassive and didn’t give anything away. She smiled instead, dragging on his arm and acting like the young girl she must still be. "Do you want to see around Konoha some?" She asked eagerly. "I can show you to the academy…" Her eyes pleaded with him, and it was clear that she was terribly proud of where she lived and had gone to school. She confirmed it with her next words. "I graduated early… but you know—it's still pretty special to me."

She couldn't be more than fourteen or fifteen, and already she was doing stuff that he only saw adults doing. He suddenly saw the shinobi world as a very sad one, the children growing up much too quickly and without a real childhood. He never really thought much about it before—they were just always there. He rarely saw the same once twice, but he never thought about why. Their life was a dangerous one. He looked back up at the Hokage monument again, eyes flicking over the faces carved there once more. And sometimes in means sacrificing everything you have to protect what you love.

The image was strongly reinforced when Inara took him to the ninja academy, and he watched from a safe distance as kids not even ten years old practiced with the same type of weapons he had seen in Naruto's trunk. It saddened him for some reason, but at the same time it was clear the camaraderie that was shared among the kids. It was a family they were all a part of.

After watching the weapons practice for a few more minutes, she dragged him inside, whispering something to the teacher at the front of the room as she gestured to Sasuke. His eyes immediately met his, and Sasuke tried not to squirm under the blank-eyed gaze. It was a little creepy to see…well…nothing in the eyes. The teacher just gave a slight nod in his direction, indicating that Sasuke could sit down. He then continued on with the lesson.

Right now we are covering the Rokudaime. Who would like to share what they know of him?" His voice was smooth and cultured, hinting at some type of higher family standing in the village. Several children raised their hand, and he pointed to a girl sitting in the front row, her expression more eager than the rest of them.

"Uzumaki Naruto was the Rokudaime." Her voice was clear and completely serious as she recited the information they had learned earlier about their previous leaders. "He was the youngest to hold the title, and also held it for the shortest time." Her eyes unfocused for a moment as she tried to think of more. "He saved the village forever from the kyuubi by sacrificing himself with a jutsu he invented." She looked down, embarrassed slightly. "I'm sorry… I don't know what jutsu he used—just that it involved returning the kyuubi back to where it came from."

Their teacher smiled at her, unconcerned. "Nobody knows what the jutsu was, as it was only used once, and the Rokudaime never wrote it down." His gaze swept over the rest of the class. "He wasn't just known for one thing." He called out. "What else do we know about him?"

It was in this manner that Sasuke learned about the things that Naruto managed to accomplish in his short tenure as Hokage. He helped organize a type of system so that if children were orphaned when their parents died on missions, they would be looked after. The 'fate' of the Hyuuga clan was changed—little things, but what he started caused a ripple that made other people look at their families and neighbors and how it worked. It didn’t' change the foundation of Konoha or how many things were taught and carried out, but the string that tied people together seemed to expand into more of a web, a network.

As Sasuke took it all in—he realized that nobody talked about his childhood, his time in the academy or the people he knew. Just what he did as their leader. It was as if he wasn't a person, but just a figure that was expected to do something. That his accomplishments were seen as important, and the person who had the heart and mind and provocation to do them was lost. The reasons behind it were lost with the person who did the tasks. He suddenly wanted to know more about Naruto himself—and made it a silent goal that these children would know about him as well—the real Uzumaki Naruto, not just the Rokudaime.

~

Sasuke thanked Inara as she dropped him off back home. It was weird how he could see the apartments… the Uchiha complex from Konoha, but once he was on the estate, he couldn't see Konoha. He suddenly wondered if Naruto missed it, and his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Thanks to the Hokage and tidbits provided by Inara, he finally had some answers—and with the information he had, he would be able to tackle Naruto that much easier. His lips curved up into a smirk. Victory would be his.

His smirk faded as he saw Naruto perched up in the air, expression subdued as he watched Sasuke come in. There were something hovering in his hands, and Sasuke recognized the cracked frame he'd wanted to see earlier. "Did you have a nice time with the Hokage and visiting Konoha?" He questioned, not looking up at Sasuke. He seemed lost in his own thoughts, and didn't really focus on Sasuke. This was a change from the earlier teasing and smiling when Sasuke first left, and he wondered what was going through his mind.

"You didn't tell me you were the Rokudaime." Sasuke said instead, shutting the door quietly behind him. He was prepared to taunt Naruto, but seeing the frame and the way Naruto was acting put him off slightly. He didn't feel quite as superior.

"Would you have even believed me?" He asked dryly, meeting Sasuke's gaze with weary amusement. "Yes—I was acknowledged as the strongest shinobi—Tsunande-baa-chan passed her title on to me before she retired and I protected Konoha until the day I died." His look was sad. "I only wish I was able to do more."

"They talked about what you did accomplish while you were alive." Sasuke took a seat near the ghost, trying to have a normal conversation with him. "That you managed to get kids taken care of and everything. And…" His voice faltered slightly and turned apologetic.. "And sort of how you died."

Naruto's smile turned pleased at that, expression warming. "It's still going on, then?" He questioned. "The network I set up before… they still follow it?" He looked down at the frame again, and gave a truer smile than before. "I'm glad they kept it." His gaze slid sideways to Sasuke. "What else did you learn from the Hokage?"

"He told me the name of your friend." Sasuke, tried to keep the cheerful attitude, but it fell rather flat as the expression on Naruto's face changed.. "He said his name was Sasuke. Is that the reason you kept me around? Because I have the same name as your friend?"

"That may be part of the reason." He grinned faintly. "That and you're not so bad to have around. You're fun to tease." His gaze shifted away for a moment. "And maybe if I can take care of one Sasuke, the Sasuke from the past will forgive me for not being able to help him in time. Everyone has ghosts to contend with. Even the dead." With that, he left Sasuke to his thoughts, vanishing completely.

~

Naruto expected Sasuke to come after him, demanding explanations, but he didn't really have any to give. He knew who Sasuke was—and it was some great cosmic joke that they shared the same name. Souls transcend many things, but if the soul wished it, it could retain its features from before. Figures Sasuke would want to hold onto his 'oh-so-perfect' looks. He grimaced to himself. It had been a shock to see him—and after observing him for several weeks, he knew that Sensu Sasuke was Uchiha Sasuke.

He didn't have the refinement or cold attitude that the Sasuke he knew did—he didn’t have shinobi skills or the charka to pull any off even if wanted to. He was more open, and from the various reports he was able to pick up—really friendly with other people. He was a completely different person and didn't deserve to be associated with anything from his past. Which was why Naruto didn't bring it up, didn't want him to see the pictures or hear the names associated with it. But that damn Hokage—butting his nose in when he didn't need to be, had no right to. Shouldn't he have gotten the same respect for privacy that the other Hokage did?

At least he didn't learn of how he really died, at least not the details. Nobody alive had seen the jutsu performed, nobody knew what it involved and so it couldn't be repeated. Only he knew what really happened, and he didn't feel like sharing it at the moment. The kids would get the general 'he was a good Hokage and sacrificed himself for the village' mess that most got in school.

Most of the Hokage seemed to go in that way, and Naruto only followed the trend. He took after the Yondaime in the way that he sacrificed himself so that the Kyuubi wouldn't rampage. He was only thankful no one invented that particular jutsu earlier in his life. He wouldn't have made it past birth if anyone had figured it out. He created the forbidden jutsu after Sasuke had died, and took the knowledge of it with him to his death.

His charka always did go weird when it involved Sasuke… and he had felt the seal weakening for years, even after Jiraiya had tried to help him. He had a feeling the Yondaime really hadn't planned on it lasting forever—but what could a person do when faced with the type of pressure he had been? Naruto had a little more time to plan the technique.

He glanced down at the picture, the first one that had him with other people surrounding him. Not that he looked happy in it—his twelve-year-old self was scowling at Sasuke, irritated at the dark-eyed boy. He could even remember the mocking comment made at the time, and his lips twitched at the memory.

"You're such an dobe. Why couldn't you have dressed in something more fitting to a ninja?" Sasuke sneered at the bright orange jacket and cargo pants Naruto wore. "You're not a student anymore."

Sakura nodded as well, eyes glued to Sasuke as if his words were the living truth. "Yeah, Naruto. I mean—Sasuke is right. You don't even look like a ninja." Her nose turned up as she adjusted her headband, giving Sasuke a worshipping smile, but he only ignored her. "Ninjas are supposed to hide. Not be … well, as vulgar looking as you."

Naruto scowled at Sasuke, but couldn't bring himself to glare at the girl that he liked so much. "Well.. you're not exactly hiding either." He muttered. "Your red dress stands out, too." He saved his glare for Sasuke, who just gave him an impassive look back. Kakashi's hands rested on both Naruto and Sasuke's head, and he smiled through his mask. "Now, we don't want any of that." He chided. "Smile for the camera." The flash went off, immortalizing the start of Team Seven.

"Time changes a person." He murmured to himself, wondering what happened to those people. They faced so many things after they graduated and become shinobi of Konoha. So many…until the point where it ended up with most of them dead too early. Sasuke and Hinata, Kiba and Ino… countless others he could name and who were listed on the monument of heroes. Even Sasuke…

"Naruto…" There was this Sasuke. It really hadn't taken him very long after all to come after Naruto. He made sure his expression didn't give anything away and the that picture was hidden from the curious eyes of the other boy. He didn’t want him seeing things he didn't need to, making connections that had no right in being made.

"I spent a while in Konoha. Probably didn't get to see a fourth of what was there, but—what I saw—" Sasuke's voice was uncertain, and Naruto stared at him. "It must have been a hard life." He offered. "Growing up as a ninja."

Naruto blinked in shock. He hadn't expected that. He thought there would be demands, but that was the only conclusion that Sasuke came to? He made a remark about the name Sasuke, then voiced his thoughts that being a ninja was a bad thing?

He shook his head. "It was the best thing in my life." He said honestly. "Becoming strong, training every day—protecting people." His voice went soft. "Even if no one sees you, you're still able to help them. And maybe… just maybe… you leave your mark in some way that people can see later." His smiled turned bright again. "You'll have to talk to some of the shinobi. You'll change your mind."

"What about you?" Sasuke asked bluntly. "You weren't only a shinobi, but the Hokage." He raised an eyebrow. "If anyone can tell me about what it was like…what it was really like to be a shinobi, I would think you'd be the best one." His offered smile was tentative. "Maybe it's time we got to actually know each other."

A surprised look flitted across Naruto's features. Sasuke had steadily trying to get rid of Naruto in some way for the past several months. Apparently the trip to Konoha had changed some of his viewpoints. "I think I'd like that." He murmured. And it wouldn't hurt to know this new Sasuke, either. He reminded himself. To get to know him again. It won't be the same as the past—but it's a start for something.

~