Forever

I wanted to clear something up really quick, this is exclusively naru/shino/naru. There will be unresolved sexual tension between Naruto and other characters, but nothing will come of it.

I am not completely happy with how this chapter turned out, but I don't think anything is going to change so I'm posting it. Thank you so much for the reviews, they keep me going and they make me want to update more quickly. Also, this story is actually finished. It's raw and my editing and revising is taking a lot of time, but it is finished, so it will be posted in it's entirety. It is a very long story though so it could take quite a bit of time to get it all posted since there will be several lifetimes.


Chapter 1

Naruto hid outside the village for a time. He wanted to make sure that everything was alright for his friends even if he wasn’t able to face them. Konohamaru was named the Eighth Hokage, and that gave him half of what he needed. The other half was with Sasuke and that too was healed with time. It took almost two years, but it was worth the wait to see him smile again. He held his first grandchild in his arms, and Naruto saw the light return to those dark eyes.

It was enough.

He retreated to the elder toads in an attempt to find the key to his own death. Though they were reluctant to help in the beginning, his grief and pain seemed to convince them that they needed to help, but nothing came of it. There were several times that they seemed to come close, and Naruto tried to be patient but more than four decades passed. Many times over the years they tried to tell him he was looking in the wrong direction, but he was incapable of listening. The opposite of death was life and he held no faith in that anymore.

He was nearly twice the age he’d been when Shino died when he gave up. He was just so tired… tired of the world around him, of his memories, but most of all, he was tired of gaining knowledge only to find that none of it helped him reach his goal.

He left them when he realized that he was the cause of the growing sadness in their eyes, and he couldn’t bear to cause them more pain after all they’d done for him so he bid them farewell, and set out. He didn’t know where he was going, but he was sure he’d know it when he found it.

He’d been right. A set of cliffs rose east of Konoha that had many high caves. Most were extremely difficult to get too, and one in particular was nearly impossible, but he managed. He was far enough away from any city or town that there was literally no chance of being discovered. The cave was deep and dark and Naruto felt sleep beckon.

ooOOoo

Centuries passed, and Naruto slept them away. He didn’t eat or even move from the small cave he’d decided to make his tomb. He didn’t know why he woke up, but he just couldn’t sleep any more. The sun was setting on the day, and from the look of the forest at the base of his mountain it was spring. The sounds of life hurt his ears, and the light burned through his eye lids, but he adjusted to it as much as he could. His skin stung like a thousand needles when the air moved around him, and he was tempted to retreat to his grave, but he knew that sleep wouldn’t come again for some time, and thinking would just make the pain more real so he decided to explore a bit. Maybe the world had changed. He hoped it had become interesting enough to keep his mind occupied. He looked down at himself and realized that he was naked. The clothes he’d worn into the cave having turned to dust many years before. His body was dark with dust and mold, but underneath he was health and young.

He walked for hours before stepping into a clearing and finding a road. It was the same as he’d remembered it; accept maybe a little more worn and narrow. In the distance he could hear foot steps. They were slow and leisurely, and heading in the direction of Konoha. He wondered if the carving of his face was still there or if the weather had worn it away. He decided he was curious enough to find out so he set off toward his old village. The trip took no time at all. The night was only half over when he reached the wall. He was still naked and he didn’t want to scare anyone that might be out even at this early hour so he kept to the shadows and made his way to the Hokage tower. His face was still there. It was worn and cracked, but still discernible even in the dimness of night.

He entered his old home which hadn’t changed at all, and slipped down the corridors until he was at his office. He opened the door and slipped inside, and smiled slightly when he saw a young man sleeping at the desk. He was drooling on the paperwork under his cheek, and Naruto felt a memory try to make its way to the surface. He pushed it to the back of his mind, and decided that he’d make himself known if only to have a bath and get something to wear.

“Young man.” The man twitched, but still didn’t wake. Naruto noticed the small bottle of Sake next to his head, and decided it might take a little more to gain his attention. “Young man, wake up. I need to speak to you.”

The head rose suddenly and then went back down for a moment. When the wince passed from what Naruto knew had to be at least a slight hangover he began again. “If you don’t mind I would like to speak with you for a moment, and if it’s not too much trouble, I’m in need of a bath and clothing.”

The man’s head snapped up and he looked at him with shocked black eyes. His mouth opened as if to speak, but no words came out. “I know I’m quite dirty, and probably a little frightening. If you would feel more comfortable I could bathe first.”

“How did you get in here?” Was the first response Naruto got. Not exactly what he’d been hoping for, but it was a start.

“I wouldn’t be much of a shinobi if I couldn’t sneak into an office.” Naruto smiled his most disarming smile to let the young man know the statement was meant to be light.

“Any other office maybe, but this is the Hokage’s office, and it should be a little more difficult than normal. Who are you, and what exactly is it that you want?”

Naruto moved closer, but kept a safe distance. He didn’t want to alarm his predecessor, and he was well aware that he didn’t smell all that good either. “Who I am doesn’t really matter. What I want is a bath and some clothes. After that we can discuss anything else you’d like to know. I give you my word that I mean you no harm.”

Naruto watched as dark eyes narrowed slightly in distrust, but he nodded sharply giving in to the demand for now. “The bath is through…”

“I know where it is. If you could find me some clothing I would appreciate it.” Naruto headed for the bath attached to the office, and shut the door behind him. He ran the water as hot as he could stand it, and stepped under the spray watching the grime wash down the drain. Slowly streaks of pale skin started to peak through the mess, and the water that swirled on the floor started to run clear. He washed with the supplies that were in the bath, paying some attention to the scents. They were feminine. The Hokage most likely had a wife that used this bath. He didn’t much care either way, he just wanted a little history lesson, and he’d be on his way.

When he stepped out of the bath, dried off quickly and noticed that cloths had been laid out for him. He slid into the pants noting how strange the textures felt against his skin. He brushed his teeth with a new brush that was under the sink and ran his fingers through his hair trying to get the snarls out before giving up. He dug around for scissors and found a pair in the medicine cabinet behind the mirror. He’d been such a mess when he’d woken that he hadn’t even realized that his hair had grown past his knees and a beard had grown out covering his once smooth face. He shaved and lopped off the mess on his head, trimming it around his face like he had when he was young, and took a moment to inspect himself in the mirror. He was sickly pale and the scars on his face stood out in stark relief against his skin. If this man knew anything about the history of his village, Naruto would most likely be recognized. It didn’t really bother him; he just didn’t want to be answering certain questions.

He ran his fingers through his hair a few times to loosen any cut strands that were stuck and decided he’d leave the heap of hair for someone else to clean. He finished dressing and left the bathroom. He noticed, with a sigh, that the office was now occupied by two visible Anbu squads and the Hokage was standing at his desk behind them. He shuffled casually over to the closest Anbu and took a good long look at the mask. It was a fox with three whiskers drawn across each cheek. Naruto couldn’t contain the sudden burst of laughter, but quieted when the man in front of him stiffened and then shifted slightly into a more comfortable attack position.

“I meant no offense. I just find it funny that you’re wearing my mask.”

The eyes behind the mask widened for a moment, and then narrowed in suspicion. “No one has worn this mask since the Seventh Hokage over three hundred years ago. Why do you lie?”

Naruto was a bit disappointed with them. All of them. None of them seemed to have any idea who he was, and that was a shame.

“So am I to understand that History is no longer a lesson taught at the academy or is it that none of you deem it important enough to remember?”

The Hokage gasped quietly in the back, and sat down. His face had gone pale, and the Anbu stepped closer to him to make sure he was ok, but never took their eyes off of Naruto.

“It can’t be. That’s just an old village legend. No one can live forever without using forbidden jutsu, and it would require the sacrifice of many to live so long. Uzumaki Sama was a just and honorable leader. He would never have done such a thing.”

Naruto laughed again, but this time it had no humor in it, only the bitter bite of endless torment. The Anbu were looking at him curiously, and he could see various stages of recognition on their faces. Naruto decided to prove himself in the easiest way possible since there were twelve Anbu in the room it wouldn’t be hard to do.

“You.” He pointed at the man wearing his mask. “You are head captain of Anbu. There are two teams here, but there is one shinobi missing. I’m assuming he’s hiding along with another team in this room right now.” Naruto walked to the side of the room and ran his hand over the wall. There are… Five hiding.” He pointed distinctly to five different positions along the walls of the room. Each one faded from the wall into view. “You haven’t been their leader long, but you’ve been with them long enough for all of them to trust you. That young woman right there was your competition for the position. She thinks she’s better than you, but the Hokage made the right choice. You seem to have a little more self control. She’s the only one in the room I thought I might have to kill if you tried to attack me.”

The woman standing by the Hokage shifted on her feet, and Naruto smirked at the indignation and anger radiating off of her. “You can try young one, but I will warn you now, I’m much older than I look, and I used to sit in that chair. You would be wise to control yourself around me.”

The Hokage reached out and laid a hand on her arm lightly. She yanked it away quickly and turned to look out the window. The sun was beginning to rise on the horizon. “I hope you don’t mind but I used your soap in the bath. It was a bit too sweet for my liking, but I’m sure it’s very nice on you.” Her back stiffened, and her neck jerked slightly like she wanted to turn but she kept her back to him. He decided he’d stop goading her since she was the lover of the Hokage. He wanted information, and pissing them off wouldn’t do him any good.

Naruto’s eyes went back to the Anbu once again. “I’d like to know your names. I don’t care about your first, just your family name. You don’t have to give it if you truly believe that I’m here to do you harm.”

There was an uncomfortable shift for a moment. One on the left looked to the Hokage, and received a nod of approval. The man stepped forward almost eagerly not realizing that Naruto missed nothing. “I am of the Aburame clan.”

Naruto looked away at hearing that name. The pain was still fresh even after so many centuries. The man took his reaction the wrong way and shifted angrily. Naruto realized that there were probably still those that were revolted by them, and reprimanded himself internally for his mistake. He looked up again into the mask, and noticed the glass behind it. He stepped forward, and kept moving even though the man before him looked uncomfortable at being approached. Naruto’s hands went to his shoulders and they stiffened under the touch, but relaxed as the ran down his chest then back up and over shoulders tracing strong arms down to the wrist. The touch was intimate, but Naruto just couldn’t help himself. He leaned forward and breathed in the scent, closing his eyes at a distant memory and whispered “Shino” under his breath. It was different and yet so much the same. “Yes you are.” He said loud enough to hear.

Naruto stepped back to give the man room to breath. “Do you know what your clan meant to me?” He wondered aloud. The young man didn’t move or react, and Naruto assumed that the answer was no.

“You should all read your history more, especially those of you with clan history. You never know when it will come in handy.”

He let his eyes drift to the petite girl standing to his left. “Lee.” Was all she said. Naruto smiled warmly, and he could see her eyes crinkle at the corners as she smiled in return.

Most of the names in the room were recognizable, and when they were done Naruto turned to the Hokage. He had knowledge in his eyes, and Naruto knew before he even said his name that it would be someone important to him. “Uchiha.”

Naruto frowned. The eyes had remained dark the whole time he’d been here. “Show me.”

There were several gasps in the room. Naruto didn’t know if it was his tone or the demand that caused them to react, and he didn’t much care. He did not like being lied to, and if this man was an Uchiha he would have the Sharingan eyes.

The Hokage blinked, and as his eyes slid open the red burned into Naruto like a brand. The last time he’d seen those eyes was when Sasuke had nearly gone insane trying to kill him. It had taken a long time to recover from that guilt.

“Did you achieve the mangekyo like Sasuke or Itachi?” The woman standing behind the Hokage turned and lunged for him violently, but the Hokage grabbed her just in time. He whispered in her ear, and she calmed immediately.

“I didn’t murder the person I love most if that’s what you’re asking. There are several known ways now, and mine was quite innocuous. You are making most of the people in this room very uncomfortable. Our secrets should not be discussed in such a cavalier manner. I suggest you get to the point soon or I’m afraid this conversation will be over.”

“You are very much like Sasuke, but you look nothing like him. I was just surprised that’s all. I meant no offense, and if your best and brightest had paid attention in school they might not be so offended either. If you like I can give all of you a bit of a history lesson before I ask any more questions.”

The Hokage nodded in agreement and leaned back in his chair. One of the lower ranked Anbu moved from the side of the room to the center and offered a chair to Naruto. He liked standing, but he decided that it would make everyone more comfortable if he were a little less threatening so he took the offered seat.

“I am Naruto Uzumaki. I was the Seventh Hokage.” There were a few disbelieving snorts and laughs that were not so strategically covered with coughs. Naruto gave them a cocky grin that he’d not used in years, and contained a laugh of his own when he felt the anxiety level rise around him. “Shortly after I was born my father, the Fourth Hokage decided that I would be the perfect vessel for him to seal the Kyuubi. I was parentless, friendless, and pretty much hopeless. I trained under Kakashi Hatake after graduating the academy. He became like an annoying uncle to me, and he led us on several memorable adventures. My training needed to be more advanced though because I was being hunted. Being a jinchuriki has been a curse that I learned to live with long ago. The Toad Sage Jiriaya took on my self defense training for several years before returning me to Konoha. After that I spent some time training with Kakashi as well as Tenzou off and on again until I went to the toad elders to be trained as a sage. It didn’t take long before I’d mastered it, and I thought I was invincible. It seems ironic that only a short time later I would be. I became Hokage after working very hard and earning the respect of my village. I was happy and I think I was a descent Hokage until my lover died. He was forty six years old. He was targeted by several rogues because he was my lover.

“I went after them when he was pronounced stable by a very close friend of mine. It took me three days to track them and kill them. When I got back he was deteriorating quickly. It was less than a week before he died. I’m afraid what happened after that is not the kind of thing you talk about with strangers. Needless to say I left the village, and now I’ve returned. I would like to know a little about what happened after I left. What happened to some of the people I cared about, and then I’ll be on my way.”

All eyes in the room were now riveted on him as if he were the most interesting thing in the world. The sun had risen just over the horizon then and the light was shining into the room in a way that left most of their faces in shadows, but he could still tell that they were looking at his face hard. After all his was one of the few faces actually carved into the mountain. He’d noticed that his was the last to grace the mountain still to this day.

“Who was your lover?” The Hokage asked. It was a simple question, but Naruto had a hard time answering. He took a deep breath, and relaxed before he spoke.

“Shino Aburame.” There were several gasps around the room but that wasn’t a surprise. The lack of reaction from the Aburame was. All eyes in the room turned to the man for a moment, and the emotion that filled the air was one Naruto was unfamiliar with. He didn’t think on it to much since the light in the room was starting to hurt his eyes. “Do you have an extra pair of shades on you? I’m afraid I’ve been in the dark for quite a while and the sun is a little much for me right now.”

Though he hadn’t been looking at him the Aburame reached into one of his many pockets and stepped forward to hand him a pair. They were very close to the ones his lover had worn and he was comforted by them and grief stricken at the same time. He put them on though, and instantly felt better.

“Now, I’ve told you who I am and what I want. I think it’s time to begin.” The Hokage nodded, and the Anbu all took several steps back. None of them wanted to be put on the spot about history.

“We can start with Sasuke since you are an Uchiha. Tell me about him.”

The Hokage paused for a moment before speaking. “He’s the father of my clan. He served as an Elder for many years, and ensured that our clan would be honored even though his youth was misspent.” Naruto laughed. Misspent was a good word, a little too polite, but he wasn’t about to say anything. “Not much else is known about him. He was quiet and kept to himself. Maybe you could tell me about him.”

“I’d prefer not to. Sasuke and I had an understanding. His past was to be left in the past.”

“He’s been dead for a long time though. Couldn’t you break that silence for the sake of our history? You complained that we are ignorant, but maybe the problem is that it’s not available.”

“It was his story to tell. If he’d wanted you to know he would have made sure you did.”

“That’s not really fair now is it? We tell you what we know and get nothing in return?”

Naruto sighed. This was turning out to be more difficult than it was worth. “I am willing to answer any questions about myself that you have, but you are asking about Sasuke, and his history was his own. Like I said, it’s not my story to tell.”

“Would you be more willing if it were just me here with you?” The Anbu bristled at the implications. Naruto thought on it for a moment, and then nodded. He knew how important family history was, especially since his own had been kept from him until he’d nearly reached adulthood.

“You are all dismissed. You may stay outside the door if you like, but as you can see, he is in no way threatening me. I would like to know of my family history, please excuse us.”

They all looked as if they’d refuse, but he was the Hokage after all and they were forced to obey. The Aburame stepped up to Naruto before he left. “I would like to speak to you about your lover if you wouldn’t mind.”

“I’ll think about it.” It was the best answer he could give. Thinking about Shino was hard, and he just couldn’t imagine talking about him right then.

There were now three left in the room as the door closed. The female stayed behind the Hokage, but didn’t turn. It was as if she was hoping he wouldn’t notice her.

“Is she your wife?”

“Yes, and we have three children together. She is an Uchiha so whatever you have to say should be for her as well.”

“I don’t have a problem with that.”

Relief was thick in the air, and for the first time the eyes behind that mask, when they turned to him, didn’t hold such intense hostility.

Naruto decided to just get it over with. “His brother assassinated the entire clan. Sasuke wasn’t given any information on why so he thought his brother was a murder. He left to join a rogue leaf nin in order to gain the power to defeat his brother and bring honor back to his clan. He did eventually defeat him, but he didn’t come back until much later. The village was in turmoil. We suffered from many attacks from all sides then. Peace was hard won though, and he was able to start a family. The problem for him was that he didn’t want a family. He wanted me, but I was already in love with another. He was my best friend, and he proved himself many times over in his devotion to me. I can’t imagine a more caring person could ever exist. Any more detail than that, and you probably wouldn’t understand what I was talking about. Your knowledge of that time would have to be extensive to really understand.”

The Hokage looked disappointed, but he nodded in agreement. “Did you ever love him?”

Naruto’s glare could have melted glass, but he reined it in when he realized that the question was innocent. “Yes. If I had been unattached when he came back I would have been with him. I loved him very much.”

His answer seemed to satisfy both of them, and Naruto decided that a change of subject was in order. He asked many other questions, and the answers came more easily and readily as they went along. Some of the information was not what he’d wanted to hear, but he knew that all of his friend’s lives couldn’t have ended perfectly. Gaara had died shortly after he left. No one knew why, but Naruto thought that it might have had something to do with the already advanced age of Chiyo’s life force. What had disturbed him the most was that Konoha was now the only surviving ninja village in the world. All the others had died including Suna. According to the Hokage it was nothing but sand and rubble now.

He described how Konoha was hidden with a powerful jutsu to keep out unwanted visitors which explained the lack of significant security on his office. There were shinobi that were given the task of finding strong individuals that had enough chakra to go through the training and then to recruit them. There were shinobi here from all over the world which accounted for the names in the room that Naruto hadn’t recognized. The village was larger, but only slightly, and they no longer worked exclusively for the Fire Country and its allies. They were like a mercenary guild. They were for hire to anyone with a reputable cause. Naruto was glad to hear that the village hadn’t lost its morals, but it was still sad that they were all that was left.

It was long into the day when he decided he’d heard enough. He wanted to see the grave of his lover, and speak to the Aburame again, but then he wanted to leave. He’d had enough of the past to last him several more lifetimes.

“I have one final request before you leave.”

Naruto nodded, indicating that he was listening.

“I will leave a notation in my journal for future Hokage to hope for a visit from you, and I would appreciate it if you would try to write our history for us in some detail. Someone with first hand knowledge would be able to give our historians unique insight, and maybe we could gain from it. We’ve lost a great deal of knowledge over the centuries, and anything you might be willing to share would be of benefit to us.”

Naruto wasn’t thrilled about agreeing to something so time consuming and thought provoking. He didn’t want to agree, but he’d been given all that he wanted with little to no argument. “I will try. Remembering my life is painful, and writing it down could be difficult, but I will give you my word that I will at least attempt it for the sake of the village, and to honor those that I loved.”

Naruto stood then, not wanting to discuss it any more.

“Konoha would be most grateful Hokage Sama.” The Hokage stood then as well and he and his wife bowed low to Naruto. He was honored, and returned the bow in full. They all said their goodbyes, and Naruto stepped through the door only to run into the Anbu he thought he’d be looking for.

“I waited for you Uzumaki Sama. I have volunteered to escort you anywhere you want to go. The villagers aren’t very kind to strangers that are unescorted, and I thought it would give us a chance to talk.”

Naruto understood very well, but he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. “I appreciate that you would take the time, but I don’t think I would like the attention your uniform might draw. I would only consider it if you were to change.”

“Of course.”

ooOOoo

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