Forever

I'm uploading another chapter quickly because I've fallen so far behind. Thanks for the reviews.

Chapter 4

The tree wasn’t that heavy, but it was awkward. It was short and squatty, and wider around than he could fit his arms around. Naruto ended up having to send it out of the forest with a whirlwind. He made his way back to the gate and found the tree lying on the ground with several Jounin standing around it. Naruto sighed. He hated how lacking his village seemed to be when it came to ability. It shouldn’t be this way.

“I’ll cut it up and you all can help me carry the pieces. I’ll need you to take all the pieces accept mine to the Hokage tower.”

“We were sent to make sure that you survived. We saw the tree come flying out of the forest and rushed here to see what had happened, but it was just lying here. Did it attack you?”

Naruto really had his work cut out for him. “No, I made it do that. I can run through that forest with my eyes closed, and soon all of you will too. It’s disturbing to me that all of you are so lacking.”

They all bristled at the insult, but when Naruto formed his wind blades again and started to slice the tree into chunks they seemed to forget his insult. “How…”

“Save the questions for later. I need help carrying these. Take one each and go.”

Naruto didn’t wait for a reply. He just picked up the largest of the chunks and set a harsh pace. The Hokage and at least twenty shinobi were waiting for him when he entered the clearing. He set the wood down in front of him and began slicing it. He would only need a small portion to make enough paper to work. He had a stack of rough damp paper soon enough and set them spinning to dry them and thin them down to the right thickness. He sliced them even more into small hand sized sheets, and stacked them neatly. He tried to ignore the intent eyes that seemed to watch his every move. He picked up the top sheet and held it with his fingers. When he focused his chakra it sliced in half just like it had when he was young and he smiled. It had worked.

“Is this all or are there more coming?” Naruto asked the Hokage.

“This will be all for now. I hope there aren’t too many; you didn’t give me an exact number.”

“No this is fine. I’ll start by explaining a little. You are all born with an affinity to one of the five elemental chakras. With time and training it is possible to possess more than one, but you will always be more suited to your original than any other. The elements are fire, water, earth, wind, and lightning. I’m wind chakra.” He picked up another piece of paper and held it up for everyone to see. “All you have to do is focus a bit of your chakra on the paper and it will react. Wind reacts like this.” The paper sliced in half. The look of excitement on all of their faces was almost comical.

“I will pass out these to you and you will do the same. Water gets soggy, fire burns, earth crumbles, and lightning crinkles. When you know what your affinity is please form groups together with others with the same element.”

Each hand reached eagerly for a paper, and Naruto watched as they found their elements. The Hokage was last, and as he’d suspected his affinity was fire. “Just like Sasuke.” Naruto said, and the Hokage smiled widely at the compliment. They all formed into groups and Naruto was disappointed to see that there were no wind chakras at all among them.

“Alright, that was the easy part, now for the hard part. You will all go home and work on a goal. When you’ve master it then I will give you instructions on how to use it. Water element’s will go home and transfer water from one glass to another using only your chakra, it will need to be thoroughly infused before it will work. Fire element’s will set their chakra on fire. Start with a lit fire from something small like a candle and try to infuse it with your chakra, then hold it in your hand. Earth elements will need to be able to infuse a rock and pulverized it with your chakra. You might want to wear something over your eyes the first few times. Lighting element’s will need to learn how to form their chakra into an electrical current. Don’t go sticking your fingers in light sockets though. Just try to imagine electricity and how it works. Static electricity works well for beginners. Just rub your feet on a rug and then hold your hand in front of a door knob or something metal. Memorize how the current feels as it passes from you and then try to mimic that with your chakra.

“I was serious when I said this is hard. Just because you have an affinity doesn’t mean you will automatically be able to do it. Take your time and practice and don’t get discouraged. If you have any questions you can ask me later. That’s all.”

They dispersed gradually some looking excited and some, especially the lightning users, looked a little nervous. The Hokage stepped up to him as he started to gather the pieces of his tree together to deliver to the Hokage tower.

“I was wondering, you said that some people can use more than one element. Can you?”

Naruto looked at him over his shoulder and then hefted the log onto his shoulder. “I’m a Sage. I’ve mastered all the elements.”

The Hokage looked impressed. “Is this rare, to have mastered all of them?”

Naruto didn’t look back at him as he began to walk toward the tower. “It was supposed to be impossible. I was the first and only one to do it. I wouldn’t suggest trying though. That’s the reason I can’t grow old or die. I’m cursed to live forever because I mastered them all.”

They walked a bit as the Hokage contemplated what he’d said. “How long do you think it will take before my shinobi can use this to further their abilities?”

Naruto sighed, he’d never been patient enough to teach well, but the need was great so he was going to have to find it in him to make sure that they were given a fair chance, and that the information wasn’t lost again. “First they have to master their element. Some of them never will…”

The Hokage gasped at this and stopped moving. “You didn’t tell us this.”

Naruto scoffed. “Of course not. If I’d have told you then the ones that are impatient wouldn’t take the time to try, and the ones with low chakra might not even try at all. I wanted to make sure that if it was possible, then they would have every chance to achieve it. It’s hard to succeed sometimes when you let your own insecurities get in the way.”

He nodded in agreement. “That is very wise of you. Do you think that I will have any difficulty? I would hate to have them loose faith in me because of this…”

Naruto stopped and dropped the log beside him. He turned to the young man at his side and held his hand out. A flame leapt from his palm as he focused his chakra and he held it out to the Hokage. “Hold out your hand.” Naruto said. He then dropped the flame into the other’s hand. “Focus your chakra, that’s it.” The flame flickered for a moment before settling in the palm of the Hokage. He grinned at Naruto and waved it around a few times before he let it go out.

“I don’t think you’ll have any problems with it at all Hokage Sama.” Naruto smirked.

“Please call me Nodoka. It seems strange having you call me Hokage when in my mind you are the Hokage. I would be very pleased if you were to decide to stay and further our instruction on these types of lost arts. There are many more questions that I have wanted to ask since yesterday. I was hoping you would meet with me again.”

“I’ve been thinking about it.” Naruto was trying to seem more enthusiastic than he was. He picked the log back up and started walking again. “The world has changed quite a bit, and I think I might need to get comfortable in it before I leave. I was hoping that I could earn some money while I’m here so that I’ll have something to travel with later. I don’t need much, but more than one set of cloths, maybe something a little more me like sage robes, would suit my needs as well as a few other travel necessities. Mostly I need money for food. Anywhere I go that will be the only thing I will spend money on.”

Nodoka’s eyebrows drew together in thought. “I understand you wanting to travel, but I don’t understand why you would want to leave us. This is your home. We need you here. You have to have realized it.”

Naruto sighed, partly in impatience and partly in amusement. “You’re not that convincing. You only seem to want me to stay for your benefit. What’s in it for me?”

Nodoka looked slightly irritated. “I thought you loved Konoha. I never imagined you would want a bribe.”

The laugh that broke from Naruto’s mouth sent a jolt of shock through Nodoka. He looked over to see true mirth though and settled with a small laugh of his own. “I’m not trying to elicit bribes from you. I’m trying to see just what staying could possibly offer me. The most compelling reason for me to stay just happens to be the most convincing reason to leave.”

“What would that be?” Nodoka asked as he eyed Naruto. The blush that rose up his neck to his face made the Hokage grin.

“Your Shino happens to look very much like my Shino. The resemblance is striking, and although I can’t die, I have found my weakness. I want to leave, but I don’t know if I can. It’s not fair to him, but I want him…”

“Shino is in the hospital. He was poisoned earlier and isn’t expected to survive the night. I’m so sorry Naruto, but he’s dying. I thought you knew since he was with you when it happened.”

Naruto stilled and the log fell from his shoulder. He looked at Nodoka in confusion and fear. “It was an Oleander vine. The poison is one of the simplest to cure. I’m sure of it and his Kikaichu should be able to lessen the effects enough to heal him even faster than any normal shinobi.”

Nodoka just shook his head and looked on with sympathetic eyes. “We have no knowledge of the cure. Our best medical nin are caring for him now, but there’s nothing they can do.”

Naruto didn’t bother to reply. He just headed straight for the Hokage tower. It seemed impossible that even his own library could be gone. The building looked the same as when he’d left it. His body moved like lightning over the rooftops and he was in his old office in mere moments. The door was still there, and he stepped up to it and slid his hand over the surface. The lock clicked open and he stepped inside finding the room dark and filled with cobwebs and dust. Nodoka stepped in a moment later and gasped.

“This door has been locked for centuries. I didn’t even know what was behind it…”

Naruto didn’t answer though. He was too busy looking for Tsunade’s collection of poison remedies. He skimmed across the covers whipping away the dust as he went until he found the section he was looking for. He grabbed all four books on the subject and was instantly out of the room and on his way to the hospital; the Hokage hot on his heals.

He slammed through the front doors missing the looks of shock and fear from everyone in the entrance at the loud crash as they hit the wall. He skidded to a stop at the front desk. “Where is the medical nin dealing with Shino Aburame’s care?” The young woman standing behind the desk looked at him sternly, and Naruto had several flashes of violence run through his mind all concerning her and the removal of body parts. His mind cleared quickly though as she started speaking.

“I’m afraid that is privileged information. Unless you are family you will have to leave.” Her words had a finality about them that whispered of her experience at dealing with unwanted visitors.

“I’m afraid you don’t know exactly who you are dealing with, but if you don’t find his medical nin and bring them to me now I’m afraid I’ll have to give you a demonstration.”

Fear flashed in the woman’s eyes, but she got it under control and a slight smirk curved her lips as she looked over his shoulder to see the Hokage standing behind him. “I think you should leave sir, or I will have to have you escorted off the premises.”

Naruto was about to reach over the counter to strangle her when the Hokage stepped up beside him. “We need to see Shino’s attendants at once please. My friend here has important information about his care.”

The Hokage smiled and kept his tone neutral. The woman’s face fell at being contradicted by him, and then shot a scowl at Naruto before making the call. Naruto just smiled his most annoying smile at her letting his eyes keep the icy glare from before. She turned from him then and didn’t look back at him again. When he saw the slight tremor in her hand as she dialed his smile got just a fraction bigger.

Nodoka put his hand on Naruto’s shoulder and leaned in to whisper. “You’re scaring her Naruto… You’re scaring me. You’re eyes are red and you’re growling.”

Naruto closed his eyes immediately and took a deep breath to calm his self. He hadn’t even felt the red flair, but he could feel it now. He let it settle back before opening his eyes again. He smiled sheepishly at Nodoka and shrugged his shoulders. “I haven’t had to control my temper for a while. I guess I’m a little out of practice. It won’t happen again just as long as no one else tries my patience.”

Nodoka looked at him curiously and let his hand fall from Naruto’s shoulder. He looked as though he might say something, but just then a young woman walked up to them.

“I’m treating Aburame san. He’s not doing well I’m afraid so I need to ask you to make this quick so I can get back to him.”

The Hokage shifted back a bit so Naruto could have her full attention. “I’ve brought what you need to cure him. It was an Oleander vine.”

She looked at him as if he was an annoying insect that she wanted to squish. “I know what has poisoned him, and there is no cure. I have told those boys a thousand times not to go into that forest, but they just don’t listen. This time maybe they’ll stay away after seeing a friend die. I hate that it has to be this way, but there’s nothing else I can do.”

Naruto shoved the books in his hands at her, and she fumbled with them a bit before getting hold of them. “The cure will be in one of those. I don’t even want to talk about how something this important has been lost. I just want you to find it and cure him. Now.”

She looked at the books for a moment before setting them on the counter. She picked up the one on top and began thumbing through it, and her eyes widened. She looked up at him with awe. “Where did you find these…” She whispered with reverence.

“It doesn’t matter. Find what you need and use it. This isn’t the time.”

She nodded and seemed to come back to herself. She gathered the books up with greedy hands and turned to head down the hall. Naruto and Nodoka followed her, and quickly found themselves in Shino’s room. There were several Aburame in the room. Naruto assumed that the man and woman closest to him were his parents. He walked over to the young man lying on the bed and felt his heart freeze. He’d seen this before, and it hadn’t been good. Pale with dark circles around his eyes, Shino lay there breathing heavy and deep as if it were difficult to take each breath.

“Shino…” Naruto whispered, and Shino turned to look at him. The smile was warm and caring, and Naruto didn’t deserve it, but he wouldn’t turn away. Not now. He took the hand that was offered, and knelt beside the bed. The hand in his held him weakly, and it was a shock to realize that just hours before he’d been making love to this strong healthy body.

“I’ve found it!” Naruto heard from behind him. It was a voice he didn’t recognize, but he cared little. All he wanted was for them to hurry.

The minutes seemed like days as the clock on the wall ticked away. It was quiet in the room. Naruto could see nothing but masked pain on Shino’s face, and he tried to be strong. He tried to remember that this was curable, and that Shino wasn’t going to die, but all he could see was the past. He was haunted by it, and when the medical nin came in and administered the cure he didn’t notice. He didn’t realize anything until the color began to return to Shino’s skin and the harsh sounds of his breathing quieted. Naruto kissed him once on the forehead after Shino had drifted off to sleep, and left.

The sleep that he’d longed for the night before came to him at last.

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