Homecoming

Part Five
A First Encounter

Naruto finished his ramen and watched the boy at his side. Being a teacher was quite an unexpected challenge. He was the children's sensei only for a few days and already felt some sort of exhaustion that he never experienced before. It wasn't a physical exhaustion, but it wasn't mental one per se. The children were all distinguished individuals with a unique personality. Getting them to work together to extract the best of each other, proved to be tricky. Hikari was a brilliant little girl, but also an awfully lazy one. It was hard to motivate her, but she seemed to pull it through when she was really needed. Ryoichi and Kenji were both stubborn in their refusal to work together. Their personalities seemed so different, that if it weren't for their surname, no one would have connected between the two. But there was something about the boys that really bugged Naruto.

"Kenji," he said, propping his face on his elbow as he watched the kid. "Why didn't you want to train with your brother?"

"Hm?" The boy raised his head to look at the Jounin with a mouthful of ramen.

"You want to be stronger than him, why don't you train with your father as well?"

Kenji frowned and started poking at the ramen with his chopsticks. "Father doesn't train me. He only trains Ryoichi."

"Eh?" Naruto looked at him in surprise. "How come?"

"I don't want to talk about it." The boy frowned. "I don't care, really. I'll be strong on my own and show them both."

"I know how it feels like to be overshadowed by someone," Naruto said softly. "In fact, until I was twelve years old no one even acknowledged my existence. They've just ignored me."

Kenji looked up at his teacher with big eyes. "Really? But you're so cool, Naruto-sensei!"

Naruto smiled broadly. "I am, aren't I?"

"Ever since I remember…" Kenji lowered his head to his bowl of ramen as he spoke. "It was always 'Ryoichi this and Ryoichi that'. No matter what it was, he was always better than me, always perfect. He's even better looking than me. Father never yells at him, and everyone loves him. I'm the one that wasn't supposed to be born, you know."

"That's bullshit," Naruto huffed. "If you think that, you really are stupid."

"That's what everyone says." Kenji raised the bowl to take a sip from the soup. Once he finished, he put it down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "But I'll show them when I beat my brother one day."

"If you want to do that," Naruto said and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You have to believe in yourself first. Someone once told me… that true strength isn't measured by physical power."

"What do they mean by that?" Kenji furrowed his brows.

"You'll find out eventually." Naruto smiled.

"Won't you teach me?"

"I'll try my best, but Kenji… there aren't any shortcuts. You have to try your best too. You have to BECOME a strong ninja."

"I will!" Kenji slammed his fist on the counter and jumped from the chair. "Father will never ask why I can't be more like Ryoichi!" the boy clutched his fists. "Thanks for the ramen, Naruto-sensei!"

"You're welcome. Now go home before it gets dark."

"Bye bye!" Kenji waved at him and left.

Naruto smiled as he watched the small boy skipping away. As soon as the boy disappeared from his sight, Naruto's smile vanished and his eyes narrowed as he glanced sideways, to the shadow he sensed behind him for quite some time.

"You can come out now," he said quietly.

"So, you knew I was watching." The confident voice behind him showed no fear.

"Of course, I detected who you are by your smell. I am a fox, after all." Naruto said as he turned around to face the shadow. "Why are you spying on me, Kakashi-sensei?"

The silver-haired Jounin smiled behind the mask that constantly covered his face. "You shouldn't be so paranoid, Naruto-kun."

Naruto chuckled and smirked at the older man. "Spending so many years as a spy, it had become a second nature."

Kakashi stepped closer, still keeping a fair distance from the younger man. "Hokage-sama told me that you're back. What a surprise. I truly didn't expect to see you back here."

"What can I say, I'm good at surprising people."

"And teaching Sasuke's children…"

"It's not like I came back for that purpose," Naruto cut him out. "It just happened that way."

"You came back to face your past, you're tired of running away. But you're scared to go through with it."

"Kakashi-sensei, don't try to read me like you know who I am," Naruto said quietly, looking at his ex teacher. "You don't know me anymore."

Naruto turned his back and started to walk away.

"Is that so?" the silver-haired man called behind him. Naruto stopped walking, but didn't turn to face him again. "You must know about Sakura. Why haven't you visited her grave yet?"

Naruto clenched his teeth, grinding his fangs in anger. He turned around swiftly, while grabbing a kunai from his holster and pointing it at Kakashi. He was holding the kunai above the hilt, from its blade.

Kakashi took a step back, watching Naruto's eyes flare up and turn red.

"Was it Sasuke?" Naruto asked quietly, in a menacing tone.

"Hm?" kakashi looked at him lazily, his visible eye betraying no emotions.

"Was it Sasuke?!" Naruto repeated his question, louder.

"What about him?" Kakashi drawled, seemingly unaffected by Naruto's anger.

"Was he the one who killed Sakura-chan?" Naruto's hand tightened around the blade of the kunai and blood started to ooze out between his fingers.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head in discomfort. "When things became difficult and the doctor was at a loss, Sasuke brought over the Godaime, who had the better medical skills. Unfortunately, Godaime told them a choice had to be made. It was either Sakura or the twins."

Naruto snarled, still pointing the kunai at his old teacher.

"Sasuke chose Sakura," Kakashi said and Naruto gaped, his fierce, near demonic features started to soften as Kakashi continued to speak. "He said it didn't matter, and there will be other opportunities to bring an heir. Naruto," Kakashi addressed the younger man in front of him. "It was Sakura who made the final decision. It was her will."

Naruto's eyes changed back to blue and he dropped the kunai to the ground. Kakashi watched tacitly the steam that rose from Naruto's hand and healed his wound almost instantly.

"How foolish…" Naruto whispered.

"She really wanted to give Sasuke an heir."

Naruto sighed and lowered his head.

"Naruto, why don't you go see Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, stepping closer to his ex student. "You used to be close friends."

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered to himself without raising his eyes.

"He suffered a lot when you were gone," Kakashi revealed. "He'd never admit it, but he waited for you to return."

"Sasuke…" Naruto repeated and raised his eyes to the other Jounin. "Sasuke… is dead for me."

"Hm?" Kakashi's eye widened in surprise.

"This man I despise is not the Sasuke I know," the blond added in a strong voice. "Kakashi-sensei, thank you for telling me… about Sakura-chan." He flashed him a brilliant smile, and walked away without a further word.

'What really happened between those two?' Kakashi wondered as he watched the blond man leaving his sight. 'But… what a fine man he has become. I sense power radiating from every notch of his body. Yondaime, Sandaime, you must be proud.'

***

Naruto's eyes scanned the sea of wooden crosses that were painted in crimson by the twilight. The Konoha graveyard was located on a green hill, away from the populated village. It was shadowed by many trees and only the chirping of the birds and rustling of the wind could be heard in the peaceful place.

The blond man stepped stealthily between the rows of crosses, until he reached a secluded group of graves. A sad, small smile appeared on his face and he leaned in before one of the wooden crosses. He reached out and caressed the little metal plaque nailed to the wood.

"I'm sorry it took me so long… Hinata," he said quietly and kneeled before the headstone.

"I was always scared of coming here…" he sighed and lowered his head. "If only I protected you better… I used to wonder where would I be if you were still here… I know it's stupid and pointless, and that the past cannot be undone. I've done a lot of stupid things…" Naruto closed his eyes.

His hand slipped into the pocket of his dark trousers. "I never did deserve you. I shouldn't have let someone like you get closer to a demon like me. I'll never forgive myself for getting you killed." He fished out a silver necklace and stared at it for a bit. "You remember this? You made it for me for my sixteenth birthday… I wanted to wear it, I really did. I told you I lost it in a mission, but I always carried it on me. I hated lying to you, but Sasuke… well, it doesn't matter now." Naruto got up. "I'm returning this to you. Even if only for a short while, I was proud to have you as a part of my life." He slid the necklace over the wooden cross, looking at it one last time, before walking off.

Finding the Uchiha burial plot wasn't too hard. It was located on the other side of the graveyard, secluded like the Hyuuga lot, shadowed by many trees, and the Uchiha symbol was flaunted freely between the many monuments. Even though it's been years since Naruto got used to the idea, he still couldn't see Sakura-chan as an Uchiha member. Like Hinata, she was pure of the darkness that bound him and Sasuke together.

Naruto's hand tightened around the single flower he was holding. The evening breeze that rustled through the trees, made the hairs on the back of his neck stand. A familiar presence seeped into his bones. A presence he both longed to feel and at the same time wished to never meet again.

Naruto raised his eyes to the tree. "Will you not let me mourn in peace?" he asked quietly, knowing his stalker heard every word.

In a catlike movement, the person who was watching him jumped to the ground and stood in front of him, in full ANBU gear, watching him behind the feline mask.

Naruto's eyes skimmed over the man in front of him. Every hair on his body bristled as he examined the strong, masculine pose of the man. He couldn't read his opponent's body language and he did his best not to show his surprise and let the other one read him.

'Must be high rank ANBU training.' His eyes stopped on the leaf symbol that was tattooed on the left arm. 'Just as I expected, he's stronger than other ANBU soldiers I've had the displeasure of meeting.'

"I guess I should have known I'd meet you sooner or later…" Naruto started saying and smirked, "Actually I was hoping it would be later." His eyes narrowed as he glared at the masked man. "As much as possible."

He turned his back on the ANBU captain. "I don't have anything to say to you, and definitely not here. We're disturbing the dead."

Naruto started walking away, when suddenly he felt his body freezing. In an instance, Sasuke was facing him, moving the mask up onto his dark hair, holding back the raven black bangs from falling into his face. His crimson sharingan eyes gleamed darkly as he watched the blond Jounin frowning in front of him.