✔️Heal My Heart {Kakashi Hatake}

72 | naruto learns a jutsu... kinda

"Big sis, why are we in the garden?" Naruto asked for the hundredth time. "I thought you were gonna teach me a jutsu, shouldn't we be in the training ground?"

"Just sit here," I said, patting a soft patch of grass beside me. Usually, Naruto was strictly forbidden from entering my garden. The stuff that grew here supplied both the Yamanaka flower shop and the grocery store, so if any of the plants were damaged it could be harmful to the economy, not to mention they were all my precious babies and if anyone touched them they had to die. Naruto had spent about five minutes looking around and exclaiming how huge the 'big green thingies' were; he had no clue that he was pointing at cucumbers. He pointed out one big, red tomato on the vine that grew up the side of the house, though when I said he could have it if he wanted, he then took a step back and said he didn't like tomatoes.

Presently, Naruto plonked himself down on the spot I had indicated. "So what now?" he asked.

"You're not sitting properly," I told him. "Copy me. Cross your legs, like this... yeah, good... then straight back, chin up, and relax."

Naruto attempted to copy my position, though he wasn't perfect; in fact, he was barely passable, but he was only six. I was willing to make allowances, just until he was a bit older.

"Now, you need to close your eyes." I leaned over and put my hand over his eyes so that he definitely wouldn't be able to see. "And tell me what you see."

"But my eyes are shut, I can't see anything."

"What can you see in your mind?" I asked. "What pictures come to your head?"

"Umm..." Naruto was silent for a while, concentrating. I remained patient, and simply waited for him to speak. "I can see... a long corridor, and there's water. It's splashing when I stamp on it. It's all dark. Wait... there's a room here!"

I frowned a little. Naruto was describing these mental images in much more detail than I'd expected, but I was too curious to say anything and interrupt.

"It's got water on the floor in here as well. There's a huge gate though, and something that's sticking the bars together."

I realised suddenly what Naruto was seeing and instantly removed my hand. "That's enough now," I said, a little sharper than I'd intended. It seemed that Naruto had accidentally wandered into where the nine tails slumbered within him. I didn't want to plague him with the knowledge of that monster's existence so early on in his life.

"What?" Naruto's eyes flew open, filled with alarm.  "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, it's fine." I softened my tone. "You did fine, but... we're just going to try something different for now."

"What? Are there hand signs? Is it an elemental jutsu? How big is it? Is-"

"Naruto." I interrupted him. "Be quiet. The next exercise is listening."

"Listening to what?" Naruto asked. "There's no noise out here."

"Exactly. What can you hear in the silence?"

"But sis... there's nothing." Naruto looked beyond confused.

"Yes, but that's the whole point of this exercise," I explained patiently. "Nothing is made up of everything."

"You're not making any sense," Naruto told me bluntly.

"I'm not, am I?" I laughed. "Just settle down, get comfortable, and see what you can hear."

Naruto relaxed himself and closed his eyes again. I watched him, a feeling of pride stirring in me. Was this what it felt like to be a parent? To teach a child your own trade, to pass on your skills and watch them make it their own? I'd always wanted kids of my own, ever since I was one myself, but in hindsight I realised that I had never really known why. This was it; to watch a child grow up in your care, and to know that you did your best for them.