"Hokage-sama," Sōjirō cried as he barged in through the door, not unlike how Naruto did frequently during the previous timeline, "do rescind your decision! I am perfectly fine -- I have no desire or need for a break!"
Hiruzen pressed his temples with a tired sigh.
'These Uzumaki,' he could not help but think, pure exasperation filling him.
"Sōjirō-kun, I have yet to finish talking. You're simply too much of a workaholic..." Hiruzen unceremoniously interrupted Sōjirō's tirade.
Although the redhead's expression was one of unwillingness, he reluctantly shut himself up.
"I might have informed you that you would be on vacation, but that is just the cover story. We will be alerting your subordinates that you will be given a break from ANBU activities. In truth, you will be travelling to Sunagakure for official matters," Hiruzen explained slowly.
Sōjirō felt his mouth fall open.
Abashed, he responded, "Oh."
"Due to the vital importance of this secret mission I'm conveying to you, there will be yet another pretext for this. Kazekage-dono and I have agreed for an exchange between the two jinchūriki of our villages. Out of convenience, I agreed to allow Konoha's off-duty Kitsune to facilitate this exchange programme as well as protect the two jinchūriki from forces who aim to harm them or the peace between both of our villages. I will be counting on Sōjirō-kun to give appropriate counsel to Kazekage-dono on the matter he has requested you for," Hiruzen said, strictly.
"Understood, Hokage-sama," Sōjirō replied, saluting respectfully.
Relieved by the outcome of the discussion, the redhead reconnected his link to a certain blond genin.
"Master," Sōjirō reported dutifully, "I have received a top-secret mission from Hokage-sama. I'm to meet Kazekage-sama in Suna during the exchange programme that is to occur between Konoha and Suna's jinchūriki."
Naruto perked up, casting aside the fūinjutsu device that he had been tinkering with.
"You mean I'll get to see Gaara soon?" Naruto asked, not bothering to hide his delight at the notion from his clone.
"From the documents, we will make haste to Suna in two days. We will be there for a month and return to Konoha with the Suna jinchūriki, who will stay in Konoha for a month before the Chūnin Exam," Sōjirō outlined through their telepathic connection as clone and master.
Naruto could not curb the grin that crept onto his face from the joy he felt at this revelation.
Gaara was the jinchūriki that he first met in the previous timeline and also the one that he was able to get along the best.
After a brief silence in which Naruto celebrated their upcoming reunion while a pensive Sōjirō contemplated something, the latter decided to speak up, "Kakashi-senpai is very nice to me."
Naruto snorted derisively, "He's never been so obedient before."
Sōjirō shrugged, offhandedly mentioning, "This... Kakashi-senpai might be attracted to Master."
Naruto did not even pause to ponder over this observation.
"That Kakashi-senpai of yours probably likes Takamatsu Sōjirō more than he ever cared for Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto retorted dismissively.
Sōjirō blinked, mulling over it for a moment before carefully phrasing his next words, "If I am allowed to be honest with you, Master..."
Although Naruto frowned, he consented, "Just speak."
Sōjirō coughed awkwardly, "I'm but a fraction of Master. I am a mere part of Master. How can I claim to be superior to the whole? Senpai likes Master for the traits of Master that I have shown thus far. By extension, the one Hatake Kakashi holds affection for has always been Master."
Naruto rolled his eyes, obviously disregarding Sōjirō's farfetched theory.
The conversation passed, never to be spoken of again.
Probably.
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
Kakashi was surprised to see two Uzumaki arrive at the assigned meeting spot together.
The blond had Sachiko-chan -- the duck that Naruto had adopted during the Wave mission -- in his arms, his fox mask askew on his head. The redhead was dressed in mostly-standard jōnin attire. However, his pants were closer to ANBU-style than typical shinobi wear and the top was a snug black turtleneck sweater with the Uzumaki swirl. He was clearly in holiday mode seeing as his top, though comfortable, was not suitable for a combatant. He did not adorn his flak jacket in any way, seeing as this was a one-off affair.
Little did he know, the ones he recognised as Naruto and Sōjirō have swapped positions. The original was acting as Sōjirō while his blood clone played the role of Naruto. Naruto, curious about what was going on with the Kazekage, chose to take matters into his own hands and meet the man personally.
Sakura arrived soon after, curiously eyeing the redhead who had casually omitted most of his shinobi gear. He was armed with nothing other than his fūinjutsu pouch and a katana. He had, perplexingly, not bothered with bringing basic kunai or shuriken, the primary hidden weapons utilised by shinobi. She did not understand why Sōjirō would be here at their meeting spot, and largely unarmed to boot.
Sasuke reached training ground 13 right in time, later than any of his teammates. His habit from the previous timeline had continued in this one despite Kakashi having miraculously learned how to follow the schedule that he set. He would always arrive for appointments right on time. A replica of Kusanagi that Naruto was recently able to procure for him was strapped to his back. He stared at the shinobi gathered for a minute.
"Now that we're all here, I can finally start the briefing," Kakashi said cheerfully. "We're going to Suna for a special A-rank mission. The good thing is that there is no combat required. We'll just be taking a trip there for two months -- it's recommended you treat it as a unique holiday."
Sasuke's brows furrowed in confusion.
There had been nothing of this sort during the previous timeline. This incomprehensible trip to the neighbouring country was nonsensical at most. They were not even alerted in advance. It was the first he was hearing of this mysterious mission.
"Kakashi-sensei, what are we expected to accomplish in Suna? What is our objective?" Sakura questioned, feeling just as puzzled as Sasuke.
Among those present, the only one who knew the full story was Naruto.
"You just have to spend two months in Suna. It isn't anything stressful -- Team Seven needs to travel to Sunagakure and my kōhai Sōjirō shall escort you," Kakashi "clarified", failing to reveal anything that he had yet to mention.
"Your sensei doesn't know much beyond that. Hokage-sama only provided you with that brief outline. Just know that you are not expected to do anything during this time. Feel free to enjoy yourself and let loose," Naruto, under Sōjirō's guise, interjected before his teammates could protest.
The duo reluctantly lowered their hackles and took a step back, no longer pestering their lazy silver-haired jōnin sensei.
"You have an hour to pack your things. Sakura, your parents have been given a heads-up that you'll be away on another long-term mission," Kakashi announced, leaning against a tree with his hands stuffed in his pockets.
"There's no need," Sasuke responded dully.
"We're always prepared," Sakura explained.
The two were clueless regarding the specifics and had not been informed, but they will play along and trust that Naruto would describe the situation to them in private.
Kakashi shrugged and waved for the rest to follow as he used shunshin to arrive at the entrance to Konohagakure.
He handed the permission form to Kotetsu as he marched through the open gates.
Izumo waved at Sōjirō, who wore the original's appearance, and the blond waved back as they passed.
Right when they arrived at an open clearing, "Naruto" pulled out a flying contraption from who knows where and set it on the ground for the other members of the team to board.
It was an invention of Naruto's but the clone brazenly declared before anyone could ask, "I found this lying around on the side of the road."
Sasuke snorted, "As if."
"Find a spot to sit on," the clone urged.
Sōjirō, or the original Naruto, was the first to act, finding a fairly comfortable perch on the raft attached with a hang glider/kite-like sail.
Once everyone was seated, the contraption took flight.
It took less than a day for them to sail to Suna from the skies, reducing the duration of the trip from a week to a mere fraction of the estimate.
They arrived in Suna far ahead of schedule but the guards still graciously led the group to the Kazekage's office where Gaara and Rasa waited for them.
"Welcome to Sunagakure, Uzumaki-dono," the Kazekage greeted politely, "and to your entourage as well."
Gaara narrowed his eyes slightly, glancing first at "Sōjirō" before looking at the blond at the fore of the group when the redhead placed one finger to his lips.
"Welcome, Uzumaki Naruto," he said stiffly.
The blood clone quickly dumped Sachiko-chan on Sasuke's head before he proceeded to shout eagerly while waving wildly, "Heya Gaara and Gaara's otō-san!"
"We appreciate your kind invitation, Kazekage-sama," "Sōjirō" replied courteously.
Rasa nodded, seeming satisfied, and instructed sternly, "Gaara, you will be in charge of giving them a tour around the village. They will reside in Kogane no Taiyo."
"Yes, Kazekage-sama," Gaara responded flatly.
Rasa was not offended by his son's monotone -- he hardly spoke to the children, to begin with. Only Gaara inherited his kekkei-genkai amongst the three siblings, and he was born a jinchūriki. The training of the children was not under his supervision.
He did not care that much as long as they were not blatantly disrespectful.
Team Seven filed out of the room obediently, following the Ichibi jinchūriki down the hallway without protest as the heavy double doors creaked shut behind them. It was only after the group had exited the building that Sakura and Sasuke noticed Sōjirō's disappearance. They habitually turned to Naruto with questions in their eyes. Kakashi smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling, at this warm team interaction. He found it gratifying that the other two treated Naruto as their leader so naturally without any sense of competition. They did not have any petty arguments, which effectively eliminated the usual friction within newly-formed teams.
"Say, 'Ruto, what are we doing here?" Sasuke asked in exasperation.
"We're on an exchange programme," "Naruto" explained simply.
Sakura and Sasuke were absolutely confounded by this revelation.
"This... There wasn't..." Sakura stammered, only gathering herself enough to zip her mouth shut after the little spirit in her brooch yelled at her telepathically.
It did not happen during the previous timeline.
Besides, it was nonsensical for the prideful Kazekage to bother himself to personally greet them if it was such an ordinary event.
Although Sakura kept quiet, her puzzlement was clearly seen in her jade-like eyes.
"A jinchūriki exchange," Gaara elaborated in the clone's stead. "Uzumaki Naruto visits Suna first and I'll be required to go to Konoha eventually."
Sakura blinked rapidly at Sasuke.
The latter understood the pink-haired girl's unspoken query. He, too, could not understand the current situation. Why was such a big event happening now? It was clear that there was no such so-called exchange programme during the original timeline. How did the two villages have this strange agreement to exchange jinchūriki, especially with the Chūnin Exams due to begin in just four and a half months or so?
Determining that this was something that could not be spoken aloud, Sasuke asked via their mental connection, "Hokage-sama, with all due respect, what exactly is going on here? Why did Sandaime-sama suddenly send us to Suna and why did Sōjirō stay behind?"
In the meantime, the Kazekage had sombrely activated the privacy seals after sending away his guards and was staring at the real Naruto with a complicated expression.
"Takamatsu-sensei," Rasa addressed the stoic young man before him with a heavy voice.
"Yes, Kazekage-sama?" Naruto responded timely even as Sasuke's loud questioning blared in his mind.
Rasa sighed gloomily.
Naruto responded telepathically in cohesion with Sōjirō as the blood clone met Sasuke's gaze coolly, "Sōjirō became acquaintances with the Kazekage after an important mission. The true reason for our visit is to provide cover for their top-secret meeting."
Actually, Naruto was not keen on revealing to his teammates the true extent of the changes in the timeline thus far. The two were insecure as it was, much less with the knowledge that they did not know as much about the future as they thought. It was enough for him alone to know this and prepare for the new future.
Perhaps it was selfish of him to exclude them like this, but he did so without regrets.
"You may refer to me by name, Takamatsu-sensei. A fūinjutsu master of your calibre has the qualifications to compare with a Kage on the same level," Rasa said affably, carelessly drumming his fingers on the glass ball that each of the five greatest hidden villages owned.
The simple appearance of the transparent orbs should not be looked down on. Those were the crystallisation of the epitome of all fūinjutsu knowledge in the continent (Uzumaki excluded). Encompassing the ability for Kages to seamlessly converse from across the continent, it could even allow a Kage to view any part of their hidden village from the comfort of their own office. This was one of the reasons why the Kage's authority in a hidden village was absolute.
The Kazekage looked so down that Naruto was unsure whether he was expected to strike up a conversation.
"I have been approached by Orochimaru of the Sannin, who is formerly of Konoha," Rasa finally spoke, ceasing his abuse of the glass orb and waving a hand over it to show the borders of his village.
"Sōjirō" promptly feigned surprise.
He squinted at the impassably high sandstone walls that encircled his village, protecting their small yet lush desert oasis from the sandstorms raging through the dunes beyond.
"I really cannot see..." he muttered to himself. "How did Orochimaru penetrate through these high and naturally non-chakra adherent walls to infiltrate Sunagakure? Perhaps traitors lurk within my ranks..."
Rasa looked mournful, and Naruto did not know how to comfort this man or assure him that this was not his fault.
"Sōjirō" carefully consoled, "Orochimaru likely entered from underground. You are not to blame for the wall not covering the entire stretch beneath the tonnes of sand, Rasa-san. It is impossible anyway -- the irregular expansion of the material due to the heat of the sun will cause fissures in the defences. Should this be discussed with Hokage-sama, I can obtain permission to help Suna install a suitable fūinjutsu barrier to circumvent this problem. However, I presume such a service might require our non-aggression treaty to be upgraded."
Rasa chuckled at the redhead's casual self-advertising of his fūinjutsu services.
"I will consider that offer of yours and speak with Hokage-dono about this matter," he agreed. "I will compensate you appropriately for your aid, should I decide to take you up on that."
"That is unnecessary. I am not an ambitious person -- it is my joy to be of assistance," said Naruto.
"Unfortunately, I am not thick-skinned enough to accept help without repayment," Rasa denied firmly.
Naruto could only take a step back, allowing the stubborn man before him to have his way.
That matter settled, Rasa resumed his earlier recount, "He said that he has formed a village of his own and called it Otogakure."
Naruto nodded in understanding -- this was something he already knew.
"He came to me, appealing to my yearning for the resources only available in Konohagakure. I have to confess, I did not expect him to have been unaware of the ongoing trades between us," Rasa described, shaking his head in astonishment. "He desired my cooperation in overthrowing Hokage-dono."
After all, the shinobi and civilian merchant caravans travelling to and fro between Suna and Konoha through the newly-built road have not been concealed deliberately.
"The trade route was mapped through the combined efforts of the best geographers of both villages, designed by the best engineers of Suna, created by the best road builders of Konoha and protected by a vast seal matrix I specially invented. It is not only difficult to perceive this path from the outside without the issued passes but also nigh impossible to attack regardless of whether from within or without. Even a natural disaster cannot damage the road. Moreover, everyone who applies for a permit would have to sign a non-violence agreement for their own safety -- those who violate this rule will be expelled and have their permit suspended," Naruto unveiled. "Unless Orochimaru had randomly interrogated merchants in Suna or went around checking the stalls selling Konoha ware, I doubt he could discover this."
Confounded as he was, Rasa quickly accepted this information without a fuss.
"Getting back to the point, I would like to seek your opinion on this matter. How would you advise me to handle Orochimaru, Takamatsu-sensei?" Rasa inquired.
It was Naruto's turn to be stunned this time.
"Why me? You should be alerting Hokage-sama to this matter directly," he remarked once he inferred the expectations of the Kazekage before him.
Rasa sighed again, the long exhale causing the mask covering the lower half of his face to flutter.
"You are young and unprejudiced," Rasa stated out of the blue, casting aside the offending piece of cloth.
Naruto looked at the exposed face of the Kazekage in disconcertment.
To call him unprejudiced was not wrong, but he was not exactly young. Even then, it was strange that the man was commenting on his observations of "Sōjirō"'s character out of nowhere. There was some oddity in the realisation that the Kazekage only spoke with Sōjirō once. Even then, the two merely greeted each other when the latter was received by the former within the Kazekage's Office.
"Hokage-dono... Sarutobi Hiruzen may be wise and intelligent, but his brilliance is blurred by time. He is blinded by his experiences and cannot always be trusted to make the best choices. No matter how powerful, he is only human," Rasa murmured, smiling bitterly at the currently empty glass orb.
Naruto remained silent, allowing the man before him to slowly dwell in his thoughts.
"He is prone to misjudgement. He is biased. He lets his memories impede his thinking and is overwhelmed by his emotions..." Rasa continued calmly, despondency flashing in his eyes.
In a too-practised move, the empty sphere clouded and filled with colour as another redhead was displayed in the glass orb.
Rasa's gaze was affixed to the face of the boy in the glass, longing and regret clashing within him as he unwillingly stared at the jinchūriki made by his own hands.
"...He is human," he repeated hollowly.
The Kazekage tore his eyes away from the son he forsook.
The child he abandoned before his birth into this terribly flawed world.
Looking into the clear but remote violet eyes of the man who had listened to his remonstration without disdain, he knew just how disgusting of a person he was in comparison.
He cachinnated, ironic and cynical.
"Just like me."
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
Gaara frowned, his pale eyes sharpening as he once again felt the obscure yet piercing sensation of being watched.
It was a feeling familiar to him.
As long as he was within the walls of Sunagakure, he often could not avoid this distant scrutiny.
The seafoam green of his irises darkened slightly with his discomfort. He knew better than to try to find the eyes peering at him. The suffocating yet gentle scrying has been a frequent, harmless companion to him. He was once comforted by it. He thought it might have been someone whose skill was too high for him to discover, someone who watched over him.
He consciously turned to look at an unattended crate not too far from a roadside stall manned by a merchant from Konohagakure.
He mouthed two syllables customarily.
For the first time, he received an answer.
It was a habit, at this point, and he no longer cared for the result.
Gaara could feel the warm breath in his ear as a familiar voice sounded, speaking only for him to hear, "It has always been the Kazekage."
He almost stumbled, stupefied by this unexpected admission.
The Kazekage was only his father in name, a genetic provider at best.
Now, he was being told that that man was the one who had attentively followed his everyday life without showing himself.
Gaara did not know what to think.
It could have been anyone and he would be able to accept it. He just could not believe that it can be the Kazekage. The man who cruelly took his mother's life and ruined his own.
There was clearly no one standing so close to Gaara as to lean in and whisper into his ear, yet the voice continued.
"I have been dismissed by the Master," the unseen individual uttered plainly. "This is farewell."
Gaara's mouth fell open, eyeballs threatening to pop out of their sockets.
There were too many horrible surprises within this short time frame, leaving poor Gaara reeling.
"This... Why... Out of nowhere..." Gaara thought desperately, his mind so jumbled that he could not be sure if the other party heard him with all the interference.
"I won't die," the person said sedately, a smile in his words.
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
"It isn't too late," Naruto said softly.
Even Naruto did not notice the temptation that tinged his words, assuasive and compelling.
Rasa, too deep in self-condemnation, did not waver.
Rasa shook his head, ridiculing himself with hateful derision, "He hates me. All I've done is test him. I was never there for him and I cannot even sustain a short conversation with him."
Naruto laughed lightly, "As sorry of a father as you might be, Gaara does not hate you."
Rasa looked at him blankly, hope and disbelief intermingling as he clutched at the olive branch that felt like the only thing that would lead him out of his abyss of despair.
"He might have been disappointed when he learned that those shinobi targeting him in childhood were dispatched by you," Naruto apprised, "but he did not fault you for it. He always deemed himself a monster, an aberrant being who did not belong with humans. The other children shunned him, as you are aware. Everyone was scared of him. Rasa-san, I am curious. All this time, what did you truly think of this son of yours? Was he just a jinchūriki to you or did you care about him?"
"I..." Rasa choked on his words. "The Elders of the Suna Council... They will not allow the jinchūriki to grow up as a dependent of the Kazekage. A jinchūriki is a weapon, and it is the property of Sunagakure. I was not permitted to approach Gaara in private, even if he was my son."
Naruto chose not to comment.
They both knew, after all, that even if that were the case, it was Rasa who was too timid to treat his youngest better.
"I volunteered to have my own child offered up as a sacrifice. I thought it was a great honour for both the family and the child at first. Little did I know, this selfishness... this lust for glory would snatch the life of my beloved wife. Sweet, kind Karura. Because of my impulsiveness, she went into labour before her pregnancy reached full-term. She had always been frail, and her weak body did not survive the ordeal. I have to admit, right after Gaara was born... I begrudged him a bit for being too fragile. Some part of me thought that, if this useless son of mine was stronger, then Karura wouldn't have had to give up her life to save him. If it would have brought my wife back, I think I might have killed Gaara then. Even if the Ichibi was released, even if Sunagakure might be destroyed, I would have done it," Rasa reminisced, penitence shrouding his hunched form.
"You did not kill him," Naruto reminded.
Rasa covered his face in shame.
"No, I couldn't kill him. He's all that's left of Karura. I know that. Even if she really gave herself up for him, she would rather our son lived on. She was happy during her life. I was the one who had been greedy for more. I made her cry... She had been against the idea from the onset. I should've listened to her. Even if the Elders encouraged me to do it, I should not have doomed my son and wife to such a fate. Plus, he really looks a lot like her. Apart from the colour of his hair and eyes, I can proudly say that Gaara bears the closest resemblance to his mother among my children. My heart aches when I see him suffering, just as I felt distressed when Karura was in pain. I condemn Sarutobi Hiruzen for his human imperfections, but Hokage-dono is stronger than me. I am more flawed than he is. At least he wouldn't murder his wife with his own hands and order his children killed with his own mouth," Rasa whispered, staring so intensely at his hands that Naruto faintly felt that the Kazekage would chop them off at the wrists.
Naruto scowled and interjected, "That was one thing you did right. You gave Gaara a chance to live despite your problems. You are the one who indirectly caused your wife's death. Glaring at your hands like that would not change that. Those hands of yours are not the root of evil."
Rasa chortled, his mirth tinged with sorrow, "You're right."
"There is no point dwelling on the dead. Your son is alive right now. With what sentiment did you send executioners after Gaara one wave after another?" Naruto enduringly guided the man back onto the matter at hand.
"This...? I only sent one person after him. That would be his uncle, Yashamaru. I thought, if he could keep himself in check, Gaara would be able to effectively control the Ichibi no matter the circumstance. Betrayal by the person closest to your heart is the hardest to guard against. This would have been considered the final test. As long as he did not release Shukaku and go on a rampage, he would pass," Rasa defended himself, bewildered.
Naruto knitted his brows together.
"The Council ordered shinobi to attack Gaara in the name of the Kazekage, then?" he seriously considered.
If the Suna Council was anything similar to the Konoha Council, this seemed to be a lot more plausible than Rasa sending weaker shinobi to their deaths. If it was the Council, perhaps the rationale would be to desensitise the jinchūriki to killing. It would have defeated the purpose should the jinchūriki of Suna turn out to have haemophobia. Those old geezers in Konoha also subscribed to the belief that jinchūriki are born to kill for the village. Hiruzen is soft but at least he did not allow Danzō to brainwash Naruto into a mindless weapon for ROOT.
"I thought those were just idiots who think that every difficulty they face is due to the so-called demon. So those fools acted out in my name?" Rasa gritted out with difficulty, his face flushed with anger. "I let Yashamaru go because he was a ticking time bomb who surreptitiously harboured a deep resentment against the Kazekage, Sunagakure, Gaara and even himself."
Naruto face-palmed.
He did not know whether to laugh or cry at Rasa's ignorance.
"Your brother-in-law Yashamaru has bipolar disorder. He has been self-diagnosed since his survival after his murder attempt on Gaara on your orders. Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that is characterised by extreme mood swings between mania and depression. Yashamaru has quite a severe case of hypomania during such episodes, during which he would be immensely irritable. He would probably feel easily annoyed and quick to anger. Moreover, his depression periods last particularly long. He has been afflicted by this condition since childhood and was able to manage his mental state well at first. It just worsened after his twin sister's unfortunate passing. He doesn't hate everything around him as you thought," Naruto educated the Kazekage patiently.
Rasa nodded numbly, looking overwhelmed by the mass of information.
"So... Yashamaru is literally sick in the head?" he verified cautiously.
"Yes. The medical department in Sunagakure leaves much to be desired. I suggest you send him to Konohagakure to be evaluated by professionals," Naruto replied.
Rasa sighed for the umpteenth time.
"I will withdraw him from the shinobi forces for now on paid leave," he relented in resignation.
Naruto nodded in approval.
"You seem to know a lot about Gaara?" Rasa noted in hindsight.
"I met him during a previous visit," Naruto explained vaguely.
Thankfully, Rasa did not tell him to elaborate.
The discussion continued.
Naruto proposed for Rasa to pretend to accept Orochimaru's offer and take the opportunity to sabotage the shinobi forces of Otogakure. He did not vocalise this fleeting thought, but he guessed that the Kazekage had disagreed with Orochimaru before, spurring the mad scientist to kill Rasa and take over the identity of the Kazekage. As long as Rasa is agreeable on the surface and fails to show weakness, Orochimaru would not be so quick to get rid of him.
Rasa was in favour of this strategy and agreed to turn on Otogakure during the final clash and cooperate with Konohagakure to launch a pincer attack against Orochimaru's men.
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
Gaara threw over his shoulder hurriedly while rushing away with a shunshin, "Stay here. I'll be back."
He could not care less if Naruto's teammates and duplicate wandered off or got lost.
Their jōnin sensei could be held accountable if Naruto came back and found them missing.
Gaara stopped in a deserted corner of the village and spun around to scan the surroundings.
"Daiki?" he called out, a tremor in his voice.
"I'm still here," the blood clone responded. "I've been granted time to say my parting words."
At the confirmation that his longtime comrade and protector was truly going to disappear for good, tears leaked from his eyes unbidden.
He had not cried since the time he bawled out a lifetime of tears with his uncle Yashamaru and decided never to cry again.
However, sobs still escaped him as he pled brokenly, "Please don't go. I'll talk to Naruto. I won't let you disappear. Stay with me, I beg you."
Daiki stepped forward, his invisibility falling for the first time since their initial meeting.
"Don't be unreasonable," Daiki coaxed, lightly bumping his forehead against the shorter boy. "I have always been a clone anyway. I'm just going to return to being part of Master. I will not ever disappear. I'll just exist as a part of Naruto."
Gaara mumbled something incoherently and hugged Daiki tightly.
The blond clone awkwardly wrapped his arms around the redheaded jinchūriki, reciprocating in the embrace.
He had never gotten closer to Gaara than appropriate.
This was his first time touching the other beyond training.
Daiki always knew that his presence by Gaara's side could not be eternal.
And so, he never cultivated emotions with the other, their interactions strictly professional.
His goodwill for the other was largely the same as the original, though Daiki would admit that he was more protective of Gaara than his Master had been at the beginning.
"You're thirteen now, Gaara," Daiki said helplessly. "You can take care of yourself. Master will help you whenever you need him. He can accompany you better than I can. I never played with you as a child and I don't feel the need for entertainment, so you're always bored. Master came before, remember? He was the one who made sure that you wouldn't be lonely or left out in the village. I was just a medium of communication between you, at best."
"You aren't dispensable," Gaara said firmly. "You protected me."
"The only time you needed assistance was with Yashamaru," Daiki said, feeling powerless.
Gaara shook his head, persistent with his defence, "You alerted me to danger. I could only sleep peacefully thanks to you."
Daiki joked for the first time, "I'm just an alarm. You have your mother, Karura's will protecting you anyway."
Gaara was finally beaten soundly.
He could no longer come up with any protests or excuses.
"Must you go?" Gaara asked tearily.
Instead of continuing to attempt to convince Gaara of his connection to Naruto as a clone, Daiki sincerely declared, "Whenever you look at Master, know that I am looking back at you."
Gaara reluctantly released the blood clone that he had named so many years ago.
Daiki patted Gaara gently on the head.
This young man he had raised had never been clingy as a child, but he was so sticky now that he was a teenager. Daiki felt that there was no harm in indulging Gaara a little even if he was grown now. He always knew that goodbyes are difficult, after all, but he could not bear to leave without a word.
"Don't waste time mourning over me," Daiki instructed, stern.
Gaara stared at the clone as Daiki gradually faded away, leaving no traces of having ever existed.
"I will remember you, Daiki," Gaara vowed, clutching the necklace that Daiki had helped him put around his neck.
Meanwhile, Naruto was still supervising the Kazekage when the blood clone dispersed.
He had been dragging Rasa to meet Gaara when the influx of memories and emotions caused him to halt mid-step.
This... The melodramatic behaviours of the two were really...
Naruto regained his senses and continued to walk without much change in his gait.
"You lack interpersonal communication. You are not incapable of expressing yourself, Rasa-san. I believe Gaara would be tolerant of you if you told him the truth without concealment," Naruto urged the clumsy father on.
These two truly were birds of a feather, this pair of father and son. They were equally stubborn and had too much to say when they were upset. They also assumed the worst even when there was evidence that not all was lost. There were differences, of course, but it really was... a bit cute that they were still so similar to one another.
Hearing the approaching footsteps, Gaara's head snapped up as a name rose on his tongue.
When he was not deliberately muffling his footfalls, Daiki would produce the exact same sound when he walked.
Gaara's excitement died when he identified the other party as the much taller Takamatsu Sōjirō.
Daiki had not returned.
Gaara accurately surmised that the one wearing the guise of Sōjirō was none other than Naruto.
"I shall leave the two of you to it," Naruto spoke graciously, disappearing on the spot.