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"May I know the reason for your smile, Naruto?" The Hokage inquired in a mellow voice.
The boy shook his head. "Nothing Hokage-sama. I was just reminiscing."
"Oh? About what?"
Naruto turned toward the old man and gave him a mischievous grin. "About how I love wasabi in my sushi."
The elder Sarutobi paled and stuttered in shock. "It… It was you." The Hokage shook himself like a wet dog and pointed a finger at Naruto. "It was you!"
"I have no idea what you are talking about Hokage-sama. Shall we eat?" Naruto waved happily toward a tray of sushi that had been deposited in front of them. The Hokage shot the blond a cautious glare.
Shrugging, the blond took a pair of chopsticks and started eating the little treats of fish and rice. With a content smile, the boy hummed. "Hmm, delicious!" It was the first time he was enjoying a meal for real. For the past weeks, it had been a clone who had had the honor of leeching off the Hokage's food.
Hesitantly, the old man next to him relaxed and decided to taste the sushi. A second later, the Hokage was inhaling the content of the plate. Konoha was miles away from the nearest sea and quality sushi was thus more difficult to make.
It had only become possible thanks to Tsunade Senju selling the technology of her freezing container to a rich industry baron. It was funny how an object originally designed during a war to preserve organs and blood from deteriorating had become something of an everyday, common household appliance to keep vegetables and meat from spoiling.
Naruto's mind was absolutely not on such consideration, as the battle for the last sushi against his Hokage had started.
Five minutes later, Hiruzen had once again proven why he was an excellent ninja by winning a chopstick duel with the young blond and heartily laughing at the frown of disappointment the boy was sporting.
"You are a bit too early to steal the last sushi from me, Naruto," chuckled Hiruzen good-naturedly.
"I can see that… Jijie."
In the silence that followed Naruto's answer, all could hear the Hokage's chopsticks clatter against the ground.
"Naruto?" The old man asked hesitantly, hope piercing through the layer of caution.
The blond sighed before he looked at his surrogate grandfather, which prompted another sigh. "Could we… Talk in private, maybe?" Naruto asked, careful not to sound demanding.
"Of course, Naruto. We have some time before we need to go again." Having said that, the Hokage rose from his seat and beckoned the boy to follow him. In a matter of minutes, the old Kage and the young ninja found themselves in the Hokage's office. Hiruzen waved toward the couch and started to prepare tea.
"Do you know how to prepare tea, Naruto?" The Hokage asked suddenly in a light tone, apparently intent on making small talk.
Naruto shook his head. "Not really no." The boy shrugged. "I mean, with a teabag, I can."
The Hokage snorted slightly. "Everyone can. Come to me and watch. It could be useful for future infiltration missions."
"Hai." Naruto dutifully rose from his place on the couch and approached the little table where the old man was carefully monitoring a pot of water.
"The water must be warm but not too much, or you risk denaturing the taste of the powder."
The boy nodded and watched as the water, slowly but surely, started to shudder as small bubbles came to the surface to break.
"You must wait for those small bubbles to form a layer on the bottom of your pot. Then," joining the motion to the verb, the Hokage took a small spoon and put four spoonfuls of a verdant green powder inside one big bowl before holding the chasen close above the slowly heating water. "You prepare the bowl and you humidify the chasen to brew the tea."
Naruto simply observed, counting in his head roughly the number of seconds the Hokage took to prepare the bamboo made kitchen whip. The blond counted to thirty before Hiruzen poured the hot water in the large bowl and started whipping. Very slowly at first, then more vigorously. A green foam started to appear and thickened on top of the beverage.
"And done. A wonderful matcha tea." Hiruzen said with a relaxed voice. Carefully, the old Kage took the large bowl and brought it to the low table in front of the couch before inviting Naruto to sit again.
"Hosts drink first," informed the Kage who took a sip of the hot drink. "In case I poisoned the tea." Hiruzen said with a wink.
Naruto took the bowl and drank from the other side. With a satisfied sigh, he lay the bowl back on the table. It was an excellent tea. The blond allowed his gaze to wander around the office, going over the portraits of the Hokages on the left wall. The boy was content to stay silent until Hiruzen cleared his throat and spoke.
"So Naruto…"
The boy tore his eyes away from the portraits of the Kages of Konoha past and present and trained his blue orbs on the Sandaime. The blond held the older man's gaze for a few seconds before he faltered and lowered his own. His hands joined together, his fingers started to fidget beyond his control.
"Naruto?"
The blond could not tell what it was in the Hokage's address that made him lift his eyes. Was it the seemingly infinite patience lacing the tone? The warm, loving vibrato in the voice? The simple fact it was his name. Naruto swallowed and faced the Hokage. The child faced his grandfather.
"I'm… I'm still angry you know?"
There was hurt in the older man's eyes as Naruto said that but the blond refused to allow it to stop him. They needed to pass this step first.
"I'm still hurt. You didn't trust me." The blond continued, his voice nearly cracking from repressed emotions.
Sensing the "but" coming, Hiruzen decided to stay silent. Taking a deep, long breath, Naruto centered himself, pushing back the cracks that threatened to make his voice falter and the tears that menaced to blur his eyes.
"But I don't want to stay like that. This… This cold war, this isn't me." Blue orbs peered into black ones, searching. After a second, Naruto broke contact and looked down.
"I can't be angry at my Hokage. But I also don't want to be angry at my family. But..." The blond confessed before abruptly falling silent. His blue eyes darted left and right, refusing to meet the Kage's and his hands started to fidget again.
"Naruto." Hiruzen spoke in a low, slow tone he wanted reassuring. "Please, my boy, you know you can talk to me," assured the older man pleadingly. "What is on your mind?"
Naruto felt his mouth go dry and took a sip of the cooling tea before his tongue darted out to humidify his lips. The boy swallowed and forced himself to meet the Hokage's gaze. In the black eyes of the old Sarutobi, the blond saw acceptance, hurt, but mostly a plea, a wish to make thing right.
Tiger lessons on body language had been successful.
"I'm afraid," Naruto whispered. "I'm afraid that If I'm not angry against you, I'll…" The blond breathed in hard. "I'll be angry against the village!" The boy blurted out quickly.
The Hokage's eyes widened quickly before the Sarutobi tightened them again.
"I know I can't, I know I shouldn't, but I'm angry at them Jijie." The blond whispered precipitately, almost panicking. "I thought… I thought I'd stay angry at you but it doesn't work. And I know I can't… I can't..."
Naruto choked on his words and Hiruzen had to hold back bitter tears when he saw the fear shine inside Naruto's blue eyes. Now the old man knew. He knew why his grandson had refused to talk to him. He had lost so much trust that Naruto had thought the Hokage would act against him if he ever expressed his feelings.
And it was true that, as Hokage, Hiruzen could not allow that. Just like he should never have allowed anger from old wounds to fester and hate to bubble below the surface. He had already decided that he had taken enough from Naruto. The old leader took a deep breath and steeled his resolve.
"Konoha…" Began Hiruzen searchingly, as if unsure on how to word what he wanted to say. "Konoha took enough from you, Naruto. It's time it gives back. You are a ninja and from what I can see, you are shaping to be a brilliant one. But you are also human, Naruto, a fine young boy. You are allowed your emotions, I would never take that from you."
"But…"
"No, listen. I committed mistakes after mistakes when it comes to you Naruto. Old age, sorrow, fear; I don't know what it was and I won't search any excuse. I forgot the tenets of our philosophy and that makes me the worse scum."
"Jijie no!"
Quelling the boy's outburst with a raised hand, the Hokage continued, eyes locked with Naruto's. "If you're willing to give me a chance, I'd be most honored, my boy."
The two fell silent until a sob racked Naruto. Silently, the older man rose to sit closer to the blond boy who shuddered against him.
"It hurt so much Jijie. Holding back everything. Why?"
The Hokage sighed, his chest constricted by the weight of too many regrets. "I'm a foolish old man Naruto. The hat isn't for me anymore."
The blond breathed deeply to calm himself and seemed to contemplate something before he answered. "I'm sorry Jijie."
"What for?"
"I… I can't take it from you anymore. The hat. Not with how I feel. Not with the reasons I had."
The Hokage sighed discreetly before he chuckled. "You are years too early anyway."
Naruto could not help but smile, comfortably tucked against the flowing white robes of his grandfather. "I can still prank it out of you."
"I have no doubt on that. Please don't use your ANBU training to prank Konoha, Naruto."
The blond pressed a pensive index finger against his lips. "Hum? Why not? I know what you owe me, but they have no idea what I owe them…"
The Hokage shuddered and he exhaled a resigned sigh. "Please limit property damages to the minimum?"
Naruto smiled. "I'll see what I can do."
The boy and the old man fell into a comfortable silence for five more minutes before Naruto coughed.
"Say, Jijie?" The blond asked while bashfully scratching the back of his head.
"Yes."
"You know the jutsu you owe me?"