When Kakashi arrived half an hour early the next day he was surprised to see that he wasn't the first one there. Naruto was laying at the base of a tree, the same one as the day before. His posture was the same as well - relaxed in a way that made it look like he was asleep, except his eyes were open this time as he gazed at the sky seemingly deep in thought. He had dirt in his sunny hair and his clothes were slightly torn and rugged, they were also covered with dirt and grass stains. Had he been training?
As Kakashi came nearer, Naruto's blue eyes caught his. For a moment they stayed like that, Kakashi wanted to look away but at the same time it was like he couldn't. The blue orbs seemed so sad. Sol lonely. Such pain that Kakashi felt he would never understand. They were eyes that belonged to a man who had lost more than he could afford to. They seemed so wise to the worlds horrors, more so than he was. And the way he was looking at him, as if he was part of it all. Then the blonde blinked and it was if a spell had been broken. Whoa, what was that?
"Good morning Kakashi." Naruto greeted with a smile, the chunnin couldn't help but note how it seemed slightly forced but somehow genuine at the same time. What was with this guy? He was beginning to catch the young chunnin's interest. He figured he would have to ask around about the blonde later, but for now there was one thing he wanted to ask.
"Would you spar with me again?" Kakashi blurted without meaning to. Since the training session the day before he kept thinking of how easily the blonde had beaten him, how hard he had pushed him. He felt as if he was fighting a brick wall for all the good he was against Naruto, but that only made him want to try again and to do better this time than he did last time.
Naruto blinked in surprise. "Uh, sure, I guess. Do you want to wait for the others first?" he asked. Kakashi immediately shook his head. Naruto shrugged and stood from where he rested, he walked to the approximate middle of the training ground were Kakashi was and got into a defensive position while the young boy did the same. "When ever your ready Little Man."
Brushing off the annoying nickname, Kakashi didn't wait this time, he ran towards the man and made an onslaught of kicks and punches that were all either blocked or dodged. Just as he had yesterday Naruto went on offense and didn't give the kid an easy time, he worked him to have quicker reaction time and better defenses, without ever uttering a word he showed him when to block and when to dodge. Every time Kakashi felt he was improving Naruto would push him all the more until once again he lay exhausted on the ground, unable to move a muscle.
He heard Naruto pull something out of his pocket and turned his head just as he offered him a water bottle. Kakashi didn't hesitate to greedily gulp the cool liquid down his burning throat. He downed three-quarters of the bottle before finally breaking for air.
"Thanks." he mumbled lowly while looking at the ground, and he wasn't just thanking him for the water.
"Your welcome." Naruto smiled and offered him a hand up just as he noticed that two others were approching.
"Hey guys. Doing some warm ups?" Minato said noting Kakashi's heavy breathing. Kakashi only nodded while accepting Naruto's outstretched hand.
"Well anyway, the Hokage wants to see us in his office, he has a mission for us." the team sensei informed. Kakashi was surprised by this.
"Really? I thought it would be a while before we got another mission, it seems like we just got back from our last one, not to mention we got a new member assigned to our team only yesterday." Rin spoke, that was exactly what Kakashi had been thinking. It was strange to be assigned a new mission so soon, even if they were short on teams.
"That could actually be why. In the middle of a war it is important that squad members be flawless in coordination, and in order to be coordinated you got to know eachother well. What better way to get to know eachother than to spend, say weeks on a mission doing strategy and camping out together. I've do - I mean I would probably do the same thing if I was Hokage." Naruto explained. Minato looked thoughtful for a moment, he had never thought of that.
"Well someone better go find Obito and inform him." Minato said while looking between the three for any volunteers.
With a slight wave of a half raised hand Naruto started to walk off in the direction of the Uchiha district. "I'll go get him. I'm a sensory type so I already know where he is anyway. I won't be long, you can just go ahead without me." he offered before he was gone from view with a familiar yellow flash.
Kakashi stared for a few seconds without moving. "Sensei, didn't that look alot like your Flying Hirishin?" he asked.
Minato who was also quite still responded. "Yeah I was just thinking the same thing. I suppose he could of developed it on his own, after all it was actually the Second who created it not me. But still, he would need markers so it could have been some other jutsu that's just similar?" he said it like a question. Where could he have learned it from? Minato decided to shrug it off for the time being, but he would be keeping a very close eye on the blonde from now on. He wanted to know just who was Naruto Uzumaki?
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Naruto followed Obito's chalkra signature into the Uchiha compound. When he first entered the gates he stopped to look around. This is where Sasuke grew up, he thought, he decided to walk the rest of the way and soak it all in. In his time he had never been to the Uchiha district so really this was his first time seeing it all. It really was beautiful, the wooden buildings looked sturdy but so graceful, the people walked by and greeted eachother with cheery hello's and friendly waves. The clan symbol seemed to be everywhere you looked and in the gift shops there were all kinds of things decorated with the pattern of the sharingan. Naruto shivered when he thought of what they were capable of, of the darkness that was their curse. But also the love. He smiled.
Naruto stopped when he saw a weapons shop. He stopped infront of one of the windows and peered in, lining the walls were all different styles of katanas and bows and kunai and any other weapon a shinobi might use. He was about to go inside when he heard a woman's voice shouting.
"Itachi, slow down!" Naruto turned just as something crashed into his legs. He looked down and blinked in surprise.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I turn around for one second and he runs off." rushed a women. "Itachi what do you say?" she said sternly.
"I'm sorry sir." the kid bowed, his words were a little rough from his young age. It finally clicked in Naruto's head that he was looking at Itachi Uchiha as a four year old, and man was this kid adorable. His eyes weren't quite proportioned with his face making them look so big and full of wonder and innocence, his face was round and chubby much like his little hands. It was hard to connect this little child to the Itachi he knew from his time. An Itachi that lived in the dark, but possessed the wisdom to not be consumed by it. The Itachi that had, at just thirteen, taken on the burden of slaughtering this whole clan in duty to his village. Who had been Sasuke's older brother. Still, it was all he could do not to gush at the cute little Uchiha prince.
"No worries Little Uchiha." Naruto ruffled his soft black hair and gave him a kind smile. Itachi beamed back.
"My name is Itachi Uchiha!" he introduced proudly, sticking out a hand eargerly. Naruto chuckled and shook his little hand.
"It's a pleasure Mr. Uchiha. I'm Naruto Uzumaki." Itachi examined him for a space.
"You look like Uncle Minato." he exclaimed in a way that it would have been rude had it come from someone older.
"Itachi!" his mother scolded in slight embarrassment. Naruto looked up at the woman. So this is Sasuke's mother huh? He looks so much like her. . . . looked. Or will look?
"I'm really sorry Mr. Uzumaki." she apologized and bowed.
"No trouble. And please, just call me Naruto." he insisted.
"Alright, then you can call me Mikoto." she smiled warmly at him. Mikoto had long black hair and graceful features along with big, almost black eyes that held a motherly warmth.
Naruto smiled back. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mikoto." he said.
"No, I'm late again. Uggghh, I can already hear Kakashi's nagging voice! Why did I have be stuck on a team with him of all people?!" a voice shouted as feet thundered closer. People were quick to move out of the way as a cloud of dust passed by. It rushed past Naruto and ran on for a few meters before doing a U-turn and coming back. It stopped and the dust cleared to reveal the most un-Uchiha-ish Uchiha to ever live.
"Naruto? What are you doing here?" he asked in a confused manner. "Oh hey Itachi, Mam." Obito greeted once
he saw them, bowing just slightly.
"Hey Obito!" Itachi chirped. "Do you know Naruto? I just met him. Doesn't look like Uncle Minato?" the adorable child asked excitedly. Mikoto sighed at her child but didn't scold him this time, only sparing an apologetic glance at the Uzumaki.
Obito grinned back. "Yeah, he was assigned to my team yesterday."
"Cool!" Itachi exclaimed.
"Let's go Itachi, I'm sure these boys have imporant matters to attend to." Mikoto said as she grabbed the little boy's hand and draged him away. "Bye now."she waved at them. The two waved back.
"So anyways, why are you here?" Obito asked, turning back to look at Naruto.
"The Hokage wants us for a mission. The others will meet us there." Naruto informed. He glanced back to the weapons shop longingly and vowed to come back some time to check it out.
"Okay let's go." he said turning away and walking towards the Hokage's tower with Obito in tow.