Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Colourless Vanity	By : Cepheus Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1743 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Approach
- 2-Offer
- 3-Understand
- 4-Departure
- 5-Meeting
- 6-Truth
- 7-Control
- 8-Burning
- 9-Observing
- 10-Forming
- 11-Forcing
- 12-Portraying
- 13-Organizing
- 14-Honing
- 15-Entering
- 16-Bruising
- 17-Admitting
- 3
- 4
- 5
Edited: 08/09/2014
Cepheus: and here it is, fourth chapter! I hope things are not moving too slow or too fast for you, because I particularly enjoy the pace. :3 and it’s going to be a long journey anyway!
                                                                         …–…–…–…–…–…–…
“Talking”
‘Thinking’
–Flashbacks, memories, dreams–
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                                                                         Colourless Vanity
                                                                         Chapter 04: Departure
Tsunade stared at the three shinobi standing in front of her with serious eyes.
All of them were ANBU, all of them wearing their masks, and they were waiting for her to speak first without moving, so still they resembled four statues.
Hyoo was the first in line, standing in the front and closer to her than the other two; she sighed, turning her attention to the remaining ANBU. Both were slightly shorter than their commander, with different builds and stances.
The first of the two had short, cropped hair coming out messily from a brown band tied on the back of his head. He looked lean and thin, with a body made for speed and running, and his mask was painted to resemble a dog. Lesser fierce than a wolf in appearance but equally dangerous in a fight.
The other was the shortest of the three, with a low ponytail and a more sturdy body, still on the thin side. The mask covering his face was that of a mouse, long muzzle and small eyes.
Tsunade couldn’t tell much just by observing them, but her training as a medic allowed her some more leeway in terms of simple deduction by sight. She had expected the two retired ANBU to still be shinobi of the Leaf, whether they were on active duty or not, but either way they both seemed healthy and fit, sign they kept training even after leaving ANBU service.
She couldn’t help but wonder why they had decided to come back to service in the ANBU ranks after so many years of inactivity.
“Tsunade-sama, as you requested, these two are the shinobi who reapplied for ANBU service. Their previous codenames were Shadow Tracker,” he pointed at the Dog, “and Haunting Silence,” he nodded at the Mouse.
The Hokage nodded. Those names were not familiar to her, though she had been away from the village enough years that even familiar names wouldn’t mean much anymore, and they seemed intriguing enough. How had the two acquired suck codenames? The ANBU’s titles were testament of the hidden strengths and skills of each member, and were chosen specifically to give an aura of danger.
She would have to inquire about their names to Hyoo in private, once the two ANBU were away.
“They both asked to keep the reasons for their coming back private, but they will disclose it if you truly want to know,” Hyoo continued, bowing to the Hokage to show her that his words meant no disrespect. “Their applications were accepted without trouble, and they have as of now been reinstated within our ranks. We are glad to have their skills and assets back”.
With a flicker of his wrist, Hyoo motioned for the two to step forwards, and they did so without hesitation. Tsunade fixed her eyes on the taller of the two, Shadow Tracker, and nodded at him. The man, with a side glance to his commander that Tsunade did not catch, slowly brought one hand up to his face and pulled the dog mask away.
The Hokage’s eyebrows shifted upwards as she could admit familiarity with the person in front of her, but was unable to recall his name. The only thing she could say about him was that he seemed very good at blending with the backgrounds, even while on duty, never attracting attention on himself. She vaguely remembered using his services once or twice to retrieve something from the archives, but even then he had kept a low profile.
He had a scar on his face, but despite what should have been an easily identifiable mark, she still had trouble remembering him, or anything interesting about him.
“Namiashi Raidou, Hokage-sama,” the man said quietly, noticing her perplexed gaze. His tone held a hint of satisfaction, as if his primary purpose was to be forgotten.
Tsunade nodded, leaving it at that. She could guess now why part of his codename quoted the shadows.
“Your skills are indeed proof of your past as an ANBU,” she murmured, nodding at him.
Raidou’s lips twitched in a smile, accepting her praise.
Tsunade moved her attention to the remaining member, and in doing so she felt a shiver creep up her back.
The man’s hand hesitated briefly in front of his mask before his fingers gripped its edges tightly and he slowly pulled it down.
Tsunade was met with a pair of brown, gentle eyes and a familiar scar running through the bridge of the shinobi’s nose, and her eyes widened in honest surprise.
“Iruka…?” she breathed out, completely taken aback. The man had appeared average at best for his Chuunin qualification, mild and well-behaved, but definitely nothing special.
She could not believe that the person Naruto admired and considered his brother could be–
Someone like him… an ANBU?
The academy teacher smirked, and a dangerous glint flashed through his eyes, chasing away the previous gentleness.
“Yes, Hokage-sama,” he answered. “I was part of the ANBU”.
                                                                         …–…–…–…
As Naruto sat in front of the Hokage desk, he had to snort inwardly.
He had been there more times in the past few days than he had in the whole year, so much that he was starting to memorise the cracks on the wall in front of him. He didn’t like waiting, but unfortunately the Hokage was a busy woman.
Still, the fact that he’d been there more than he’d been at Ichiraku Ramen was unsettling. Scary. He would have to rectify this soon.
This time though it was just him, Tsunade and Hyoo, who was standing on the side of the desk, silent and observing him from behind his panther mask.
The man’s presence was now rather familiar to him, and it was a sure sign that his life was changing; once he had made up his mind about joining the ANBU, that hesitation that had haunted him until then had coiled and snapped, leaving behind only a strong sense of excitement.
This was the same ANBU that had countless adventures told by civilians and shinobi alike. Naruto would have a chance to train under this man, whose power was so intense that even Naruto could tell, just by looking at him… and Naruto wasn’t known to be the most attentive person.
This was something he wanted to do, and now he just couldn’t wait to start.
“If we want to give you a working cover, we need to create the perfect illusion,” Tsunade finally broke the silence, scattering some papers on her desk while searching for one in particular. She was still unconvinced that Naruto’s choice was the right one, but she would support him nonetheless. “A sudden disappearance would give the opportunity to the council to label you as a missing-nin, so you will need to parade around your choice to follow Jiraiya as his apprentice. This will be your cover for the most part of the next three years, and during this period you will be under Hyoo’s direct responsibility, living in the ANBU headquarters”.
Naruto hastily nodded. This would work.
He could easily do it.
“Jiraiya will not be able to stick around for the whole three years, but he seemed agreeable to renting a house in a nearby town in order to check up on you, brat,” Tsunade offered Naruto a small smile, and he felt like Jiraiya had just showed him his support, since the man hadn’t wanted to stick around more than needed. “He still needs to keep his information web working, but you will have the chance to meet up with him a few times nonetheless, and receive the latest information regarding Akatsuki and Otogakure”.
Naruto smiled brightly, feeling impressed despite himself. Having Jiraiya decide to stay closer, just so that he could check on him was… unexpected, yes, but pleasant.
Tsunade couldn’t help it. “Naruto, are you sure–”
“Tsunade baa-chan, I won’t go back to my word. Yes, I am sure. This is what I want, so don’t worry about me!”
‘How could I not, stupid gaki?’ she thought, shaking her head. Naruto’s determination was far too familiar for her to continue, so she just gave up.
“Now, to review what you are required to do…” she held a paper in front of her eyes and scanned it quickly. “To become an ANBU you will need to pass their test. It is not a public gathering like the Chuunin or Jounin exams, and the rules are specific for that test. When the time comes, Hyoo himself will inform you as to what you are expected to do,” she paused, pondering over the last part. “If you manage to pass the test, you will be considered an ANBU member and you will be placed in a squad with a captain and two other teammates, which have been reinstalled as ANBU members just recently”.
It was not her time to divulge the information of who exactly one of those two old ANBU was, so she kept quiet about it. Iruka would tell him when the time was right.
To find out that the meek Chuunin instructor at the academy had been an esteemed ANBU had shaken Tsunade to the core; he’d been rather good at hiding his real capabilities, as he did look more like a teacher than a killer.
At least the silent guy –Raidou, his name was Raidou– had looked more apt at that than Iruka had.
“Is that all?” Naruto asked, eyes brimming with excitement as he shifted on the chair. “I will have to start boasting about my training with Jiraiya then,” he mused, bowing uncertainly to Hyoo and then waving at the Hokage, who smiled at him amusedly (a bit surprised at his attempt to be somewhat polite).
The teen left the room, also waving at Shizune as he passed by. She smiled, glad to see him so energetic still.
After Naruto had left, Hyoo remained standing still for a moment longer before conceding himself a satisfied smile that Tsunade did not see. Knowing that Naruto had accepted his offer rather than that of Jiraiya meant a lot to him.
Unfortunately now Hyoo had to face the Hokage once again, this time to disclose a secret that had been protected within the ANBU ranks for many years now. a secret that as the new Hokage she had the right to know, especially now.
It would not be easy.
“Hokage-sama,” he started, moving to attract her attention. “As you may recall, I previously mentioned that three shinobi were going to be reinstated into ANBU active duty. You have met the first two, but there is a third who has asked to come back within our ranks. He has been on a long-term mission for the past few years, and he is a… special case”.
Tsunade groaned. She had felt suspicious when Hyoo had lingered behind after Naruto had left, and now she knew why –this sounded like bad news.
She hated bad news.
“And why, pray tell, is this third shinobi a special case?” she asked reluctantly, even though she really did not want to know.
Hyoo took a deep breath.
                                                                         …–…–…–…
It was sheer luck that Naruto’s friends had decided to gather together to eat ramen, because it posed the perfect stage to start working on his cover-up lie.
He did not like having to lie to his friends about his whereabouts, but he knew the need for confidentiality, and it wasn’t that they wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret… but it wasn’t just his secret to keep.
They were sitting at the counter, one next to the other, slurping their lunch, and Naruto was glad to see that Chouji had managed to join them. Shino was apparently busy with something family-related, at least that was what Kiba had said, and none of the boys had thought about inviting any of the girls. Which was probably going to come back and bite them in the butt later on, Naruto was sure about it.
“You shitty lucky bastard!” Kiba slapped Naruto’s back hard, smirking. “You’re going to be trained by one of the Sannin? Now, see that you keep your boasting to a minimum, I’m still going to kick your butt when you come back!”
Naruto’s lips twitched up into a smirk, feeling the sparkle of friendly competition burn inside him; maybe he wasn’t going to train with Jiraiya, but he was so going to kick Kiba’s butt afterwards.
His friends would not know about his decision to try as an ANBU, but just for this once Naruto would keep something for himself and enjoy the opportunity without feeling guilty or terrible about it.
It was a rare opportunity, a chance that he had been offered to make up for a lifetime of harships, and he was going to milk it dry.
In a way, it was better that the others didn’t know… at least not for now.
“So, when are you going to leave?” Shikamaru swallowed his modest mouthful of noodles and stared at him. For the past few days he had felt that something was off with Naruto, but now he seemed just as happy and satisfied as always, and he couldn’t understand what had changed.
Was it the anticipation for travelling with Jiraiya that had set him back to his old self?
Shikamaru really didn’t want to read too much into it, but it seemed like it came natural to him, like breathing and sleeping.
Troublesome.
“Ero-sennin doesn’t like to be stuck in the same place for too long, so he said I have to get ready to leave by tomorrow,” was the answer as Naruto polished his second ramen bowl. “Just gonna get my bags ready first”.
Neji had remained mostly silent during Naruto’s recounting about Jiraiya’s offer, eating his own food quietly, but he allowed himself a small smile as he heard Naruto’s excitement at the prospect. With all the things Naruto had done for others, it was time someone decided to give him something back. He deserved this chance to get stronger.
“Oi, what did the prick say about this?” Kiba had no trouble mentioning Sasuke in a casual conversation, whereas others like Neji and Shikamaru would have avoided to indirectly call attention to him after their ‘rescue’ mission. Naruto snorted. “I bet he feels neglected!”
The first person Naruto had told about ‘Jiraiya’s training’ had been Sasuke. He still felt like he deserved to be the first to know stuff, even if that stuff was just a fabrication and not the full truth, but his teammate’s reaction to the news has been rather unexpected.
Naruto had been afraid that Sasuke would feel once again robbed of an opportunity, but he shouldn’t have worried too much.
“He seemed ok with it,” he replied with a shrug, still surprised about it. “He said he would wait for me to come back so we can spar together…”
Eyes wide in surprise, Kiba glanced at Naruto, lips twitching into a small pout.
“I will never believe that,” he stated curtly, poking Naruto again as he grinned mockingly at his friend, his canines showing. “Come on, now. Really. What did he say?”
Naruto’s smirk matched his own. “No, I mean it,” he chuckled. “Sasuke might be a butt, but… I don’t know, it’s ok between us,” he shrugged.
It really was. Besides, Sasuke was making an effort with all of this ‘friendship’ thing, so Naruto could see that he was really doing something to change. Jiraiya’s training style wouldn’t suit him, and training under the man would be hellish for someone like Sasuke. Jiraiya was more like Naruto in that sense.
“He’ll be ok with staying here, and he has Kakashi-sensei who will teach him more about the Sharingan, so he doesn’t need someone like Ero-sennin,” he concluded.
Kiba was about to say something else, but a light nudge in his shin by Shikamaru’s foot made him reconsider. None of Naruto’s friends liked the Uchiha prick, and they all privately thought having him back in the village was actually the worse outcome possible, but they did not want to say that in front of Naruto, since he still cared about him.
It would take a lot for them to start considering Sasuke not just a friend, but a simple ally.
That meant that Kiba could be as harsh as he wanted when dealing with the prick, which was a plus.
It didn’t matter if the two had resolved whatever conflict they had… Sasuke was a bastard, and Kiba never did like bastards.
Naruto saw the glint in Kiba’s eyes and the prankster in him recognised it for what it meant, but he decided to let Sasuke have it. He had betrayed not just Konoha the moment he tried leaving, but all his classmates and the people who had started to consider him a comrade. If he wanted to have them back he’d better be prepared to do the Uchiha version of grovelling.
As he looked at the four that had gathered together with him, Naruto felt an acute need to come out with the actual truth. It was bad that he was finally able to have friends his age and he had to lie to them, but he also knew he could not spill secrets that were not just his to have.
Every ANBU trainee had to keep the same secret from their own friends, and Naruto wasn’t the first, nor the last. It was for the best of the village, after all.
Besides…
He couldn’t be a hypocrite. His friends still did not know about the Kyuubi, which was at least a secret that was his own to divulge, and that was an even bigger and deadlier secret to keep than that of being in the ANBU.
SS-class secret, and he was the only one able to reveal it to someone without the express permission from the Hokage.
‘I’m not ready yet for that,’ he mused, watching as his friends watched Chouji inhale his fourth bowl.
He had spent most of his life being hated for something he did not know, and now that he knew, he was super conscious about who to reveal his secret to. There were times he thought none of his friends would reject him, and then he thought back at how most of his teammates had tried to ignore him, only because their parents had asked them to, and his security vacillated.
He trusted them, of course, but… the fear was still present in him. He just needed to wait until the moment was right, and then he would tell them, and accept whatever reaction would come. Just a little longer.
“Oi, dobe,” Sasuke’s voice shook him out of his thoughts, and he turned around to welcome his teammate’s arrival.
Of all what was happening between them, having to keep secrets from Sasuke and then demanding him to be honest all the time was a bit unfair on him, but once again Naruto had to convince himself he was doing the right thing.
In another, ideal universe, maybe the two of them would have grown as friends, and maybe would have joined ANBU together. This was not this ideal world.
He wondered if Sasuke would apply in the future. Considering Naruto’s luck, with his skills Sasuke would be probably accepted within their ranks faster than he could.
Naruto pushed the thought away from his mind. There was no reason to think about it now. this was something for him alone, and it was better not to think about Sasuke in relation to it. He wasn’t even sure if Sasuke would be allowed to return to his career as a shinobi without restrictions, so it was better not to think too much about the possible afterwards.
“Yo, teme,” Naruto answered him, smiling.
Sasuke had managed to get out from the hospital sooner than expected simply because he had been adamant about it. He still needed to recover, and there were still faint traces of bruises all over his body visible for everybody to see, but he wasn’t as bad as he had been before, and the nurses had been unable to keep him inside once he had been deemed clear by the Hokage.
He was still pending judgement for his behaviour, but it wouldn’t do for the village to notice his absence, so he had been allowed to roam free through the village. Naruto fought the urge to look around, knowing there were probably some guards tailing him, and that he would not be able to see them unless they wanted him to.
The Hokage still needed to come up with the right punishment, and for now, Sasuke had been asked not to engage in training exercises and simply wait. It was a good test of patience for him.
Naruto tried to push the troubling thoughts away. “Why are you here? I thought you’d be with Kakashi-sensei?”
“I thought I’d come to make sure you didn’t get lost on your way through the village,” Sasuke looked to the side, but his words lacked the malice they had before. The only thing Naruto could detect was a mocking tone that was more friendly than anything else. “Since you’re leaving tomorrow I just wanted to remind you that we’re going to spar when you’re back, usuratonkachi”.
Instead of getting angry at the name calling, Naruto smirked and showed Sasuke his clenched fist, ignoring the way Kiba and Neji had stiffened behind him. “You can count on it, Sasuke-teme! Don’t go crying to sensei when I defeat you, though!”
The Uchiha shook his head, but the way his lips twitched upwards looked more like a smile than a sneer. “You’re on,” he assured.
Naruto smiled back at him, beaming. This was the right thing, and he was glad Sasuke was back to Konoha.
                                                                         …–…–…–…
The forest seemed empty of life, leaves rustling softly in the breeze, but the appearances were deceiving.
A figure moved through the canopy, the pace making the world blur around it, jumping from tree to tree in a straight line, clearly heading north –its destination was obvious… Konohagakure no Sato.
The shinobi’s foot barely touched the branches before he sprung forwards, keeping its presence within the shadows, and he left no trace of his passage as he sped onwards with an ability and a speed unrivalled by many.
Slowly, with every step closing the distance between him and his destination, the shinobi’s shoulders seemed to relax, almost as if he was progressively dropping a heavy weight from them; there was still darkness pooling inside his heart, like a heavy blanket thick with decisions, missions and duties wrapped together and hiding within him, but every step that brought him to Konoha seemed to shed some light on that darkness. There was no hesitation in his steps, only determination.
It had been just weeks since he’d last stepped foot in Konoha, but then he had been on a different mission, with a different purpose, and he felt like it had not counted at all. This was different.
He was returning, finally and without a doubt, and he was going to stay.
Everything he had done in the past was just that from now on –the past. It would haunt him, and he would still bear its scars inside himself, but things were going to chance, and he would try to forget about all the ‘what ifs’ that lingered around him, like scattered kunai.
He had a chance for something like redemption, and he would hold onto that chance without a second thought. He had done enough, even if that thought was only ever admitted in the depths of his mind, never out loud.
At least one weight settled on his shoulders was about to be dropped forever, and he was the one closing that door behind himself.
As he jumped through a small meadow, sailing into the air from one branch to the other, a pale hand moved to unclasp the vest he wore, undoing each button with steady fingers.
The outfit had been on him so long in the past years that he could barely remember a time when he had been without it, a symbol that many had come to associate to him but that had simply been just a garment to him, reminder of his own choices.
What the vest symbolized, he was not, never had been, and now he was free from it.
As the cloth finally slipped down his shoulders, he relished the sudden lack of weight, both physically and psychologically.
He landed on the next tree and stopped, the branch swaying slightly under his weight as he observed the fabric he was holding, a finger tracing the familiar pattern of crimson clouds against black.
That outfit had meant a lot more to him than he could ever admit, not even to himself, both in success and defeat, in pain and relief, and now he was shedding it away, like the useless cocoon of a newly born butterfly.
His eyes seemed to grow darker at that thought, face resembling a mask, and he finally relaxed his hold. The vest fell down, flapping wildly without an occupant inside it, but the shinobi was not looking at it.
He jumped ahead, distancing himself from the vest and what it meant, and did not look back.
The discarded fabric fluttered and fell like a weightless feather, spinning until it hit the lower branches and then the rocks; in the end, it gracelessly floated on the surface of the river underneath, splashing and absorbing the water, growing heavy and wet until the current tugged it away.
In a matter of seconds the vest was gone, vanished never to be seen again.
The man who had discarded it did not see its end –he had left already, the door slammed close behind his back.
It was still a long while before the familiar wall surrounding Konoha appeared in front of him. At the sight, his pace slowed down considerably for a moment, and he looked up.
The wall was tall, it went higher than the trees, built to keep opponents away and allies safe inside, and the last time he had seen it, he had approached as an enemy would, hiding his identity and slipping inside.
This time he paused to appraise it, eyes looking at it as not something built to repel him, but as a welcoming sight.
This was… home.
A place he had belonged to once, or at least the place where he should belong. Even now, buried deep down even deeper than the relief he felt at the sight, a part of him was still somewhat hesitant, even doubtful.
He had done so much to be seen as a traitor, he was the first not able to consider this truly home.
At least not yet.
In the blink of an eye, warned solely by the sound of rustling leaves, the incoming shinobi found himself surrounded by three ANBU.
He was surrounded, and he paused, one hand pressed on a nearby tree as he glanced from mask to mask with a tired smile. One was a Boar, one was a Wolf and one was a Parrot.
None of the ANBU spoke for a long while, and then one of the three stepped forwards, holding an object in his hands, offering it to the newcomer, who did not seem surprised by the gesture. He slowly held out one arm, and received what the ANBU was giving him –a brand new ANBU outfit.
The fabric of this outfit was lighter in his hold than the one he’d left behind had, and for a moment, the shinobi allowed the familiarity of the clothes to soothe his unsettled mood.
This outfit brought forth memories that even at their worst were still brighter and more meaningful than any of the ones he’d created during his period away from the village. If there was an attire that did mean something to him, that was it –a vest that was the only one that could fit him perfectly, a different sort of freedom.
Just as he’d done when saying goodbye to his old outfit, fingers gently traced the folds of this new one, gently caressing the outlines with more familiarity and even more care; this belonged to him, and he would never throw it away, never again.
After so many years, he would finally be able to wear it proudly. He was back.
With no trace of embarrassment whatsoever, the clothes he wore were quickly discarded, and replaced with the new outfit. He took his time to feel the fabric as he put it on, feeling like he was receiving a cold shower to clean away all the grime and the dirty from before.
It was a ritual he needed –undressing himself of the old masks, only to wear new ones that fit him better.
Once he was finally done, a second ANBU stepped towards him, this time holding out what he recognised as his old weapon; he grasped it in a steady grip, marvelled at how time had not touched it, despite so many years without it, the blade still as sharp and deadly as before. He sheathed it again, securing it on his back.
Finally, the third and last of the ANBU stepped forwards as well, and the object he held out to him was taken without hesitation.
The newcomer traced the beautiful outlines of the bird carved upon a white mask; even after so many years he had never allowed himself to forget what that mask had meant to him, what it still meant, nor how it felt.
With a swift move, the mask was pressed over his face, strings tied behind his head to hold it in place, and with the anonymity of the action came another wave of calming reassurance.
The three ANBU surrounding him shifted slightly, and although none of them could see the others, they were all smiling.
“Welcome back, Death Wings,” the Boar masked ANBU stated with a quiet voice.
He nodded in reply.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice steady and controlled.
A flicker, and all of them disappeared.
The forest was once again silent, the tall walls of Konoha continuing to stand, undisturbed.
                                                                         …–…–…–…
Tsunade fought valiantly the urge to slam her head on the desk and just lie there until everything finally made sense again.
She could not believe this.
If it had been anything else –and she meant it. Anything– it would have been easier to believe it, but with this she was having a lot of trouble. The evidence was all piled in front of her, stamped thrice with the highest level of security, signed with Sarutobi’s blood and signature, and yet it still seemed like nothing of it was real.
She cleared her throat, trying to look calmer than she felt. “Why was I not alerted of this sooner?” she asked. She should have been angry, this was big, but she was only shocked. “I have been Hokage for a while now, and nothing of this was ever mentioned to me”.
She hadn’t known anything about this. nobody had, not even Jiraiya, who prided in his in-depth spy network.
“It was an order from Sandaime-sama. The less people outside ANBU to know, the better. Even inside our troops only very few were warned of this, for protection purposes,” Hyoo’s tone was serious and honest. “If anybody were to suspect about anything, the entire mission would have ended in a failure, and he would have died… or perhaps faced a fate worse than death”.
Hyoo was the commander of the ANBU, and he had to make decisions regarding his troops every day, but this particular order had been given to him by the deceased Sandaime Hokage, and he had wanted none of it to be told unless it became necessary for the next Hokage to know.
Hyoo had followed that order until now, when it had become impossible to keep it hidden any longer.
Tsunade groaned.
Unfortunately for her, the documents she had been presented were not forged, and the ANBU loyalty to the Hokage was unquestionable. If she hadn’t been able to recognise the signature and the blood as coming from her predecessor, there were still other methods to prove the authenticity of the documents, including a blood seal, the signature and blood sample of five ANBU members, Hyoodoku included, and the fact that the paper used for the signatures was a specific kind of chakra-infused sheet used to guarantee whatever was signed on it would not be broken.
There was no way a document with this level of security and protection could be forged, as to go to such ways to make sure it was secret would be useless.
And exactly because of this, Tsunade was faced with a staggering discovery. Everything the village had thought, everything they had thought about…
Everything was a ruse.
“Why now?” she asked suddenly, looking up at the ANBU commander. “If Sarutobi–sensei had ordered this to be kept as a secret, why would you tell me, unless you wanted to…” her eyes widened as she finally added two plus two.
Hyoo had wanted to reinstall three shinobi to ANBU duty, creating what would possibly become Naruto’s team. That meant…
“Yes,” Hyoo confirmed. “Under him, that team will probably become Konoha’s best”.
The urge to press her face down onto the desk and not look up until she had enough sake in her body to kill an elephant made it hard for Tsunade to speak but, but she managed. “Was this why you have decided to ask Naruto to join the ANBU troops only now? Was this planned ahead?” she paused, then decided to change her line of questioning. “What happened to make him abort the plan now and decide to come back?”
Hyoo considered how to answer. “The decision to offer Naruto to join us was not recent, no. Whether he had succeeded in his retrieval of the Uchiha boy or not, we would have asked him to join nonetheless,” he shrugged. “But it was not planned for his team to return because of him,” he continued. “Dog and Mouse had grown restless and felt they did not do enough for the village, and that is why they asked to come back”.
Tsunade nodded slowly. She believed him, and there was no reason Hyoo would lie to her. He did not know her much, but his loyalty to the village made their interactions easier. He was definitely not against her.
“As for him… he shouldn’t have returned, his mission was to be continued without a deadline, but something happened recently that made me decide to inquire about his position, his safety and if he had any desire to come back”.
Tsunade quietly nodded. She could guess what the reasons were, but she did not want to pry. That wasn’t important at all. What was really important, aside for the fact that this kind of secret was out in the open for her, was… Shizune had discovered her secret stash of sake, and how could she keep on listening without some of that hard liquor? Damn. “I can see why you’d have to talk to me about it,” she acknowledged. “Is he going to be reintroduced to the village or were you planning on keeping him at the ANBU headquarters? What about the Uchiha district, and his previous life?”
Hyoo’s hands clenched into fists, but the motion went unseen by Tsunade, and his voice didn’t show any emotion. “To serve Konoha and the Hokage, every shinobi knows there are sacrifices to be made. Even after the tragedy, he accepted to give up all that was left for the greater good. There is no life for him to return to other than us”.
Tsunade slumped on the desk, hiding her face within her hands. So that was it.
She guessed she should have seen it coming. She should have known Sarutobi had an ace up his sleeve, and the implications of what she now knew were staggering, and the feeling of helplessness was the worst.
“When is he expected to return?” she massaged her temples.
“I sent three of my subordinates to the Konoha Wall to wait for him. As soon as they give him his mask back, he will come here,” was the reply.
The ANBU commander could not help but feel a bit sorry for the Hokage. He respected her, and was aware of the changes she was accepting in order to be the Hokage for her village, but there were things that had been planned by the Third, and nobody had expected him to die at the hands of the Snake Reject like that.
Hyoo had not even been there. He had been busy with an S–rank mission that had kept him away from the village for over a month, but the moment the news of the Chuunin Exam had reached his ears, he had hurried to return, only to find the village crumbling under the mounting pressure of the Hokage’s death.
There were times when Hyoo wondered if he would have been able to prevent Sarutobi-sama’s death, had he been there, but despite his own strength, he would have been no match for a Sannin.
Still, if there was something Hyoo was famous for, that was his protectiveness towards his subordinates and companions. ANBU members were close to each other, bonding over their secrecy and their loyalty, and they grew to consider the troops as their acquired family.
That was why Hyoo wanted Naruto to join. Not just because he deserved a chance to be properly trained, but also because he would be offered a place where no one would ever look down at him in hatred.
But even this acquired family could not be put above their loyalty to the Hokage and the village, and that was why Hyoo had kept the secret of his subordinate for years, keeping the guilt and the helplessness of the situation hidden inside him, determined to remember him the way he had been before he left, before everything was ripped from him.
And now, with the Third Hokage dead, Hyoo had been faced with renewed guilt over his inability to help. That had forced him to rethink some of the plans set in motion by Sandaime, and having him come back was the only chance to further aid Konoha’s situation.
Both shinobi standing in the Hokage’s office stiffened when a chakra signature flared softly, followed by four figures appearing in front of the desk, attracting Tsunade’s attention.
One of them moved to Hyoo’s side, looking as stiff and proper as the others, and Tsunade had to calm herself as her blood ran cold. This was obviously him.
“His codename is Death Wings,” Hyoo said, nodding slightly.
As she was faced with the last reinstalled ANBU member, Tsunade had to privately admit to herself that the name, with what she knew of him, was rather appropriate.
Hyoo’s smile stretched fondly under his mask, unseen by the others. “His mission is officially aborted but it will be considered completed, and he is back home”.
The word ‘home’ and its undertone meaning were not lost to both Tsunade and the Bird masked shinobi, as the first bit her lip and the other stiffened lightly; the word had more power over them than many would guess.
Tsunade stared at the mask of the new ANBU for a moment, and she was able to recognise that the pattern wasn’t simply that of a bird, but actually depicted a crow. There were many things she wanted to ask, but most of the answers were in the report in front of her, and asking him to voice them would be useless, even if she needed it in his own voice.
Even though she couldn’t believe it, it was all true. And she had to accept it.
She gave him a curt nod and Death Wings removed his mask with a steady hand, facing the Godaime Hokage with his dark eyes. As she stared at them, without fear of what could happen, they bled crimson, revealing three black tomoe inside them.
“Uchiha Itachi, previously dispatched by orders of the Sandaime Hokage to infiltrate the organization known as Akatsuki, reporting back,” he said, tone blank.
“Welcome back to Konoha, Uchiha Itachi,” she murmured. “Thank you for your hard work”.
                                                                         …–…–…–…
Jiraiya wanted to say something.
He really wanted to.
Following the plan Hyoo had accurately staged in every little detail, he was leading Naruto away from the village. The two would reach one of the nearby towns, where Jiraiya had rented a small apartment that would become the only stable base he had allowed himself to have in the past forty years.
He would not stay idle for three years, of course, as most of his information was gathering through his travels, but this was the only viable choice in order to still see Naruto during those years, and it was with a grimace that Jiraiya had admitted to himself that he wanted to be there for the kid. Not because he had to, not because of his promise to Yondaime, but simply because he had started to honestly care about Naruto.
He wanted to be there for him as much as he could, and if that meant having an actual tie… then so be it. He wasn’t too old to change.
Hyoo had reassured him by saying that since Naruto was still in his growing period, he would be allowed to take time off his ANBU training and duties to follow him for extra training, and Jiraiya was grudgingly grateful for that.
The moment they arrived to his base, making Naruto acquainted with it for future purposes, the two would wait for Hyoodoku’s arrival in order to return to Konoha undercover, safely reaching the ANBU hideout while Jiraiya started to extend his network.
Everything had been planned out.
The white haired sennin opened his mouth to speak up, but once again, no words came out; he simply couldn’t find anything to say, and looked down at the teen walking at his side.
He felt useless. Naruto had decided to stay and train with the ANBU instead of coming with him, instead of–
‘Instead of running away,’ he reminded himself harshly. ‘What I did when I left Konoha. Planning on never returning, if I could… and now…’ he didn’t like it.
Compared to this new generation, the Sannin were just a bunch of cowards.
Jiraiya himself had left the village out of pain and disgust, not accepting the death of his beloved student; he’d seen that person when looking at Naruto, but now… now it was different.
Looking at Naruto didn’t bring pain to his heart anymore, now there was only hope and warmth. Naruto had healed him.
Tsunade had also left, refusing to accept both of her losses, hiding her pain under her obsessive gambling and drinking; she had returned only because of Naruto, who’d brought her hope as well.
Orochimaru had left because he had been denied his desires. His resent had been too great, too strong –he would never come back. Jiraiya knew that not even Naruto could have saved him.
It amused him he now thought of them in terms of those this young teen had aided and those he hadn’t. He wondered if Naruto would have even tried with Orochimaru, had he been given a chance.
But in the end they were simply cowards, each one of them in a different way. Thankfully, Jiraiya and Tsunade had been offered a way out thanks to Naruto.
Even after Sasuke’s attempted betrayal, even with his being Kyuubi’s host, Naruto had always fought hard for everything he’d wanted, fighting for what he believed in.
To make up for all the time he’d wasted during Naruto’s childhood, now Jiraiya wanted to offer the teen the appreciation, the comfort and the support he needed –and yet, he couldn’t speak. He had never been good enough until then, he wasn’t good with feelings and emotions, he wasn’t good with teenagers Naruto’s age. He…
“Ero–sennin…” Jiraiya blinked and shook himself out of his thoughts, looking at Naruto as he spoke. “I want you to know that… I decided to stay in Konoha not because I don’t like you or the training you offered me…” he fought to find the right words, blushing a bit and fumbling around with his hands in agitation. “I just think that my place is still in Konoha. I don’t know enough of it yet, and…” he paused. “I’m grateful you want to stick around just ‘cause of me. You know. Thanks for that, or something”.
Jiraiya once again felt at loss. Naruto had managed to surprise him again, and had even thanked him… for simply sticking around. As easy to please as he was, Naruto wanted to show his appreciation to him for such a small thing, because he knew Jiraiya, and knew that for the older man this wasn’t just a ‘small’ thing at all.
“But!” Naruto turned around and grabbed Jiraiya’s arm, tugging at it insistently. “I still want to train with you! Despite your perverted hobbies, I would never refuse your training,” he lowered his eyes, his grip on the older man’s arm tightening. “I enjoy… spending time with you. Even if it’s not training, just your company is ok, old man”.
Jiraiya breathed deeply, then ripped his arm away from Naruto’s hold and ruffled his hair so hard Naruto squeaked and tried to escape, but he did not allow him to, only stopping when Naruto’s hair resembled a bird nest.
The ache within his chest subsided.
“And even though you’re a damn loudmouth, I’d never take back my offer, brat,” he looked away, voice gruff. “Consider yourself the great Jiraiya’s only apprentice until the moment you die”.
Naruto’s smile was enough to rival the sun, and Jiraiya cheekily smiled back.
Yes. This was going to be ok.
                                                                         …–…–…–…
Naruto’s hands clenched around the mask that Hyoo had given him.
It was a simple mask, with nothing painted on it, just a blank mask with a pair of holes for the eyes, its surface white and smooth, but it was the symbol of Naruto’s choice, and it was only then that he realised this was going to be his path for the next three years.
It had still felt a bit like a dream, honestly. He had been afraid to wake up and find out things were not exactly the same, that this was not real.
This was his choice.
Hyoo had arrived at the small house Jiraiya had bought a couple hours after them. He had handed Naruto a sealing scroll with a trainee outfit (slightly different from the actual vest the rest of the ANBU wore), and then had given him his white, unmarred mask.
It was then that Naruto finally realised this was not a dream.
The ANBU had really given him a choice. He would join the troops, living in Konoha without anyone else knowing, training under one of the best teachers he could ever have (not counting Jiraiya, of course).
And maybe, if he was lucky, the people there would not care about his tenant.
His hands trembled as he held the mask.
“Are you ok, gaki?” sensing his emotions, Jiraiya placed one comforting hand on his head, and Naruto looked up at him with a smile.
Not even a second later he let his instincts take hold and hugged the man tightly, trying to convey all that he was feeling for him to understand. Jiraiya was taken aback, motionless for a few seconds before he returned the hug. He had seen such an action offered only to Iruka in the past, and this time it was for him.
“Be sure to come visit me soon, or I might even forget about having an apprentice,” he commented with a smile.
Naruto snorted. “What happened to me bein’ your only student until I die?”
“Cheeky brat,” Jiraiya snorted. “Respect your betters or I might as well change my mind”.
Naruto left the room to put on his new outfit, sighing as he thought he’d have to drop his orange jacket and leave it with Jiraiya. The idea of having to give up on his colour was a bit sad, but he knew there were sacrifices to be made.
Orange might not have been his favourite colour and more like the only thing he was allowed to buy from shops, but it had become not just his signature, but it had also helped him teach himself stealth during academy time. If he could avoid most Jounin while even wearing such bright colours, he would be fine once a ninja.
When the teen was out of hearing range, Jiraiya turned towards the ANBU commander and cleared his throat to attract his attention.
“Take care of him,” he stated seriously, tone final. He could have added much more than that, but he felt it was quite enough. Hyoo would understand.
The masked man nodded, knowing of the relationship that existed between him and the teen and respecting it.
“I will,” he answered, mirroring the sennin’s tone.
The two strong men stared at each other levelly, before finally nodding.
“Say, what about my hair?” Naruto chose that moment to re-enter the room. He still hadn’t donned his new mask, but he was already looking completely different.
Jiraiya stared.
Naruto’s frame was thin, but showed the signs of his daily training. Always hidden underneath the orange jumper and his equally baggy pants he had always seemed chubbier, but that was just appearance. Wearing more fitting clothes, Jiraiya could see his body was developing healthily.
Of course he was still young, clinging to the childish fat that would disappear as he passed through puberty, but a good training and a good regime would bring him to a body that could do whatever he wanted with little strain.
Something noticeable was that Naruto was a bit short for his age, but unless he hit a growth spurt in the following years, that might be a possible advantage. Shorter centre of balance allowed for better stealth, and even if he did grow taller, he would still favour his speed.
But most of all, Naruto was wearing normal shinobi clothes and he looked almost professional, with colours that did not stick out like an eyesore. The only thing that did stand out, as Naruto had just mentioned, was his hair colour, blond hair startling against the grey and black outfit.
Naruto did not know what to think in regards of his new clothes; they fit him better than his old once, but he still felt conspicuous like this. As it was common when changing one’s entire attire, he felt a bit awkward, but he had to admit that these new clothes felt nice on him, and he looked less noticeable, less of an easy prey.
He was thankful for the chance to change his clothes with something less flashy, even if said flashy clothes had helped his skills a lot, but he guessed some things were bound to change –he could not rely on luck for everything. He wasn’t playing-ninja anymore.
“I will put a disguising jutsu on you just in case until we reach the ANBU headquarters. You have a few options afterwards –you can use a cloth to tie around your hair, you can cover them with soot during missions outside the headquarter grounds, or you dye them a less showy colour,” Hyoo allowed his amusement to lace his words.
“No way I’m putting soot or paint on my hair!” Naruto protested loudly, waving his arms in denial. “Fabric to cover them sounds good to me”.
Then he paused, and frowned.
“Why can’t I have a jutsu applied on me even during missions?” he asked, blinking in curiosity.
“Good question,” Hyoo nodded. “It’s because it’s far too easy to detect when a jutsu has been used, no matter how weak the lingering chakra can be, since it has to stick for long periods of time. Unless you are only around civilians who cannot use chakra, it is an option that should be avoided. Besides, should opponents use Kai on you, it would be dispelled far too easily”.
Naruto nodded, understanding the point.
Finally Naruto put on his white mask. At first it felt uncomfortable, pressing against his skin, and hard to breathe through. His skin itched, and he fought the urge to take it off to scratch at his face. He hoped he’d get used to it soon.
“If you are ready, then it’s better we leave,” Hyoo told him, forming a series of quick hand seals and placing one finger on Naruto’s forehead.
Naruto felt the genjutsu trickle as it locked on, and then he pulled a lock of his hair forwards to check. He was holding dull brown hair. Neat.
With a last wave at Jiraiya, Naruto followed his new commander out from the window of the house. Jiraiya had picked a location closer to the borders of the town, right where the forest started, so the two were able to jump right onto the nearest tree and move from there on the canopy.
Jiraiya was left alone to watch them go, hands gripping tightly the edge of the window until he couldn’t see Naruto anymore.
‘It’s the best option,’ he tried to reassure himself, feeling somewhat lonelier now that Naruto was not with him. ‘It’s something he has to do’.
Turning around, he closed the window and left the house, a small spring to his step.
The town was small, but it did have a good onsen that he could visit to cheer himself up.
                                                                         …–…–…–…–…–…–…
Cepheus: so another chapter’s done. Things are starting to move forwards, and soon enough Naruto will meet his new teammates.
Review! I’d love you to!
Glossary:
Gaki – brat. Actually, it’s an impolite version of ‘child’, like omae is an impolite version of ‘you’.
Kai – meaning ‘release’. It’s a counter jutsu that disrupts chakra used by the opponent in order to cancel an illusion.
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Colourless Vanity