Hayate and Guy crouched down next to the unconscious Lee and the still healing Akashi. Not so silent footsteps echoed away from them, which made Akashi raise his head and look towards the direction they came from. Naruto was running, full speed, at them. Just as he was running past Gaara, he glared at him. Akashi narrowed his eyes at the display and stopped the healing technique he was using.
“Medical team, please hurry”. Hayate told them as they ran behind Naruto. Akashi stood up when Naruto got to them. “Fuzzy brows…”. Naruto said as he watched the unconscious Lee. Akashi raised his arm and placed a hand on Naruto’s shoulder, intent on bringing him a little comfort. “He did his best”. Naruto was gritting his teeth, not showing any reaction to his brother’s words.
Feeling dejected, Akashi retracted his hand and it fell at his side. Not finding any reason to further stay there, he turned around and walked away. He was about to jump up and join Kakashi and Sakura, when someone’s Chakra spiked up from close behind him. The feeling wasn’t someone using Chakra, but someone’s Chakra being influenced by their emotions.
Concerned, Akashi looked back and saw Guy standing with one of the medic ninja. He was close enough to hear what they were saying. “The damage to his left arm and leg is severe. Too severe. It’s hard to say this, but his body will no longer allow him to live as a ninja”. The medic ninja bowed and joined the other medics. They picked Lee up with the stretcher and carried him out of the arena.
The other way stood Akashi, body stiff as his mind processed the new information. Lee? The kind Lee? Could no longer be a ninja? Feeling anger boil inside his body, Akashi bent his legs and pushed off the ground, landing between Kakashi and Sakura. “Sensei…”. He whispered, his body starting to tremble. Kakashi looked at him, one eye widening when he saw the state he was in.
“Sensei”. Akashi repeated, a hint of desperation in his voice. That made Kakashi realize that Akashi needed to get out of there. Grabbing him by the forearm, Kakashi Body Flickered them both out of the arena. When Akashi opened his eyes, not realizing he even close them, he found himself surrounded by vibrant green trees. Taking a wobbly step back, he slowly leaned back on a tree and slid down.
“Akashi? What’s wrong?” He sensed Kakashi crouch in front of him and a hand settled on his head. “Talk to me?” He really didn’t know what to say. I don’t like this? I don’t want things to be like this? Can’t things be different? So he said nothing. He just dropped his head in his arms, feeling like nobody would understand how he feels. A sigh from in front of him told him Kakashi was going to speak up.
“You know, when I was your age I followed all the rules which existed, not ever questioning their morality”. Akashi clenched his fists, not really wanting to hear about things like that. “Then, after a while, I met people who showed me that rules aren’t everything, those people helped me become what I am today, they helped me find who I want to be”. Akashi raised his head, intent at telling him he wanted to be left in silence, when he saw the somber expression on the older man’s face.
“I can’t say I fully understand what you’re going to, but I can only guess that you don’t agree with the way being a ninja works”. Akashi felt his anger grow even further, filling every empty crack in his being, until it overflowed and he couldn’t hold it in anymore. He whipped his arm forward and grabbed Kakashi by the vest.
“You have no idea what I’m going through! How can you understand?! Were you faced with death at my age?!” Kakashi said nothing, a flash on pain went through his eyes, he thought Akashi didn’t notice anything because of the anger clouding his mind.
“I hate this society! I hate being a ninja! I hate seeing death and pain! I hate how people fight for power and wealth!” In between every word, his voice got louder and louder, his pain got more prominent, more raw. “Most of all, I hate this world!” He screamed out the last sentence at them same time a tear, unnoticed by him, slipped down his cheek. As his vision got blurry, only then did he notice he was crying.
It was too late, he couldn’t stop them now. Tear after tear stained his face as he sobbed in front of his sensei and Kakashi could do nothing to comfort him. He couldn’t tell him things weren’t like that. He couldn’t tell him things were going to change. Neither could he say the world will change. He did the only thing he knew he could. “Then, why don’t you quit being a ninja?” He asked, even though he already knew the answer to the question.
Akashi harshly wiped his face, leaving red marks on the path his hand went over. “Why do you ask a question you already know the answer to?” He leaned away from Kakashi and settled back against the tree. Kakashi flattened his scrunched up vest. He looked up and decided to be truthful. “Because I want you to remember the answer”. Akashi scoffed and shook his head.
“As if I would ever forget that”. He looked away and a single name flashed through both of their minds as the wind blew around them. Naruto. Kakashi sighed and stood up. “Sometimes, I wonder if you’re obsessed with him”. Huffing, Akashi stood up and patted off the dirt on his backside. “I’m not obsessed, I’m protective”. Kakashi raised his brows, not believing a word he just said.
“That reminds me, why are you so protective?” This was a question Kakashi didn’t know an answer to. Akashi raised his head and looked up, between the tall trees. “It surprises me you don’t know that one, sensei, I thought it was obvious”. He looked back at Kakashi and the older man was, once again, reminded of someone else. The warm look in his eyes, the small, kind smile, the red hair swirling in the wind.
“If it weren’t for me, he would be all alone, so I took it upon myself to be everything he had and everything he was missing”. He laughed and shook his head, previous anger replaced by brotherly love. “A brother, a mother, a father… he isn’t just a sibling to me, he’s my everything… my world”. Kakashi put his hands in his pockets. “Is it a good idea? For your world to revolve around a person that much?” He asked.
Disappointed, Akashi tilted his head down to look at the ground. “People never understood how strong a relationship between twins is, so I’m not surprised you don’t”. Kakashi had nothing to say to that, so he stayed quiet. They stood still in silence, until Akashi broke it. “You know I can sense Chakra, right?” At Kakashi’s nod, he continued. “In addition, I can determine a person’s emotional state based on how their Chakra is reacting”. Kakashi realized where this was going a little too late.
“So why are you always sad when you look at me?” Kakashi thought he didn’t notice, he thought he was being careful, guess he wasn’t. He needed to think of an excuse, and fast. Noticing his inner conflict, Akashi narrowed his eyes. “Don’t you dare try and lie to me, I’ll know if you do”. Kakashi sighed, seeing no way out of the mess he got himself into.
What was he supposed to do now? He could stay quiet and ruin their team dynamic even more, tell the truth and get the Hokage and himself in trouble, or he could tell the partial truth. “You remind me of someone I lost long ago”. He stared at Akashi, hoping he won’t realize he was not telling the full truth. “Who?” Akashi pried, trying to get as much information as possible.
“It was a long time ago, I’d rather not reopen old wounds”. Akashi glowered at that, before a violent laugh ripped out of his throat. Kakashi was taken aback at his reaction. He didn’t expect that, not at all. “Why did I bother asking? It doesn’t matter, you’re all the same, each and every one of you”. He sneered the words out, before he turned around and jumped into the trees, disappeared within the leaves.
Kakashi was left standing still, wondering if he had made a mistake.
He didn’t really need to wonder, he knew he did.
_
Akashi didn’t find any reason to return to the arena, after all, he quit, and after the fight with Kakashi, he didn’t want to subject Naruto to his anger. So, he spent some time in the forest, lying on a branch, looking up at the sky as a breeze swept over him. He closed his eyes and thought about what Kakashi told him. He reminded him of someone he lost long ago, he didn’t specify if it was male or female, or which part of him reminded him of them.
The ramen-selling man told him he reminded him of a woman who had the same red hair as him and the same taste problem, he added that she disappeared 12 years ago, the Hokage told him his parents died on the night of the Nine-Tails’s attack, which was 12 years ago. Frustrated, he groaned and sat up. “I don’t understand… this makes no sense!” He screamed out to no one in particular.
Standing up, he cloaked his legs with Chakra and dropped from the tree, harmlessly landing on the ground. His stomach growled. He was momentarily confused as to why it was doing that, before he face-palmed. “I’m hungry… that’s why…”. Embarrassed at his own stupidity, he shook his head and started jogging back to the village.
_
A yell snapped him out of his thoughts. Turning towards the direction from where it came from, he was met with the town’s hot springs. Concerned about the well-being of the person who yelled, he pocketed his wallet back inside his pants and ran inside the hot springs. The scene with which he was met left him stunned.
A man with long white hair was sitting on a frog, which had its tongue wrapped around a man on the ground, but what made him even more confused was the fact that Naruto was also there, but in the water. “Naruto? What are you doing here with these weirdos?” He asked and walked up to him. Naruto had a baffled expression on his face as the frog retracted its tongue.
“Don’t make a ruckus, geez, what’s going to happen if I get caught?” The white-haired man asked and Akashi turned to him. Naruto got out of the water and did the same thing Kakashi did to him when they had survival training to the guy on the ground, he made no move to indicate he was awake. “He is weak”. He said. “Naruto!” Akashi exclaimed and slapped the back of his head.
“Oh, Akashi! When did you get here?” Naruto asked, a grin on his face. Akashi mentally face-palmed at his brother’s lack of attention. “Never mind”. He waved him off and the both of them turned to the frog-riding man. “What’s with that huge frog?! Who are you?!” Akashi didn’t reprimand him about his tone, because, he too, was wondering who the man was.
The man stroke a pose and introduced himself. “Thank you for asking! I am Myoubuku Mountain’s Monk of the Frog Spirits. Also known as the Frog Hermit!” Akashi deadpanned at him. “Hermit?” Naruto asked. “Correct!” The man answered and the frog puffed out of existence beneath him. Naruto started yelling at him because he interrupted his training. The frogman told him he was gathering data.
“Gathering data? You mean peeking at helpless women?” Akashi glared at him, crossing his arms. “I’m a writer, I write novels!” The man argued and brought a book out. Naruto pointed at him. “That’s…!” Akashi practically glowered at the sight of the book. “That’s a naughty book! What kind of writer are you?! You pervert!” Akashi also pointed at him, disgusted at meeting the person who wrote the even more disgusting book.
“You’re just peeking at women! What kind of novel are you talking about!” Hearing Naruto’s yell, the women inside the hot spring started screaming. Horrified, the frog man started whining. “Stupid, stupid, stupid! They found out that I was peeking!” Akashi shook his head at the man. “You pervert…”. Naruto deadpanned from beside him.
Naruto and he started arguing about his ruined training, and Naruto demanded that he trains him, but the pervert declined and ran away. “Nii-chan, help me catch him, he needs to be held responsible for ruining my training!” Naruto grabbed Akashi by the hands and shook them up and down. “Please, please, please!” Akashi sighed and nodded his head. “Fine, let’s go find the pervert”. Hearing him say yes, Naruto jumped up from happiness.
_
No matter how many times they found him, he manged to get away. After a while, they finally found him in a forest, and Naruto threw shuriken at him. The man hid behind a log and when the two of them looked behind it, a wooden doll stood in his place. The two of them exchanged a look and nodded. “Looks like he got away”. Akashi sighed. “Yeah, seems like it”. Naruto agreed and they started walking away.
Sensing a Chakra spike, he signaled to Naruto and they crept back. “Foolish youngsters”. The man shook his head, sighing. Naruto and Akashi peeked out from under the tree. “Not really”. They deadpanned and the man gasped, inching away from them.
“Okay, I helped you catch him, I’ll get going now, you interrupted my quest for food”. Akashi patted Naruto’s head and waved goodbye. He walked way, not noticing the faraway look in the old man’s eyes. Akashi sighed once he exited the forest. “I just wanted to eat…”. A thought flashed through his mind. He jogged over to the store where Naruto always eats at. Ichiraku Ramen.
He went inside and the kind old man greeted him. “Hello!” The man greeted him, before a smile appeared on his face. “Oh, it’s you! You left in such a hurry, I got worried”. Akashi shook his head in return. “I’m sorry, I had an emergency”. He apologized and the man waved him off. “No worries, wait there, I’ll make your meal in a second”. Akashi nodded and took a seat.
Not even 5 minutes later, the man appeared with the same kind of ramen he ordered the last time. “Here you go”. Akashi thanked him and dug right in. The taste was magnificent. Akashi ate slowly, savoring the taste. After he was done, the old man came over to him. “How did you like it?” Akashi beamed a grin, teeth flashing. “Let me tell you this, this is the tastiest food I’ve eaten in a while”. The old man laughed at that.
“I’m glad it was to your enjoyment, be sure to visit again!” Akashi wanted to pay, but the man declined, saying how the first time didn’t count, because he didn’t eat. Akashi thanked him and left the store. He didn’t notice at first, but a lot of time has passed since he separated with Naruto. He hummed and walked aimlessly through the streets, ignoring the sour looks he got from the villagers.
He didn’t know why, but he changed his direction and went towards the river bank. He froze when he reached there. Naruto was standing there, in nothing but his underwear, when the old man hit him in the stomach and made him fly away. “Huh?” He exclaimed as his eyes narrow and a deadly aura started spiraling around him. The pervert straightened up and looked over Naruto.
Akashi was stomping across the rocks and sand, a murderous look in his eyes. “You pervert! Are women not enough for you?! Now you prey on young boys?!” The old man’s eyes widen and he puts his hands in front of himself. “That’s not at all what I was doing, you’ve got it wrong!” Akashi was about to jump at him, when Naruto started coughing.
“Naruto! Are you okay?” Akashi dropped to the ground next to him and watched as the seal on Naruto’s stomach faded away. Not waiting for his answer, Akashi growled at the old man. “What the hell were you doing with his seal?! Who even are you?!” Naruto was about to stand up, but Akashi pushed him back down and stood in front of him, shielding him from frogman’s eyes.
“My name is Jiraiya”. Akashi’s eyes widen at his words. This was Jiraiya? The Legendary Sannin? This perverted old man? “You… you’re Jiraiya?” He couldn’t believe his eyes. “So you’ve heard of me”. Akashi dumbly nodded. “You seem to know about seals, where did you learn that from?” Jiraiya asked the young boy, wondering how he knew what he did. “I read”. He was taken aback by the boy’s reply.
“What’s your name?” Jiraiya crossed his arms. Akashi stepped next to Naruto and helped him up. “Uzumaki Akashi”. At that moment, the wind around them grew harsh, whipping his hair back, making it flutter in the wind. That was when Akashi sensed it, the familiar spike in Jiraiya’s Chakra, the same feeling Kakashi got each time the wind blew his hair around.
“Don’t tell me… It’s you too?” He turned to the Sannin and the sad expression on the man’s face disappeared immediately. Jiraiya tilted his head in confusion. “Me too what?” He asked, honestly confused as to what the boy was asking. Akashi narrowed his eyes. “What was that for?” Naruto spoke up and interrupted their conversation. The tension broke and Jiraiya breathed out.
“I relaxed a few spots in your body, try standing on water now”. Naruto grumbled something incoherent and did as he said. As soon as he turned his back to them, Akashi turned back to Jiraiya.
“Are you also reminded of someone when you look at me?” Jiraiya’s eyes widened and it was all the proof Akashi needed. “What are you talking about?” Jiraiya tried to salvage the situation, but it was no use. “Don’t play dumb now, there’s something nobody is telling Naruto and I”. Akashi clenched his fists, a serious look on his face. Jiraiya kept his face expressionless.
“You’re quiet and we both know what that means”. Silence means confirmation or someone is hiding something. “I’m not allowed to say anything”. Akashi practically glowered at his words. “Did the Hokage forbid you?” Yet again, Jiraiya stayed silent. Akashi scoffed and turned to look at Naruto, who was excitedly jumping on the water, finally being able to stand on top of it.
“Did you get Kakashi’s letter?” Akashi asked, not looking at him. “I did, are you sure you want that to be done? Its Chakra can aid you in furth-“. He was interrupted by a comical laugh. The boy in front of him was laughing as if he heard the funniest joke in the world. “Aid me? It did everything BUT that!” The redhead was shaking in anger, blood dripping down his hands, because his nails ripped though the skin.
“Did Kakashi tell you what happened? How it manipulated me? You know, I wanted to become a medic ninja, one who saved people? The fox, that filthy thing, made me kill someone, made me cut their throat with their own blade and watch the life leave their eyes as they gurgled out blood over the hand which was holding the blade”. When he finished, Jiraiya found no words within himself to argue further, because no, Kakashi didn’t say anything.
He didn’t say that the boy was this horrified about the fact that the Nine-Tails was within him, or that he suffered so much at its hands. Taking a deep breath, he made up his mind. “Okay, we will do it tonight, I will completely shut off its contact with you, but the Hokage will need to be present, alongside a whole team of Anbu, in case something goes wrong”. At his words, Akashi relaxed his hands and a green glow shone in his hands.
The wounds closed up in a moment, which shouldn’t have surprised Jiraiya, but it did.
And as he looked between the siblings, between the twins, one jumping on the water, the other lost inside his own mind, he wondered.
How could they be so different?
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