Who Are You?

31

If I'm looking for a pedo-snake creep, can I still say I'm searching for a rat bastard? I thought bitterly as I realized how difficult it was truly going to be to find the damn snake.

I had made the decision a year ago, after finally seeing Mito out of the village for good, and then receiving a formal letter of apology from her father, the leader of Uzushiogakure a month later.

Apparently, after Hashi-Sama's message reached him, the man immediately had multiple people go through and nullify the marriage seal, before sending me his expressed apology for his daughter's behavior towards me, due to her apparent jealousy with the way Mada treated me, compared to Hashi-Sama's treatment of her. She also was jealous over the fact that her "husband" seemed to be in love with someone else, and she assumed it was still Mada. She thought if she could get rid of me, Mada would turn to Hashi-Sama, and he would see how foolish his feelings for his best friend were, and finally return her affections.

At least, that was what Mito had told her father when he asked for her reasons. I knew she was full of it though.

Now, a year later, I was still having a hard time even figuring out where to start in my search for Orochimaru. Once upon a time, I probably would've simply headed out on a journey to find him myself, similar to when I went with Jiraiya to find Tsunade, back when they were just my mentor and the prospective Hokage, not my son and his best friend.

Now, I couldn't walk out of the village to go looking for him. Not just because I now had a family to think about, or because I was also a leader of my clan, but because I was back in a time when most villages weren't even established yet.

It wasn't always safe to leave the village without thinking about the risks involved.

I was sitting at the table one night, poring over the map of the lands, although it wouldn't have been useful for a few more decades still, when Mada sat down across from me.

"Jira-Chan and Keiko-Chan are both sound asleep finally," he started, sighing. "I never thought it'd be so hard to get a one-year-old to go to sleep, especially since Jira-Chan was always such a well-behaved toddler."

I snorted trying not to laugh at Mada's assessment of Jira-Chan's personality. When I looked up at his face, the look he gave me only caused me to burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" he demanded finally.

It took me a moment before I finally was able to compose myself, wiping a tear from my eye before I was able to respond, although a few giggles escaped as I did.

"You saying that...hehe... Jira-Chan was...haha... a well-behaved toddler!" I couldn't help it, I started laughing all over again. I fell over onto my side, holding my aching stomach as I laughed hysterically, rolling on the ground. It was just too funny. It was obvious Mada had never actually dealt with Jira-Chan during the day when he was a toddler, especially on days when the kid missed his nap time.

"So are you saying that he was just as bad as Keiko-Chan?" Mada looked at me skeptically.

I finally calmed down, though I grinned. "Yeah, actually worse. He would scream and cry whenever it was nap-time. Then again, you were busy working with Hashi-Sama when it rolled around, so it would make sense that you wouldn't remember that. On days when Jira-Chan missed his naps, he was a cranky ball of whine, and was almost harder to put down. Those days were when I asked Hashi-Sama to hold you longer so you wouldn't have to see him like that, and ruin your 'perfect image'."

Mada stared at me for several seconds before he bowed his head and sighed.

"So you are saying that this time, you are allowing me all the 'joys' of raising a toddler, and none of the smokescreen."

"Hai!" I exclaimed enthusiastically.

He bowed his head mournfully, and I suppressed another giggle as I watched him mouth silent curses at me.

We were startled from our fun by loud banging on the door. Mada took that as his opportunity to get away from my teasing, and left to answer it.

It was only a minute later that Mada returned to my side telling me that whoever was at the door was looking for me. I nodded my head and made my way to the front entryway, only to come face to face with a small child with straight black hair, pasty white skin, and yellow eyes containing slitted pupils. He was accompanied by a tall man with blond hair and blue eyes wearing the guard uniform.

"I apologize for disturbing you so late in the evening, Naru-Sama, but this boy insisted on seeing you. I found him wandering the streets and muttering about 'sly foxes' or something," said the blond.

"Thank you, Namikaze-San, for escorting him here. I have been trying to find him for a year now. I honestly was unsure where to start looking."

He nodded, and stayed in the doorway while I turned to speak to the child version of someone I knew all too well.

"Hello, Oro-Chan," I greeted cheerfully.

The boy looked up at me, and I instantly regretted the nickname I chose for him. I recognized the look in those yellow eyes. They were not the eyes of a ten-year-old child. In fact, they were not even the eyes of a child at all!

Shit, Orochimaru followed me into the past to make sure I made good on my promise!

"Good evening, Naru-Ssssama. It is niccce to meet you. Thank you for your hossspitality," Orochimaru said. I heard the familiar snake-like hiss in his voice.

"Would you like to stay with us for a while? My son is just a couple years younger than you are. I believe the two of you will get along well."

He simply nodded, though I could tell, even in the dim lighting, that he was giving me his victorious smirk.

I told Orochimaru that he could stay with Jira-Chan, but whispered that he couldn't touch him whatsoever or he was right back out on the streets immediately. It didn't matter that he looked like a child, I knew he truly was an adult man looking for the thrills of reliving his past.

He left without even acknowledging I'd said anything, so I returned my attention to the blond man still standing in the doorway.

"Was there something else, Namikaze-San?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could potentially be less formal with me. I mean, I am your friend's husband, and your friend myself."

"I will be less formal, if you would also be less formal with me. If we're friends, you shouldn't use such a formal suffix. You do that, and I'll start addressing you by first name instead of family."

He nodded and we were both silent for a few awkward moments.

"Have a good night, Naru-San," the blond finally said, breaking the silence.

I smiled. "Have a safe patrol tonight, Rikuto-San," I replied.

He bowed slightly before leaving, allowing me to close the door. I leaned against the wall of the entryway, mentally exhausted. Orochimaru decided to follow me here, for some unknown reason, though most likely to make sure I stayed true to my word.

I sighed as I knocked my head against the wall a few times, mentally cursing the snake.

He didn't have to come here! I never give up, and I never go back on my word. That had always been what I said. That had always been my nindo, my ninja way. Guess I just had to prove it to him.

How long would he stay in this time? Was it only temporary? Or was he now permanently in control of his childhood self? Only time would tell.