Hiruzen handed Kakashi a scroll. "I've received a distress call from Waterfall. I need you three to investigate what has happened, report the situation in detail, and, if at all practical, resolve the situation."
They leapt out of the village gates, and Naruto turned to Kakashi.
"What do you think about Waterfall, Kakashi-sensei?"
After a long silence, he shrugged. "What's there to say about them?"
"There must be something, right? Konoha and Waterfall have working relations, right?"
Kakashi laughed. "Just because we don't try to kill each other doesn't mean that I care for any of them." He stopped, signalling for them to follow his lead. "What I will say though, is that they are very thorough with keeping themselves hidden."
A Taki-nin leapt in front of them, and a deep fog filled their surroundings, obscuring all sensory techniques and limiting their vision to nearly nothing.
"Stay alert, and stay close to me. We're going into Takigakure."
---
Naruto clicked his tongue while inspecting the hardwood floor for the umpteenth time.
Sayuri, how's your patrol going?
She sighed. Not good. I found one set of tracks that stopped dead only a bit later.
That's it? Who does it belong to?
I don't know. It doesn't look like jinchuriki chakra. They definitely had help getting out. Two others, most likely.
Two? Then could it have been the Akatsuki?
She pondered the possibility for a moment before shaking her head. What Jinchuriki doesn't know about the Akatsuki? There would've been a fight.
Kakashi looked down between the floorboards, at a tiny glint which Naruto could barely make out in the sunbeams.
He split the floor open, prying out a small journal. Immediately, he started to attempt to pick the lock with a needle, only to stop halfway.
"What's wrong?"
Kakashi grunted, still fiddling with the steel in an attempt to force his way through. "I can't open the lock. Is there a secondary mechanism to keep it closed?"
"Are you sure it's not because you can't open locks?" Naruto scrutinised the lock as well, looking over the mechanisms thoroughly.
"Your locks must be really bad, then. I want to try something. Can you pour some chakra into the lock?"
"Hey, my locks aren't bad!" He let a small stream of blood-red chakra filter into the lock, which released the cloth strap with a small clack.
"Perfect."
Naruto palmed the diary, skimming over it for useful information.
You know, I wonder what it looks like outside the walls, but I'm always told not to try climbing the walls like how I see other ninja do.
I want to see outside of the walls so badly it hurts.
I want to know what it feels like to pig out on sweets.
I want to know what it's like to be able to play with other kids and not feel unwanted.
I want to know what it's like to live.
Naruto's jaw set.
"Naruto. Is everything okay?"
He forced down bile.
YOU ARE READING
Sage's Resurrection
Fanfiction"I have found you to be worthy of being my successor." Naruto Uzumaki was a boy who was snubbed and looked down upon for his entire life. For him to be acknowledged by someone like the Sage... "You will be strong enough to achieve world peace..." ...
