Naruto Shippuden: The Legend Of White-Wolf Shadow [Naruto Shippuden FanFiction]

Act 23: Curious

"Oh... So my seal on your mind was undid too," Mirai figured out, as she drank her water.

It has been almost a month since she got hospitalized, but she was never been bored when her Konoha's friend came to visit her everyday. Especially Kakashi, who always asks for answers to his curiosities from her.

"You've placed a seal on me that time?" Kakashi asked, finally getting the reason why he got fainted by her sixteen years ago at the gate.

"So that you won't remember me. After all, that time you were kind of..." she faded out, with her eyes looking down at her hands before she continued. "'Unkind' to me..."

He slumped back against his chair, with his arms across his chest. "A-Ah... W-What happened to you that time? Did you get home safely?"

"Yes."

"The promises..."

"Huh?"

"I'll fulfill them."

"A-Ah... You don't have to," she stammered, blushing as she looked away from him. "Those were just... my childish promises..."

"No. I'll fulfill them, even though I've broke one of it," he said, standing up beside the bed with his hand over his head. "I'm taller than you now."

"Heh. You'll train me then," she smirked, as she sat up and crossed her leg on the bed. "Once I'm better."

"What else?" Kakashi continued, grabbing his chin as he looked up at the ceiling.

"Ey, don't think about it anymore."

"How could I? I completely remembered all of it."

"Y-Yeah, I can't wait to leave this hospital," she quickly changed the subject, when suddenly there was a knock on the door, followed by Shizune entering her room. "Oh, Shizune-san. Hm? O-Otousan?" Mirai confused when she saw Shiruma, in his ANBU uniform entered the room too. "You looked... younger?"

"How old I am do you think, huh?" Shiruma asked, tightening his arm guards. "I'm still 46, and strong!"

"Oh... I thought you're 60!" She immediately regretted with what she had said when she felt a pang on her head. "Ite! Why does everyone likes to hit my head?"

Kakashi shook his head, before he turned to the ANBU senior. "Shiruma-san, you're back to service?"

"Yup. After my 26 years of taking care of this kid, I'll be serving the Hokage again for a few years more. That's what I told Sandaime before," Shiruma paused, as he softly patted Mirai's head, before he continued. "On the day I left Konoha with her."

"Mirai-san, I would like to check your condition," Shizune requested, as she approached Mirai.

"Oh, sure," Mirai allowed. "Oh right. Otousan, I'm curious... you're going somewhere?"

"Ah yeah... My first task after a long time," Shiruma said, as he put his hands on his waist.

"Are you sure you're fine? Going back to service, right after you got back here? Did you really get enough rest?" Kakashi suddenly shot him with questions, making the senior to laugh.

"Hahaha! After a more-than-one month rest, I've got more than enough rest, Kakashi!"

"Like father, like daughter," Shizune interrupted, before she had finished checking Mirai. "Mirai-san, your condition is good, and you can leave this noon-"

"Yosh!" suddenly Mirai shot up, with her fist punching the air. "Ichiraku Ramen, I'm coming!"

~~~~~~~~~

"Urgh..."

"Hey Naruto. Get hold of yourself. We're almost there," Sakura reminded, as they continued to walk back to Konoha after they had accomplished their mission.

"I'm tired... Hungry..." Naruto weakly mumbled, as he was left behind by his team due to his lack of energy. "Ohohoho... Ramen... Ah! We're here!" He suddenly shot up as the gate of Konoha was in his sight.

"Oi Naruto! Wait up!" Sakura shouted, when he suddenly dashed towards the gate, entering the village and totally ignoring his team. "We need to report ourselves-"

"Ah, it's okay, Sakura," Yamato suddenly said, as he patted her shoulder. "I'll report in for our team."

"I'll go with you, Captain Yamato," she requested, as they passed through the gate. "Seriously, Naruto?"

On the other side, Naruto was quickly making his way to his favorite shop. "Ooh the smell! Ichiraku Ramen, here I come!" Before he could enter the shop, someone was leaving. "Hm? Iruka-sensei?"

"Oh Naruto! You've just got back from your mission?" Iruka asked, as Naruto approached him with a smile, despite his weak look.

"Yeah! And I'm hungry... Oh Iruka-sensei, you're going?"

"Ah, I'm already full." As Iruka thought he saw Naruto's disappointed look, he smirked and patted Naruto's shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll have someone to accompany you inside. See you again!"

"Someone... to accompany me..." Naruto uttered to himself as he watched his academy teacher walked away, before entering the ramen shop. "Oh?! Mirai-neechan!"

"Naruto!" Mirai called out, as she turned around. "You've just got back?! Here, take a seat." She quickly patted the stool next to her, urging him to sit. "Order now, I'll treat you!"

After Naruto placed his usual order, he watched Mirai who was eating her ramen. "It's been a while... When did you get out?"

"Just... recently. Naruto..."

"Hm?"

"I would... like to hear about you."

Naruto noticed a different tone in her voice, and he was a bit taken aback. "What do you mean, neechan?"

"Since you ever born to this world, how's your life?"

Suddenly, Naruto looked down, and his face had now reflected a sorrow expression. "Everyone... always gave me that look. That look that contained with hates, anger... those kind of dark feelings. Instead of being acknowledge by everyone, I've always been alone, and I thought I will always be..." he paused, as a bowl of ramen was placed in front of him, before he continued with a warm smile. "Not until Iruka-sensei acknowledged me. He's my savior."

"Starting that day, a little by little people started to acknowledge me. Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei, Ero-sennin, Tsunade-baachan. Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba, Neji... Everyone, and most important." He then turned to Mirai, who was hearing him with all her attention. "Sasuke. I've formed a very precious bond with him. That's why... That's why I'm going to bring him back in any ways!"

There was a moment of silence after Naruto ended, before he started to eat his served ramen. "I'm glad," Mirai suddenly mumbled.

"Hm?"

"O-Oh... Nothing," she quickly said, turning back to her ramen. "Be strong. Always be strong when you lost someone."

"Mirai-neechan? What are you talking about?"

"Nothing! Ahaha... since I got out, I started to talk nonsense. Let's... just eat!"

"Right." With that, both of them started to eat their ramens, filling the atmosphere with their slurping sounds. "Neechan, how do you know Seiichi-san?" When Naruto started to ask, Mirai stopped moving her chopsticks. "I'm curious about that friend of yours."

"That guy..." she started with a smile. "Well, as you already knew, he was my ex-lover. Even just for two months. He saved me before. That's how I knew him."

"He's a sweet guy. Back then, he always knew how to cheer me up when I'm down. He was so kind with me, that even had made me thought that he's the one that I would spend my life with." Mirai suddenly clenched her fist hardly, as if she was clenching it with anger. "Until that night."

"What happened?"

"He wanted to kill me."