Devils in the Background

Artist of Secrets

Izumo and Kotetsu, the two ninja guarding the gate of Konoha looked up from their card game when they saw someone coming, "Hello, please state your name and business in Konoha."

The newcomer pulled back the hood of his black cloak revealing a smoking hot 20 year old man with blonde hair, sexy tan skin, striking blue eyes and tattoos on his neck and. most likely, everywhere else. "I'm Naruto Kazama and I'm here to hopefully set up shop"

Kotetsu was practically drooling as he ogled the hot guy in front of him. "Hi, I'm Kotetsu. So what kind of shop?"

Naruto gave a sexy smile, "A tattoo shop. If you ever consider getting a tattoo or something pierced come find me." He looked up and waved to a young man? Yes, a stylish man running towards them, in high heels, medium length blue skirt, white sleeveless shirt, gold earrings, red nail polish and long pink hair framing his pink eyes. "Hey, Hikaru-san."

Hikaru smiled and hugged the blonde, "Naruto! It has been far too long since we last saw each other and stop this '-san' business! It's just Hikaru! Now let's get you moved in and guess what ..."

"What?" Naruto asked.

"That building you wanted for your shop that's close to the house you bought ... we got it and far under asking!" Hikaru exclaimed excitedly as he clapped his hands.

Izumo shook his head as he saw Naruto and Hikaru walk away, "Well damn, this might be a sign of some excitement headed our way ... what are you doing?" He asked when he saw his friend moving his clothes around to look at the skin underneath.

"How do you think I'd look with a tattoo? I was thinking of getting one, but I want something that's me." Kotetsu mused as he looked at his limbs as if picturing what the tattoos might look like.

"Then any tramp stamp would work." Izumo snickered earning a glare from his friend.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Wow, nice." An impressed Naruto said as he strolled into a large vacant shop. "It'll need a little work, but at that price that shouldn't be a problem. Thanks, Hikaru."

"Oh sweety, don't mention it! Now let's go check out your place. I moved your stuff in once it arrived and most of the tattoo equipment is there too, but the chairs haven't arrived yet."

The two went around the block and entered a large one story house, "Perfect ... well once everything is unpacked it'll be perfect. I see my stuff, but where is the equipment?"

"Back in your studio. I didn't want them to get crushed so -eep" Hikaru tripped on a box.

The blonde grabbed Hikaru before he fell to the floor. "Allow me." He scooped up Hikaru and carried him bridal style to the back of the house. "There you go." He set the pinkette down.

"You're going to make some guy very happy one day." Hikaru said with a playful smile as he opened a door to a large nearly empty room with large windows overlooking a forest.

Naruto chuckled as he looked through his stuff, "Looks like everything is here."

"Excellent, let's go!" Hikaru exclaimed.

"Huh? Go where?" The puzzled blonde asked.

"I'm going to show you around town, of course! Come on, I know this awesome ramen shop. You'll just love it!" An excited pinkette said as he dragged the tall blonde away.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hikaru showed Naruto the sights Konoha had to offer and were now seated at a ramen stand eating dinner, "Really, Naruto. How have you been since ... she died?"

"I'm doing better, but ... I miss her." Naruto said softly as he stared into his bowl of noodles.

"I know, so do I, but we both know she would hate it if she thought we were sad. She'd never want her son feeling sad ... you really were the light of her life. She loved you and those birthmarks of yours. Some people believed that those whisker marks were the reason she adopted you." Hikaru said with a laugh.

"Seriously!? If I knew that I wouldn't have tattooed over them to practice tattooing." The blonde chuckled as he snatched a noodle with his chopsticks.

Hikaru smiled and playfully swatted the blonde's shoulder, "Oh don't be silly. She loved you more than anything and you made her so happy when you choose to become a tattoo artist instead of a ninja. I don't think you realize how scared she was when you trained in your chakra. She was positive that you would become a ninja and she didn't want to lose you like so many of her friends and family. When she called me in the middle of the night after you 13th birthday crying I thought that's what happened, but then she told me you only wanted to train in chakra to be a one of a kind tattoo artist ... it made her so happy."

Naruto smiled as he remembered that day, "That's why she was so eager to help me even volunteering to be my first customer."

The pink haired male smiled, "That proves how much she loved you. When a woman who can't stand the sight of needles volunteers for a tattoo ... yep, love." They spent the rest of the time discussing random subjects including what things will need to be done in Naruto's shop. Once it started getting dark they parted ways.

The blonde entered his new home and started unpacking. He got most of the boxes emptied when he found the pictures, "I do miss you, Mom." As he smiled at the picture of a lovely woman with green eyes and long auburn hair that was held back in a messy braid. She was wearing a light blue sundress and sitting on the porch rail next two her was a 14 teen year old blonde boy in a red jacket and jeans. "That reminds me ... where did I put it?" He shuffled through the rest of the pictures until he found a photo album. He opened it to reveal not just adorable family photos, but a letter too tucked behind a photo. Naruto unfolded the tattered letter that has clearly been read many times before and read it again ...

Dear Naruto,

If you are reading this then I died in someway. I don't know how, but when it happens I want to have everything set for you long before that. I made sure to change all of my accounts so you will get everything. This is probably very premature, but looking at you now snuggled up in your crib I can't help but want to make sure you're taken care of.

There is a few things you should know if I hadn't told you by the time you read this.

You were adopted from an orphanage in Konoha. I was working as a caretaker there when an Anbu with a sparrow mask came in with a beautiful baby boy, you. You were so precious that I fell in love with you instantly, but the head of the orphanage said we couldn't have any more children until the renovations to the building were done. I couldn't let you leave and not know what's going to happen to you so I took you from the Anbu's arms and volunteered to take you myself. The Anbu thanked me and said 'I couldn't do it', what that meant I don't know, but I was more concerned with getting you to the apartment I was staying in.

I'm very glad I did because the next morning I found out that there was a fire and the entire orphanage burnt down with everyone inside. Only a few kids made it out alive, which I found surprising since most of the staff doesn't stay after hours, but they were killed too. I decided to leave right after the survivors were safe and to take you with me.

I love you, Naruto. Always remember that.

With Love,

Minami Kazama, your very proud mother.

Naruto smiled, "And I love you." His mother passed away in her sleep a few months ago do to an aneurism in the brain. Naruto was happy it was quick and painless. A neighbor found her in her beautiful garden and thought she was asleep, she wasn't. She died doing one of her favorite things, gardening.

He set the letter back in the book and made a hand sign, "Living Art : Tattling lizard." The tattoo of a lizard under his hair came alive and crawled onto his face before disconnecting from the tan skin to jump onto the wall. "Mom told me a few years ago about being adopted, but this letter ... something doesn't sit right with me. Go search for anything that happened the day I was dropped off at the orphanage and find this Sparrow." The lizard nodded and flattened itself against the wall before fading away ...