Something Precious

Chapter Seventy Four

The next day as Naruto woke, he was surprised to find his skin dry of sweat and his heart calm of terrors. His eyes for once, didn't drag down with fatigue and his mind felt so clear and sharp.

A face suddenly came in view, a foot kicked his side. "Awake at last?" Kakashi drawled even though he was the one who woke him up in he first place.

Naruto smiled at him. "Hey Little Man." he greeted. "What did we talk about kicking people?"

Kakashi looked hesitant to adopt his humor, his eye scrunching and brewing with confliction. "We are leaving right away. We were supposed to an hour ago but no one wanted to wake you." he said, a little guarded. But Naruto knew him well enough to hear the softness in his tone, the lightness. Like a weight had been taken from his heart with Obito's return. But still, there was something bothering him, Naruto knew him at least that well.

Speaking of, Obito was sitting on the other side of the fire pit that had been built the night before. He was laughing with Rin and Minato and there was an empty space beside him where Kakashi must have been before he was likely tasked with waking Naruto.

The others were already packed up and didn't take Naruto long to do the same. Kakashi went back to conversing with Rin and Obito while Minato wandered over.

He crouched beside him as Naruto was rolling up his sleeping bag. He was quiet for long enough to be awkward before he finally said, "Do you really think that taking him to the village is a good idea?" he spoke hesitantly, as if afraid Naruto would get angry at this. He wasn't.

Naruto pursed his lips and glanced at the limp figure that still lay on the forest ground. His face was covered in dirt and his raven hair was matted and he had a little bit of scruff from not being able to shave. He was thin and barely recognizable. But it was still Sasuke. "Sasuke posses no threat to the Leaf. He has long made peace with his demons." Naruto replied simply and confidently as he shoved the roll in his bag and did up the straps, slinging it across his shoulders.

Minato still hesitated. But for now he would trust Naruto's judgment. After all, Minato wasn't the one who fought beside this man for almost three years. Who was he to judge him really? "Alright. I'll take your word for it. You want to alternate carrying him?" he offered.

Naruto just looked up at him and smirked. "Actually, if you're good with it, I would like to wake him up. The seals I put on him are keeping him under, all I'd have to do is remove them."

"What if the jutsu isn't broken?"

Naruto pursed his lips. "Well, I'm fairly sure that it is. But still. . . I have considered that possibility. I think it would be better to wake him up here as opposed to in the village. Sasuke is really powerful. I would like to be a hundred percent certain that he is the one controlling that power and not Madara. Back when we were fighting, he wasn't using his full strength. I think that is because a little of his will was still leaking into his actions, just enough to hold back if even just by a little. But the way the jutsu works, the longer your under it, the more susceptible you are to the casters intent. This is probably why Madara waited so long to use him. He needed to weaken Sasuke's will to allow his to take over. If we take him back to the village and the jutsu isn't undone; he will try to destroy Leaf. . . well, if that is what Madara intends." he explained lowly so the others wouldn't hear. But as he glanced over at them he caught Obito looking. The Uchiha quickly adverted his eye elsewhere.

Minato sighed. "I see." he said. "When you put it that way it seems we have no choice. However we should probably tell them." he nodded to the three younger shinobi. Naruto agreed with a nod, looking away from Obito's eye as Minato called them over, explaining the situation.