Saruto | The Bloodline Prophecy (Part 1)

Chapter 25: Return of the Sun...

It was high noon, the Village was decently occupied with people going about their daily lives. Passing through the village gates, the guards were perplexed when I passed through security improperly.

"Can I see an identification?" The guard asked.

Pulling my hood off my face, their expression of suspicious discomfort morphed into one of surprise. Stepping back, clearly unsure on how to react they bowed. I could feel Kakashi roll his eyes behind me at my apparent reaction to the early treatment I was getting after being gone for almost 3 years.

"Lord Saruto!" the second cut in as the first one was at a loss for words, "Apologies!"

The scene that was being created attracted the attention of travelers who were exiting and entering the village. Whispers stirred as they were talking about me.
"Is that Hokage's grandson?"

"No one has seen him for 3 years."

"He's so young."

I smirked at the attention I was gaining but was sure to compose any visible emotion. I left when I was 9 and now I was 12. What was the big deal? But no doubt the commotion is that I disappeared from society during a time of tensions and came back to a more peaceful time. Nothing was resolved in the world, but treaties signed between the Kage in unification against the Otsutsuki have put us in a state of temporary peace. Everyone probably thinks low of me because of abandoning my village.

"It's fine, we were just passing through," Kakashi added as he rested his hand on my shoulder.

Emotionless I followed his lead without a word as we passed the remaining guards and straight out of the border facility. As we went through the revolving doors I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief as the smells of my childhood flooded my nose. The smells of street food and cherry blossom trees occupied the stone streets. The mid-day lights of the illuminated advertisements gave me a sense of home and familiarity as opposed to the endless fields and nature that I endured on a daily basis for the past three years. It wasn't so bad but every once in a while I urned for a sense of home.

Walking side by side with Kakashi, I noticed that his attention was in a book rather than the sights of the Village. I guess he didn't miss it as much as I did. Or at least he had a weird way of showing it.

"Your classmate's are gathered at the academy," Kakashi casually acknowledged.

My classmates? I know what he meant but because of my acceleration at a young age and joining the academy at age six, then graduating and becoming a genin at age eight and then a chunin at age nine caused me to be quite secluded from kids my age. Of course, I was quite acquainted with those that were close to my family like the Nara, Yamanaka, Sarutobi, Akimichi, and my cousins Haru and Tsuki. But it's been such a while since I have seen them. No doubt my social skills at this point aren't the best. And the only reason I was friends with anyone back then was because I was glued to Tsuki and Haru's social life. They probably don't remember me. What's the point?

"Oh," I responded.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Kakashi lower his book and glance towards me. He was probably trying to read what I was thinking.

"They have all just graduated and are receiving their teams now," Kakashi added, probably trying to invoke interest into me.

Teams? This made me remember my old team. I was so young that I was in a group with much older kids. They weren't my age so it was hard to make any connections. I had no interest in reconnecting with them. They were probably off on missions. No doubt that after I had left, they replaced me with someone else on the team. The sad thing is that I don't even remember their names. Missions were always executed then I would go straight to the woods to train. The only friends I had at the time were Haru, Tsuki, and their friends. But they were always going out and playing while I was enrolled in the academy. It wasn't until I was nine that they enrolled into the academy but by then I was already a Chunin.

"Oh, that's nice," I spoke in a dull manner.

Kakashi's eyes grew heavy as I knew that he was judging me no doubt. Rolling his eyes back into his book he sighed.

"Your mother will be there too."

My mother? She must be getting a team. I wonder who-

"Does she know I am here?"

These words caught Kakashi's attention. To my disgust he was happy that I was showing some kind of feeling towards being back. Closing his book he put it into his back and then gestured for us to turn left on the next street towards the Academy.

"Yes."

"And everyone else?"

He stopped in his tracks and then slowly turned towards me with his fingers massaging his temples. With the years that I have been training under him or relationship has turned to that of father and son. And like a father, he calls me out for things that would be morally wrong. While I act annoyed by it, I secretly appreciate it. He has grown accustomed to my rebelliousness that it doesn't phase him when I rebel our show attitude.

I stood there in silence as I was expecting a lecture from him about behaving myself and having a good attitude in front of everyone.

"No," he locked eyes with me, "they do not."

The look he gave me told me everything I needed to know. Nodding we continued into the gates of the academy front yard.

As we walked through the groups of students and shinobi, the courtyard grew silent as all eyes were on me. Like before, the whispers grew. I don't understand, none of them knew me. I was surprised that they even recognized me. If it was not for Kakashi-sensei, no doubt would I be swarmed by all of them. But they kept their distance out of respect for the Sixth Hokage. We were both celebrity figures but because of my sensei, well-respected.

No one knew we were returning besides the few that Kakashi had been contacting and staying in touch with over the years. Only him however. I never preferred to contact anyone. It had always been Kakashi, sometimes covering for me when my mother became persistent. But over time she stopped as she realized that I needed my space. Whether that is morally right or not, I justified it for myself. I didn't care.

Now inside the building we walked up the stairs in silence as to not draw attention to yourself or notify students in session. I observed the walls as I remember my time in the academy. Lonely. But then I remember the days my father had shown up to talk with my teachers because of his status in the village. Our family knew everyone and everything knew them. I remember how he would show up to classes for demonstrations and how he would help me with my studies. My father was so involved with my life that it was hard to adjust to life doing things by myself. I remember my lonely days after school where I would go to the forest to train and then find him appearing from behind a tree to surprise me with dinner and force me to take a break every once in a while.

"You are just a kid, Saruto. Go play, make some friends."

I never took him seriously. Friends never really crossed my mind at the time. But now, just maybe. I should give it a try. For him.

"Saruto?" a longing familiar sound spoke from down the hall.