18 A little boy who burns brighter than the sun (Parte-2)
*Knock*knock
Ryo opened the gate when he found tired Shishui and Itachi along with crying Sasuke
"Shishui, Itachi what are you two doing here?"
"Mother is in the hospital and both of us can't seem to find father; Sasuke is crying for 4 hours straight please help we don't have anyone else to go to"
"H-how did you even find me, none of you should know that I am here"
"I felt it", said Itachi
"You what?"
"I felt, I always felt you whenever you are around"
"W-wait a second, you felt me even when I suppress my chakra levels"
Itachi nodded
"Itachi be honest with me, do you feel everyone around you"
"No, I just feel you"
'Kurama, what is going on?'
'I don't know, something is wrong, if he can feel then he should be able to feel everyone around him making him natural born sensor, but sensing just you I don't understand'
"Come inside"
He changed little Sasuke's diaper, feed him milk and makes some light lunch for Shishui and Itachi
"You two should take care of yourself if both of you are ill who is going to take care of Sasuke and Mikoto"
"Sensei, don't worry I will be sure to bring Sasuke straight to you the moment he begins to cry", said Shishui grinning
Ryo smiled and patted little Shishui head, "I am not your sensei, at least not yet"
"But I completed my academy once again as you said"
"And as per my promise, I will take you two as my personal disciples, you Itachi will be assigned a team at the day of announcement of teams...while you Shishui I will personally come to pick you up at the day of Itachi's team assignment day"
"But if we are going for academy team assignment, wouldn't that be 4 man team?"
"Correct and you two shall find out your fourth member at the day of team assignment, just like every other kid, now go and accompany your mother I will join you later so that you won't have to come here every time your little brother cry"
"Yes", as both of them ran off
'Something is wrong with that Itachi Uchiha', said Isobu
'Indeed to be able to sense me when I am suppressing my chakra is a feat on itself, making him a brilliant off the chart natural born sensor, yet he cannot sense any other person making him a regular person'
'What the hell is going on with him', asked Goku
'Do you think your blood and Uchiha blood reacted in some way?' said Kurama
'I don't think so, but I see no other reason...sigh looks like we can only wait and see'
-------
He found Uchiha Fugaku in a hospital wing yard holding the hand of a beautiful Uchiha woman, while a girl was sleeping on the couch clearly under genjutsu
"Is she your wife and daughter?", asked Ryo
"Yes, aren't they beautiful?", answered fugaku with a smile
"Why did you do it...faking your marriage I mean, if you didn't you could have been with her"
"We both were forced"
"You could have come to me fugaku, I am your general, you guys are my comrades in arms, I lead you through an entire war...I think I at least deserve this much trust from my comrades"
"Mikoto is a friend who saved my life more than I could ever remember, her favors to me are too big to pay off...she asked me not to tell you, I am sorry"
"Sorry to snap!!!"
"It's alright... I am going to name my daughter as my successor as the new head of Uchiha"
"Uchiha council will never agree, Itachi being a genius and you son"
"That's why I need your help, you getting what I am saying right?"
"I will do what I can...but Itachi is going to feel a bit after hearing you not electing him as the new clan head"
"That's the job of a father to console his children, it's not my job to keep him happy"
Sigh
"Anyway, thank you for your help... she is alright, and I have some work to do, Goodbye"
He breaks the genjutsu on his daughter and walks out of the ward
-------
"He is here"
Ryo heard Itachi saying that
'Again, he felt you again, something is wrong here', said Kurama
"Itachi", muttered Ryo as he moved inside to take care of Sasuke Itachi Mikoto and his disciple Shishui
He kept awake the entire night, despite being tired he made sure, Itachi Shishui Sasuke and Mikoto gets a good rest
He did it for an entire week, he was tired
-------
Six months passed by, the council happened again but this time the Hokage expertly manipulated everyone to give naruto guardianship to Ryo
-------
When he meets Naruto again it is to save him from his death. The Hokage sends him and a group of Chuunin to one of the many recently built orphanages. And when he rushes inside, all he sees is the matron with a kunai in her hand about to stab the infant in the crib.
And Ryo strikes and blood splatters across the floor and his face. Slowly, he raised a hand to wipe the blood from his eyes and lets the Chuunins deal with the body. he walks slowly towards the crib and looks at the child inside.
Blond, bright hair and whisker marks embedded on his cheeks. The baby's face is scrunched up as he cries and weeps and Ryo feels his heart weeping alongside him. Cautiously, his hands reach in and hold the sobbing infant in his arms. Naruto's face is scrunched up as he cries and cries, and Ryo notes that he is terribly thin much like how he once looked.
He was a nobody, that was a wartime, there was a food shortage, now it's peace there was absolutely no food shortage and yet
His lips quivered the little blonde is his nephew, he promised Minato and Kushina he will take care of Naruto and yet he was in such a state because he had to wait for so long for the guardianship
A flash of hatred flows through his heart at the treatment towards this boy. For none of the young boy's faults, these villagers have fallen so low as to kill an infant. Especially one who would one day bear the weight of all of Konoha's sins and hatred. He pats Naruto's back and hums a song from a life he lost and smiles gently as little naruto falls asleep once more.
-------
The Third sighs as the fifth attempt to assassinate Naruto came from his secretary – former, he adds in his mind as the screeching woman was escorted out of office.
Ryo stands before him, with the armful of a screaming baby, awaiting his orders.
-------
Ryo stood outside of the apartment door Minato and Kushina once lived. In his arms, Naruto laughs happily, joyous to be outside.
A part of him wants to go in and allow Naruto to see the remnants of the lives of his parents, the proof that Minato and Kushina existed, that they loved him. But the other parts want to keep the apartment locked up so the memories of the dead couple would stay there forever, eternally remembered in his mind.
Sighing, he turns the key and pushes the door open.
He prepared Long and hard for this already
he looks down and smiles at Naruto, "Welcome home Naruto."
"Welcome home", came the voice of a man and a woman
!!!!
Suprised Ryo saw in front, he could swear for a moment he saw Minato and Kushina smiling
The tears formed in his eyes
-------
he walks around the carpeted room, patting Naruto gently and absently humming a song as Naruto's loud cries silenced into small whimpers.
Placing the blonde infant back into his crib, Ryo smiled gently as his fingers wove through naruto's soft blonde locks. Naruto leaned into his touch and one of his chubby little fist curls around Ryo's finger. Ryo other hand traced the chubbiness of naruto cheek, the little dimples on his elbows and the soft curve of his stomach and Ryo counts his toes and fingers as he smiles brighter than he ever has in this life.
Naruto is such a precious child – all bright and warm like the sun. Ryo feels himself growing to love him, it scares him after all he has lost, to love someone again. But Naruto is so innocent, so trusting, so pure for the sins the world has condemned on him.
And Ryo cannot help but want to protect him from all the evils and hatred.
-------
"Di'gan!" Naruto exclaimed as he clapped his chubby hands.
It was a nice day and Ryo decided to take Naruto outside to one of the more isolated training grounds. Deciding to practice his throwing skills, Ryo began to throw shuriken, kunai, and senbon till each of them forced the Konoha spiral. Naruto was a very enraptured with it all and decided that he wanted to try as well.
Crawling slowly to the way of his caretaker, after finally mastering the art of crawling a month at 11 months old. He plopped himself down beside Ryo and raised his arms in the universal gesture for 'pick-me-up' and yelled, "Ub!"
Ryo smiled and indulged the near toddler in his request and pressed a kiss to his nose as Naruto giggled. Naruto reached for a kunai only to be stopped by Ryo's hand and Ryo gently pried Naruto fist from the kunai handle and shook his head.
Seeing that Naruto was about to throw a tantrum, Ryo quickly added, "Not yet Naruto… but how about I treat you to some ramen."
And no surprise, Naruto took to eating ramen like a pro.
'Bah! my child must love ramen, or I wouldn't be craving it this much'
Ryo smiled, as he remembered the sage words of his friend
-------
Itachi Shishui and Sasuke met Naruto when Naruto was 4 months old, Mikoto brought homemade dinner for the first solid food for naruto
"I could have done that"
"No you couldn't, baby's first solid food is not a joke...now where is the kitchen", giggled Mikoto as she goes to find the kitchen
Ryo placed Naruto down and watched as Naruto and Sasuke regarded other with curiosity. Soon laughter fills the room and Ryo finds himself smiling at the sight of Naruto and Sasuke playing with one another. Itachi sits close to the two toddlers, like a silent shadow
Ryo saw Mikoto's back as she worked in the kitchen, for some reason while staring he felt horny, he quickly looked away blushing like a teenager
"Damn!! I shouldn't look at her like that", muttered Ryo as he looked back at her figure again
*Badump*
His face blushed harder, as he kept staring at her
Suddenly he heard screaming, he rushes back to kids when he found naruto and Sasuke, battling each other while Shishui and Itachi holding the two infants closely to avoid them fighting
"They sure are going to be good rivals", came the voice of Mikoto Uchiha from behind him
"They might be", said Ryo smiling
-------
Today was Naruto's birthday, October 10th, and Ryo awoke at the crack of dawn to Kakashi standing nervously in front of the doorway.
he glanced at the clock and ushered the tired teen inside. Kakashi looked even worse than when Obito and Rin both died and Ryo felt a rush of love and pity for the teen. Placing a teacup in front him, Ryo said nothing as he began making a special breakfast for Naruto's first birthday.
Kakashi remained situated in the chair, drinking tea, until he jumped in surprise at the loud wail that echoed throughout the apartment.
Ryo left the kitchen and returned with a happy and half sleepy Naruto in his arms and placed him in his baby chair before moving back to breakfast. Naruto clutched a stuffed dog in his hand and stared at Kakashi with wide blue eyes and Kakashi flinched.
Naruto squealed in delight and pointed at Kakashi and back at the stuffed dog.
"Doffie!" he squealed as Ryo giggled at Kakashi's bewildered face.
It was the first time since the attack that either had spent a good morning.
For the rest of the day, Ryo and Kakashi spent the day inside with Naruto, eating and drinking and playing ninja games designed for children.
-------
"Ramen!" Naruto yelled at the tender age of one year old and some weeks.
Ryo blinked in surprise at Naruto's first, clear and precise word.
"Ramen!" Naruto demanded, slamming his hands against his the table attached to his baby seat.
'Don't worry, Ramen is the food of gods, Ramen god will protect me'
'Is this the work of ramen gods?', thought Ryo
he shook his head smiled and laughed and remembered a woman who red-haired who wanted the same thing.
-------
Naruto jumped in his seat in excitement as Kakashi entered the apartment from the window and sat down as Ryo served a simple Japanese breakfast.
"Doggie!" Naruto squealed as he raised his arms, asking for Kakashi to pick him up from his baby seat. Kakashi complied and held the toddler rather awkwardly as Naruto decided to experiment on Kakashi's gravity-defying hair.
Ryo watched with amusement as Naruto decided to make Kakashi's lap into his permanent seat for the morning. Kakashi watched with awe as Naruto laughed and smiled and giggled in his presence and Ryo knew all too well what Kakashi must have felt. For them whose trade in life is murder and walked a path of the blood of the damned and the innocent, Naruto was a breath of fresh air, a beacon of light in the darkness, someone who could not smell the blood, see the stains, a little boy who was untainted by their lives.
How could they not be enraptured by him? Love him? Adore him?
