32. Sakumo

Hoseki sat on his knees in his living room.

"Tell me the truth. You should have been able survive in jungle. It is impossible you were not trained by your parents before. Your mother was herbalist. Survive in jungle with only herbs was a piece of cake. You should not have been starved." Hoseki bent his head down in front of Sakumo hearing his demand.

Hoseki did not expecting Sakumo will be waiting for him in his house after he went back from hokage office. He can refuse hokage questions but not his uncle.

As a hokage he had duty and concerns for the village and for Hoseki it is not much a big problem if he didn't answer the truth as nothing really happened to him.

But. Towards his uncle, he owed him a lot after his parents death. Sakumo had treat him just like his own son. He also knew the concern of Sakumo towards him as he cannot afford to worry him. Hoseki realise that he should give him a peace of mind.

"Sigh... " Hoseki had hard time thinking what should he answer Sakumo.

". . . . " Instead of forcing Hoseki answer quickly he wait for Hoseki to speak out.

Seconds went by. So gone the minutes. After half an hour Hoseki opened his mouth.

" I sneaked out. "

Sakumo eyebrows went up in surprised with the answers. He understands very about security of the village. If his nephew some chunin or jonin who always goes in and out of the village, he might had not surprised by the answer.

But the boy in front of him never went out of village before and should not had any information about it security. To sneaked out of village with no trace at all is something big.

"Answer me correctly, did you bypass the village guards or you found another loophole to sneak out." Sakumo worried about village security if even a boy like his nephew can sneaked out, if there were any easy loophole.

"By pass " Hoseki answer shortly.

Sakumo relieved with Hoseki answer. At least there was no easy loophole for the village security. But still he frowned on how did this boy do it without trace.

Hoseki peeked at his uncle face and saw him frowned.

He sighed again and straight up his head and look into Sakumo eyes.

"Uncle the thing I will tell you next is a big secret and should not known to any third person. Even if he is an hokage." Hoseki spoke with sharp eyes.

Sakumo looked at his serious looking nephew. He immediately scanned his surrounding and took out a scroll. He did a hand sign and seal the space around him. He nodded seriously to Hoseki as a response.

Looking how serious his uncle response, Hoseki said "Well I should just show you so you can easy understand."

"Turn around uncle and you must always sense me all time."

Hearing weird request, Sakumo turn around while pointing his sense on Hoseki. Suddenly Hoseki was gone from his sense. He turned around and saw his nephew still kneeling on the same spot.

Sakumo frowned upon what he seeing. He turn back and cannot point out Hoseki anymore. To him. It just like he can see but can't point out the boy in front of him if he close his eye.

Hoseki took out his outer shirt and show his thin vest. "This treasure is called camouflage vest, as you can feel it uncle, it camouflaged its user from any sensing ability. As from where did I got it from, I will refrain myself from answering."

" Then, why did this should be a secret? " Sakumo shocked and interested with the vest.

" Same reason with my sword." Hoseki answered him.

Sakumo looked at his nephew, "Say, do you have any sceptical view about hokage sama? Why can't you trust him?"

Hoseki answer while looking sharply to Sakumo face, " Uncle, I do have big trust on hokage for many things and problems. But mother always grunted before how leverage he is with that 'brother' of his. And that brother is a ruthless one with his method."

"I will trust hokage sama for many thing but not my personal secret. You should know how dangerous this vest if it got on the wrong hands especially to the people in the shadow."

" I shall keep my secret from him even if I have to put my life down. No. I rather destroyed it, especially after remembering those words back then. "

" Words? What words?"Sakumo frown upon hearing the 'words'

" The words my parents before he went and died in war. My mother was arguing with my father something about trusting the information from 'roots'."

" So?" Sakumo still don't understand why this nephew of him really went hard on not trusting hokage because of this.

"A few days ago. When I was sleeping, I somehow heard someone mumbling about mission that Hokage indebted with my parents which leading to their death" Hoseki eyes went red gravely immediately.

(A/N: NOT sharingan. Mc won't having any sharingan in future. That was for sure.)

Sakumo faced went dark after hearing this. A doubts came to him. Even as close confidant of hokage, he was never being told about this.

"Save it. It just a dream. You should not holding on something like that because of a dream." Sakumo had his share of doubt about this but still decide to stop Hoseki dwelling on this problem. It is not his time yet.

"I know what should I know. Don't worry about your secret. I give you my word." Sakumo unsealed his surrounding and stood up to leave.

"Wait Uncle, take this." Hoseki gave a talisman to him.

"This talisman is made based on what I study from the vest. It has some sort of diverting effect to create camouflage like my vest but very low in quality. Maybe I can help you answering the hokage."

"If you have this, why bother giving those excuse?" Sakumo look at item on his hand and asked.

"Well if I took out this on the office back then, There are many bothersome questions will come out. Why so much ruckus when I just sneak out for a while. I had no mission or any task to do anyway."

Hoseki's answer was rewarded him a punch on his head.

"We won't have this ruckus if you at least inform me about it" Sakumo opened the door and walked out.

Holding his hurting head Hoseki looked at his uncle with guilty smile.

"Ahh... Uncle. Don't forget to put my tab on Kushina nee-chan" he shouted.

***

" So? " Hiruzen sat beside window smoking his pipe and ready to hear Sakumo report.

" He sneaked out." Sakumo scratches his head didn't know what else to say.

"Cough.. Cough. .ohkk ouhh" Hiruzen choked on his smoke from pipe hearing unexpected report.