#instead of canon being like these two probs know eachother exsist and are uzumakis

[sakuranoumi]

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Naruto, Kakashi

Word Count: 1317

Summary: Uzushio is calling because she knows her people are still out there. Next

It's been calling softly in the back of his mind. Soft rhythmic sounds like he's never heard before filling the silence. The faint scent of salt in the wind, or a refreshing dampness in the breeze. It's all so foreign and he knows the others in the village don't experience these strange sensations like he does. Yet he doesn't know what it is, what it means, but somehow it feels right. It feels like home. Which is strange because Konoha is his home. He might not have any parents, and the village may treat him like shit because they don't understand, but even in all its imperfections and unjustness it's still home. Yet why does he feel so empty when the sound fades to silence?

They're in Wave, and he and Sasuke are trying to walk up trees with chakra when it hits. The wind picks up turning him in the direction of the river as his heart tugs. Saskue's eyes narrow but he says nothing as he pushes against the breeze to continue. He wants to go running to the river, he needs to, but he doesn't. He has to finish the tree walking exercise before Sasuke to prove he's better. Besides he doesn't want Sasuke asking questions to answers he doesn't know, and he definitely doesn't want Kakashi-sensei to get roped in. Kakashi-sensei probably knows the answer, but like all adults he's met he's not going to tell him the basic rights he should know. Hell if Hokage-jiji had his way he still wouldn't know about the Kyuubi sealed within him, not that he actually really understood much about that, except that it explained why he could stab himself in the back of his hand with a kunai and carry on like nothing had happened.

That night he manages to get Tazuna alone and ask him about the river. He learns all his phantom sensations he's been experiencing are from the ocean. He's never been to the ocean, but he knows if he follows the river downstream he'll eventually make it there. He learns of Whirlpool Country, and how much Wave has suffered in its absence. There is nothing in Wave that Kiri could want, but Tazuna feels Wave will still fall to Kiri just the same simply because Whirlpool is gone.

He learns the eddies have grown more vicious since Uzushio fell. Kiri should have never been able to get in in the first place, but now the ocean itself seems to be making sure no one else will touch its hallowed domain. Naruto just wants to go there even more. Uzushio is calling. He feels it. The eddies will part for him because there is something he's meant to do.

He has to see this mission through because he is a good ninja. There are still three more days before Zabuza will return. Even once the mission is over he still doesn't know how he will convince Kakashi-sensei to let him do this. He doesn't want the others to come with him. He doesn't know if they even can.

The ocean is calling louder and becoming restless.  

It's after Zabuza and Haku are both gone. Kakashi-sensei has sent Sasuke and Sakura on ahead while Naruto falls under his scrutinizing gaze. He hasn't done anything wrong, and it's not exactly a you're in trouble gaze. More like a concerned gazed, but Kakashi-sensei doesn't do concerned and no one has ever been concerned for Naruto. Nevertheless for some reason Naruto has to stand there with his shirt lifted up and Kakashi-sensei investigates something with his chakra. He doesn't bother to ask Kakashi-sensei what he's doing because he already knows this falls into things Naruto isn't allowed to know that pertain to himself. It's probably the stupid Kyuubi's fault somehow.

He's pulling his shirt back down when the wind picks up again. This time he can hear his name on the breeze. Kakashi-sensei can also apparently hear it as well as he zeros in on Naruto's unfazed and longing expression as he stares downstream.

“Naruto?” Kakashi-sensei questions gently.

“Uzushio is calling me,” he answers honestly, still caught up in the oceans call. He bets if he started walking right off the bridge the river would catch him, that he would be able to walk atop the water all the way to Uzushio.

Kakashi-sensei softly grabs his chin and turns him to meet his eye, “Uzushio is gone, Naruto. There's nothing left. It was reclaimed by the waves the moment it's people left.”

“You don't know that,” he shoots back breaking out of his sensei's grip and turning to face the ocean again, “Tazuna said no one has been able to cross the eddies. There's something out there, and it wants me to find it.”

“I can't let you go, Naruto,”

Naruto whirls around angry. “Because, because,” but he can't finish, he can't get the words out, he simply grasps at his stomach to convey the S-class secret.

“No because you're a genin, and it's may duty to look after you.”

“I think the whole village would cheer if you returned without me,” he grumbles digging his toe into the ground.

“I don't think Iruka would cheer, and I'm pretty sure Konahamaru and his friends would miss you too.”

He doesn't respond to that. He can't because it true and up til about two months ago he never would have believed it was possible. Instead he deflects, deflects like he always does to hide his emotions. “No one knows anything about my parents. I'm probably some random baby the Yondaime stole from somewhere else because who in Konoha would willing turn their child into the demon child. Uzumaki Naruto. Just some random meaningless name given to me because my parents didn't matter, because I didn't matter. All the other orphans have a recognizable last name except for me.”

He can't look at Kakashi-sensei as he says this. Can't let him see the tears in his eyes, although he can probably see the tremble in his fists. If he had looked maybe he would have seen the widening in Kakashi's eyes. The pain. The breath of a half started utterance that he isn't, or can't voice. Instead he's looking towards the ocean as the crashing waves crescendo and his heart yearns for home.

“One day,” Kakashi-sensei finally speaks up, “you'll have all the answers you seek, and even if you don't understand why everything happened the way it did you'll at least know. And while I can't offer you those answers now there are two things I never want you to doubt, Naruto. You're parents loved you with all their heart and soul, and your name is the one they picked out.”

He wants to scream at Kakashi-sensei to tell him everything, but he knows no more information will pass from his sensei's lips. He supposes he should happy to have even this small connection to his parents. They loved him and they named him Naruto. It's more than he's ever had before. He still wants to follow the river and cross the ocean to Uzushio, but with a quite whisper of his name on the breeze the call of the ocean leaves him.

Perhaps Uzushio has realized he won't be able to come no matter how much he wants to right now. Maybe Uzushio realizes that Konoha is his home or can be his home. Or maybe it realizes he isn't ready yet. Just like he's apparently not ready to learn all the secrets surrounding him.

He begins to walk back towards the village proper. He's sure Kakashi-sensei lets out a breath he's been holding over whether Naruto would actually try to make a run for it or not. One day he'll make it to Uzushio. One day he'll find out what she so desperately wants him to find.

#naurto #naruto uzumaki #hatake kakashi #i was sorting through all my bookmarked fanfics #then I started having feels #and then I reread the entire manga #and I just want good naruto minato and kushina being family fics #i want good uzushio content #and i want karin and naruto interacting as the cousins they are #instead of canon being like these two probs know eachother exsist and are uzumakis #but what if they just never interact ever and pretend they are the last of their clan #like family is so important to naruto and even if karin wants to be all i can't leave sasukes side #like naruto is still gonna be like hi sasuke and have a bro moment #before proceeding to shove family bonding down karins throat #(karin pretend to hate it but she loves it)