夢

Chapter Twenty-One

うずまきナルト
Naruto Uzumaki
"Satoshi."

...---...

"Satoshi! Can you teach me another Jutsu?" Said man felt a grin etch on his face as he turned around to see a young blonde--now eight years old, cherishing a kunai pouch for his birthday gift.

Satoshi knew of the dangers of teaching an eight year old about Jutsu and giving him a kunai pouch (even though the pouch didn't matter, he planned on giving Naruto weapons when he grew older)--his chakra coils wouldn't be as developed as they would be when he was twelve years old, leading to dangerous risks. Not only that, but teaching a child about the Shinobi world in general, when they were far from the required age, was dangerous.

But he wanted to. We have no time, he reasoned.

Naruto wanted it to. He begged Satoshi to teach him.

"Naruto, today, let's just learn the basics, okay?" The younger boy nodded, because he knew it was all he would get.

I really hope he grows up like I did, he thought.

Maybe even better.

...---...

Satoshi very dearly loved Hinata at one point. She loved him, supported him, and admired him. She was kind, strong, smart, and beautiful. She cared dearly for him from the very start and followed his words.

During the three years of the war, the two of them secretly dated. They smuggled in dates--which consisted of them sitting at their tents, drinking water and waiting for a call to the field--held hands, shared kisses, and tried to do whatever a couple usually did. But with the war, the priorities were jumbled.

"I promise Naruto, I will stay by your side until this war is over. "I will not give up on you. I will keep living."

And then he left. He didn't say goodbye. He really should have, he just...

Was I distracted? With the war?

No, even then, I would've told her.

It slightly amused him, how even he couldn't understand why he never said goodbye. But he knew he was lying. A dark part of his head whispered him to admit it, to say it out loud, but he wondered what that meant.

He was his own self. How could he not know his own self?

...---...

[When he decided to find someone to talk to.]

"Hey Sasuke," Naruto said, throwing toothpick at said boy. "Something's been bothering me for the past few days, I just realized it--"

"What am I, your therapist?" The raven haired boy retorted, throwing his head back as he groaned. "I've got to deal with my own problems, dobe."

"Exactly. You help me deal with my problems, I help you with yours." In responses, the Uchiha snorted.

"'Help me deal with mine'? You can't even cook! If you can't take care of yourself, how do you expect me to trust you with my problems?" Sasuke stated. "Besides, my problems are private and personal."

"That's why there's a sound barrier around the entire apartment." Naruto responded, trying to convince his roommate. He leaned forward, a small smile creeping on his face. "Come on, teme. I share, you share."

"How about," Sasuke said as he curled his arms underneath the blonde's legs and pushed the man away. The blonde huffed. "you don't share, and I don't share. There."

"Okay. You tell me, I tell you. Got it, dobe?"

...---...