FanHarem
patreon
Filthy Gamer in Narutoverse: 234
🕑 Added 2023-06-09 16:00:53 +0000 UTCTitle: Cursed Consistency
“Are you guys ready?” A bored voice echoes in the Hokage’s Estate as Hiruzen looks at himself in the mirror, noting distinct annoyance in the voice as his wife prompts readily. “He doesn’t understand things yet.” Biwako covers herself with a black gown and sighs gently. “I know how much such a ceremony weighs on you.”
“You do,” Hiruzen doesn’t reveal his usual gentleness. His pitch-black pupils stare back into the mirror with a depth he rarely shows as he alone will be dressed in white when the whole village finally has time to mourn in black. But he doesn’t grieve—he’s not allowed to. Not when he has to remain the bearer of the Will of Fire in the darkest time.
“I just wished Asuma never needed to understand such things by the time I felt like stepping away from my responsibilities.” Hiruzen sighs deeply as the couple hears a gentle knock on their door.
“Lord Third, your Eldest and Daughter-in-law have arrived.”
It’s not a steward but an Anbu member who informs the couple.
Hiruzen takes one last look through his window, noticing how bright and ‘sunny’ the dawn already feels.
“What a waste of such a great day,” Hiruzen mutters.
“Their sacrifices were not a waste,” Biwako sighs, walking near her husband and massaging his shoulders as Hiruzen shakes his head. “I didn’t mean that. I just feel it’s a waste of our life and accumulated power to grieve in such gentle weather. But what does it matter? One Old Fool chases after Leaving a lasting Legacy, another will use any unscrupulous manner to increase his village’s strength, the third young bird will soon become like us, and the fourth one beyond seas is waiting to launch hundreds of assassinations. Worst of all, I’m not better.”
He pulls away from Biwako, muttering, “Such a waste.” He sighs moodily, “Let’s go.”
“Let’s.”
Biwako follows after him without feeling peeved by his attitude. After all, Hiruzen alone feels all the Blood on his hand regardless of the outcome and plans.
Konoha Cemetry.
This ceremony is a time when many Shinobi would rather spend their time in missions and patrolling instead of being ‘here.’ This location reminds many of their final destination and their lucky escapes from death. Rows of uniform tombstones mark a long stretch of land surrounding a large stone structure with the word ‘Hokage’ on it. Hiruzen silently stares at the carving of the term on the stone structure as every available Shinobi and civilian stands behind him dressed in black clothes under the expansive blue sky.
*Sniff*
*Sob*
*Hick*
Choked sobs fill the cemetery. Young boys and girls cover their eyes, lowering their heads to cry their hearts out. Their noises make a few Shinobi lose their nerves as they bite their lips, shuddering and tethering on the edge of a breakdown.
“Will you say nothing to her?” Mikoto whispers, standing away from her clan’s crowd with Kai as they stand ahead with Tsunade and the rest. She looks in a certain direction—a trembling young girl beside Shizune and Konan.
Kai momentarily looks in Kurenai’s direction before retaining his gaze on Hiruzen’s back. Kushina and others slightly flinch as Kai whispers, “I can’t bring her father back.”
‘But why didn’t I save him?’ He questions himself, glancing in Yata’s direction. ‘Why was one father alone more important than the rest? Was it because of my relationship with Mikoto?’
He looks at the sobbing Kurenai in the distance again.
‘Mikoto would have been like her. Did I willingly choose not to think about others?’
It wouldn’t be the first time.
He glances at the red-eyed Kushina, holding her tears back for others’ sadness.
‘I kept on saying our training sessions are dates, ignoring her point of view. I still can’t believe how stoked she was for our first date.’
‘Did I make the same mistake again?’
It wasn’t about something as grand as equating life to others. Kai isn’t the kind of asshole to say to others’ faces that if they kill others, they should expect their beloved to die in another’s hands, too. He is more grounded. He would rather push a child for giggles and shit instead.
‘But I don’t even want to do that anymore.’
He admits—a crying Kurenai hits harder than a glum Kakashi.
‘So, the only reason I didn’t look out for people important for the rest is because I neglected them?’ He questions himself. He looks at Konan.
Yahiko and Nagato are important to her.
But he only kept track of Nagato, replacing the seal on his heart with his own, but not keeping track of Yahiko. He did that out of convenience.
Kai isn’t the one to doubt himself. But he faces things today he never considered before.
‘Will I treat Kurenai the same way? I could make a joke. All of us are orphans now, right? We’re consistent.’
As funny as Kai thought the joke to be, as blunt as he is, he couldn’t smile—not because of the funeral and the somber environment. He stares at Kurenai as she sniffs again, looking behind for the umpteenth time and finally matching his stare, something he’d been avoiding for a while.
‘I told her everything will be alright,’ Kai doesn’t look away from her red, tearful eyes as Shizune and Konan look back, too. ‘And I can’t bring her father back. I’ve also taught them the meaning of killing someone, or at least what I believe about it. I had so many clones stationed elsewhere. And they helped around. I did help as much as I could.’
The truth is simple.
It wasn’t about focusing on Yata more than Kurenai’s father. Kai isn’t delusional to think he didn’t help. He merely did not go all out at his own expense.
He didn’t really neglect others.
He is just selfish for his goals.
And for that, just this once—
I’m sorry.—he mouths with a disastrously blank look. Kurenai’s eyes widen slightly as she quickly shakes her head, biting back her tears before turning her face away and hugging Shizune to cry in her embrace. Konan nods slightly before looking away.
“It was you, right?” Mikoto whispers without being explicit.
Kai nods slightly as the Uchiha Princess looks in her father’s direction with gratitude. “Thank you.”
“Don’t say that,” Kai lowers his head slightly.
“I realized hiding things would stop me from doing things the way I like,” Tsunade interjects behind her former students beside Nawaki. Kai looks back slightly as Tsunade matches his gaze. “My actions will make me a target of this world. So, don’t let some tears sway you.”
Kai matches her amber hues as Tsunade continues, “Understood, Nawaki? Stare at Sensei’s back carefully. Look around you. We will end here regardless if we falter or not. So, when my time comes, don’t mourn me. I’ll try not to mourn you, too.”
Nawaki stares between Tsunade and Kai before nodding with a complex look. “I will try, Onee-san.”
“I won’t end here,” Kai looks away, staring at Hiruzen’s back, muttering calmly. “You guys won’t ever mourn for me.”
“How about drinks after this?” Nono speaks without her usual glasses on her face, her pupilless green eyes staring at everything without any layers ahead.
A somber voice spreads before others can answer Nono.
“Their sacrifices will not be in vain.”
Hiruzen turns around, staring at everyone with a calm look. Flowers decorate the stone structure behind him as the large stone tablet behind the Hokage’s tomb reveals new names on its surface.
“The Shinobi of Konoha died to preserve the next generation.” He looks around, not finding Orochimaru or Jiraiya in attendance, as he continues, “And I promise to their names their sacrifice will not be in vain!” The old man clenches his fist and grits his jaw. “The proud Shinobi of Konoha have become the preserving light for the Will of Fire of those who remain. Look around you.”
He punctuates with fluctuating emotion in his voice, “The tombstones around you have no corpse. There are coffins for us, Shinobi. But around their tombs grows new life, verdant grass, swaying trees! It is not their bodies that drive us to move forward. It is their courage!” Hiruzen whispers deeply. “And I am proud to have led these Shinobi!”
His clenched fists relax.
“And good work,” Tsunade whispers to Kai as Hiruzen continues. “T&I found a chain of traitors from that one Shinobi you captured, the head of the barrier team.”
Kai nods calmly.
He did capture the traitor while delivering the ‘suicidal’ Dodai to the T&I Department.
---
“Child of Prophecy?”
Orochimaru questions while leaning against a distant ledge, observing the ceremony beside Jiraiya with a cup of Sake in her hand. As expected, a wave of peaceful wind makes her sigh and down her cup. Jiraiya stares at the proceedings with a sad expression. “You asked me about the prophecy, right? A day before putting in a recommendation for you to adopt Mitsuki.”
“Why are you telling me now?” She questions. “Just because I agreed to drink with you? It was either this or my research. I never planned to attend the Funeral.”
Jiraiya sighs under his breath before sharing her smile.
“Great Lord Elder of Mount Myoboku told me this world will birth a Child of Amazing Potential, and I will guide him to revolutionize or destroy the world. Do you get it? I have to be the one to make the right choice.”
Orochimaru hums, “Minato? Why?”
She guesses accurately, given the special treatment the boy has earned from Jiraiya and Hiruzen.
“In your eyes, it should be someone like Kai, right?” Jiraiya chuckles without answering the question.
“Him?” Orochimaru smirks, recalling his dream. “He would rather give birth to hundreds of children of Prophecy than be one.”
“Hah!” Jiraiya raises his head, snorting in laughter before explosively sighing. “I never sought Minato, you know. As much of a genius as he is, Kai always overshadowed him based on his age during the academy. But I saw it the day we gave the Sex-Ed class in the academy.”
Orochimaru listens without disrupting.
“It wasn’t his talent that made me more expectant of him. He is the most tolerant youth I’ve ever met. Can you imagine learning from the academy and still having three jobs after?” The man chuckles. “I almost felt ashamed of my choices when I followed Minato for a few days. Sigh, and always smiled when his employers tried to underpay him. I believed he was being an idiot, but I realized he never needed the other two jobs later on. He was supporting the orphanage that raised him after his family’s death.”
“You almost felt ashamed of your choices?” Orochimaru inquires with a smirk.
“The Grand Lord Elder prophesied I’ll travel the land, writing books,” Jiraiya laughed. “At the time, all I wanted was to date Tsunade! But I still tried it for the heck of it, and guess what?”
“You loved it.”
“I love it.”
Jiraiya accepts, leaning against the ledge. “I still don’t know if I truly love it for myself or deluded myself into believing this because of the Elder’s words.”
“You say as if the Elder has never been wrong,” Orochimaru narrows her eyes, speaking with conviction. “Chakra can explain everything, even prophecies.”
“Who knows if he is right or wrong? Or if he will ever be wrong,” Jiraiya toasts his cup in the direction of the Funeral. “Those questions are the kind best left unanswered. They take away the taste of life, just as today’s ceremony drains the taste of this fucking Sake.”
He lets go of his cup, letting it fall on the empty street before turning around, sprawling his shoulder, and groaning, “I don’t get how Sensei deals with all this.”
“Maybe not as great as us,” Orochimaru shrugs, drinking from her cup again.
“Do you think others will cry for us if we die?”
“They should,” Orochimaru blinks. “I’m Konohagakure’s upstanding citizen and a great parent.”
Jiraiya stares at the woman before scoffing. “Well, they shouldn’t cry for us. One should only mourn good men.”
“As long as Konoha stands,” Orochimaru speaks honestly, “We will remain ‘good.’”
*Poof*
A plume of smoke erupts on the roof, revealing an aged short green toad, “Jiraiya Boy,” he coughs before staring at Orochimaru cautiously. “The Great Elder has awoken and wants to speak with you.”
---
“He must’vesssss seen it,” A soft, slithering voice echoes near Orochimaru’s ears as she remains on the same roof alone, save for a tiny white snake coiling around Orochimaru’s index finger.
“That old fool must have dreamt a few instances precisely. Thingsss I only felt.”
Orochimaru looks at the small part of the Great White Snake Sage before spilling the alcohol in her cup on the small entity. “Drink up,” she smiles coldly.
The snake slithers, unbothered by the disrespect, “I can sense it. The Five Village will play a part in ‘his’ return, but everything returns to Konoha.”
The snake starts to disintegrate into ashes.
“The rock egg will shatter,” There is unconcealed mockery in the snake’s coarse voice. “And there is nothing we can do about it.”
Orochimaru stares at her wet index finger before sighing and wiping it off on her black clothes.
“Everything centers around Konoha? All Five Villages will have a part in something. Such unity almost brings a tear to my eyes,” she snickers, tossing the cup and bottle of Sake away in the empty street, uncaring even if it crashes on someone’s head. She rests her arms on the ledge and supports her chin with her hands.
—“Do you think others will cry for us if we die?”—
Jiraiya’s question resurfaces in her mind as she chuckles in her solitude.
“I suppose I want a few people I know to mourn for me.”
Her smile widens as she recalls her ambitions.
“But that day will never come.”
Only Orochimaru knows why—would she never die? Or would her death come after actions so horrendous others would spit on her empty grave?
“What a waste of a good day,” She sighs for the umpteenth time, closing her eyes. “What a waste death is. For political wars no less.”
***
Alternate Title: Kai’s Resignation From The Orphan Bullying Community; Self-Doubt; A Wastefully Beautiful Day; A Good Day to Mourn; Neglect?; I’m Sorry; A Crying Yuhi is a Sensei-Destroying Yuhi; Mikoto Knows; Kai Doesn’t Need Gratitude; Drinks Later?; The Painfully Proud Kage; The Dead Become Light for the True Will of Fire—The Next Generation; Tsunade’s Advise; Minato’s Scout; The Prophecy; A Burden of Choice; Good Men Should Be Mourned; Orochimaru Channels Her Inner Doflamingo; The Menacing Rock Egg; Orochimaru and Kai Will Never Be Mourned
