Ghosts of the past

Hours passed and Arashi became nervous. He walked along the beach and found nobody. Naruto had disappeared again. Nami followed the fourth hokage and the uncertain look on her face became bigger with every passing moment. Arashi didn't ask but he felt she knew something. Well, it was obvious, he knew it himself but refused to believe it.

Finally he stopped at the clearing near Umi's house. Naruto wasn't here but there was another orb like the one he had seen earlier.

"Dammit," Archie cursed tightening his grip on it. "I thought it's just an old memory. I was wrong."

"It has been awhile, 4th hokage," a familiar voice filled the clearing.

"Taki," Arashi said recognizing it in an instant.

FLASHBACK

"Listen to me, you, awful creature," Arashi told the boy finally losing his temper. "When I told you to use Katon I didn't mean you should perform the technique at the same time! It's a miracle that my hair is still on my head!"

"Sorry," the boy laughed. "I couldn't help myself," and laughed stronger.

"If you become a jounin it will be the end of this village," Arashi sighed. "Apparently Umi cared for you too much so she completely spoiled you."

The boy's face became serious at the time Arashi mentioned his sister.

"Do you love her?" he asked straight.

"What?" Arashi who had begun showing hand seals stopped in the middle.

"I asked if you love my sister," Taki repeated without a hint of embarrassment.

This way of speaking impressed Arashi most of all – this boy could keep a stern face at the moments it was completely impossible to do so. Arashi, even being a hokage, couldn't get used to it.

"Of course not," he quickly answered starting to blush.

"You love her," the boy concluded examining him. "There is nothing wrong. Everybody loves her. She is so strong. Nobody saw her crying, only me," his fingers tightened their grip on the kunai as he continued.

"The day our parents were killed. The whole family."

"What happened?" Arashi asked.

Taki shrugged.

"An enemy's attack. They risked everything to save the village. It was the only moment when I saw her broken, weak, crying. So I promised to myself to look after her. I won't let it happen again. So I warn you, Arashi, if you try to do something that makes her cry, I will," his voice was full of menace so strong that Arashi shuddered. "I will make you suffer."

"Seems like you didn't forget me," the voice was ironical now.

"Did you order to kidnap Naruto?" Arashi asked while he continued examining him. Yes, there was a little left of the boy who wished to become a jounin. Taki's face had became much older, there was sadness in his eyes and his face radiated hate. Hate towards him, Arashi.

"Yes," finally he answered. "Naruto is with me now."

Arashi's hands turned into fists. He was doing his best not to show his enemy what he was feeling but it was becoming more and more difficult with every second.

"He is a child form our village," he said sternly. "Capturing him means the beginning of a war."

"You think I'm afraid of it?" the other man squinted. "You are hokage, standing on the ground that belongs to me, mizukage, saying something about war?"

"So you fulfilled your goals," Arashi nodded. "You became mizukage. My congratulations. Now, please, return Naruto before I become very, very angry, Taki."

"Stop acting like I'm still a kid!" black haired man growled. "You are not in a situation to ask for anythingthing, don't you think so, hokage?"

"Wanna know who is stronger?" Arashi felt anger in his body crossing the line. He really wanted him to attack, try to kill him so he could pay him back with full force.

The one who called himself mizukage smiled.

"You are boiling with anger, aren't you, hokage? You are angry because I have all the cards in my hands for my revenge!"

"Revenge?" Arashi looked at him attentively. "So it's all about revenge. If it is don't involve other people in this business. Let's make it between two of us."

Taki's smile hardened.

"Do you remember, hokage? I promised I'll make you suffer if you make Umi cry. Killing you would be too easy now. You'll lose everything you love before you die."

Arashi felt fear coming closer to his heart. He didn't like the situation at all.

"What…did you do to Naruto?" he didn't recognize his voice.

He wanted to do his best not to put the emotion in his words for Taki not to know the truth but he really had the feeling the dark haired mizukage already knew somehow. That everything is becoming much more complicated with every second.

"To predict your enemy's every step," Taki smiled, examining Arashi attentively. "Isn't it your favorite tactic, hokage? You are a good teacher. You taught me well. I remember all the lessons."

The fear came closer. Everything…was terribly wrong, something in Arashi screamed he must act.

"I watched you for a long time," Taki smiled while something into Arashi screamed. "How…When…Why? Why didn't I see anything?"

"So touching…being afraid of telling the truth…being in one step, so near your son and still being unable to do anything. Such a sad picture. It's worth writing a story about, don't you think so, hokage?"

Arashi's fingers began to tremble so he put them behind his back. He must not to show any weakness…at all costs!

"I took the step you were so afraid of, Yondaime," Taki smiled and Arashi felt he's either fallen unconscious or must kill this person here and now. But he just stood in his tracks not knowing why.

"I told him I'm his father," Taki smiled. "Well, by the laws of our village it's the truth. After the death of parents the closest relative takes their place."

"No," Arashi's voice was full of anger, pain and despair at the same time.

"You are dead, hokage," Taki smiled. "You died 13 years ago with my beloved sister. The creature I see before me is just a shell to which I direct all my revenge. My son will become mizukage and forget you forever."

"I won't," Arashi finally fought with the weakness in his legs and took a step. "I won't let you!"

"Oh?" the black haired man laughed. "Maybe I should tell him the truth? How his father found the scroll which caused the death of his mother and imprisoned kyuubi in him?"

"You," Arashi took another step. "I'll kill you, I swear!"

The man finished laughing at the same moment he met with blue eyes with lightning inside. The games ended now.

"Don't make a promise you can't keep," his face radiated hate again. And he disappeared.

Arashi lost all his self control and ran to the fading mist which hid the remains of a jutsu. Slowly he picked up the orb and broke it with his bare hand. Perfect stone or not, it wasn't the thing Umi created. So it had its weaknesses.

Nami watched the scene soundlessly. She knew if she came any closer this moment will be the last moment of her life.

In the deafening silence the only sound was Arashi's heavy breathing. A minute passed, then another one and finally he straightened.

"They are already at the hidden mist," he said. His voice was without emotions, just a conclusion.

Nami wondered how much chakra it cost for him to keep himself that rigid.

"Arashi," he heard her hesitating voice. "I swear, I said nothing to Taki. I would never…"

"I know," he turned to her, his eyes sparkling too much under the rising moon. Was he suppressing tears? Nami didn't know.

"Will you help me?" he asked. "By doing this you will go against your mizukage. It's not a good idea."

"I will help," she came closer. "You are Naruto's father after all. Good or bad, but Umi would like him to be with his father, not Taki."

"Thanks," he nodded. "We need a plan. We must act quickly but with open minds. Taki is a dangerous opponent," he went along the shore, Nami following him.

"One more thing," he stopped for a moment. "From now on I act not as a shinobi of hidden leaf or hokage. Interfering in other village's business without the elder's authorization automatically leads to them declaiming me as a missing nin. It's a self-defense matter. We don't need another war. So you shouldn't tell anybody about my real occupation no matter what."

"You have my word," she nodded. "No one will ever know."

"That's good," he kept on going.

"How can you be so calm?" she asked, nervous, looking at his back and trying to understand what was on his mind.

"I know Naruto," Arashi answered sternly. "He isn't a person who would break in that situation. I believe in him, that he would be able to recognize where the truth is and where the lies are. Taki doesn't mean to hurt him. So all we have to do is to act cautiously and not make the situation much worse."

"I really would like to know your words are the truth," Nami sighed.

"I'd like to believe myself," Arashi muttered looking at the rising moon.

They walked into the mist and wandered along the empty streets of the village. The fog was everywhere so all Naruto could see was a pair of buildings and trees.

"It's already night," the man who called himself his father said. "So everybody is asleep. It's rather crowded during the day."

Naruto nodded hesitantly not knowing what to say.

"Did you leave a message for Yondaime?" he asked.

Taki's face became grim for a moment and then his smile returned.

"Of course, I did it," he said kneeling on the ground and correcting Naruto's clothes which had become ruffled during their trip. "You don't need to worry about that. Now we are family. I'm so glad to find you. You don't know how I felt when I learnt you were alive. I considered you dead for all these years."

"Where is my mother?" Naruto asked hesitating again.

The man's face became sad.

"She was killed many years ago," he said while correcting Naruto's clothes. The distant look reminded Naruto of Yondaime again. They - the fourth and the man who called himself his father – were alike in some ways…He examined the elder's face attentively and was surprised. Now he saw the features he saw in his mirror every day. The same eyes, form of face. So he hadn't lied. He really was his father.

Naruto shook his head. Something…wasn't right. It couldn't be that simple, all his shinobi instincts cried out inside him. To live for 13 years and then just find his family…

Taki looked at him and smiled again.

"You still don't believe me," he concluded softly.

"It's not…very easy," Naruto answered in a small voice.

Taki's hand ruffled his hair a little and he breathed out a little and smiled almost the same way Arashi used to do when he tried to reassure someone.

"That's ok," he nodded. "I understand, you need time. You are tired. Let's go to my house."

He stood up.

Naruto nodded and followed him. The feeling of uneasiness didn't disappear; it only became stronger after these words. He wanted to believe but he couldn't. Was it because he had already prepared himself to the idea that Yondaime could be his father? He didn't know.