Scroll 7

A hand gripped onto the ledge of the mountain side overlooking a serene valley. The silver-haired Nin stubbornly struggled up the mountain with a hand tied behind his back. He was mentally scolding himself for allowing himself to have gone weak and soft. He knew that he had performed this same rock-climbing exercise several times in the past without issue. Of course, he was also completely ignoring the fact that he would normally have time to heal, recover, and re-build his strength. Time which, unfortunately, he did not have. There was not enough time to get his body back to peak condition, especially with the threat of Orochimaru lurking in the shadows.

Kakashi hooked his foot against another ledge when the rock suddenly gave away. Losing his footing, the Jounin tightened his grip to prevent himself from falling to his death. Secured that he was not immediately at Death's door, the Konoha Nin calmed his beating heart; closing his eyes and took a deep breath. He called on the last of his reserves then with one mighty pull, he flipped himself upward and catching another ledge: this time closer to the mountain top. He stilled as he sensed the presence of another nearby. Casually looking up, Kakashi saw the dark silhouette of the Uchiha Heir.

~o.O.o~

Sitting on a bench outlining the inner courtyard of a garden within Konoha General Hospital, a pair of young women were at a lost of what to do next. The young man they wanted to visit had left the hospital against medical advisement and without a word of goodbye.

"Where would Sasuke have gone…?" Ino asked while her pinkette companion sighed.

The pinkette was worried about her raven-haired teammate, but not for the same reasons as the blonde. Sakura remembered their attacker's taunting words that Sasuke would seek him out in the end. It terrified her that the Uchiha Heir would do just that. It took a lot of time and self-reflection, but she saw the signs. She saw how angry and embittered Sasuke was. She saw how the dark-haired Genin barely tolerated her presence, and the barely contained sneer he had for their sensei when Sasuke thought no one was looking. She also saw that the only person Sasuke seem to tolerate was Naruto, but there was something about Sasuke's preference for her little brother that seemed to raise a lot of red flags in her mind. She just did not know what nor why. She could not put her finger on it…

"STOP!" An angry shout startled both Sakura but Ino from their thoughts, "What do you think you're doing?"

Both girls turned around and saw Rock Lee attempting to do a single-arm push-up while a nurse helplessly watched.

"Lee! Please…" The nurse cried, "Stop! You're in no condition to…"

"Please be quiet and leave me alone!" Lee snapped.

All three women immediately became alarmed. This was not Lee. This was not the ridiculously happy Genin, who gave himself harebrained tasks and even more crackpot forms of punishments for not completing said tasks. This was not the young man, who faced adversity with a blinding smile – sometimes literally – and unyielding determination. Sakura chanced a glance at Ino, who watched the teen with unconcealed pity. It was then she remembered what the blonde had told her earlier that day; that Lee's injuries were so extensive that he would never be a shinobi again.

Suddenly, Lee's body began to tremble and shake when an ominous crack echoed throughout the courtyard. Lee collapsed with a grunt.

"LEE!" The nurse cried as she gently turned the unresponsive teen onto his back. "You! Go get a stretcher!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Ino answered as she and Sakura ran to get the stretcher.

"Hey, Ino…" Sakura whispered, "Why do boys always push themselves too far…?"

Ino bit her lip.

"How would I know…?" Her tone was filled with understanding, "I'm a girl, too, you know…"

~o.O.o~

A gentle breeze and the soft sound of curtains fluttering in said breeze roused the young dark-haired Genin. A moment of confusion clouded Lee's mind as he slowly realized that he was back in his room. He felt his mouth was dry. He turned his attention to the nightstand, where he knew a glass of water would be available. Thinking about the glass of water, the young teen mentally winced at how poorly he treated his nurse, who also happen to be his cousin. He knew that he would be profusely apologizing for his horrid behavior when he saw her again.

While he was thinking of the best way to apologize to his cousin, he finally noticed a single daffodil in a vase. "I wonder… who…?"

~o.O.o~

Hiruzen nervously chewed on the bit of his pipe as he thought over his conversation with his former student; not sure how he felt about Jiraiya taking Naruto out of the village, especially with Orochimaru hiding in the shadows. Of course, he really did not know how he felt about the reason for taking Naruto out of the village. Like Jiraiya, Hiruzen had thought the young blonde would follow in the Yondaime's footsteps in signing the Toad Contract and yet both Naruto and Gama, the Toad Summons, insisted that the Toad Contract was NOT for the young Genin. When Hiruzen asked what Contract was for Yondaime's Legacy, Jiraiya immediately shifted; a nervous habit that surfaced when the Toad Sennin was truly agitated.

"Trust me, Sensei," He had said, "You don't want to know."

Unfortunately, he did want to know and knew exactly whom he should ask. With a plan in mind, he informed his secretary that he was retiring for the night. Returning to his quarters, Hiruzen took a few moments to greet his house servants and enjoyed the simple dinner his cook prepared. Ever since his wife had passed away nearly a decade ago, Hiruzen could never justify to himself having a grand meal.

"Will there be anything else, Hokage-sama?" One of his servants asked.

"No, thank you." The elder shinobi replied, "I will be in the Summoning Chambers for the rest of the evening. I do not wish to be disturbed."

"Of course, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen walked toward his family's Summoning Chambers. Although calling it a 'chamber' was really misleading for it truly was an elaborate and yet simple garden. It consisted of small hills; medium to large granite boulders; large bonsai trees – meticulously trimmed; small to medium sized pagodas; and several patches of lights and dark sand in the traditional Konoha swirls. A stone path led to an open gazebo that was surrounded by a little creek, which fed into a koi pond.

Hiruzen quietly walked into the gazebo then seated in one of several zaisu that surrounded a kotatsu. In the center of the kotatsu was a Go board with two bowls filled with Go stones. Placing the bowl filled with white Go stones opposite of himself, Hiruzen studied the clean board before placing his black piece on the board, initiating the game, and just simply waited. After a while, he drew his eyes away from the board as he tended to his pipe. Cleaning out the old tobacco and packing a fresh patch of tobacco, Hiruzen took a deep breath of the addictive nicotine; slowly blowing out smoke from his mouth and feeling his body relax when he suddenly heard the familiar sound of a Go stone being placed on the board.

Looking across from him, he was surprised to see Son Goku, King Enma's Lieutenant.

"Long time, no see, kiddo." Son Goku greeted with a wide grin.

Hiruzen felt his face burn in embarrassment at being called 'kiddo'.

"Yes, it has, Son Goku."

Son Goku smiled even brighter while his golden eyes glittered in amusement. The golden-haired monkey Summons hunkered down on the balls of his feet as he stared at the board.

Hiruzen just looked at the Summons and realized it truly had been a long time since he last saw and spoke with Son Goku; perhaps not since the First Shinobi World War. And if he recalled correctly, even then Son Goku wore the same crimson red and gold outfit as he wore now.

"Ya know, word has spread." Son Goku said, breaking Hiruzen's mental woolgathering.

"Oh? What 'word'?"

Son Goku smiled again but this time there was a feral quality to it. Quickly reminding Hiruzen that despite his jovial disposition, Son Goku was King Enma's Lieutenant for a reason.

"A Child of Kami has been found."

The Hokage froze in terror.

"Are you certain?"

Son Goku's smile revealed more teeth than necessary.

"Oh, yes, we are most certain, and we are most pleased."

"I see."

"Hmm… no, I do not think you do."

All pretense of playing Go had long been forgotten as Hiruzen found himself feeling much like a mouse caught by a cat.

"You will allow Gama's Human to take the Child out of the village to retrieve a Contract. You will do nothing to impede in the Child's well-being… which should not be too much of a hardship after all, you've neglected the Child thus far." Son Goku's soft golden orbs became hard as true gold. Hiruzen nearly choked on his smoke upon realizing who the Child of Kami was.

"Naruto!" Hiruzen whispered in absolute horror.

"Did you not ever wonder on how the child survived housing a Youkai of the Fox's caliber without losing his mind and soul?"

When Hiruzen did not answer, Son Goku's nose twitched before he let out a humorless laugh.

"Of course not." Son Goku stated, "You probably think it was some clever jutsu that your Yellow Flash created… perhaps that is true, perhaps not… whatever the truth may be, the heart of the matter is this: the Yang of the Hoshi calms the Yin of the Youkai."

Hiruzen was beginning to wish he had listened to his former student's warning of remaining ignorant about this. He could not believe that the Yondaime had come across a Child of Kami and had a child with her. More to the fact that the Yondaime could have kept it a secret from him and the Council. While Hiruzen might not share the Council's same "kill-on-sight" instinct when it came to the Children of Kami, Hiruzen just preferred to think the Children of Kami did not exist.

"Jiraiya will have no difficulties from me in taking Naruto out of the village to retrieve this Contract." Hiruzen offered since he knew that the Council would probably prevent the Toad Sennin from doing so; thus, absolving him from failing to head the Summon's command.

Son Goku smiled again. Hiruzen knew that King Enma's Lieutenant was aware of his thoughts.

"Perhaps I should put this in a way that even your silly Council will understand." Son Goku began, "Did you know that before the Purge of Kami's Children, there were over a hundred Contracts among the Five Lands."

"I… I did not know that." Hiruzen replied, a sense of dread immediately settled in the pit of his stomach.

"Now, thanks to the Purge, only thirty-two Contracts continue to exist and be honored. Konohagakure holds most of the Contracts followed by Amegakure. So, here's food for thought: what do you think will happen to all of Konoha's Contracts should you and your Council prevent the Child from leaving to collect this new Contract?"

Hiruzen's eyes grew wide at the implication. One of the reasons why Konoha was so formidable was because they could proudly claim to hold thirteen Summons Contract. If all 13 Contracts ceased to be honored, then Konoha's might and reputation would be crippled, and the village would be in ruins.

"Now, do we have an understanding, Sandaime Hokage?" Son Goku purred before disappearing.

"Well… fuck…" Another voice startled Hiruzen, causing him to overturn the kotatsu and stare at his son, Asuma.

Hiruzen did not know if he should be relieved or angered that his request not to be disturbed was ignored.

Asuma just arched a brow as he casually pulled a drag from his cigarette while leaning against a support beam of the gazebo.

"How long have you been there?" Hiruzen questioned.

"Long enough to know that Minato would not hesitate to purge all of Konoha of any threat to his son." Asuma replied, blowing a ring of smoke into the air then continued, "And frankly, I'd be right there helpin' him."

Hiruzen closed his eyes as he acknowledged the unspoken reprimand. The old argument that drove father and son apart and sending said son to join the Twelve Guardian Shinobi for a time, resurfaced in his memories.

"Well, Father, what are you going to do? What's right? Or what's easy?"