Chapter 6
A small hand was hitting his face repeatedly.
A wet small hand.
Keigo opened his eyes and was met with the gummy smile of his little brother, unfortunately, a string of drool connected Naruto's mouth to the hand that was hitting him.
As quickly but gently as possible Keigo lifted his little brother and placed him next to him on the futon. The blanket was used as a makeshift towel to try to wipe the drool off his face as he moved into a sitting position.
His body protested at the movement, his arms and back were stiff, and he was painted with bruises.
Memories of the previous evening's events returned to the surface and Keigo couldn't help but shiver.
The unprovoked malice of the crowd, the fear he had had for Naruto, and the sense of uselessness he had felt struck Keigo.
Bringing the child in his arms he curled up around him and burst into tears.
He cried for what seemed like hours.
In the end he didn't even know what or who he was crying for. The only reassurance was the warm little body snuggling into him and the familiar chakra he emitted.
Speaking of chakra emitted another source was quickly approaching from downstairs
.
Ever since he was little, Keigo had had a talent for using water element jutsu, he could manipulate water without hands signs and could use water particles in the air to sense the chakra of those around him.
He could be called a sensor.
His mother was like a moist warmth, like the steam of the onsen, Naruto takes after her only that his warmth is drier like the hot wind that blows in the summer. Obito is like a fire, what everyone calls Konoha's will to fire and Kakashi is pure static energy.
The person who was now climbing the stairs could be described as the air before a storm, dry but charged with electricity. His father.
Once the door of the room was opened Minato was welcomed by the red and crying face of his eldest son. He was reassured to see Keigo awake and active but it broke his heart for everything he had been through.
Keigo was picked up by his father, who was now sitting next to him, and made to sit on his lap. They were face to face.
A large, work-hardened hand was smoothing his unruly hair, pushing it away from his forehead.
Minato had a soft face, the same one he always have when he look at his eldest, his first baby, and Keigo was melting in his father's hold, taken by the care he hadn't had for a long time before his mother died.
"After yesterday, additional precautions will be taken to ensure your and Naruto's protection" Minato still had a soft tone when he spoke. "Naruto will have an Anbu guard at all times, but you are an active shinobi and it would be difficult to have them follow you in case of missions outside the village"
His father's tone while remaining sweet took on a cautious note as he reported his decisions to Keigo.
"I placed the Anbu seal on your arm, so with a single chakra pulse you can call for reinforcements"
"I will never be an Anbu" Keigo almost screamed in anger.
He had always had mixed opinions about the faceless shadows of Konoha. It was an honor to protect the hokage and the village at that level but Keigo didn't want to be a mask. His entire life he had always been the heir of the Uzumaki clan or the son of the hokage, never just Keigo. That's why he didn't want to be just another shadow.
The red swirly tattoo was mocking him from his left shoulder.
"You're not an Anbu, bubba, it's just a way to make sure you can get reinforcements at all times" his father reassured him.
To help himself calm down Keigo had placed his cheek against his dad's chest and was listening to his heartbeat.
Calm and steady.
Minato's arms rested loosely against his back, the weight was soothing.
"And from tomorrow you'll be part of a team" the other shoe was dropped.
The day he would meet with his team had arrived.
It would have been an uncommon team composed of only three members instead of the usual four.
Nara Shikaku, jounin sensei, also captain of the jounins.
A little weird if you ask Keigo.
Next, Tenzou, no surname, chunin, a mokuton user, thirteen years old. Keigo thought he was weird too.
And finally the fantastic Keigo Uzumaki-Namikaze, chunin, ten years old and jinchuriki of the nine tails. Nice lad if you ask.
Keigo had spent the previous week sneaking into the archives to look up information on his teammates.
Ever since he graduated three years ago he had been something of a free spirit, too good to stay genin for more than a month but too young to go to the front lines. Never had a team. Everything he learned was either taught to him by the old team seven where his father was the sensei or was self-taught.
He was a little anxious.
That morning he had prepared with his usual equipment. Light blue t-shirt with the Uzumaki symbol on the back, black shorts with a leg pouch for fuinjutsu targets, sandals, a waist pouch for his father's special kunai, and hitai-ate strapped to his arm. red hair sticking out in every direction and a matching tattoo peeking out from his sleeve.
The run to training camp two was quite long because he had to cross the entire village to get closer to the eastern border and the Nara compound.
Keigo didn't mind too much because he could see the results of his revenge towards his father's decisions throughout the trip.
That week, in addition to looking for information that he shouldn't have, Keigo decided that the faces of Mount Hokage needed a modernization. Blue and orange paint stood out on the stone, adorning the portraits of mustaches, hats and writings.
One night and twelve cans of paint had brought him pride. Everyone in the village knew who had done it but no one could prove it so apart from disapproving faces from his father he received no punishment.
He was a little late compared to the scheduled time, so when he arrived they were both already there waiting for him. Shikaku-sensei was lying down and pretending to sleep while Tenzou was just standing there doing nothing.
Weirdos, Keigo thought.
"Wassup" he greeted as he stopped at the center of the field.
His sudden appearance must have frightened Tenzou who reflexively sent his wooden constructions towards him at full speed. Keigo used a hirashin to escape and land on the branch of the tree his sensei was lying under.
"I swear this time it's not my fault"
Keigo quickly said with an innocent face to Shikaku-sensei who was now watching him from his place lying under the branch he was perched on.
"This is gonna be such a drag, isn't it?"