Chapter 13
The training they had undergone at boot camp was nothing compared to Kakashi's regime.
Almost all team drills were conducted in the Forest of Death, and individual workouts were personally supervised by Kakashi.
They took place in the main gym of the ANBU building, much larger than the dojo Keigo had seen.
The floor of the room was covered with mats for everyone to train on.
That day Kakashi had decided that his main victim would be Keigo himself.
His arms, legs and torso were festooned with weights, Kakashi in front of him with a target paddle to hit. He was telling Keigo combinations of kicks to use to hit the target which he moved to different heights.
Keigo had been training for two hours and the sweat pouring down his face wasn't helping his worsening mood.
In the last few weeks in the new team his activities revolved between training, sleeping and stakeouts in the hokage's office.
He was drained, they slept at the most disparate hours and by now he didn't even know what day of the week it was.
"Hey little ducky are you still here? I thought you'd give up at this point" a voice came to antagonize him.
ANBU Rat.
Now almost all the recruits had passed and joined a team. Rat was one of the last to make it and he didn't take it well.
Now all his frustrations were being directed at Keigo who was the youngest ANBU. Even with the mask it was clear he was still a boy.
Keigo tries to ignore him as best he can.
"Come on little duck nothing to say?"
Rat hadn't realized that a captain was also present otherwise he wouldn't have made that whole scene, he usually waited until they were alone or with some other recruit.
Keigo tried to keep his cool but with his already bad mood he wasn't succeeding.
He began his way towards the exit.
Too bad there was only one exit and on his way there was the one he was trying to avoid.
With his head down and his pace fast he passed Rat.
"Duckyyy" a hand shot out to grab Keigo's wrist to stop him.
At that point Keigo lost the grip he had on his anger, with a lightning move he turned and grabbed Rat by the shirt and pulled him down to his level.
"if you touch me one more time I'll fucking kill you"
Keigo's boiling chakra hit his instigator as he said this. His eyes which could now be seen through the holes in his mask were red.
At that point Keigo realized what was happening and with the red still tinting his vision he flew out of the gym and out of the ANBU building itself towards his usual hiding place.
He didn't notice he had a tail.
Kakashi knew what was happening the moment the killing intent Keigo emitted hit him. The same one he had felt on the night many years ago from the fox.
He saw Keigo running away and with a nod to Frog to deal with the obviously inadequate ANBU he followed him in silence.
Even though Keigo had never told him, Kakashi knew that ever since he was little he ran to Mount Hokage to hide, after all they shared a room and Keigo used to bring rocks home without realizing it.
He found him huddled between the spikes, his body rising and falling as he tried to take deep breaths to calm himself.
"It's becoming stronger and stronger and more and more part of me" obviously Keigo had already sensed him.
Smart little sensor he was.
"Every year I feel his chakra uniting more with mine, becoming a single mass" Keigo said looking up at him.
Kakashi almost took a step back. Two different eyes were staring at him, one the usual ocean blue and the other blood red.
"Will I become a monster, Kashi?" Keigo asked, almost begging for an answer.
Kakashi didn't know what to answer.
After the accident and the confession made, Kakashi decided to interrupt the period of intensive training and sent Keigo on his way home.
Evening had recently fallen on the village but the summer heat left no escape.
Keigo strolled through the streets in his ANBU tank top and duffle bag on his shoulder.
He could still see the red at the edge of his vision.
His own thoughts were fighting, on the one hand he was scared of the power he kept trapped in his body and which exacerbated his anger. On the other hand every time the red took control it was always to his advantage, he managed to save Naruto and scared his bully.
Soon he found himself in the entrance corridor. No light could be seen from under the door, Naruto was probably already sleeping and his father had run off to finish some paperwork in the office.
He didn't mind, no one knew he was coming home.
The bag was abandoned next to his sandals as he sleepily headed towards the stairs that led to his room.
He hadn't bothered to turn on the lights so when he glimpsed a dark lump on the last step he was taken aback.
A dark snoring lump.
Chuckling to himself Keigo lifted his sleeping little brother into his arms.
"Bubba came home" Naruto murmured as he began to wake up.
"Mmm, and why were you sleeping on the stairs?" Keigo asked back.
"I was waiting for you"
Keigo melted at those words.
"Alright, go back to sleep now" he ordered.
Keigo lay down on the futon with the kid still in his arms.
Naruto who was now lying on his chest had wrapped his legs around his waist, his small fists gripping the fabric of his tank top and his face pressed into the crook of his neck. His cold little nose nuzzled against his skin and Keigo felt it wrinkle every time Naruto inhaled.
Keigo fell asleep surrounded by the warmth of his little brother's love.
The next morning when his older brother's presence was truly realized by Naruto, Keigo no longer had any personal space.
Naruto had made it a personal challenge to stay as close to him as possible, from resting on his lap to piggyback rides to hugging his legs while he prepared food.
The following months passed in normality, mission after mission and a few trips around the village to be seen.
Keigo had to keep up appearances, being the hokage's son he couldn't just disappear into thin air.
Just before Christmas a new objective was assigned to the team Ro. They wouldn't be back in time to celebrate, so Keigo decided to give Naruto his gift early.
The little boy was happily unwrapping it when he pulled out a pair of green goggles. With stars in his eyes he placed them on his head before lunging towards Keigo.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you" he shouted in Keigo's ear.
"I couldn't leave a little ninja in training without his headband right?" Keigo laughed. "Now jammies and bed if you want me to tuck you in"
The sound of feet running up the stairs was his only response.
Naruto was already waiting for him in bed when he arrived in the room. He crouched next to him and stroked the blond hair peeking out from his sleeping hat.
"Can you tell me a story?" was the only request from the little boy.
And Keigo did, he told him about the village the Uzumaki came from, about the sea and its beauties, stories that their mother once told a little Keigo before going to bed.
Stories that Keigo now passes down to his little brother in honor of their mother.
Once Naruto is asleep Keigo heads to his room to get ready. He puts on the gray armor over his clothes, takes the heavy traveling cloak and the mask.
Duck and Team Ro leave under the cover of night.