The day was bright, Raito sat guard over a construction site as hundreds of Naruto clones assisted in tasks. He was above one of the crane's constantly transporting stuff from the pile of materials to the actual worksite. The real Naruto was right next to him, proudly wearing his chunin vest.
Technically they were on an A-rank mission. It was specifically because the person who owned the company was there overseeing his company's work. The man was known and hated by criminal gangs for refusing to sell his contractors to them.
Over the last month, Raito had seen Mitsuro. Not in reality but in his nightmares, she'd begun to haunt his dreams. Warmth, there was so much warmth. Then the warmth always turned to flame, and then the flame, the flame caused him to relive it. That horrifying memory of blood on his hands. Raito had gotten very little sleep, trying to avoid those dreams and so had stayed training every night until early morning. Where he would be forcibly put to sleep by his body, and skip any dream sleep. It did not help with his eyebags though.
Naruto saw this and decided this was not only the perfect time but the best chance they might have to talk freely for a while.
"What happened on that date? You've had eyebags ever since."
Raito sighed, he knew this conversation was coming.
"I told her about something that happened a long time ago. It reminded me just why I don't talk about me."
"What happened?"
Raito looked at Naruto, and Naruto could see the pain. It was the pain of loneliness, the same tiredness that had plagued Gaara. This was the pain of someone in a constant struggle within himself.
"I killed my younger brother, when I was four… I tell myself it was not on purpose," Raito paused, "But truth be told, I have no memory besides me killing him. I don't know what happened before nor what happened after."
Naruto nodded and replied, "I don't think you did it on purpose. Even if you did, you were a kid, and I know you regret it. You can't let that drag you down. You can't let one death define you're disposition so easily… I don't mean to trivialize the regret or tragedy… I just think that you ought to stop being afraid…"
Raito replied, "I agree… Naruto, do you feel warmth..?"
"Of course! I especially feel warm when I'm with my friends and especially Hinata-chan. I think it's because I love you guys… I told Gaara that. I told him that my friends matter so much I will gladly kill for them."
Raito could feel a warmth within him growing. However it was then their conversation was interrupted. For below it seemed some black clad men were coming towards the owner, who was at the edge of the hole for the building.
Naruto jumped off the crater and Raito disappeared in a blur of speed. He appeared, dragging a line in the concrete. Naruto appeared not soon after him.
Raito spoke, "Who are you?"
One of the men spoke and said, "Get out the way brats. We've got no business with Konoha ninja, especially genin like you."
Raito started, "I ain't Konoha-"
Naruto finished appearing next to him, "-and we aren't genin."
One of the men, a man with slick back hair, narrowed his eyes. He'd seen the white haired before, but he was trying to remember from where.
The front man stepped over the line Raito had drawn with his arrival. Raito's hand blurred through the air landing a kunai dead center in the brain.
"Our mission is to protect Mr. Sakazuki. We will not fail this mission."
Naruto added, "Step over the line and prepare to die."
The men did not care but one man stepped forward to stop them. He was strange and Raito immediately recognized him as a Samurai from the icy lands of Iron. This man was a long way from home. He looked older, but still extremely capable. Brown but faded hair flowed down the man's back and his eyes were trained. The man flew over the line, thinking he could blitz Naruto. Naruto jumped out of the way with ease. Training with Raito had paid its dividends in his speed.
Naruto then stood in Lee's stance before rushing the samurai. The samurai dodged the initial kick and blocked the kunai with his sword. Then Naruto swept the man's legs. The samurai jumped over the sweep, and tried to surprise attack Raito.
Raito realizing Naruto hadn't had a fight in a while, decided to simply dodge and push the man towards his friend. The other men took this as their chance. Raito's eye's pinwheeled, and for the first time, his Hikarigan had shape. They morphed into pinwheel shape with only two pins and turned his iris yellow.