"Life flies by in an instant,
we live as if drafting a rough copy,
not grasping in scandalous hustle,
that our life is just a single moment."
Lyudmila Bugrova ©
April 5, 1056
"To Ichiraku... or not? That's the question," I debated myself, admiring the surroundings. After the test, my feet headed home automatically. My body was sweaty, but not from Kakashi's test—from the merciless heat. Fluffy clouds failed defense, sun rays breached. Situation forced cleanup, which I wanted; clothes still clean enough. Hate dirty or "out the ass" clothes. But gotta. Gotta get used to dirty clothes, sweaty body, empty stomach, constant pain. That's our job. My price for life. Enough whining. I'm a shinobi now, after all. Better think ramen. Celebrate, so evening—pick up Sasuke, to Ichiraku.
Walking home down main street, market crowd bargained. Daily bustle tempted tasty buys, but I ignored hunger. Lunch waits home—no cheating.
Sensory pulled me from dreams: friend in gloomy alley. Feel his chakra auto; others filtered unless focused.
Turning ninety degrees, headed to him, prepping words. Yeah, my fault—not warning. Could skip justifying, but he's dear. No desire to fight or ruin relations. Easier to say.
Crowd noise didn't reach; kinda gloomy. Smell unpleasant but tolerable. Stopped, peering into dark alley, suddenly felt Sasuke's chakra behind. Shunshin? He stood very close, breathing down my neck like death...
"Maybe explain? Why Naruto?" familiar baritone broke silence, soft but demanding. No intent to lie, so half-truth:
"Without Naruto, we wouldn't pass. Teams are four including sensei. He fails—we fail," I enlightened. Silence hung seconds. "Also, can I ask something?" turning, whispered. Didn't want to ruin moment. So close, felt breaths.
"Anything," he whispered back.
"Don't fight him, please. Want us a close team," his face said he didn't get it.
"What do you think of Naruto?" He narrowed eyes; for a sec, seemed jealous. Of Naruto? Pfft... Naruto's cool guy, but not my flight. Great friend, best.
"Well... good friend, fun weirdo..." gauged reaction to next: "Someday... he'll be a truly strong ninja who changes the world. I believe you both will be legendary shinobi. I believe in you..." No—know. 100%. Must be. His eyes widened with each word, then closed:
"You said no dream, but I know that's not true," Sasuke switched topics sharply, making me think. Dream? Yes, but not now.
"I dream of peaceful life. Just breathe. Just love. Just enjoy each moment. But my goal's dream's opposite," Can't live peacefully knowing dear ones die soon. Can't... Can't breathe if they die because of me. My weakness. Must get stronger at all costs!
"Why chase what kills dreams?" logical question from friend. But he doesn't know tiny detail: my goal decides shinobi world fate. Can't put dreams above others. Responsibility for friends' lives—and whole Earth. Could spill future, but tell folks they're manga characters? War facts unsubstantiated. Straight to psych ward (or Ibiki).
"If I fail goal, dream dies unseen," He opened mouth to ask, but...
"Sasuke-kun?.." familiar squeaky voice. Turning, we were stunned—a whole gang of his fangirls. Spotting me, faces twisted angrily. Sure, in imagination, they'd quartered me already, or worse.
"Leg it..." Without thinking, we bolted. Could shunshin, but Sasuke tired; can't carry others yet. Should learn, but first—possible?
Ran long, shook them. Poor guy, no peace. Stopping to catch breath, said I'd pick him evening. Luckily, he forgot what he wanted (maybe talk). Glad interrupted. Scared where it'd lead. He doesn't need my goal. Hope never knows. Me? Need think hard, accept responsibility, plan future. Playtime over, like Academy. Serious missions soon. Know perfect spot.
Kakashi's Pov
Got an interesting team. First to pass test and grasp meaning. That's why I like: first, files exaggerated. Sasuke not arrogant egoist. Girl not fangirling after him, Naruto not total idiot. Second, close team, worthy generation surpassing past. Individually, huge potential:
Sasuke Uchiha. All like brother. Might surpass. Great ninjutsu/taijutsu, Sharingan he uses well. Strong genjutsu. Beyond Academy grad. Heard Minato offered early grad years ago—he refused. Odd.
Naruto's dream like my late best friend's war death. Chakra like bijuu—maybe more than mine. Control awful. Long road to dream. At odds with Sasuke, but with Ariza? Great, listens/hears her—more.
Last—Ariza Saito. Turns out I knew. Girl I trained eight years ago at Minato-sensei's request. Orphaned to orphanage. Fourth thought right send to Academy—Uzumaki genes. If remembered name pre-Academy, different impression. Seemed smart for five then.
File: theory excellent, practice weak, relations like other girls—disliked Naruto, head over heels for Sasuke.
File lies. Almost reverse. Cares for Naruto as friend, doesn't chase Sasuke. Reverse—Uchiha smitten, yesterday on slope obvious. She neutral-positive to him.
As for strength, things are still more complicated here—the speed, taijutsu, and ninjutsu are way above the Academy's level, and she was clearly holding back.
I decided that this dossier had clearly been put together through the roof hatch, and headed to the residence to report it to the teacher. Originally, I had planned to go to the cemetery, but apparently I'd have to put that off.
"Oh, Kakashi, how did the test go?" Minato-sensei asked immediately upon seeing me in the doorway.
"Mmm..." I scratched the back of my head and walked over to the desk. "They passed. But the thing is, their dossiers are wrong," I said, handing over the papers. Sensei took them unhurriedly and began to read. A few seconds later, he smiled faintly and set them aside.
"I gave you the wrong dossier—or rather, the one compiled by the sensei and that's official," he said with a slight smile, looking mysteriously out the window.
"Is there another one?" I asked in surprise.
"Yes, two dossiers are compiled on Ariza Saito," he nodded calmly.
"Can I see the second one?"
"No, it's classified," he shook his head, and I frowned, looking at sensei in confusion. I wanted to ask: "What's wrong with her that a second dossier is compiled separately from everyone else's and has such a secretive nature?" But I thought that would be tactless.
"Were these dossiers compiled by ANBU members?" I clarified, and Hokage-sama nodded slightly. "Hm..."
*What's his goal in telling me this?* flashed through my mind.
"You'll find out soon enough yourself, so go on. Tomorrow I'll give you your first mission."
"Right!" I nodded and vanished in a shunshin a moment later.
End of POV Kakashi
After the cemetery, I stopped by home to eat and take a bath. The conversation with sensei kept replaying in my head. I don't know how we ended up crossing paths there. But it made an impression on me—it's been a long time since I've felt emotions like sadness.
I often go to the cemetery to think. But this time, my thoughts weren't about the meaning of life—they were ideas for new techniques.
The first idea: creating clones without seals. It's a high-rank technique, but it doesn't require peak concentration to create. Still, everyone keeps using seals. If I can make them without drawing the enemy's attention to the seals, I can catch them off guard.
Experienced shinobi minimize the number of seals to speed up technique activation. Creating a technique without seals requires the highest level of chakra control.
Sasuke was extending Chidori through the Kusanagi Sword without any seals at all, even though it's an extremely powerful and complex technique.
*Hm, that's a good idea,* crossed my mind, and I noted to experiment with it on a fireball. Maybe start with tekko-kagi, then move on to my hand.
*I'll become a Jedi!* flashed through my head, and I smiled, shaking my head. *With my chakra control, I'm more like a Padawan right now. I need to try creating a clone without a seal first,* I concluded. Gathering myself, I headed out for a four-hour training session.
*And what was I expecting?* I slapped my forehead. After several hours of attempts, I hadn't achieved a damn thing. No matter how much chakra I poured in or how much I meditated, without a seal, there was no cloud. But that's no reason to back down, so next time I'll approach it from another angle. For now, off to Sasuke.
I wanted to take Naruto along too, but he and his father had moved to a new house, and Uzumaki hadn't had time to share the new address yet.
*We'll celebrate without him today, and with him later. No big deal,* I reassured myself.
As Mikoto-san had said, the younger Uchiha was at the clan training ground. It's a small training area behind the main house. Lots of trees and bushes, with a small lake in the middle where they usually teach clan techniques. The whole ground is surrounded by a wooden fence, like a backyard. I'd trained there only three times, when Itachi decided to train Sasuke and invited me along. Otherwise, we mostly hung out at the eighth training ground. Overall, Itachi and I got along great. Pretty boy—not surprising girls chased him too. He knows I'm a bit stronger, but we asked him not to tell anyone.
I looked around and spotted Sasuke. He was sitting on the grass, drinking something. His training must've just ended. With one leap, I covered the distance and landed behind him. My friend noticed but didn't budge.
"Hey," I said, ruffling his hair with a smile. Damn, he's such a cutie. "Wanna hit Ichiraku?"
"Again?" After several vigorous attempts to fix his hair, the "duck butt" was back in place. Adopting a serious expression (which he could barely hold), he stood up.
"Yep."
Approaching our favorite ramen stand, we caught the aroma of ramen. Looks like there were already customers. It's a small joint with just two cooks. But they cook like gods. Even a few hundred meters away, I sensed we'd have company for the celebration. Naruto was already there, as if he'd heard my mental invitation to celebrate graduation at Ichiraku.
Sasuke and I walked in, and I plopped down next to Naruto.
"Oh, hey!" He greeted me with his usual smile, the kind that always calmed me down. It's nice being around people like that. Nice sitting here with someone, chatting about stuff.
We used to do this with Sasuke. After grueling training, we'd come here to unwind and have fun. We'd share funny stories, joke around, talk about everything: homework, new techniques, future plans. This place had carved itself into my heart like a paradise corner tied to childhood. Here, in this small cozy house, you feel warmth not just in body, but soul. It's a piece you can't take away.
"Hey, Naruto," I smiled back, noticing Sasuke's very strange look. But I couldn't figure out what it meant. "Hello, Teuchi-san. Two large bowls of ramen with fried pork for me."
"Coming right up, Ariza-chan," nice that they remember your name at your favorite spot. Seems trivial, but it's pleasant. The old man smiled warmly and turned to the Uchiha. "And for you, Sasuke-kun?"
"One small bowl for me," he said, and we waited in anticipation. But Naruto hated silence, so even a mouth full of ramen wasn't a barrier:
"Mmf, now wmf mmf... on the same team, dattebayo!"
"Totally agree. Now we've got months of earning on D-rank missions ahead," and that doesn't thrill me. Gotta pay for the mansion now, and low-paying missions won't cut it.
"What do you mean, D-rank?" asked the clueless Naruto. "We're gonna save princesses and guard the Daimyo, right?"
"Of course we are—no one else for it!"
"Awesome! Can't wait!" Naruto replied to Sasuke's sarcasm, seemingly believing it.
"Actually, we'll be weeding gardens and scrubbing stuff," I informed my friend, who started glaring at the brunette. "They won't give us tough missions right away."
"Hey! I'm gonna be Hokage, so I need tough missions!" Uzumaki jumped up, then sat back down. Our ramen bowls arrived, and we started eating peacefully.
"Don't sweat it—we'll save the world soon enough," I teased lightly, but as they say, every joke has a grain of truth. "By the way, wanna come up with call signs?" I changed the subject.
"Good idea," the Uchiha supported.
"Then you're Teme," the jinchuriki said loudly, half-standing and jabbing a finger at Sasuke. My gray matter bubbled up, trying to recall where I'd heard that word. Somewhere, but I couldn't place it.
"And you're Dobe!" They grabbed each other by the collars, and I decided to stop the atomic war between these spirit brothers.
"So who am I?"
"You're... Ari," Sasuke beat Naruto to it.
"Ehh, no!" the blond protested.
"How then?" He opened his mouth at my question, then sat back down. The thoughtful look didn't suit him.
"Got it! You're Ari," Sasuke facepalmed at Naruto's joke, and I just laughed. With him around, I'll recharge my emotions quick.
"Fine..." I smiled, remembering where I'd heard it. "Dobe" means "idiot," "worst," something like that. Teme—"bastard," "jerk," but not really an insult. They don't mean harm. And mine seems like a diminutive-affectionate. Yeah. Not call signs—nicknames.
We had a great chat and headed home. Well, almost. More precisely, Sasuke's following me. Does he think I'll try yesterday's "attempt" again?
Staring straight ahead, I slowed. It was already dark out, with only night lanterns lighting my path. Lights were out in many windows. The world had gone to sleep, broken only by some drunk shinobi.
Yeah, many ignore the three rules: alcohol, money, women. And they ruin ninja careers. None apply to me. I don't drink and won't. Though maybe someday I'll try sake vs. champagne or wine. I know my limit with money. Women? Nothing to say. My vice is tasty food (preferably lots). Local fast food's caloric, but with my training, no chance of gaining a gram (how'd I not gain in my past life?).
*Hm, perfect night for stargazing,* I thought, lifting my head to the brightest star in the sky. The lanterns made it hard to see the night sky's lights, but that one shone through. I've admired it for eight years, but only recently learned about it fully. Okay, star thoughts later—Teme'll turn to stone:
"Come out. I spotted you."
"So that's how it is," Sasuke appeared beside me, and we walked on. "Your radius increased."
"Good catch," I nodded at his guess. My hands got cold, and copying Sasuke, I shoved them in my pockets. "Something you wanna ask?"
"Hm... what did you mean by 'we'll save the world soon enough'?" He remembered. Fine. Nothing bad about it. Really, I knew he said it to change the subject. And why he's tailing me, I know (wants to walk me home).
"Not important," I tried steering the conversation, but no dice.
"Just curious," insisted the guy with cosmic eyes. Naruto's eyes are like a clear day sky; Sasuke's, a cloudless night.
"On the path to the stars, we'll face tons of obstacles and the biggest mousetrap," do mice in nature invent mousetraps? Why'd I tell him? No clue. Slipped out.
"Mousetrap? What does that mean?" He stopped; I walked ahead a bit and replied without turning:
"You'll figure it out..." And so he wouldn't hear, I whispered: "...when the time comes..."
"Sometimes I feel like you know everything in advance," sigh, Sasuke—if only you knew you hit the bullseye. Gotta be more careful talking to him. Or I'll blurt something extra. Never learned in either life: think first, then speak and act. Otherwise, things would've gone differently.
"You're just imagining..." To end questions, I "vanished." Figuratively, of course—just shunshin. Situation too heated; to avoid spilling, I bolted. Not the nicest, I know.
But he was closer to the truth than ever.
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: Granulan