Disclaimer:
Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto.
I own nothing but the original characters I create.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 40: Home?
Naruto looked around as they walked through the ninja district. It was much quieter compared to the civilian center. It was mostly apartment buildings, with a few shops here and there. Barely anyone was walking on the streets.
"Is this your first time here?" Ebisu asked him. He may not like this particular boy, but he was trying his best to be polite. After all, this was a personal request from the Hokage himself.
'At least, the rumors about his change of personality seem to be true.' The ninja was grateful for that. He had met Naruto a year ago, and it was not a pleasant encounter for him. The boy had been loud, obnoxious, and very rude.
"Yes, I never had a reason to come here before," said Naruto. Although he didn't even know there was a district just for ninjas.
"I see…" Ebisu pointed towards the next corner on their right. "If you take a turn there and walk for a bit, you will find a weapon shop called 'Ten Ten Ten'... ignore the strange name. They have more than just weapons. That includes a decent variety of clothes appropriate for a ninja." He made no comments on Naruto's current clothes, but he did stare at them for a few seconds.
Naruto noticed this. He was still wearing the simple brown kimono that was given to him by that villager at Wave. These were hardly appropriate clothes for a ninja, so he could understand the man's stare.
'Ten Ten Ten… I believe that one was in the notes the Hokage gave me.'
"Thank you for your advice. I will visit that shop today if I have the time."
"Ehm… you are welcome." Ebisu gave a nod of approval. He now wished to know the secret of Naruto's change of personality. It would be great if his disciple, Konohamaru, would change a bit too… but one can only hope.
They had arrived at the end of the street. Ahead of them was a metallic rail, and just a bit further was the Naka River that crossed the southern part of the village.
On the last corner, looking to their left, was a single house.
"Here we are," Ebisu stated, even though it was obvious since this was the only house here.
Naruto examined the building a bit closer. It didn't have any peculiar features that made it distinct from the other houses he had seen before. It was a small two-story house, made of wood with red tiles on the roof. The walls had been painted a very light yellow, while the door was a deep dark red color.
"We need to remove the seals before trying to open it," Ebisu reminded him of what the Hokage had mentioned.
"Right." He pulled the scroll out. "He gave me this…" The old man had mentioned some instructions, so he decided to open the scroll and start reading.
Ebisu watched patiently as Naruto read its contents.
"I think I got it…" Naruto said. "We just need to apply this part of the scroll on the main wall to remove the protections, right?" he asked, just in case.
The older ninja gave him a genuine smile for the first time.
"That is accurate, Mister Uzumaki." He pointed at the wall right next to the door. "That is the main wall. Just open the scroll completely and apply it against that wall. The seals will do the rest of the work."
Naruto did as he was told. The moment he placed the seal, it seemed to become stuck, and he had to move his hands away.
The writings on the scroll gained an intense glow before they burst into flames, and then he felt the ground shake for just a moment.
"It is done… the house is safe to open now," Ebisu confirmed to him.
Naruto pulled out the metallic key that had also been included inside the scroll. The door made a clicking noise and opened.
"Just out of curiosity, what would have happened if someone tried to enter without removing that seal?"
Ebisu seemed to consider it for a moment.
"I am no expert on fuuinjutsu, but the function of those types of seals is twofold: to protect the secrets inside the sealed area and to punish those who try to access them. In this case, I believe the reaction would have likely been some sort of explosion. That would accomplish both goals."
"Do many ninjas out there know who owned this house?" Naruto asked.
"I would assume that many knew about it, yes. But I doubt they would question your presence here," Ebisu said.
"Now, my mission here is completed. If there is nothing else you require, I will leave you to your personal business."
"Thank you for your assistance, Mister Ebisu." Naruto gave the man a polite bow and watched him leave before opening the door and walking inside.
He was welcomed by a musky smell. It was expected from a house that had not been opened in fifteen years.
The first thing he did was to open a few windows and turn on the lights so he could see what he was doing.
Other than the dust, the inside of the house had remained in perfect condition. It almost looked like someone had been living here until very recently.
He saw two sets of plates and glasses set up at the kitchen table, like they had been preparing for a meal before having to leave in a rush. There were pictures everywhere and personal items scattered around.
This had been a very cozy home at some point.
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