8 A Leaf Holding Dreams

It was night with dark, stormy and depressing clouds on the sky. The clouds parted a little and the light of the full moon sifted through them illuminating the earth. The moonlight had a red, bloody sheen on it. The earth was bathed in blood of the corpses that were lying on the ground. There were weapons, tools, various other objects scattered across the ground. The earth was razed with devastation with signs of battles and wars everywhere as far as one could see. On the center of the battlefield, on a small mountain of dead bodies of shinobis, samurais and various other people, sat a lone man holding a black sword in his hand, dripping blood. Suddenly, thunder started booming in sky and lightning struck a tree nearby, scorching it up and lighting the surroundings a bit and in this sudden light one could see the features of this man. He was a tall man with muscular but lean build. His clothes were in disarray, cut, shredded and stained with blood. The man's oval face was sharp with chiseled jaws. He had black hair, brown eyes and had a stoic look on his face. The man was staring at the horizon when he suddenly sensed something and turned to face the observer with a sadistic and cruel smirk on his face.

Takeru gasped as he woke up from the nightmare. His clothes and the bed were soaked with sweat. He took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down and when finally he was coherent enough, he got up. Takeru got out of the tent to see the people of the caravan packing things up. His father, Toru and mother, Akane were helping them. Takeru used a little of his fire chakra to dry up his clothes. He then washed up a bit with some water and went to dismantle and pack the bed and the tent. His parents were soon done with the packing and saw him carrying their luggages as he put them up on the carriage.

"You had a good sleep?" - asked Toru.

"Yeah, somewhat." - replied Takeru as he suddenly spotted 4 graves beside the clearing.

"Let us have a talk, son." - Toru followed Takeru's line of vision and saw what Takeru was seeing. Akane had a concerned look on her face. Soon the carriages were all loaded and packed and the caravan continued his journey. Akane went inside the carriage and left the father and son to talk among themselves.

"Have you killed someone before, dad?" - asked Takeru while walking with his father.

"Yes, I did. I did it many a times."

"How did you feel after that?"

"Let me tell you my story first. When I was a kid, I lost my parents to bandits. They were simple farmers with a small land. It was just a regular day when I got home after playing with my friends and found out that I had lost everything. I did not have any purpose for living from that day. The life of an orphan in the Land of Iron was better than any other nation but it was still a cruel and worthless one. But I survived struggling, scraping for food, searching for shelter until one day a few samurais found me and some other orphans and street urchins. All of us were trained in the traditional arts of a samurai. We were given a purpose, to serve our lord faithfully. We were given the tools for survival, power to keep on living. When I found that I could move faster than any normal person, and do things they could not do. I found a new sense of purpose. I thought that I could maybe stop all the suffering in this world, all those needless wars and conflicts. If I could do that then maybe I would be saving other children from having the same fate as mine. But, soon I had found that though it was a noble cause, it was a fruitless one. I wanted to be a hero, you know, saving the world and all that. But I got my reality check when I first killed a man. I was just a 16 year old teenager then, a samurai greenhorn. I had no experience of life or death battles. He wanted to kill me. I had to kill him in order to save my life. He was a wanted criminal, more a monster than a human but he was a human nonetheless. Heroes do not kill people, they save them and I was no hero. I was disgusted of myself. I thought I too would turn into the very monsters I had hoped too defeat. Soon, I understood something. I found that this world is not so black and white. There are no heroes or villains. We are all normal humans, products of our own circumstances. Everyone is a hero to some and a villain to others. It is relative. I had killed people many times after that day but I never enjoyed doing it.

I know, I am not a good man but I am not a monster. I did what I had to do to survive. Otherwise I would not be here talking with you. It is a very thin line, Takeru, that seperates humans from monsters. Humans feel remorse, guilt and responsibility. Monsters do not. They do not feel any guilt or remorse. Monsters kill for the sake of killing, not for some cause. They just enjoy killing. We live in a world full of them. So, all we can do is to endure and keep fighting the battle. Both the battle against the world and the battle against yourself so we do not turn into a monster. Find yourself a worthy cause that you can devote your life to. You have to endure and keep fighting. Do not ever give up the fight and never stop hoping that one day it will all be good. Taking a life is never easy and it can never be justified by anything but what you can do is to kill only for a worthy cause you believe in. You have to have faith, son, that one day we all might be able to live in harmony, the world will be in peace. Till that day you just have to keep enduring." - explained Toru. Takeru listened to every word his father said and sighed. Takeru was slowly starting to feel somewhat relieved. It was like a huge weight fell off his shoulders. Takeru knew what his father said was true. He would have to do much more horrible things in the future and he could not keep breaking down like this. Yes, he killed those bandits last night but not because he wanted to kill them. He did it to protect his family. Takeru looked at his father and his mother with a smile, Toru smiled back. Akane was watching them from the carriage. She too smilled at him. Takeru, at that moment had set a firm goal in his mind. He would do whatever it is, kill whoever it is, just to keep those smiles.

Soon, another day passed. The caravan stopped at an intersection in the forest. The lead merchant told them that Toru and his family would have to stop here and wait. The shinobis from the Hidden Leaf Village would come and take them to the village. Takeru and Toru unloaded their luggages from the carriage. The caravan started going again, leaving them in the forest. Toru, Akane and Takeru stood at the side of the road with their luggage and waited for leaf shinobis to show up. A few moments later Takeru sensed 4 people watching them from inside the forest. All of them were leaf shinobis wearing the headband. Two shinobi showed up walking in front of them from the forest.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" - one of them with a stoic face asked as the other one, an Uchiha activated his sharingan and silently observed Takeru and his family.

"Hello, I am Toru Yamamoto. This is my wife Akane and our son, Takeru. We recently bought a house in the Hidden Leaf Village and are going to move in. I came here last month to buy it."

"Do you have your identification papers and the documents of the house?"

"Ah, yes. Here it is." - Toru took out the papers and gave them to the leading shinobi. The shinobi took them, closely examined them. After verification the shinobi nodded and Takeru sensed the 2 shinobis hiding in the forest left. The Uchiha shinobi's face relaxed, after deactivated his sharingan he also left.

"Everything seems to be in order. Please follow me closely." - the lead shinobi smiled for the first time and led them into the forest. The Yamamoto family followed him silently. Takeru was observing and sensing his surroundings. The leaf shinobi started a conversation with them.

"So, what do you do for a living, Yamamoto-san?"

"I was a samurai in the Land of Iron serving under commander Musashi for a time. Then, due to certain circumstances I left my post and settled down in a village in the north. I did farming for a living after that, taking care of my family. What about you..uh mister?"

"Call me Mitsuki please. I was raised by my clan as a shinobi and served them until our village was established. Now, I am a proud shinobi of the Leaf Village."

"Yes, this village is surely a miracle. I never thought a day would come when I coud see this with my own eyes."

"It was Lord Hokage's dream for shinobi clans to live in harmony and it has surely bore fruit. This village holds all of our dreams. All we have to do now is to keep the leaf safe to keep our dreams alive."

"I agree. Mitsuki-san, I would like to ask you something."

"Please ask."

"You see, I asked one leaf shinobi about anything we should now about moving in the village. He said about a standard procedure that we have to stay outside the village until our identities are cleared off. He told me that we can avoid this by having Lord Hokage's permission and could stay inside the village. Can I ask you to refer me to Lord Hokage? We are completely new to the village and do not have anyone who can help us. I know you are a busy man but if you could help us, me and my family would be very thankful to you." - Toru asked politely.

"Can I have the name of the shinobi that told you about this?"

"His name is Shinji Uchiha."

"Oh, Shinji-san. I understand. I know him and you do not have to worry about that Yamamoto-san. I will escort you to Lord Hokage's office personally."

"Thank you very much for your kindness, Mitsuki-san." - Toru said gratefully.

"Do not mention it, Yamamoto-san. You and your family are citizens of the Hidden Leaf as am I. It is only right that I help you as it is my duty." - Mitsuki assured Toru with a smile. After many sudden turns, going in circles and a few times outright going backwards, Takeru could finally notice the vegetation slowly lessening. He tried to map out the path they took to reach the Hidden Leaf Village but even with his senses he could not make heads or tails about which path they traveled. All he could sense was forest, endless forests. And to think that all of this endless forest was made by Hashirama alone. ' Damn you Hashirama and your overpowered jutsu hacks', Takeru was grumbling inside. After 3 hours of journey, they finally went out of the forest. Toru although somewhat composed was marveled at the beauty. Akane was astonished at the scenery. Takeru's eyes widened. Mitsuki smiled, seeing their reactions and said, "Welcome to the Hidden Leaf Village!". The village was huge with rows and rows of wooden houses, buildings, towers, shops, markets, people walking, talking, laughing among themselves, children running around the streets joyfully. Shinobis of different clans, lineages, families running along the rooftops, walking around the roads, chatting and laughing among themselves and with civilians. There was always some activity going on in this village. It was a sight probably no one could have even thought of just a decade ago. The Yamamoto family instantly fell in love with the village. Mitsuki guided them inside the village. Takeru could see the village was not so developed as it was shown in the manga or anime in his previous life. There was the giant wall surrounding the village though. He could see the face of the first Hokage being constructed on the mountain that stood behind the village covering its back. They soon passed through the main gate of the village after a brief inspection from the guards stationed at the gate and entered the village. The Yamamoto family along with their acting guide went to their new house first. Akane and Takeru saw their new home for the first time. It was a medium-sized wooden one-and-a-half storied house with tiles on the roof and a front lawn guarded by a small wooden fence. The Yamamoto family entered the house with their luggage and invited Mitsuki but he declined saying that he will wait for Toru outside. They quickly unloaded their things in the front . Toru asked Takeru to help his mother set things up. Then he went outside to the still waiting Mitsuki to meet Lord Hokage to ask for permission for them to stay in their house during the period of inspection. Takeru helped Akane in unpacking things and setting up the house enough for them to live for now. Takeru sesnsed around the house while working. The house had a corridor at the front with a stair going up the first floor beside it. It had a drawing room at the front, a dining cum kitchen room, 1 bathroom, 2 bedrooms and a small store room on the ground floor. On the first floor was a medium-sized room with an attached bathroom. The house had a small backyard in the back surrounded by a 7 feet high wooden wall. The rooms were spacious and had good natural air conditioning and lighting. The house was moderately furnished. They did not need to buy much furnitures and only needed some decorations and small knick-knacks of their choice. Overall the Yamamoto family were satisfied with their new home. Akane and Takeru finished unpacking and setting up things. Toru came back a few hours later bearing good news. The Hokage had accepted his proposal and they can live in their house. Akane and Takeru were overjoyed as they did not want to live outside the village. They soon went out to shop for necessities. Takeru was walking down the street with his parents looking and sensing around. The village had a very lively atmosphere. They already felt that they were at home. They soon found the market and bought their supplies. They searched for a good restaurant to have lunch and soon found a good one. The Akimichi Restaurant was a well furnished and well decorated restaurant situated in the central part of the Hidden Leaf Village. They offered mainly barbecue and regular cuisines but every item served there tasted and looked heavenly. The Yamamoto family had never eaten such good food before. After having luch and some more shopping they returned to their new home.

The wind was blowing that night with the crescent moon hanging on the sky, the weather was fine. The Yamamoto family sat in the dining room of their new home having a heated discussion.

"Are you sure you want to join the Shinobi Training Institution?" - Toru asked his son with a grave countenance.

"Yes, I am sure of it dad. I want to be a good shinobi and serve this village."

"It is too dangerous son. The life of a shinobi is never easy. There is always the risk. In a mission anything could go wrong. Why can not you become a merchant like Atsuno-san's sons. You could open a store and run a business. I am not refusing to let you join the Training Institution but why do you have to be a shinobi? You could become a non-shinobi personnel and either join the sealing corps or the medical corps in the hospital like me." - Akane said anxiously to her son.

"Dad, you said to me that I should find a worthy cause and devote myself to it. I guess I found one. I want to protect you and mom, this home, this village that we are living in and will continue to live in the future. Mom, I could easily join the medical corps in the hospital like you or can join the sealing corps. But doing so I would only be limiting myself. I am and will always be better in combat than in medical ninjutsu or fuinjutsu. I can defeat dad in a fight and had done so for 2 years." - Taleru reasoned with his parents.

"What we did was just sparring, son. It can never compare to real-life situations that happens in an actual fight. In a life or death battle even a single mistake can cost lives. You are not trained for that." - Toru replied critically.

"I know that and that is why I want to join the Institution. They can train me to be better. They can teach me necessary survival skills and tactics. It could save me from dangerous situations. Dad, you were attacked two times you were travelling. Can you be certain that I would not face any situations like that in the future? If those bandits last night had more numbers we would not be here talking like this. Listen please, I just want to do my part. Every shinobi of this village is working for its betterment and I want to do that too. For that I need training and this Institution can give me that."

"Alright. I understand your point." - Toru replied sighing.

"What?! You can not be serious Toru. We will not be sending our son into a battlefield!" - Akane exclaimed angrily.

"Akane, it is not like the past. It is not about which clan gains more profit or land. It is about protecting our home. I know what you are thinking. I am not happy that I am sending my son to be a shinobi of all things. But It is far better for him to be a shinobi than stay a regular civilian. Takeru can decide his own future. I will support him no matter what. I know that you know about shinobi life far more than I do but please trust me on this." - Toru argued.

"I am not happy about it, not even a bit. 'sigh' I am willing to trust your decision but with only two conditions. You will decide if Takeru is ready or not and only with my permission can he go and take missions. Otherwise I will not agree." - Akane said with a tone of finality.

"I accept the conditions. I will supervise Takeru's progress and will only let him take missions with your permission. What do you say son?" - Toru asked Takeru, who was sitting silently, listening to his parents' conversation.

"I also accept the conditions." - Takeru answered.

"Alright. I will talk with the people in charge of the Shinobi Training Institution tomorrow and ask them to take you in. But I will only do that if you can accept one condition of mine." - Toru eyed Takeru with unparalleled seriousness.

"What condition?" - Takeru asked pensively.

"I am asking..no, I am ordering you to do your best. I want you to give your all when you are training. I want you to learn every craft and tactics, every method of survival, learn everything you could learn from the Training Institution. I want you to promise me, Takeru, I want you to promise me that you will become good shinobi". Takeru, after staying silent for a bit looked at his parents in the eye and said - "I promise".