Naruto : a hero's journey

After the meeting with Danzo ended, Satoru found himself standing outside the Hokage's office, lost in thought. Danzo's question echoed in his mind: "Have any urges started surfacing?"

Satoru remembered Danzo's previous talk with him about the moral code, the inevitable urges that would arise as he grew older. So far, nothing had changed, no violent compulsions, no uncontrollable desires.

But when Danzo asked again, Satoru thought of Aunty Hana's death. It had been 15 days, and the thought of death had begun living in his mind rent-free.

He couldn't shake it—the finality of it, the sheer emptiness that followed.

"No," Satoru replied slowly, "I don't feel any urges yet. But... since Aunty Hana died, I can't stop thinking about death."

Danzo nodded thoughtfully, his cold eyes studying the boy. "Contact me when those urges do surface," he said. "They will, eventually."

Satoru left, a strange heaviness settling in his chest as he made his way back to the orphanage.

When he arrived, Tatsuo was standing at the gate, his usual carefree expression replaced by one of concern.

"What's the matter?" Satoru asked, walking up to him.

Tatsuo sighed and glanced at the orphanage behind them. "Since Aunty Hana died, the orphanage is going to be closed down."

Satoru's heart sank at those words. "What? What do you mean?"

Tatsuo explained further, his voice tense. "A company's buying the land. They're going to dismantle the building and start construction here."

Satoru frowned, a sinking feeling in his stomach. "So... what happens to us?"

"The Hokage said that he'll provide living arrangements for all of us who don't get accepted by other orphanages." Tatsuo paused, then added, "But I was thinking... maybe we could get a house together. You know, like roommates. Just like at the orphanage."

Satoru blinked, surprised by the suggestion. It was a simple offer, but the weight of it hit him hard.

A new place, just him and Tatsuo. Away from the memories of Aunty Hana, away from the orphanage. It almost sounded... peaceful.

After a moment, he nodded. "Yeah. Let's do it."

Tatsuo grinned, relieved. "Great! We should start packing soon and look for a place.

Satoru gave a small smile, but the thought of Aunty Hana's absence, of leaving behind the only home they'd ever known, lingered in his mind as they headed inside to pack.

In their quiet room, Satoru and Tatsuo packed their belongings, surrounded by the echo of memories that felt more like ghosts now. The once familiar space, where they had laughed, trained, and felt Aunty Hana's warm presence, seemed unbearably empty.

Satoru's hands slowed as he reached for a small photo frame resting on the desk. The image captured a moment in time where he, Tatsuo, and Dai were all grinning next to Aunty Hana, her arms wrapped around them in a protective embrace. The smile on her face now seemed like a distant memory, one that felt impossible to replicate.

He stared at the photo for a long moment, feeling something stir deep within. His chest tightened, and despite his best efforts, his eyes began to blur.

He clenched his jaw, willing the tears to stay back, but they threatened to fall nonetheless.

Across the room, Tatsuo was trying to pack his books. The boy had books scattered around him in a messy pile. Satoru noticed the quiet sobs escaping from him, though Tatsuo clearly tried to keep them hidden.

Unable to just stand by, Satoru slowly walked over and sat down beside him. He didn't say anything at first, just listened to Tatsuo's soft crying, the sound breaking the otherwise suffocating silence in the room.

Tatsuo hastily wiped his tears with the back of his hand, forcing a weak smile as he glanced at Satoru. "Is your packing done?" he asked, his voice barely holding together.

Satoru saw the pain Tatsuo was trying so hard to hide, but there was no use pretending. Not now. He put his hand on Tatsuo's shoulder, the weight of his touch steady. "Tatsuo, you don't have to hold it in. Let go... let it all come out."

At those words, Tatsuo's façade crumbled. His sobs grew louder, raw with grief, and he collapsed into Satoru's arms. The sound of his crying echoed through the room, filling the space with the weight of his heartache.

Tatsuo clung to him as if he were drowning, his body shaking violently as he cried out, "I miss her, Satoru… I don't want to leave. I don't want to leave the orphanage, or these memories behind."

Satoru wrapped his arms around him, pulling Tatsuo into a tight embrace. He wasn't sure when it happened, but soon, tears of his own slipped down his face, falling silently onto the ground.

Satoru, the boy who was responsible for so much death and destruction in this life, who had become hardened to the world around him, was now realizing the true pain of losing someone like a mother.

It wasn't just guilt or regret—it was an emptiness that words couldn't fill.

Tatsuo, who had always been the strong one, always trying to protect everyone, was now the one who felt powerless. The loss of Aunty Hana, their source of strength, had left him feeling vulnerable and shattered.

Satoru had spent the afternoon at Keiko's training ground, sweat dripping down his face as he worked on mastering his technique, Texture Surprise.

He focused intensely, trying to make the technique more efficient and versatile. The peaceful atmosphere of Keiko's home and training grounds offered him a space where he could push his abilities without interruption.

However, far in the distance, hidden from Satoru's view, two figures stood on a rooftop. Danzo, his hands behind his back, observed the young boy's progress with calculating eye.

Beside him, a masked ROOT Anbu operative, codenamed "Ichi," stood silently, but his emotions were anything but calm.

"Why are we here, Danzo-sama?" Ichi asked, his voice steady though laced with a quiet bitterness. He couldn't understand why his leader had brought him to this place to watch a mere child.

Danzo, however, had no such reservations. He continued watching Satoru train, his voice steady, almost prophetic. "That boy training in the distance..., will eventually be the next Shinobi of Darkness. He will be my successor."

Ichi's fists clenched beneath his robes, though his face remained expressionless beneath the mask.

The very idea filled him with anger. That brat? The boy who Danzo praised so highly? The one who would take the position that rightfully should belong to him?

Ichi glanced at Satoru from a distance, his hatred bubbling to the surface. Danzo's words were like fuel to the fire within him. He was Danzo's right-hand man, the second strongest in ROOT, someone who had devoted his entire life to serving in the shadows.

Yet, here Danzo stood, talking about Satoru as if Ichi was already forgotten, irrelevant.

As Danzo spoke more about Satoru's capabilities, his accomplishments, and his future potential, Ichi's thoughts grew darker.

He imagined breaking Satoru, both physically and mentally, showing Danzo that he was the one worthy of leading ROOT, not some boy. He imagined tearing down the child piece by piece.

But then Danzo's next words snapped him out of his dark thoughts.

"If anything happens to me," Danzo said, still watching Satoru, "you will be the acting commander of ROOT—until Satoru is ready to take my role."

The weight of that statement hit Ichi like a physical blow. His blood ran cold with disbelief and insult. His loyalty, his skill, his sacrifice, all of it was disregarded.

A child would be more deserving of leading ROOT than he was? He felt as though he'd been slapped in the face.

"Danzo-sama," Ichi finally said, his voice tight with restraint, "who is this boy, really?"

Danzo smirked, finally taking his eyes off Satoru to glance at Ichi. There was an unsettling pride in his voice as he uttered the name.

"Satoru… Satoru Gojo."

As Ichi heard the name Gojo, his heart skipped a beat, and he felt a sharp pang of recollection. His mind drifted back to the face of a fallen teammate from years ago, someone who bore the same name.

Gojo... The memories were faint, blurred by time and battles, but the name stirred something deep within him. That Gojo had been strong, talented—yet he had fallen, despite his abilities. The name alone sparked a surge of emotions in Ichi:envy, anger, jealousy.

His hatred for Satoru only grew stronger, laced with a personal vendetta he didn't even fully understand.

"Could it be connected?" Ichi thought bitterly, but he shoved the thought aside, unwilling to dwell on it. He and Danzo left silently, disappearing into the shadows as Satoru continued his training.

Meanwhile, Satoru, unaware of the onlookers and their thoughts, practiced his jutsu one final time for the day.

He focused harder, his mind clearer, and this time... something felt different. The Texture Surprise technique was flowing more naturally.

Texture Surprise was no ordinary jutsu. It was unique, requiring both the physical change aspect of the transformation jutsu and the illusory change aspect of the clone jutsu.

Satoru's mastery over it was growing, and he knew that its deceptive power would make him an unpredictable force in battle. It required a medium like—water, sand, or paper—to coat his target before he could activate the technique, allowing him to manipulate the appearance of any object, altering everything except for its mass and odor. It was a jutsu of endless possibilities.

As he performed the technique again, he watched the paper in his hand morph and change seamlessly, appearing as something entirely different.

The fluidity of the transformation impressed him, and he couldn't help but smile. I'm getting closer, he thought. His control was improving, and soon, the jutsu would be ready for more advanced applications.

This jutsu—his creation—was going to be his secret weapon.

Satoru had been training for hours, his body exhausted but his mind focused. He was in the middle of another round when Keiko interrupted him, having just returned from a mission.

"Satoru," she called out, her voice filled with concern, "it's already nighttime. You should eat something."

Satoru paused, catching his breath, and replied, "I don't really have a home to go back to anymore. The orphanage... it closed today."

Keiko's face softened with sadness. Without hesitation, she took his hand gently and said, "Come eat dinner at my house."

The warmth of her hand was a comfort Satoru hadn't realized he needed, and he found himself liking the sensation as she led him home.

Once inside, Keiko quickly decided to cook for him, noticing how tired he looked. She prepared a simple but hearty meal and set it in front of him. Satoru, grateful, thanked her and began eating.

As he did, Keiko's mind drifted back to the orphanage closing.

"Have you thought about where you're going to live now?" Keiko asked.

Satoru, focused on his food, looked up briefly. "I'm going to live with Tatsuo," he answered between bites. "We've already decided."

Keiko paused for a moment, considering something. "You know... you could live here, with me." Her words caught Satoru off guard, and he began coughing, startled by the offer. He quickly grabbed his water and took a few gulps.

"You... what?" Satoru finally managed to say, still surprised by the suggestion.

"Tatsuo could live here too," Keiko continued, her expression calm but caring. "There's plenty of space. The house has two floors, and you wouldn't even be crowded. You and Tatsuo could have a floor all to yourselves."

Satoru hadn't really considered her house's size before, but now that she mentioned it, he realized just how large it really was.

"Five rooms per floor..." he murmured to himself. It was more than enough space, but he still wasn't sure.

"It's just a suggestion," Keiko added, sensing his hesitation. "You don't have to decide right now, but think about it. It could be nice, staying together."

Satoru nodded slowly, finishing his food.

"I'll talk to Tatsuo about it tomorrow at school," he said, appreciating the offer.

Keiko smiled at him. "Good. And if you ever need anything, you know where to find me."