XXXI

Totality

L did not exist in his world.

Naruto had learned much during his trip to the world of Death Notes.

Something he would never be able to forget with time was the sheer importance of names.

It had been subtle at the beginning, but reality became clearer as his unplanned stay dragged on due to his inability to find the Shinigami Mask.

One cannot exist without a name.

Without a name of the world that one resided within to ground oneself to, one simply could not be.

It was the same with Kurama or Cairn.

As a foreign entity not belonging to the world that he had been temporarily residing in, Kurama did not exist before Naruto randomly picked a name for him. Thereafter, it became impossible for the latter to refer to the former by a name other than "Cairn". Naruto himself appeared to be an exception to this rule, an existence that the shinigami referred to as a "Regulator". Even then, he could not refer to himself with a name that was not his own. After beings that belonged to the world of shinigami named him, he ceased to be a nameless being -- a mere traveller. He became Sirius Es Ebon, an existence that belonged in that world as much as the shinigami that the world raised.

It was a mystical connection -- the link between one and one's name.

Though Naruto lacked understanding of the concept behind this, he knew that every being needed a name. It was not so strictly enforced here, but it was not something that one could be without. Names were an anchor that prevented one's existence from dissipating -- he could feel this truth resonate within him without words,

It was something he had overlooked in his excitement for having reunited with his family.

"You don't have a name," Naruto explained to L, whose keen perception had noticed something off before the blond had been able.

L blinked owlishly, curiously approaching the three who continued to squint at the position he had occupied during the brief exchange.

"They don't see me," he remarked. "It's somewhat like how shinigami remain invisible to the eyes of humans who have yet to come into contact with their notebook?"

Naruto's lips inadvertently quirked upwards at the childlike fascination that L displayed now.

Despite his predicament, L was not worried at all.

Instead, he seemed very intrigued by this new state that he had discovered himself to be in.

"What would you like to call yourself?" Naruto asked, fondness softening his voice.

This inevitably caused Yagura's eyes to sharpen as he caught a hint of something more brewing between the pair.

He did not know L, but he understood Naruto quite well.

The blond was not one to put up pretences with those he did not care for.

For example, he did not bother with showing false affection for Uzumaki Kushina.

However, he grudgingly faked admiration for Namikaze Minato despite only having despised him in his heart from the onset. He did not resent or begrudge the man as he knew his brother to do. He would seethe on the inside at how Minato would brush aside the sacrifice of Naruto's birth parents carelessly with his decisions but he would not allow it to show before the man himself. It would not benefit anyone, Naruto knew, even if he were to seek petty revenge through such low means. Unlike Deidara, Naruto was not inclined to seek to requite upon Namikaze on the behalf of his deceased parents.

He would not hesitate to assist his brother if necessary in his vengeance -- there was no way he was going to fail in differentiating friend from foe. It was not as if Naruto had grown attached to the man during his stay at the Uzumaki-Namikaze household. He would not defend the person who had murdered his parents and stolen him away from his home village. As impassive as he was, Naruto was not a pushover. Allowing Namikaze Minato to influence him to turn against his loved ones was the last thing that could happen.

He respected the man for the strength of his convictions, yet would never be able to see eye-to-eye with him.

Yagura knew that Naruto's emotions for the invisible entity were deeper than that of friendship.

He would only put up such a front when he felt strongly about someone, whether positively or negatively.

In this case, he was feigning indifference when his tone betrayed his indulgence for the other.

Yagura could not help but feel curious.

What kind of person had Naruto so entranced?

He shared a bond stronger than that of blood with the blond. Their souls and minds were linked -- oftentimes intertwined. Naruto had bound their lives and destinies, tying Yagura's existence to his own. Even now, he knew Naruto just as well as he knew himself. His fellow contractor Gaara's inexperience meant that he could not detect this oddity in Naruto's behaviour, but Yagura was able to see it clearly. Naruto treated this person with utmost attentiveness.

It was clear that Naruto cherished this "L".

If he ventured to extrapolate, Yagura would hazard a guess that Naruto felt adoration for "L".

Yagura kept his rambling thoughts to himself.

If Kurama knew, he would have laughed himself silly.

Naruto would have been left speechless by Yagura's serious deliberation over a single sentence he had uttered without much consideration.

It was true he had been trying to maintain a guise of aloofness, but that had nothing to do with what he was addressing.

The tenderness that seeped into his demeanour in his interaction with the ex-detective was, by now, a default.

Yagura really had a penchant for overthinking things, though it was impossible for an outsider to detect this.

Naruto would never lie to L -- he was always upfront with whatever information he held.

Even so, that did not detract from his clumsy attempt at concealing his muddled feelings.

On the bright side (or not), the person in question was still as endearingly clueless as before.

L grinned crookedly -- a result of lacking practice with the expression due to inadequate human interaction.

Considering how his smile used to look unnaturally wide and rather eerie, there was a significant improvement in his control over his facial muscles.

Of course, Naruto was never bothered by it.

Naruto tilted his head, perplexed.

"Bestow one upon me as you see fit," L enunciated merrily.

Naruto gaped at the black-haired male.

Why did it seem like everybody was asking him to name them (or their things) these days?

Granted, this only amounted to Near and now L thus far but he truly did not trust in his naming sense.

He had named his partner, Kurama, Cairn even before knowing what the word meant.

Then Naruto chose to call his cat Noel just because he received him on Christmas Eve.

He did not think he would be able to grant anyone with a meaningful name, even if it was going to be in his first language this time.

"I'll probably choose a ridiculous or common name. Then both of us will regret this for the rest of time," Naruto cautioned with a sigh.

L seemed even happier when he heard the blond's warning.

"I'm glad that you're putting so much thought into this, but it's fine by me even if you named me something stupid. You can even call me something like... Pikachu. I wouldn't mind," L replied lightly.

Naruto threw his hands up in the air in surrender.

"Never say I didn't warn you," he muttered.

"I will never regret it," L promised.

There was a short minute of silence.

"Mitsushi," Naruto finally decided.

L's eyes brightened.

The "L Lawliet" above the black-haired ex-detective's head was soon accompanied by two kanji, "光史".

Individually, they meant "light" and "history" respectively.

Together, he considered it to mean "Chronicle of Hope".

L, to him, was a record. The precious piece that he had prepared himself to leave behind in the past. L was supposed to have been left behind when Naruto finally returned home, awaiting the eventual end of his natural lifespan. However, L's appearance in his original world -- and the disappearance of the numbers above the other male's head -- had given him hope. Perhaps they would not be separated by time, as he had once feared.

He supposed L's name was more proper than Naruto's own when it was abbreviated to "Naruto Uzumaki".

On one hand, it could mean "Naruto no Uzushio" which referred to a particular whirlpool in Japan -- a tourist attraction that he never had the chance to visit. On the other hand, the "Uzu" can be omitted and his name would just be "Narutomaki". In the latter case, he might as well just flat-out call himself "Fishcake".

Most denizens of this world, except several clans with alternative naming traditions, used only katakana and hiragana in their naming of children. Even in such clans, there was little thought put into a child's name most of the time. This was especially so with children of shinobi clans and those born to lower civilian backgrounds. It was much easier to introduce oneself with the simple spelling of katakana and hiragana, without having to explain the pronunciation of the kanji, if any.

Naruto, for one, had a kanji name, "鳴門".

However, it had been embroidered on his blanket in katakana. This happened to coincide with the name of the main protagonist in Toad Sage Jiraiya's book, "Tales of a Gutsy Ninja" and that was "ナルト". Thus, he had used this when writing his name over his years in Konohagakure. It was not that he did not remember the original writing of his name, he just went along with it as Namikaze Minato had taught him to write his name in katakana. Besides, it was also easier for a toddler of his age to write with the oversized brushes that he had practised with.

His calligraphy had not been perfect from birth.

It had taken much practice for him to train himself to be able to write as well as he could read.

Hailed as he was a genius by those in the university, students and professors alike, it was not without considerable effort that he developed himself since his separation from his brother.

"I see a silhouette now!" Deidara exclaimed in surprise.

Yagura and Gaara nodded in agreement.

Naruto grinned, gladdened by the proof of the veracity of his hypothesis.

"So this is Mitsushi, my best friend from another world and the one who helped me find the Shinigami Mask. He's the reason why I could return home safely," Naruto introduced with a flourish.

"That's wonderful, and we're grateful to Mitsushi-dono for his timely aid, but he still isn't visible to the naked eye," Yagura interjected before the other two could voice their questions.

"Right. He technically does not possess a physical body," Naruto admitted with a carefree shrug.

"So that makes him some sort of spirit?" Gaara mused, staring intensely at the former detective.

"Well... He might be closer to a shinigami," Naruto mumbled, mostly to himself.

L, newly christened Mitsushi, furrowed his brows as he stated, "I don't think I feel any different. If there was anything, I suppose I feel sort of weightless? Es, do you suppose I'd be able to float as Cairn -- Kurama -- does?"

"You can do that with the help of chakra anyway," Naruto responded, absently.

"Chakra, you said. That sounds like Sanskrit. It means 'wheel' and, in our previous world, referred to focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices. Could this energy be harnessed in any world?" Mitsushi queried, contemplative.

"No. Chakra here is innate -- all humans are born with some of it in this world. I'll explain that story to you later. Not every world has chakra -- the Shinigami World is an example of such a world. Physical energy and spiritual energy alike are essential in moulding chakra, though this applies only to humans. The upper limit of these energies can be increased through training. However, with an exception for the bijū who are chakra beasts with bodies comprised of chakra itself, the first condition for chakra to be wielded is to possess a body of this world. Animals can be affected by chakra too, gaining intelligence and strength that far surpasses ordinary fowl and beasts in other worlds. Those that pass a certain threshold would be able to evolve into summoned beasts and form contracts with powerful wielders of chakra," Naruto explained, sharing almost everything he knew in summary.

"So I require a vessel," Mitsushi concluded, biting his thumb. "I don't think I can possess a dead body like those ghosts of myth."

Naruto muffled a snort.

As usual, his best friend's awkward sense of humour did not fail to impress.

"You don't need to use someone else's castoffs. You have me, Kagami Naruto, on your side," he reminded, smirking.

To the others present, the sight of the small boy smugly stating his identity was just too lovely.

Mitsushi tilted his head to the side.

Blankly, he uttered, "You'll share your body with me...?"

Naruto coughed, flushing in embarrassment.

He had forgotten that his friend would not know about his abilities. Honestly, he would not have minded doing such a thing as a last resort -- privacy was never something he pondered about. It would not have been much of a loss even if he allowed another partial control over him. If it was the friend he trusted with his everything, even more so.

"Ah, so you'll make a vessel for me? With your talents, it wouldn't be too difficult," Mitsushi said in belated realisation.

"I don't think I ever really specified the full extent of my abilities. I can create anything within the scope of my imagination, provided it is in my mirror realm," Naruto explained, demonstrating his ability by plucking a flower out of thin air. "Of course, these things must mirror reality -- though I have free reign over the margin for which creativity is allowed. I can duplicate an apple, yet have the liberty to transmute it into gold or transform it into a hat. They are real and continue to exist after leaving this dimension."

"Essentially, you'll shape a body out of the mud for me. Like Prometheus of the Ancient Greek myth," Mitsushi speculated, eyes sparkling.

Though Naruto felt a little sorry for dashing Mitsushi's hopes -- the black-haired ex-detective was really enjoying the idea a little too much, he doubted his own sculpting ability. Unlike his brother Deidara, sculptures were an area in which he was unbelievably incompetent. There were indeed many areas where he excelled but sculpting was not one of them. He was not without aptitude in art -- he was exceptional with music and painted such vivid pictures that the images he graced upon the canvas seemed like they might come to life. He simply had no aptitude in clay work -- he was barely decent in carving. 

"I cannot sculpt," Naruto confessed sheepishly, "and not for lack of trying."

"It's called abstract art!" Deidara interrupted in an attempt to lighten his brother's mood. "It's okay even if they don't exactly represent realistic proportions!"

Naruto choked at the reminder of his terrible failures during the sessions he spent learning the craft from Deidara. He could not accurately model lifeforms of the animal kingdom. Be it fish, bird, mammal, amphibian, insect or reptile, attempts to mould clay to form their shapes would result in completely dissimilar objects that did not match the images he had in his mind. Things that might be simple for any other child to make, like turtles or snakes were terribly misshapen by Naruto's clumsy fingers, even if he could draw them realistically enough. Strangely enough, it was an unskillfulness that did not extend to other living things like plants and fungi. He was able to sculpt beautiful lilies, toadstools and apricots. He could craft teapots, pavilions and terraces, as well as anything else manmade, but animals were beyond him.

His only way of going around this was through reflecting what he envisioned through his Kagami no Me, thus allowing the models to bypass his destructive hands in their creation.

"I can only mirror your soul's appearance," Naruto offered, "thus providing a perfect container for your being."

Naruto waved a hand in Kurama's direction, causing a fairly large fox with fiery fur of a mixture of dark oranges and reds and black accentuating its vulpine crimson eyes to appear there. It had nine bushy tails, making its identity recognisable to all present. Currently, the fox had raised his ears in alarm while his tails were puffed up in horror.

"So the almighty Kyūbi has such an adorable side to him," Shukaku cackled. "His soul form was so small and cuddy!"

Kurama snarled menacingly, his threatening aura not diminished by his size, "I will shred you both into bits. Your chakra will be so dispersed you'll take at least a century to reform."

Clearing his throat, Isobu complained, "I didn't even say anything... Even if you're punishing anyone, the tanuki is the only one who deserves it."

"Did you think I couldn't hear your snickering from here?" Kurama accused, stepping on Yagura's foot.

Naruto tuned out the bijū's childish quarrel.

"I made him smaller -- artistic liberty," he told the two puzzled jinchūriki who were privy to both sides of the argument ongoing.

"You can do that for Shukaku and Isobu too?" Gaara asked curiously.

"Yes, though their chakra would remain sealed within you and you will still be bonded to the bijū that you house," Naruto informed, bending down to scoop the kitsune into his arms as he would with Noel. "Would you like me to provide them with vessels?"

"They long for their freedom," Yagura acceded.

"Wait, by artistic liberty, do you mean you can make me fluffy and huggable? Like big bad Kurama over there?" Shukaku demanded.

"Take it or leave it," Naruto replied in amusement.

Shukaku strangled his protests before he could utter them aloud.

"I'll take it," Shukaku grumbled reluctantly.

An adorable tanuki -- also known as a raccoon dog -- that, like Kurama, was slightly larger than others of its kind appeared in front of Gaara. He had the amber eyes of the Ichibi, four-pointed stars as his pupils with four black dots framing each one on the iris. He had silky fur, stubby legs, soft paws and a droopy tail.

Gaara squatted to match the height of the furball, who was petulantly growling unintelligible insults under his breath.

"Shukaku?" he said without confidence, peering into the tanuki's eyes.

"Don't look down on me, brat," Shukaku muttered sulkily.

Gaara cautiously touched the Ichibi's head, then smoothed the unsettled animal's fur.

"Why aren't I sandy, like I'm supposed to be?" Shukaku whined, unconsciously leaning towards his jinchūriki for more comfort.

"Why don't you ask your father Hagoromo just why he used Onmyōton to give the nine bijū he created such chakra vessels instead of trying to interrogate me about it? At your core, you are a tanuki. Of course, the chakra split from the Jūbi changed your appearance and granted you free will but this was the image that you were made in," Naruto replied dryly.

He could not fathom the workings of the mind of the Ōtsutsuki ancestor that he never knew.

"I.. need to protect Yagura...!" Isobu proclaimed, denying the opportunity without hesitation.

"He will have full access to your chakra even if your consciousness inhabits another shell. It will not be permanent and you can retreat into the seal anytime," Naruto reassured the headstrong turtle.

"Without me, he'll be defenceless against genjutsu," Isobu said, stubbornly refusing to change his mind.

"He has me," Naruto retorted, slightly exasperated.

Isobu's doubts were silenced by the brief rebuttal.

"Maybe... just for a little while," he finally acquiesced, meekly.

A turtle, smaller than his brothers and with an oversized bumpy shell on his back, appeared in front of Yagura, and the tortilla-haired boy caught Isobu as he fell. The turtle was grey, glowing eyes peeking out from within his shell. Those eyes were unique, different from all other turtles, with their burgundy-red sclera, mustard-yellow irises and round pupils.

"Yagura," Isobu greeted his jinchūriki as he extended his head, slowly followed by his limbs.

His tails were pointed and grey, though the three distinct appendages gave away his status as the Sanbi.

"Isobu," Yagura replied in kind, surprised by the considerable weight of the miniature bijū.

Having provided the respective bijū of his contractors with appropriate bodies, Naruto turned back to face Mitsushi.

"Kurama's appearance was different in the Shinigami World," Naruto added. "You saw how he looked like. He seemed human, albeit with tails and ears. Your appearance might be derived from the reflection of your soul, but the laws of the Shinobi World will have a strong influence on the resulting form."

Mitsushi blinked, pondering over this mutely.

After just under a minute, he questioned, "Would you care if I looked completely different in this world?"

Kurama's ears perked up.

Naruto could not speak as a random image of his best friend as a sleek black cat barged into his mind.

"It would be quite fitting..." he whispered under his breath.

Mitsushi doubted his hearing at that moment.

Kurama, too, was perplexed.

Naruto coughed and amended, "I would not mind, whatever your appearance might be. I will get used to it -- it has to be an accurate representation of your soul, after all."

Mitsushi nodded. "Alright, I understand."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Go ahead. I've never been one to pay attention to looks anyway," Mitsushi supplied, shrugging effortlessly. "I trust your judgement. You wouldn't let me end up with something strange like an additional head or an extra eye."

"A third eye is a legitimate thing here. It's a good thing to get one," Kurama "kindly" educated the tallest person present.

Mitsushi took a step back.

"A third eye?" he said, aghast.

"I'll try to change it so that it matches your understanding of human anatomy," Naruto solaced. "If it comes to that, at least."

Mitsushi laughed, "I am not too worried, just a little shocked. You are Dr Simeon Noir."

"Of course I will not allow you to end up with any defects," Naruto assured, concentrating on the task at hand.

Before he allowed the reflected image to become reality, he scrutinised every detail. Naruto had no intention of leaving anything to fate. He always despised the notion of luck -- for one to gamble against the world. As long as there was a chance for his desired outcome to occur, he will grasp onto it with everything he had. He would alter probability, turning the slim possibility into absolute certainty.

Naruto was most amazed by the fact that Mitsushi was the same physical age as himself.

Was L a child at heart?

Perhaps that was the case, but he was tempted to think that Mitsushi had wished to follow him in reliving his childhood.

There was not much that changed -- his hair and eye colour were the same. The only difference was perhaps the fact that his unhealthily pale complexion had improved due to the youthfulness of the vessel. There were no signs of sleep deprivation, which Naruto was slightly taken aback by -- it was one of the most distinguishing traits of the ex-detective. His cheeks were slightly chubby due to baby fat, though his chin was pointed like before. His eyes were large and round, his brows which were always raised in perpetual curiosity almost to his hairline relaxed to show the long, rounded eyebrows above them.

There was a parallel to his original appearance, but it was obvious that he would mature into a completely different person distinctively not the L Lawliet of the Shinigami World. It was just his countenance, Naruto knew, but he feared that he would no longer be needed by his best friend. Without his eccentric veneer disguising Mitsushi's brilliance, there was no doubt that he could become a man loved by those who bothered to get to know him. He would no longer be the other's sole companion.

Naruto discarded those pesky, intrusive apprehensions in a far corner of his mind.

Watching Naruto's fretful demeanour, Mitsushi's brow creased.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, placing a hand on Naruto's tensed shoulder.

Naruto shook his head, forcing a shaky smile as he allowed the image to become real.

"It is done," he uttered right as the tall man shrank into the form that had been suspended in his thoughts.

Mitsushi was shorter than him now, though the difference was slight.

Both boys stood taller than most five-year-olds.

"This is... disconcerting," Mitsushi remarked, looking up at the blond now that he no longer had his vantage point.

"At least now it doesn't look like you're an adult supervising this daycare," Kurama quipped.

Deidara shrieked, clearly spooked, "Your intangible friend turned into a cute kid!"

Naruto glanced between his brother and best friend and giggled.

This sense of completeness he felt...

Was this happiness?

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