"Seriously, what's Toneri doing here?"

The peculiar white-haired child was simply too recognisable for Naruto to dismiss it as a case of mistaken identity.

The boy had just started mouthing off against a band of rather unsavoury individuals. The gang in question was actually rather infamous in the smaller nations around the continent, although they stayed away from the hidden villages that had the protection of the shinobi known as the Five Kage. However, that did not mean that this group had escaped notice.

Their most lucrative trade was one that almost crossed the line between illegal and depraved.

Their profession involved a practice which had long been abolished and for good reason.

Slave trade.

In this age, the sole legal form of slavery was that of prisoners of war. It was a punishment, often imposed in the form of a term of service upon a prisoner-of-war. Many shinobi villages would also require traitors who do not receive a death sentence to repent by working for their village without rest or pay for the rest of their lives. It was a job without honour, and many preferred death to such a fate.

"Illegal slavery is punishable by immediate execution for all willing parties involved, no questions asked," Naruto spoke up stiffly. "If a non-civilian is found to be involved, they are to be arrested whenever possible. All samurai and shinobi responsible are to be returned to their respective villages and will be sentenced there. The most common punishment is being forced into becoming a criminal slave."

Just because their actions were overlooked thus far did not mean that the governments approved of it. They were a crafty group that was capable enough to evade capture from the local forces around their areas of activity. Since it was too troublesome to dispatch the high-ranked shinobi of the hidden villages of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, the lowlifes have been able to escape persecution so far.

They were akin to an irritating pest infestation that was not yet at a level to warrant calling for a pest exterminator.

Any respectable shinobi or samurai who came across a case of illegal slavery would, however, take action regardless of this. Showing proof of the kill would be rewarded at all bingo stations, similar to the heads of missing-nin and enemy shinobi within bingo books. There was also the additional requirement of providing evidence of their crimes but that was rarely an issue and often neglected.

While the slavers were still trying to process the situation that they now found themselves in, he jumped off his perch to land in their midst. If he were honest with himself, Naruto could admit it was not originally his goal to assist Toneri. This unusual white-haired boy was the stalker of his classmate Hinata. Their initial encounter was a coincidence and, far from getting along, he had been in a confrontational position against him.

Naruto simply found himself speaking up even before he figured out what he wanted to do.

"Do you know who we are?" demanded a thug.

They showed clear disbelief at the ignorance of a child who dared intervene in the activities of their group. Their infamy spread far and wide, making them reputable as far as lowlifes went. Feared by the civilians beyond the reach of the Five Great Shinobi Countries as they were, they were used to seeing others trembling whenever they caught sight of them. The courageous folk have long since been taught a lesson and most who dared speak against them died without a grave.

Before the slave traders realised that there was something very wrong about this unanticipated interfering factor, the seemingly-harmless child Naruto struck.

The ones with shinobi training, albeit only at a level where they would be mere genin if placed in a hidden village, were incapacitated while all other participants were slain.

Blood splattered everywhere, dyeing the path crimson as the life-force faded from the falling bodies of the criminals who have snatched the freedom of numerous innocents. Even so, there was a morbid beauty to this ghastly scene. The flawless way that these men were killed could be noticed by any layperson. The excellent skill exhibited by their killer would cause all trained in the art of killing to marvel at the well-honed ability that Naruto had displayed.

A single lethal cut to each body was the cause of death. There was no unnecessary movement and each strike was precise. He hit the vitals of multiple men with each fluid motion, causing a terrible clash between his graceful movements and the dying screams from the men who failed to die instantly. Scarlet sprayed with every flick of his wrist, the keen blade of his kunai reaping a dozen lives within but a second.

Despite this, not a drop of blood fell on the blond even as he weaved through the falling bodies to reach Toneri.

Except for the missing-nin, the rest of the men were dead before their bodies hit the dark earth painted crimson by their blood.

Several errant flecks of blood stained the white clothing of the strange boy who had spoken of living on the moon, starkly contrasting against his pristine attire and dirtying the silk blindfold.

Naruto lightly poked the stunned boy.

Toneri's entire person was completely white. He had no colour at all, be it in his fair skin or snowy hair. This made the scarlet on his clothes even more apparent.

"That was dangerous," Naruto said mildly.

He sealed the dead into a storage scroll and the living into a stasis scroll.

Naruto turned them in at the nearest bingo station, under the guise of Sōjirō. No visible injuries were on the missing-nin he had captured. They had fallen to a nifty wind technique Naruto had invented that stole the air from their lungs, quite literally. They had no chance to struggle before they passed out in the confusion before Naruto even showed himself.

The only thing which betrayed the slaughter he had just carried out was the suffocating stench of rust lingering in the air even after he cleared the scene of blood using a water technique he had created. He would deliver the corpses to the bingo station with every part of their bodies from when he had encountered them. This was inclusive of the blood that they shed during his act of killing them.

"You are... Naruto?" Toneri said hesitantly.

He recognised the lack of killing intent from the blond that stood before him and felt no fear. He also remembered Naruto's chakra from the last time they ended up coming face-to-face. Toneri held a rather deep impression of the person he had met under a full moon. He could not forget how Naruto's chakra had been so similar to the traces left behind by his clan's founder.

"Why are you off the moon again, Toneri?" Naruto questioned, not hiding his bafflement.

Toneri should have been blind, yet he seemed to stare straight at the blond with a complicated expression on his face. He appeared somewhat troubled as he engaged in some internal struggle which did not escape Naruto's notice. He was patient, not quite expecting a response although it puzzled him that he had the fate to once again encounter the little albino. It was not difficult for Naruto to discern that the boy had previously been stalking the Hyūga heiress even if he failed to understand Toneri's motives.

To Naruto, Toneri's very existence was curious.

He was intrigued by the child from their first meeting. He could not help being a little overeager, anticipating the reaction of the boy. Would Toneri attempt a flimsy comeback, inadvertently revealing too much information, as he had done during their previous meeting? He was sure of the albino child's absence in the shinobi world during the previous timeline. He could not be certain if Toneri observed his shy classmate during her childhood before. He was only able to confirm that Toneri never made contact with Hyūga Hinata in the alternate future and that Toneri had never been dragged into the Fourth Shinobi World War. Naruto hypothesised that this was the result of the boy having obediently remained safely out of the way throughout the dangerous period, which implied that the boy did not make as many pointless trips to their world as he seemed to be doing in this timeline.

Naruto felt a little guilty regarding this point. He realised that the reason why the child became intrigued with the shinobi world was their brief confrontation. He could be considered to be a secondary instigator leading to Toneri's misfortunate situation at present. Toneri would never have snuck away again if he had not met Naruto back then. He could only lament having not tried to conceal his identity at the time. Toneri might not have been so interested in him had he never revealed the existence of his Tenseigan so blatantly.

After an extended period of silence, Toneri seemed to finally conclude something within his mind.

"Your techniques..." the albino child began, a little unsurely.

Naruto hummed in acknowledgement, wordlessly urging him to continue as he scrutinised the other boy's appearance properly for the first time.

The boy was clad in snowy white clothes, except it was now splashed with scarlet in such a way that the red seemed to bloom on the strange fabric like macabre flowers of blood. With his pure visage smeared with the remnants of the bloodbath which had transpired not long before, there was a strange borrowed wickedness displayed in the petite boy's innocent countenance. When it was combined with Toneri's stunningly attractive features, there was an undeniable charm that would have been difficult for anyone without sufficient fortitude, willpower and self-control to ignore. It was, oddly, an enchanting sight.

Even Naruto could see why the slave traders had been so attracted to the boy.

Looking too outstanding was not necessarily a good thing. After all, the sweetest nectar often ends up attracting flies as well. This was a perfect example of that concept.

"You don't use the ninjutsu of the shinobi," Toneri finally managed to find the words to describe his thoughts.

Naruto raised an eyebrow in question.

Where was Toneri going with this? It was the first time anyone had commented such a thing after witnessing Naruto in action. The usual reaction of civilians to such a scene of slaughter would be fear or disgust while a shinobi would admire Naruto's skill, which he had perfected to an art. The latter would, at best, ask what technique he used and request to learn it, if they were shameless enough. If they were well-learned enough to realise that he had invented his own jutsu, it would result in them praising him as the genius of the century or something like that. If Naruto was any other person, he might have been offended by Toneri refusing to acknowledge his techniques as ninjutsu.

However, he was not normal.

He only thought that this child was a little eccentric.

Toneri coughed as his cheeks tinted pink in embarrassment, elaborating, "You invented your own techniques and manipulate your chakra directly."

Naruto quirked his lips upwards.

Interesting.

"That is indeed the case," Naruto obliged, agreeably.

This seemed to lift a weight off Toneri's shoulders, causing his expression to brighten visibly.

"I am grateful. I was in dire straits when you came to my assistance. You are my saviour," Toneri announced, startlingly formal.

It was a bit funny seeing such a small boy so earnestly behaving in such a solemn manner.

This was completely different from his usual interactions with Sakura and Sasuke. Those two were his friends from the previous timeline. They were teammates who fought a war together and had even survived to see the world after the annihilation of humanity. They were the ones who followed him through the uncertain path of time travel and supported his endeavours to change the future for the better.

"So what are you doing here? This is Wave Country. It isn't secure around these parts. It is risky for a child such as yourself to roam around alone when you do not possess the ability to protect yourself," Naruto admonished gently, repressing the irritation that welled up within him as what might have happened if he had not appeared briefly flashed through his mind.

Toneri looked more delicate than any ordinary civilian girl.

Naruto felt it warranted to worry for the younger's wellbeing.

Toneri flushed red, fumbling as he stammered out excuses that would only fool blithering idiots.

There were all sorts of nonsense in the tall tale that he spun on the spot in a panic, unwilling to let the truth be uncovered. He seemed rather self-conscious about the real reason for his descent. It took him a while before he stopped himself as he registered Naruto's helpless and amused look.

"Do continue. You were speaking of a rabbit that desperately called for help and fell into the water? I believe you said that you fished it out and boarded a large ship which sailed halfway across the Elemental continent?" Naruto recounted, resting his chin on the palm of his hand.

He was lounging on a large rock that he formed using earth chakra, listening on in bemusement as Toneri took his time to tell a romanticised version of his adventures in the continent before he was discovered by Naruto when he met the greatest danger yet since his arrival.

Toneri coughed, looking a little abashed as he realised the ridiculousness of his own words.

"I was bored since I'm the youngest Ōtsutsuki on the moon. Nothing is interesting up there except looking down at the Elemental continent. By chance, I noticed some excitement over at the Hyūga clan. Before I knew it, my thoughts started drifting to you. I acted before I could think it through properly. I thought, since you can be absent from the ongoings on the moon and ignore the summons of the elders, I might as well rebel against my father for once and disobey his warning to never descend to the shinobi world again," he admitted, knowing that Naruto had probably seen through him anyway.

Naruto nodded, his amusement dissipating as seriousness straightened his posture. He fixed his expression, schooling his facial features into a neutral look. He had guessed as much, though he felt a little flattered that Toneri seemed to have arrived at the Elemental Continent especially for him. He had expected himself to be one of the determining factors but he was not so egotistic as to expect the world to revolve around him. Little did he know, Toneri really left the haven of the moon to see him. Even if he was merely interesting to the other due to the dullness of life on the moon, it was quite touching to know he was so important to the boy.

"It is much more dangerous here than it is in the secular environment of the moon. How did you end up so far from Konohagakure anyway, if you were looking for me?" Naruto questioned.

"Konohagakure?" Toneri echoed in bafflement.

Clearly, this name meant nothing to him.

"You are so ignorant of worldly matters..." Naruto sighed. "Oh well, I might as well explain. That is where you met me last time. The hidden village in Fire Country with the distinctive feature of being a natural fortress nestled in a forest of trees grown using Wood Release."

"I saw you in the desert, so I went to a place near that. I didn't expect to get lost and wander halfway across the world before crossing paths with you," Toneri admitted awkwardly.

Naruto chuckled. "You were lucky. What's it like up there?"

Toneri's mood plateaued, his expression turning sombre.

"There's nothing there. It's just a desolate lump of rock. It is lonely and life is boring."

Naruto had a flash of inspiration.

If Toneri felt forlorn all by his lonesome, then it was only right to solve the problem at its root.

He grabbed Toneri by the wrist and swiftly executed a Hiraishin, appearing in Kaien's room with the child in tow.

Since Kaien was isolated while Toneri was desolate, perhaps they would feel better if they each found a companion who understood their despondent loneliness.

"Santa-sama?" Kaien uttered in shock as he stepped into his cabin.

He hurried to lock the door behind him, his eyes scanning over the small intruder to his private space. Although Kaien did not mind having Naruto appear whenever and wherever, being used to it at this point, he did not appreciate having a stranger entering his residence without having been informed in advance. Even so, he did not blame Naruto for randomly bringing this child in. He knew that the blond had his reasons but he still felt a little discontented regarding the white-haired boy.

"You two take your time and chat. Toneri, meet Kaien. Kaien, this is Toneri. There is nothing you have to hide from each other. I know Kaien has the week off - technically information gathering duty, but the data is already collated and the reports have been written. Get along properly. Kaien, call me if you decide that you cannot get along with each other. I do not mind bringing Toneri back with me," Naruto addressed the two boys, smiling at them lightly.

He released his hold on Toneri's wrist and nudged him towards Kaien before disappearing into thin air.

"What is Santa-sama to you?" Kaien queried to break the silence.

"That respected personage is my saviour," Toneri replied calmly in response to the probe.

He was not stupid.

Kaien's distrust of him was almost palpable. Understandable, considering how he practically appeared out of nowhere by Naruto's side. It was obvious that Naruto was important to Kaien. For Kaien to be protective of Naruto and feel wary of those who approach him was acceptable.

"He rescued me from a bad situation earlier. What about you?" Toneri was truthful but asked the same in return.

Kaien was initially guarded against anything Toneri might throw out.

It was just that he had no resistance against someone who was in the same situation as himself.

The blank expression that was his default appearance around others gradually softened as he identified the crimson spots on his white attire as blood.

"I, too, have been saved by his kindness," Kaien confessed, tenderly recalling memories of all the moments of warmth that Naruto had magnanimously scattered over the years.

Understanding the common ground between them, hesitant smiles appeared on their faces as Kaien and Toneri approached one another.

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

A certain masked jōnin sighed tiredly, raking his fingers through his silver hair as he bolted the door to his apartment.

He only made it several steps past the door when he noticed the faint sound of even breathing from the sitting room. He looked down at the doorstep, spotting a familiar pair of ANBU sandals that had blood pooling under the soles. He removed his own sandals and placed them gently on the ground beside the pair already present.

Kakashi silently approached, his eyes quickly drawn to the figure sprawled over his couch.

Seeing a familiar redhead lying there still donning his ANBU plate armour with his mask askew on his face, his expression gentled as a fond smile tugged at his lips.

This was not the first time he returned to his apartment to see the Uzumaki making himself at home in Kakashi's residence.

He had only been stunned to see that his friend had actually taken his offer, the first time Sōjiro crashed at his place. Thereafter, Sōjirō spent most of his time away from missions and fūinjutsu jobs in Kakashi's apartment. Neither felt any awkwardness over this unusual arrangement, with the latter spending more time at home than ever to accompany his friend.

Gazing down at the completely relaxed and seemingly defenceless form of the resting Sōjirō, he presumed that the other was asleep and gingerly lifted the fox mask to reveal Sōjirō's face which had been hidden beneath. He was careful not to rouse the dozing ANBU commander, letting the porcelain mask be hung from a knob on the drawer of the coffee table. Sōjirō's sleeping form appeared unbelievably innocent, perhaps even harmless. His feathery scarlet eyelashes seemed to dust over his cheeks, the cold angular lines of his facial features softening as tensed muscles were relaxed and his brows smoothed. His pale pink lips were moist, slightly parted as measured breaths were caught by Kakashi's excellent hearing.

Kakashi gave the man a critical once-over and felt exasperation cause his own brows to furrow.

The redhead's beloved katana, which he typically did not permit others to touch whether in or out of battle, was falling out of its black leather sheath on his waist. The special plate armour of the ANBU black ops was still securely strapped on, causing his breathing to be slightly shallow. There were weapons and fūinjutsu pouches secured to his hip and thigh, looking uncomfortable as they were jostled against the cushions on the couch.

Kakashi helped to remove the cumbersome weapons and armour, surprisingly unannoyed, setting them aside on the coffee table.

Little did he know, Sōjirō had been awake from the moment Kakashi touched his sword.

It was only due to the familiarity of Kakashi's presence that he did not stir when the former entered the apartment or even when Kakashi approached.

This did not extend to him laying a hand on Sōjirō's precious katana.

It was known to everyone except Kakashi that it was taboo to mess with Kitsune's prized sword.

Anyone who dared touch his katana would die miserably. When Sōjirō was in action, his blade reaped lives with every swing. All that touched its blade was rewarded with death. Even his allies did not dare to brush with death. There was ever an incident where a foolish senpai, coveting his sword, tried to snatch it while Sōjirō was not paying attention. As soon as his fingers grasped the hilt, Sōjirō had turned around and killed him in cold blood without regard for the fact that he too was of Konoha. To the shock of the rest of those who had witnessed this scene, the Hokage was inclined to turn a blind eye to this incident and Sōjirō had not been punished for harming a fellow shinobi of Konohagakure. Since then, no one had tried to court death in such a manner.

Enemy shinobi who thought themselves clever and attempted to catch the blade of Kitsune's sword between their fingers would die without exception. Kitsune would guard his dear katana against even his own teammates and they were not so stupid as to not get the hint. Coming into contact with Sōjirō's katana was akin to suicide.

Kakashi was the sole (unknowing) exception to this rule.

Only Kakashi had ever handled Kitsune's katana and lived.

Of course, Sōjirō had no intention of doing anything to Kakashi even if the other party had taken his sword. It was just that he was oversensitive when it came to the katana he always hung at his waist. He could not help but wake from his slumber, despite how comfortable he felt in Kakashi's presence. Someone had touched his sword, after all.

With this being the case, the blood clone found it too awkward for him to open his eyes in such a situation. Kakashi was helping him out of the articles of the equipment he had absent-mindedly forgotten to disarm from his person. It seemed a little inappropriate for him to wake as Kakashi fiddled around with his clothes, however innocuous his intentions.

As Kakashi completed his task and turned around to head for the kitchen in search for a drink to quench his thirst after the completion of the dragged-out mission to Wave country, Sōjirō's eyes flickered open.

He watched Kakashi's back ponderingly, the emotion in his eyes indiscernible.

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

"Hokage-dono, it has been a long time since our last correspondence," greeted a hoarse voice from the crystal ball that the Sandaime Hokage often used to watch the ongoings in the hidden village of Konohagakure.

Now, what was displayed on the surface of the orb was not someplace in Konoha but the face of the Yondaime Kazekage Rasa.

"Indeed. I hope that Kazekage-dono has been well?" Sarutobi Hiruzen responded genially.

Rasa's lips tautened, his eyebrows furrowing.

Hiruzen took notice of that detail, but he was tactful enough to not mention it.

"Please allow me to skip over the trivial niceties. I am not communicating with you for leisure, Hokage-dono. Forgive me but there is an urgent matter which concerns the peace and safety of both our villages," Rasa spoke gravely, staring straight into Hiruzen's eyes.

The aged Hokage's eyes widened at the severity in the other's tone.

"You mean...?" Hiruzen questioned tersely, fearing the worst.

"It is inappropriate to discuss this over long-distance communication," Rasa replied stiffly.

Hiruzen immediately comprehended the unverbalised implication.

There was someone else involved in this with the ability to intercept the transmission.

"I understand. How would you like to go about this?" Hiruzen inquired, cooperatively.

"I would like to entreat for the previous representative to be sent over to discuss this matter henceforth," Rasa put forth his request without hesitation.

Hiruzen blinked, feeling a little stunned.

"You mean you wish to see my Konoha's Kitsune again?" he confirmed, slightly doubtful.

He never anticipated that Takamatsu Sōjirō might have made such a deep impression on the other Kage that Rasa would specifically ask for him. He had expected Sōjirō to do well, allowing the negotiation to pull through successfully, but it was beyond him that Rasa would be attached to having Kitsune as a diplomat. He could not help but be curious regarding how the negotiation had transpired before.

Hearing the unspoken question, Rasa explained, "Takamatsu-san is intelligent. I do believe that only he can appropriately represent Konohagakure in advising me on how I should proceed with this dilemma."

Hiruzen was a little suspicious, but he did not doubt Sōjirō even once.

"I see. Then I will send him over promptly. I will take that you don't want this visit to be made public?" Hiruzen confirmed, his tone slightly tepid.

"That would be the case. For the cover, I would like to propose something," Rasa announced.

"Oh? Do tell," Hiruzen urged the Kazekage on.

"Since the upcoming Chūnin exams will take place in Konohagakure..."

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

Sōjirō frowned as he was roused by the ringing of a metal slip hung at his belt.

He had fallen asleep at last after Kakashi's untimely disturbance but was immediately forced to open his eyes not too long after.

Although discontent, Sōjirō had no choice but to diligently receive the call. There was only one person who would contact him through this compact communication array device and that was the Hokage. He had no idea what will happen to him if he ever ignored the Hokage's summons and did not want to find out.

"This is Kitsune speaking," Sōjirō spoke tiredly.

"Have I disturbed you, Sōjirō-kun?" Hiruzen asked mildly, sounding only slightly apologetic.

"It is fine. I was just resting. How may I help you, Hokage-sama?" asked Sōjirō.

"Have you been weary as of late?" the Sandaime asked cryptically.

Sōjirō raised an eyebrow. "I've been alright. Why do you ask?"

"It's not good to overwork yourself. You haven't taken a single day of leave since you started off as an ANBU operative," Hiruzen advised kindly.

Sōjirō stiffened in shock.

"You don't mean...?" he asked in trepidation.

"I will be putting you off-duty for the coming months," informed Hiruzen.

Sōjirō almost dropped the communicator.

His voice trembling, he stuttered, "C-Could you repeat that, Hokage-sama?"

He was being dismissed?

How was he going to explain this to his Master?

"You should treat it as a well-deserved vacation from ANBU duties," Hiruzen said patiently. "You are temporarily discharged from your post. You should relax for a while. Don't worry. You will not be losing your job, Konoha cannot afford to dismiss you permanently."

Even so, Sōjirō was not satisfied!

His only jobs included taking part in ANBU activities, reducing mission death toll, and gathering information from his position in Konohagakure's ANBU forces.

He could not possibly take a break.

"Hokage-sama, please reconsider," Sōjirō said earnestly. "I do not need any vacations. I am not straining myself at all."

Hiruzen sighed, equal parts humoured and vexed by Sōjirō's stubborn refusal to listen to reason.

"We will discuss this further when you get to my office. I shall await your arrival."

Just like that, the Hokage hung up on him.

Sōjirō was left glaring futilely at his communicator.

How was it that he had never noticed how annoying that old man was?