[The first, fleeting impression when Naruto spoke was no, don't tell them that, don't tell them we share a sensei because even if Konan deserves such recognition, I do not.
But the words were out, and he had no time to even open his mouth to speak, to think, before the white haired man came charging into things, ratcheting the tension and filling the air with suffocating unease. That killer intent wasn't enough to bow him, but the words...
He deserved those words, recognized that face, but he could not undo the past. His limits were given with his life, and as he had been told the day before, even if he wished to there was nothing more he could give than that. He could give it over and over again, but it was all he had to give anyone, be it through living or dying... and he didn't bring up his guard. He didn't draw attention to Konan when those eyes, which looked so afraid in their deathly intent, were trained on him.
He did step away from Konan though, a single pace so she was no longer even at risk of being unable to retreat and kept his hands down, loose at his sides. He stood still and watched as Naruto's parents came to his rescue.
He knew it wasn't for his sake, and was unlikely to ever be so, not with this in the air, but he would not start any conflict. He refused. If the man ignored them, ignored the fine, strong people that Naruto's parents were, then he would dodge, defend, and go, nothing else. He wouldn't hurt him, or fight him with any kind of heart, because Naruto didn't deserve to see people he cared about in conflict.
He'd never wanted to inflict that on the blond again, and he simply couldn't fathom why the boy was so... so everything he couldn't be. Hadn't known how to be.
Perhaps he got it from his parents. First Kushina spoke... and then this other fellow student, one he'd only known as the 'Yondaime Hokage' before, and whom he'd known was dead. He'd never met him, never got a chance to see who it was that Jiraiya-sensei went home to teach. And now he had, and he wished that he'd met them, either of them, before he'd done what he'd done.
But, there was no turning back the clock. If anyone would have had that skill, it might have been him, given all his others, but... life, death, gravity itself...
Those were not time.
He finally took a deep breath, aware of that two tone gaze, of the grief and anger and pain that filled the room, filled the air, and very deliberately turned his ringed gaze to meet the blue that had come to focus on him instead. Not Naruto's eyes, too hard and hurt to be Naruto's eyes, but there was definitely something there, something that defined him as the same sort of person.
It only made him feel worse. However, all he could do was apologize and move forward. Be the person his sensei had hoped him to be, once upon a time, before grief had eaten its way through everything.
Thus, he slowly, carefully bowed his head, closing his eyes and staying peacefully still with his hands loose at his sides. His tone was quiet, but firm, because there was no point in sounding anything but as sincere as he was.]
Naruto, thank you for inviting me, us, to your home, but had I known I would have declined. I did not want to cause this sort of grief to you any more than I had before, and definitely not to your loved ones.
But now that I am here, I will simply apologize to both of you, Yondaime, Hatake-san. If everyone wishes for me to go, I'll go.
How was I supposed to follow that up guys?!
But the words were out, and he had no time to even open his mouth to speak, to think, before the white haired man came charging into things, ratcheting the tension and filling the air with suffocating unease. That killer intent wasn't enough to bow him, but the words...
He deserved those words, recognized that face, but he could not undo the past. His limits were given with his life, and as he had been told the day before, even if he wished to there was nothing more he could give than that. He could give it over and over again, but it was all he had to give anyone, be it through living or dying... and he didn't bring up his guard. He didn't draw attention to Konan when those eyes, which looked so afraid in their deathly intent, were trained on him.
He did step away from Konan though, a single pace so she was no longer even at risk of being unable to retreat and kept his hands down, loose at his sides. He stood still and watched as Naruto's parents came to his rescue.
He knew it wasn't for his sake, and was unlikely to ever be so, not with this in the air, but he would not start any conflict. He refused. If the man ignored them, ignored the fine, strong people that Naruto's parents were, then he would dodge, defend, and go, nothing else. He wouldn't hurt him, or fight him with any kind of heart, because Naruto didn't deserve to see people he cared about in conflict.
He'd never wanted to inflict that on the blond again, and he simply couldn't fathom why the boy was so... so everything he couldn't be. Hadn't known how to be.
Perhaps he got it from his parents. First Kushina spoke... and then this other fellow student, one he'd only known as the 'Yondaime Hokage' before, and whom he'd known was dead. He'd never met him, never got a chance to see who it was that Jiraiya-sensei went home to teach. And now he had, and he wished that he'd met them, either of them, before he'd done what he'd done.
But, there was no turning back the clock. If anyone would have had that skill, it might have been him, given all his others, but... life, death, gravity itself...
Those were not time.
He finally took a deep breath, aware of that two tone gaze, of the grief and anger and pain that filled the room, filled the air, and very deliberately turned his ringed gaze to meet the blue that had come to focus on him instead. Not Naruto's eyes, too hard and hurt to be Naruto's eyes, but there was definitely something there, something that defined him as the same sort of person.
It only made him feel worse. However, all he could do was apologize and move forward. Be the person his sensei had hoped him to be, once upon a time, before grief had eaten its way through everything.
Thus, he slowly, carefully bowed his head, closing his eyes and staying peacefully still with his hands loose at his sides. His tone was quiet, but firm, because there was no point in sounding anything but as sincere as he was.]
Naruto, thank you for inviting me, us, to your home, but had I known I would have declined. I did not want to cause this sort of grief to you any more than I had before, and definitely not to your loved ones.
But now that I am here, I will simply apologize to both of you, Yondaime, Hatake-san. If everyone wishes for me to go, I'll go.