"Yeah, I didn't have a lot back in Ko-" He trailed off, looking down at the floor with a frown, the hand that wasn't occupied in the monk's clenching into a fist.
"Chukaku." Naruto looked up in surprise, shaken from his thoughts by the warm voice; the monk was looking down at him, his eyes squinted and a comforting smile across his features. "My name is Chukaku, head monk of the Fire temple here in Hi no Kuni. And yours?" Naruto blinked once before coughing and rubbing the back of his head.
"Naruto." Chukaku seemed to draw in a deep breath, looking out a window into the grounds of the temple where a group of monks were running through their kata in perfect synchronisation.
"Ahh, Maelstrom, a good strong name. I feel your future will be filled with great things, if not hardship to get there." Seemingly pulled out of his trance-like state he blinked rapidly, regaining his composure and earlier kindly stance. "But as to only be expected of course, we all must go through hardship to fully appreciate the gift that is life ne?" Naruto just stared at him strangely for a few moments in awkward silence before Chukaku coughed into his hand and began walking down the corridor again.
"Yes well anyway, you are more than welcome to stay here Naruto. We cannot promise you a comfortable life but you will have companionship and peace if you so choose." The blonde just stared up at him in wonder, his eyes wide in amazement.
"You would let me stay here?" Chukaku merely chuckled to himself, not even bothering to turn around.
"Of course, what kind of monk would I be if I turned around a starving child on my doorstep? Come now, we shall go find you some food and a place to sleep. I'm sure Sora will be delighted to finally have somebody his own age to talk to." Suddenly the elderly monk felt Naruto stop, his hand slipping out of his wrinkled grip. He turned back only to see Naruto standing there, his head lowered with his messy hair shadowing his eyes.
"I-I can't." He sniffed loudly and Chukaku could see tears rolling down the boy's cheeks. "I don't deserve it, I'm a monster." The young blonde was shocked though when he suddenly felt himself being embraced. Chukaku had taken him into a warm hug, gently patting the boy's back in a comforting manner.
"Don't say that Naruto, you are not a monster. I refuse to believe any child such as yourself could ever be a monster." He stood up and for a moment Naruto was sad to feel the warmth from the embrace disappear. Quickly he found an old wrinkled palm held out before him, offering for him to take it. "Come now, tell me your story." Naruto stood there for a moment before he wiped the tears off his face and took the outstretched hand.
"Alright Naruto, what do you know about Chakra?" The small blonde beside the old monk looked up to him with wide, naïve eyes.
"Chatara?" Chukaku merely chuckled as he patted the boy's head, much to the blonde's ire if his scowl was anything to go on. Naruto was now dressed in the more traditional robes worn by the Fire Temple monks, the loose linen clothing tied by a white sash.
"Chakra Naruto. It is the life-blood of the world, the energy that permeates everything and is produced in every living creature on the planet. By meditation and physical exercises one can slowly gain control over their chakra, moulding it and forming it ways that allow us to do many wonderful and otherwise impossible things." He looked down with the same kindly smile only to see Naruto look away disinterestedly. With a raised brow Chukaku lightly bobbed the small blonde on the head with the end of his shakujou.
"Hey! What was that for?!" Chukaku merely put on an innocent smile as he hid the staff behind his body, despite it being taller than he was.
"Whatever do you mean Naruto-kun? Although it is very poor manners to not pay attention when somebody is speaking to you." The young blonde merely scowled at the elderly man, rubbing his head lightly where he had been hit. However when it looked like he would retort angrily Chukaku merely twitched the hand holding his staff and Naruto backed off.
"Sorry, but this Chakra doesn't sound all that amazing." Once again a solitary eyebrow rose on Chukaku's forehead as he began to walk towards a nearby wall, his shakujou jingling with each step.
"Oh no? You say you come from Konoha right?" Naruto didn't answer but Chukaku caught his tensed posture out of the corner of his eye. "That's a ninja village." At the mention of Shinobi the old monk could tell he now had Naruto's full attention. "Chakra is what allows ninja to perform their various techniques and Jutsu." If possible at the mention of Jutsu Naruto became even more attentive.
"Jutsu? Like fire balls and those cool exploding tags." Chukaku gave a small smile and a curt nod which only widened Naruto's eyes.
"Correct. You see by balancing and combining the physical and spiritual energies in one's body you form Chakra which can then be controlled through the use of hand-signs to mould in the way the technique requires." He stopped, standing next to one of the imposing walls of the temple, higher than most of the buildings it protected. "However that is not the end of it. Those skilled enough do not even require hand seals and can mould Chakra through sheer concentration and focus." Naruto was practically bouncing on his feet at this point so Chukaku decided to hammer the point home.
"In fact I believe one of the earliest techniques taught to young ninja is the surface-clinging exercise, like so." With that the old monk kept walking, putting first one foot, then another on the wall until he was high above Naruto who could only stare up with amazement in his eyes. "Using Chakra to stick to a surface, no matter what it is." He walked back down at a leisurely pace, making it seem like he wasn't defying gravity but instead taking a calm stroll.
"Of course there are other ways to mould Chakra, you even mentioned one." At that the blonde gained a confused expression which made Chukaku chuckle lightly. "Those exploding tags, they work slightly differently. Instead of moulding Chakra inside the body you apply it to special seals that mould it for you in whatever medium you choose, usually ink. This is a branch of the ninja arts known as Fuinjutsu. It has as many, if not more uses than it's more traditional counterparts." At this point Naruto seemed to have calmed slightly, just allowing himself to absorb all the information he had been given.
"So uh, what does chakra look like?" Chukaku gazed at Naruto oddly for a few minutes before quietly chuckling to himself, irritating the young blonde. "Hey! It's not like it's a dumb question or anything!" The elderly monk quickly quietened down, patting Naruto's back fondly as he sighed.
"No no of course not, in fact it is an excellent question, but probably one I should be asking you all things considered." Naruto just looked up at him and in a manner as eloquent as ever he simply said.
"Huh?" This time Chukaku suppressed his chuckled as he knelt down on creaking knees to look Naruto in the eye.