Chapter Two-Well, that went well.
A/N: I've realised a problem with my timeline- Tsunade is in a coma and only wakes up during the fourth Shinobi world war. This is a bit of a problem obviously. So, it's apparently a partial AU.
Set after the Invasion of pain arc. Due to the losses Akatsuki has recently had, Tobi has postponed any immediate actions. This story will follow its own timeline.
Also, I found this chapter hard to finish, just because there's like no action ah well!
I'm currently writing the third chapter anyway, it's a lot better, I promise you! Much more kiddy Naruto action!
Disclaimer: I don't even know why we gotta do these… of course I don't own Naruto! I don't have that sorta imagination- plus I'd be rich and off somewhere on a permanent holiday and not sitting at home, listening to the rain whilst typing. Yay.
The Hokage's temporary office was devoid of life, bar the drunken Sannin. Tsunade groaned, it was already evening and piles of paperwork lay unfinished. The pages just seemed to blur together whilst her mind was elsewhere, namely, a blond haired boy- emphasis on the boy. It had been a two full days since Naruto had been …incapacitated and she had a feeling it wouldn't be long until he woke. That was a problem within itself, how the hell do you explain to someone that they're biologically four years old? She couldn't conjure a single scenario that didn't end with Naruto screaming in horror and promptly passing out. That was, if he even still had his memories intact. He didn't seem to have any brain damage, but only time could tell. Deep in thought, she swirled the glass of sake in her hand, mesmerised by the circular movements. She jolted and sake spilled over the sides, product of an urgent knocking on her door. Resisting the urge to curse, she quickly dabbed the droplets of sake with her sleeve.
"What is it?" She was feeling in no way polite towards the person who interrupted her brooding. A young, brown haired Chunin jerked the door open and stumbled in. He was breathing heavily and his nose scrunched up in worry, making his scar crinkle. Oh, fantastic, Iruka.
"Yes, Iruka? Did you need something?" At her less that pleasant tone, Iruka manage to compose himself.
"Hokage-sama, my apologies." He bowed politely. "Naruto…is it true? What the villagers are saying?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. The villagers were talking about Naruto?
"That depends. What are the villagers saying?"
"Ah-well, I know it sounds crazy, but, he hasn't turned into a boy…has he?" Iruka would have usually scoffed at something so ridiculous, but with the amount of villagers repeating the same rumour, he started to have doubts. Tsunade swore loudly and slammed her fist on the table, making the more timid ninja jump. Iruka's eyes widened with shock- her reaction could only mean one thing; the rumours were true.
"Shit! How the hell do they know?" Her question was aimed at no one in particular, she already knew the answer. With her concentration spanning her own slow recovery and Naruto's new…situation, she had completely forget to make the Nurses swear to silence. This was bad, especially for Naruto. It would be completely humiliating for him.
"But- I mean, how? A type of Jutsu that could do something like that…it's nuts! I mean, you use a henge, right?" Iruka was rambling by now, somewhat unaware that he was talking to the Hokage, someone he always addresses with a lavish amount of respect. Tsunade's eyebrow twitched at the reference to her real age.
"The 'how' is far too complicated to explain, but yes, it's true. Now Iruka, I…" She was interrupted by another figure at the door, a frantic Shizune.
"Tsunade-sama, you should be down at the hospital- Naruto's waking up!" It didn't take a second for the sentence to sink in before the three nin's sprung into action, aiming straight for the new hospital.
Kakashi hadn't had much sleep, thus the Nurses left him to his own devices; his temper seeming to get shorter with every minute his was awake. Between worrying about his student and actually visiting his student, he seldom had enough time for much else. His stomach was disagreeing completely with his course of actions and wasn't afraid to tell him, he'd been unable to stop the growling for around an hour. He didn't, however, want to leave Naruto's side to grab some dinner. It was about time Naruto's should wake up, and he'd be damned if he let the boy wake up alone. His friends had visited, of course, but had gone home when the evening arrived and visiting hours were technically over. They had been reluctant to leave and he felt slightly guilty he was the only one allowed to stay.
He sighed with exasperation, reviewing the rookie's reactions to Naruto's younger form. He was going to have his work cut out for him when he woke up. Sakura was the worst; she took one look at the boy and ran out of the room in tears. Kakashi just hoped she dealt with her emotions before Naruto saw her; he had the feeling the blonde wouldn't deal well with being unaccepted by his team mate. He was happy that his other friends were slightly more accepting, most still had mix emotions or, like Ino, completely gushed about how 'adorable' he was. He smirked under his mask. If Naruto still had his sixteen year-old mind, he was sure the blonde wouldn't mind the attention.
Kakashi snapped his perverted book shut when he heard a pained groan. He immediately rushed to the boy's side whilst trying to maintain his lax persona; anything else would bring unnecessary panic. Three figures burst through the door; he didn't have to spare a gaze to know their identities. Whilst Tsunade immediately bolted to the semi-conscious Naruto, Iruka hesitantly stumbled in. He stifled a gasp when the he saw the tiny body. He would barely reach my thigh…oh god. Forcing his hands to stop shaking, he calmed down instantly; a skill he had acquired from his many years as a teacher. They all waited with bated breath as Naruto's eyes flickered.
Where…am I?
A wave of nausea hit Naruto with the force of a raging Tsunami. He gagged painfully and struggled to lift his arm to cover his mouth. His eyes snapped eyed open, with a burning panic he realised he could hardly move a single muscle.
"Nnngh!" He tried to cry out for help but his throat was far too dry too form words. He jolted again as he registered presences in the room; four imposing adults leaned over him. A hand reached out and Naruto instinctively flinched away. The terrified boy shuffled as far away from them as the bed would let them. He screwed his eyes shut and vigorously shook his head. He couldn't get rid of the feeling that he knew these people, that he was completely safe. Of course the curious feelings combined with the missing knowledge just managed to scare him more.
"Naruto! Naruto, listen to me, you're safe- nothing can hurt you! Just-just calm the heck down!" He recognised to brown haired man that had suddenly appeared at his side. He narrowed his eyes in concentration. Brown hair…that scar…that jacket…
"Iruka-sensei?" He choked out. Iruka winced at the fearful tone.
"Yeah, it's me." Iruka tried to smile comfortingly, but he faltered. How much does he remember?
"Ah, sorry." Naruto smiled sheepishly and re-adjusted himself on the bed. His terror seemed to disappear as soon as he saw the brotherly affection in Iruka's other three adults were tense; they were too questioning Naruto's mental state. Flashes of images and emotions made Naruto's head throb.
Tsunade was scared to ask the question on the tip of her tongue. The fear that the boy who resembled her dead brother- now even more so- didn't recognise her was crippling. It almost compared to her past fear of blood. Well, I got over that; I can sure as hell get over this.
"Naruto, do you recognise me?" The small blonde redirected his attention to the pretty woman standing at the bottom of his bed. Instinctively, he reached up with shaky hands to touch his necklace. More flashes ran through his mind until he answered the woman with a small nod. Baa-chan. He gave the woman a shy smile and she sighed in relief.
"I think I know you all. It's just…" He trailed off, trying to find the right way to explain the sensation. "Flashy!" He exclaimed wildly with his arms, evoking an affectionate smile from the adults.
Tsunade ushered Iruka away from Naruto's side so she could check his responses.
"Naruto, hold your eyes open for me." She dug a flashlight from her pocket and shone it in the boy's eyes. He immediately screwed them shut.
"Don't wanna!" He protested. That light hurts! Tsunade just sighed and resigned herself to check him later.
"Alright. So what did you mean by 'flashy'?" Her lips unconsciously curled into a smile once again when the gaki's face scrunched up adorably. She couldn't get over how big and blue his eyes were. If only Minato could see this.
"Well…I dunno!~" He huffed in frustration. He knew every adult in this room was important to him in different ways- maybe the brown haired woman wasn't as important. He didn't harbour the strong emotions towards her as the others. Out of all the blurred memories, there was one that stood out vividly. The sight of one onyx eye. He searched for the owner and let out a sigh of relief when he saw his sensei. He stood stoically at the end of his bed, observing. Kakashi would have actively questioned Naruto as well, but he was far too tired, therefore he let the others take over.
"You're baa-chan! You're Iruka-sensei! You're Shizune nee-chan! And you're Kakashi-sensei!" He exclaimed proudly, grinning wildly. His face scrunched up again however; his own voice seemed foreign to him. He lifted his hand in front of his face, his limbs now mobile. He started down in confusion at the tiny palm.
"Heh! That's weird! I could've sworn I was bigger!" He peered up at Tsunade expectantly, his question was implied. Tsunade just looked at the other adult's for help. She was at a loss of what to say.
"Hey, brat."
Naruto looked around the room in confusion, searching for the adult was had emitted the husky, malicious tone. No one had spoken, but he'd heard a voice! He gasped as he was plunged into the blackness of his own inner mind, the shouts of the adult's too far out of his reach. He opened his eyes once more and faced a giant, fox-like creature. He grinned- a cynical grin that made the boy feel quite uncomfortable; especially since he hadn't forgotten for a second who this creature was.
"Kyuubi." He scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to say."Uh…hello?"
The fox just tutted at the unintelligent greeting. The awkward silence between the two was filled only by the drips and rippling of the water below Naruto's feet. Finally, the fox spoke.
"You just can't keep yourself out of trouble; can you, you insolent brat?" The fox chuckled menacingly once more, Naruto shivered from the sound of it. "Little being the operative word it seems. This is quite inconvenient for me too, you know."
Naruto tilted his head to the side, incomprehensively. "I don't get it." He stated rather bluntly. The fox intimidated him, but he also felt like he had some sort of power over it. He wasn't nearly as terrified as he had been when he first woke up. Unnerved, but not terrified.
"Come here, Naruto."
Naruto stood still for several moments, twiddling his thumbs nervously. Should I? He gulped and timidly moved his little legs forwards. He stood directly in front of the gates. The Kyuubi shook his head at his most recent jailer. The boy was more trouble than he was worth. Still, he was far more tolerable than the other two had been, so he decided to cut the boy some slack. He needs his memories. Kyuubi moved too quickly for the young boy to comprehend, his huge hand shot through the gates and gripped the boy. He didn't hesitate and started to transfer the memories immediately. Identities…events…fighting ability… but, how should I handle his mentality? Kurama looked at the young boy engulfed by his hand. He knew instantly that the Jutsu wasn't temporary. The boy really was, biologically, four years old. It would be more than a hindrance for him to regain his sixteen year old consciousness. I'll have to choose selectively. Finally, after five minutes of transferring memories, Kurama abruptly let Naruto drop to the floor.
"Be grateful, Brat, That used up a lot of chakra."
Before he could answer, Naruto was pulled back to consciousness by the shaking of his shoulder.
"Naruto?" Tsunade was frantic. Naruto just stopped responding and his eyes had glazed over, unseeingly starting at the wall. What happened? Is this a usual occurrence? Does he have brain damage?
"Ugh, I feel sick!" Another wave of nausea ran through Naruto.
"Naruto, what happened?"
"Eh? Oh! Don't worry about that, the big fox just wanted to talk." He gave her an ear-splitting grin, only to falter when she just seemed more concerned.
"He did, did he?" Naruto didn't miss the silent conversation between Tsunade and Kakashi. He tilted his head to the side and frowned. He'd seen the same look many times, usually coming from the villagers, well, before Pein. He hadn't expected the same from two of his precious people. He huffed, the sound made Tsunade turn her attention back towards him.
"He didn't do anything. Jus' wanted to see why I'm all small." He lied. The Kyuubi had fixed the gaps in his memories, but he wasn't about to tell them that. He paused. Why am I small? "Wait, how old do I look?"
The adults became increasingly uncomfortable. He was figuring it out. Tsunade decided to break the news; she was, after all, the Hokage.
"Naruto, you were attacked."
"Oh, I was?" He cocked his head to the side. He didn't remember being attacked.
"I'm just going to be blunt here. You have the body of a four year old child." Naruto blinked. Then he started giggling.
"Don't be silly, baa-chan! I'm not four!" The giggling stopped when he realised none of the adults seemed to share his amusement. He turned to the person he trusted the most, his sensei. "Kakashi-sensei? I'm not four?" Wordlessly, Kakashi gathered the small mirror from the corner of the room. He was hoping Naruto wouldn't turn to him, the guilt was bubbling up in him with every passing second.
"Naruto, I want you to take a deep breath and look in the mirror." Naruto brow frowned. He'd assumed the adults were playing a joke on him. One he looked in the mirror, he decided if it was a joke, it was very mean. His face was small and round, his nose was like a button. His eyes, however, were much, much larger than they were before. All around, he was four. Unable to handle the situation, Naruto promptly passed out. After a long silence, Kakashi was the first to speak.
"Well, I personally think that went well."
"Well, at least he didn't cry." Iruka offered.
"Oh, believe me, the crying will come later. Naruto's always been very emotional, imagine that tenfold." Kakashi frowned; he couldn't imagine why Naruto would be more emotional.
"Wait, just because he looks four, doesn't mean he is four? If he has most, or at least, some of his memories, surely he would keep his mentality?"
"I'd normally agree, however, it's not just his body reversibly aging. His mind did too. It's as developed as a normal child's brain, which means it hasn't developed very much. There's also the lack a hormones, I could go on. So yes, he had the mind of a child."
"Well, with Naruto, that means he'll act around two." Kakashi added. Tsunade gave him a disapproving glare, though silently agreeing that the boy was, at time, an idiot- a lovable idiot, but still an idiot.
"As I was saying, Naruto will act like a four year old, he'll speak like a four year old, and he'll even have the co-ordination of a four year old."
"So what you're saying is…he's four?"
"Oh my! Well done Kakashi!" Tsunade exclaimed, the sarcasm evident. "Anyway, he's well enough to be discharged soon. There's nothing wrong health wise, except the obvious. We'll have to keep an eye on his mentality though."
"Tsunade-sama, about earlier, do you think the Kyuubi influenced him?" Shizune finally spoke up. She was much more wary of the entity inside Naruto than the others. Tsunade just rolled her eyes.
"Did he seem more demonic to you?"
"Well, no, but I still think we should watch him. He's far more fragile now." Tsunade sighed and looked out the window, considering her options. She couldn't let Naruto go back to his make-shift apartment, it was far too dangerous.
"All right. For all intents and purposes, Naruto should have a guardian." Tsunade didn't give the adults a chance to answer. "Kakashi?" She asked expectantly. He blinked.
"Eh? Why me? Iruka's more motherly." The brunette made a noise of disagreement.
"I only have one room in my apartment. I'm not having Naruto sleep on the couch- and we know for a fact you have two rooms, Kakashi." The silver-haired Jounin felt the four oppressive glares and sighed.
"All right, all right, I was going to do it anyway." He scratched his head. Well, this is going to be weird. He wasn't exactly the most responsible person in the world. He hoped he wouldn't mess this up. Tsunade smirked.
"Good."