Chapter 2: wake up calls / respect my authoritah
Hey all, I'm back with another installment of my take on Perfect Lionheart's Missing Hokage Challenge
I want to thank all of the people who have reviewed my story and added or favorited it. My mailbox filled up like nobody's business. Way to show the love, y'all. I really feel overwhelmed. Days after posting the first chapter, I'm still getting responses. You guys (I mean the term non-gender-specifically) all rock.
Disclaimer: If you believe I own Naruto, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.
Both Ino and Sakura had agreed to become brides of the Uchiha. Ino found herself doing so increasingly out of a sense of duty. She knew the importance of the Uchiha clan to Konoha, as a leader of the Sasuke Uchiha fan club she had often cited it as a defense against her crush's detractors. But her doubts about Sasuke had only grown since his return, and the near decimation of her teammates that had entailed. It was hard to discount the suffering of those she had sweated with, bled with, fought beside, who had been beside her every day nearly for the past several months. If she could actually point to having some kind of relationship, even an extensive conversation with Sasuke, it might have assuaged her fears. As it stood, she would do her duty, and hope for the best. But she envied her rival who seemed to be on the moon over their betrothal. Even when they both won in their rivalry, it seemed to Ino that she still lost to Sakura.
The implantation of fertilized ovum in the wombs of the two young Kunoichi had gone off fairly routinely, and they were waiting for a follow up exam in a few weeks to see if the pregnancy had taken. Today was a special day, however. Today the two future brides would finally get to visit their groom to be
Sakura had gone all out to try and impress Sasuke, wearing a formal Kimono, her shorter pink hair elegantly coiffed.
Ino, on the other hand, had heard that Sasuke preferred stronger women, so had remained in her ninja clothes. This necessitated her removing anything that might be usable as a weapon from her person when the pair reached the guard station of the secure wing of the hospital. This stricture extended, (to Ino's amusement and Sakura's great annoyance) to the hair-sticks Sakura had used to style her hair. Then the two were ushered in to the visiting room. It was spare; concrete walls with bolted down table and chairs and a one-way mirror lining one wall. This drove home for Ino even more just how much trouble 'her' Sasuke was in.
After the two were seated, an ANBU lead in Sasuke. He was dressed in a simple light grey jumpsuit, and his hands were bound in ninja cuffs. The Anbu guards sat him in the chair facing the door, and then walked back to guard the entrance.
"Hi Sasuke, it's great to see you. They wouldn't let us see you for weeks after you came back, but I'm sure the council will have you out of here before much longer. How have you been, are they treating you well?" Sakura blithely remained upbeat in the face of these depressing environs.
Sasuke just went "Hnn." And proceeded to study the wall.
"Well anyway, the council decided that we were to be married to you, and help you reestablish your clan, like you said you wanted at the gennin orientation. Isn't that great?"
"What?" now Sasuke was looking at them, but it was not a nice look.
"Yeah, we're your wives now. And soon, we will have your babies and help rebuild your clan. We'll help you get strong, so you don't have to leave."
Sasuke gave a mirthless chuckle. "You? Help me get strong? No, you're too weak. You cannot help me defeat my brother, and so you are nothing to me. You being made my wife and bearing my child changes nothing. I will not recognize you or your child, only the strongest are fit to be Uchiha, and they are not to be found in this village. Go, Sakura, and do not trouble me again."
"Now wait just a damned minute! You can't talk to Sakura that way, and you sure as hell can't talk to me that way! We didn't chose to be made your brides any more than you did, but we are going to make the best of it, and that starts by you showing us a little respect!" Ino exploded at her now husband.
"I will talk to you however I want. You are just as weak as she is, just as useless. All of you are weak. Words without strength to back them up are meaningless, and your voices annoy me."
At this Ino got right up in Sasuke's face. "I'll show you weak! I could kick your ass right now, but we need to work this out, for the sake of our children."
"ENOUGH!" Sasuke swung his metal bound hands and bashed Ino in the face, sending her flying to nervelessly crash onto the floor. "You will never have my children, anything you carry was stolen from me!"
The ANBU flew across the cell and pinned the Uchiha to the wall roughly. The door, meanwhile burst open and Anko Mitarashi dashed in from the observation room next door. Sasuke smashed his bound hands into the stomach of the ANBU pinning him, and just managed to get loose enough to make a break for it, but Anko stopped him short, taking his legs out from under him and slamming him painfully, face first, into the floor.
"You fucked up reeeal good this time, punk." Said Anko, leaning forward towards his ear, a nasty grin adorning her face.
Sakura went to get Anko off of him, but was restrained by the ANBU guard. A few more ANBU came and dragged off the Uchiha, and then Anko came over to check on Ino. Green medical chakra came to her hands, and she ran them over Ino's body to scan for damage. "She'll be alright. It's too soon to tell if it was too much of a shock to the uterus to keep the babies, but time will tell. You can let her go now." Anko nodded to the ANBU officer still holding back Sakura.
"You didn't have to be so rough with Sasuke." Sakura glowered at Anko.
"Yes I did! He just clocked your friend and made a break for it. Your friend, I might add, who just stood up for you to that emo bastard. A little appreciation and concern on her part is warranted." Anko gave Sakura a sidelong look.
"Ah, Sasuke didn't mean it, he's just under a lot of stress. Besides, Ino shouldn't have yelled at him." Sakura said, but sounded less than sure.
"What room were you in? He could have killed her! I don't have time for this, I'm taking Ino to check her into the hospital. You can stay here and wallow in your delusions by yourself."
With that, Anko hoisted Ino up over her shoulder in a fireman's carry and walked out of the room. Sakura broke down from the intensity of the situation sat down on the metal chair, and began to cry.
Homura and Koharu barged into the office of the Hokage, trailed by Danzo.
"Tsunade, It has come to our attention that you are planning on escorting the… Uzumaki out on his exile." Began Koharu, her tone akin to a schoolteacher scolding an errant child.
Tsunade cursed under her breath. This was not what she wanted to deal with at the moment. "I am taking my new apprentice on a training mission, and figured I might as well see Naruto on his way. I fail to see how this is your concern." Tsunade attemped to remain neutral in speaking to them, despite wanting to introduce them to the wall via her fists.
"That is unacceptable. You have been letting too much paperwork pile up as it is. By order of the council, you are forbidden from leaving the vicinity of the Hokage mansion and tower, until you have satisfied us that you are doing your job properly. Otherwise we will be forced to petition the Daimyo to have you removed as Hokage."
Tsunade gaped. Could they even do that? "Who do you think you are, ordering me, the Hokage, around like that? Get the hell out of my office you dried up old prunes!"
"We will allow you to regain your composure, but the order still stands. Good day, Tsunade." The trio left again.
That was it. It was officially ON now. No way in hell was she going to take this lying down. "ANBU!" two forms ghosted into view in front of her. "Bring me Jiraya."
In the hospital, Ino was lying in a bed, still unconscious. Shizune was checking on her as the senior medical officer on duty. "You were right, Anko, there doesn't seem to be much damage besides the concussion and the edema and swelling in the face. We'll see if it damaged the implantation of the fetus on her uterine walls, but I'm hopeful as there doesn't appear to be any bleeding or trauma in the area to suggest a problem. As you are aware, it is too soon to tell if the implantation took at all, let alone whether it was damaged, so we'll have to wait and see." Shizune gave Anko an appraising look. "You are to be commended, Anko on your knowledge of medical techniques. Have you thought of training to be a field medic? The pay is good and it would give you some variety from your interrogation and assassination missions."
Anko quirked a wry smile. "I'll think about it. Tell me, how are the retrieval team doing?"
"They all survived, mostly intact. Shikamaru's wounds are mostly psychological, for the damage his friends and teammates sustained while carrying out his orders. Physicaly, except a splint on his finger he is fit for duty. Kiba is mostly recovered from his wounds, though Akamaru may take a little longer according to his sister. Chouji is restricted to bed for another month at least, but he is enjoying the doctor's stricture that he eat a lot to regain some of his lost weight. Neji, too, is off active duty, and is in a wheelchair for another week to give his core muscles time to fully heal. Lee is about where he was before the mission; another few weeks of light training and he should be declared fit again." Here Shizune paused, as she had reached the person who was bothering her most.
Anko didn't miss this slip. "And Naruto?" Anko wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she kind of had a soft spot for the knuckle-head. In the aftermath of the chunin exams, she had reviewed the reports of what had happened with team 7 in the forest of death. She was impressed with the way Naruto had managed to defeat two of the large snake summons, as well as his selfless defense of his teammates against Orochimaru. Granted, it hadn't made much of a difference to her former sensei, but the kid earned marks for standing his ground and pushing 'Roachy even a little. It was more than could be expected from any gennin. Then there was the defeating Garra thing, and the fact that he, like she, faced the scorn of the villagers for something beyond their control. So she felt a certain kinship with the annoying blond brat.
"Well, we're not quite sure what to make of that. On anyone else, the wounds he received would have been fatal. The chidori strike barely missed his heart and damaged much of the left lung. His medical records show, unfortunately, that he has received nearly as bad injuries in the past, but that he always recovered much more quickly previously. Something seems to be going wrong, but we're not sure what, all his other wounds have healed. The only clue we have is that there is a discoloration in the scar tissue around the chidori burn, and his normal healing factor is much diminished in that area."
"Discoloration?" asked curiously.
Shizune nodded, "Yeah, it's the strangest thing, but there are weird black marks mixed in with the scar tissue, almost like tattoos."
"Tattoos? Show me!" Anko said in strangled voice.
The two rushed into the next room, which just happened to be Naruto's. Shizune pulled the hospital gown down, exposing Naruto's chest, and Anko gasped in shock. "This… this is Orochimaru's curse seal!"
Shizune was almost as shocked as Anko. "The curse seal? I guess it's possible. With all of the… youkai infusing the wound I guess we might have overlooked other dark chakra. I guess this means that he is suffering from a form of chakra poisoning, like victims of the Kyuubi attack 14 years ago. If that's true, then maybe…"
Shizune, with some help from Anko, proceeded with the long arduous process of filtering out the tainted chakra. While unable to remove it, they managed to seal it into a small tattoo like seal mark on his shoulder. Shizune would have to remember to ask Jiraya to take a look at it and make sure it wouldn't be able to affect her 'little brother'.
Anko, for her part, was stunned that the blond now had more in common with her than ever. 'That's it, I'm looking after him from now on. Us outcasts have to stick together, and he'll need all the help he can get dealing with 'Roachy-chan. Plus, he's almost cute, when he's not busy being loud and obnoxious, like a kid brother that you love despite bugging the shit out of you.'
"You called for me, Hime?" said a white haired man currently coming in through the Hokage's window.
"Ah, Jiraya, you're here. Good. I need your help to deal with a few problems I have been having with the council. As you are probably aware, they are banishing Naruto."
Jiraya's eyes flashed with anger. "Yes, I had heard that."
"Well, they are claiming the authority of the Daimyo, saying that he will back their decision in this instance. I was wondering if I could get you to do an end run and feel out the Daimyo about whether this is in fact true. The council was in here earlier, and claimed the same authority to bar me from seeing Naruto off, restricting me to the grounds of the Hokage tower and mansion, on penalty of losing the hat. I was originally just going to take a short vacation to get him settled, and have Shizune keep Hinata nearby 'training' to keep her away from the Uchiha, but at this point, I am about ready to flip them the bird on the way out the gate, and let them try to get me ousted." Tsunade smirked.
Jiraya growled. "Traitorous bastards. That is tantamount to blackmailing the Hokage."
"Exactly, and who's to say they won't try it again in the future. I didn't let you and Naruto drag me back to this god-forsaken village just to be a puppet for the council. I have half a mind to just renounce the village for good this time, but I don't want to invite the hunter nin to try and pick me and the brat off. Anyway, I also thought I could appoint you my successor to run damage control in case they manage to push through to get me removed." Tsunade looked at him hopefully.
"Sure thing, but don't toss in your hat just yet. Let me see the councils edict, and then I'll see what I can hammer out on your behalf with the fire-lord." Jiraya looked thoughtful.
"Knock yourself out." Said Tsunade, tossing him the scroll.
Jiraya pored over the edict, before a sly smile stole over his face. Suddenly he barked out with laughter. "That brat must be wearing off me, but I think I know a way around this that will stick it to the council at the same time. Just leave everything to me. When do you want to leave by?"
"Three days should give me enough time to get things ready for travel, then we'll just be waiting on the brat to wake up."
Naruto awoke from disturbing dreams, tossing and sweating. In his dream, A giant fox had grappled with an equally large snake, while a large deformed bat with a duck's-but hairstyle had swooped and wheeled about overhead. After pointedly pushing aside considering what it was supposed to mean (as anything to do with foxes couldn't be good) Naruto regarded the ceiling. 'So, the hospital. Wonder how the mission turned out?'
His musings were cut short by the sounds of someone sobbing traveling through the wall from the room next door. His kind nature overcame his sense of discretion, and he swung his aching body out of the bed and padded out of the room (carefully turning off the alarm on the vitals monitor and disconnecting the electrodes, this was not the first time he had snuck out of a hospital room.) Knocking softly on the next door over, he slipped inside. The room was dark, but not so much so that he couldn't make out a familiar figure. "Ino?" his voice croaked out from disuse. "I heard you crying. You ok?"
Ino looked up from holding her face in her hands, startled. Her eyes were red from crying, and her hair was messy, but the only thing Naruto saw was the big bruise on the side of her face.
"Ino, your face! What… what happened?" Gasped Naruto, his voice brimming with concern.
Ino hesitantly spoke, happy for the company, even if it was only Naruto. "Sasuke." Naruto's eyes flashed in anger and he growled 'teme' under his breath. Ino continued, "Sakura and I went to see him, and he was really rude to Sakura. When I called him on it, he… he hit me. I don't remember what happened after that until I woke up here a little while ago."
Naruto crossed the intervening space between them and enveloped her in a hug. A second later, Ino returned it, glad for any comfort at this point. "He… he told us we were… nothing, that he could never love us, because we were 'too weak'. I couldn't believe it. All the time I… we wasted loving that guy, and he treats us both like shit. No more!" All the while, tears fell from her eyes and onto Naruto's hospital gown. Naruto rubbed his hand up and down back and made soothing sounds, like he had seen mothers do for their crying children countless times at the park, while he looked on with envious eyes from the shadows. But for now, all that mattered to him was making the girl crying in his arms feel better again.
"I think something happened to Sasuke during the forrest of death. He hasn't been the same since he got that weird mark from the snake bastard. He just seems to get more and more angry. But that still doesn't excuse him hitting you. That's just wrong. You and Sakura have been nothing but nice to him, and he is an idiot for not treating two pretty girls like you a lot better." Naruto blushed a little at admitting he thought Ino was pretty.
Ino smiled at Naruto's admission. She knew she looked good, most of the time, but it was nice to hear it out loud once in a while, especially when her self-esteem had just taken a beating like it had at the hands of Sasuke. "You know, Naruto, your actually a pretty good guy now I get to know you." They both chuckled a little at this, just because it felt good to laugh again. "Thanks."
"Anytime." Said Naruto. Ino began to drowse, and Naruto helped lay her back in her bed, before wishing her a good night and slipping back into his own room to try and catch a little sleep himself.
The next morning Ino found herself in the Hokage's office, for a final medical exam at Tsunade's hands.
"Everything seems normal, and I'm sure you'll be happy to note that the bruising should fade in a few days." Tsunade smiled sympathetically at the blonde girl in front of her.
"Hokage-sama, um, is there any way I could… not be married to Sasuke? Frankly, after yesterday, he made it pretty clear he has no intention of being a husband to me anyways, and right now I feel like if I never see him again it will be too soon." Ino looked at Tsunade hopefully.
"Ino, I won't lie to you, right now the council seem to have a lot of backing from the fire-lord, such that I'm not sure I can over-turn their decision making you Sasuke's wife. That said, after the way he treated you, I will do everything in my power to make sure you don't have to stay with him if you don't want to, or bear his children."
"Oh I'll bear his child, if only to make sure one of the future Uchiha doesn't end up all fucked up. If I have to raise them myself, I'll see to that."
"Ok, one solution is to take you out of the village. I'll sign papers releasing you from the authority of the village. The only problem is that you will no longer be an active shinobi of the village until we find a more permanent solution. You will also have to stay out of the village until that time. I can arrange for friends and family to come visit you, and also for you to have a safe home and the best medical care while you are out of the village."
Ino looked down, a worried frown on her face. What Tsunade was describing was virtual exile. On the other hand, she could not take the chance that her child would end up like its father. "If it's the only way, I accept your offer, Hokage-sama."
"Very good. Pack your things, and meet me here two nights from now, and we'll go over the plan. Oh and don't forget to ask your parents and your sensei for some training materiel. If they ask, just tell them I'm taking you on a training mission."
'In fact, that gives me an idea.' Tsunade thought.
"I Tsunade Senju, Godaime Hokage, hereby decree that all active genin teams will have one member train in basic medical jutsu to offset losses to the medic corps. To that end, the kunoichi member of each gennin team are temporarily reassigned to a medic training class. Anko Mitarashi and Yuuhi Kurenai are temporarily assigned to help teach the medic class. The remaining team members will be paired with the team-members of another team, and the sensei's will cross teach them to strengthen and broaden the skill sets of our gennin.
I Tsunade Senju, Godaime Hokage, hereby decree that my successor is Jiraya. If at any time I am indisposed, on vacation, or otherwise temporarily unable to execute my duty as Hokage, he has my authorization to act as interim Hokage, and at the time I leave the office he shall take it after me.
I Tsunade Senju, Godaime Hokage, hereby decree that Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyuuga, and Ino Yamanaka are released from all obligations and debts to the village hidden in the leaves including Military service, criminal and monetary obligations, and taxation. All of their property is remanded to their custody. I leave them their ninja ranks, as unaffiliated ninja and give them blessings to join whatever village they wish.
I Tsunade Senju, Godaime Hokage, hereby decree that due to attrition team seven is disbanded, and the remaining members are to be reassigned to other duties. Team leader Hatake Kakashi is hereby reassigned to teaching Ninjutsu at the ninja academy. He is ordered to make a catalogue of his techniques according to rank, and make available all non clan or personal jutsus to his fellow educators to be evaluated for inclusion into the ninja curriculum. Sakura Haruno is assigned to the library until further notice, in deference to her upcoming maternity leave from the ninja corps. Sasuke Uchiha, after serving his sentence, may be evaluated by the current Hokage for inclusion onto a new gennin team.
I Tsunade Senju, Godaime Hokage, Hereby remand to my custody the effects of the Hokage, the contents of the Hokage Library, Mansion, and tower, until such time as I am requested to return them by my successor. Due to their sensitive nature, any attempt to remove them from my person except by my successor, will be seen as a hostile and traitorous act, punishable by death."
'I hope you know what you are doing, Jiraya. They are going to try and squeeze you like a nut.' Tsunade thought as she wrote that last one.
"Shizune!" the Hokage called for her assistant.
Shizune ran into the room. "Hai, Shishou."
"I want you to go down to the bank and close down these accounts including the safe deposit boxes, and seal the contents. I'll write you the necessary releases and access codes."
Shizune goggled, "But those are… the Senju, the Namikaze, and the… Uzumaki. I see. We are going with him, aren't we? I'm glad."
"Yeah, considering we only came back because of Naruto, it is fitting that we leave the village when he does. Bring him to the office when you're done with that errand, will you. I think it's time to inform him what his future has in store."
The meeting went as well as could be expected considering the unhappy news.
"Naruto, I called you in here because… because the council has pushed through an order of banishment because of your use of the Kyuubi's chakra is being seen as a threat to the village. I am sorry I wasn't there to stop them, but they managed to tie my hands, at least for now. I have Jiraya looking into possibly reversing their decision with the fire-lord, but for now, you're going to have to leave fire country."
Naruto hung his head in dejection. Tsunade felt horrible for being the messenger for news that killed his spirits so.
"I want you to know, I'm coming with you. I don't want to be leader of a village that won't allow you in it. Jiraya is going to take over as Hokage when they eventually force me to step down, but till then, the council can lump it." Tsunade smiled down at him, and he smiled a small smile back at her.
"Thanks Oba-san." Naruto showed her respect by calling her auntie instead of grannie.
"The other thing is, now that you aren't going to be protected by the village anyway, I can finaly tell you about your parents."
Naruto's eyes widened. "You… you know who my parents are?" he said in a small voice.
Tsunade nodded gravely. "I didn't agree with the old man on this, but he ordered that you not be told until you made chunin or reached the age of eighteen, to protect you from your father's enemies inside and outside of the village. Your mother was Kushina Uzumaki, a member of the royal family of the whirlpool country, which was destroyed during the last shinobi war. She died shortly after you were born. She was so excited to be your mother. She loved you right up until the moment she died. Your father was Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage."
Naruto fell off his chair in shock.
"Your father couldn't ask another family to sacrifice their child when he wasn't willing to. He also thought that your mother was going to be alive to raise you. He wanted you to be seen as a hero, but I think he knew deep down that wouldn't happen. But I think if anyone would be able to handle the life of a Jinchuuriki, it would be you, his son." Reaching forward, Tsunade scooped up the shell-shocked boy and held him as a few tears leaked out of his eyes.
"Anyways, these scrolls and other things of theirs are yours now. You also have a house, and a decent amount of money coming to you. Shizune has that sealed into a scroll to give to you when we reach wherever it is we are settling down. Jiraya will help you go through your apartment and your parents house to seal up any possessions you want to keep."
End chapter 2
I had originally planned on finishing this chapter with them leaving konoha, but it was running a bit long, and more stuff kept coming up as I wrote. I figured you all would be happy for an earlier update, so, you're welcome. I am having fun with this, and thanks again to Perfect Lionheart for posing the challenge. I have enjoyed playing with it almost as much as I enjoyed reading other's entries.
Next time: the incredible hokage tower heist, or fun with sealing