AN: This does not follow the statements of characters identities or histories in the manga. A huge thanks goes out to our good friend Mr. Lee for his help. Thank you Mr. Lee it's greatly appreciated my friend.
Words of LD: Sorry it took so long. Blame drag.
Important Note: Read the end AN after you read the chapter
Son of the Sannin
By: drag-eart and LD 1449
Chapter 3: Decisions and Consequences
The fleeting light of the moon flickered against the two occupants in Hokage Tower. One was staring intensely into the dark midnight sky, as if searching for something that wasn't there. While the other looked fondly at the bundle of joy in her arms, protecting it like any nurturer would.
The first person, the man known as the Sandaime Hokage, stood transfixed at the vast expansion of his home. With his hat lowered over his eyes, he was deep in thought his hands were subconsciously clasped behind him. His aging face, partially revealed by the pale moonlight, showed his tired features as well as the dried tears he shed not so long ago.
The exhaustion of today's events was taking a toll on his weary body. The Kyubi no Yoko's attack, his successor's fall, his protégé's return, his failure of protecting his successor's legacy, and the vast amount of casualties were all too consuming to one who has survived the flames of war to earn his title of the most powerful ninja in Konoha. At this point, even receiving the embrace of Shinigami himself seemed like a welcoming prospect.
He gritted his teeth and erased that very notion from his mind. As 'peaceful' as that thought would be, it wouldn't solve anything. In fact, it would only make things worse. He was the Hokage after all. But even so, his willpower was the only thing giving him strength right now.
The thought of his village and the people he loved and served compelled him to move forward, to become his homeland's pillar. The Shodaime, the Nidaime and Konoha itself gave their faith to him, and he would not disappoint them. What happened tonight didn't kill him. But he vowed it would make him stronger. That was his will of fire.
He stared from the corner of his eyes as he watched his companion soothe the child into an uneasy slumber, which was unsurprising, after all he's been through today. She stood a few feet away from him with her arms wrapped tightly, but comfortably on the lithe form. The woman's aura naturally exuded power, which is not unusual for a woman from the Inuzuka Clan.
Her beautiful feral eyes were ready and alert for anyone who dare go against her and try to harm this precious life. But when she looked down upon the baby's sleeping form, her visage made a complete change. Towards the child she now watched over as if it was her own, her tender aura was warm and comforting, and it gave Naruto peace.
She quieted and rocked the distraught child back and forth with her voice and caress, trying to make him forget the recent ordeal that passed. He smiled slightly at the loving display that the woman was giving, glimpsing curiously at the markings on his belly. But it only lasted a moment as his gaze pulled away at the sight, drifting once again off into the night.
As little Naruto closed his eyes, the ninja leader's face contorted into a grim expression. He felt tears silently threatening to fall from his eyes once more. Though it may seem like an action of weakness to prideful and foolish men, it was his only outlet at the moment. His only source of releasing the pain and turmoil he was enduring right now. To hold it in would only welcome the dark thought he had but a second ago.
He tried to come up with words of wisdom, something he always gave to anyone who needed it, whether they be man, woman or child. Unfortunately, he could neither say anything nor comfort anyone from the current situation. A variety of things plagued him in that moment, ranging from his failure as a teacher to his failure as a leader. The stress of it all only made him grip his hands tighter.
'What have you become Orochimaru?' Sarutobi thought as a sad visage passed across his features. 'Is there really no hope for you? Why after so many years have you returned? What are your intentions? Was your only reason for returning was to cause more pain to this village and its people? To laugh in my face over my mistake of letting you go? How deep have you truly fallen?' He questioned to himself as he tilted his head downwards. But there were no answers for him to find. None at all.
As the professor continued his soul-searching for answers, the Inuzuka woman kissed the child softly on his whiskered cheeks, making the child coo in his sleep in response to her affectionate touch. She couldn't help but smile under the circumstances. Still, it didn't stop her from reminiscing over what was supposed to be. However, her mind halted when she saw her leader in the corner of her eyes. She relaxed and looked at him with a mixture of concern and pity as he continued to stare off into the night, his face hidden from view.
She walked slowly towards the man, her footsteps echoing across the room. With hesitant steps she stood before him and called out to the distraught leader.
"Hokage-sama, are you alright?" She simply asked to show her worry.
"Yes. I will be…" Sarutobi replied as he allowed himself to sigh once more before he turned to face Reina. He watched her let out a pregnant sigh of relief, but a gentle smile arose afterwards as she looked down onto the sleeping child nestled gently in her arms.
The baby yawned softly, indicating just how tired he was from the day's events. A small smile crept upon The Hokage's face, as he observed her gentle handling of the child. 'And a child shall lead us…How true those words are.' He thought to himself as he remembered an old phrase.
It gave him hope and made him believe that perhaps the Yondaime's final wish would be realized. After so much death and despair brought on by the biju, he could only pray to Kami that it would not destroy yet another young life before it even began.
Looking back down to the small child wrapped safely in Reina's arms, he could scarcely see the faint outline of the seal beneath the blankets that covered him. A bleak expression settled over his features as he also saw the 'modification' his wayward student had left in his wake. A deep sense of foreboding gripped into his soul as he began to contemplate what this could mean for the boys future.
Already coupled with the ire and resentment from being the Kyubi container, if it was discovered that he had any connection to Orochimaru, it would irreparably taint the boy's chances at a normal life. The snake sannin's former student Anko showed this firsthand, though she hid her pain well beneath her mask of false sadism. She was never involved in any way with his vile acts and experiments.
But even so, to this day she was looked upon with distrust by many of the Konoha population. Many taking their anger against the snake bastard out on her. The professor knew that they may be those in the village who'll blame the sins of the fox on the innocent lad. But with the dark aura of his former student hovering over him will only make things worse.
Sarutobi's features hardened at that undeniable fact. He refused to allow his mad protégé's actions to jeopardize Naruto more than he already was.
Reina looked up as the Sandaime stepped forward. The older man's gaze was powerful and serious as he looked down at the child in her arms. He then looked to her, and for a brief moment, she could see just how…tired he was. This man, this…legend, had seen so much death, so many lost friends, so many broken dreams…and so much regret. She had barely gotten through the night, mentally more than physically. But even so, where did this man find such strength to endure it all? To not give into the despair that must be feverishly clawing at his heart?
As powerful as her comrades' say her clan is, she truly believed that no one amongst her family, herself included, could carry the weight of the world that he has to carry every single moment of his life. She was brought out of her musings as he spoke.
"Reina?" Sarutobi said with a soft but strong voice, his eyes never leaving Naruto.
"Yes Hokage-sama?" Reina asked.
"I remember that you worked with Orochimaru's ANBU unit for ten years before his betrayal, correct?" He inquired almost offhandedly.
"Yes. That's correct Hokage-sama." She confirmed with a touch of bitterness in her answer.
"My apologies for bringing up such an unpleasant memory. The reason I ask, is that you were his second in command up until he left. You must have had some inkling of what his mindset was at the time. Do you have any idea what he could possibly want with Naruto now?" He questioned.
"With all due respect Hokage-sama, you were his sensei longer than the time I was his subordinate. What could I possibly know that you don't?" The Inuzuka woman questioned back with a skeptical eyebrow raised. Although the way she responded to his inquiry could be considered rude and insubordinate, he couldn't deny that her words were true. And the fact that he even needed to ask that question made him seem foolish.
The ninja leader sighed heavily before he gestured Reina to stand in front of him. She complied with a strange hesitancy gripping her nerves.
"Give me the child Reina." He requested with slight urgency as he reached out his hand.
"Why," At that moment, she nearly slapped a hand over her mouth in shock at the words that had escaped her lips. The Hokage never had a problem answering someone's questions or concerns, no matter what they were.
But to do so in such an insubordinate way made the female ANBU feel a great amount of shame. She doubted that she would be punished for it, knowing how liberal and benevolent Sarutobi was. It was just the whole principle of the thing. Motherly instincts or not, she knew she went too far.
The Sandaime looked somewhat taken aback by her response as well. It truly wasn't like Reina to question his orders, even under circumstances where most would have. But due to recent events, he clearly understood her reasoning for it. After all, as a parent himself, he is no stranger to taking care and protecting children.
"Forgive me Hokage-sama! I don't know what came over me. I'm so sorry…" The kunoichi said regretfully, bowing her head as she held Naruto forward for him to take easier. The older ninja watched her nervous, anxious expression before he slowly took the child from her outstretched arms.
"There's no need to apologize Reina. As someone with a child of his own, I understand how you feel. In your position, I would have done the same, even if Kami himself had asked me." He told her as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Still, it was an act of insubordination towards you Hokage-sama. Even though I'm a mother, I had no right to act like that, especially about a child that's not even mine." Reina said joylessly as she stood up from bowing and lowered her head.
"It's alright Reina. A mother is god in the eyes of all children. There's no shame in thinking about the well being of an innocent life. After all, as someone who protects and serves the people of this village, I think about the well being of each and every one of you." The professor said with the smile that's made him loved throughout Konoha.
"Thank you Hokage-sama." She said as she lifted her head and gave him a small smile.
Cradling the blond boy in his arms, Sarutobi turned his head and watched Naruto's cerulean blue eyes open up and peer into his own with unabashed curiosity. He smiled softly down at him, hiding the worry that was gripping him as his sight traveled down to the seal upon his naval. He pushed aside the covers to reveal it completely, taking a better look at his students work.
He was not an expert on seals like the Yondaime and Jiraiya, but he wasn't completely ignorant of them. The seal Orochimaru placed around the original one was crude. Its design indicated that it was not meant to overlap, or overtake the existing one, but rather to bypass it. For what purpose he couldn't tell, for the only one who probably could, would be the toad sage. But knowing Orochimaru, he probably knew that.
His former apprentice also most likely had known that there was no way that his teacher, could get in contact with Jiraiya quickly enough to get to this location if this seal was a corrosive one, or a merging seal that would act slowly to fully set itself into place. Seals like that are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to remove due to the fact that they usually affected either the chakra coils, the nervous system, the brain, or the entire body overall.
What could he do to prevent whatever plan his student had conjured? How could he even be sure that his student had made this sort of seal? It was very difficult to tell the difference between a slow acting seal and an instantaneous one. Even for seasoned seal experts, the differences between the two were always very subtle, most depending on a single change of design.
Then at once, he realized the only option he had left available to him. To use a seal on the boy himself in an attempt to counteract it. But if he did that, so early after the sealing, Kyubi's chakra would never mix properly, whatever chakra control the boy would possibly possess would be completely destroyed before it even formed. The consequences would effectively, doom his career as a ninja before it even started.
Sure there were ninja who dedicated themselves solely on Taijutsu like Maito Gai, but even they would need some complementary jutsu to be able to stand up to any advanced shinobi, since Gai was able to use Ninjutsu. Not to mention the handicap he would have if he ever faced a half decent Genjutsu user like Kurenai.
Had this been his intention all along? To stop Naruto's future growth before it even began? The snake had effectively and strategically pinned him into a corner. If he acted now and he fell into his protégé's trap, if there was one, he would destroy whatever career as a ninja Naruto would have. And if his parents were anything to go by, he would indeed have a fortuitous career.
'Oh Kami, his mother…' He thought to himself in realization. He would have to deal with that situation when the time came, especially when it came to keeping her identity and former allegiance a secret.
Still, what could he do? Either he left Naruto alone and called Jiraiya back as quickly as possible, allowing whatever intentions the sannin would have for Naruto to come to fruition. Or he could act now, and destroy whatever chance Naruto had as a normal ninja.
Sarutobi's throat suddenly felt dry and his eyes threatened to release tears long held at bay. The ordeals this night had brought were bringing him back to the edge he had been desperately trying to move away from. As much as he hated, at the risk of being despised for life by the boy and his parents, he realized what he had to do. In the end…it was far more dangerous to everyone if Orochimaru was allowed to influence Naruto in any way. He would have to do the sealing himself.
With a heavy heart pounding in his chest, he slowly turned around and placed Naruto on one of the nearby tables. The young child soon began to cry at the coldness of the wood as he reached up with his tiny hands, gesturing for Sarutobi to pick him back up.
Reina watched with slowly growing dread as the Sandaime took what looked like a calligraphy brush from a nearby drawer along with some ink and began drawing patterns over the existing seal.
"What are you doing?" She questioned as she let her eyes shift back up towards his. Sarutobi paused and swallowed the lump he felt in his throat before he spoke.
"Ending a threat before it begins…" He replied cryptically before he continued drawing his patterns.
"What do you mean Hokage-sama?" The Inuzuka woman questioned nervously. Stepping a bit closer, the feeling of dread at the pit of her stomach intensified.
"It is far too dangerous to leave this seal unchecked. I'm afraid the only choice left to me is to use a repressing seal to keep it from doing whatever it was designed to do." The Sandaime answered sadly.
The Inuzuka woman's eyes widened in realization.
"No Hokage-sama! You can't do that!" The kunoichi cried out before rushing up to him and defensively pushing him away from the child, placing herself between them. "If you do this, the Kyubi's chakra might never properly integrate itself into his system. His chakra control, not to mention Naruto himself could be crippled for life because of the backlash of something like this!" She shouted as tears stung her eyes.
"How do you know the workings of the seal?" Sarutobi questioned, somewhat startled by Reina's extreme actions as well as her knowledge of what he was about to do.
"You forget Hokage-sama, that I'm a member of the Inuzuka clan. And that we have more of a connection to animals and nature than most people in the five great nations. I know the chakra that demons possess is far different than humans, and I've read books dating from the Shodaime's time that speak of previous demons that were sealed in living creatures, as well as the info we've received of other demon containers in other lands."
"The Yondaime knew that he needed Kyubi to be sealed inside a newborn because if he used it against someone that was older, the host can never adapt quickly enough, which would increase the chance of the beast being released, or worse, the beast taking over its host's body. But it doesn't matter if you believe what I'm saying or not. I'm not going to let you do this to him!" Reina said with pure conviction as she stood her ground.
The Hokage's features hardened into a scowl of annoyance and anger. While he was always a kind man to all of his ninjas and he understood Reina's outburst before, there were times such as these that he knew when to draw the line. And despite her logical explanation of her actions, she definitely crossed the line in his mind.
"Reina, step aside! Whatever Orochimaru has planned, it cannot be allowed to take place. This must be done!" The professor said as he went into Kage mode.
"You don't even know if he's planning anything! What if this is what he wants? Kami knows this child will be a strong ninja with the power of the Kyubi no Yoko at his beck and call. Naruto will be nearly invincible when he learns how to control it." She told him flatly as the ninja leader's arm twitched and his eyes turned cold.
"What if Orochimaru wants to trick you into doing this? You don't think he knows that you may have a way to counter his seal? If you make a mistake and Naruto finds out the truth of what you've done, he could resent you and the village. Then that snake bastard could easily manipulate him into joining him later!"
"And even if you were able to stop the seal's growth, he knows that you can't remove it. And with what's happened here tonight, he could come back and capture him. With his sick experiments, he could find some way to reverse the effects your seal would have, or worse, use your seal to access Kyubi's power for himself! Any number of things is possible, here Hokage-sama. What if you're wrong?" The kunoichi asked him as she finally finished.
Any sensible being would have seen the panic and desperation, but overall truth in her pleas. Most men who didn't know the treachery of the traitor like the both of them did could claim her proclamations were irrational and unimaginable. But even so, in this day and age, the professor quickly learned that the impossible, the unthinkable, could become a reality in an instant.
Nevertheless, as he told her, he needed to look out for the well being of the village and its people. And as much as what he was about to do turned his stomach into painful knots and made him want to listen to her words, as the leader of the village; he had to look out for all of Konoha, not just one. It was one of the burdens he had to accept as Hokage.
"There may be logic in what you say. But what if I'm right? I cannot risk Orochimaru's ambition claiming the entire village. For the safety of Konoha, I have to do this. Now step aside Reina!" He spoke with force that showed just how he had gotten his rank. Reina could feel herself beginning to shiver and her convictions starting to wane from the subtle emissions of killing intent from the old ninja.
"N-no! I won't let you!" Reina bellowed with her own force behind her words. "Shikyaku no Jutsu (Four Legs Technique)!" She growled as she activated her family's staple technique. Her eyes became slanted while her appearance turned feral as her maternal instincts to protect Naruto came forth.
The Hokage sighed regrettably and with a wave of his hand, four ANBU guards suddenly had her pinned to the ground with their blades just inches from her throat as they held her struggling form down.
"I'm sorry Reina. Hate me if you want, but this is the only way…" The older man said with a genuinely apologetic tone in his voice as he stepped towards the table again.
"NO HOKAGE-SAMA! DON'T! PLEASE!" The Inuzuka woman screamed and snarled, lashing out at her capturers as best she could, regardless of the risks.
Sarutobi ignored her pleas as best he could. His expression was still grim but he was determined, as he placed down the final brush stroke. He shut his eyes tightly in an effort to fight back the tears as he gathered chakra in his hands, ready to make the hand seals to finish the process when Reina made one last final plea.
"REMEMBER THE YONDAIME'S LAST WORDS! NARUTO IS THE HERO OF OUR VILLAGE! HE SACRIFICED HIS LIFE, HIS HAPPINESS FOR US! HE WOULD NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS! DON'T TAINT HIS SACRIFICE! I beg of you…please. Punish me for my disobedience…take my life if you want…but in the name of the Yondaime Hokage, let Naruto keep some of the happiness he has left…Don't make him suffer more than he already has…" Reina choked as she powered down her jutsu and fell to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably and begging to him on her hands and knees.
The Hokage stopped, as the woman's voice pierced through the haze of indifference he held. All at once, the implications of everything she had said hit him hard throughout his very being and he could no longer muster the strength, nor the will to carry out his task. Everything felt like it was crashing down around him and he could do nothing but watch it crumble to dust and ashes at his feet. He let the chakra in his hands die down and he released the brush, letting out a painfully deep breath.
"Release her." He ordered his guards quietly as his hat covered his eyes. The ANBU did as they were told, and without a second thought, Reina immediately grabbed Naruto and pressed her back against the wall away from both him and the ANBU while weeping softly. The child began to cry as well, joining his 'mother's' sorrow.
"You're all dismissed…" He said with his voice still quiet, not bothering to look as the guards vanished. He slowly walked to the chair at the end of the room and sat down, allowing his head to fall back and gaze straight up to the ceiling. His eyes were clouded with all sorts of emotions he could not bother to name. Yondaime's death, and the woman who bared his son withering away. He never so cursed his position as he did now.
Reina, in the meantime, calmed down significantly, which eventually caused Naruto to calm down as well and fall asleep shortly afterwards. She didn't even look at her leader's face. All she could see was the baby she cradled into her bosom. A baby, that seemed to have become as important to her as her own children in such a short time. A heavy silence hung in the room for several moments before Sarutobi began to speak.
"Reina, please wait outside with Naruto. I would like to be alone for now." He said just above a whisper. The woman didn't reply as she slowly, but cautiously started to walk towards the door. She stopped for a moment and looked at the ninja leader. Her red tear stained eyes glared into his as if looking into his soul.
It clearly showed a look of disappointment, anger, sadness and betrayal to her leader. It was almost as if she was silently saying that she lost respect for him as a Hokage and a parent. At least, that's what he thought when he looked at her. "I'm…sorry…" Was all he could say. She just turned her head away from him and walked out, closing the door quietly so she wouldn't disturb Naruto than he already was. Indeed, he truly did curse his position right about now.
He gestured tiredly; an anbu appeared from the shadows once again. "I have news sir."
"How is she fairing?"
Anbu leaned close whispered lowly, "There's a small chance…but" Sarutobi clenched his jaws in response. "It's not looking good." Indeed, he truly did curse his position right about now. The Third Hokage looked on with aggrieved expression feeling the culminating nightmare hit further home.
"They do not believe she will survive for more than a day sir."
Sarutobi's blood ran cold.
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Elsewhere, as the snake sannin made his way through the forests of his former home, he couldn't help release the smug smirk that tugged at his lips.
The Kyubi's jinchuriki, the son of the man who had stolen his rightful place as Yondaime, would soon be his obedient servant. In a few years' time, when the seal activated, he would guide the young man away from the village, whispering in his ear with promises of power. Instructing him and protecting him, until the fruits of his labor would shine through. And finally, when the boy tore down the gates of Konoha and burned down the tower, he would have his revenge on the leaf village. And nothing, not even that fool of a sensei of his, would ever be able to stop him.
He would become the most powerful ninja in the world, he would become a living god, and he would make all those who had shunned and opposed him pay, with their blood. On this night, he felt that his dreams took a huge step into being accomplished.
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The Sandaime caught the shifting shadows across from him as he sat quietly without a sound. He turned his gaze from the wooden table where Naruto laid moments ago, trying to forget the deed he was about to bestow on to the infant, and the actions he took against the one who only had the child's, and the village's best interest at heart. He turned to the window where two figures that were blocking the source of temporary light given, stood silently. They bowed in respect.
"What is it…?" Sarutobi groaned, not even bothering to hide his exhaustion.
"Hokage-sama, we have urgent news." One of the ANBU black ops said. The tired man beckoned them to come forward with a wave of his hand.
Both of the soldiers were covered in grime with blood dripping from their fingertips. Bruised and battered, they made their way towards their leader. The first soldier bowed in front of his leader, while his comrade stood a few steps behind him repeating the gesture of respect. The Sandaime knew instantly who the first man was by the wisps of his silvery hair being shown by the pale moonlight. Half of which was covered in crimson blood.
"You may speak Kakashi…" The Sandaime said as he his lifted his hand, silently telling him and his comrade to rise. The young man looked up from his submissive position and started to stand straight while blood trailed down his uncovered face. All source of laziness was gone from his character as he begun to speak.
"Hokage-sama, we are here to deliver news from our commander that there has been a break in. Someone has entered the gates of our home." The copy ninja explained.
"Hmm…Go on." The ninja leader told him.
"We encountered two ANBU black ops from our unit dead outside the gates of Konoha. Cause of death at this time is still unknown. My comrades and I had a run in with enemies on our way here and we disposed of them. I sent a clone to my commander to brief him on the enemy we defeated and word that their might be more lingering in our home." Kakashi told him in a professional matter.
The Third listened intently to his report of the happenings that transpired. "On our way here, we lost another man. And one other is in critical condition, but has been taken by the commander for treatment." The powerful ANBU finally finished.
"I see. Anything else?" The Sandaime asked, his voice even more hoarse and tired than he realized. The shinobi shook his head, bowing his head once again.
"You did well Kakashi…" The professor said with the little pride he could muster right now. He stood up from his chair and placed a hand on the young man's shoulder and looked at the other soldier in the room, acknowledging his presence. Both men stared and waited their leader to continue.
"Listen carefully you two. I want you to report what I'm about to say to your commander when you return. This breach of our home was an attack masterminded by Orochimaru." He told them honestly. The shinobi in the room stiffened as their eyes widened and in disbelief after hearing the sannin's name.
"The men that attacked you when you made your way here were most likely his comrades. Though I suspect they were a mere diversion to prevent reporting soldiers from reaching this tower until his plan had succeeded. He coordinated the assault perfectly and attacked us when we were at our weakest. Orochimaru probably didn't care who died. He most likely promised them riches and power. But it seems he just left them on their own and used them as pawns. And that helped him succeed in his goal." The Hokage finished telling them while making his own deductions.
The room was overcome with silence after the leader stopped speaking. The only sort of life in the vicinity was the heavy breathing of the soldiers, along with the dripping noises of the grime that covered the soldiers falling onto the wooden floor below.
"In any case, I want you both to head back to your post and inform the other captains what I just told you. In addition, tell them that I want each group to be separated in teams with four members in each unit." He commanded while writing his orders on a parcel with the ink and brush he used moments ago on Naruto.
"I want four of those teams to head to the borders of Konoha and check the outposts to gather Intel. They need to retrieve reports of recent activity in and out of Konoha's borders. While there, I want two teams to head out and find Orochimaru's whereabouts if they have an idea where he may have run off to by the documents. Do not, I repeat, do not confront him! This is a reconnaissance mission. Do you understand?" He said as he continued to write.
"Hai Hokage-sama! Both men said and quickly nodded simultaneously while watching their leader write their instructions on the parcel to affirm his orders.
"As for protection, I want five teams to root out the remnants of Orochimaru's comrades. If possible, try to capture them alive. If they don't surrender and become difficult to handle, then neutralize them. But if you can bring them back alive for interrogation, it would be better for us." He finally finished.
The room once again laid in silence. Only the scratching of the brush and the creaking of the floorboards underneath them as they waited was heard. Finishing the last part of his orders, the Sandaime wrote his signature, folding and wrapping the letter tightly. He turned to his awaiting shinobi and handed the parcel to Kakashi.
"I'm counting on you to get there with haste Kakashi." The silver haired shinobi bowed in acknowledgment and stepped back from him heading towards the window pane. His comrade already giving salute, took off into the night. While Kakashi stood by the pane with a hand on the wooden surface, while the other held tightly onto the parcel, he turned once again towards the leader.
"How is Naruto doing Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked curiously. The vicinity grew almost cold with the weight of tension that appeared.
"After this is done…I will tell you…" The Sandaime sighed while turning away from Kakashi and heading towards the door. Even with his back turned, Sarutobi could sense the concern from Kakashi's posture. "But he'll be alright I'll make sure of that." He assured him.
The silver haired shinobi let out a steady sigh, and saluted his leader. He had no choice but to accept his leader's words and disappeared into the night. The wind, picking up the inaudible 'thank you' left behind by the student of the Yondaime.
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Reina waited outside the door where the Sandaime had asked her to leave. She had her back against the wall, with the child snuggled safely in her arms. Fellow shinobis, attendants, and secretaries were scurrying by to and fro from the hallway, nodding their head to the female ANBU in acknowledgment and respect as they headed to their assigned duties. However, she ignored most of the commotion going around and just tried to let Naruto rest. After everything that had just transpired, he deserved it more than anyone at the moment.
She was disrupted by the commotion coming around the corner. Reina looked up towards the entrance and saw that the same ones who nodded her head at her were bowing in the direction of the person making their way towards the hallway. She couldn't see the mysterious noble as of yet, so she just waited patiently for the 'monarch'.
Around the corner, the figure finally materialized. Her eyes gave off a strange glow in the light with slanted pupils and mussy, ruffled hair that fell pass her shoulders and hung in different directions falling. Her feral, but beautiful visage was adorned with red streaks running across each cheek, elongated teeth, and hardened eyes from many trials and tribulations.
Her physique was one to admire if she was seen in a common place. But at the moment, it was hidden under her jonin battle gear. A katana swung loosely on her waist, while shin guards and armguards were tied securely on her body. It truly showed others that this kunoichi was a person not to be taken lightly.
Behind her, two subordinates followed closely with their leader alongside a large dog easily identified by the missing ear on his head. Reina automatically knew who it was and why their presence was so exalted. For it was the head of her clan, Inuzuka Tsume and her partner Kuromaru.
"Tsume, it seems one of our kind is already here." Kuromaru said as he looked up at the figure in front of their entourage.
"Ah, it seems so." Tsume said gruffly as she continued to walk.
Reina quickly bowed her head in respect when Tsume stood in front of her. Tsume was a few inches taller than her younger sister, so the clan head easily looked down on the woman. Her eyes then watched the sleeping child for a moment. The Inuzuka woman turned away a moment later and stared back at the younger woman's face.
"What are you doing here Reina? Weren't you assigned a different duty?" Tsume inquired.
"Hai Tsume-neesan, but I was transferred here as a bodyguard to the child. I'm watching him on the orders of Hokage-sama." Reina explained while omitting the past events.
The monarch of the Inuzuka clan's face had a shocked expression, along with her subordinates and companion in her party. Her eyes widened in realization at the boy in her sister's arms. Tsume subconsciously had her hand on her blade, gripping it tightly.
"This child is the Jinchuriki." She said in a dark tone. Reina noticed the tension in the air and immediately wrapped her arms tighter around the lithe form.
"Hai, Sister. This child is Uzumaki Naruto." The female ANBU confirmed. In an instant, the clan head's eyes blazed for just a moment. But just as quickly, they returned back to her neutral gaze.
"Reina, if your duty is to watch him, then why are you holding him?" The female jonin asked. The venom in the elder sister's voice didn't go unnoticed by the younger one.
She didn't answer her, but she knew that the woman's grip on her sword was tightening every second. Both silently stared at one another as if they were challenging each other in their gaze. Tsume finally broke contact and stared intently at the child who was still sleeping, but began to move uncomfortably in her arms. Reina shifted her hold on Naruto, thus breaking the older woman's leer.
"I am doing my duty Tsume-neesan. Until Hokage-sama is done with his work, I am attending to the child as he ordered. Holding him in my arms is one of those procedures." Reina finally answered in a slightly defiant tone.
The Inuzuka head stared at the posture of her younger sister's tight hold on the child, as well as the way she responded to her question, which to her companions, literally screamed insubordination. To onlookers, it may have seemed like a natural reaction of mother protecting her young. Unfortunately, this infuriated her.
"That is not what I meant Reina!" The clan head snarled back with her teeth bared. Her grip on the katana tightened even harder as blood began to trickle down her hand. "Holding that tainted child like he was one of your own. Have you no shame?" She added.
The elder sister was astonished when she noticed that her younger sister's face became feral the moment she finished her sentence not in their little charade of dominance. It was at that moment she realized that her younger sister was willing to fight her to protect the child at all cost.
"What is the meaning of this Reina?" Tsume growled as she slightly unsheathed her blade while her own features began to transform. "Have you forgotten what monster lies within this child?" She questioned her angrily.
"No Tsume-neesan. I have not forgotten. But there is no reason to fear this innocent little boy. The Yondaime made sure of that. That's why he told us to consider him a hero." She replied in a surprisingly even tone while her eyes locked straight into her elder sister's once again.
"That doesn't change the fact he is still the vile creature that took everything from us! The same one who took your man from his bed those month's back. And because of it, your womb…" The moment Tsume had said that, her younger sister walked up to her and slapped her across the face, hard, which made her lose her grip on her sword and move back, completely stunned. Some blood dripped off the side of her cheek, realizing that her younger sister's claws must've caught her when she slapped her.
"How dare you! You, of all people, would think that I would ever forget that? To try to use that against me, your own sister? You shame me and our family, Tsume-neesan! You may be the head of our clan, but you have no right to say that to me! Reina shouted with tears stinging her eyes as Tsume held her cheek.
The female jonin wiped the small blood off of her face and lowered her head in shame over the comment. She knew that her sister was right and that she went too far with her rant against the child when she brought up a wound that was still painful and fresh to her younger sister. But when she raised it again after a few silent minutes, her visage was still firm, showing that the argument was not quite over yet.
"You're right Reina…I was out of line to say those words to you. As the head of the clan and as your sister, I apologize for saying something so painful to you. But that does not change my opinion over that…thing. He destroyed everything that we held close to us. He took my husband away from me! He doesn't deserve such protection, especially from you!" Tsume said firmly as the argument began anew.
"This is where you're wrong Tsume-neesan. Look at him…" Reina said softly as she held up the sleeping child for her to see. The tiny bundle had a small smile, as if he was having a wonderful dream.
"Just look at his peaceful and innocent face. Could a monster, a 'thing' as you call him, look like this? The demon you speak of, he is a completely different being from this tiny life I hold in my arms. You know it and I know it. But you're letting your grief and your anger cloud your judgment. The strong and wise judgment, which makes you our leader." She told her honestly.
"Be quiet…" The elder sister said with a whisper, barely audible in the tense atmosphere.
"You know in your heart he is not a murderer, my dear sister. He does not deserve to pay for the sins the Kyubi has done. This child is his own person, who has saved our village by the grace of Kami himself. He is an orphan who has no one in this world. He doesn't deserve our spite and our hatred. He deserves our love, respect and care, just as much as our own children do. That is the way of our village, and of our clan. The loved ones who we lost, including our koishii's (Beloved) would accept him for who he is. Why can't you?" The younger sister said with a look of sorrow on her face as she stared deeply into Tsume's eyes.
"I said be quiet!" The head of the Inuzuka clan snarled loudly with her head turned away slightly, though her voice didn't have the same fire as it had before. "Enough…Do not lecture me on this matter. You more than anyone, know how I feel. And you know the reasons behind my feelings Reina. I just…I just can't see him the way you do. And…I don't know if I ever will see him that way, without knowing that I'll never be able to see my love again. That my son will never know what kind of strong man his father was…" She added in a surprisingly soft, but melancholic voice as she somberly lowered her head.
"Tsume-neesan…" The female ANBU said compassionately while lowering her head slightly. An eerie silence overcame the hall as Kuromaru looked down from his original position, while the soldiers stayed rigid with a downcast visage. Only the steps of bustling workers were heard in the hall. Reina looked up into Tsume's eyes once again and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I understand, my dear sister. You know that I love you, no matter what, that'll never change. And I know all too well the pain you're going through. You know that you have my sympathies as your sister and as a proud member of our clan."
"But I have made my choice and I'm protecting this child. With or without your permission. Whether this is my duty as an ANBU of Konoha, or his caretaker, I will not abandon or leave him. After all, it is the nature of our clan to protect those we consider our loved ones…" Reina said. Her resolve to this was firm as she waited for her sister's reply.
'Reina…when the hell…did you become so strong?" Tsume thought in the back of her head as snarled in response to her sister's words. But she quickly composed herself. Despite her stubbornness and her strong feelings of anger in regards to Naruto, she couldn't help but respect her sister.
In fact, she was proud of her. Though she would ever actually admit it or say it to her. At least not right now. The pain and grief in her heart and soul would not be something that would be easily removed. Knowing that furthering the argument would be pointless, she turned away from her and began to trek away from the younger woman.
"Che…do what you want…" Tsume said quietly with her eyes closed as she passed her sister. But she turned around for one last moment to say one last thing to her. "Just remember this Reina. He will not replace what you have lost…" She told her seriously.
"I know that Tsume-neesan. But admonishing this child will not bring Kiba-kun back either…" Reina countered making the elder sister's eyes widen considerably.
Both women stood quiet with their eyes fixated on each other, as if they were trying to read the other ones thoughts. The tension of the argument was over, but being members of the Inuzuka clan, they were both stubborn women and they were sure that the other would give off a passing shot. The silent stare-off was interrupted by a voice coming from the right side of Reina.
"What is going here?" The Sandaime asked. He looked at the entourage in front of him.
"Forgive me Hokage-sama…" Tsume said regrettably as she bowed her head in respect. The professor acknowledged her and nodded his head in respect. "I had a quarrel with my younger sister over some…personal matter that needed to be discussed. Our apologies for disturbing you." She explained.
"I see…I understand." Sarutobi responded as he left it at that.
"I'll be heading to the meeting now Hokage-sama. I will meet you there. If you wish, my men and I will accompany you." The Inuzuka head offered.
"I appreciate the offer Tsume, but I still have a few matters left to attend to here. You may go." He told her.
"Yes Hokage-sama. If you'll excuse me." Tsume said as she one last time and turned around. Walking silently, she glanced one last time at Reina. With their eyes locking on one another, for a passing moment, the face of the powerful leader of the Inuzuka clan had softened as Tsume gave her younger sister a gentle smile before it turned back to its hard and stubborn exterior when their gaze broke when she turned the corner with her partner and her men.
Reina gasped when she saw the brief, but familiar smile, and it made her smile inwardly. It was something that was rarely seen from the jonin. But Reina knew it was something she always gave to the precious few she held close to her heart, one of those people being her.
They both knew that the issue between them in regards to the child she still held close to her was far from settled. And perhaps they may come to blows with it down the road. But for today at least, Tsume conceded defeat, and differences and feelings aside, she was proud of her sister and wished her well with her choice, even if she didn't like it. After all, that's what big sisters do.
"Are you alright Reina?" Sarutobi asked worriedly at his companion.
"Yes Hokage-sama. I am." Reina replied as she turned to face him with a small smile, not realizing that a few tears escaped her eyes. 'Thank you, my dear sister. Thank you…and sorry.' She said in her mind as she closed her eyes, held Naruto closer and nuzzled his cheek with her own.
Decisions, especially ones that are close to your heart, are never easy to make for anyone. And Reina made hers while knowing that most wouldn't accept. She would stand by Naruto and defend him with her life as if he was one of her own children. Still, deep in her heart, all she could do was silently pray to Kami that the consequences of that decision would not be as costly as her sister, and most of the villagers, believed.
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Important Note(AN): For those of you about to ask why Reina knows about the seal and/or that she shouldn't know about it don't speak. Because Yugito is older than Naruto by five to seven years, and to any of you who bothered to notice an old man was the Jinchuriki of the Yonbi. (Captured by Itachi and Kisame) So there is in fact documented history of Jinchuriki and the procedures involved in making them for anyone willing to look so it is entirely believable that she could find out about such things on her own.
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