I'm glad some readers liked my filler. The fillers in this story still tie in to the flow of events though. Some of you asked if Naruto will remain to be emotionless or impassive for the rest of the fic, well, no he's not, cause then we'd just have another Sasuke. Naruto gradually breaks out of his shell in later chapters. As a warning for my readers, this chapter ends on a somewhat sad note, just to give you guys a heads up. Oh yeah, before I forget, I don't own Naruto. Can't believe I forgot the disclaimer in the last two chapters. -_-'…..enjoy! Oh, two more things! For those of you who love Sasuke bashing, well, that's not going to happen in this fic, you'll see why in the end of the story. I was planning to incorporate the Naruto movies, but I've really only watched the anime and read the manga, so if anyone knows their chronological order, please tell me! It would help a lot! Thanks :)
After Kurenai had pried herself off of the living room wall she smacked Naruto on the back of her head...well, at least attempted to. Kakashi and company found it amusing watching a newly appointed Jounin trying to slap a six year old with nine tails only to be blocked every time. The confrontation had escalated to the point that the strikes were almost on Gai's level (imagine a fistfight from The Matrix, except with nine tails involved.). Eventually, Kurenai gave up and just settled with scolding the boy and sending Kakashi and Gai on fixing duty.
"YOSH! MY YOUTHFUL RIVAL, I SHALL DEFEAT YOU BY FIXING THIS INDENTATION OF A HANDSOME MAN IN THE WALL FASTER THAN YOU! IF NOT, I SHALL RUN EIGHTY LAPS AROUND KONOHA! WHILE DOING A HANDSTAND! ON MY PINKY!" Gai shouted, while applying wall plaster with both hands. Kakashi just shook his head while applying the plaster in his same lazy pace. Meanwhile Anko was busy explaining Naruto's condition. Both her and Kurenai were seated at the dining room table, nursing cups of hot tea. Asuma was busy cooking brunch, but all the while still paying attention. Kurenai had offered, but Asuma would have none of it, saying he wanted to cook for his hime. Secretly, everyone feared Kurenai's cooking, since she was terrible at it. She burned CEREAL! How the hell does a person do that unintentionally! Gai was also paying attention to the conversation as well. Even though he was still shouting off things about youth, rival, and so on.
Kurenai's expression looked pained and saddened when she glanced at Naruto who was sitting at the table opposite of them, drawing in his sketchbook. Anko had only briefly talked about his past treatment. Even then, many of the adult's looks darkened. Gai fell eerily quiet, his face in a slight frown. Kurenia's hands trembled around the cup she held, several small cracks appearing on the cup. Asuma's hands gripped the handle of the skillet even tighter, threatening to indent the steel handle into an imprint of his hand. Each had the same thought running through their heads.
How did the kid survive till now?
By then, both Kakashi and Gai had finished and joined them at the table while Asuma placed plates laden with Bacon, steak, and eggs at the table. "Here ya go little tyke" Asuma said, placing a table with larger portions of each in front of him. By the time Asuma came back with his own plate, Naruto's food was already gone. "Wha!" Everyone stared in disbelief at Naruto, when the hell did he eat it all! Even Kakashi, a speed eater himself, didn't even see Naruto eat. Everyone just stared at him dumbly at Naruto as he got his sketchbook and scrawled a message.
"CanIhavemore?" Asuma just nodded and refilled his plate, though this time slowly put it down, everyone watching him carefully, as if afraid that the food might dissapear. What happened next shocked everyone. To say Naruto ate all his food would be an improper way to describe it. He inhaled his food in less than a second, without missing a crumb. Not even Kakashi was that fast! He ate two SHINOBI sized servings, and his stomach didn't even show signs of a bulge. The group of Jonin began to suspect Naruto's mouth to be a portal to a sub demension, or black hole, or something! Naruto wrote another message in his sketchbook before showing it to his astounded audience.
"Thirds?" Everyone faceplanted.
2:04 PM October 11th Shinobi District, Konoha
The hokage had thought it imperative to have Inoichi check on how Naruto was adapting to his new environment. Inoichi headed over to Naruto's new home, holding his little daughter Ino's hand. When she had found out that he was going to go check up on Naruto, she DEMANDED to go with him. Her parents had banned her from visiting him in the hospital, much to her dismay, and had cried herself to sleep, unable to check up on her friend. Her eyes were slightly puffy, but had gradually faded after lunch. As they neared the dorms, Ino grew more nervous remembering what her father had told her.
Flashback
10:13 AM October 11th Yamanka Household, Konoha
Ino had barely eaten her breakfast, only after much of her mother's coaxing. "Naruto wouldn't want you to starve yourself honey" her mother said softly. Ino couldn't help but sob at remembering her friend. Her father's face was still set in the grim look he had when he came back from checking up on Naruto last night. The relatively quiet atmosphere was broke by a knocking at the door. Ino's mother had had gotten up intending to go open the door before her father motioned for her to stay while he left the room. She could hear their wooden door creak as it opened. Mom had been trying to get Dad to fix that for months.
"Ah! Hokage-sama! What a surprise, come in come in!" She could hear two sets of footsteps coming towards the dining room. The hokage, dressed in his formal robes and hat, entered the room.
"I hope I am not intruding"
"No no, not at all, may I ask what brings you to our household?" The hokage seated himself.
"Ah, yes, I take it your family is aware of Naruto's...current condition?" he replied, looking at Ino.
"Mostly."
"Ah. Well, today the council had a meeting, and Danzo had proposed subjecting Naruto to an ANBU induction training program, and garnered a two-thirds vote." Inoichi almost choked on his coffee.
"Hokage-sama! You can't honestly let them do that to the poor boy!" he said, slamming his fist against table. Ino's eyes went wide, while she did not understand the gravity of what the Hokage had just said, judging by her father's reaction though she knew it was a bad thing.
"Ho-Hokage-sama! Wha-whats wrong! I-is Naruto okay?" Ino sobbed. Sarutobi's eyes softened towards the girl, 'looks like you finally have a friend Naruto,' he thought to himself.
"Yes, little Miss Yamanaka, he is now. He finally has a family now." Sarutobi said smiling.
"Hokage-sama, who was able to take him in? I had tried numerous times and every time the council refused!" Inoichi asked. He had truly tried to take in the poor boy into his family, both him and his wife falling for the kind energetic boy, but the council had denied them every time. They stated that he could not get emotionally attached to the subject. Those damn councilmen hadn't even thought of his as human in the first place!
"The 4th requested in his will that one of his students take guardianship of Naruto. Kakashi Hatake agreed and now has custody of Naruto." Inoichi smiled, at least now the boy would have some semblance of a family. "I wanted to ask if you were available to see how Naruto is adapting to his new situation." Ino's eyes shot upwards.
"It would be my pleasure, hokage-sama."
"Good, however postpone your visit till noon, so that Naruto can get settled in, here's the address." Sarutobi handed Inoichi a slip of paper with an address written in neat handwriting.
"Hokage-sama!" Ino called as Sarutobi turned to exit.
"Yes little Miss Yamanaka?"
"I want to go see Naruto! Please Hokage-sama! My parents won't let me see him! Please...I'm worried about him!" Sarutobi chuckled. Then he did his best mock-hokage voice.
"Very well, Little Miss Yamanaka. This is an S rank mission, will you accept it?"
Ino stood straight and nodded her head, "Hai!"
"You mission, is to accompany your father and to check up on Naruto Uzumaki. Do you still wish to proceed?"
"HAI!"
"Very well, good luck." Ino bowed with a determined look, a bow which the Hokage returned. Sarutobi chuckled at her father's begrudging look. "Inoichi, seeing as she's his only friend, she has a right to know, just...be delicate about it." Inoichi nodded.
Flashback end
Ino gulped nervously as they approached the door of Naruto's new home. Her father sensed her hesitationand gave her hand a reassuring squeaze. Ino gulped, and after gathering enough courage, nodded her head. Inoichi knocked on the door, and after a few muffled shouts Kakshi opened the door, proceeded by a flying Gai whose hand was reaching for the doorknob. Gai collided head first into the metal railing, creating a bowl shaped indentation. Ino thought for a second that the thing was dead, until the green spandex clad man stood up with tears streaming down his face.
"CURSE YOU MY RIVAL! YOU HAVE BEATEN ME ONCE AGAIN! AS PROMISED, I SHALL RUN 50 LAPS AROUND KONOHA! ON ONE LEG!" He shouted, then ran off, on one leg...
Inoichi and Ino looked at Kakashi.
"Gai?" her dad asked.
"Gai."
Both Kakashi and Inoichi nodded, as if that single word was the answer to everything wrong with the world. Ino just gave them a puzzled look.
"What brings you here, Inoichi?" Kakashi asked.
"The hokage asked me to check up on Naruto and see how he's holding up with all the changes."
"Oh..."
"That is, if you're okay with that Kakashi, seeing as you're his new dad and all."
"Oh, sure sure, no problem, come on in." Kakashi replied, stepping aside to let them through. Inoichi noticed the seal on the door Kakashi activated as he closed it behind them.
"My my Kakashi, not even parent for a day and already acting like a mother hen?" Inoichi chuckled. Kakashi gave an irritated sigh.
"You can never be too careful, especially after what Danzo tried to pull this morning. I think he has something in the works, otherwise he wouldn't have given up so easily." Kakashi replied. Inoichi nodded in agreement. Kakashi led them to the living room, and told them to wait on the couch while he got Naruto. Asuma and Kurenai had left ago on a mission earlier, only Anko was home. She nodded at them, not being much of a social person.
"Wait, Kakashi, wait just a bit, there are some things I need tell Ino first before the session begins." Kakashi nodded before going to go fetch Naruto.
Ino looked at her dad expectantly at her father, "Tell me what daddy?"
Inoichi sighed, "Honey, remember the story of the kyuubi, how six years ago he attacked Konoha and-"
"And that the fourth Hokage kicked his butt!"
"Yes, well honey, but there something you don't know. The fourth Hokage wasn't able to beat the Kyuubi."
"What do you mean? Then-"
"Hold on honey, let me finish. The fourth Hokage wasn't able to beat the Kyuubi, so he did the only thing he could, he sealed away the Kyuubi."
"You mean like a storage scroll?"
"Yes honey, but the Kyuubi couldn't be kept by any seal, he had to be sealed into somebody, or more specifically, a baby." Ino's eyes widened. No,not...
"Ino, The 4th sealed the Kyuubi no Kitsune into Naruto Uzu-"
"NO!"
"Ino, it's the tru-"
"NARUTO'S NOT A DEMON! HE'S NICE, HE'S KIND, AND HE'S MY FRIEND! HE'S NOT A DEMON!" Ino shouted with conviction and fire in her eyes. Anko, who was busy in the kitchen, couldn't help but let a small smile grace her face. Inoichi chuckled.
"WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING!"
"Well, if you didn't interrupt me, I was about to say the same thing. By no means is Naruto a demon Ino. But unfortunately, not everyone thinks that. Last night, a group of people broke into Naruto's home. And they hurt him, almost killed him." Ino's eyes widened, already forming tears.
"...no..."
"Naruto survived, but the fox, it changed him. I just want to warn you before we start the session that Naruto...well, he may not remember things. I just wanted to let you know. Before we start though, I want you to promise me that you won't talk until I say its okay, got it?"
"Bu-"
"Promise me honey."
"Fine, I promise." Ino huffed. Inoichi nodded at Kakashi who stood in the hallway. Kakashi left into one of the rooms and emerged holding Naruto's hand. At first Ino couldn't believe that it was Naruto, and thought it was some elaborate, sick prank the grownups had pulled on her. Then she saw it, those whisker marks on his face that she remembered once calling them 'cute,' much to an embarrassed Naruto's dismay. Ino felt her bieng filled with sadness and fear. It was not fear of how he looked, she could care less about what changed about Naruto's physical appearance, it was something about him that she couldn't place her finger on. Then she realized it, it was his eyes. His eyes no longer glowed a magnificent and defiant cerulean blue, speaking of untold depths of courage and kindness. No. They were a dull oblique blue, eerily lifeless like the ceramic dolls her mother had collected as a child. Eyes devoid of happiness.
She couldn't hold back the tears that threatened to flood. Those eyes shouldn't belong to her friend, they just didn't belong. She ran up to him and enveloped him into a hug, sobbing into his shoulder. He looked so alone, so frail, she couldn't not comfort him.
"It's...hic...gonna...hic...be...okay...hic...Naruto...hic...its...hic...okay...you...hic...can...cry" Ino sobbed.
Naruto stood there, and despite the lack of facial expression, cried silent tears.
9:02 PM Shinobi Dorm Block A room 5, Konoha
"Goodbye Kakashi, good luck with the whole parenting gig" Inoichi said as he made to leave for the night, a sleeping Ino cradled in the crook of his left arm.
"Thanks, good night Inoichi" Kakashi waved, along with the rest of their roommates.
12:32 PM Konoha Dorm Block A Room 5 Kitchen, Konoha
Kakashi crept along the hallway for his daily late night snack. He had decided against turning on the lights so as not to disturb his roommates. Creaking open the fridge outlining him in light Kakashi noted the contents of the fridge with dissatisfaction. Unlike his fridge, it wasn't exactly stuffed with snackable material. Damn,nothingbutvegetables,milk,eggs,and-ooooh!Dango!
Closing the fridge, Kakashi happily nibbled on the dango while heading back towards his room. He stopped after hearing a slight shuffling of feet and paper from Naruto's room. The lights were off, but there was that same sound again. Kakashi peered into the dark room.
"Naruto?" he didn't respond and kakashi could make the faint outline of his body kneeling in the middle of the room in the darkness. Kakashi flicked on the bedroom light.
"Naruto, what are you doing this...late?" Kakashi stood horror struck at the scene. Pictures littered the walls and ceiling, some clustered around the floor, hardly obscuring an enlarged replica of the Kyuubi seal painted on the floor in red paint. Kakashi visibly paled. These were not the drawings of a six year old. They were almost like photos, startling realistic. What scared kakashi the most was not the grotesque depictions of the deaths of villagers and shinobi alike. No, it was to be expected after Naruto merged with the Kyuubi that he would "remember" what happened that day. It was the pictures of when Kakashi was a student of Minato, along with Obito and Rin. Their test, their mission get togethers. There was even one when Kakashi had celebrated his birthday at his sensei's house. These memories, they didn't belong to the Kyuubi, no, they couldn't. Only now did Kakashi's gaze wander towards Naruto, the "memory" he was currently looking at being when he had asked Kushina for advice on his first crush.
Kakashi crept fearfully towards the boy. Naruto was crying again, but unlike earlier with Ino, these tears were crimson. He was crying blood, but all the while diligently, almost mindlessly working on the memory.
"Minato? Kushina?" Kakashi asked. Naruto looked up at Kakashi and looked as if recognizing him for the first time.
"Kakashi?" Kakashi gasped audibly, even though he himself had never heard Naruto speak, he knew, he knew that wasn't his voice. It was as if the Kyuubi, Minato, Kushina, and the boy were talking at the same time that their voices were melding and overlapping.
"Do you...do you remember, Naruto?"
"Kakashi?Yes,I..." Naruto's face scrunched up in pain and held his head in his hands, red chakra emanating from his body and flaring. "Nono!ItHURTS!I...IDON'TWANTTOREMEMBER!"
Naruto clenched his hand over his chest. "Ithurts...ithurtssoobad.Makeitstop...pleasemakeitstop." Naruto sobbed. His fingers dug deep into the center of his chest, spewing forth a fountain of blood.
"MAKEITSTOP!" Kakashi rushed forward, trying to stop Naruto's hand from going any further. But despite the ANBU captain's strength, Naruto's hand was clamped down like a vice.
"NARUTO!"
11:02 AM, October 14th Konoha Hospital, room 365, Shinobi wing, Intensive care ward, Konoha
Inoichi's wife Rozu led a teary Ino into the room who was holding a vase of flowers. The hospital room was empty save for a tired Kakashi and Anko sitting next to a comatose Naruto. Kakashi and Anko nodded, both not much in the mood for talking. Ino, despite holding a vase filled with flowers nearly as big as her, rushed to Naruto's side, leaving the vase sitting on the nightstand. If a newcomer were to pass by, they would have thought the boy to be peacefully sleeping. But that was hardly the case, due to the presence of several machines hooked up to Naruto monitoring his status. The steady beeping of the heart monitor almost seemed to mock them, once in a while sending them in a panic when it went flat just to start up again.
"Is he gonna be okay?" Ino asked fearfully. Neither Kakashi nor Anko had the heart to tell her the truth, and didn't answer. Luckily they were saved when Sarutobi proceeded by Jiraiya and a doctor came in.
"Kakashi?" Kakashi stood up.
"Here, Hokage-sama." Sarutobi looked at the group of people.
"I would like to talk with Kakashi in private, if you don't mind Mrs. Yamanaka."
"No, not at all, come on Ino" Rozu replied, leading her reluctant daughter out of the room. Anko made to follow them, but Sarutobi put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her.
"Anko, you can stay. You've been as close to a parent the boy had ever had. You deserve to hear this." Anko nodded and went back to her seat.
"Hokage-sama, whats wrong with Naruto, the chest wound was treated but he hasn't woken up for three days." Kakashi asked. The doctor gave a glance towards the hokage before getting a nod signalling a 'go ahead.'
"While it is true that we were able to get to the wound in time before Naruto bled to death, we have no idea what else is wrong. We have tried to see for " This was clearly not the right answer as Anko slammed the doctor into the wall, holding him up by his lab coat.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW! WHAT THE FUCK KIND OF DOCTOR ARE YOU!" Anko screamed, making said doctor cringe, mentally begging to be saved. Before any further damage could be done, Jiraiya gripped Anko's wrist, squezing it until she let out a yelp and let the doctor go, nursing her wrist.
"Anko, enough. I know you're upset, but there's nothing else they can do, luckily I know who can." Sarutobi's eyes widened in realization.
"Jiraiya, she hasn't been in the village for years!"
"Who?" Anko asked.
"My old teammate Tsunade! My network found out that she's a day's travel away" Kakashi stood up.
"I'm going."
"What makes you think I'll take you?"
"It was not a request. Besides, this is basically my fault, If I had watched over Naruto from the beginning this never would have happened. I owe it to him." Jiraiya chuckled.
"Fine fine, be ready in an hour."
There! Finished! Well, I hope you guys enjoy!