Konohagakure, still standing tall and beautiful. The strongest hidden village in all the five elemental nations and my home. It's been a year since I've been home but it still feels like yesterday that I woke up in my broken apartment to then head towards training ground number seven to meet with Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei. There are so many nostalgic memories that brought tear to my eyes, but instead of keeping them at bay like I usually do I let them flow. I never was a very good actress and this will help me out with my cover.
"Welcome to Konohagakure, may I bother you with your name and identification please?" as soon as I passed the gate I was greeted with Izumo and Kotetsu.
Suddenly my mind was assaulted by foreign memories. Memories of Yue, of when Izumo, Iruka-sensei and Kotetsu used to babysit her while she was a kid and they simply genin. I thanked Kaguya for keeping Iruka-sensei in my life, it seems that in this life he also plays a similar role as when I was Naruto.
"Yue?!" Kotetsu exclaimed, rushing to my side and enveloping me into a tight hug "Goodness girl, what happened to you? Where are your parents?"
"They... they are dead!" I lied through my teeth, but luckily they didn't notice. Kotetsu tightened his hug and Izumo joined. I cried against his chest with all my might, mourning but not my false parents but all of those I lost during the Fourth Shinob War.
"Yue, darling, have you calmed down yet?" Izumo asked me gently, patting my head carefully "Come, sit down" he guided me to his seat and laid me there gently "Can you please tell us what happened?"
"Orochimaru happened..." I sobbed, congratulating me on a good acting- I could go pro!
Izumo and Kotetsu looked at each other grimly, starting to shale slightly. It warmed me knowing how much they cared about me, that they would worry to the extent of shivering.
"Yue, do you think you are up to talking with the Hokage?" Izumo asked, trying to smile in reassurance but failing gravely because of how worried he was.
"W-wi-will you three be there for me?" I stuttered, they didn't even have to ask who was the third one before calling out for substitutes and have a shinobi fetch Iruka-sensei.
They carried me all the way to the Hokage tower, I did not let go of Izumo for a damn second until I saw Iruka-sensei rush towards us. I then jumped towards him and held him as tight as I could, before crying all over again.
"My child, do you think you are up to tell us what happened to you" Jiji finally spoke, softly and gently as a grandfather- eyes shining with guilt and worry. Jiji always hated not being capable of protecting his people, specially when it was by the hand of hi favorite student.
"From where do I start?" I asked, finally on the ground but not letting go from Iruka-sensei and Izumi's hand, Kotetsu at my back with a hand placed on my head- I felt protected and comforted.
"Why don't we start from why the start? Why did your parents and you leave Konoha?" he inquired.
"My parents are... were herbalists. They sold medicinal herbs and ointments at their shop at the market, they even had permission to tend to civilians as the hospital doesn't have many doctors. They tended from scratches, to sprains, to headaches, simply daily things. I was being trained by them to take over the shop in the future, so when the opportunity to study herbs in the wild and not at the shop came out, I jumped at the opportunity. We left to recollect special herbs and discuss some business with associates that do not pass through Konoha... b-but on the way we were attacked" I stuttered, biting my lower lip.
"By Orochimaru?" Jiji asked, as if he needed to make sure it wasn't someone else.
"That's what he called himself, and there were a lot of purple and white snakes. If I am not wrong they are his animal contract" I replied
"Yes, they are" he sighed tiredly "What happened next my child?"
"W-we were taken to an underground laboratory, h-he then killed both of my parents... in front of me" I said the last part lower than a murmur but in the silent room it resonated as if I had yelled "They were useless... or at least that was what he said. I thought that I was going to die to, but it seemed that I was useful to him"
"Useful, what did he mean by that?" Jiji asked confused, as everyone else in the room.
"Well... can I take this?" I asked as I let go from Izumo and Iruka-sensei's hands and took a kunai from Izumi's pouch. I did not wait for a reply before slashing my palm open.
"Yue!" Kotetsu, Iruka and Izumo yelled at the same time.
"Have you lost your mind?!" Iruka-sensei screamed, eyes filled with concern as he took my hand ready to bandage it before freezing on his place "W-what the..."
All four of them stood still as they watched my hand heal itself in less than a minute "So, that's what Orochimaru was after" Jiji commented sagely, smoking his pipe.
"I might be the third generation from Konoha but the first one here had ran away during the Second Shinobi War from Ame, trying to save the last two of our clan from the horrible civil war that was going there at the time. They disguised themselves as civilian and hoped their receive gene passed down. I am the first and only now of my clan in three generations... or at least that's what Orochimaru said" I explained.
"What is your clan's name? And what does it do exactly?" Jiji asked.
"I don't know the clan's name, Orochimaru never mentioned it and neither my parents nor I were aware of our past. As for abilities it seems that I have a second chacra of red nature. And I heal... nothing short of a kana to the heart or chopping my head off can kill me" I shared.
"A second chacra? That's similar to the Hatake clan. And 'short of a kana to the heart'? My poor child what did he do to you?" he inquired, now more worried than before.
I felt Kotetsu, Izumo and Iruka tensing behind me, as they waited for my reply: "He tortured me Hokage-sama... he needed to make sure to what extent I could heal. He stabbed me, burnt me, drowned me, damaged my chacra coils, electrocuted me, he even reaped off my arm and ran his hand through my chest, very close to the heart" the temperature of the room was getting colder and colder by each word I spoke. I had never seen Jiji so angry before, then again he had never met a living survivor of Orochimaru's experiments "But no matter what he did I healed, it's as if my second chacra has a life of its own and did not allow me to die. It even grew my arm from scratch!"
"My child, you've been through a lot. I am so sorry this had happened to you, you shouldn't have gone through all of that" he apologized, coming close towards me to pat my head gently "But how did you escape?"
"There was this bounty hunter who came one day while Orochimaru was out, he wanted to claim the bounty on the Snake Sannin's head. Noticing that I was important for Orochimaru's research he took me with him as he burnt the whole place down. I wanted to come back then but he did not let me go, I was the bait he needed to lure Orochimaru out of his hideout. We traveled all around the five elemental nations, him claiming bounty after bounty. It seems that he had something against Akastuki" Jiji tensed at the mention of the organization he has a spy on "He claimed six bounties from them and when he was about to finally strike Orochimaru someone attacked him, he called himself the Amekage. I did not stay to listen about what they were arguing, it was the first time someone could stand out against the bounty hunter so I took it as my chance to run away. But from what I've heard Akatsuki worked for the Amekage or something like that"
Sorry for throwing you to the wolves Nagato, I apologized internally.
"Well, what is important right now is that you are back home again my child" the Hokage finally said "This might be hard to talk about... but did someone during your time in captivity touch you in someway they shouldn't have?"
My three guardians stilled behind me, and started to give off KI vibes- which I had to act as if I was afraid of to maintain my cover. Noticing how uncomfortable I was they calmed down and hugged me.
"N-no... no one raped me Hokage-sama. They were more interested in my power than in my body" I assured them.
"Thank Kami for small miracles" Jiji sighed, a bit happier now "Until you can get back on your feet I am sure that Iruka won't mind having you stay with him"
"I wouldn't" he replied, hugging me to his side and smiling kindly down at me.
"You must go to the hospital I don't care if you can heal yourself we need to make sure you are one hundred percent healed. Also, you will have to go to therapy sessions- all paid by Konoha, don't worry about it" he commanded.
"Hai, Hokage-sama" I replied "Hokage-sama, may I request something?"
"What is it my child?" he inquired gently, eyes sparkly with curiosity.
"May I join the Academy please? I never wish to be in such a precarious situation again and I want to make sure no one else suffers like I did" I requested, surprising all of the presents- after all, Yue never wished to be a shinobi preferring to heal rather than to kill.
"You do understand my child that those of your age are much more advanced than you and you will be quite behind?" Jiji asked gently.
I love that Jiji is alive and he is so gentle, but I loath people treating me like a child who does not understand anything.
"I know... but they also did not have Orochimaru threatening them with punishment if they did not become the perfect little soldier he desired" my words froze them all "My second nature chacra got his attention as much as my healing abilities and he needed to see how much they can do. And he can't achieve that with a civilian, he needed at least someone in genin level. I can assure you Hokage-sama that I am genin in anything but name. Abilities I do not lack but knowledge is the problem, Orochimaru did not care to teach me about theory"
"Then, Iruka will test you and see if you can join the students of your age range after your visit to the hospital" Jiji conceded "And I apologize again for the doings of my student"
"It's ok, Hokage-sama. I do not blame you, it is his doing not yours" I replied, taking Iruka-sensei's hand again as we four left the Hokage's office.
Third objective achieved, mission success. It's good to be back home! I smiled internally, happy that my plan fooled them all. And getting ready for the next steps to take.
This has only just started.