Chapter 4
Tsunade stood still in front of the bars keeping Naruto locked up. There were so many things that the mischievous Naruto could have done whilst he was here, most would be fuelled by stupidity and the thought that he hadn't done anything wrong. It was true that he hasn't done anything wrong but he was being mature enough to keep calm throughout this issue. Someone would have raised hell about the injustice being done to him.
Tsunade thanked Naruto for his handling of the situation. She could have done better to ensure that he doesn't end up locked up in this cell, but she had been worried more about the future implications of any issue being raised by this little hassle from that corrupt old fox. If anything, the Godaime wanted to grab him by the throat and a snap his neck just for being alive.
She would at least give it to Danzo that he hasn't come this far by being stupid. Her sensei could have hanged him long time ago, but he didn't do anything. Tsunade could not understand why he didn't do anything, but she would not make the same mistake. If left alone, Danzo was just going to cause more troubles. Well, for Naruto, things couldn't get any worse than they have.
It was still early morning, but she had seen the groups forming with people gossiping. Those were images that sent her gut into overdrive but there was nothing she could do about it at the moment. She really did hope that no one confronted Naruto with this but she was going to issue a statement denying the allegations about Naruto. Some sensible people would see the reason and stop hating on Naruto but that wasn't something that one could bank on.
Konoha's villagers have never been rational when it comes to Naruto and the Kyubi. They were always quick to hate and judge.
The slug princess smiled weakly towards Naruto – who stared back at her. Tsunade did not say the first word but Naruto did.
"You sure took your time to see me, Tsunade-sama…" Naruto said as he stood up – he did so slowly before stretching his muscles. Movement was restricted in this place and that made him a little stiff. "But I guess you are here to free me."
Tsunade nodded but she did not move to unlock the cell. "You don't look too bad," she said in a weak tone.
Naruto tilted his head to the side. The woman appeared to be hiding something or perhaps w as trying to ease into something difficult. If she wasn't here to free him, she was here to deliver bad news to him. That would be unexpected. From his conversation with Kakashi last night, he figured he would be released soon, and if Tsunade was going to come with bad news, that would change things.
He had reached his tolerance limit. He wasn't going to stay here any longer but it would depend on what the Godaime Hokage was saying to him. If she was promising him something good, then he could tolerate this a little longer. He also knew that it wasn't safe here knowing that Danzo could get to him at any moment he chose.
"I think I have had worse than this…" Naruto responded in a measured tone. He did not voice his thoughts to the Godaime – he waited on her.
Tsunade's mood just seemed to worsen at that. "It hasn't been a pleasant life, hasn't it?" She asked sadly. "From the emotional trauma you faced in the hands of the villagers to this. It is still remarkable that even after everything; you chose to fight to protect this village. If there was someone whose loyalty should never be question, it would be you. We are here; you are being accused of trying to kill Danzo. We have cleared you of any wrong doing and normally you would be free to do anything you want, but because you're Uzumaki Naruto, there is always something happening."
Naruto narrowed his eyes thinly; this was perhaps something that had to do with Danzo's intensions. It wasn't a pleasant thing to swallow. Honestly, he was starting to fear for the worst now because really, Naruto didn't want anything forced. Any forced movement would alter things in ways that he did not want.
Well, nothing really went to script, isn't? You could never plan for life to play it in a certain way. There were always going to be forces greater than you which will push things out of your control. If Danzo planned something sinister, then he could not control that and it would certainly change things for him.
Naruto shook his head. Was he forgetting what Kakashi said to him the previous night? The villagers were acting 'funny.' Naruto did not voice those words; he simply asked the Godaime thinking she had something different to say.
"What is it?"
Tsunade noted that Naruto's tone displayed no emotions when he asked – it was almost as if he was daring her to say bad news if she wanted to see his reaction to it. The Godaime shook her head; perhaps she was overthinking things.
"I won't say anything but it will be better if you just see it yourself. It won't be something you will like, more like a return to those bitter old days of yours. I am sorry for this, if there was something I could do to have stopped it, I would have, "the woman sounded in pain when she said those words. "Meet me in my office when you are ready."
Tsunade said those words and unlocked the cell. She walked away from the blond Uzumaki without saying anything further.
Naruto stepped out of the cell but he did not feel free, there was no freedom reigning down on him. If anything, the world just seemed get heavier and oxygen a little more expensive that he had to labour for it. He feared the world that he was going to see.
Kakashi didn't paint a good picture and Tsunade has just made it worse.
About 10 Minutes Later
To Kurama, this was both laughable and sad. He had first laughed when he noted what was happening in the streets of the Hidden Leaf. The villagers were doing what they used to do before. Well, it wasn't exactly the same, but there were stares and hushed whisperers as the blond moved about the streets. It hadn't been funny, but the Bijuu had burst into laughter before calming down to look at it sadly.
He didn't think a couple of nights in Anbu cells would result in the blond going back to that old life. He was sure that perverted Sannin was going to preach for Naruto to do more good for the villagers to prove himself to be a good person. He had been trying that, but now he would have to do that all over again? Kurama didn't think so.
He would not have the patience to do something like that. Hell, if Naruto freed him now, he would not have a problem in making this village a former Hidden Village. Yes, there was no Yondaime Hokage this time around; he could wipe out this entire village within a couple of minutes. The perverted Sannin wasn't here to summon those Toads to stand in his way. There was no one remotely powerful enough to stand before him.
Kurama thought of tempting Naruto.
"If you're tired of all these, I have no problem in letting loose." The Bijuu said. "I would even be content with staying in here for a little while longer without any thought to escape the seal." The Bijuu said devilishly.
Naruto's form appeared before the Bijuu; the blond was wearing an expressionless mask on his face – it was just dead of any emotion. When he spoke, the tone did not betray the expression on his face. "What makes you think I would even go that far?"
Kurama shrugged indifferently before replying. "I don't know; what about the anger and hatred I feel from you? What, you have taken enough; don't you think I can't sense those emotions from you? You do enough to control them, but someone would have snapped already. It nevertheless doesn't change the fact that you have them deep in your heart."
Naruto was silent for a couple of moments. "I'm not that ignorant that I would fail to notice the emotions that I have."
He was very much aware of the negative emotions he had in him. They were buried deep within his heart. He tried to suppress them but this kind of reality made it very difficult. There was a little voice inside his head telling him to punish this treachery, to do something about this. What had he done to these people to deserve this? Just a little rumour and the fact that he was locked up in Anbu cells and they were ready to revisit their old memories.
Had it been someone else, they wouldn't have cared or even react in such a manner. He was different from everyone else. He was the host of the Bijuu that killed their loved their ones. To some of them he sheltered the Bijuu and to some he had been the Bijuu itself – such a sad reality. Now, the Bijuu must influence his decisions, he must be going insane.
What was Danzo trying to achieve from doing all these? Did he want to isolate him so that he could manipulate him a little easier?
A foolish move. It had its consequences but he was simply not going to allow that snake to manipulate him because he was feeling lost. He wasn't that stupid to forget that this was because the man started the fire. If Danzo thought he could manipulate him, then he was as arrogant as Orochimaru thinking he could destroy the Hidden Leaf.
"What are you going to do about this? You should know that as things stand, even if you wanted to be in their good graces, you would be have to save them from total destruction for them to look at you fondly. Even if such an event were to occur, would you even be motivated to save them after everything?"
Naruto refused to respond to the question; it was something deep that would get him having thoughts he did not wish to have at this time. He had to face the Godaime Hokage. No wonder the woman looked as if she was carrying the entire Elemental Nations over her shoulders; the situation was bleak and could destroy any hopes a person has.
"Why are you talking as if there was a plan to stay in this village forever?" Naruto asked the Kyubi.
The situation wasn't desirable and he hadn't done anything to make these people hate him but there had been no intention from his side to kiss their behinds in an attempt to get them to like him. He could discuss ways with Tsunade but it was all just going to be pointless talk because he had plans to leave this village for something greater.
This would just make it easy for him to leave. Of course, this didn't mean that this situation didn't wound him.
Kurama's response wasn't immediate but it did come. "With you dwindling around the village, I thought you would be having second thoughts. The moment you were arrested, you could have broken out of the cells and make your escape. With what you're going to do, will attempting to kill Danzo really be the worst thing you would have done?"
Naruto nearly frowned upon hearing those words – yes, he was going to do so many things, many unspeakable things. This was just wrong because the villagers hated him for something he hadn't done. It was all just rumour and the fact that he was walking within the streets should mean that he was cleared if any wrong doing, but they were still looking at him with suspicious eyes.
Perhaps he was being hesitant on doing what he had planned on doing – it wasn't going to be an easy road.
"I have my reasons, but this isn't something that should really get me down." Naruto said those words with a sigh. He stopped walking for a moment and looked up with his eyes closed. He sucked in the cold air trying to get a feel of the village. He opened cold blue eyes and held out his right hand, looking as if he wanted to catch the sun. "One of these days, I will stand in this village wearing mourning clothes and this village will learn to resent my name more than it has yours."
Kurama smiled. "Now there is some resolve in your tone." The nine-tailed Bijuu said.
"It might be because I am a little bitter…" Naruto said with a shake of his head. "Wouldn't it be something else if I could raise my hand like this and make clouds? From them, we would decide on whether to cast lightning jutsu or water based Jutsu… perhaps with even a little of wind."
Kurama was silent as he thought of an image Naruto had just painted. "You'd have to be a god to do something like that…" The Bijuu said a bit sarcastically.
"Holding the title of Kami wouldn't be so bad. Only gods can change the landscape and how people behave." Naruto said calmly. "People fear power and only those with power influence the masses. Even though I will have to force my will on people, I won't mind much because the end game will suit what I desire. With your power, it shouldn't be impossible to achieve, even if it takes 10 years; with an army clones that should be like a hundred years of training."
"With my power, I should be able to source any shortage of chakra." The Bijuu said. "But you should be able to build up your own chakra stamina. To cast such powerful jutsu you'd need vast amounts of chakra."
Naruto continued staring into the sky before responding. "I can imagine. I figure trying to create thunderclouds would mean having to form storm conditions. Just having to create that condition will mean using a lot of chakra." The blond said calmly before looking at the road ahead of him. "How much more chakra did someone like Hashirama have?"
Kurama was silent for a couple of moments before responding. "I have not met any human who has more chakra than a tailed beast."
Naruto was surprised at this. He shook his head. "Well that is something we will think of doing once we begin the real training…" He paused for a moment before speaking once more. "The Godaime is waiting for me."
"What are you going to discuss with her?" Kurama asked.
"I don't know," Naruto said.
Tsunade's Office
Things may be bad, but at least Naruto had people who cared for him, Kakashi thought as he looked at the gloomy expression on Tsunade's face. There has never been doubt that the Godaime Hokage cared for the blond Uzumaki; but it was nevertheless refreshing to see it on her face at a time like this. Naruto was going to need people close to him to be there for him. He still had his friends, and they were good friends.
Still, this was a dramatic turn of events; Danzo was always scheming something but this time he had gone too far. Then again, where are the limits for the War Hawk? Didn't he commit treason by trying to get him to kill the Sandaime Hokage so that he could finally become Hokage?
"Tsunade-sama," Kakashi started in a very calm tone. "I understand that Danzo has rallied the villagers against Naruto and acting in the open might leave a door open for violence from the civilians. Most shinobi population don't even know the dark things that he is capable of doing, but it won't matter since you are the Godaime Hokage. Why are not doing anything against him?"
The Jonin understood that being reckless would only cost them dearly. Kakashi didn't think that there still Shinobi who hated Naruto for what happened years ago. They were smart and understood things better unlike the bitter villagers. Besides that, the shinobi have worked with the blond Uzumaki, so they knew his personality by now.
Tsunade didn't offer an immediate response but when she did, her tone was low yet it was very firm. "Unlike the Sandaime, I will not leave Danzo to act as he pleases. At this age, there is no need for him to operate and I will shut him down. Of course, I understand that he will not simply lie down if I choose to force the issue. It will be either fleeing or putting up a fight. I simply cannot allow things to spill in the open for the villagers to see everything. I'm displeased with them, but I cannot allow them to get caught in the crossfire of shinobi matters.
"Danzo will be dealt with and we will do it in a way that erases his existence from this village along with the Foundation. Personally, I don't want anything to happen to his people I would rather they fall under my command, but we know that Danzo teaches utmost loyalty to him, so I don't know if they will be able to switch should Danzo be killed."
Kakashi was silent for a couple of moments before finally opening his mouth. "You don't want to cause unnecessary bloodshed?"
Tsunade nodded. "I can't use the term innocent because I know there are things that they have done that can be considered treason. Sai came in just to spy on Naruto for Danzo. We knew that but we didn't think that it would lead to such a situation. They are all guilty as their master."
Yet, she was not willing to have them all killed along with Danzo in a very SS-rank mission.
"What about Naruto?"
"I know he just got back, but it would be best if he went away while I try to solve this Danzo issue or he could go away after we have solved things." Tsunade said calmly. "This is just a thought, I don't know if Naruto will accept it. We have to do what is best for Naruto, mentally. For now, the village can wait; Naruto's mental state and happiness must come first."
This wasn't what they taught at the academy but it would do in this situation. The village was the one that was wrong in this situation, Naruto could be afforded the chance to put himself first over the village as long as there were no treasonous thoughts and as the Hokage, she consented to it.
She would not care what anyone says or what the clan heads have to say about it, the decision was hers and she would do what she felt was best for everyone. The village calm down with Naruto present Amway. She could try to make them see sense and expose Danzo's lies to them. Nodding to herself, Tsunade was going to work on that.
She was going to let them know that they should be ashamed of themselves; Naruto was innocent and Danzo was the guilty bastard who had tried to take away Naruto for the Kyubi's power and resorted to dirty tricks when that failed. If she so wished, she could even tell them that the reason the blond Uzumaki was chosen to be the Kyubi's Jinchuriki was because he was Minato's son. They could deny it all they liked, but pictures of a pregnant Kushina along with Minato were there.
Even a stupid person would ask what has happened to the child of the Yondaime Hokage if his wife had been pregnant days before the Kyubi incident.
Kakashi did not dispute the thought pf Naruto taking some time away from the village; there was not much that the blond Uzumaki could do to change the situation at the time.
Before the Jonin could say something to Tsunade, there was a knock at the door. Tsunade didn't have to say anything for Naruto to open the door. There was a bit of a chill air that swept into the office when the Uzumaki walked in. he didn't say anything though, but just settled on the free chair beside Kakashi.
When no one said anything, Naruto spoke.
"I wasn't expecting to see you, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said in a very calm tone. "When you said things had changed, I thought it wouldn't be as bad as I had feared." Naruto said to Kakashi in a quiet tone. "Well, it isn't as bad as it was last time around when walking around the streets was like walking inside a steam hot pot."
He didn't have to think on whether he could live with this situation because he wasn't going to live in this village for much longer. He was going to leave at any moment, even tomorrow or the moment he leaves this office; he could disappear from the Hidden Leaf for a couple of years. There was so much training that he had to do and so much more he needed to learn.
He didn't need to see his friends; seeing them look gloomy over his situation would just make him feel miserable about leaving. He knew that they were going to have some second thoughts; they were going to look at this and only say it is because the villagers treated him in this manner that he decided to flee the Hidden Leaf. He could not avoid it though. Ideally, he would have liked to leave on better terms but this was not what he expected.
It wasn't going to change anything nevertheless.
Kakashi quietly absorbed Naruto's words before thinking about the younger days of Naruto; the blond had bravely walked around the Hidden Leaf even though most villagers held contemptuous thoughts about him. He hadn't minded, but just walked with a brave face, a wide grin and didn't seem to care about anything in the world. But that statement now just revealed that he did care about things.
There had been those lonely looks when the blond was alone; those questions that the Sandaime faced when he went to visit Naruto in his apartment. There was no doubt though; Naruto had been happy in Team 7. They had been like a family, Kakashi cherished those memories and he was sure his blond student held those memories more dearly than anyone else.
It was perhaps the only part of his life that made him happy.
"What do you think about it?" Kakashi asked, just to see how Naruto would respond.
Naruto stared at Tsunade's eyes for a long minute; a sad smile flicked through his expression for a second before being replaced by a neutral look. "It's really sad. I've never really given myself the moment to hate because I realized it wouldn't make me happy but much more miserable than I was. It turned out to be the right decision when I enjoyed my time in Team 7.
"Even at this stage, my thoughts are not mixed, but I cannot say that I hate the villagers for this. Perhaps I'm being cynical, but when it is coming from them, I don't think I should lose my sleep over it. That doesn't mean that I love every moment of this; not at all, I don't even understand why they could go back so quickly, I don't want to understand. My thoughts of Danzo are different altogether."
The words were a bit cold but there didn't appear to be any dark thoughts lingering around the corner when the blond spoke, not even when he spoke of Danzo. Tsunade was curious; how could he not come to hate the villagers for this? Was he just ignoring the negative emotions instead of dealing with them. If he was just pushing them at the back of his head, then he was probably going to explode one day.
"Why don't you want to understand?" Tsunade asked, her tone hardened.
Naruto raised an eyebrow at the tone; it sounded forceful. But he didn't mind responding to it. "Honestly, I want to say I just don't care about it anymore. If my dream was still to become Hokage of this village, then I would be worried, but that isn't a priority for me anymore. Life is something else, isn't it? Before I left, I shouted being Hokage and really, it looked as if it would be possible when they cheered for me at the Chunin exams.
"With humans, anything can change; I have changed and they change every morning. One little thing about the Kyubi and they are ready to abandon all the good memories and focus on their fears. Well, fear is a powerful thing, it can manipulate even the mightiest. So many decisions are taken because of fear but that is life, unfortunately, for me."
Tsunade frowned; she didn't want to think deep about this. She was already thinking too much about this thing about Danzo and how to deal with him. Jiraiya could deal with this. From what the Sannin has said, the blond Uzumaki was very close to him. She could not penetrate through that cold exterior.
The Godaime Hokage sighed before shifting to the main subject. "I called you here because I want to discuss how we are going to deal with this issue. Although I don't want to admit it, but you have grown and you need to know. This situation must be handled carefully, and Danzo must be punished for this treachery. I want to do it quietly."
Naruto didn't smile at hearing that, he just tilted his head to the side, thinking about what the slug princess might be trying to suggest. There was something big that was going to happen and Naruto wasn't sure he wanted to be part of it. Then again, it could be his farewell message. Trashes like Danzo were the first ones who needed to be destroyed for a better world to come.
"I see you trying to convince the villagers that I did not try anything and that Danzo was actually the one who attempted to do something to me. It would be hard for the villagers to believe. They know what the Kyubi can do and they know Danzo as one of the village elders. Shinobi population wouldn't have troubles but civilians don't know anything, between the host of the Kyubi and a village elder, who is credible before their eyes, who do you think they will believe?"
Tsunade sneered in thought but she gave Naruto a firm response. "They will believe that snake. However, I'm still Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannins. When I came back here, they were singing my name. I will remind them it was you who convinced me to come back and if they think I would lie like that to them, I will offer my resignation as Hokage. I've had no troubles living outside this village and I can do it again. You must understand that there are things worth protecting.
"Jiraiya couldn't convince me to come back to this village, no one could. I gambled, drank through my days. I was miserable for years, but you came along. It was your action and your words that convinced me to come back to this village. I have been at peace, happy since I came back. I owe that to you."
Naruto smiled; it was a happy smile and it didn't last for just a second. He was honestly happy to hear those words from the woman. He wasn't going to deny that she had become a part of his 'family' but that would be destroyed when it turns this world into its knees. It was really a sad thing that he would hurt this woman who was willing to resign as the Godaime of this village for him, for the truth about him.
It was really going to be a miserable existence out in the wild. If it would hurt Tsunade, how much more his friends and Jiraiya? What about Kakashi? He was going to lose another student. Yes, there would be a lot of people who were going to be hurt by his decision. For a moment, the smile on his face almost slipped off, but he held it firmly.
Well, at least he was going to be quiet for a couple of years in the underground. It would give them much more time to think and forget about him.
"Hearing that makes me happy, Ba-chan." Naruto said; he could not hide the sadness in his tone. Neither Kakashi nor the Slug Princess commented on it; they just looked at each other for a moment before looking back at the blond Uzumaki. "What are you planning to do to Danzo?"
"He must be executed for treason." Tsunade said in a tone of finality. "It isn't going to be easy as he will not lie down and allow himself to be hanged. We must take measures to outmanoeuvre him and manage his Root Anbu. We must deal with him in a way that they don't end up trying to get revenge for his death should they remain alive in the aftermath."
"Danzo's Anbu are highly trained but they are not that many. Last time, the Sandaime managed to surround them with his Anbu. However, since this time around, something has to happen to Danzo, it's not going to end with a stalemate; there will be bloodshed." Kakashi added.
Tsunade nodded in agreement. "Nothing is going to happen until Jiraiya returns; it has to happen quietly in the underground. Anyone who isn't involved must not know about it." The Godaime paused for a moment before asking. "Have you killed someone, Naruto?"
"You want me to take part in this?" He asked. "You don't have to worry about me." The blond Uzumaki said. This would be his last mission for the Hidden Leaf. He could do that and flex his muscles, but afterwards, he would be gone. The day that follows Konoha would wake up with him gone from the village. There would be no need to blame him for the murders if it was going to be hidden.
People would ask questions later, but he did not worry about that.
"Are you sure?"
Naruto nodded. "I have grown." He said before standing. "I think I'm going to go have some ramen. I need something to sooth my soul." That said, the blond Uzumaki walked away from the office without saying another word.
Still within the Hokage Tower
Naruto came across what he recalled as Danzo's fan club. But according to Jiraiya, since Tsunade led the charge they have been a little different in their support of Danzo. Nevertheless, they were supporters of the war hawk and would not mind digging him out of any hole he dug himself into.
Those old wrinkled faces of the village's elders stared at him unflinching. "You walk proudly after everything that has happened." The old woman said in a cold tone.
"Why should I act any differently; I'm not guilty of anything."
"It doesn't matter if you're guilty or not." Koharu quickly said. "Because of this, the village has lost its peace once more. The villagers are on edge thinking the Kyubi will appear out of nowhere again."
Naruto raised an eye brow at this. Yes, she probably knew that Danzo had tried and failed to get his hands on him and resorted to such dirty tricks. "Shouldn't you blame Danzo for that?"
The woman sneered. "Danzo is blameless; he has always thought of Konoha in everything he does. The village has always come first in everything."
Naruto stared back for a couple of seconds before shaking his head. He walked past the old pair without saying another word. He really didn't have the time to entertain such people of this foolishness. They could say whatever they felt was right in their heads. Perhaps old age was getting to them. But he wasn't going to stand there lest he ends up getting riled over something he could just ignore.
Back in Tsunade's Office
"Jiraiya told me that Naruto had changed, but I didn't want to believe it." Tsunade said in a slightly tired tone. "The more I see him; there more I realize that he has truly changed. He isn't the same brat he was back then. It isn't a bad thing but I do miss those big smiles of his… the enthusiasm he showed when he spoke about becoming Hokage. I didn't think that a day would come when it would no longer be his dream."
Honestly, Tsunade didn't know how to take this; when Naruto kept silent about this since his return, she had suspected something was up. Well, the cards were out now but that didn't ease her worries. She couldn't even guess what the blond was thinking. He didn't carry all his emotions on his face these days but at least today he did reveal some of his thoughts.
Tsunade really wished he had said something different; it wouldn't have worried her. At this stage, she was going to look for a good drink by lunch time.
"I'm sure one person who will be baffled is Konohamaru." Kakashi said with a shake of his head. "But I guess this is something that Jiraiya-sama already knew."
Tsunade nodded. "You have spent more time with him, how much difference do you see between this time and before he was stabbed by Sasuke?"
Kakashi seemed to flinch at the mention of Sasuke. It was actually the thought that he had used the Jutsu that the Jonin had taught the Uchiha that made him flinch. "He's a different person, but still Naruto."
"That doesn't make sense." Tsuande said. "If he has changed, then he isn't the Na-" the slug princess trailed off when Koharu and Homura smoothly walked into the office. The two stood behind Kakashi and addressed the Godaime Hokage.
"Are you just going to sit here whilst you watch the atmosphere in the streets becomes toxic?" Koharu said to the Godaime. "Whether Naruto is guilty or not, something has to be done about this matter. It won't take long for some to suspect that Naruto may be manipulating your actions. You know things start little and someone pours in oil… sooner or later, it becomes a wild fire that cannot be controlled. We need to control this matter before it gets out of control."
Tsunade leaned back to her chair before folding her hands across her chest. "Tell me, Koharu, what do you suggest I do? You're not even accusing Naruto of trying to kill Danzo and yet you're not pointing any fingers towards him."
"Danzo will always do everything for Konoha. Whatever he does is always for the good of the Hidden leaf!" Koharu was firm on that note. She wasn't going as far as to say that she didn't think Naruto attacked Danzo. She has had a few encounters with the blond when he was growing up. If anything, he had been an idiot and there was no way that was a mask. The only thing she could accuse the blond Uzumaki of being guilty was being favoured by the Hokages and not using the Kyubi's power for the village's sake.
She did have reservations about the blond; one, she did not trust him, not even the least. Considering the past that he has to face, there was a chance that he could flee the village. Perhaps Danzo was trying to avoid that. It would be a disaster for the Kyubi to be taken by one of their enemies. It would certainly raise levels of fear within the village – and that was something they had to avoid at all costs.
"You should take Naruto off the streets and put him in Anbu. If the Villagers don't see him, they will calm down a bit. Besides, when he is in Anbu, he can be monitored fairly." Homura said. "You know that he is a flight risk. If he wasn't, this situation has made that a possibility."
Tsunade kept a straight face when the old man said those words but if she were to be honest, the thought did cross her mind. Although Naruto could be marked as a flight risk, she just didn't think that the blond would go that far. That was just her opinion though. Logically, it made more sense for the blond to go away. He could go to Sunagakure – if he knew how much Gaara seemed to value him.
Naruto had said it – he no longer cared. He wasn't going to try to do anything good in order to win them over because he no longer cared – he didn't want their approval. He didn't want to become Hokage anymore. There was something that he was after. If he no longer wanted to become Hokage, he was going to do something.
She just couldn't put a finger on it.
"You must act quickly, Tsunade." Koharu said in a stern tone before walking away from the office along with her partner in crime.
Kakashi stared at the Godaime for a long minute before asking something. "Did you consider that he could be a flight risk when he was here? Is that why you didn't tell him you were thinking he should just depart the village for a while until things calm down?"
"You heard him, Kakashi; he doesn't care, he doesn't want to understand anything about them. Even if Naruto has friends in this village, do you think that would be enough to keep him here if he can be happy elsewhere? When you think about it, take note that he no longer has any desire to lead this village. You can as well say, he has lost his love for Konoha. Well, I can't blame him after everything."
The Jonin could not deny anything the Godaime had said but he did not comment on it; he merely stood up, "I will hear what Jiraiya-sama has to say when he comes back. But I will try to talk to Naruto just to see what he plans on doing."
Later, Training Ground 7
Sakura looked sadly into the skies, surrounded by her friends. Life was a bit unfair wasn't it? Perhaps she was being selfish, but she had lost Sasuke – her dear love but now Naruto was going through another situation. They could all vouch for Naruto's character but they didn't share the same thoughts as the villagers. Things were not going smoothly and on top of that since Naruto returned from his training trip, it has felt as if she was losing him by the second.
The pinkette shook her head; now wasn't the time to think about her feelings. She had to think about Naruto. What was happening to his life wasn't what she would like for her teammate. It was unacceptable and they didn't even have to see anything to defend their friend. They knew that their Naruto would never do something like that.
"Has anyone even seen Naruto?" Ino asked quietly. "My dad said he was going to be released because he was cleared of any wrong doing."
A pity that something like that had happened. She was even beginning to like this new Naruto. He wasn't like that loud and idiotic blond who was hopelessly in love with Sakura. Thinking of it, he hasn't called Sakura, 'Sakura-chan' since his return, has he? Now that was something interesting. Ino shook her head before she lost track of her thoughts.
Sakura shook her head. "I haven't seen him but I know he was released today." She said in a said tone. "I doubt he would take any joy in walking around the streets when things are like this."
Kiba looked around for a moment before speaking his thoughts. "Isn't anyone going to talk about how Naruto is the host of the Kyubi? I mean the Kyubi! The freaking beast that nearly destroyed this village." He was honestly baffled that he had known the blond idiot for such a long time and yet he didn't know that he held such a burden within him.
Well, the fact that Naruto wasn't anything like Gaara just meant that being a Jinchuriki didn't change the way he lived his life. Still, how could he not know about this? Naruto never talked about it to anyone. Never, he never let it slip, not even in his happiest days.
"Isn't it something that despite being a loudmouth who couldn't keep things to himself he never let anyone know about it?" Ino said with a curious look about her. "I wonder what more secrets he could be hiding."
Tenten shook her head at that expression from Ino. Really? At this time, she was thinking of discovering more secrets from the blond? It was apparent that she didn't think too much about Naruto being a Jinchuriki of a Bijuu that nearly destroyed the Hidden Leaf. Then again, none of her friends seemed to be filtered with contempt when Kiba said those words.
Surprisingly, Hinata chose to speak at that moment. "I doubt Naruto would be avoiding the streets because of something like this. This isn't the worst of what he has faced in his life."
There was no way she could not remember those pitiful days even her father told her to stay away from the blond Jinchuriki. Everyone had looked at him with contempt when he was younger and of fragile heart. But above everything, he had always smiled and kept strong. At least now, he was grown and this wasn't as bad as it had been when he was younger.
Hinata's words brought silence as they tried to contemplate the meaning of her words. "What do you mean by that, Hinata? The idiot always wore a smile!"
Shikamaru sighed tiredly. This was all just a mess he would rather not deal with. Really, instead of coming here, he could have preferred to just go somewhere else and watch the clouds or just take a nap. There was nothing that was going to change in whatever they were going to say to each other. If something was going to change, it would be up to Naruto or the Godaime Hokage – they could only offer emotional support to their friend.
But would the new Naruto really accept that? Shikamaru could not tell. He doubted the Naruto he has been seeing over the past days would be someone honestly troubled by this. But of course, it didn't mean it was something he could just take on the chin and continue walking as if nothing has happened.
Someone spread a rumour that he had tried to kill a village elder and was being influenced by the Kyubi. People suspected things and then were remembering the day the Bijuu wreaked havoc within the Leaf. Perhaps that forgotten fear just returned. There was nothing that the civilians feared more than the Kyubi. Even shinobi feared the Bijuu. If it appeared once more, many would run to safety places along with civilians.
"It isn't surprising that you never noticed what happened in his life," Shikamaru said to Kiba. He wasn't going to tell the unpleasant story of how Naruto was hated by the villagers, called a demon and parents warning their children off the blond.
"Despite being a sensor, observation was never Kiba's strength… well unless it is a mission." It was the voice of Naruto. All eyes turned towards a tree nearby; the blond was sitting on a tree branch, overlooking the group with an expressionless mask on his face.
"Are you insulting me, teme?" Kiba demanded, ready to launch an attack towards the blond.
"No, just making an observation." Naruto responded a bit carelessly. "Hinata; I never considered how much your eyes were always on me, watching my every move. Of everyone, you are the one who knows how much I've had to suffer.
"Look at it in this way; I housed a Bijuu that killed many people, loved ones. To the villagers of this village, I was nothing more than a spawn of that demon. To make matters worse, I was an orphan – there were no parents to claim me who could say they made me. People hated me, as they hated the Kyubi. I got kicked out of the orphanage and by age 5, I was already living by myself. The Sandaime passed a law that no one should say 'Kyubi' or even talk about it. Instead, the people resorted to calling me a demon.
"This is why our generation never knew about it. Parents just told their children to stay away from me because I was no good. As a result, I couldn't make any friends. Do you know what was worse; even I didn't know I was a Jinchuriki. My entire life in the academy, I was hated, and didn't know why. Confusing. There had been moments I thought perhaps I was really I was a demon.
"Don't you guys find it odd that I failed the graduation exam but the next day I came back with a headband? I failed because I couldn't create a Bunshin, simple jutsu really and those who should fail to do it are those like Lee." He meant no offence in that. "Mizuki told me of a way to pass; steal the Forbidden Scroll and learn a jutsu from it. I stole the scroll from the Sandaime's office and learned what you call my signature jutsu; Kage Bunshin. Within a couple of hours, I learned that Jutsu. That was the night Mizuki told me I housed the Kyubi and the night Iruka passed me for completing a B-rank mission. Oh yeah, I defeated Mizuki by myself. So, I have always been cool."
Ino snorted at those last words. "Yeah right," She said. "You were far from cool." She said. "Well at least you are now. For those girls who like bad boys will surely be all over you now… I'm sure they will be in dream land, hearing how you survived torture in Anbu cells, accusations of killing a village elder."
Naruto raised an eyebrow before smiling. "I don't get that part of you, Ino." Well, the blonde has always been something else, just never interested him. The feeling was mutual though. However, he was sure in the younger days, Ino would've thought of the idea of a relationship with him to be the worst nightmare. "Though, I must say, I'm honoured that a delightful girl as you thinks that…" Regardless of how slightly twisted it was.
Sakura looked at the smile on Naruto's face and then at Ino. She shook her head; was this really happening? If anything, it looked as if Ino was flirting with Naruto. She had never thought something like that would be possible but it was happening. Sure, Naruto wasn't the same anymore, he wasn't asking her out and never looked at her in the same way as he did before, but he was still Naruto.
She would never think of him in any other way other than a friend, a good friend. There had been so many moments that they passed through because of him.
"Have you no shame, Ino?" Sakura demanded. She didn't wait for a response though as she chose to focus on the important matter. "I never actually noticed; you were always talking, loud, saying stupid things, and I may have added to the insults." Sakura sounded a bit bitter at this. "I did say some insensitive things to you."
"You were actually the one person out of everyone here who said insensitive things to me." Naruto said to Sakura. Of course, those words only made the pinkette look down in shame. "But that is in the past now."
"Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"Like I said; I didn't know about it until the night of graduation. Back then, I was afraid of losing friends if they found out about it. Now, it never seemed convenient." Naruto said a bit carelessly. He turned to Neji. "When I spoke about crafting your own fate, I said it because I carried a bigger burden than you did. You could say JInchuriki's are fated to be used as weapons, hated and betrayed. I have experienced a couple of things, but I have never allowed any of it to determine my future."
The blond Uzumaki said before falling silent for a couple of seconds. "You guys don't have to worry about me. It really means a lot though, that you have gathered here because you care. I won't forget that." He smiled before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
That was a clone?
Shikamaru sighed before turning away from the group. Everything was settled; there was nothing to worry about – Naruto didn't have mental problems that needed healing.
"Where are you going?"
"I don't see any reason to stay here…" Shikamaru said. "I'm sure Naruto has already spoken to the Hokage about this matter. They probably have a way of dealing with it. We will see in the next couple of days."
He wasn't going to say Naruto's indifference about the matter was a little startling – those were thoughts that needed to be kept to himself. If he had the energy, he would seek out the blond Uzumaki to question him about it, but he didn't have any and wasn't going to do anything unless an opportunity presented itself in a silver platter.
Foundation Bases
It wasn't often that Jiraiya took reckless decisions to charge into enemy territories in anger. Well, he has walked into enemy lands but never fuelled by anger. This time it was different and if Danzo wanted to fight him, Jiraiya was prepared to retaliate. He was even willing to allow the man to see his Senjutsu in the process. He simply could not allow the man to walk freely without letting him know of his feelings regarding this mess he has just caused.
The Foundation Anbu didn't try to fight him – as most shinobi who fear his name. They had greeted him stiffly and escorted him to their master. The old war hawk was sitting at on a throne like chair, his never changing expression glaring down at his face.
"I didn't know you knew about this place's entrance; I don't remember the last time you stepped in here." Danzo said to Jiraiya.
That wasn't to say that Anbu didn't know about it. Maybe some of them didn't know, but the old ones knew. Some of them had charged into this place along with the Sandaime Hokage when he had made the attempt to get the old man assassinated by Kakashi – what a failure that was. But Jiraiya was always away from the village, so he never came around this part of Konoha's darkness.
"Just because I never come doesn't mean I don't know." Jiraiya said sternly. "Kakashi worked for you and so did, Itachi. I think you are forgetting that I run a spy network. Do you think that I'd miss things happening in this village?"
"There have been things that happened in your absence and even after they happened, you never came back in time." Danzo said effortlessly. "That is something that has to be dealt with. Well, since Tsunade returned to become Hokage, your presence and activities within the village have increased. At least that is a change."
"Sensei let a couple of things go your way even when you tried to have him killed. I'd always told him to take a firm action with you but he insisted on doing things his way. However, when you framed Naruto for trying to kill you, you crossed a line. You made things personal." Jiraiya said in a cold tone, leaking a murderous intent that put the present agents on edge. "Take me seriously when I say that you will not get away with it."
The Sannin said those words and stared down at the war hawk for a long minute before turning away.
Danzo narrowed his eyes; he could spot a threat miles off but he felt he needed to ask this just to be sure. He never been threatened by the Sannin. Now he had two Sannin's against him. Tsunade had sent him a message and it had been loud and clear. The woman wasn't going to simply sit back and watch things boil over whilst standing by the side. She was going to do something.
How he missed the days he used to spar with the Sandaime Hokage.
"Are you threatening me, Jiraiya?"
"Threaten?" Jiraiya said. "No; I'm letting you know that you will pay, even if it means I have to burn down this entire facility to do it. I will make you pay, its not a matter of 'if' but when."
The Sannin strolled way in an imposing manner after saying those words. He left Danzo with no doubt that he was going to take action over his treacherous actions. He had done everything to make sure that Naruto rebuilds his life and tries something for Konoha, but this bastard had ruined everything. Letting him go without ripping him would be just careless and not acting in the best interest of the village and Naruto.
More importantly though, Naruto's interests.
Danzo stared at Jiraiya's back until he disappeared, digesting what the Sannin had just said. There was no way he could count the threat as nothing. Unlike other people, Jiraiya wasn't just a small boy he could handle easily or manipulate. The man was a Sannin who has demonstrated his power repeatedly. If anything, Danzo would have avoided a fight with the Sannin.
Jiraiya would not only be the problem; Tsunade and Kakashi would surely get in the act. Even so, Danzo didn't think that this was something he could not handle. He could handle this situation without any trouble. He would just need to be careful to avoid falling needlessly.
"Inoe," Danzo started. "Arrange for an increase in security around the parameter. Something is going to happen soon."
"Hai, Danzo-sama."
Danzo was left alone trying to figure what the Sannins were going to do. What would they do to him? He didn't think they would go as far as to try to kill him. well, the look on Jiraiya's face could argue with that. Nevertheless, he did think it was just the man allowing his emotions getting the better of him. He wasn't going to provoke anything further, but just watch things proceed smoothly.
The stage was set and he had played his cards; it was time for Tsunade to make her move.
He did have Naruto exactly where he wanted him; isolated from the rest of the village.
A few Minutes Later
"You took your time to get back you damn pervert!" Tsunade all but shouted at Jiraiya the moment the Sannin appeared in her office. She didn't care about the rare stern look on his face. She was going to put one in a couple of moments once she has gotten over her emotions over the fact that he was finally back.
"I was in a dangerous situation." Jiraiya said. "But I returned as soon as I could. I have already spoken to Danzo; I'm sure he will be alert for any strange movements. It doesn't matter regardless; a firm action must be taken against him."
Naruto was his precious godson and he wasn't going to allow anyone to ruin his future, especially not a corrupt bastard like Danzo.
"You're more pressing on taking action." Tsunade said. Not that it was surprising since she was also pressed on doing something against Danzo. But this was Jiraiya and he should know how to handle things smoothly. If it was something else, he wouldn't have started by seeing the War Hawk, but he would have come to her to discuss things before going to Danzo. "Why did you even say to him?"
"I told him that he was going to pay." Jiraiya said in a firm tone. "Danzo made a grave mistake in doing what he just did. Naruto isn't the same as he was back then. I'm not saying that there is something dark about him, but he doesn't think as kindly as he used to in his younger days. He is no longer an innocent little boy. The changes in him mean that he isn't going to try to talk his oppositions into surrendering.
"I'm also afraid of Naruto's response to all these. I know he no longer has any plans on becoming Hokage. Although he never said anything to me, I could tell because whenever I brought it up, he never showed any interest in it. He was most focused on the peace talk. Perhaps I should have noticed it but I indulged it because finally, I wanted to talk to someone who was interested in peace." The Sannin shook his head after saying those words.
"Well, we just have to do damage control and a decision has already been made on how to deal with Danzo." Tsunade said firmly.
The Following Day, Early morning
Training Ground 44
The surrounding trees were cut down, leaving a clear field. If anything, it appeared as if someone had just been chopping down the trees to clear the way for some building. He could feel wind chakra all over the place to be able to tell that this destruction wasn't natural. He had seen something like this before when Naruto was practicing wind control and wind jutsus. The element was his strongest and he was trying to learn other elements.
Wind stood out the most though. He still had a long way to go with it but he could do some things that not many could do with it.
Jiraiya looked at the centre of the destruction; there was Naruto, sitting in a meditative position; right hand held out with a mini-Rasenshuriken spinning powerfully. His eyes were closed and there were bruises around his frame.
"Still trying to maximise the use of that jutsu?" Jiraiya asked calmly.
"Yes, but the struggle doesn't seem like it will end soon. I cannot control it each time I increase the power within it. I have to find more power when not using Senjutsu to be able to control and be able to hurl it. In this way, it will damage my hand if use it in its current form. It also consumes too much chakra. I can create thousands of Kage Bunshins each with Rasengans, but I can only do two Rasenshurikens and still hope to continue fighting. A third one will leave me with only enough energy to run away. A fourth would likely leave me emaciated only because I'm a Jinchuriki. If not, it would kill me."
Jiraiya nodded. "Well, you're trying to create a powerful a S rated jutsu. If you perfect it, I don't see any defence jutsu capable of completely blocking it. It would simply rip through all forms of defence. Perhaps metal would be its weakness but anything that can shatter or be moved, it would penetrate." The Sannin said. "Why do you want to be able to use it repeatedly?"
"I'm going to fight many battles in the future, fight powerful opponents. I need to be strong." Naruto said.
"About that…" Jiraiya started in a serious tone. The seriousness of his tone caused Naruto to cancel his jutsu and face the Toad Sage. "We need to talk about a threat that has arisen within the Elemental Nations."
Naruto stared at the Sannin for a long minute. There was always something in this world, wasn't it? Corrupt and inhuman pieces of flesh like Orochimaru walked within this world, destabilizing peaceful lands with their madness.
For Jiraiya to speak in such seriousness, this meant that the threat was very big.
"You must have heard me talking about the Akatsuki in my conversations with my people. I never told you anything about it and you never bothered to ask about it…"
Naruto shrugged. "My trust in you compels me to be silent on some matters and wait on you to come to me. I'm not going to hear something or suspect that you are hiding something from me then charge straight to demand answers."
Jiraiya smiled briefly at that before getting onto his message. "They are a group of S-ranked rogue shinobi headed by a mysterious leader. Two former Leaf shinobi have connections with the organization; Orochimaru is a former member and Itachi is a current member. I don't know how many members they have but they were doing mercenary missions in the past. Anything you paid, they could do. Either destroying a small village or assassination, they did everything. Iwagakure is rumoured to have used their services.
"My Intel suggests that they may perhaps be pushing a bigger agenda. I don't know for sure, but it appears that they are now going after Jinchurikis. I don't know for what reason, but I doubt it is anything good.
"This means that your very life is in danger. I have already spoken about it with Tsunade and she agrees that for your safety, you must never be alone when outside the village. S-rank shinobi are basically Kage level. With Senjutsu you should be able to handle yourself against one but there is a lot we don't know about their strength."
Naruto silently absorbed what he was being told by the Sannin with a frown on his lips. It was rather sad that something like this was happening. There was the danger that this could destabilize the current flow of things within the Elemental Nations.
Things were calm but anything can brew at any moment in this world of shinobi. If the Akatsuki is truly after Jinchurikis it simply meant they were after the power.
What could they possibly wish to do with that power?
"There are Nine tailed beast and I host the strongest. Do you know other Jinchurikis? Aside from Gaara, I don't know any other." Naruto said.
"Kumo has two, so does Iwa. Kiri used to have one but he has since disappeared." Jiraiya said. "This complicates things given that there is still the issue of Danzo that needs to be dealt with."
Naruto nodded. "Outside the village is no longer safe and in here there is a situation that can drive someone mental." The blond Uzumaki sighed tiredly. "This is going to put a strain on my mind." He said.
"I know." Jiraiya said sadly. "Are you sure you want to be involved? It is going to be messy."
Naruto nodded. "There is no way of avoiding it. Besides, I must grow. Its not going to be pleasant as I don't handle blood very well, but it has to be done."
Jiraiya nodded. "How about we meet for a bottle of sake later on? You can help me pick on women as we drink. I haven't had any good materials recently." The toad sage said with a grin.
Naruto smiled. "Sure, why not?"
It was going to be the last fun he has with this Jiraiya. He may as well depart with a bang.
End of chapter
I will try to upload the next chapter next week by Friday at least; I'm already halfway through it.
The Omnipresent Sage