Inoichi gasped… he choked. He had asked the boy within Naruto's mind to show him how the team was captured. Who had done such horrible things to him? The boy complied with a simple vixen grin. The screen was filled with images and sound came to them from all angles. It was like watching a video from Naruto's point of view. The capture was easy to watch, but the deaths of Sakura… then Shikamaru… and Sai. That was difficult. When those three were gone, Naruto was all that was left. Inoichi couldn't watch anymore… could listen. He didn't want to know what else those men did to the boy.
"S-stop. No more!" Inoichi begged the young boy.
"But Yamanaka-san… you wanted to see this." The boy says with a curious grin.
"I don't want to see anymore." Inoichi stepped back and held his queasy stomach.
"Very well." The sounds… the images… they disappeared. All that remained was the boy. "Is there anything else you can trouble me for, Yamanaka-san?"
"One thing…" Inoichi gathered himself as best he could to ask the boy the delicate question. "Did Kabuto or Danzo… do anything to him… sexually?"
The room was suddenly filled with sounds… horrid screams and cries. The sound of Kabuto chuckling mixed in with the sobs. Inoichi blanched. The sounds stopped and he looked down to the young boy. He was still grinning like a vulpine. He didn't seem phased by the sounds or images he had displayed while Inoichi was in there. He didn't seem to be bothered by the torture. He looked like a small, sadistic, fox child. He wasn't anything like what he would expect from Naruto at all. Was this the product of the last five years? Was this how Naruto really was?
"Yamanaka-san… you look appalled by me." The boy stated as if he had heard what he was thinking.
"I'm… not." Inoichi lied the best he could.
"Yamanaka-san, I can promise you this… I have always been here in Naruto's mind as you see me now." The boy uttered.
"Aren't you… bothered by what happened to you?" Inoichi asked.
"I am not bothered by anything. I am merely a librarian." The boy answered. "I am purposefully kept detached from emotions."
"W…why?" Inoichi didn't understand.
"If I had emotions, I wouldn't be in the mental state to have shown you what you wanted." The boy grinned still.
"I… I see." Inoichi nodded dumbly.
"Now that you've seen what you wanted… is there anything else, Yamanaka-san?" The boy tilted his head slightly.
"No. Thank you." Inoichi stepped out from the room.
He closed the door, leaving the grinning fox child behind. He turned and walked down the hallway. He saw someone standing shakily in the hall. They watched him as he walked forward. As Inoichi came closer, the person came into view. It was the form of Naruto that had been unconscious and leaning against Kyuubi's cage. His mind was conscious again. Inoichi stopped in front of the weary looking young man. He seemed curious as to how he could have gotten into his mind. Inoichi looked at Naruto expectantly. However, the boy did not speak.
"What they did to you…" Inoichi started, but Naruto shook his head fervently.
"Don't say anything." Naruto's voice strained out. "I know what happened… I don't need a reminder."
"I'm… I'm sorry, Naruto." Inoichi looked down from the young man.
"Just go… Kyuubi says you've been in here too long." Naruto turned and walked back into the corridor that Kyuubi's cage dwelled.
Inoichi nodded and walked down another corridor. He followed the halls until he reached the exit. He was able to exit Naruto's mind with more ease than he had entered it. Just like every other mind… but that was the only thing about Naruto's mind that was normal. When Inoichi was out of Naruto's mind and back in his own he sighed. Kakashi, Tsunade and Shizune were all standing around him patiently. He looked at the Nanadaime and then back to Naruto.
"So… what's the consensus?" Tsunade finally prompts.
"Naruto's mind is… very different from anyone else's I've ever experienced. It's set up almost like an old dilapidated building." Inoichi muttered. "I saw… not everything… but enough to give me nightmares for a good while. He was tortured pretty viciously. It was Kabuto and Danzo."
"Danzo!?" Shizune gasped.
"So, that's where he ran off to." Tsunade grumbled vehemently.
"There's something else." Inoichi interjected. "Kabuto… he sexually abused Naruto. Only once… but it still happened."
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed in pure anger. He was not happy to have heard that information. However… it was probably for the best. He didn't want to do anything that could ever upset Naruto. He wanted to bring the blonde back out into the sun. He wanted to have Naruto by his side… he wanted to be by Naruto's side. Kakashi settled down close to the bed that the blonde was on. Inoichi placed his hand on his stomach as he prepared to recount some of the things he'd seen. He realized that he probably wouldn't be eating dinner tonight.
The three listened to Inoichi as he recounted the events he'd witnessed. He left out as much detail as he could. He didn't want to upset anyone more than they already were. Kakashi felt sick again. Hearing the things that Inoichi had seen and heard while within the blonde's mind. When Inoichi finished, he cleared his throat and excused himself. Tsunade could see that he was deeply affected by what he'd seen. Inoichi left and went straight to the bathroom to wash his face. It was an unwarranted belief on his part that the cool water would wash away his nausea.
Tsunade stood next to the bed and looked down at the young man forlornly. The man that she had taken under her wing was never going to be the same again. Tsunade was so angry… she wanted revenge. However, the two men… Danzo and Kabuto… were dead, killed by the fury of Kurenai's team. So, she would have to settle with bringing Naruto out of the hole he was thrown into. Tsunade closed her eyes and turned to leave, but was stopped by Kakashi.
"Tsunade…" The Nanadaime looked up at her.
"Hm?" Tsunade looked back towards him.
"Can you… check his vocal cords? His throat?" Kakashi asked raggedly. "For damage."
"His throat… did he sound bad?" Tsunade moved back towards the bed and placed a hand on Naruto's throat.
"He could barely speak." Kakashi whispered.
"I'll see what I can do. It may just be from disuse." Tsunade said.
Kakashi nodded and watched her chakra expand over Naruto's neck. Tsunade checked the throat and vocal cords. Most of the damage was from disuse. Some of it was because he hadn't had anything to drink in a long time. Some was because of screaming too loudly and too often. Kyuubi hadn't healed this yet. Why not? Was it because the Kyuubi didn't know that his throat was hurt as well? Naruto had yet to speak… but when he had… wouldn't Kyuubi have noticed it then? Tsunade pushes a thread of chakra towards the seal, keeping it invisible from Kakashi.
Kyuubi… he was weak. Healing Naruto to the extent he had must have exhausted the demon. He was recuperating inside the blonde. Tsunade felt slightly grateful that the Kyuubi hadn't completely healed Naruto. If he had, Naruto probably would have been gone before Sasuke and Kakashi had found him. He would have never retrieved his memories and been lost to Konoha again. Finished… Tsunade pulled her hand from Naruto's neck. The boy should be fine now… his voice shouldn't be as coarse.
"That should do it." Tsunade said with a small smile.
"Thank you, Tsunade." The two jumped when Naruto spoke softly.
"Naruto!" Tsunade's smile softened.
"Naruto." Kakashi sat up towards the young man.
Naruto sat up and looked between the two. These were the two he felt most comfortable with. Kakashi… his teacher… the one that he respected most. Tsunade… the old lady… like a sister and protector. He also felt uneasy. He'd let his team get killed. He was the only one to survive. He didn't deserve to survive if his team had to die. Naruto looked down at the bed guiltily. He couldn't look at them… he couldn't forgive himself. Kakashi hesitantly brought his hand forward and rested it gently on Naruto's hand. He kept his touch as light and comforting as he could manage. The blonde looked down at the hand almost in awe.
"Everything's alright." Kakashi whispered. "We don't blame you for anything… the village is very happy to have you back."
"In fact, they bought you a new place to live when you're ready." Tsunade smiled.
Naruto nodded… his head down. He didn't deserve such kindness from anyone. Kakashi drifted his fingers across Naruto's hand affectionately. Anything to soothe the blonde. Anything to wipe that self-loathing expression off his face. Naruto watched the hand. Watched the careful motions over his slowly healing skin. He glanced sideways at his teacher… he looked so sad. Tsunade smiled and took the silence as her cue. She turned and quietly left the room to the Nanadaime and Naruto. Kakashi turned his gaze down to the small hand. It was the same size as it was five years ago, just thinner than before.
"I'm glad you're home." Kakashi said softly.
Naruto looked up at the other man before looking back down sadly. Kakashi knew he was feeling guilty. He knew that the blonde was recalling his teammates. It was probably tearing the man up inside. Kakashi tightened his grip ever so slightly and closed his eyes. Naruto jerked at the feeling and turned his eyes toward Kakashi again. He didn't understand… he didn't know what was happening. The Nanadaime opened his eyes and looked up into the dull blue ones before him. The dull blue that had once been so bright, so vibrant. It was sad to see such beautiful eyes so clouded.
"Naruto. I promise I'll protect you. I'll never let you get hurt again." Kakashi whispered.
"Kaka…shi." Naruto choked.
"I was so stupid… I had constantly done so many stupid things concerning you. So many stupid things." Kakashi groaned.
Naruto watched as Kakashi placed his head down onto his lap. It was then that Naruto realized how small he was. How he hadn't grown in the last five years. He was still the size he was when he left. He was sad that everything he'd worked so hard for had gone down the drain. Every day of training… every painstaking day… lost. His long life goal of Hokage… gone. He could never lead the village now. A single tear dripped down his right cheek, pausing only briefly over the whiskers. Kakashi looked up at Naruto and saw the tear. Naruto's eyes looked even more dead than before.
"Naruto?"
"Why didn't I die, too?" Naruto asked more to himself than to Kakashi. "Sakura and Shikamaru and Sai died… but not me."
"Naruto, it's okay." Kakashi held the boy's hand and squeezed it some.
"I watched them die… I saw their dreams die with them." Naruto sobbed.
"Naruto… it's okay… it's okay to mourn them, but it's not your fault." Kakashi wanted to embrace Naruto. He looked so broken. "Never your fault. It was Kabuto and Danzo."
Naruto shuddered and looked down when he heard those names. That was that other man's name. Danzo… it sounded familiar. Wasn't he the one that had Tsunade dismissed from being Godaime? He frowned. That means he was from Konoha… he must have been one of those that hated him. He had always been worse than Kabuto. Always going to extra mile to cause Naruto pain. Now… knowing that Danzo was from Konoha… it hurt him even more. He leaned forward and pulled his knees up towards his chest. He was terribly depressed. Kakashi watched Naruto carefully.
He watched as the blonde began to curl up into himself. The Nanadaime didn't want Naruto to give up. He wanted to comfort him and bring him back out of the hell he was in. Kakashi moved himself onto the bed next to the shivering boy. Gently… slowly… he placed an arm around the small body. The shivering halted almost immediately. Naruto froze. This was a bad move and Kakashi regretted it. He had to make it better… had to fix it. So, Kakashi began to gently and soothingly rub Naruto's back. He did it gently; the boy was still very dirty and had no shirt on.
"How about a bath?" Kakashi asked gently.
"…Okay." Naruto hadn't had a proper bath in the last five years. He was looking forward to it… perhaps he could wash away his pain.
Oooooooooooh boy. Naruto can talk! Way to go Tsunade!