Authors Note: I have yet to decide whether or not Sasuke will redeem himself or not, I guess that is will be up to you. Remember how Kakashi wouldn't let Sakura finish her questions and answers? It's important in this chapter.
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Truth
The Sandaime Hokage was known for many things, his sense of right and wrong, his big heart, his always-ready-to-listen personality, and his grandfatherly way with the village and shinobi alike. He was known as The Professor when he was in his prime and first and foremost title of Hokage. There were very little things that could rattle the elderly Hokage. But right now he was facing the next generation of ninja, surprisingly two of which, looked angry and their sensei had killing intent rolling off him like Niagara Falls.
"I'm sure you all have your questions regarding Naruto and what happen today." He began, glancing at Kakashi, who was glaring at his students. One who was sneering at him (the Hokage) and the other, who seemed to feel the burning glare and was, slowing shrinking in on herself. "I will try to answer them to the best of my ability, but only to a certain extent. So please, ask away."
"What happened to make Naruto like this?" Surprisingly it was Kurenia who asked.
"Yeah, what's the story?" Shikamaru asked
"Well, unfortunately, to explain that I must complete the story Iruka had started this afternoon. I know that most of you aren't ready to hear it or even think about it, but I can give you a rather edited version of what had happened." He began "You must understand that Naruto wasn't always alone. He, too, once had a family. A loving family from an outpost town not far from here, he had two other brothers and a sister.
"His father, Usagi Makati, was a cook for a restaurant called Nakato, it was named after his wife, Nekton Nakato. I had the pleasure of fighting next to Makati and Nakato, they had resigned as ninjas just four years after the Kyuubi attack, when the learned that Nakato was pregnant. Unfortunately the outpost town they were in was attacked by bandits and Nakato had lost the child, it wasn't soon after that, that they realized Nakato couldn't have children of their own.
"So they adopted, to make up for the family they couldn't have. They had adopted three other children from the same orphanage as Naruto, two boys, Hisoka and Shako, and Hisoka twins' sister, Akane. When they had gone to get Hisoka and Akane, it was then that they met Naruto. Of course there was much debate on whether they should be allowed to adopt him-"
"Why would anyone debate that?" Kiba interjected.
"You know there were many orphans of the Kyuubi attack, it wasn't unheard of for a family to adopt many, but Makati and Nakato weren't Clan heads nor did they have much money at the time, so it
was debated whether they would be able to do it." Saratobi explained. "Then there was the fact that no one knew who his real parents were alive or not, if they were still looking for him. It wasn't uncommon then for a family to lose one of their own during that time, only to have said child adopted by another family."
"Yeah, but what does that have to do with Naruto?" Kiba's head became very acquainted with Ino's fist and his attention span widened.
"Gomen, Hokage-sama" Ino said, "Please continue"
Chuckling the Sandaime went on. "At four-years old Naruto had been orphanage to orphanage. Naruto seemed to shy away from people when it came to adults. I had no doubt to the fact that Naruto had been abused, the person that did it, nobody knew." The Sandaime's voice grew dark "Naruto didn't talk when he was younger. Most thought he was a mute." Sasuke snorted at the thought of a quiet Naruto. "Yes, Sasuke, Naruto didn't talk, whether he didn't or couldn't nobody knew, not even me. But it was Makati and Nakato that got him to open up; it took them about three months."
The Sandaime paused, thinking how to word the next part. "Naruto was only in their care for three years before the family was brutally murdered. I gave him his own apartment not long after that, because the orphanages were full and no one wanted him, then. "
"Wait, why was Naruto the only one spared?" Shikamaru asked, the others looking equally confused. Sasuke looked angry, for some unknown reason.
"Make no mistake, Shikamaru," The Elderly Hokage said "Naruto wasn't spared. It was only because Makati was extremely late for an appointment with me that Naruto was found in time. Makati was one of the most punctual shinobi I had ever known, so when he was three hours late with me I sent out a few ANBU to make sure everything was okay." He sighed "He was found just outside of Konoha by a chunin returning from a D-rank mission, Umino Iruka. You know what Iruka found, but it wasn't enough to catch who ever did it. The fire destroyed most of semen on him, so we couldn't get a match. It wasn't until Makati's cousin's first born son, Kenji, became a missing nin did anyone understand.
"As long as Makati didn't have an heir to the restaurant, Kenji would automatically inherit it. But when they had adopted, all of Kenji's plans went out the window. But there wasn't any evidence to prove Kenji did it, so we had to settle with him only being a missing nin. We sent his own team out, but they couldn't reach him in time. He disappeared.
"Naruto was talked to by Ibiki then, but Naruto had regressed. He became a mute again, but every time Kenji's name was mentioned he would flinch. It took two years of therapy for Naruto to open up again. When he was questioned again all he would say about it, was that it was unspeakable. So that is what we call who ever did it, The Unspeakable One."
"So who were the team that was sent to get this Kenji guy?" Sakura asked.
"His own team, consisting of Mitarashi Anko, Atakebi Hino and their Jonin-sensei Orochimaru, Kenji couldn't stand a chance against them." Saratobi sighed again, "It wasn't until Naruto had entered the academy when he was nine, did he really start talking again. After awhile it became obvious he was looking for people to fill the void he was left with. A sister and brothers to play with and a Mother and Father to love him, but the more he looked the less he found." There was a moment of silence "Any questions?" More Silence "I'll leave you to your thoughts then. Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura, would you three stay behind, the rest of you are dismissed."
"Hokage-sama, when are we expecting Naruto back?" Kakashi asked as soon as the others were gone.
"Not for a few days, two weeks at the most." Saratobi answered.
"Ano, Hokage-sama" Sakura began, ignoring the death glare Kakashi sent her. "If we continue missions without Naruto, will they still count toward team missions or would they be personnel missions?"
"Hm, well…I guess it would be team missions since Naruto would be the only one gone. Is that all?" no answer "Well, then, dismissed."
Torture and Interrogation Headquarters
"Naruto-kun?" Anko whispered softly to the boy who was currently curled up on the bed with a few blankets. "Naruto-kun it's time to wake up. Ibiki is getting worried, time to wake up."
"Anko let him rest." Ibiki said, as he stood in the doorway watching the two.
"The jutsu should have worn off by now." Anko said, her voice held the concern she felt.
"Then that means he is resting naturally now." Ibiki replied, trying to calm her. "That is a good thing, Anko. It means his body is healing him naturally now."
"Yeah, I know, but still…:"
"Let's go to the mess hall. We'll know if he wakes up."
"We can't replace them, Anko." Ibiki said as they sat down.
"I know." Anko replied "but I can only hope he sees me in that light."
"Anko, Nekton Nakato is the only mother Naruto will ever know or have." Ibiki said slowly "Usagi Makati is the only father Naruto will ever know or have, I've come to terms with that. Why, Anko, can you not?"
"Because, Ibiki, you weren't there! You didn't see want Kenji did to him!" Anko shouted. "I need to protect him from that again! You won't stop me, you can't stop me!"
"Calm down, Anko!" Ibiki shouted back, and then in a quieter voice "Don't you think I know that? Don't you think I want to help just as much as you do? He was seven, Anko, seven when he lost everything."
"I-I'm sorry. Ibiki, I can't stand to see him like this anymore!" Anko voice pleaded "Did you know that Kakashi brought him? He refused to hand him over to me. He looked at me like I was the one who did it to him. Naruto is mine, to me Naruto the son that Orochimaru took away from me. I won't lose another one Ibiki, I can't."
"I know, Anko, we'll take care of him. Don't worry about that."
