Secret Birthdays
I appologize for the delay in getting this chapter up but school's been very busy and about 800 words in is the point where I ran headlong into the lovely wall of writers block. Fast forward a month or two and about 20 pots of tea later and I finally managed to crank this out. The next chapter should be out faster as this was the last piece I needed to get to the next part I had in mind. Hopefully you all enjoy this.
The golden rays of the autumn morning filtered through the blinds on Kiba's window, their warm glow settling over his face as he slowly stirred from his alcohol assisted slumber. He reluctantly opened his eyes to face the new day, blinking a couple of times to clear his blurred vision before sitting up slowly. He yawned loudly, arms stretching out to either side, his back making a satisfying pop. Kiba frowned as he noticed he hadn't changed out of his clothes last night, though when he recalled the shots of Sake that Hana had given him he wasn't surprised. In the end all it meant was that he had a little more laundry to do later. Glancing down to the floor next to his bed, Kiba allowed himself a small smile as Akamaru's curled form entered his vision. Almost unconsciously his hand reached down to the large dog's head, fingers tracing delicately over the soft fur.
Kiba remained still for several minutes as he considered his options for the day. He wanted to visit Naruto again, with Kurenai on maternity leave for the foreseeable future squad 8 was essentially on reserve status. Whenever another squad was short handed or additional forces were needed for a given mission Kiba, Shino, and Hinata were usually called to fulfill those special roles; and while their squad specialized in tracking, they also excelled at surprise attacks. Kiba frowned sadly as he thought of his squad, Shino and Hinata often were called to assist other squads, Shino because the sheer range and adaptability of his bugs and Hinata because of her Byakugan. Kiba often found himself left behind more and more frequently, to the point where he felt impotent compared to the others.
Lifting his gaze to the ceiling, Kiba let out a sigh, he had a deep unease sitting in the pit of his stomach like a rock. It was like an unshakable feeling that things were only going to get worse, and it chilled him to the bone. Trying to shake his head clear of thoughts he climbed out of bed and stretched out one more time before undressing and tossing his clothes into a pile in the corner. Akamaru gave him a chiding bark which Kiba ignored with a soft laugh. Akamaru had seen Kiba naked before, and Kiba couldn't feel shame about it after the two had learned the man-beast transformation jutsu.
"Oh shut up lazy bones, not like you haven't seen it before. You just wish you looked this good all the time." Kiba smiled back at the dog who gave him a humored snort. Kiba reached for the towel he had hanging over his desk chair and after wrapping it around his hips, he proceeded to the shower.
An hour later, after an unusually long shower and a quick breakfast Kiba's walk to the hospital when a voice called out his name, he froze in mid step as the realization hit him; the tone was too happy, too at ease, too normal. Kiba stifled a whimper as he turned to face his grim duty. Hinata, Neji, and Rock Lee were approaching him quickly, Kiba forced himself to smile weakly.
"Hey guys, when did you get back?" he asked.
"Just a few minutes ago," Hinata answered "I ran into Lee and Neji at the main gate and since we all needed to report to Tsunade." She was smiling happily, as was Lee, Kiba felt his heart sink further, it would be his duty to give them the news, to shatter their day.
"Did…" Kiba paused, holding out one last piece of hope "Did any of you hear the news…about Naruto?" Kiba knew the answer the moment he saw the two Hyuga's and Lee exchanged a perplexed look.
"What about Naruto?" Lee asked. With all his heart Kiba wanted to tell them to forget he said anything and just walk away, but now that he had put the question out he couldn't just leave it. He took a moment to consider how to phrase the answer before deciding it was just best to say it.
"He got very sick a week or so ago, and the other night he was attacked and nearly killed b-"
"WHAT?" Lee shouted, physically recoiling from the revelation. Hinata cupped her hands over her mouth to stifle her gasp as Neji's jaw hung slack, his own eyes wide with shock. Kiba sighed heavily and motioned for them to follow him.
"I'll tell you on the way to the hospital."
The four ran briskly through the dusty streets of the Leaf Village, Kiba filling them in on all the grizzly details from the other night. Hinata had almost passed out when she heard about the number and extent of Naruto's injuries while Lee and Neji each had murderous looks spreading over their features. Skidding to a stop outside of the hospital doors the four quickly made their way to the reception desk where a woman in her early thirties with waves black hair sat. She smiled warmly to the young Shinobi.
"Good morning, how may I help you."
"Is Lady Tsunade here?" Kiba asked.
"Let me check, just one moment please." She said as she stood up and walked to another nurse in the office behind her.
"Why are you asking for Lady Tsunade?" Hinata asked, her voice sounding more fragile than usual. "We should be going to Naruto!"
"I just want to make sure it's all right for so many of us to be in there at once." Kiba said with a slightly exasperated tone. Hinata recoiled slightly from his response, which made Kiba qualify himself. "I also wanted to ask her if I could donate more blood."
Neji placed a reassuring hand on his young cousin's shoulder as they waited for the receptionist to return. Lee chewed anxiously on his thumbnail for a moment, dozens of questions running through his mind, though the return of the receptionist kept him quiet for the moment.
"I'm sorry sir, but Lady Tsunade hasn't arrived here yet, is there any way I can help you?"
"No, we're just going to visit a friend." Kiba answered.
"All right then, may I just have this friend's name as well as all of your names so I may check you in?" She asked through a smile.
"Kiba Inuzuka, Rock Lee, and Hinata and Neji Hyuga to see Naruto Uzumaki." Kiba answered. The moment Naruto's name left his lips he sensed a drastic change in the woman. Gone was the welcoming smile and warm glow, replaced by a barely hidden frown of disdain and a cold air.
"Oh, that. You know where it is." She stated curtly.
Kiba simply gave the woman a respectful bow as he led the others towards the quarantine room. They walked in silence until entering the relative privacy of an empty hall.
"Did anyone else notice that?" Lee asked, his voice low.
"Yes, as soon as Naruto's name was mentioned her entire attitude shifted." Neji stated, his brow furrowing in thought as he tried to think of the possible reasons for such a drastic change.
"S-she didn't even say Naruto's name." Hinata added.
"She referred to Naruto like some sort of beast." Kiba growled his fists clenched tightly. He made a mental note to ask Tsunade or Sakura when he saw them, they knew the hospital staff better than anyone perhaps they knew why the woman had reacted the way she did.
Without further incident they approached the quarantine wing, all the checkpoints allowed them to pass without a word, and in short order they were at the final door. Kiba placed his hand on the latch and turned one last time to his friends, specifically looking at Hinata.
"Brace yourselves." He said quietly as he pushed the door open leading the three in. Almost immediately came the expected gasp of horror from Hinata, both of her hands covered her mouth as tears began to spill down her cheeks. Lee and Neji each shad looks of horror on their faces as they took in the sight of Naruto, the hyperactive, unpredictable, lovable knucklehead now intubated and almost unnaturally still on the bed before them. Dozens of tubes connected his body to the machines that monitored every vital function and kept the boy alive. The slow rhythm of the ventilator coupled with the steady beep of the cardiac monitor created a morose duet to the four visitors. Kiba made a mental note that someone had set up another blood transfusion; he resisted the urge to shiver as he considered the possibilities of why Naruto would need another one. He could not help feeling a small sense of relief as Neji's voice distracted him from his fears.
"How could this happen?" Neji asked, his voice soft and his tone seething with anger "Naruto is one of the strongest Shinobi I've ever seen, none of this makes sense!"
"I agree," added Lee, his bandaged fists quivering subtly. "Naruto is one of the best fighters in the village, even if a whole army attacked him he could create a shadow clone for man and then some."
"Normally that would probably work, but I don't think he could this time." Kiba stated earning him baffled looks from his friends. As he opened his mouth to answer another voice cut him off.
"Perhaps I could answer the question better." Kiba sighed in relief as his brain linked the voice to Lady Tsunade, who now stood at the door with Shizune close behind her. "Naruto was poisoned approximately eight to ten days ago," she started, her voice measured and calm. "Whatever type of poison it was it's completely shut down his Chakra network, we can't even get medical Chakra into him now."
"How was he poisoned then?" Neji spoke up "Naruto hasn't been on a mission in quite a while."
"Poisons can only be induced in a few ways; Inhalation, Ingestion, or Laceration, and some poisons only work in specific modes of induction." Tsunade explained as she walked past the four teens to the chart at Naruto's bedside. "Based on the his symptoms I'm convinced this poison was planted into something Naruto ate or drank. I'm glad you all are here, I needed to speak with you two anyway." She stated as her gaze shifted from Kiba to Neji and back again. Both boy's stiffened slightly at the stare.
"Kiba, I need you to come with me and identify some suspects that ANBU captured last night, we need to get a positive ID from you on the ones that were involved with the attack." Tsunade said.
"Yes Ma'am." Kiba answered immediately, he kept his face neutral, though inside he was thrilled at the prospect of seeing the animal's that hurt Naruto brought to justice.
"Neji, I know that you don't have medical training, but your Byakugan is the strongest in the entire village. I'd like you to use it now on Naruto and get a good look at just what is going on in his body. Can you do that for me?" Tsunade asked. Neji nodded and took a deep breath before activating his Kekkei Genkai, the lavender eyes looking into Naruto's very core, almost immediately he recoiled violently.
"What in the hell?!" He growled as his eyes narrowed.
"What did you see?" Tsunade asked after placing a reassuring hand on the young Jonin's shoulder.
"I…It…Naruto's chakra network it's still functioning, but it's like there's a foreign chakra that's flowing through it, something so potent it's suppressing Naruto's natural chakra." As Neji tried to explain what he saw Tsunade walked to the side of the bed, setting Naruto's chart as well as a file folder onto the foot of the bed as she formed the medical hand signs.
"Neji, I want you to describe to me exactly what happens when I try to heal him, Hinata, you look as well, the more eyes the better for this."
"Yes my lady." The meek kunoichi said as the formed the seals and activated her Byakugan. Hinata's eyes were excellent among the Hyuga clan, in truth only Neji's eyes were better. However where Neji had a wealth of confidence Hinata always was forced to struggle with her innately timid personality, it damaged her power as a Shinobi as well as the level of technique's she could use practically in a battle situation. Naruto had been the first one to believe in her, he had given her the confidence to face Neji in single combat and, although only for a moment, she had stood toe to toe with her elder cousin. If it was within her power now, she resolved to use all that confidence to try and help Naruto. A simple nod from Hinata was all Tsunade needed before she pressed her hands to Naruto's chest attempting to pour the healing chakra into the unconscious blonde's devastated body.
Neji focused his vision on the chakra points where Tsunade was focusing the medical jutsu. To Neji's eyes chakra was faintly visible, only Sharingan users to see chakra clearly. Normal chakra was a pale blue color, though healing chakra's took a green hue, the only exception Neji had ever seen was in his fight with Naruto three years earlier, Neji still wondered where Naruto had pulled the strange red chakra from. The chakra inside Naruto's body looked slightly purple now, what's more there was nearly no flow of the chakra around Naruto's body. Neji watched in horrified amazement as the green medical chakra was repelled by the purple chakra.
'It's almost like a...Wait that's it!' Neji thought as he had an epiphany.
"Lady Tsunade, I believe that some form of barrier ninjutsu has been cast on Naruto." he blurted out suddenly, the proclamation earning him a perplexed look from the Hokage.
"Explain." the woman stated as she stopped the flow of healing chakra from her hands.
"When I first looked it seemed like Naruto's chakra was suppressed because I couldn't see any chakra flow, but when you began the medical jutsu the chakra that I assumed was suppressing his network acted more like a barrier, that must be what has been repelling your chakra." as Neji finished his explanation Tsunade brought a hand up to rub her chin, her brow furrowed deeply in concern.
'Of course, this all makes sense now.' She thought 'It's impossible for a normal poison to behave the way this one has, the only possible explanation is a poison enhanced with a powerful juts...'
"Damn it" she growled, the act making everyone in the room flinch nervously.
"There has to be something you can do," Kiba started "I mean if-"
"It's not that simple Kiba!" Tsunade snapped a bit more aggressively then she meant to. "This isn't like a genjutsu where a simple chakra disruption will break the spell." Kiba felt his heart sink as she spoke. "Shizune."
"Yes my lady?" The raven haired woman answered.
"I want you to draw five vials of blood from Naruto, get Sakura and anyone else you think could be useful. Figure out how the jutsu is bound to the poison and see if you determine if it's truly a barrier jutsu or something else. After that see if you can figure out a way to break it. If you need to then you can draw more samples from Naruto, keep it to no more than five per day however. Understood?"
"Right away Lady Tsunade." the demure woman replied, turning on her heel and disappearing down the hall immediately.
"Maybe with time we can find a way to break the jutsu, but until then medical ninjutsu is worthless. The best thing the rest of you can do is be here to support him, Naruto doesn't have a family and he's going to need all the support he can get." As Tsunade spoke she retrieved the manila folder from the foot of Naruto's bed and pulled a small card in an orange envelope from it which she set on Naruto's night stand.
"What is that for?" Lee asked, a bandaged finger pointing to the innocuous folder. Tsunade smiled sadly.
"Today is Naruto's birthday." she answered softly.
"What?!" Kiba burst out, far louder then he intended, though Lee, Neji, and Hinata all shared his surprise. Tsunade's expression gradually turned from somber to perplexed.
"None of you knew?"
"He's never told anyone when his birthday is." Kiba answered, the others nodding slightly. Tsunade sighed heavily as she looked down at Naruto.
'I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, not after reading his journal. Naruto probably feared what might happen if his friends found out he's our Jinchuriki.' Tsunade paused as she considered how to proceed.
"Well, just so all of you know Naruto is sixteen today." she said simply. Before anyone could say anything, Sakura burst into the room, out of breath and holding a crumpled news paper in her right hand.
"Lady Tsunade, there's a big problem!" she blurted out.
"Kiba and Neji, I would like you two to wait outside, Hinata and Lee, you two are free to go if you wish." All four could tell from Tsunade's tone that there was no room for discussion in the matter. Only after the door clicked shut behind them did Sakura toss the paper to Tsunade.
"By now almost everyone in the village has probably seen it" The young medic stated grimly. As Tsunade read the article she had to force herself not to put a hole in the wall. Naruto hadn't been named specifically in the article, but every single Chunin and Jonin old enough to remember the original attack 16 years ago would know exactly who the writer was talking about. No matter how much Naruto tried over the years, there would always be people in the village who would never see Naruto as anything other than a blood thirsty monster. That minority, no matter how small, would act as a destabilizing element in an already volatile situation. Once again Tsunade forced herself to take a deep breath.
"Who else knows that Naruto is a Jinchuriki?" Tsunade asked her apprentice.
"As far as I know, nobody else in our class is aware. Though I assume Sai is aware of it since he worked for Danzou." Tsunade nodded thoughtfully.
"What do you think we should do about this Sakura?" Tsunade asked, her amber eyes looking deeply into Sakura's green orbs.
"Arrest this Kyuzo creep, shut the paper down, and destroy all the copies we can." Sakura answered curtly earning a laugh from Tsunade.
"Your thinking too aggressively Sakura. We can't shut the paper down, if we do the malcontents and conspiracy theorists like Kyuzo will perceive that the article was truthful and we're covering it up. Likewise if I have Kyuzo arrested, even though he's technically in violation of a law established by the Third Hokage he will use the arrest as a stage to turn himself into a martyr." Tsunade rubbed her chin in thought.
"All right Sakura, have Ibiki take Kyuzo into temporary custody. Tell him to remind Kyuzo of the laws of the hidden leaf village. Tell Ibiki he can take his time to remind Kyuzo of his obligations as a citizen of this village, but the man must be released anytime within the next twelve hours."
"Why Ibiki?" Sakura asked, eyes wide in astonishment, Ibiki's reputation alone was enough to terrify almost anyone in any village "Isn't he a bit extreme for this? Why not send Kakashi-sensei?"
"I have Kakashi attending to another matter right now." Tsunade answered cryptically. "Sakura, from now on I want someone here with Naruto at all times, if it can't be you, Shizune, or I then Kiba, Kakashi, Shikamaru, anyone you can trust."
"Wha? Y-Yes my lady." Sakura answered, her confusion plastered on her face. "Why though? His condition has been stable and seems to be improving steadily enough."
"That's not what I'm concerned about. Kyuzo wouldn't have published this article if he didn't think he had at least a decently sized group of people who would support him, and Kiba's testimony said that at least one of the men who attacked Naruto was ANBU black op's. We need to be more cautious than ever."
"I understand." Sakura said softly, her eyes drifting to her fallen comrade.
"All right then, please send the others in on your way out."
Sakura gave her mistress a curt nod as she turned and made for the exit. Kiba, Neji, Hinata, and Lee had been waiting patiently outside the heavy doors. After a brief exchange of dialogue Kiba and Neji walked in.
"Thank you all for waiting," Tsunade began "Kiba, I want you to follow me to the interrogation department, I need you to identify any of Naruto's attackers so we can begin questioning them. As for the rest of you I have a new mission for you all, volunteer only."
"Accepted!" they all blurted in unison. Tsunade couldn't resist a small smile at their eagerness.
"Very well, the three of you are to remain here and protect Naruto until Kiba and I return. Under no circumstance is he to be left alone, understood?" Tsunade folded her arms across her chest, it relieved her to see all three nodding in acknowledgement.
"I'll explain more when I return. Kiba, let's go."
"Yes Ma'am." the brunette replied as he followed her out.
The three remaining shinobi stood in silence for several minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. The solemn metronome of the cardiac monitor filling the void between them. It was Lee who broke the silence first.
"I can't believe this happened to Naruto, or that none of us even knew his birthday was today." he said.
"It's not fair," Hinata whispered, her voice cracking softly as tears threatened to overwhelm her. "Naruto doesn't deserve this. He...he..." her words were lost as she choked back a gentle sob.
"Lady Hinata, could I ask a favor of you?" Neji spoke up, his tone especially gentle. As soon as Hinata was able to return his gaze he resumed speaking "Ever since the Sasuke Retrieval Mission Naruto has always made an effort on my birthday and that of everyone else he knows to give us something for a birthday present." before Neji could continue Lee's eyes lit up as he interjected.
"You are right, he always pay's for our plate at dinner and has some small gift after words!"
"Yes Lee, but none of us have ever given him anything in return." Neji stated, the simple fact making Lee cringe.
"I would have, but he never once told us when his birthday was, and only Shikamaru knows where Naruto lives..." Lee trailed off again.
"Would you be willing to go get a card or small gift I could give to Naruto when he wakes up Lady Hinata?" Neji asked with an almost timid tone, he knew that if Naruto was awake the hyperactive blonde would laugh himself half-to-death over the blush Neji was trying to fight off. "I would go myself but I'm afraid I'd have no idea where to start or what to look for."
Hinata eyed her cousin in astonishment, the older boy had always been cold and aloof, especially before his battle with Naruto during the Chunin Exams. After that however he had changed, slowly at first, but as she looked back on it she couldn't help but smile. Naruto truly did have a gift for changing people, he had even done it to her.
"All right cousin."
"I will go with you." Lee stated plainly "I must repay Naruto's kindness Tenfold." the raven haired boy proclaimed loudly, much to Neji's chagrin.
Across town in an alley less then a block from Naruto's apartment complex, Kakashi met one last time with the teams Tsunade had given him for this latest mission. Shikamaru, Izumo, and Kotetsu were all waiting for him when he arrived, late as usual.
"What happened this time?" Shikamaru asked shooting Kakashi an irritated glare.
"It took a while to get a pair of these." Kakashi answered as he held out two wooden crutches.
"What do we need crutches for?" Izumo asked.
"Yea, isn't the mission search and seizure?" Kotetsu added.
"Well I'm not Yamato, so I can't just grow them, now allow me to explain the details of this mission." Kakashi started, leaning the crutches against the wall, his impromptu squad stepping closer to him. "Evidence Shikamaru and I found in our initial investigation has lead the 5th Hokage to believe that Naruto was the victim of usury and abuse by his landlord Oji. Our mission is to get into Oji's office and search his books for evidence."
"But why the crutches?" Shikamaru asked even though he already had a good idea what the answer would be.
"I'm going to gain access to the office by transforming into Naruto." Kakashi's answer earned stunned gazes from all three Chunin. Kakashi took the opportunity to reach into his tool pouch producing three headset radio's and a portable recorder. "I'm already wearing a wire and I synced it to these radio's and the recorder before I came here." Kakashi held out the three headsets in his right hand, each of which were quickly taken by one of the Chunin.
"So, what's the plan?" Izumo asked as he put the headset on.
"Izumo, I want you to hang back and run the recorder. Shikamaru and Kotetsu will take up camouflaged positions outside the target's door and be prepared to breach on my signal, at that point Shikamaru will pin the target with his Shadow Possession Jutsu and after that Izumo, Kotetsu and I will begin gathering evidence. Any questions?"
When no questions were asked Kakashi nodded his head. He handed Izumo the recorder and took a deep breath clasping his hands together in the necessary seals. With a pop and a burst of smoke Kakashi was replaced by a nearly impeccable copy of Naruto, complete with a leg cast, and a black left eye. Shikamaru flinched at the sight, even though he knew it was Kakashi in disguise. The faux Naruto settled the crutches into his armpits before looking up to the team.
"All right," he said, with Naruto's tenor voice "Get to your positions."
In an instant all three were out of sight leaving Kakashi alone in the alley. He waited another moment before beginning the slow hobble out of the alley towards Oji's office. He was fairly confident in his disguise ability, even though Kakashi had limited experience with crutches he was good enough with them to know how to handle a broken looking leg.
As the faux Naruto got into plain sight Kakashi couldn't help but feel odd about the whole situation. It was one thing to impersonate an enemy ninja or any number of inanimate objects, it was quite another to be taking the form of one of his own students. To add to the trouble Kakashi and Naruto were at the opposite ends of the spectrum personality wise. Kakashi was straightforward, serious, and calm whereas Naruto was impulsive, loud, and unpredictable. The only thing in Kakashi's favor was the fact that he had made Oji aware Naruto was injured badly enough to have been temporarily hospitalized, anyone admitted to the hospital for physical injury generally received pain killers which could slow down anyone.
As Kakashi reached the middle of the road something caught his attention, while this was not a particularly busy area of the village there were some people in the streets, some were ignoring him, but most were staring at him. Had it been normal stares Kakashi would not have noticed, after all he had made himself look the part, it wasn't something seen outside of a hospital. These stares were stares of outright contempt and disdain directed at the image of Naruto Kakashi had wrapped himself in. Kakashi felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up the longer he was exposed, the sensation was becoming very unsettling. As he neared Oji's office a small rock hit him in the right temple forcing Kakashi to balance heavily on his crutches as he hissed in pain, his right hand instinctively shooting up to cover the stinging flesh. There was no blood, but he had a feeling it would bruise soon enough. Kakashi looked around to see who through the rock, yet nobody stood out. Fortunately Izumo's voice came over his radio.
"I've got him Kakashi, it was the older man in the red shirt 20 meters on your right. What's your call?"
"Leave him alone, we'll blow our cover if we take him down." Kakashi mumbled just loud enough to transmit clearly.
"Copy that, out." Izumo said.
'How long has this been going on?' Kakashi wondered as he approached the door. 'Minato-sensei, forgive me for failing to protect your son.' Pushing the thoughts from his mind Kakashi took a final deep breath and knocked on Oji's door. For a few moments there was nothing, and Kakashi caught himself wondering if the target was out, at least until he heard the click of the door unlocking. It took Oji a moment to recognize who the battered blonde at his door was and Kakashi had to resist flinching as the man's soft expression rapidly turned aggressive.
"Get your worthless ass inside." he growled as he turned his back to the faux Naruto and stormed to his desk. Kakashi nodded and quietly followed the man. "And shut that damn door you mangy cur!" Oji snapped as he sat in his plush leather recliner. Kakashi didn't respond as he complied with the request. It took all of his effort to hide his growing anger before the trap would be sprung.
"Now then," Oji started as he opened his ledger. "Your rent was due over a week ago, that was 1500 Ryo, you have yet to clean up the mess on the door, that's another 800 Ryo, with the late charges that's 8000 Ryo. You'd better have every last cent with you boy." Oji hissed dangerously. Kakashi's eyes were wide as Oji finished, 8000 Ryo was more than most Chunin made in a moth, even though Naruto was nearly a Kage level Shinobi he was still technically a Genin and therefore only received a Genin's pay, to get 8000 Ryo a Genin would have to save for nearly three months without spending a cent of it on anything. Kakashi wasn't surprised when he heard Shikamaru, Izumo, and Kotetsu gasping over the radio, even the base price was absurd, especially if one considered the economy size of the apartment Naruto was leasing. Even for Kakashi it took a few moments for him to regain his composure.
"B-but I don't have that kind of money Mr. Oji, I haven't been able to get a mission in-" Kakashi was cut off as Oji threw a stapler at him, nearly hitting the faux Naruto between the eyes. Kakashi was able to dodge it, but only by collapsing to the floor in keeping with his impaired disguise. He made a show of grabbing his 'broken' leg and gasping in agony. By the time he looked up Oji was standing over him, a borderline murderous glare in his eyes. Oji violently kicked the 'broken' leg which earned a very loud, and somewhat genuine scream of pain form Kakashi.
"Then you get the hell out of my building and don't come back until you can pay your rent!" Oji shouted as he kicked again. Kakashi saw the kick winding up and decided it was time to spring the trap, just as Oji's kick came forward 'Naruto' disappeared in an explosion of smoke, replaced by Kakashi, who easily caught the kick in his hand. As the smoke cleared and Oji's eyes adjusted to the new figure on his floor the blood drained from his face.
"Kakashi to all units, move in" the silver haired Jonin ordered calmly, the rage barely hidden in his voice. Immediately the door flew off it's hinges as Kotetsu kicked it in, Shikamaru's shadow flying forward to paralyze the already stunned landlord.
"Shadow Possession Jutsu complete" Shikamaru stated with a smirk. Kakashi let go of Oji's foot and slowly rose to his feet.
"Gozumaru Oji, by the office of the Fifth Hokage you are under arrest, charged with usury, and assault of a hidden leaf Shinobi." Kakashi nodded to Kotestsu who promptly began searching Oji's many ledger's and invoices, Izumo joined him as soon as he entered the office. Oji snarled at Kakashi as well as the three Chunin before closing his eyes and seemingly giving up. Kakashi personally took the ledger Oji had been looking in mere moments earlier.
"Izumo, I'll take that recorder back now." Kakashi said, holding out his free hand.
"Yes sir." the man replied, handing the small rectangular device back to the Jonin. "I got the whole thing on tape."
"Good." Kakashi replied as he tucked it safely in his pocket. "You two gather evidence here, take everything you find back to Tsunade's office. Shikamaru, you and I are going to escort our friend here to the holding cell's, Tsunade will be waiting for us there.
The lazy Nara smirked as he noticed Oji trembling at the Hokage's name. Tsunade's temper was famous in the Hidden Leaf Village, her fondness for Naruto Uzumaki hadn't gone unnoticed either. Kakashi led the way out of the office, Shikamaru and Oji following right beside him. As they walked Kakashi read the ledger, the particular book seemed exclusively devoted to Naruto.
"Well well Mr. Oji," Kakashi glanced sideways at the man "When Shikamaru and I spoke with you the other day you were complaining about how hard business was, but if I'm reading your ledger right Naruto was paying for at least three apartments a month, not including these fine's that I'm seeing listed almost every week. Now how bad can your business be doing if you were making that much from him?"
"Oh please spare me your righteous indignation," Oji hissed towards Kakashi "You know what that monster is, what he did to this village! Lousy cur should've been killed years ago! When wrinkly old bastard put him in here three tenants moved out the next morning. The brat was the reason they left so it was only fair to have him pick up the tab!"
Shikamaru glared daggers at the man, he briefly flirted with the idea of using the Shadow Strangle Jutsu, though as he thought of what Tsunade might do to Oji he took a grim satisfaction in knowing the man would regret ever looking at Naruto wrong.
"How many times has Naruto's door been vandalized?" Shikamaru asked. Oji simply gave the Chunin a noncommittal shrug.
"Probably once or twice a week on average. " he answered.
"And how much were you fining Naruto for it?" Shikamaru demanded.
"Don't give me that tone boy!" Oji snapped "It's in the cur's contract that he's responsible for any damages to that apartment, it was well within my rights to make him pay to get the door fixed and repainted."
"Considering a gallon of paint and a brush costs less than 20 Ryo and you have the fine at 200 Ryo, I'd say you were significantly over stepping your rights Mr. Oji." Kakashi said as he gave the man a sideways glare.
"How many times have you struck Naruto over the years?" Kakashi asked. Oji remained silent, to neither man's surprise. "Either you tell me or you tell Ibiki, or possibly Inoichi Yamanaka digs it out of you." Kakashi added letting the threat hang in the air. Oji stiffened visibly, his face paling slightly at the options, after a moment he regained his composure and grunted, choosing to remain silent.
The rest of the walk was spend in silence, as they neared the holding cells Kakashi took a moment to tie Oji's hands behind his back, giving Shikamaru a chance to rest. Outwardly Shikamaru had protested, though inwardly both he and Kakashi knew that Shikamaru didn't have the chakra for long term techniques.
The holding cells were located in the basement of the Hokage's tower, a fitting place considering all Shinobi received their missions in the building as well as reported their results after every mission. the guards let them pass without a word, and just as Kakashi had been told, Tsunade was waiting for them, Kiba beside her. Kakashi paused at the entrance of the room, Kiba and Tsunade were looking through a glass s window at a lineup of four men, all Shinobi Kakashi recognized, the silver haired Jonin couldn't help but feel his heart sink when Kiba spoke.
"They were all involved in the attack. The two on the left were wearing Naruto's blood like war paint, the man on the far right was standing over Naruto holding a broken bottle, and the last one, the man with the bandage around his hand, is the man I attacked after I saw him crouching over Naruto and punching him." Tsunade nodded grimly and waved her hand. The guards in the room nodded and lead all four men off, presumably to prison cells. Only after they were all gone did Tsunade and Kiba turn to face Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Oji.
"And this man is?" Tsunade asked.
" Gozumaru Oji, Naruto's Land lord." Kakashi answered.
"I see." Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest and eyed the man carefully. "Report."
"I used a transformation jutsu to disguise myself as Naruto, under the impression that I was Naruto Oji demanded 8000 Ryo in rent, when the money was not provided he resorted to physical violence. Izumo and Kotetsu are still at the scene gathering evidence."
"You son of a b-" Kiba started to yell, Tsunade silenced him with a firm grasp on the young Chunin's shoulder. Kakashi stepped forward holding the ledger out to Tsunade who quickly began skimming through the pages, the anger becoming more and more apparent the further she read.
"Guard!" she shouted at a Shinobi standing near the corner of the room. "Take this man to a holding cell!"
"Yes ma'am." was the simple response as he led Oji away. Tsunade waited for the door to click shut leaving the four of them alone before she continued, a stern glare keeping Kiba quiet.
"Kakashi, what specifically happened?" Tsunade asked, her voice measured and quiet.
"Let's put it this way; If the real Naruto had been there with a broken leg, crutches, and no money, Oji would have beaten him half to death and thrown his body into the streets. I get the feeling Naruto has been beaten by Oji before, but we'll have to ask Naruto that when he wakes up." Kakashi's answer only further angered Kiba who quivered in anger.
"Why the hell didn't you know about this earlier?" Kiba shouted, pointing a finger accusingly at Kakashi. "He's your student, your team mate, how the hell did you never notice anything? Were you that focused on that arrogant traitor Sasuke to even see Naruto needed help?!" Kiba's words echoed off the heavy stone walls.
"If you want me to say I failed Naruto, then yes I did." Kakashi stated "I failed as his teacher and as his commanding officer, but if we're going to play the blaming game, how could you not notice as his friend?" Kakashi's reply pierced Kiba's chest like a dagger. For all his rage Kiba knew Kakashi was right, he too had failed.
"I'm sorry Kakashi," Kiba started, his voice quiet and tone soft. "I should not have accused you like that when I'm guilty of the same crime."
"I've failed him too." Shikamaru added "Another in my long resume of failures."
"We're all guilty of it." Tsunade stated plainly, "However I doubt Naruto would agree with us."
"How do you figure that?" Kiba asked her. Tsunade took a moment to consider what she was about to say.
"What I'm about to tell you all is strictly classified," She began "This information does not leave this room, understood?" When all three nodded she continued.
"Shikamaru discovered Naruto's journal when I had Kakashi and him search Naruto's apartment for evidence of foul play. Shikamaru gave it to Kakashi and Kakashi gave it to me." Tsunade explained for Kiba's benefit. "I had hoped Naruto would have written down if he had received any threats that might give us some leads to who poisoned him, what I found was much more disturbing.
The Naruto that we all know; the carefree hyperactive, knuckleheaded optimist is nothing but a brilliant act. It's a mask, a cover, a false persona he created years ago to protect himself from the pain. He's been physically, emotionally, and financially abused his entire life" Shikamaru and Kiba glanced at each other nervously as they took in the information, Kakashi narrowed his eye warily, he had a good feeling where the conversation was heading and couldn't help but worry about how the two Chunin would handle the information.
"Why though?"Shikamaru spoke first "Why does Naruto get treated so terribly by people he's never done anything to hurt?"
"It's because of what Naruto has sealed within him." Tsunade answered.
"Wait...you don't mean..."Shikamaru's eyes went wide as the realization hit him.
"Yes, sealed inside Naruto is the Nine Tailed Fox."
"I see." Kiba whispered. "So that's why people call him a monster."
"And why Naruto was able to get through to Gaara so easily." Shikamaru ran a hand through his hair. Kakashi watched both Chunin closely, how they reacted to Tsunade's information would determine Kakashi's own reaction.
"He's not the Nine-Tailed Fox, he's Naruto Uzumaki, and more importantly he's our friend." Kiba declared proudly.
"He's saved all of our lives more than once, and he's the best friend we could ask for." Shikamaru added, Kakashi and Tsunade each felt a deep sense of relief as Kiba and Shikamaru make their stances known.
"I'm glad you two feel that way," Tsunade started "Naruto keeps all his pain hidden behind that mask of his, he kept his birthday a secret from everyone because of what has happened to him almost every year."
"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked.
"Naruto's 12th birthday he was tied down and whipped by a mob, the year previous he was beaten half-to death. There are multiple entries in the book detailing assault after assault. If it wasn't for the Fox's Chakra healing him Naruto would have died years ago."
"Those bastards!" Kiba hissed.
"Naruto is going to need all the support he can get now. We need to see to it that he knows he does have people who care for him."
The three nodded in agreement.