Inoichi hadn't expected this. Heck, no one could've expected it.
There was a shrilling ring inside his head. Inoichi tried to shake it off, but his head felt heavy and unyielding, refusing to move. Underneath that ringing, his skull throbbed red hot poundings of pain. Inoichi could feel the cool concrete of the ground below his legs. His head, on the other hand, was smashed uncomfortably on the wall, where Inoichi could only dimly remember being thrown back into by a sudden pulse of chakra. Everything else was a blur.
"Yamanka-san. Yamanka-san."
The blond eventually managed to force his eyes open to the incessant voice. Above him stood a Tiger-masked Anbu, watching him carefully. Two other Anbu, Jackalope and Bear, stood behind Tiger, their attention focused on the kid slumped limply on the solitary wooden chair in the center of the room.
Immediately memories came rushing back to Inoichi.
Systematically pushing aside the soreness he felt, Inoichi slipped into working mode. "I take it you were alerted by that chakra?" he questioned the Anbu, trying to organise what had occurred into some sort of order in his mind.
At the Anbu's subtle nod, Inoichi gave another glance back at the kid, Narui, still unconscious on the chair.
The other two Anbu had been approaching Narui while Inoichi was talking to Tiger. They circled the boy in tense movements, assessing the problem, muscles taut and ready for anything.
Sporadic chakra rippled, so thick and intense Inoichi swore he could literally see it lashing out in a wave of crimson red, licked at their senses. It held something so vile it prickled his skin from the back of his spine all the way down to his toes.
It was horrible, yes, but during the second Inoichi had been thrown back into the wall, Inoichi vaguely recalled it to be worse. There had been the feel of unadulterated maliciousness underneath that chakra – a maliciousness that wasn't present anymore. In other words, this present pulsing was just the tip of the ice burg – nothing more than a warning.
The approaching Anbu clearly took no heed of this warning.
"Don't –" Inoichi began, as one of the Anbu cautiously reached out towards the boy.
But his shout was too late. The moment the tip of the Bear's fingers touched the boy's bare skin, Narui lurched in his seat. The boy's head flung back, eyes wrenched wide open up to the ceiling, unseeing. His back arched into a painful curve as screams involuntarily tore from his mouth.
If Inoichi had speculated the chakra had seemed red, he was as sure as could be now. It was red. It was a fierily red that scorched the surface of everything around him, forcing everyone back with an intense heat that burned with the scent of something angry and vengeful.
In fact, the red seemed to be seeping into the boy's eyes. What Inoich once noted were cerulean blue eyes seemed a murky violet colour now, mixed in like seeping pools of blood.
The three Anbu had immediately leapt into action the moment Narui so as much twitched. They were now in a loose circle around Narui, as close as they could stand by the kid without being attacked by the chakra which now seemed to cocoon around the boy. Bear was slowly flexing his fingers, hand likely still stinging from where the chakra had suddenly leaped out at him like a snap of a whip.
If it weren't for the fact that Narui seemed to be harmed the most by this whole thing, and the fact that he clearly had no control over it, Inoichi would've thought it was an attack from the kid.
As it was, Inoichi could only hope they could stop it before Narui could scream himself hoarse, or the surging red chakra could ruin the boy's chakra channels for good. To be honest, if he ignored the fact that Narui might be a possible threat to Konoha, he actually quite liked that cheerful, boastful blond.
"What is going on here?" a voice demanded by the door of the interrogation room.
Inoichi turned, dropping his head into a quick nod that served as his greeting. "Hokage-sama," Inoichi said, but it was clear his attention was more on the immediate potential danger than the man himself.
Hiruzen strolled cautiously into the room, eyes taking in everything with a single glance. The Hokage had another Anbu, a Hawk mask this time, escorting half a step in front of him and more than likely ready to take a hit for the Hokage should anything attack. Inoichi was also certain he was quite anxious at the Hokage being in this close proximity of the unknown danger.
"What is going on here?" the man repeated calmly, like an anchor in the torrent they were thrown in. His presence was soothing, but it didn't help Inoichi's understanding of the situation at hand. He still didn't have much of an idea, and nothing he could confidently share with the Hokage.
Thankfully, one person knew. Or rather, one person had more of a clue than anyone else – but still ignorant to the overall picture.
"The Kyuubi."
Heads turned towards the door at the female voice.
"I thought I had ordered my Anbu to prevent anyone from entering the building?" the Hokage said, somewhat pointedly at Hawk.
"I was already inside – I was going to talk with Minato about Kabushi and Narui," the woman, Kushina, replied, quite fearfully and breathily, but her tone wasn't directed at the Hokage's words. It was obviously towards what she had identified as the Kyuubi's chakra.
It wasn't a strictly kept secret that Kushina was the jinchuuriki of the nine-tailed beast, but nor was it a publicly advertised fact. Inoichi looked confused for a second before the thought dawned on him, and the Hokage's words only confirmed his suspicion.
"How can he be releasing the Kyuubi's chakra when you are guarding the nine-tails?"
Kushina's eyebrow pushed together into a worried frown. "I don't know," she said quietly, shaking her head. Unconsciously, the woman's hand crept to her midsection, arms wrapping around her body as if trying to reassure herself the Kyuubi was still within. "I really don't know."
Kushina's answer was less than satisfactory, but it was a lot more helpful than what anyone else could offer. With Kushina's words in mind, slowly, new ideas churned in their minds.
Tiger slowly stepped away from his position, turning towards the woman. "Uzumaki-san," the Anbu said respectfully, "are you able to approach the boy?" Or more specifically, with the similar Kyuubi chakra resonating inside of her as well, would that keep her safe if she neared him?
There was a pause as Kushina regarded the man's question thoughtfully. She'd heard what had happened to the Anbu when they unceremoniously reached out towards Narui.
"Is it possible, Kushina?" the Hokage questioned directly.
Kushina shifted in anxiety, unable to keep still. She knew her own impulsive nature, and didn't want to rush into action without at least deliberating the facts. But really, what facts? They didn't know anything yet.
"I can try," Kushina finally agreed, if only so that they would manage to learn something new. With a nod at the Third, Kushina cautiously inched towards Narui.
Kushina winced sympathetically for the boy, hearing the screams tearing from his throat grow louder and more guttural the closer she neared. Eventually, she made her way to where the three Anbu stood.
Something deep, deep inside of her seemed to tug wildly, like mammoth butterflies desperately trying to make their way out. The woman wondered for a second if it was the Kyuubi inside of her that was urging her need to move forwards. But if that was the case, was advancing really the best course of action?
The redhead briefly turned her head back to where the others were waiting. No one else seemed to pick up on anything. So, with a deep breath, Kushina continued to stride forward. With no fanfare, Kushina quickly advanced across the mark where Tiger, Jackalope, and Bear had not been able to pass.
For a second, all was well.
And then it all went wrong.
Kushina didn't think she would be able to feel it, but the moment Narui's Kyuubi-like chakra touched her, it reacted. It seemed to recognise her, feel her, hate her. Kushina stumbled back as the chakra seemed to dart towards her body, and what felt like tendrils wrapping, stabbing, and hauling her forwards. Kushina bent into a curl, both arms coiled around her body, as though she could physically stop the connection.
Her entire body felt like it was burning from inside out. Her chakra felt like it was dying to leap out from her chakra channels and latch onto and harmonize with the energy Narui was emitting.
Kushina staggered in spot, sweat trickling down the sides of her face.
"Get out of there," Inoichi roared from outside.
Kushina tried to nod as she stumbled her way back behind the three Anbu. And yet, even behind them, whatever had latched onto her, wouldn't let go. The Kyuubi inside her felt like he was thrashing from where he was chained up. Her ears rang from his ferocious, thundering voice, insisting her to go back, trying to rip off her chakra chains and break free.
She couldn't let that happen.
"Are you fine?" Hiruzen asked by her side.
Kushina gave a shaky nod, casting her mind away from the pain, pretending it wasn't hurting as much as it did. She was a professional kunoichi; she could deal with this. "Yes sir," she said. "But I don't think approaching Narui was my best idea," Kushina added in a weak, hollow laugh.
The Hokage nodded with a consoling, worried half-smile, before he turned towards his Anbu to regroup and re-strategize. They didn't get far when they were interrupted once more.
"Kushina!" the cry came between huffing breaths.
Kushina turned just as the rest of the shinobi present had, not even surprised at the sight of the arriving blond fearfully calling her name. "Minato," the woman replied, a faint smile on her lips. She had no doubts Minato recognised what she had in the chakra. He'd likely rushed all the way here to her aid, thinking it was her.
"Hokage-sama. Yamanaka-san," Minato acknowledged from where he had halted before the door way. The blond looked more than ready to dash to Kushina's side, but he was visibly holding himself back, knowing better than to mindlessly rush into an unknown situation. "You're not hurt, are you, Kushina?" Minato pressed, panic held tight as he surveying the scene.
"I'm fine."
The man cast a worried gaze over to where the Anbu surrounded the howling Narui."But this chakra - I mean, isn't all this chakra from the Kyuubi?" The Kyuubi who should be locked up inside you? Minato didn't say, half-fearful of the answer he would get if he asked. The blond lingered on Narui's painful form. "What is going on here?"
"It seems there is more to young Narui than we initially assumed," the Hokage answered for the two of them.
From the corner of his eye, Minato spied Inoichi leaning heavily against the concrete wall of the interrogation cell, unconsciously rubbing the back of his skull. Minato knew about the decision to dive into the young traveller's mind with the Yamanaka arts, and seeing Inoichi backed away with a head wound and Narui going crazy in the middle of the room, he could deduce something went wrong.
There was a circular gradient of oppressed air around Narui, most concentrated where the boy sat. It heavy with chakra much too alike to the Kyuubi's own for anyone to feel comfortable standing so nearby. "Is this a defensive mechanism?" Minato wondered quietly, slowing stepping inside.
The Hokage halted the man when he was by his side, explaining how closing in had only previously aggravated the boy.
Inoichi pushed himself off the wall and joined them. "Actually, we've been considering that idea," the man explained, still nursing the back of his skull, "it could have been something I triggered by mistake," the man continued slowly. "There was a sealed cage inside Narui's mind. When I pulled back the seal to get a better look at it, there was what looked like a lock underneath. I only touched it briefly, and then I was knocked back into reality before I knew it, with the boy screaming his head off."
Minato frowned thoughtfully, bothered at Inoichi's ignorance and decision to distrub a seal, no matter how benign it looked. Kushina had no qualms scowling visibly at the other man. "You never told me that," Kushina said in complaint.
Kushina leaned closer towards Narui, eyes squinting as she tried to spy the seal the man spoke of. Even if what Inoichi had seen was in Narui's mind, there was a chance it had been a manifestation of something drawn on the outside, physical body itself.
"You were within earshot when I was explaining it," Inoichi responded, before shaking his head, "Admittedly you seem to be doing worse the longer you spend in here. Are you sure you don't want to leave? I don't think this chakra is responding well with you."
"I'm fine," Kushina said dismissively, "What did the seal look like?" she urged instead, mind already whirling at the implications for a seal drawn on such a young kid.
"It-" Inoichi casted his mind back, recalling nothing clearer than a blur, "I'm not too certain. The paper above had the word 'seal' written on it. I can't clearly remember underneath; I didn't get a good look at it." The blond rubbed his temples and closed his eyes, as though that would help. "I think it was a swirl, but I can remember anything more than that."
"A swirl," Kushina parroted in mumbles to herself, "That's not helpful. Swirls are used for so many things … but I suppose if it's on a cage like you said -"
"A containment seal," Minato finished, mind following the same track as Kushina. "The question is did you release it? And what was sealed in Narui in the first place, and why?"
Kushina shifted uncomfortably. If there truly was something sealed within Narui and it was responding so violently with the Kyuubi inside of her, Kushina feared it was another tailed beast. But still, that didn't explain why it felt so strongly of the Kyuubi himself.
"I only touched it," Inoichi defended frantically to Minato's words. His eyes widen from what he was hearing. His knowledge in fuinjutsu was limited, if at all useful, but surely a touch couldn't have that much of an effect? "If we manage to stop Narui from expelling this chakra, I can get in his mind again and try to stick the seal back on more firmly," Inoichi suggested wildly.
"No, fuinjutsu is more complicated than that," Minato disagreed, and he didn't need to tell Inoichi how unsafe that was. No one could be certain Inoichi wouldn't get trapped inside Narui's mind in his next visit. "Hmmm, I believe there should be seal somewhere on his physical body as well – as long as we can find that, we can work on it without entering his consciousness anymore."
"On the torso," Kushina interrupted quickly, "If it's a containment seal, they're normally drawn somewhere on the stomach or back."
"To allow for a larger, more complex, and thus safer seal to be erected," Minato finished with an agreeing nod.
"However, as helpful as that may be, it poses no help if we are unable to approach the boy," Hiruzen pointed out, watching as Anbu Tiger, Jackalope, and Bear were still unable to move a step closer, nor get the boy's dazed attention.
There was a collective silence as the group considered their choices.
And then Kushina collapsed onto the floor.
"Kushina!" Minato called out, making his way over to the woman.
The Uzumaki held up a hand. "Stop," she said hoarsely, pulling herself up to a sitting position with a shaking arm. Around her, the air seemed dyed red, much like around the still-moaning Narui. "The Kyuubi's thrashing around inside. He wants out - it's so hard keeping him chained down." The Kyuubi's chakra was leaking out around Kushina, trying desperately to find its way back to the power source that was Narui. "Sorry, I thought I could handle it, but it hurts…"
"We need to get you out of here."
Kushina gave the man a bitter smile, looking like she'd already considered that option herself. "No, distance won't help. The Kyuubi knows that's there," she said, pointing over to Narui, "Going farther away won't make him stop."
Minato fretted in place, cerulean eyes flickering to and fro in an attempt to find any probable resolutions. The hardest part was that Minato did have a sudden epiphany, but he wasn't sure how certain he was of the chance it would work, or if it would even be approved of in the first place.
Minato tried anyways. "Could Kabushi help?" Minato asked, taking quick, tentative glances at the Hokage.
It was Inoichi who answered him. "I have yet to finish interrogating him. As trustworthy as you may think he may be, he is still officially classified as a potential threat."
"What if he does have the solution? Are we going to ignore that possibility?" Minato argued back.
"We still cannot forget that this might be a plan of theirs. How certain are you this is not something the man prepared for this exact purpose?"
"If it is, I'll take care of Kabushi myself," Kushina growled out, cutting into the dispute, between her own laboured breaths, "What kind of person makes a boy suffer so much for the sake of their own selfishness? Narui is hurting, and it better not be because of some stupid plan to attack our village."
Inoichi pressed his lip into a thin line. "Well, I admit, there is a chance the man didn't have any idea something was sealed up inside his charge in the first place," Inoichi added, partly in order to placate the woman.
Minato shook his head at Inoichi's suggestion. "No, Kabushi knows."
Minato recalled when he first felt what he had initially assumed to be Kushina's Kyuubi. He'd panicked and had been ready to sprint towards where he felt the flow of chakra was pouring out from, only to be stopped by Kabushi's plead.
"Wait!" Kabushi had cried desperately, sounding much too scared and agitated at the flushing chakra. "Let me come with you, please."
Minato hadn't let himself dwell in the man's words, dismissing him without another thought. He was too worried for Kushina to let it bother him. "Nothing's going to happen, don't worry. I'll be back," were Minato's words then. In the quick sweep Minato had taken to glance over at Kubushi before he dashed off, he had seen fear in the other man's eye.
Minato had assumed the Hatake had been scared for his own life, scared that he was defenceless and stuck locked up in a cell while there was some unknown threat out there. But now, knowing Kushina wasn't behind that chakra flux, perhaps Kabushi had actually been scared for Narui's sake, because Kabushi had known that wave of chakra had originated from the kid.
"Kabushi could be our only hope. We can't get close to Narui, and maybe Kabushi can't either, but he can call back Narui's conscious. In the panicked state Narui is in, a familiar voice might be the only thing that can," Minato reasoned hastily. "Nauri could likely be able to repress it once he realises what's happening. And if not, he'll at least have a chance to attempt to do so."
Inoichi exchanged a glance with the Hokage, letting the old man see his wary. Hiruzen rubbed his chin. "If Kabushi had indeed planned this, then that is a chance I will have to take." Of course, the fact that Kabushi was to be brought into a room with three Jounin, four Anbu, and a Kage, significantly lowered his chances of succeeding in any plot he may or may not have had schemed. "I cannot stand to watch the young man tortured by his own chakra any longer. Hawk," Hiruzen ordered, pulling out the Anbu closest to him, "fetch Kabushi."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Kabushi was equal parts frantic and livid.
Out there, beyond this dingy cell of his, he could feel the roaring of the Kyuubi's anger, manifesting as a dense flame of chakra off in the distance. Kabushi had no doubt this was Naruto's Kyuubi. If Kakashi knew anything about the Yamanaka's interrogation methods, it was that his clan's famed jutsu tended to play a role in it sooner or later. Kabushi could easily deduce what a curious Yamanaka inside Naruto's mind would lead to, and he had no doubts he wasn't mistaken.
Somehow, the man managed to upset the seal which held the Kyuubi captive. Perhaps he hadn't just quite released the Kyuubi, but he had clearly managed to give the demon so much more control inside Naruto than it normally had. Minor internal disruptions had such a greater effect than external disturbances, and that was what made Inoichi's mind jutsu so dangerous – especially for a jinchuuriki.
Minato had rushed off ages ago, the moment he also felt the sting of the Kyuubi's energy. Despite Kabushi's begs, the blond felt no need to bring him along, and Kabushi supposed he couldn't blame his sensei because he was under suspicion after all. But that didn't mean Kabushi couldn't feel outraged at Minato's decision which left him so utterly helpless for his tormented student.
He was stuck inside solid iron bars for much, much too long, before Kabushi's eye narrow at the feeling of another shinobi nearing. Instantaneously an Anbu appeared, Hawk mask adorned on his face.
Kabushi pulled himself up from where he had been leaning heavily on the cell bars. He let his arms hang limply at his side, trying to seem as harmless as he could.
There were no pleasantries from the Anbu, not that Kabushi had expected it, even without the Kyuubi's chakra still blaring in their peripheral senses. Hawk wasted no time, drilling straight to the point. "Can you do something about it?" he demanded, and there was no ambiguousness about what 'it' was.
"Yes," Kabushi answered unhesitantly. His confidence was a lie, but anything that helped him reach Naruto so much sooner, he would lie about in a heartbeat.
Hawk studied him raptly, and eventually had to nod when he detected no malicious intent in Kabushi's words. "Very well then," the Anbu said, unlocking his cell, "let us proceed."
Kabushi knew better than to bolt to his student the moment his jail cell swung open. He patiently allowed the Anbu to slip chakra-subduing cuffs around his wrists before the man led him cautiously out into the hallway and down to the room Naruto was situated in.
It was a painfully agonisingly slow journey, but Kabushi bore it. It was better than doing something that would make the Anbu reconsider freeing him from that cell.
What greeted the two of them when they finally reached the interrogation room, was the scene the Anbu had left from. Three Anbu still stood around Narui. Huddled to the side, speaking theories and possibilities stood the Hokage and Inoichi. Minato kneel on the floor where Kushina had staggered down to, supporting her, and rubbing soothing circles on her back. And all around them, Naruto's screams echoed in the chamber, hoarse and painful, as red chakra coursed through his body.
"Hokage-sama, I have brought him," the Anbu spoke with Kabushi in toll.
"Ah, Kabushi," the old man said in an unflappable calmness one wouldn't expect in this kind of situation. Still, Kabushi knew better than to think Hiruzen wasn't apprehensive. "You have been informed of what has happened?"
"Partially," Kabushi acknowledge. There was movement beside the Hokage, and Kabushi shifted as he locked on onto Inoichi moving up beside them. Kabushi's eyes narrowed. "You should have known better than to meddle with something you have no knowledge in," he said in a low, dangerous voice.
"We should have been made aware of this lurking danger in the first place," Inoichi countered.
"Arguments can wait," Minato proposed, still crouched by Kushina, "Can you do anything for Narui, Kabushi?" he questioned bluntly when Kabushi's attention was turned onto him.
It took a second for Kabushi's single eye to move from the sight of the blond to the feverish face of Kushina beside him. "Kushina-san…" Kabushi murmured worriedly.
"She's not responding well," was the only vague answer Minato was willing to give, not that Kabushi expected anything more. Either way, knowing what was sealed inside both Naruto and Kushina, Kabushi had a fair idea what was going on. The Kyuubi chakra leaking out from Naruto like a broken dam was the cause of this. "Can you wake Narui up?" Minato demanded relentlessly.
Kakashi's mind churned a mile a minute. If he could get Naruto to wake and become aware of what was going on, the boy could likely repair the damage on his own. He knew Jiraiya taught the kid everything he knew about his seal. Whatever Inoichi had done had left the seal unstable, perhaps equivalent to Gaara's seal when he still had the one-tail in him, giving the demon too much power over the body when the host was unconscious.
Kabushi turned back towards Naruto with a soundless nod, inching as close as he could get. Like the others, Kabushi could not approach Narui as close as he would've liked.
"Narui. Narui!"
He had to resort to calling out to the boy, but no matter how sharp his tone, the blond didn't stir. Perhaps if Kabushi could approach Naruto to shake him awake - that always seemed to work best to wake him up on missions – but the Kyuubi's chakra clearly didn't want that happening. "Narui, wake up!"
Naruto didn't answer. He probably didn't even realise Kabushi was calling for him because that wasn't his name, and no matter how often it'd been used over the months, the boy still never quite gotten the hang of it.
Kabushi had to suppress the desperation to shout out the name Naruto would respond to, keenly aware of the other men around them.
But... this was him being selfish again, wasn't it?
He'd already dragged Naruto through more than enough. Here Naruto was, slumped in his seat, in pain from the Kyuubi's chakra ripping through his body, and Kabushi had to think about his options?
"Naru- Naruto!"
Kabushi could feel the others' eyes narrowing at the new title, but he paid them no heed.
"Naruto!" Kabushi barked.
If only just slightly, his voice seemed to reach the blond. "… don't want… g'away…" Naruto murmured out softly in a cracking voice.
It proved Naruto wasn't completely gone, but the boy was far from lucid. He seemed on the verge of slipping away once more without a moment's notice. "Naruto," Kabushi tried insistently. All Kabushi received were moans this time.
Naruto was getting accustomed to his calls, quickly categorising Kabushi as background noise. It was frustrating, but what else could he say to get Naruto to focus? What would definitely get the boy's attention?
"Naruto … UZUMAKI NARUTO!" Kabushi finally snapped, fierce command in his tone, channeling everything he knew about a certain brunette of a school teacher than Naruto could never disobey.
Kushina jumped, wide, confused eyes staring straight at him.
Naruto slipped onto the ground from his chair, jolted by the impact just as harshly as the effect his full name had cause. "Wha …?" he murmured murkily back before Kushina could respond. "Wasn' me se'sei … was Ko'maru…" he answered, somewhat deliriously.
Kabushi tried not to pay attention to the bewildered and suspicious gazes he was receiving. "Stay with me, Naruto," Kakashi urged.
Naruto moaned. "'ka'shi sensei?" he said in a faltering slur, "'tho't 'ruka …"
"Are you going to disobey me because I'm not Iruka?" Kabushi challenged, to which Naruto moaned out a low 'nooo', or maybe he just indiscriminately moaned.
The Kyuubi's chakra fluctuated, rippling like a waving veil between them. "Naruto," Kabushi said in perfectly controlled calmness, "Your seal was tampered. Can you-"
"Shh..."
"Naruto," Kabushi said warningly. The boy was prone to cutting him off and doing his own thing, but now was not the time. He needed the boy to remember what happened.
"'m try'n …"
"It's-"
"Yoe're too loud, 'm try'n to con'entrate."
Kabushi slipped into silence, watching the boy scrunch up his forehead in concentration. He watched in worry as Naruto jerked in place, as if trying to fight against nodding off into oblivion once more. "Naru-"
"Shut up!" Naruto snapped, "I'm trying already! Stop interrupting, I'm trying to fix it! There's only so much I can do! I'm trying my best, what more do you want? I'm not a genius, I know! I'm not Sasuke, I'm not my dad, I'm not you! I'm doing my best with what I know!" the boy screamed out in a maelstrom of stress, frustration, and pain, while the evils of the Kyuubi urged on his anger.
Kabushi's eye lingered on his students, eyeing the panting mass Naruto was, a sheen of sweat covering his limp form. "I know," Kakashi said softly, lovingly. He never meant otherwise – he only wanted Naruto alert so he could fight this battle easier.
Naruto bit his lips in guilt, but didn't say another word. Beneath his partially risen shirt, the hint of a seal bloomed into place on his bare stomach – one that had Kushina startled vigilant even with the minimal design she could see.
Kabushi focused on the slowly decreasing perimeter that the Anbu were keeping track of, slowly edging nearer and nearer to Naruto as the danger of the chakra receded. Kabushi reached out with his cuffed hands when the red chakra inched closer back into the boy, ignoring blistering hands as he placed a comforting pat onto Naruto head. Naruto grinned weakly beneath his teary crusted face as the warm glows of blue chakra replaced the red, tinged with the slightest of yellow.
"Sorry," the boy whispered, leaning onto Kabushi, seemingly unable to hold himself up any longer.
"It wasn't your fault," Kabushi consoled.
"I yelled at you."
"Well, that might have been your fault, but I forgive you," Kabushi said teasingly.
Naruto nodded into his chest, drifting off to sleep from chakra depravation. Around them the Anbu had taken a defensive stance, watching their next actions diligently, warily, as if expecting Naruto's chakra to misbehave suddenly once more. Kabushi had more faith in Naruto's abilities than to worry about that.
"I think the Hospital might be the best place for Narui – Naruto – for now?" the Hokage said as the Anbu shifted aside ever-so slightly until the man was only barely seen from between their protective formation.
"I'm not leaving Naruto," Kabushi said defiantly, clutching his student the best he could around his cuffs.
"I was not planning otherwise," Hiruzen agreed, perhaps because he realized should something happen to Naruto once more, Kabushi would be the best one to stop it. Or perhaps because he saw the unadulterated fright Kabushi had tried to hide when he'd first saw Naruto, which still lingered in the depths of his eyes.
"Then I concede to that, Hokage-sama."
Kushina pulled herself up shakily, focused on the blond in Kabushi's hands. "Wait, I'm coming too. I know the most about seals – I'll check on his," the woman explained needlessly, "to make sure he's really alright."
"That is acceptable," the Hokage nodded, "Please have the nurses check over yourself as well, Kushina." The redhead agreed absentmindedly at his words. The Hokage turned towards the two travellers once more. "The Anbu will escort you," he said.
It was clear as day that the Anbu would also be guarding them throughout their stay in the Hospital, but that didn't need to be said out loud.
It was a few hours after the whole ordeal with Naruto when the three jounin who had been present found themselves summoned to the Hokage's office.
"What is your opinion of this, Kushina?" Hiruzen asked, turning to the redhead of the group who had arrived only moments earlier, finally back from the Hospital. If Kabushi's shout of "Uzumaki" had not sparked any realizations, then at the very least the long time Kushina had spent looking over Narui's seal would've given her some ideas on where to begin.
Uncharacteristically, Kushina rocked on her heels, feeling hesitant to word her dismal thoughts. She didn't know how to express what she was thinking without it sounding like nonsense. Kushina never claimed to be overly intelligent – not like the genius who were Minato or Kakashi – but she could always come up with sound deductions. Yet, in this case, every logical conclusion seemed to suggest something almost impossible.
"Kabushi called Na-Naruto an Uzumaki," Minato prodded, giving the woman an opening to start.
It took a second, but Kushina took it. "The Uzumaki clan was extensive when the Land of Whirlpool still existed," the woman began, "I don't recall ever hearing of a Naruto, but then again, considering his age, he had to have been born after the decimation of our village. I'm not sure where everyone disappeared off to, so for all I know, he could be an Uzumaki. We've scattered and went into hiding throughout the whole nation, after all."
Hiruzen nodded, but it seemed he'd considered this point already as well. "In other words, we have no possibility to confirm his identity."
Kushina shook her head hesitantly.
Hands clutched around her stomach, Kushina looked down, as if burning the image of the seal she had seen on Naruto onto herself. "That Naruto ... the containment seal on his stomach ... it's an Uzumaki seal," Kushina said slowly. She paused and cocked her head thoughtfully, rubbing her chin as she did so. "Well, not exactly."
The Hokage hummed encouragingly, and the woman continued. "It certainly had the foundations of an Uzumaki seal, but it wasn't entirely so. It's like a fusion of sealing techniques." The woman wet her lips, giving herself time to think, "As for whether or not the one who put it on Naruto was an Uzumaki - we don't teach our sealing arts to just anybody. And with the destruction of Whirlpool, all information, books and scrolls, are long gone. There's only a few of us who still know these family arts, so..."
"Then you are convinced Naruto is or knows an Uzumaki."
"Or related to one, one way or another," Kushina corrected. "Like I said, this is a family art. Even with our dwindling numbers, we won't teach it to just anyone."
The woman let the group digest that information as she gave a cheery shrug, lightening the mood with a grin. "You know, Naruto really looks like Minato. Maybe one of his parents' related to him? Minato's an orphan after all?" Kushina grinned, nudging the blond with her elbow. "That'll be so cool. He'd be related to the both of us then."
Minato shot Kushina a fond little smile, thinking of the pain this woman had been forced to bear just by being next to the boy, and here she was as cheerful as ever – as forced as some of that cheeriness may be. That woman was resilient, and that what he loved most about her. "What about what-ever-it-was that's sealed inside of Naruto?" Minato question, because as much as he loved Kushina, he also knew better than to let her stray off topic.
There really wasn't much Kushina could say. "Kabushi couldn't tell me much about it," the woman admitted, thinking back to her brief visit to Konoha Hospital, where she had tried to pull answers from the Hatake. "The only thing he was willing to admit was that they'd been lying about Naruto's name. He's denying all knowledge of details regarding to how the thing got sealed inside Naruto, or even what it is."
Failing to get what she wanted from the man, Kushina fell back on her own memories of the situation. "That chakra spilling out from the thing in Naruto's stomach - it reminded you of the Kyuubi, didn't it?" Kushina confirmed, directing her question to everyone present. At the nods she received Kushina shook her head. "The thing is, I'm very familiar with the Kyuubi's chakra, and I can only say I'm certain it was the Kyuubi," the redhead began. And here was when things stopped making sense. "It was the Kyuubi, and it also wasn't."
Kushina continued talking, seeing the confused expressions sent her way. "It felt like the kyuubi, but ... muted," the kunoichi said, choosing her words carefully, brows furrowed. "Kind of like it was … less," the woman tried again, trying and still failing to find the best description.
"Is it another tailed beast?" Inoichi proposed. "If it felt less, then maybe it the eight-tail, or seven-tail?"
"It could, however, we know the locations of the other tailed demons," the Hokage interrupted. Unless, of course, the other countries were lying about their known jinchuuriki. And if they were, what was the strategic value of dropping another one off in Konoha, especially if Naruto was nowhere near the level one would expect for a trained weapon deployed to decimate their village?
Kushina, on her part, shook her head immediately to Inoichi's suggestion. "It's the Kyuubi for sure, I can tell," she said in a strained voice.
"But you host the nine tails." And really, that was the crux of the whole matter.
"I know," Kushina repeated. "That's why I'm so confused. It felt like the Kyuubi, but … I don't know. I guess something was missing," the woman tried explaining once more, still inadequately as ever. The woman clutched at her stomach, eyes staring down at it like she desperately wanted to get the fox within to explain things to her.
Minato crossed his arms, resisting the urge to run a hand through his blond hair. "Like artificial?" he offered his two cents.
"Someone tried to manufacture the Kyuubi?"
"Well," Kushina began uncertain, running with Minato's suggestion, "An Uzumaki would know about the Kyuubi – perhaps they were forced to tell what they knew about it. And assuming Naruto is an Uzumaki, maybe he was forced to become the jinchuuriki of the manufactured Kyuubi because he's, I don't know, compatible with it?"
The Hokage hummed amusedly, but gave their ideas a thoughtful consideration all the same. "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves," the old man finally said. "It would be best to see what Naruto has to say about this matter first, before we come to any conclusions." With luck, Naruto would be awake within a day.
It was in the early, early hours of the morning when Naruto finally stirred.
Kabushi notice it immediately, having only been partially resting at the time. He was situated in the bed next to his student, unable to fall into deep slumber with Naruto curled up in pain next to him.
He knew that the moment Naruto woke up, they would have the Hokage and his men lunging at their throats for answers, so the timing of Naruto's regained consciousness was remarkably favourable. It was early enough in the morning that the stream of nurses on call were diminished to only a few. This gave Kabushi more than enough time to speak with the boy before the nurses realized Naruto was awake and left to contact the Hokage. Although, perhaps, the Anbu guards had already done so. But even the illustrious Hokage needed time to get ready when roused from slumber.
Kabushi slipped out of his own bed, kneeling beside Naruto who groaned into his pillow.
"Naruto," Kabushi murmured softly, under the hum of the hospital instruments, trying to keep from being heard by the Anbu likely situated just outside the shut doors.
Naruto turned to his voice, a moan still on his lips. "Kakashi-sensei?" the kid slurred out heavily.
"Finally awake?"
Naruto nodded. Kabushi could see the moment the blond's fogged mind dispersed, and realisation of what had previously occurred finally registered. "Wait! The-" Naruto placed a hand on his stomach, tugging up his shirt to stare at the hidden seal. "I did it? Is everyone fine? What happened?"
Kabushi shush-ed the kid with a warning glance. "Everything's fine now. Good job," he said, offering Narui a smile. "The only thing left is a story for the Hokage. Let's make this quick," Kabushi added, with his eye kept firmly on the door.
"Are we telling the truth now?" Naruto asked.
Kabushi let out a hum in response. "In spite of recent developments, the situation has not changed as much as you expect," he answered honestly. "To be brief, our option are still to: one, tell the truth and either be believed and allowed to change the future, or thrown in jail as spy who know a little too much about Konoha's secretes." Kabushi held up a second finger, "Or two, not worry about being thought to be a spy by continuing with our story, and changing what we can in between their babysitting."
Naruto rubbed his stomach. "But what about the Kyuubi?" he asked, "They know he's sealed up in me now."
"They know something is sealed. They don't know it's the Kyuubi," Kabushi pointed out, "Kushina-san is the jinchuuriki of the nine-tails, and while she may recognise the one in you, the possibility of two nine-tailed beasts is unthinkable. Well, or at least unprecedented. Unless Yamanaka decides to risk another journey into your mind, whatever answer we give about what is sealed up cannot be easily proven otherwise." Judging the way Inoichi seemed in the interrogation room, Kabushi had no doubt the man would not dare to try his family jutsu on Naruto once more until, if anything, he was much, much more familiar with the nature of funijutsu. The man didn't look willing to go unprepared for a second time in fear of a more permanent effect than the one he had accidently caused.
Naruto let out a quiet, thoughtful, "Okay," as fiddled with the frayed ends of his blanket. "So, then, what do we tell them, Sensei?"
Kakashi could only shrug. "We should consider the consequences. What would be the better choice towards our ultimate goal?"
"Which would save more lives?" Naruto mused, scratching his head, because he too realised this was no longer the same past they were used to, and Kakashi's initial order to meddle carefully now had a higher tolerance. "I don't know." Naruto wriggled in the bed, wanting to leap up and pace around the room in an action-driven fit. His azure eyes dimmed in pain as he remembered the future. "You know what, Sensei, I just really want to stop Orochimaru and Danzou for what they did to Sasuke and his family. And for what they did to Sai too." The blond drew his legs up to his chest. "And just as important, we have to make sure Madara doesn't come back."
Naruto was hesitant when he turned to Kabushi. "Can we really do all that without telling the Old Man?" the boy wondered quietly.
"Perhaps not," Kabushi agreed slowly, eyes up on the ceiling as he thought it through. The silver-haired man lowered his gaze back to his student, serious. "But then again," he added, "there's also a chance can't if we do tell the Hokage."
"Eh?"
Kabushi elaborated, casting his mind into their future's past. "Do you remember when we went to capture Saskue back?" Naruto nodded, uncertain where this was leading. "Sasuke defected, became Konoha's enemy, and yet none of us could kill him, as per our orders."
"Of course not!" Naruto cried out, cringing when Kabushi shush-ed him. "Sasuke's an idiot, but he's still a teammate."
"He wasn't. The moment Sasuke left, he betrayed our village. He had every intention of seeing Konoha fall."
"Sasuke's not a criminal. He just made a bad choice," Naruto defended.
"And here lies the problem," Kabushi concluded quietly. "I couldn't kill Sasuke because deep in my heart, he will always be my student. Every time we faced him, I desperately hoped he would see the errors in his ways before it was too late. You couldn't do it because he was your brother and best friend."
"So?" Naruto muttered bluntly, voice holding a tinge of anger because he always knew that in the end Sasuke would come back, despite what Kabushi was hinting at.
"The situation between Orochimaru and the Hokage is parallel to ours with Sasuke."
Naruto looked like he wanted to spit out an annoyed "So what?", so Kabushi interrupted him before he could.
"If someone came up to you and told you in the future Sasuke would be the end of Konoha, what would you do?"
"That's a lie. Sasuke would never. He's a Konoha shinobi again. We're family!" Naruto denied heatedly, in pointed statements.
There was a soft 'tsk' as Kabushi shook his head. "Even if the one to tell you had proof they were from the future? What if a future Sakura told you?"
Naruto faltered at the idea. The blond looked so utterly small and confused for all of a second, before his confident gaze slid back full force. "Then I'll try even harder to convince Sasuke to love Konoha!"
Beneath his mask, the Jounin in the room let out a long sigh. "Do you understand what I am getting at, Naruto? Even if we are convinced people like Orochimaru and Danzou are better off dead, those close to them won't feel that way. Orochimaru was once the Hokage's precious student, and Danzou the Hokage's friend."
"But we know all Orochimaru's done! We know all those experiments he did on people he kidnapped – shinobi and civilian kids!" Naruto huffed angrily with every word, "And he tried to corrupt Sasuke. Sasuke never did that anything that bad, ever! They're nothing similar."
Kabushi opened his mouth to speak, but Naruto cut him off.
"A-and," the blond stuttered, and his sudden hesitant caught Kabushi off guard. "And no one said anything about killing him," Naruto said quietly, looking away, as if restless about his teacher's judgement to his words. "Maybe they weren't redeemable in the future, but we're in the past, right? I gave Sasuke a chance, and it turned out to be the right choice."
That was the difference between Kabushi and his student.
Kabushi was one who balanced his options and chose one the most efficient route. Killing Danzou and Orochimaru was hard to accomplish, yes, but on the other hand, letting them off was a huge risk that would allow the two's lies and manipulations to grow deeper and deeper into the shadows of Konoha until it was impossible to purge later on.
Naruto conversely, saw too much good in people. He may passionately rage and beat the shit out of someone, but at the end of the day his compassionate nature helped him emphasise with the enemy. Not that Naruto hesitated to kill when it was truly necessary.
"Admittedly, I believe Orochimaru has yet to delve into the darker realms of his research quite yet," Kabushi said. "Danzou…" The silver-haired man scratched his chin and shook his head, "I'll have to get back to you about his current deeds."
"We can deal with him later, then," Naruto declared. "We'll tackle Orochimaru first!"
With the way his student was declaring his determined little statement, Kabushi was certain Naruto was more than ready to jump out of his bed and get to it, lack of plan be damned. "Maa, I guess I see what decision you've come to," Kabushi drawled with a mild smile on his lips.
Naruto's gaze was unwavering. "We'll take care of it so that Jiji doesn't have to worry about a thing. We'll get Orochimaru to change… but if we can't-" the teen cut off, cerulean eyes flashing as they narrowed into a glare, "-then I won't let him off. I won't let him hurt my precious people again!"
"Yes," Kabushi agreed.
Despite the early hour he was summoned to the Hospital, Hiruzen's arrival was haste. His appearance lacked the messy crumpled look one would have expected on one roused so early in the morning.
An Anbu saluted as the Hokage slid past him.
Inside the hospital room, Kabushi and Naruto were crowded around the blond's bed. The Hatake gave the man a blearily-eyed smile, looking for all purposes like he'd only woken up himself. "Hokage-sama," Kabushi greeted amicably. Naruto followed suit a second later, tumbling over the word, as he tried not to let what sounded suspiciously like another 'old man' slip from his tongue as he greeted him.
"Good to see you are both well," the Hokage nodded, settling down. As friendly as the Hokage was known to be, especially in comparison to his fellow Kages, there was a time and place for everything. Without further preamble, Hiruzen jumped straight to the point. "Well then, shall we get on to business?"
Naruto jerked his head hesitantly into a nod. "You want to know about…" the boy clutched at his stomach. The blond's blue eyes glance down at it to indicate his seal, seemingly reluctant to actually verbally announce it.
"Yes," the Hokage wanted to say, and then forcefully push on. But, if Naruto's apprehensiveness was any indication, Hiruzen doubted they would get anywhere far that way. He knew he had to ease his way in somehow. "I would appreciate it, yes. But first, how about we talk about your name?" the old man suggested instead.
Naruto cocked his head. "Huh? What about it?"
"Should I call you Narui or Naruto?"
Realisation lit in the boy's eyes. "Oh that," he said with a careless shrug of the shoulders and a grin slowly but quickly growing on his face. " Uzumaki Naruto!" the kid cheered with a giggle. "Man, I miss saying that," he said in laughter and glee that Hiruzen felt had been much, much too long since it'd last graced the boy's face. Burnt in his eyes was the screaming form of Naruto, scorching in the evils of the fiery chakra that had taken the boy hostage.
"Uzumaki, indeed," the man murmured agreeably, before swiftly taking advantage of the kid's mood to switch tracks. "Did you know Uzumakis have a unique talent that makes them capable of restraining tailed beasts?"
The blond faltered at the topic. He seemed to retract in himself for a second.
"Hokage-sama," Kabushi interrupted immediately, "whether or not the Uzumaki clan is-"
"I believe young Naruto should answer for himself," the man cut him off, voice strongly commanding like the leader he was. "I was under the impression you know nothing about it. Or have you been lying to my shinobi?" the man challenged, recalling Kushina's tale of how the Hatake had refrained from answering her questions by claiming ignorance.
The silver-haired man's jaw snapped shut at the rebuke.
Hiruzen allowed the man to move closer to his young student, as that was the only thing he could do, warned by the Hokage himself not to interrupt. The warm, comforting hand Kabushi place on the kid's back help draw Naruto out from the worried ball he seemed ready to curl into. "You're talking about chaining down the Kyuubi, right?" Naruto finally asked, sounding like he was all too unhappy of what he knew.
"Correct. Speaking of the Kyuubi, I have been confided that the chakra you had emitted is oddly similar to it."
"Did K-Kushina-san tell you that?" the boy wondered in a low, worried mumble, momentarily stumbling over the woman's name. "I-Is she alright?" The boy's hand hovered over his own stomach once more, looking like he knew too well how whatever he had seal within him had harmed the Uzumaki woman.
"What is sealed in there?" Hiruzen demanded. Naruto's confidence wavered as he turned in spot, glancing at Kabushi over his shoulder. "Naruto," the Third demanded, forcing the kid to turn back to him. "What is sealed in there?" he repeated, holding the kid's cerulean blue gaze, refusing to let Naruto gain his answers from the silver-haired man he was leaning against.
"I- It's-" Naruto stuttered hesitantly.
Hiruzen shot Kabushi a firm glance, daring the man to just try and barge into the conversation, before focusing back on Naruto. "Yes?" he urged.
The answered rushed out under the man's strict gaze, in a whine that made the blond seem like a young child cracking under his beloved grandfather's scrutiny. "It's the Kyuubi's brother!" the blond declared, face pinching around the sides in a manner Hiruzen couldn't tell if Naruto was cringing in fear, worry, or guilt.
The hand Kabushi had placed on Naruto's shoulder tightened.
"Oh?" Hiruzen said skeptically, hoping to draw out another response. Naruto didn't take notice. "There are nine tailed beasts in this world. That is a well-known fact. Tell me, where does your tenth come from?" Hiruzen said instead.
"He's a nine-tail too!" Naruto defended immediately, before he faltered, realizing he had nothing more to add. "I-I guess there're two nine-tails?"
"That is impossible. Two nine tails will upset the balance of - " Hiruzen began.
Naruto cut him off with a "yeah, but uh, you know, my uh Kyuubi's not … complete? 'Cause he's like the younger brother, right? So he's not really an actual nine-tail, so he can't, uh, unbalance the world, 'cause he's only half of Kushina's Kyuubi- " rambling away in a speed that likely didn't pass through any brain-to-mouth filters.
It was no surprise Kabushi squeezed the kid's shoulders once more.
"I see," Hiruzen said grimly.
Naruto fidgeted under his unappeased face. "It's true! It's true! It's not my fault it sounds crazy," the boy cried out desperately. He leaned forwards towards the man, eyes wide with worry and unease. "You believe me right? We're not here to harm anyone!"
Even if everything else Naruto and Kabushi ever told him were lies or half-lies, that last point was without a doubt truthful. They two of them had confidently, resolvedly recited that fact in all sorts of wording, and Hiruzen had yet to find any proof of the opposite. There were suspicions of otherwise, yes, but as of yet, those were all they were, and likely ever be: suspicions. There were no concrete evidence because in the end, the two always and truly seemed to want the best for Konoha and their family who reside in it.
Hiruzen pushed his chair back, standing up from the bedside. Naruto seemed more than ready to pounce on him, to wrap his arms around him into an awkward hold, begging him to accept his answers. Kabushi was the only thing that held the blond back.
Hiruzen gave a casual stretch as he leaned onto the back of his chair with one hand. "Will you explain to me, then, the reasons of your actions in Yu no Kuni?" the Hokage questioned.
Nartuo's back visibly stiffened. He twisted in spot, glancing at Kabushi with what appeared to be guilt and concern. To his expression, Kabushi only smiled gently, face freezing in place as he turned towards Hiruzen. "I believe we have repeatedly explained the reasoning multiple time to Yamanaka-san during our interrogation. I do not know what further you wish to hear because there is nothing else we can give you."
"Oh?" the man murmured, peeking at Naruto from the corner of his eyes. The boy seemed remorseful, like he was the one at fault about this whole thing. "Do you have anything to add to this, Naruto?" he pressured the young blond.
There was a shake of his head, but the thin line Naruto had pressed his lips into continued to show his continuous burden.
Hiruzen leaned forwards, eyes slowly shadowed by the rim of his Hokage hat. "Not only did you deliberately disobeyed my orders, but you left your post free for attack from the enemy. Tell me why I should forgive you for such errors? What if an enemy had slipped in in the time during that period; had the time to attack my men from behind, or slip into the village and attack our citizens? This would have all been on your head."
Naruto visibly gulped at the man's dark tone. But clearly he wasn't scared enough not to butt in when Hiruzen turned his glare on Kabushi. "It wasn't Sensei's fault!" the boy insisted, drawing the Hokage's narrowed gaze back on himself.
"Naruto-" Kabushi began.
"No! I begged you!" Naruto said facing his silver-haired teacher briefly before snapping his head back around to the Hokage. His blond eyebrows knitted on his forehead as he they tilted upwards. "I just didn't want Sensei to regret it if something happened to his family," Naruto pleaded at the Hokage in front of him, finger digging into his blanket, "They mean so much to him. It wasn't his fault! I told him to go!"
Kabushi shook his head. "I accept fault as well, as I gave into it," the man added on. The man's other hand clamped onto Naruto's shoulder as well, making the man appear as though he was holding his student as protectively as he could without full out wrapping his arms around the kid.
Hiruzen knew Kabushi wouldn't let him take the boy away without a fight if it came down to that. The Hatake hadn't needed to show it to him so pointedly though, because Hiruzen already knew that fact from the night before. Besides, if he had to pass judgement, in spite of Naruto's insistence, Hiruzen wouldn't let the boy take the blame for everything.
Hiruzen wondered if he should be surprised that despite Naruto's outburst, their story still hadn't changed. Naruto seemed the type to blabber out everything on his mind without a second thought if he became too heated in conversation. Had they truly been telling the truth the whole time?
Though, even if he were to forget about their previous treasonous actions, Hiruzen still had the demon sealed inside Naruto to consider. It seemed like if it wasn't one thing, it was another with these two.
The Third dipped his head into a nod from where he stood, an official sign of dismissal, concluding their meeting. As always, Naruto looked ready to complain, only to be held back by Kabushi. "Naruto," Hiruzen said calmly, "At the moment you will be placed under house-arrest until I speak over with my men. As it is, the nurses have mentioned that you are confined to the bed for recovery, so that should not be an issue?" He raised an eyebrow at the boy who lowered his head and nodded glumly. Around them, the discreet movement of additional Anbu surrounding the room increased by the Hokage's silent, implied orders.
"Kabushi," he continued, turning towards the Hatake. Of the two, Naruto was the ticking time bomb with the unknown beast (so-claimed brother of the Kyuubi) sealed within his stomach, liable to char their growing village with a thick, vile coat of chakra. Kabushi was nothing compared to the thought of that, but the man was experienced, if his age and the way he moved was any indication, and the Hokage highly doubt he was truly ignorant of the beast within Naruto as he had claimed. "Kabushi, be grateful I have decided to be lenient. I will ask Kakashi for his permission to open up the Hatake Compound. You will be residing there instead of Kakashi's apartment."
Kabushi had every right to bristle at the indirect stab that the Hokage didn't trust Kabushi alone around his thirteen-year-old nephew, but the silver-haired man made no movement nor comment. If anything, he seemed resigned and relieved he hadn't been kicked out of the village.
"Understood, Hokage-sama," Kabushi agreed.
"Excellent. I will send an Anbu to confirm the arrangement with you as it is finalized." With that, Hiruzen left the two alone in the room.
Outside the room, Kushina leaned by the door, the only sign of her nervousness the fidgeting of her hands. Minato shifted on his feet beside her.
"Hokage-sama!" the redhead cried out in greeting when the man stepped out. Her voice was hesitant, yet held a strong tone to it, desperately needy.
"I assume you wish to know what transpired inside?" Hiruzen guessed. Despite his formal wording, his eyes were soft – he knew why Kushina wanted to know. If the boy's identity of Uzumaki was honestly not a lie, she would have family in the village after such a long time alone.
Kushina's eyes widened in plead, head nodding.
"Yes sir," Minato replied for her.
"Nothing has been verified, however, Naruto has confirmed his identity as an Uzumaki." He waited as Kushina sucked in an excited breath. "As for what is sealed inside of him, Naruto's explanation was surprisingly similar to what you had presumed, Kushina."
The woman let out a quiet 'huh?' to which Hiruzen elaborated, explaining how Naruto had also described the demon sealed in him to be something less than the Kyuubi. 'Half of Kushina's Kyuubi' were the exact words he'd used.
"I know that's what I said I thought … but what does that mean exactly?" Kushina wondered.
The Hokage hummed thoughtfully, but didn't contribute any more than he did.
Minato gave Hiruzen a curious glance as the other man only dismissed himself and walked out of the hospital with them in tow. "Do you have any ideas?" Minato wondered out loud, because for the life of him, he had none himself. Or at least nothing that didn't sound outrageous.
Hiruzen lifted his lip into a small smile, humming cryptically once more. "I'm heading over to flip through some of the secured scroll archived in the Hokage Tower," he said with eyes that burned with curiosity that earned him the title of The Professor. "We'll see."
A/N: Q: Why did Naruto say Madara? A: Naruto and Kakashi left the future before Obito was revealed to be the Madara they were fighting