Brothers
Chapter 9
Uzumaki Love
--------------------
Kori was resting in his hospital bed. He had a slightly dislocated shoulder and the numbness stayed up to his bicep. He entire arm was wrapped up in bandages and some of his chest too. He didn't have his shirt on to make the bandage changing easier and keeping the pain at a minimum. His arm was in a sling to prevent as much tissue and ligament damage as possible. There was a knock at his door. "Come in." he called out. He was glad someone was there, he had no one to talk to and it was getting very boring. He could talk to anyone at this point, even Trisk. The door opened and was especially glad at who came in.
First came in Kakashi who eye smiled with his usual "Yo!" entrance
Next was Team 7 in their normal fashion of Sasuke and Naruto doing some sort of competition and Sakura scolding now the both of them to stop.
Next was Temari who was beaming to see him happily beckoning "Kori-kun!" as she walked in
Last was his mother who also was beaming. She, unlike Temari, kept her voice in a more calm and collect tone, but was still happy nonetheless with her usual name for Kori "Musuko-kun!"
"Hey everyone." He greeted back.
"What's up?" Sasuke asked already bored of competing with Naruto
"Bored out of my freakin' skull!"
"Oni-san, you were so awesome!" Naruto complimented looking like he was about to start jumping up and down. "Can you teach me those for the chunin exam?" he begged
"No, but Kaa-san can. I don't think I'm going to be doing anything for awhile."
"What was that jutsu you used? And how did you throw it?" Sakura asked.
"Everyone," Kushina started, serious with an angry scowl present on her face "May I speak with Musuko-kun for a moment? Alone?"
"Um, sure. Come on everyone." Kakashi motioned everyone to the door and they walked out. As soon as they closed the door they heard the Uzumaki mother unload a stream of scolding and shouting upon her son. "What were you thinking?! Do you know what would've happened if I wasn't me you used it on?! Or if you were successful and I was unconscious or somehow died?!" she unleashed
"Yes I know…" he said softly, taking the scolding and looking down avoiding her murderous gaze.
"You're SO lucky I'm as skilled as I am in medical ninjutsu or you'd be DEAD!" she yelled "There's no way I'd consider you for the heir now! What do you have to say for yourself?!"
"…It's that even though I know the risks pretty much out weighed the benefits…I would have still used the Rasenshuriken the way I did." His head rose up and looked her straight in the eye. "Because I would gladly die to protect my family. I wouldn't change anything from our fight either Kaa-san! Because I want to be a leader and a true leader never doubt his judgment too much!" he stamped proudly "I could be a bad leader because I make bad decisions but I'll NEVER be a bad leader because I can't make decisions at all!" She smiled proudly at her son.
"You're ready if the need shall be. You are, as of now, for now, the heir to the Uzumaki clan." She said happily and congratulatory. "I may not be happy with you using the Rasenshuriken the way you did. I also might not like you being so hasty using it, but you at least used it with the correct intentions. Just please save it as a last resort."
"Kaa-san, I needed to use it when I did or I wouldn't have had enough chakra to throw it. So in a way it was a last ditch effort to come out victorious."
"I understand Kori-kun. I'm proud of you and I know your father would be too!" she smiled, but Kori's face was still nonchalant
"You're wrong…" she was puzzled and he beamed a grin much like one of his father's famous ones. "He IS proud of me." she gave her son a hug
"I know Kori." Her eyes began to tear "I'm so glad I finally found you!" he returned her hug with his workable hand
"You know what Naruto-niichan's dream is?"
"Let me guess,"
"To be Hokage." The two said in unison. They laughed and broke their embrace. Kushina looked at her son warmly and her face was filled with worry as soon as Kori's face tensed and he covered his right eye with his hand, applying some pressure against it with a small hiss.
"Musuko-kun? How much have you used the Kushaku Naiyagan?" Kori blushed a little in an embarrassed guilt and looked away.
"Uh, not that much?"
"I'm serious! How much?" she pressed
"Kind of a lot." He sheepishly admitted.
"I want to check your condition."
"Kaa-san I'm fi-" he tried to press but was cut off, like any other overbearing mother would when she was worried about her child's well being.
"Let me rephrase that. I'm checking your condition!" she ordered
"Yes ma'am." He mumbled. Kushina opened the door and walked out closing it behind her.
"Kakashi-san, can you help me check him?" Temari grew a look of consern
"Why? What's wrong?" she asked looking at Kakashi hoping he had the answer. Kakashi just looked down and remained silent. She turned to Kushina who also had her head down. "Why?" she insisted. "Please," she begged "tell me." Kushina sighed with all eyes except Kakashi's on her and stated a little softly "The consequences…of the Kushaku Naiyagan."
Gaara, Baki and Kankuro were sitting in their hotel room. "Those two Uzumaki…they're going to be a problem." Pointed out Gaara.
"The Mizukage was right, Kami help us!" complained Kankuro.
"What about Temari?" Baki asked
"What about her?"
"She's around him a lot. You don't think she'd tell him do you?"
"They're together, so I don't know."
"I'm more concerned about her siding with them over us." Gaara admitted "She will need to be watched…carefully." He finished sinisterly. Just then there was a knock at the door. Baki got up and answered it. It was the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Hello there! I believe Temari-chan is your student?" he asked cheerfully.
"Yes she is." He answered skeptically
"Well she came to me asking where there would be good spots for her to train for her month off. So I told her about Mt. Veroki. It's a couple miles outside the village gates. She wanted to get going as soon as possible so she asked me if I could inform you. Don't worry, she's being escorted by an ANBU squad and when there, she will be protected by the best wind users of the entire Land of Fire!" Baki nodded and closed the door. 'I hope he bought it.' Sarutobi thought as he walked down the halls back to the hospital.
"What was that?" Kankuro asked. Baki explained the conversation and Kankuro looked puzzled while Gaara maintained his emotionless face, but one could note that he seemed to emit a feeling that he was wondering about something in content. "That's not like Temari." Kankuro reminded everyone. Gaara furred his eyebrow while pronouncing
"If she betrays us, I will kill her."
Meanwhile Orochimaru and his minions were discussing what happened between the two Uzumaki. "That power!" Dosu exclaimed, amazed at the strength they possessed.
"It seems my plan has hit a snag, kukuku, but don't worry, Kimimaru will be able to come up and Uzumaki Kori will be killed for sure!"
Uzumaki Kori sat up in his hospital bed waiting for everything to be over. His mother and Kakahsi were performing stress tests and other psychological tests with their Doujutsu (Sharingan and Naiyagan). It had been a few minutes and everything was almost over and Kori couldn't wait. "Alright you're done." Kushina announced.
"Finally!" Kori shouted for the heavens. Kakashi covered his Sharingan while Kushina deactivated her Naiyagan.
"Kori, you sure you're ok?" Kakashi asked.
"I'm fine Kakashi-san, honest!"
"Musuko-kun, how much have the nightmares been coming?"
"Every now and then, but that would've happened no matter what."
"I know, but Musuko-kun-"
"Don't worry!" he insisted, interrupting her. "No matter how much the effects strike back, I won't give into them and give up! Just like To-san!" Kori beamed a smile, softening the tension between the three.
"Ok, send them in." Kakashi opened the door smiling under his mask
"Everyone can come in!" Temari ran in, shoving Kakashi out of the way sending him on his ass. She glomped on him hugging him tightly, which sent his arm into shear agony, but he didn't say anything. He just returned her hug with his good arm and dealt with the pain. Naruto walked in with Sakura holding hands as Sasuke just walked in and leaned against the window.
"Hey, um, Kaa-san?" Naruto asked, sounding like he was feeling a little awkward "you said you checked Oni-san for the consequences of the Kushaku Naiyagan, what are they?" she smiled innocently and ruffled his hair
"Oh Musuko-chan, you don't need to worry about that. You don't even have the Naiyagan…yet." She smirked, triggering his excitement.
"Really really really? What do I have to do?" he said practically jumping up and down with his hands in fists. Kori set Temari to the side and spoke up
"Hey, Nii-chan, remember my brand?" he asked smirking, pointing to where it would've been.
"Yeah?" he asked not getting it. Sakura, Sasuke and Temari however did. Temari and Sakura gasped and put a hand over their mouths while Sasuke smirked and chuckled. "What?" was Naruto's reaction to everybody seeming to know about something he didn't.
"Lets just say that he didn't do that for the hell of it." Kakashi filled in, hoping Naruto would finally catch on. But Naruto, in the spirit of being Naruto, didn't get it still and just looked at Kakashi blankly. Kushina sighed and mumbled
"So much like your father," then spelled it out for him like she would have done with her now deceased husband all those years ago "You're going to have to be branded." Naruto stood there silently, processing his mother's words. He suddenly pieced it together and grabbed his head with a horrified face
"What?! NOOOOooooo!" he shrieked, running to the window, shoved Sasuke out of the way and jumped out leaving Sasuke in a fit of hysterical laughter.
"I think I should calm him down." Began Kushina. She sighed and mumbled while leaving the room "I knew I should have put a seal on him."
"I should go help. I mean he is my boyfriend." Sakura said leaving the room as well.
"Sasuke needs to train for the preliminaries."
"Alright. See ya Kori."
"Ok." He said as the two walked out of the room. All those that were left was Temari and himself.
"Wow what do you know?" she spoke up innocently. She brought her face to Kori's ear and whispered a little sultry "We're all alone." She kissed his neck and he immediately stiffened.
"Uh, Temari, I only got one arm here. I don't think I can do much." He brought up nervously
"Don't worry, you don't need to do much except lay there."
Meanwhile Kushina found Naruto sitting on top of the Hokage faces, specifically on the Yondaime. "Hi Naruto-chan." She said softly. He spun his head quick, surprised that she found him. "May I join you?" she asked sweetly.
"Uh sure. If you want." He said scooting over. She sat next to him, while refraining from hugging the hell out of her son. They both looked out at the setting sun on the horizon.
"You're worried about the branding aren't you?" he looked down at his feet, She turned her gaze to him, her son, the boy that was the spitting image of his father-her lover. "Don't worry. If you aren't ready, you don't have to do it." He looked up at her and she smiled warmingly and reassuringly. "the only thing is you would have to come home no matter what. You would have to tell them yourself. The branding ritual traditionally is done between the ages of 6 and 13. Even though traditionally 13 year olds have it done on their 13th birthday, you're still in the age group. You can wait longer if the council deems to allow it and if you aren't ready by your 14th birthday yet, I'll push as hard as possible to make sure you don't have to do something you don't want to. I don't want you to be afraid of the branding though. It only hurts a lot when it first is placed, but you will heal quickly because of the fox." He grew a look of shock and worry. "Please don't be scared of me Musuko-chan. I would never hurt you!" she assured moving closer. He went to get up and run, but he was pulled into a soft motherly hug. His first motherly hug. He was surprised beyond belief as she continued her talking "Please, I have waited too long, came too far, been through too much to be reunited with you. Please don't fear me after all I've done. After all I've worked for. After all you worked for. Don't do this to yourself." She whispered. There was a small silence between the two, but it was a comfortable silence, not an awkward one. Kushina had a question that she just had to ask "Why is it that you are sitting on the Yondaime's head? There are three others, why this one?"
"Well, ever since I was little, the Yondaime was my hero, my idol. I wanted to be like him and be respected like he was. I wanted to show, just like he did, that you can achieve anything. Also, I don't know why, but I just feel connected to this head for some reason. Like…it's hard to explain." She wanted to tell him that she knew the answer why he felt connected to the Yondaime's head, to Minato's head, but she knew this wasn't the right time for it. She fought the urge to tell him anyway when a certain pink haired kunoichi came out of the tree line.
A few moments ago, Haruno Sakura was in the tree line, gazing at the two with a warm smile evident on her face. 'He finally has a family. Don't worry Naruto, I don't hate you for having that stupid fox in you. If you don't want to tell me yet I won't mind. I won't bug you to tell me either.' She thought. She walked out, pretending that all she heard didn't happen. "Uzumaki-san, I couldn't find Narut-NARUTO-KUN!" She ran up to them. The two broke their gaze at the sunset and looked behind them, looking at her. She immediately furred her brow. "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN? YOU HAD ME WORRIED SICK!"
"S-s-s-sorry Sakura-chan! I won't do it again!" he stammered
'She pretended to be angry even though she was there the entire time so he wouldn't realize she heard everything. Because she knows he doesn't want her to know yet, otherwise he'd tell her already. She actually earned my trust with that! Showing she respects his wishes even though she already knows.' Kushina though. She began to smile as Sakura hugged him and kissed his cheek. "Lets go back." She suggested. The two nodded and they walked to the hospital. Naruto and Sakura held hands innocently making Kushina smile, thinking back to her times with Minato. While in the hallway going up to Kori's room, they saw the Hokage go into his room with a smile. They followed right in to hear Sarutobi cough for attention and Naruto and Sakura suddenly heard an addition from a very pissed off fiery red haired kunoichi "KORI!!!!" Right in front of her were her son and his girlfriend making out, her on top of him (I know someone's going to at least wonder who's on top of who).
"AH!" shouted a startled young couple. Kori immediately sat up, and Temari almost fell off the bed.
"UNTIL YOU HEAL UP, NO FUN!"
"Everyone, Jiraiya will be ready to leave tomorrow, it would be wise if Kori got some rest." Everyone nodded and left him to sleep. Everyone went to bed, anxiously awaiting the next day to leave on their trip to find the great Tsunade.