Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Chapter 10: Bloodline
(Konoha, 4 days after events in Kanto)
"Remember, do not speak of Naruto's mokuton to anybody. There are those who will wish to use Naruto because of it." Obito informed his team. As it stood, the four of them were the only ones with any idea about Naruto's newly unlocked kekkei genkai. "Now go back to your homes and rest, I'll head to debrief the Hokage."
The three shell shocked genin nodded and slowly went their ways. After the adrenaline had worn off they were left exhausted, and broken. The events in Kanto had taken a toll on the psyche of Naruto, Itachi, and apparently Kabuto. Obito watched them leave, 'hopefully this wasn't too much too soon and they can bounce back.' thought Obito. His team was well prepared for any C-rank, but an A-rank was much too soon for two 7 year old boys and a 9 year old.
Once they all disappeared into the mid afternoon crowd of the streets of Konoha, Obito sighed and went his own way. Normally he would have used kamui, but he needed some time to clear his head and a walk through his beloved village was just what the doctor ordered.
After half an hour of wandering, the cyclops Uchiha found himself in front of the Sarutobi manner. Obito approached the gate, and saw the aging clan head relaxing in the courtyard.
Hiruzen noticed his surrogate grandsons' sensei and beckoned him forward, taking note of his troubled expression. "What's wrong Obito? You look conflicted."
Obito looked around with his sharingan to make sure nobody else was around only to see Tsunade walking towards them. Deciding that it was safe Obito released his dojutsu and waited for the female sannin to approach. When she did he wasted no time with a greeting, "Naruto has unlocked the mokuton." he said, receiving a shocked look from both Hiruzen and Tsunade.
Hiruzen was stunned, but was slightly amused by the incredulous look on his student's face. 'I never thought I'd see the day that Tsunade was at a loss for words.' Hiruzen's eyes refocused on Obito, "who else knows?" He asked, right to the point.
"Only us and the rest of his genin team. I've instructed them to speak to noone of this, and have ordered Naruto to not use his kekkei genkai until we figure something out."
"The Shodaime's jutsu." Whispered Tsunade. It made sense to her how Obito could use mokuton, but how did Naruto acquire such a power? "The hokage hasn't been informed yet?" Obito shook his head. "Good, that neglectful bastard would probably brush it off to the side anyways!" she exclaimed with reestablished vigor.
A frown crept onto Hiruzen's wrinkled face, "I believe that is the best course of action," he said, "as you know, mokuton is one of the most powerful kekkei genkai Konoha has ever had, rivaled only by the sharingan, and we all know that there are certain citizens who would want to 'study' it in a natural user, and even more who would push to weaponize young Naruto. I'm afraid we cannot trust this information to even the Hokage; we have no idea where the flys on the wall could be hiding"
They all knew exactly who they were referring to. The same man who had tried fervently to recruit Obito when he had returned with both the Mangekyou and the Mokuton; Danzo.
"So our best course of action is to keep this quiet for now." said Tsunade, receiving a nod from both Hiruzen and Obito. "Shouldn't Obito train him to use it properly?"
"From what I saw, his prowess with mokuton far exceeds my own. Within minutes of unlocking it for the first time he was able to use it to defeat Shakuton no Pakura with the help of his team." Obito said, receiving stunned silence from the two legendary shinobi. "There is nothing I can teach him."
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(45 minutes later, Hokage office)
Obito finished his brief and handed over the scrolls containing the bodies of the dead Suna shinobi. Obito had taken credit for the death of Pakura; it was undoubtedly a mokuton jutsu that had killed her, and they had agreed to keep Naruto's kekkei genkai a secret for now. He would have to repay Konoha's only other Mokuton user for taking credit for killing such a high value target somehow; all you can eat at Ichiraku should suffice. Minato was unsettlingly calm throughout the briefing. His normally bright welcoming blue eyes had progressively grown harder and colder as the debriefing went on, and now his gaze seemed to be like ice cycles piercing his former student. However there was no killing intent behind it, Obito was unsettled by his Hokage's demeanor.
"The political ramifications from this won't be good." Minato started. "If I'm right about who the other two were based on your description, they were the Kazekage's sister and brother in law." Minato said, eyeing the scrolls on his desk, "though there is no way to be sure of that," he added. "Take these to Suna, return the bodies of their dead shinobi and explain what had happened. We cannot avoid all political fallout because of this, but if we're lucky our alliance won't be dissolved entirely. How's Naruto holding up?"
"Not very well. I talked to him and he's putting on a strong face but it's eating away at him." Obito said, slightly surprised at the concern. Obito brushed it off, neglectful as he was it was still a fathers job to worry.
"I'll talk to him." Minato said, steepling his fingers in thought, "Now go deliver our consolations."
Obito nodded and picked up the scrolls once more. "Hai, Hokage-sama." he said before being overtaken by a black swirl.
"Send in Kakashi." Said Minato. The masked jounin walked into the office and reported to the village leader. "As you know, we are receiving guests from Kumo next week to discuss an alliance." Minato started, foregoing any formalities, "with recent events in mind, this alliance is more important than ever. Therefore I want you to be in charge of their escort team."
"By escort, you mean follow them and make sure they don't try anything." Confirmed Kakashi.
"That's exactly what I mean."
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(Ichiraku Ramen)
Naruto didn't want to be alone, and if he went home that's all he would get. He didn't feel like answering a hundred questions about his first mission outside the village from Tsunade, Hiruzen of course would take the hint that Naruto didn't want to talk about it, but the busty Senju would have been persistent simply out of worry. Naruto just wanted some quiet company and his favorite comfort food.
Ayame was about to ask about his mission, but upon seeing her blonde friend's face she had decided to drop it for now. "Hello Naruto-kun!" She greeted with a warm smile.
"Hello Ayame-chan." Naruto replied with a weak smile of his own. "Can I get a large miso ramen with extra pork... and a beer." said Naruto.
"Haha, you can have the ramen Naruto-kun, but I'm afraid you're about 12 years too young for a beer!" Teuchi laughed. Naruto nodded, clearly not expecting that second part of the order.
Ayame eyed her friend with a worried expression on her face. "I'm fine Ayame-chan," said Naruto, "it was just a rough mission, that's all. I don't really want to talk about it right now but I'll tell you about it later." he promised. He managed to muster up another brief weak smile, meant to be reassuring, but only managed to increase Ayame's concerns.
After finishing just one bowl Naruto paid but continued to sit at the booth in silence for another 15 minutes before getting up and quietly walking away. Naruto's strange behavior did not go unnoticed by Teuchi who frowned and looked at his daughter. "Go be with your friend Ayame, I can handle it from here today."
Without hesitation Ayame ran out of the restaurant and caught up to the blue eyed sensor. Naruto made no indication as to whether or not he wanted her there but continued wandering the streets silently with her at his side.
After wandering for what seemed like hours Naruto and Ayame found themselves atop the Hokage monument. Naruto took a seat on his Jiji's head and Ayame planted herself right next to him. The sun was starting to creep its way towards the horizon casting an orange glow over the village. It was a beautiful sight to behold, the orange sunlight reflecting off the rooftops in the village below made the village look like a sea of warm comforting fire surrounded by a sea of dark luscious green.
They sat and watched the sunset in silence until the bottom of the sun touched the horizon. The red glow of the sun hitting the clouds made the sky look as if it too were a dying fire, as the dark reds and oranges darkened further into various shades of violet. It would have been the perfect moment for Ayame, had Naruto not been in such a somber mood. To hell with it though, it was too perfect an opportunity for the lovestruck girl to pass up. She leaned her body against his and rested her head on the shoulder of the object of her affection.
She could feel Naruto relax before she felt him shudder. She looked up to see tears streaming down his face and heard his breath hitching as he tried to suppress his sobbs. Ayame was confused but simply placed one hand on his back taking his hand in the other.
He hadn't realized it, but nobody had given him any sort of comforting touch in weeks. He had been there with Itachi, Kabuto, and Obito, and even though their sensei had talked to them about some of what they were feeling, there were no reassuring touches or hugs or anything of the sort. Guys just don't do that for each other... and it'd be weird if they did.
She leaned against him once more and rubbed his back in a soothing manner and before long Naruto's sobs subsided. "What's wrong, Naruto-kun?" She asked just above a whisper.
"I-I didn't th-think it-hic would be so hard, ya know." Naruto said trying to regain his composure.
"What happened?" Ayame asked. Now she was truly concerned; Naruto was the strongest person she knew, what could have been so hard to push him to this.
"I... I had my first kills... 5 of them." Naruto paused, "6 if you count the guy that blew up in the trap."
Although Ayame didn't know what it felt like she could empathize with him; it wasn't something people talked about much, either because it hurt to think about, or because those who haven't killed before never thought about that particular what if much at all. 'He's not even 8 and he's already killed 6 people...'
"Obito-sensei says it gets easier, and that I'll learn to cope... but he also said that's when you feel most like a monster." Naruto said, slowly calming down. "I don't want to be a monster, Ayame-chan... I became a shinobi to protect everyone from monsters."
"You'll never be a monster Naruto-kun." She let go and turned his face towards hers, cupping his cheek in her hand. "No matter what happens you'll never be a monster to me." she said leaning forward and planting a kiss on his forehead. "You'll always be a hero to me."
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(one week later)
Naruto had felt much better after talking with Ayame. He could still feel her lips on his forehead when he thought about it, which never failed to bring a blush to his face. He had also talked to Tsunade, Shizune, and Hiruzen about it. They had all shown sympathy and shared some advice, but nothing had helped as much as his talk with Ayame.
His parents had not said anything about it. If Naruto didn't already know that Obito had debriefed the mission to his father Naruto would not have known if his parents knew at all. Not that Naruto cared; he had long since given up on anything other than a respectful working relationship with the two. Working relationship only because his father was his Hokage. Kushina had been busy doing things for her pregnancy, she was now entering her second trimester, and Naruto had hardly seen her in the week since he'd been back, not that he cared.
It didn't take Naruto long to get used to the idea of having another sibling. He was not at home very often as it was, and even when he was he didn't mind the twins following him around like lost puppies. The twins were almost 3 now and were developing their own distinct personalities; Ashina was loud and rambunctious while Mito was more reserved. It was endlessly entertaining for Naruto to watch Ashina try to get Mito to do anything.
Naruto was telling Itachi about the twins attempting their first game of ninja, after a late night training session, when Naruto felt someone trying to conceal their chakra signature.
'It's not an ANBU, I recognize most of them, and this signature feels... excited? Very un-ANBU.' Naruto thought.
"What is it?" asked Itachi, noticing Naruto's sudden break in the story.
"I feel something strange going on west of here," said Naruto, "let's go."
The two genin sped towards the disturbance Naruto had felt, and as they got closer Naruto found that he was right to have been suspicious. The perpetrator had broken into the Hyuga compound and was making his getaway with a miniscule chakra signature in hand.
Naruto and Itachi caught up quickly and cut off the masked man with the small girl tucked underneath his arm. Naruto leapt to the man's side and sent a heavy round kick at his face. The man ducked underneath the kick only to receive a kick to the chest, courtesy of the Uchiha prodigy.
The kick loosened the man's grip on the Hyuga girl and Naruto quickly snatched her away. Making a kage bushin Naruto performed a quick kawarimi and the clone, now holding the white eyed girl, darted back to the Hyuga compound to return their heiress and return with backup.
Naruto and Itachi unsealed their swords and took their ready stances. Naruto held Odenta in a reverse grip down by his side and immediately rushed the masked man, while Itachi sent a single kunai with a sealing tag attached directly behind him.
Right before Naruto made to slash at the enemy, which the man was ready to block, he seamlessly replaced himself with the kunai at his back. With literally no time to react the man took the kunai directly to the chest. The flack jacket took the brunt of the impact, causing the kunai to barely scratch the enemy. Naruto, 2 feet behind the kunai, sent a hard push kick directly into the hilt of the knife, burying it deep inside the enemy's chest cavity.
Naruto was pushed away by the force of his own kick and made a single hand seal, releasing the ninja wire sealed within the tag. The masked man went wide eyed as the wire wrapped tightly around him, leaving him an immobile, bleeding, heap on the ground.
Hiashi had seen the engagement from afar, through his byakugan, and was speechless at the swiftness that the two children had dispatched the presumably powerful enemy shinobi. He had seen Naruto slip the kunai into Itachi's weapons pouch when he was snatching Hinata away. They worked together so well, it was like they were an extension of each other.
Kakashi had also arrived in time to witness what had transpired from the trees. 'I thought Obito was mostly full of shit when he bragged about how good they were.' The engagement had only taken 15 seconds, and they had captured the enemy alive for questioning.
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(Hokage office, one hour later)
'Thankfully nobody died,' thought the Yondaime Hokage, as he continued his staring contest with the hulking, dark skinned man sitting across from him. 'This way Inoichi can get the truth out of the perpetrator and figure out where to go from there.' Unlike the man sitting across from him, the man known as A, and his only rival in speed, Minato was not the shoot first ask questions later type of leader. Minato was calculating, and in the past few years had become colder as well.
In the office with them was Kakashi, Hiashi, Naruto, Itachi, the third Kumo shinobi who accompanied A, as well as Hiruzen, and Konoha's war monger himself, Danzo. They had waited recounted what had occurred and A had stuck to his guns saying he had no idea of any plan to steal the byakugan.
"You really think that if we came for the byakugan we would have sent Yugi after him? I would have been able to capture her and be half way back to Kumo by now." the burly Raikage's son growled.
"If you truly were here for peace talks then you wouldn't have been so rude and difficult to deal with since you got here." replied Danzo curtly. To say Danzo was a suspicious man would be an understatement. "From what I've put together, it is clear you never intended to form an alliance, you only wished to steal one of Konoha's great Kekkei Genkai."
"I could give two shits about your precious kekkei genkai!" spat A. "Kumo has thrived as a great shinobi village without such crutches. To hell with them! Maybe Kiri has the right idea." A's eyes narrowed dangerously and his fists audibly clenched as his temper rose. "I'm telling you, I had no idea this would happen when I came here." In truth, A had only been so uncooperative in the peace negotiations because he was stubborn by nature, and acted on his feelings, mostly anger, more often than not.
Danzo would have scoffed, if not for his impeccable bearing, "and you really expect us to bel-"
"He's telling the truth." Naruto spoke up, growing tired of the pissing contest that was about to start anew. They had been here for nearly an hour now, and every 5 minutes this same argument reared its nasty head.
All eyes were now on the blonde child. "And how would you know that boy?" asked Danzo, clearly irked at being interrupted by a child.
"If he was lying I would feel his chakra 'shake'." said Naruto, doing his best to explain what lying felt like to his sensory jutsu, "but all I've felt from him... any of you... is the 'spike' that happens when people are angry."
Every shinobi in the room looked at Naruto curiously, everyone except for Hiruzen, Itachi, who were both well aware of how powerful Naruto's sensory capabilities were.
'This runt was able to take down a high chunin with his friend in a matter of seconds, and now he's one of the most powerful sensors I've ever seen?' thought A, narrowing his eyes slightly. 'Namikaze Naruto... you could be a problem in the future if negotiations go south.'
'I didn't know his sensory ability could do that...' thought Minato, 'he could have a promising career in T&I.'
Hiruzen eyed Danzo, who was scrutinizing the blonde boy. It was unsettling for Hiruzen to watch his arch rival study his surrogate grandson so intently, especially considering what Danzo's line of work involved. 'I'm sure you'd love to have Naruto and Itachi in ROOT, but make any move on them and I will kill you myself.'
Before anyone could question Naruto further, or continue their argument, Inoichi entered the Hokage's office. The blonde man cleared his throat before speaking, "A-sama had no idea about this plot. It seems that Yugi wanted the byakugan for himself and intended to go rogue and join 'Oto', whatever the hell that is, and get them surgically implanted."
"WHAT!?" A screamed, chakra flaring visibly, "WHERE IS THAT TRAITOROUS SCUM?"
Inoichi went wide eyed and choked on the sheer killing intent radiating off the monstrous man before him.
Minato came to his rescue, "A-san, forgive me, but I would prefer if we could interrogate him further so we can gather more information about this 'Oto' before you do what you see fit."
A grit his teeth and allowed himself to calm down and ease up on his killing intent allowing Inoichi, Naruto, and Itachi to breathe again. "Very well Hokage. If we are done here we can continue our negotiations tomorrow." A walked out of the room followed by his remaining companion without confirmation.
"You are all dismissed," said Minato. "Naruto, I would like to talk to you for a moment," He said, as everyone else filed out of the room.
Hiruzen and Itachi spared Naruto a glance, only continuing on their way after Naruto gestured that he was okay with the request. "Yes Hokage-sama?" said Naruto in a professional tone.
'Hokage-sama? What's that about?' Minato thought before shrugging it off as his son acting like a green-horn. "How did you and Itachi defeat that man?"
Naruto knew what he meant, but decided to play dumb, "you heard the report, we retrieved Hinata then I-"
"I mean, he's supposed to be in the running for jounin. How is it that two fresh 7 year old genin defeated him so easily?"
'You would know if you paid any fucking attention!' Naruto almost blurted, "I guess it was just luck. We surprised him and the man obviously saw us as no threat. We were able to capitalize on him underestimating our teamwork, ya know." He said calmly, leaking the verbal tic he used when he was getting emotional.
Minato studied his son for a moment longer, something didn't piece together but he decided to leave it for now. "Very well, go home and get some rest. Obito returns soon so you should be able to start taking missions again shortly."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Naruto said before he shunshined away.
"And when the hell did he learn to shunshin? Without hand seals too? I'm going to have to have a talk with Hiruzen-sama and Obito." Minato said to himself before rereading a note sent to him from Obito.
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(in Suna, with Obito)
The Kazekage could not fault Obito and his team, or Konoha for these deaths, but that didn't mean he couldn't be pissed. Yes, shinobi often ran into each other while on missions, and because villages kept their mission information secret, there was no way to know that the two teams were on conflicting missions until first blood had already been drawn. Really the only reason he was upset was because his sister and his brother-in-law had been two of the casualties.
"Very well. Thank you for returning the bodies Obito-san. Tell your Hokage that relations between our two villages will not change because of this incident. As unfortunate as it is... I suppose that, sadly, these things happen." said the Kazekage. 'The time for revenge will come... just not yet.'
XXX END CHAPTER 10 XXX
So sorry if the scene with Ayame and Naruto was kind of lame, I'm not super comfortable writing emotional crap, hell man, I haven't cried for 6 years. Those lame emotions like sadness and love and shit really aren't my thing but I'll do my best. Suggestions or constructive criticism on that front would be greatly appreciated, that way I can make it less cringe worthy in the future.
Anywho... Ayame and Naruto won't be getting together this early, that's gross, just wait for after the timeskip, which should be coming in a few chapters, depending on how long the chunin exams take.
So Naruto and Itachi whooped ol' boy's ass, and everyone is like "god damn, don't fuck with these kids," and Minato's over here like "what~". Minato is finally starting to notice his son's kind of the shit, is it soon enough to start repairing his relationship with his son? Or will he just brush this information off too? Hey Minato's a busy guy, he's got a lot going on.
And Oto? I thought Madara killed Orochimaru. What could have happened?
Find out next time on dragon ba- I mean Guardians of Konoha