ALRIGHT! Sorry for the delay, there were exams, and then getting back to America, and a whole list of delays, that none of you care too much about I'm sure! But, I'm back, and have a new chapter for everyone! HOORAY!
Quick note of shout out thanks to Agent Orange for his continuous help on the fic and keeping me motivated when things got in the way! Also, shout out to all the other reviewers who have kept up with me! This chap should see the unfolding of the Namikaze history, as well as the solving of Naruto's mental anguish and the clan dispute being settled. So strap in and here we go!
I OWN NOTHING BUT THE ORIGINAL STUFF!
xXxXxXx
"You yell loud enough Naruto? I think the whole village heard you…" Naruto turned his gaze down from his perch atop a telephone pole to see the bored face of Shikamaru, flanked by Ino and Choji. None of the trio had changed their looks since their academy days, jacket halter top, and odd headband choice and all.
"Oh, hey guys…" Naruto called down with slight embarrassment in his voice, worry quickly flickering across his face. 'Well, here goes…time to see how others react to my new appearance…' Clenching his fists tightly, Naruto gripped the scrolls as he walked down the pole. He slipped once or twice, but managed to catch himself.
"Wow, you got the tree climbing down too, huh?" Ino's voice floated up questioningly to Naruto as he approached. "And you dyed your hair blonde too? It's a good look for you, you know?" Naruto smirked slightly, wondering what she would think when she saw him up close.
"Not sure about the transformation though…that's one nasty face you have going there…" Choji had stopped munching on his chips long enough to comment on it, and it drew a glance of suspicion from Shikamaru as the boy approached.
"Yeah, it's a bit of a nasty one." Naruto's voice had no hint of sarcasm in it, and it seemed rather strained as he spoke. Ino gasped slightly as he drew closer, but Shikamaru was the next to speak.
"You don't have Kurama anymore…and those marks didn't shift in the sunlight, so that's a permanent change, probably from the beast seal release, right?" Naruto grimaced, his face taking on one of fear as he looked at Shikamaru. The others on either side gasped slightly, their eyes going wide as they took in the new look. Naruto's eyes were ringed by dark outlines, and had a vulpine shape to them. His whisker markings had darkened as well, and his eyes had taken on a red and slitted appearance. Fangs jutted slightly from the bottom of his lips, and claws were formed at the end of each fingertip. Combined with his all black outfit, and he looked a nasty sight.
"Yeah, it's permanent. And yes…Kurama's gone." Naruto's hands shook by his side, and his head was lowered as his voice quaked. Taking a deep, long breath, Naruto seemed to pull himself back together quickly. "I'm actually on my way for counseling right now. I need to meet up with an Inoichi Yamanaka. Ino, do you know where I can find him?" Ino laughed lightly, breaking the suddenly nervous air surrounding the group.
"Yeah, I can take you there, he's my dad. I'm actually on my way to see him now." Naruto seemed to brighten slightly at the news, his face coming up in a smile. Ino grimaced slightly at the smile, and Naruto drew back for a moment. Ino quickly recovered though and held out her hand for him.
"It's alright, I'm pretty sure you're not going to bite me Naruto. Just might take me a while to get used to your smilodon face." Ino brightened prettily at the boy, and Naruto smiled lightly in return. "I'll catch you two at the training ground, can you tell Asuma-sensei why I'm late?" Shikamaru and Choji nodded in agreement, each waving at the pair brightly.
"Don't worry Naruto, we won't be scared off by your face for long! We know the real you underneath there!" Naruto grimaced internally at Choji's comment, but smiled back in agreement.
'If he knew what I really contained, I'm not so sure he'd say that…' Naruto gripped the documents in his hands a bit tighter, but shook off his worried look when Ino pulled insistently on his hand. They had been walking through the streets for a while now, and Naruto noticed the warmth in his palm, and the heat going to his cheeks. It was at this point that Naruto noticed he was holding hands with the blonde girl, and blushed horribly.
"I can follow you just fine you know!" Naruto cried out, yanking his hand back to himself. Ino blushed at Naruto again, and then smirked slightly to herself.
"Sorry, guess I just got a bit excited about there being another fellow blonde my age." Ino smiled brightly at Naruto, getting the boy to flush slightly. "Come on though, I don't want to be late for my team practice!" Ino sprinted through the streets, and Naruto raced to keep pace. Several of the villagers gave him odd looks as he passed, and the boy just shrugged them off. Ninja's were known for having strange fashion sense in Konoha, so nothing so far had come of it.
'Maybe Kakashi was right, and Wave just wasn't used to the weirdness of ninja…' Naruto felt a bit more of a smile spread. 'Maybe if I keep the fox secret to just a trusted few, I can avoid things getting too out of hand.'
xXxXxXx
Sasuke trembled as he read over the details about Naruto's lineage. 'I'm not sure if I owe a debt to the idiot or if he owes a debt to my family. Things always have to be complicated with you, don't they knucklehead?'
Sasuke remembered from his clan lessons that the Namikaze were staunch allies of the Uchiha, and the primary reason they were allowed to join the Senju contract. The Namikaze had worked many missions alongside the Uchiha during the dark days, often significantly enhancing the clan's techniques, and even developing original wind jutsu to complement the fire jutsu of the Uchiha. With the additional support of the Inuzuka, the Namikaze had even managed to get the Uchiha to agree to a truce with the Senju, and had brokered them the position of the military police. If Naruto were only to want to reinstate the Namikaze, Sasuke would have to back him out of obligation for his family's debt to Naruto's.
The Uzumaki were the opposite story though; where the Namikaze had aided and argued for the Uchiha, the Uzumaki had outright refused to deal with them. They had even broken off terms of sanctuary with the main Senju clan, opting instead to form their own nation. It was due to their influence that the Uchiha were distrusted within the village proper. It was even speculated that the backdraft from the disagreements were what had kept his clan from attaining any true position of trust within the village.
'If Naruto sides with his father, I must support him. If he sides with his mother, I must stand against him…' Sasuke turned to the further mission details, and felt his stomach turn slightly. 'That's if I can even trust him. According to this, the fox was able to wrest at least momentary control over Naruto, and he murdered Inari and Tsunami, along with Gichi and his wife. That makes at least slightly more sense though…Gatou never did intend to return the hostages…but Naruto's action spared them from a death of hemlock poison…' Sasuke flickered his mind back to the ninja from Mist that Naruto had killed on the way to Wave. 'Whether that was really a mercy or not though, I'm not sure…'
Rising to his feet, Sasuke rolled up the council scrolls. 'Whatever happens, I know now that I will need to be ready to control him if I ever want to trust him as an ally. That means I need to visit the clan shrine…'
xXxXxXx
"Rest." Sakura fell to her knees, almost in worship at the word. The simple utterance seemed enshrined to the girl, her body shaking in happiness at the reprieve. Since she had arrived home hours ago, her new tormentor had made her repeatedly attack a wooden log with her whips in each hand, demanding her to focus a different element on each side of her body. Despite her prodigal chakra control, this proved to be difficult for the girl.
Unfortunately, the punishment for failure seemed to be disturbingly powerful genjutsu that would rip at her sanity. Tears welled at the corners of the girl's eyes, but she fought to keep the iron control she had learned as a child. Footsteps, and the matching thump of a cane, brought Danzo into Sakura's view. She glared up at the man, trying to muster as much rage as she could. Danzo merely regarded her coldly, and placed his boot on the back of her head.
Sakura felt her head rise from the floor slightly, and grimaced up at the older ninja. "I said, REST!" His voice was absolute as he slammed her head suddenly into the floor. In a moment of pain, the world suddenly went stark white.
When Sakura awoke, her head was groggy, and the room emptied of anyone in the house. On the floor was a note for her, written by Danzo. As Sakura stooped to read it, she felt her tongue suddenly flash in pain, and her eyes watered in agony. Looking around, the girl noted the empty room, and the blank, white washed walls once more. The light outside told her it was around midday, though she was unsure if it was the same day that she had arrived in the village.
"No doubt you are feeling the effects of your training already. The headaches will start to grow stronger over time; My aggressive treatment is not the cause of your injury, and will soon pale in comparison to the pain your abilities will cause as they are awakened." Sakura paused in her reading, feeling a sudden spike in her migraine. It seemed to want to split her head in two, and the girl reeled slightly, biting back a gasp of pain.
"Your abilities are a legacy from your true parents, both of which were experimented on by Orochimaru in secret over twenty years ago. They survived his operation, long enough to conceive and birth you, but within several months of your birth were driven clinically insane by their burgeoning abilities, and committed suicide." Sakura felt her eyes go wide at the words in front of her, and fought down the urge to vomit.
'I was adopted…and I'm an experiment…a lab rat…' Sakura's stomach turned harshly, and the girl turned and vomited into the corner. Forcing her eyes back to the page, the girl reluctantly continued to read.
"Orochimaru was attempting to revive the line of the Senju, apparently in an attempt to garner favor with the village and impress the council into reconsidering their stated, but not yet approved appointment of Minato Namikaze as the Fourth Hokage. His attempt was misguided and his results yielded only one other truly successful survivor; you are the second to show signs of his experiment bearing fruit, and as such have been apprenticed to me for the indefinite future. You will meet with your team at your normal times, take missions with them, and eat with them as equals. However, your mornings and evenings belong to me, and when your team is freed from duty, for whatever reason, you belong to me. I have taken the liberty of applying a secrecy seal to your tongue…"
Sakura broke off at this, grabbing a reconnaissance mirror from her weapons pouch and turned the thing to reflect her image. Fearfully opening her mouth, Sakura noted an intricate seal pattern along the back of her tongue, causing the girls eyes to grow wide. Nausea overtook her again, and the girl dry heaved into the corner for several more minutes.
Feeling her ire grow, Sakura returned to the reading of the scroll, fighting down a second migraine attack. "Cha! Who's that bastard think he is! Ordering us around, commanding us! Silencing us! There're laws against this! We'll take this up with the Hokage himself!" For some reason, the voice in Sakura's head seemed louder than before, and seemed to make the pain inside her skull pound harder than ever. Taking several deep breaths, Sakura managed to force herself back to the page once more.
"…which will limit you from talking about meeting, training, or even knowing me. Talking about my training methods, where you train, and who gave you the seal will also be restricted from being divulged to the public. This method has proven effective in the past though, so take heart that my methods so far have either completely repressed the abilities of the test subjects, or in one current case, led to mastery of the Shodaime's ability, the legendary Mokuton. Other methodologies, when attempted, have led to the death of the subject in most gruesome ways, such as your parents. For your information, the Hokage has approved of this method, as has a majority of the Council of Flame. There will be no reconsideration of this program. You will find at the bottom of this letter a key and address to an apartment. We will meet in the base of the apartment during the evenings, and you will return to your quarters there every night. Failure to do so will be met with harsh consequences. I expect your arrival before eight this evening."
Sakura took several deep breaths, finding herself fighting down a hysteria attack. The tears welled at the corners of her eyes. 'A shinobi's not allowed to break…a shinobi's not allowed to break…a shinobi's not allowed to…BREAK!'
Sakura doubled over in pain as tears poured from her eyes. The voice in her head was screaming at her, sounding violent and wild. It sounded of trees, and life, and birds. It sang of nature itself, of existence, and all of its primal fury. Forcing herself to remain calm, Sakura repeated her mantra out loud, unconsciously curling into the fetal position and rocking back and forth.
xXxXxXx
Naruto rocked back and forth on his heels, waiting as Ino and Inoichi talked inside. It seemed that Inoichi was happy to see Naruto, and had been informed ahead of time of his arrival. Ino however was complaining about her dad trying to get her to work an extra shift while he worked with Naruto.
Naruto looked up as the door rang and Asuma came inside. The tall jounin paused as he looked at the changed appearance of Naruto, and pulled a cigarette from his pocket. His face was neutral enough, but there was a bit of an apprehensive appearance on his face.
"Shikamaru told me about the changes, but that's still quite a new face." Asuma noticed the leaf in Naruto's hand and smiled at the small cut he saw going across the surface. "You're a wind user too; guess that's why Kakashi wanted some advice way back when. How's that going by the way, you seem pretty far along." Naruto smiled up at Asuma, glad for the normal sound in his voice.
"Don't worry kid. I've been a ninja my whole life, and I've seen mugs much uglier and scarier than yours before." Naruto brightened, and brought the leaf close to him, focusing on the wind chakra. A second later, he held it out for Asuma.
"I can get it to about three quarters of the way now, so I'm making good progress. Still, it's going to be a bit longer before I can get it all the way. Plus, my control is really off since the seal release, like there's too much chakra to grind together easily; sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't…" Asuma smiled in surprise at the kid, rubbing his hair affectionately.
"You're making good progress though, you only started that what, two months ago!" Naruto blushed and smiled widely at the compliment. "Though that's quite the scary smile you got there kiddo…" Naruto blinked, and chuckled awkwardly at the compliment.
"Sorry, I'm used to smiling a lot…guess I have to adjust still…" Naruto seemed deflated slightly, and Asuma took a long drag on his cigarette before exhaling loudly.
"You know, I've found taking a break from working so hard helps when I have adjustments to make. If you promise to take the next few days off, at least until after the council hearing, relaxing and enjoying things as much as you can, I'll let you in on the secret to how get over the last little hurdle on your training." Naruto brightened at the promise, and gave Asuma a grateful look.
"Thanks! Man, I can see why Ino wants to go to training with a sensei as nice as you; I bet they learn lots of awesome things!" Asuma puffed out his chest at the praise, and then turned when the door opened to reveal a pouting Ino in an apron, and Inoichi out of his work outfit.
It was the first that Naruto had seen the man, and he took in the resemblance to Ino quickly. Both of them sported the same blue eyes and blonde hair. Inoichi also had a slim figure, and came up to about Asuma's shoulders. He had long arms, and a refined air about him, despite the girlish ponytail he sported. He was wearing standard shinobi garb, a long black sleeve shirt and pants, with a jounin flak jacket over the top. He had basic shinobi sandals and gloves as well. The only shocking part was his eyes. His eyes were a harsh blue, like a frozen lake, as he took in Naruto's appearance, though they softened when he caught the boy's gaze.
"Don't worry Naruto, just taking in your new appearance. I can see that the incident left some new physical looks for you…" Naruto grimaced but nodded towards Inoichi. The man smiled and turned to kiss Ino on the forehead. The girl seemed to struggle away from the embrace, and Naruto felt himself grimace further, trying to hide his discomfort at the actions.
'I'll probably never get that again…once I move out of the clan compound, I'll be gone for good from the Inuzuka…'
Asuma crushed a cigarette into a countertop ashtray at the sight, letting out a dejected sigh. "Guess I get to go play shogi with Shikamaru and train Choji without you Ino. Sorry, but you can get some one on one time with me later, alright?" Ino gave a weak reply, which got a small chuckle from the large man as he headed out the door.
"Come on Naruto, my office is back this way. We can meet in there for your first session." Naruto nodded to Inoichi as he was led away from the flower room to a nearby hallway. The walls were a light crème color and had floral designs on them, reminding him of a dentist's office.
"Alright, so today we're going to be doing the basics of a mind search. I've been informed by the council of what happened on the bridge in Wave, as well as the mental block that seems to have established itself due to trauma from the incident." Naruto seemed to stiffen a bit at the comments, but Inoichi's firm hand on his shoulder guided him into a small sitting room.
The room was spartanly decorated, with simple wood paneling and sliding doors, as well as a single table with a tea set on it in the center. Inoichi pushed the boy forward towards the table, and Naruto took a seat gingerly.
"We're going to go over some things first before we begin the session." Inoichi moved around to the other side of the table, and activated a seal with the press of one of his hands. "That seal will silence our conversation to outside listeners. Now then, you are aware of your connection to the nine-tailed demon fox, known as Kyuubi, yes?" Naruto nodded to the question, his eyes tightening fiercely. His nails dug into his pants, but before he could get much further, the smell of strong tea leaves hit his nose.
"This is some calming tea, it will relax you before we begin our session." Naruto nodded and took the drink into his hands, sipping it lightly. It burned a bit and had a strange taste, but he managed to drink it down. "Have you, since the incident on the bridge, made contact with the demon fox?" Naruto shook his head at this, which made Inoichi frown.
"There may be some slight danger in my entering your mindscape with you. The mindscape is where the consciousness of the fox would also be stored, and if you have not made a connection with him then I do not know how limited he may be from exerting mental influence." Naruto felt his eyes go wide, and he started to protest but Inoichi silenced him with a raised hand.
"Please, have some more tea and allow me to continue with the pre-session counseling." Naruto nodded, his face drawn into one of concern. "When the bijuu is encountered for the first time, there is usually a period of time in which the jinchuuriki and the bijuu can make an agreement on terms of conduct. I would advise you to make a deal with the demon, but make sure you limit his access to information that can be used to influence you. Allowing it to see, feel, or hear anything in your daily life will greatly aid it. The only memories that reach it will be the strongest, but even so, minor memories can be twisted and turned into powerful enemies. Something I'm sure Kakashi has shown you through genjutsu demonstrations." Naruto nodded, remembering several bad experiences in the Forest of Death.
"Now then, I assume you've read the scroll that the Hokage gave you concerning the mental exercises we're going to go through?" Naruto nodded to Inoichi and the man smiled back at him. "Good, then close your eyes and begin to meditate. In a moment, you will feel my mind touch yours, and we shall enter your mindscape together. Don't be alarmed when you feel my consciousness reach out to yours, there will be no pain in this process." Naruto nodded once and began to center his breathing. A moment later, he felt his body go slack and his world seemed to pitch wildly.
xXxXxXx
Naruto opened his eyes to find himself standing in a field. Behind him was a large bridge, with a damaged section over a large abyss. On the other side of the bridge, Naruto could see the shapes and outlines of Konoha, though it seemed faded and far off.
"Interesting place to start…and I see that you've already begun to distance yourself from your childhood memories, something quite common in young ninja." Naruto whirled around to find Inoichi standing next to him. "As you might have guessed, we're in your mind right now Naruto, though everything you see around you is your mental recreation of your inner world."
Naruto turned and took in the landscape, noting the pleasant fields, and the outcropping of several houses with names written on the front of them. There were ones for Sasuke, and Sakura, as well as Kakashi and several other friends. The one that embarrassed him the most was the one that had his name emblazoned on the door next to Tenten's. Off in the distance though, there was a faded red sun that just seemed to sit on the horizon, and woods that were blackened and scarred. Red eyes peered from the forest, and Naruto turned frightfully toward Inoichi.
"Don't worry, none of the things in here can harm you, and I am required by my practice to keep confidentiality about what I find. Now, let's journey in deeper, shall we?" Naruto nodded fearfully to Inoichi as the two walked toward the forest, their footsteps echoing silently in the world around them. As they did, the houses seemed to quickly fade away and the forest drew closer. The red eyes from the forest became clearer, turning into the four wavy red lines of a hunter ninja mask from the Hidden Mist.
"Why do the masks look like the accomplice of Zabuza, Haku? I never fought him directly at the battle of the bridge?" Inoichi nodded to Naruto's question, thinking as the two paused in the forest. The eyes seemed to draw nearer, and Naruto felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise precipitously.
"You blame Haku for training the mercenaries to fight you, and from that, for the death of Kurama." Naruto stiffened at that, and turned to look at the red eyes in the forest, anger filling him. "It is alright to feel anger at him for that, Naruto, but know that he was ultimately not responsible. The real culprits were the mercenaries you faced, not Haku. Anger, and a desire for revenge, will only hobble you in the long run anyways. Better to be accepting of what happened, and move on from the pain in time."
Naruto nodded to Inoichi, and took a deep and calming breath. As he did, the eyes fled back into the darkness, quickly fading from view. A path opened up in front of the pair, leading out of the woods, and towards a cave in the distance. The red light that had appeared in the distance to be the sun was coming from the cave in front of them, and as they approached it settled into a ghastly visage.
There was a large round sphere blocking a cave entrance, and it seemed to be constructed from body parts. Flesh was coated a red color, and the stench coming from the large sphere was palpable. Inoichi's firm hand on Naruto's shoulder held him in place, and the boy felt his knees shake as he took in what was in front of him. Plastered into the macabre sphere was the sigil for sealing, lines of text racing across from it in all directions.
"If the eyes were from Haku, then what is this from? I think I would remember something like this!" Inoichi tightened his hand on Naruto's shoulder and turned him so he could look him in the eyes.
"During your mission to wave, when you lost control over your emotions and the fox took over for a short period, you killed a number of people. I don't know how this memory came to be sealed off from you, but it is likely that it occurred naturally to save your mind from terrible mental trauma. However, now we need to bypass the seal in order to gain access to information for the grand council, and to unlock your connection to the fox. It would seem the fox, when first contacted, bonded harshly to this set of memories. Until these memories are released, it is possible that your connection to the fox will be inaccessible."
"Isn't that a good thing though? When I connect to the fox, I can lose control, and become a danger to my allies!" Inoichi nodded at this, but stooped to Naruto's height and looked him sadly in the eyes.
"While that is true, the fox is also a weapon for our village, Naruto. In order for that to happen though, you need to be able to call on the fox in times of need. Simply locking it away forever won't do anything to stop foreign nations from turning their jinchuuriki on us. Konoha needs the fox to maintain the balance of power in the world." Naruto grimaced, balling his hands at his sides.
"It's great and all being the village's powerful protector," Naruto spat out, "But I really wonder if anyone will appreciate what I do…they're just going to see me as the village monster, a chained dog" Inoichi squeezed Naruto's shoulder to get him to turn back and face him.
"You will make the village see you however you want. That's one thing I've learned throughout the years I've spent counseling ninja. Shinobi can appear to be the deadliest things on the face of the earth, or complete idiots and fools. It all depends on how you want the world to see you." Inoichi squeezed Naruto's shoulder again, and Naruto lowered his head in thought. He thought over the way Kakashi was viewed by villagers, as well as his first reaction upon meeting Guy and Lee. He thought of Zabuza, and Haku, and the terror they inspired in his team. He finally thought of the kind Hokage, who never seemed terribly threatening, but was more powerful than all of them.
When he raised it, there was that iconic fire in his eyes again as he looked at the sphere in front of him.
"Alright then, how do we get rid of this thing so I can go back to being the next Hokage hopeful?" The cocky voice was shaky, but seemed to really be returning, bringing a slight smile to Inoichi's face.
Inoichi gestured toward the sigil in the center of the sphere. Not understanding, Naruto gave a confused look to Inoichi.
"In the sphere, near the center where the sigil mark is, there will be a trigger for the memory that is sealed there. Something that will bring it all back, and quickly…be warned though, such tragedies as this have been known to spawn a dark ego, a manifestation of your negative personality. You will have to conquer that as well if we are to advance." Naruto nodded dumbly and proceeded toward the ball of flesh.
Reaching his right hand out, Naruto felt his skin come in contact with the sphere. As soon as it did, memories washed over him from the battle at the bridge, clearer than they had ever been before. Naruto heard the screams of the men, felt their blood run through his claws, and worst of all, felt the sickening crunch of bones and blood on his teeth. Yanking himself away with a gasp, Naruto fell to his side and held on to his stomach, fighting back waves of nausea.
"They are only memories Naruto, they cannot harm you. You have to push through this, and find the trigger." Inoichi's voice seemed miles away, and Naruto turned and placed his hand on the surface of the orb once more. As his mind was assaulted with the memories, Naruto forced them aside, pushing instead to reach for the trigger. A few moments in, Naruto realized the voices had faded completely once his hands had closed around some sort of cloth object. Fearing what it was, Naruto slowly began to retrieve the object. As it cleared the surface of the sphere, Naruto felt his eyes rush wide, and memory come flooding back.
'Something isn't right here…I need to stop!' Naruto felt his movements slow, and watched as the life drained from the woman, and his eyes flashing in recognition. 'NO! If that was her then…' Naruto tried to slow his body, to halt the movement, but his fist buried itself into the child's chest too soon.
"NO!" The scream ripped from Naruto's throat, and he fell to his knees. The bubbling aura was gone, and the feeling of bloodlust, of abandon, was passing. It did nothing to halt the pain as Naruto looked on.
"Naruto…why?" The coughed question brought Naruto's eyes away from his fist and onto the boy's face. He saw the black hair, the military helmet, and a crossbow on the boy's back. He saw the suspenders, and the sandals, and the bandages. He saw the eyes, wide with betrayal, and sadness.
"Inari…I…I didn't mean to, I…I tried to stop…Come on, you're not dead! You're not dead!" Naruto yanked his hand from the boy's chest and jumped back at the spray of blood. The boy's eyes reflected nothing as Naruto gripped him, pounded on his chest and wailed at the heavens. "You can't die! I had to prove to you that hero's exist! I had to make you see the light in the world! You can't die!" Naruto's cry reached up to heaven, and the sky began to snow. Slowly, softly, it fell onto the boy's shoulders, as he gasped out his sadness.
The sphere faded in front of Naruto, boiling and hissing as it shaped itself into a mirror image of Naruto. Where Naruto was clad in an Inuzuka hoodie though, this one appeared dressed in solid black, and his eyes were red with blackened slits running through their centers.
"Ah…your screams were even better than last time…" Naruto blinked in surprise at the visage of himself, and coughed when he tried to talk. His throat was raw, and Naruto realized that he had possibly blacked out while screaming. "And what's more, your little friend is gone now that the boss and I have some room to maneuver again…" Naruto grit his teeth at the image, and looked around desperately for Inoichi.
"He told me about you though…you're just a collection of my negative aspects, nothing that can harm me here." The image chuckled at Naruto, smirking while Naruto climbed to his feet.
"Can't hurt you huh? How do restless nights of nightmares sound to you? When you can't control the fox's chakra, and it lashes out and kills others around you?" The smirk on the copy-cat's face was maddening. "Come on then, you want to kill me, don't you? Wipe out the negative sides of you that scream for blood and pain, like my master?"
"You're on, you asshole!" Naruto charged the copy image, wind whistling through outstretched claws. The visage dodged him easily, sweeping his legs and driving a foot towards Naruto's face. Naruto countered by rolling to the side and bringing an uppercut into the visage's face. His satisfaction was short lived when the doppleganger smashed a kick into Naruto's own jaw.
"You can't win, you know? Fighting me takes anger, and the more anger you feel, the stronger I get! So come and fight me, because the longer this takes, the better I'll become!" Naruto's eyes flashed in recognition, and he stood stock still. Though he was panting, he was managing to face his copy calmly.
"Well? Are you just going to stand there, asshole!" Naruto didn't move from his spot, and his face seemed to grow calmer by the second. Cursing in anger the image rushed at Naruto, who merely looked on calmly at his copy version, smiling lightly as the image rushed through him.
"You represent my anger, and my loss of control. To stop you, I only need to collect myself. Once I do, you are nothing to me." Naruto's words made the image fade and falter, and a moment later the dark visage passed through Naruto's frame.
"That may have worked this time, but some day, you'll have to face all of your darkness together…" The voice faded into the air, and as it did, Naruto felt heat flash at his back. Turning, Naruto saw that the mouth of the cave was bathed in a large amount of light, and that the sounds of deep chuckles and the howls of a fox could be heard coming from within.
"Naruto! Sorry, there was a large amount of backlash when that seal was released, and something kept me from reentering your mind!" Naruto was surprised to find Inoichi standing next to him once more, but he nodded happily to the man. "I see you managed to work past whatever the mental block was…" Naruto nodded again, smiling tightly.
"I remember now…what happened at the bridge…" Tears started flowing down Naruto's face, and his hands clenched tightly at his sides. "I failed on both of my promises…to never give in to bloodlust again, and to prove that hero's exist. How can I be a hero when I go around killing those who look up to me?"
"Did you mean to kill them?" Inoichi's voice was like a slap to Naruto's face. Wide eyes stared up at the Yamanaka, who merely sighed in response. "Did you intentionally kill the boy, Naruto?"
"No. I was trying to stop. My body wasn't in my own control then, there was too much pain. Too much pain and anger and suffering." Naruto's voice was low, and he seemed to shake in his despair.
"But, you didn't mean to kill them? And weren't they were suffering from hemlock poisoning, a powerful and painful drug to be killed with?" Naruto nodded at this, and took several ragged breaths.
"While dying the way they did was sad, such things are common in the ninja world. The only real reason the council was worried, was if the killings happened in cold blood, if you had willingly given in to the fox's control." Malevolent laughter echoed behind Naruto, as well as the pained cries of an unknown animal.
"How can I ever trust myself though? I failed to control myself there…I let my anger overcome me, and committed the worst of crimes…" Inoichi stepped to the side of Naruto once more, and placed a hand around the boy's shoulders.
"I knew Kegawa when I was a kid." Naruto whipped his head around to look Inoichi in the eyes. "That's right, I knew your adoptive father. He was a good man, but he too suffered from bouts of bloodlust in battle. Several times he was passed over for the promotion to special jounin because of his lack of control." Inoichi paused to take in Naruto's eyes and fix him with a serious look. "But he was still a good man. As such, there is nothing you need to worry about when it comes to dealing with bloodlust. The Inuzuka are infamous for their loss of control in battle. If you choose to distance yourself from that, then perhaps you should seek out other styles of fighting. I know the Namikaze have several that would work well for a wind user like you."
Naruto nodded at this, before feeling the tears take him over. Turning his head to the side, Naruto wiped at his eyes before turning back with a small smile.
"I'll find my own way then…I'll mix the Inuzuka, the Uzumaki and the Namikaze together, in a way that works for me. Because I'm not giving up on being an Inuzuka…family means no one turns their back on anyone else!" Inoichi nodded at that, and the two proceeded into the beginning of the cave.
xXxXxXx
Tsume lowered the family heirlooms, along with the various scrolls and photographs from their place in the clan cave. Few outside of the Inuzuka clan knew of the hidden shrine, and how it housed the precepts of many of the ancient clan styles and tracking techniques.
'Minato…I'm sorry I could not keep your son from harm…I think I raised him well, but I don't know what to do now for him. If you can hear this, send some form of guidance. Kushina, though you and I were never terribly close, you were often kind to me. Naruto is your son, and though I think he has accepted me as a mother, I hope I can retain at least some relation with him. Please guide me as I help him transition to life outside the pack.'
Tsume prayed for several long hours before returning to her home. There, she wept at her bedside, sad for the empty mattress beside her, where Kegawa used to rest. She pulled the council scrolls out, perusing them for some slight glimmer of hope. Strangely, she felt her eyes drawn to a section concerning the establishment of branch clans.
'It's a wild card, but one that might work…maybe…maybe he can stay as part of the pack…' Tsume read over the scroll, losing herself to the intricate bylaws in front of her.
xXxXxXx
Sasuke read over the clan history for what felt like the dozenth time. 'There has to be something here on controlling the bijuu using the Sharingan, damn it!' Sasuke flipped over a table in rage, smashing countless things against the tatami floor. An odd falling sound caught the boy as he quivered in rage. In the corner, on the far right, a dented floor board had collapsed inward.
'The ground underneath is supposed to be rock though…how did this happen?' Sasuke moved forward to investigate, kneeling at the base of the mat. There, underneath the mat, was a ladder, which descended quickly into the earth. There was light flickering from the bottom, from torches. How long they had been light for, Sasuke was unsure, but he felt that this was far closer to what he had been searching for than musty old records.
Lowering himself down, Sasuke came face to face with fabled sights; dotting along the walls were the infamous torches of the Uchiha legends, ones made for them as a peace offering brokered reluctantly with the Uzumaki, fans ever lit with fire. So distasteful was the treaty though that they had been hidden away forever.
'And here they are…hiding in the basement of the family shrine, ensconced with other Uchiha relics…' Sasuke proceeded down the flight of stairs, taking note as he did of the markings on the wall. The images of the Sharingan painted large flashed back at him, and acting on a whim, Sasuke called forth his Sharingan. As he did, he noticed the details that would have eluded him before; the slight recess in the crypt wall telling him there was a further room attached.
Steeling himself before venturing onward, Sasuke found himself face to face with a large stone tablet. Sasuke felt his eyes go wide, and he gripped his forehead in pain. Information seemed to be streaming into his skull, and he fought to keep it in place.
'Methods on using the Sharingan to subvert another's will…how to pass on this information to others through eye contact…how to control another's soulform through use of the Sharingan…' Realization ripped through Sasuke as his eyes pored over the tablet.
'This is what I've been searching for…This, more than Kakashi or anyone else will teach me the true way of using the Sharingan…' The seals on the tablet seemed to flash to life as Sasuke felt them burn into his soul.
xXxXxXx
"Naruto…I'm sorry, but from here on out you're on your own. We've reached the limit of the mindscape where it is safe for me to travel with you. Past here, the influence of an individual's soulform begins to take place." Naruto frowned at Inoichi. The two had journeyed deep into the cave, and the cries had only grown louder as they went.
"What makes this so different, it's just another cave opening like up above!" Naruto's voice was bright, despite the dimly lit conditions of the cave.
"I'm sorry, but I can feel the strain of entering into a person's soul at this point. Past here is a spot which no human should transgress upon another, except in the most dire of cases. Be careful though, and remember what I told you regarding the fox." Naruto nodded to Inoichi, and took the torch from the man as he began to fade away.
"I'll remember what you said, and straighten things out with the big blowhard!" Naruto called out to Inoichi as he turned to face the growling cave in front of him. Behind him was the way up, a long spiraling journey that led to light, and freedom.
Bracing himself once more, Naruto turned and walked into the cave. He rounded corner after corner, and felt the heat rise unbearably as he neared his destination. More than once, Naruto saw the image of bones and skulls littered about the cave, and there were dripping sounds that came from spires of stone in the ceiling. As he descended, the orange light became more and more oppressive, and eventually Naruto came to a rounding in a bend.
"SO YOU ARRIVE HUMAN…WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU…" In front of Naruto was a massive cage, with a simple sigil for seal placed across it. Just inside of the cage was the sprawled form of Kurama, with a large face that was hidden by shadows looming out at him. Naruto noticed the claw that was inserted into Kurama, and how the blood that pooled slowly at the fox's side leaked from the cage.
"What are you doing to him, let him go!" Naruto charged forward towards the cage, but leapt back suddenly when a claw jutted out from the bars.
"WHAT NONSENSE IS THIS! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO LET THIS MORSEL ENTER MY DOMAIN, A SACRIFICE LONG OVER DUE…THOUGH YOUR INDULGENCES ON THE BRIDGE DID ALLOW ME TO FURNISH MY DWELLING SOMEWHAT…" The claw gestured around the cage, where several skeletons could be seen, the bones bleached white from the intense heat coming from the cage.
"He had nothing to do with that! Let him go, you asshole! That's why his seal is still present on me, is because you've been torturing him!" The demon chuckled darkly as it stabbed its claw further into the fox, drawing an enraged growl from Naruto and a long whine from Kurama.
"WELL, IF YOU WANT ME TO STOP SO BADLY, WHY NOT REMOVE THAT SLIP OF PAPER AND COME IN HERE TO GET HIM?" The cries from the prone Kurama had Naruto balling his hands into fists and drawing blood from his claws.
"I'm not stupid, Kyuubi. I know what that slip of paper does, and I'm never letting you out again!" The demon twisted its claw in the fox's form. "Cut that out!" The chuckles emanating from the demon drove Naruto's hackles as high as they could go.
"VERY WELL…WHILE IT AMUSES ME TO TORTURE THIS CREATURE SO, IT ONLY IS AMUSING FOR THE MENTAL ANGUISH IT HAS CAUSED YOU…OR DID YOU WONDER WHY YOU FELT HIS WEIGHT ON YOUR SHOULDERS SO OFTEN?" The grin that came from behind the bars was large enough to fit an entire house inside it seemed, causing Naruto to take a fearful step back from the cage.
"HOWEVER, THE LINK WITH IT IS DEGRADING OUR SEAL DANGEROUSLY, AND ALLOWING YOU TO SIPHON OFF TOO MUCH OF MY POWER TOO QUICKLY FOR MY TASTES." The demon pushed the carcass of Kurama through the cage doors unceremoniously, dropping him at Naruto's feet.
"Kurama! Kurama, I'm here…I'm sorry this happened…I'm sorry I wasn't good enough…" The fox weakly turned watery eyes on Naruto as the boy cradled the fox's head. The fox began to lick Naruto's hand, then whimpered once before closing its eyes. The labored breathing of the fox drew even and Naruto clenched his eyes shut in pain. Moments later, he watched as Kurama's body began to flicker apart, as if into fireflies, before departing into nothingness. Surprisingly, the demon did not laugh at Naruto, but looked on in contemplation.
"YOU TRULY WEEP FOR THE LOSS OF A PARTNER…YOU ARE INTERESTING HUMAN…PATHETIC, BUT INTERESTING." Naruto seemed to shake at the statement, his shoulders heaving back and forth in misery. After a long moment, he seemed to draw even breath, and turned a stony glare on the demon.
"I'm never letting you out again, Kyuubi. You stay in my body, so you owe me rent when I ask for it, got that! But you get nothing else from me, for the rest of the time we are forced together!" Naruto's eyes turned on the demon, locking onto the large red irises. There was a gleam of hatred and anger etched there, along with great pain and sadness. The demon seemed taken aback for a moment, and growled lowly at the boy.
"IF THAT'S THE CASE, EXPECT ALL THE MALEVOLENCE YOU CAN GET FROM ME! LOCK ME UP FOR ALL I CARE…WHEN THE TIME COMES FOR YOU TO FACE ME THOUGH, I WILL ENJOY DEVOURING YOUR ESSENCE AND VISITING TERROR UPON THIS WORLD."
"Say what you want. You're not getting out of me until the day we both visit the land of the dead." Naruto turned and stormed out of the room, his eyes streaming tears as the Kyuubi raged behind him, thrashing against the metal bars with all its might.
"YOU'LL BE BACK! YOU ENJOYED THE FEELING OF RIPPING THOSE MEN TO SHREDS, AND THE DAY WILL COME WHEN YOU HAVE TO AGAIN! WE'RE A WEAPON TO THEM, YOU INSOLENT BRAT! THAT'S ALL WE EVER WILL BE!"
xXxXxXx
The image of a weapon flashing towards her had Sakura waking in a cold sweat. She was still lying on the ground of her old 'home', the walls the same strange color as they always had been. A headache pounded at her temples, and the girl found herself forcing back the sounds of her alternate personality.
'I guess I really will have to go through with that damned psycopahth's training…' Casting about, she quickly found the note that had been left for her, along with the key and address. Pocketing them, she stood up and began to take in her surroundings, trying to gauge the time.
"The way out is lit for you." Danzo's voice came from somewhere in the room, and Sakura noticed that a whole had been opened up in the floor boards. There were steps that led down into an inky darkness, and as Sakura moved along them, she found herself wondering at the underground complex.
There were passageways that could be seen crisscrossing the entirety of the village. 'We were told in class about the secret passages for wartime use, but I never imagined they were this extensive…' Clutching the handrail at her side, the girl moved herself through the compound, trying to keep her eyes moving in case of attack.
Every time Sakura turned to take in her direction, all that would be left was peering black depths, leading away into nothingness. A single path was lit up, a trail of lights leading away from the hall. Following it, the girl found herself in the market district of the village, in the back of a stall. Letting herself out quietly, the girl fled to a nearby training field, where she lowered herself onto the grass and began to cry.
Sakura was unsure how long she stayed out there, but a pair of feet landed softly nearby. Drawing her hands to her whips, Sakura turned and faced her tormentor, rage and anger in her eyes. When she did, she noticed it was Neji, and felt her anger abate quickly. Embarrassment soon followed, and the girl turned away harshly from him.
"What do you want, Neji? Can't you see I want to be alone right now?" Sakura's voice was full of venom, and her arms shook in false anger. 'Please let him leave…I can't have him see me like this…so weak, so unable…'
"That look of rage moments ago seemed like you were interested in a spar. And while I cannot hazard a guess as to the reason for your anger, I can provide a sparring partner for you to get said anger out through." Sakura chuckled and flexed her hands over her whips.
"If you're volunteering to be my punching bag, then by all means, go ahead. But I'm not going to hold back." Sakura felt her muscles tense, and her jaw flex responsively. Her head was pounding again, with the voices screaming at her for action.
"I wouldn't have it any other way. It's been a while since we sparred, it will be nice to see what new moves Kakashi has taught you…" Neji activated his Byakugan, waiting for the girl's reaction.
"Don't say I didn't warn you…" Sakura was gone in a blur, her form disappearing in the Shunshin. Her blood sang for once as she entered into battle, the normal pressure of being cold and calculating gladly removed. She came at him with both whips at first, the snakehide cracking out to attempt and wrap around his limb, before the chain whip came in to deliver cutting slashes.
'She's more aggressive than normal…this is not good…' Neji fluidly dodged her strikes, her movements easy to read but hard to keep up with. The prodigy for the first time felt sweat bead at his temples while training with Sakura. 'She might actually hit me at this rate…'
Suddenly Sakura backed off, and Neji paused in bewilderment. He quickly felt his pulse spike yet again as a thick mist rolled over the area, and he heard the tell-tale signs of rocks shifting underneath him.
'This mist is thickened with Chakra…though I can see through it, it takes additional effort and is quite difficult to maintain…on top of that, I can't distract myself from looking at the mist to tell if she is launching an underground attack…' Neji dodged to the side suddenly, instinct screaming at him as hands reached up from the earth, attempting to snare him.
He struck out at Sakura with his heavenly palm, hoping to hit her hard enough to end the match. The girl merely smiled at him as she disappeared into a substitution. Seconds later, Neji felt cold steel wrap around his neck, a chain making its way around his body.
"I surrender." Neji gulped nervously as he felt Sakura behind him, her lithe body and frame for once distracting the teenage boy. He noted all the spots where there hips met, and her heavy breathing forced her chest against his in repetitive and enticing motion.
"Oh, I don't think so, Neji. You said you'd be my punching bag, and yet I haven't hit anything yet…" Sakura nailed Neji with a hard jab to the kidney before shoving him away. She disappeared back into the mist, leaving Neji coughing on the ground.
Voices screamed in Sakura's head to go further, to eliminate the inferior male, and search for a proper mate. Sakura screamed them down, shutting out the influence as much as she could.
"What the hell was that, Sakura? That was hardly a practice punch…" Neji coughed on the sidelines, trying to catch his breath.
"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! I don't know what came over me, I'm sorry!" The voice that came back was weak and frail, and Neji felt his head spin at the change in tone. The mist began to clear, and he suddenly found Sakura sitting on the ground, her whips at her side and her head held in her hands. Pain filtered across the girl's face, and Neji could swear he heard whimpers coming from her.
"What's going on?" Neji's voice was low, and full of concern.
"I don't know…something's happening with me, some sort of weird stuff that's messing with my head…" Sakura clutched her head tighter, trying to fight off the pain.
"Are you seeing anyone for it? Mental injuries are common, especially considering you had your first kill recently…" Sakura's eyes snapped up to Neji with betrayal in them.
"Who told you?" Her hands suddenly were fisted in Neji's shirt, pulling the poor boy even with her enraged face.
"Kakashi told Guy, and Guy told us…he said that everyone on your team made their first kill, and you and Naruto had to go through the most…" Memories of what happened to Naruto flooded back to Sakura, and the girl felt her rage diminish significantly.
"Yeah…that's true. Sasuke got the tough enemies, whereas Naruto and I just got the fodder…" Neji gulped nervously from his raised perch, and Sakura blushed heavily before setting him down next to her.
"Were you out looking for me then?" Neji smiled, but shook his head sadly.
"I was in the market district shopping for the main branch." Venom had crept into the last words, and Sakura felt her eyes focus in on Neji. "I noticed you come out of one of the market stalls, and I was excited to see you again." Sakura blushed prettily at that, and Neji flushed a light bit as well.
"So, you missed beating me in sparring matches that much, huh?" Sakura giggled, trying to get a rise out of Neji.
"Maybe. More your company, and camaraderie than anything else though…" Sakura flushed at that, and moved her hand closer to his in the grass.
"Can't get that from the people on your team?" Neji scoffed lightly at that, making Sakura blink in surprise.
"Lee's an idiot that always challenges me to pointless spars, and Tenten is more focused on gathering new weapons than actually training. I prefer sitting with you, and trying myself against your interesting styles." Sakura blushed again, but said nothing to break the moment.
"I do have a question though…" His simple statement made Sakura bring her guard up. "…there, on the inside of your mouth, is a seal. What is it for?" Sakura shrank back from Neji.
"I can't tell you…All I can say is that someone is helping me control my emotions and that I need this training because I've apparently developed a rare and dangerous bloodline…" Neji felt his eyes widen at this, before narrowing slightly.
"But you've mentioned before that your parents are not from any prominent clan…how could you 'develop' a bloodline?" Sakura fidgeted in front of Neji, fighting to make the words come out.
"I'm adopted." Neji blinked once or twice, but then smiled and chuckled in acceptance.
"Being adopted is nothing to be embarrassed about Sakura, many kids were after the Kyuubi attack." Mention of the attack had Sakura again thinking of Naruto, and the seal he had to bear.
"Besides, you having a seal is something we share now…" Neji removed his headband as he faced Sakura, and in the evening light, Sakura could make out a strange, glowing green pattern on the boy's forehead. "I bear the seal of the caged bird, bonding me in loyalty to the main family. I can't escape this bond, no matter what I do, and will bear it until I die. Thus is the burden of the branch family members of the Hyuuga."
Sakura stepped forward, tears in her eyes. She began to trace the symbol of the seal, and Neji found himself shuddering under the sensation of touch. "I understand why you are so stoic then…you never were given a chance to escape…" Neji pulled Sakura close as she began to cry.
"I left my parents today. I've a new place to stay thanks to the money from the mission." Sakura wound her hand into his, pulling Neji closer to her. "Will you walk me home? Even to a kunoichi, the market district is scary at night…" Neji highly doubted that, but didn't argue as he pulled her along.
xXxXxXx
Naruto felt his mind being pulled back to his body, and when he awoke he was lying in the floor of the Yamanaka counseling room.
"Welcome back sleepyhead, you took longer than expected to wake up." Naruto blinked his eyes open as he lay on the floor, taking in the vertical image of Ino making tea. She was dressed in her normal purple attire, with her hair back in a ponytail, with the flower shop apron around her waist. "Not sure how Daddy managed it, but you went through another transformation thanks to his session." Naruto bolted upright at that, and flashed eager eyes toward Ino.
"You mean it! He got me to look less scary!" Naruto's voice was as bright as ever, and Ino rolled her eyes at the boy's actions.
"Yeah, he fixed you right up. Look here!" Ino pulled a mirror up and Naruto suddenly took in his altered appearance. His eyes were still ringed by the black markings, though they were heavily faded, and the slit appearance was gone completely. In addition, his whisker markings were fading back to a more normal appearance, and his fangs had shortened to normal length. He noted idly that he still had his claws though, which was somewhat troubling.
'Guess I can't expect everything to go my way…' Naruto shook such thoughts off as he smelled the scent of food and tea and his stomach growled appreciatively.
"Sorry about that…" Naruto chuckled while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Tsume had beat manners into Naruto over the years, especially concerning how to act in front of women.
"Don't worry about it. I'd probably be hungry too if I had slept for two whole days." Ino grinned at Naruto, and the boy felt his jaw go slack as he took the tray from the girl.
"Two whole days! But that means that the council meeting is today! Oh man, what time is it, I have to get ready!" Ino hauled sharply on Naruto's hand as he tried to bolt out the door.
"Relax knucklehead! Your mom brought over stuff for you to change into, as Daddy said it would be bad to move you after a session! Now sit and eat, we have to hurry if you're going to make it in time!" Naruto blinked for a second or two, but then nodded and lowered himself to his seat on the floor.
"What about the others? Did Sasuke and Sakura come to check up on me? Or Kakashi-sensei, or Kiba?" Ino shoved food into Naruto's mouth to halt the questions from flowing at her.
"To start with, Sasuke and Sakura both stopped by for short periods, though no longer than a few minutes to sit and discuss what happened with my Dad. Kakashi stopped by with some weird old dude with long white hair and stayed for a while to discuss council things with my Dad. Kiba however, did stop by with his team, and they ended up staying awhile when Hinata fainted after seeing you on the ground." Naruto blinked at that, and frowned a little.
"Why is she still acting weird around me?" Naruto asked through a bite full of toast. Ino leaned over and flicked him in the head, making the blonde reach up and rub his scalp in protest.
"If you don't know yet, I'm not telling you. You have to figure that out on your own." Ino turned and took a few bites of food, silencing the conversation. Naruto, still mindful of getting flicked in the forehead again, paused to finish his current bite of food.
"Why are you being so nice to me then? If I remember correctly, you were always chasing after both Sasuke and me back in the academy…still harboring that childhood crush, Ino-chan?" Naruto's teasing voice caught the girl off guard, and she coughed for a second before swallowing her current bite of food.
"As if! Sasuke's nice and all, and you definitely are a cutie Naruto," Ino drawled, getting Naruto to blush in response, "but I have a certain teammate that I'm much more interested in these days…" Naruto felt his mouth fall open, but he shut it with a sudden snap.
"No way…poor Shika, I feel for the dude…" Ino threw a sausage at Naruto this time, hitting him square in the nose as he shook his head.
"I also didn't finish telling you all of your visitors…" Ino purred, cutting off Naruto's reaction in an instant. Naruto seemed to grumble a bit, before he rolled his hands in a continuing gesture.
"You had a visit from a Tenten Aoyama…never knew you were into the older girls, Naruto." Ino had a face of the cat that ate the canary, and Naruto's growing blush told her she had struck gold.
"She stopped by to see me? But why? I mean, we're just friends, you know?" Naruto's quick stammering only made Ino's smile grow bigger.
"She seemed awfully worried about you, and even grabbed your hand while you were sleeping…It was really quite cute." Naruto stammered for a moment or two before the sound of footsteps were heard approaching the room.
"Good morning, Daddy!" Ino called out, standing up to greet her dad at the doorway as he walked into the counseling room.
"Morning to you too, princess…Glad to see our house guest is up." Inoichi smiled down at Naruto, before reaching down a hand to help the boy up.
"Thank you sir, for everything." Inoichi waved Naruto off and motioned him to follow after him.
"Come on, time for that later. We need to get you ready for the meeting…" Inoichi pulled the boy into a changing room and tossed some clothes at him. "Now remember, you are not to say anything unless directly spoken to...and whatever you do, if the Daimyo takes an interest in you, say nothing in response. The Fire Daimyo is known for picking young idiots out to be the tragic hero's in our nations stories...he loves to kill off those with spunk in his ninja villages by giving them impossible tasks..." Naruto blanched at this, staring wide at the Yamanaka clan head.
"Has anyone ever managed to complete one of those crazy tasks?" Naruto spluttered, rushing to get the formal robes sorted.
"Only once, and that was the man they made the Fourth Hokage."
xXxXxXx
"The meeting's about to start Tsume, are you sure you want to go through with this?" Jiraiya looked over the crowd of assembling councilmen worriedly. There were additional ninja in the rafters, and most of them were wearing standard work garb. The council were all dressed in formal kimono's, and though Jiraiya could have opted for that as well, he preferred his informal outfit any day.
"Yes, I'm sure. It's the best option that keeps Naruto in the Inuzuka. We just have to see if we can convince enough council members to vote in his favor." Tsume bit nervously at her lip, showing the first signs of worry. She was dressed in a purple kimono, flowers forming over several spots here and there, and wolves and moons adding a further motif. Her hair was well done for once and was back and out of the way.
"It would be simpler to just do it the Hokage's way…only need three votes for that. Your way we need six, and that's a stretch to pull together." Jiraiya counted off the yes votes, and the no votes in his head, sighing as he did.
"We have the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, according to what I've heard, as well as the Sarutobi and the Inuzuka…we just need one more to fold to our side." Tsume worried at her sleeves as more people began to enter the room.
"That's if we don't have any votes against, which I can assure that Danzo will…If he's corrupted sensei's old teammates, then we have three votes to overcome. We need a miracle for this plan, that's what we need." Jiraiya snorted as he stepped back and away from the wall, moving towards his designated seat. "Come on, this charade is about to start. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can all go home, one way or another."
xXxXxXx
Kakashi sweated from his spot in the Jounin booth. Though his record was high with many Jounin in the village, there had still been considerable resistance in winning Naruto to his side. 'Three days didn't give me much to work with, and the fox has a legendary reputation…many were annoyed that the presence of such a power had been kept secret over the years…' If it came down to a Jounin vote, he was unsure if things would work out positively. Sighing, and accepting that the time had come, the cyclops moved down to the council floor.
Watching the doors open as he did, he saw Sakura and Sasuke walk in together. Sasuke seemed to be dressed in the normal council attire, yet something seemed different about his posture. Moving towards a council seat, Kakashi realized that upon his becoming a genin, Sasuke had regained his position on the Council of Fire, if not on the ordinary village council. 'Guess that mean the Uchiha are back in the council politics…that will make future things interesting…judging from his posture and formal robes, he means to make good on the position.' Seeing Sakura approach the center of the room, Kakashi leapt down from the jounin booth to the council floor.
Sakura came and stood next to Kakashi, and she too seemed changed. Kakashi noted a withdrawn air about her, but shook off such thoughts as the members began to settle in. Moments later, he heard the doors opened and gaped at who entered into the room.
xXxXxXx
Naruto surveyed the room as he entered, his blonde hair restrained by his headband, and his eyes more piercing blue than ever with his new facial markings. For the formal meeting, his mother had sent robes of white with red flames coating the edges, and the tan skin of Naruto made the outfit stand out better than any other in the room.
The room was vastly different than Naruto had ever been in, with a large raised half-moon table for seated dignitaries. In the wings behind each clan stood servants holding large palanquins, each one for a village-sponsoring noble of prominence. High above, like birds on a tree, sat a number of the Jounin and select Chuunin of the village, their eyes cold and indifferent as they watched the proceedings below.
As Naruto came to stand next to Kakashi, Kakashi felt like he was looking at a younger version of his sensei. So focused and controlled was the image that Kakashi felt his hopes buoy slightly at the boy's presence.
The Third Hokage's gavel sounded resolutely around the room as the meeting began. Standing as one, the council looked down upon Kakashi and two of his charges. Sasuke's position among the judicators did little to lessen their worry, as his stony face seemed more impassive than ever.
"We are called today to hear on several matters of state. These are, in order, the establishment of the ambassadors for the treaty with the new nation state, Tsunami, the public revelation of a classified secret that has been improperly divulged to foreign states, and the determination of appropriate action for the crimes that led to such a divulgence." For the first time in Naruto's life, the old man that led the village sounded powerful, his voice commanding and resolute. His plain white and red robes of office carried import, and his gravely tone shook the young boy to his core.
"In missives we have received from the former Land of Waves, now known as Tsunami, it was listed that the brave actions of Haruno Sakura and Hatake Kakashi were considered the most valiant. As such, they have been asked to become the ambassadors for missions concerning diplomacy with Tsunami. All in favor of this agreement, state 'Aye', all opposed, 'Nay'." The gavel pounded once on the seat council and a resounding chorus of 'Aye' went around the room.
"With that, Sakura Haruno, you are no longer needed for the proceedings here and are asked to leave." The tone of the Hokage brooked no disagreement. "Kakashi, please join the other Jonin in their section if you would." Naruto's two team members bowed low, and Naruto suddenly found himself facing the council on his own.
"Our next order of business is giving a public revelation of a classified secret that was improperly divulged in states of battle to foreign shinobi. The classified secret in question is that of the identity of the Jinchuuriki of Konoha." Several outcries came from the Jonin section, and various nobles had shocked reactions.
"During the midst of battle against foreign trained mercenaries, Naruto Inuzuka, rightfully of the Namikaze and Uzumaki clans, did unleash the power of the Nine Tailed Demon Fox, Kyuubi." Outcries began to take over the crowd, some nobles crying for explanation, and others voicing disbelief.
"QUIET! You are in the presence of the nobles of the Land of Fire, as well as the Hokage himself. Show some decorum!" Danzo's voice rang out over the crowd, silencing vast swaths of the unruly mob. The man was dressed in a plain brown robe, and held no motifs whatsoever. Naruto read the name plate in front of the man's seat, and blinked as he realized he knew nothing of the man in front of him.
"Lord Hokage, why was the Council of Fire not informed of the child's status before now?" A refined voice came from a man whose face was hidden by a fan. Naruto narrowed in on the man's face as he talked, covered in light makeup and hiding his true appearance with veils of silk draped across a raised palanquin.
"The late Fourth Hokage issued missives that the boy was not to have his identity revealed to any due to concerns that it could lead to him becoming the village pariah. Furthermore, the Fourth was concerned that connections to his lineage would cause a high bounty to fall on the boy's head, making him increasingly attractive for high powered assassination attempts." Grumbles went throughout the crowd as the reasoning was discussed among the masses.
"In light of the boy's lineage, what punishment can we bestow upon him? He is the rightful heir of two clans should he choose to claim then, and he is also the village Jinchuuriki…such instances as this one are usually brushed aside in those cases, are they not?" Shibi Aburame spoke from his position on the council drawing many eyes toward him. The clan head in question had a green robe with forest motifs spread across the outfit. His eyes were hidden behind glasses, and his face hidden by an unusually high collar.
"Regardless of that, the report would seem to indicate that the boy lost control of his Bijuu during the confrontation with the foreign enemies. If such is the case, there is precedence for the removal of the Bijuu from the host container." Naruto stepped forward at Danzo's comment, but his voice died in his throat when Inoichi stood up to face the council. The Yamanaka was wearing a purple robe, with clouds and chains littered across the silk in blurring patterns.
"The boy did lose control during that time, but not full control. He was still fighting against the Bijuu's influence, and had he been given proper training in the past, he would have managed to restrain the influence of the Kyuubi in my opinion." Inoichi's voice drew shocked reactions from much of the council.
"The boy did not receive training in the handling of his Bijuu before now, Hiruzen?" A soft spoken voice came from the rear of the room, and Naruto craned to make out the noble who sat in the rarefied position.
"It was not allowed by clan tradition, Daimyo. He was fully adopted into the Inuzuka clan, and even now legally bears the clan name. As such, it will take at least a three clan vote to separate him from his clan." The Daimyo, for he could not be seen from his current position seemed to huff lightly at that, almost as if he had smelled something foul.
"What is the opinion on the seals strength according to Jiraiya?" The Daimyo's voice seemed to quiet the entire hall as faces turned to swivel toward the towering old man Naruto had met in the Hokage's office.
"After recent work accomplished by Inoichi, the seal has stabilized completely. It is as sound as ever. Unless Naruto specifically begins in training to bring the fox out for fighting purposes, the seal will hold indefinitely. Even if he were to do so, the Fourth left behind a seal key that I have guarded away that can strengthen the seal, allowing him to draw even the full fox's power out without trouble." Murmurs went around the crowd, until a man in a white robe with brown hair stood up to address the crowd.
"Do you really believe that the boy can contain the power of the demon fox, Lord Jiraiya?" The man's voice brooked no contempt, just plain curiosity, and Naruto quickly recognized him as a relative of Neji or Hinata. Naruto smiled slightly, as things seemed to be going in his direction at the moment.
"Yes. Someday, this kid in front of you will be able to wield the demon fox with full control." Jiraiya's confident tone had many of the Jounin agreeing with the idea, and some looking positively upon him. "He is the living reincarnation of the Fourth, and under my future tutelage, he will be a powerhouse of the village."
"You plan to train him, Lord Jiraiya? I had heard he was under Kakashi's tutelage…I do so hate it when my favorites fight…" The Daimyo's voice was pitched in a threatening manner, seeming to egg one of the two into talking.
"I am fully aware of Jiraiya's intention to train Naruto, and have agreed to hand him over for tutelage under the sage once the coming Chunnin exams have concluded." Kakashi's calm voice filtered into the room, and the Daimyo seemed to chuckle with appreciation.
"Very well then…the boy has at least my blessing for continuing his ninja career. If the village wants my continued support, I would suggest charges against the boy be dropped." Grumbles of dissent ran through the ninja council, but Naruto noticed that in general the council was swaying to his side.
"In that case, I suggest we move on to the next item of business…the reestablishment of the Namikaze and Uzumaki clan, and their status at large." Tsume rose her head at this, and Naruto felt his stomach sink.
"Lord Hokage, I would actually petition that Naruto remain under the name Inuzuka and become the representative of the Uzumaki and Namikaze clans." Naruto felt his eyes bug out as he stared at the smiling look of Tsume. Her eyes glinted down happily towards him, and Naruto felt a small twitch of a grin in return.
"There is a precedence for this…" Shikaku Nara called out, and pulled out a large scroll, "…several prior cases, in fact. All it needs is a total of six clan votes to approve." The Hokage looked over to the Nara Clan head questioningly. "We currently have five votes in favor of this, with Sarutobi Asuma's agreement adding to the Ino-Shika-Cho, and the Inuzuka…" Danzo's face contorted at that, a sour look seeming to cross his face.
"The Hyuuga will also agree to this, as it would not shift the village balance of power." Hiashi gazed fairly at Naruto, eyes regarding him with calculating curiosity. Naruto managed the barest of nods in the Hyuuga's direction, and the man seemed to smile slightly in return.
"As will the Aburame." Shibi nodded towards the boy, who glanced at his dark shades questioningly. "Your clan brother has gained the trust of my son, and as such, I pass such trust on to you in kind." Naruto smiled in appreciation, and bowed low to the man.
"We stand against this measure!" Danzo and the civilian member stood in unison, his voice resolute. "Don't you see? If we allow the boy to remain a part of the village, he will never receive the proper training he needs to control the fox?" Danzo's voice was gravely and grave, but none of the clan heads turned to listen to the man.
"The Uchiha stand in agreement with the Inuzuka clan's proposal." Sasuke's voice carried over the crowd, and eyes turned to the Hokage's advisors.
"We abstain from this vote, and ask the Jounin of the village to decide the boy's fate." The two elders spoke in unison, and Naruto felt his stomach sink as he looked to the rafters above where the ninja sat.
"The Jounin have decided. We will vote in favor of Naruto Inuzuka." Murmurs of discussion went around the room at this, and Danzo's face seemed to tighten in revolt to the planned measures.
"Naruto, what is your opinion in this matter? Do you wish to remain an Inuzuka, or take on your family names?" Naruto blinked up at the Hokage, and smiled widely.
"I've only ever known being an Inuzuka, Lord Hokage. I think I would like to continue as such." The Hokage smiled down at the boy, nodding to him in respect.
"In that case, on this day, Inuzuka Naruto becomes the representative of the Uzumaki and Namikaze clan, until such a time as actual members of the family can be brought to take your seat on the council. Your voting abilities will be non-existent, save for those measures that would directly relate to your clan if you ever become clan head. You will be allowed the ability to appoint a surrogate representative if, for any reason, you are called on extended leave from duty. With that, we end today's meeting. Thank you all for coming, and please, feel free to stay and discuss other issues as you see fit among the members present." Grumbles came from Danzo's position, and several nobles seemed to be talking animatedly with the elder.
Naruto ran up to his mother as the council members were leaving, the two of them embracing.
"I told you what family means, remember, Naruto? Family doesn't turn its back on each other…" Tsume held her son close, glad to have him in her arms once more.
"I…I still am going to need to live apart from the clan for a while though…" Naruto said his voice low and directed downward.
"Don't worry too much about that kid. Your mom and I worked out a deal for the two of us to shack up together, at least until you have your hairball problem under control." Jiraiya came up behind Naruto, ruffling the kid's hair as he did. Naruto smiled at that, and leaned over and suddenly hugged Jiraiya.
"Woah, easy there, easy…You're going to be alright, Naruto…" Jiraiya hugged the kid close, and patted his hair once or twice before pushing him away. "Now come on, we have to celebrate and then get you moved in!" Tsume nodded towards Naruto to go off with Jiraiya, turning to talk to Nara Shikaku.
xXxXxXx
"Danzo, a moment if you will…" Danzo turned as Hiruzen approached him. Though he had tried to make it out of the meeting hall as fast as possible, his old teammate managed to catch up in the crowd.
"Ah, you're probably after Haruno's agreement slip. I have it here. She agreed last night to the training, voluntarily." Hiruzen frowned at the signature, but it seemed legitimate.
"I'll have it checked over as soon as possible for signs of forgery or coercion." Danzo nodded, agreeing readily to the Hokage's suggestion.
"But in the meantime, I will start her training. I will have her master her abilities, of that have no doubt, Hiruzen…" The Hokage nodded, and was quickly called away by a noble. As he turned to confront Danzo once more he noted that the man had disappeared.
'It's a pain working with ninja some days…'
xXxXxXx
Alright, there it is ladies and gentleman! Sorry for the untimely wait, as I said above, there were exams and such that kept holding me back. However, got this to you inside of two days of starting it, so I feel pretty good about that! Let me know what you all think, and I'll make sure to send shout out's to the frequent reviewers. Quick tags for some of the recent ones…
Justin the constant reviewer: You blew through the fic man! It excites me to see someone so interested though, so thanks for the comments. Also, yeah, that plot points a killer. And yes, Danzo was supposed to get willing permission. Which he did…eventually.
KyuubiGohan: You also lighted through this thing, and yeah, Sasuke really isn't going to stop being an ass. Kind of part of his character, and makes him a good foil. Sorry, but need him the way he is. Trying to get him to the loveable ass status though, that takes time though.
Fanwoman: Your comments are really nice, and actually got me to read back over the fic for certain moments, thanks for checking in! Much appreciated!
Orachmus: Had you up to chapter six man, what happened? It's all good though, I like your comments, and want to thank you without spoiling the next couple of chapters for you. Also, I hear what you're saying on the muscle memory, but that depends on physical nerves, which would mean the sensations of getting hurt would also be transferred. Sorry, but since Naruto never doubled over in reeling agony from shadow-clone death, not seeing it.
Well, that's about all I've got for now, going to give it a read over and throw it up online. Man is it good to be back! As always, Read and Review!
(Additional note: the MA thing from Fanfiction is a load of hogswallop I say. I state this because, the Naruto community has over ten percent of its fan base devoted to lemon scenes. If that is the case for almost all their genres, they are going to lose at least a ten percent fan base, which is damned huge! No way they are dumb enough to do that, don't buy it for a minute…)