Chapter 12: More About the Painful Reunion
Naruto looked at the scene before him with a slight since of awe. He was about to witness all three of the sannin fight with their respective summons. Granted, he could summon a dragon but with fighting Kabuto and healing Shizune doing so would be very bad for his health. He listened as the summons addressed the ones who had summoned them. He couldn't believe that Orochimaru actually had to give human sacrifices to his summon. But then Naruto remembered that the snake was an actual demon and it made sense.
Naruto continued to watch in awe as the summons battled each other. It was one thing to fight on a summon during a battle and something else entirely to watch a battle of that size and magnitude from the sidelines.
Naruto saw that the battle was not going in favor of Jiraiya and Tsunade. It was two on one but slugs were truly more of a defensive summon than an offensive one. While the toads were offensive, they had more power than speed and speed was the main thing that the snakes excelled at.
"Kyuubi, what would happen if I tried to summon a dragon right now," Naruto asked as he watched Orochimaru start winning the fight.
"I don't know. The wound that Kabuto gave you isn't anywhere near healed yet. Right now the best that could happen would be that you passed out," Kyuubi responded not liking where the conversation was going.
Naruto was debating his options when Shizune began to awaken.
"What's going on," Shizune asked as she tried to get her world to stop spinning.
"Shizune, do you think you can hang on to me if I summon to help Tsunade and Jiraiya out," Naruto asked.
"I could, but I don't see how summoning another toad is going to help because he won't be strong enough to fight in this battle," Shizune replied as she saw what was happening.
"Good. I'm most likely going to lose consciousness after I summon so I need you to tell them that the snake is the bad guy," Naruto stated.
Naruto didn't give Shizune a chance to responded before he cried out Kuchiyose jutsu. Shizune had to quickly grab Naruto as she felt herself being lifted into the air.
"So, what do you want me to do, Naruto-sama," a deep voice asked.
All three of the sannin stopped their fight when they heard someone else using the Kuchiyose jutsu. They watched in awe as the size of the cloud of smoke. All three of the sannin knew that the summon would be very powerful. The only question was, was it friend or foe? Jiraiya and Tsunade released a breath when they heard the summon addressing Naruto. Orochimaru, on the other hand, was really starting to hate the blonde. However, all three of their jaws hit the ground when the smoke cleared to reveal a giant dragon.
"Um…Naruto told me to tell you that the snake is the bad guy," Shizune stated nervously.
The dragon took in a huge breath of air through it's nose. In doing so, it was able to tell that Naruto was knocked out and that him and the woman on it's head were both severely injured and that he would have to be careful not to aggravate their injuries.
"Alright, if that's what he's says then let's barbeque us some snake. I've heard it tastes just like chicken," The dragon replied with what the sannin could only guess as a smile.
As the dragon said this, he reached up and grabbed both Naruto and Shizune. Shizune was startled by this action but when they were placed on the ground she understood that as long as they were on top of his head then he couldn't fight very well. Once Naruto and Shizune were on the ground the dragon shot off like a rocket at Manda. Manda dodged the dragon's strike and hastily put as much distance as it could between the two of them.
"Orochimaru, you worthless human. I refuse to fight with theses odds and you better have at least five hundred sacrifices the next time you summon me or I will eat you then and there," Manda hissed out right before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Scene change no jutsu
Naruto was really starting hate waking up in a unfamiliar bed. It was one thing when he would wake up in the middle of his training field and it was another to have been moved to a different location while you're sleeping.
"So, how did Bahamut like the snake meat," Naruto asked as he sat up.
"You shouldn't be up yet," Tsunade announced as she ran to his bedside along with Shizune and Jiraiya.
"You worry too much, Obaa-chan," Naruto said wave Tsunade off.
"What did you call me, Brat," Tsunade asked getting angry at Naruto's nickname for her.
"Obaa-chan, you are old after all and before you hit me remember that I'm still injured," Naruto stated as Tsunade was about to pound him into powder. "Besides look at the bright side, I could have chosen something much more along the lines of what Ero-sennin likes to call you when your not around."
"Oh, and what does the pervert call me when I'm not around," Tsunade asked raising an eyebrow.
"Ano, Anko-neechan would kill me if I said them aloud," Naruto said sheepishly.
Then, before anyone could move, Jiraiya was faced down on the floor with a bump growing on his head.
"Who is this Anko of yours any way," Tsunade asked trying to play dumb.
"You know, your other nickname really does suit you, Tsunade-obaachan, you really suck at lying. I know you and Ero-sennin were listening when I told Shizune-neechan about my life," Naruto stated flatly.
Tsunade could only sputter in embarrassment at being caught evesdropping.
"Anyway," Tsunade said changing the subject. "We'll head back to Konaha tomorrow since your awake. Speaking of which, how are you awake so soon?"
"Give me a break. You mean to tell me you forgot about old fuzzball," Naruto deadpanned.
"Oh," was the only thing Tsunade could say in response.
Scene change no jutsu
It had been three days since Naruto and company had headed for Konaha and nothing had happened. Although, you would have to be crazy to attack two of the sannin at the same. They had just gotten into town for the day and everyone had decided to relax. Jiraiya said something about research before making a hasty exit. Naruto did not want to be Jiraiya when they got back together for dinner like they had planned.
Naruto, Shizune and Tsunade decided to that since it was just past noon to go get some lunch before wandering around the town shopping and generally wasting time until dinner. The group had decided on Dango for lunch, something that Naruto had grown to enjoy. Naruto especially enjoyed lunch since in Konaha he could only go to Ichiraku's without being glared at by some employee or having the establishment out right refuse him service to begin with.
"I can't believe that pervert ran off to go peep like that," Tsunade ranted.
"When you get back to Konaha you could always make a law severely punishing peepers like him. I mean, it wouldn't be too hard as Hokage," Naruto absentmindedly as he continued to eat his Dango. "I mean after all, there has to be some reward to do all of that paperwork."
Tsunade paled when Naruto mentioned the amount of paper work she would have to do as Hokage.
"Frell," Tsunade muttered under her breath. "I would give anything so I didn't have sit and do paperwork all day."
Shizune gently laid a hand on her mentors shoulders in an attempt to comfort Tsunade. Naruto, on the other hand, got a gleam in his eye that usually spelled trouble for someone and a lot of trouble at that.
"Do you really mean that you would give anything so you didn't have do paperwork all day like Oji-san," Naruto asked.
Tsunade snorted in response to Naruto's question.
"Like a brat like you would know anything about paperwork," Tsunade said.
"I you really don't want to know then," Naruto said with a shrug. "I was even willing to say that if it didn't work you wouldn't have to do what I asked, oh well."
"If you put it that way," Tsunade said not seeing how she could lose with terms like those. "But before I agree to anything you have to tell what it is that you want."
"Fair enough. I was wanting you to train a few of my friends in Konaha," Naruto replied.
Tsunade thought it over in her mind. On one hand she wouldn't have to spend all day doing paperwork but have to spend time training a couple of brats severely cutting into her free time. On the other, she would spend all day doing paperwork and not have any free time to begin with. That's when she noticed Shizune sitting besides her and her eyes took on the same gleam as Naruto's.
"Perfect, I can just pawn the brats onto Shizune and not have to worry about them at all," Tsunade thought as she simultaneously congratulated herself for thinking of doing that.
"Deal," Tsunade said a little too eagerly for Shizune's tastes.
"Good," Naruto said nodding his head once. "All you have to do is keep a Kage Bunshin or two around and help with the paperwork. Since everything they learn will get transferred to you when they dispel you still know everything that was there and you get your work done at least twice as fast. I mean it shouldn't be that big of a strain on your chakra."
Tsunade openly gaped at Naruto's logic. It was perfect. It was true that it wouldn't be that hard just to keep a few clones around doing paperwork. Most wouldn't think to do that since most don't have the chakra to keep clones going during training or combat for very long. But if they just sat at a desk all day then trying to keep the clones going wouldn't be that hard. Granted you had to have at least sannin level chakra reserves but that wasn't an issue because she did.
"Okay Naruto why don't you tell me about who I'll be training," Tsunade asked with a small smile.
"Well, I would like to talk to them before I tell," Naruto said sheepishly.
"That would probably be a good idea. Now, why don't we go shopping," Tsunade announced.
With that, the group paid their bill and left the restaurant to go shopping. Shopping was almost a quite affair, Well, as quite as it can be with to females. Naruto made sure to seal away Gama-chan into a scroll with a little money in his pocket after the shopping began. He trusted Shizune and Tsunade not to steal his money but he had seen how some women get when shopping. Luckily for him no such thing had happened. He had actually managed to find a book titled '101 Ways to Kill a Pervert' for Anko, which Tsunade bought as well, and a book on medicine for Hinata.
It was about time for he group to head back to where they were supposed to meet Jiraiya for dinner when realized an odd fact. He had not been glared at once the entire day. It was…nice. For once he was able to forget about Kyuubi and just enjoy the day with those that were fast becoming close to him. No glares, muttered curses and best of all actually paying the same price for something as everyone else.
Naruto's group waited for another twenty minutes for Jiraiya before Tsunade had had enough, "I'll kill that pervert when he gets here," Tsunade growled out.
"Now, now, Tsunade, there are far worse things than death. Like being banned from peeping at the hot springs in Konaha," Naruto said with a smirk.
Tsunade smirked in return as she heard Naruto's form of punishment.
"I may have to make you one of my advisers brat with the way you think," Tsunade stated.
"Nah, I'll just take your job. But I guess we should start looking for Ero-sannin at the hot springs then," Naruto asked.
"Yeah, knowing that pervert he's probably lost track of time peeping," Tsunade said with a sigh.
The decided they could cover more ground if they split up. There were not many hot springs in the village thankfully. All of them were on the same side of town except for one. the group of three decided that once they were done looking they would meet up at that hot spring whether or not they had found Jiraiya.
Naruto had made quick work of the hot springs he was suppose to check with the help of the Kage Bunshin no jutsu. He made he way to the hot spring on the other side of town. He was almost there when he heard a very girly high pitched scream that could only mean that Jiraiya ha indeed been caught peeping again.
Naruto went into the male side of the hot spring seeing as Jiraiya somehow always managed to end up on that side after the beatings and sure enough Naruto heard about five different women were beating the old pervert from behind the door to the men's side of the hot springs. Naruto had made sure to close his eyes before he opened the door and called out right after he got on the other side of the door.
"Excuse me," Naruto asked gently as to not upset the already angry women. "But by chance are you beating an old white haired man with hitiate bearing a strange symbol on his forehead?"
All of the women instantly locked on to Naruto ready to beat him to a bloody pulp. They all relaxed when they saw that he was facing the door and being a gentlemen.
"What's this pervert to you," one of the girls called out.
"He's supposed to be my sensei. But don't worry, I'm not a pervert like him. If I was my sister would literally castrate me the moment she found out. So, please continue to beat the author of the Icha Icha Paradise serous for as long as you want and I'll take care him once your done," Naruto said hoping to not get a beating for being the perverts student.
Naruto heard the women whispering to themselves for a moment before he heard on of the call out, "We're done now. too bad the pervert fainted."
"Really? Do you know why," Naruto asked still facing the door.
"I don't know. He took one look at me and almost shouted 'you' with a shocked look on his face before passing out," the person replied. "Anyway, you can turn around know all of the other women left."
Naruto turned around and he looked at his sensei. He looked fairly beaten up but he had a look of surprise etched on his face. Curious, Naruto looked at the women to see if he would know why Jiraiya would have such a reaction.
"You," Naruto gasped out when he look at the women and then promptly past out from shock.
Scene change no jutsu
Shizune had just walked into the hot springs they were suppose to meet at when she a gasp. She made her way towards the noise to see Jiraiya on the ground next to the back of some women that was facing away from her and Naruto slumped down on the near the men's entrance.
"What's going on," Shizune asked trying to make sense of the scene before her.
The women turned around at the sound of a familiar voice to come face to face with Shizune.
Shizune instantly gasped at the women before she too muttered you and then fainted.
Scene change no jutsu
Tsunade was now thoroughly annoyed. She was supposed to half drunk sitting in a restaurant right now. But nooo, the lazy pervert just had to lose track of time peeping at women. Oh, how she was looking forward to beating him to a bloody pulp, healing him, beating him to a bloody pulp again and then taking away his two most precious things.
Tsunade entered the bath house hoping to find a bunch of women beating so she could join in on the fun but stopped and blinked at what she saw. Shizune, Jiraiya and Naruto were passed out at different locations in the hot springs.
"Tsunade, please don't faint on me," Tsunade heard a vaguely familiar voice call out.
Tsunade looked towards the source of the voice only to find an old friend walking towards her.
"Why would I pass out, Rin," Tsunade asked raising an eyebrow.
"Because Jiraiya, Shizune and that Arashi look-alike did after they looked at me. Then they said you with a shocked expression on their face and passed out," Rin stated with a puzzled expression. "Do you any idea why they would do that?"
"No clue. I can understand Jiraiya and Shizune to a point but I have no idea why Naruto, the Arashi look –alike, would do anything like that. I don't even know why he would recognize you," Tsunade answered just as puzzled.
"So, What do you want to do with them," Rin asked.
"Well, if you want to know why they passed out then we'll have to take them to a hotel and wait till someone wakes up and tells us," Tsunade said as she went to pick up Naruto and Shizune.
Tsunade and Rin decided that they would just get more rooms at the same hotel that Rin was already staying at. So it only took about ten minutes to set all those who had fainted into a bed. Rin and Tsunade sat down to talk about what had happened with Orochimaru and Naruto. They also just talked about the things in general that had been going on in their lives since the last they met. It was, a surprisingly, twenty minutes before Shizune woke up.
"You feeling okay, Shizune," Tsunade asked as she got up and walked toward Shizune's bed.
"Oh," Shizune groaned as she sat up. "Yeah, I just thought that I saw…YOU," Shizune screamed as she pointed a finger toward Rin.
"Please don't faint again," Rin practically begged as she ran towards Shizune.
"I can't believe it. I just can't believe it," Shizune softly said with her face buried in her hands.
"Can't believe what, Shizune," Tsunade asked worried about her apprentices strange behavior.
"I-it's not my place to tell you," Shizune said still in shock.
"Shizune, I need you to tell me if you know you, Jiraiya and Naruto all fainted when you saw Rin," Tsunade nearly demanded in frustration.
"She's right, Tsunade. It's not her place to tell you what's going on. And before you ask, It's not my place either. Naruto is the only one that can tell you everything that's going on," a groggy Jiraiya stated.
Both Tsunade and Rin started to angry with the pervert till they saw how serious his face was. So, Tsunade and Rin resigned to the fact that they weren't going to get anything from anyone else but Naruto at the moment. Upon that realization the group settled into an awkward silence waiting for Naruto to wake up.
"What happened," Naruto asked as he tried to clear his blurry vision.
Naruto looked around the room till his eyes finally settled on Rin. He became stock still, his body radiating disbelief.
"Yes Naruto it's really her," Shizune stated while Jiraiya nodded in agreement.
Whatever was going on was big. Tsunade and Rin could tell that from Jiraiya's and Shizune's reaction and based off of Naruto's reaction it was bigger than they thought that it was initially.
"So, should I know you," Rin asked seeing as Naruto was staring at her like she was going to disappear.
"Yeah," Naruto said weakly as tears started to form in his eyes. "You're my…you're my…I can't Jiraiya do it. tell her everything," Naruto said before he hastily left the room as his tears began to fall.
Everyone was in shock. Jiraiya and Shizune to a lesser degree since they knew Naruto's relation to Rin but they still didn't expect that reaction. Tsunade herself was speechless. She had never seen Naruto act that emotional. Even when he told Shizune his life story he didn't get nearly that emotional. Tsunade curiosity was of the charts now. Rin was somehow either a hero to Naruto or related to her. The latter of which made since given Naruto's reaction.
Rin had arrived at the same conclusions Tsunade had but that idea made no since to her at all. As a war orphan she didn't have living relatives and her husband and son died the night of the Kyuubi attack.
"What? What does he want you to tell me, Jiraiya," Rin asked as she came out of her shock.
"He wants me to tell that you're his mother," Jiraiya said with a sad yet serious face.
"He can't be my son. I know he looks like Arashi but my son died in the Kyuubi attack," Rin said not wanting to believe the frog hermit.
"He is. He even has Arashi's bloodline according to Mitarashi Anko," Jiraiya said with the same face.
He made it a point to mention that Anko had confirmed who Naruto was. Rin and Anko were like sisters. If anyone would be able to confirm that Naruto did indeed have Arashi's bloodline it would be her.
Rin slowly processed the information Jiraiya was giving her. As much as she wanted to deny it, if Anko said that Naruto was in fact Arashi's son then there was no way that it was wrong.
Tsunade's mind went blank at hearing what Jiraiya said. Now she knew why it was neither Jiraiya's or Shizune's place to say it. But with Naruto's reaction, Jiraiya was the one that eventually ended up telling them. Tsunade gently leaned over and pulled Rin into a gentle embrace.
Rin slowly allowed herself to believe what Jiraiya was telling her. Rin leaned into Tsunade's embrace with tears of joy streaming down her face. As she started to believe that this was really happening, a terrible thought occurred to her. Why had finding his mother get such a strong reaction from Naruto? What had his life been like till now? Did he hate her for leaving him? A million other questions floated through her mind like lightning.
Jiraiya, as if reading her thoughts, said, "Rin, trust me say that he doesn't hate you. No one knew that he was your son and he understands your reasons for leaving Konaha after the Kyuubi attack."
"Do you know why he ran off like that," Rin asked as she let go of Tsunade and sat down in a chair.
Rin noticed that everyone else in the room grimaced at her question.
"Are you…sure you want to ear it," Rin was surprised that Tsunade asked that questions.
Rin nodded slowly not sure really why everyone was looking so somber at her request.
"Shizune could you please tell her since I'm not sure if I got all the details," Jiraiya asked.
"Alright," Shizune sighed. "Naruto's life in a word, Hell."
Rin gasped at that statement. She had suspected that he may not have led the best possible life, but to hear Shizune use language such as that meant that it to have been bad. It was an hour later that Rin had finally been told the main parts of Naruto's life and to say that Rin was furious would be like saying that sticking your finger into liquid nitrogen only slightly cools it, on other words a huge understatement.
"I'm going to go look for him," Rin said as she let her temper ebb away until it could be directed at those who deserved it.
"He's on the roof sense he wouldn't want to go very far in an unfamiliar town," Jiraiya said calmly.
Scene change no jutsu
Naruto had left the room trying desperately to regain his control over his emotions. He had only cried once since his sixth birthday where he promised not to cry again and the one time he had cried was when Hinata had accepted him Kyuubi and all over three months ago. He didn't know how long he sat just that it was oddly calming to just sit and not think about anything.
Naruto tensed when he sensed someone heading towards him. He relaxed a little as he was that it was Rin, his mother he corrected himself. Rin didn't say anything. She just came and quietly sat down next to Naruto.
"So they told you everything," Naruto asked Rin after they had sat in silence for a few moments.
"Yeah, they did," Rin replied softly.
She was nervous beyond all get out. She didn't know how she was talk to her son after not being there for fourteen years.
Naruto seemed to sense her nervousness because he whispered, "I don't hate you."
Rin barely heard him but she heard him none the less. Those words had managed to relieve of some of her nervousness but not all.
"I'm going to going back to Konaha with you guy's," Rin stated looking at the moon.
"I figured you would but what will you do," Naruto asked turning to look at Rin.
"One of the first things I'm going to do is to put the council straight about you," Rin said as she to turned Naruto.
"How? Oji-san, the Sandaime, was barely able to keep them from killing me. How will you be able to set them straight," Naruto asked showing confusion and a small amount of hope the he wouldn't have to so much about his own village trying to kill him.
"How do you know the council wanted to kill you," Rin asked surprised Naruto knew that the council had tried that since Jiraiya had told her what Sarutobi went through involving the council and Naruto.
"Growing up the way I did I'm able to read almost anyone like an open book. I've seen most of those on the council growing up at least once or twice and it's not like they try to hide the fact that they hate my guts," Naruto replied calmly.
"Oh," Rin said softly. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised about that. But as for setting the council straight, as the widow of the last officially known Kazama I have very powerful position in the council. They only person that could give me any trouble would be the Hyuuga. But after I explain a few things to him then he will not be any problems at all. And even if he did want to try something with the others on the council them me along with two Hokages would be able to stop them since the Uchiha clan doesn't have a member on the council."
Naruto simply nodded at the explanation. After that, an almost pleasant silence descended upon the duo.
"Come on," Rin started breaking the silence. "It's late and we're going to be heading out early tomorrow for Konaha.
Scene change no jutsu
It took Naruto's group few more days to get back to Konaha. They all had grown closely together during that time. Rin in particular had made an effort to get to know her son and Naruto was just as eager to get to know his mother. Jiraiya, Tsunade and Shizune were happy to see mother and son reunited and getting along. The arrival at Konaha brought something to the forefront everyone's that they wished not to reminded of. Konaha's hatred of Naruto.
Rin had opted to keep her identity hidden by wearing a cloak with it's hood up till she revealed herself to the council. Even though her identity was not known, not even the presence of two of the sannin deterred the gate guards from glaring at Naruto. Tsunade and Jiraiya quickly rectified this problem by not so subtly threatening to kill them if they ever found out that they glared at Naruto again or if they mentioned this incident to anyone else. Needless to say that the two guards effectively wet themselves at those words.
Tsunade, Shizune, Rin and Jiraiya's walk through the village wasn't a very pleasant experience either. They all could see the amount of glares that were directed towards Naruto. What made it worse was when they looked at anyone else in the group that glare instantly turned into awe and respect. People were even giving Rin looks of awe and respect and they didn't even know who she was only that she was in the company of the last two loyal sannin.
Although, Tsunade and even Jiraiya's loyalties were starting to be questions by themselves. Jiraiya had never walked through the village with Naruto and he had wondered why Naruto seemed against the idea of doing so.
The group split up when they got to the hospital. Tsunade and Shizune went into the hospital to see what they could do for the Sandaime, Sasuke and Kakashi. Although neither really didn't want to help Kakashi after what he did to Naruto. Jiraiya went to do whatever he did, namely go peeping. And Rin and Naruto went to the Kazama estate.
Scene change no jutsu
Anko was almost giddy with excitement. Naruto had sent her and Hinata a note via dragon summon about how they had found Tsunade and were on their way back. Granted she was busy most of the time with work but being a part of the torture and interrogation unit did have it's advantages.
Hinata herself was glad that Naruto would be getting back. She had been worried, along with Anko, about what the council might try to do to Naruto without a Hokage in place to try to stop them.
Anko and Hinata were in the kitchen getting ready to make themselves dinner when they heard the front door being opened. They both ran to the front door to welcome him.
"Welcome back," Anko said in her usual cheerful manner as she saw Naruto and a cloaked figure. "Who's the guy in the cloak," Anko asked pointing to the cloaked figure.
Hinata was standing next to Anko and was wondering the exact same thing.
"I am not a guy Anko," the cloaked figure said lowering the hood of the cloak to reveal Rin.
"You," Anko and Hinata said in unison as their eyes went wide right before they fainted.
"Why does everyone keep doing that," Rin said slightly annoyed.
FIN
Okay. The last couple of chapters have finally set up the pairing. I should have announced this before but the pairings will be het. sorry for any confusion. Well, not really.
