The Cycle of Pain
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
AN: See you all at the bottom.
Pain. That was all Naruto felt at this moment. Pure and utter pain. Unfiltered and simple pain. The one person who mattered to him. The only person he could say that he loved and would die for at any moment. Hiruzen was dead and gone.
The Sandaime had died a little over a day ago and Naruto had been in shock the entire time. He stayed in his apartment, locked the door, and sobbed all through the night. This was the first time he had ever dealt with the death of a loved one.
He cried his eyes and heart out while he sat in the corner of his apartment. He hadn't bothered to shut the blinds on the windows or even lay in the bed. Nothing felt right to him or felt even bright. He felt rather dead inside.
Imagine his pain. He only had one person in his entire life growing up. One person to shield him from the harmful scorn of the village. To help raise him right and keep him well supplied with money and food. The only pillar of support in his life.
A pillar that came crashing down. That only made Naruto shiver. He had replayed the scene of Hiruzen's death in his head over and over again. The smoke, blue ball of chakra, the fall, Orochimaru. He remembered everything about that moment.
His mind cycled through everything that showed up. He imagined that the smoke must have been from the dispelling of something. Maybe a clone or two that blew up. The blue ball of chakra had to be the Rasengan that the Namikaze clan used.
But why was it being used now? With Orochimaru fleeing the scene Minato had no reason to use such a move. Unless he was trying to catch his Father off guard but the odds of that were slim. Orochimaru didn't seem like the person to ever let his guard down.
Either way Hiruzen had been hit with the attack and flew off the building. Watching the old man fall to his death had easily been the most painful thing he had ever witnessed. He couldn't tell if he was dead before he was hit and fell or if he died on impact but it was hard to watch for him.
The only thing he wanted right now was to be alone and to be left alone. Fate had other plans for the boy in suffering. Many angry people came to throw things and shout at the child. They seemed to blame him for the death of the Sandaime, even though Naruto was no where near the area.
He could only assume that they were launching what blind rage they had against Orochimaru's son, again. He decided not to taunt them back for it would cause nothing but a mess and put him in trouble with the Yondaime Hokage.
That brought a curious thought in to his head. With the Sandaime gone who would stand up for him now? Who would shield him from the wrath that is the Yondaime? Naruto thought about leaving the village to avoid the scorn but he knew that Sarutobi would be disappointed in him if he did. So he would just grin and bear the pain for now.
"Hey kid." A very familiar, and welcomed voice, came out from the shadowy corner of his apartment. Anko stepped out with a blank face on her usually happy features. She knew that this was no time to be fooling around and Naruto was in a deadly state of mind.
Naruto looked up with tears pouring out of his face still. The pain just wouldn't stop and no one was letting him move on with it. Anko knew the pain he was feeling all too well. She knew what it was like to feel such hate bearing down on you for no reason.
He tried to say something but his throat was too dry to do anything like that. Instead he just gave her a small wave of the hand with a defeated look on his face. Her own mood soured even further after that. He couldn't even muster the will to speak anymore, let alone be happy.
"Come on Naruto. Let's go get something to eat. I'll pay." Naruto looked up at her like she was asking him to forget about the Old Man. He sprung to his feet and pointed a finger at her.
"No! I can't! Not with the Old Man dead. I refuse to forget about him!" He declared proudly with tears running down his cheeks. Anko sighed to herself. She knew exactly how he was feeling right now and couldn't blame him for feeling that way.
"No one is saying you have to forget about him Naruto. Be honest with yourself for a moment. Would he want you to be seen like this? Crying and not living the life he gave you by defending the village?" Naruto hadn't quite thought about that yet.
How would Hiruzen respond to seeing Naruto this way? Would he be happy that he was mourning him or would he be upset that he wasn't living his life like he wanted him to? He would be happy for him right? He would still be proud of him.
"He...would be happy that I was mourning for him. That he meant so much to me." His voice was weakened greatly by his crying and lack of sleep. Anko walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder and smiled down at him.
"He would but he would also want you to use the life you have and make the most of it. To be free and have fun like kids your age should." Naruto looked up to her with weak eyes. "I know it hurts but he loved you and would want you to be happy to." She spoke uncharacteristicly soft towards Naruto.
And that was all it took for the child. He hugged Anko around the waist and began sobbing against her fishnet clad stomach. She almost couldn't react for she was stunned by this. She wasn't normally one to be soft but just this once she would let him cry out all of his tears. She held him tightly as he cried for the old man one last time.
[Council Chambers]
"It is a miracle that we survived." Danzo admitted. He was there with Minato and Jiraiya, who had just arrived. They wanted to keep the meeting small so as to keep the information from spreading.
"It is. If it wasn't for Orochimaru's cockiness I don't think I would have survived." Minato admitted with a frown. A true warrior always knew when a battle was lost.
"What about Orochimaru's kid? Didn't he and your boy stop the Ichibi?" Jiraiya asked, causing Minato's face to go sour with regret. He wanted to try and make it up with Naruto but he just hadn't found the time to do so yet.
"Yeah he summoned the snake that fought the Ichibi. Though I don't really know what happened." Danzo cut in with his report. "That kid is one damn fine Shinobi, despite his hindrance." He glared at Minato, which didn't go unnoticed by anyone.
"What do you mean?" Jiraiya inquired. He had been in and out of the village a lot in the past few years and really hadn't kept tabs on any rumors that weren't dangerous. The white haired man turned to Minato with a questioning look.
"Nothing." Minato ground out and, for once, Jiraiya was in shock. He had never felt any kind of anger or rage from Minato ever in his life. And yet here he was, blasting killer intent at the very mention of his flaws.
"It isn't just nothing. Minato has held back a wonderful Shinobi because of his own personal grudge against Orochimaru. Naruto fought on par with the Ichibi as a Genin. That more than warrants a promotion to Chunin I believe." Danzo finished with a nod.
Jiraiya thought about that for a moment. In his mind he was comparing Naruto to Orochimaru at that age. And the results weren't pretty at all. Naruto would easily end up surpassing his father with the proper training and motivation.
Which promoting him to Chunin may just be the answer. It would give Naruto faith in his village and would pave the way for trusting the village. Of course, he could take it the other way and simply see it as a way of sucking up to him after all this time. It was a gamble but could they afford another Orochimaru?
"I think that is a fine idea. Naruto seems to be a good Shinobi and a skillful one. I say we promote him." Minato mentally groaned at his Sensei's words. Promotions made by the Hokage were a personal ceremony and award display. Only a few people would be there but Naruto would be a Chunin either way.
"I...agree. Its time the boy got something from us." The Yondaime added in, though the sourness in his voice was hard to miss. Regardless, Jiraiya gave him a pat on the back and a smile. Proud to be his teacher once again.
"Atta boy! So when and who should tell him?" This was a very delicate process for Naruto.
If Minato were to go and tell him there is a chance Naruto would deny it. He might even accuse Minato of merely trying to suck up to him or trick him in to being thrown in to jail. Of course he might accept it and they could begin their friendship on better paths.
If Jiraiya did it then Naruto would simply be confused and mistrusting of him. Not to mention that he would ask who Jiraiya was and he would have to tell him to gain his trust. Once Naruto heard that he was a Sannin he would almost instantly be upset. Seeing as how they were teammates in the past. He would probably think Jiraiya was there to take out his grudge on his son.
If Danzo did it there was a higher chance of success. The old war hawk seemed to take an interest in Naruto and the boy seemed to appreciate that fact. Not to mention that Danzo was pretty much on a clean slate with Naruto so he would trust him more.
Maybe they could get Anko to do it? She had mended the bond that was broken with Naruto. Plus she was arguably the closest person to Naruto at the moment. The boy probably trusted her more than he would ever trust anyone ever again. She trained him truly and never tricked him with false teachings.
"Mitarashi Anko is the best choice. Naruto trusts her and will follow her." Danzo pointed out with a small smirk. Anko was someone who he could get along with. Her no nonsense attitude is perfectly acceptable with him.
"I agree. She trained him for the Exams. Its only right that she be the one to promote him." Jiraiya said with a smile. Minato nodded and sent a messenger out to go and find Anko to let her know what was going on.
"Go find Mitarashi Anko for us please." The ANBU smirked underneath his mask. He knew that woman rather well. She was very much like the village bicycle. Everyone who wanted a ride got one. Hell even this ANBU had gotten a few rounds in on her before.
"Of course Lord Hokage." He vanished in a swirl of leaves.
Naruto had stopped crying a few minutes ago. Anko had demanded that he go shower and get dressed in some fresh clothes. She told him it would make him feel better. Truth be told, it did. He felt a million times better than before his shower.
He came out to the living room to find his trench coat wearing Sensei talking to some ANBU guy. She seemed to be upset about something he said. He listened in closely using his training and heard the words 'Snake Whore' being used against her.
Naruto gripped his fists in anger. If there was one thing he hated it was when people harmed his very few precious people. He didn't really believe in that whole 'Protecting loved ones makes your stronger thing' himself. But he did want to protect them when he could.
"Something wrong Sensei?" Naruto asked with ice in his voice as he glared at the ANBU. The guys seemed to pick up on it and his mood soured as a result.
"Nothin' kid. Owl here was just about to leave." Anko glared at the 'Owl' ANBU. Owl could stand being glared at by Anko, he had done so before, it was Naruto that got to him. The power looked so much like his father that it was terrifying to be near him at time.
Without another word the Owl was gone and Anko seemed to relax and plopped down on the couch. Naruto walked over and sat down next to her. He wasn't the best with this kind of stuff but for Anko he would try to be.
"Something wrong Anko?" He asked, his voice filled with a genuine warmth he hadn't used since last talking with Sarutobi. No one could ever replace him but Anko could fill the void rather well and she seemed willing to do so.
"Nothin' you need to worry about kid." She gave him a fake smile. Naruto could tell right away that it was fake. After all, he had been faking his emotions for quite some time when he needed to. Like say, right in front of the Yondaime Hokage.
"Anko, I may look young but we both know I am not a kid." His voice was almost filled with hurt at her misunderstanding him. He wasn't a kid anymore. He had fought against a Tailed Beast. Kids don't do that on their own like he did.
"What are you talking about? Of course your still a kid." She smirked defiantly. She refused to give him any kind of ground or respect. He would have to earn it if that's what he wanted from her. Naruto frowned and narrowed his eyes at her.
"A kid doesn't go up against the Ichibi no Tanuki and live. A kid doesn't face the scorn of an entire village and live." Anko cursed under her breath. The kid was right. Most adults can't even do that without drastic measures like suicide or alcohol.
"Yeah well your still a virgin so you're still a kid." Naruto blinked. What the hell is a virgin and why is he one?
"What's a virgin?" He asked in earnest. Perhaps this was something that he should learn. Wouldn't want any potential information to slip away from him. What if this could save his life or something? Perhaps a special bloodline he has that he didn't know about?
"You mean you were never given 'the talk'?" Anko blinked in confusion from her side of the couch. To her surprise, Naruto shook his head from side to side.
"What talk?" Anko's face lit up with joy.
"Wonderful! Well you see..." What followed next was the most in depth, most descriptive talk Naruto had ever received. He had no idea that such joy and wonder could come from such...personal activities with other peoples personal areas. By the end of it Naruto had a perfect understand of everything sex related and how to properly conduct the act.
"That was...interesting to say the least." Anko gave him a smug grin in reply. Now came the part where the little child ran for the hills screaming in terror and lost innocence.
"Well now ya know!" Naruto nodded stiffly before turning to his teacher.
"Anko-sensei, is that why people call you 'Snake whore'? For doing something you enjoy?" Anko went dead silent and blank at that. She had been really hoping that Naruto had not heard that from the previous conversation. To her surprise Naruto put his pale hand over hers that was currently resting on her thigh.
"Even if it is I don't care. To me you are precious and I won't judge you for that. I don't necessary like it after what I had just learned but it is your life, not mine." He voice was full of conviction and pride. Almost like he was proud to have her as a friend when many of them weren't so proud to even know her.
It shocked her to her core that someone like Naruto, who was attacked almost all of his life, could be capable of such compassion about something. Especially when that something was her. They had both suffered for what Orochimaru had done to them. She smiled back at him.
"Thank you Naruto." Before he could react she leaned over and gave him a kiss on his lips. She pulled back and away before Naruto could truly come to enjoy. A blush dashed on to his face and his mind went blank. For that brief second he had been in pure bliss.
"Now for the real reason why that Owl guys showed up. I have a surprise for you." She declared proudly. And she had every right to be proud of herself and her student. Its not every time a student she had got promoted.
"Uhhh yeah, what?" He replied dumbly. His mind was still in a cloudy sensation and thus made it harder for him to think clearly. Anko chuckled at the frazzled kid. It was probably his first kiss he had ever gotten so it was expected of him to act like that.
"You're getting promoted to Chunin by the Yondaime himself!" Hold up. He was getting promoted to Chunin by the Yondaime Hokage? As in the person who had hated him for his entire life? And he wanted to promote him.
"How do I know this isn't a trick or some bribe?" Anko bopped him on the head angrily.
"The Hokage doesn't bribe people with promotions idiot!" Naruto rubbed his head softly.
"Sorry, I just don't trust him. He's always been brutal towards me. But if you say its true then I'll trust you." He looked away quickly, hiding the blush of embarrassment from her. He hated leaving himself open to weakness and, in his experience, trust was a weakness.
Anko grinned at him "He really isn't a bad guy. Just give him one more chance." Naruto grumbled under his breath but figured that it couldn't hurt to give him one tiny chance.
"Fine but don't expect me to be friendly back to him. I will never forget what he did to me." Anko chuckled at his defensiveness.
"I wouldn't expect that brat. Now let's go get Dango to celebrate. Your promotion isn't for a week or so with the rebuilding of the village."
And so the two left to go and celebrate the promotion. Naruto remained skeptical the entire time but eventually relax with Anko constantly telling him to stop being so gloomy. Not that she could blame him of course. Those two had a rough history together.
After Dango Anko insisted that they get more training in while they can before his was promoted to Chunin. Naruto couldn't help but to agree with her and eagerly accepted any training he could get from her. After all, she was very strong in her own right.
And that's what the two of them did for the next two weeks. Anko trained Naruto in the advanced stance of the Hebi or Snake style that they both used. She trained him further in chakra control by learning the water walking exercise and learning to fight on water.
Anko for her part was very impressed. Naruto was like a sponge when it came to information from her. His eyes would watch her every movement and his ears picked up her every words like each syllable would save his life in a fight. Which, in the ninja world, it very well could.
Over the course of the two weeks the two of them were often seen together. From training at the 'Forest of Death' to eating at a Dango stand. Several times Naruto and Anko were forced to leave because of others. Someone would insult Anko or Naruto and the other would fly off the handle and beat the person senseless. More often than not it was Naruto coming to his teacher's aid.
Not that he could help it. He didn't like when people harmed the ones he actually and truly cared about. It made him more anger than he cared to admit to anyone. However, that rule only applied to Shino, Anko, Hinata, and Haku. These were the only people he cared to trust and would defend them with his life.
Eventually the day came when Naruto had to attend his own Promotion hosted by the Yondaime. He and Anko were dressed in their usual outfits. Her in her trench coat, a mesh undershirt that went down to her mid thigh, and a brown miniskirt. While he was dressed in his black pants, black long sleeve shirt, and a sage green t-shirt over top of it.
When the two arrived Naruto noted that Shino and Hinata were there along with Kurenai. He smiled and waved at the two of them and gave Kurenai a brief nod. He also noted that Mino and Danzo were there along with some spiky haired guy. Even Haku had arrived to support him, earning a full smile from Naruto.
"There you are. Now we may begin." Danzo spoke with an odd smile to his face. He was glad Naruto was getting some of the praise he deserved. Minato listened to the old man's words and nodded.
"Yes, Naruto please step forward." Minato spoke, looking directly at Naruto. He could tell the boy was either nervous or just really didn't want to be in front of him. Not that Minato could blame him. He had a perfect reason for his trepidation.
Naruto swallowed the hard lump in his throat and gingerly stepped forward. He could see the perfect resemblance between Mino and his father. He wondered what Mino would look like if he had blonde hair instead of red.
The place itself wasn't all that special. Just the Hokage with a few Shinobi around as witnesses and a piece of paper in his left hand while the jacket was in his right. A rather small gathering on the roof of the Hokage's tower.
When Naruto reached the front of the Hokage he couldn't help but to feel defensive. Minato sucked in a breath and began. "This party was gathered to bare witness to the promotion of a Shinobi of the leaf. This Shinobi has proven courage in the face of certain demise and lived to tell the tale. He has shown the capacity to follow orders and perform the job no matter what. If anyone feels that he does not deserve this award please say so now."
Naruto had expected someone to come up and say something but to his surprise, no one said a thing. He opened his eyes and looked around to see everyone smiling up at him. He felt his heart swell with happiness at that, especially when he noted Anko smiling at him.
"Very well. As of now Naruto is a Chunin of Konohagakure no Sato." He handed him the green vest. "Wear it with pride. Also, while witnesses are present. I would like to humbly offer my apologies to you Naruto. I have not been fair to you when you have been nothing but a splendid ninja. I was blinded by a rage that was just removed from my eyes. I hope that you can forgive me." Minato bowed his head to him.
The boy was in pure shock at that. Was the Yondaime Hokage being nice and apologizing to him for something he did wrong? He literally felt his heart soar at finally being able to be accepted by the Shinobi community.
"I think that would be best Lord Hokage." Naruto said with a small smile. He had to play the part for the moment. He still didn't know why Minato had hit Sarutobi with the Rasengan. Perhaps he could ask him about that.
"Put on the jacket and sign this paper. It simply states that you are a Chunin and that you will serve the village as you always have." Naruto did just that. He swung the vest on over his current outfit and signed the paper. A smile was glued on to his face. He hopped he was making his Best Friend and Grandfather happy.
A roaring amount of cheers were heard when Naruto finished signing. He turned to his friends and smiled happily. It felt good to finally be recognized for do something good instead of being berated for something he didn't do. It was something he could get used to.
The day of the celebration went by rather swiftly. As did most days that were nothing but fun and joyous. Naruto had celebrated the day at local Dango store with Anko, Kurenai, Haku, Hinata, and Shino. Though Shino just sort of sat there.
The very next day Anko arrived at Naruto's house and dragged him to the training ground. She told him that he could learn more. He was proficient in the Hebi stance but he still had a lot to learn. Not to mention the other things that Shinobi to learn.
Such things like stealth and being able to recover information without being caught. Setting up traps and being able to spring them when needed. Being able to play the role of a cover and how to better mask one's emotions. General things that any Shinobi would need to know.
It took Naruto around two weeks to complete the other half of his training at Anko's hands. She was currently pushing him on his physical abilities. She would never admit it but he did excel at everything she taught him. It was truly a marvel to behold.
[Later That Day- Hokage's Office]
"Sorry to disrupt Lord Hokage but I need a question answered." Anko practically kicked down the door. She wanted to get this answer straight from the source so that they didn't lose Naruto. After all, this was something of vital importance to him.
Minato looked up to see the woman in the trench coat come in to his office. He beckoned her in with his hand and set his pen down. Something told him that this was going to be an important conversation that would require his full attention.
"How can I help you Anko?" Minato asked in a neutral tone. Anko sighed and sat down in a chair at the Hokage's desk.
"I need to know what happened during the invasion with Sarutobi. Why did you hit The Sandaime with a Rasengan?" Anko asked with a curious edge to her voice. Minato eyed her strangely but sighed when he detected that she just wanted to clear things up and He felt like she had pure intentions.
"This isn't exactly a secret but The Sandaime used the Shiki Fujin to seal off Orochimaru's hands. He then fled the scene while my Rasengan missed and struck the ground where Orochimaru was. The blue explosion that you saw was from that. The Sandaime flew from the building propelled from that." Minato informed her of the events.
"Is that what I should tell Naruto?" Anko asked with a frown. Naruto wouldn't buy in to that for a second. It was far to much of a coincidence for him to accept.
"Yes, no more lies. Make him believe it if he won't." Minato tried to give her a smile of reassurance. Anko sighed to herself, knowing that it wouldn't go over very well. But she had to try right? He was beginning to mean quite a lot to her.
It was quite the odd feeling for her. She never liked to rely on anyone, especially not since Orochimaru abandoned her. But along came Naruto and wormed his way in to the last soft spot in her heart. Odd things was that he looked so much like Orochimaru is was like getting the love of her Sensei back.
"I'll go tell him in a few hours. He needs to rest after this mornings training."
[Naruto's house- After Training That Morning]
Naruto walked in through his front door feeling absolutely exhausted. The training his was begin put through wasn't the problem. No, he felt his energy being sapped all throughout the day. Like some kind of jutsu was draining him dry.
Either way the only thing he wanted to do at this moment was to shower and go to bed. So he did just that. He walked in to his shower, stripped himself of his clothes, and went in to the shower. He turned on the hot water and let it run over his body.
He sighed in content when the hot water hit his skin and washed away all the grime and sweat from his body. The memories of the day rushed through his mind as all his stress temporarily. Being a Chunin was a lot more than he was used to.
In between training sessions with Anko they had been asked to go and do a few very short term B-ranked missions so that Naruto could get a feel for the new mission types he would doing. None of them took more than a day but the experience was very much needed for him.
He rolled his shoulder before turning the water to the shower off. He dried himself off and replaced his clothes with a newer, cleaner version of his daily clothes. He didn't have much in the way of clothing but he did get a few spares of his outfits.
When he pushed open his door, his heart stopped for a brief second. His eyes took a second to adjust to the darkness of the room but when it did he froze. Slowly he reached over towards the light switch to make sure he wasn't having a nightmare.
The light flicked to life with a small buzzing noise. The new white light illuminated in the room and revealed the guest that he had in his home. His whole body broke out in to a cold sweat and his throat clammed up so tightly he felt like he might not be able to breathe.
"Hello Naruto." A slithery voice called out. Orochimaru stepped out of the living room and towards the kitchen where Naruto currently was. The boy could feel his curse mark begin to flare up the closer Orochimaru got to him. It was like a burning itch he couldn't stop.
"What the hell do you want?" Naruto angrily asked. Orochimaru chuckled softly in to the tense air around them. This action only made Naruto all the more pissed off.
"What? A father can't come to see his own son? I bet you never questioned when your dear Grandfather came to visit." Orochimaru taunted his son. Naruto's blood began to boil with anger and rage at the disrespect of the Sandaime.
"Shut up!" Naruto swung a fist at his 'Father'. The Snake Sannin easily dodged the fist and kneed his son in the stomach. Naruto lost almost all of his breath in that one hit and doubled over in pain, gasping for air.
"Relax child." He hissed violently at him. "I am not here to talk about your obsession with that foolish old man. I'm here to give you information and offer you a choice." Naruto slowed his breathing and slowly stood up. He felt like a boulder had smashed in to his stomach.
"Oh...yeah?" He asked through strained breathes. Breathing, let alone talking, was hard enough to do. Add in to the mix that he was exhausted and drained of most of his energy and chakra and he was sore and weak all over. Something that Orochimaru keyed on.
"Yes. Your beloved Yondaime is not as innocent as you believe and I am not as corrupt as you may think." Orochimaru said with a stern look to his face. Naruto held a stern look of his own that looked and awful lot like his father.
"I never loved the Yondaime. I hated him for how he treated me. For what you did to the village." He spat at Orochimaru. It was easy to see that these two were not on the friendliest of terms.
"Good, then you'll love him after this. He is the one that killed your beloved Sandaime. You saw the blue flash when I was leaving. I had nothing to do with his death." He lied carefully. The Sandaime was a touchy subject for the boy and this was bound to cause problems.
"What do you mean? You were fighting them on the roof. I saw you there." Orochimaru smirked. Things were slowly falling in to place for his plan. Now he just needed the last piece of the puzzle. His own son Naruto was that last piece.
"Did you now? You only noticed me when I left. What happened on that roof was something only two people truly know about." He smirked at his son's confused expression. Now for the final and finishing touch to the matter.
"Well...Well what happened?" He asked cautiously. He had no idea if he could trust his father. But he knew one thing. He sure as hell didn't trust the Yondaime anymore than Orochimaru. He figured the least could do was hear him out.
"Sensei used a jutsu to seal off my hands. It weakened him greatly but Sensei was always strong and her survived. Minato, having loathed Sensei for defending you, took the chance and attack him and kill him. That was the blue flash you saw. That's why I left before he could attack me in my weakened state."
Naruto listened with a skeptical ear. This was the first time he had gotten any real information on that fight. He had tried to ask Anko about the fight but she hadn't said anything on that subject. Either she didn't know or she wasn't saying anything.
A flash of rage burned through his veins when the part about Minato attacking Hiruzen. The very thought of Minato being so cold and evil that he would kill Hiruzen because of Naruto rubbed him wrong. Just when he thought he was beginning to like the Yondaime.
"How do I know your even telling the truth?" Orochimaru chuckled softly. Proud of the fact that his son didn't take anything for face value or anything like that. Still, he needed Naruto to believe his lie. He really wanted to see the grand fight between his two hosts.
"What do I have to gain from lieing to you hm? I hate Minato just as much as you do. I'm not as evil as you may have been lead to believe my Son. I am simply a messenger of the truth and sometimes the truth is ugly and harmful." Orochimaru finished with a sage nod.
Naruto could not deny that. Sometimes the truth could be the most deadly weapon that anyone could possess. But could he trust that Orochimaru was telling the entire truth and wasn't just lieing to get him angry again?
"While I agree with that I still don't believe you." Orochimaru nodded in agreement.
"I wouldn't believe me either. But, my dear child, you will the other side of this story. It will be up to you to decide which side you want to take." Orochimaru pulled a pill out from his pocket with snakes help. "Take this by midnight and you will be stronger than ever. But don't take it if you don't plan on accepting the truth." He had the snake place the pill in his hand. "I'll be waiting for your answer tomorrow. Here is a hint: When the raven flies the nest you will follow it to find the snake." He vanished in a cloud of smoke.
Naruto blinked at the place his father was. He stared at the strange purple pill in hand before pocketing it. That's when a kunai went sailing past his face.
"Hey kid." Anko's cheery voice called out from the side. Naruto turned slowly with a small smile of his own.
"I'm not a kid damn it." He spoke quietly. His voice was still far to weak to actually hold up a long conversation.
"Still a virgin."
"Care to change that?"
"What?" She asked dangerously low. Naruto sighed and shook his head.
"Oh nothing. Is there a reason you dropped by?" Anko looked confused for a second before she snapped her fingers.
"Yeah! I talked to the Yondaime about your questions with the fight. I can tell you but you have to keep it a secret." Naruto's eyes widened. How could Orochimaru know that she was coming to tell him that? Was this the actual truth?
"And?" He asked excitedly.
"Turns out that flash of blue you saw was a Rasengan hitting the ground where the snake bastard stood. The force of the move blasted him off the roof." She spoke nonchalantly. As if this kind of information was just common gossip.
So this was the truth that the Yondaime was telling her? This was the excuse for the blast and the resulting death of the Sandaime. Of course, Hiruzen could have been dead before this actually happened but who would be able to tell?
"Oh." His voice sounded disappointed.
"Hey cheer up. I know its not the answers you wanted but its something right? Now sit down chump. I brought us Dango."
So the two sat down at the small table that Naruto owned and ate the sticks of the food. They conversed about how the Chunin life was treating him so far or how long they were going to be able to train together. Neither of them wanted their partnership to end.
If one were to think about it they could understand. Anko and Naruto shared very similar fighting styles and talents. Both of them were strong and slippery to get a hold of. Add on top of that, they were very surprising Shinobi to witness.
When it came time for Anko to leave Naruto had offered to walk her out of the neighborhood. He knew she didn't need the protection but he felt like doing it anyway. So he would walk her out to the streets and back in to the nicer area of Konoha before letting her go.
She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before vanishing in a swirl of leaves. Naruto always brightened up when things like that happened to him. Especially from her. The only downside was that Naruto had to trudge his tired body back to his bed.
When he got there he plopped down on the bed with his headband in his left hand. In his mind he had a choice. Accept that Hiruzen had died before the explosion had happened. This would mean that the Yondaime was innocent of his crimes and was only doing his job.
Or he could believe the fact that Orochimaru was right and that Minato was only trying to cover himself. Normally he would agree with Orochimaru since he had thought Minato to be foul. However, watching him apologize in front of a crowd had done wonders for his faith.
He reached in to his pocket and pulled out the pill with his right hand. Orochimaru said that this pill would give him power beyond anything he had before. Just like when he gave him the curse mark. But there must be a drawback to this as well.
Another thought hit him. When Hiruzen died there was a hole in his shirt where the stomach was. The skin was bare but it showed signs of damaged to it. Could it have been that Minato had hit him with a weak version of the jutsu to cause that?
So then who was right? Was his father right in saying that the leaf couldn't be trusted? Or was the Yondaime right in saying that it was an accident that had caused it? In truth it came down to who he trusted more?
The Yondaime and his headband in his left hand?
Or Orochimaru and power in his right hand?
Naruto swallowed hard as he stared at the two symbolic items in his hand. Each one would lead him down a new path. One of a leaf Shinobi and one of a powerful Shinobi.
Naruto closed his eyes...
...and let one item drop to the floor.
AN: Bam! Another chapter up for your viewing pleasure. Thank you all for reading, it makes me feel good to know my story is enjoyed by those that read it. As normal please leave a review so that I know what I am doing right and wrong. See ya next time!
Side note: Thank you to all of those that went and checked out my new story. I will be posting a new chapter for that soon so don't think I forgot about it.