Chapter 20: Truth
Naruto slowly opened his eyes, his vision was blurry at first but soon focused on a white-painted brick ceiling. His body felt stiff as a board and he struggled to sit up. Once Naruto was sitting up, he stared at the concrete floor as he waited for a small dizzy spell to pass. Once Naruto's dizzy spell stopped, he looked around and realized he was inside a cell. The last thing he could remember was creating bunshin and fighting off a horde of Walkers.
Naruto stood up and walked out of the cell he was in, he looked down the cell block in both directions. The right took him down to the end of the cell block while the left led him to double doors that looked like an exit of the cell block. Naruto began walking down the cell block toward the opened double doors. Naruto stopped when he noticed Lee was sitting on a cell bed staring intently at the floor. He couldn't tell if Lee was thinking, just staring at the floor or asleep sitting up.
"Centipede Brows?" Naruto called.
Lee didn't respond.
"Centipede Brows!" he yelled.
Lee looked up quickly at Naruto, he looked surprised to see Naruto.
"Are you okay?" Naruto asked. "You looked like you were really spaced out there."
"I'm fine Naruto-kun," Lee answered. "I was just reflecting on some things."
"I know this is a weird question to ask but do you know how I got inside the prison?" asked Naruto.
"Sasuke and I brought you in here when you collapsed three days ago," answered Lee.
"I was out for three days?!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Yeah and everyone started to worry because Sasuke said even after you over exert yourself like you did, you would still wake up the next day as if nothing happened," Lee continued.
"Shino and Akarmu, are they okay?" Naruto asked as he remembered the prison wall exploded.
"I am fine," said a voice from behind Naruto.
Naruto turned to see Shino sitting on a cell bed in the cell directly across from Lee's.
"Shino, where'd you come from?" Naruto asked.
"You just noticed Lee and not me?" asked Shino
"Well, I, Um..." Naruto stuttered.
"I can't believe you didn't notice me," Shino said.
'Oh no, Shino's sulking again,' Naruto thought.
Naruto turned back to Lee, "Where is everyone else?"
"Tenten and Choji are on guard duty at the front gate. Shikamaru and Kiba are inside the armory sorting out the weapons. Hinata has been in here nursing you, Shino and taking care of Akamaru while Kiba is helping Shikamaru. Sasuke is exploring the prison grounds trying to find any kind of hidnig places anyone The Saints could have escaped too," Lee answered.
"And they have you doing nothing?" asked Naruto.
"No, before you woke up, I was guarding you," Lee answered.
"Guarding me?" Naruto asked. "Why are you guarding me?"
"Shikamaru told me you were put in charge of the group a while back. They wanted to make sure that if anyone from The Saints were hiding in the prison didn't try to kill you."
"I need to go find Sasuke because I still need you to tell us that place you were going to tell the group about before the prison wall was destroyed," Naruto said.
"It doesn't matter anymore, the prison wall was fixed," Lee stated. "Choji used his Baika no Jutsu to help repair the wall using mud and Sasuke's Katon. It turned out, The Saints set a trap inside the wall to go off after a certain amount of time after an attack."
Naruto was surprised, he believed the prison would be a safe haven after they rid it of The Saints but after the wall exploded he thought it was taken away for good. He was glad the prison was saved. Naruto relieved Lee of his guarding duty but insisted he stay to guard Shino until he was better.
Naruto walked out of the cell block he was in and as he did, Hinata was coming down the hall with sheets and towels.
"Oh, N-Naruto-kun, you're finally awake," she said softly.
"Yeah, say Hinata, Lee told me you were basically being my nurse when I was out cold and I just wanted to thank you," Naruto said, smiling.
Hinata blushed, "Y-You're welcome, Naruto-kun."
"Well I'll see you later Hinata, I need to find Sasuke," Naruto said and walked away.
"Are you s-sure you should be walking around?" Hinata shyly asked. "Y-You've been down three days."
"Thanks for you concern Hinata, but I'm okay," Naruto said, still smiling.
Naruto turned and headed down the hall. He reached the main entrance of the prison and walked outside. The sunlight was bright and Naruto had to wait a minute to allow his vision to adjust to the change of lighting. Once his eyes had adjusted, Naruto looked at the part of the wall that had exploded and sure enough, it was fixed. He could tell it was because it was a bit different then the rest of the wall that surrounded the prison but it was good enough to keep out any Walkers that might be wondering around.
Naruto looked at the front gate and found Tenten and Choji were inside the guard towers. Sasuke was definately a good second-in-command. After thinking that, Naruto suddenly felt weird about it. Sure his dream before the world went to shit was to become Hokage, but being in charge of the group still made him a bit uneasy.
Naruto was about to walk toward the back of the prison when he spotted Sasuke coming from the very place he was going. When Sasuke spotted him, he was a bit surprised Naruto was up and walking around.
"Did you get enough sleep, dobe?" asked Sasuke.
"I can never get enough, teme," Naruto answered. "I see you run a tight shift around here, you wanna be the group leader?"
"Group leader was entrusted to you, I only kept things going until you woke up," Sasuke said. "Besides, I was just coming to wake your ass up, I found something you need to see."
Sasuke motioned for Naruto to follow him. Naruto followed Sasuke to the east side of the prison. A large tree that had grew outside the prison wall, shaded the east side of the prison. Sasuke stopped and showed Naruto double doors that led to a basement and the door handles were locked with a chain and lock.
"A locked basement?" Naruto asked.
"I found this while exploring the prison grounds and I wonder if there's something down there The Saints didn't want anyone to see," said Sasuke.
"With the shade providing cover over here, it would be hard to spot these doors from the courtyard," Naruto said.
"You think we should open it?" asked Sasuke.
"Yeah, let's open it," Naruto answered. "They're might by supplies or something useful down there."
"There is plenty of kunai and shuriken in this armory," Kiba said, staring at all the weapons.
"The Saints must have collected all of this from all the villages they've raided and ninja they've killed," Shikamaru stated.
"How long do you think these will last us?" Kiba asked.
"At least a few months, maybe longer if we ration them," Shikamaru answered.
"Well I guess we'll just be relying on our jutsu the most," Kiba added.
"Some of our jutsu leave us open to getting bit by Walkers," Shikamaru said. "Most of us will end up using the same kunai to stab Walkers in the head."
"What about Tenten?" Kiba asked. "All her attacks require ninja tools."
"Her attacks use a wide range of ninja tools, not just kunai and shuriken," Shikamaru answered. "Besides, she keeps the ones she uses sealed inside her scrolls and reuses them."
"Rasengan!" Naruto yelled and slammed his spiraling chakra onto the lock.
The lock was broken up into two pieces from the force of Naruto's jutsu. Sasuke kicked a few pieces of the chain off the doors and unwrapped what was left of the chain that was around the door handles.
"You ready?" he asked.
"Yeah," Naruto replied.
Sasuke opened the door and with Naruto following began heading down into the basement. When they got halfway down they heard a man inside.
"Ishimaru-sama, I was beginning to think you didn't need me..."
The man stopped when he saw Naruto and Sasuke and he knew something was wrong. The man with light-brown hair tied into a pony-tail. He had a horizontal inch long scar on his right cheek and his light-brown eyes showed some fear. He tried to run but his white cloak got caught on the corner of the table he was sitting at and Sasuke used his Shunshin to appear right in front of him and slam him up against the wall.
"Who are you?" the man asked.
"You don't need to know," Naruto answered.
The man was a bit shocked it wasn't the guy that had him pinned against the wall to answer him.
"What should we do with him?" asked Sasuke.
"Take him out of the basement," Naruto answered.
Sasuke grabbed the man and pulled him from the wall and pushed him in front. The man didn't move so Sasuke pushed him again to keep moving.
"Once you're outside, don't think you can run away," Sasuke said. "There is a few people out there to stop you."
"You're bluffing, there's no way you..."
The man stopped talking once he walked outside. He saw two guards at the gate but they were not members of The Saints. He looked around and didn't find any people from the group around. The man had heard some noises a few days ago but didn't pay any attention to it but now he knew what it was, The Saints compound was attacked and they were all killed.
Once they reached the middle of the courtyard, Sasuke pushed the man down to his knees.
"What should we do with him now?" Sasuke asked.
"Kill him," Naruto said coldly.
"Wait! No!" the man pleaded. "I just want to get back to my wife!"
Naruto started to walk away, not caring about what the man had to say and Sasuke readied his Chidori.
"If you think you killed Father, you're wrong!" the man yelled.
Naruto stopped but he didn't turn around.
"How would you know?" Naruto asked sternly. "You weren't there when I did it."
"Father isn't the person he made you think he was," the man continued.
"Just who are you?" asked Sasuke.
"My name is Kiokure, I was a Chunin from Iwagakure," he answered.
"So just who is Father then if you seem to know he's not dead," Naruto demanded, turning to face Kiokure.
"I know Father told you how he was living in a country in between Ishi no Kuni and Hi no Kuni and how the war between those two villages killed his parents and permantely scarred him from burns he suffered and how he hated Shinobi, well that story is all bullshit," explained Kiokure.
"What do you mean it's all bullshit?" asked Sasuke.
"Exactly what it means, it's bullshit, fake, made up," explained Kiokure. "Father's real name is Ishimaru and he was a Jounin from Iwagakure. He's not disfigured or badly scarred from burns because he never suffered any. He just uses a Iwa Bunshin and transform it to look like he has scars. He also manages to make his victims believe they are trapped with the use of chakra-disruption smoke bombs, which is true to a degree because the effects only last about twenty minutes. The smoke bombs are a mixture of smoke, the chakra disruption agent and a sleeping genjutsu and he would just tie his victims up with regular rope and made his victims believe they were tied up with chakra-binding rope so they wouldn't try to attack him."
"That explains when I switched to Tail Beast Cloak, Kurama's chakra disintigrated the ropes I was tied up with," Naruto said.
"Was everyone of The Saints a ninja?" asked Sasuke.
"No, most of them were just civilians that stayed in the prison at all times. Ishimaru had a select few of Shinobi that would go out with him to either recruit or kill," Kiokure answered.
"How did you get mixed up in all of this?" Naruto asked.
"Well let me start from the beginning," Kiokure began. "Ishimaru was my Jounin sensei when I graduated from the ninja academy so he already knew me since then. When the sick started dying off and then coming back to life as those flesh-eating monsters, my wife and I fled Iwagakure and found an abandoned cabin in the mountians miles and miles away. After the first few weeks we were fine but somehow Ishimaru found me. His attitude changed, however, because he used to be an easy going person before all this happened and he forced me to go with him and make the smoke bombs."
Shikamaru and Kiba walked outside to give themselves a break from counting all the ninja tools in the prison's armory. Shikamaru and Kiba then spotted Sasuke and Naruto talking with a man who was on the ground on his knees.
"Look, Naruto is awake finally," Shikamaru said.
"And who is that guy Naruto and Sasuke are talking with?" Kiba asked.
"I don't know but it looks more like they're interrogating him," Shikamaru answered.
"I'm surprised, I figured Naruto would go psycho again and just kill him," Kiba stated.
"If The Saints had killed the woman you loved, wouldn't you do the same thing?" Shikamaru asked. "Well I'm going to go check it out, I want to ask that guy a question."
"What was the real reason he would attack villages and steal from then and kill ninja?" asked Sasuke.
"I'm not really sure but I think Ishimaru was taking orders from someone else," Kiokure explained. "I never got a good look at the person that would come to the prison and talk with him, but the few times Ishimaru would let me out of the basement, I would see Ishimaru talk to that guy and after he did, he always had something his Shinobi followers to do."
"So Father wasn't the true leader of The Saints, is there more hideouts?" asked Naruto.
"He was the leader of The Saints and this was their only hideout," Kiokure answered.
"But you said that I was wrong if I killed Father, so he's still out there then?" Naruto asked.
"Yes since Ishimaru never has his real body near the village or Shinobi he's trying to recruit to the group," answered Kiokure.
"So Father is somewhere out there then," Naruto stated. "Why are you telling us all this anyway?"
"I figured you could use this information," Kiokure answered. "And I really just want to get back to my wife."
Naruto pulled Sasuke away from Kiokure.
"Do you think he's telling the truth?" Naruto asked, whispering so Kiokure didn't hear him.
Sasuke didn't answer right away as he pondered Naruto's question and looked at Kiokure.
"He threatened to kill my wife and locked me in that basement to make those chakra-disruption smoke bombs. So if you're still wondering why I'd give up information on him, then that's why," Kiokure pleaded.
"I believe him," Sasuke whispered and Naruto sighed.
"If I let you go, you better not tell anyone about us being here, got that?" said Naruto, sternly.
"I won't tell anyone," Kiokure answered. "I just want to get back to my wife, please."
"Fine, we'll let you go," Naruto said.
"Wait, before you let him go, I have a question I want to ask," said a familiar voice.
"Shikamaru!"
Shikamaru shouldn't have been surprised that Naruto had all his energy back even though he just woke up from being unconcious for three days.
"What is your question?" asked Kiokure.
"When I saw Father's body, he had some sort of arm cuff that had 'New World' on it, do you know anything about that?" Shikamaru asked.
"I have no idea what it meant. I did see it but I never questioned him on it," answered Kiokure.
Shikamaru was a bit disappointed that he didn't get an answer to the one question that he had been curious for a while now. Sasuke escorted Kiokure to the gate where he had Choji and Tenten make sure there were not any Walkers around. Once it was confirmed, the gate was opened just enough for Kiokure to walk out.
Once Kiokure was outside the prison's walls, the freedom he hadn't felt in a couple of months washed over him like an ocean wave and it felt great. After taking in his new found freedom, Kiokure jumped into the trees and disappeared.
Sasuke walked to where Naruto was standing in the courtyard. He was staring at the wall that had been reconstructed. Naruto was admiring the work until he noticed Sasuke returned from allow Kiokure go free.
"Do you think we did the right thing by letting him go?" asked Naruto.
"It seemed to me all he cared about was getting back to his wife," Sasuke said.
Naruto sighed, "Now I have to prepare to fight Father again. It's only a matter of time until he returns to this prison if he's truely still alive."
"Why don't you let me fight him? My Raiton would easily counter any of his Doton jutsu that he tries to throw at me," Sasuke suggested.
Naruto contemplated Sasuke's suggestion for a bit. Naruto surely wanted him dead because he had his people kill Ino. However, he did kill the woman that actually slit Ino's throat in the first place.
"Remember that I told you that Father had them burn down a whole village where Yuki and her grandsons took me in to help me recovere and eventually were killed too, so I need this as much as you do," Sasuke said.
"Alright, you can fight him," Naruto said and started to walk away.
"Where are you going?" asked Sasuke.
"I need to talk to Lee about something," Naruto said.
Naruto reached the prison's infirmary where Lee was guarding Shino and Akamaru and helping out Hinata when she needed it.
"Oi, Naruto-kun, are you feeling bad again?" Lee asked.
"No, I'm doing fine Centipede Brows," Naruto answered. "I actually came back to ask you something."
"What is it?" Lee asked.
"Before the explosion, you told me there was a place we could go, what were you talking about?" Naruto asked.
"It doesn't matter, we can stay..." Lee started but is interrupted.
"I want you to tell me anyway," Naruto said.
"There is an outpost to the northeast on the border between Kaminari no Kuni and Hi no Kuni called the Northeastern Outpost. Yamato-san created it with his Mokuton ninjutsu," Lee answered.
"Yamato-teichou, huh?" Naruto said to himself, kind of happy a member of his team was still alive. "Do they have supplies they would be willing to share?"
"They just might," Lee said. "Why?"
"We're going to need food," Naruto said.
"A-And more medical supplies, t-this infirmary was already low," Hinata added.
"Food and medical supplies," Naruto repeated.
"I can take you there if you want me to," Lee offered.
"Of course, I'll need you to show me the way," Naruto said.
"When do you want to leave?" asked Lee.
"Tomorrow."
Morning came and Naruto and Lee were ready to make their way to the northeastern border. Sasuke and Shikamaru were at the gate.
"Are you sure you want to don't want me to go with Lee instead?" asked Shikamaru. "The leader should stay put."
"No, I need to do this," Naruto said. "And Sasuke, if Father is still alive and returns when I'm not here..."
"Yeah, I know," Sasuke said, cutting Naruto off.
"Hopefully I'll be back in a few days with plenty of food and medical supplies," Naruto said.
Kiba and Choji opened the gate to allow Naruto and Lee leave the prison. They jumped into the trees and began heeading to the Northeastern Outpost.
Kiokure sat on the couch with his raven-haired wife and Kiokure felt like they couldn't be seperated now. They had their remaining belongings packed and were ready to leave the cabin to a new hiding spot, afraid Ishimaru would come back for him.
"I'm so glad you're back," she said.
"I am too," Kiokure said.
They both moved in for a kiss and began kissing each other passionately until a knock came to the door.
"Who could that be?" the wife asked, becoming scared.
"I- I don't know," Kiokure said.
Kiokure began to fear that the blonde and black-haired ninja from the prison had followed him to make sure he was telling the truth or even they lied about letting him go and came ot kill him after all. He didn't wnat to open the door because he just knew they were more powerful than him. He began to calm down when the knocking stopped, he ushered his wife for them to leave through the back door.
Before they could escape the cabin, the front door was busted open. Kiokure jumped in front to protect his wife the best he could from the blonde but was shocked it wasn't him.
"Well, well, why am I not surprised to find you here?" said a male.
He was earing a Iwagakure hi-ate and his Iwagkure Jounin vest. His hair was a blueish-grey and was medium in length. His eyes were an aqua color.
"Ishimaru," Kiokure said, cowering in fear.
"So tell me, how did you manage to get out of that basement?" Ishimaru asked.
"I'm not telling you anything!" Kiokure yelled.
"It was that blonde Jinchurikki wasn't it?" asked Ishimaru. "He managed to kill everyone in my hideout with his monster, didn't he?"
Kiokure didn't answer and firmly stood his ground, shielding his wife.
"Not going to answer are you?" Ishimaru asked. "Pity really, the only student of mine that's left alive has just betrayed me."
Kiokure's eyes widened when Ishimaru's eyes showed a hint of bloodlust. Suddenly, Kiokure felt severe pain coming from his stomach.