"Naruto" - Person Talking
'Naruto' - Person Thinking
"Naruto" - Summons/Bijū talking
"Naruto" - Summons/Bijū thinking
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu" - Jutsu
Well guys, here's the next chapter. Man, I didn't think you all would hate that filler chapter so much. I'll avoid them in the future but man... Guess the dating chapter I have isn't going to get published since its filler too. Just a heads up guys, I was really kinda bummed writing this chapter so it might not be as exciting or amazing as you all expected, sorry about that. Well, you know the usual. Let's a go.
A Son Forgotten - Chapter 19
Fear transcending their very beings flowing through them, the entirety of the village could only watch in complete and utter hopelessness as a monster unlike anything they've ever seen tore the heavens asunder with its voice alone, erasing the heavy storm clouds that eclipsed the sky. Feeling malice, rage and killing intent that transcended even the Kyūbi many years ago, they felt the frigid touch of the Shinigami around their necks as the monster lowered its head and faced the boss summons of the slugs, snakes and toads. It's crimson hide made more terrifying by the bright red veins running along the entirety of it, seemingly pumping pure and undiluted rage and malice through its body, its burning crimson eyes screaming for blood.
"I will not repeat myself again, tell me who did this to my partner." Tigrex growled out in a low tone, Konoha shaking as if an earthquake was set off in the center of the village for his voice alone.
When he was met with immediate silence, Tigrex's claws started to gouge the earth as black and crimson chakra started to leak off of his body like steam. Quickly glancing to the semi-conscious Naruto, he made sure that he didn't move his head as much as he would have, the thought of his partner dying by his own carelessness the only thing preventing him from leveling the entirety of the village with his roar.
"ANSWER ME YOU INSECTS!" He shouted as the ground caved below him as the buildings around him were blown away in a circular pattern, leaving a large scar of barren earth behind.
(Scene Change - Konoha West Gate)
"W-What d-do w-we d-do J-Jiraiya-jiji?" Menma stuttered, holding tightly onto Jiraiya for support as his legs gave out from underneath him.
Never before in Menma's life had he been so absolutely sure that his life was truly hanging in the balance. Even compared to his tenant's wrath the first time he visited it, the death rolling off of the monster before him was a testament that human mortality was indeed a truth in the world no matter how powerful you were, his godfather's trembling being a sign that it was a universal truth.
"I-I don't k-know Menma... W-We can't beat that... That thing..." Jiraiya said in a terrified tone, his eyes wide with fear as his entire body was tense with adrenaline.
In all of his years as a shinobi, all of the horrors that he's seen in the many wars that he's been a part of, he has never experienced the fear that he felt when the monster before him stared at him. The fear that Tsunade instilled in him when he was caught peeping on her, the fear of losing his student when he had resolved himself to seal the Kyūbi using his soul as an offering to the Shinigami, the fear he might've lost his godson in the invasion. All of those fears were nothing to the fear that he was experiencing at the moment. Nothing in his life has ever brought him such feelings of mortality, and he knew that after this experience should he survive, nothing ever will bring him such a feeling.
"T-That's impossible... They were wiped out centuries ago..." Gamabunta whispered, hoping that the monster in front of him didn't catch wind of it.
Standing before him, something that should have been erased off the face of the world for being a treat to it, something that most would consider a myth or legend, was a dragon. A beast that the entirety of the boss summons from the time of the Rikudō Sennin along with the legendary sage himself just barely managed to defeat and kill. A beast that had the potential and the power necessary to erase the world of all of live on it on a whim should it desire to do so. A beast that brought fear unlike anything else to the boss summon of the toads.
(Scene Change - Konoha South Gate)
"B-Baa-chan... I-I'm s-scared..." Narumi whimpered as she buried her face into Tsunade's chest, her godmother holding her tightly as she trembled in her arms.
Not even in her darkest, most horrific nightmares did Narumi experience such feelings of finality and death. Even when confronting the Kyūbi inside of her for power during the month of training only had a sliver of the feelings of immense hate and dread that the monster before her emanated. There was no going around it, Narumi was going to die and there was nothing that could be said or done to prevent it.
"Shh... I-It'll be fine Umi-chan... I'll protect you..." Tsunade reassured her goddaughter, though her voice trembling slightly was a giveaway that it was only the reassurance of a lie.
Even in her position as a medic, seeing the corpses of the dead and dying, Tsunade had never felt such death from one being. The scent and feeling of death of the last war seemed like the scent of embrace of a spring meadow in comparison to what the monster before her was radiating. As she tried to reassure her goddaughter that things would be alright, she knew that she was only lying to her, and that was what caused the tears to roll down her face.
"No, no, no... This is just a dream right...?" Katsuyu whispered to herself over and over again, refusing to believe that they were back.
When she was nothing more then a newborn, she had heard stories of monsters that even the previous boss summons feared even more then the bijū. These monsters, dragons, were said to have been able to erase an entire country with a simple roar, and seeing the monster before her nearly trigger an earthquake with its roar alone only proved that they had the power to do so. They couldn't exist because they were erased, sealed, destroyed with the combined might of the world. So how, how was this monster standing before her and her summoners? What could she do? What could anyone do to stop it?
(Scene Change - Konoha East Gate)
"O-Orochi-jiji... W-What d-do we d-do?" Mito whimpered as she held her godfather tightly around his waist, his arm wrapped protectively around her as she shook.
"I-I don't know Mito-chan... Never in my life have I seen such a monster..." Orochimaru admitted as sweat fell down his face, his eyes wide as he stared at the monster before him.
"T-There is no way... There is just no way..." Manda repeated like a mantra as he stared wide eyed at the monster before him.
When he was a hatchling, he would hear stories of a "Serpent King Dragon" that was once revered as a god to snakes; one that was said to have been able to wrap around the world seven times and should it desire, crush it like an egg. Manda had been intrigued by the legend and when he asked about it, he was immediately told that it wasn't a god but a devil in disguise. It wasn't a snake but a dragon, a monster that was above them on the evolutionary totem pole and one that had the attitude and temperament to back up the claim. Manda learned and soon feared the monsters, glad that they were wiped off the face of the world. But now that one was before him, Manda could only hope for a painless death.
(Scene Change - Konoha North Gate)
"You have the audacity to refuse me my answer?" Tigrex said in an irritated tone, the black and crimson chakra leaking off of him starting to solidify into a haze around his face.
Having had enough of being ignored and stared at with such pitiful expressions, he inhaled as the space around him became a small airless vacuum. Rage bubbling like molten magma in his veins, he was about to reduce the entirety of the village to rubble but stopped when he heard an irritated and pained voice cut through the vacuum that he had created.
"T-Tigrex, they're not the enemy. No need to cause more senseless violence, now could you give me back some air." Naruto said in a pained tone, his teeth grit together as fresh blood flowed out of his mouth and right eye from the sudden lack of oxygen.
His eyes widening at his carelessness, Tigrex drew his head back and raised up upwards before letting loose a roar that ripped through the heavens, a conical beam of black and crimson energy and sound sending shockwaves across the village as it shook as though an earthquake truly was set off in the center of it. The sound unlike anything they've ever heard or wished to hear, Tigrex's roar could be seen from the other villages as fear swept through them at the strange and terrifying sight of the heavens being engulfed in what could be described as pure rage and hatred.
"I apologize Naruto, my carelessness may have caused you your life should you have truly fallen unconscious." Tigrex replied as he lowered his head, the magma-like rage flowing through his veins cooling as the crimson veins covering his hide faded away.
"It's fine, I look like a mess right now so it's only natural you'd get angry." Naruto replied as he took large gulps of precious air, wiping away the blood from the corner of his mouth.
After witnessing power unlike anything they've seen before, those were still standing fell to their knees as the bloodlust and malice that filled the air was replaced with pure tension as Tigrex scanned through the village, his eyes now containing a controlled rage. His eyes falling upon the three summons before him, he could only snort as he saw their terrified visages in his calm state.
"This certainly brings back memories. Slime, filth and lower reptiles banding together in a futile attempt to survive. How amusing." Tigrex said as he chuckled darkly, the three tensing as he scanned them more thoroughly.
"And it appears that they're even weaker then their ancestors were when they tried to eliminate us. Losing the pinnacle of evolution caused those lower being to become this weak? How pitiful." Tigrex said as he shook his head in disbelief, the three boss summons looking on in disbelief at his words.
"Could you not start a fight Tigrex? We're still in the middle of a war you know." Naruto asked in an irritated tone, Tigrex chuckling in response.
All those watching could only gape at what was going on. Now that they're minds were mostly free from the fear that pervaded it, they soon turned wide eyed when they saw that Naruto was standing on and talking to the monster that had just forced them all into submission like it was his friend. There was no one who wasn't shocked at what they were seeing, the eldest son of the Hokage being thought to have been left without a summoning contract but instead was able to summon this monster of a summon.
"I-Is that Naruto?" Zabuza asked with a tone of disbelief, not wanting to believe that the same blonde that he saw as his son was actually talking to the monster before them.
"T-There's no way right? H-He never said anything about a s-summon." Anko added on, tightening her grip on her Tanto, rage slowly seething into her blood as she took in his bloodied and battered body.
"Hmph, war? This is not a war Naruto, true war is erasing your opposition completely from the face of the planet so that even their ashes do not remain. This is merely a small dispute over territory." Tigrex said as Naruto shook his head at the answer, knowing that it was a dragon he was talking to.
"Allow me to show you what true annihilation is. Please, if you would be so kind as to direct me to your enemy my friend." Tigrex asked as Naruto gulped slightly, knowing that what was to come wasn't going to be pretty.
"It's pretty much everyone outside of that barrier in the center and around our area. Avoid those areas and a few meters around them to avoid killing any other Konoha ninja who were fighting outside of the barrier." Naruto replied as Tigrex scoffed at his tone.
"Do you take me for a hatchling who cannot control his power Naruto? A hunter is not just brute strength, though Deviljho would disagree, they must also have finesse, to be precise in killing their prey." Tigrex said as he took another deep breath, his chest and throat shining a dangerous black and crimson color as a slight tremor emanated from him.
"Issei Ryūseiheki!" Tigrex shouted as a burst of black and crimson chakra left his mouth, taking the form of baseball sized orbs of volatile chakra.
As soon as the orbs took shape, they immediately rained down on the terrified and stunned Oto-nin. Once they made contact with the enemy ninja what could only be described as horror could be seen. Upon contact, the orbs immediately exploded in a small condensed sphere of Ryuuton chakra, the limbs caught inside rotting away leaving behind an emaciated and grotesque body part behind. But they weren't able to fret over the ruined limb as the corruption of the chakra quickly spread through their body, causing an unearthly pain to rip through their bodies.
Falling to the ground, the entirety of the Oto forces were quickly reduced to nothing as their withered and wasted remains littered the streets like a scene from a horror movie. A few seconds after being exterminated, the corpses of the ninja cracked before they were reduced to ash as their remains were blown away by the wind. Watching with eyes wide with fear and horror, were the Konoha-nin who were standing no more then inches away from their vaporized enemies. Sweat running down the sides of their faces, they could only pray to Kami that they were spared from such a gruesome death. Turning their heads mechanically, they locked onto the savage smirking monster that towered above them.
"That, my friend, is how you hunt with finesse. A hatchling wouldn't have been able to discern your allies from your enemies. I, on the other hand, am capable of such feats as you've seen." Tigrex said in a prideful tone as Naruto nodded, not believing what he had just seen.
"H-How Tigrex...? You avoided killing any Konoha ninja." Naruto asked in a tone of disbelief, his respect and awe rising for his partner.
"Their smell of course. Try as they may, those who I erased all had the scent of bloodlust and malice on them. Even some of your allies had bloodlust on them but there was no malice, only the desire to protect their territory. Though, I did spare a few who I presume to be important due to the nature of their scents." Tigrex answered as Naruto nodded his head stiffly before wincing, his wounds acting up once again.
Seeing that his partner was no longer in fighting condition and that he had eliminated all but one of those who had invaded his territory, Tigrex saw fit to take his leave. Lowering his head, he gently nudged his head as Naruto fell off of his snout, landing onto a nearby rooftop with an audible groan. Cracking a smirk at his reaction, Tigrex turned to the three boss summons as he sneered at them before vanishing in a plume of smoke.
Once he left silence reigned across the village as everyone took a few seconds to register what had just happened but the lull was broken when Hiruko grunted and kicked Minato off, the blonde's eyes widening at his lapse in concentration. Before he could move finish off Hiruko, the silver haired man vanished in a flash of silver before reappearing beside a slowly rising Naruto.
"You are far too interesting to lose." Hiruko said as he grabbed Naruto by the throat, causing more blood to flow from his mouth.
"NARU-CHAN!" Kushina screamed as she rushed towards the pair, Minato throwing his kunai and flashing as quickly as he could between them, cursing the fact that Hiruko shed the bandages that he marked.
"Tsk, such pests." Hiruko scoffed as he shifted his body around, locking Naruto's arm behind his back as he brought his bandages up to the younger blonde's throat, drawing a thin line of blood.
Their eyes widening, Minato and Kushina froze in place as they stared at the scene before them. Seeing their terrified and stressed faces, Hiruko couldn't help but let a chilling smile creep across his face at the position that the two were in. To have such strong attachments that it was a hindrance, family is truly a strange thing.
"Hmph, to simply forfeit your advantage simply for the life of a child. You have three more don't you? Why give up the chance to end it all for one?" Hiruko asked as he tightened his lock on Naruto's arm, the younger blonde grunting in pain as his joint creaked.
"S-Stop! You're hurting him!" Kushina screamed hysterically, her eyes burning with rage and swimming in fear.
"Hiruko. Let go of my son now and I'll kill you as quickly and painlessly as possible." Minato said in a frigid tone, his eyes a burning with controlled fury like no other.
The standoff only turned more tense when Minato and Kushina were reunited with the rest of their family as Mito, Menma and Narumi looked on with fear filled eyes at the position their older brother was in. Soon Kakashi, Genma, Kurenai, Gai, Asuma, Anko, Zabuza and Haku also arrived and immediately widened their eyes at the scene. The powerful young man from before being reduced to a mere hostage making them seethe with rage like no other, especially Anko and Zabuza.
"You little bastard. If you know what's good for you, you'll get your hands off him." Zabuza snarled as he tightened his grip on his Kubikiribōchō, his eyes burning with anger.
"Oh? And what, pray tell, is good for me?" Hiruko said in a mocking tone, tightening his lock even more as an audible pop left Naruto's shoulder, his eyes widening as he bit by a cry of pain.
"You fucking bastard... You're going to regret this once I get my hands on you..." Anko growled out as she tightened her grip on her tanto, her knuckles turning white from the pressure she was putting on them.
Neither side giving an inch to the other, Hiruko soon saw moment in the peripheral of his vision, spotting a bleeding Tayuya holding an injured Kin. A smirk taking its place on his face, he turned to address the two, seeing them flinch when they heard his voice. Slowly and fearfully, they turned to meet his gaze as Kin's eyes promptly widened upon seeing her crush in his grasp.
"Ah, Kin, Tayuya. How good of you two to join me. Though, it makes me wonder... Why were the two of you spared when the others weren't?" Hiruko asked as their eyes widened, the Konoha ninja throwing them a quick glance before focusing back on Naruto.
"N-Naruto-kun! H-Hiruko-sama, you said you wouldn't hurt him!" Kin shouted as Hiruko threw his head back in laughter, making some of the ninja wince at how chilling it was.
"Are you that idiotic that you actually believed me? I knew of your interactions with this boy, and the feelings you have for him Kin. And to think that you Tayuya would betray me and choose a single person over the rest of us. To think you two would betray the one who allowed you to live. Such a disappointment." Hiruko said as he shook his head, the two tensing as he leveled a glare at them.
"I have no use for defective tools." Hiruko said as he made a seal with his hands, a red mark appearing on the foreheads of Tayuya and Kin as pain like no other ripped through their minds.
"AHHH!" The two screamed as they clutched their heads, their eyes wide and filled with unimaginable pain as their minds were in the process of being destroyed.
His eyes widening when he saw Hiruko discard Kin and Tayuya, Naruto's eyes once again sparked an electric blue as he narrowed them. Gritting his teeth, he tried to wretch his arm free from Hiruko's lock only to gasp in pain as two of the silver haired man's bandages pierced through his thighs, bringing him to his knees as he bit back the urge to cry out in pain when Hiruko shoved him face first into the ground.
"NARU-CHAN!"
"NARUTO!"
"NARUTO-KUN!"
"NARU-NII!"
Seeing such brutal treatment of the blonde caused rage and fear to surge through those watching. They didn't think that Hiruko would actually harm Naruto more then he had already, it would only defeat the purpose of having a hostage. Sweat now dripping freely from their brows, they quickly tried to think of a way to get him out of the situation that he was in.
"You're such a foolish boy. Why would you risk your own life to save the lives of those two? Aren't they a part of my village, the same one that attacked yours? Or have you truly fallen for that girl boy?" Hiruko asked as Naruto simply glared up at him from his position, his electric blue eyes filled with hate and anger.
"You're going to regret this." Naruto growled out in a low tone, his eyes shining with dangerous glint.
"Oh? Such scary eyes, how about I remove them for you!" Hiruko shouted as he drove his fingers into Naruto's left eye socket as Naruto's right eye widened at the action. Then, without hesitation, Hiruko ripped his arm back as a scream left Naruto's throat.
"GYAAAH!" Naruto screamed as he snapped his remaining eye shut, pain ripping through the left side of his head as a myriad of screams echoed numbly through his mind as a wet "squilching" sound resounded.
"Ah, it appears that I've crushed your eye. I'm so sorry boy." Hiruko sneered as he dropped the remains of the organ beside Naruto's head.
"YOU BASTARD! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" Kushina, Zabuza, Anko and Minato roared as they raced towards him, their eyes screaming for his blood.
"Tch." Hiruko scoffed under his breath.
He had done more then he was supposed to do, impaling Naruto's legs being the furthest he was going to do to injure the boy. But seeing those eyes, the same pupil that the monster he had summoned had, he threw reason out the window and did what he could to crush the sight of those wretched eyes. He knew that he had lost his advantage with Naruto the moment he let his emotions overthrow his reasoning.
Grabbing Naruto by the neck once again, Hiruko brought him up before driving his fist into the blonde's stomach. His eye widening, his head lurched forward as blood and spittle flew from his mouth. The sight made the four ninja approaching fumble slightly in their advancement, just enough for Hiruko to kick Naruto to the side before he vanished in a flash of silver.
"GUAH!" Naruto gasped as he collided with a nearby wall, getting partially buried by the rubble resulting from his impact.
"NARU-CHAN!"
"NARUTO!"
The four shouted as the raced over to his downed form. While they were digging through the rubble, tears fell freely from their eyes as they increased the speed of their digging. Finally, they managed to pull Naruto out of the rubble as Kushina and Anko broke down when they saw the state that he was in. His eye was half-lidded, the chilling emptiness that used to be his left eye making them snap their own eyes shut to rip themselves of the horrific sight. Blood was flowing from his eye socket along with the side of his mouth, shards of stone embedded in various parts of his body.
When he started coughing violently, hacking up blood when they tried to ease the pressure off of his chest, did they see the true extent of the damage he suffered. Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru and his siblings rushing over, they could only stare in shock at the state he was in, never imagining that he could look so close to death. Moving the crying bodies of Anko and Kushina, Tsunade immediately went to work on healing him as much as possible as Jiraiya and Orochimaru moved to examine the now unconscious forms of Tayuya and Kin.
Watching the exchange happen in the shadows of a nearby building, Hiruko could only grit his teeth at his foolishness. But soon, a chilling smile made it to his face as he remembered the trump card that he had implanted on the boy. Vanishing in another flash of silver, all he had to do was wait for the right time. Konoha may have won the battle but the war was not yet over.
(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)
After the surprise attack by Oto and Suna, Konoha was in relatively decent condition. There were a number of collapsed buildings in the semi-abandoned districts but the only major source of collateral damage was the area that Tigrex had presided in, the ground deformed and the buildings completely ruined. In terms of deaths, there were no deaths due to the Medical Corps. under the command of Shizune and Tsunade, who refused to allow anyone to die on them.
The Suna Siblings were reunited with their ninja who were stunned to hear the truth from their mouths, apologizing to Minato for their part in the attack. Minato accepted the apology on the terms that their treaty remain, though Suna would have to pay for the repairs that were needed to be made. They agreed, saying that their next Kazekage would have to be someone who agreed to those terms. After the signed agreement, using Baki and Temari as the ones in charge due to their positions, they parted ways.
Now in the process of rebuilding, Minato had those who knew Doton jutsu to fill the holes left behind from the clashes, especially the one left behind from Tigrex's roar. Following that, he had those who knew the Kage Bunshin to help with the reconstruction of the destroyed buildings, the process of rebuilding going smoothly and a little faster then before with the extra hands helping. If one were to look at Konoha after the attack, it would seem like nothing major had happened other then a few scars in the earth and a couple of collapsed buildings. However, those inside knew that something major had indeed happened, and that person was lying unconscious in the hospital.
(Scene Change - Konoha Hospital: Intensive Care Ward)
Laying in a sterile white room was Naruto covered head to toe in bandages, his right arm and leg fit in a cast while his left arm was held up in a sling. His face was also not without bandages, the left side of his face where Hiruko had taken his eye covered thickly in now pale pink colored bandages. His injuries were rather horrific in comparison to the other near death injuries that included slashed throats, punctured organs and near fatal bleeding out. His external injuries hid the damage that he had internally sustained, shattered bone, shredded muscle and tendon, internal bleeding and light hemorrhaging. Tsunade and Shizune paled when they ran their initial scan of his body, stunned about the extent of his injuries. But, after working for hours on end, they finally had him in a stable and non-threatening condition.
Walking in, Shizune quickened her strides when she caught sight of his tinted bandages. Calling for another set of supplies, the nurse who had brought them helped remove and apply the new set of bandages once more. Letting a sigh of relief escape her lips, Shizune thanked the nurse before returning her attention to the blonde below her. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess of questions that couldn't be answered by anyone other then him after all. What was the unknown black and crimson colored virus that covered Naruto's hands? Why was his body covered in an absurd number of horrific looking scars? They ranged from old puncture wounds healing to an enormous bite-like scar covering the entire side of his body, like something had literally taken a chunk out of him.
"How's he doing Shizune?" The voice of her mentor called out softly, breaking her out of her stupor.
"H-Huh? O-Oh, Tsunade-sama! I'm sorry, I was a little lost in my thoughts. Naruto-kun seems to be doing fine, though he's healing a lot slower then an Uzumaki should." Shizune reported, getting a nod from the blonde.
Making her way over, Tsunade stared at the bandaged face of her godson as grief, guilt and regret filled her heart. She may have not had the best relationship with him but she should've done something other then sit on the sidelines like a helpless child. It wasn't only her but Orochimaru and Jiraiya as well. They were Sannin for Kami's sake, and they were dealing with their old teammate. Balling her hands into a fist, Tsunade let out a haggard sigh as Shizune moved to comfort her mentor, getting a thankful smile in return. But they soon snapped their heads to Naruto when a low groan was heard.
"Ngh..." Naruto groaned in a pained tone, his eye fluttering open before narrowing to avoid the direct light that was shining in his face.
"N-Naruto-kun!" Shizune yelped, her eyes wide as tears formed in the corners of them.
"S-Shizune...San...?" Naruto asked, his voice lower then a whisper as Shizune quickly moved towards him and cupped his face gently before resting her forehead against his.
"Yes! I mean, yes. I'm here Naruto-kun." Shizune said in a soothing tone as a few tears fell from her eyes, happiness radiating off of her like the sun.
"W-Where am I...?" He asked as his lone eye scanned the room, drifting in and out of focus as Tsunade made her way over.
"Shizune, I know how you feel about him but remember that he's injured." Tsunade said in a lightly scolding tone, but her relief over his awaking trumped her usual strictness when it came to medical courtesy.
"A-Ah! R-Right!" Shizune yelped, hopping away from Naruto with her cheeks flushed red.
"How are you feeling Naruto? Do you feel pain anywhere?" Tsunade asked as she ran another scan over him, getting a weak shake of his head.
"N-No... I'm fine..." Naruto said as his eyes slowly drifted shut, having used up the small amount of energy that he had built up during his rest.
"There's nothing wrong with him other then the strange looking virus covering his hands. So far, it doesn't look like it's harmful but we need to be mindful of it." Tsunade reported as she finished her scan, Shizune jotting down her analysis.
"Well, we had better go and tell them that he woke up even if it was just for a few seconds." Tsunade said in a slightly exhausted tone, knowing that a few people were nearly about to break the doors to the ICU down.
Making their way out of the ward and into the waiting room, they were greeted with the sight of a traumatized number of people. Mito and Narumi had their faces buried into each other's shoulders, Menma was staring at the ground with wide eyes, Haku had her face buried in her hands, Minato and Zabuza were comforting a weeping Kushina and Anko respectively, Orochimaru and Jiraiya were leaning against the walls with their faces filled with worry. Overall, it was a rather tense and depressing atmosphere and it only grew when they heard her footsteps.
"Baa-chan!" Narumi screamed as she launched herself at Tsunade, the older blonde wrapping her tightly in a hug.
"Tsunade-sama, how is he!" Zabuza asked in a tone desperate for answers, his normally calm and collected demeanor now stressed and panicked.
"Please Tsunade, tell me! How is Naruto!" Kushina pleaded, her eyes red and puffy from the amount of crying she had done.
"Easy everyone, he's stable. He woke up for a few seconds before he fell back asleep. It's a miracle he did even that given the amount of damage he had." Tsunade reported as the atmosphere lightened up considerably.
"C-Can we see him?" Mito asked in a pleading tone, her eyes also red and puffy from the amount of crying she had done.
"No. He needs rest and a lot of it. You can all visit him tomorrow once we've made sure nothing is wrong with him." Tsunade said in an ironclad tone, leaving no room for arguments.
Nodding solemnly Anko, Zabuza and Haku looked longingly at the ward doors before turning and heading of out of the hospital in a slightly better mood then before. Minato let a sigh escape his lips before he had to make his was back to the tower to sort out the paperwork he had built up. Orochimaru and Jiraiya moved to checkup on Kin and Tayuya. That left Kushina, Mito, Menma and Narumi alone in the hospital, Shizune and Tsunade giving them understanding gazes before heading back to check on the blonde.
"N-Naru-nii's safe now... I'm so glad..." Narumi whimpered, furiously scrubbing away the tears in her eyes.
"Y-Yeah... Me too..." Menma admitted, sniffling as he brushed away the stray tears from his eyes.
"H-He'll be fine, he's our big brother after all..." Mito said in a shaky voice, trying to stay collected though the few tears that fell from her eyes gave away her true feelings.
Seeing her children all worried about their older brother made Kushina's heart swell with love and pride, moving to embrace them all as they melted into her embrace.
"Once your older brother gets out we'll have a celebration, all of us." Kushina said as Mito and Narumi nodded their heads, Menma following suit though it was hesitant.
"Don't worry Menma-chan, your brother will understand if you talk to him. He's forgiven your father and I, he'll do the same for you." Kushina coo'ed making Menma nod his head at her answer.
Now that they were all much calmer then before, the four opted to give the doorway to the ICU one last glance before they headed out of the building and back to their home.
After a surprise attack from the combined forces of Oto and Suna, Konoha had managed to sustain minimal damage. The rebuilding effort carrying along smoothly and quicker then anticipated, the Leaf counted its blessings as the attack did not do more damage then most surprise attacks would. They thanked the Suna Siblings for their information, their Kage for his planning and actions, the Sannin and their godchildren for their summons, the boss summons, and though it was not a shared thought, the monster that erased the Oto-nin inside the village in a single attack.
(Time Skip - A Day Later)
(Scene Change - Hokage's Tower)
"-That's the last of our report Minato-sama! The construction of the most important destroyed buildings are nearing completion, they should be complete by the end of the week. As for the debris and rubble, we removed and recovered all the items and have returned most of them to their rightful owners however..." Raido trailed off as Genma reached into the chest of lost belongings they recovered and pulled out a black scroll with crimson markings.
"We found this near the collapsed apartment buildings near the North Gate. We've tried to open it but everything we've done doesn't seem to work." Genma continued before handing the scroll to Minato.
"Hmm... This is an interesting scroll. It's a combination of a blood and chakra seal but there's something very different about it. Do we know who it belongs to?" He asked, getting a shake of the head in the negative from the team.
"I don't want to intrude on anyone's privacy, could you get me Tsume and Kuromaru? They should be able to locate who this belongs to." Minato asked, getting a nod of the head from the group.
As they left, Minato looked through the windows and couldn't help but let a small smile make its way to his face. They managed to elude what could have possibly been a disastrous attack with extremely minimal damage. He had to thank Kami for the fact that no one was lost in the attack, something even he couldn't believe happened. While he was happy that no one had lost their lives, it soon turned to self-loathing when he remembered what had happened to his son.
Gritting his teeth, Minato felt his anger start to bubble through his blood as he remembered the brutal way Hiruko had beat down Naruto. His pen snapping in two when he heard from Tsunade that they weren't able to successfully transplant him with a new eye despite trying for hours. He could understand if there was a problem with the organ, but Tsunade had told him that Naruto's body was actively fighting and rejecting all of the transplants that were tried. But he soon quelled his anger when he remembered that his son was safe, though he was crippled for the rest of his life.
"Minato, you alright?" A voiced asked, snapping him out of his stupor.
"H-Huh? Oh, Jiraiya-sensei. Anything to report?" Minato asked, the underlying question of Hiruko's location not being lost on the older shinobi.
"Nothing. I don't know how he did it, but it seems as though he completely erased his presence and all traces of his person in and around Konoha. I've got my network working on it, but nothings come up." Jiraiya reported, Minato nodding his head stiffly, Jiraiya able to see the subtle anger radiating off of him.
"Don't worry Minato-kun, we'll find him and have him pay for his crimes." Another voice said, getting the two to turn to its source.
"Thanks Orochimaru, but I just wished I could've stopped him." Minato said, his eyes now filled with guilt and self-hatred.
"You're not the only one Minato, we're all feeling the same. If we were faster, we could've stopped him from crippling Naruto." Jiraiya said, his face twisted was guilt.
"As for those two Oto-kunoichi, it appears that they've had their memories completely erased save for their names. Ibiki, Inoichi and myself weren't able to find any traces of them actively lying or trying to hide any pieces of information. It appears that Hiruko was smart enough to have such a failsafe in the event his ninja were captured." Orochimaru explained, getting a look of surprise from the two.
"Is that even possible? I've never heard of such a jutsu or of a seal capable of that." Minato asked, Orochimaru and Jiraiya nodding at him.
"With what he's been doing, there's no telling what kind of jutsu or seals he's created." Jiraiya said as Orochimaru nodded in agreement.
"As those two are right now, they're completely ineffective for combat. They've not only had their memories erased but they've had their chakra drained to civilian levels. They're no longer a threat to us even if they did have their memories." Orochimaru explained, Minato nodding at his statement.
"Keep them detained until the end of the week and keep up with regular checkups on them, if by the end of the week you don't find anything of value, release them and send them to me." Minato asked, getting a nod from the older man.
"Now that business is settled, why don't we get to the hospital and check up on Naruto." Jiraiya said, Minato and Orochimaru nodded as they left the office.
(Scene Change - Konoha Hospital: Intensive Care Ward)
Laying with his eye trained on the ceiling, Naruto had his left arm free from the sling that was used to support it when he was unconscious. Naruto radiated an aura of sheer bloodlust and hatred unlike anything the likes of the hospital staff had felt. His normally blank navy eye were now a piercing electric blue as it seemed to spark with anger. His anger wasn't aimed at anyone other them himself and the man who he had become a hostage to. Naruto was appalled at the helpless situation that he was put in, even more so that he was left crippled by the same man who held him hostage.
"I'll kill him... I swear on my life that I'll kill him..." Naruto whispered under his breath, clenching his fists tightly as he grit his teeth.
The simple fact was that he had lost. He had lost horribly. Not only did Hiruko take him hostage, he took his left eye as well. Chamele, Jho, Tatsuko; the entirety of Thousand Blade Mountain would ridicule and mock him for his weakness and his defeat. Even worse was the fact that he was Tigrex's partner, Tigrex would also be the subject of ridicule and mockery for having such a weak partner. He was weak. He was prey. He wasn't a predator, let alone a dragon. A dragon doesn't lose to anything except another dragon. He was a failure. A failure and a fraud.
Soon the door opened and Naruto craned his oppressive gaze to his visitors, the men flinching upon seeing his angry gaze. They expected him to be his usual blank self or even happy perhaps that they were all safe and he was alive even after facing off against a freak of nature. But here he was, giving them an angry gaze that was aimed at himself.
"Is there something wrong?" He asked in a subtly irritated tone, the men frowning slightly upon catching it.
"That's what we should be asking you Naruto. Is something the matter?" Minato asked as he moved beside his son, Naruto shifting his gaze to the window overlooking the village.
"There's nothing wrong." Naruto replied curtly, Minato's frown growing as Orochimaru and Jiraiya spoke up.
"If something's troubling you it's better to talk about it rather then keeping it bottled up." Orochimaru said, Minato and Jiraiya agreeing with him as Naruto nodded in response.
"Naruto. If your angry about being a hostage, you shouldn't be. Hiruko is a shinobi of Sannin level, there was no possible way you would have been able to match him." Jiraiya said, Naruto gritting his teeth as he tightened his fists.
Seeing such a reaction from him caused the three to stare at him with worrying eyes, did he really think he could stand up against someone who went toe to toe against Minato? Even if he was indeed strong for a genin, he was nowhere near the level of power that Hiruko had, that wasn't even counting the kekkei genkai that he had stolen and integrated into his body.
"Naruto, you're strong. You're very strong, but even if you were going all out you wouldn't last more then a few seconds against Hiruko. He managed to match your father in terms of speed and even managed copied his Rasengan. As you are now, you're far too inexperienced and unpowered to even think about fighting him." Jiraiya explained, Naruto's fists tightening with every word that left his mouth.
"Tch." Naruto scoffed, signaling that he had enough about hearing how weak he is and strong Hiruko was.
Seeing that he was now in an even worse mood then he was before Jiraiya, Orochimaru and Minato decided to leave him alone to his thoughts as they made their way out of the room. Once they left, Naruto let a growl escape his throat as he tightened his fist to the point he drew blood from his palm. They had all just cemented the fact that he was weak, and that angered him to the near breaking point. Shifting his body, so his good leg hung off the side of the bed, Naruto grunted as he forced himself up using the wall for support. Reaching over, he pulled the IV's and other medical apparatuses attached to him off.
Hobbling towards the window, Naruto opened it with a little bit of difficulty using his good arm. Taking a deep breath to ease his anger, Naruto focused his chakra to his palm and hung off the side of the building before dropping floor by floor, hoping that he didn't attract any attention, though he doubted it. Once he was on the ground, he steadied himself once more before using a plank nearby as a makeshift crutch. Then, Naruto hobbled his way out towards the area his apartment once stood. People giving him a wide berth from the subtle anger and hate that he was radiating.
(Time Skip - Half An Hour Later)
"TSUANDE-SAMA! TSUNADE-SAMA!" A nurse frantically shouted though the hallways of the hospital before the woman in question appeared before her.
"What have I told you about shouting in the hospital!" Tsunade roared, but the nurse didn't cower like she usually did, making Tsunade cock an eyebrow.
"NARUTO'S GONE!" She shouted, making Tsunade's eyes widen before she sped to his room, hoping that it wasn't true.
Slamming open the door, she paled when she saw that he was in fact missing from his bed, the window fully opened. Running to the window, she looked through it and scanned the area for any sign of the blonde. When she didn't find a trace of him, she immediately rushed to the Hokage's Tower, hoping that that her family weren't visiting Minato when she arrived. Though fate is a cruel mistress.
(Scene Change - Hokage's Tower)
Chatting with his family, Minato couldn't help but smile after hearing about their plan to celebrate Naruto's recovery with a small party. While they were busy discussing their ideas for the plan, they were soon accompanied by Kakashi, Orochimaru and Jiraiya. The laughter that could be heard from outside of the making her freeze, Tsunade steeled herself as she slammed open the door, catching the attention of everyone inside.
"Baa-chan! Did you hear about our party for Naru-nii yet!" Narumi chirped, making Tsunade inwardly groan at the bombshell she was about to drop.
"Everyone, I need you all to remain calm do you understand?" Tsunade asked, everyone tensing at her tone.
"Naruto's missing from his room." Tsunade said, the silence so overwhelming that a pin dropping could be louder then an explosive tag.
"What?!" Kushina screamed, her eyes wide with fear as he did the complete opposite of what Tsunade had asked of them.
"Anbu!" Minato shouted, a squad of his most trusted Anbu appearing in the room.
"Naruto's gone missing. Fan out and search for him! Contact me if you find him!" Minato ordered, the Anbu nodding before moving to carry out their orders.
"Come'on, we're moving out as well!" Jiraiya said as the others nodded, breaking into groups to fan out through the village in search of the blonde.
(Scene Change - Naruto's Apartment: Ruins)
Arriving at the ruins of his apartment, Naruto couldn't help but let out an angry sigh at the ruins that used to be his home. When he got closer, his anger soon turned to sadness when he caught sight of his belongings. Making his way over, he reached down and picked up the remains of one of his plants. Its withered leaves falling off, Naruto let his eye close as he gently placed the remains of his maple back to the ground. Hobbling closer, he rummaged through the rubble trying to find the scroll that contained his most important items. Ignoring the fresh scrapes and cuts that his hand sustained, Naruto ever noticed the group that was running towards him.
"Naruto!" Minato shouted, catching the attention of the blonde.
Shifting half his body, they slowed to a stop when they saw the mixed sadness and anger swirling through his eyes. Closing his eye and letting his head drop, he released a sigh before returning to dig through the remains of his apartment. Seeing him ignore them hurt them slightly, but the group saw that he was actively searching for something and moved to help him find it. Tsunade and Shizune moving to heal his hands and check him over for any fresh injuries.
"That was a completely idiotic and careless action you know." Tsunade scolded him, finishing up on healing his hands.
When he didn't reply, she started to get a little frustrated by his attitude, Shizune starting to panic slightly knowing how her mentor got when she was angry. Quickly moving to placate Tsunade's anger, Shizune relaxed when she saw the rest of their family moving towards them.
"Naruto, what were you searching for?" Minato asked, the group also growing curious as to what was valuable or important enough to make him do something this reckless.
"My scroll." Naruto relied, his eye never leaving the rubble that was his apartment.
"A scroll? That's what made you escape the hospital?" Tsunade asked in an incredulous tone, her anger bubbling to the surface.
"What does it look like Naruto-nii?" Mito asked, determined to help him find what it was that he was searching for.
"Wait. It wouldn't be a black scroll would it? With crimson markings?" Minato said, Naruto immediately snapping his head towards him once the words left his mouth.
"Y-You have it?" He asked in a tone those present have never heard or thought they'd ever hear, he sounded desperate, as if his life depended on it.
"Yes I do, come'on. Let's head to my office and get it for you." Minato said with a smile on his face, Naruto nodding his head slightly before getting up.
Seeing him using a makeshift crutch, everyone winced when they saw how desperate he really was to find his scroll. Quickly moving over, Shizune helped steady him before wrapping her arm around his shoulder as she leaned him against her, fighting the pink that dusted her cheeks. As she did so, Tsunade smirked while Mito and Narumi frowned slightly at the sight.
"Thanks." He said, his voice lower then a whisper, Shizune blushing a little more deeply before stating that it wasn't a problem.
Making their way towards the tower, Kushina turned and saw the devious smirk on Tsunade's face and her face quickly lit up in realization. Moving towards the older blonde to confirm her suspicions, she quickly widened her eyes before narrowing them on the raven haired woman supporting her oldest son. Kushina liked Shizune, enough that she could almost be considered her little sister of sorts. But there was no way that she would accept her dating her oldest. no matter how much she liked her. Her sentiments were shared by the remaining girls, Mito and Narumi seeing the expression on Shizune's face. They would protect their older brother from other women even if it killed them.
(Scene Change - Hokage's Tower)
Arriving in Minato's office, the group quickly became curious when Minato moved to his desk and pulled out the same scroll that he had described. They grew even more curious when they saw Naruto's eye light up and shine with relief and gratitude. Meekly reaching over and taking the scroll, Naruto thanked Minato in a slightly bashful tone as the others gawked at the exchange. The women squealing slightly at the cuteness that they had just witnessed from Naruto while the men could only gawk at his reaction. Once he took the scroll, Naruto moved to leave the tower only to be stopped by an irate Tsunade.
"Oh no you're not, you're heading right back to your room. This time, a more secure one at that." Tsunade said in a threatening tone, Naruto releasing a sigh before nodding his head in acceptance.
Heading back with Kushina, Mito and Narumi, the trip was relatively amiable. Mito and Narumi were trying to hold a conversation with Naruto, the older blonde replying with short sentences and answers. As they did, Kushina and Tsunade were chatting with Shizune, who was the subject of discussion to her utter mortification.
(Scene Change - Konoha Hospital: Intensive Care Ward)
Back in his room, now with a securely locked window, Naruto laid with his eye trained once again on the ceiling. Closing it, he focused chakra to his ears and heard no one outside of his room or within four feet of the door. Opening it once again, he pulled out his scroll before biting his thumb and wiping it against the blood seal. The seal glowing a crimson color, Naruto held his thumb against the scroll and drew a tiny amount of Ryuuton chakra and pushed it into the seal, which now glowed black and crimson. The seal turning, it clicked before opening its contents.
Opening it up, he quickly moved to the section that held his medical supplies, swiping the seal once again with his blood before it glowed with a calm green glow. Then, in a small plume of smoke appeared a clear flash with a strange aquamarine colored liquid inside. Taking a deep breath, Naruto brought the flask to his mouth before downing the contents, resisting the urge to vomit once the acrid taste overwhelmed his taste buds. Soon after downing the contents of the flask, his body started to glow a light green as he released a content sigh once the feelings of his limbs came rushing back to him. Turning to face the window once again, he could only wait until Tsunade or Shizune came and discharged him from the hospital.
A Son Forgotten
And that's that. Not too action packed or interesting but I was kinda bummed writing this chapter. Sorry about that filler once again guys, I'll avoid using em in the future. Well, you know the routine by now if you're still reading this. Till next time, take it easy.
Issei Ryūseiheki - Voice Meteor Burst: No Human Rank, Ninjutsu; A jutsu that Tigrex created that utilizes the immeasurable power of his voice. Tigrex begins by building up the required amount of Ryuuton natured chakra inside his vocal cords as he lets loose a quiet roar. The sound echoes and condenses inside of his chest, becoming louder and more intense as the color of his chest and throat changes to match the amount of power built up, before he turns his head up and shouts upward into the air. Like a shower of shooting stars or rather the fallout of lava from an erupting volcano, the condensed sound and chakra rains down on those who he has marked as his targets, the orbs seemingly controlled by his will. There is no known record of the aftermath its full power, but it has been said that it is powerful enough to erase half of the world.
Kage Bunshin - Shadow Clone: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; Similar to the basic Bunshin, this technique creates copies of the user. However, these clones are corporeal instead of illusions. The user's chakra is evenly distributed among every clone, giving each clone an equal fraction of the user's overall power. The clones are capable of performing techniques on their own and can even bleed, but will usually disperse after hit by a strong enough force. The clones can also disperse on their own or be dispelled by the user of the technique. Kage Bunshin can't be distinguished from the original with Sharingan, Byakugan or Rinnegan.
Rasengan - Spiraling Sphere: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; The Rasengan is an A-rank jutsu created by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, by observing the Tailed Beast Ball. Minato spent three years developing the Rasengan; his intention was to take the shape transformation of one's chakra to the "highest possible point" and combine it with his chakra's nature affinity, creating a technique that did not need the aid of time-consuming hand seals to control. On shape transformation alone, the Rasengan is still a powerful, versatile, and difficult technique to learn and master.