Egao
Naruto stared deep into her crimson eyes, which were matched by crimson hair, a crimson kimono, and a crimson staff that leaned wearily against an old tree with crimson petals. Her skin was pale and beautiful, and her face radiated elegance and sophistication. It was all quite crimson.
The staff sighed and said, "Just do it already, boy."
Naruto glared at it, but said nothing. What this woman was asking him to do was…horrible, awful, ev—
"Evil, Naruto-kun?" the woman asked aloud.
Naruto rolled his eyes and replied, "So what? I find the murder of innocent people to be a tad bit evil."
"Why?" the woman asked.
Her eyes twinkled like twin pools of wine.
"Why?" Naruto repeated with a sneer. "They're people. They have dreams and emotions and all those pretty things. Killing them would make those that love them miserable and that is evil."
"Please elaborate," the woman replied.
The curiosity in her eyes, pure and child-like, never wavered.
Naruto stared at her dumbly for a moment.
The staff sighed again and began to say, "She wants you to elabora—"
"I know what she said, you stupid cane!" Naruto shouted. "I'm just trying to get over her idiocy. What do you mean 'Please elaborate'? Do not the cries of the maimed and dying touch your heart and bring tears to your eyes? Does the suffering of the innocent not pain you in ways beyond imagining?"
"No," the woman answered without change in either expression or voice, "and it doesn't pain you either."
A child, worn and impoverished suddenly appeared between him and the woman. Wordlessly, the woman wrapped her arms around the child's head and began violently, yet calmly, twisting it in an obvious attempt to snap its neck.
The child immediately began screaming, its arms and legs flying wildly around in a desperate attempt to free itself. High-pitched and shrill, the shrieks penetrated Naruto's skull and rang pure and clear within his mind. Yet, he merely watched as the woman twisted the head further and further, as the child's eyes widened and its screams and sobs grew louder, as its life drew closer and closer to an end. With a crack and a final whimper, the child went limp and the woman let it fall lifelessly to the ground.
Naruto was taken aback by the violent display, yet he did nothing.
Naruto's eyes snapped open, lighting the world that surrounded him. He did not sit up in shock or gasp in terror. Instead, he merely blinked and allowed the haze of sleep that clouded his vision to fade away. The soft fuzziness of relaxation lay peacefully upon his brow and a delightful weight kept him from even raising his little finger.
I wish I could lay here forever, he thought contentedly.
All thoughts of the child and the strange woman were delightfully meaningless to him. So what that he'd had a nightmare? It was only a fragment of an idea flitting around meaninglessly in his head. This beautiful, encasing drowsiness, however, was very real and he wanted to sink into it forever and ever.
His eyes stretched and yawned, clearing away the last vestiges of blurriness. Naruto saw that he was in a room flowing with warm light. Curtains of the faintest yellow billowed and ruffled with a gentle breeze that poured in through an open window. A table of white wood stood firmly next to his bed, which itself was composed of the cleanest and most comfortable sheets that Naruto had ever slept upon.
"Your hair got longer."
Naruto's eyes snapped open. They snapped open like a lightning crack, a broken twig in a quiet clearing, a whisper on a voiceless hillside. Snap, crack, boom. Light appeared, bringing with it magnificent color that was contrasted by horrible reality.
"It's been a long time, Naruto," the voice continued. Its easy, lulling tone brought to mind days of sweat, pain, and an endless ringing of bells.
"Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto replied, his sleep-encrusted voice sounding hoarse as it traveled through the air.
Surrounding his bed was Team 7.
Military Hospital Ward, One Week after Invasion
"How have you been?" Kakashi asked.
Naruto was half-tempted to close his eyes, make the sincerest wish he could muster, and then open them to see if everything had disappeared.
"Fine," he answered instead.
He unconsciously began to take in Kakashi-sensei's appearance, scrutinizing with blue eyes every detail that made up the man and then comparing it to his memories of days long gone. Kakashi-sensei seemed little different from three years ago. Perhaps cleaner and less downtrodden due to the absence of a war, but he was the same nonetheless.
Why did this have to happen? Naruto wondered.
"That's good," Kakashi continued.
Silence descended upon the room. Naruto stared at his former teammates apprehensively. They gazed upon him with the sincerest feelings of hope in their eyes. It was almost too much for him to bear. Almost. Truthfully, part of Naruto enjoyed the undivided attention he was finally receiving from those who had abandoned him. They owed him more than anyone could possibly imagine and that felt…nice.
"Well," Kakashi said with a grim kind of cheer, "might as well get to it. Naruto, I know that nothing we say will fix anything. I know that it will take time for you to even consider forgiving us for failing you. All that we ask for is a chance."
Naruto remained silent, his eyes locked onto the soft sheets crumpled within his hands. He wanted to meet Kakashi's gaze with a glare, to scream and rant about the agony he'd endured in that moment as bitter wind met his scorched flesh. He wanted to hold on to his rage, because it brought him unimaginable pleasure. Yes, he took pleasure out of being the victim, the wronged party. He'd been the victim all his life – of the village, of his classmates teasing – but he'd never held the power that all victims have, which is righteousness and the ability to hold guilt over the heads of those who had wronged them. Naruto was the victim of Sasuke and Sakura's betrayal. Therefore, he was in the right and any action he took could be justified.
I know it's wrong, he thought, but it's just feels so good to have this power over them. They owe me. I want what is my due. But…I care about them. I mean, I don't care—damn it. How can I describe feelings of longing, betrayal, and torment – feelings that have plagued me from the first moment of my life – with these clumsy utterances and grunts? When I think back upon that single instant, when they stared back at me with fearful eyes and left me to die, I become enraged and hatred fills my heart to the brim. Yet, looking at them now, I can't help but wither before the hope and love radiating from their mouths and noses and eyes. My hate is undone and I am left without purpose. And then, my mind wanders back to their betrayal and I become consumed by fury once more. The cycle goes on and I am left with nothing but confusion.
"Naruto?"
He snapped to attention. They were all staring at him in that manner he both despised and loved: hopeful, sincere, and kind. He hated it because it destroyed his fantasy of vengeance. He loved it because he was at the center of their attention. Simple, childish symptoms of the thousands of fantasies he'd created to sate the lust for friendship and acknowledgement that he'd been deprived of.
"Y-yes," he replied, "I hear you."
His heart began beating hard and fast. They wanted an answer, a verbal commitment to a rebuilding of their relationship. Did he want that? Could he have it even if he did want it? Can one be friends with another if cause for hatred exists between them?
So many questions, yet Naruto, despite the speed with which his mind worked (or perhaps because of it), had no time to sort them out.
"Let's talk about this later," he said finally. "I need time."
He winced at the disappointment that flashed across their faces, but it was worth it. He couldn't even think about this right now. Not without allowing his mind to settle down. All he could do was hope that they agreed.
"If you think it's best," Kakashi replied slowly.
Inwardly, Naruto cheered. On the outside, however, Naruto merely smiled and mumbled, "Thank you Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi's eye widened a bit at the title Naruto had given him. Judging by the smile that Naruto could see through his mask, however, it was obvious that he was pleased.
"All right then," the monocular jounin proclaimed cheerfully, "we'll get out of your hair."
Kakashi stood up and walked out of the room.
"Bu—Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed angrily. "We haven't—"
"Sakura, Sasuke," Kakashi interrupted from the hallway outside the room, "Naruto needs to rest. We'll talk with him later."
Sakura glared at Kakashi and then turned towards Naruto, worrying him that she would disobey Kakashi.
"C'mon Sakura," Sasuke ordered suddenly, tearing both Naruto and Sakura's shocked gazes onto him.
"What the hell, Sasuke?" Sakura demanded. "You want to talk with him just as much I do!"
Sasuke turned to Naruto and fixed him with a familiar stare. Naruto knew that Sasuke could be patient when he wanted to be…so long as he got what he wanted.
"Naruto's not ready yet," Sasuke replied finally, "but he will be. Right Naruto?
Naruto felt his chest get a little tighter as he forced himself to nod.
"Of course, Sasuke," he answered.
Sasuke continued to stare at him for a moment longer, emphasizing all the more the strength of his desire to talk. Finally, he turned away, shoved his bandaged hands into his pockets, and sulked out of the room after Kakashi. That left Sakura.
Naruto closed his eyes. He didn't even want to see Sakura's face. Several images of demonic ogres with pink hair and eyes of white fire danced inside his head, but the voice that met his ears was soft and eerily calm.
"We want you back, Naruto," Sakura said. "We'll do anything to prove that to you. Please don't punish us any further."
Naruto kept his eyes closed as the soft patter of Sakura's feet against the cool tiles of his room echoed throughout his cranium. Though he had survived this encounter, he couldn't bear the thought of what would happen when the inevitable came to pass. What would be said after everything that'd happened? Naruto's heart leapt into his throat at the thought of it and he buried his face into his pillow in misery.
East Wing of Konoha Medical Hospital, One Week after Invasion
The sheets were soft. She curled them in her fingers, spread her feet and toes out to capture that clean feeling, and sighed as she nestled her cheek against the pillow gently cradling her head.
Anko's eyes snapped open. A thousand and one questions instantly popped into her head, all of them wondering why the hell she was sleeping in such disgustingly white room. The light blazing in through the windows made everything shine, which hurt her eyes horribly. She clamped a hand over them and set her mind to work.
Think back, she told herself. What happened an hour ago? Two hours ago? Three, four, five—the Chuunin Exams. Naruto won. We talked, others fought, and…and…Gaara went apeshit on everything. We pursued and engaged, then Naruto finally nailed him down. After that, it gets really fuzzy, meaning that I went unconscious. Konan's letter!
Anko took a deep breath to calm down.
If she'd fallen asleep after reading Konan's letter, then why wasn't she in the forest? Why hadn't Naruto woke her up to get back to Ame with Gaara? And who the fuck was knocking on her goddamn door?
"Situree-simasu," a kind voice proclaimed, using Konoha's dialect to warn her of impending intrusion. Anko tensed as she heard the door slide open. The click-clack of new shoes and the grainy sound of the door closing soon followed, as did the overpowering scent of artificial cleanliness.
"Ohayoo gozaimasu Mitarashi-san," the voice said cheerfully. "Daizyoobu desu ka?"
Anko said nothing, hoping that the voice, which obviously belonged to a doctor, would get the hint and leave her alone. Unfortunately, Anko didn't hear the click-clack or the grainy noise. Instead, she could feel the doctor's concerned stare flying up and down her body, scrutinizing her very form for any sign of malady or harm.
Inwardly gashing the doctor's eyes out, Anko flipped onto her back and gave the kind doctor her fiercest glare. What met said glare was the yelp of a squirrely young man with large glasses, a mess of long brown hair, and the wispiest mustache she'd ever seen. The clipboard he'd been holding clattered to the floor, causing countless papers chalk full of graphs and medical terminology to scatter across the floor.
"Sumimasen, sumimasen!" he exclaimed upon realizing what he'd done.
He fell to the floor and began furiously gathering his papers back onto the clipboard. Anko watched the doctor's fumbling movements and apologies with a wicked grin. This was more entertaining than she'd thought.
The doctor finally collected all of the documents, however, and said with an apologetic bow, "Sumimasen desita. Daizyoobu de—"
"Ii desu yo," Anko interjected gruffly, easily keeping up with the doctor's Konoha dialect. "Nani o sitai desu ka?"
An excited grin spread across the doctor's face, causing Anko to draw back in surprise.
"Daizyoobu desu yo!" he shouted happily. "Yokatta desu nee! Dono yō ni kanzite iru? Nani ga itai no desu ka? Kono yōna kyūsokuna kaifuku wa subarashii desu…kega no mae kara atta ka na oboete imasu ka?"
Anko close her eyes and inwardly imagined bashing the doctor's head into a wall. The thought calmed her, but it didn't stop the torrent of words that were flying out of the idiot's mouth. It didn't help that she had just woken up.
"Stop!" she barked, reverting to the dialect common throughout the entire continent.
The doctor visibly started at her shout, which halted his verbal rampage.
"I'm tired and confused," she explained unapologetically, "so speak plainly and tell me what the hell is going on."
"O-of course, Mitarashi-san," the doctor stuttered as he quickly switched dialects. "I did not mean to offend. I just got back from a meeting and—"
Anko narrowed her eyes at him in a very serpentine manner.
"—that has nothing to do with a-anything," the doctor recovered with a nervous laugh. "So, what did you want to know?"
"For starters," she retorted, "you could tell me how I got here."
The doctor nodded and began rifling through the sheets of his clipboard. His mustache rippled atop his upper lip in the most peculiar manner, but Anko didn't care. Instead, she sighed and leaned back against her pillow. If the doctor was going to take this long—
"Here we are!" he exclaimed, causing Anko to jolt into an upright position.
"What the fu—"
Anko started to swear, but she was cut off by the doctor as he began to read the document.
"You were brought in by two Chuunin," he began. "They were apparently searching for that Gaara character in order to bring him in for questioning. It seems that you were found alongside him…"
Anko immediately descended upon this new information. Konan's sleeping jutsu must have been in effect for a long time indeed if they were discovered in the middle of the forest. Then again, Gaara's rampage had probably made a pretty obvious trail. If what this buffoon was saying was accurate, then even Naruto had been "recovered". Pain and Konan must have been pretty serious about them staying here.
"…It goes on," the doctor continued, "to say that everyone found in the area was brought back for medical treatment. After that, there's a list of which hospitals they were sent to and who the doctors are that are currently caring for them. To answer your question then, you're in the East Wing Konoha Medical Hospital and as for your doctor, that's me."
He waved at her cheerfully.
"Shinsetsuna Tsukisasu," he informed her with a bow. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. You can call me Tsuki, if you like."
"All right Tsuki," Anko continued, "how long have I been here?"
Tsuki stroked his mustache thoughtfully, before replying, "About a week."
Anko's face faltered.
A little much, don't ya think Konan? she thought.
"I was actually getting a little worried," Tsuki went on, "because your injuries honestly weren't bad enough to put you in such a state. It was why I was speaking that dialect to you. I simply wasn't used to you responding. It's also why I got really excited when you did start responding."
"That's wonderful," Anko replied dryly. "Now what?"
"Well," Tsuki answered, "we run a few tests to see how you're doing and then, once it's been determined that you're okay, we'll have a few questions for you about what took place during the battle. Nothing too serious, I assure you. You guys were the ones who beat him, after all. We have no reason to—oh hang on," the doctor suddenly exclaimed as his eye caught something on his clipboard, "you're his teammate?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Anko demanded, worry flaring up within her.
Was he talking about Naruto?
"Well, that's really interesting," he said. "I guess you'll be asked a few more questions after all."
"Explain," Anko growled.
"I suppose it couldn't hurt to tell you," he replied nervously. "It seems that the name of one of your teammates, 'Hisomuikou Jinkoumaru', is a fake name. His real name is Uzumaki Naruto. He was a Konoha nin that was originally thought to be KIA during the war. Turns out that Ame found him half-dead and took him in. Were you aware that he wasn't a native?"
He stared at her with the most genuinely quizzical look Anko had ever seen and there were no sarcastic undertones in his voice that suggested he knew she'd known Naruto's true identity. But, why did she get the feeling that she was being interrogated?
"No," she mumbled, thankful that her emotional turmoil was easy to mask as shock, "I didn't."
"I'm very sorry," he replied with a sympathetic frown. "Don't worry though. I hear the Council is taking a favorable stance towards his trial. I mean, given the circumstances, it's certainly understandable—"
"What?" she shouted, cutting him off. "What trial?"
The doctor looked quite flabbergasted by her abrupt change in demeanor and he adjusted his glasses several times as he stumbled about for an answer.
"W-well," he responded, "he is technically a missing nin. Unless the trauma of his near-death experience caused him to lose his memory, which we have concluded did not occur, Uzumaki-san should have, in accordance with basic shinobi protocol, informed the Ame government of his identity and asked them to escort him back to Konoha. The fact that he didn't do so, during a war no less, is suspicious at the very least. B-but," he blurted out quickly upon seeing Anko's face fall, "I'm sure it'll be fine. The Council will be very forgiving to Uzumaki-san given the circumstances. According to the report, Uzumaki-san's teammates technically left him to die. It is perfectly understandable for him to have questioned his loyalties during that time."
Anko felt relief wash through her system, but it quickly dissipated upon hearing the doctor's next words.
"I suppose you could think of this trial as a method the Council can use to be sure of Uzumaki-san's current loyalties. I think the higher ups just need to be certain he's set his priorities straight."
"What does that mean?" Anko demanded.
The doctor replied in the most cheerful of voices, "It means that Uzumaki-san will be able to return to Konoha. I hope Ame didn't expect to have to care for him forever. We would never want to impose such a burden upon our allies. Have no fear, Mitarashi-san. Uzumaki-san is finally home. Oh, is something wrong?"
Military Hospital Ward, One Week and a Half after Invasion
"Yes, something is wrong!" Naruto shouted. "I have to go to a freaking trial to determine my loyalty! Have you never studied the workings of autocracies? Doesn't this strike you as little, oh, autocratic? Besides, I'm still injured from my battle!"
Kakashi scratched his cheek. Naruto hadn't taken the news of a trial very well. Of course, it had made him open up a little more to Kakashi.
And by open, he thought dryly, I mean shouting into my face with the ferocity of the Seven Winds.
"Listen Naruto," Kakashi began gently, "there's no reason for you to get so worked up over this. You have to remember that much of our power lies within our soldiers and if our soldiers aren't loyal, then we can't operate. As for your injuries, they actually weren't that bad. You simply had chakra exhaustion. Of course, if there's something else worrying you…"
Naruto turned his blue eyes away, clueing Kakashi in instantly on why Naruto really didn't want to go.
"You're afraid you won't be able to return to Ame, right?"
Kakashi sighed when he saw Naruto visibly tense. It was as he'd expected. His first thoughts when he'd watched "Jinkoumaru" fight in the Finals had been centered on how cruel and hateful the boy had been. Now that he knew "Jinkoumaru" was Naruto, the only conclusion Kakashi could come to was that the malice that Jinkoumaru had displayed had to have had some basis in Naruto's true feelings. No amount of shinobi training could make someone that believable. That hatred probably made Konoha the worst place in the world right now for Naruto.
I know why too, Kakashi thought. Why on earth would Naruto want to stay in the village that shunned him as a child and then abandoned him without a second thought? But, there was a second thought. And a third, and a fourth, and so on into infinity. Naruto has always been at the forefront of Sakura and Sasuke's minds. How can I get him to see that? Whatever I do, though, I can't rush into it. He needs his own time to come to terms with what happened. Of course, forcing him to stay in Konoha won't help matters at all, but that's just something we'll have to work around.
"C'mon," Kakashi said, "it won't be that bad."
Naruto glared at him.
The door to Naruto's room suddenly flew open, revealing a slight, attractive figure garbed in white who was accompanied by two burly Chuunin. Kakashi knew the figure to be Shizuka Hitode. Hitode was an elite Takai Jounin just like Kakashi, save that he was one of the ten who served directly under the Hokage. The man's midnight black hair and piercing blue eyes were unmistakable.
What the hell is he doing here? Kakashi wondered as worry sprouted within his heart.
"Uzumaki Naruto," Hitode stated in a bored voice, "you are expected before the Council. Come with us now."
Kakashi winced as words of protest began to escape Naruto's mouth.
"But I was told that it wouldn't be until—"
"You were told wrong," Hitode interjected. "Come with us immediately or we will be forced to drag you there. Don't worry about your clothes."
Hitode added the last part as a kind of afterthought, but its meaning couldn't have been clearer: the Council wanted this Trial to happen now, so much so that Naruto didn't even have to dress in formal wear despite the fact that he was appearing in front of the most important people in Konoha. Furthermore, the Trial merited the attention of a shinobi of Hitode's caliber. That was saying something, considering that only Kakashi and a select few could beat him in one-on-one combat.
Kakashi glanced at Naruto and nodded to him encouragingly.
"It'll be over before you know it," he whispered with a wink.
It didn't do much good. Naruto's face had lost all color and he appeared fragile and small amidst the covers of his bed. Nevertheless, he swung his spindly legs over the bedside and landed confidently, if unsteadily, upon the clean hospital floor.
He slipped into a pair of clean sandals manufactured by the hospital for patient use and began walking over towards Hitode and the two ominous-looking guards. Kakashi suddenly became very afraid for his former student.
"Hitode," he called out, startling the bored man into attention, "may I accompany Naruto to the Council Room?"
Hitode frowned.
"Sorry Kakashi," he answered. "I've got strict orders to only take him."
Kakashi glanced upon Naruto's vulnerable form and felt himself break a little inside. He'd left Naruto once already. Why were they making him do it again?
Shrugging when Kakashi said nothing more, Hitode wrapped an arm around Naruto and guided him out the door. Kakashi could only watch on as Naruto disappeared from view, his spiky blond hair swaying a little as he walked. At the last moment, Naruto glanced back at him. His eyes were filled with a mixture of emotions, but Kakashi could see the fear of a child who had been rendered helpless before cruel adults. Before Kakashi could do anything, however, Naruto was gone.
Council Hall
The craftsmanship of the Council Hall was unique in many ways. This was best demonstrated by the fact that it hadn't been "crafted" by anyone. Not by hand, anyway. Naruto knew of no carpentry that could arch wooden pillars so perfectly or extend the walls to such amazing heights without marring a single tree without the aid of the First Hokage's Mokuton.
Accenting the Hall's majesty were beautiful windows decorated with heroic and heavenly images, which created an atmosphere of benevolent rule. There were also many political figures of all ranks in the hallway, every one of whom could be seen planning arguments and ironing out details in their schemes. It was an atmosphere of motion, progress, and change that Naruto could not help but love. It might have been an amazing experience had he not currently been wearing a flimsy hospital gown
Hitode suddenly stopped in front of a large wooden door whose top extended dozens of feet above him, nearly causing Naruto to run right into one of the Chuunin.
"Here we are," Hitode mumbled.
Naruto watched nervously as Hitode knocked on the door's ancient wood.
The door abruptly whirled open, sending a gust of wind into Naruto's face. Gazing upon the room, Naruto felt his resolve wither. There was no light whatsoever, save for that which came from the hallway and extended forward as a meager column of visibility amidst total darkness.
Naruto scowled and debated whether or not he should activate his Onikaigan. He immediately scratched the idea. While it would allow him to instantly see the issui of any potential attackers lurking within the shadows, Hitode would no doubt notice.
Am I to simply walk forward, back into my captors' hands? he wondered.
He could feel Hitode's blue eyes boring into his back, which made him all the more nervous.
"Is something wrong?" he heard Hitode ask.
Quickly turning around, Naruto replied with a warm smile, "Not at all. Just thinking about what I need to say."
"This isn't a test," Hitode retorted with the slightest hint of annoyance in his voice. "They're just going to ask a few questions about what went on in Ame. Answer honestly and you'll be fine."
No, Naruto thought grimly, I don't think I would.
Sighing, he stepped forward into the pitch black room and began slowly walking towards the end of the rectangle of light.
The darkness concealed everything around Naruto save for his own shadow. It stretched upon the small beam of light into the darkness like a great stain, painfully emphasizing how small he really was. He glanced behind him and noticed that Hitode and his two guards had vanished. Delightful…
"Come forward."
Naruto's heart hopped a little inside his chest. He hated it when someone spoke without warning.
Calm, he told himself. Be calm. Can't let them see me sweat.
Staring straight ahead, Naruto began walking along the rectangle of light into the thick blackness before him. As long as the light remained, he had a firm path upon which to walk.
In a windy whoosh, the door behind Naruto slammed shut and the light vanished. Before he even had time be startled, a circle flashed into existence several yards in front of him. Radiant as the moon on a clear night, the circle was a beacon to Naruto amidst a sea of impenetrable darkness. He walked towards it without hesitation, his sandaled feet sending eerie echoes as they padded against the ground.
When he stepped into the circle, black jutsu seals sprang to life around him and wrapped themselves around his legs and ankles with serpentine speed, leaving him bound within the circle. Naruto's first instinct was to use his Onikaigan to break the jutsu, but he forced himself to calm down. He had to behave.
"Uzumaki Naruto," the voice, which he now recognized as female, began, "you have been called here on account of your four-year absence from Konoha. For a ninja, this is unacceptable. For a jinchuriki, it is death."
Naruto's eyes widened considerably and his heart leapt to his throat. Surely they wouldn't execute him…
"However," the voice continued, allowing relief to wash through Naruto, "given your youth and the circumstances surrounding your 'departure', we are more than willing to understand your reasons for remaining with our allies. In fact, the Council has agreed to provide you with a new residency free of charge in the Yutaka District north of the Council Hall in order to help you better reacclimatize to Konoha—"
"What do you mean?" Naruto interjected as a feeling of horror began creeping into his gut. "Why would I need a house here?"
No! he thought. Will they make me stay here? They can't! If they do, I'll never be able to leave! Damn it Pain, damn it!
"If you are to begin living in Konoha again, Uzumaki-san," a new, more cheerful voice answered, "you will need a place to stay. The good news is that you will not be alone this time. We have made arrangements with Ame to allow Mitarashi Anko to stay with you for the time being. Yet another effort on our part to help you rejoin Konoha society."
Naruto clenched and unclenched his hands at his sides. Droplets of sweat made them feel sticky and moist, arousing memories of days spent in the humid forests of Ame merrily hunting enemies of Akatsuki with Anko.
"Uzumaki-san?"
"I have family in Ame," he blurted out desperately. "They love me there and the people are so…they don't hate me like they do here. Please, please don't take me away from that."
"You know why we must refuse, Uzumaki Naruto," the feminine voice, hidden within shadows, proclaimed. "You are the Kyuubi's Jinchuriki and Konoha's trump card if another war were to break out. You know as well as anyone that it would be absurd and foolish of us to give you away simply to appease your own selfish desires."
"Selfish?" he screamed, desperation and outrage driving his words. "Is it so selfish to want to be loved? Is it so selfish to be happy that people don't glare at you or ignore you as you walk down the street? How is that selfish? Tell me!"
"It is selfish when you leave the lives of thousands unprotected against the cruel forces of the shinobi world," a new voice retorted with the slightest inflection of anger. "You are Konoha's Jinchuriki, the guardian of its people. Your entire life is a sacrifice. You will do well to remember that, Uzumaki Naruto."
Naruto hated the helpless horror forming a pit within his gut. He hated that he couldn't lash out at these cruel, cruel monsters like he desired to. What could he do? They hadn't given him any time to analyze his options and present a counterargument to their claims. Instead, they'd made sure he was as unprepared as possible and then blindsided him with…with this.
A thought suddenly entered Naruto's head and it rattled him to the core with its power.
Could it work? he wondered. Would Pain and Konan disapprove? It's not like I'd be revealing any of our plans and they'll find out anyway soon enough. Hell, it might be my ticket out of here. Yes, if they knew—
Konan's letter, with its neat handwriting and elegant swirls, abruptly ended this train of thought. They wanted him to stay in Konoha. He had little idea why, but they desired it nonetheless. He couldn't leave yet, which meant that revealing that the Kyuubi was gone from his body was out of the question. It could cause the Council to detain him for "study" in order to probe his body for any signs of the King of the Bijuu. Hell, they might even kill him. Worse yet, they would probably investigate Ame on the grounds that they'd stolen "Konoha's greatest weapon".
I…I guess I'm stuck here, he thought, all the sorrows of the world wrenching his insides apart. At least I'll have Anko.
Staring into the indiscernible darkness, he asked meekly, "Can I visit Ame?"
There was a healthy degree of whispering before the original feminine voice finally answered, "There will be many missions passing near Ame. We will not hesitate to assign you to one of these in order to allow you a chance to visit whomever you desire to. Of course, you'll have an escort to ensure you don't come to harm."
Naruto glared hatefully into the darkness. It was a crappy deal, but it was the best he was going to get. He just had to tell himself that Pain and Konan would find a way to get him out of this. He had to.
"Fine," he uttered. "What do I need to do?"
Naruto could almost see dark figures shifting and leaning against one another as if in deep conversation.
"Ever since your absence," the female voice finally answered, "Konoha has adopted several new practices to ensure the protection and loyalty of our shinobi. One such practice is the Pledge."
Naruto suddenly detected an incoming chakra signature and tensed his body for attack. Moments later, a Chuunin appeared by his side with a chakra scalpel gleaming in his right hand. Naruto prepared to break the jutsu holding his legs and leap away, but stopped upon seeing the Chuunin hold up his hands in a clear gesture of peace.
"Do not be alarmed," the female voice cautioned. "The Pledge requires that a seal be placed directly above your heart so that it will be connected to your entire chakra network. This Chuunin will place it upon as you as you recite the Pledge. You will, of course, need to allow the seal to connect with your chakra, but I'm sure you won't have any problems with that. Am I right, Uzumaki-san?"
Naruto grimaced. He had heard about this cruel device from Pain a couple years ago. Simply put, it bounded one's chakra network to the collective chakra of Konoha, allowing officials to know where one was at all times. It also allowed for the execution of rogue shinobi in an instant. It was little wonder that no Konoha shinobi had ever gone missing nin since the induction of the Pledge and lived more than a few moments afterwards. Konoha only put it on those who they deemed "unsafe", after all. How could any one shinobi hope to oppose them from the inside with this as their fate?
He wouldn't get any help from the outside either. As far as Naruto knew, no other Nation had learned of this practice and he had little doubt that Konoha planned to keep it that way. It was a brutal enough fact that Pain was considering spreading the information about Konoha's use of the Pledge amongst the other Nations to sow dissent. Maybe if Pain followed through with that...but no. There wasn't enough time and the likelihood of the other Nations doing anything about it even if they believed it was slim.
"And if I refuse?" Naruto asked.
"You will be executed," a different, deeper voice responded. "Is this disagreeable to you?"
The scalpel in the Chuunin's hand gleamed with malice.
"Not at all," he answered sarcastically.
"Excellent," the female voice stated crisply. "The Pledge itself is the same pledge recited in the Academy. While you are speaking this pledge, the seal will be drawn onto the desired area. It will be painful, but that is nothing for a Konoha shinobi. Are you ready?"
The Chuunin suddenly grabbed Naruto's shirt and ripped it open, exposing the skin above his heart. The scalpel drove into his flesh before he could even scream.
Forcing that old pledge that he'd recited countless times back into his head, Naruto began, "I-I ple—"
The scalpel twirled around and around in a artistic flourishes, causing to Naruto to spasm with pain.
"I pledge my body…" he began again, struggling to keep out the pain, "and m-m-m—my soul until I…I am needed by death or my death is needed by the village. On these wor…On these words I do so swear to join the Konoha Shinobi Forces under the command of the Hokage!"
Naruto finished the last phrase in a pathetic squeal just as the scalpel finished its dance across his flesh. As soon as the blade lifted off of his skin, Naruto allowed his chakra to accept the seal. It immediately began burning and bubbling, causing him to fall to his knees with a barely restrained scream. He breathed hard and fast as he desperately clamped his palm to the searing agony that tormented his chest.
"A little dated," the cheerful voice remarked at the end of Naruto's oath, "but it will do nicely."
Tears sprang to Naruto's eyes, though whether it was from the pain or shame at being forced to submit to these bastards he didn't know.
"Thank you very much for your cooperation," the female voice said in what might have been a kind way. "I think I speak for all present when I say that we admire and cherish your sacrifice from the bottom of our hearts. Now, onto more pressing matters. We assume you wish to be assigned to your old squad, but it is perfectly understandable for you to part ways with them given the manner in which you were 'separated'. Do you desire to rejoin Team 7?"
Naruto trembled. The pain was sending him through memories and images he had long desired to be forgotten. The most dreadful of them – when Sasuke and Sakura left him to die – tormented him endlessly.
Always leaving, always running, never caring for poor Naruto…
"Uzumaki-san?"
Naruto's head rolled up and he glared at into the darkness. He wanted to kill them, watch them bleed and squeal as he cut them open. But…
Answer and behave, he forced himself to think. Behave, so that you may kill them later. Behave…to kill.
"Yes," he mumbled. "Sakura and Sasuke…they'll do fine."
"Good," the female voice responded, somehow hearing Naruto despite the softness of his voice. "I'm sure they'll make your transition back into Konoha all the easier. In fact, I suggest training with them as soon as your injuries are healed. But before that, we must inform you that there will be some questions about the Suna Jinchuriki you fought."
"Gaara?" Naruto queried, his mind briefly jumping from the steady throbbing of pain to the sad boy he had fought in the forest.
"Is that his name?" the cheerful voice asked. "Yes, we'll need you to give a report on the battle. Circumstances may change, but procedure never does."
The voice chuckled heartily at its own joke, but no one else joined in.
"You won't need to do that now, of course," the female voice interjected, her tone suggesting exasperation and annoyance. "It's more than understandable for you to still be exhausted from your injuries. Just write it up whenever you can and then talk with the head of the Department of Information Acquisition and Handling, Ibiki Morino-san. Such knowledge will be valuable in cracking that psychopath's head."
Within the crumbling structures of Naruto's inner world, a small flicker of humor found its way into his thoughts. He smiled. And then he started giggling. He heard some of the shift in their seats. Others started whispering among themselves. Naruto only giggled louder. He could taste the fear in the old fools' hearts and it delighted him to no end.
Finally, one of the voices asked, "S-so, you'll file the report?"
Naruto smirked.
A/N: These last two chapters took forever to write and I'm not really satisfied with the final versions. Still, I think they move the story along and set up an interesting situation for Naruto to work around. As always, review and provide constructive criticism at your leisure.
Oramo
Moosiwake gozaimasen, Daizyoobu desu ka, etc.—"Please forgive me (for intruding)", "Are you all right?", etc. While these phrases are used in the correct context (to my knowledge), the romanization I used for them might seem a little odd to fluent Japanese speakers, writers, and readers of romanji and the other Japanese alphabets. If you are fluent in these categories, let me know how they are supposed to be Romanized.
Anko and Doctor's Conversation:
Situree-simasu – "Excuse me (I'm coming in)."
Ohayoo gozaimasu Mitarashi-san – "Good morning Mitarashi-san."
Daizyoobu desu ka? – "Are you feeling all right?"
Sumimasen, sumimasen! Daizyoobu de - – "Excuse me, excuse me! Are you oka—"
Ii desu yo. Nani o sitai desu ka? – "I'm fine. What do you want?"