I have nothing witty or stupid to say today, so I shall just leave you with the new chapter o.o
Enjoy guys :3
Disclaimer: Kishimoto-sensei owns them - not me. As he quite often likes to remind me T.T
Naruto sat solemnly at the dining table in his parents house, one arm folded nearly on the table in front of him while the other held his head up. Kouichi sat opposite him in very much the same manner, looking anywhere but at his father. A bowl of steaming soup sat in front of each of them, both untouched, and a platter of different breads lay between them. The awkward silence between them stretched and Naruto sighed loudly.
'How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?' He mumbled, leaning back and pushing his bowl away from him, his appetite having long fled him. He linked his hands behind his head and watched his son carefully. 'I thought I was saving you from pain...'
Kouichi snapped his gaze up to meet Naruto's at long last and his features held a cold glare for his father. The blond flinched and subconsciously scooted his chair away from the table, just a little. Kouichi's tone was as icy as his glare when he finally spoke. 'Saving me pain? By dying and leaving me alone? Sakura-sensei told me you always used to be a little silly but I wouldn't have guessed you were that dumb, father.'
Naruto cringed at his own poor choice of words, regretting them almost immediately. He huffed a soft sigh and brought his hands down from behind his head, crossing them over his chest. 'You've been spending too much time with Sasuke, lately...' He muttered. 'But listen... You wouldn't have been alone... You would have had your grandparents and Kakashi... Sasuke and Sakura...' And your mother, apparently... He added silently. He hadn't told Kouichi about her, not yet, but he knew keeping this from his son would only ruin their already tentative relationship.
'Big whoop.'
'Kouichi, please,' the blond switched to practically begging the child, slamming his fists down onto the table. Kouichi jumped, folding his hands in his lap and looking away from his father, scowling at nothing in particular. 'I was freaking out. I thought he was going to hurt you, or worse. I thought he was going to hurt my parents and my friends. Kill them, even. I didn't know what to do...'
Kouichi sighed and looked down at his hands, sniffing to fight back the tears that threatened to fall. 'But I wouldn't have had you...' He mumbled, his voice cracking slightly as he spoke, and Naruto could feel his own heart splitting in two.
'Kou... I'm so sorry. If I could take it back, I would...' The boy gave a small nod, not lifting his gaze from his lap as the tears finally rolled down his cheeks. 'Hey, c'mere...'
The boy got to his feet and moved slowly around the table until he stood in front of his father. He kept his head down, gaze focused on the ground and vision blurry. Naruto turned to face his son and the boy reached out, gripping his fathers sleeve with shaking fingers. Tears slid down his cheeks more rapidly now and he sniffed loudly.
'I know...' Naruto pretended he didn't hear the boys voice cracking again as he spoke. 'And I think I understand why you did it... But...'
Naruto gave his son a small, sad smile and pulled him close, wrapping his arms around small shoulders. Kouichi sobbed loudly into his chest and Naruto had to fight back his own tears as he calmed his son down. He pulled the boy on to his lap and rocked them gently, running his fingers through silver locks. With another small smile, he decided there was no two ways about it.
Of course, Minato then chose that moment to sneak into the kitchen and over to the table. He crouched down next to the pair and flashed them both one of his kind smiles. 'Somethings come up and I have a meeting with Fugaku. I'm sorry, I know you guys wanted to go out tonight. Rain check?'
Naruto nodded slowly, holding Kouichi that little bit closer to his chest as his father pressed a quick kiss to each of their temples. His action earned him the barest of flinches but he shrugged it off; both of them were getting so much better with unexpected physical contact and he was so proud of both of them.
'I'm sorry, Kou.' He mumbled, nudging the boy gently with his stump. 'I'll make it up to you, I promise.' He turned to Naruto. 'Your mums only upstairs.'
The younger blond nodding again, silently noting the hiding meaning behind his fathers words; the reassurance of where his family were and that they weren't leaving him again any time soon.
Minato smiled once more and pushed himself awkwardly to his feet, his broken arm still healing and his stump still sore, before he turned and grabbed a satchel with his teeth and slinging it skilfully over his head. Naruto stared, deciding to ask his father just how in the hell he managed to do that at a later date, and then the Hokage was gone.
He turned back to his son.
'Shall I let you in on a little secret?' He muttered, pressing his nose into the boys hair, smiling softly as Kouichi nodded. 'Your mum saved me.'
Kouichi's breath hitched in his throat as he let the words sink in, then snorted a quiet laugh and pulled away from his fathers embrace. 'Are you talking about guardian angels again, dad?'
Naruto huffed softly, his smile turning more kind than sad as he shook his head. 'No. Well, not really. You see, someone saved your mum and she brought that person here. Then they saved me. So I could be with you.'
Kouichi stared, unbelieving, at his father for all of three seconds before shaking his head and reburying his face in the chest before him. 'Don't be silly, dad...'
'Hey,' Naruto hooked a finger under the boys chin and met his gaze. 'Your mothers alive. She found us after all these years. I met her again five days ago, the day before I was released from hospital.'
Kouichi's eyes widened almost comically and he stared at his father once more. His mother was alive? And she was here? Would he get to meet her? What would she look like? What would she be like?
Naruto laughed again, running the backs of his fingers over the boys cheek. 'I take it you wanna meet her?'
The boys mouth dropped open like that was the stupidest question he ever heard and he nodded vigorously, falling off of Naruto's lap in his excitement. The two laughed almost joyously with one another, ignoring the doorbell as it rang in the distance. Kushina came down and poked her head around the door, smiling at what she saw before disappearing to great whomever was at the door.
'Ok. We'll go see her tomorrow, but you have to eat all your dinner tonight, deal?' Naruto said eventually, ruffling Kouichi's hair with a brilliant smile.
Kouichi jumped to his feet and dashed back to his side of the table with a grunted 'right!' before he greedily dug into his meal. Naruto scoffed and turned back to his own bowl, pulling it closer to him as his mother walked into the room with stiff shoulders. Naruto frowned at her back before dunking his spoon into his bowl, still concerned.
'I do apologise.' A silky voice muttered. Naruto's spoon paused half way to his mouth for a moment before he shuddered and it finished its journey. Now he understood. 'I didn't mean to intrude on your meal, but I had to be certain of the rumours. I'm glad to see you are well, Naruto.'
The blond gave the older man a shy smile, still not over his childhood fear of this creepy man with the pale skin and dark hair before him.
'It's alight, Master Orochimaru.' He said politely and hating the fact he had to call this creep that. He indicated the seat at the head of the table, well away from Kouichi. 'Please, have a seat.'
'I was just thinking of making some tea. Would you like a cup, Master Orochimaru?' Kushina asked, ruffling Kouichi's hair as she passed. The snake-like man took the offered seat and folded his hands neatly in front of him, shaking his head.
'No, thank you. I shan't be staying long. I just had to see Naruto for myself.'
Kushina smiled - a painfully fake smile - but busied herself in the kitchen nonetheless, setting the kettle to boil and filling the sink. Naruto silently thanked her for her foresight and slurped quietly at his soup, trying to ignore the growing tension in the room.
'So.' He said eventually, pushing his half-empty bowl away from him and eying the dark haired man warily. 'To what do we owe the pleasure?'
'Like I said, I just wanted to see you. I haven't been around the village much lately and have only just learnt of your return.' He paused and Naruto could have sworn he heard something hiss quietly under the table. He resisted the urge to check, chalking it up to his imagination running away from him. 'And the trouble you had a few weeks ago, with the break out. Tragic, what happened to dear Genma.'
Kushina stiffened but didn't turn from the sink as she continued with the dishes. 'Yes.' She said curtly, forcing her shoulders to relax. 'Well. The culprit has been dealt with. I'm sure you've heard that, too. He won't be hurting anyone else.'
'Oh yes. I did hear something along those lines.' That time Naruto definitely heard something hiss at his feet and he casually slipped his hand into his pocket, curling his fingers around the kunai concealed there. 'I suppose I have Hatake Kakashi to thank for that? Fitting, I suppose. After all, he killed Kazuhiko during your little rescue mission. But I guess I'll deal with him later, once I've sorted you three out.'
Naruto jumped to his feet and vaulted over the table, knocking both his and his sons half-empty bowls to the floor in his haste. He grabbed Kouichi around the waste, pulling the boy away from the dark haired sannin. He back Kouichi into a corner, blocking him from view with his body as he saw the three snakes that had appeared from under the table. The biggest one had quickly wrapped itself around Kushina's body, tightening its hold every time she struggled.
The other two, slightly smaller snakes had clearly missed their targets as Naruto had pulled himself and his son to safety and begun fighting with one another. Their confusion now gone, they returned their attention the blond and his son, slithering slowly closer. Naruto held his kunai at the ready.
'Let her go.' He growled out, his knuckles whitening as he gripped his weapon tighter. 'Let her go and get the fuck out of this house. Now.'
Orochimaru tutted and held his hands up in mock defence, a smirk twisting his thin, pale features as more snakes slowly slithered out from under his sleeves. Naruto took another step back, pushing Kouichi along with him.
'To use such words in front of your son. Tsk tsk, Naruto.'
'He's heard worse, thanks to your sick and twisted friends.' Naruto snarled, holding his kunai that little bit higher. Orochimaru's smirk grew. 'Now. Let my mum go and get the fuck out of here.'
The snake user laughed loudly, tilting his head back slightly, before he caressed one of the snakes coiling its way up his arm.
'Friends? No, dear Naruto. They weren't my friends. They were my employees.' Naruto's eyes widened and he gulped audibly as both the sannin and the snakes moved closer. 'And I'm not leaving until I finish what they started. Now. Drop the weapon or your mother dies.'
The sannin pointed at the snake coiled around Kushina and the beast tightened its hold on her. She gasped, a strange, choked sound escaping from her lips as the breath was forced out of her. Naruto stared in horror as Kouichi screamed at the sannin to stop.
The kunai tumbled from Naruto's grasp as his mother collapsed to the floor, her legs no longer able to support her. He couldn't tell from where he was if she were dead or alive, and in his moments distraction, the other two snakes slithered blithely over, making quick work of wrapping themselves around the two Uzumaki's wrists.
-X-
The three had sat in silence for a long time, longer than any of them had thought possible. Itachi had disappeared at one point, returning swiftly with some Ichiraku Ramen to quiet rumbling stomachs. The food long gone now, as they deliberated the next course of action.
'You're sure it was Orochimaru?' Kakashi's voice sounded extremely loud after such a long stint of silence that Sasuke cringed and subconsciously scooted farther back into the couch, away from the man.
'Positive.' He mumbled eventually, his eyes glued to the empty container in his lap. With a sigh, he put it on the table and pushed himself to his feet, stretching his legs and his back.
'Okay, let's think this through logically.' Itachi started, leaning forwards in his seat and clasping his hands together. He pointed at Kakashi. 'If you were the leader of a band of rogue ninja thugs, pretty much all of them hunted down and killed and you were left with only a potential rat wondering around - one who is very close friends with one of your victims - what would you do?'
Kakashi sighed. 'Kill the rat first then get rid of any victims that are left. I'd be too concerned the rat would run his mouth if he got nervous. Or cornered.' He shot a pointed look in Sasuke's direction and the raven almost believed his old sensei was trying to joke with him. He shook his head, ridding himself of such stupid thoughts; Kakashi hated him since he had run his mouth about all the nasty little things he did to the mans lover.
'True, but the rat has just as much to loose as the leader does.' Itachi pointed out, nodding towards his younger brother. Sasuke sighed and folded his arms over his chest, moving into the kitchen and helping himself to the remaining sake left after Kakashi's hissy fit.
'While I don't appreciate being called a rat, Itachi's right. I don't know how much longer I could have stayed quiet for, but anyone else in my position could have done so for years.'
'Okay, so what would you do, Sasuke?' Kakashi asked and the younger Uchiha was surprised to find there was no more malice in the jounins voice when he spoke to him. Was he forgiven? Sasuke doubted he would be forgiven for a very long time, but perhaps now Kakashi understood a little better. Besides, the snake wielding sannin was much more of a threat than an ANBU barely out of his teens.
'I'd go after either Kakashi or Naruto first.' Sasuke admitted after a moments hesitation before he downed his previously untouched drink and quickly refilled it. Itachi raised a brow.
'Why me?' Kakashi asked, furrowing his brows and leaning back in his seat.
Sasuke shrugged. 'You were the one that killed both Kazuhiko and Daisuke. They were Orochimaru's right hand men. He'd have a hard time replacing them.'
Kakashi sighed. 'Well, he won't go after me for at least two weeks. I'm supposed to be out of the village for a mission right now. We were meant to have left last night but I convinced Minato-sensei to postpone it.'
'How come?'
'To confront you.' Sasuke cringed at how nonchalantly Kakashi spoke and took an unconscious step away from the man, somewhat hiding himself in the kitchen. Itachi shook his head.
'Back up a little. Why Naruto?' He asked, getting to his feet and pulling Sasuke out of his new found sanctuary. He forced his brother to take his seat and stood behind him, effectively blocking another escape route.
'Apart from myself, he's the only other person in Konoha who could potentially know about Orochimaru's involvement. My memories haven't all come back yet, I still can't quite remember what's real and what's fantasy. But I wouldn't be surprised if Orochimaru had some... Fun with Naruto, too...' Sasuke said it with a shrug of his shoulders and the three men lapsed into silence again, each lost in their own thoughts.
'That's... More than I ever wanted to imagine, thanks Sasuke.' The younger Uchiha glanced back at his brother in time to see him surprises a shudder at the mere thought and he had to force himself not to smirk.
'I have a question.' Kakashi asked suddenly, and both brothers glanced over at him. He had his head bowed, his hair falling over his face and his expression unreadable from that angle. 'What do you mean by fantasies?'
The question was directed at Sasuke with a fierce glare and the younger Uchiha felt his breath stutter in his chest. Despite everything he had admitted to doing over the course of... However long it had been, he hadn't yet been on the receiving end of Kakashi's full anger. Killing intent oozed off the older jounin and Sasuke couldn't stop his body from trembling before it.
'Kakashi, stop it.' Itachi commanded quietly and after a few more heated minutes, the intent died down and Sasuke felt like he could breathe again.
'I-I-I just meant... I u-used to i-imagine being able to h-help N-Naruto.' He stuttered, hating himself more every second for letting Kakashi make him feel this way. He sounded like Hinata for Kami's sake! 'I-I found a l-log once... It was like a t-time table...' He swallowed audibly and tried to force the stutter from his voice with little luck. 'I-it had everything in t-there... E-everyone who ever... P-paid to be there... W-who they h-h-had... W-what time... H-how long they had... H-how m-much they p-paid...'
'What the fuck...' Itachi mumbled, paling as he listened to his brothers nervous ramblings. 'How did you find that?'
Sasuke shook his head. 'I t-thought it was a fantasy...' Sasuke took a deep breath and focused on his brother, finding his nerves calm down and his new found stutter lessened. 'I didn't t-think it was real... But I always dreamt I would b-be the one to save Naruto and that he'd fall f-for me instead... I thought that was part of the fantasy...'
'We need to find that log book,' Itachi muttered, more to himself than anyone else, and he lost himself in thought. They would have all the names of every nin from every village who ever did anything with Daisuke and his men. This could either bridge bonds between Konoha and the other villages or destroy any hopes of peace.
In the resulting silence, Kakashi suddenly felt his blood run cold and he couldn't quite put his finger on why. He thought back over their most recent conversation, their guesses on what Orochimaru would do next. Itachi was right, Sasuke was safe for now; he had just as much to loose as the sannin did if he blabbed. He, himself, was also safe for at least two weeks - providing he didn't show his face around the village. That left only Naruto but ANBU had been fol-
Kakashi's heart jumped into his throat. Naruto had ANBU protection while he was at the hospital. He was released four days ago and his protection had been dropped. Because they thought the last prison escapee had been caught. Because they hadn't known about Orochimaru.
Shit.
Fuck.
'We have to go.' The jounin jumped to his feet and sprinted into his room. The two Uchiha's glanced at each other, identical expressions of confusion gracing their features as Kakashi returned swiftly, his weapons pouch now attached to his hip.
'Sasuke, summon a clone and have it tell the Hokage what we have discovered about Orochimaru.' Kakashi said, slipping on his gloves. 'Then summon a few more and take my clones to every one of Orochimaru's hideouts within Konoha.'
'Kakashi, what's going on?' Itachi asked, getting to his feet also and readying himself to leave the apartment.
'Sasuke practically confirmed it. Orochimaru will go after Naruto first. We have to stop him.'
