Chapter 11 - Aftermath.

Pairing: Naruto x Uchiha Mikoto.

THIS WILL NOT BE A HAREM

A/N: I know… I know... It's been far too long without any update or a message from me. To be honest, I have no excuse. I've been a lazy bum, and I could tell so many stories about having been sick, or something else, but that has not been the case. Most ironically, now that I'm actually sick, I've felt like writing again. How weird is that?

By the way, since the time this chapter was released, my Beta and I have edited some more in to make the chapter go more smooth, so there is a bit more to the hospital scene later down.

Anyhow, it's been a while since I have written anything. So please go easy on me for the next couple of chapters.

Thank you, SO MUCH, for the 200+ reviews, 700+ favorites, and 1000+ follows on the story! I appreciate each and every one of you, and all your support!

Warning: The main character's age has been adjusted.

By the way, follow my Twitter! = Skairipa1337

The Hospital… Again.

He groggily opened his eyes and stared right into the bright white light annoying his eyes. Groaning slightly, he rubbed his eyes and sat up. Looking around him, he groaned even louder as he threw his pillow at the wall. 'Great, I just escaped this place. And now I'm back. Damn hospital.'

Looking around with a tired expression, his gaze fell upon the neatly stacked pile of his clothes and raised a brow, "I had them prepare your clothes for you, I doubted you'd stick around for the official check out." A voice called from the doorway, making his vision snap to the person speaking who turned out to be his grandfather figure.

"Oji-san…" Naruto mumbled as he reached forward and grasped his shirt first. Standing out of the bed as he started changing out of the hospital clothes without a care in the world.

Hiruzen stayed quiet as he entered the room, subtly closing the door behind him with an audible click as he waltzed in, taking a seat beside the formerly occupied hospital bed. "How are you feeling?"

Naruto snorted at the question as he started getting himself into his pants, buckling his belt, "My surrogate family is just a pile of rotting flesh now, I'd say I'm doing great." He scowled and with a bit more aggressive movement, took his cloak and started wrapping it around his neck to let it fall around his frame. Normally he didn't like to wear it, but he was starting to feel a bit attached after his stint in Kusa.

Hiruzen fought the urge to roll his eyes at the sarcastic remark, and opted to just sigh sadly, "Are you ready to get out of here?"

"Yes." Was the blond's short and simple response as he let go of his belt.

Giving a quiet nod, Hiruzen looked around the room before eventually just staring out of the window, "Akari and Karin are doing well, I thought you wanted to know that."

"That's good." The blonde acknowledged with a nod while adjusting his clothes to shit properly.

"They're worried about you."

Naruto paused and sighed, scratching the back of his head, "I will go check on them when I'm out of here."

Deciding that the real matter at hand couldn't be delayed any further, Hiruzen coughed into his hand and got a more serious look in his eyes. "Naruto, the two of us need a talk. I have stuff that you need to hear so that you won't self destruct further from this."

"Self destruct?" The blond raised a brow and turned around to face the older man.

Hiruzen nodded at him calmly, and leaned back into the chair, "I don't think I need to remind you what happened earlier, do I? I mean, it was quite the show we put on."

Naruto cringed at the mention and sat down on the hospital bed, intertwining his fingers as he looked down with slight shame, "No you don't… what do you need to tell me?"

"The truth. About a lot of things. I need you to know that I trust you Naruto, I'd trust you with my life if it came to that. Hence why I'm coming forward now, so you don't have to find out later." Hiruzen spoke seriously, his gaze trying to catch the attention of Naruto's that were seemingly glued to the hospital floor.

The younger male sat straight and met the Hokage's gaze, and said nothing as he awaited what was to come.

Hiruzen took a deep breath and blinked before saying, "The Uchiha clan was massacred as you know. And, since you were there I don't doubt that Itachi-kun would trick you into believing he had turned mad. It's simply just not the case. The Uchiha clan was planning a coup d'état."

Naruto's facial expression showed no sign of surprise or outrage. Which frankly didn't surprise Hiruzen either. He had suspected that Itachi could have told Naruto the truth himself. "They were planning to overthrow, due to pend up emotions and anger. Ever since the night of the Kyuubi attack, some of the villagers and shinobi have thought of them as responsible. And Itachi-kun he… took it upon himself to save the village and his clan's good name."

Naruto lowered his head and rested his arms on his thighs as his back slumped over. His golden locks hanging from his head as he took a deep breath, "I know. Itachi showed me everything." Naruto took a break to grit his teeth together, fighting the tears welling up in his eyes.

"How Danzo killed Shisui…"

"It's okay Naruto, you don't have to finish that sentence." Hiruzen interrupted and moved up to sit on the bed beside his surrogate grandson, placing a comforting hand on the blond's shoulder.

"Why did you keep it from me?" Naruto whispered harshly, but mostly to himself.

The old Hokage sighed and moved his hand down from the blond's shoulder, "It was Itachi and Shisui's request. You were already in a bad place, even if you did your best to hide it behind smiles and your ever so humoristic sarcastic comments." Hiruzen chuckled a bit, making a faint smile appear on Naruto's face.

"Why did it get so far?" Naruto questioned as he lifted his gaze back up to meet Hiruzen's.

Hiruzen took this moment to let out a deep breath, "The Uchiha's hate went a lot deeper than first anticipated. The lingering emotions were all the way back to the days of Tobirama-sensei. We tried, but the plans sped along faster than we could register. And as you know, before I could do anything, Danzo forced Itachi's hand."

Naruto clenched his first tightly as he stormed onto his feet, slamming his fist into the wall, cracking it slightly, "Damn that Danzo... I'm going to tear him limb from limb before making him drown in his own blood!"

"Naruto!" Hiruzen called out harshly, standing to his feet as he narrowed his eyes dangerously at the blond's back.

The blond spun around on his feet and glared back with narrowed eyes and furrowed brows, "What?!"

The Hokage softened his gaze and kept his gaze piercing and serious, "You cannot take any rash actions toward Danzo. Think of Mikoto and Sasuke! If you don't have a solid plan to take him down, then it could be fatal outcomes for the people Itachi put in your care."

Naruto tilted his head in confusion at Hiruzen's choice of words, "You aren't forbidding me of going against Danzo…"

"I have no idea about what you're talking about... Just, don't get yourself killed, and we can talk about it after the fact." Hiruzen spoke out calmly.

"Right… I do however have a request." Naruto sweatdropped and removed his hand from the wall, the slight debrief from the wall falling from his knuckles and onto the floor

"Do tell," Hiruzen asked curiously.

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and leaned in against the wall he had just damaged, "I would like to leave the village for a while. And before you say no, it's for training. I would like to find Jiraiya and have him help me with my training. As you know, this newfound power of mine is… destructive. I don't understand it, or where it comes from. I don't understand how I managed to use it twice."

"Excuse me for being so straight forward, but have you taken a moment to think about Sasuke? About Mikoto? You are essentially the closest thing the two have left beside each other." Hiruzen responded simply, his mind in turmoil as he tried to understand the blond's request.

Naruto frowned and lowered his head, letting his bangs shadow over his eyes, "I am thinking of them. I wasn't strong enough, I'm still not strong enough! That masked man he was there, the man from the Kyuubi attack."

Hiruzen's eyes widened at that. Itachi had failed to mention that. "Naruto, you do understand the seriosity of what you're saying, right?"

"I do, and that's why I ask this of you. I wasn't able to do anything against him, he phased through my attacks. I couldn't even touch him. I need this. I have to get stronger, I have to be able to protect them! It was the only thing Itachi asked of me, and I can't fail him! Not again…" Naruto said with his eyes snapped up to look deeply into Hiruzen's, his gaze pleading for acceptance.

"And who will protect them while you're away? Who will help them through their sorrow?" Hiruzen questioned again. While he didn't like the idea of letting Naruto go, even for a short while, he couldn't argue that the blond had a point. If this masked man was back, then danger was coming.

The blond ran a hand through his hair as his frown grew, "The ANBU can protect them, I know you probably already have them stationed around them for twenty-four-seven surveillance. And Mikoto still has her friends, the moms from the other clans, and Sasuke still has his mom. I don't see where I'm needed."

Hiruzen shook his head with a sigh, "You fail to realize how much you mean to them, especially to Mikoto. She sees you as a son, if not more. It wouldn't surprise me if you were the one she would confide in. Let her guard down to grieve."

"...What good is a broken tool for her? I can't even protect myself."

"Naruto…" Hiruzen paused, frowning to himself, "I will accept your request, but don't stay away for too long. I will give you the location of Jiraiya, you are free to leave when you deem fit. But remember what I said. Oh, and Mikoto and Sasuke are in the next room, none of them were injured, but they're here for a mental evaluation. I think giving them a visit might do you good." He finished and waltzed toward the door, giving Naruto a last smile before left the hospital room, letting Naruto get some space.

As he closed the door behind him, Hiruzen's lips morphed into a scowl as he clenched his fist together. 'One of the last things Kushina managed to say was something about a mask, and with what Naruto just told me… This is troubling, I have to be careful with this. Security needs to be sharpened, ANBU patrols all around the clock now. How did he get in so easily? Again…'

When Naruto finally calmed down enough, he abruptly left his hospital room. Standing alone in the corridor, he heard the soft speaking voice of Mikoto next door, where Hiruzen had told him they were. With a heavy heart, he waltzed down to the door.

His eyes gazed sadly into the window in the door as he placed his hand against the glass, his frown appeared again as he watched them. Sasuke was crying. For obvious reasons. And Mikoto was sitting on the bed, holding her crestfallen child against her while saying calming and soothing words.

His eyes were red and the tear stains were ever so obvious on his cheeks, snot dripping from his nostrils as he buried his face in his mom's neck, clinging to her like a lifeline.

Naruto's eyes dropped to the floor as his hand started sliding down the window, before eventually falling limp at his side, 'If I had been stronger! if I had realized then maybe... I could have prevented this… I'm tired of what if's...'

Taking a heavy breath, the blond knocked gently on the door, gaining the attention of the two Uchiha sitting within the room. When he heard the acknowledging 'Come in' he took a hold of the door handle, twisted it, and entered the room before closing the door behind him with an audible click.

Walking inside the room, Naruto felt a nervous drop of sweat rolling down from his forehead as he gave a subtle wave as a greeting.

Sasuke seemed to perk up at the sight of his blond brother figure, "Naruto-nii." It was almost a cheerful greeting, but the sadness and endless sorrow filling those onyx orbs were drowning the happiness.

Mikoto put on a brave smile as she waved him inside. "Naruto, it's nice to see you." She said softly as she ran her hand through Sasuke's hair.

Naruto tried his best to smile as he took a seat beside Sasuke, on a chair placed beside the bed. "Likewise, I uhm, how are you feeling?"

The question seemed to bring a sad smile onto Mikoto's face, her hand momentarily stopping the gentle gesture of caressing Sasuke's head, "We're okay thanks to you, you came before… you know..."

"Why did Itachi do this? How could he do this?" Sasuke all of a sudden asked in barely a whisper, his dark eyes staring right up into Naruto's blue ones as the kid's face trembled with sadness. A few stray tears spilled down his cheeks as his lips trembled. The brave look on his face rapidly failing to be maintained.

An awkward silence seemed to interrupt the room as Naruto's eyes just stared down into the floor. His fingers tapping idly against his thigh as he took a deep breath, "I don't know. I wish I did, then perhaps I could have done something to prevent all of this..." He lied but he didn't know what he could or was allowed to tell the poor child.

Sasuke's face fell as he just stared down into the bed, his small hands clenching around the hospital bed sheets.

"But I'm going to find out, and I'll make sure that we all know why he did what he did." Naruto put on a small smile as Sasuke looked up to him from the corner of his eyes.

Sasuke's mouth opened and closed a few times, it was like there were words he wanted to say, but didn't know how to.

Before Sasuke could find his words, Naruto brought him in close, embracing him tightly and giving him a sense of protectiveness, "Now, how are you holding up? While the academy might preach about how emotions are all bad and stuff, it's always good to let it all out when it gets too much."

For a moment, Sasuke's eyes widened in shock, before they began to tear up, as the events from the night prior played themselves in his head, and like a faucet, he began to cry anew. He didn't know why Itachi killed everyone in the clan, but his big brother was going to figure that out, and everything was going to be all right. And with that, within a dozen or so minutes, he began to fall asleep in the protective arms of his brother, with his mother nearby.

Smiling softly at the sight, Mikoto leaned in to kiss Sasuke's forehead before gently grabbing him and pushing him down against the soft mattress of the hospital bed, "Get some rest, it's been a long night." She whispered to him, and Sasuke didn't need to be told twice before his heavy eyelids shut close, allowing a dreamless, and secure sleep to claim him.

After she made sure Sasuke was indeed fast asleep, she looked up at Naruto who looked curiously back. Tilting her head toward the door, Naruto blinked and just nodded in agreement at the silent message.

Standing up from his seat with a small sigh, Naruto left the room and waited out in the hallway. Seconds later he was joined by Mikoto that gently closed the door to make sure it didn't wake Sasuke up again. Changing her gaze up to Naruto, she lifted her smaller hand and placed it against his shoulder, a small smile gracing her lips as she looked him over.

"Your shoulder is already healed." She just stated simply before letting her hand fall back down against her side.

A dry chuckle escaped the blond's lips as he scratched his cheek with his finger, "You should know that much about me already, I probably healed that small scratch before I even made it to the Hospital."

"Right…" She whispered softly, her eyes dropping to the ground as she stepped in closer. Her slender arms lifting up to wrap tightly around his neck as she leaned into him.

A pink tint rose upon Naruto's cheeks as he felt her hugging him close, a confused look on his face as he looked down to her, unable to gain eye contact from his current position, "Mikoto-basan?"

"Please?" She whispered, her request all too obvious.

A sad smile formed on his lips as he raised his arms, wrapping them protectively around her frame. Gently he stroked his palm up and down her back, a surprised look on his face when he started to feel her form lightly trembling against him.

Never once in his entire life had he seen Mikoto cry before. It truly broke his heart to see and feel it. With each tremble her grasp on him tightened, her face buried in his chest as she grits her teeth together to try and fight back the tears.

"You fail to realize how much you mean to them, especially to Mikoto. She sees you as a son, if not more. It wouldn't surprise me if you were the one she would confide in. Let her guard down to grieve."

Hiruzen's words echoed through his mind, putting a bitter frown on Naruto's lips as he clutched her tighter, seemingly calming her more down. "Shh, it's okay, just let it out… Let it all out." He shushed her, the restraints on her emotional walls breaking as she lightly bumped her forehead against his torso as she started crying against his shirt. The tears dampening his shirt and staining it.

"D-Damnit!" She muttered, her voice failing not to crack as she clenched her fingers around the back of his cloak, clutching the material in her grasp as she sobbed.

They stayed like that for a while, until Mikoto's tears dried out and she hesitantly withdrew herself from his warm body. The lack of warmth already affecting her as she leaned in against his chest again. She didn't want to be alone. It hurt so much to even think about it.

Closing her eyes, she rested her head against his torso. Her arms wrapped firmly around him as she listened closely to his heartbeat. The warmth emitting from his body seemed to pull her in, acting as a magnet that didn't seem to let go anytime soon.

"Can we stay like this for a while… please?" She whispered sorrowfully into his chest. The sound of her voice muzzled by the fabric, but easy enough to make out as he nodded and wrapped her firmly up in his arms.

"You don't even have to ask…" The blond frowned sadly at the state she was in. It was like a thorn was slowly pushed into his heart every time he would hear and feel her shake as she sobbed against him. With shaky movement, he leaned his cheek down against her head and raised his hand to run his fingers down through her long soft black hair, massaging her scalp with his fingertips.

For a long time, she rested in his arms, listening to the calming melody of his heartbeat. Their arms wrapped around each other as they shared the warmth of their bodies, warming up their crestfallen hearts.

Taking a deep breath she eventually found the mental strength to actually pull away this time, a hand placed on his chest as she looked up to him, her eyes red and puffy as a small shy smile fell upon her lips, "I'm sorry, I ruined your shirt…"

Naruto shook his head and squeezed her briefly, "Don't worry about it, it's just a shirt. What matters is that you're feeling better. Are you?"

She couldn't help but let a smile grace her face as she nodded to him, "I feel much lighter now, thank you…"

"Don't thank me, please, it's my pleasure to be there for you when you need me," Naruto responded gently.

She lightly smacked his chest, "Don't make me cry again with sweet words…" She whispered with a shake of her head.

The blond gained a funny look as he placed his fingers against her sides and started to mercilessly tickle her sides, making her squeal with laughter as she tried to push him away, "We can't have that now, can we?" Was the dark words that left his mouth, the evilest and cunning look, she had ever seen present on his face.

"S-Stop! You moron, s-stop! You're going to wake up S-Sasuke!" She cried with soft laughter and pushed away from him, gaining a small pout on her plump pink lips as she crossed her arms under her chest, her eyes slightly narrowed as she fought the urge to glare dangerously at her favorite blond.

Did he dare think... that it looked cute on her?

"Sorry, I couldn't resist…" Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, momentarily forgetting the tons of problems weighing down on him in her presence. The endless tons of bricks lifted off his heart, just for a mere second. Just long enough to let the warmth of the woman before him warm his heart up.

She shook her with a sigh, though the urge to smile was too hard to resist, "I should probably go check on Sasuke…" Despite how much she really wanted to bury her face in the crook of his neck and forget everything that happened again, she knew she had responsibilities as a mother, and that always came first. Her baby needed her, and that was all that mattered at the moment.

Naruto nodded in understanding, "Yeah, I should probably go talk with Oji-san, but I uh, I will come around the Uchiha compound the day after tomorrow. I have something I want to talk with you about." As the last sentence left his lips, a small smile crawled upon them.

She tilted her head curiously at the words along with the charming smile that followed, her raven bangs hanging from her forehead as she raised a brow, "What about? We probably won't stay at the compound for a while."

Facepalming briefly, Naruto nodded and sighed, "Then, let's meet at my apartment instead. And I can't tell right now, but I will when you come by my apartment."

She tilted her head and blinked curiously but just nodded with a small smile, "Alright then, I'll see you then." She responded softly and leaned over to give him a warm hug, but quickly pulled away before the temptation of staying there in the warmth of his embrace until all of this mess had passed, could win her over.

His footsteps echoed all the way up through the Hokage tower. The lack of people and commotion in the building allowing the sound of his heavy footsteps to travel through the air, the soundwaves bouncing from wall to wall, from floor to ceiling as he made his way to the top floor. Hesitantly, he reached out for the doorknob. Grasping it with his hand, he turned it and pushed the door open, allowing the door to creek ever so loudly while revealing a dark empty office.

Sighing softly to himself, Naruto stepped inside the room and pushed the door shut behind him. The audible click of the door being shut accordingly, rung out through the room, before he let go. Walking up to the window behind Hiruzen's desk, Naruto gazed out over the village under the dark night sky.

His eyes roamed all over what he could see. There were Shinobi and ANBU everywhere, traveling from place to place within the village. They weren't all visible, yet he knew they were there. He could feel it. Just like he could feel the eyes of the fellow ANBU watching him from the ceiling, their curious gazes watching him, silently questioning what he was doing in the Hokage's office this late at night.

"I'm surprised to see you here so late, I didn't expect to see you before you'd depart." The sentence brought Naruto out of his musing as he turned around and faced the elderly Hokage. The older man held his pipe within his right hand, a tired solemn look on his face as he stepped into the office.

Naruto turning around after having acknowledged his surrogate grandfather's presence, his gaze once again locked on the view out of the window that Hiruzen joined him in sharing. "I talked with Mikoto-basan. I also talked with Sasuke, but it was hard to say anything. Do you know the feeling of failing someone you care about? The endless despair in the pit of your stomach as you realize you weren't there and when you were needed."

"An emotion most Shinobi are familiar with, or almost guaranteed will be." Hiruzen acknowledged as he sucked in the smoke from his pipe, before calmly letting it escape his nostrils.

The blond prodigy raised his hand and placed his palm against the window. Had the mood been better, Hiruzen would have made some comment about dirtying his windows, yet the mood wasn't quite there.

"That look on Sasuke's face said everything. It let me knew that I had failed them. I may not have heard the words directly from his mouth, but as the only person outside the Uchiha clan that was remotely close to them, it's like I should have been able to do more. And I agree." Naruto mumbled as he removed his hand from the cool glass of the window.

Hiruzen closed his eyes and shook his head in dismissal, "You are but a boy, you may be strong and experienced, but you are still just that. A boy. What has happened isn't, and it will never be your nor Itachi's fault. The burden of an older generation was placed upon your shoulders, an unfair action committed by an even more unfair and cruel world."

He wanted to believe the man's words, he truly did, but the feeling in his gut was drowning Hiruzen words of logic with his own guilt. "Mikoto-basan is in a bad place, you may have been right. I guess I'm actually needed." He snorted as he finished the sentence, he didn't want to believe it, but the things he had heard and seen the last couple of hours was enough to sway his judgment.

"Just as I said, Mikoto-san thinks the world of you. Sasuke-kun sees you as a brother, and from my understanding, it is only natural for them to be in need of a familiar company that they know they can trust." Hiruzen nodded, happy to see that Naruto had managed to see some reason before it was too late. The experienced Shinobi could almost predict what role Naruto would have in the Uchiha's recovery. And what role they would have in his.

Naruto sighed and turned to face his grandfather figure one last time, "I'll stay for the time being, but I would like to see if Jiraiya could come here instead. This power of mine is destructive and too much for me to handle alone at the moment."

"It pleases me to hear that my boy, you are very much needed here. Now more than ever. I do however have one request I'd like to make before you leave." Hiruzen added, making Naruto raise a brow.

As he was sure he had the blond's attention, Hiruzen spoke up, "I would like for you to house Mikoto-san and Sasuke-kun in your family estate. I know you already share space with Akari and Karin, but I'm having Tenzo on stand by as we speak. He'll be able to create the rooms needed before dawn along with being able to help make them fully functional before Mikoto and Sasuke are leaving the hospital."

Naruto smiled slightly as he nodded, "That had been my plan all along, though I hadn't considered asking a favor from Tenzo. It's certainly less expensive than paying for the upgrade."

"Then it's settled, I'll have Tenzo started immediately. I suggest that you go back to your apartment and pack it up before dawn, and then go to gather Mikoto and Sasuke yourself. I think they would be more welcome to this idea if they heard it from you, not that I think they'd reject it either way, but you know how a trusted face is easier to speak with." Hiruzen finished off, and Naruto had nothing else to add.

With a quick bow, Naruto lowered his head in respect for his surrogate grandfather before bidding him farewell for the time being. As he had been suggested to do, he went directly home to start packing. The feeling in his gut hadn't disappeared, yet he felt better knowing he'd be surrounded by the people he cared about on a daily basis. It also made it easier for him to protect them.

He'd die before failing them again. Which was why he mentally noted that it was time to pick up his training. He may have been strong, but he wasn't strong enough.

It took him a surprisingly short time to pack and after two hours, he looked up at the clock to notice it was still in the middle of the night, which was good. He still had time before Tenzo was done, and thus had time to quickly inform Akari and Karin about what was going on, and what was happening.

He really owed them that. He had brought them here, and then basically disappeared from the surface of the world. There was without a doubt a bunch of apologies to be passed around and some explanations.

How was it? A bit short maybe? I'm really sorry it took me so long, but I have been a lazy ass. I hope you guys can forgive me for that. My inspiration has also just been really weird the last couple of weeks. I have gotten new ideas that I've worked on every other day, and then the motivation for finishing them kind of died out. So, I took some time to read through my current works and was actually pleased to see how much I liked what I had made. So I think I'm back again, but I will make no promises. I'm still in school with exams and Christmas right around the corner, and some things I'll have to prioritize, but yeah.

I doubt you'll have to wait three more months for a new chapter.

ANYHOW! I've missed this part. Question of the chapter: How do you think Akari and Karin will react to Naruto finally returning?