I don't own Naruto
Chapter 6
The next time Naruto woke up, he was sitting across from Jiraiya in what seemed to be his home. He glanced around to make sure, and it was indeed his little flat. Across him Jiraiya sat writing with a brush on a scroll of some kind.
As Naruto made a slight movement to sit up Jiraiya's face shot up. "Wait", he exclaimed.
Naruto, unsure of what the man meant propped himself up on his arms for support and pushed to sit up. To his surprise he fell over to his right instead.
Jiraiya approached him, but Naruto said, "it's okay it's okay I'm just a little groggy." He tried to sit up again only to have the same thing repeat.
"Naruto stop. Your right arm…"
"My right arm?" Naruto questioned. He looked to his right arm. It seemed fine, a pleasant improvement from when it had been all bloodied the last time, he saw it. It looked fine. He raised it to inspect it. He raised it to inspect it. He raised it…
To his horror his arm wasn't doing what he wanted it to do. He was sure he had just raised it. But it didn't move. He tried again. Nothing happened. He tried again.
"Jiraiya-sama… what's happening. Why… my arm… it." he said panicked.
"Naruto, do you remember waking up before this. The medic ninja healing you."
"Why… why isn't my arm moving. WHY! Why isn't my arm MOVING!" Naruto started screaming and thrashing about in an attempt to sit up. But he kept sliding to the floor and he was unsure as to what was happening.
"Naruto, Naruto please… breathe. Naruto."
Jiraiya's words fell to deaf ears. Naruto's thrashing grew in intensity as his mind finally began to process what had happened. Naruto felt a rage of frustration, he was sure if he just tried a little more his arm would move.
Thinking quickly Jiraiya pinned Naruto down by placing a hand on his shoulder. "Naruto, please calm down. Please" the man said in a shaky voice.
The boy took a while to wind down, but eventually his anger and frustration melted into sorrow and Jiraiya was forced to see his godson descend into a storm of tears. All the while Jiraiya kept a calm but firm hand on Naruto's shoulder to make sure he didn't injure himself with any sudden movements.
After the boy had calmed down, Jiraiya pulled him up so that he was sitting up. Before Naruto could say a word Jiraiya enveloped him in a hug.
Naruto found himself in the warm embrace of a man he had never met before this day. But he had still longed for human contact all his life. He had never known what it was like to be hugged by a parent, but he imagined it felt something like this.
They sat in silence for quite a while.
Then Naruto found his voice again, "my… arm. What's wrong with it?"
"You've had major nerve damage Naruto. Your arm is paralyzed."
"Tempo…temporarily?"
"I'm afraid not."
Naruto contemplated that for a while. Then he felt righteous anger swirl within him. "What did I do that was so wrong? First everyone hates me. My parents left me alone. And now this! I don't deserve this; this isn't fair."
Jiraiya didn't say a word.
"This whole place is cursed. My life is cursed. No… one, no one ever even…" Naruto burst into tears before he could finish his thought. He wailed and wailed and cursed his fortunes over and over.
Across him Jiraiya was lost in his own sea of guilt. He had promised Minato and Kushina that he would protect their son. It was his job. Yet he had already failed. Crippled at so young an age. Jiraiya's heart swelled with pity for the boy.
But the shinobi in him knew that showing Naruto pity now would be a mistake. Allowing the boy to wallow in self-pity for too long would set him on a downward path. The sage in him knew that the past was gone and he had to be the adult here.
"Stop Naruto."
His words had little to no effect. The boy continued to wail and curse.
"You will listen to me Naruto." Jiraiya said his voice louder this time, and possessive. Even if it was too late to do his duties properly Naruto was still his god-son and the boy needed guidance right now.
Naruto, having never quite been reprimanded in such a personal tone stopped. He still sniffled a little.
"Listen to me kiddo. I'm not going to tell you everything's going to be okay. I'm sure you can tell from today's experience that in this world, we got no such guarantees. You lost an arm. That's a fact. The sooner you accept it the better."
Naruto looked as if he was prepared to cry again.
"But…" Naruto perked up a bit at that. "…all isn't over. You still have one good arm and two good feet. More importantly you will have something that none of your other academy friends will have. Naruto I will bestow upon you a secret power, the true power of every sage."
Naruto's eyes were looking up at the man enraptured by his speech.
Jiraiya ruffled the boys head affectionally. "Naruto my boy, I will teach you how to always move forward."
-Page Break-
Hinata sat alone in her room. The door was drawn and the lamp was dimming as it ran out of oil. But the girl's heart was far darker than the darkness that was slowly enveloping the room.
It had been 2 days since the incident. She had been delighted to hear that Naruto had been saved, but when she had gone over to visit him and make amends for abandoning him, she had seen him struggling to walk outside his house, with the support of the man who had introduced himself as Jiraiya of the Sannin to her on that fateful day.
Naruto had looked fine to her otherwise and so she approached the duo.
Naruto saw her approaching and her heart sank as he refused to meet her eyes. Nonetheless she closed the distance.
"Naruto-kun… I'm so…"
"Hinata-chan I'm glad you're okay", he replied looking decidedly away from her face. He was certainly giving her a cold shoulder and she didn't know how to make amends.
But their bond of friendship had grown deep and she wouldn't let it end without at least a proper apology, eye to eye. She reached out for Naruto, grabbing his right hand with her left. His fingers didn't close around her arm.
"Naruto… do you… you're not even going to hold my hand…"
"Hinata-chan…" Naruto's voice seemed to crack and break and to her horror she realized that teras were streaming down his face.
"Naruto… I'm sorry, please understand…"
Jiraiya placed his hand on hers and gently pulled it away from Naruto's. The blonde boy who was usually so boisterous seemed incapable of speech. And so Jiraiya spoke, "Hinata-san, his arm is injured. He can't hold your hand. He doesn't mean to be rude."
"Injured?" she said as she glanced at his arm. It looked fine to her. No visible wound. The only thing odd was how relaxed it seemed.
Then it slowly struck her. It was too relaxed. His arm was hanging off his shoulder, almost as if…
"Naruto… your arm what happened."
Naruto looked to the floor, and her heart died a little as she missed his clean blue eyes. "It's, um, it's paralyzed."
The words sank in slowly as she was swallowed by the magnitude of her mistake. Her fault. Her best friend had been hurt, had lost his arm because she was a coward. No wonder he refused to meet her eye. She wanted to hug him and cry, but she knew she was unwelcome. He probably never wanted to see her again.
And so, she took off. Feeling like a coward and wrecked with guilt she had run home. Straight into her room. And there she had stayed for the past day, trying to make some sense of what she was to do.
Her thoughts kept going back to how Naruto had avoided even looking at her. His paralyzed arm. Neji's father who had died because she had been too weak.
Her father had always told her that as a princess of the Hyūga clan, if she wasn't strong enough other people would suffer. The words had hurt her, but now she realized how true they were. She was worthless, a coward who wouldn't stand a protect a friend, a person who didn't deserve anything good.
Someone who could never stand beside Naruto. Perhaps it was just as well that he avoided her, at least she wouldn't cause him any pain again.
But she wouldn't cry. Not this time. Her father had told her a Hyūga that feels was weak. She would kill her feelings. Whatever it took to become strong. To never be caught off-guard again.
The next time Naruto was in danger she would kill the bastards before they could touch a hair on his head.
-Page Break-
Naruto stood rooted in place as he watched Hinata run away from him. As soon as he had told her he was paralyzed she had taken off. His worst fear was realized. Hinata, the one person who had saved him now didn't want him anymore. And who could blame her. He was no longer whole.
He hadn't even had the courage to look her in the eyes one last time. He had feared the pity he would see. Or even the hate.
But he was all cried out at this point. And so, all he could do was ask the toad sage, "Jiraiya-sama how do I move forward from that?"
Jiraiya, who had watched the entire interaction between the two was unsure of what to say. He had seen the girl's face racked with guilt and he had a pretty good suspicion that she had ran away for completely different reasons than what Naruto was assuming. But it wasn't in his place to explain her actions, some problems Naruto would need to learn to deal with on his own. A bit of advice however was always fair game.
"Naruto, never make the mistake of thinking you understand what goes on in a girls mind. Unless they say something to you explicitly don't try and figure out their actions. It'll save you many head-aches in the future."
He paused as he let Naruto absorb his words. The boy did manage a small grin.
"All you need to concern yourself with Naruto is what you feel. She is your friend, isn't she?"
Naruto nodded.
"Then it'll be fine. You know what you feel, trust that eventually she'll figure out what she feels as well."
-Page Break-
Jiraiya entered the Hokage's office as he always did, through the window. Sarutobi didn't show any reaction immediately, instead finishing up a report. Jiraiya meanwhile leaned against the window he had just climbed in from and gazed at the view of Konoha outside.
He didn't get to see his village that often, his spy missions often keeping him far away from his home. But it was a beautiful place. The sprawling landscape and bustling streets. It felt good to remind himself of what he was protecting with all his life.
"How many times must I remind you Jiraiya to use the door?"
"Wouldn't be much of a spy if I used the main entrance now, would I?" Jiraiya countered.
The Hokage grinned. "Wearing clothes that conspicuous, you're not any kind of a spy."
The two shared a small laugh. "It is good to finally talk in peace sensei. We haven't had a chance since I returned."
"We haven't indeed. Though I must again commend you on an excellent job. Your handling of the Mist crisis was exemplary. Not to mention all information you've provided is as useful as always. The enemy defenses had holes exactly where you said they would. Be proud Jiraiya, you've saved the lives of quite a few this time as well."
"I'm glad they were."
"I can tell from your demeanor that you aren't here for pleasantries Jiraiya. What's going on?"
Jiraiya chose his words carefully. "Sensei, I'd like to stop being spymaster."
"Jiraiya."
"No… listen it's either this or you allow me to take Naruto with me."
"So that's your plan. Dragging a child into dangerous situations. Must I remind you to not be reckless."
"He couldn't possibly be in more danger than he is here."
"Jiraiya."
"On your watch sensei, Naruto lost his arm. How could that even happen? Forget the fact that he's Minato's son, he's the Kyuubi Jinchūriki."
"He was safe Jiraiya. It was a lapse in security and someone got hurt. That it was Naruto was bad luck. It's not like they were targeting him specifically. You of all people should know our intelligence works overtime to keep him safe."
"Sensei he lost his arm! My god-son lost his arm. I know you don't care…"
"Enough!" the Hokage exclaimed. "I do care Jiraiya. Of course, I do. I see the man as my own grandchild."
"Oh, so would you be so objective if it was Konohamaru who lost his arm?"
"Jiraiya", the Hokage's voice had a dangerous edge to it.
"You're a hypocrite who can't see his mistakes sensei. I don't doubt your intentions, but your old age has made you foolish. I keep warning you of Root and yet you refuse to deal with Danzo out of fear of a war. Every day you let that organization infest, the cost for Konoha will rise."
"Jiraiya…"
"You speak of the greater good but you gave away Hisashi's life to Kumo and for what? A mistake that wasn't his own? In your fear of war, you've grown into an amoral man. I love peace as much as you do, but I understand that to maintain it one needs a spine. If we can't protect the one, we shouldn't bother to try and protect the many."
"Jiraiya, it's not that simple…"
"It isn't? What did the Raikage threaten you with, war? I told you he couldn't afford a war then. It was hot air. And even if it wasn't peace at the cost of moral compromise only sows the seeds for hate in the future. I've seen the Sasuke boy training alone. I can't imagine he'll be too thrilled to learn what his brother had to do for the sake of the village."
"I didn't give that order."
"You didn't have to, that's what you keep Danzo around for. At least that man has the spine to follow through with his beliefs, however cynical they are. What's your excuse?"
"Its- "
"I already know, the greater good. I wonder where the greater good was all those years ago, when you didn't kill Orochimaru where he stood." Jiraiya's fury had reached a fever pitch. All the pain and anguish he felt from his own failure was surfacing as he threw everything at the only other man, he could hold responsible.
"Listen to me sensei. I'm done leaving Naruto alone. And you do bring up a good point, it would be quite dangerous to take him into the field. I guess I'll be taking a sabbatical for a while. Nothing you say is going to convince me so don't bother trying."
"Jiraiya you will listen to me calmly."
Jiraiya felt the urge to punch the old man, but didn't for fear of ending his life. Instead, he nodded curtly as if to say, "go on."
"I've made mistakes. Many of them. But in those moments, I made the choice I saw as the best for Konoha. And perhaps I've gotten too old, and perhaps my judgement is skewed. But my successors refused to take the mantle all those years ago. I wasn't meant to be Hokage after Minato, but I still chose to be. You and I both know Konoha need's it's spymaster."
"Well Naruto needs his god-father. And I will not leave Naruto's fate to the mercy of your greater good."
"Jiraiya, I am the Hokage and I command you- "
"Your judgment's skewed old man. Me being with Naruto is the greater good."
"What do- "
"I've spent enough time with the kid to know he has what it takes. To be the next Minato. An uncompromising light for our people. To inherit the will of Fire. If you can't see that anymore sensei, perhaps you should figure out where the man who taught me vanished to."
Jiraiya didn't wait for the Third's reply. He'd said his piece. He left the Hokage alone in his office to muse on what his student had just told him.
Chapter 6 End.