A/N - Wow. It has been FOREVER since I updated this fic! lol. Well, here's chapter 5 of this story. I hope you're excited to read it. I know I had fun writing this chapter. Certainly took me long enough. I've stayed up all night working on this, so you'd better enjoy it! lol.

I decided to alter my plans somewhat with this chapter. I'll explain in the author's note down at the bottom of the chapter. Just know that I took things in a different direction here and I hope you enjoy it.

Read on my fellow crazy people! Have fun!

Chapter 5 – The Truth

The battle against Dohnaseek, Freed, and the other enemies could hardly even be called a true battle. Rias had been so pissed off by freaking everything that had been going wrong lately, and now to learn her Naruto was in danger because of the stupid Fallen Angel known as Raynare? It was just a biiit too much for her.

Shortly after entering the church, Rias didn't even wait for a sign to begin, nor did she wait for anyone to speak. Instead, she walked forward, calm as can be, until her enemies began to approach her. As soon as they did, she raised her hands to her sides and snarled out, "Begone pests. Nobody will EVER hurt my Naruto-kun." And with that, she proceeded to unleash her immense power, a power referred to as the Power of Destruction upon the fools that had dared to encroach upon her territory.

No, what happened could never be referred to as a battle. To imply such a thing would give the baddies too much credit. What took place in the rundown church could best be described as a massacre. Brutal, efficient, and deadly; these words described Rias and her power quite well. Not even Dohnaseek or Freed had escaped her wrath. The two of them were the last obstacles in her path and she didn't even give them time to think, let alone flee to safety. No, Rias destroyed them.

Blinking a couple of times in shock, and a terrifying feeling of horror, Raynare looked at Rias, whose body was still emitting that same deadly aura as before. Holy. Fuck. Note to self: do NOT piss off Rias Gremory. Then again, if she tries to keep me from my darling Naruto-kun, we will have a fight on our hands.

As if sensing eyes upon her, Rias turned around and smiled sweetly at Raynare and the others. "Is something the matter?" she asked pleasantly.

Everyone quickly shook their heads. "U-Um…Rias-sama? Are you going to be okay?" Kiba asked cautiously.

The beautiful redhead continued to smile as she turned her gaze to her knight. "I'm fine. Perfectly fine. Why? What could possibly be wrong with me?"

Everyone decided to simply let the matter drop. They were too terrified of Rias in her current state to even try to broach the subject. However, after taking a moment to think on it, Akeno stepped closer to Rias and held her hands up, trying to show she wasn't a threat. Once she was close enough, she waited for Rias to calm down some before placing her hand on her master's shoulder. "Rias? Maybe we should try and talk to Naruto-kun. I think he deserves to hear the whole truth from us before the Hokage can poison his mind against us."

Rias closed her eyes and did her best to calm herself. After a time, her power receded back into her body and she slowly reached up, clinging to Akeno's shirt. Burying her face in her queen's neck, the redhead began to sob. "I…I don't know if I can. He's already so angry with me…" Her whole body was quivering at this point. "I don't want him to hate me. I never wanted him to hate me. I…I didn't think it would happen. I didn't think I'd fall in love with him. But I did. And now? Now that he's so angry at me…it hurts. It really hurts. What if, by telling him the whole truth…he starts to really hate me? What if he doesn't want me in his life anymore? I…I can't do this, Akeno. I don't want to lose him."

Akeno smiled sadly at her dearest friend and held her close, gently running her fingers through the redhead's long tresses. "Rias…sometimes you just have to take a risk and hope for the best. If Naruto learns the truth from Hiruzen, then we'll probably lose him forever. You know how that man is. What he's like. Now that things are the way they are, and Naruto-kun has started down a spiral of anger and hatred…distrust and paranoia…" Sighing, she closed her eyes and rested her chin atop her friend's head. "It's the perfect time for Hiruzen to swoop in and deal the finishing blow. If we don't tell him first, Hiruzen will twist the truth around and then Naruto will REALLY hate you. We can't let that happen."

Rias flinched and clung tighter to Akeno's shirt. Taking some time to think everything over, she looked up into her friend's eyes and asked, "S-Should we go tell him now? I…I don't know if I can. But…but I don't want to lose him because of that wretched man. P-Please, take me to him."

Akeno nodded and smiled kindly at her king before petting her hair gently. "Sure, Rias." Looking to the others, the sadomasochist smiled at them pleasantly and said, "We're going to pay a visit to Naruto-kun. Please come with us. You all deserve to hear the truth as well. I just hope this doesn't blow up in our faces."

Kiba simply smiled and said, "Of course. I think he should be home by now, don't you think? Let us pay him a visit, then."

Raynare and her friends, Mittelt and Kalawarner, frowned for a moment before they nodded in agreement. "I want to see how Asia's doing as well, so we'll come with you. But if you upset Naruto-kun more and cause him more stress…we'll be having words."

Rias looked calmly into the woman's eyes and said, "What I have to tell him will hurt, but he deserves to hear the truth from me and not that old bastard. I can't guarantee how Naruto-kun will take it, but it's pretty much guaranteed that he'll be upset. More than he already is."

The Fallen Angel frowned for a time, but eventually nodded her head in acceptance. "Very well. All we can do is be there for him and help him through this whole process."

"Thank you. Let us be off." Rias said before she used her sleeves to wipe her eyes free of the tears. Naruto-kun, I'm coming. Please, please don't hate me for this.

Naruto's Home

When Naruto and his friends entered his home, he and Koneko quickly took notice that Kushina wasn't home. Frowning in thought for a moment, Naruto soon brought his fist down against the palm of his other hand and smiled. "She did say she needed to shop for groceries. Guess we'll be seeing her a little later, then." Turning back to Asia and Koneko, he smiled kindly at them before inviting them inside.

Taking seats upon the various pieces of furniture, Naruto smiled at Asia and said, "Well Asia-chan, this is our home. You'll always be safe here, and I'm going to do my best to make sure you stay happy as well. I'd offer you some cookies or something, but I don't think we have any food just yet, let alone tasty snacks like those."

The blonde healer smiled at her new friend and said, "That's alright. Thank you for thinking of me, at least. I'm…I'm very grateful to you, Naruto-kun. You've been far kinder to me than anyone I can remember. I've had more fun with you than I've ever had before. You've made me happy today. I can't help but wonder if this is what it's like to have a brother. To have family."

Naruto wrapped an arm around Asia and hugged her closer to him. "Well, if you want me to be your honorary big brother, then I'll be glad to accept that role. I'll be the best big brother you could have ever asked for."

Giggling a bit, Asia nestled against her new friend and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. I think I'm just going to rest here for a little while."

Naruto chuckled a bit, but before he could say anything, he heard Asia's soft breathing, signifying that she had fallen asleep while leaning against him. As her breath brushed against his neck, Naruto felt a pleasant tingle throughout his body. Blushing, he did his best to calm his nerves, but with every breath, he'd feel that feeling more and more. It was getting to be a bit too much stimulation!

Suddenly, the door opened and in walked Kushina, carrying with her numerous bags. Looking at her, he was about to offer to help her, but she shook her head at him. "It's okay. Koneko can help me. You just stay right there. Don't want to wake your new friend now, do you?"

The blonde simply smiled in thanks and watched as Koneko went to assist the bishop. He watched them for a short time before he returned his attention to his sleeping companion. Gently squeezing her arm to show his support, he brought her closer against him and said quietly, "Nobody will ever hurt you again, Asia-chan. Let your new brother deal with everything."

After a period of silence between everyone, Naruto was caught off guard when Kushina began to speak from her place in the kitchen. "Naruto-kun, you should know that Rias went with your new friend, Raynare, to deal with the threat. They'll have everything taken care of shortly, I'm sure." Seeing her son nod, signifying that he understood, Kushina soon entered the room and sat down in one of the free chairs. Looking into his eyes, she said, "I'm sure you suspected it as well, but I believe Akeno knows more than she's letting on. She and Rias are likely hiding even more from all of us. I don't know what it could be, but…"

Before either of them could say anymore, a chime sounded throughout the house. Sighing to herself, Kushina stood up and opened the front door to see who could be disturbing them. Eyes widening slightly at what she saw, she soon narrowed them and stepped out of the house. Approaching the gate that barred entrance into her home, she asked, "What are you doing here, Rias?"

The busty, crimson-haired woman frowned and asked, "Can we please come in, Kushina? There's something important we need to discuss, and it involves Naruto-kun."

Frowning at her, Kushina was ready to snap at the woman. However, rather than blow up at her king, she asked, "Can this wait? I think Naruto-kun has been through way more than enough today. He needs his rest."

Rias shook her head and said, "It's best if we get this out of the way now. Before Hiruzen can act to make things even worse than they already are. I wouldn't put it past him to pull something soon. So please, let us in so we can talk."

Kushina scowled for a time before she eventually grumbled irritably to herself and allowed Rias and the group with her into her home. Sealing the gate shut once the last of them had come in, she activated the seals once more and followed them into the house.

Seeing the look her son was giving her, Kushina sighed heavily and said, "Sorry, Naruto-kun, but I think this is important. Let's hear her out before we do something we might regret."

Frowning deeper, Naruto was about to say something when he felt Asia's hand gently tugging at his shirt. Glancing down into her eyes, he frowned in confusion and opened his mouth to ask a question. However, she spoke up before he could. "Please, hear her out. I don't know what's happened between you, but you shouldn't carry around such hatred and anger in your heart."

"That's…easier said than done, Asia-chan. But alright, I'll hear her out." Looking into Rias' eyes at this point, he asked, "What did you need, Rias?"

Rias flinched at the lack of the -chan suffix, but decided not to dwell on it. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath in and released it slowly. She repeated this a few more times, obviously trying to calm her nerves so she could speak clearly.

"Naruto-kun, it's really important that you hear this. You deserve to know the whole truth and not whatever bs Hiruzen will try to feed you. If I don't come out and tell you this now, then Hiruzen will most assuredly approach you and tell you his version of things." Rias began. "Naruto-kun, I've always known you were special. Ever since you were born, I had my eye on you. Something about you intrigued me. It wasn't the fact that you housed the Kyuubi, nor was it your connection to your parents. Heck, it wasn't even your sacred gear that caught my attention! There was just…something that drew me to you. I can't really put it into words. Sorry."

"Anyways, fast forward a ways and we come to the meeting with Hiruzen. When he revealed that Minato had foolishly left notes about us…he tried to blackmail me into doing his bidding. However, while I agreed to work for him…there was a stipulation that I put forth in exchange." Rias explained.

Naruto frowned at this point and asked, "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

The redhead shook her head. "No, but it needs to be said. It was a dangerous ploy, but I 'convinced' Hiruzen to allow me to bring you into my peerage. I wanted you to be a part of my family. I sensed greatness in you, and I didn't want to risk losing you…" Sighing sadly, she couldn't even look him in the eyes anymore. "Naruto-kun, I made him promise that he'd put you in a situation where you couldn't refuse me. I would revive you as a member of my peerage and…make use of you to deal with my delicate situation. I knew you would likely be killed on a mission outside of the village, which would give me the perfect opportunity to revive you as part of my family."

The spiky-haired blonde clenched his fists tightly as anger boiled inside of him. Before he could lash out at the conniving witch, Asia squeezed his hand tight, getting his attention. "Shhh. Just listen. I think she has more to say."

Taking a few deep, calming breaths, Naruto glared into Rias' eyes and said, "What else?"

The crimson-haired beauty looked into his eyes with a hint of a blush on her cheeks. "Naruto-kun…while originally I just wanted to use you to get me out of a bad situation…I hadn't calculated something that happened as I watched you grow."

Raising a brow, Naruto asked, "And what would that be?"

"Naruto-kun…" peering deep into his eyes, Rias smiled slightly and said, "I…I slowly found myself falling in love with you. You may be a lot younger than me, but love knows no bounds and all that. After a time, I just couldn't use you. I just wanted you to be happy and…I wanted to be close to you. I just wanted to be your friend, and maybe something more later down the road. I didn't even care anymore if I got you in my peerage or not. All I wanted was to be with you."

Naruto's eyes were wide for a time, but after a while he closed his eyes and said, "And you couldn't tell me any of this before…why exactly?"

"I was afraid. I was so afraid you'd hate me. I couldn't bear to have you mad at me. I love you, Naruto-kun. I well and truly love you. Just the thought of hurting you…of losing you…it hurt so much. Then…"

Naruto nodded in understanding and said, "Kushina was finally ready to meet me…and you struck a new deal with the Hokage. Correct?"

Rias scowled and said, "Yes. When I approached him about Kushina, declaring that I'd be introducing Kushina to you…he decided to take his blackmail a bit further. Somehow…he had obtained a contract with Riser Phenex. All he had to do was make use of the seal given to him and he could have summoned Riser right then and there. It was either do as Hiruzen commanded of us, in this case hiding your mother from you, or he would call Riser then and there. I didn't have a choice. I wasn't ready to face Riser back then. I was too afraid to make a move against him yet."

Kushina scowled and said, "The more I hear about that evil son of a bitch, the more I want to kill him."

Akeno nodded in agreement. "The Third is corrupt and has let his position of power go to his head. If I could get away with killing him, I would."

Naruto frowned at this and, after taking some time to think on it, he looked into Rias' eyes and asked, "What if he's already met Riser? If the Hokage's as corrupt as you say he is…then wouldn't he have already been in contact with Riser? They could be waiting for the right opportunity to strike."

Everyone's eyes widened at the implication of what Naruto had just said. After coming to her own realization, Rias clenched her fists tight and said, "You're absolutely right. I wouldn't put it past that bastard to pull something like that. If they've made a deal, then anything could happen. Naruto-kun, I want you to be very careful from now on. There's no telling what could happen if they're in contact with one another. I wouldn't put it past Riser to attack you at some point just to prove a point to me. So please, be safe. Okay?"

Nodding once, Naruto decided to just come out and say it. "Rias-chan…I'm sorry. I didn't even stop to think about all the possibilities, nor did I think about how you felt or anything. I should have waited until I had the full truth before I did anything." Sighing heavily, he gently squeezed Asia's hand for support and said, "I'll be honest with you. I'm still upset with you, but I can't entirely blame you. Despite everything…I do care about you. I don't want to hate you or be angry at you or…or anything, really! You're one of my dearest friends and I never wanted to hurt you in any way. Still…I was pissed off. I still am. But I can't place all the blame on you. Not after hearing all of this."

Asia smiled at her brother figure and asked, "So…will you forgive her?"

Naruto sighed again and said, "Yeah. I guess I will. But!" Looking hard into Rias' eyes, he said, "Don't betray my trust again. And be honest with me from now on. No more lies. No more hiding things from me. I want you to trust in me, just as I'll trust in you."

Rias couldn't help herself as she began to cry again. Nodding her head rapidly, she said, "I'll never hurt you again! I swear it! Just please, PLEASE don't leave me. I'd die without you in my life. I couldn't bear it if I lost you."

Blushing at her words, Naruto glanced away and scratched at the tip of his nose. "That's…a little much, but thank you."

Akeno giggled to herself and said, "We'll all be alright. The Hokage won't tear us apart. Now, why don't you introduce us to the cute little thing next to you? She seems so sweet!"

Asia meeped and clung to her brother figure. Chuckling at this, Naruto said, "I'm sure you already know who she is, but this is Asia Argento. I've kind of adopted her as my little sister." Smirking at Asia, he nudged her gently in the side to get her attention back on him. "Asia-chan, let me introduce you to my family and friends." And with that, he took the time to introduce each of his peerage members and Raynare. When it came time to introduce Mittelt and Kalawarner, he blinked and said, "Um, I actually have no idea who they are. Raynare-chan?"

Raynare smiled at him before motioning towards her friends. "Meet Mittelt and Kalawarner. They're two of my dearest friends. I'm glad that you finally get to meet them. I hope you all get along splendidly."

Naruto smiled at them and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you both. Erm, just out of curiosity…do you three have anywhere to live? If you don't, you might as well move in here with us. You're more than welcome to if you have nowhere else to go."

Mittelt smirked as she nudged Raynare. "Oh, he's a keeper. You're just the sweetest thing, aren't you Naruto-kun? No, we don't have anyplace to live. We were only sent to be observers for the time being. Raynare, though, has been living here for years now, all so she could watch over you. Kalawarner and I, on the other hand, only arrived here recently."

The blue-haired Fallen Angel smirked and said, "We'd be glad to move in with you. But we first need to report in to Azazel-sama. He needs to know what's happened here, after all. Then, if he permits it, we'll be glad to return and live here with you."

Rias sighed and hung her head for a moment. Dammit. More competition.

Kushina, noticing this, giggled for a moment before saying, "As fun as this all is, I think it's time we all went home and got some sleep. It's late and we're all exhausted. Mittelt, Kalawarner, go and meet with your leader. Then, if he permits it, you can return here. I'll get you keyed into the seal so you can come and go as you please. And Naruto-kun?" Once she had his attention, the redhead smiled sweetly at him and said, "Please don't act on any of your potential impulses. I don't want to be made a grandmother too soon."

Naruto stared in a complete deadpan at Kushina. "I'm more controlled than that. Besides, it's not really your place to tell me if I can be intimate with my loved ones or not."

The redhead shook her head and said, "Relax. I was only teasing. There's silencing seals throughout the house, so please make use of those if you're going to do that with somebody." Inside, though, she couldn't help but frown sadly. He was serious. I guess I really can't play the 'worried mother' card anymore. I've lost that chance.

Sighing softly to himself, Naruto soon stood up and looked at Asia. "Come on Asia-chan, let's get a room picked out for you. I think you'll like it here. I'm sure I will, too." He said with a chuckle.

As if suddenly realizing something, Akeno shot up and said, "Wait! Naruto-kun, we need to take you and Haku to get your familiars. Will tomorrow night work for you?"

Naruto blinked for a moment as he looked between Akeno and Haku, who had been rather silent this entire time. "Sure. What do you think, Haku-chan?"

Haku smiled and said, "That sounds lovely to me. I'm eager to meet whomever I end up with. I get the feeling a fox might be perfect for you though, Naruto-kun."

Chuckling softly at the teasing, Naruto said, "We'll just have to wait and see. Now, if there's nothing else, I'd very much like to go and get some sleep. I'm exhausted."

Rias smiled sweetly at him and said, "That's everything, Naruto-kun. Sleep well, okay?"

"Thanks, Rias-chan. Good night." Naruto said before he walked off with Asia to pick out their rooms.

Once they were out of sight, Kushina looked into Rias' eyes and said, "I'm still upset with you, but I understand your position. I don't like you planning to manipulate Naruto-kun like that, but I'll forgive you, just as my son has. Just don't go betraying our trust again."

Rias nodded and said, "Of course, Kushina. But…"

The Uzumaki shook her head and said, "We need to do something about Hiruzen, I know. Unfortunately, killing him won't solve our problems. If we act hastily, without thinking this through, somebody even worse might take over and we'd have even worse shit to deal with. We need to find some way to locate Tsunade and convince her to return to Konoha to take the mantle of Fifth Hokage."

Rias nodded in agreement. "If we can't locate her in time…Jiraiya might take over and that would just be another damn problem. He might be even worse than Hiruzen."

Shuddering, Akeno said, "I can only imagine what he'd do if he were in charge. Nooo thank you."

As they talked, not one of the had noticed Koneko sneaking out of the room. Well, not everyone. Smirking to herself, Raynare thought, I should have thought of that first. Oh well. Enjoy cuddling up with Naru-kun while you can, Koneko. Soon enough it'll be me at his side.

Turning her attention back to the discussion taking place, Raynare asked, "If we're so worried about Jiraiya, couldn't we just, y'know, kill him and be done with it?"

Kushina turned to Raynare and shook her head. "Unfortunately, Jiraiya is important to the village. He works as Konoha's spy master and has built up an impressive network of information gathering. Killing him would only cripple Konoha in the long run. We don't want that."

Raynare shrugged. "You make a good point. Still, if he tries anything, we'll just have to get…creative." At that comment, the women began to chuckle evilly. Meanwhile, Kiba just smiled awkwardly beside Gasper, who could only watch the proceedings with wide eyes.

"Just grin and bear it. Women are terrifying." Kiba said to his companion.

Gasper slowly nodded but didn't utter a word.

The Next Day

Naruto wanted to scowl at the man sitting before him, but decided to keep a neutral expression on his face so as not to alarm his 'guest'. Sitting before him on one of his chairs was Hiruzen Sarutobi. He had that same grandfatherly expression on his face that he always had, but now that Naruto knew the truth, he could barely stomach looking at the man, let alone his damned smile. "What do you need Hokage-sama?"

"Naruto-kun, there's a few reasons I came here today. The first reason is because I wanted to personally escort you to the hospital so you can undergo the transplant. After all, you are taking Sasuke's Sharingan, are you not?" Hiruzen said kindly.

Naruto blinked and said, "I…kinda forgot about that. With all that happened yesterday…"

Hiruzen nodded and said, "It's understandable, Naruto-kun. You've been through a lot lately, far too much than someone your age should have to deal with. Which is why this second topic is so hard to discuss. It's bound to only compound your reasons for being upset with myself and Rias. But, you deserve to hear the truth from me. So, here it is…"

Naruto inwardly sighed and listened as Hiruzen began to speak. I'm about to hear a lot of bullshit. I wish I had Koneko with me right now.

"Naruto-kun, on the night of your birth, I knew you were special. You were meant to do great things. However, shortly after I retook the mantle of Hokage, Rias Gremory approached me. She insisted that you be given to her to be resurrected as one of her pieces. Your whole life, she's been trying to manipulate you in an attempt to get you on her side. I do not know the full reason behind her desire to have you, nor do I understand her circumstances. However, I tried to argue on your behalf. However, she revealed to me that she had Kushina in her clutches and threatened to keep her from you if I didn't let you have her. We all know how that turned out in the end." Hiruzen said, releasing a soft sigh afterwards.

Man, it almost sounds like he believes this bullshit. If he wasn't such an asshole, I'd recommend he take up a career in acting. He'd make a killing. Naruto thought to himself. After a time, Naruto shook his head and said, "I kind of figured something like that was going on behind the scenes. I'm just so done with it all. I just want to be left alone. Can we just go and get this transplant done so I can rest and relax for a while? I think I've been under way too much stress lately."

Hiruzen frowned at the apparent lack of interest Naruto had shown, but chalked it up to him just being exhausted from the events of yesterday. Hell, it was true that Naruto had been through way too much in such a short period of time. Heck, he DIED! That'd be enough to stress somebody out for sure. Shaking those thoughts from his head, Hiruzen rose to his feet and left with Naruto, journeying with him to the hospital. "If it helps any, Naruto-kun, I am on your side. I'm sorry all of this has happened to you."

"Thanks, Hokage-sama. I don't know if I could ever forgive you, but I understand. Now let's hurry. I'm just so tired. I want to get all of this over and done with." Naruto said.

Looking at Naruto's face, Hiruzen did notice some small bags under his eyes. He really does look exhausted. Maybe I should just let him rest after this. Shrugging it off, Hiruzen led Naruto inside and to the correct room where the transplant would be taking place. "Do be careful with him."

"Of course, Hokage-sama." The surgeon said. "Naruto-kun, we're going to put you under for the time being. When you wake up, you'll likely be groggy for a while. You're going to have to wear a cloth around your eyes for a while before you can use your new eyes. Okay?"

Naruto looked into the surgeon's eyes and said, "Sure. Some actual sleep sounds wonderful right now."

The surgeon chuckled before he nodded to one of his assistants. Putting the IV in the blonde's arm, she soon set everything up before watching as Naruto's eyes began to close. Nodding to the surgeon, she said, "Give it a few minutes and he should be out like a light."

"Thank you Shirley. Alright everyone, this is a delicate procedure and I won't accept mistakes from any of you. Hokage-sama, I would like you to step out of the room, please. We'll inform you when the transplant is successful." The surgeon said.

Hiruzen frowned momentarily before he nodded his head in acquiescence. "Very well. Take good care of him doctor." He said before leaving the room. Might as well go back to work. Tch, dealing with all the damn paperwork is such a bother. I wish I could just burn the whole damn pile and be done with it all.

Later that afternoon

Naruto groaned as he slowly came to. At first, he was confused, as well as feeling groggy. Letting out a loud yawn, he stretched and tried to open his eyes, only to see black. Frowning, he tried to remember what the hell had happened while he was out. Then it all came rushing back to him. That's right. I've got the bastard's Sharingan now. Can't help but wonder how long I'll have to leave this blindfold on.

"Oh good, you're up." A voice that he recognized from earlier said. "You're awake earlier than I expected. I suppose that's only natural, however. How do you feel?"

Naruto frowned for a moment before he said, "My eyes feel really itchy. I know I shouldn't, but I really wish I could scratch at them for a bit."

The surgeon chuckled and said, "That's only natural. Give it some time. We're going to release you into the custody of Kushina Uzumaki, okay? She'll watch over you and help you out. I want you to return to see me in a week from today. I'll remove the blindfold then and we'll see how well you've acclimated to your new eyes. Okay?"

Naruto nodded and said, "Alright. Thanks Doc."

"Of course. Do you have any questions before I bring Kushina-san in to see you?"

Naruto frowned and tried to think over anything he might need to know. After a while, he just shrugged and said, "I can't think of anything. But, if something starts to feel off, I should probably come back and see you right away, huh?"

The surgeon nodded, though Naruto couldn't see him do so. "Yes. If you feel that something is wrong, I want you to come see me right away. I'll do whatever I can to help you with the healing process."

"Thanks. Um, I'm ready for Kushina now. Erm, before you go…do I have any clothes somewhere around here? I'm feeling a little, erm…'breezy'?"

The surgeon chuckled softly and handed Naruto his clothes. Helping him out of bed, the surgeon allowed the blonde to lean against him for the time being until he could find his center of balance again. Once he was sure Naruto was ready, he watched calmly as the teen dressed himself. Once he was sure that everything was fine, he said, "Kushina-san will be in in just a moment. Take care, Naruto."

Frowning to himself, Naruto said, "Damn eyes itch sooo bad. Can't rub at them, though. Can't make things worse. Ugh. They itch soooooo much!"

Giggling could be heard as Kushina entered the room. "I'm sorry Naruto-kun. I shouldn't laugh, but you really do make for an interesting sight right now. I know your eyes itch right now, but you'll be okay, I promise. Would you like to go out and get a bite to eat? You've been cooped up in the hospital all day."

Naruto chuckled softly and said, "That sounds wonderful. Thank you. Erm, are any of the others with you?"

Kushina nodded and said, "Yes. Koneko and Rias have been waiting here for you. The others would be here as well, but they're quite busy today, it would seem. Haku is currently trying to get acclimated into the village still. She's been assigned to Team 7 as Sasuke's replacement. I'm sure she and Sakura are looking forward to when you recover. Especially little Sakura." She teased.

Naruto chuckled softly and said, "Thanks."

"Of course. Here." Kushina took Naruto's hand in hers and began to lead him out of the room. Once they were in the hallway, she greeted Koneko and Rias. "Rias, Koneko, would you like to get some dinner with the two of us?"

Rias smiled brightly and said, "I'd love to!"

Koneko simply smiled and nodded her head. Seeing this caused Kushina to giggle a bit before she turned and began guiding Naruto along once more. As they walked, the redhead decided to ask her son, "Where would you like to eat? Ramen Ichiraku? Perhaps Yakiniku Q?"

"You know, some barbeque does sound rather good right now." Naruto admitted. After a moment, he asked, "Koneko-chan, Rias-chan, how does that sound to you?"

"Yum." Koneko said in her usual monotone voice. Hearing this caused Naruto to chuckle a bit, figuring she was down for the idea.

Rias giggled a bit and said, "That sounds lovely, Naruto-kun. Um, do you mind if I, erm…hold your hand while we walk?"

Naruto frowned for a moment as he thought it over. After a time, he held out his hand for Rias to take. When she did, he gave it a gentle squeeze to reassure her that he didn't hate her.

Blushing, Rias smiled contently to herself and intertwined her fingers with his. Leaning in close, she pressed her lips to his cheek and said, "I really do love you, Naruto-kun. More than you could ever know."

Naruto blushed and said, "I know. And thank you. I don't know yet how I feel about you. I've forgiven you, but I don't want to just rush into anything, okay?"

"Of course. I won't try to rush you or anything, I promise. I'm happy just to be near to you. My wonderful Naruto-kun." Rias said, sounding awfully lovestruck.

Naruto chuckled softly, but didn't say another word. She really is something special, isn't she? Still, she hid my mother from me and tried to manipulate things behind the scenes, same as the old bastard. Sighing softly, he soon just lost himself to his thoughts.

Koneko watched all of this with a frown on her face, but didn't say anything. In her mind, Rias deserved to spend some quality time with their destined one. Because that is what he was to them: their destined one. The one they were always meant to be with, no matter what. Don't hurt him again, Rias-sama. I won't hesitate to hurt you if you hurt my Naru again.

Outside

Rias and the girls frowned as they spotted the various citizens of Konoha looked at Naruto. These weren't friendly expressions. No, they looked like predators planning for their next meal. When they began to whisper amongst themselves, the four of them frowned at what they heard. "They're going to try something, just watch." Kushina said.

Rias scowled at this and said, "Until Naruto-kun's ready to remove the blindfold, we need to always travel in groups. We can't let them believe they can hurt our Naruto-kun."

"Let's go." Koneko said before she began to tug on Naruto's shirt. With the two redheads nodding in agreement, they led Naruto through the village, though the looks didn't stop. Now that Naruto was essentially blind for the time being, they seemed to believe he was easy pickings now. Not one of them knew yet that he no longer housed the Kyuubi. No, in all their infinite wisdom, they still believed he was the Kyuubi no Yoko!

A while later, they finally arrived at Yakiniku Q and stepped inside. Thankfully, the people here were friendly and didn't have any intention of harming Naruto in any way. However, as they peered outside, they saw that a large group of people had followed them and were now simply waiting. Scowling at this, Kushina said, "Rias, we need to contact the others. For the time being, we're stuck here until we can get some more help. Think you could get in touch with the others?"

Rias nodded and said, "Of course. Give me a moment."

While Rias worked on getting in contact with their fellow peerage members, Kushina looked outside again with a nasty scowl on her face. "Koneko. Are you ready to fight if need be?"

The white-haired beauty nodded. "Yes. As much as I hate the man, should we try to get in contact with the Hokage? He might be able to help."

Kushina shook her head and said, "I'd rather not bet on that horse if I can help it. We can't trust him, and there's no telling what he'd do if he learned about this. Chances are, he knew this kind of thing would happen and neglected to set up countermeasures against such a thing."

Koneko frowned and said, "Damn."

Naruto scowled as he clenched his fists tight. Before he could say anything, however, the waitress stepped up to them with a smile and asked what they'd like to drink. After taking their drink orders, she asked if they were ready to order, but her answer was a swift 'not yet'. Nodding her head in understanding, the waitress left them to their own devices once again.

"I wish I could help in some way. But right now, I'm practically useless to all of you. I don't know what I could possibly do to help in this situation." Naruto admitted frustratedly.

Kushina placed a gentle hand upon his shoulder and said, "It's fine Naruto-kun. We'll deal with them. When we're done here, we'll start taking you back home where it's safe. Just leave the fighting to us if it comes down to that. Okay?"

Naruto nodded his head somewhat reluctantly. "Of course. Sorry for being such a burden right now."

Kushina lightly flicked his forehead, eliciting a small 'Ow!' from her son. "You aren't a burden. You're a valued member of our family. We'll always keep you safe."

"Thanks." Naruto said.

Rias looked at her friends and said, "Kiba and the others will be here soon. I've informed them of the situation and they're none too pleased. If these people push their luck, there's going to be a LOT of dead citizens. I hope the Hokage is ready to deal with that kind of fallout."

Kushina nodded and said, "Good to hear. For now, why don't we figure out what we want to eat, hm? Unless the others will be joining us?"

Rias smiled and shook her head. "They said to go ahead and order for them. Now, do you know what you'd like, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto let a small smile form on his face as he gave his response. However, inside he was quite upset by this whole situation. I wouldn't be at all surprised if that old bastard planned for this to happen. I may be blind for the time being, but that doesn't mean I can't still fight. This might even be good training to hone my other senses. I've neglected that for a while, so it might be worth a shot.

Later

After the rest of Rias' peerage had arrived and joined them in their feast, the group paid for their meal and proceeded to leave the restaurant. There was a much larger group of people now, each of them just waiting for the opportunity to pounce and kill their prey.

Kushina frowned deeply as she hurriedly guided Naruto along. The peerage members were in a circle around the two of them, making sure to keep close just to ensure no stray attacks of any kind could reach him. However, their luck wasn't meant to last. Soon enough, they became surrounded on all sides and they were left huddling close together, still keeping Naruto tucked away from harm.

"Be good little boys and girls and step aside. Now's the perfect chance for us to get rid of this blight on our village's great history. After all, the idiot's gone and crippled himself. There's never been a better time than this to deal with him!" the apparent leader of the group exclaimed somewhat maniacally.

Before anyone could say or do anything more, they all heard the sound of barking dogs. This was shortly followed by a voice saying, "Yare yare. What do we have here, hm? Looks like we've got a lot of little ones misbehaving. Do let my friends through, would you please?"

Looking up towards the voice, they were a bit surprised to see the legendary Kakashi Hatake sitting atop a nearby rooftop, a serious glint in his eye. In a matter of seconds, the mob was surrounded by Kakashi's dog summons. However, this wasn't their only problem. Looking around, they could see a large number of people, each of them shinobi of varying strengths. "W-What…?"

Kakashi simply eye-smiled at the mob and said, "You see, when I saw a mob forming, I decided to investigate. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that you were all after little Naruto-kun over there. Still, to think you'd be willing to attack a shinobi of Konoha. For shame people. For shame." Smirking behind his mask, he said, "So, I decided to recruit a small army of my own. If you insist on attacking a shinobi when you're mere civilians, we're going to have quite the problem on our hands. It would be well within our right to fight back. And if some of you were to die? Well, so be it. So, here's what's going to happen."

Making sure he had their attention, Kakashi clapped his hands together once and said, with a large grin behind his mask, "You're all going to go home and think about your pathetic lives. I want you to keep something important in mind as you contemplate the meaning of your worthless lives: Naruto Uzumaki is NOT the Kyuubi. Never has been, never will be. Besides that, he's never harmed any of you. Naruto-kun is a well-behaved young man that has only ever wanted to be a productive member of our fair society. I think that's fair, don't you?"

When the leader of the mob looked about ready to speak up, Kakashi disappeared from sight. Blinking a few times, he opened his mouth to speak before he suddenly froze. A kunai was pressing against his throat just enough to draw blood. Remaining perfectly still, the man glanced to his left, staring into the jonin's lone eye. "I didn't give you permission to speak, little man. I want you all to make me a promise. Promise me that you'll leave Naruto-kun and his loved ones alone from now on…or we can start killing all of you. Believe me, I have absolutely no problem killing each and every last one of you. It might be cathartic, in a way." Shrugging his shoulders, Kakashi eye-smiled again and said, "Still, I'd rather not have to go through the hassle of explaining everything to the Hokage. Too much work. So, can we all call it a day and get a move on? Or should my friends and I start killing you? I'm cool either way."

The various members of the mob looked around at all the shinobi surrounding them. There were even some summon animals in the mix, which did NOT help steel their nerves. Slowly, they turned into a quivering mess and chose to run away screaming. Those that remained behind were either rooted in place by fear, or they were too stupid to realize they were utterly fucked. Then, of course, there was the leader, who still had a kunai pressing against his neck.

Seeing that a good chunk of villagers chose to remain, despite the rather clear warning to run away, Kakashi simply shrugged again and said, "Well, looks like you all get a free ticket to Hell. Enjoy!" the cycloptic jonin said before he slit the man's throat.

It didn't take long for the others to decimate the remainder of the mob. Seeing that they were done, Kakashi eye-smiled again and walked up to Rias and her peerage. "I'm glad to see you're all okay. Everything's going to be just fine now, I assure you."

Rias breathed a sigh of relief and shook Kakashi's hand. "Thank you Kakashi-san. If you hadn't come when you did…"

The silver-haired man simply waved it off before stepping past her. Reaching up, he gently patted Naruto atop the head and said, "I expect to see you bright and early tomorrow morning, Naruto-kun. You may be unable to see for the time being, but that's no reason to slack off. I'm going to help build up your other senses so you never have to feel weak like this again. Besides, I figured you wouldn't want to just sit around the house all day doing nothing. Isn't that right?"

Naruto chuckled softly and said, "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei. I'm looking forward to it."

"Good. Now, let's get you home. Hopefully they get the message now that you're off limits. Should they ever attempt something like this again, well…" Kakashi said, leaving the sentence hanging at that.

Naruto chuckled again and said, "Yeah. Thanks again."

"No problem, Naruto-kun. We're going to have such a fun week. By the time you can use your eyes again, you're going to just love me. I'm sure of it." Kakashi said, a wicked grin hidden behind his mask.

Naruto felt a cold shiver shoot down his spine, but he pushed the nervous feeling aside and said, "Good. I don't want you holding back just because I can't see anything."

"No worries there." Kakashi said before ruffling his student's hair.

As they journeyed back towards the Uzumaki compound where Naruto and his mother now lived, Rias couldn't help but clutch at her chest, where her heart was located. I thought we were in trouble for a while there. Thank you so much, Kakashi. We really owe you.

Rias agreed with what Kakashi decided, though. And she'd be right there to help him train Naruto and Haku. After all, they still needed to get the hang of casting magic and getting the hang of teleporting to and from separate locations. So while Kakashi would train them in the arts of the shinobi, she'd train them in all things magical and fill their heads with as much knowledge as she possibly could. I promise, you'll be more than ready for the upcoming Chunin Exams, my darling Naruto-kun. You'll become a Chunin for sure once they see what all you can do.

Little did they know that the Chunin Exams were going to be an absolute hell for each of them in one way or another. In the back of her mind, Rias couldn't help but worry that something was going to go horribly wrong during the exams, though she'd push that thought aside for the time being. No sense in worrying about what may come. Instead, she let her mind wander to the familiars her new pieces might get. Frowning after a moment, she thought, I guess we'll have to put that off for the time being. I forgot Naruto was getting the eye transplant today. Dammit. With a shrug of her shoulders, she figured there wouldn't be any point in rushing. They had all the time in the world, after all.

A/N - And that's the chapter! Hope you enjoyed it.

As I said in the beginning author's note, I had originally planned for something else to happen in regards to revealing Rias' deal with Hiruzen. I moved things up a bit and had Rias reveal the whole truth to him. They still need to discuss the supernatural world and what will be expected of them, but for now, the truth about the past has been revealed.

Originally, I had planned to wait until the one month reprieve between the prelims and the final matches of the Chunin Exams to have Hiruzen inform Naruto about the deal he had made with Rias. He would spin it in a way that would paint Rias in a horrible light and make Naruto lose the last bit of trust in Rias that he had. Naruto would have still gone to help Rias with her arranged marriage issue, but their relationship would have been seriously hurt.

Instead, I chose to have Rias just come right on out and say it to Naruto. He's still hurt, but at least he heard the truth straight from her mouth and not the tale Hiruzen would have spun.

Now, has Naruto fully forgiven Rias? Fuck no! lol. He's still conflicted when it comes to her, and he isn't quite sure how to take everything right now. He's still pissed, he's still upset by everything, etc. As I'm sure some of you picked up on, Naruto really didn't sleep too well during the night before his surgery. Bags under his eyes and everything. He's still troubled by everything he's learned and everything that's happened.

Anywho, I am dead tired. I need to take my morning pills and then get some damn sleep. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!