"I believe," the Second commented finally, "it is time to take this barrier down. Brother, please hold him for a moment."
"Of course," the Shodai replied. Judging by the eager quality in his voice, he actually seemed to be happy with his brother's request. "Come, nephew, I promise I will not let you fall."
He extended his arms and Naruto was handed over so carefully he barely felt a jostle at all.
"Just hold on a bit longer," his great-granduncle, Naruto was still floored by the realization, told him with a soft smile. "We will get down soon, and then we will tend properly to you."
Naruto froze. "Really?" he inquired tentatively and hated himself for how surprised and small his voice sounded.
The Shodai fixed him with an intense, loaded look. "Yes." His voice sounded resolute. Naruto welcomed the decisiveness in his tone.
A hand touched his cheek, and he met the Nidaime's steady gaze. "Be at ease, child. You are safe with us."
Naruto quickly averted his eyes. He felt uncomfortable under their combined attention. "Okay," he muttered.
He completely missed the demanding questioning looks that were directed at the Third Hokage, and he also failed to notice the silent 'later' the Third signed back in return.
Naruto saw the Nidaime walking a few steps away, and his natural curiosity finally overpowered his discomfort. "Shodai-sama? Can he really take down the barrier?"
The Shodai scowled. "Shodai-sama? Is that a way to call your uncle? I demand to be addressed properly."
"Eh, Uncle Hashirama?" Naruto offered. The words felt strange on his lips, but he could not deny that he loved having someone to call in a familiar way.
"Better." The man grinned, apparently happy with his choice. "There are few people who know more about sealing and barriers than your grandfather."
"He is a true master," the Third agreed.
"In this case, it is not about tearing down the barrier," the Nidaime answered, and Naruto saw him focusing on one of the four quivering people inside the barrier's corners. "It is about taking out the anchors of the barrier."
The Nidaime exchanged a look with the Third and took a few steps away from the group. "Your master is our prisoner now," he announced, "surrender, and you will keep your lives. Resist, and I will tear down your feeble barriers – and you along with them."
His words rang over the roof even though he had not raised his voice at all.
Naruto saw sweat running down the face of the ninja closest to him.
"Forget it! I am not fucking surrendering!"
Hashirama sighed. "Hold on for a moment, child," he murmured into Naruto's ear. "This will be unpleasant. Remember, you are safe."
Naruto tensed slightly. What was he planning?
He got his answer only a second later.
The air suddenly became stifling, and a wave of raw power crushed over the area, smothering everything within its reach like a heavy, unyielding blanket; Strong, dominating, and oppressive.
Naruto quivered involuntarily, and he realized with sudden clarity that Hashirama had just flared his chakra.
"Calm," the man whispered inaudibly, "I have you."
To his surprise, Naruto actually felt himself relax, and he squinted towards the woman who had so adamantly refused to give up only moments before.
She was chalk white.
"Do you still refuse to surrender?" Hashirama inquired mildly. His question easily pierced the suppressive silence.
"I…I…give up, …Shodai-sama," she muttered.
Her surrender seemed to set off a chain reaction, because one after one, the other three yielded, too.
The barrier fell.
ANBU swarmed the roof. Naruto saw them arrest the sound shinobi and realized that things were over now.
He suddenly felt extremely tired.
A hand brushed gently through his hair. "It is over now, child. Rest, and leave the rest to us. You have done more than enough."
"Mh kay," Naruto muttered and closed his eyes. "Night, uncle."
Hashirama chuckled softly. "Good night, Naruto."
"Is he asleep?"
Hashirama looked towards his brother. "Yes. He fell asleep as soon everything was over."
"He must have been beyond exhausted. It is a miracle that he managed to stay awake so long," Tobirama brushed a stray strand out of the child's face.
"Adrenaline," Hashirama answered, "that, and," his eyes sparkled mischievously, "a certain stubbornness he shares with his great-grandfather."
Tobirama threw him a flat look. "And his uncle," he added dryly.
"Must be a family trait then," Hashirama acknowledged with a light smile.
"Indeed," Tobirama agreed.
"Saru has found a temporary place for us to stay," he added after a short pause. "We should head out before we get swarmed, and the child's treatment gets even further delayed."
Hashirama nodded.
Naruto was floating. It was warm, and his surroundings were strangely cozy and soft.
He could hear soft murmuring in the background that stopped when he took a quiet breath.
Voices?
His mind was wakening, but he did not want to be aware just yet. It was just too comfortable. He curled a bit deeper into his nice, warm cocoon.
Someone chuckled above him, and Naruto felt something heavy on his arm. A hand?
"He is awake," a deep voice muttered in a low tone.
Naruto heard soft footsteps approaching him. Cloth rustled, and his warm cocoon sank slightly as someone sat down next to him.
A second hand touched his back, and Naruto saw something green glowing through his closed eyelids.
"He is recovering well," a second voice commented. "At this rate he should be up again in two months."
Two months?!
Naruto's eyes snapped open, and he found himself looking into the calm eyes of Senju Tobirama. The man was sitting at his right side and slowly closed a book he had apparently been reading only moments before. His left hand was idly resting on Naruto's upper arm.
"Good morning, child."
"Good morning," Naruto answered automatically and coughed because his throat felt raw.
Tobirama put his book aside and guided him carefully into an upright position. Naruto leaned heavily against the headboard.
The mattress rose, and something clinked to his left.
It dipped again when Senju Hashirama sat back down and held a glass of water in front of his mouth. "Drink," he ordered Naruto gently.
Naruto looked from the glass to the man and back again. "You don't need to feed me," he grumbled, "I am not a toddler. I can hold a glass."
"Definitely not," Tobirama replied sharply, "you are still severely injured, child. My brother has spent an entire night mending your torn body, but it is still fragile and cannot handle any strain. Until you have regained your strength, you will remain in this bed and not move a single inch, unless your uncle allows you to."
"Which I won't for quite some time," Hashirama added and placed the glass against Naruto's lips. "Now drink."
Naruto stopped protesting and drank.
It was actually rather nice to be cared for. He would never admit that out loud, though.
There was a moment of silence as Hashirama put the empty glass back down.
Then, Tobirama fixed him with a serious look and began to speak again. "There is something else we have to discuss."
Hashirama placed his hand on Naruto's left shoulder. "We are very proud of you. But from now on you are forbidden from participating in any dangerous fights unless our conditions are met."
Naruto stared in his resolute eyes. "Conditions?" he asked warily. "What conditions?"
Hashirama smiled. "Oh, it is rather simple. You just have to land a hit on both of us once."
Land a hit?
On both of them?
How the hell was that supposed to be simple?
He might as well have demanded that Naruto went and painted an eye on the moon!
"I can't even see you move!" he exclaimed.
Tobirama picked his book up. "Then improving your speed should be the first thing we focus on," he commented simply.
"Agreed," Hashirama replied cheerfully and shifted his hand to guide Naruto back down again.
Fin
A/N
Mah ~ I just couldn't help it. So here, take some more family fluff. *xD*
This is the final chapter now, though. ;)