Lethal Shinobi
Chapter 3
Naruto's return home was one filled with great joy; to no one's surprise. The instant he was brought to the Hokage' Tower he found himself enveloped in the tight, loving embrace of his mother and father. Their absolute joy in having their child safely returned to them radiated off them like a heater and filled Hokage's office with a warm glow.
When Minato had heard that his son had gone missing, complete and total dread filled the man. His mind instantly went through every possibility of what could have happened to his beloved son. Ranging from him simply taking a wrong turn on his way home, to being sold as a slave to some horrid dictator. The mere thought of which sent the man into an instant rage.
He instantly ordered every available shinobi to be on the look out for his missing son. If they were not preoccupied with any other duty, they were to be searching every corner of the village for Naruto. Considering that this was the man's son, his harsh orders were understandable.
Until his son was returned to him, every waking second was devoted to finding the boy.
Same could be said for the man's wife. Kushina instantly went into a blind rage upon hearing her son had gone missing. Her first instinct was to outright murder the teacher in charge of walking her precious child home.
It took nearly three entire squads of the village's best trained shinobi to hod her back from tearing the other woman apart. And she would have been successful if the interrogation that the school teacher had gone under proved that she had been under control of a Genjutsu that had shown her own child hurt and running away.
Even through her anger and fear, Kushina could not fault another mother for fearing for her own child above someone else's. That did not mean that Kushina was any less mad about the woman abandoning her son in the middle of a heavy storm.
Like her husband, Kushina spent every waking moment searching around the village for her lost child. She neglected her usual duties and had to be forced by her beloved husband to eat and sleep.
But now, Naruto was back safe at home with them. Everything was once again right with the world with any and all worried the couple had for their child instantly washing away with their loving embrace.
While the rest of her team saw that there was no need for them to stick around, Anko tried to at least see if she could weasel some sort of reward out of the Hokage while he was too consumed by joy to think properly.
Before she had to opportunity to ruin such a happy moment, her squad mates quickly yanked her out of the room and silently closed the door.
After finally letting out all their relief at seeing their child once again, Minato and his wife sat little Naruto down to discuss what had happened. And the boy told them everything.
He instantly became very excited
He had no reason to not tell his parents of the shinobi that had taken him, or of the fall that he clearly should not have survived. He did not think to not tell his loving family of the voice that had helped him escape that dark cavern.
As Naruto spoke on and on about his harrowing adventure, his parents risked worried glances between each other. Naruto, not being trained to notice such minor movements, did not notice the expressions his parents sent to one another and continued to talk in an excited tone. They both were thinking the same thing.
He had told his parents about how he had hit his head on something and everything went dark. Then Naruto spoke of that strange voice. To his parents; the fear that their child may have suffered severe trauma to his brain seemed all too real.
After their precious child had finishing telling his tale, his father spoke. "Naruto, do you," He paused for a moment to glance at his wife; who gave a nod. They needed to nip this in the bud. "Do you still hear that voice you heard in the cave?"
'Yes.' Naruto could hear the voice chuckle. 'I am still here. I will always be here.'
Naruto nodded his head. "Yeah." He responded. His tone was like that of someone simply talking about their day. "I can still hear it. It said it'll always be here." He paused for a moment. "It's laughing now."
"Is the voice telling you anything else?" Kushina asked. She had to be careful of her tone. She did not want her son to think something was wrong, but even as a trained shinobi it was unbearably difficult for the woman to not let her concern show through her voice.
Naruto sat and tried to listen closely, but he heard nothing else from the strange voice. Sitting still for so long finally reminded Naruto of the pain in his stomach. It had dulled slightly during the reunion with his parents, but he could feel it slowly getting stronger and stronger.
"Um. Can I eat?" Naruto held his aching stomach.
Kushina and Minato paused for a moment before realizing that their son had been missing for the past few days. If his story was anything to go by, he had not eaten since lunch on the day of his kidnapping.
"Of course honey." Kushina said before standing up. She looked to her husband. "I'll go home and feed him before I take him to a doctor."
Minato nodded before reaching over and ruffling his son's messy hair. "A bath probably wouldn't hurt either."
"Sure." Naruto laughed as his dad's ruffling pushed his head down a bit. It always surprised Naruto at just how strong his dad was despite his relatively average frame.
The young boy then looked to his mother. "Why do i need to go to the doctor?"
"It's just to check and make sure that nothing is broken." The woman explained quickly. "You said you hit your head pretty hard and me and your dad are just worried. That's all." She ended with a motherly smile, making Naruto forget the question he had asked in the first place.
The woman took her son by the hands and the two made their farewells to Minato and made their way back the Uzumaki home.
Minato waved his family off with a smile. The instant the door closed, his smile instantly faded away just as two shinobi appeared from seemingly nowhere, behind him.
"Find who took my son." His voice held no room for argument. "Bring them to me." It was a pointless order. His shinobi were still on high alert for the kidnapper. The only reason to repeat it was to insure that the person that had snagged his son was not off the hook just because the boy had returned.
Minato was going to have this person found. And he was going to hurt them.
Bad.
Just as quickly word had spread upon Naruto's kidnapping, word of his return was already spread throughout the large village. So, on the walk home, the mother-son pair were greeted by a good number people speaking positively about Naruto's return home.
Upon finally arriving at their residence, Kushina instantly went to work cooking up a meal for her son. Naruto, being the impatient little child he was, instantly went to the fridge and began to look for at least a quick bite to sate his hunger.
Sadly, because his parents had been so focused on finding their son, they had neglected to fill the fridge except for what little Kushina was using to cook. This left Naruto more than a little dissapointed.
So, the boy resigned himself to waiting at the dinner table while holding his aching gut.
"After your doctor visit," Kushina spoke as she went about the kitchen. "Would you mind helping your poor mother with some grocery shopping?"
The thought of more food instantly perked Naruto up. "Can I pick out the snacks!?" He asked excitedly.
Kushina giggled at her son's enthusiasm about an admittedly dull task.
After a little while of waiting, Naruto was finally able to eat. And so he did. He ate every bite in front of him; asked for more, and ate that as well. He continued t eat more and more. More that Kushina could remember the boy ever eating.
She also noticed that he would keep going for any and all meat before eating anything else. It was a little odd, but Kushina just chalked it up to him not having eaten in so long.
After everything was gone, Naruto stared forward in dismay.
He was still hungry!
Even as he stuffed food in his face he could feel the twinge of hunger eating away at his gut. The meat was able to subside it some, but not nearly enough to be comfortable.
He needed more.
"I'm still hungry." Naruto whined as his mother put their plates into the sink. The woman gave her son a look. "I'm sorry sweety, but we don't have anything else until we get groceries." She turned the sink on. "Now please go take a quick bath and get ready for your visit to the doctor."
Naruto looked out the window and could still see the high sun. Not as much time had passed as he thought sadly. He had hoped it would be too late and the doctor would be closed.
Looking at the clock, it was only 2:14 in the afternoon. Plenty of time for a doctor to poke and prod at little Naruto with every sharp object in the drawer.
Naruto went and did what his mother asked. The warm bath felt very refreshing and getting into some clean clothes made Naruto realize just how bad the clothes he had been wearing stunk.
After his quick cleaning, Naruto ran down stairs to see his mother waiting patiently for him; her soft motherly smile brightening the already sunlit room that much more and forcing a happy smile onto Naruto's young face.
Kushina held out her hand, which little Naruto gladly took, before opening the door and walking her son to the hospital.
As the pair traveled, Kushina kept an eye out for any sign of anyone that might have had a hand in her son's kidnapping. In doing so, she noticed that the few children she and Naruto passed would whisper amongst each other; words making fun of Naruto still walking hand and hand with his mother despite his age.
Naruto did not seem to care. He loved his mother and would think it strange not to show his affection, even if my just holding hands.
Upon arriving to the hospital, the pair were quickly greeted by the staff and lead straight into an exam room. Naruto sat on the examination table as his mother sat in a chair in the corner and began to read a book she had brought along.
The Uzumaki family had only one doctor that was allowed to see the family. Only he and no one else was allowed to enter the exam room. The main reason for this being both the fact that the head of the family was the current Hokage, but also because the three family members were the last known to be alive.
All in all, it would be devastating to the entire village if something were to happen to even one of the members of the small family. So, of course only the best that the village had to offer was allowed to see such valuable clients.
'I don't like this.' The voice in Naruto's head grumbled as they sat waiting.
Naruto was about to let his mother know about it when the door opened and revealed someone neither family member had ever met before. The man was dressed like one of the hospital doctors as well as held himself in the same manner as a member of the hospital staff. He wore the normal doctor's outfit and appeared to be as plain and normal as everyone else. The only thing one could really use to point the man out from a crowd would be the tiny birthmark on the left side of his nose.
The only problem was, once again, neither Naruto or Kushina knew the man. Neither said a word however.
The man smiled as he glance from son to mother.
"Sorry for the sudden inconvenience, but your regular doctor is out sick today." The man explained. "I was asked by the board directly to see over Naruto. I came right over after hearing about what had happened to the poor kid."
'Lies.' The voice in Naruto's mind growled.
"So," The man clapped his hands together. "Let's get started." He took a step towards the table.
When he did, Naruto immediately jumped down and ran over to his mother, who was now standing as well. She moved Naruto behind her and glared at the man.
"I don't know you." She stated in a harsh tone. "You are not our doctor." Her eyes narrowed into a dangerous glare.
If the man was nervous of the woman, he did not let it show. "I understand your reservations." The man was quick to reply. "But I can guarantee that I am one of the best that this village has. I am at the very least on par with your current doctor, if not better." The man bragged a little at the end.
'Lies.' The voice hissed. 'This man reeks of death.'
Naruto took a moment before deciding to sniff the air. He nearly gagged as a terrible stink invaded his nostrils. He had to take a step back just to regain his breath.
"You alright there?" The doctor took a step forward. Kushina immediately thrust an arm out to separate him from her child. Ever since hearing that Naruto had been kidnapped, the mother had become incredibly cautious of nearly everyone; especially a doctor that she had never met before who was meant to look over her recently returned child.
"I understand your hesitation." The doctor began to plead. "But from what you have told the staff, your son could be in some serious trouble. At least let me do a bare-bones physical exam on him."
Kushina's caution was battling hard with her desire to have her child well cared for. She knew that her son needed the utmost care of what had recently happened; but at the same time, this was a man she had no history with that could potentially be a very real threat to her family.
A moment of hesitation. Just a split second of her questioning herself; and the doctor was suddenly right in front of her son. Kushina did not even notice the man walk past her.
'I don't like him.' The voice growled deeply. Naruto could swear he could feel the voice rumble through his bones. 'He reeks too much of death to be a doctor. He had hurt people. He want to hurt us. Hurt you.'
"Now come let me have have a look at you." The doctor said kindly as he reached for Naruto. The boy took a few steps back out of reach of the man. He brought a hand up to his nose in an effort to ward off the man's offensive scent.
"Stay away from me." Naruto mumbled as he quickly ran to the side of the examination table opposite his mother and the doctor. "You reek."
Kushina could see the concern in her child's eyes as he distanced himself from the unknown man. Her motherly instincts told her to just take her child and leave, but her worry over her son's potential mental damage made her at least want to wait and see what happens.
The doctor slowly began to try and circle around the table. "Come on now Naruto." His voice was soft and calming as any adult's could be. "I am not going to hurt you, I promise."
'Stay away from him. He will hurt you. He will hurt your family. Our family.'
"He doesn't like you." Naruto mumbled as he kept his eyes glued on the man and made sure that he moved opposite of the doctor.
The doctor did not halt his attempts as closing the distance between him and the boy. "Now who are you talking about?" He asked, barely paying any attention to his own words.
Naruto paused for a second, trying to think of a way to explain the strange voice in his head.
That moment was all the doctor needed to close the gap between him and his patient. The man quickly rounded the table and snatched Naruto by the wrist. His grip was tight and uncomfortable, squeezing down harder and harder with every second. A feeling of annoyance and anger could be felt from the surprisingly strong hand holding onto Naruto's wrist.
Naruto's first reaction was to yelp out in surprise. His high pitched cry was all that was needed to remind Kushina exactly who she was. Getting lost on what-ifs was never her thing and she was going to be damned if she was going to start now.
Without saying a word, Kushina walked over and grabbed her son by the other arm. With one swift yank, she was able to pull her child free from the doctor's grasp.
The man gave the red-head a shocked expression that quickly changed to fear upon gazing at the mother's new expression, complete rage. With her free hand, the mother reached over and grabbed the man by his collar and easily hoisted him off his feet.
She glared daggers at the man as she watched him struggle to breath. His hands had instantly shot to her wrist and were trying desperately to pull himself free from her iron grasp. Of course, being one of the physically strongest women alive, there was no way that this weak man would ever hope to overpower her.
"You," Her voice was low and threatening. "Will never touch my son again." She twisted the clothing in her hand and brought the struggling man's face closer to her own. "Got it?"
The man could only choke in response. The amount of air able to enter his lungs decreasing with every passing second.
Kushina continued to glare at the man for a moment longer before violently tossing him to the hard floor. The doctor gave a choking cough while trying desperately to inhale enough air back into his lungs.
Without saying another word, Kushina left the hospital room with her child in hand. Her eyes still burned with rage as she shook her head to clear her thoughts.
Why she had acted so hesitantly while in the room? That was a question that she had already answered. She had to have been under the effect of some sort of illusion. A moderately powerful Genjutsu at most, as there was no way in Hell Kushina would have willingly allowed some strange man come close to her recently rescued child.
It was clear that the man posing as the doctor was at least not working alone since the technique only appeared when Kushina began to question his validity as their substitute doctor. She had suddenly began thinking that maybe it was ok for the substitute to look over Naruto. Thinking back, how could she have possibly fallen for such an obvious trick?
Still angry as the pair left the hospital, Kushina was sure to make a mental note to inform her husband of what had happened and to suggest the the hospital staff all be very extensively reviewed.
"Mom?" Naruto's young voice finally spoke out after a few minutes of being dragged around by his mother.
Kushina gave a soft sigh before squatting down to be at eye level with her child. "Honey." She started, instantly making Naruto think something was wrong with her slightly exacerbated tone of voice.
"I don't think I need to tell you that, that man was not a good man. I am sorry for how I acted back there. We should have left the minute that our regular doctor did not walk in, but I was under the control of a powerful ninja technique called a Genjustsu."
Naruto nodded while focusing on his mother. Whatever technique she was talking about must have been really strong to control one of the strongest women around. Though she was also well known for falling for the simplest of Genjutsu; Naruto just did not know that.
"What is that?" Naruto asked. He never paid much attention to the basic lessons on ninja in school since he couldn't be one. He was destined to be just another civilian.
"It is a special technique that ninja can use that creates powerful illusions that can trick the mind into thinking they are real. Even things like taste and smell can appear real to those under the effects." Kushina explained.
"Was that why you didn't stop the man?"
Kushina could hear the betrayal in her son's voice. The underlying fear that his mother; the woman who was meant to care and protect him, would just let someone unknown do whatever they wanted to him, was almost palpable.
"Yes." She replied, shame dripping from her voice. Seeing her son's hurt expression tore away at her very soul. The fact that it was all because she was terrible at identifying Genjustsu just made her that much more upset with herself.
Naruto was now confronted for the first time with the possibility that his parents would not always be able to protect him, even if they were right next to him. The fact that there were people out there that were now stronger than his parents and could cause them to be unable to be there for him when needed.
That thought scared him more than anything. He was just a small kid after all. But at the same time, knowing this filled the boy with a new resolve he had never had before. He wanted to be able to protect his parents when they could not. Maybe even protect his friends too.
The big problem was, how? He was unable to become a ninja, so getting strong the usual way was not something he was capable of. So, just how was he going to make sure that he would be capable of protecting his family from foes that were capable of moving the earth, send chilling winds, and even breath fire?
Kushina gave her son that same warm smile he had come to know and love. "Everything is alright sweety." She tried to reassure the young boy. "That was clearly not the right doctor, so we will schedule an appointment with the regular doctor later." The mother took a deep, calming breath just to make sure she did not sound angry to her child. "Why don't we go get groceries and I'll cook up all of your favorites as a big welcome home meal?"
Naruto instantly forgot his worry as the prospect of a massive meal instantly reminded him of just how hungry he still was.
"Yeah!" Naruto shouted happily before walking faster than his mother, leading the way to the nearest grocer. Kushina could not help but smile at her child's enthusiasm and his overall cute demeanor. She was not going to allow anyone to hurt her beloved child ever again.
That night, the Uzumaki home was filled with laughter and joy as both parents celebrated their child's return. Thoughts about what the whole event could mean for the future were put on the back-burner for at least this one night of happiness.
Even after amazing feast his mother had prepared for him, Naruto still felt the pains of hunger eating away at his gut. Nothing he consumed appeared to alleviate that pain.
The family stayed up late into the evening, talking and playing games. All enjoying being a whole family once again. It was not until a little past midnight did everyone finally go to bed. Naruto had never gotten to stay up so late in all his life. Maybe he should get kidnapped more often.
The next day started like any other. Naruto getting out of bed and getting ready for the day. He walked to his bathroom with his eyes half-closed, still barely woken up.
He approached the bathroom sink and closed his eyes for a moment before sighing heavily, giving a big yawn and turning on the faucet. He splashed some water on his face before going about brushing his teeth.
Just another morning for Naruto.
'Naruto.'
Or so he had hoped.
The boy decided to ignore the voice. As helpful as it had been, he had yet to directly respond to it and would admit to being a little afraid to find out he was just crazy. Normal people simply do not talk to the voice in their head.
'Naruto. The voice said again. It was clear from it's tone that it was trying to get the boy's attention.
Said boy was just not having any of it and finished brushing his teeth before making his way out of the bathroom.
As he stepped a foot out of the room, he felt two...somethings seemingly grow out of his back. Before he could question the strange feeling, something thick and strong wrapped around his young neck.
Naruto instinctively grasped at the strange object, finding it very smooth to the touch. He tried to pry the thing off only to suddenly be yanked backwards into the bathroom once again.
He was thrown off of his feet and onto the hard floor as he flew into the room. His foot kicked out involuntarily and kicked the bathroom door closed.
The thing wrapped around Naruto's neck unwound itself and seemingly vanished; leaving the poor boy to blink awkwardly at the bathroom ceiling. After laying there on the floor for a moment, he heard the voice grumble before a thick, slick-looking, black tentacle burst forth from his chest and latched onto the cieling directly above him.
With a hard yank, Naruto was flung into the air and forced to land on his feet. The same tentacle released itself from the ceiling before swiftly grabbing onto the wall and forcing Naruto to look back into the mirror.
All he saw was a reflection of his own shocked and scared face.
'I think it is time for us to talk.' The voice spoke.
Naruto hesitated. He had been sure at first the the voice had belonged to something that was living in the cavern he had been tossed into until he heard it as he was going back home.
While nothing the voice had said could be seen as harmful to the boy or his family. The fact that it was capable of making tentacles sprout out of his young body really did not put Naruto in the mood to chat with it.
'Come on now.' The voice chided. 'Don't be like that. After all, it was because of me that you are even still alive.' It chuckled darkly. 'Though, I should also thank you for not just freeing me from my prison, but also for being such a good host. Better than the last few I have had if nothing else.'
"U-um."Naruto suddenly found his mouth to be very dry and hard to make words with. "Who are you?"
The voice suddenly exploded into laughter as the mirror in front of Naruto began to grow dark. It became darker and darker until it was completely black and not a thing could be seen reflecting back.
Slowly two milky-white blotches, almost like splashes of pain,t appeared from within the dark reflection right next to each other. Below a large mouth streatched wide, filled with long sharp fangs and a long ark red wriggling tongue.
"You can call me, Venom." The reflection spoke. "And you are my new ride."
Naruto took a shaky step back away from the mirror only for two black tentacles to burst out from his shoulders, grip the walls, and force the boy to stay right where he stood.
"You can't run from me, Naruto." It chuckled. "I am with you always and forever. And there is nothing you can do to get rid of me."
"Wh-wha-wha?" Naruto was trembling something awful as he tried to force his terrified mind to form at least one coherent word. Almost as if by complete irony, yesterday Naruto was afraid that his parents might not always be able to protect him; and now, there was nothing able to keep him safe from whatever this thing was.
"What am I?" The reflection answered the boy's unasked question. "I am a monster. Pure and simple." It paused for a moment. "More? I'm a monster that is living inside of you. I can see everything you see, hear everything you hear and can see into your mind like looking through a clear window. You have no secrets from me."
Tears began to stream down Naruto's cheeks. There were no words that could accurately describe just how scared the boy was. If he had not just recently used the restroom, he was sure he would have wet himself. Flashes of a future that may never come appeared before the boy's eyes as they were all violently ripped away by the hungry maw smiling back at him.
He wanted to run straight for his parents and hope that they would be able to make this terrible creature disappear.
That is, until something clicked in his head.
"Wait." Naruto strained up and shot a glare at the grinning reflection. "It's your fault that I've been feeling so hungry, isn't it?!"
"Ah, you caught me." The monster chuckled.
Naruto, having finally regained his mother's aggressive attitude, continued to glare at the darkened mirror. "Why?"
"Why should I answer you?"
"Because."Naruto droned as if he was talking to some kind of simpleton. "If you're going to be using me and my body for, whatever it is, I feel like I have the right to know what it is you are using it for and doing to it."
"Or else what?"
Naruto did not hesitate to give he rebuttal. "Or else, I'll tell my parents about you."
"So?" The monster replied. What could two simple humans do to it that it could possibly be afraid of?
"So," Naruto repeated. "They will dedicate all of their time and resources to getting you out of me. Even of they can't, they can assure that you will be stuck inside without being able to see or do anything until they find out how to get you out."
The creature was silent for a moment.
"I'm a little impressed with you child." It chuckled. "I have made grown men beg for their lives just from the sound of my voice alone; yet you, a small brat, would risk threatening me. Me! A monster that has consumed gods! I could wrap myself completely around you and force you to be nothing more than my puppet!"It suddenly burst out into a fit of completely terrifying laughter. It's voice booming and seemingly coming from everywhere at once.
Naruto stood his ground despite the chill running up his spine. He was the only one that knew that this monster was inside of him. So, it was up to him to make sure that everyone was kept safe from it. Especially his loving family.
"Fine," The creature chuckled. "Since I am now a part of you, I guess I can tell you a little bit about me." Venom paused for dramatic effect. Seriously. "Like I said before, I am a monster. I am a man-eater." It paused once again. "I have to eat the living to survive, as well as have a viable host; which you just so happen to be. Regardless of whatever little threats you make, your body is just too good for me to simply give up. So unless you can find me something better, you are stuck with me."
Naruto continued to stare at the reflection; expecting for it to continue speaking before a realization slowly began to creep it's way into his skull.
"You're eating me?"
"You guessed it!" The monster roared with laughter. "Even if your body is a great host for me, I still need to eat like everything else. I used so much energy keeping you alive in that little hole, so letting me swallow your liver in return sounded like a fair trade."
Naruto unconsciously moved a hand over his gut. It did not mater if he was able to protect his parents from this monster if it just ended up eating him anyway. He had gone through so many emotions already that the feeling of utter disgust and horror just felt expected at this point.
"But." The creature continued. "From what I have seen from your mind and recent events, I'm coming to like you a bit. So, I will cut you a deal."
Naruto leaned forward a bit. While he may not like it, working with this thing might be the best option he has at the moment. If only he was just a little bit older, and a little bit wiser, Naruto would have thought to just ignore the thing and just let his parents know. Then he would most likely have gotten the creature removed and went on to lead a normal life.
But no. Naruto was just a child. Not a dumb kid, but also not the brightest bulb in the box at times. Sadly, this was one of those times. In the far future, Naruto would look back at this moment and ruminate on what could have been.
"What kind of deal?" Naruto crossed his arms and eyed the grinning reflection.
Said image gave a low chuckle. "You work together with me and provide me food, and I will stop treating you like a living buffet and I will help you with whatever it is you need."
Naruto did not reply immediately. Making deals with demons was something that every child knew not to do. So making something like that with this strange beast would probably not end well for Naruto in the long run.
But, at the same time; to have a monster that was always with him and would be able to help keep him, his family and friends safe. Regardless of the consequences, to keep his important people safe, Naruto was willing to do anything and show that he would be able to do so without being a ninja.
"Alright." Naruto held out a hand towards the mirror. "You got yourself a deal. But if you try any funny business, the deal is off." He failed to realize just how silly he looked, holding an extended arm out to a black mirror.
The monster chuckled once again. "Oh, you won't have to worry about that. I solemnly swear to do nothing but keep you safe, protect your family, and keep us very well fed."
It suddenly burst into a fit of wicked cackling which only confused Naruto to no end.
Despite the strange behavior, Naruto did his best to hide a smile that threatened to from on his face. He made another friend, possibly. And a strong friend at that. Plus, they were new to this place so that gave the boy an excuse to travel through the village and show off his awesome home.