Demon of the Hidden Leaf
Ch.15- Fallout
xXx
When Ino Yamanaka awoke that morning not once did she think that part of her day would be taking place atop the roof of a hospital, standing beside her one-time best friend, watching as their crushes beat the shit out of each other. And yet, the heiress found that she couldn't take her eyes off of the brutal hand-to-hand scuffle that was taking place before her eyes.
Having seen her fellow blonde in action during the invasion Ino was still floored to see just how powerful Naruto really was as he seemed to effortlessly manhandle their graduating class' Rookie of the Year; even after Sasuke got serious, the platinum-blonde held no doubt that the whiskered chunin wasn't using his full strength. So while Sakura crowed beside her, shouting at the boys to 'knock it off', Ino knew that there was really only one way for this whole things to end...
And then Sasuke's hand was engulfed in a crackling shroud of lightning.
Even between her father and the rest of the Ino-Shika-Cho the platinum-blonde had never seen any ninja use such a dangerous looking technique, let alone a genin, and judging by the way Ino felt the very air around her warp itself around the four of them there atop the hospital roof she knew that it would be bad news for Naruto if it hit.
However, before she could yell out to the two boys, Ino was startled to see Sakura running to get in between Sasuke and their former team-mate!
'That idiot!'
"Sakura stop," the Yamanaka heiress had lurched forward and managed to grab the pinkette's arm before she got too far ahead. "What the hell do you think you're doing!"
"L-Let me go Ino, I've gotta stop them, Sasuke-kun might actually hurt Naruto with that attack!"
The girl's former classmate struggled to keep a hold on her, and once again Ino was reminded that she really wasn't cut out to be a ninja if she was having trouble keeping Sakura back, but the female member of Squad 10 only stared into the pinkette's frightened eyes for a moment before catching motion from her peripheral.
"No, he won't; Kakashi's here to stop them. Something you would have noticed if you weren't so busy trying to get yourself killed Billboard-brow." And while this was true, there was that part of Ino who used to believe the Uchiha invincible that silently wanted to now think her new crush would have easily bested whatever Sasuke's technique had been.
But almost immediately after thinking it, Ino squashed that notion. If she was going to show herself to be better than the brat she'd been at the Academy, then it needed to start here; Naruto wouldn't want a fan-girl, if nothing else, of this the heiress was certain.
Ino was torn from her thoughts though when Sakura finally managed to yank herself free and made the short journey over to the last Uchiha and the two upper-ranked shinobi. Wanting to check on her fellow blonde, Ino didn't even give it a second guess to follow. As they drew near however she caught the Jounin admonishing both Naruto and Sasuke, and this brought out that part of the heiress that she'd just tried to stamp out.
"What the heck Kakashi-sensei, why are you getting on Naruto about the fight; didn't you see that crazy technique Sasuke was about to use? No way was that anything less than a B-rank jutsu meant to seriously do some damage!"
"He saw it alright," Tsunade revealed herself from the doorway, "there's no way he couldn't considering Kakashi taught it to the little brat himself. You and are going to be having a talk about what's appropriate for genin to be learning from their instructors, Hatake, but first I wanna hear about what the hell these two were doing up here; this is a hospital, not a training ground, and what both of you just did was a crime. Any physical combat must be done in a regulated area away from civilians, and for breaking that rule you'll both be four black marks added to your service records."
There were a great many reactions to this declaration because of how each other individual present took the news.
For Naruto, it was shame. He'd only just earned his vest and already he was two points away from being demoted; a humiliation no Hokage in the Leaf's history had ever suffered, and one that may very well effect his candidacy when he got older. Jiriaya had warned him of something like this back during the debacle with Kabuto, but apparently the blonde found he hadn't really been listening.
Ino was upset because she didn't think her fellow blonde really deserved such a harsh punishment; she too understanding what could happen to Naruto if he were written up again. One or two marks was understandable, due to the severity of the act, but four just seemed overly harsh; it didn't help that Ino could clearly see the look of disgrace on her crushes face before he managed to put up a mask of indifference.
Kakashi was worried, honestly, about himself. Yes he was upset with Sasuke for using the technique he'd taught him against a fellow Leaf ninja, as well as a superior officer at that, but what truly pricked at the Copy-Ninja was the fact that his own status as Jounin was no doubt going to be called into question. With what was about to happen to Sasuke, and word no doubt going to spread about Naruto, it wouldn't surprise Kakashi in the least if Tsunade either demoted him or barred him from instructing another squad.
Sakura was aghast, and it showed as she stared with wide eyes at the female Hokage. Four marks against Sasuke-kun's service record during his first year as a genin could only mean one thing...
"L-Lady Tsunade, surely you don't mean that; i-if Sasuke-kun's record is marked so harshly he'll-"
"Be sent back to the Academy." Tsunade's voice wasn't cold, but it was firm. "Any genin willing to use an A-ranked technique specifically designed for assassination against any member of their own village doesn't deserve the right to wear a headband. Sasuke Uchiha has shown with his actions here today that his graduation was a mistake, and that clearly the Academy needs a complete overhaul of its standards if they're allowing this type of behavior to pass through its doors and represent the village.
As of this moment, Squad 7 will be disbanded and Uchiha will be given the option to re-enroll in the ninja program once the reforms have been made; but not a moment sooner. To allow such a thing would defeat the purpose of his demotion.
As for you, Sakura Haruno, you'll be delegated to the position of instructor assistant; your book knowledge is great, better than most Academy teachers, and I believe that at the moment this is your greatest asset to the village. Kakashi Hatake, you are now under review for your time as a Jounin instructor; I've read your file, and after today begin to wonder if it's safe to put you in charge of ones so young."
"W-Well what about Naruto," Sakura cried as she swung her arm out to point at the blonde chunin. "He's the one who started the fight in the first place; why isn't he being punished! Where's his demotion!?"
"Shut up Billboard-brow," Ino leaped in with her eyes full of fury. "Trust a girl with no shinobi background not to know about just how much those marks actually affect Naruto's future-"
"Enough," Tsunade barked, effectively cutting out the two girl's squabble. "While Ino does have a point, it doesn't matter here, what happens to my chunin is left entirely up to me. In my eyes, Uzumaki now has a much better understanding of what his actions could cost him if he's not careful, which to me is more than enough. Naruto will not make this sort of foolish mistake a second time, and that's what 's important.
Now, I want each and every one of you off this roof and either headed home, or somewhere that you wont be causing anymore trouble. Because if I hear any of your names again today, and it's not good news, you can kiss your career goodbye. Dismissed."
With that the last of the Senju strode back into the hospital to continue her work for the day, leaving the silent understanding that her orders were to be followed immediately.
Kakashi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation before reaching over and going to grab at Sasuke's shoulder...only to have it knocked away. Glaring at the boy with his one eye, the Jounin hissed, "This is not the time for one of your little tantrums Sasuke; you and I need to talk.
But the silently fuming boy didn't care. He was being stripped of his rank, denied the right to even rejoin the ranks until the Academy could be reformed and it would be for a completely unknown amount of time; and due to the law of not allowing civilians to practice ninja-techniques until they even entered the Academy Sasuke would fall that much farther behind Itachi again!
This spiraling thought process only added fuel to the fire raging in the last Uchiha's heart, and in a burst of speed he disappeared from the rooftop, leaving his former sensei to growl in frustration.
Before leaving himself to find Asuma for drinks, Kakashi told Sakura that she'd be best off finding the Hokage later for her reassignment. "Even if she does manage to start an overall reconstruction of the Academy's curriculum, it wont be over night, so you'll probably be helping out with the history instructor or basic strategy course. Lady Tsunade will be the one to decide though which is why I suggest talking to her sometime this afternoon when she's not as busy."
In a whirlwind of leaves there were now just the three former classmates left behind after that.
Ino's attention was immediately drawn to her fellow blonde. "Are you okay Naruto; I-I know that couldn't have been easy for you."
"Is he okay," Sakura squawked, "what about Sasuke-kun!? The Hokage just cut him right out of the ninja ranks Ino-pig, and all you can care about is the fact this idiot got away with a slap on the wrist!? What happened to you, why aren't you more upset!?"
The platinum-blonde tried to keep her temper in check, but couldn't help being at least a little loud as she gave a heated response.
"Maybe because I've started to grow up Sakura! Maybe it's because I actually paid attention to the fact Sasuke just tried to kill Naruto; or maybe it's because I'm smart enough to know that Naruto's dream of becoming Hokage could be hurt because of one stupid mistake! So instead of asking me why I'm not more upset about why Sasuke has to learn how to be a better person, why don't you ask yourself why you don't even seem to care that your friend's own ambitions could be shot, or that he was almost killed!"
"BECAUSE HE'S NOT MY FRIEND, AND BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT HE'LL EVER HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE THE HOKGE!"
Months. That's how long it's been since Naruto had ever really had any sort of feelings for his female team-mate; and while they really weren't what the blonde would consider friends, hearing that she didn't even believe in him as a former team-mate hurt. Memories of the past, of being scorned and made fun of, resurfaced so fast that Naruto barely had time to put together a hasty 'good-bye' to Ino before following in Kakashi's lead.
The rooftops was silent for a moment after the two kunoichi were left alone, but the tense atmosphere quickly made Sakura uncomfortable and she muttered out an excuse to try and get away. Ino wasn't going to let her.
"How could you;" the platinum-blonde growled, "you know how important Naruto's dream is to him. What in the world made you think it was okay to say something so horrible!"
"Hey!" The pinkette smothered whatever shame she'd been feeling with indignation, and spun around to glare at the girl who'd once been her best friend. "Don't try to act like Naruto's your best friend or something Ino-pig; last time I checked, you didn't like him either!"
"Since when do you have to like someone to treat them like a decent human being!"
"Since I found out Naruto was a freak!"
Ino watched her one-time friend's eyes widen in terror before she snapped her mouth shut with an audible click of the teeth. Her own baby-blues narrowed in suspicion, and the Yamanaka heiress leaned in close with eyebrows drawn together in curiosity.
"What did you just say; because it almost sounded like you called Naruto a 'freak'. But, even you can't be that cruel Sakura, so I must have heard you wrong."
But the pink-haired genin just shook her head swiftly, backing away with a hand over her mouth. Sakura took two steps, then another before a muffled plea made its way out from between her fingers for Ino not to repeat what she'd heard. "M-My mom made me swear not to say that; not to talk about it. B-But Ino, you...you weren't there. Back then, on the bridge, N-Naruto was...was like some sort of monster."
"Forehead you're not making any sense; what could he have done to make you think such a terrible thing abut him!? Especially back then, he was still your team-mate, what'd he do kill someone?"
"H-His chakra Ino," Sakura's gaze was far away now, haunted, as she recanted the horrible feelings that had washed over her so many months ago. The terror that still fueled some of the young genin's nightmares.
N-Naruto's chakra was so...angry, so evil. It was like the only thing he wanted was to tear everyone on that bridge apart; even us. Kakashi-sensei talked to Sasuke-kun and I but...Ino, m-my mother, she told me something I just really hope isn't true but...but it just makes too much sense."
Ino could feel her stomach begin to knot as she listened to the pinkette whisper abut the boy she'd come to hope for as a boyfriend. There was a painful lurch within her heart, and the feeling that she'd swallowed a mouthful of tacks kept Ino from breathing.
"S-Sakura what...w-what are you talking about; what did she say?"
xXx
As Ino felt as though her whole world was spinning off its axis, Sasuke Uchiha was trying to remember just what it was about the village of Konohagakure that kept him inside its walls. His family was dead, the older brother he'd idolized nothing but a cold-blooded murderer, and now he wasn't even allowed to be a god damned ninja...so why?
Why stay?
There was nothing for him here. Sakura's affections were pathetic and he placed no stock in trivial 'bonds of friendship' as like they'd been taught at the Academy. If anything, those things only made the avenger that much more angry at the world, it was as though these people wanted him to simply forget about the ones he loved and leave their memory in the dust! Such blasphemy though was inconceivable; the Uchiha's helped to found Konoha, they should never be forgotten, not ever!
Yet they were. Slowly, but surely, Sasuke felt as though his families legacy was being left to rot away along with their corpses in the compound's crypt. This belief tore at the young heir's very soul as the last Uchiha stood outside the building that had once been home to the village's police force.
Blood still decorated the front wall, stained and black with age, while the crest that once spoke of proud shinobi heritage was now faded and worn after years of improper care. But then, Sasuke had never been able to bring himself to clean it, to repaint or really touch anything. The compound, in all its entirety, was exactly the way it had been on that horrific night...right down to the set of dishes set out for Sasuke's snack when he returned from practice.
They, the village, had tried to change things; to fix it. But the boy had refused, and continued to demand that nothing be moved or changed. This was all the last act of every member of his clan, and the brooding youth wanted to keep their spirits alive through such mementos.
People like Inoichi Yamanaka argued that it 'wasn't healthy', and that being surrounded by the memory of his families massacre would damage his mind, but what did that fool know; how could he understand when his family was still alive!? It was one of the reasons Sasuke had rebuffed each and every attempt the man's daughter made for his attention, as he didn't need the girl's father trying to analyze the Uchiha boy's every move from under the roof of their home.
Pulling himself away from those types of thoughts, Sasuke found that he'd roamed far enough inward to the compound that his feet had taken him straight to the main house, where he'd lived once with the people closest to his heart.
Stepping inside, the last Uchiha made sure to remove his shoes like always in respect for his mother, before carrying on to his room; the one place in the entire sector that hadn't been tarnished by slaughter. The boy had never truly wondered before why such a thing had come to be, but as he let his eyes roam over every inch of that space Sasuke couldn't help but think about what might have been had he come home on time that night.
Would he be resting beside his parents, nothing but bones and decayed flesh now, or maybe his presence would have reminded Itachi of what the young man would be giving up should he go on with his 'test'. After all, the clan genius had chosen to spare him even after slaying the rest of their kin, so there had to be something special about him...right?
But even if there was, could he truly unearth whatever that was when Konoha seemed determined to undermine the boy's potential at every turn!?
No private tutor upon graduation!
Disqualified from the chunnin exams, and then denied promotion for services during the invasion!
Then, failure to be given the first leading to a humiliating defeat at the hands of Itachi again!
Followed by that...that bitch stripping him of shinobi status and forcing the last Uchiha to accept a life of civility while that idiot Naruto simply got the equivalent of a slap on the wrist!
What was he still doing here!?
The fury welled up inside Sasuke's core, and his nails bit into the calloused skin of the boy's palm just as a powerful wave of something absolutely delicious washed over the angry avenger. Flashes of malicious yellow eyes, a pasty white face, a smug grin; all shadowed by the treetops, adding to the demented facade. And then...whispers.
Whispers of a promise, one that could make him strong, strong enough to kill Itachi and bring the Uchiha clan back to their former glory. Those whispers grew louder, until it seemed as though the Sannin were standing in that very room shouting at him, and it was as Sasuke felt the last of Kakashi's pathetic attempt to seal the curse-mark away that the boy realized that there was only one path for him now.
If being a shinobi of Konoha wouldn't get him the thing he wanted most, then he couldn't be a shinobi of Konoha anymore.
xXx
On the complete opposite end of the village Naruto could be found dragging his feet, wallowing in self-loathing as he silently continued to berate himself for his idiotic stunt back at the hospital. Why had he done that, what sort of good came out of taunting Sasuke when there was nothing to be gained from it but trouble?
These thoughts plagued the blonde chunnin until they were all the boy had on his mind, and it didn't end until Naruto found himself bumping into someone he seemed to be meeting up with a lot lately.
"Wow Naruto, I'm starting to think you space out on purpose just to run into me~"
"O-Oh, uh, sorry TenTen; I-I'll watch where I'm going next time."
TenTen wore a cheeky grin on her face until she noticed that her friend was nothing like how the girl had left him only a little earlier that afternoon. Pretty face folding into a look of honest concern, the brunette reached out and dropped a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder.
"Hey, Naruto, I was only kidding. Y-You seem really down; did something happen when you went to find Lady Tsunade?" She felt the way he tensed at the mention of such a meeting, and it helped put her on the proper path to consoling him "Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it's nothing a nice rough spar couldn't help get your mind off of~"
Azure eyes blinked owlishly before their owner snorted in suppressed laughter at the look on his friend's face. "That's all you think about isn't it; you're just as bad as I used to be, ya know?"
"Watch it buster," TenTen tried to sound firm, but the grin tugging at her lips ruined the aesthetic. "Besides, you did promise to help me train remember, for when I face Ameyuri, and it's been long enough since the exams that I think we're both healed up enough huh?"
This time, Naruto couldn't help himself and laughed as the older girl began to steer him in the direction of her home. "Yeah but you're forgetting something; I just got back from a dangerous mission. Shouldn't I get to rest a bit more, since you're in top shape and I might be worn out?"
"Yeah right," the weapon mistress scoffed playfully, "you don't know the meaning of tired blondie, if the ruomors I hear about how you train are anything to go by. Besides, my old man's been wanting to meet you since the day I told him about the match we had before the first exam."
Here the blonde chunnin balked a little; someone's parent wanted to meet him? Was that such a good idea; Naruto knew how most adults still felt about him, even after all this time. But when he stammered out an attempt to decline TenTen shut him down hard.
"Besides, it'll make his day to finally get a chance at seeing one of Kiri's legendary blades, so there's really nothing you can say to get out of this Naruto; you may as well accept it. Plus, if you win, I'll even...treat you to ramen for dinner tonight!"
It had been spoken so fast that the jinchuuriki almost didn't catch it, but Naruto's ears were fine-tuned to the 'R-word' and with a joyous gasp and a quick backwards grab for the kunoichi's hand he now began to be the one doing the pulling.
"Really!? Well why didn't you say so, let's get a move on Ten-chan!"
So engrossed in the thought of all-you-can-eat ramen was he though, that the exuberant young ninja didn't even bother to look back to see that his friend's cheeks were burning with a cherry-red blush.
'Ten-chan!?'
xXx
A/N: The next chapter to Demon is here even if it a little on the shorter side.
Okay so, yes I handed out some pretty harsh punishment but really it does make me interested to know that Tsunade didn't seem to hand out any AT ALL to them since the two were in fact doing battle atop a HOSPITAL and she herself is a medical ninja as well as the Hokage at that point in time.
But there you have it. The Sasuke retrieval arc is right around the corner and then we'll be getting into the Time-skip! I've got an idea of how I wanna handle that, but I'm gonna need to think on it a little more to be sure.
As always, let me know what you thought of the chapter and I'll be sure to update soon!
