Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto Franchise that belongs solely to Masashi Kishimoto; I do not own Heaven's lost Property, High School DxD or any other Anime I borrow themes from. The only thing I claim is my OC's and original Story Plot.
Author's Note (A/N): Happy 4th of July everyone! This is coming out a little late in the day but it's here. This chapter was quite fun for me to write as it was a lot of dialogue and character interaction. I won't say to much but I enjoyed the hell out of the ending scene of the story. Iris isn't to happy with a certain someone.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy.
Chapter 49
Enter Jiraiya the Toad Sage
'I should have never woken up this morning.' Naruto thought as his left eye twitched in annoyance. The reason why was because Shoko was over at his apartment right now and she was close to hysteria. "You promised me you'd be careful out there!" Shoko shouted as she was in a simple pair of tan shorts and a white tank top. She was on break today and had come over to Naruto's apartment early in the morning after the announcement came out that the second stage was over. That meant the official one month break was in effect as invitation letters were being drafted up and sent to official dignitaries, famous individuals, VIP's, and world leaders.
It was also the middle of the summer and it just so happened that the air conditioning unit in Naruto's apartment was currently broken. The heat was too much in the apartment for a person to wear heavier clothes and to make matters worse the unit broke over the week that Naruto and the others were inside the Forest of Death. Aria wasn't even in the house during that time as she spent it at the casino so Naruto returned to the apartment last night to an inferno. He was far too tired to make the trip to the casino so late in the evening. He went to sleep without even getting under the covers of his own bed.
"Shh… keep your voice down Shoko. The girls are still asleep." Naruto grumbled as he drank a cup of water while he was in the kitchen. He was in a simple sweatshirt and shorts as well but the difference between them was that Naruto had many cuts and bruises all across his body with only half of them stitched up and bandaged. With the Five-Pronged Seal placed over his navel he couldn't gain access to the Nine Tails Chakra to heal himself. Let alone access Sōkyoku's powerful aura.
Shoko's mouth contorted into a frown as she placed her hand on her slender hips. She wasn't happy to see her partner in this state. "I know you're angry, but you have to understand that I did the best I could. This Chūnin exam was crazier than I expected. It was out of my control." Naruto defended himself as he tried to produce some ice around his body to cool himself off but then remembered that over the years it's become harder and harder for Naruto to summon his Ice Style without drawing on both his chakra and Yōki. With his Yōki blocked it was incredibly hard to call upon his most used power, if he concentrated hard enough he could separate his chakra from his Yōki but that's not something he could do in the middle of a fight and right now he was far too tired and fatigued to even try properly. It was too much effort for him right now.
"What happened out there, was the competition so powerful that they even managed to injure you?" Shoko questioned as she placed her hand on Naruto's cheek in a tender manner. There was a bruise there. Shoko would be shocked if there were Genin out there that could actually give Naruto a run for his money and injure him to such an extent. Naruto placed his hand over hers as his eyes soften. "You don't know? I'm surprised you didn't hear the news already." Naruto mentioned as he would have thought Shoko would have found out about Orochimaru being in the village from Dino. It would seem Hiruzen was keeping a tight lip about the Snake Sannin lurking around. Lord Dino was probably also keeping quiet as well as to not tip of the traitor.
"Find out what?" Shoko didn't like where this was going. It didn't sound good. "Orochimaru ambushed us in the Forest of Death… he placed a curse mark on Sasuke's neck and placed some kind of high level chakra suppression seal over my 8 Trigrams seal…" Naruto began his explanation of what occurred but he was cut off by Shoko's outburst. "WHAT! Orochimaru is here!" She didn't know about this… if the Snake Sannin was here in the village then that could only mean he was either after revenge against the Hokage for being chased out of the village years prior; or he was after someone or something in specific. The whole reason he went rogue was because he was caught doing illegal human experimentation. He loves experimenting on humans and modifying them. He was known for his sociological tendencies.
'From what Naruto just told me he branded Sasuke Uchiha with his special Curse Mark Jutsu. The same Jutsu he gave Anko years prior. He wants the boy's Sharingan.' Shoko theorized as she went over all she knew about Orochimaru from her past. She's interacted with the man on numerous occasions over the years and she's never once fully trusted him. There was always something off about him. Shoko felt hatred and anger bubble up deep inside her as she thought of the fact that Orochimaru attacked her partner. The boy she privately thought of as her own son. It was unforgivable.
"SHOKO! Calm down!" Naruto's shouting brought the purpled haired woman out of her inner thoughts as she felt Naruto shaking her arms. Coming to her senses Shoko noticed that the entire room was shaking as if a tremor was rolling through. "What happened?" Shoko asked with confusion taking root within her voice. "What happened? You're what just happened. Put a cap on your chakra. It's shaking the whole building!" Naruto yelled as he glared at his partner in anger. He understood that she was angry he was attacked but that doesn't mean she can start leaking her killing intent and chakra everywhere. She keeps forgetting the fact she's a Kage level shinobi with massive chakra reserves. When she unleashes it unrestrained like that it affects the environment around her.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry… but when I think about what that man could have done to you, what he already has done to you it makes me so angry." Shoko apologized as she completely reined in her potent chakra. The apartment complex settled down as Shoko's chakra stopped disturbing the air around it. "Shoko take a seat. I know you're angry but I'm ok alright. I fought my hardest and did the best I could. That's how come we survived. I used your training and made the best out of the situation." Naruto said gently as he guided the older woman to a nearby seat at the kitchen table. "I hope you're proud of me." Naruto said softly as Shoko's eyes watered a bit. "Of course, I am… I'll always be proud of you sweetheart." Shoko said as she brought Naruto into her embrace. She squeezed him tightly as she just took a moment appreciate having one of the most important people in her life within her arms. It was moments like these that she treasured the most.
"Here, let me check your seal. I want to see what he did to you." Shoko suggested as she pulled back from her embrace. Consenting to this idea Naruto simply took his T-Shirt off since it was so hot and by nature due to his long-time connection to Eva he prefers colder temperatures. However, he did blush a bit since he was completely topless in front of Shoko. The older woman raised one of her slender eyebrows as she saw the small bashful blush on her young partner's face. A teasing smile came to her face as she poked his chest. "Someone's been working out… are you trying to impress little old me… or maybe you're trying to impress the many girls you've got in your life?" The purple haired woman teased while wiggling her eyebrows. The effect she was looking for worked as Naruto's small blush changed to a huge one as he looked away from his role model in mock anger. "Oh, be quiet! It's not like that at all!" Naruto said bashfully as he tried his hardest to rein in the blush on his face.
"I wonder what Hinata would think if she saw you like this? Then again I bet she sneaks peeks at you with her Byakugan." Shoko pressed on as she enjoyed seeing her surrogate son squirm. The very notion that his best friend… his crush would sneak peeks at him with her Byakugan never crossed Naruto's mind before, but now that it has he knew he could never look at Hinata the same way again. His face nearly burned off as his blush reached nuclear levels. "Would you be quiet! Hinata would never do that!" Naruto refuted as he fidgeted on the spot. "Okay… okay. I'm sorry. Calm down." Shoko placated with a few giggles escaping her lips every few seconds. That was good. She hasn't gotten Naruto that bad in a long time.
"Besides… Hinata is in the hospital right now." Naruto said in a quieter tone as he looked down… his darker thoughts were surfacing as he thought of the condition she was in at the hands of her very own cousin. "She's what?! What happened?" Shoko blurted out in surprise as this was not what she was expecting. "Neji happened. Her own cousin tried to outright kill her and when I get my hands on him he is going to pay!" Naruto answered as his tone gained in edge to it near the end as he balled his hand up into a fist.
Naruto spent the next hour explaining everything in high detail about all the events that took place since the Chūnin Exams started. Shoko was baffled by half of the things that Naruto told her. This year's exam was out of control basically. "You've given me a lot to think about sweetie. I don't even know where to begin." Shoko said as she sat back in her chair; she was overwhelmed by everything told to her. "I know but all I want to do now is go visit Hinata and the others in the hospital. After that I'll worry about the future." Naruto concluded as he didn't want to think about the amount of tribulations he's had to endure over the last week.
Shoko relented as she focused more on checking Naruto's seal. 'This is the Five-Pronged Seal.' Shoko noted as she traced her hand over his seal. "The problem with this seal is that it's designed as an odd number seal and when placed over your even numbered seal it disrupts your chakra in weird ways." Shoko explains as she frowns a bit. "Can you remove it?" Naruto inquired with curiosity in his voice. "Of course, I can. It's a high-level seal but nothing I can't handle." Shoko boasted with pride in her voice. "Someone's cocky?" Naruto teased as Shoko slapped him across his chest with a coy smile. "Hush you." Shoko refuted as she held out her hand. "The only problem is this seal is partially incomplete, which is further screwing over your control." Shoko added on as an afterthought. She could see that the seal wasn't fully there. "It must have been in the final seconds before he did it. Sakura managed to get off a brief distraction that must have affected him. After that all I remember is losing control and blanking out during the whole ordeal." Naruto explained the best he could as with how hectic that fight was the final moments leading up to when the Nine Tails Chakra took control were hazy at best.
"Daddy what's with all the noise?" A small voice spoke up breaking Naruto and Shoko out of their conversation. Turning around Naruto saw Iris standing in the doorway with a simple pink tank top and white shorts on. Even the girl immune to fire itself was feeling hot. She had her teddy bear John Paul in one hand while the other was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She didn't even have her signature pink bow tied up in her hair so her golden locks were sprawled everywhere from her bedhead. "Hey sweetie, you're finally up. Where's your sister?" Naruto said as all of his attention immediately switched over to his daughter. It was like that for every situation. The second his daughters were in the equation Naruto's entire focus and attention shifted to them. The markings of a good father, at least in Shoko's opinion.
"She's still booting up right now… hey Shoko." Iris explained with a yawn escaping her small mouth as she took notice of Shoko being in the apartment. "Ok that's good. Me and Shoko was just talking. I was telling her about everything that's happened over the last week." Naruto explained as he picked Iris up from around her waist and held her in his arms. She smiled faintly at being in her father's arms. She would have shown more enthusiasm at being held by her father which is her favorite thing in the world but she was beyond tired. The entire out of control fiasco of the past week has caught up with her and as a child she didn't have the stamina to weather through it, regardless of the fact she's actually a primordial being.
"Oh… ok… it's so hot… even for me." Iris mumbled into Naruto's shoulder. She was actually sweating a bit which was a feat in and of itself considering Iris's core body temperature is higher than a normal human's. Naruto just chalked it up to Iris's body displaying more human like symptoms despite not being human. She's been known to do so periodically. However, he wasn't going to take any chances as he poured her a glass of water and helped her drink it by holding the cup up to her lips. With one hand encircled around his neck and the other holding her precious teddy bear as usual there was no way Iris was going to hold the cup herself. "Here this should help. Daddy's going to fix that stupid air conditioning unit and then everything will be back to normal by tomorrow. In the meantime, we should attend to your sister while we still have the chance. Once she finishes booting up we won't be able to get a hold of her." Naruto spoke softly to his princess with a small gentle smile on his face as he's felt like he hasn't had a lot of time to spend with the girls and dote on them. This last week has felt like an eternity. For Naruto, it was times like these that were precious to him.
"What about your seal, let me fix it while we're here." Shoko mentioned as Naruto was getting lost in his little world alongside his daughters. It was a precious sight to Shoko, one she wouldn't give up for the world; but for her own peace of mind she'd like to remove that nuisance that was on Naruto's stomach. "Yeah, about that we should…" Naruto began to say in agreement but he tapered off in his speech for an unexplainable reason as he turned to look at Iris who looked into his eyes curiously. "…we can do so later on once we find a training ground to practice in." Naruto said after taking a noticeable pause. "Naruto… are you ok, what just happened?" Shoko questioned cautiously as she saw Iris's eyes for a brief millisecond turn green. It happened so fast she could play it off as a trick of the light. "Yeah, uh. I don't know what just happened but it's ok. We can remove the seal later on in the training grounds where it's safer." Naruto pacified as he handed Iris over to Shoko who took her without complaint. "I'll go get Chaos." Naruto said as he left to go attend to the powering up Angeloid.
"What did you do to your father honey?" Shoko asked once Naruto left the room. Iris's response was to just look at her with her eyes showing childish curiosity. Shoko wasn't convinced however. She knows that Iris and Chaos are more than what they appear to be. She just didn't know exactly what kind of supernatural being they were. She could see deep down far beneath the surface of Iris's eyes a hidden well of intelligence that she keeps hidden. She was convinced without a shadow of a doubt that Iris was some type of holy being. An Angel or other type of celestial being of some kind but she wasn't a hundred percent sure.
'Not going to say anything huh?' Shoko thought passively as she knew that wouldn't be enough to get Iris to talk. Iris snuggled her face into Shoko's chest as she wrapped her arms around the older woman's neck. Shoko sighed at this as she got up from the table. "Come on, let's go get you dressed and ready for the day." Shoko would let the matter drop for now but she would do everything she could in the future to uncover the truth of the girls and make sure that not only them but Naruto himself is protected.
20 minutes later both girls were dressed in loose fitting summer clothes to protect them against the unbearable heat of the sun. Being stuck within the deep canopy of the Forest of Death for an entire week shielded the Genin from the harsh heat of the summer and Naruto was contemplating diving back into that unforgivable place if it would get him away from the sun. "I'm going to head straight for the Hospital, I can't wait any longer." Naruto said as he and Shoko left the apartment with Iris and Chaos grabbing each of his hands. "Ok. I'll head to the casino and pick Aria up and then meet you there."
"Eva stayed overnight at the hospital with Hinata. I'm sure they're fine." Naruto noted as he walked downstairs with the twins following behind him. "You let Eva be at the hospital all night? This is the first time you two have ever been separated for so long before." Shoko noted in mild surprise as Naruto and Eva are inseparable. "Yeah, I know… it was weird to fall asleep last night without her but that's all the more reason for me to get to the hospital and see them." Naruto agreed as he separated from Shoko who took off for the casino.
Administration District: Hokage Central Administration Building
Hiruzen was having a long day and it was only the morning. "Shikaku, I want you to hand this notice out to all active and inactive shinobi within the village. Genin Kabuto Yakushi is to be apprehended and brought in to the I&T Department for questioning. He is to be considered hostile and not to be approached alone. If anyone finds him they are to call for backup, and if it looks like he is involved with Orochimaru in any way I want to be notified immediately. Also, I want you to double our patrols at the walls, gates, and boarders. Please inform all Jōnin Captains of these changes and notify all of the clan heads as well." Hiruzen ordered as he handed a stack of papers to Shikaku Nara the Jōnin Commander of the Hidden Leaf Village. He's Shikamaru's father and clan head of the Nara Clan.
Shikaku wasn't the only one in the Hokage's office with Hiruzen. A few other high-ranking shinobi were in the office holding a meeting with the Hokage. The ANBU Commander himself with his intimidating metallic silver mask was standing behind the Hokage as still as a statue. Ibiki and Anko were standing behind Shikaku while Koharu and Homura were sitting in chairs directly in front of Hiruzen's desk.
"Understood Lord Hokage, it will be done. But we need to exercise extra caution with both Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki. The boy has the same curse mark that Anko has and if that is the case then there is a strong chance that he could lose control like Anko did a few times in the past. We must also keep a vigilant eye on Naruto, it goes without saying how disastrous it would be if we lost him to a person like Orochimaru." Shikaku expressed his concern as it would be a devastating military lost to the village if they lost Naruto since he's the Jinchūriki host to the Nine Tailed Fox. Also losing the last loyal holder of the Sharingan would also be a blow the villages image. Shikaku however didn't want to blatantly say so as he's quite fond of Naruto and doesn't like to think of him as a military asset.
"I understand Shikaku, steps are being taken to make sure that Sasuke Uchiha is safe while in the hospital and beyond that point. As for Naruto Uzumaki…" Hiruzen stated as he completely agreed with Shikaku on the assessment that both boys needed to be taken care of properly. He was going to announce his decision on what to do with Naruto when a voice interrupted the old man. "I'll be the one watching over Naruto, it's my duty after all." Everyone in the room turned to see a tall figure crouching in the open window of Hiruzen's office and Shikaku and the others were shocked to see who it was.
"Lord Jiraiya? You're back." It was Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin and he had a small smirk on his face while peering over at his old sensei. "Long time no see Sarutobi sensei." The tall man hopped out of the window with his wooden sandals making audible noises as he walked over to Hiruzen's desk. "It sure has been a long time Jiraiya. What brings you back to the village?" Hiruzen questioned idly as he looked at his old Genin student from decades ago. On the inside however, he was happy to see his old student who till this day is still loyal to the village and keeps in regular contact with him. It really warms the old man's heart for that reason. Not to mention the fact Jiraiya is the author to the world famous Icha-Icha Adult Romance Light Novel series. He's raked in millions over the years as it's one of the most famous book series of all time. Other than being a world-famous shinobi, Jiraiya certainly took the time to expanded his legacy to other fields.
"I came back because I need to update you on some important information from my Spy Network, also so that I can finally meet a certain someone." Jiraiya revealed with a smirk as he was looking forward to meeting his godson. "Oh, and what is this intelligence Jiraiya?" Homura asked while looking at the Sannin. "Sorry counselor but that's for me and sensei to know…" Jiraiya refused as he declined Homura's request. Hiruzen saw that Koharu was about to open her mouth to speak up and Homura himself appeared to be offended so Hiruzen chose this moment to speak up before the situation could escalate.
"What do you plan to do with Naruto Jiraiya? I assume you know Orochimaru is back in the village somewhere. So, will you be taking him under your wing?" Hiruzen inquired as this was something he wanted to know about. Secretly he was hoping that would be the case. Naruto would be guarded 24/7 by one of the Legendary Sannin. When he's with his teammates he has Kakashi the Copycat Ninja as his sensei and when he's conducting official mafia business or just simply at his home he would have the infamous Biohazard herself Shoko Higarashi. Naruto couldn't be more well defended, the only loose end left was to ensure Sasuke Uchiha was guarded and secure.
"Yes, that's the plan. Besides if Orochimaru shows up I'll deal with him." Jiraiya assured as he nodded in his sensei's direction. "Excellent… I assume you will come back later to brief me on this information you've brought?" Hiruzen asked as he saw Jiraiya heading back for the window. "Yes sensei, I want to do some sightseeing for a bit. See how my home has changed in the time I've been gone. Oh… and I'd appreciate it if you guys keep the fact that I'm back in town quiet. I don't need any unnecessary hassle." Jiraiya stated in his parting words as he jumped back out the window before either counselor could get a word in.
"Hiruzen what are you doing? Jiraiya should report his briefing's right away upon returning to the village." Koharu reprimanded with a stern glare on her aged face. She wasn't amused by the behavior of both sensei and student. "Koharu it's quite alright. Jiraiya will return soon enough. You saw the look on his face. You can't keep a man away from meeting his only family in the world." Hiruzen pacified as he defended his old student and his actions. "Now, Commander I need for you to assign a protective detail on Sasuke Uchiha until further notice. We don't know when Orochimaru will strike again but I want us to be ready." Hiruzen ordered as the stoic silver masked ANBU Commander nodded his head slightly. "As you wish my lord."
Looking ahead of him Hiruzen could still see that the people left in his office had more to discuss with him. It was going to be a very long day and there was one thing for certain that Hiruzen knew. He was getting far too old for this job.
Village Hidden in the Tree Leaves Shinobi Hospital and Psychiatric/Rehabilitation Center
Naruto wasted no time getting to the hospital while jumping across the many rooftops of the village. He was happy he could navigate the village nowadays without the need of his Menma persona. It's been quite a long time since he's had to do so. Ever since he became a shinobi and by proxy a legal adult in the eyes and law of the village he's had less difficulty freely walking around without being harassed by some of the more ignorant villagers. Making it to the hospital in record time… mostly in part to the heightened pace Naruto set as he raced across the village… the blonde-haired boy and his twin daughters quickly filled out their mandatory visitors forms as they navigated the massive complex until they found Hinata's room.
Entering quietly the three-blonde haired Uzumaki's found that they weren't the only ones in the room. "Lord Hiashi!" Naruto blurted out as Hinata's father Hiashi Hyūga himself was in his daughter's room and right beside him was his younger daughter Hanabi Hyūga sitting quietly in a visitor's chair, but once she caught sight of the blonde-haired family she bolted out of her chair. "Big brother!" Hanabi ran straight into Naruto's awaiting arms while trembling slightly. "Hey, come on now Hanabi just because your name means firework doesn't mean you can just explode like that anytime you want." Naruto joked as he tried to cheer up the distraught younger girl. She was obviously worried about her big sister.
"Hinata's hurt, Neji hurt her." Hanabi said in a muffled tone from Naruto's stomach. "I know Hanabi, I was there but I couldn't do anything about it. It was an official match and if I intervened Hinata would be instantly disqualified. I'm so sorry that I let this happen to her. But I promise you I'll get Neji back for what he did to her." Naruto soothingly stated as he comforted the shaking girl. It tore at his heart to see the usually cheerful, if a bit sassy girl an emotional wreck. It wasn't like her.
"Hello Naruto Uzumaki, I believe this is our first time meeting each other." Hiashi spoke up in his regal and formal tone. His voice commanded respect and oozed authority. Naruto honestly expected nothing less from the clan head to the largest clan in the village. "Hello Lord Hiashi it's a pleasure to meet you." Naruto said as he bowed in respect to his superior and clan head. The many years of etiquette lessons from Shoko and Hinata paid off in moments like these since as an orphan whose raised himself longer than others have raised themselves Naruto never strove for perfect manners. He was always more concerned about his next meal and survival rather than trivial things like that.
"You seem to be quite familiar with my daughters… I believe you've been acquainted with Hinata for about six years now and Hanabi for at least most of that time. Yet, never once have you formally introduced yourself to me. I should take that as an insult being their father." Hiashi spoke as he gauged Naruto's response. Naruto felt like he just stepped on a land mine as he began to sweat. Bowing low Naruto didn't dare look at the man. "I'm sorry for my rudeness Lord Hiashi. I never wanted to impose on you, besides with my condition and social standing I didn't think you'd want me around your family. I'm sorry if I've offended you…" Naruto began a long tirade of apologies while never once looking up at the older man until he heard a fit of familiar giggles.
Gasping Naruto looked up to see Hinata awake and giggling at Naruto's expense. "Hinata you're awake?!" Naruto shouted as he practically teleported across the room. He had her in a tight hug within seconds while resting his face into the crook of her neck. "I was so worried about you. Back there I got so scared when you started coughing up blood. I nearly lost it!" Naruto sobbed silently into Hinata's side as he refused to let her go. His newfound feelings were starting to take over as he tuned out everything else in the room. "I'm sorry Naruto. I didn't mean to make you worry like that, but I'm fine. I think the praying I do at night helped more than I thought. I had the blessing of a god on my side yesterday or else I wouldn't have survived." Hinata said cryptically while shooting Iris the tiniest of glances. Hiashi with his sharp vision caught this as he stored that tidbit of information away in the back of his mind. Seeing a boy hanging off his daughter for longer than he was comfortable with the older man coughed into his hand.
Jumping up both Naruto and Hinata had massive blushes on their faces as they faced the veteran Hyūga who's eyes were staring them down. "Uzumaki, I believe you should take a seat. Being that this is the first time we have met I wish to know you better, especially given your rather interesting relationship with my daughter." Hiashi spoke causing the blushes on both kid's faces to skyrocket to the melting point. "Relationship… I… don't know what you mean sir…" Naruto stuttered out worse than Hinata ever could as he subconsciously took a nearby seat.
"Father… Naruto and I aren't in that kind of relationship. We're just friends." Hinata tried to explain before she passed out again but when her father raised one of his eyebrows she knew she messed up. "Funny, I don't recall ever mentioning a romantic relationship between you two." Hiashi spoke in a frank tone causing both preteens to freeze on the spot. Their skins turned bone white as they knew they screwed themselves over by walking straight into that trap.
"Hahahahaha!" Laughter broke the two best friends out of their shocked states as Evangeline was falling out of the air with laughter. "Eva!" Naruto called out as he caught Evangeline within his open palms. "You should have seen the look on your faces. It was priceless." Eva was wheezing as she tried to breathe but found that hard to do. "Eva, you shouldn't be out right now…" Naruto said as he looked over to Hiashi who was calmly watching the scene play out before him. "Hey Naru, chill it's ok. Lord Hiashi is actually not as bad as we first thought." Evangeline pacified as she hopped onto Hinata's head.
"Yes Uzumaki… I am well aware of the supernatural world and it's many inhabitants. I'm also aware of your involvement with said world. This Winter Fairy is your familiar correct?" Hiashi inquired as he watched how comfortable Hinata was around Eva who was sitting on top of her head. "Yes sir. We've been together since my fourth birthday." Naruto admitted as he thought back to the grim circumstances that surrounded his meeting with his lifelong partner. "I see how interesting, even more interesting is the familiarity and ease that my daughters feel around her and your children." Hiashi noted as he looked to Hanabi who was playing and conversing with Iris and Chaos. The twins saw that Hinata was ok so they were holding off on tackling her in her bed. They would wait until after their father was finished being interrogated by the Hyūga clan head.
"Father, I've known about Eva and the girls since we were six. Naruto saved me from a bunch of bullies who were hurting me." Hinata explained with her eyes softening as she thought of how Naruto stood up for her and got injured protecting her. Her heart fluttered that day in gratitude and awe that someone would stand up for her like that. It was the day she made her first real friends… and not just any kind of friends. It was a friendship that would last a lifetime. "I see, this is very informative. Uzumaki, I want you to know that I approve of your friendship with my daughters. Because of you Hinata has made large leaps and bounds within her training. Progress that I know she would have never made otherwise so for that reason I thank you." Hiashi bowed his head ever so slightly in approval which had both Naruto and Hinata shell shocked. They weren't expecting such a response from the stoic clan head.
"Thank you, sir… I don't know what to say." Naruto said speechless as having a clan head bow to you when the difference in class and status was a large as it was between Naruto and Hiashi was pretty big. Furthermore, Hiashi approved of his friendship with Hinata which made Naruto feel like he just won a year's supply of free ramen. "However, don't think this means you can do as you please from now on Uzumaki. You are hereby required to stop by the Hyūga clan for occasional dinners and events and from this point on if you wish to spend time with either of my daughters you are required to inform me of your plans. This is mandatory and non-negotiable is that understood young Uzumaki?" Hiashi ordered as he laid down the law to a shell-shocked duo of preteens who didn't know what to say.
The group spent the next twenty minutes talking to each other before there was a knock on the door. Once it was opened it revealed Shoko with not only Aria behind her but Henrietta and the other girls of Section 2. "Guys? What are you doing here?" Hinata asked in shock as she watched the group of young mafia agents shuffle into the room. While it was true that she was closest to Henrietta that didn't mean Hinata never got a chance to finally meet the other girls of the mafia. Naruto made sure to introduce his co-workers to his classmates including Hinata over the years. They hit it off pretty well as the group of girls got along well with the Genin. It certainly put Naruto at ease over the course of time.
"Lady Shoko? What a surprise. It's been years since I've last seen you." Hiashi spoke with surprise and other hidden emotions within his voice. He hasn't seen Shoko in a very long time. "Likewise, Hiashi… it's been quite some time. I came to check in on your daughter. She's a friend of mine." Shoko elaborated getting Hiashi eyebrow to raise. "Oh… I had no idea my daughter was acquainted with a shinobi of your caliber. It would seem I'm being met with surprise after surprise today." Hiashi said with as much amusement as his monotone voice could aloud.
"She's surprised me over the years… she's turned into quite the capable kunoichi under both my wing and that of Naruto's. She's managed to impress me and earn my respect with her compassion and strength that she's displayed since the day I've first met her. Her care for Naruto and his family had made her a valuable friend and ally to me." Shoko said as she rubbed the top of Hinata's head affectionately with a soft smile gracing her lips. She's never really expressed her gratitude for Hinata coming into Naruto's life and now she felt it was an appropriate time to do so.
"That is very high praise for an individual of your stature to give out Lady Shoko, especially to someone like my daughter. It brings honor to my clan." Hiashi said while giving a noticeable deeper bow to Shoko than he did for Naruto. "You don't have to prostrate yourself like that Lord Hiashi. We're friends are we not?" Shoko said as she smiled faintly at the Clan Head of the Hyūga Clan. "I see, it would seem over the years I've forgot that fact." Hiashi stated as he stood from his chair. He stayed long enough and now he had other business to attend to back at his clan compound.
While this was going on Naruto walked over to the medical charts on the nearby wall and with his perceptive and expert eye he was able to discern all the information on the bulletin board. 'Hinata won't be out of the hospital for at least three weeks. The damage to her heart and cardiovascular system was much more extensive than I thought. The doctors also stated that her chakra circulatory system not only took damage from Neji's Gentle Fist but that it showed signs of unknown substances flowing within it. That must have been the Yōki her body produced. But… they said there is something strange going on with her chakra core and heart and it's affecting the rest of her chakra system.' Naruto was in deep thought as he tuned out the conversation going on behind him. He was trying to think of what this could possibly mean for Hinata and her future. He wanted to make sure it wasn't something he had to be concerned about.
"Naruto are you ok?" Hinata asked as she saw her best friend with a troubled look on his face. He was silent as he studied the medical charts and hadn't said a word in a few minutes. "Oh… yeah everything's fine Hinata, nothing to worry about over here. Believe it." Naruto said with a sheepish grin on his face as he rubbed the back of his head. Naruto just lied to Hinata… right to her face. The look she gave him meant that she knew as well. Saying believe it was a verbal tick of Naruto's that he didn't say often unless he was in a heightened state of emotion.
"Hey Henrietta, is it ok for me to ask you to stay here with Hinata while she's recovering?" Naruto asked as he turned to the brown haired charming girl who blushed the tiniest bit at having her close friend address her. "Yeah, of course I would love too. But what about my duties at work. I can't leave the casino under normal circumstances." Henrietta pointed out as while she would love nothing more than to stay here at the hospital and watch over Hinata it would go against her own priorities of being a mafia agent. Also as a marionette she couldn't function for too long without lots of rest and being near her handler.
"Don't worry about it. This is your new mission for the next few weeks. I'll let Jose know of your new assignment and he'll work his schedule around it." Naruto stated which shocked the others since it's rare for Naruto to pull rank with the girls in Section 2. It was to the point where the others would sometimes forget that Naruto is actually their superior and equal to some of the senior agents within section 2. Since the girls can function without a handler they're ineligible for promotion and can't do full solo missions on their own.
"Oh… okay. Understood." Henrietta said in a slightly unsure manner as she stood a little more at attention since it was an official order from a superior, regardless of the fact it was from a friend her age. "Thank you, Henrietta… that means a lot." Naruto said as he felt relief that Hinata would have someone to look after her while in the hospital. "No problem, I'm happy to help." Henrietta stated as Rico piped up at hearing this. "Oh… Naruto can you assign me to this job too!" Rico asked with sparkles in her eyes. She was trying to get an easy job. "Nope, sorry Rico but you've been falling behind on your duties for the last month. You need to finish those and that's an order." Naruto said with a teasing smirk directed at the blonde-haired girl.
The bubbly girl pouted as she latched onto her friend as she whined and complained about his decision. "Master, I'll stay and watch Hinata as well on my off days." Aria suggested in her soft voice as she stood dutifully behind Naruto with her hands clasped in front of her. Her poise and polished manners were well crafted over the years as she got into her maid routine.
"So, you have a witch in your employ… I have a feeling you will continue to surprise me in the future." Hiashi stated as he made his way to the hospital door. "I feel confident leaving my daughter in your care. With that being said, Hanabi can stay here with her sister as well for the rest of the day. I have other business to attend to." Hiashi announced as he made his way out of the room. "You Uzumaki never cease to amaze me." Hiashi stated in a parting shot that he mumbled at a lower tone as he left before anyone could respond.
"What did he just say?" Naruto mumbled as he could have sworn Hiashi just mentioned the Uzumaki in a plural sense. "I don't know… anyways sweetie I have to take care of a few errands right now. I'll meet up with you later on today to take care of that pesky problem you have." Shoko said abruptly as she left as quickly as she could without letting Naruto say anything. If Naruto could take a wild guess he would assume Shoko was going to catch up with Hiashi outside.
"Well that was weird." Eva deadpanned as she flew back into Naruto's hair. She didn't know what was going on but she planned to keep her eye out for any more slip ups in the future.
Naruto stayed with the group of girls for the better part of the day as he also stopped by Sasuke, Rock Lee, and Kiba's room to see how they were doing. His conversation with Sasuke went smoothly as they spent half an hour talking about the other matches and their outcomes. Naruto warned his teammate of Gaara's dangerous abilities and advised him on some useful tactics to help give him the edge. It was well received on Sasuke's end as he enjoyed having the only person he would ever truly call his friend stop by and talk to him in such a way.
Sakura stopped by soon after as Naruto's conversation with Sasuke was winding down. She was shocked to see her other teammate in the room but it didn't deter her from striking up a conversation with him that lasted for another half hour. Soon Naruto had to leave as he went to visit Kiba and check in on his progress. He was not surprised to see that almost all of Kiba's injuries were healed already. He hit Kiba with a kick enhanced by Sōkyoku's healing powers instead of her destructive ones.
Kiba wasn't very receptive of Naruto's visit especially when he found out that Sōkyoku's powers healed him even during the fight. Naruto was on his best behavior as he didn't want to antagonize the Inuzuka heir. Naruto did his best to hold a conversation with the boy as he tried to mend the tension between them. It was choppy at best but Naruto decided to be satisfied with the outcome of their conversation.
Naruto's last stop was to check in on Lee who was still unconscious in his hospital bed. Naruto didn't stay long but he sent his best wishes to the fallen shinobi. It was around noon by the time Naruto and his girls left the hospital. After playing with Hanabi for a while the twins joined their father in meeting his other friends.
"Now we can go find a training ground to use for the month. We need to train really hard girls for the upcoming finals which means I'm going to be training you as well." Naruto informed as he walked down a side street with his girls. Iris was dutifully holding onto one of his hands while Chaos was skipping down the road humming a tune to herself. Her lighthearted perpetual smile eased Naruto's mind a bit. He knew he was stressed out for quite a while now and spending time with his daughters in simply little moments like these was the exact medicine that he secretly needed.
Iris and Chaos needed to train. If he was going to get stronger then the girls would need to as well. Having them trail behind him in their training would not be beneficial to any of them. Their energy flows through him in very small quantities at all times and when it comes time for him to actively draw on their power if theirs is weaker it could prove detrimental in the middle of a battle. Not to mention with how immensely powerful they are and can be because of their species it would be foolish not to train them on how to handle their immeasurable powers.
"We should stop off at the local hot springs first daddy. There's a good restaurant right around the corner from it that sells good food. We could get something to eat before training." Iris suggested as her sky-blue eyes were dyed a greenish tint. It was an innocent suggestion, and one Naruto took into deep consideration and when Chaos added her own persuasion into the mix it made Naruto want to agree all the more but he managed to catch a glimpse at the fact Iris's eyes changed color and that instantly had him suspicious of their true motives.
"Ok we can go. Tell me, how do you know about this restaurant?" Naruto agreed as he asked Iris this question. He wanted to see what she'd do. "I heard it from Kakashi sensei, now come on let's hurry!" Iris said as she tugged on Naruto's arm. Naruto couldn't tell if she was lying or not since while Iris is a horrible liar this answer seemed honest enough. He decided it was best just to let the situation play out.
Ten minutes later the Uzumaki family was approaching the local hot springs in the neighborhood when they heard a strange noise. "Hey girls did you hear something?" Naruto asked as he stopped walking after picking up on this strange sound.
"Uh… I don't think so… what did it sound like?" Iris asked as she tilted her head to the side cutely. If Naruto wasn't so distracted by this new mystery of his he would be gushing over how cute the little princess was. "I don't know it… wait there it is again…" Naruto began to say but he stopped mid-sentence as he heard the strange sound again. 'Is that giggling?' Naruto thought to himself in confusion as he subconsciously took a step forward missing the quick look shared between the twins. "It sounds weird, what's making that noise and why is it coming from the hot springs?" Evangeline asked as she peeked her head out of Naruto's hair. She heard it too and was confused as to what it was. She was happy to spend the night over at the hospital where she watched over Hinata and secretly healed her as much as possible. It was hard especially since with her connection to Naruto damaged by the suppression seal on his stomach it made it very difficult for her to call on her own power.
The little fairy had to painstakingly separate her own Yōki from the chakra that is stored within her body by her connection with Naruto. After separating herself completely from Naruto's chakra she was able to use the remainder of her Yōki to begin healing Hinata's heart whenever the doctors weren't around. It took many hours into the night for Eva to feel satisfied that Hinata would be ok before the winter fairy passed out in exhaustion from the stamina intensive healing session she did for several hours straight. When morning came and Hinata regained consciousness the two girls spent the next few hours talking before Hiashi Hyūga himself came to pay a visit.
Eva immediately tried to hide within Hinata's hospital robe under a subtle illusion but Hiashi's keen eye caught her without even having to use his Byakugan. The man was very intimidating in that regard. Hinata immediately tried to come to Eva's defense but Hiashi shut her excuses down by revealing that he already had a vast knowledge on the supernatural world. It was an interesting conversation after that point but Eva pulled through with Hinata' backing. Now she was comfortable enough to leave her side knowing she would be ok now.
The family of blondes slowly approached the gate to the hot springs around the back of the complex since they were currently taking a back-alley street to stay away from the main pedestrian traffic of the main roads and also for the shade the many trees that line almost every street and alleyway in the village provides. Hearing the same sound again Naruto took a leap of faith in the most literal sense as he hopped the fence of the establishment and jumped to the nearest tree in the back. Iris joined her father up in the tree with a subtle gust of wind while Chaos in her usual fashion was somehow crouched down besides Naruto without any warning. Just like with every other time previously, no one sees the tiny terror actually physically move. Till this day it's still a mystery on how the Angeloid does it.
Naruto took a quick scan around the trees that surrounded them to look for whatever noise was captivating his attention so much. Looking down he saw that he landed near a divider fence that separated the two hot springs from each other. On one side was the men's bath and on the other side was the women's. Naruto didn't understand how people would even want to be in the hot springs when it was summer time but then he thought that it may be because they were looking for the feel of an outdoor sauna. He wasn't entirely sure as to the reason why the people were here in the middle of the day but he let that wandering thought leave his mind.
"Girls don't look over to the left ok." Naruto said as that was the place where the men were and most of them were completely naked. He didn't want his little girls to see grown men naked in broad daylight like that. He gave this warning a little too late as Iris just so happened to peer down at where her father was looking and saw a man standing up out of the springs without his towel on. The little princess's face turned red as she buried her face into her father's side. Naruto gave an exasperated sigh that grew bigger as Chaos's maniacal giggles in the back were not helping.
Turning to the other side of the fence Naruto saw a bunch of women including a few teenagers close to his age in the baths and they were giggling and splashing water at each other. Naruto even caught glimpses at their naked forms which brought a blush to his face as well. A splash of water to his face let him know that Eva wasn't particularly happy with his bodily reaction. Before he could either defend himself or comfort Iris who refused to remove her face from his side Naruto heard the same giggling noise from earlier and it was really close.
The noise was so close in fact that as Naruto looked above him to a branch that was at least ten feet away he saw the culprit. It was a bear of a man who had a hulking appearance based upon how imposing his body was and he was wearing predominantly green and red clothing. However, the most noticeable features about him was his long mane of stark white spiky hair and the large scroll attached to his back. 'Is this guy spying on the women in the bath?' Naruto thought in disbelief while ignoring the tiny voice in the back of his head that was stating he was just doing the same thing.
"Is this guy some kind of pervert?" Eva questioned in disgust as she watched the man giggle profusely while scribbling words down in some kind of notebook. "I think he is and we need to stop him." Naruto agreed as he tensed his muscles. It was an invasion of a person's privacy to be doing something so vulgar in the middle of the day at a public place no less and Naruto also wanted to set a good example for the girls. It would be wrong of him to just leave without ever confronting this man for his behavior. That would be him giving off the message to the girls that it's ok to do this kind of thing and get away with it.
Leaping off of the tree branch he was on he jumped over to the man who seemed to notice his appearance. Landing on the same branch as the man Naruto leveled him with a strong glare. "HEY! What do you think you're doing?!" Naruto growled at the man who was now sweating profusely since Naruto wasn't exactly quiet with what he had to say. "Hey, keep it down kid! You want us to get caught!?" The man whispered back through gritted teeth. Naruto gave the old man a stupefied look as he couldn't believe the nerve of the man. "I want you to get caught you freaking pervert. Do you know that what you're doing is wrong and immoral?" Naruto questioned as he pinned a glare down on the man who seemed unfazed.
"Hey kid I got no time for your righteous speeches. I've got juicy research to get back to." The man dismissed with a casual wave of his hand as he went back to writing in his notebook. Naruto huffed in offense at being so casually dismissed by a stranger who was caught in such a position. "I'm taking you in; you're nothing but a dirty old man." Naruto said while trying to hold on to his composure. He didn't know what it was but something about this man got under his skin and not particularly in a bad way which was surprising to Naruto but if he had to describe it then he would say it reminds him of how he and Anko get along with her behavior and how they have that loving yet aggravating sibling rivalry.
"I'd like to see you try pipsqueak. Now get lost." The man said as he tuned Naruto out completely. For whatever reason that was beyond Naruto's understanding he charged at the man which was uncharacteristic for his calmer and calculative nature when it comes to engaging in combat. Naruto missed the small smile that morphed into a smirk on the man's face as he turned to give Naruto his attention. "Not so fast kid!" The man slammed his hand down on the small branch they were on and a cloud of smoke erupted causing Naruto try to stop but it was too late. A tongue of all things flew out of the smoke and wrapped itself around Naruto's waist. With a simply movement Naruto found himself flying through the air curtesy of a toad once the smoke cleared and Naruto could see what was summoned.
Hitting a tree branch Naruto grunted in mild pain as he was not expecting that to be the move the man would have gone for. "Daddy!" Iris called out as she glared at the man before her. Rocketing off the branch she was perched on Iris aimed right for the white-haired man in hopes of attacking him but that was not meant to be. Taking her fans out she was prepared to cut the branch he was on to get him to fall but he reacted far quicker by grabbing her by the back of her shirt. In a split-second Iris found herself disarmed of her war fans and held within the impressively strong arms of the unknown man.
Before Iris could even begin to struggle or reverse her position with her incredible flexibility and instinctual levels of Taijutsu she was stopped cold in her tracks by a loud smack. Iris's face erupted into a shade of red she didn't think she could do. This unknown man just spanked her bottom casually as if she were his own child. Iris had a dumbfounded look on her face as she went as still as a statue. She didn't even know how to respond to such an action. No one except for her father has ever held her in such a way much less place their hands on her bottom. She was mortified and completely embarrassed beyond all belief to have someone other than her own father handle her in such a manner. "Now you've got to be careful little one. Didn't your parents ever teach you not to play with dangerous weapons?" The old man with his deep voice teased as he tossed Iris's shell-shocked body away from him into Naruto's waiting arms who caught her without much difficulty.
"Iris are you alright? What happened?" Naruto questioned as he saw how shocked his daughter was as well as just how red her face and skin were. She already had a higher body temperature than a human but now it was as if her skin was on fire.
"What did you do to my daughter!?" Growling Naruto put his daughter down but he was shocked to see Chaos hanging off the man's broad shoulders. He didn't even see when she got their and apparently neither did the man as he let off a yelp that alerted the people in the hot springs below.
"Hey what was that?"
"Did you hear that?"
"Hey honey did you hear something just now?
"What the?"
"Was that a scream?"
Many inquisitive inquiries like that and much more started to congregate from the hot springs below as the man got a panicked look on his face. Jumping to the branch Naruto was on the man picked Naruto and Iris up in one single swoop before high tailing it out of the complex with the shouts of the patrons in the background. The man's haste was well warranted as a few kunoichi and shinobi were in the baths and they could be seen hopping into the same batch of trees just occupied by the quarreling Uzumaki family.
Dropping the Uzumaki family off three blocks away in another side alley the man panted exaggeratedly while letting out a long-winded sigh. "That was close, almost got caught." The man said nonchalantly while stretching his limbs. "Is that all you have to say for yourself? What's wrong with you?!" Naruto yelled as he jumped to his feet. He couldn't believe the bland attitude the man displayed along with his bizarre behavior. "Oh, can it kid! Because of you I won't be able to peak in that hot springs anymore! They'll probably be on high alert! This is all your fault." The man whined as he pointed an accusing finger at Naruto's face.
The aggressive stance the man took just now caused Iris who was behind Naruto to reflexively hold a hand to her bottom as her face burned with embarrassment. She was sending a sun melting scathing glare at the mountain of a man in front of her but he seemed completely unfazed by her childish glare. She was humiliated beyond all belief and it was too much for her childish pride to handle. It was shattered.
"My fault! This is your fault for perving on those innocent people and I hope they are on high alert! It will keep you away from them." Naruto reprimanded as he pointed right back at the man. He didn't understand why he was so worked up or why this man could get him into such a heightened state of emotion but he decided to put that thought to the back of his mind for now.
"How could you say such a thing! Do you know who I am?!" The man asked with an appalled look on his face. "I don't care who you are and Chaos get down from his back. He's a bad man." Naruto reprimanded as he pointed to Chaos who was in a constant fit of giggles while latched onto the man's very broad shoulders. In fact, she had never left his shoulders since being first spotted.
"She's obviously here because she knows how great I am. How naïve of you, you're a foolish boy not to know of my greatness." The man stated as he patted Chaos on the head who giggled with a tiny blush on her face. It was rare for Chaos to blush and it was usually a sign she was comfortable around a person and she liked them. That didn't happen often, it was very rare.
"Does it look like I care who you are old man!?" Naruto questioned as he glared at the man who was interacting so well with one of his daughters. "You should… I'll tell you who I am. I'm known in the north, east, south, and west. From the highest mountain to the deepest ocean. I am the wandering hermit. The greatest author. The biggest chick magnet the world has ever known. I am the all-powerful, all knowing, all famous Toad Sage. I am Jiraiya the Legendary Sannin!" The now identified Jiraiya sang as he did a ridiculous kabuki dance with Chaos laughing her head off from his shoulders. She was having too much fun right now.
"No way…" Naruto fell speechless as his mouth became permanently unhinged. Jiraiya the Legendary Sannin. The Toad Sage himself. One of the most famous and most powerful shinobi to ever live was also one huge and shameless pervert. Naruto's mental image of one of the greatest shinobi in history would forever be scarred from this day forward.
Author's Note (A/N): Hey guys this chapter was very fun to write and I couldn't help but write the scene between Jiraiya and Iris. She's not going to let this go I promise you. Shoko and Naruto bond and spend time with each other again after what felt like a long time (Which it has). As usual she's a worried mess and dotting all over Naruto who's not having any of it.
Hiruzen is dealing with the security of the village along side Naruto and Sasuke while actively searching for Kabuto. It's a staggering task for the old Shinobi who had to come out of retirement. Jiraiya has made it known that he's going to be looking after Naruto from now on and that can only mean endless amounts of headaches and trouble for Naruto.
Naruto's visit to Hinata in the hospital was a bit of a tricky scene for me to write as I added Hiashi in at literally the last second. Writing Hiashi is quite difficult since I lack the experience with his character and he's only made very small cameos and appearances in the story. I'm still not 100% sure on his character archetype or his personality. I'll flesh him out as time goes on. He's a bit of an enigma to me at the moment. I've dropped a few clues in that conversation, some more obvious while some more subtle but the entire scene was quite important.
Finally we get to see Jiraiya himself in his own natural habitat. Doing what he does best and I felt like a kid in a candy store while writing him. His mannerisms and every action that he took was so much fun to write and what he did to Iris was by far the best thing I've ever written. It was pure gold and something I couldn't pass up. Jiraiya will be the happy go lucky, free spirited pervert that we all know and love and he may come off as a huge dick as far as Naruto's concerned and that's what I'm banking on. Iris is going to hold a childish grudge against him and Chaos is going to love every second she spends with Jiraiya. He's going to be the funny loving grandparent that lets you do everything your parents wouldn't normally let you get away with and little Chaos is going to take full advantage of that and spend a lot of time with Jiraiya. Who knows he may even rub off on her personality... ;)
Next Chapter: Chapter 50 (The Chaotic Pervert)
That's the end of Chapter 49 I sincerely hoped you enjoyed it.
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Published: 7/4/2017
