Hey everyone, it's me Xavier. I'm alive I swear! Sometimes... Anyways, I know its been a long time since I updated (3 weeks or so) and I apologize for that but it's been hard to find a beta while all my personal stuff is going on. Anyways, I do hope you all enjoy this chapter! Hoping to get the next one started here in a minute. Please leave a review because they really do help me out a lot.
Chapter 6
Reizen flips a pan of pancakes in the air in his new kitchen as light footsteps can be heard from down the hall in the early morning. The three sisters walk into the kitchen, take one whiff of the aroma in the air, and immediately rush to the table, their mouths salivating.
Reizen smiles as he serves the three sisters some pancakes with bacon on the side. As the three sisters dig into the food, Reizen sits at the table, pulling out some paper and ink.
Kurama, do you remember the treatment for Hayate? A nod is his answer. Reizen sighs in relief, before starting to write down the treatment steps while listening to Kurama try to recall it. An immortal being does have too much information to be processed normally after all.
Reizen walks up to the front desk at the entrance of the hospital. A young bluenette is sitting behind the pristine counter. She looks up from some paperwork to see Reizen standing there, a maroon folder tucked underneath his arm. His face is sunken in with black circles from lack of sleep. The young girl frowns, looking at how unhealthy Reizen is.
"Can I help you?" She asks with slight hope, though she knows better than to hold onto much hope. Most ninjas hate the hospital, which Reizen clearly is by the headband on his head.
Reizen nods, oblivious to the young woman's thoughts.
"Yes, could you by chance direct me to whoever treats Gekkō Hayate?" She nods, shuffling through some paperwork.
"That would be Chiyu-Sensei. She's currently finishing up an appointment with a patient. Should I schedule one for you?" Reizen is already shaking his head before she finishes her sentence.
"There is no need. I just need to speak to her quickly is all." She nods, pointing to a door at the far end of the hallway. "Her door is the last one down the hall. She should be done by the time you walk down there." Reizen dips his head gratefully to the young secretary, before moving down the hall towards the door she indicated.
"Perhaps you should schedule an appointment for the future! You look like you could use one!" Reizen waves her off while walking down the hall.
"I am fine, I assure you. Simply didn't sleep last night is all." Or for any night for quite some years, but she doesn't need to know that.
Walking down the hall, the dark oak door squeaks open loudly against the floor. A young woman with night black hair, bandages over a maroon shirt as well as dark sandals. Reizen instantly recognizes her as a young Kurenai, largely thanks to her ruby red eyes. Reizen nods his head in greeting, earning a polite smile from the young blackette. Reizen enters the door past her. Inside is a cozy little room, with a fireplace in the corner, as well as numerous cedar bookshelves lining the wall. More than likely chock-full of medical texts. A young woman with light blue hair and glasses hiding charcoal eyes is the first thing Reizen sees as he fully enters the room. He takes in the large oak desk she is sitting behind.
That's some nice oak wood. Very well done.
You know about architecture too?!
Of course, I do. I know everything kit. Reizen shrugs mentally.
"Chiyu-Sensei, I presume?" The now identified Chiyu turns her head while nodding, giving Reizen a cursory glance over.
"That would be me, yes. How can I help you-er-?"
"Reizen Uzumaki." Her eyes go slightly wide at the name.
"The same one who managed to save Sarutobi-San and the other on that horrendous mission to Uzu?" Reizen nods his head, moving his hair ever so slightly.
"That was certainly impressive. I'm not sure any other shinobi could have gotten that team out of there, in all honesty. Enough of that though, what brings you to my humble office?" Reizen takes a chair in the front of the desk, moving it with chakra strings, before sitting down on the cushion. He places the folder on the table, moving it to Chiyu.
"This is a cure for Hayate's infection on his lungs." He says it so nonchalantly that it takes a moment for Chiyu to process the information, before she quickly reaches for the folder, practically ripping it open. She carefully starts to examine all of the treatments described in the folder, before putting it down, excitement in her eyes. She calms herself as she looks up at Reizen.
"What exactly do you want in exchange for this information?" Reizen tilts his head quizzically.
"What do I want? Can you explain, please? I'm not sure I understand what you are asking." Now it's Chiyu's turn to look quizzical.
"As in, what reward do you want in exchange for this medical breakthrough? Money? Accommodation?" Reizen takes a look of insult at the mere mention of reward. Sakura's medical technique's saved countless lives on the battlefield. Even if I can't do all of them, I at least know how to do them. But to ask for a reward! The air slowly gets heavier with malice radiating from Reizen.
Kit! You need to stop now! You are going to bring the damn hospital down you fool!
With that, the air returns to normal. Reizen's teeth and fingernails shrink back to normal length as he calms down.
"My apologies. No, I don't need any compensation of any form. I simply wish for you to use your medical talents to help people. If you feel so inclined, perhaps you simply leave my name out of it being mentioned." Chiyu nods, though she is flabbergasted. Reizen stands, making for the door.
"Oh and one more thing, please keep this technique to yourself and the higher doctors in the hospital."
Chiyu nods, still speechless in her chair. Reizen closes the door gently, leaving the young doctor to her thoughts. Reizen leaves the hospital, ignoring the looks from the other doctors and nurses full of concern.
They act like they have never seen a war veteran before.
Not from your war kit.
This is true.
Reizen walks down the main road, noticing a familiar set of purple hair sitting in a dango stand. Yuugao notices him as well, practically scampering over her bench and beelining towards him. She grabs his hand, before pulling him into the dango stand with herself and the group she is with.
"Uzuki-San, what is the rush?" She waves airily as they sit down at the table with three other girls, whom Reizen instantly recognizes.
"Call me Yūgao, it's what my friends call me." She flashes him a brilliant smile.
"Speaking of my friends, girls this is the man I was just telling you about. Uzumaki-San, these are my friends; Kurenai, Anko, and Hana." Yūgao motions her hands to the group. Reizen nods to each of them, though he falters at Hana.
Flashback
Naruto is kneeling in freezing mud as explosions echo around him. He stares at the now lifeless body of his pregnant wife. Sleet falls down his face, dripping onto her face markings from her clan. Her dogs, the three brothers lay dead around the pair, wet blood staining their otherwise snowhite fur. He had killed the shinobi who had murdered his wife hours ago, his grotesque and mangled body lay several yards away. Naruto had run through the poor man, then proceeded to gut the cowardly bastard who had taken his only light left from him. Her blood ran through his fingers, pouring from the gaping hole where her heart used to be. A cold hand touches his shoulder, yet Naruto doesn't move.
"Naruto, we need to move." He shakes his head, droplets of water flying from his dark locks as he refuses.
"We were going to have a boy. A boy Sasuke. I was going to have a son and be a father after all of this." Sasuke's grip on his shoulder gets more firm, as he squeezes his brother's shoulder. A fireball comes right at them, which Sasuke merely flings away with the seals on his Katana. Naruto finally lays down her body, before burning it with a Katon Jutsu. Naruto nods, before flashing away with Sasuke, leaving the ashes of his dead wife to fly in the wind.
Flashback end
Reizen's eyes go slightly wide as he feels his breath hitch in his throat. While the others had been somewhat difficult to get overseeing for the first time, it wasn't an impossible task. Seeing her though, alive again…. Images of them finding out she was pregnant with their son for the first time floated into his mind.
Reizen is pulled from his thoughts as a very young Anko stands up over the table and points excitedly at his hair.
"Does that mean you are an actual Uzumaki then?" Reizen blinks, momentarily remembering how… exuberant Anko had been in the future. It brought a slight tug to his lips in the form of a smile. Reizen nods his head in answer to her question.
"Um.." Reizen turns his head to the young Kurenai.
"Is it true that you managed to save Asuma-Kun?"
"I merely got him away from the Sanbi before it could kill him. Yūgao here is the one who patched him up enough for me to heal him after I defeated the Sanbi." The girls go slack-jawed at his nonchalant comment.
You didn't really defeat me Naruto-San. I simply agreed that fighting one another wasn't ideal and we moved on from there. Reizen nods his head mentally.
"How skilled would you say you are if you don't mind me asking?" That smooth voice almost brought tears to his eyes as it ripped his heart to shreds on the inside. Reizen feels his body slightly start to shake. He digs his nails into his palm, drawing some blood. He gets up from the table in a rush, trying to control his downward spiral of emotions. A hawk flies over the restaurant at that exact time. Good timing. Always watching eh, Jiji?
"If you girls would excuse me, it appears Lord Hokage requires me." With that, Reizen flashes from the spot, leaving a draft breeze in his wake. The girls look at the spot he was just at, slightly confused. Though one of them was having an intense battle internally.
Why did Uzumaki-San look at me so… haunted? Why did he smell so familiar as well? One of her triplets, Tetsumi nudges her with his nose. She reaches a hand down, running her hand along with his ears gently.
"I'm ok, boy." She whispers, "Just confused is all." With her mind skewed with strange thoughts, she gets up from the table and starts walking back to her compound. Waving bye to her friends as she does so.
Reizen flashes into Hiruzen's room, tears now freely flowing down his face. Hiruzen stands from his chair, opening his arms as Reizen comes barreling into his chest, gripping his robes tightly in clenched fists. Hiruzen places a soothing hand on his back.
"She was the one," Reizen whispers into Hiruzen's chest. Hiruzen nods his head gravely. "I know my boy. I can't imagine the pain of seeing your wife again, even if she doesn't know it." Reizen falls to his knees, crumpling in on himself. Eventually, he passes out on the floor from exhaustion. Looking with concern, Hiruzen lowers the privacy barriers he had set up beforehand for Reizen.
Hiruzen flares his chakra, one of his anbu appearing before him.
"Torū," He says sternly. Torū can feel the seriousness in his tone becoming evident in the atmosphere of the room. That's the 'Kami no Shinobi' for you. "Get me, Inoichi Yamanaka, right now. I will not take any excuses in this matter. Tell him this is a 'Kami' level incident." Torū visibly stiffens, before vanishing from the office. Hiruzen motions for another anbu to move Reizen's unconscious body to his sofa, before returning to his paperwork for a moment. Though the signs of concern are visible on his aged face.
Inoichi is standing in his plant shop, covering for his daughter for a moment while she uses the restroom. The shop is empty, though that is to be expected in the mid-morning. Most customers come during the afternoon anyway or when they first open to pick up plant orders. That's why Inoichi was visibly surprised when an anbu came speeding into his shop, looking very frantic.
"How can I help you, Torū-San?" Torū sees Inoichi behind the counter, before making a beeline for him.
"Lord Hokage requests your presence." Inoichi shakes his head. "Whatever Lord Hokage needs will have to wait a moment until my little girl gets back from the restroom. She just got in there as well, and I'm not about to ask my wife to come out here and cover the front when she has the afternoon shift." That's when Inoichi suddenly feels hands on the front of his black apron.
"I have been given permission to use lethal force if need be, Yamanaka-Sama. This is a 'Kami' level incident." Inoichi throws his apron off as Torū lets go.
"Give me a moment, then I will follow you." Torū nods, as Inoichi sprints up the stairs. A second later, Inoichi is running downstairs in his old interrogation coat, his wife right behind him looking for all the world very sleepy. Inoichi nods, following Torū out of the shop, they take to the roofs, racing to the Hokage Tower.
After arriving in the room, Torū takes a knee in front of Hiruzen as Inoichi nods to him. "You said you needed me for a 'Kami' level incident, Lord Hokage?" Hiruzen nods, raising the privacy barriers. Torū leaves the room as the barrier comes up fully, leaving Hiruzen and Inoichi alone in the room with Reizen.
"What I am about to tell you, Inoichi, is an SSS-class secret. If you ever even think about talking about this without explicit permission, you will be killed on the spot." Inoichi merely nods, having gotten used to keeping some of the secrets of the Sandaime. They move to Reizen's body on the sofa.
"This here, is Reizen Uzumaki. I can't tell you his actual name, for only he may tell you that. I need you to see if he would benefit from post-war therapy in any shape or form." Inoichi nods, preparing his mind for the jutsu when Hiruzen places a hand on his shoulder.
"Inoichi, there will be things that you see in his mind that even I would falter at. Prepare yourself for this." Now Inoichi takes a serious face. If even Hiruzen is this wary, then this may not be an easy mind walk.
Prior to Inoichi being summoned/ Reizen's Mindscape
Reizen is curled in front of Kurama, who has his tail protectively around his not so furry brother.
Kit. A sob is Kurama's only answer.
She was the one Kurama. She was the first one to truly accept me for me, even knowing everything I have done in my career, as well as everything thats happened to me.
I know kit. Remember I told you about my mate over a thousand years ago, how Iwa sealed her into a vase before breaking the vase and extinguishing her soul.
I know Kurama, you're the only one who would possibly know my pain. You were there inside me when she was killed saving me… Kurama merely brings Reizen in closer to his body, watching as Reizen snuggles deeper into his fur. He looks on in sadness, one of the rare times Kurama allows himself to truly portray an emotion besides indifference and being haughty.
You don't deserve the burdens you have. Nobody should have the burdens you have, kit.
Outside of the mindscape
Inoichi moved to place his hands on Reizens head, with Hiruzen's on his shoulder. Shintenshin no Jutsu. Inoichi feels the pull and lets himself be guided into Reizen's mindscape. He steadies himself as nausea tries to consume him. Once composed, Inoichi glances around at his surroundings. He almost pukes at the sight.
Ruined buildings lay in rubble in debris, as the gravel crunches beneath his feet. Inoichi glances around to see Hiruzen next to him, almost as pale as a ghost as he stares behind him. Inoichi gulps, then turns around. It's the Hokage monument, though it's in complete shatters. He sees more faces past Minato's, though he can scarcely make them out. The only one semi-recognizable is a look-alike of Kakashi, which while strange isn't entirely impossible.
He turns from the monument, to see the various grotesque bodies on the dirty rubble. Bloody body parts lay on the ground, detached from their previous bodies.
"What is this hell?" Inoichi whispers. The blood rushes from his face as he sees what appears to be a much older version of his daughter, her body cold against the rubble she lays against. He drops to his knees in front of her, tracing her blood-stained face with his fingers gently shaking.
"This," Hiruzen gravely starts, "Is the mind of a man from a future war where our world is gone and destroyed."
"I'm sorry the both of you get to see this. I had hoped to keep this locked away from the world." Both of them whirl to see a gaunt and pale looking Reizen standing behind them, his cloak ripped and dirty. Blood runs down his temple, dripping from his dark hair as he looks towards where the main gate would normally be, but is now mere rubble.
"You have told me some of what has happened during your time, but to actually see it…." Hiruzen's takes in all of the grotesque bodies once more, faintly making out many of the shinobi he has worked with before, even some from other villages.
"This is about two years into the start of the war. Tsuki and Ame combined forces of over five hundred Jōnin plus millions of Zetsu. We managed to get most of the civilians out before the attack, though we lost too many. After this battle, only myself, Kiba and Hinata remained from the rearguard." Inoichi can see the visible signs of suppressed PTSD and numerous other mental traumas. I'm surprised he is even standing anymore.
"Who, exactly are you? It's clear now to me that you aren't from this timeline, as much as I find it difficult to believe. This mindscape is too real to be faked." Reizen glances to Hiruzen, who nods minutely.
"My name is Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto. I am the Rokudaime Hokage, as well as Leader of the Allied forces and host of all nine bijuu." Visible shock lines Inoichi's face, yet he can see it. While the hair color isn't as light as Kushina's…. He has the same air about him as Minato did. The same strong determination, yet the same calculating calmness Kushina had in battle as well.
"Inoichi," Inoichi turns to Hiruzen here, "Can you help him?" Reizen looks startled at the Sandaime, who stares at Inoichi with some desperation.
"Hokage-Sama, you had me go through helping the veterans from the third war, which was difficult but not impossible. This however…. I'm not sure where I would even begin." Reizen shakes his head as Inoichi finishes.
"There is no helping me. There isn't anything to be done." The sheer stubbornness in the statement feels more like a challenge to Inoichi than anything. Inoichi stands from his daughter's body, moving in front of Reizen with a finger pointed at him.
"Now you listen here you little shit, nothing is impossible when it comes to healing the mind. I don't give a fucking damn what you say. If I could help heal Tsunade after she lost her fiance, then I can sure as hell help you." The fierceness in his eyes brings flashbacks to Reizen from Inoichi in his time. Reizen lets a sad smile form on his face.
"You never change, Inoichi." Now Inoichi looks at Reizen confused, the same as Hiruzen. "You were the exact same in the future. Never leaving someone to struggle by themselves." Memories of a giant tailed beast bomb being aimed towards the HQ of the alliance at the time come to the surface, as well as the last stand of the Ino-Shika-Cho team. Their loss had hurt the alliance for some time.
The sky in the mindscape starts to crack as the ground slowly starts to rumble. "We need to leave. His mind is rejecting us for some reason now, subconsciously." Inoichi takes hold of Hiruzen, forming the hand sign to leave the mindscape.
"It must be Kurama, he must think you have overstayed your welcome." Hiruzen and Inoichi look flabbergasted at the way Reizen mentions Kurama so nonchalantly. Inoichi finishes his seal, and the two of them vanish from the mindscape.
Back outside of the Mindscape
Inoichi and Hiruzen come to, nausea slightly unbearable. Reizen sits up on the couch, massaging his temple.
"Inoichi" Here Inoichi glances to Hiruzen, "As I have said, everything you saw and heard is an SSS-class secret." Inoichi merely nods, before turning to Reizen, who is barely waking up on the sofa.
"Is everything we saw true?" Inoichi shakes at the mere thought of what he saw in the mindscape. Reizen nods his head in answer to his question. Inoichi takes on the impression of a ghost, looking as pale as he is. Inoichi makes to leave the room, his mind whirling at all of the information he just saw and learned.
"Inoichi-San," He turns to Reizen, "I won't let it happen again. It's why I came back, to change it all." The determination in his voice puts some confidence back into Inoichi, who opens the door with less of a shake in his body. The door closes, and Reizen turns to Hiruzen.
"You should recall Shiraga and Tsunade. We will need them for the upcoming Chūnin Exams." Hiruzen whirls to him, eyes wide.
"What about the Chūnin exams? Also, he lets you call him Shiraga?" Reizen nods.
"Him and I were…. Very close. I didn't even know Jiraiya hated the name until he told me to call him that after I called him ero-baka in front of the fifth Mizukage a couple of times. As for the Chūnin Exams….. Where do I start?" Reizen takes a seat, as he dives into the tale of Orochimaru invading, befriending Gaara as well as Raza dying and everything else. Hiruzen's face turns darker with each passing tale. Eventually, Reizen pauses.
"Old man…. You die during the invasion." Hiruzen just nods, then lets it sink in. Reizen goes on to explain the Reanimation Jutsu and how Orochimaru uses it to end up killing Hiruzen. He stands up from his chair, moving to the window.
"I have lived a long life, Reizen-Kun. If I am to die, so be it." Hiruzen's shoulder is firmly grasped, turning him around into the deep blue eyes of Reizen.
"You aren't going to die on my watch. No one will this time around. I know how to counter anything Orochimaru can throw at us." Hiruzen just nods at the determination in his voice. He gives out a light chuckle as he takes a puff from his pipe.
Reizen leaves Hiruzen's office as the sun slowly starts to set, determination filling him. That's right, no matter what, I am here to make sure Madara doesn't take everything again. As he walks down the street, a very familiar small head of yellow locks comes tumbling into him, running with two other boys next to him as well.
Ah, Shikamaru and Kiba. I'm glad they are friends with him. Reizen looks down to see his younger self dusting off his jumpsuit. He springs back up.
"Hi! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage! Sorry about bumping into you mister." Reizen feels a smile tug at his lips as he ruffles his smaller counterpart's hair.
"It's not a problem, young one. I must be going though, I am sure we will meet at a later date." With that, Reizen shunshin off the street and into the Uzumaki household, the smile not leaving his face for some time. Naruto should be graduating in the next week or so. As Reizen enters the kitchen to see the girls at the counter, trying to cook dinner, his smile grows. I will protect all of this, no matter what.
War Diaries
Naruto grabs Kiba by his hair, dragging him down into the trench as a flurry of kunai sails overhead.
"You fucking moron! Are you trying to get yourself killed! My girlfriend will have my head if you die dumbass!" Kiba simply slaps Naruto on his back.
"You don't have to remind me Nar. But we do need to push through this canyon. Otherwise, the Kōri are going to have free supply lines to Ame." Naruto nods, as he flies through hand seals before bringing a Raiton: Lightning Storm on the enemies. Static starts to break through the radios.
Zen company, do you copy?! This is Budda company! Naruto looks to Kiba in shock, before grabbing his radio.
"This is Zen company responding! Buddha, are you alright?"
Naruto… thank god. Listen, this is it for us over here. Take care of Sasuke and Sakura… We all believe in you Naru- A loud explosion erupts through the radio before it goes silent. A lull in the battlefield soon follows after Naruto enters the tailed beast state, slaughtering the enemy nins in a rage. Kiba stands in the trench, clenching the radio as snow starts to fall on the ground. Kakashi-Sensei…..