Chapter 3: Revelations and a Scary Woman
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Naruto and foxes are on the minds of the rookie nine and Gai's team after Sasuke tells what happened during his and Naruto's battle. They also have a new found fear for their Hokage.
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Next day, Sakura was walking to the hospital to see if she could visit with Sasuke and hoped to find Kakashi to talk with him. She wanted to know what happen to Naruto after he took off four days ago. She had seen him walking down the street towards her, but she was on the other side. She wanted to talk to him, but stopped, when she heard some of the adults around her, muttering hatefully. She stepped back from them and went behind them so they would not see her. She listened to what they said and was shocked by what she heard.
"I can't believe that he was allowed to live, he should have been killed" one said
"I know what you mean. He is a demon and he is allowed to walk around like he is one of us." two said
"Why must we put up with him? If it was not for him, the Uchiha kid would not had tried to run off." three said
"I fell sorry for the girl on their team. Having to put up with his stuff." one said
Sakura was angry from what she heard. As she brought her head up, to start yelling at them, she glanced at the other people gathered in the streets. She was shocked to see the same hatefulness in their eyes which was aimed at Naruto. She looked at Naruto, as he was walking past from her point. She saw he had a small smile on his face. She thought he was dense to not notice the disgusted looks. He walked on, till all she saw was his back. She decided to go talk to him.
Before she could, a man to Naruto's right sent a punch to his face. Naruto caught it and she was shocked. Sakura watched it went bad to worse as many of the villagers started to gather around him, calling him names and that he should not even had existed. Then many of the villagers started to throw stuff at him from garbage to actual weapons. She saw as a kunai sink deep into the back of his right leg and three shuriken into his back. She was too scared to do anything.
She watched as two ANBU came out of nowhere and protected him. She heard the villagers start yelling at the two for protecting the demon. Naruto took this distraction and jumped to a roof of a building and ran off.
She was about to go after him, when she heard some the villagers yelling at the others. Some were saying that if it was not for him, they would all be dead. It nearly became a full out fight between the two sides until the Hokage appeared, yelling at them. Sakura watched as every one cowered from her words. She felt small as the Hokage spoke. She found herself remembering that she did not thank Naruto for saving her from Gaara, bringing back Sasuke, and many other things he did for her.
She left and did not hear the rest of what the Hokage said to the villagers. She ran home, went to her room and broke down crying.
Sakura just entered into the hospital and walked up to the reception desk. She opened her mouth to ask if see could she could see Sasuke when the nurse spoke to her without looking up.
"I am sorry, but you still can not see Sasuke, for he is still unconscious."
(Which is a lie, but Tsunade wanted no one to see him yet to make sure he had not be lying to her.)
"Oh." is all she said
She turned to leave when she saw Tsunade walking towards the entrance of the Hospital. She quickly walked over to her.
"Hokage-sama!"
Tsunade turned around and saw Sakura walking towards her.
"Sakura I know you want to see Sasuke, but he needs his rest…"
"That is okay Hokage-sama, but that was not what I wanted to ask you about. Have you seen Naruto, I have not seen him since four days ago when he was…"
"You don't have to say it, I know what happen."
"I know I saw you there. I went to his apartment yesterday to talk to him and I found it was empty and many of his windows were broken. Where is he?"
"He is with Kakashi at the moment. He should be back sometime today."
"Why were the villagers acting like that towards him and why would they hurt him?"
Sakura started to cry, the images playing back through her mind.
"I just can not tell you the reason behind it; expect that they do not see Naruto as Naruto, but as something else. I have to go; I need to check on a few patients."
Tsunade left Sakura behind, walking down the halls of the hospital. Sakura left, felling confused with the answer she received. She was about to leave the hospital when she bumped into Ino.
"Hey forehead girl, watch where you are going."
"Ino pig watch it, I am not in a good mood."
"What, you could not get to see you traitor boyfriend?"
"He is not a traitor Ino, he is just not himself." Sakura said with a sad tone
"Yah right, look what he did; he put five, six if you include Akamaru into the hospital." Ino growled out
"I know what he did, but he has not been acting like himself for a long time. I am not here to argue. Have you seen Naruto?"
"No I have not. What do you want with him, to tell him off for hurting your boyfriend?"
"No, I want to know what happen to him after the villagers attacked him." Sakura said
"You heard about that?"
"No, I saw it with my own eyes. The look the villagers gave him, it was pure disgust."
"You saw what happen? I have to know what happen, but let's talk about this with the others; I think they may want to know what happen."
Sakura nodded and followed Ino up the stairs to one of the rooms. Their argument over Sasuke for the moment, forgotten. They entered into one of the rooms and found Shikamaru sitting in a chair by the bed Chouji was in. Kiba was in a bed left of Chouji and Akamaru was sleeping at the foot of his bed. Shino was leaning against the wall while Hinata was sitting in a chair by Kiba, petting on Akamaru. Neji was on the left of Kiba and TenTen was also sitting in a chair by Neji with Lee sitting on the floor with his back resting against the bed. Everyone was talking as a group, but went quite as Ino and Sakura entered. Lee was the first to break the silence.
"HELLO INO-SAN, SAKURA-CHAN!"
"Lee, can you be a bit more quite, we are in the hospital." TenTen said
"Sorry TenTen, I will try."
"Have any of you heard of what happen to Naruto?" Ino asked
Many of them nodded or said they had heard.
"Sakura saw what happen." she said
"You did, what caused them to attack him?" Kiba asked
Everyone was wide eyed. Sakura nodded and started her story of what happen to him, what she saw at his apartment and that he was with Kakashi. When she was finished, everyone was silent.
"Do y-you know wh-where he is now?" Hinata asked
"No, but I asked Tsunade-sama and that is why I know he was with Kakashi, but she gave me a weird answer of why the villagers attacked him?
"What was it?" Neji asked
"That she could not tell me the reason behind it. I do not understand. I was also told he was to comeback later today. I hope he is okay."
"Hey, hey, why don't we throw a party or something? I believe his birthday is soon, but I forgot what day it was. We could do that or a get-together." Lee said
"A birthday party would be a great ideal. I don't know if he had one, but that could cheer him up, but who would know when Naruto's birthday is?" Sakura asked
"Wouldn't Iruka-sensei know?" Chouji asked
"I will go ask him. When will you three be out?" Sakura asked
"We will be out in three days." Kiba said
"Good, we can start planning the party. Let's make it into a surprise party." Ino said
Each was about to add their own thought to the party when the door to the room opened. Tsunade walked in with two nurses following her and a third pushing a wheelchair with Sasuke in it. Each person gave a different look towards Sasuke from confusion, surprise to anger. Sasuke seeing their faces looked down.
"Strange to find all of you here, but that saves me the trouble looking for all of you. Place him in the bed across from Chouji." (The room they are in has six beds with room for two more.)
Everyone looked at the Hokage wanting answers. Sakura did not move from her spot. She was afraid Ino would start yelling at her. Tsunade took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Sasuke has been freed from all of his charges for it was not all his own fault. I believe only Sakura knew the truth that a type of control seal was placed on Sasuke by Orochimaru during the second test of the chuunin exam. The seal affected Sasuke to the point that he ran away to Orochimaru. It was in a way a mind altering seal. The seal was too strong to seal it off, but now that it is gone, he is back to normal. I brought him in here, for he wanted to talk to you. I will be back in an hour, and Lee, Kiba, try and keep your voices down."
"Yes ma'am." Both Kiba and Lee said
She turned to leave when Ino stopped her.
"Hokage-sama, do you know when Naruto's birthday is? We plan on throwing him a surprise birthday party."
"I see. I do not think it will be a good ideal to throw him a birthday party. His birthday falls on a day that is not celebrated, but mourned, but a party sounds good to do. Let me know if you need any help."
She left the room closing the door behind her. After a few minutes the three nurses left the room. It was quite for a few minutes when Hinata spoke up.
"What does s-she mean by that?"
"On a day that is mourned, I don't get it either?" Kiba said running his hands through his hair
"I do."
Everyone looked up to Shikamaru wanting to know.
"What happen close to thirteen years ago?"
Everyone blinked, for they all know what he meant.
"The kyuubi no kitsune attacking Leaf and being defeated by the Fourth." Shino said
"That means that he was born on that day." Kiba somewhat yelled
Everyone was quite again.
"But we celebrate the defeat of the kyuubi." Sakura said
"If it is not good, then you would have to throw it after that day."
Everyone turned to Sasuke, which they forgot about him.
"Shut-up you traitor, we don't need your opinion." Kiba yelled
"Kiba shut-up. Did you not hear what the Hokage said? He was affected by a seal that was placed on him." Ino said
"Who cares, he had stuff practically given to him and people flock over him even after his family was killed. He walks around with a cool aura around him, thinking he is a big ninja, the strongest one around, nobody is worth my time. You two (pointing at Sakura and Ino) go wide-eyed over him and he returns it with his stuck up personality. He throws all of that away for what? He is a coward, a no body in my book."
"Kiba, shut up before I make you." Ino said
"Well it's true."
"Shut it Kiba."
"He is right; I am a coward, a traitor." Sasuke said
"Sasuke you are none of those things. It just…" Sakura tried to say
"No, Sakura, I am. I pushed everyone away, believing I didn't need anyone. I gave into the seal and it took my hate, my anger, and magnified it to where I only wanted to become stronger to kill my brother. My jealousness of Naruto's power grew also, seeing him more powerful then me. When he saved Sakura from Gaara, he was a lot stronger then I remembered. He even summoned a giant frog and changed it into a fox and fought against that thing that Gaara transformed into. Before we reached the tower, we were attacked by a grass nin who pined us down by just using his blood lust showing us our death. Naruto showed up and attacked him, but he was different, and it scared even me. Come to find out it was Orochimaru in disguised.'
"Naruto was tossed aside like he was nothing. After we recovered from our encounter with the snake sennin, we were pined down by some rain nin and he used his doppelganger technique. He made them appear as Sakura, me, and that Kabuto guy and he fought their water clones all night. When I was about to defeat them, he had gotten back up and defeated them. He should have been drained, but I heard he fought strong in the preliminary matches."
"I do not call that a win." Kiba said crossing his arms
Everyone tried to suppress a smile, even Sasuke. Kiba snorted at them.
"He upped me again when I learned he went with one of the legendary sennin to get Tsunade-sama to become Hokage, but that was not the reason I went after him. I had heard my brother was in the village and he was looking for Naruto. I took off after them, only to be defeated by my brother using one of my clan techniques on me, causing me to relive the murder of my family."
Everyone trembled at what he said and kept quite for him to finish.
"Naruto came to visit me when the Hokage cured me from my nightmare and by then I had almost given into the power of the seal. I challenged Naruto to a fight, but we were stopped by Kakashi and that sennin. He used an attack I never seen before and as I left, I saw the damage he done to one of the water towers. From where he hit it, it was the size of his hand, but the back was a different story. The hole in the back look like something exploded out of it. Kakashi asked the sennin why he taught Naruto that move. After that, I just lost myself and gave into the seal and left. He used the same attack on me as I used the chidori on him, but he held back and moved his attack and hit me on the seal. I felt my skin twist and his red chakra burnt me. I believe he did not do it to break the seal, but not to hurt me. I woke up wondering where I was. I felt intense pain, greater then when the seal was placed on me. I looked to where the pain was coming from and my vision started to clear. I followed it to Naruto, in front of me, but it did not look like him.'
"Flashbacks started to come to me. Me telling him that he was my friend and saying that is why I must kill him, beating him up to where he could not move and drawing an enormous power from nowhere. It surrounded him and it was red. His chakra took on the shape of a fox and that is not where it stopped. His nails on his feet and hands became claw like. His canines elongated and when I had woken up, I had seen his eyes. They were not blue, but crimson red with slits and he was crying. I was terrified, but I became more afraid when I saw where I had hit him with the chidori, through the right side of his chest. It all happened so fast, but it felt like an entirety. We were forced back by each of our attacks and I watched him land into the lake and I blacked out."
"You said his chakra surrounded him like a fox? During my fight with him, after sealing all of his tenketsu points he called that same red chakra forth. I had my byakugan activated and saw his chakra come from his stomach. It followed a swirl pattern before it went through his body. It leaked out, but it was not seen by anyone else. What I saw of his chakra, it formed a fox head above him. I do not get the swirl on his stomach, for no one else posses it." Neji said
"I felt that power before, when we were in the Wave Country on our first C-rank mission which turned in to an A rank mission. I thought it was Sasuke. In the stands during your fight with Naruto, I saw many people pale and they looked scared. I happen to look towards the Third and he had a surprised look on his face. After the fight, he was still moving around, jumping for joy he had beating you Neji. I did not know what to make of his strength." Sakura said
Everyone was quite as they thought over what was said. Sasuke began again.
"I awoke and found a very angry Hokage beside me. I looked around and saw I was in the hospital, in a room with no windows. My legs and arms felt heavy and she spoke with venom in her voice telling me where I was and that all my limbs and three ribs were broken and that I had been out for a week. I also felt pain on my shoulder where the seal was. It all came back to me and I asked her where he was. She was still angry with me and told me he was already out of the hospital. I asked how he could have, but she did not answer me.'
"I had looked behind her and saw some of the guards were scared and I did not know, until she spoke up and they jumped. She made me explain what happen to me since the seal was placed on. She checked it and found it was gone. She also found that my chakra coils had been messed up by the seal and she concluded that the seal was effecting my mind as well. She moved me to another room and then here. I have been awake for at least a day. She ended up telling me the reason behind Orochimaru placing the seal on me was that he wanted my bloodline and my body."
When Sasuke finished his tale, everyone was shocked. Every eye was on him. It was so quite that they heard Hinata's question.
"Wh-what do you mean y-your body?"
"I was told by the Hokage that he had perfected some type of technique that allows him to take over, or posses someone's body, driving the owner out, in a way a death for them. He does this every three years, and I was his next choice. If it was not for Naruto, I would have been in his hands. I am amazed at him. He forgave me for running off and almost killing him. He still sees me as his friend, no a brother. I do not know how I can be when I almost took it away. I do not know how to forgive myself."
"Easy, by being there for him and becoming his friend. He will be happy." an unknown voice said
Everyone jumped at the person's voice. They all turned their attention to the door to see a man in red robes with long white spiky hair and a forehead plate with two small horns and with the kanji for oil. Two strips of red ran down his face, fading under his chin.
"Who are you?" asked Lee
"I am one of the legendary three, the frog sage, Jiraiya, sensei of the Fourth Hokage, Yondaime, and current sensei of…" CRACK! (sound effect for you.)
"Jiraiya I had already told two in here to be quite, now why must I tell you."
Everyone's jaw dropped as they looked at the man who was knocked to the floor. They looked back up at their Hokage, to see she had her fist raised in the air, with an angry look on her face. They watched as she used her foot to flip the frog sennin onto his back and gave him a cold stare.
"Where have you been, I had six squads of ANBU looking for you. I wasted precious time and resources for your sorry ass. Your student needs you now. Now get up, off the floor and get to my office now. I need to talk to you now."
She turned around and Jiraiya got up dusted himself off.
"All right obba-chan."
Everyone froze in the room as they felt killer intent from the Hokage.
"I am sorry Tsunade, I…"
He was not able to finish his apology as a fist connected with his jaw, which sent him flying through the room and out a window, which luckily had been open.
"Get him, and bring him to my office now." she ordered to one of the ANBU by her "Jiraiya, remember no one calls me that and gets away with it." she yelled towards the window
She turned her attention back on the occupants in the room.
"Remember that visiting hours are over at seven, but I can let you all stay. I will let the head nurse know that this might happen, so she will check on you before then to see who wants to stay so she can get some extra blankets, pillows, and supper. Make sure you contact your parents if you do."
She turn on her heals and left their view. The ANBU guard walked into their room and looked out the window. It happened to be a three story drop. They saw that he shook his head, before jumping out the window to the unconscious sennin. A person came walking in and was relived that nothing was broken.
"What was that all about?" Ino asked
"I do not know, but I had heard about the Hokage's strength, but now I am truly afraid of her." Kiba said
"Troublesome." was all Shikamaru had to say trying to recover himself
"How can she go from one mood to the next like that? I never want to be on the receiving end of her punch. She is the one that cured me of my injures. How?" Lee asked
The person chuckled at them while checking on each of the injured person in the room.
"What is so funny?" Sakura asked
"You have yet to see her angry. From what I had learned, never get on her bad side. I have yet to and never plan on. The only person I know who could stand up against her, is Naruto and he is the one who calls her obba-chan and he gets away with it. For anyone else, you saw what happen to Jiraiya-sama."
"Why would he call her that, she must be twenty-five or younger?" Kiba asked
The nurse walked outside and looked around the hall. She came back in and closed the door behind her.
"What you hear from me will never leave your lips. She is using illusion to hide her true age, she is actually fifty. I must be going; I have to heal some of Jiraiya-sama's wounds. I will see you later."
"Wait a minute, I remember you. You were with Naruto and her and that man when I meet up with him. He told me about her true age." Shikamaru said
"Yes, I was with them, I am the Hokage's assassinate and she is training me in all of her healing techniques. I must go. See you later. My name is Shizune."
Shizune left the room and everyone was yet surprised again.
"I think I am going to go home. This day had been too troublesome for me. Sasuke, I am glad you are you again. Chouji, try and not eat too much and have to stay in the hospital longer for over eating." Shikamaru said
Each uninjured person said goodbyes, feeling the same as Shikamaru. Ino asked that they meet up tomorrow to plan the party. The four left, settling down to sleep even though it was way too early. Chouji looked at the bag of chips he had open before all of this started. He closed them and placed them on the nightstand by his bed. Naruto and foxes were on all their minds.