A Void Filled
By Coded
Chapter 3: Heartbreaking News
' ' Thoughts, " " Speech
Tsunade blinked and looked from Naruto, to the barrel, back to Naruto, and finally to Tayuya. Confusion masked her face.
"A Sound-nin?" Asked Tsunade. The Fifth Hokage was having a hard time believing that a Sound-Nin was standing in her office, and that Naruto was standing there holding her hand.
Naruto nodded solemnly. "She's one of the ones that came to get Sasuke. She doesn't want to work for Orochimaru anymore. She didn't realize what kind of a person he was when she was given the cursed seal and up until recently, she thought that she was bound to him. I told her I would bring her back here and introduce her to Anko."
Tsunade gaped. Anko had had the cursed seal for years, but due to her unwillingness to assist Orochimaru, he had tossed her aside like trash. Now standing before the Hokage, was a young girl, said to be extremely strong if Genma was to be believed, that had defected from Orochimaru's side. Tsunade examined Naruto, looking to see any signs of Sakura's last minute request before leaving the village on his mission to obtain Sasuke. Tsunade had been told of the event by Lee, and even he was able to tell her that Naruto was most definately going to be a changed person when he returned.
Tsunade just hoped that Naruto hadn't filled the void Sakura left with the first attractive female he came in contact with, especially since she was an enemy.
Naruto appeared to be the same as always, minus a bit less enthusiasm in his eyes. 'He's aged,' thought Tsunade. 'I suppose it had to happen sometime..but he beams whenever he looks at this girl.'
Having assumed it safe to say Naruto hadn't been swayed to the Sound because of Sakura, Tsunade turned to examine this new female that was, if Naruto was to be believed, was now another part of her responsibility. Another person for Tsunade to protect. 'Tayuya..Tayuya...why is that name so familiar?' Tsunade's brow furrowed as she sat in silence, trying to figure out where she had heard the name Tayuya before.
Tayuya cleared her throat, breaking the drawing silence. "Um..Tsunade-sama, I have something I wish for you to know. When the Sound and Sand villages assaulted Konoha, I had a very important role. I was one of the 4 Sound shinobis that held the barrier in place around Orochimaru and the Third Hokage so that there would be no interruptions in their fight. I just wanted you to know that..." Tayuya's voice trailed off and she squeezed Naruto's hand tightly, and the blond haired boy gave her a reassuring squeeze in return.
Tsunade gasped in surprise as soon as Tayuya had finished her speech. Naruto and Tayuya both winced at the reaction, expecting Tsunade to blow up at Naruto for bringing back someone who helped assassinate the Third. What they didn't realize is that Tsunade wasn't gasping about what Tayuya had said, but rather at hearing Tayuya's voice.
Tsunade ripped open a drawer with a tag titled "Missing" on it and rifled through the files there. Finally finding the one she was looking for she ripped it out of the drawer, slapped it down on the top of her desk and opened it.
Scanning the page and finding the paragraph she was looking for, the Fifth Hokage began reading aloud. "Tayuya Suzume. Age 6, only daughter of Takara Suzume and Nobu Suzume. Nobu and Takara were killed by Orochimaru to further his study of kinjutsu. Tayuya has been missing ever since and is most likely dead along with her parents." Tsunade closed the folder and looked up at Naruto and Tayuya. "That was a report filed the better part of a decade ago. I knew Takara and Nobu. They were good people, and good shinobi. They taught at the Academy before their untimely death. I also knew their young daughter. I knew you, Tayuya-chan. This was also right around the time Orochimaru left the village, which would explain why he took you with him."
Tayuya's body had frozen. She entered shock as she listened to the Hokage talk. 'I'm...from...Konoha? My parents..yes...I remember their names!' Tears formed in the young girls eyes as she remembered her dead parents. Suddenly a thought struck the girl. "Orochimaru...he killed my parents...he...always told me that they were killed in a raid..I didn't remember...I've been working for the man that murdered my parents all this time..I'm such an idiot!" Tayuya punched a fist into an open palm in frustration.
Tsunade stood and walked around the desk to put her arms around Tayuya and hug her tightly. "Orochimaru is very persuasive when he wants to be, and you were young. Don't be so hard on yourself."
Naruto stared blankly for a moment. Suddenly comprehension showed through and his eyes lit up. "Old Lady Tsunade! That means Tayuya-chan is from Konoha! She's come back!"
Tsunade held back tears of joy at finally seeing the daughter of her close friends alive and well, if somewhat jaded. "Yes, Naruto. She's from Konoha."
Naruto still wasn't done, "So..so...that means she can stay, right! You're not going to throw her out because of the attack on the Leaf? She was just doing what Orochimaru told her! He would have killed her otherwise!"
Tsunade shook her head an took a step back. "No, Naruto, I'll explain the situation to everyone, Tayuya wasn't the one at fault. However," Tsunade said, turning to look directly at Tayuya, "I can almost guarantee you that not every is going to accept the explaination. There will still be people among the village that direct their anger over the Third being killed at you. I would understand if you didn't want to stay here, I wouldn't mark you as a missing-nin."
Naruto frowned and nodded. He had experienced the hate of the villagers first hand, and he didn't wish that on anyone else. However, fear also laced through the boy. While he didn't want Tayuya to be the new object of the villagers hate, he also didn't want her to leave. Since Sakura had detroyed him, the time he spent with Tayuya was the only time he felt like his old self again. She had become his closest friend in just a few short days, and he didn't want to lose that.
Tayuya looked from Tsunade to Naruto and back to Tsunade. "I'd like to stay...I understand if the people hate me, but I want to stay here. I want to stay with Naruto-kun." Tayuya reached over and grabbed the boys hand again, seeing relief wash over his face. Tsunade nodded, observing the bond these two had formed in the short time they'd known eachother.
"Alright, I'll make the arrangements, you two may go. Naruto, she'll have to stay at your place for now until we can find something more permanent for her, go straight home and stay inside for awhile, until I have a chance to make the announcement. I don't want you two walking down the street and having everyone attack you."
As the two turned away, Tsunade spoke up again, "Oh and I thought you might like to know, Neji, Chouji, and Kiba are fine. They'll be in the hospital for some time, but they're all ok." Naruto grinned and turned towards Tayuya and stuck his tongue out as if to say 'told you so!'
As they closed the door behind them, Tsunade shook her head and smiled slightly. 'Take good care of him, Tayuya. You may find he's quite a handful.'
Tsunade turned to Shikamaru, her face all business, and began debriefing him.
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Naruto was unlocking the door to his apartment when suddenly a thought hit him. 'Oh crap! My apartment is a mess! I can't let Tayuya-chan see it like this!'
Naruto turned to face Tayuya, rubbing the back of his head as he laughed nervously. "Hehe...uhhh...one second Tayuya-chan! Stay right here!"
Without waiting for a response, Naruto threw open the door, ran inside and closed it before Tayuya had a chance to see anything. Tayuya sighed to herself as she leaned against the wall next to Naruto's door, a slight smile playing across her lips. 'Honestly, like I really care if it's messy or not..'
Several minutes later Naruto opened the door, a wide grin on his face. "All set! Sorry about that Tayuya-chan!" Naruto ushered in his new friend and showed her around the small apartment. "Ano..until you find your own place, you can sleep on the bed, I'll sleep on the couch."
Tayuya turned and studied the boy. Suddenly she reached out and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you, Naruto-kun." the former Sound-nin whispered into his ear. "Thank you for everything. I would have never been able to break free of Orochimaru without you."
Naruto's face turned bright red, showing his embarrassment, as he wrapped his arms around the girl and patted her back consolingly. "Ah.." Naruto began as he backed away from Tayuya. "I hope you like ramen...I really don't have much else to eat here, and Tsunade said we can't go out for awhile."
Tayuya nodded. "Ramen is fine with me, Naruto-kun."
Naruto visibly brightened. "Ok! Are you hungry? We haven't eaten in afew days, I'll make you some now if you'd like!"
Tayuya smiled at the boys eagerness and nodded, seating herself at the table while Naruto busied himself in the kitchen.
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Tsunade eyed Shikamaru as Naruto and Tayuya exited the room. "So..while I'm glad that Tayuya has been returned, I'm curious as to what made you and Naruto decide to bring back an enemy ninja, even if she claimed she wanted to break free of her current masters?"
"It was Naruto's idea..too troublesome for me, Hokage-sama. I would have just as readily beat her up and gotten Sasuke back that way. However once Naruto has his mind made up.."
Tsunade nodded and closed her eyes. "You can't change it. I see...and you trust that she is completely free from Orochimaru?"
Shikamaru blinked. "With everything you just said, I imagined you had already assumed that yourself, Hokage-sama."
Tsunade's face grew hard. "You're too young to assume anything. Orochimaru's clutches run deep, Anko had been 'free' of him for years, and we still keep eyes on her. I'm actually torn between the idea of introducing the two. Putting them together may aid Tayuya in breaking free, however they may also plot to go back to Orochimaru when faced with another of his minions." Tsunade sighed. "Everything is a risk," she muttered to herself.
"Alright, well I suppose Tayuya is something I will have to deal with. Tell me about the mission. Obviously a success," Tsunade said, motioning to the still sealed barrel sitting in the middle of her office.
Shikamaru sighed and explained what had happened, how each member of his team had had to peel off and fight a Sound-nin 1v1 up until his and Naruto's fight with Tayuya. "She was obviously the strongest of the four, even if she is a long-ranged, genjutsu type. When she attacked I feigned being knocked out, hoping Naruto could keep her busy long enough for me to come up with a new plan. I was still thinking when he talked her down." Shikamaru shook his head. "How troublesome...she could have killed him, you know? He stopped fighting, stood there with his arms wide, guard open. If he had been wrong, he would be dead right now, and so would I. The mission wouldn't have been a success. It would have been an utter failure."
Tsunade nodded thoughtfully, examining the box. She had been studying it during the whole of Shikamaru's report. "I see...alright, you're dismissed, Shikamaru, go home and get some rest."
"Actually, Hokage-sama, I'd like to go visit Chouji...if thats alright."
Tsunade shifted her eyes to the newly raised chuunin and nodded slightly with a smile. "He'll still be asleep, but yes, you can visit him, if thats what you choose."
As Shikamaru left her office, Tsunade stood and walked around her desk to stand before the sealed barrel. Tsunade rolled up her sleeve to steel herself to what she was about to do. "It kills me to have to do this...but they were too late..they think the mission was a success..and it will go down in the record books as a success..but they were too late...too late for Sasuke. Once he tastes the power of the level 2 cursed seal, he'll never be kept away from Orochimaru. If what Shikamaru says is true, Orochimaru wishes to use Sasuke as his next body...I can't let that happen..this is the only way."
Closing her eyes, and praying for Sasuke's soul, Tsunade plunged her hand down through the top of the barrel, breaking the seal.
Naruto was sitting at his table, sharing a meal of instant ramen with his impromptu roommate, talking about the things children enamoured with eachother talk about, when a knock came from his door. Frowning to himself, Naruto stood. 'Who could that be? Nobody ever stops by..except Kakashi-sensei..and he comes in through the window most times..'
Naruto opened the door and blinked up at Shizune, unshed tears glimmering in her eyes. "Ano..whats up, Shizune-neechan?"
A tear formed and slipped down the medical-ninja's face as she spoke. "It's Sasuke, Naruto-kun. He's dead."
Author's Notes
Ok, soI know I said this chapter would be longer...and that I would have it finished by the weekend, but I got busy with work and my other story, so I apologize. I got about halfway through this chapter when writer's block hit, which was when I started writing my newest story, which actually helped me get kick-started back into this.
I could easily have made it longer, but this seemed a good place to stop.(cliff hanger:o) otherwise the chapter would have been enourmous. In case you haven't noticed, I hate Sasuke, and killing him was all too easy! muaha!
Apologies for the lameness of the dialog early on in this chapter. I haven't been writing this story as well as I should be, I started my new story and it kind of kicked me back on track, hopefully the second half is better.(I was too lazy to go through and rewrite the whole chapter, sorry x)
Anyways, I have a new story that I've been working on, and I've decided to go back and start writing for my old story again, so while I do plan to continue this fic, please be patient for the updates as they won't be as quick as the first three chapters have been, I'm also trying to focus on taking more time on the chapters which will hopefully make them a better read for all you faithful.
As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. ps keep the reviews coming, I need to know how I'm doing! >
