For those who are new to my writing style; I tend to use many different genres
If you haven't figured yet, this story will showcase Humor, Romance and Tragedy
Along with character death and a lot of angsty, depressing moments but the main
genres will still be the most prevalent
It'll take a while for most of it to truly take off because of where the story started off
this is a very dark and turbulent part of the Naruto lore and I simply made it more turbulent
-*PLEASE READ THE WHOLE CHAPTER BEFORE MAKING A REVIEW*-
I know what I'm doing with my plot and story, so if there's any questions
refer to the after chapter author's note, if there's more
make a civilized review or pm me
Also I'm surprised no one has tried to guess who Ahri's master is
I've been mentioning her master for a reason lol
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or League of Legends
Chapter 8: Revelations in a Mental Haze
Naruto!
Wake up!
Please!
It's Orochimaru!
Tenten! Shoot something at him!
Temari! Do something!
Gatsūga!
Katon: Gōkakyū no jutsu!
He's getting away!
After him!
He laid there in silence.
His eyes shut tight as he slept.
Beaten, bruised and scarred, he rested.
With breaths like soft gusts of silent wind, a boy across the room would look up from the kunai sword he was sharpening with thoughts whirling at a thousand miles per second within that head of his. Sasuke watched with apprehension. He could barely stomach the scene in front of him. To see someone so strong, so powerful…so weak…worried him. Shirtless and covered in seals, the Uzumaki looked no better than the insurmountable dead the village had been forced to bury. Leaves drifted haphazardly as the birds dared not to sing. Sudden winds rustled as a sea of dark and ominous clouds covered the beaming sun above.
He made sure to stay silent, vigilant and watchful of his wounded friend. Now having known what he carries; the glares and the hate the Village held for the boy made sense. He pieced it together, from the hate and the whispers, the gleaming eyes filled with rage akin to his own…they called him the very thing he saved them from.
And he would be damned if they laid even the slightest finger on him.
He'd already failed Naruto once…he won't fail him again.
The Uchiha clenched his fists, feeling his arms shake with unabated rage. The sound of his pleading promise to Naruto before it happened, snapping at him with venom. His jaw shuddered, gritting his teeth doing all he can to hold back the growing pain in his heart. Sasuke's chest felt tighten, almost ripping his body in two.
How could he let this happen?
This wasn't how it was supposed to be…
Save for the constant beeps from the machines barely keeping the boy breathing, the room felt like a hospice.
There is only a ten percent chance that Naruto will survive the cursed seal of heaven.
Anko's words echoed in Sasuke's empty mind.
I'm sorry…
But if I were you, I wouldn't get your hopes up…
Sakura laid against a tree, feeling the cooling winds brush against her cheeks. Her eyes were shut, hiding the dull emerald of her irides.
Weak and solemn, her home, her family, her world…
Lost in a day.
Mouth shut and hands hanging lax against her hips, her thoughts had descended to sorrowful reminisce. Her beloved leader, the Hokage that she had seen as the grandfather she'd never had, died in the most valiant of ways. Pain shot through her spine as the image of the man flashed into her mind's eye.
Her mother and father…were found in the rubble a day after the invasion.
She'd dug into the debris with her bare hands, shredding her fingertips and peeling her nails. Screaming for them, flailing her arms about with reckless abandon, wishing they would reach out and hold her hand once again.
It couldn't get worse…
Sakura could feel her lips quiver as heat and pain burned into her hidden eyes.
Now…Naruto…the blond…loveable idiot…
Anko's words stinging in the back of her mind like poison.
Weak legged and barely able to breath, the Kunoichi leaned deeper into the bark, doing her best to relish in the moisture growing in the air.
Thunder boomed into the overcast sky. Lightning forked violently, crawling along the clouds, writhing and dancing with the pain in her heart.
You have to live Naruto…
I can't lose you too…
I won't lose you too…
What could have happened?
What could have been different?
Silent as the days had grown, Shikamaru stared at the board in front of him, unable to think.
For once, his mind wasn't in the game.
For once…he felt regret.
Eyes trailing past the debris filled streets and the ashen husks of singed trees, he caught sight of the hospital.
Thoughts landing on one boy…his friend.
Uzumaki Naruto.
He scowled, bowing his head forward. Clenched fists and shuddering body, the Nara rested his knuckles against his knees, barely able to contain his raging heart. Across the board, his father looked at him with sympathetic eyes, daring not to speak. Beside them, the bamboo and paper doors slid just a crack to reveal Nara Yoshino, unable to speak.
Shikamaru could still hear Anko's words, echoing within his mind.
Don't get your hopes up…
Don't get your hopes up…
Don't get your hopes up…
His heart tightened, wrenching beneath that possible reality.
That impossible reality.
The only reality.
Covering his torso, a light green flak jacket designating the rank of chunin had lost its gleam.
To him, it was nothing; it was nothing if Naruto wasn't there to wear his as well. None of it mattered if the boy who led them in their time of need couldn't…
Shikamaru stopped himself, eyes wide with fear and worry.
There is only a ten percent chance that he could survive the cursed mark…
He clenched his teeth, forgetting his father and mother's presence.
There is only a ten percent chance…
Naruto…
As solemn as he was most days, today was different.
Daring not to open his prized novel, a jōnin and a chunin sat beside each other feeling the rain pulsate against their faces. Kakashi sighed, shutting his lone eye as the drops grew large and heavy. Thankfully, Naruto was indoors and away from this downpour. Beside him, leaning against the walls of the hospital second floor, Iruka pressed his hands against the roof tiles.
Neither said a word to one another, for there was nothing to say.
After all, what could they say?
Chalk up stories of how they failed to protect their beloved little brother? Share a final moments recall of the blond dervish they so cherished? Reminisce was the last thing the two wanted. Iruka's eyes burned with tears as the saline drops mixed with the tears of the gods. Beneath the mask of the stoic, silver haired Hatake, his neutral expression belayed the pain of his chest ripping in two.
Anger, pain, sorrow.
The jōnin knew the three too well. As his heart pounded against his chest, he could feel the pain with each throbbing punch. Bringing his hands to his head, he ran his fingers through his damp hair, gripping his skull with all of his might.
Clenching his teeth beneath that mask, the thunders shielded his cries and shouts.
He'd failed his sensei.
He'd failed his teammates.
He'd failed Naruto.
Releasing the crown of his head from the vice-like grip, he turned his sorrow to the roaring skies, sharing in his agony. Screaming his throat and lungs dry, Kakashi collapsed against the hospital walls. Rainwater cascaded like waterfalls from the higher floors, but the jōnin and his chunin companion didn't dare to leave their place. His lone black eye had burned with a blood-shot color, almost glowing a hot crimson as he too felt the tears for the first time in what felt like ages. Listening to the tapping rain, Iruka and Kakashi sat in silence, waiting for the second Naruto's eyes sprang open.
Sasuke perked up once again, eyes darting from the whetstone and Naruto's kunai sword.
He thought he heard Naruto's voice, murmuring behind the shroud of the storm outside.
But his ears betrayed him.
Heaving a soft yet heavy sigh, his eyes slowly dragged from the boy and to the chunin flak jacket covered in a plastic wrapping sitting pretty on the bedside table. Resting on top of the beauty was Naruto's blue strapped hitai-ate. The metal plate bearing the sigil was sparkling clean, thanks to the present Uchiha.
While many friends and the rest of their comrades came by and left, Sasuke stayed behind. Days went by where he'd lose sleep, unaware of the time slipping by. None of that mattered to him; he was unwilling to let his first real friend die, just as Naruto would be if their roles had been reversed.
After everything they fought to accomplish, after all the banter and childish arguments, the Uchiha felt his stomach twist.
A chaste laugh escaped his lips.
I called him a loser…
But he only kept winning.
I called him an idiot…
But he only kept getting smarter.
I called him a failure…
But now he's a chunin.
Heaving breaths turned shaky, the Uchiha felt his curse mark radiate with sudden heat. He remembered the seal placed over it reminding himself of its purpose.
This is Orochimaru's power…
Sasuke glared at the curse mark, significantly larger than the one he or Anko bore. The magatama were large enough to completely fill the circle on Naruto's abdomen.
Thanks to Jiraiya and a few shinobi well versed in fuinjutsu, they managed to draw out a series of seals that contained the Jinchuriki seal and the curse mark. Sasuke couldn't even remember how long it took. He did remember though, the warnings, the same spiel that Anko had given him and his comrades. That very same, ten percent chance to survive.
It's more than a mere coincidence that he and Anko survived. Sasuke began to reason with himself. Naruto could be a part of that small ten percent. He had to be.
The Uchiha's eyes landed upon his frail figure once again. Thinking of all the times he'd seen his blond teammate wounded and out of commission. He could remember it clearly; Naruto was never out for more than three days – it has been two weeks since the invasion.
The beeping machines were his only consolation against the still beating rain. The more the machines continued on their monotonous echo and never ending pattern, Sasuke knew that Naruto was still hanging on.
Be it by a thread or just recovering, Sasuke knew Naruto was still alive.
I cannot fail you Naruto… He frowned. This power…this power that Orochimaru promised me…
What good will it do me…
Images of Itachi flashed into his mind. His words were spat back at him, roaring of revenge and hatred. Screaming of loneliness and pain, when right in front of him, a boy he thought beneath him had shown strength unlike any other. Someone he loathed in the beginning, to becoming someone he respected and honestly…loved.
Sasuke bit his lip feeling tears burn in the corner of his eyes. You're my brother Naruto…no longer will you be alone…no longer will I let you suffer. I can't lose you like I lost Itachi…I won't lose you.
A soft whisper radiated from the curse mark on his shoulder, akin to a snake's hiss. Using all the willpower he could muster, he ignored the calls, the alluring voices offering power for his vengeance. For his justice.
No…
Sasuke's tears dried up as he watched the curse seal of heaven writhe and wrench at Naruto's stomach. Much to the Uchiha's surprise, despite how powerful the seal looked, Naruto's heartrate never rose. Naruto's face never contorted in pain.
What good is this power…what good will it do me if I lose the one person who matters?
What's the point if I can't save those dear to me?
Damn you, Orochimaru…
The Uchiha crossed his arms once more, feeling the thunder clap through the sky. Lightning flashed covering the room in a bright ominous light. Almost similar and reminiscent to the night of the massacre, Sasuke saw something lurking in the shadows next to Naruto's bed. He rose to his feet, a glare deepening on his face. For a moment, Itachi didn't concern him, for a moment, his clan's revenge hadn't occurred to him.
What he saw hiding in the shadows, was a figure filled with such hate and malice. He couldn't believe his eyes, it was him. Sasuke clenched his teeth, completely forgetting where he was. The walls of the hospital disappeared around him; leaving nothing but himself, Naruto and the man of his nightmares. Orochimaru stared at the sleeping blond with his tongue hanging free and a dark look on his face. Going so far as to run his fingers against the bare chest of patient, Orochimaru's intrusion sent shivers up and down Sasuke's spine.
Anger and hate grew within his heart and chakra. Springing his eyes open, his sharingan had awoken. His voice started as a growl, hidden by the booming thunder. Staring at the image before him, Orochimaru couldn't be there, the Sannin couldn't be in Konoha again! He watched as Orochimaru placed his hands on the seals covering Naruto's abdomen. He didn't know what the man was planning, but he wouldn't wait to find out. Without thinking, like on the bridge in the Land of Waves, Sasuke rushed forward. He didn't know what he was doing only, that he had to do something. Suddenly, he was blown back with a series of snakes wrapping around his arms and shoulders, planting him against the wall.
"Kakashi!" He cried out, but as the words left his lips, a snake slithered around his mouth silencing him. "Iruka! Someone! NARUTO!"
The Sannin began to pull the plug on the machines helping the wounded blond breathe. Sasuke fought back against his binds feeling his body and eyes burn. He cried out, screaming and kicking, doing everything in his power to fight back.
But just as Naruto's heartrate began to fall and slow, something changed. The shadows warped before his eyes as thunder and lightning continued their dance. There were no snakes wrapped around his arms. There was no beguiling evil watching over his teammate. The snake holding his mouth closed had disappeared along with the image, revealing none other than his own hands with fingers interlocked, clenched over his mouth.
With ragged breath, the boy collapsed to his knees. His stomach had tightened, wrenching within like a knot. For the first time in a long time, tears finally fell from those cold, sharingan eyes of his.
Unbeknownst to the Uchiha, the third tomoe had just birthed.
Drenched from head to toe, Sakura remained beneath the tree. Rain water trickled down her back, slicking her clothes and her skin against the mud. Thunder and lightning roared through the mid-day. She could hear over the storm, parents calling to their children, advising them to return to their homes.
A soft smile grew on her face, filling her with an unknown feeling.
Was it regret?
Was it pain?
The rains pelted heavier, beating against her face. She had to admit; it stung but no amount of physical pain she endured could possibly match how she was feeling. Gulping against the radiating emotions, the rain had come to a sudden halt. Daring not to open her eyes, Sakura remained silent. A slight shiver rocked her body as the rushing winds picked up, blowing against her soaked torso.
"Sakura…"
Her heart ripped in two.
A shuffle of clothing was heard and soon enough a loud splash followed.
In the moments that she sat in silence, a soft and caring hand landed onto her own. It held her as if the world was coming to an end. Slowly mustering the strength to crack her eyes open, she had learned the rain hadn't stopped. Rather, right next to her, with tears trickling from her bloodshot eyes, Yamanaka Ino sat. They looked at one another with an umbrella covering them from the torrential downpour.
"Sakura…"
Her voice hoarse and strained.
She couldn't believe that Naruto…the idiot, the dead last, their leader, their hero, could die any moment.
Ino's breath hitched as tears welled once more. Tightening her grip on Sakura's hand, the two leaned into each other, sharing heat and tears.
"He'll be alright…"
Ino wanted to believe what she'd said.
"He'll be fine…"
Her voice cracked, ever so slightly.
"And…and…b-before you know it…"
Sakura clasped Ino's hand as her body shuddered.
"H-He'll…be…he'll be running around…"
Ten percent chance of survival…
"And h-he'll be screaming and shouting again…"
Sakura's eyes showed the first glint of hope that Ino had seen in almost two weeks.
"He'll be shouting…about b-becoming Hokage again!"
If I were you…
"Y-Yeah…soon enough…Konoha will go back to normal…"
Don't get your hopes up.
Footsteps echoed through the dark-lit halls of the hospital. Empty as the streets of the village, a young man walked along, undeterred and uninterrupted from his mental musings. His eyes bore a lavender color, but instead of hate burning within his eyes, disbelief had taken place instead. Hobbling along, the boy rested his bandaged arm against the wall, unable to handle the news.
Beside him, another boy struggled. With crutches beneath his arms. The boy in question shouldn't even be walking in his state. But they needed to see him; they needed to say their piece.
Shooting a glance at his companion, Neji flashed him a soft smile. Removing the crutch beneath his right arm, he slung Lee's arm over his shoulder. Without words spoken, the two nodded in silence and continued their trek to one, Uzumaki Naruto's room. Against the wishes of many people and even their sensei, Lee had forced himself to follow Neji to the hospital.
Everything was almost too surreal.
For Neji, the boy that proved to him, everything he thought was a bitter lie; the boy who mended his relationship with his family, lie in a hospital bed with his life hanging in the balance. While he wasn't there to hear the unfortunate news of Naruto's survivability, seeing the downtrodden and depressed looks everyone had sported since the invasion, was enough for the Hyuuga prodigy to get the picture, also, Tenten, despite knowing the boy so recently, had let the two know of what happened; all the pain, the strength and the leadership he displayed.
Walking down the streets of Konoha, before the rain had begun, he swore he heard some Konoha shinobi whispering about Naruto.
They called him a hero.
They called him a prodigy.
There were a few who even went as far as openly weeping for the boy. It was surprising to the Hyuuga, just what exactly did the blond do?
When he asked, he felt a heavy weight rest on his shoulders.
Naruto's clones saved so many people on the day of the invasion. Even after he was branded with the curse mark and fell into a coma. The willpower the boy had to spread the word and defend former enemies like Suna and then, comrades who held almost nothing but disdain for him…was admirable. Neji could feel regret stirring within his stomach, wondering what any of this made him.
Knocking on the door, the Hyuuga waited for a few moments before the door slid open to reveal Uchiha Sasuke, with eyes already bearing the famed Sharingan. The boy looked at the two shinobi with a vicious glare for just a moment before quickly retracting the expression.
"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked rather defensively.
The Hyuuga looked down and led Lee into the room. "I have some words I need to say to Naruto…"
Sasuke sighed, lowering his arms and deactivating the sharingan. "Well go on, take your time…"
Turning on his heels, the Uchiha waltzed to his seat and lifted a long kunai sword and began to work at the blade with a whetstone. Thankfully, he was quiet with it, almost impossible to hear.
"Lee…would you like to go first?" Neji asked his wounded teammate. "Or should I?"
The boy nodded his head, struggling to find balance between the bed railings and Neji's shoulder. "N-Naruto-kun…you and I…we're alike in many ways…w-we don't give up and we work as hard as we can to achieve our goals…we have the willpower to never back down…so please…you can't let this keep you back, you won't let this keep you down. I…you're…" Lee fell silent, at a loss for words. He'd finally taken a good look at the boy. With a tube down his throat and a rather sickly pale hue to his face, Naruto had never looked so weak. "Naruto-kun…your Flames of Youth can never be doused or diminished…you will wake up and you will return…you have to…"
Nodding his head at his friend and shed a few tears, unable to contain his emotions. Lee was about to fall back, but was immediately caught by the raven-haired Uchiha. Nodding to the bowl-cut shinobi, Sasuke lowered the crippled boy onto a chair and laid his crutches against the wall.
As all of this went down, Neji stared at the Uzumaki, uncertain of what it was he really wanted to say. Naruto had beaten him, showing him that everything he'd believed was faulted. He looked down at him, finding the place where the Snake bit him. Two large holes were bandaged over his abdomen, but thanks to the plethora of seals and fuinjutsu, Naruto looked more like a sealing scroll than a human being. Neji's breath hitched, gripping the bed railings.
"I…" He started, choking on the words. "I…heard from a few of our comrades…you only have a ten percent chance of survival. Those are incredibly steep odds…aren't they, Naruto? Ten percent chance of living…at least…at least it's not impossible. Remember what they said of our fight…? How it was impossible and improbable for you to win? Our skills had differed when we first met in the Forest of Death, I used to think you were the lowest of the low, the weakest and a coward…but…now…I see it as clear as day…I…I was weak. I was the coward. You showed me the way, the flaws in my way of thinking. Destiny…if destiny is real…then you are destined to rise again, stronger than you ever were before. Someone like you…selfless…and honorable. Do you remember our fight? You could have killed me, beaten my face into the ground until my skull broke open…you could have and you would have…I could sense it in you. But you didn't. You held back and showed how truly different we are. You fought for Hinata-sama…you said you would make me pay…" The metal bed railings bent slightly at the flaring chakra. "You were in the same position, thinking with the same thoughts of revenge…but you showed restraint…and dignity…and while actions speak louder than words…thank you, Naruto. For everything you've accomplished. I don't know if you can hear me…but…if you ever need help…I too have a curse mark…maybe when you wake, you'd like to hear of it? After all…you said we could be great friends someday…"
Once he finished, Neji nodded at the comatose boy and motioned for Lee. As Sasuke escorted the duo from the hospital room, there was an unnoticed shuffle in the bed sheets.
"…I would love to…Neji…"
"Ahri…"
Naruto leaned against the curse mark covering the great bars of Ahri's cage.
"Naruto…"
She stared at him, longingly, unable to reach for him.
"What can I do without you there for me, Ahri?" He asked, leaning the back of his head against the seal.
"Why do you keep talking?!" She looked at him with tears growing in her frustrated eyes. It was almost like a vicious flashback of her time in Kushina and Mito. The seal reacted to her every move, every flare of chakra.
Ahri punched at the curse mark interfering with the cage. "Naruto…please. I need to find a way to break this seal."
She swung once more, slamming his knuckles into the invisible field of chakra. Almost in an instant, a series of snakes sprang from the lock and wrapped around her arms and neck. From the walls, more snakes appeared, wrapping and clasping her tails together. She screamed and roared but Naruto couldn't hear her. Hell he could barely see her thanks to the giant seal blocking her from view.
"Ahri…" Naruto's voice echoed once again. "If you're there…if you can hear me…I'd like some advice right about now…something…anything…"
He was met with nothing but silence, save for the radiating magatama that covered the gigantic cage. Taking heaving breaths, he leaned his full weight into the cage, awaiting Ahri's remarks and quips. It had been two weeks of utter silence and not a sign of the Gumiho anywhere.
It has been an incredibly lonely two weeks, wandering his mindscape, finding himself for the first time, lost. He would see flashes of his life as a child, seeing those scornful eyes and hateful glares. Once he noticed them, they'd disappear. But as he journeyed and did his best to ignore the pain, the glares would grow stronger and the hate…he could almost taste it.
There was silence in these hallowed sewer halls, save for the occasional monster or demon-brat. Those names…those words. Coupled with the growing pain in his stomach, Naruto couldn't fathom why he was here or what was going on in the real world.
Luckily for him, once he found the behemoth, he remained at the foot of Ahri's cage. Placing his head against the bars, he stared at the sewer ceiling in apprehension. Ahri hasn't said a word to him for two weeks. She hasn't laughed, interrupted his dreams nor has she tried flirting with him. Having dealt with her every day since he'd first met her during that fateful fall, she'd always spoken, every hour, every minute. She always had something to say, be it quips about his style of dress, or stories of her and her master's adventures before she was sealed. To be at a loss, met with silence for the first time didn't sit well with him.
"Is she…is she mad at me?" Naruto asked himself silently. "I-Is she…disappointed that I failed to keep myself form Orochimaru's grasp? Does she…?"
Monster!
Stay away, creature!
Vermin!
Demon!
You disease! No one will ever love you!
Why does Hokage-sama let the demon walk among us?
Failure!
He could hear the voices screaming at him, bellowing at him.
Dead last!
Loser!
Orphan!
No name, bastard!
"I have a father…" He whimpered, bringing his hands to his head. "M-My father…is a hero…"
Liar!
Thief!
Idiot!
Moron!
Waste of space!
"Y-You're not real…" Naruto narrowed his eyes at the shapeless voices. "None of you are real!"
Suddenly, the waters rose, slowly taking shape.
His heart raced at the sight as his stomach burned with an intense fire.
Demon!
"It's those eyes…" Naruto stared at the growing crowd of faceless men and women, save for their irides burning with hatred.
Monster!
"Please…" He whimpered once more, bowing his head, hiding his face between his knees.
Date you?! Why would I date a demon like you?
Eyes burning with pain, he shot up to see the Konoha Nine. All of them, scorns spread across their faces. Sakura was the first to speak; her eyes glimmered with a dark gleam that was unlike anything he'd seen before.
Idiot…what makes you think I'd ever see a demon like you as a friend?
Shikamaru's words cut like a hot knife to butter. Naruto shook his head, in utter disbelief of what he was witnessing.
You called me a friend? How can I believe that you're not trying to butter me up and eat me like a snack?!
Choji roared, glare ripping across his features.
Demon…the kids were right in the academy, y'know. We should have never become friends with you.
Ino's words seared into his chest, burning like hot coals.
No wonder you beat me in the preliminaries, monster. You probably used your demon powers!
Kiba threw his hand forward, ripping his claw-like nails across Naruto's face, throwing him to the watery floor below.
You look at me with disgust because of my bugs…at least…at least I'm still human.
To hear it from Shino, Naruto's body went weak as his stomach began to scream from the searing pain growing within.
I w-was lied to…I w-was blinded…because I t-thought you were strong. But you're –
He couldn't believe his ears. "N-Not you too, Hinata…please…"
Suddenly, she threw her arm forward, bashing his chest with a powerful Shōtei strike. As he slid against the bars, a hand caught him by the collar.
You disgust me.
"S-Sasuke…?"
You monster. You freak!
He clenched his fist around Naruto's throat, choking the life from the boy. In their scuffle, his hitai-ate slipped from his head. Before it could hit the ground, Sasuke grabbed the hitai-ate and slid it into his pocket.
A demon like you can never become a real shinobi. A non-human like you…can never succeed with us. The likes of you will only hold us back with how dumb and useless you are. You couldn't even protect the village! And don't give me that spiel of how powerful your father is! Obviously, your mother isn't around, so he clearly let her die. He got himself killed trying to 'save' the village and what a job he did – it took the Third almost seven years to fix your father's ineptitude. I bet…I bet they got themselves killed for the sake of letting you live alone, hoping you'd die young. After all…who would want to raise the demon child? Hokage or no, you would have been a blight on their name and legacy. I can already see it – Demon boy, son of Hokage! – An embarrassment…that's all you are, Naruto.
A useless…
Embarrassment.
And the fact that you think we're friends disgusts me more than Itachi.
Naruto stared in silence, feeling what remained of his heart disappear. Whatever remained of the warmth, had gone away.
Suddenly, a great snake appeared, whipping Sasuke and the rest of the crowd away from the blond boy. He collapsed, barely able to cope with what they'd all said to him. Tears no longer able to fall, Naruto stared with begging eyes for the snake to save him.
"Naruto-kun~" The snake hissed in an eerily familiar voice. "What you see here is what the village will do once you wake up from your rest…"
"B-But…" His voice silent. "They didn't judge me in the fight…they didn't…"
"Well of course they didn't." The snake slithered about, surrounding the young boy. "They needed to survive and incurring the wrath of the demon boy as they put it, would be going in the opposite direction. I can sense them outside of your mindscape, already preparing to kill you. Fuinjutsu markings have already been made. The moment you wake up is the moment you sign your death certificate…but there is an option, Naruto…do you wish to be free of their eyes…their glares and their hate?"
"NARUTO!" Ahri roared. "Don't listen to the snake! DO NOT LISTEN TO HIM! I'm still here! I am still here listening to you, fighting for you! Whatever you do, just do not accept anything it offers! I'm begging you!"
The boy showed no signs of reciprocation. Ahri winced against the tightening snakes.
"Naruto-kun~" The snake's forked tongue brushed against his cheeks, gaining no visible reaction from the blond. "The pain of the world is too great…but come with me…come to me in Otogakure…and you will never have to live in fear. Come to me and you will be respected and loved. Your father's legacy is something one shouldn't ignore…same could be said for your mother…"
"I will have to become the monster to Konoha then…" Naruto whispered, causing the snake to pause. "I…I will have to become something…I'm not willing to become…"
"Naruto…" Ahri pressed her hands on the bars, pulling with all her strength to fight back and rip the snakes that bound her. "Don't do anything stupid…"
The snake lowered his head, shaking his great head slightly. "Tis a shame really…you would have carried the Namikaze name." the snake began to slither once again. "If you won't accept my gift to you…then…you can live in pain and suffering for the rest of your life."
Suddenly, great black and purple chakra sprang from the boy in the hospital bed in droves. Practically shooting the bedsheets from his body and nearly evaporating the seals drawn onto his stomach, Naruto's body convulsed and writhed beneath the sudden pain. His heartrate had sped up beyond the considered healthy amount. The machines were going haywire and a few actually exploded. Sasuke was blown from his chair and lost the sword he was sharpening as he was smashed into the wall behind him.
The purple chakra spiraled from Naruto's abdomen, spreading around and practically eating the blond's flesh. Naruto screamed, and shot into the bed as the curse mark began to act. Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes; when the curse mark first activated in the Forest of Death, he was in full control, listening to the voices in his head, but never did it happen like this. It was almost as if…Naruto was dying.
"NO!" Sasuke roared, channeling his own cursed seal in an attempt to cancel it out. "Kakashi! Iruka!"
Before the Uchiha could say another word, the window burst open allowing wind, rain and glass to fly into the room filled with volatile and dangerously toxic chakra. It felt different from the Kyuubi chakra Naruto used, this chakra felt as if it were made of evil greater than evil itself. Tainted and vile to the very core. Without thinking, Iruka shot out, grabbing Sasuke and pulling him back to the wall to make sure he was safe.
"Shit!" Kakashi cursed beneath his breath. Speeding through a series of hand seals taught to him by Jiraiya in case this very thing would happen. "Ninpo: Fuin!"
A flurry of calligraphy shot from his palms and shot for the screaming Uzumaki. Wrapping around his body, Naruto was embraced once more in the very seals the snake had promised would be used to negate his power. Within his mindscape, it was the truth, the undeniable truth; they all feared and hated him. He looked to the snake, sinking its teeth into his stomach, shredding the flesh from his bones. This was it…this is when and how he dies.
Naruto laid into the water, letting the snake rip his stomach from his body, all the while, listening to his friends and comrades sneer, jeer and cheer his demise. They stood over him, glaring and calling him things he'd wished would never leave their lips. He knew it was fake but damn it all to hell, it felt too real for him. It felt more real than anything he'd ever felt in his life. The hatred, the pain and the disgust was too much for him. What the snake told him, reminding him of his burden, of his pain, this pain was a godsend. It would only be a matter of time before he could finally escape from his comrade's ire.
It would only be a matter of time –
Ahri's voice was suddenly heard for the first in almost two weeks.
"Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku!"
A great stream of fire unlike anything he'd seen or felt before, smashed against the cage and curse mark, visibly bending both in its power. Vision blurring, Naruto watched her pull her head back, shooting the flames towards the snakes latched and wrapped around her limbs, neck and tails. She howled and roared, using every ounce of her strength to fight back and save her container; her friend.
Pushing chakra into the seal, she cried out as the mark swallowed everything she threw at it, and even wove itself around to wrap around the bars for extra support. Snakes sprang from the three magatama, springing for her shoulders and legs, intending to dismember her. She knew what Orochimaru was trying to do. If he got his hands on her, then he'd have her power all to himself along with Naruto's body uncontended. She would be damned if she let that happen.
Speeding through hand seals once more, she jumped back a few feet allowing her chakra to ignite. "Katon: Gōenka!"
Shooting her head about, gigantic spheres of fire exploded from her mouth. Unlike what her master had managed to do in his lifetime, the fireballs were imbued with her demonic chakra, making the monstrosities far stronger than they could ever be. As the first barrage met the great magatama seals over her cage door, the bars bent and the black ink began to bend and melt from the constant assault. Snakes tried to restrain her but thanks to her constant and wide spread range, the curse mark couldn't keep her at bay.
Channeling a great deal of chakra to her body, she sprang forward, energy exploding off of her like a luminescent steam. Her open palm had fuinjutsu calligraphy etched into the flesh and each fingertip had a chakra flame flickering as she closed the distance with the open spaces between the bars. Once she met the bars, a great explosion of light and fire rocked the boy's mindscape. The snake was launched across the sewer and bashed into the steel walls, freeing Naruto from its slimy grasp.
Sliding against the watery floor, she grabbed the blond boy in question, caringly caressing his wounded body.
"N-Naruto?" Ahri asked in a near whisper. "Answer me…please…?"
His eyes were no longer blue, instead the color had fallen to be replaced with a light metallic grey. His mouth hung open and his abdomen looked ravaged with his intestines hanging out. Blood trailed from his open stomach and seeped into the clear waters below. Ahri tightened her hold over him, pushing his head to her chest.
"You can't die!" She shouted.
"And…" A new voice appeared. "You're not supposed to be out of the seal yet…"
"H-He's flat lining…!" Kakashi's eye sprang from his head. "Medic!"
"Sasuke!" Iruka grabbed the yelling Uchiha. "You can't be here!"
After a lot of shouting and protesting, the boy was placed to wait in the hallway as a plethora of medic ninja and doctors rushed into Naruto's room. It didn't take long for Jiraiya to arrive, distraught and honestly looking no better than the stressed and worried jōnin within the room already. Sasuke had half a mind to ask what was happening, or what he could do, but he knew what they would tell him. Scowling, he paced back and forth as more medics rushed in and out of the room with machines and medical utensils.
"Sasuke!" Ino called from down the hall.
The boy whipped his head around. "What is it, Ino?"
"We felt the chakra…" Sakura spoke softly. "I-It was like the chakra in the Forest of Death, Sasuke."
He looked at the two girls for a few minutes before his mind went black. Regaining his senses, he collapsed into a seat, shooting his hands to his face. "Kakashi said Naruto began to flat line. Naruto's body didn't accept the curse mark…"
Sakura's eyes were wide with fright. Bringing her hands to her mouth she felt sick once again. But before anything could happen, her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she fell over, completely knocked out. Suddenly, his eyes strained to the sharingan. He sped forward before Ino could react and quickly wrapped his arms around the pinkette before she could hit the ground. Sighing at his choices of words, he laid the unconscious girl onto the hallway seats, resting her head on the final seat.
Sasuke looked over the girl, remember what they told him in the hospital after she herself was admitted for dislocating her arms and chaffing her fingertips off. He looked to Ino who had rested Sakura's head onto her lap. He nodded a thankful nod at the platinum blonde and sighed, running a frustrated hand through his raven hair. A scoff sounded in his mind as he came to realize the unfortunate truth of his team; all of their parents were dead. Team Seven was full of orphans now.
He scowled leaning against a wall with his arms crossing over his chest.
"Sasuke…" Ino said in a near whisper so as to not rouse Sakura from her sleep. "Do you…do you think Naruto will be alright?"
He could hear the hopeful tone in her voice. "I do. I really do. He won't leave us…"
"Sasuke, Ino!" Another series of voices arrived in the hall.
Both genin turned to the source to find Shikamaru running along with Choji and Team Eight following behind them. Neji's team was coming along as fast as they could with Lee being helped along by both Tenten and the Hyuuga. The Konoha Twelve panted and stared at one another with worrisome eyes, uncertain of what would happen to their beloved blond. After Sasuke got the group up to speed with what was happening, a pair of nurses rushed along, pushing through the genin with a stretcher in their hands.
Bursting through the doorway to Naruto's room, the twelve genin finally noticed the severity of Naruto's condition. They could see nurses and doctors with a defibrillator counting out before pressing the plates against his bare chest. But before the children could see more, an ANBU slammed the door shut and stood guard of the doorway. Sasuke was about to say something but the door sprang open once more. This time a pair of ANBU pushed the genin away, forcing a few against the walls while the same two nurses escaped the room with Naruto on a stretcher. Jiraiya and a few sealing specialists ran along with the nurses down the hall and to the higher floors.
Sasuke clenched his fists as the ANBU and remaining hospital staff exited the room and chased after Naruto's fleeting form. But as quickly as the sudden chaos arrived, it receded, leaving the flat lined machine's single tone to disappear. All that remained was the soft patter of rain against the hospital room floor. The Uchiha couldn't take waiting anymore and walked into the room, leading the other ten genin. Once they entered, it smelled like a mixture of wet grass and blood.
The floor was covered in great puddles of water and there were a few great spatters of blood in the mix, running against the white walls or diluting into the puddles of rain water. The bed was bent and torn to shreds and the counters were crushed. Kakashi had taken off with the crowd leaving Iruka behind to look after the room.
The genin didn't say a word and watched their former sensei collapse to the floor. His knees were weak as he held the chunin vest still neatly encased in the plastic wrapping. His knees splashed in the puddles of blood and water, eyes wide and distraught by what he'd witnessed. Clenching his fists, he brought his knuckles down, cracking the hospital tile below in his frustration.
"Naruto…" He whispered over the pattering rain. "Please…little brother…"
"A-Ahri?" The boy managed to whimper.
She didn't respond as her body had completely stopped listening to her commands. She struggled to move, despite the fact she plowed through the Fourth's seal. Tears threatened at the corners of her eyes, the sight unbearable. As softly as she could; her arms tightened around the blond boy, holding him closer to her body, making sure that he could have her warmth. She didn't dare turn to face the voice behind her.
"Ahri." He said calmly. "How did you break my seal?"
Once more, she kept up the silence, tightening her grip on the boy, not willing to let him go.
"I'm not mad." He added after a few moments of silence. "And…oh please let him breathe Ahri! My son can barely catch a breath with that massive rack you have."
Finally, her eyes flashed a red as she whipped her head back to face the man standing at the base of the cage. The bars were ripped open and almost looked like she had twisted them with her own might. With a flash of speed she tackled the man, straddling his chest with her fists ready to punch his face to kingdom come. His electric sapphire eyes hurt her and filled her with a mixture of regret and rage.
"I had to save him." She relented, pulling the man to his feet. "I had to do it; I used the key a little too early."
Minato sighed. "I honestly didn't think it was possible to transfer knowledge between your two halves. Well now I know…"
"None of that matters if Naruto isn't alive – what are you doing?" Ahri looked at the Fourth Hokage with wide eyes.
"He's not dead; he's gone into a catatonic shock." Minato rested his palm against Naruto's shredded stomach and channeled a small bit of chakra and soon enough, the energy roared across the young boy's torso, healing the damage almost immediately. "He should awake soon."
"It seems your nice little fail safe activated." Ahri frowned.
"No hello Minato, how is death?" The man asked with a raised brow.
"Oh shut up." The Gumiho frowned. "You know I had no part of that!"
Minato narrowed his eyes. "But you know who did."
The woman sighed in exasperation, running a hand through her black hair. "It wasn't him, Minato. I've gone over the fights and information for the last fourteen years since I was sealed…it's not him."
The late Hokage didn't know if he should feel relieved or worried at the revelation. "Any ideas on who it could be?"
"Not a clue." Ahri shook her head. Seeing the glare on the blond's face, she reached out, pressing a hand on his shoulder. "We'll avenge Kushina…my other half told you that already. You may be dead, but we will do this. What happened to her was…if I was more attentive…I could have stopped him."
Minato shook his head. "It wasn't your fault…we could never have known that there was someone like that lurking around. Either way…how is Naruto doing – I mean as a shinobi, Ahri…don't look at me like I'm dumb. How have things been for him?"
"Simply put – terrible." Ahri frowned. "He didn't even contact me until a month ago."
Minato's face lit up. "Hold on, hold on. A month ago?! From what I managed to gather…he is incredibly powerful and he used your abilities…all of this…from a month?"
The Gumiho simply nodded her head; fox ears nodding with her. "It surprised me, especially with how much chakra he has…it should honestly have been impossible to control at the level he does now – with just a month of training. Minato. He literally created the rasengan using my Orb of Deception and he didn't even know."
"Well I did base the rasengan after that attack." Minato smiled. "It seems my son is a prodigy."
Suddenly, a shuffle of clothing and rippling waters caught the pair's attention. Naruto shot to his feet, kunai in hand and sweat dribbling down his cheek and brow. His jacket was ripped open and the flesh that had once been mangled had reformed; scars barely visible. The seal had reformed, but there was the problem of the curse mark. Things weren't looking up, but at least Naruto was awake. Speaking of the boy; he shot his head around to face the two talking behind him at the base of Ahri's cage.
"W-What the hell happened here?" Naruto looked with awe. "H-How did you get out of the…"
Before he could continue his statement, his jaw dropped, mouth agape. He couldn't believe his eyes. "Y-Yondaime Hokage…erm…f-father?"
Minato's brow jumped. "How'd you know – oof!"
Instead of a punch or a shout, like he'd expected, Naruto's arms were wrapped around him, holding him tightly. Tears poured from his eyes, slowly dampening his haori and flak jacket. It was almost surreal for the pair, especially for Naruto. Unknowing of what to do, he slowly released his father and backed away to give him some space. He didn't know what to say or what even to ask. He just knew that…
"Wait." Naruto pointed at the man in front of him. "How're you alive?! Does this mean I'm dead?! But I'm in my mindscape…and Ahri is here too…wait."
I don't care if I die; I'll go to heaven…
"AHRI IS DEAD AND WE'RE IN HEAVEN?!"
"Shut up!"
A feminine shout echoed down the darkened halls of the mindscape.
Naruto was silenced in an instant.
He looked towards his dad for reassurance but the blond man put a hand behind his head, slightly rubbing his hair. If Naruto didn't know any better, he would have seen the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
Whipping his head around, Ahri was trembling, hiding behind the young Uzumaki. Whatever was coming, Naruto knew it won't be pretty.
But oh, how wrong he was.
From the shadows a gorgeous woman appeared, green apron over a housewife's home dress. With hair reaching her lower back colored a vibrant, yet deep red, it complimented her violet eyes that were filled with a strange yet familiar fire. But of course, Naruto opened his mouth, confused and blatantly admitting she was probably a demon from his dreams, her hair exploded outwards revealing almost nine long bundles of hair rising like horrific tendrils.
"W-Who are you?"
Sasuke watched the Konoha Twelve before him, dark eyes shaded softly. They were clamoring, talking with one another. The more they talked the more annoyed and slightly frustrated he became. Shikamaru stood beside him, arms crossed over his chest, also bearing the look of a slightly annoyed boy. With a sigh escaping his lips, the Nara fell back against the wall, hands slowly sliding to his pockets. Neither boy said a word but they knew whatever they were feeling, it was mutual.
Sakura had awoken from her sleep and hadn't said a word since she had. In her silence, she had taken her place next to Sasuke, awkwardly holding onto her arm, feeling a cold breeze waft against her bare skin and still damp clothes. All the shouting and confusion was beginning to beat against her ears and bother her, it was almost all too much. With everything that had happened, their shouting was doing nothing to help the situation. If anything, they were making the situation even worse, with how rowdy they were being in a hospital. There were still incredible amounts of wounded from the invasion, who knows what kind of nuisance they were being.
"Hey…" She called out softly. Her emerald eyes burning with a slight pain. "Hey!"
The large group quieted down, their eyes trailed to her. Ino's eyes glimmered with a small flash of shame. Sakura's words were hoarse but her eyes spoke more than her rough voice ever could. The blonde girl nodded her head at the pinkette and turned to the rest of the Konoha Twelve, sighing to herself in her own frustration. One by one, their voices fell quiet and one by one, they all finally took the time to take a breath and assess the situation –
"Why are you all so worried anyway?" A sneer sounded from across the hall.
Sakura felt a dark presence rise beside her. Looking to the source of the jab, there stood a trio of chunin with dark looks on their faces. But for the source of the evil, Sasuke's eyes were finally revealed with the sharingan already activated.
"The demon – oof!"
Sasuke disappeared from his position and reappeared with his fist in one of the ninja's guts. From what Sakura could tell, dark tattoos began to spread across his pale skin, powering his rage.
"Say one more thing about him." Sasuke's voice was low and dark. "I swear to all the gods…he saved us. He led us. He protected us. How dare you?!"
Sasuke froze in his steps, unable to control his body. Sharingan eyes trailed down to find that Shikamaru had snared him in his family's ninjutsu. A frustrated sigh trailed from his flared nostrils. Doing everything he could to fight against Shikamaru's shadow possession, he suddenly dropped his arms to his sides and stood at parade dress before the three Chunin.
"Damn Uchiha-brat!" The victim of his punch groaned. "To think the Hokage thought of protecting you!"
"There's no Kage of the village." Another chunin glared. "I say we kill him right now. Damn Uchiha can't be trusted – he'll probably try to test his power like his demon brother."
Without warning, the lead chunin shot his fist forward, digging his knuckles into Sasuke's cheek. With chakra exploding off the point of impact, the Uchiha flew back, a small trail of blood following after his ripped lip and dislocated jaw. Sasuke rolled along the tiled floor of the hospital before finally crashing against Kiba and Shino. The group of genin moved quick to pull him to his feet.
"Without a Kage, control of the village falls to the Chunin and Jōnin to keep the civilians and genin in line." One of the shinobi said with a glare. "Respect those of higher rank, Uchiha. Someone from a decrepit and extinct clan should understand that more than anyone."
A few wisps of wind were heard and before long, a pair of ANBU appeared. Their masks were different and instead of a katana, the two had a tanto on their backs. The genin, despite being of the lower ranks, the amount of power these ANBU exuded was terrifying. Sasuke even backed away, sharingan slowly shutting off.
"Chunin."
The three immediately bowed their heads for the ANBU. "Chimi-san."
"Are these genin causing you issue?" The man spoke with a soft rumble of baritone.
"The Uchiha-brat attacked me." The lead Chunin spoke, pointing out to Sasuke, all the while keeping his head bowed.
"I see." Chimi tilted his head slightly. "Clear out! You genin are no longer permitted at the hospital until further notice."
"W-What gives you the right-?!"
A tanto was drawn faster than Kiba could blink.
"I have every right." Chimi spoke.
The Inuzuka could barely process how the ANBU appeared beside him so quickly. He was certain he'd pissed himself.
"Chimi." A familiar voice sounded behind. "Let the genin go and fuck off."
The ANBU sighed, Kiba shivered feeling his breath rumble against his cheek. "Hatake Kakashi. The washed up ANBU. How quaint."
"I won't repeat myself."
In the midst of the face off, Sasuke's eyes never once left the ANBU. Something was off about them, even worse, to hear Kakashi curse for the first time really spoke volumes of what they were facing. He barely managed to turn his head to see his sensei. From what Sasuke could tell with his sharingan, the jōnin was incredibly tense, far more than he was when they faced Zabuza.
"Let's go." Chimi rose and sheathed his tanto in the same action. "The next time we see one another, Kakashi…be prepared. You don't have a Kage to protect you anymore."
Once the group disappeared, Asuma and the rest of the sensei arrived, weapons and fists ready for a fight. But with a simple wave of Kakashi's hand calmed the jōnin.
"W-What the hell was all of that Kakashi-sensei?" Ino asked, body still shaking. "Last I checked, Naruto's clones were saving shinobi of both villages and civilians! Many respect him and love him now-!"
"Ino." Asuma's voice was stern for the first time. "Enough."
"Right now, this is above any of you." Kakashi frowned. His sharingan continued to glow. "For now, go home and do not leave for anything, not even Naruto. For the clan heirs, tell your parents to meet me, they'll know where."
As the irate jōnin finally disappeared and headed out of the hospital, Sasuke finally breathed for the first time in an eternity.
"What the hell just happened?"
"Do you understand, Naruto?" Kushina gave the boy a worried look. "Right now, you have few choices to work with."
The boy collapsed into the water, running a hand through his blond hair. "Why are Ahri and I so damn important…?!"
"Your blood and her chakra." Minato frowned. "Naruto I know you love Konoha and I know that you will do anything to protect it…but you will have to leave if you intend to do any real change to the village."
"I agree." Kushina sighed. "As much as it bothers me to send you off into the wide world with Jiraiya of all the people, he's your best shot of making a difference and connecting with the remnants of our clan in the ruins of Uzushiogakure."
"I'll watch over him." Ahri smiled. "Kushina, you can trust me on this."
The redhead looked up to the Gumiho. "I know I can. We didn't have the best relationship during our time together but I'm glad you had enough tact not to tell Naruto right away of his heritage. I know he would have blurted the truth to everyone and brought an early end to his life."
Naruto glared, pouting slightly. "Y-You don't know that!"
"You literally revealed your dad was the Yondaime when your clone was dispelled with the information." Ahri rolled her eyes. "Those Sand shinobi and Konoha shinobi sure heard you."
Minato sighed, running a hand across his face. "Oh Naruto…you've made the situation far more difficult than it has to be."
"O-Okay!" Naruto glared. "In my defense, I thought you two hated me, and I never even had an idea of what either of you could POSSIBLY be. It was too much for me at the time…I just…"
Kushina pressed her hand on his shoulder, calming the boy. "We're not mad; we're worried. I know you're strong now, Naruto, but most of your enemies were defeated using Ahri's power. You can't keep relying on her chakra at every confrontation, no matter how tempting it is."
"Power of that magnitude will become addicting and you will fall." Minato added sagely. "You must gain power of your own and only use Ahri's power when you truly need it. Add a taijutsu style, learn fuinjutsu as your mother said, and learn more ninjutsu. Just do not rely on Ahri's power. It cannot become a crutch. You will stagnate and you will become a sitting duck to your enemies who will only grow and progress in strength."
Naruto looked at his parents with wide eyes. "E-Enemies? I'm just a genin!"
"And we understand that." Kushina shook her head. "I had a vast amount of enemies just for my bloodline, and I had more for my reputation as a shinobi."
"I have an entire village that would love to get their hands on you, Naruto, just for what I did in the Third Shinobi World War." Minato sighed. "And I'm not even talking about Iwagakure. Naruto, remember, even the smallest pebble can make the largest ripple. You might not think much of the shinobi that heard your revelation, but humans and shinobi especially, information and gossip will spread and before you know it, you could find yourself in a BINGO book with a bounty on your head."
"And that is the exact opposite of what we want." Ahri frowned. "I thought of convincing him to go AWOL and flee to Uzushiogakure to search the ruins, but I know how Konoha covets Jinchuriki and power. They would have sent hunter ninja and ANBU after him the instant he left the walls unattended."
Naruto rose to his feet, arms still crossed over his chest. "So what's the plan? I obviously don't have a choice in the matter."
"When you awake from the coma, seek out Jiraiya as soon as possible." Minato nodded his head. "Talk to him about Uzushio and beg him to take you on as an apprentice. You goal right now is to learn fuinjutsu to the point of being able to negate the curse mark. That mark will cause more harm than good in the future. It will be a good idea to rid yourself of it as soon as possible."
"Then when you're done, you will have to deal with the enemy you've had since before you were even conceived Naruto." Kushina suddenly adopted a dark look. "There is a man in Konoha that has been building his powerbase for many, many years. He is in league with traitors, dissenters, cheaters and worst of all, he was in league with Orochimaru. There was a time I was undercover as an ANBU under Sandaime-sama and infiltrated his powerbase. I was found and experimented on; if it weren't for my Uzumaki blood, I would have died…"
Naruto noticed Minato's hand tighten on her shoulder. "W-What…w-who?"
"Orochimaru knows my most powerful technique after forcing it from me. The severity of his experiments are why I had to resign from the shinobi forces." Kushina glared. "But the enemy you need to watch out for…Shimura Danzo."
Minato's face tightened into a scornful rage before disappearing. Ahri looked away slightly, tightening her arms over her chest.
"He is a thief, an evil, vile man." Kushina clenched her fist. "He stole much of our cultural artifacts for the sake of its power, he had a hand in the destruction of Uzushiogakure and the Uzumaki clan, and he had a hand in almost every conflict since the beginning of the reign of Hiruzen-sama. He controls a large sect of the ANBU called the Foundation or Root. They are ruthless and have masks of demons or terrifying animals, as opposed to the neutral expression of regular ANBU. The difference is that they are loyal only to Danzo."
"He tried to get Orochimaru to become Hokage, and had a hand in a few political assassinations and even had a hand in creating unrest within the Uchiha clan." Minato frowned. "Ahri's half that is within me managed to tell me that the Uchiha clan is gone save for two, Mikoto-chan's two sons."
"It's unfortunate, how fate decided to play its hand." Kushina frowned. "Naruto, you and Sasuke could have been like cousins, or brothers at the very least. His mother was like a sister to me and I was even there to greet the young boy before I gave birth to you. Please, Naruto. Remember the name we told you, get revenge, if not for us, for Sasuke, for the Uchiha and the Uzumaki."
"Danzo is your enemy as of now." Minato frowned. "I'm sorry that we had to tell you everything like this, I'm sorry that you have to be burdened with – oof!"
Naruto wrapped his arms around Kushina and Minato's shoulders, hugging them as tightly as he could. Tears streamed down his whiskered cheeks, dampening their shoulders. The two slowly brought their arms around his back, holding him against their bodies for the first time since he was born. It was a foreign yet familiar feeling for the three. For a moment, the status of their health had been forgotten and Naruto felt he had a family. Releasing his mother, he fell to the floor realizing the height difference. A soft embarrassed laugh escaped his lips as he rubbed the back of his head. Flashing a sheepish, yet foxy grin, it seemed he inherited it from both of his parents.
"Naruto, just know that we never hated you." Minato smiled. "Your mother and I are beyond proud of you. Everything you've accomplished and done is more than any parent could ever ask or expect of their child."
"I believe that you will accomplish everything you set your mind to, dattebane!" Kushina flashed a teary thumb up. "Ahri! I will hold you up to your promise. Please watch after our son."
As Minato left Kushina's side to share a few more words with their son, Kushina grabbed Ahri and held the Gumiho close.
"I see the way you watch over my son." Kushina gave Ahri a raised brow.
Immediately, her face grew red at the implications. "N-No! It's not like t-that!"
"He takes after his father so I know he'll grow to be a handsome man." Kushina raised her brow higher. "Can you promise me that you'll watch over him? I know you want to be released from his body as much as you did when you wanted to be released from mine. I just hope that when the time comes and you are released…you don't abandon him."
Ahri's blush disappeared and was replaced with a glare. "A-Abandon him?! I just…I literally just…"
Kushina's hands quickly landed on the Gumiho's shoulders. "I'm not accusing you. I just want to hear you promise me that you will watch after him…I'm trusting you with the one thing I have left for the world. I don't know what exactly he is to you…and I know you don't owe me a thing…especially with how cold I was with you for most of my life…just…"
"I did say you could trust me." Ahri nodded at the redhead. "I will never leave his side. I already failed someone before me, I won't fail Naruto – you have my word. He and I have been through a lot, despite it being a month since we've really had the ability to talk. What a rollercoaster it has been.
"Naruto." Minato looked at his son. "You've grown into a fine man. The life of a child has long been absent in you. I can tell."
The boy in question lowered his head. "I know…I don't blame you dad, but can I know what happened? Like…you had to have a reason to have sealed Ahri within me and not in mom."
"To make a long story short, a man arrived out of nowhere and attacked us while your mother was in labor. There are two times in a Jinchuriki's life when the seal weakens; when the Jinchuriki is a woman and in labor and when the Jinchuriki is near death. This man knew this and attacked at the most perfect time to take advantage of Ahri."
"In the chaos, she escaped and for the first time in my life, I met the fox in person." Minato shook his head. "Needless to say, she was not what I expected. A fight broke out and Kushina was nearly injured and I saved you from a possibly fatal fall. Ahri began to fight the masked shinobi and brought the fight out into the clearing surrounding the hidden place your mother gave birth to you."
"As for Ahri, she was hypnotized by some strange genjutsu; her other half tells me it was a Sharingan that was familiar but also terrifyingly different." Minato crossed his arms. "Needless to say, she lost control and assumed the form of a gigantic demon fox that easily towered over the Hokage Monument. I found the masked shinobi and fought him to a standstill. Then Ahri arrived and everything else is history."
"H-How did you and mom die?" Naruto asked with tears in his eyes.
"I killed them." Ahri butted in.
"Ahri!" Kushina frowned. "You know you were under a genjutsu!"
"Please, Ahri." Minato frowned. "We spoke of this."
"Brainwashed or not, I was still the one to kill you two." Ahri looked to Naruto.
"Either way…" Naruto spoke up. "What happened…happened…as much as it hurts to know…it's also relieving to see all you reconciling after everything."
"Alright…" Minato paused. "I can feel my chakra disappearing…a few words before I go…Naruto. Find my grave, retrieve my body and with fuinjutsu as your ally, you can extract Ahri's other half. She cannot return to normal without it. Has she shown signs of bipolar disorder or shown strange patterns of sleep, or even signs of attention deficit disorder?"
"I mean…" Naruto looked to Ahri with a worried look. "Y-Yeah…all the time."
"As I expected." Minato frowned. "Like I said, find my grave and merge her Yin chakra with her Yang chakra – which currently resides in you. Only then can she really be Ahri. Oh and before I go…Ahri…Naruto will grow into a very handsome man in the future!"
Ahri blanched and barely managed to fight the blush on her face. "Why does that even matter?!"
Kushina giggled as her body began to disappear as well. "Ahri…the cage is gone because you used the key but the curse mark remains. I know this goes without saying, but as long as that damned seal is on Naruto, you're not escaping any time soon. With the placement of the seal, it has disrupted the seal's algorithm. I trust the two of you will find a solution to the issue. And before I disappear as well; Naruto, Ahri is a beautiful woman, and immortal!"
The boy's face grew hot as his mother and father disappeared. "WHY DOES THAT MATTER?!"
But he was responded with nothing but Ahri's breathing and the silence of his mindscape. Almost like a ton of weight had fallen upon his shoulders, Naruto collapsed into the waters below, mind exploded from what had just occurred. It couldn't have been more than an hour but god, it felt like they were talking for years, filling in what they missed and couldn't be a part of. Naruto's brain was spinning at a million miles a second, reeling at the events as they passed him by as memories. He met his parents! He met his PARENTS! He almost felt his heart jump from his chest but before he could celebrate, his arms fell to his sides as their talks reverberated within his thoughts.
He now had a target; a goal to strive to defeat. Danzo was a blight on the shinobi world and had done a lot to harm his family – his clan and Sasuke's clan. This man named Danzo had a hand in a lot of conflicts and if everything about his policy leaning for war and ruthlessness, he couldn't put it past this man to have had a hand in how rough his own childhood had been. Naruto learned from his mother about the emotion training all Root ANBU had to go through and how they were known to be more brutal than regular ANBU. At this point, the boy was absolutely certain Danzo had a hand to play. Jinchuriki were technically weapons and were treated as such in other villages; Naruto couldn't imagine living a life like Haku did before he died.
"Danzo…"
"Naruto?" A voice asked worriedly. "Naruto!"
Grass crunched slightly, surprising Naruto. He groaned, his abdomen on fire and his chest as sore as the first day of training a month ago. "W-What's going on…?"
His eyes hadn't finished focusing on the world around him. He struggled and stretched his arms and back, groaning and crying out in relieving pain as his muscles loosened. Soon enough, the smell of nature, grass, trees, flowers and dung filtered into his nose. His eyes sprang open.
"What the fuck?!" His hands shot to his chest, grabbing the chunin vest wrapped around his chest with the zipper undone. On his forehead, the hitai-ate of Konoha was tied tightly. "I'M A CHUNIN?!"
"Urgh!" A groan was heard from across the campsite. "Shut the hell up dobe, some of us are still sleeping!"
"S-Sasuke?" Naruto asked, voice quieting a few decibels. "Sasuke?!"
"That's my name!" The boy in question groaned, body still wrapped like a caterpillar in his sleeping bag. "Don't wear it out."
"Naruto." The first voice was heard again. "How are you feeling?"
"SAKURA?!" Naruto's eyes nearly bulged from his head. "W-What is going on?!"
"Calm down kid." A deep voice was heard. "You've missed a lot of shit, Naruto…I think it's best that you take a moment to get situated and take a few hundred breaths before I let you know all that you haven't had the pleasure of experiencing yet."
"You said Danzo in your sleep. I take it that you've managed to talk with Ahri and your parents." Jiraiya frowned. "Get ready to hear that name a lot in the near future."
"W-Why?" Naruto asked with wide eyes. "What the fuck did I miss?!"
"Danzo is the Hokage."
Something that annoys me in fanfiction, everyone thinks the council
adores the Uchiha like they're this coveted thing
when in fact it was revealed they only cared for Sasuke because
they didn't want Itachi on their asses
Another thing that bothered me; Danzo was this guy with this whole network
but NEVER ONCE did this asshole make a move to do something
The Konoha Crush was the perfect time for him to simply take over
so given how his shinobi were more active in the invasion
this shouldn't be a surprise that he managed to take over
Also, to explain why Naruto 'died' and Sasuke didn't.
the way I see it, the Curse Mark works by the owner's will
Sasuke in the FoD heard Sakura crying and shouting while he was in a coma
Hearing that, he snapped and called upon the only power he had at his disposal
The Curse Mark.
Naruto on the other hand, he was branded at the end of the invasion and was
hospitalized. There was no immediate danger and there was no need or want
from his part for the power the mark could offer him. Seeing how he and Sasuke
were similar but completely different creatures driven by differing goals in life.
So Orochimaru basically underestimated Naruto's will to stay loyal to Konoha
and his comrades. It was kinda obvious with how the Curse Mark threw his
greatest fears and past at him in an attempt to rile him up.
Either way; Next Chapter! Naruto is brought up to speed, Ahri begins to second guess herself and Sasuke reveals secrets
Review!
Ja ne!
gottahavekyuubi
