Chapter 12: So Fast, So Maybe
Wandering around the village aimlessly in a daze as smoke rose higher into the sky from the direction she came from, Naruto only snapped out of the daze at the first whisper with a civilian pointing at her.
"I heard from my cousin that he tricked her."
She wasn't speechless from shock or anything, just for once had nothing to say. The urge to yell at the random civilian - though she wasn't wrong - was to tell her to mind her own business. Breaking into a run as the news made its way around the village, the juicy news spreading faster than fire, she was going to pull another old fashion prank to begin drawing attention and punish everyone, until Sakura found her.
Turns out, different shinobi and citizens gathered to watch them battle it out, Tsunade even joining to take a few shots before she told them to not let it spill over the compound walls or break their house arrest.
Sasuke, who was afraid that all the people he could be friends with and any future family he might have one day being killed by Itachi, was leveling buildings at the fact that the one person who had insisted for his safety and sanity had been so close to the family killer without knowing it. That it wasn't any innocent relationship like teacher and student, Kakashi's unhelpful comments that hinted at more and Sakura trying to cover it up and accidentally making it worse, the non-prank bomb Naruto had detonated in anger and shame at the news drew the crowd away. Those that prepared to fight off another invasion weren't exactly wrong to come expecting it, but she wasn't going to admit it was her that set it off.
It didn't take long for everyone to know that in Uken, Itachi pretended to be someone else and had Naruto fall in love with him.
She had barely confronted her own feelings about it, and now she was receiving dirty looks, odd questions and even pitying looks.
Having planned to confront him and Sasuke after she had finally confirmed everything she was told to either beat him into the ground or to have a partially violent conversation, Naruto held off and continued to stew in her thoughts.
Visiting different people, a pregnant Kurenai Yuhi for one, the file accountant in the hospital, Iruka at the academy, Tsunade and Jiraiya that she once more punched, and some graves.
With Kurenai, she witnessed firsthand how she was given the power of the Sharingan when it came to genjutsu. None had worked on her, flaring up in her mouth each time one was cast. With the woman's awkward help that Shikamaru walked in on, a minuscule seal had been placed on a molar. It responded each time, revealing that it was called upon when additional chakra was sensed on her person.
Shikamaru was beating around the bush of what's been happening, she assumed Ino had finally completely jumped over the truth and was telling others bad gossip. Though she hadn't been that close to him since their academy days, his hand on her shoulder and the concerned look reminded her that no one knew what she was feeling like. His long-distance relationship was mutual and neither of them was wearing disguises.
The file accountant later wouldn't allow her to see the file of her mother, something about rules, regulation, needing to ask for permission from the Hokage, but the good old glitter bomb apple did the trick after the man's lunch. Keeping a clone on guard as the rest raided the file room with her, in Past Kunoichi did they have the most trouble finding it. Not finding a Kushina under the U's, they had to spread out and instead found her listed under the Foreigners file.
The cabinet only existing for Konoha's allies that needed to check-in for one reason or another in the hospital, Kushina Uzumaki was found.
Not knowing what a Whirlpool village was or where she stared in through the library door before she gave up and went to the only person she could trust not to judge her and answer the question. In the middle of overseeing lunchtime out on the grounds, she didn't mean to scare Iruka.
Swept up into his arms, she couldn't help but laugh at his protectiveness. "Where have you been! After the Uchiha's hearing, you disappeared! I wanted to see if you're okay, and I have to break down your door and ask the Hokage just to know you're still in the village."
"I'm okay - sort of. Or will be soon, if ya can help me real quick."
"I'm not helping you prank Sasuke now that he's back," he snorted as he placed his hands on his hips. Eyeing her hands with some glitter still remaining, she stuck her tongue at him.
"No no, this is from another prank. I actually just want to know what the Village of the Whirlpools is? Or where it is," she trailed off, his eyes falling off to the side before he waved her into the academy. Feeling a wave of nostalgia as they made their way to his classroom where her favorite trio was busy serving detention by writing lines under the trustful eye of the new teacher's assistant, she waved to them when she was walked into the storage closet. Flipping through a raggedy book, Iruka ha'd to himself when he pulled out an older than dirt textbook.
Flipping through it as she peered over his shoulder, he paused on one page and handed it to her.
Not exactly a ninja village, Hidden in the Whirlpools was an enormous island off the coast of Fire Nation and still a bit away from Kiri. With enormous whirlpools that would drown ships and made it almost impossible to make it to the island, the people were experts in sealing and as it turns out, the first treaty Konoha had. Originally being allied with only the Senju clan, the Uzumaki's that made up the island was frequently married into the Senju's and vice versa.
In the second ninja war, it was wiped off the grid by Iwa and Kumo ninja, sending the refugees all over the world. Flipping to the next page, Naruto felt herself pause as tears gathered.
The picture of the symbol was the symbol Hurizen Sarutobi always ensured was sewn into her clothes, that Jiraiya had painstakingly sewed into her new jumpsuit when he realized he forgot to request it from the seamstress. It was worn on every piece of official Konoha gear, a way of thanks to the people who made their village the first ninja village ever.
Kushina Uzumaki was asked to join Konoha before the land of Whirlpools was destroyed.
With signature red hair and long life levity, the old photo of some important Uzumaki's shared so many similar features that she had to touch her own face to remember.
Thanking Iruka with a hug before running off, he shouted after her when she went home. Filling balloons full of paint, she sat on top of the Hokage tower, throwing them at the face of Hashirama.
It was weird knowing that she was somehow related to him after all, and therefore related to the woman she called Granny.
Wishing she could punch him instead, she wasn't surprised when Tsunade had yelled at her from the window of her office to stop and come down.
"Why didn't anyone tell me Kushina was my mom? Or even about Whirlpools?"
"There are too many reasons on why you weren't told."
The Third Hokage, who practically raised her when he could, taking the role of a grandfather and being the first person who ever cared for her - had lost his wife to the Kyuubi on the day she was born. Maybe it was too painful but since the man had looked past his wife's death and had treated her as family, she couldn't be mad at him for not telling her. Giving her the last name Uzumaki to protect her from her father's enemies of Iwa, as it turns out, there was another presence there on the night of her birth that had released the Kyuubi.
And it was Madara Uchiha, who gladly took advantage of the weakening seal and was left unknown as just a powerful missing-nin to the Third Hokage until Itachi had told Tsunade who it was, as the man had bragged about it to him.
Another was that Whirlpools was impossible to reach, all those that knew the way around the waters were long dead - and it would have been a suicide mission if Tsunade ever tried to tell Naruto. "Sure there might be a lot of stuff left behind, but I can't let you risk your life for a photo of some cousin. Kushina had spent a majority of her life in Konoha, I'm sure you can search for some of her old belongings."
Visiting Ino's family flower shop when she knew the gossip wasn't manning the front desk, Naruto bought flowers of all types with Inochi Yamanaka's help and visited each grave of those that had a hand in saving her life, in a weird funny way.
Hurizen's wife, the meaning of the flowers saying thank you and that they were brave, she bowed lowly to the grave. Unable to imagine what it must've been like for her to have gone against Madara Uchiha, she daydreamed how the woman must've protected her mother before continuing onto her mother's grave.
Carved into the stone where her genin career had truly begun, where the lesson of teamwork was taught to her and where she was tied to a pole, simple questions had answered too many questions that she had been asking all her life. Feeling like life was in a loop where she'd end up back at this stone, she traced her mother's name. The name Uzumaki all those years ago when she had first been explained the meaning of the stone should've been her clue on who her mother was - but there were a few more with Senju's added to their name.
Really, she would've never imagined she was related to such great people. Brave, determined, and loving.
And all these annoying feelings, guilt, and the burning feeling of tears when she attempted to find unique Uzumaki markings in old shops that sold used items - it was all Itachi Uchiha's fault, she stubbornly insisted.
'But is it really that bad? I finally know,' she always thought afterward.
She knew who her mother was and got to see one within his memories how her own name was chosen and why. Finding the book of the Tales of a Gusty Ninja in one of those pawn shops and covered in dust, she was practically frozen with shock to see that Jiraiya wrote it.
She was even revealed part of the attack from Itachi's point of view, the air full of terror. Wondering on if that was how everyone felt still when she released the Kyuubi, her own confrontation with the beast had hardened something in her.
"You might hate humans a lot, but I will love just as much as you hate."
It was all Itachi's fault, but how long could she be mad at him? The belongings she found, she did her best to search all over to find any symbol that it wasn't just old Konoha gear, but her moms. Being stared at the cashiers who wouldn't know what to think, she didn't care for the price of them.
It wasn't exactly a pile or a shrine, but she set aside part of her apartment to become dedicated to her family. Still clueless who may have been her father, his side remained empty while Kushina's finally became full. An old photo book in a pawnshop that belonged to some random woman whose son was obviously a shinobi before he died, she found a team photo of them. Team 4, and knowing her other team members' names, she ended back up in the Shinobi Records after hours with a flashlight.
None of her genin teammates were alive anymore, their parents were iffy, but any kind of belongings they left behind was gifted or searched when the owners went to bed. Only once was anyone waiting for her as she snuck out, Kakashi looking on unimpressed before he silently handed her a frame and left.
In it, Kushina was beaming with a large smile next to Mikoto. Both with small bulging stomachs, the ultrasound photos they held against them - it must've been them announcing their pregnancies. It took her a second to notice the young boy in the background, a soft smile on his face.
Itachi, there from the start.
Itachi, protecting not just Sasuke, but her too.
Knowing that she had grown her list of petty crimes committed in Konoha for awhile, her sleeping in and being awake all hours of the night, the days had blended in until a month passed. Ignoring the different stares and avoiding her friends again on accident, it didn't feel like a month had passed. Sitting next to the stone where her mother's name was engraved, she didn't force the memories to come to her.
"Wouldn't it be cute if Sasuke and Naruto fell in love, huh! Wouldn't you mind having a sister through Auntie Kushina?"
Watching the young and adorable version of Itachi lean forward on the bench and glance at her mom's stomach, the book that would become hers in his hands, his words made her want to cry. "I suppose so."
But recalling the smirk now that was so far away, back in a hotel room that didn't feel real with how much that had happened, she couldn't help the tears.
"I am glad to have you all to myself right now."
Thinking about the effort she had taken, Shizune running tests on her and being added onto a list because she wanted a family one day - Naruto smiled through them.
"You still do."
Walking up to the gates with the necklace he gifted to her as a bracelet, she had searched high and low of the Forest of Death to find it once again, nosy citizens who didn't know how to mind their own business attempted to follow her to the main house. Her shouts must've echoed though because not even halfway there, Sasuke had met her.
In a way, she had given him his time. A backwards way of making up for lost time in his cell, she brushed past him and quickly found their new temporary house, their first one already destroyed as she saw. Kakashi was sitting on the steps, his book out as he watched her for once silently nodded her greeting to him, entering the house without a knock. Hearing Kakashi tell Sasuke to stay outside and him scoffing, she wandered the still dusty house to find Itachi in the kitchen.
Watching him continue to wash dishes, even though she had prepared a large speech to give him, she was left speechless now that he was in front of her.
Standing there long enough to wonder if he noticed her, she looked past him and out the window - only to see that he was watching her in the reflection.
Smiling, she quickly launched to hug him, him spinning in time to catch her. Burying her face in his shirt, Naruto felt her eyes burn once more as his hand reached up to stroke her hair.
"I - I think I still love you, Itachi."
Pulling back from their hug just enough to look into her eyes, he smiled slightly back at her.
"And I've always loved you, Naruto."