Here we are, Act XVI. I'm sure you've all been waiting anxiously for this one but, well, you'll see.
By now most of you should be familiar with the way I do chapters. Standard are 5k and every fifth is a 10k special. Today fits into neither of those categories, as I have here for your reading pleasure a 7.5k chapter. I could have stopped at the 5k mark, but I felt as though you all deserved a...better ending...to this act.
Kukukukukuku
Thanks goes to ncpfan for both his help with the plot and the last dialogue line. I liked it so much I had to include it.
A couple of you buggers are planning on switching seats randomly or swinging from the balcony curtains- yes, I'm looking at you- but I warn you now if you disrupt my show or my audience I'm kicking you out. ImWiredSoWat, thank you for the heads up about your move to seat S12.
I've had people mention that Tsunade isn't Naruto's godmother a few times and always have to keep myself from banging my head against something hard. Exactly how well does my story fit with cannon at the moment? How many things have I changed? If I call Tsunade his godmother then it means I have decided to make her his godmother. It's no different from making Orochimaru his godfather, as I'm damn sure that's not cannon.
Not much more to say now, so enjoy the show.
Unease grew with every step but she pushed forward regardless. She could hear whispers grow by the second, eyes on either side of the street locking onto her figure and tracking her movement as she made her way to the home she had not set foot in for four long years. It was a curious thing, this attention, and it immediately raised red flags within her mind.
She had visited every major country and a handful of the minor ones without creating a tenth of the stir as her return to Konoha had. Hidden villages, both those who knew who she was and those who did not paid her little mind as she went about her business. Or, at the very least, they had not been so public about any mind paid.
Was it because so many people here knew of her? Did they, perhaps, not expect her to return? Just the thought of not coming back for her son sickened her, surely they hadn't assumed that she had meant to leave him here and live out the rest of her years outside the great walls of Konoha.
Unfortunately, she couldn't say she'd be surprised if they had.
There were few who had known of her plans to leave at all and only two that had any idea as to why. It was, admittedly, far too easy to come to such an unsavory conclusion. Such thoughts did little to ease her troubled heart.
Doing her best to ignore those around her and the way they shied away from meeting her gaze, she was only slightly aware of her quickening of pace and her daughter struggling to keep up with the swift strides of her long legs. As the sea of flesh that filed up Konoha's main market district dwindled into the far more manageable light traffic of the hidden village's more residential areas she found herself growing more and more anxious.
She knew he wouldn't be there when she returned, waiting for her with a smile on his face and arms opened wide to hug her tightly, but some traitorous hope resided deep within her heart, praying to whatever gods might heed its call that he had found some way to gain entry to their home and had spent the last four years living comfortably as he attended the academy.
That same part of her, that foolishly optimistic dreamer, pushed her to come here before going anywhere else. If for no other reason than to drop of their things before seeking out her son she had listened to it, silently offering her own prayer that that side of her might be right. She knew it wouldn't be.
Clan compounds past her like leaves on the wind. Hyuuga, Aburame, and Inuzuka. In no time she found herself before the white walls of the Uzumaki compound. Despite hearing that Naruto had been rather violently rejected by the compound's security measures, there were no signs of anything having happened. She knew it could easily be attributed to time- four years- and whomever had recovered her son after the accident, but that small part of her proudly declared that it had never happened and Naruto only had to experience the warning. She might let herself believe that part of her if it didn't also insist that he had found some way inside.
Pressing a slightly trembling hand to the gate, she felt the familiar warmth of the seals as they responded positively to her touch. With a slight click, the bronze double doors swung open just enough to prevent the doors from locking before she could make her way inside. A light push was all the force necessary for one of the doors to swing open far enough for she and her daughter to walk in without trouble.
The door had moved silently, as if it hadn't been unused for the past few years, but she didn't let that get her hopes up. As long as she had lived in Konoha, not once had these doors been oiled. They were simply crafted so masterfully that they required no maintenance. Time had long forgotten who had made the doors that decorated the outside of the compound but she knew it hadn't been here ancestors. Perhaps it had been a gift from a group long since forgotten using techniques that would never again be known. There was no way to know.
Closing the doors behind them, Kushina swiftly cut across the yard with quick strides. The grass came up to her naval which left Naruko's head to just barely keep above it. Covering the distance to the door in a matter of seconds, she froze momentarily on the threshold of her home. Did she dare confirm what she knew? Could she face what would be within, the lifeless emptiness that lay in wait?
She took a deep breath and a quick look at her impatient daughter before turning the doorknob. But even though she had opened the plain brown door, her body would not move any further. It was only after an ungentle shove from Naruko and a graceless stumbling step that she actually found herself within the house she had always thought of as home.
Aside from a light coating of dust, nothing was on the floor. Shelves and bookcases filled with pictures and curios remained exactly the way they had been years ago, completely untouched in her absence. There was none of the warmth she usually associated with the house present, replaced instead by a cold, indifferent building that couldn't care less about the troubles of the family it housed.
Moving to the kitchen, she found the note she had written oh so long ago just where she had left it. Unopened, it mocked her from atop the dark wooden table. For a moment she wanted to blame things upon the innocent paper but she knew that in the end it all fell down to her shoulders.
She would have, however, felt better had she left the letter with someone so that even after the compound rejected him he would know what was going on.
Hindsight is 20/20, as they say.
Leaving the kitchen she headed towards her own room, absently noting that the dishes from the last meal the three had as a family were still sitting in the sink unwashed. After four years, it might just be better to throw them out.
Slipping through silent hallways, she found her rom as neat and orderly as the day she left it. Anyone who knew her would be surprised until they realized the only reason it was clean was because she had taken all her things with her on the trip.
Removing her scroll from her pouch, she tossed it on the bed, wondering if she should take the time to unpack now or wait until after she had located her son's whereabouts. She could always spend the day getting resituated into her home and then look for him in the morning. It would be easy, she knew, to put it off, and she would also be able to visit the academy in search for him. They had about a week left so the chances of him being there were high.
But she couldn't do that, not after leaving him as she had. She needed to find him, to make sure he was okay and explain everything that her letter had not had the chance to. But there was still that desire to hesitate, to push it off until later. It would be difficult to face him after not just a massive mistake on her part, but for leaving without warning and breaking up that held most sacred by the Uzumaki.
She knew it must have hurt him for her to have left without goodbye, but she also knew a goodbye would have hurt just as much, if not more, and she doubted she would have been able to go on with the trip if she had been forced to leave her crying son behind. He would not have let her go without a fight, of that she was certain, and he would have had to be held back at her departure to keep him from chasing after her. Even that, however, wouldn't have done much. He would have chased after her the first chance he got, even if it was months later, and he would never have found her.
It was that fear that he might have tired following her and all the horrid fates that may have befallen him in such a quest that had given her the strength to disappear. He would have been tempted to try even if he didn't see her leave, but she knew her son well enough to know that he was unlikely to go through with it. Seeing someone go, knowing they were departing, made the trip seem easy. Finding out they had disappeared without a trace would have made him hesitate, would have made him think, and with his judgement not so clouded by emotion he would have been able to see the foolishness of chasing after them.
It should have bought her long enough for him to read her letter before his Uzumaki rashness kicked in and overrode his common sense. The letter, in turn, should have sent him to Kurenai, which would have ensured he not run off and that he knew there were people to help him while his mother was gone.
Her plan had worked, but only in half the sense it should have. He had indeed stayed within Konoha, from what she knew, but he had not read her letter or gone to Kurenai. Or, rather, she had heard nothing from her former student about Naruto staying with her. Though, that was to say very little, as there had been almost no communication between the two women over the past four years.
She did, however, receive notice that Naruto had recovered after the compound rejected him and was seen often around Konoha. Kurenai had never said more than that. No news could have been a good thing meaning nothing had gone wrong, but it could also be news bad enough for her not to be the bearer of.
She would find out soon enough.
Deciding to unpack later, she ventured forth to her daughter's room only to let out a soft giggle of amusement at the mess she found. Not bothering to unpack in an orderly fashion, Naruko had simply activated every seal at once and allowed her things to spew forth. Kushina watched as Naruko half-heartedly sorted things which was, for the most part, just her chucking things into her open closet.
"Naruko, dear, leave it be for now. Let's go find your brother first."
At the mention of her brother Naruko was immediately standing upright and making her way over, ready to go.
"Alright! Let's go see Naruto-Nii!" She delated almost as soon as she had said that. "Erm, Kaa-san, where do we find Naruto-Nii?"
That was a good question, a very good question. Did they visit Kurenai to find out what she knew? Perhaps he was staying with Tsunade and her apprentice at the Senju compound, living life like a prince. Kakashi could have taken him in, or maybe even Teuchi. She may have wondered about Mikoto, but word of the Uchiha massacre had traveled fast. There were rumors of survivors but she didn't put much stock into them. As the wife of the clan head and mother of the traitorous Itachi who had gone mad and slaughtered his family, her best friend was most certainly deceased.
Hiruzen knew about most of the happenings in Konoha, so visiting him couldn't be a bad idea but he was rather busy and at the same time a visit to the academy could let her know where her son was staying and how he had been doing at school while she was gone.
So what was the best way to proceed, what was the best option?
"I don't know, my little sunflower, but we'll find him, I promise."
And most importantly-
Where was her son?
The creak of the wood was barely audible as it swung open to admit them. Much like the compound, nothing had changed in this office since the last time they had entered it. Unlike the compound, it remained warm and inviting, as if someone actually spent a good deal of their life within the walls. Considering the amount of time he spent working through mountains of political bullshit, it was completely understandable.
"Hiruzen."
His head, having not bothered to look away from his never-ending workload, snapped quickly upwards to confirm the identity of the speaker.
"Ah, Kushina. Finally decided to return to us, have you?" Despite the small smile he gave that may have fooled Naruko, Kushina was painfully aware of the accusation in his tone and knew that by 'us' he had really meant Naruto. Though he had the general idea as to why she needed to leave he had never approved of it. There were plenty of days in which she wished she had heeded his advice. It was unfortunate that the past was so adverse to change, else she may have had a chance to undo her mistakes.
"Yep!" Answered Naruko on behalf of her mother, beaming brightly at the aged Kage. "We just got back, Jiji!"
Hiruzen's flinch when she affectionately called him old man was not missed by Kushina. He had always been like family to the Uzumaki household which made his reaction quite odd. How many times had she herself called him Jiji? How many times before this had Naruko? Never before could she remember him flinching as if struck. She was willing to bet quite a lot that it had something to do with her son.
"That's wonderful, Naruko-chan. Did you train hard while you were away?" The young girl nodded enthusiastically, practically bouncing in place.
"I trained really hard, Jiji! Now I'm super strong!" Naruko proclaimed. "Soon I'm going to take that hat from you!"
Giving a deep laugh, he shot her an amused smile. "You go right ahead, Naruko-chan, returning to retirement sounds lovely." Turning back to Kushina he continued. "Now, was there something I could help you with or are you just here to visit an old man?"
Kushina only hesitated a moment as the words caught in her throat. Even in her head they sounded bad but to actually say them, to hear those words leave her lips? Still, she had to know, and there were few answers that came without asking.
"We were, well, we were hoping to learn the whereabouts of my son." She cringed as her voice reached her ears. Her plans would have placed him at home, but those fell apart almost instantly. Who was it then, who had looked after her son in her absence? If not her, who had it been to be there for her son when he needed someone? Kurenai would never have turned down Naruto, but her daughter's words near the beginning of the trip had her wondering if her former student and son really got along as well as she had always thought they did.
Kurenai may not have turned him down, but had Naruto even gone to her?
"Of course, of course, you wouldn't know his current living arrangements, would you?" Kushina flinched at the barb as Hiruzen shuffled through his desk looking for a scrap of blank paper. Pulling one out, he was quick to start scribbling down an address. Pausing, he looked into one of the corners.
"What was his apartment number? One-sixteen?"
"One-oh-eight, I believe." Answered a disembodied voice, no doubt a hidden ANBU guard. Hiruzen gave a nod.
"Yes, that does sound right. Thank you Monkey."
"Of course, Hokage-Sama."
Beckoning Kushina closer, he handed her the address. "He's been living here for, oh, I want to say three, maybe three and a half years now. If he's not there-" Hiruzen gave a weak shrug. "Then I really don't know where you might find him. Kakashi might know, though. As I understand it he's been checking up on the boy pretty regularly."
She was rather relieved to receive confirmation that someone had indeed been looking out for her little boy. She'd have to pay a visit to Kakashi later to thank him. Of course, she should have known that Kakashi would want to make sure Naruto was doing okay. Even if he was an ANBU captain he would have found the time for Naruto, though whether or not her son spending time with the perverted veteran Shinobi was a good thing was still undecided. Maybe she should have simply asked Kakashi to be the one to watch over Naruto officially while she was away. Originally she had been worried about impeding Kakashi's ANBU career by having him watch over her son, but perhaps things would have worked out fine.
Of course, her fear of Naruto becoming a perverted mini-Kakashi had nothing to do with her decision to choose Kurenai instead.
Nope, nothing at all.
"Thank you, Hiruzen. We'll have to have you over for dinner someday soon so we can all catch up. Now, if you'll excuse us, I need to see my son." That said, she quickly left the office, almost dragging a waving Naruko behind her in her haste.
When the door had been closed and Hiruzen was sure they were a safe distance away the professor let out a long breath. Kushina would not like what she was going to learn about her son's life over these past few years, but at least he wouldn't have to be the one to tell her about it.
He pitied the poor soul upon whose shoulders such a task would fall on.
An angry Kushina was not something he would wish upon his enemies.
When one is trying to remain in the shadows, noise can be used to your advantage. When one is instead sitting in a classroom waiting to take the first true step into the world of Shinobi that same noise is rather irritating.
All around him children chatted loudly with friends and neighbors, eager to finish the exam and earn their headbands. It was odd, he knew, to think of those the same age as himself as mere children, but compared to him that's all they were. No one here had taken a life, no one here had experienced firsthand the politics of the Shinobi world or learned one of the countless dark secrets that had been hidden away within it. They were innocent, naive, and he couldn't help but wonder if it would be better for them not to graduate.
There were exceptions, of course, there always were. Aburame Shino of the ever-logical Aburame clan no doubt had the correct mindset for this line of work. His parents and fellow clanmates had probably taught him the truth behind the glorified tales of the Shinobi world long ago and spent every day since preparing him for it.
Nara Shikamaru may have been lazy, but the heir of Konoha's shadow clan was highly intelligent. Even if he didn't have what it would take to thrive in the dangerous world he was entering he would know what it was that he was lacking and be able to make up for it through careful planning and preparation. It was not hard to see that the boy would make a solid Chuunin squad leader and Naruto honestly doubted the Nara was aspiring for anything higher. If he did, however, a command position could very easily find its way into his future.
The final exception was, without the slightest of doubts, the only Uchiha within Konohagakure no Sato and quite likely all of Hi no Kuni. That alone said quite a bit about what the boy had gone through and it took no more than a quick look at him to see that he was ready for whatever else the dark world of Shinobi might throw at him next. He had yet to figure out if Uchiha Sasuke had any closer ties to Mikoto than being in the same clan but he wasn't likely to find out anytime soon. All information regarding the nearly extinct clan had been locked away and Sasuke was not the chatty type. Convincing him to open up and speak of the clan he no longer had was just not going to happen.
He'd just have to ask Mikoto the next time he saw her.
Of course, while there were exceptions there were also those who represented the epitome of ill-prepared. There were more than a few who stood out, but only one who put even them to shame- Haruno Sakura. She was worse than many others not just because she wasn't at all ready for the world she was so soon to be thrust into, but because she honestly believed that she was prepared to face the life of a Kunoichi.
That alone was insulting to anyone in this field of work. She was a bookworm with nothing but theory and good exam scores to fall back on. She had no practical skills and no real knowledge that mattered outside of Konoha's walls. She was going to get killed, and that was the nicest way of putting it. As a Shinobi, she would just be killed out in the field, as a Kunoichi there was a rather unpleasant separation between her defeat and her death.
It was an unfortunate truth, one that she didn't have the faintest idea of. He could only offer his condolences for anyone she was teamed up with, chances of her dragging them down with her were high. Of course, should she end up on a team with him he'd be sure to straighten her out. He couldn't be working with such a liability now, could he?
The thought of liabilities made him focus his attention on someone who he would have grouped in with Sakura without a second thought. Now, however, he didn't quite know what to think about Yamanaka Ino.
One look at her could just about sum up the current state of the Yamanaka clan. Her hair, once long and well-kept was now thrown into a messy bun that did the simple job of keeping it out of a face that showed far more weariness than it did any sign of makeup. Her clothes, still purple, were crumpled as if she had pulled her outfit out from under a pile of clothes in the middle of the night with her eyes clothed. Her purple skirt had been replaced with thick purple pants and he had a sneaking suspicion that with the financial state of the Yamanaka she only owned two or three pairs of them.
From what he had heard she was doing a rather admirable job in holding together the crumbling clan of Mindwalkers considering she was only twelve and her father did little to aid her. It was still falling apart, yes, but not quite as quickly as it otherwise would have. From her disheveled appearance and the weariness that clung to her like the perfumes she had stopped wearing so long ago it was easy to see that she was giving it her all.
Unfortunately, that wasn't nearly enough. Still, she now knew far more than her old rival Sakura did about the Shinobi world and had most likely realized how weak and useless she had previously been. It was unfortunate that a child would be forced to grow up as young as she was, but this would be good for her as a Kunoichi. Of course, he had all but washed his hands of the Yamanaka clan. As it was, the populace of Konoha was making their lives difficult enough and the loss of reputation suffered meant their financial status wasn't fairing much better.
Tension would disappear in time as the Yamanaka slowly built back up their reputation and proved themselves to be the capable Shinobi clan they had once been known as. It was much like a phoenix, Naruto thought, and he was the flame. They had been burnt away, purified by fire, and now all that was left was for them to rise again from the ashes more magnificent than before. Had he not been dealing with Inoichi personally he may have doubted their ability to do so, but that man would pull them through.
As he continued to let his mind wander, still looking towards Ino, the most peculiar thought struck him.
'She looks pretty cute exhausted.'
The others were easily enough ignored. Their laughing and chatting didn't concern her and the occasional comment about her appearance had long since failed to affect her.
But there was one thing she couldn't ignore.
Cold purple eyes pierced strait through her from across the room, sending fearful shivers down her spine. Turning her head slightly she could see him out of the corner of her eye, watching almost lazily. It was nothing like the predator she thought of him as and yet his unfocused gaze may as well have been a murderous glare as far as she was concerned.
The others might not see it when they looked at him, but she did. She knew the power at his command, she had tasted the bitter fruit borne of standing against him. This room was filled with children and amongst them sat a great wolf, calmly running his eyes over them as if they were nothing but a flock of sheep he was raising to one day devour. To him, they were probably just as threatening as sheep might be, maybe even less so.
Things had not been easy for the Yamanaka, the wolves having done well in their mission to destroy their reputation and strip away everything that they were. Had it not been against her clan she may have admired the way they worked. As it was, her family was suffering for it or, more accurately, suffering because of her. She had brought down the wrath of the wolf without realizing that what she saw had yet to even begin shedding the clothing of a sheep.
And never in her wildest dreams had she thought the wolf might have a pack. She should have, honestly, but when he had renounced his name and declared himself an enemy to her clan she quite incorrectly assumed it was only him. In the beginning, the rest of her clan had made the same mistake. It wasn't long until they realized just how large that mistake really was.
The wolves had torn them apart without killing a single one of their members.
One might have assumed that Naruto did not have what it took to just start killing them, despite having ended the life of Yamanaka Tatsuki, but they soon came to the conclusion that he was simply not merciful enough to end it for them. No, his enemies were not killed swiftly, but rather slowly ground to dust. The Yamanaka would never forget that.
And yet, strangely enough, he seemed to have stopped. Some may have said that the wolves had stopped, but she knew the wolves were his. How could those predators belong to anyone other than the beast she sat with in this very room. His eyes were all the proof she needed, for every time she looked into them she saw the image of a snarling wolf. Those purple pools said far more than his forces' masks ever could.
But while he may have stopped, the populace of Konoha was still making things difficult. Not only could they get away with most things concerning the Yamanaka because the ANBU sided with them, but many had stopped trusting the Mindwalkers after the Renji Rape scandal. There were few jobs for the Yamanaka to take, few places that didn't try to hike up prices to take advantage of their misfortune, and no one willing to offer any help.
Naruto had truly done a beautiful job and they hadn't even been able to strike out against him.
There was no one they knew of to go after to hurt him, no compound to attack, and as far as the general populace was concerned the Wolves were made up by the Yamanaka to blame their struggles on. Her father had been right in his refusal to antagonize him, he must have seen how hard it would be for them to face a foe with no known ties within the village.
And then Ino had managed to find a tie, one just as untouchable as the elusive wolf. She was quite thankful that the Hyuuga seemed content letting Naruto teach them a lesson. Had he not declared Hinata under his protection and the Hyuuga clan were to have learned that she tried to control their ex-heiress the results would have been far worse for the Yamanaka clan.
In that sense, having Naruto break them down was probably a great mercy as while he was breaking them down he seemed to have no intention of finishing them off, leaving them to build themselves back up. If she knew anything about the future of her clan, it was that they would be siding with Naruto for the rest of the foreseeable future once they had managed to return to their former state.
As the heiress, she would personally see to it they did.
Of all the lessons she had learned from this, not crossing Naruto was certainly the most valuable.
The chatter of her peers continued, unaffected by her thoughts, even as the door opened once more. It was not Iruka who entered as she had been expecting but rather a young girl dressed all in orange, her long blonde hair in twin pigtails. It took her a moment to realize that aside from the change of color the girl was wearing the same outfit she used to.
Curiously, she watched the girl observe the room until, with growing horror, bright blue eyes spotted the wolf and seemed to brighten considerably. Surely the girl could feel the sense of danger that radiated of Naruto even as he relaxed. Oh, who was she kidding? She was one of the few who seemed to realize just how much of a threat to their continued existence he was. He could tear them apart like nothing and most of her classmates were painfully unaware.
When she made her way to the great beast, Ino knew what she had to do. With quick movements despite the toll running a clan was taking on her, she grabbed hold of the ignorant girl's shoulder when she tried to pass the Yamanaka heiress.
As the girl turned to her, Ino was momentarily stunned by the resemblance she had to the wolf sitting in the corner.
She knew of the Uzumaki but it couldn't be, could it?
The last time she tried to stop someone from visiting Naruto had ended poorly but if this girl really was an Uzumaki then the last thing they needed was for her to aggravate the wolf. All the clans knew that Uzumaki Kushina and her daughter left the village four years ago, leaving behind Naruto. Ino knew that were she in his shoes then she wouldn't be too open to the idea of them just coming up to her like nothing had happened.
Considering what happened to her clan, she was probably saving this girl's life.
The way the girl practically growled "What?" at her attempts, however, did not sound too grateful.
She walked down the unfamiliar hallways, absolutely giddy to be able to traverse the same path her brother had for the past four years. He'd be here, of that she was certain. After all, how could he miss what could very well be the single most important day of his career- the first one?
A week had come and gone since their return with no sign of her brother. The apartment was his, or so the neighbors claimed, but he wasn't home and hadn't been home on the next few days they visited. There was a young girl at one point, a few years older than herself, that exited his apartment but by the time they realized that she had been the only one within it she had vanished amongst the crowds of Konoha.
Kakashi had been little help when they asked, saying that if they couldn't find him at his apartment then he could be just about anywhere in Konoha. Apparently the perverted Jounin usually just ran into him while going about his business and didn't know where her brother might spend his time when not at home. He had, however, suggested the academy or the practice fields around it. She had a feeling he was lying about only running into her brother by chance, but they still gave his suggestion a shot.
She had no luck in the fields and her mother had no luck speaking with his teacher. From what she understood from the Uzumaki matriarch's mutterings it had something to do with not being able to disclose personal information about students. Naruko thought that odd, considering it was his mother asking.
They had sought out Kurenai, her mother's former student, but the woman, much like Kakashi, only knew of his apartment. She had mentioned something about Naruto being rather private and independent meaning she wasn't needed much before claiming she had urgent errands to run and slipping away.
It was suspicious, but Naruto had always made the Jounin uneasy so Naruko accepted that she could be telling the truth but didn't like talking about it. Strange, yes, but not really out of character for the woman she knew.
When they weren't let into the Senju compound to speak with Tsunade her mother had started to believe they were keeping her son from her, but speaking to Kato Shizune, Tsunade's apprentice, revealed that he wasn't there and that Tsunade had probably locked herself in the compound after drinking too much again. Apparently it happened pretty regularly. Her mother might have been distressed enough to buy it, but Naruko had a feeling something else was going on and no one wanted to be the one to have to tell them.
It was not a pleasant feeling when it was about her brother's wellbeing.
But that would al be put to rest today. There was no way Naruto wouldn't be here today and she needed to take the test anyway. She'd find her brother, give him a great big hug, tell him all about the trip and then bring him home.
She couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he saw her; he was going to be so happy!
Reaching the classroom in which all the hopeful graduates were, she didn't hesitate to open the door and immediately begin her search for her brother. With the chaos in the room, she brought little attention to herself. Blue eyes trailed over excited students until she found her target sitting in the back corner. His red hair was unmistakable, but she noted with a slight frown that his eyes did not move to her upon her entry. Rather, they gazed lazily as a disheveled –though undoubtedly attractive- young woman.
Was that who her brother was interested in? She didn't look like all that much when it came to being a Kunoichi, but perhaps appearances were deceiving. Then again, one didn't have to be a capable Kunoichi to attract the attention of a teenage boy- good looks worked just as well, if not better.
Shaking her head of the thought, she eagerly made her way to sit by her brother, happy to be able to see him after all these years.
She had only made it to the young woman he had been looking at when a hand rested upon her shoulder, halting her movement. Turning to look at the girl who had her brother's attention she let out a frustrated growl at having her reunion interrupted.
"What?" The blonde seemed slightly surprised by something, but she couldn't figure out what it might be. It only took a second for her to recover from her slight shock.
"Don't." It was simple, deceptively so. That one word could mean a great deal in this situation, a great deal that Naruko wasn't liking.
"And why not?" Obviously this girl was trying to stop her from going to her brother and she had no idea why. Did she think she was going to steal her boyfriend? Well, she was right. He was her brother before he was any girl's boyfriend. If she wanted to steal away his attention then it was her right as his sister to do so.
"You have no idea who that is." Naruko nearly laughed. She knew exactly who that was, it was why she was trying to get to him!
"What, your boyfriend? He's my brother, I'll talk to him if I want to." The girl shook in honest terror at the thought of being in a relationship with her brother. Naruko would have been insulted had the fear in her eyes not been so real. She wasn't disgusted by Naruto, she was absolutely terrified. That would warrant some investigation later, what could have possibly made this girl so afraid of her kind older brother?
"Whatever Naruto you knew, he's gone." She pointed towards Naruto who was watching the pair warily, having do doubt recognized his sister. The joy he should have felt at seeing her after all these years was absent, his face cold and expressionless as purple eyes seemed to judge her very existence. "He might look the same, but you don't know what he's capable of."
Sneering, Naruko ripped away her shoulder.
"Che, whatever. You don't know Nii-Kun like I do." Naruko couldn't see the way amethyst pools narrowed at her statement but the girl certainly did. She backed off then, not because of what Naruko had said, but rather because she realized that what had been said obviously displeased the wolf in the corner.
With nothing left to stand in her way she started walking again, only to be interrupted before her second step could fall.
"Alright everybody, sit down. It's time to start the graduation exam."
Umino Iruka had entered the classroom.
With a groan, Naruko sat down in the nearest available seat. It looked like she'd have to wait just a bit longer to spend some time with her brother.
It was odd for him to realize that he had all but forgotten the family that left him here, hidden amongst the leaves. He was reminded of them from time to time, but never did he find himself thinking of them, too busy with the wolves and his Shinobi training.
Hiruzen had called it a training trip once, but he really hadn't thought hard on that. It had been a trip and at the end of each trip, the return. He had completely overlooked that simple fact.
He had not expected to see them again.
The Wolves had reported their return a week ago, but even then he didn't consider the possibilities of running into them. He really didn't know what to feel about them at this point. His suns had left him, but in that darkness he had found himself purpose and identity, did he really want to flood his world with their light when he had found comfort amongst the shadows?
More importantly, could he bring himself to let them return to his life? They had left him without so much as a goodbye and stayed away for four years without a single letter. Would the pain they would bring be worth letting them back in?
It would be easier to never deal with them, to carry on as he had in their absence, to pretend they were still gone on their trip. And then his sister had entered the room. He would not be able to avoid them longer than he had, it would seem. Or rather, not much longer. A week spent at headquarters had given him time to think, but he still didn't know what he wanted to do.
Avoiding the problem until absolutely necessary was a rather attractive option.
Of course, if he could manage long enough, he could become a Chuunin and not have to worry about it quite so much. As a Chuunin he'd have complete control over what missions he went on and who he did them with. Sure, Kushina was a Kunoichi, a comrade, and so was his sister, her headband tied proudly over her forehead, but just because they were comrades didn't mean he had to work with them. It would be better for everyone if they could all just carry on as if complete strangers.
Picking his own headband off the desk, he tied it around his neck. He had contemplated putting it around his arm as Shikamaru had done but ultimately decided that he may as well protect a rather large weak spot with it.
Iruka re-entered the room at that moment, having done a final confirmation for team formations. They had been decided previously based on those believed capable of passing, but any variances would need to be addressed.
"Settle down, settle down." The chatter of fresh Gennin quickly quieted, paying rapt attention to discover who they would be working with for the foreseeable future. Knowing their attention would disappear as quickly as he had gained it, Iruka quickly began listing team formations.
"….And then we have team seven under Hatake Kakashi which will be formed by Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Uzumaki Naruko."
"Team eight will be Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, and Inuzuka Kiba under the guidance of Yuuhi Kurenai."
"Team nine is still going strong, so team ten is made up of Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chouji, and Yamanaka Ino and will be led by Sarutobi Asuma."
Iruka flipped through his papers one last time before addressing the teams.
"All teams are to report to the designated training field of their number in one hour to meet with their Jounin instructors. Don't be late."
Slowly, Naruto raised his hand.
"And of myself, Sensei?"
"Yes, I have that right here. Due to the number of graduates-" Iruka shot a quick glance to Naruko that was seen by a handful of the students. "We do not have enough fresh Gennin to form another team. Because of this, you are being placed in the active reserves to await an opening in a team or for priority placing during the next graduation, whichever comes first."
It was hard to miss the way his body clenched in anger at the news. Purple eyes glared accusingly at everyone in the room as if they were personally holding him back from starting his Shinobi career in earnest.
Giving a slight cough, Iruka continued. "I have your paperwork here and the official recognition of your current status. I'd recommend going to the Shinobi registration office as soon as possible to get everything sorted. The chances are slim, but new Chuunin may recruit you for lower level missions to gain experience leading. The sooner you get everything taken care of, the higher your chances."
Giving a low growl, Naruto stood and made his way to his instructor of four years, ignoring the mutterings that started as he passed. He grabbed the papers offered to him, his hands shaking in rage, and made for the nearby door.
Four years, four fucking years and now he was being told he'd have to wait longer just because his sister decided to return for a team? It was bullshit, complete and utter bullshit. A mirthless chuckle nearly escaped his lips. It made sense, in a twisted sort of way. As long as he could remember his sister had always been extremely fortunate, he couldn't remember her ever wanting for something or having to work towards her desires.
If Uzumaki luck was real then he suspected that she stole his in the womb.
It could certainly explain the last four years.
Hurrying down a single flight of stairs and through the hallways he usually didn't bother with he knew he needed to find a vacant training ground and work off some steam. After that he'd need to inform Sai and Mai. The three of them had been expecting him to be spending most of his time with a team but it suddenly looked like he had a lot of spare time on his hands.
His plans, however, took a slight detour as he opened the front door of the school.
Standing there in standard Jounin attire, her long red hair moving in the slight breeze, Uzumaki Kushina was waiting. As soon as she saw him her eyes widened in surprised delight, a large smile stretching over her lips. Still angered about not getting a team, he said the first thing that came to mind, his voice as ice and his tongue as swift and deadly as a serpent.
"You're about four years late, aren't you?"
Her pained flinch was oddly satisfying.
Join us again next week for Act XVII