Metalmancer

Letting Go of Yesterday


Konoha Hospital


It was dark, nearing midnight, by the time the Uzumaki girl began to stir in her sleep, two days after Naruto brought her into the village. When she was first admitted and placed into a room, she was so still in her repose that Naruto Shin-Bunshin, wearing scrubs over a t-shirt while he continued working as an isha-nin, sometimes had to check her vitals just to assure himself that she was alive. His creator had been by both days personally, to check up on her, and with constant monitoring from the Konoha medical staff, not to mention infusions of chakra, she slowly began to overcome her chakra exhaustion. There was always a True Clone staying with her, both for her protection, and because she was the closest Naruto had to blood family, other than Miu and Hayato Namikaze.

It is standard procedure for hospitals to take blood samples, and run a genetic profile, this is used to determine if there are any abnormalities, they should be aware of while treating the patient. Naruto, as the admitting physician was considered her primary caregiver, so it was not considered an invasion of privacy for them to give him copies of her genetic profile, and as he read them, he began to notice some commonalities with their respective, genetic make-ups. Before he could be sure, he had to run a genetic analysis of his own blood, and what he discovered, totally blew him away, it seemed as if karma were paying him back for giving him such a shitty childhood. This kunoichi, whom he found purely by chance on the side of the road, was in fact, his cousin – as in one of her parents, was a sibling to his mother – cousin. That was information he kept to himself, he did not even consider telling Tsunade, yet. He destroyed all testing materials, and sanitized every piece of equipment he had used, to insure that nobody knew except him, that this woman lying in a hospital bed, nearly dying from chakra exhaustion was directly related to him.

It was not that he did not trust his best-friend, he did, but he did not want the Uzumaki kunoichi, to only like him because of their family relations. Plus, it may be information the woman did not know, or did not want bandied about carelessly. He decided to wait, until she was cleared from the hospital, and they were safely behind the walls of the Uzumaki compound, before telling her.

The Uzumaki kunoichi, began moving a little bit on the first night, little wiggles of the fingers and toes in the beginning, and even that was sporadic. The movement became more frequent as the day continued, graduating to head jerks and even some whispers here and there, she seemed to be having nightmares, probably from what brought her to the side of the road. "No," she seemed to whisper, "no more biting, no more teeth marks… mother," she would say, before going back into silence.

The only time Naruto would leave her side, was when the nurses would come in and bathe her. While as a medical ninja, if he had to, he could and would treat anybody, regardless of gender or affiliation, but Naruto refused to violate the young woman's modesty. There were female nurses, doctors, and medical kunoichi here now, to do that would violate his ethics as a medical ninja and as a man, let her retain her dignity, Naruto thought, I have no right to take it away.

The last two days were tumultuous to say the least, the original Naruto had moved into the Uzumaki estate. Estate, Shin-Naruto scoffed, the Uzumaki Estate, more like Uzumaki neighborhood. It was once a part of the Senju lands but was a wedding gift, from Hashirama to Mito. It consisted of several houses of varying sizes, and a communal courtyard that was almost a park by itself. The Uzumaki Temple was sat facing all of these houses, which were configured into a semi-circle, with the largest house, a veritable Lord's Manor at the apex, directly opposite the temple. Surrounding the Uzumaki compound, a wall ran from either side of the temple, all the way around the entire neighborhood, and they were the strongest barrier within the walls of the Leaf itself, nothing but nothing, enters this neighborhood without consent of those that lived within it. Every house, and the temple, were connected to each other via walkways made of cobblestones, which had various protection seals carved into them, apparently only someone with the blood of the Uzumaki or the Uzumaki marriage seal on them, could come further into this neighborhood than the temple, without invitation.

Naruto found the house in which his parents lived, and just like the people that once lived here, it was not overly showy. It was large enough for a medium-sized family, apparently mom and dad, were planning to have more children than just me, Naruto assumed, it had four bedrooms, a nice family room for entertaining guests, a living room where the television was set-up, a den/ library, and a fairly well-appointed kitchen, with every modern convenience a cook would need, to prepare a meal. The front yard was a true flower-lover's paradise, with every flower that could grow in this climate, lending a splendorous bouquet of scent to the air. The kitchen and the flower garden had clearly been placed under preservation seals, because the food in the kitchen, and the flowers in the garden, looked as fresh and vibrant as the day they were brought onto the property.

The back of the house was where Naruto's parents trained, because built into the back of the house was a dojo. It was your standard ninja training room, hardwood floors with shoji doors leading, either out into the rear of the house, or leading to the armory, and the changing facilities for men and women. There were practice weapons on the walls of the main dojo floor, with two maxims that seemed to embody the essence of Uzumaki nindō: Mercy belongs to the Strong, and Only the Strong become Victors.

The armory was where his mother stored her katana, which was in reality a three sword set: a standard-length katana, a chisa-katana just a few centimeters shorter, and an O-katana. There was nothing special about any of them except they had an ability, which allowed them to form together into a single blade, called a Nodachi. The way they came together, reminded Naruto of how water droplets form bigger drops, when they collided. They came apart just as easily, breaking down until they were the size of tanto blades, five total, one of Shin-Naruto's brethren was now studying the blade to see if the same quality can be applied to Tokichi. If not then perhaps Tokichi's hilt can replace the current one occupying that position, it only took half a day to transform the metal of the blade into the metal-alloy, Naruto invented. And, if even that was not possible, then perhaps he had finally outgrown Tokichi, because there was no way he was going to leave his mother's sword behind, when he left Konoha.

There were scrolls on the Uzumaki compound, that contained kenjutsu styles, taijutsu styles, and ninjutsu for all five elemental nature transformations, as well as a plethora of non-elemental ninjutsu. There were volumes of tomes that contained fuinjutsu from every skill-level, and all of them were Uzumaki fuinjutsu, but there were sealing ideas that came from Minato as well. There was a training field set up, that seemed to have been designed to practice the Hiraishin, there were gravity seals imbedded in the ground, which were obviously meant to increase the gravity around the fighter, but they only kicked in when the runner exceeded the speed of sound in atmosphere. The scrolls for the Rasengan, and ideas for adding elements to it, could be found in the den, circled and then scratched out, when they were tried but failed.

Naruto realized as he went through it all, that he had a lot to learn, he knew that he was powerful and strong, maybe even as strong as Itachi Uchiha, when Itachi was Naruto's age, but he knew that he lacked patience. Thus, to learn everything he needed from his inheritance, he would have to return to Konoha on a regular basis, the fox is right, I need to let go of my hatred for this place. I can never love this place, so I'm going to have to find something about it to cherish. Maybe not something, Shin-Naruto mused, but perhaps someone. Tsunade-chan is Hokage here, and she truly is one of my best-friends, I think she even likes me a little. I've noticed the little looks she gives me from time to time, those are the same looks I saw passing between Miu, Kaname, and their husband, before they began dating. I hope Tsunade-chan is okay with being my friend though, because I'm still with Ayame-chan, and I don't foresee that changing anytime soon, Naruto determined, at the very least I want to give us a real shot. I do love Ayame, but even a dumbass like me knows that there is more than just one type of love.

Speaking of love, Ayame and Naruto have been almost inseparable since he came back to the village, the only times they were apart, was when she had to work her shift at LEX-mart. Naruto decided to try seeking employment in the metal smithies around Konoha, to pass the time when he was not training, and while Ayame was at work. He wanted to further his education as a metalsmith, but he refused to specialize, he wanted to work with all metals, not just iron or steel. Therefore, Naruto sent several shin-bunshin out under henges to apply for work, as blacksmiths, coppersmiths, gold, and silversmiths, even jewelers, and commercial construction crews, since metal is a major component in both of those industries.

One of the skills that he learned while learning under Ji-Yeong Moon was the art of welding, he was certified in arc, oxy-fuel, and resistance welding, and it was the one aspect of working in her metal shop, where he made an exception to using his shinobi skills. It was the best way he found for training his fire and scorch release chakra, in both intensity and precision, and it even aided him in his chakra control.

There is a chakra-based, welding process called, Chakra Arc Welding or CHAW, which uses chakra to form the arc for the process, since welders were one of the few civilian professions that were taught to use chakra. In fact, many retired ninja, became welders, and it was welders, not ninja, samurai, or monks, that held the record for highest level of chakra control. The only drawback to that welding process is, you had to have a lot of CHAW welders to prevent chakra exhaustion from killing your crew.

Shin-Naruto saw the Uzumaki girl's eyes flutter open, she looked around the room slowly, carefully taking in the contents, before turning her gaze back to the only other person in the room. She blinked once before sitting up and yawning, "where am I, bunshin-san," she saw his quirking eyebrow, "yes, I can tell you're a clone, because your chakra signature is in multiple places at once. My Mind's Eye of Kagura reveals to me, all lies," she explained.

Shin-Naruto simply nodded, but answered her question, "you, are in Konoha Hospital, my name is Naruto, or you may refer to me as Naruto-bunshin, if that makes you more comfortable."

"Thank you, Naruto-san," and the Uzumaki kunoichi nodded, then asked further, "how did I get here, the last thing I remember was fainting, I was running away from my village, and my genin team," she stated through gritted teeth? She looked up at Naruto, who was just looking at her with an understanding face, which brought a grateful smile to her lips, so she continued with, "my name is Karin, by the way, Karin Uzumaki."

"My creator found you on the side of the rode about four days ago," Naruto told her, "he was on his way here on personal business and brought you here to be treated."

Karin looked at this boy, who looked to be only a few years younger than her, and in her more honest moments knew that while she was in good shape, she was not a feather, she weighed over forty-five kilos. She used her sensor and looked at him, she felt his chakra, and the power behind it left her in awe of him, when she compared it to other things, the closest comparison she could come up with, was a waterfall. It was beautiful and inspiring to look at, but Karin never wanted to go up against this boy if she could ever help it, because she knew that she would be swept away without much effort at all, and she is an Uzumaki, who were known to have larger chakra reserves than most, even without training.

She also felt the still more powerful well of chakra deep within him, it was different from him, separate from him, but also a part of him. The comparison this time was that this chakra was to her chakra, what the depths of the ocean were to a lake. This is what a clone of this person feels like, she thought, what will it be like when the original visits me? "You're a ninja, aren't you, Naruto-san," she asked, and at his nod, "where is your hitae-ate, then?"

"I am a ronin, I trained out of Ryozanpaku, Ronin School for the Ninja Arts," he informed her, then added, "but it's a sideline, my primary profession is metal-worker. However, before you ask, I am also your primary caregiver, because I'm certified as an isha-nin," he informed her, but hurriedly added before she could get mad, "but don't worry, I never did more with you than Delve you to learn of your chakra exhaustion, and I left the room when the nurses here bathed you."

Karin only smiled, "I wasn't worried about that Naruto-san, and as a medic myself, we're trained to ignore what our hormones tell us when examining a patient. Plus, we're from the same clan, so I don't mind if you see me naked," she told him in a seductive manner, her infatuation growing as he spoke, he saved my life, and he's kinda cute. I wonder if he likes older women, she thought, "tell me, Naruto-kun, do you have a girlfriend?"

Naruto quirked his eyebrow, "yes, I do have a girlfriend, but how do you know I'm an Uzumaki?"

"My Mind's Eye, could feel that there was a link between us, and your massive chakra coils didn't help either," she did not let the disappointment show on her face or in her voice, about his current romantic situation, "our clan is the only one with chakra coils like that, not to mention the quality of your chakra is very similar to mine. Also, you weren't surprised by my last name," and at his confused expression, she elaborated, "nearly everybody I've met, when they hear my last name, seem surprised that there are any of us left."

"Well, you're right, part of my original's full name is Naruto Uzumaki, I am the child of Kushina Uzumaki," he admitted, he studied Karin's face and chakra with the new sensory ability she awakened within him but could find nothing, that would lead him to believe she knew his mother's name. I guess her mother or father, never mentioned a sister, he assumed, then added, "my original's full-name, is Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, my father was Minato Namikaze, and when you get better, I'll take you to the Uzumaki compound here in Konoha. I hope you and my creator, can become true friends," he exclaimed, "I've never met another Uzumaki before, this promises to be fun!"


Remnants of the Uchiha


Naruto woke up early the next morning, and immediately began to get around to get ready for his day. Today was a special day, he would be introduced to the Uchiha, and begin his wardship. He was supposed to meet Mikoto at the Hokage Mansion, walk with her to the Uchiha district, and there, she would make the formal introductions. I hope my relationship with them is better this time round, there are few things as annoying as getting on the wrong side of local law enforcement, and it will not help me to overcome my hatred of the Leaf if I alienate my father's paternal clan. Which reminds me, I've got to send Miu and Hayato an update about that, they're going to freak when they learn where dad came from.

Naruto prepared and ate his breakfast, before creating a Shin Bunshin and dispelling him. Doing that revitalizes the already existing true clones, the link between creator and created goes both ways, anything Naruto does physically, benefits the clones, and anything the clones accomplish, Naruto benefits. Shin bunshin are truly living facsimiles of Naruto, and thus, they need to eat and rest like their creator. Naruto was using his clones to do things he would not have time to do on his own, metal working, learning Uzumaki taijutsu (martial arts), bukijutsu (weapons, excluding the sword), and kenjutsu (sword), practicing new ninjutsu, and training his chakra control, not to mention working in various jobs, to further his education in metal work, and working in the hospital to gain more experience as a medical ninja. So, I'm totally going back on my word about not using Shin Bunshin to train, with all that I'm learning, I would be stupid not to take advantage of such an invaluable training tool, and I try not to be too stupid if I can help it. Screw, anybody that objects, this is my life and I'll run it the way I see fit. [Naruto turns to the Reader and flips the bird.] Naruto does his part by eating healthy and sleeping regularly, then every morning after breakfast, after lunch, and dinner at night, and just before going to sleep, Naruto creates a true clone then dispels him, sending the energy from sleep, and nourishment from food, to each and every clone that still exists, regardless of the distance. The shin bunshin in Bird, gets it at the exact same time that the true clones in Konoha get it, and they all get the same amount, there is no dearth of energy regardless of the amount of clones.

Naruto finishes his breakfast, and while he is cleaning up after himself, gets the information the clone in the hospital, the one standing guard in his cousin's room, learned overnight. Hm, so Karin calls this sensory ability of hers, the Mind's Eye of Kagura, and it can see through lies and clones, it seems to be able to sense the quantity and quality of chakra. She nearly pieced together, that we're related, if she does, then I'll have to entreat her to keep it quiet, until the appropriate time to reveal something like that arrives. It seems to be a passive sensor ability, meaning its always on, it acts pretty much like all of my other senses, their always on as well, which means I can ignore it when I don't need it.

[Its weird Kyūbi, I'm surprised I'm not having trouble adjusting to this new sensory ability, but I haven't had any issues with it, not one, it's as if, I've had this ability all my life.]

{In a very real way, kit, you have had these abilities all your life,} the wise kitsune answered Kyūbi's roommate, {it was the same way with the Hiraishin, you seemed to be able to understand how to use it almost instinctively, you had a few false starts as you learned how to use it. Like that time when you first got it, and were learning how to use it, you were learning how to stop and ran right into the river, I've never laughed so hard in my life,} Kyūbi declared, with a little too much mirth in Kyūbi's voice in Naruto's estimation.

The woodpeckers in Naruto's mind each gave a single [KNOCK!], to remind the tailed-beast of just who was in charge here, [what's your point, oh, wise Fox], Naruto demanded with a growl?

{What I mean, kit,} the fox stated with dignity, as if the tailed-beast was not worried about his landlord, unleashing the terror of woodpeckers upon the fox's very sensitive ears, the frantic twitching of his kitsune eyes showing to anyone looking, what a lie that was, {is while these abilities may have been dormant within you, and your parents, they were still a component of your genes, so your body and mind were already conditioned to accept their input. I look at those false starts, the way I would look at a cub learning how to hunt for the first time,} Kyūbi continued, {you're going to miss, you're going to screw up, but even a numbskull like you, knows that we learn more from our messes, than we ever will from the successes we achieve.}

Naruto was fingering his chin, [Hm, well it's as good a theory as I can think of], then chuckles in gratitude, [thanks, Kyūbi!] Naruto finished his chores in the kitchen, then heads to the foyer, he ties onto his belt, a holster of kunai and shuriken on opposing thighs, another pouch of senbon over his right hip, and a generic Chisa-katana on his left. His clones were still trying to figure out how to integrate, Tokichi's hilt with his mother's blade, they were making progress, but it would require patience. Naruto did not trust the citizens of Konoha, a few of them had already recognized him, while he had been out with Ayame, it seemed an aspect of his Mind's Eye was the ability to sense emotional states, even at a great distance, and his presence had re-ignited the hatred of several of them. They never said anything, their faces though, had gone cold as soon as they recognized Naruto, their eyes became hard as granite.

His clones had forged these weapons from mangalloy-titantung, over the last two days, they exhausted his supply of the metal, but it was easily recreated. These weapons were distinctive in the shade of the metal, it seemed as if the forging process had cast the metal they were made from, into a purplish hue. The only thing that will not remain with him when he leaves Konoha, will be the sword, he will not need it, because he will be leaving here with his mother's sword, one way or another. Naruto finished getting ready to go out, by placing his ball cap with the symbols of his profession on the forehead. In addition to the ball cap, he wore a navy-blue, single-piece jumpsuit, with well-worn, work boots, knee-pads, with patches on both shoulders that had the Uzumaki and Namikaze clan symbols on the left and right, respectively. He also had a version that combined both clan symbols into a homage of the onmyō (yin/yang) symbol, with the Uzumaki Whirlpool as the yang, and the Namikaze Star as the yin, on his back. The sleeves of the jumpsuit were rolled up to his forearm, revealing the tattoo in which he kept the Raijin no ken, while he was in Konoha. It was in the shape of a vajra, with a storage seal in place of the unity jewel.

"Okay, time to go meet my grandfather's clan," he declared, "let's hope they're better examples of their clan than my past dealings with them."

The weather over Konoha today, was gray and overcast, it was one of those days that was not threatening rain, but the sun was hidden behind the clouds. The bustle of the marketplace as Naruto passed through it, was as normal as the last few days Naruto had been in Hidden Leaf Village. The kunoichi did not waylay him, until he had walked beyond the market and into an alley, which was concealed from view of any passing witnesses. The first attack came from concealment, a kunai came whistling through the air from out of nowhere, and Naruto pivoted his body to the side so that it sailed harmlessly passed him, embedding itself in the wall just centimeters from his head. The next attack came from above, as three shuriken came whirling down from the roofs of the two buildings, he was standing between, Naruto retreated two steps, as they buried themselves into the pavement. All this time, he had not taken his eyes from the opening in front of him, which appeared to be empty, he made a single hand-sign (Tori), and directly in front of him a web of ninja wire began to glow, and bright blue, magnetic waves began tugging on the ninja wire, until it began to come loose from the wall. It all coalesced into a ball about the size of his fist, he released his jutsu and let the ball drop to the ground.

Naruto was more annoyed than angry, he figured he might have to endure some kind of attack after his presence became common knowledge to the populace of Konoha, but this was just insulting, "come now, is this the best you can do, kunoichi-san, I can tell from your chakra signature that you're at least an A-ranked ninja, but this is offensive?"

On the wall above the mouth of the alley, a head surfaced, followed by the torso of a woman, she had purple hair, styled into a Kiri-braid, with cropped bangs, hung over her Konohagakure forehead protector, with only the Konoha symbol showing on it, and piercing eyes. Her figure was slender, and she was wearing the required Jonin uniform, along with two swords strapped to her left hip by multiple bandages. She jumped down and landed in Naruto's path, she was as calm as the weather, and did not seem to have any emotional twinges about fighting Naruto. This isn't some hate filled villager, Naruto concluded, she's testing me, but why? Who is she?

As soon as the kunoichi landed, she immediately drew one of the blades from her bandage belt and charged at the ronin. Naruto drew his own blade and, in the process, deflected her blade, dodging to the side, running up along the side of the wall. The kunoichi, the alley was narrow which allowed her to hop upon the opposite wall, thrust her blade at him with every intention of killing her foe. Naruto easily deflected her offerings, and riposted against her with ease, he was actually beginning to enjoy himself. This was the most challenging kenjutsu battle, he has had since Mai-sensei, this kunoichi was damn good, not uncomfortable at all with fighting from a horizontal perspective. They reached the top of the alley, and jumped at the same time, exchanging a few sword strikes in mid-air, before curving down onto the opposite wall, just before they made contact, Naruto performed a mid-air tumble which surprised the kunoichi just a little.

All of the astonishment she allowed to show on her face, however, was a slight smile, which in no way impaired her as much as Naruto was hoping, because when he landed on her wall and went for an overhead strike, she dodged low, running down the wall, until he was above her. Naruto was no more surprised about her maneuver than she had been with his, he just pivoted towards the ground to face her, this was when he decided to go on the offensive. Naruto rushed down at her with deadly intent, she could see it in his eyes, the power of his first slash on her blade, shook her when she parried it, and it pushed her backward. He followed that up with a lunge, bringing his blade back towards her in a backhanded slash, which she barely deflected, while stepping down another step. He made a feint at her legs, which caused her to hop back, which slammed her back right into the ground. She could not dodge in this position, she was literally laying on the ground, she could not believe she allowed him to maneuver her like this, but she would not go down without some kind of victory. She reached behind herself, just as the boy made his thrust down at her, despite herself she could not help but flinch as his blade flashed toward her face.

She felt more than heard, his blade stab itself into the pavement, just centimeters from her face, then she felt the trickle, followed by the pain, as she felt blood rolling down the side of her face. He cut my cheek, she looked up at him and saw him grin a foxish grin, he's been in control of this fight since it began. I was the ambusher, yet since I've made my presence known, I have been the one following him, it was he that first went on the walls. I was… I was trying to show off to him, she realized, it seemed her subconscious wanted to impress him, even if she kept her feelings from swaying her resolve to test him, so I went on my wall, he was the one that started running up the walls, we made the jump at the same time… he made that tumble just to distract me, to distract me from his true intentions, then he began attacking me relentlessly, to prevent me from noticing my position, and it worked. I never became aware of my body's position until it was too late. She looked up at her opponent who had brought his face a few millimeters closer to hers, if anybody were to look down the alley, they would see a boy and a grown woman in a compromising position.

Naruto kept his grin on his face, "Good morning, Jonin-kunoichi-san, my name's Naruto… Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, but you already knew that, may I have the name of the cute kunoichi that's provided me with such a thrilling workout this morning?"

In spite of her stoic resolve, she could not help the blush that crept onto her face, her voice was calm though, when she replied with, "and why should I give you my name, gaki, you didn't beat me, I'd call this fight a draw," he looked down at her in puzzlement, then he felt something tapping him on his flank, he followed her gaze down, and found her other sword doing the tapping. His mouth gaped open, but she spoke to him in a lecturing tone, "you have excellent skills, Naruto-san, but you are still a little naïve when it comes to a few things."

"Stop teasing him, Naori-chan," Mikoto's voice cut into their little moment, they both jerked their head toward the new voice, the Matriarch of Uchiha was standing at the mouth of the alley, in a simple dark purple blouse and a red-plum skirt. She was looking at them in an amused expression, which turned devilish as she spoke, "Naruto, would you please get off of her, what would Ayame think if she saw you now?"

Naruto, and the now named Naori, leapt to their feet, and despite her stoic nature, she was blushing as red as Naruto's hair, so was Naruto, and he was scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Naori-san," he stated, as he slid his blade home in the scabbard, then turned to his godmother, "Mikoto-kaa-san, what was this all about, I was on my way to see you so you can introduce me to the other Uchiha, not get waylaid on the way?"

Mikoto just smiled warmly as he addressed her that way, before answering while indicating the other kunoichi, "this is Naori Uchiha, I asked her to be your sensei, for inducting you into the customs and practices of the clan, she'll also be educating you more on the Sharingan."

Naruto looked at the Jonin, and did not object to her, still he had to ask, "I thought you would be my sensei, Mikoto?"

Mikoto shook her head sadly, "with my duties as Matriarch, and as an Elder, plus since I am busy training Sasuke, I'm afraid I wouldn't be a very adequate teacher for you." Naruto nodded his understanding, so Mikoto went on with her explanation, pointing to the other Uchiha, "Naori has developed her Sharingan the most out of all of the Uchiha, so she will be the best person to train you in its use," Mikoto finished.

"I'm not going to lie, when Mikoto-san asked me to teach you about it, I was reluctant to teach one from outside of the clan, even if you will be a ward of the Uchiha, you are still an outsider," Naori explained, "but Mikoto-san, insisted that I should at least meet you, before making any decisions. Talk however, is cheap, we could chat forever and not learn anything about each other, but battle is the only true way to learn who somebody is, so I decided to try attacking you. It would show me how you handled things when your life is on the line," she smiled an approving smile, "and I accept you as my pupil, now let's head home, time to meet the rest of your family."

Naruto could not help but smile gently at her last comment, my family, then his foxy-smile returned, "yes, let's go, but first, why don't you go ahead and drop your genjutsu, Naori-sensei, it's not necessary anymore. That was smart thinking by the way, this would insure that any damage we did to the surrounding area was all in our minds, and we weren't interrupted by a crowd," he said as he walked over to Mikoto. Naruto, turned back to face Naori, and added, "by the way, I'll make you a new pair of blades to replace your old ones, I'm afraid that any blade short of Kusanagi, itself, or maybe the Kiri Seven, become dangerously compromised when they cross my swords," Naori was inspecting her blade, and noticed that there were nicks and cracks all over her swords, and it was noticeably warped as well. She looked up from her inspection with some disgruntlement, "sorry, Naori-sensei, it's the metal, you've just been mangled by the titan's tongue."


Woes of the Ramen Girl


We come now to the Leaf Exchange and Market number 1, more specifically to Ichiraku Ramen of the food court, where we find a young lady slouching against the counter. They were just coming down from the lunch rush, and things were quiet, most of the side-work was complete, and all the work that needed to be done to run a ramen shop was finished. This gave the woman, enough time to finally think about the events of the last couple of days, specifically the feelings she had towards her prodigal boyfriend, who had finally returned to the Leaf after being gone for over seven years.

This woman's name is Ichiraku Ayame, and the boy she thought about now, that had always occupied a certain corner of her mind, even when she was not actively thinking about him, just so happened to be, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, metal-worker, ronin, and medical ninja. Ayame sat at the counter of her ramen booth, her head propped up by her hand, and staring off into the distance, she was biting her lip guiltily, not because of something she did, but for what she was not feeling for her boyfriend. Her boyfriend, the one she promised herself to as soon as he became Chunin for the Leaf, would never be able to fulfill that promise, and while that should not have been such a big deal to her. It seemed to be the thing that her mind had latched onto since she woke up this morning, and she did not understand that.

Why was it such a big deal to her for him to fulfill his promise, Chunin was just a rank, it did not really speak about the skill of the individual that held the position? There were Genin in Konoha that had skills as powerful as some of the Jonin here in the village, they had either not wanted to rise above their rank, were unable to for personal or political reasons, or they had been demoted for some offence or other, that made them ineligible for promotion. And to be honest, the Chunin condition had been added by Naruto, because he knew that a Genin could never be able to support a wife and kids, he was practical even as a five-year-old, he could feel emotions just like every child his age, but life on his own had taught him not to let his feelings overwhelm his common sense – if such a thing exists – he loved her but he knew that loving others made you responsible for them. Even if her job at the ramen stand could've supplemented what he got from his ninja pay, there were times when months would go by before a mission came in that genin could do, well anything above D-rank that is, Chunin got better and more lucrative missions, even if they were more dangerous, and Naruto, even as a street waif never accepted anything from others if he could not pay them back in some fashion. He refused to be a free-loader, and wanted to be able to pull his weight, no matter how he felt.

So no, him being a Chunin or not, should not have been holding her back from giving her whole heart to Naruto. Naruto was a ronin, and a powerful ninja, she was not a judge of such things really, but she had lived in a ninja village since her birth, and she has seen a few Chunin Exams, has walked by several training grounds, where ninja of varying strengths practiced their arts. She watched Naruto while he was training yesterday, and she concluded that as far as she could tell, he was comparable to several Jonin in strength. If she had to guess, her boyfriend was likely a rival for the likes of Maito Guy-san, in terms of taijutsu prowess, Naruto refused to let her be around him when he trained in ninjutsu, because some of his jutsu were too dangerous to demonstrate, and should only be practiced away from others, or around confirmed enemies.

I don't care about his power as a ninja, all I have ever cared about with Naruto was how he treated me, and others, not to mention his sense of honor. When he was treated like garbage by the entire village, he never once let them see him cry, and even when he was about to freaking starve to death, he never once took a handout from anybody. Even when he'd come to the ramen stand for food, he never accepted it unless father allowed him to work it off after he finished, it didn't have to be much, even something as small as letting him wash his own bowls, so as not to create more work for me and father, was all he needed to allow him to accept the offering. Ayame, the child, would get mad at him sometimes for that, even going so far as to call him a baka for acting so stubborn about accepting help, but it did not matter what she said to him, he never accepted anybody's help unless he could pay them back. Even looking back on those times today, Ayame, still could not tell if he was exercising his sense of honor, or being stubbornly prideful, which, now that she thought about it there did not seem to be much difference, in her book.

Ayame felt a breath on her left ear, which brutally wrenched her mind away from her thoughts on her boyfriend, "KYA," she screamed in surprise, as she hopped away from the offending distractor. She looked around wildly, trying to find out who disturbed her thoughts. Ayame heard laughter coming from her left and whipped her head around to find one of her best friends, doubling over in laughter. "Izumi-chan, what's… the big… idea," Ayame demanded in an irate, growling voice?

Izumi Uchiha was holding her stomach, trying to keep from falling on the floor in her mirth, "I'm sorry, Ayame-chan, you just looked so depressed, as you were sitting at the counter, and I did call out to you as I came in," she explained, then as Ayame looked at her skeptically, added, "you were just so out of it, you didn't hear me talking to you."

Ayame sighed as the last of her fright left her, and her melancholy mood settled upon her once again, "Oh, well, I apologize for not hearing you, as you came in Izumi. I've had a lot on my mind recently," she told her friend, then asked officially as an Ichiraku waitress, "how may I help you?"

Izumi leaned on the counter, studying her friend with a speculative eye, "pork-miso, please," she answered. Then narrowing her eyes and taking a chance, began speaking with, "so something interesting happened today," Ayame, who had turned away to get Izumi's order ready, while Izumi continued talking, sounding like she was just talking about the weather, "Mikoto-sama, called in all non-essential Uchiha Police Officers, for a clan meeting, turns out we got a new member of the clan today. I'll give you a hint about his identity, he has crimson hair, and when not manifesting the Sharingan, he has violet eyes. Oh, and you're dating him," Izumi informed Ayame, while eyeing her best friend from the corner of her eye, "care to guess his name?"

Ayame just sighed, while her shoulders slumped in defeat, "no matter what I do, I can never be worthy of him," she said in a depressed voice, "he is so far beyond me, what can he see in me?" Izumi turned to look at her friend, who kept her back to the Uchiha, so Izumi remained quiet and listened, "when he came to me the first day, it was the initial meeting of someone I'd loved since I was eleven-years-old, combined with the emotional toll I'd felt from missing him for seven-years, but once that emotional energy was dissolved, there was nothing left in me, except the embers of a crush that was starting to fade away." As Ayame was talking, she never stopped going through the steps she needed to complete her friend's order, the automatic doors at the entrance to LEX-mart opened and closed, "he is so different from the boy I'd promised myself to when I was just a kid," then she paused in thought, and shook her head as if she did not like something she said, "actually, we're both the same people we were, the only difference between us is the company we keep and the careers we've chosen. He rubs shoulders with Daimyos, who treat him as though he were family, one of his best-friends is Tsunade Senju, who as an Uzumaki is partially related to him, now it turns out that he's related to one of the founding clans of Konoha. Whereas I am the ramen girl in a village owned facility, my day consists of making and serving ramen to starving Leaf ninja, before they head out on or return from missions or training," Ayame turned away from putting the finishing touches on Izumi's order and presented it to her with a genuine smile of pride, "and I love what I do, I truly do, I could never see myself doing anything different."

"I have wonderful friends, that will listen to me bitch and complain about my boyfriend," Ayame added with a grateful smile, toward Izumi, "and how different our relative stations in life are."

"Don't you love him, Ayame-chan," Izumi asked as she began to eat, "you've talked my ear off for years about how, Naruto-san, is one of the best men you've ever met, has something between you changed?"

"I do love him, Izumi-chan," Ayame's voice was rock solid in her sincerity about her feelings, "and Naruto is still one of the best men I've ever met, and it's what hasn't changed that has me doubting what kind of relationship we can have."

"What do you mean, Ayame," Izumi prompted?

"Naruto thinks I haven't noticed, but I saw the looks he got last night, when we went out for dinner," Ayame told Izumi, "I saw the hatred they directed at him. If Naruto stays here, he'll have to endure that kind of hatred every day, and I could never ask him to do that, not for me," Ayame said with a bowed head. "Not only that, Naruto would never be able to find work if he were to stay here, they would never hire him, even for his skill as a metal-worker," she explained, "and Naruto would never allow himself to be a mooch, his sense of honor wouldn't have it."

"Well, why not go with him when he leaves here in three-months," Izumi suggested, "you're not a ninja of the village, you're not bound to the village like I am."

"As much as I would love to be with Naruto-kun, and leave this wretched excuse for a village, what possible use would I be to Naruto. At most I would be a distraction," she stated emphatically, "I mean I've lived all my life in a village, I'm not exactly cut out to live in the wilderness," Ayame clenched her fists, "at worst, I could make him vulnerable if one of his enemies were to take me hostage. Naruto would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to me, he would blame himself, I know it, that just the kind of man he is."

Before Izumi could speak up, another voice broke in, "not to mention, the vagabond lifestyle I lead, is no place to take someone you love."

The two women whipped their head around to stare at the man they had just been talking about, "Na- Naruto-kun," came Ayame's fearful reply, "how- how much of that did you here?"

"Enough to know how much you love me, and to realize how much I love you," he admitted, as he came up to the counter, he then turned to his new fellow clansperson with a smile, "Izumi-san, would you please, allow me to speak with Ayame-chan alone?"

Izumi turned to look at Ayame, who nodded her consent, but before she left, "if you hurt her, kid, and clan or no clan, I'm gonna find you and take you to a training ground, you get me?"

Naruto nodded, "if I hurt her more than is necessary for what I am about to do, I'll let you have me."

Once Izumi had paid, she took her ramen bowl out to one of the outside tables, which left the couple standing there in silence. Finally, tears began to fall down both of their faces, and it was Ayame who spoke first, "I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun, that I can't be the woman you need me to be, I know you haven't had much in your life to depend on, but I was really hoping to be one of those things. Please, forgive me for not being what you need," she sniffled, "but please, don't ever think that its not because I don't love you. Because, I love you so much, but sometimes loving someone, means doing what you think is right for them, even if that means letting them go," saying that, Ayame buried her face in his chest and let the flood gates open.

Naruto felt the upper section of his jumpsuit become wet with Ayame's tears, and he tightened his arms around her, while rubbing her back, "you have nothing to be sorry for, Ayame-chan, I have been such a selfish bastard since I left here, I kept you from exploring your feelings for others, if there ever were any others that you found attractive. I know you remained steadfast and loyal to me, while I ran off gallivanting around the country trying to be a ninja, and I know it was hard for you to watch your peers trying to find love, while you set your heart on a worthless vagrant like me. Of course, I forgive you, though I don't feel that you've done anything to warrant forgiveness, but I'll forgive you if you can find it in your heart to forgive me for being selfish. And, I love you so much it hurts, you're one of the only reasons I've found that can allow me to forgive this place for all the wrong it has done me. If only so I can finally let go of my past and move on with my life," Naruto pulled back from her, and they shared a look before they leaned forward and captured each other's lips in a steamy, open-mouthed kiss.

They pulled back away from each other, and quietly just stared at each other, "I'm going to be here for the next three months, while I'm integrated into the Uchiha clan as their ward, in that time, I hope we can cultivate a strong friendship."

"I don't think so, Naruto," Ayame snapped, and he began to look at her in disappointment, then she smiled, "I said I loved you, and I can't just be friends with you! I won't settle for anything less than being your sister-figure, what do you think of that?"

"I say, I love you, Ayame-nee-chan," he said as he gave her a fiercely, protective hug, before pulling her back and looking at her seriously, "and if you ever need me, I'll be there, I'll give you a means to always get in touch with me. That's a promise of a lifetime," he declared, "and I never go back on my word. That's part of my nindō, my ninja way," he finished with a smile.