Betrayal
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shippuden.
Chapter 5
For the second time that day, the door to Naruto's room had been slammed open. Tsunade was getting pissed now. Couldn't people see this was a hospital? What was that Anbu doing out there if anyone who tried could get into the room? The four veteran shinobi all turned to look at the intruder and their faces adopted a look of melancholy when they saw who entered. It was Naruto's best friend, Anko. They all watched as she nimbly ducked and dodged the Anbu's attempts at grabbing her with a small smile playing on their faces. She was nothing if not persistent.
Hiruzen raised a hand and the Anbu immediately yielded before saluting and closing the door.
"Stupid bird-mask idiot." Anko said ruefully as she looked over her shoulder and shot a glare at the door. Jiraiya snorted, his arms crossed as he observed the purple haired menace with a smirk on his face. Jōnetsu, on the other hand, was beyond worried. The caretaker did not know how Anko would react to Naruto being hospitalized and if she found out why—Jōnetsu didn't even want to think about it. Her thoughts were in complete disarray since she did not think of an explanation for Anko yet, not expecting her to come barging in through the door, much like Jōnetsu had done herself moments earlier.
Anko did not give the other members of the room a second glance and ran straight up to Naruto's bedside. She gripped the white sheets tightly and looked over the sleeping boy's heavily bandaged chest and forehead. The purple-haired girl had never seen her friend this injured before and felt like crying. Hesitantly, she reached a hand out to touch his cheek but faltered, not wanting to injure or disturb him any further.
"You can touch him," a voice coaxed her kindly. Anko looked up to see it was the pretty blonde lady she caught a glimpse of when she came into the room. Said lady was smiling at her kindly and her hazel eyes were exuding warmth. Her look instantly made Anko feel more relaxed and gave her the much needed confidence to touch her unconscious friend. The four adults in the room all smiled endearingly when they watched her grasp onto Naruto's hand. "He's going to be asleep for a little longer. But he'll be all better in no time, don't you worry."
Anko nodded at her comforting words. All the bravado she came in with was now gone; her bottom lip began to quiver as sadness overwhelmed the little girl. Tears began to cloud her vision and trail down her face. As much as she tried to hold it in, the pain came out like an uproar from her throat and was released in the form of a silent wail. A stream of salty tears started falling much more rapidly, with no sign of stopping. Anko did not take notice of Jōnetsu wrapping her arms around her as muffled sobs wracked against her chest and the world around her seemed to turn into a blur.
Jōnetsu continued to caress the crying girl's hair when she looked up and held the gaze of the two Sannin and their teacher. The trio nodded, understanding her silent plea, and made their way out of the room to give the caretaker and her kids some privacy. Making their way to the roof, sighs were imminent among them as the weight of the day took its toll. The evening breeze was calming as it fanned against their faces.
The three stood close together and looked over the railing and out at the rooftops of their beloved village. Tension was evident as the greatest threat that plagued this village had shown its trace once more. Naruto was only three-years-old with barely developed chakra coils and if the Kyuubi had already leaked its chakra into him, there was no telling what could happen. They had full confidence in Minato's ability with the seal, of course, and with Jiraiya's guidance, there should be no question of its failure. But they could not help but worry.
"We didn't think Naruto would be exposed to the Kyuubi this early," said Hiruzen, speaking the thoughts on everyone's minds. "Jiraiya, you and Minato designed the seal so that the Kyuubi would be able to share its regenerative powers with Naruto should he be in danger, correct?"
The toad sage nodded, still looking out at the village. His dark eyes were clearly unfocused as he listened absentmindedly. A few moments went by before he realized that Tsunade and his sensei were looking at him for their next plan of action. He was the Fuinjutsu expert after all.
"The fox should not make another appearance so long as Naruto doesn't go through anything like that anytime soon," Jiraiya said, turning around and resting on the railing so he could better address them. "Sensei, we need to do something. These vile actions by the villagers won't stop if we don't set an example. And your stupid Anbu Black Ops need a reality check. They're Shinobi for crying out loud. They, of all people, should be able to distinguish between the kunai and the scroll."
Jiraiya had a lot more to say but he had made his point clear. He wanted justice. The toad sage had always been like this. He was laid back and as people-friendly as one could be up until someone truly pushed him too far. Then he was relentless.
"What would you have me do?" Hiruzen questioned wearily. "Any action taken on the civilians or Anbu will cause an uproar within the council—"
He was cut off when Tsunade interjected for the first time.
"That's your problem right there, sensei! The council this, the council that! You're too soft." an irate Tsunade exclaimed. The female Sannin's tongue was always the harshest among the three. If she had something on her mind, she was never afraid to let others know. Her boisterous personality and mighty fist was famed throughout the five nations and only second to her dastardly unlucky gambling streak.
"As blunt as ever, Tsunade-chan." Her sensei said with a whimsical chuckle.
"Someone has to be. You are the Hokage. You make the rules. Don't let the council walk all over you." Her reply was as fiery as her first statement. The need for action was blatantly obvious but as the Hokage, Hiruzen would have to think of all parties. Even if he did value the words of his students far more than any power-hungry member on his council. Shinobi or civilian, the unadulterated dislike for Naruto was quite evident.
"Sensei, do you remember the tale of the mountain lion?" Jiraiya asked quietly, drawing astonished looks from Tsunade and Hiruzen.
The tale of the mountain lion was an old story that used to be told to the kids of the village many years ago by the very man the question was posed to. In the days of the Sandaime's childhood, there was a gigantic mountain lion that used to roam the outskirts of the village. It was a great, big beast with stunning white fur and teeth that were so sharp it could shred through the flesh and bone of any prey.
But its most intimidating feature was its eyes. They were a startling red. Anyone or anything that caught the gaze of the lion was said to be rendered immobile as fear consumed them. The beast's attributes were completely unnatural yet whenever it was sighted, no one could deny that it was a majestic creature. The lion had never found its way into the village nor had it harmed any of its inhabitants but its mere existence had somehow challenged a group of young, arrogant, glory-seeking individuals. The group of six had sought out the beast in an attempt to slaughter it but their efforts were in vain.
The following day, the patrolling shinobi had found a bloody massacre deep in the forest area now known as Training Ground 44. Each of their carcasses were torn to shreds and the lion was never seen again. Because no one had ever dared to look for it.
The tale was a rather morbid one to tell kids, however, the point had gotten across to them. The simplest being: do not leave the village unprotected. With a deeper understanding of the story, one may understand that they should not fall to arrogance or bite off more than they could chew. But to Shinobi, the point was as clear as day. It was a simple message really. Do not wake a sleeping beast.
The posed question was all Jiraiya needed to say to make Hiruzen certain of what must be done. The Sandaime had dictated this story to them countless times when they were a newly formed genin team and he was very proud of Jiraiya for remembering his teachings. He truly lived up to the title: Sage.
"On to another matter, Jiraiya how the fuck did you summon one-hundred Kage Bunshin?!" Questioned a flabbergasted Tsunade. She had obviously been holding this question back for quite a while. Her previous shock during the situation had been smothered down due to the circumstances but now she had no such holds.
"One-hundred?! No one besides Mito-sama or Hashirama-sama has the capability of doing that!" The Sandaime said, surprise evident in his expression.
Their gaze was penetrating as they stared at the tallest Sannin who was wide-eyed at the sudden change in atmosphere. Then their words seem to sink in as he let out a sheepish laugh and scratched his face, looking anywhere but at them. Seeing as his teammate and sensei were not going to relent, he let out a sigh of defeat and began to explain his prowess.
"Trade secret. I have very high level chakra seals hidden on my body. I pour a majority of my reserves multiple times into the numerous seals," he said shortly but continued when he noticed their gleeful looks that practically screamed 'Go on!' "Fuinjutsu is a very intricate art. If I store something into a storage seal today, it will be perfectly preserved a thousand years from now—so long as the seal is not damaged. The seals that I have on my body function pretty much the same way. I pour my reserves into them multiple times throughout the course of a few days or weeks so I can access them at any given time, should I be put in a dire situation."
"Jiraiya, that's brilliant!" His sensei appraised. "But I've never heard of chakra seals of such an advanced degree. It's not possible to fill them with a shinobi's entire reserves, especially not one as large as yours."
The toad sage smirked gleefully at the praise before striking his signature kabuki pose and exclaiming, "Ha! I am the greatest Seal Master in the worl—"
"Hai, hai, we've heard the spiel before," Tsunade cut him off, rolling her eyes but an amused smile was present on her beautiful face. "Just tell us how you did it."
Jiraiya pouted before answering her. It was a rather comedic sight. The toad sage was a very large man and the childish expression that marred his features seemed out of place—to those that didn't know him, anyway.
"They're Uzumaki seals," he said, looking meaningfully at Tsunade. "I had the pleasure of learning from Mito-sama herself."
There was pride clearly evident on his face when he spoke of the legendary Kunoichi. Jiraiya was not one for honorifics so him regarding her with such respect showed how highly he thought of her. Hiruzen and Tsunade were completely floored at the revelation. To learn from Mito-Sama was one of the greatest honors one could ever achieve. Often overshadowed by her husband, Uzumaki Mito was quite possibly the strongest Kunoichi to have ever lived. Her prowess was never doubted after she single-handedly sealed the Kyuubi no Kitsune into herself. She was the face of the Uzumaki clan and the greatest Seal Master to grace the Shinobi world. To have learned from her…Tsunade and Hiruzen could not imagine the possibilities.
A twinge of jealousy flared up inside the slug Sannin as Mito was grandmother. She had never learned from the woman so Jiraiya having done so did not immediately sit well. Tsunade absolutely loved her grandmother but she did not spend much time with her after she had joined the academy. She was focused on her Shinobi training followed by missions and studying Iryo-ninjutsu. And then the death of…
Tsunade shut her eyes tightly and banished the depressing thoughts that threatened to surface. She refused to dwell on the ghosts of the past as she had done for quite some time before the man in front of her snapped her out of it.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself under the worried gaze of her closest friend. His eyebrows were scrunched together and seemed like he was contemplating on whether or not he should reach out to make sure she was alright. It was the small moments like these that made her realize how much she appreciated her flamboyant friend.
Tsunade graced him with a smile assuring him that she was fine. Her jealousy had completely dissipated when she realized how ridiculous she was being. She should be proud of her friend, not envying him. Jiraiya was there for her at a time when no one else was and she had no right to feel any resentment towards him over such a matter as this. Tsunade had begun to realize that Jiraiya was always there for her, no matter how hard she pushed everyone away, she never seemed capable of pushing him away.
"When was this?" The Sannin's sensei questioned. If he noticed the exchange that his students shared, he did not show any indication of it.
"Probably after I came back from Amegakure." The man looked wistful as he recalled some of the happier memories in those dreary times. When Jiraiya returned to the village, he had received enthusiastic cheers and praises from Shinobi and civilians alike but there was no sign of his so-called friends. Orochimaru had always kept to himself in his lab, not much for socializing and Tsunade—well, Tsunade had found someone else to spend her time with.
"I was sitting on the Hokage Rock one day when Mito-sama approached me. She said she liked to go up there often because it made her feel closer to Hashirama-sama. We ended up chatting for hours before the topic of Fuinjutsu was brought up. She offered to teach me what she knew so how could I refuse?"
"I'm proud of you Jiraiya." Shock was visible on his features when he realized Tsunade was the one to say that. Jiraiya stared at her wide-eyed, as if she had just summoned Katsuya onto the roof. The buxom woman could imagine the sparks in his brain as if he was trying to connect the dots to some complex problem. She had never said anything like that to him before so a foreign feeling had entered his body. It made him feel...good. Really good.
Shaking off his surprise, Jiraiya grinned, showing off that face consuming, wide smile of his and said, "Heh, this is nothing!"
The white of the room combined with the rays of the morning sun released a blinding light on the eyes of an exhausted Naruto as soon as he opened his eyes. Squinting, he put a hand up to block out the sun before his eyes adjusted to the light. Still laying down in the slightly uncomfortable bed, Naruto looked around the foreign room curiously before a surge of panic spread throughout his body.
'Where am I?!' His thoughts were in disarray and his breathing turned haphazard, not used to waking up anywhere besides the familiar four yellow walls of the orphanage.
"Hey," a soft voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked around for the source and saw that a pretty blonde lady with hazel eyes was staring right at him with a warm, comforting smile on her face. "It's okay. You're just at the hospital. No one is going to hurt you here."
Naruto's breathing seemed to relax a little at her words but his shoulders were still slightly tense. 'Who is this woman?', he thought. Tsunade watched the young boy narrow his cerulean eyes and shy away from her, as if shielding his body. His body language forced the woman to suppress a wince as she thought of what must be going through his mind. He had gone through awful, unspeakable things at such a young age. There was no telling what kind of trauma he'd be dealing with.
"My name is Tsunade. You've been asleep for nearly a day, young man." She said kindly. Tsunade iterated each word slowly and maintained a comfortable distance from him. He seemed to appreciate that a lot as he gradually began to turn and situate himself into a normal sitting position.
"A day?! Where's Tamashī-baachan?" He was beginning to get frantic again so Tsunade quickly pulled him into her arms.
"Jōnetsu-san went back to the orphanage so your friend, Anko, could get ready for the academy. They were here all night but don't you worry, she'll be back before you know it."
His entire form had gone rigid, making Tsunade wonder if she had upset him even more. However, when his arms hesitantly went around her back and returned the hug, she pushed the thought aside and held him even tighter. She ran her fingers through his golden hair and rubbed her hand soothingly along his back, whispering soft words of reassurance.
It was a foreign feeling for Naruto. He was not used to such affectionate gestures. Although he had no clue who this Tsunade was, he felt all his inhibitions unwillingly fade when he was in her arms. He pulled back slightly as the holds in Naruto's mind seemed to wash away as memories of the day prior all came surging back at once. He looked down at his body noticing the binding of his plentiful bandages on his chest for the first time. The slight headache he woke up with was now more apparent as he trailed two fingers over the bandaged wound on his temple. His shoulders began to shake vigorously when he tried to convey his distraught thoughts with a meek, wavering voice.
"T-Those men, they…"
That was all Naruto was able to get out as his remaining strength left him and he crumpled into Tsunade's arms. He sobbed into her chest unceasingly, hands clutching at her green haori. She held him in silence, rocking him back and forth slowly as his tears soaked her chest while a few of her own fell atop the crown of his head. Seeing him hurting like this had sent Tsunade into an emotional lapse herself. A brief pause allowed him to pull away, blinking lashes laden with heavy tears, before he collapsed again, his cries of anguish worsening. The pain must have come in waves as tremors rolled down his body. Countless minutes of sobbing were broken apart by short pauses for recovering breaths, before he was sent hurtling back into the clutches of his grief.
Tsunade's heart ached for the boy. The female Sannin immediately felt attached to the little boy despite this being her first conversation with him. He reminded her so much of her late little brother, Nawaki. She used to take care of him like this whenever he was injured but that had been under completely different circumstances.
It was a long time before Naruto managed to calm down but Tsunade had no problem with that. She had never loosened her grip and provided as much comfort as he needed. To Naruto, her embrace felt far better than what he imagined a mother's touch would be like. He felt safe in her arms and his worries quickly began to disappear like rain on summer ground. No one could hurt him so long as he was with her.
When Naruto had finally pulled back, he did not want to lose contact and Tsunade was only more than happy to hold his hand when he situated himself back properly in bed. His eyes were bloodshot and the tear tracks running down his cheeks were very visible. Taking a napkin, Tsunade wiped the grime away before ruffling his hair, making him give her a small smile.
"What kind of Shinobi are you?" Naruto asked curiously.
"I'm an Iryo-nin."
"Iryo-nin?" Naruto pronounced the term slowly and looked at her with a questioning gaze. The Senju's smile was alight once more as she loved educating others about her profession. Before she answered though, Tsunade gestured if she could sit by his bedside and he nodded instantly. His nervousness around her was now completely gone as he pressed back onto his pillows and turned to give her his full attention.
"Hai. I use my chakra to heal others when they get injured," the Sannin had stopped halfway into her explanation when she noticed how interested he seemed. Normally kids just want to learn about flashy ninjutsu that would make them look cool but Naruto here seemed completely enraptured. Like any Shinobi talk was fascinating to him. "Iryo-nin make sure that Shinobi missions go along with a higher rate of success because we reduce casualties."
She and Naruto continued to chat about medical ninjutsu—Tsunade giving her best simplified explanations of the Shosen Jutsu (Mystical Palm Technique) when there was a knock on the door. The pair of blondes turned their heads and saw a very tall, well-built figure with waist-length spiky white hair walk in.
Jiraiya had been outside the room since before Naruto had woken up. He listened with a heavy heart as Naruto conversed with Tsunade before breaking down. Each of his sobs felt like someone was taking a hot knife and slashing it across his chest. The boy had no idea what he meant to the sage. He was thankful for Tsunade being in there with him because right now, it was too painful for Jiraiya to see him like this. First the brutal physical assault, now the mental repercussions…It just wasn't fair. But nothing in life really is, especially not for Shinobi.
Unable to take anymore of his cries, Jiraiya used a silent Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) and teleported to a rather busy street in Konoha. He ignored the incredulous stares he got from civilians and made his way to Ichiraku Ramen. After a brief conversation with Teuchi, the owner of the shop, the Sannin ordered three bowls of miso ramen with chashu pork, then made his way to the nearest grocery store and purchased a two-liter bottle of orange soda (Jōnetsu-san had said it was his favorite).
"Jiraiya," Tsunade nodded in greeting and he grinned back at her before holding up a brown bag and the bottle of soda. The delicious and enticing aroma of ramen filled the room making Naruto's stomach grumble. He hadn't eaten in over a day, he realized.
"Hello Naruto. I'm Jiraiya, nice to meet you." Tsunade watched their interaction with a smile on her face. Naruto hesitantly returned the greeting seeing how imposing Jiraiya looked but the goofy smile on the sage's face made him comfortable. She watched Jiraiya's fond expression grow into one of pure elation and couldn't be happier for him. This was his first time interacting with his godson. "You hungry? I bought ramen! Oh, and soda too!"
At the word "ramen," his smile shined like the stars, no bright city lights to dim them. His smile was wide and full of joy. It was quite contagious too as the two Sannin could not help but smile back. Naruto was missing a tooth on the bottom row of his teeth making them swoon all the more at the cuteness of the little boy.
Jiraiya sat down next to Naruto, who now had his legs dangling off the side of the bed, and began to distribute each bowl of piping hot ramen to everyone present before handing out the chopsticks.
"Ramen at ten in the morning?" asked Tsunade, quirking an elegant eyebrow.
"It's the food of the gods!" exclaimed Naruto, as if that was reason enough. There was finality in his tone making the two Sannin laugh at how passionate he seemed on the subject. They were glad to see him coming out of his fit and enjoying himself. Jiraiya had his arms crossed and eyes closed as he nodded sagely, agreeing with Naruto's statement. Tsunade rolled her eyes before positioning a pillow on Naruto's lap so he could eat his ramen easier.
The three began to eat, smiling fondly as Naruto got broth all over his face as he chowed down vigorously on his noodles. Jiraiya watched Naruto savor a particularly large fish cake and it made him reminisce about how Minato and Kushina said they wanted to name their unborn son after the character in his first book. The name of which he got from eating the same bowl of ramen he is now.
The toad sage placed his hand on top of Naruto's head and ruffled his hair affectionately making the boy look up and beam at him.
"Thank you for the ramen, Jiraiya-san." Naruto said politely, after drinking down the noodles with his favorite carbonated beverage.
The addressed man waved off his gratitude and grinned at him. For the next few hours the trio conversed about anything and everything. The Sannin found it particularly amusing how Naruto resorted to addressing Jōnetsu-san as "Tamashī-baachan" because he could not pronounce her first name when he was learning to speak. Laughter echoed down the halls of the hospital from Naruto's room as Jiraiya told stories and jokes. And this time, Tsunade didn't berate them for being loud as she was busy wiping her tears from laughing too hard.
They would address pressing matters later, Naruto deserved to relax right now.
Naruto grasped Jōnetsu's hand tightly as they walked at a timid pace, constantly glancing around him as if someone was going to attack him. Jōnetsu matched his slow pace and looked on with a despondent expression. She had tried to express to him that no one would dare hurt him so long as she was with him but the boy was still frightened. And rightfully so. She internally cursed those nonsensical, thick-headed buffoons. They've caused a boy so young to behave as if he had PTSD, which he likely did. The villagers had not dared to send any menacing glares at Naruto for they did want to bear the wrath of an angry Jōnetsu or the Sannin. Word had got out how the Jiraiya had punished the band of civilians who harmed the boy and did not want to incur the same fate.
Jōnetsu recalled Tsunade saying it would be awhile before he was comfortable around others by himself again. When she relayed Naruto's crying outburst moments after he awoke, Jōnetsu was heartbroken. The thought had sent her into a melancholic spiral and filled her with regret as she was not present when he had broken down. Although Tsunade and Jiraiya had done a phenomenal job at consoling him, she was responsible for the boy and wanted to be there for him through all his perils.
Even when the two had made it to the orphanage, Naruto had not let his guard down. If anything, his grip on her hand had gotten tighter. There were no civilians in sight as they were rather far from the main part of the village. The orphanage was built on the outskirts of the village by her forefathers for the sole purpose of giving its inhabitants peace of mind. The trees surrounding the compound blocked out most of the village so the children were free to go about their day without prying eyes.
Some of the other children living in the orphanage were outside playing but stopped and stared as they saw Naruto. Some were about to run over to greet their caretaker but a single glance from Jōnetsu stopped them in their tracks. Naruto was clearly in no mood to interact with anyone. Making their way inside, Naruto was about to turn the corner of the hallway to head to his room but Jōnetsu had not let go of his hand.
"Tamashī-baachan?" He voiced inquisitively, looking up at her with questioning eyes.
"We're going to my room first, Naruto-kun. I'd like to talk to you."
He nodded wordlessly and followed her. In the few years he'd been at the orphanage, Naruto had never been inside Jōnetsu's room. When they reached the end of the hallway, the caretaker put her palm on the wooden door and her hand briefly glowed blue. Naruto looked on with the same fascination he had all the other times he had seen her do this. Although he didn't understand that Jōnetsu had a barrier seal on her door that would only grant access given her chakra signature, he was able to comprehend that it was basically a password system.
Stepping inside the brightly lit room, the first thing Naruto noticed was the abundance of photographs. The entire room was filled with them. They were hung up from the ceiling to the floor on the wall across from Jōnetsu's bed, which was on the same side as the door. From his vantage point in front of the door, Naruto could make out the distinct images of various children in those photographs. Some of them had Jōnetsu standing with the children and some were lone pictures along with a few group shots. 'Those must be all the kids that lived in the orphanage over the years,' Naruto thought.
The thing that stuck out most though was her dressing table. Situated directly under the only window of the room, was a mahogany desk that had three drawers and a medium-sized mirror. The top of the dressing table was completely barren save for a lone unlit candle and three framed pictures.
Curious as to why these pictures were separated from the rest, Naruto released his caretaker's hand and made his way over. Jōnetsu watched with bated breath as the boy was about to get a look at some of her most precious memoirs. She stood frozen, unable to stop him from reaching the pictures and by the time she was able to recollect herself, it was too late.
Putting his hands on the smooth wood, Naruto took in the first picture. It seemed to be of a much younger Jōnetsu and a little boy with messy black hair in front of her. She was kneeling down with her arms around his shoulders and they both were smiling brightly at the camera. Naruto smiled at the picture. It warmed his heart to see the woman who he saw as a grandmother so happy.
Turning his attention to the second picture, Naruto's breath hitched. He found himself releasing a ragged breath but could not for the life of him figure out why. The photograph was of a very pretty girl with vibrant red hair. She had a slightly round face, rosy cheeks, and pearly white teeth visible from her wide smile. Her attire consisted of a short-sleeved, tan kimono-like blouse with a dark embroidered border, held together with a black obi, a dark short skirt and stockings that stopped at her thighs along with brown sandals.
Naruto found himself transfixed as he stared into the girl's violet-blue eyes. Her face and her smile, it seemed so familiar… Naruto groaned in aggravation when he could not discern her likeness.
Just as he was about to look at the third photograph, a hand blocked his vision and slammed the framed picture down onto the table. Naruto visibly flinched and took a few steps back, clearly startled. He glanced up to see it was his Tamashī-baachan who was the perpetrator.
"I'm sorry Naruto-kun, but this picture—I'll show it to you when you're a bit older, okay?" She said kindly, an apologetic expression visible on her features.
He nodded slowly before voicing his curiosity about the other two pictures.
"That first one, that's my son and I," Jōnetsu said, a small smile visible on her face. But even Naruto could tell that it didn't reach her eyes. She nodded at his expression before continuing. "He's dead. He died in the last war. My Jinwoo was so much like you, so bright and full of energy. And he was a fine Shinobi to boot."
She stopped speaking when Naruto wordlessly wrapped his arms around her legs. It was his attempt to comfort the elder woman. Jōnetsu ran a hand over his head, a futile attempt in smoothening down his hair, with a fond smile present on her face.
"You're such a sweet boy, Naruto."
Naruto said nothing and tightened his grip, burying his face into her lap. Jōnetsu guided them over to her bed and sat down, holding Naruto close.
"That second picture—that was a former resident of the orphanage." She braced herself, taking a deep breath. If she told him the girl's family name, he would undoubtedly be curious and find out a lot more than the Sandaime wanted him to this early on. As much as she hated it, she had to comply with their village leader's wishes. "Her name was Kushina. A fiery girl, that one."
"She's really pretty."
"Yes, she is." Jōnetsu responded, a knowing smile etched onto her visage.
"I really like her hair."
That did it. With those few words, Jōnetsu's floodgates had spilled over. She was grateful Naruto could not see her face right now; she didn't know if she could reign in her emotions in time. Her heart went out for the boy. He was unknowingly entranced by the image of his own mother. The caretaker recalled how much Kushina despised her hair, constantly being bullied over it and her likeness to a tomato. She could only imagine how elated she would be if she heard her son say that.
Naruto remained in her embrace, his eyes closed and a content smile on his face, basking in the feeling of his caretaker running her hands through his hair. He had always loved it whenever Anko or his Tamashī-baachan did that. It calmed him down almost instantly and filled him with pleasure when they reached the back of his head and tugged gently on the roots. But the little moment was cut short.
"I wanted to talk to you about what happened yesterday."
It was night.
The sky was charcoal in color and the full moon seemed as if it was just beyond the tallest building, bathing the village with its iridescent light.
In the Hokage's Mansion, a withered hand reached out to close the window. The figure's back remained turned and his hands clasped behind him as he gazed down the paved path in front of the compound all the way to the distant gates of the main entrance. There were no villagers in sight and the surroundings were eerily quiet. He desperately wanted to allow his tense shoulders to slump as exhaustion ate away at him but the village leader was expected to maintain appearances. Especially since he was in a room filled with a number of the village's most important figures.
"I thank you all for coming on such short notice."
Hiruzen had finally turned around and took his seat at the head of the round table. On his right and left sat Jiraiya and Tsunade, respectively. And along the rest of the table, sat the multitude of the Konohagakure Shinobi clan heads, two representatives from the civilian council, and the Anbu commander. Straight across from Hiruzen sat Shimura Danzo also known as The Shinobi of Darkness. He was once a dear comrade of Hiruzen during the days they were under the command of the Nidaime Hokage, Senju Tobirama. But now, with his unconventional methods, Danzo has strayed from the path of light and acts in the guise of the shadows. He was flanked by two of their old teammates, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.
"What have you called us here for, Hokage-sama?" It was Inuzuka Tsume who voiced the question in everyone's mind, her impatience getting the best of her.
Some were rather irritated for having to attend a meeting far past midnight but they were all at the beckoning of their Hokage.
Looking around the room once more, Hiruzen made sure everyone was present. Glancing at the corners of the room, he saw the Anbu squad he had specifically requested standing dutifully in their guarded stances. There was another figure hidden in the shadows, the only visible trace of him was his golden eye, a lone slitted pupil looking bored as he gazed back at his sensei.
Turning back to his audience, he took in their tired, sullen looks on their faces but could bring himself to care about such menial things. That would surely change in the upcoming moments.
"I've called you here today because a grave crime has been committed."
"Spare us of the dramatics, Hiruzen, and get to your point." Everyone glanced at the source of the gruff voice. Danzo was never one to be subtle about his dislike for something. It didn't take as many words to understand that he despised Hiruzen's authority, believing he should hold the position, so he took every opportunity to belittle his former teammate.
Hiruzen usually let his spouts of disrespect go without a word but right now, he was not in the mood.
The intensity of the glare the Sandaime gave Danzo would've made any lesser Shinobi soil themselves.
"You will hold your tongue in front of your Hokage, Danzo."
The emphasis on the title clearly had its effect as Danzo's visible eye twitched in irritation. Now noticing the tension in the room, everyone adorned solemn looks. Their normally jovial leader was not in the mood for any out-of-line remarks.
"As I was saying, a grave crime has been committed. Before I divulge its details, I would like to ask your opinion on something. If a member of the village is assaulted, what are the proper repercussions?"
Everyone was quiet, solemn looks adorning their faces. They did not know where the man was going with this but it was obviously not good considering even Jiraiya had a forlorn look on his face. Their Hokage did not speak again until someone mustered the courage to answer his question.
"Imprisonment." It was Hatake Sakumo that said the lone word. Others seemed to agree with this, nodding their heads, while the rest remained quiet. The cold look in Hiruzen's eyes did not dim as he gazed upon the silver haired Jonin.
"And if the one assaulted was a child?"
"Is that even a question? Death." said Uchiha Fugaku. The man was harsh, a fact widely known, but for this assessment, he found a majority of the clan heads nodding in agreement—most of them having children of their own.
There was no change in emotion upon the Sandaime's face as he took in the Uchiha patriarch's opinion. His eyes, although decades old, were as sharp as that they had been in his prime, and did not miss the fleeting looks of nervousness exchanged between the two representatives of the civilian council. They knew.
"Danzo," Hiruzen said calmly. The two village elders locked eyes. Neither of them wavering as they stared down at the other. Hiruzen already knew his answer to the following question but he wanted the rest of the council to be aware of what would come next. "What would you call someone who ignores direct orders from the Hokage?"
"Tratorious."
Finally giving a reaction to an answer of one of his questions, he nodded. Hiruzen then directed his gaze to the Anbu Commander and said, "Bring them."
Opening the door to the conference room, the Anbu Commander herded a group of individuals into the room. The three men from earlier were stripped down to their undergarments and bound by the hands. Their grave injuries from Jiraiya's Rasengan were clearly visible, drawing incredulous looks from the observers.
"Escort these three to the center." The commander instructed the four Anbu Black Ops standing in the corners of the room. Nodding once, they carried out their orders.
"Hokage-sama!" One of them shouted. The middle-aged man had tears leaking from his eyes as sweat fell profusely down the sides of his face. "We're sorry! It won't happen—"
"Silence!" Shouted the Sandaime.
This was no longer Sarutobi Hiruzen. It was the famed Kami no Shinobi.
His eyes emanated a cold fury as he gazed upon the group in front of him. The temperature in the room had significantly dropped as anger rolled off the Hokage in voluminous waves. His killing intent was potent as the civilians in the room struggled to remain conscious. The Shinobi were also put off by their leader, some gritting their teeth as fear unwillingly grasped at their hearts, cold sweat running down their bodies. The desired effect was amplified when Hiruzen looked the wrongdoers directly in the eye. The pressure was visible as the wood of the table began cracking before all the pressure suddenly dissipated.
As calm and apathetic as one could be, Hiruzen declared, "You have broken the law. You have disobeyed my orders. For your crimes against Uzumaki Naruto, I hereby sentence you to death."
"Orochimaru."
There was no pause. There was no hesitation. The figure hidden in the shadows moved quicker and more imperceptibly than most could follow. And with deadly precision, the snake Sannin struck. The legendary Sword of Kusanagi had claimed seven more lives as blood splattered on the floor.
A murder of crows cawed loudly as they departed.
AN: I got carried away with the em dashes and ellipsis, I know.
To clarify ages, Anko, Kakashi, and the rest of their academy class are 6. Naruto and the rest of his generation are 3. If you ever have any questions or simply want to talk, shoot me a PM.
That scene with the photographs was inspired by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Speaking of, I published a one-shot called "Always You" after rewatching the movie the other day so you guys can check that out if you'd like.
hendo2031: Are you a mind reader or something? (You have your PMs turned off but I really wanted to respond to you)
Thanks for reading!
Review?