And I'm back- with gifts! I bring you not only chapter three of my latest creation, but Uzumaki Kushina's first appearance within the story!
Of course, these chapters are not done completely on my own. I have a friend and co-worker who looks over my writing, OmegaDelta was kind enough to point out the inconsistency of Naruto's eye colour(Which will be fixed as soon as this chapter is up), and ncpfan has been a wondrous help in ironing out important parts of this story.
So a big round of applause for them.
Now, with not much more to say before the show starts, I'll keep it nice and simple-
Enjoy!
"You sought my presence, Hokage-Sama?" Asked the boy, one arm behind his back and the other held horizontally before him in the standard Konohagakure salute. The Sandaime sadly gazed upon him, taking in the clothes he had purchased and the body language the Namikaze heir displayed.
Gone was the white shirt and green cargo shorts combo, the boy's only remaining pairs of such an outfit locked within the Uzumaki compound. Black cargo pants covered his legs, pockets bulging with items unknown to the Kage, tucked neatly into rather un-shinobi like boots. The boots weren't new, probably found discarded or within a second hand store around the village. A tight blue shirt hugged the boy's lithe frame, probably a good three sizes too small, but it did its job well enough. The sleeves were gone, and whether it had originally came without them or if Naruto had taken it upon himself to cut them off the old Sarutobi couldn't discern.
There was a single blue glove, much like those favored by Jounin, which was worn on his right hand, from under which white cloth traveled up the boy's arm and disappeared into the shirt, wrapped tightly to hide the strange seal he bore. Worn horizontally across the small of his back was a cylindrical bag which probably carried all of the unfortunate boy's worldly possessions.
The Sandaime knew that instead of lying idle, the boy's left hand- the one behind his back- was probably resting within the bag, ready to grab some sort of weapon he had come across over the past two weeks. Considering how common they were around here, it was probably an old kunai tossed out by its previous owner. Of course, being a shinobi village, the previous owner knew where it had been left- just in case.
"I did indeed, Naruto-kun, when I learned that you had been released from the hospital so soon and had not been staying with Yuuhi-san I found myself concerned with your wellbeing. Though, you seem to be doing alright on your own, much to my pleasure and surprise."
The boy gave a stiff nod in gratitude, his body still as coiled and ready to bolt. Hiruzen had thought this odd at first, especially when the young boy's body language showed him to be ready to bolt towards the desk, but he had understood once he remembered that he had opened his window earlier that morning to enjoy the morning air. It was a good plan- or as good as a civilian's could be. There were far fewer ANBU outside of the building, and the chances of disappearing within the throngs of people were pretty good, even with his unique hair.
Of course, it hinged on getting past him- the God of Shinobi, so maybe not that great. 'Unless,' he mused. 'He had been planning on using surprise to escape in the case he needed to escape.' It was better, then, if the boy thought such might be necessary, to keep him from knowing they were on to him, such knowledge could easily make him feel like a caged animal. The boy had enough troubles without that.
And then his ANBU had to fuck it all up.
He had been aware of it, or course, their hands covering the lower parts of their faces, trying not to laugh at the little boy who was so ready to flee. Monkey, hiding in the corner of the ceiling, had learned enough about the swift child when trying to fight him and so he found the situation amusing. Bear, who was near the door, was trying not to chuckle at how much they boy seemed to scream 'Rookie Shinobi' despite being an untrained civilian. Cat, watching from behind her Kage, had to stifle her giggles, finding Naruto and his mannerisms to be absolutely adorable for such a cute little child.
Perhaps they had just grown lax in these times of peace, or they had become overconfident in the rudimentary Genjutsu that hid them, but whatever the case, they weren't nearly as quiet as they thought they were.
Instantly, Naruto's eyes darted to the three places the ANBU occupied, slipping out his kunai and spinning his back to the window to keep all three places in sight in a single smooth movement. His right arm remained in its salute even as the kunai was brought to his side by his left. He backed up slowly, ears strained for the noises that had suddenly cut off, leaving only a horrified silence in their wake.
"Hokage-Sama!" Called the boy, his voice coming out crisp and clear despite the hint of nervousness that waivered within it. "Three unknowns within the perimeter, identify your kin!"
It was old, archaic even, and the old Sarutobi found himself caught off-guard by the Namikaze heir's use of such a line from the time of the warring clans. Kushina must have kept books on such subjects within the compound library. Considering the amount of time she spent in it, it was only natural for Naruto, who spent most of his childhood glued to her leg, to have read quite a lot despite his young age.
"Hokage-Sama!"
It was a final call, a last warning. This was not a request, but an order. If they had been a common enemy, the Kage would have answered immediately in the negative. If they were Hiruzen's shinobi, he'd have answered in the affirmative. By not answering, Hiruzen acknowledged them as his own but refused to inform Naruto, which meant both the unknown shinobi and the Kage himself were hostile. As it is, even answering after that warning would mean Naruto would remain especially wary of everyone else in the room.
What a time to be stupefied by the actions of an eight year old boy.
Holding up one hand, the Kage explained. "It's all right, my boy, those are my personal guard. As it is, I'm rather disappointed that they were found out so easily. You have nothing to fear." The boy was still skeptical- rightly so- but responded properly regardless.
"I understand, Sarutobi-Sama, I apologize for my reaction; their unannounced presence startled me in ways unbecoming a member of the Uzumaki clan. I humbly request your forgiveness." Despite his words, his head remained high and he made no move to put away the kunai even as he returned to his previous position.
"Of course, Naruto, I understand completely. It is I who is at fault for neglecting to inform you of their presence during our meeting." While he said this with a smile on his face, internally the Kage winced. He knew the cold, dead tone that apology had been given in was simply because Naruto was quoting it from a book and trying to remain professional in the presence of his Kage, but it felt wrong to hear it from a boy so young. There was also the matter of how he had been addressed. No longer 'Hokage-Sama', but as 'Sarutobi-Sama', which meant the child wasn't seeing him as the Hokage, but as the head of the Sarutobi clan. That hesitance he had when he heard the boy say something so unexpected had just cost his entire clan the trust of Uzumaki Naruto, heir of the Namikaze. It truly was as if the young boy- no, young man- was of those dark ages known as the Clan Wars.
Had a child's Will of Fire been put out so quickly, breaking down the village into separate clan factions? Perhaps the hidden villages were a bad idea in the first place. The idea of peace and security was great, but because it was an entity made of smaller groups who had been together for generations, the ties of blood were far stronger than the ties made when they wrapped that plate of steel around their heads.
For shinobi, it always had been clan over comrade.
Giving a sigh, the old Sarutobi decided to make an effort to meet Naruto's mannerisms. It was a good thing he was known as the professor.
"I know that you and your clan are currently faced with…difficult...times, Naruto-Dono, is there some way your Konohagakure comrades, the Sarutobi clan, might be of assistance? My failure to inform you of my guard was shameful and I would hate for it to reflect upon the members of my clan."
'There, Naruto-Kun, the ball is in your court, how can I help you?' It might be considered a little underhanded, but this was the best way to help the young man before him. By making it a clan matter, he would have to choose something lest he slight a clan that was attempting to make amends. Such would bring shame to his own clan, or, it would have, back in those days. Now it wouldn't get more than the occasional rude gesture on the street that would be laughed off.
Naruto seemed to be thinking about it, which meant he was well aware what was happening. Hiruzen really wanted to know just what the boy had been reading within that compound, it was fascinating to be reenacting the clan interactions from the wars that occurred nearly a century ago- especially when his political mock-opponent was a young man no older than eight. The professor within him was almost giddy.
"Yours is a gracious offer, Great Monkey of Hi no Kuni. Truly you bring pride to this Strong Tree which stands tall above all the forests in the world." Hiruzen couldn't hide his shock, or the grimace that came afterwards. The ANBU couldn't believe what they were seeing from their Kage, but he knew he had not been met, but raised one.
'To speak in such a manner- incredible! How does this eight year old know pre-chakra customs? I have indeed underestimated both the Uzumaki library and this incredible mind.'
Another thought crossed his mind which caused him to grimace again.
'Danzou would just fucking love to meet a boy who referred to Konoha as a 'Strong Tree' and acted as if he were in the times of the ancient clans.'
Hiruzen decided it would be best to keep them from meeting.
Evidently taking Hiruzen's grimace as a sign to continue, Naruto went on. "These forests and fields are well kept by your clan, Great Monkey, and I would be honored to help remove that which careless shinobi leave in their wake. I would ask only permission to access the fields so that I may do my part in maintaining this forest and the Great Tree which rules over it."
It sounded fancy and good natured, but Hiruzen knew what he was really asking. If it had been his sister Naruko asking the same thing it would go something along the lines of 'Yo, Jiji, can I pick up all the gear people leave at the training grounds?'
He may have told her no, but it wouldn't be so easy with her brother. He, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had offered the aid of his clan and he knew that Naruto was most likely doing this in part to support himself and also to build up his own shinobi tools which he would need for practice and out in the field upon graduation. He couldn't, in good consciences or good faith, deny Naruto this opportunity. It was like he said, too, a lot of shinobi left old kunai, shiruken, wire, and a host of other things just because they couldn't be bothered to retrieve them. At least they would go to good use now.
The old monkey nodded to the boy. "It would be our pleasure to give you the opportunity to aid our clan in our duty to this sacred forest and the great tree which watches over it. You have our blessing to help as you feel proper and we thank you for your dedication to this open home of living wood which shields us all within its eternal leaves. May this place prosper under the toil of your young hands, you who would think for his clan and country before himself. You bring greatness unto your clan that the forests shall whisper through the last sunset, go with pride on the path that shall grow strong with your passing."
"Your words flatter me, Sarutobi-Sama, I thank you and your clan for all they have done for me and mine. I shall take my leave now, as I would return to the academy before its conclusion for the day." With a bow he left, his words having returned to that of the Clan Wars and signaling the end of clan politics- for now.
Hiruzen managed to wait until the young man had left before releasing a large sigh. It was only peaceful a moment more before he turned a glare to his ANBU, all of which immediately appeared before his desk kneeling.
"I don't think I need to tell any of you how disappointed I am, do I?" They remained silent and unmoving, but he could feel the shame from them. After a few more moments of silence, Cat spoke.
"It was cute, at first, a little boy pretending to be a shinobi before his Kage, I couldn't stop myself." She looked especially uncomfortable and it took a substantial amount of effort for her to continue. "When he heard us and was able to immediately locate us, it was no longer funny or cute, I was ashamed of myself for being found out by a civilian child. And then he acted." She paused to shiver. "That wasn't a child, it was a cornered animal flying by its instincts. Those instincts, they resembled too much of my own and those of my comrades, a trained shinobi that have worked hard to carve away parts of their humanity to access the raw primal knowledge within all animals.
If you'll excuse me for saying this, it's like he abandoned everything that made him a person almost instantly, immediately reverting into a state in which his only goal is survival. A child shouldn't be like that."
Monkey chose that time to interject. "He's not a child, Cat, I saw him this morning, slinking across the rooftops like a beast on the prowl. He would dive down into the crowds to receive a single yen or a scrap of cloth from the dumpsters. He's far too proud to ask for assistance from anyone he doesn't know, and he doesn't seem to know anyone well enough to receive aid in the first place.
He's a wounded wolf without a pack, and that's what makes him dangerous."
As much as it displeased him, the Hokage couldn't disagree.
With a huff she fell back onto the mattress, her long crimson hair splaying out around her. It had taken two and a half weeks to make it to the fire capital to visit with the daimyo and it was here, in a room within the palace, that she had just fallen onto her bed to rest from the journey. She wasn't all that tired, being a Jounin who was nearing S-rank, but taking care of Naruko while they slowly walked here had taken its toll.
Her bed dipped down as her daughter flopped down next to her, utterly exhausted. Kushina couldn't help but give a small smile, which immediately had her daughter on the defensive.
"Hey!" The girl pouted, "It's not funny, I'm really tired! Not all of us can be super-ninja like you Kaa-chan!"
Kushina laughed in response. "By the time I'm done with you, you will be, my little sunflower." She had brought her out here with the intent of training her to be just as strong as her mother and as an Uzumaki she'd be damned if she didn't meet her goal. 'Overkill' was the equivalent of 'yes' when it came to the Uzumaki clan.
Naruko giggled, rolling atop her mother and straddling her stomach. Peering down, she asked "And Nii-kun too, right?" Kushina laughed again and Naruko cheered at her response. "Yes, your brother too, when we get back I'll give him the same training I'll be giving you. It will be difficult, but Dr. Uzumaki Kushina will be the first to create the 'Super-Ninja-Big-Brother Model 1 with extra warm hugs' at the request of the Sunflower Princess if it's the last thing I do."
'He always did have the best hugs.' She had missed them on the first day away from him, the hugs and the smiles that seemed to brighten the Uzumaki household. His amethyst eyes had always sparkled with such joy and innocence when she looked at him. Her crimson hair and his father's personality had meshed well for the Uzumaki prince and she had no doubt that by the time she got back she would have to have a stick ready to beat back the fangirls he would have received in the academy. 'I wonder if he'll have a girlfriend to introduce to me when I get back.' She could ask Tsunade, Hiruzen, or Kurenai to let her know, but that would ruin the surprise. she didn't want to have any idea until he introduced her to his girl. 'Maybe the Hyuuga heiress,' she mused. 'They would be cute together. Oh! He could get with Ayame-chan, then my daughter in law could live at the compound and we'd have Ichiraku ramen every night!'
She giggled at the thought and Naruko shot her an odd look.
"I was just picturing your brother with a girlfriend." She explained. The new look she was given was incredulous- Naruto really didn't reach out to anyone, he was a very private person when he was away from family. He'd probably have to have an arranged marriage- but was also outraged, as if she were insulted that her mother had suggested some other girl taking away her brother. Kushina found it cute. "Now, now, Naruko, hear me out, no one's taking him, I was just thinking about him with Ayame. He'd bring her home to live with us and we'd have ramen every night!"
The girl's anger slipped away as she too began giggling at the picture. "I can see him sitting at the table blushing up a storm as Ayame places ramen in front of him before climbing into his lap like a little kitten."
"See," Teased the Uzumaki matriarch. "That wouldn't be too bad."
"No," Naruko shook her head. "That would be great, Ayame really would be my Nee-chan."
"Hmm, Nee-chan, huh? In that case, maybe I could get him together with Kurenai, then she'd really be my daughter and your older sister. He'll be spending a lot of time with her for the next few years anyway, it would be kind of cute for him to develop a crush on one of Konoha's Ice Mistresses, especially when she's been taking care of him."
Naruko went oddly quiet at that, raising questions for Kushina. "Hmm? What's wrong, Naruko? You know I was only joking, right? If you don't like it I'll stop suggesting pushing them together, I just thought it was funny."
"It-it's not that, I like Kurenai, it's just that, well, Kurenai and Nii-kun don't seem to get along all that well, you know? There always seems to be some sort of tension between them." Kushina had no idea what she was talking about, Kurenai always seemed very polite and pleasant towards her son, and Naruto didn't hide behind her legs, which meant he must have not felt that uncomfortable around the woman.
"Sexual tension?" Kushina offered, trying to lighten the mood. She was only met with an inquisitive stare.
"What?" Ah, that's right, she had yet to give Naruko the talk, she had forgotten. Naruto was always so curious and mature that she had had to give him the talk before the academy, but Naruko was still innocent. Kushina hoped to keep it that way until she became a shinobi, at least.
"N-nothing, dear, just forget mommy said that, okay?" Naruko seemed like she wanted to press the matter but instead just frowned and gave a nod.
"Okay."
Bullet dodged.
"Say, Kaa-chan?" Asked Naruko after a few minutes of awkward silence.
"Yes, little sunflower?"
"We're going to get Naruto presents while we're away, right?"
"Of course."
"How will we carry them all?"
Her own daughter, an Uzumaki princess, didn't automatically turn to Fuinjutsu when faced with a problem- Kushina had failed as an Uzumaki.
Sitting up, Kushina walked over to the bags, pulling out a scroll from which she unsealed yet another scroll. "With this, honey." She answered, holding it up for Naruko to see. It was purple, much like the eyes she shared with her son, and either edge was white. Written in red was 'Naruto' which was pretty self-explanatory.
"Everything we get for him will go in here, that way we don't have to carry around all his presents for the next few years."
Naruko frowned for a few moments, thinking, before giving a brilliant smile. "I understand, Kaa-chan, but it won't have his best present in it!"
Kushina humored the girl with a soft smile. "And what would that be?"
"Me!"
'Eh-he, what?'
"I'm coming back, and that's the best present he'll ever get!"
"Erm, that's right, sweetie, I'm sure he'll be glad to have his sister back."
"Yep, I'm going to be Nii-kun's present!" A bead of sweat dripped down the side of Kushina's head as she nervously chuckled.
"That's great, Naruko-chan, but you probably shouldn't say it like that."
"Huh? Why not?" The girl tilted her head to the side curiously, bright blue eyes blinking like an owl.
'I really, really don't want to have this talk right now, things will just get awkward for the both of us.' Thought Kushina in dismay. Fortunately- which was actually rather unfortunately- Naruko simply shrugged and continued on with her train of thought.
"When we get back I'm going to give myself to Nii-kun. We'll go up to his room and I'll grab his scroll." The girl paused to frown. "We'll probably make a really big mess, it will be everywhere by the time we're done." She gave a mega-watt smile towards her mortified mother. "But I bet Nii-kun will be really happy with me once I empty his scroll of all his stuff. Then we'll clean it up together."
She looked at her mother's shocked and appalled face for a moment before amending her previous statements. "Oh, I'm sorry, Kaa-chan, I'll let you help me empty his scroll if that's what you want. I probably won't be able to get it all out myself anyway, your help would be great." She flashed another grin to the woman who was nearly as red as her hair. "Nii-kun would want to spend more time with you, too, so we can all do it together."
It was decided, she couldn't put it off after THAT, it was time to give Naruko 'The Talk'.
"N-naruko, honey, I think it's time for our first lesson."
"Really?! What is it, what is it?!" The girl was practically bouncing with excitement, which meant she'd be really disappointed by this lesson. This was not going to be fun but at least she could draw comfort from the fact that Naruto would be following the instructions she left him while she was here giving her daughter 'The Talk'. His maturity really was a blessing.
"It's time for you to learn about the 'Birds and the Bees'."
For the next week, neither of the two Uzumaki women would be able to meet each other's eyes.
'Oh, I'm back.' That was odd, usually all his dreams were different despite being about the same two people each time. Just like last time, the scattered light increased in intensity. Unlike last time, the light did not melt his flesh. Stepping into the shadows that clung to the walls on either side of this flooded basement, he gazed down to his arm, noting the reddening like sunburn.
A dull ache seemed to come from it, pulsing with agony in synch with his heart. There was a smothered feeling to it though, as if looking at something through foggy glass and only making out the general idea of what it was. He wanted to call it numbness, but he didn't feel numb, only weary. Like the taste of one's mouth, the pain was simply there. He knew of it, but it was familiar- he had grown used to it.
'Did it only take that one time for my heart to accept this? Is it really so eager to move past this pain?'
He focused his thoughts on his mother and sister, on his love for them, on how they had left him-
The pain returned. He fell to his knees clutching his chest as it contracted painfully, tightening into the frozen grip of death that offered so innocently to take away all his pain. Paying attention only to the pain, it slowly ebbed away, leaving him feeling hollow and cold.
'It is best, perhaps, that I simply continue on. I must keep pressing forward and focus only on my next breath, my next step, my next meal, my next target, my next sleeping place. What's next?'
Sufficiently distracted, he began walking. Some animals might lay in wait, but he didn't have the patience for it. He had to keep going, seeking out opportunity, staying ready to fight or flee.
'What is this place?' He wondered as he began his trek down crumbling hallways. Most of his dreams happened in places he knew. As far as he was aware, he had never been to this place.
Time felt strange here, in one moment it would go by normally, in the next it had slowed to a crawl, the gently flowing water becoming a perfectly motionless mirror. An instant later it was rushing passed his legs as if some great and terrible demon chased towards it with unquenchable thirst. Looking down into the murky water that smelled only of rot and decay, he could understand why a demon might not be able to satisfy their thirst with such putrid water.
He had thought originally that the water was simply flowing at a different speed; it was the logical conclusion, after all. But when he had splashed a handful of it from the still pool around him and it hung in the air until the rest of the water began moving, he knew it had to be time itself that bent and warped in this place.
'Time and space' The first thing that came to mind were storage seals- seals in general, really- which operated by bending space-time, but that would make for a rather odd dream. Had he actually found himself within a seal of some sort or was this dream simply his mind puzzling over the nature and existence of seals while he slept?
Time once again sped up and he found himself curious of the water that passed him by.
'What if I-' Before he had even finished his thought he had acted upon it, surrendering himself unto the current as he fell into the water. He was carried swiftly and as he floated on his back he couldn't help but release a chuckle. This would have made everything a lot easier if he had thought of this easier. It was a far more simple matter to focus on enjoying the ride than walking down a hallway trying not to think about those who had left him behind.
After what could have been hours or mere seconds, something changed.
He wasn't sure what it was that had changed, he didn't know why everything felt different, but something was wrong -no- something was new. There was no telling what was proper in this place and he immediately kicked himself for becoming so relaxed.
'I'm such a fool.' He thought, pulling himself upright.
He froze.
This was not a hallway, this was a cage.
This was a humongous cage.
And it was not empty.
It was not those facts that made him so warry, but rather who stared out at him from within it.
'But she's dead!' Indeed, Uzumaki Mito was dead, and yet, here she was, peering through at him from behind cage bars that were bigger than she was. In fact, based on size alone, she should be easily able to slip through them. That was probably what made him most hesitant about this situation. There was something more at work here.
Cautiously, he approached her, much to her amusement based upon her facial expression alone. When he was no more than three yards away from the cage he stopped, both figures staring at each other in silence. It was now that he was close that he could see the small differences between Uzumaki Mito and this woman before him.
First was the hair. It wasn't red, but rather a dark orange with the occasional strand of crimson. The woman's eyes were a bright scarlet with dark slits for pupils, he knew for a fact that Mito's eyes were nothing like that. Finally were the lips, Mito was known for being a stoic as a Hyuuga, and yet this woman was smirking at him with ruby lips. That had to be lipstick, which Mito supposedly never wore, or it was the woman's natural lip color, which would be wrong for the deceased Uzumaki.
His observations complete, he finally inquired "What shall I call you?" This seemed to amuse her only more.
"My, most people would ask 'Who are you?', you're already proving to be quite interesting." She gave a giggle which ceased at his blank stare. He continued to look at her in silence until she relented with a pout.
"Well you're no fun; I guess I was wrong about you. I don't tell my name to just anyone, but you can call me Mito." She gave another giggle. "I've become quite fond of the name."
"And her form, it would seem." She froze at this before a grin stretched across her face.
"Oh, you know of her then? Color me impressed."
"You take upon yourself the name and form of the first Jinchuriki and refuse to give your true name. Tell me, Great Fox, why am I in this place?"
"Wow, you catch on fast, don't 'cha? I shouldn't be surprised; you were always a smart one." She giggled once again, giving him a bright, almost caring smile. It hurt his heart to look at it.
"You're in this place, Warden, because I wanted to meet the man who will be taking care of me."
Hope you enjoyed it. Come back next week for chapter four of Sealkeeper: He Who Binds.