A/N - Okey dokey, I know it's been a long damn time since I updated this, but I do have a life outside of writing. I've been dealing with a crap ton of stuff for a good while now and nothing seems to be getting any better. x.x
Anyways, this chapter mostly takes place in Naruto's hospital room. There's no real action involved in this chapter. Just a loooot of talking about a great many things. Buuut, some important stuff is discussed...and you find out that something is wrong with Naruto in this chapter.
Regardless, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Next chapter will probably include some action or training or whatever. Then we'll get into some missions and have all kinds of fun with those.
Read on and hopefully enjoy!
Chapter 3 – The Trouble with Memories
"Well, at least we don't have to go looking for her." Fang said as she and the other members of Team l'Cie watched the woman known as Tsunade Senju. She had arrived mere moments ago and began storming her way through the village. It was obvious that she was pissed off, but nobody seemed to care, especially not the members of Team l'Cie.
"Umm, should we follow her?" Serah questioned somewhat unsurely. "I want to see if Hokage-sama can talk some sense into her."
Claire shook her head and said, "We should leave it up to Hokage-sama to deal with her. If she tries to run away again, then we'll get involved. So we should stick close to her, but not to the point she becomes suspicious of us. Serah, you are in charge of this team. What are your orders?"
Looking around at her teammates, Serah took some time to think everything over. After a few minutes, she said, "Sazh, Vanille, and Fang, I want you to go to Naruto's room in the hospital. Wait there for Tsunade to arrive. I know the Anbu are stationed there for Naruto's protection, but having a few more guardians that he can trust would help. Besides that, he needs some friends right now. Anko, Tenten, and Mabui, I want you at the gate, just in case Tsunade tries to make a run for it. Claire and I will follow Tsunade wherever she goes. We'll keep an eye on things and do our best to stop her if she tries to make a run for it. Go!"
Most of the team left to follow their orders. The only one to remain behind was Anko. Looking at her quizzically, Serah was about to ask what she was doing, only for Anko to beat her to the punch. "Don't worry, I'll follow your orders. I just wanted to remind you two that Tsunade has a fear of blood. If you can't stop her any other way, make use of that fear to detain her. That's all I wanted to say." Anko said before she turned and left to join her teammates at the gate.
Claire blinked a couple of times before facepalming herself. "I forgot about Tsunade's fear. Anko's right. If we can't stop her with brute force, exploiting her fear should help. It's cruel, but effective." Serah nodded in understanding before she and her sister began to follow after Tsunade.
Hiruzen
"Do you have any idea what you've just done?!" Tsunade exclaimed as she threw open the office door, damn near sending it flying off its hinges in the process. "You KNOW I didn't want to come back here, Hiruzen! How dare you?!"
Looking calmly into his irate student's eyes, the aged Hokage motioned to one of the chairs in front of his desk. "Have a seat, Tsunade. We need to talk."
Despite her desire to knock Hiruzen's head right off his body, the angry sannin sat down with Shizune taking the spot next to her. "This better be good, sensei."
"I revoked your traveling rights for a few reasons. First, Naruto Uzumaki was attacked just recently and nearly killed in the process. He is in the hospital with severe burns all over his body. The fire even shot down his throat and torched his innards as well. I have been informed that if he doesn't receive your help soon, he may suffer brain damage that could impair his ability to fulfill his mission. So, I expect you to uphold your oath and heal him before things can get any worse. And no, I do not care about your fear of blood. You need to get over that and get over yourself as well." Hiruzen explained.
"The second reason I demanded your return is because it's time to put your dream into action. I want you to train my ninjas into skilled medics. There will be at least one medic per team, and I expect you to teach them everything you possibly can. Even if you don't think they have the talent for it, I want you to do whatever you can to ensure they can at least heal minor injuries. I don't give a shit how Koharu and Homura feel about your idea. I won't let them interfere with this. Not this time."
"Third, you've wallowed in self-pity for far too long. From now on, you're here to stay. If you still insist that you've suffered enough, I want you to see Inoichi Yamanaka for therapy at least twice a week. You need to get yourself and your feelings under control. And no, this is NOT a simple suggestion. I am ordering you to see him. One way or another, you're going to start taking your career seriously again."
"I want you to stop drinking and gambling. All you're doing is killing yourself and dishonoring the memories of Dan and Nawaki. Hell, I'm sure your grandparents are rolling in their graves with how long you've been wallowing in your own misery. So if you won't look after yourself on your own, think about them. Do what you can to make them proud of you." Hiruzen said sternly.
"But…!" Tsunade started, but she was unable to finish her sentence.
"No 'but's', Tsunade!" Hiruzen exclaimed angrily. "You may not believe it, but I care about you! You're my precious student, Tsunade. I'll always cherish you and our bond." Sighing softly, Hiruzen closed his eyes and shook his head. "Tsunade…we're going to war."
Tsunade's and Shizune's eyes widened at that piece of information. "W-What do you mean, Sensei? What has happened?"
"Tsunade, Danzo colluded with Kumogakure to try and kill myself and Ifrit-sama. We were invaded by a small force and a group of nine people chased after them into Ifrit-sama's temple. Tsunade, they were marked by Ifrit-sama. Those nine have become Ifrit-sama's chosen l'Cie. Naruto Uzumaki is one of those chosen by our god. I need you to heal him." Sighing softly, the aged Hokage said, "Naruto-kun managed to trick Danzo into revealing himself and his horrible plot. Danzo has been killed, but the damage has already been done. Last time Kumo pulled something like this, I gave into their demands and gave them Hizashi Hyuga's body. This time, there can be no peaceful resolution to our problems. Tsunade, we're going to war. We're going to punish Kumogakure and the Raikage for their sins. We're going to make an example of them and prove why we're the strongest hidden village. If we tried to find a peaceful resolution again, the other villages might take that as a sign that our strength is waning and we are too afraid to stand up for ourselves. No, Tsunade, war is our only solution. So I expect you to train more medics and ensure that our people will survive. I refuse to lose our people because they were ill prepared for the horrors of war. Do you understand me?"
Tsunade scowled and said, "I told you before all of this started that you should have done away with Danzo, whether you had evidence of his actions or not. Your inaction has come back to bite you in the ass, Sensei. Are the people even ready for such a war?" Sighing irritably, she said, "I'll heal Naruto and I'll even train medics for every team. Hell, if need be, I'll even teach a class for medics at the academy. Danzo got what he wanted in the end, a war with another nation. Tch. You really should've done something like I told you. Dammit, Sensei."
As Tsunade stood up and began to leave with her student and pet pig, Hiruzen spoke up. "You're right, Tsunade. I screwed up and now the people of our village have to suffer for it. This came about as a result of my cowardice. I assure you, though, that our ninja will be more than capable of combatting Kumo's ninja, no matter what it takes. I do not plan to involve the genin if I can help it. We'll need them to continue taking smaller missions to ensure we continue to earn some kind of revenue. I do not want to involve you in this war, either. I want you to focus on teaching instead. I'll be recalling Jiraiya to the village, as well. He will serve on the front lines of this war, and when he's not doing that, I expect him to start teaching fuinjutsu classes to my ninja and at the academy. I swear to Kami and Ifrit-sama that if he dares to focus on his precious peeping that I'll remove what makes him a man. Now, allow me to guide you to Naruto's room at the hospital. He's in bad shape, but with your medical expertise, there shouldn't be any problems."
The blonde woman nodded once to show that she understood. As she followed after Hiruzen, she couldn't help but notice the duo of pink-haired women waiting just outside the tower. However, rather than ask them what the heck they wanted, she chose to follow after Hiruzen with Shizune at her side. When the pink-haired duo began to follow them, she asked, "Sensei, who are they? Why are they following us?"
Glancing at his student for a moment, Hiruzen paused and called for one of his Anbu. When Ox appeared before him, he said, "Go to the gate and inform the l'Cie there that Tsunade has agreed to heal Naruto Uzumaki. Tell them to meet us at the hospital." When Ox nodded and hurried off, Tsunade just looked even more confused.
"Okay, you're really going to need to explain things to me, Sensei." Tsunade said as they approached the hospital.
Stopping just outside, Hiruzen turned to his student and said, "Team l'Cie, as I've named them, were prepared to act if you attempted to flee the village once again. You may be strong, Tsunade, but they care about Naruto and were not about to let you leave. These two and the three Ox went to fetch are members of Team l'Cie. In fact, Serah," here, he motioned to Serah Farron, "is the current leader of Team l'Cie. I will introduce you to each member of the team later, as I expect you to impart your medical expertise and wisdom unto them. For now, we'll wait for the others to arrive before I show you to Naruto's room."
Tsunade nodded in understanding before she turned to look at Serah. Then, when she glanced at Claire, the older sister, she frowned in confusion. "Sensei, wouldn't it have made more sense to place one of the jonin in charge of the team? Why did you ask a chunin to lead them?"
As Sazh and the others came into view, Hiruzen chuckled softly and said, "The majority of Team l'Cie's members decided that Naruto Uzumaki would be their leader. However, as Naruto-kun is simply a new genin with no prior leadership experience, I placed Serah in charge of the team. It is not a permanent position, but I believe in her capabilities. She is an exceptionally skilled ninja and I'm quite proud of her."
Serah smiled and bowed to the Hokage. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. That means a lot to me. Now," looking from Hiruzen to Tsunade, she said, "Please, heal Naruto. He is an important member of our team. What the people have done to him is beyond cruel."
When the other three members of Team l'Cie reached them, Hiruzen smiled at them before turning and leading Tsunade inside. As she followed him, she decided to ask a question that had been nagging her. "Sensei, why did the people do such a horrible thing to Naruto to begin with? Surely there must be some reason for their actions?"
Claire scowled at her and said, "If you're insinuating that Naruto did something to deserve it, I'll hurt you."
Tsunade quickly shook her head and said, "That's not what I was implying! Call it curiosity, if you want. I need to know what to expect and why the people would do such a horrible thing."
Stopping just outside of Naruto's room, the aged man looked into Tsunade's eyes and said, "Tsunade, Naruto Uzumaki is the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko. Danzo spread the information on the night of Naruto's birth, which happened to be the same night of the Kyuubi attack. Because of him spreading such information and twisting the truth to suit his desires, the people truly believe that Naruto is the Kyuubi trapped in a human body. They've been trying to kill him all his life, but his natural healing factor combined with the Kyuubi's enhanced abilities make Naruto incredibly hard to kill. So they just keep trying and trying, hoping to finally get lucky. Naruto has done nothing to warrant this abuse. I already told the people the truth, so it's up to them to figure out what to do from here on. A lot of the villagers still insist that Naruto is a monster that needs to be killed. However, the one I'm most concerned about is Sasuke Uchiha. I was informed by a trusted source that Sasuke is furious with me for 'slandering the Uchiha name'. And now that he knows about Naruto-kun's secret, he plans to use his Sharingan, when he awakens his kekkei genkai, to turn Naruto into his slave. It wouldn't succeed, but he still plans to do something, even if only to get back at me for ruining his good name. Tch. The kid's psychotic and will eagerly betray the village for more power. He's been spoiled rotten by the villagers and there's no doubt that they'll continue to spoil the rotten little shit."
Grumbling irritably to himself, Hiruzen soon shook it off and opened the door to Naruto's hospital room. "Come, Tsunade. Examine Naruto-kun and treat his injuries. If you feel he requires surgery to repair the damage, then please do it. Otherwise, you should be able to help heal him right here. It is my hope that your medical expertise, combined with his healing factor, will help him to recover much quicker."
Tsunade scowled at what she had just heard. Walking over to Naruto's bed, she began to perform a diagnostic scan. While doing this, she said, "To think, my grandmother and Kushina Uzumaki both went without such treatment, despite being the first two jinchuriki of the Kyuubi. The people have fallen far from our time. I can heal him, but you need to do something to ensure this shit doesn't happen ever again. If that means I have to rip off Sasuke's head to keep Naruto safe, I'll do it and not lose an ounce of sleep over it. No one deserves to suffer this kind of fate."
Hiruzen nodded in agreement. "Of course. Thankfully, Sasuke and Naruto are not on the same team, otherwise there would likely be quite a bit of conflict between the two of them. However, that likely won't matter to Sasuke any. The boy is a deranged psychopath who cares for no one but himself. I fully expect him to betray the village if it means he'll obtain more power faster, somewhere else. It wouldn't even take much to convince him that other villages, or people like Orochimaru, can give him a shortcut to more power. All so that he can kill his brother and anyone else that irritates him."
The busty blonde didn't say anything more. Instead, she activated one of her medical ninjutsu and began to work on repairing the damage done to Naruto. She knew that she needed to put all her focus into healing the teen lying on the bed. If she didn't keep her focus, she was likely to slip up and cause more harm than good.
As she worked, the members of Team l'Cie and the Hokage remained quiet, simply watching her work. They knew she needed to focus, and distracting her with idle chatter wouldn't benefit them. Still, some of them were feeling a bit antsy and/or nervous. Sazh couldn't help but fidget a little nervously as he watched the healing process. C'mon Naruto, get better. Dajh really looks up to you. Besides that, you're my best friend. I can't lose you like this.
Flashback
"Dajh! Dajh, where did you go?! Please Ifrit-sama, I need your help. Please, Dajh, be okay!" Sazh called out as he ran around the village in search of his son. "I only looked away for a minute. I swear to Kami, if he's been hurt…!"
As he ran through the village in search of his son, Sazh couldn't help but think about his recently deceased wife. If she was still alive, she'd never forgive me for this. She'd beat me senseless for sure. Seriously, where the hell is my son?! These thoughts and more were running through his head.
Sazh's wife had died just last month, shortly after Dajh's third birthday. He had been a mess ever since, unsure exactly how to live without her. Hell, he wasn't even sure if he could raise his son without his wife at his side! And now that he had lost his son, he was feeling like a true failure as a father.
As he made to run past a nearby alley, he suddenly heard Dajh's giggling. Eyes going wide, he went to examine the alley, only to find the village's resident jinchuriki carrying him out of the darkness of the alley. Looking at the boy he had only seen and heard of in passing, Sazh fell to his knees and began to openly sob.
Seeing this, Naruto hurried up to the man and set Dajh down. Placing his hands on Sazh's shoulders, he said, "Hey, hey there. Your son's okay, I promise. Some woman was running off with him, so I knocked her out and grabbed him before she could get too far. I'm honestly glad we found you."
Sazh looked into Naruto's eyes before he turned his gaze to his son. Wrapping Dajh up in his arms, he kissed the top of his son's head a few times before looking back into Naruto's eyes. "Your name is Naruto, right?" Seeing the blonde nod, Sazh smiled at him and said, "Thank you, Naruto, for saving my son. How can I ever repay you for this? I owe you so much."
Naruto, currently 13 years old, simply smiled at Sazh and said, "You really don't owe me anything. I'm just happy to help. Sure, they'll probably try to hurt me again, claiming that woman was innocent and I attacked a defenseless woman, but I don't regret doing the right thing. If they hurt me, they hurt me. It's as simple as that. I just couldn't let her get away with your son. Sooo, are you going to be okay, Mister?"
Sazh smiled at Naruto and said, "The name's Sazh Katzroy. This is my son, Dajh. My…my wife died last month. I've been a mess ever since. I'm doing the best I can to raise Dajh, but…"
Naruto flicked Sazh in the forehead, getting the man's attention. "Sazh, don't worry so much about whether you can do a good job raising your son or not. Some parents couldn't care less about their children. Some parents…well, they shouldn't have become parents in the first place." Sighing softly, Naruto shrugged and said, "Sazh, you're a good man and a good father. Just gotta believe in yourself a little more. I'm not saying you can't grieve and shouldn't miss your wife, because it's only normal to do those things. But keep in mind that Dajh is the result of your love for your wife. He's got a piece of his mother in him, and I know you'll cherish that and him. And, if you need a friend, I'll be here for you, okay? Hell, I'll even babysit if you need me to. I know people generally don't like me, but I won't just let you suffer if I can help it. Okay?"
Sazh blinked a couple of times before smiling kindly at the boy in front of him. "I swear, the people of this village are ridiculous if they think you're a demon. You're a good kid, Uzumaki. Thank you. Come with me. It's only right that I treat you to something nice. What kind of food do you like?"
The blonde smiled thankfully at Sazh before helping the older male back up onto his feet. "Well, my favorite food is ramen, but that's mostly because Teuchi and Ayame treat me so well. They're good people that genuinely seem to care for me. But I love to eat things like barbecue, steaks, some good burgers, dango, whatever, really. The various stores throughout the village tend to try and deny me basic essentials such as food and beverages. And if they do let me buy things…they try to quadruple the price on me…or they sell me expired things such as milk, fruits, vegetables, etc. I really should talk to Gramps about it, but I didn't want to trouble him…"
Sazh smirked at Naruto and said, "Then I'll treat you to some good ramen. And, I'll make you a deal. In exchange for helping me care for Dajh, I'll do all the shopping for you. They won't overcharge me, so I can get you everything you need without having to deal with the bigots. How's that sound?"
Naruto smiled thankfully at Sazh and said, "I'd really appreciate that, Sazh. Thank you so much."
"Anytime, Naruto. Thanks again."
Flashback End
Sazh was snapped out of his thoughts, or rather one of his most precious memories, when he heard Naruto gasp. Looking at his friend, Sazh smiled as he saw that he was beginning to rapidly heal as a result of Tsunade essentially jumpstarting his natural healing factor. Smiling brightly, Sazh reached up and wiped away the tears that had been welling up in his eyes. Thank you, Ifrit-sama and Kami-sama. Thank you for looking after my friend.
When Naruto opened his eyes and began to look around frantically, Tsunade lightly pushed him back down on the bed and said, "You're okay, Naruto. Everything's fine. Tell me, how do you feel?"
Opening his mouth to speak, Naruto started coughing and started rubbing his throat, trying desperately to relieve the scratchy sensation in his throat. Looking up into Tsunade's eyes, he forced out, "Wa-water. Please."
The busty medic smiled kindly at him and looked at Shizune. "Please fetch a glass of water, Shizune." When she rushed off, Tsunade looked back into Naruto's eyes and said, "I'm going to need to run a few tests to check for any kind of brain damage, but so far, I think you're doing just fine." When Shizune walked up to them and handed him a glass of water, he gulped it down somewhat greedily, as if he hadn't had anything to drink in days. Well, that was actually rather accurate. Still, that was beside the point.
Once the glass was empty again, Naruto looked into Tsunade's eyes and said, "Thank you, Tsunade-sama. I'm feeling a LOT better now. And I don't feel any different compared to how I usually feel."
"Be that as it may, I still need to run some tests. I'll start off easy. Can you tell me your name?" Tsunade began.
"Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto replied easily.
"Good. Do you know how old you are now? What about your birthday?"
Naruto frowned slightly and said, "I'm 16 years old. My birthday is October 10th."
"Good. What about your favorite food?" Tsunade asked.
"Ramen. But I love a lot of food." Naruto said.
"All right. Do you remember what happened to you? Do you know why you're in the hospital?" Tsunade questioned.
The spiky-haired teen nodded and said, "I was heading to the academy with Vanille-chan when I was attacked. They tried to hurt Vanille, so I took the attack for her. It really hurt."
"Good. Now, I'm going to say three words. I want you to try and remember these words while I ask you a series of questions. Are you ready?" Seeing him nod, Tsunade said, "Aardvark, mongoose, meal. Can you try to remember those for me?"
"Yeah. Aardvark, mongoose, meal." Naruto said.
"Good. Keep those words in mind. Now, do you remember your experiences in the academy? How about your teachers?"
"Iruka and Mizuki didn't have any interest in teaching me anything. They wouldn't answer my questions, they always picked on me and treated me like I was a damn moron. No matter what I did, it was never good enough. Hell, they even tried to teach me the wrong stances for the academy style taijutsu. They also gave me dull kunai and shuriken for the shurikenjutsu tests. I was screwed over by them every step of the way." Naruto explained.
Tsunade frowned at this information and looked back at her sensei. "Sensei, you need to deal with those two." Seeing Hiruzen nod, the doctor looked back at Naruto. "All right, this next one should be easy. Who is your best friend?"
Naruto smiled and looked right at Sazh. "Sazh Katzroy. He's one of the first to really treat me like a human being. I'll always cherish that bond."
"Good. Let's try something more recent. Do you remember waking up and asking Hokage-sama about the teams? Who are the members of your team?" Tsunade questioned.
The blonde frowned as he thought back to that moment. When he realized he couldn't answer, he said, "I…I don't know. I think…umm…" Shaking his head, he clenched his fists tight at his side and said, "I honestly don't remember. I can't remember that conversation at all."
Tsunade frowned at this and asked, "What were the words I wanted you to remember?"
Naruto frowned deeper and said, "Moose, Rat, Ramen? I…I don't remember."
Glancing at the Hokage, Tsunade shook her head sadly. Looking back at Naruto, she decided to ask a few more questions. "Naruto, do you remember why the people would hurt you like this?"
Naruto nodded and said, "It's because I am the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi. They think I'm the demon in human form. They just don't understand. The Kyuubi isn't evil, and we actually get along really well. If they want to blame anyone, they should blame the Uchiha that unleashed him on the village."
Tsunade nodded in response. "Good. That's good, Naruto. One last question for you. While you were unconscious, I assume you were speaking with the Kyuubi all this time, right?" Seeing him nod, Tsunade asked, "Do you remember the specifics of what you two were discussing? Was he able to help you?"
Naruto frowned as he tried to remember the conversation he had with Kurama. "Umm…I think…I…I don't remember. I know we discussed the possibility of some brain damage if I wasn't healed in time, but I feel just fine. Why can't I remember what we were talking about before I woke up?"
The busty doctor frowned sadly and said, "Naruto, you've clearly suffered damage to the hippocampus. In other words, the part of your brain that controls memory has suffered a bit of damage. It's not an extreme case, but your short-term memory is no longer as good as it used to be. There are ways to work around this problem, but the truth is, you likely won't recover from this problem. Well, maybe if the Kyuubi can do something about it, it could be repaired, but I doubt even the Kyuubi has the capability to do something like that. Chances are that you'll always suffer this problem. I'm sorry."
Looking down, away from everyone, he said, "So…they finally managed to do some lasting damage. I'm sure they'll be happy to know that. Can I even be a ninja like this?"
Hiruzen walked up and placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders. When his young friend looked into his eyes, the Hokage smiled at him and said, "Naruto, you'll be fine. This is only a minor setback, and it's something you can deal with. If it helps, you can make use of your shadow clones to overcome this particular problem. There's also exercises that will help you to deal with this particular problem. As Tsunade said, there are ways around your new problem."
Naruto smiled just slightly and said, "Thanks, Gramps. But, what do you mean about the shadow clones? I was kind of in a hurry when I learned that technique, so I don't really know all the details."
The Third chuckled softly and said, "I can imagine you were, considering you had the whole village hunting for you, and Mizuki trying to kill you. It's just unfortunate that Iruka truly believed you to be a criminal instead of a victim who was tricked by somebody you thought you could trust." Shaking his head sadly, Hiruzen decided to explain in detail. "Naruto-kun, the Shadow Clone Technique was originally meant to be used for infiltration and information gathering. You see, whatever your clone learns, you learn. So say I was to instruct you to read a book from the library. If you didn't have the time needed to read the book, you could get your clone to and everything they learned would be transferred right back to you when they dispel."
"Normally, a person can only create one, maybe two clones maximum. However, you can create hundreds, perhaps even thousands of clones. This means that you can increase your learning experience exponentially. You could order a small handful of clones to practice walking on water while another group tries to master a new technique. However, there are limitations to this kind of training. First, any physical exercise or attempts to master a taijutsu style unique to you would not transfer back to you. Those you'll have to do on your own. However…" Frowning deeply to himself, he stared straight into Naruto's eyes and said, "If you try to dispel too many clones at once, you might go braindead. You might never recover from something like that. So what you need to do is dispel a small group of clones at a time. Wait for their knowledge to settle in your head and then continue to dispel your clones in small groups at a time. Because of how dangerous it is, I want you to start off small, okay, Naruto-kun? I recommend just summoning twenty clones at a time and having them study certain things for you. Then, when you're done for the day, dispel five clones at a time."
When Naruto went to speak, Hiruzen smiled kindly at him and said, "Naruto, because of your new memory issue, you might need to have your clones study something over and over again until it sticks in your head. If that means they have to read the same book three times before it finally clicks, then I expect you to work with that. Please, promise me that you'll be careful and that you'll take this seriously. I know it might be frustrating at first, but I truly believe in you, Naruto-kun. I love you like I do my own grandson. I care about you. And I worry about you. I…" Sighing softly, Hiruzen pulled Naruto into a hug and said, "I'm so sorry I wasn't there when you needed me."
Naruto shook his head and hugged the Hokage back. "It's okay, Gramps. I'm not mad at you or anything. I just…I wish the people weren't so cruel. I know you wanted me to try and forgive them and try to prove them wrong about me, but…" Here, he began to shake as tears started streaming down his face. "I don't think I can forgive them. I just want them to leave me alone. I don't want anything to do with them. I tried, Gramps. I really did. But I just can't do it anymore. I'll protect the village and my friends, but I don't know if I can do anything kind for those people anymore."
The Hokage released Naruto and looked him in the eyes, a small smile on his face. "It's okay, Naruto-kun. I'm not upset by that. In fact, I don't blame you. Naruto…you should know that we're planning to go to war. I'm not going to assign any genin teams to doing D-rank missions for the time being. You're going to train and then be sent on C-rank missions. We need the revenue coming in from such missions in order to supply the war effort. But, there are a few things I need to warn you about."
"What's wrong, Gramps?" Naruto asked, hoping it wasn't anything too bad.
"Naruto, be wary of Kakashi Hatake and Sasuke Uchiha. The council wanted you placed on Team 7 with the two of them. The Sharingan is capable of enslaving the bijuu and Sasuke has declared that he'll make you his slave using his Sharingan when he awakens them. Kakashi is bound to assist him in strengthening his Sharingan and will likely teach him a variety of new techniques. I dearly wish he would focus on Sakura and Yuffie, as well, but…"
Claire interrupted the Hokage at this point. "Sorry to interrupt you, Hokage-sama, but why exactly would you put Hatake in charge of a team when he's more than likely to cater to the Uchiha's every whim and fancy? It would have been wiser to assign someone else to be that team's sensei. Someone that won't give in to what the runt wants."
Hiruzen frowned distastefully and shook his head. "Part of it is because of a compromise I made with the council. The other part is because I want to test his loyalty and his capabilities as a teacher. I want to see whose orders he's willing to follow. Mine…or the council's? Depending on the answer, I may have to punish him quite severely."
Serah nodded in understanding, but she also realized a problem with the Hokage's plan. "Be that as it may, Hokage-sama, the other genin on his team will be in grave danger if he neglects their training. They could die out there because of him."
The Third frowned deeply and nodded his head. "That's why I plan to assign one more team to whatever missions Team 7 takes outside of the village. I refuse to let those two die because Kakashi chooses to be a neglectful asshole. I just hope that the team I assign to cooperate with them don't end up suffering as well. But…" here, Hiruzen looked around the room for a time before finally setting his eyes on Tsunade. "Tsunade, this is just one reason I want you to begin training medics. I want to increase the likelihood of survival out there. For the members of Team 7, I think Sakura Haruno is your best bet. However…"
Naruto let out a groan and shook his head. "She's a diehard fangirl for Sasuke Uchiha. Chances are high that she won't take her training seriously. She's already admitted that she's dieting, which is NOT good for an up-and-coming kunoichi. On top of that, her chakra reserves are rather small, meaning she'll get tired out quicker than other people would. So, if you plan to teach her how to be a medic, you've really got your work cut out for you, Tsunade-sama."
Shizune frowned after hearing this. Looking at her master, she asked, "How are you going to deal with that, Tsunade-sama? I can't believe this girl passed the genin exam if she's really that bad."
Tsunade scowled and shook her head. "I won't train a fangirl. I'll try to impress upon her the need to train and take her career seriously, but I won't train her. If she gets over the Uchiha and agrees to take things seriously, then I might consider training her. As of right now, she's a disgrace and an embarrassment to kunoichi everywhere."
Hiruzen nodded in agreement with her. "I have my suspicions about why he chose to pass his team. I highly doubt Sasuke was willing to work with his team, and Sakura wouldn't have done anything the entire test. Yuffie is the only one on that team that I trust to have taken things seriously. So, why did Kakashi pass his team?" he questioned, looking seriously at the others.
Claire scowled and said, "The council bought him. Isn't that proof enough to do something, Hokage-sama?"
The Third shook his head and said, "Sadly not. As their jonin sensei, it was up to Kakashi whether to pass or fail his team. That particular decision was out of my hands. It throws his loyalty into question, yes, but I need something more concrete if I want to take action. I can't always keep an eye on him and his team, so I need people I can trust to keep an eye on things and inform me if something is amiss. Seeing as you lot are the members of Team l'Cie, I trust you all far more than I do anyone else. If you come to me with information that Kakashi is failing to adhere to my orders, then I'll take action and set things right."
Looking back at Naruto, Hiruzen said, "If Sasuke dares to try and hurt you in any way, inform me right away. I won't let that little punk get away with any of his shit any longer. And if Kakashi dares to try and defend him, I'll rip that blasted Sharingan right out of his head and give it to someone worthy of that gift."
Naruto smiled thankfully at Hiruzen. "Thank you, Gramps. Umm, can we please get out of here? If I'm all better, I'd like to get started with training. Umm…" looking at Tsunade at this point, he asked, "Do you think it would be possible for me to learn medical ninjutsu?"
Tsunade frowned sadly and shook her head. "You'll never have the kind of fine-tuned chakra control needed to be a medic, Naruto. I'm really sorry. But I'll train both of your teammates to be the best medics they can be. Does that work for you?"
The younger blonde looked a little dejected at that news, but nodded after a few moments. "Yeah. I don't want anyone to die, so having two medics on the team would be really nice." Looking back at the Hokage, he asked, "Gramps, my parents were fuinjutsu masters, weren't they? Do you think I might be able to use that art, too?"
Hiruzen smiled at the young man and patted him gently atop the head. "Yes, Naruto-kun. Your parents left you with all their notes on fuinjutsu, hoping that you would take up the art and become even better than they were. I suggest you look in their library and study what you can from there. But! Before you even attempt fuinjutsu, you need to perfect your handwriting. One small mistake can have devastating consequences. Do you understand me?"
"Understood, Gramps. I'll be careful and I'll make sure to practice, practice, practice until I'm ready. I've got another question, though." Naruto said unsurely.
Hiruzen smiled at Naruto and said, "Ask away, Naruto-kun. What's on your mind?"
Looking around at his teammates for a time, the blonde soon looked into the Hokage's eyes and said, "If we're going to war, why don't we try teaching people how to use fuinjutsu? They might never be as good as my parents were, but shouldn't we make use of every possible advantage we can get?"
The aged man nodded and said, "That's why I've recalled Jiraiya. He may be our spymaster, but he is also the world's most skilled fuinjutsu specialist now that your parents are gone. It is my hope that he will train our forces in the use of fuinjutsu. However…"
Claire scoffed and said, "The man's a pervert. Well, he would proclaim that he's a super pervert." Sighing irritably, she said, "Naruto, Jiraiya is probably the biggest pervert this world will ever see. Women everywhere are in danger because of him. He spies on them in their most private of moments and uses us as 'inspiration' for his smut novels. He's the enemy of women everywhere."
Fang frowned at the Hokage and asked, "How much do you want to bet that he hasn't returned yet because he's more focused on his precious 'research'? Hell, even when he returns to the village, he's likely to pay a visit to the woman's side of the hot springs than he is to report in like he should. Can we really leave scum like that in charge of teaching fuinjutsu classes?"
Hiruzen looked dryly at Fang and said, "That's a sucker's bet and you know it. Once he returns, I'll inform him about the current situation and try to impress upon him the need to focus on something other than his damnable vices. If he doesn't listen, then fuinjutsu classes will have to be put on hold." Sighing aggravatedly, he turned his gaze back to Naruto. "Once you've gotten the hang of fuinjutsu and have advanced to the stage where you can create brand new seals we haven't even heard of, it is my hope that you will teach fuinjutsu in Jiraiya's place. It won't happen right away, but I believe in you, Naruto-kun."
When Naruto looked about ready to question Hiruzen's decision, Serah walked up to him and placed a hand gently upon his. "Naruto-kun, when you get to that point, I'll be more than glad to study under you. I trust you far more than I do that lecherous man. So, don't doubt yourself and show us all what you can really do when you put your mind to it. Okay?"
Sazh grinned at Naruto and said, "I may not know much about the subject or what all you ninja are capable of, but if you need to bounce ideas off of someone, or you think I can help, I'll help you however I can. Okay, Naruto?"
Naruto nodded and smiled at his teammates and friends. "Thanks. And, umm…" Here, the blonde looked into Anko's eyes. "Anko-chan? When we were branded as l'Cie, did it remove your curse mark?"
Anko frowned and shook her head. "'Fraid not, Naruto-kun."
"Damn. Okay, then. Once I get the hang of fuinjutsu and have mastered the art, I'll remove that stupid curse seal. Jiraiya probably could, but…" Naruto said, not quite sure how to finish what he was trying to say.
The Snake Mistress scowled and shook her head. "The bastard only wants to ogle the goods. He's never been interested in removing the curse seal. He probably could if he put his mind to it, but he's a bastard like that."
Hearing this, Hiruzen clenched his fists angrily and said, "So that's why he claims he can't do anything about it. Because you won't give him what he wants. Anko, I'm truly sorry. If I had known…"
Anko shook her head and said, "It's not your fault, Hokage-sama. And…well, I didn't want to worry you. Jiraiya is Konoha's spymaster, after all. Despite his perversions, he does do good for the village."
"That's no excuse, Anko!" Hiruzen shouted. "Jiraiya is my student. As such, if he acts out or does something stupid like that, I need to deal with it and nip the problem in the bud. The fact that he's been getting away with this kind of behavior is appalling. Dammit! I feel like I'm just one huge failure of a teacher." Looking into Tsunade's eyes at this point, he said, "Sorry if this upsets you, Tsunade, but you have to admit that you three didn't exactly turn out for the best. Orochimaru began horrible experiments and turned traitor. You lost your loved ones and chose to flee the village to wallow in your misery. And Jiraiya…"
Tsunade shook her head and said, "No offense taken, Sensei. I'm going to strive to become a better person. No more drinking and no more gambling. That's my promise to you. I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure our people not only survive the coming war, but we'll win it, too. And if you need someone to beat some sense into Jiraiya, I don't mind getting my hands dirty. You'd think he'd have learned his lesson after I beat him within an inch of his life for daring to peep on me."
Naruto frowned at this and said, "Damn. If that didn't teach him a lesson, then what would?"
Tsunade shrugged and said, "That is a damn good question, Naruto. That man is scum. And yet, he knows that the village needs him. So he abuses that fact to do whatever he wants. It might be time to train a new spymaster, Sensei."
Hiruzen shook his head. "I'll try to convince Jiraiya to start training his replacement, but it really just depends on that foolish boy." Grumbling irritably, he patted Naruto on the head before he turned to face the various members of Team l'Cie. "Now that Naruto-kun has been healed, I want you all to begin training together. Work to improve yourselves and your abilities. I also want you to train in the abilities Ifrit-sama has granted you. You need to get used to casting magic and utilizing your new powers in combat."
Looking at Claire and Fang, Hiruzen said, "Try to balance your time between training as part of Team l'Cie and managing your genin teams as well. I don't want you two to neglect your new teams. Fang," seeing he had the woman's attention, Hiruzen asked, "how did your conversation with Tsume go?"
Fang shook her head and said, "Tsume promised that she'd handle it, but Kiba is still going on about how he's an alpha male and how Aerith should be happy he's taken such an interest in her. I've also seen him trying to hit on Hinata. That idiot thinks way too highly of himself."
The aged Hokage grumbled for a moment before saying, "All right. Thank you, Fang. Keep an eye on him and try to beat some damn sense into the brat. Kiba's thinking with what's between his legs, rather than using his brain." Then, it was as if a lightbulb turned on inside of Hiruzen's head. "I need to talk to Tsume. I think someone in her clan is filling Kiba's head with these thoughts. Someone's being quite the bad influence on him."
Fang nodded along and said, "If Tsume needs help figuring out who it is…"
Anko smirked and said, "We'll both help her out. I'm a T&I specialist for a reason, remember? I can help weed out whoever the hell it is that's filling Kiba's head with this alpha male crap. You just focus on keeping yourself and Aerith safe from Kiba. I don't trust him to take 'no' for an answer. He strikes me as the type to just try and take what he wants and damn the consequences."
Fang groaned and slumped over. "Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. Claire, might wanna keep an eye on your female teammates. Hinata and Vanille likely aren't safe from that pervert either."
"Noted. Let's just hope Kiba and Jiraiya never meet. They'd probably feed off of one another's perversion and become ten times worse in the process." Claire said.
Hiruzen took a calming breath before he said, "I do believe we've spent more than enough time discussing all of this for the time being. Naruto, I want you to follow Claire's leadership and listen to her advice. She may be strict and tough on you, but she knows what she's doing. For now, go with Claire and Vanille to collect Hinata, your final teammate. You still have to go through the introductory process before you get started on your training."
Naruto frowned for a moment before looking back into the Hokage's eyes. "Hey, Gramps? I think you tried to tell me before, but I've obviously forgotten. Who's on which team? I'd like to know what to expect."
Hiruzen frowned sadly and said, "That's right. You did mention that you couldn't remember that conversation. Naruto, there are four teams I want you to try and remember. Team 7 consists of Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Yuffie Kisaragi. Kakashi Hatake is the jonin in charge of that particular team."
"Team 8 is led by Oerba Yun Fang. The team consists of Kiba Inuzuka, Aerith Gainsborough, and Shino Aburame. Team 10 is led by Asuma Sarutobi, my son. The genin on said team are Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi. Finally, we have Team 11, your team. The team consists of yourself, Hinata Hyuga, and Oerba Dia Vanille. The team is led by Claire Farron." Hiruzen finished.
Naruto nodded in understanding and repeated the teams until he was positive he had it memorized. After all, remembering who was on which team would be a good idea in the long run.
Vanille stepped up to Naruto's bedside opposite of Serah. Taking Naruto's hand in hers, she said, "If you ever need me to, I'll help you however I can. Okay, Naruto-kun?"
"Thanks, Vanille-chan. Now, can we please get out of here? I feel like I've been in this bed for weeks. I could use a little exercise. Training would be great, as well." Naruto said, chuckling a bit afterwards.
Vanille giggled a bit before helping him out of the bed. It was then that they realized he was wearing a simple hospital robe with barely anything on underneath. Blushing, she quickly rushed over to the others and began ushering each of the women out of the room. "So sorry, Naruto-kun! We'll just wait out here!"
Sazh chuckled as he walked up to the Hokage. "Isn't it about time that you gave him the clothes you bought him? Can't exactly let him run around in his unmentionables now, can we, old timer?"
Hiruzen chuckled and unsealed a bag full of clothes from within a scroll. "Go on, Naruto-kun. Try them on and see what you think."
"Thanks, Gramps." Naruto said before he took the clothes and went into the bathroom to get changed. Once he was done, he stepped back into the room and asked, "How do I look?"
Sazh smirked as he looked his friend over. No longer was he wearing that obnoxious orange jumpsuit. Now, he had on some mesh armor that covered his chest, as well as a red vest and a burnt orange t-shirt under that. His pants were a light gray. They appeared to fit rather well, but were also just baggy enough to grant ease of movement. On his feet was a brand new pair of orange ninja sandals. And, around his forehead rested his forehead protector. "Lookin' good, Naruto. What do you think of it?"
Naruto looked himself over and said, "I like it. It feels comfortable and it looks far better than what I usually had to wear. I'm glad I get to keep some of the orange, though. It is my favorite color."
Hiruzen chuckled softly and said, "I'm glad you like it. Now, go on, both of you. Naruto-kun, you and the other members of Team 11 need to get introductions out of the way. Once you've done that, you can begin training. But, seeing as you've only just recovered, I want you to take it easy, eat healthy, and get plenty of rest. Don't push yourself too hard until you're damn sure you've recovered."
"Of course, Gramps. I'll take it easy for now. But I can't help but feel like I'm being left behind or like I'm dragging them down somehow. All because I've been stuck in this damn hospital bed while the other teams have been training and getting stronger. I don't like feeling like this." Naruto said.
Hiruzen simply smiled warmly at Naruto. "If that's how you feel, then you'll just have to work three times as hard as anyone else until you feel like you're a valued member of the teams you're on. But honestly, you shouldn't feel like that. Your friends and teammates understand. This was an entirely unexpected attack and what has happened is irreversible, unfortunately. If it helps, Hinata's been coming to visit you every day since you were admitted to the hospital. She really cares about you, you know?"
Naruto blinked in confusion and asked, "She has, huh? But we've barely even talked before. Not sure why she'd care so much about me."
Sazh chuckled softly before walking over and patting his friend on the back. "Don't worry too much about it. Now, let's get going. After your team meeting with the other members of Team 11, you'll be joining the rest of us for Team l'Cie's introductions. I bet you're just dyin' to hear all about the little ladies on our team, huh, Naruto?"
Naruto blushed a bit, but didn't deny it. Instead, he chuckled and hugged his friend. "Thank you, Sazh. For being here for me and for staying by my side. You're my best friend."
"Ahh, stop it. Don't go getting all mushy on me now, kid. Tell you what; how about I treat you to an all you can eat barbeque bonanza later, huh?" Sazh asked.
"Mmm. That sounds delicious! Thank you so much, Sazh! I'm definitely looking forward to seeing Dajh again. He will be joining us, right?" Naruto questioned.
"Damn right! Trust me kid, we're gonna be just fine, you and me. Everything's gonna work out and we'll work around that memory issue of yours. Now c'mon, let's get you out of here. Just lemme know if Claire gets on your case any." Sazh said as he walked with Naruto over to the door.
Stopping at the door, Naruto looked at Sazh and asked, "If she does get on my case…what will you do about it, Sazh?"
"Run the other way, of course! You see the weapon that lady's packing? I ain't gonna mess with that. Nooo thank you! I'd much rather keep everything in its place rather than risking my life with that woman. Nah, kid, you're on your own with her." Sazh teased good-naturedly.
Naruto couldn't help it as he began to laugh. "I'll be careful. Gramps, we'll see you later. Right now, I have a team meeting to get to. See you later, Sazh?"
"Yeah. Later, Naruto. Take care of yourself, ya hear me?" Sazh said.
"Loud and clear. Thanks again, Sazh."
"Nah, don't mention it." Sazh said as he opened the door. Kid, you're gonna do great. Whatever our Focus is, I'm not worried even a teeny tiny bit. So long as we're with you, I'm damn sure we can pull off some kind of miracle if we have to.
A/N - And that's the chapter! Like I said, not a whole lot happened. Still, I think it turned out okay. Might just be me, though. *shrugs*
Anyways, I dunno what the hell I'll work on next. I kind of want to just relax for a while and play The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III. I've been putting it off for a while, but I'm really looking forward to playing that game. It's gonna be good! :D lol
Alrighty, hopefully you enjoyed the chapter. Ciao!