Hot as Honey
By Kibou32
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Summary: AU. Due to a missed strike of Chidori at the Valley of the End, Naruto loses his gender and merges with the Kyuubi completely. He wakes up two weeks after the incident with the brief memory that he managed to bring Uchiha Sasuke back. But when he realizes that he's changed, nothing will ever be the same.
Pairings: FemNaruto + Shikamaru, one sided Sasuke + FemNaruto.
Author's Note: This would probably be a major undertaking – at least until I get the bug again for those other three Naruto fanfics I've got about. Be patient, ok?
Part I
Kakashi was sad. He had failed both of his students. Sasuke was now in an ANBU Cell underneath the label of a traitor and Naruto was still at the Hospital due to an electrical charged Chidori right into Naruto's seal or was it Naruto's solar plexus? Kakashi wasn't sure… he hoped his student was okay. Tsunade-sama wasn't letting anyone in and Kakashi had taken the brunt of her anger along with Umino Iruka's.
He decided it was a high time he figured what had happened to Naruto. He sneaked in to the room through the window and moved curiously over to the body on the bed. And received the shock of his life to see a big breasted girl with cute blond foxy ears on top of her head. He was so shocked he didn't hear the Hokage come in and sigh irritably.
"Are you happy, Hatake? Are you happy to see Naruto now?" – she said softly, her heart going out towards her brat.
Jiraiya had made an assumption that the boy turned girl wasn't the same anymore. He had checked the seal and found it in shambles: basically, the Kyuubi in an effort to save its host and itself had pulled for a desperate measure and mingled them irreparably. Most importantly was that Naruto – while a boy – was still growing and had not hit puberty yet. He was shorter than his teammate and most of the other boys towered over him due to his malnourishment and the ill will that the villagers had for him. So, when Chidori had basically forced the Kyuubi to do that, it had also destroyed Naruto's genitals – those inside and outside – and given that the Kyuubi had been female… this left Naruto in disadvantage. They didn't know if Naruto could handle chakra or that if he could, how much had his reserves grown. The seal the Yondaime Hokage had made was supposed to convert the demonic chakra into something that Naruto could use. But now…
Kakashi felt weird. But he didn't get a chance to check out his feelings on the matter, when the other sannin came into the room from the window, he signaled that he needed to talk to Kakashi for a moment leaving Tsunade to deal with Naruto now.
:-:
The council didn't like the fact that the resident jinchuuriki had changed so much. But ironically enough, the clan council thought it best to get Naruto the right training to be a much more effective shinobi and the elders were outvoted in having Naruto quit being a ninja. The clan council was convinced – by their children's acceptance of Naruto now – that Uzumaki Naruto might be more malleable as a girl than as a boy. Now came the question of where the boy turned girl would live. Some stupid idiot told the villagers that the Kyuubi brat had changed and they had ransacked Naruto's apartment and turned it upside down, literally making the whole edifice go boom. Kakashi and Sakura had managed to salvage some things – important things like weapons and scrolls, books, that ridiculous nightcap that he wore to sleep, a Kakashi-doll that Sakura found while the ANBU were trying to keep the mob at bay and a plant that Naruto kept by the window – but now Naruto had basically nothing to wear. Ironic that neither of them had thought to get Naruto something to wear instead.
Sakura felt guilty for not being more in tune with her surroundings – she felt it were her fault for getting so worked up by Sasuke's treason to Konoha, that she hadn't thought well when she heard the news about Naruto's sex change – but she knew without a doubt she had nothing to lend the blond – here she cringed – kunoichi that might be able to fit her. Tenten had wanted to donate a white jacket and some dark pants that were smaller and no longer fitted her, but her good intentions were lost in the chaos brought upon by the mission's survivals.
When said person finally woke up, the older kunoichi were trying to decide how to help the boy turned girl into managing her new life.
Kakashi was there sitting when he noticed Naruto sitting up slowly trying to understand what was going on. He wanted to allay her fears, but did not speak until she acknowledge that something had changed. When it did, Kakashi expected Naruto to scream, but she only began to trembled and whimper as if in pain. Instantly, the door was thrown open and Iruka came barreling into the room, worried that his little brother-no, sister was upset by something Kakashi had said. Immediately Tsunade, Kurenai, and Shizune came into the room and glared daggers at him, believing him to be the culprit. He sweat-dropped and silently claimed innocence. They quickly threw him out, after that.
Kakashi sighed and blew a raspberry. He decided to go to the ramen stand. He didn't like ramen per se, but it was such a good comfort food that he wanted to… try? He wanted to try to make Naruto comfortable. He turned around with that destination in mind only to find Sasuke standing in front of him. He was wearing suppressing seals around his eyes and some sort of chakra-suppression jacket that forced him to walk a bit unsteadily. The dead look in his eyes tore at Kakashi, but he didn't let it show knowing that he'd never forget Naruto's whimpers when being explained of his change into a girl, permanently. After him were two ANBU, the one with longer dark violet hair was Yugao and he was not surprised to feel her anger against him. She felt resentful towards him and even worst… disappointed in how he had handled his genin. He sighed and bowed his head in response even after they took Sasuke to receive what he deserved as a punishment.
:-:
Two months later, saw Uzumaki Naruto walk out of the hospital wearing these cute white shorts and a pink tank-top that Yamanaka Ino had given her until she could go shopping. It was obvious to anyone who had eyes that, what she was wearing wasn't as comfortable as it were supposed to be, with what the leers that were being given to her from the men at the hospital's main gate. Some of them were simple workers, fixing things at the hospital. Others were civilian – those that heavily resented the Kyuubi brat – that had come in preparation for that. They seemed to be ready to mob her the minute she left the Hospital grounds, but she didn't know what to do. On one hand – in normal circumstances – she would have flooded the vicinity with Kage Bunshin and fled in the chaos, but her baachan had forbade her to use chakra until her chakra pathways settled and there was no telling when that would happened.
She was seriously relieved to see Shikamaru coming towards her wearing a bored expression on his face. Obviously he had been sent to escort her to her home. The pink of her tank top was a little washed off that it might've been white, but; Shikamaru obstinately didn't lower his gaze to her gifted chest. If he decided to really dwell on it – in the privacy of his own mind – he might have compared her cleavage to Asuma's on-and-off girlfriend Yuuhi Kurenai. Or even the Godaime's huge cleavage… which was why he really didn't want to think of it. Up until now, when word came about that Naruto was injured and had not woken up with his usual enthusiasm to a mission completed and begun to brag about the fight he had with the Uchiha traitor, Shikamaru was assaulted with guilt. When Sakura told him – when he had finally gotten his head out of his grief laden head and decided to ask Naruto's other teammate of the boy's well-being, he had been shocked. Naruto was a girl?! How had that happened?!
He had known his friend was different. But he had had no idea of how he could be different. And now… staring at those clear blue eyes looking back at him with something that made him really uncomfortable… the way they looked at him as if he was her savior… he swallowed a lump in his throat and shook himself out of whatever that meant. He was here as a shinobi. It was his duty to carry this out, even if Naruto was his friend… even if he really wanted to undo what could never be undone…
:-:
If there was ever something she really hated was when Shikamaru never listened to her blabbering or wait for her when she told him to. She was given a mission all of her own. She was given a credit card… with the explicit instructions to take Uzumaki Naruto shopping for clothes. She finally caught up to her friend and ex-teammate and whistled.
Shikamaru shrunk into himself. He was acting like his usual self, but he knew without a doubt that those who knew him best, knew that he wasn't really being his usual self. He wasn't looking at the sky, so much as he was examining his friend walking by his side. He was attracted – and he shuddered thinking rationally the reason as to why he was – to that backside of hers. He could tell with his high skill of observation that Naruto wasn't wearing underwear. It brought a perpetual blush to his cheeks just the figurative thought of seeing Naruto without it. Having previous knowledge of Naruto in his sexy no jutsu, didn't help in the slightest and he kept feeling like an utter pervert.
Ino smiled wickedly. She could tell what were Shikamaru's thoughts and if it wasn't because she had some of those perverted thoughts as well about the girl in front of her – hey! She didn't like girls, but she could appreciate the female form at its most beautiful and Naruto was beauty incarnate. She wasn't a prude like Sakura and she could understand the thought of being jealous and overzealous of Naruto's curves, and being petite… many men died for that kind of combination in a woman. But she could also understand – she had read a psychology book once for a book report at the Academy – the need for understanding oneself and the need for variety. So while she might have been a little in awe of Naruto's features and the 'come fuck me' curves of her ass, she wasn't jealous of Naruto's body.
"You didn't wait for me!" – she said as she slapped Shikamaru on the shoulders and felt the shiver that passed through his wiry frame acknowledging that Ino knew of his thoughts, or at least… the direction those had turned to.
He didn't say anything and just turned around deciding to let her talk Naruto into going shopping. He wasn't interested in following the two blonds, but he knew that if he didn't; something bad might happen. And he already felt guilty enough that he knew he'd be carrying Naruto's bags.
:-:
Naruto was afraid that they'd be able to see through the henge that Jiraiya had applied on her ears. When no one mentioned it, she began to calm down a little; but soon felt like she was naked in front of everyone there. It wasn't just that she was behind a curtain trying on things to wear, but that she could tell that everyone in the shop had a clear view of herself. Her new form – body – she hated it with a passion. It wasn't that she wasn't used to the female form. On the contrary, her sexy no jutsu was the embodiment of what it was meant to be a woman… but she was thirteen. And even though she hadn't really planned to become a woman – stupid fox! – she was sure everyone around her could sense her submission and her embarrassment. She felt as if she were walking around naked, all of her body out in the open for everyone to see.
She shivered as she put on the new ninja outfit that Ino had found for her and was cautious of the way the keeper of the shop kept frowning at her whenever Ino was looking at her rather than the man in front of them, or leering at her whenever he would think that Shikamaru wasn't looking at her. The top was standard shinobi wardrobe, which she was deeply glad for and the pants were tied at the waist instead of at the hip, like most kunoichi had it going nowadays'. Plus… the sports bra kept her boobies okay… she felt a little better about it.
They walked all over the shopping district getting clothing, new pajamas, underwear, training clothing, – Naruto didn't see the point of it since she healed pretty quickly, but couldn't refute Ino in it without revealing about the Kyuubi (or lack thereof) – a first aid kit, kunai, shuriken, scrolls, etc. By the time they had finished, Shikamaru was lucky that he hadn't fallen due to the large amount of bags he was carrying and it was quite dark outside.
"Well… I think that's about it." – Ino said satisfied.
Naruto was almost dizzy with the amount of shops they'd gone to… and the amount of fabrics they had seen because Ino had said that she should learn how to properly sew and make amendments to her clothes and if she wanted to – she could also design her own clothing! to fit her own particular needs!! Naruto was exhausted. And even though Shikamaru had volunteered to carry her stuff around, she wondered where they were going next?!
"Uhm… where exactly are we going next?" – Naruto asked hesitant to actually know the answer.
Ino looked pensive for a moment and then remembered what Sakura had told her that Naruto's apartment had been bombed by civilians and she was currently homeless. She hemmed and hawed, but couldn't come up with a suitable response. It was Shikamaru who responded, although his voice came out slightly muffled from all the bags and boxes he was currently carrying.
"The Hokage Tower. The Godaime said that when we were finished we should take Naruto there."
Naruto sighed happily at that. And then her stomach growled. Forcibly echoed by Ino's and followed by Shikamaru's.
"Mendou. I guess we should get something to eat first before we go there." – Shikamaru said frowning although no one could actually tell.
They went to Ichiraku Ramen. And found Umino Iruka sitting there just about to dig in to his own bowl of Miso Ramen.
"Ah Naruto!" – He said once he finally recognized her (although he had been told about the sex change and seen it), then proceeded to grab her in a fierce hug. There were even some manly tears about.
Both Ino and Shikamaru felt embarrassed for their friend. Ino looked the other way at the prominent exchange of affection whilst Shikamaru carefully set up all the bags on the other empty stool right next to Ino's seat and in between himself, which left him sitting right next to Naruto.
"Iruka-sensei! C-can't breathe!" – She exclaimed after being smothered for more than five minutes.
Umino Iruka dutifully let her go and she sat down on the stool and asked for one miso ramen for herself.
Yet… even though she was completely covered in her new shinobi wardrobe, she could tell there were still some eyes on her. She turned around, her hand on her chopsticks laying them inside the bowl for a moment and searched the area. She couldn't see whoever it was that was looking at her… she shrugged and muttered a quiet 'Itadakimasu!' before digging in to her bowl of miso ramen.
"Ugh! Naruto! You should eat slowly!" – Ino said complaining about her manners and Naruto ducked her head to the side saying 'sorry' after swallowing what she had in her mouth.
"No.. look at how I'm doing it." – She heard Ino say again and she tried to mimic how the other blond was doing things.
Instead of finishing up to ten bowls of ramen, she ended up only eating three bowls. Two of which Iruka paid before excusing himself and leaving the ramen stand. The other was paid by Shikamaru, who blushed when she – swiping off any excess on her mouth with a napkin, provided by Ino – smiled brightly at him.
:-:
They reached the Hokage Tower and Ino sighed in relief. She had also felt like someone was watching them, but couldn't tell who it had been. She watched her new friend – she vowed to herself that she would make things work with Naruto – and decided to suggest to her favorite sensei in the whole wide world (that being Suzume-sensei) to tell her of Naruto's lack of feminine manners, just as Hinata came in through the door followed by her teammates.
Kiba took a look at Naruto and wolf-whistled making the blond blush to the tip of her hair roots. Kurenai looked at Kiba disapprovingly whilst Hinata blushed and looked to the side feeling embarrassed for poor Naruto-kun.
Shikamaru watched from the sidelines and narrowed his eyes when he discovered something. He put his hands in the release seals and watched in front of his very eyes – although the others weren't aware of the change – how Naruto's human ears disappear to give way to some blond tipped orange triangular foxy ears. He blushed a little when he looked at the whole picture and wished he could – secretly of course – caress those ears softly.
:-:
Tsunade spoke to Hiashi and the rest of the Clan council, but most were adamant that Naruto live with someone trustworthy and the only one that was, was Iruka. She sighed and commanded an ANBU to bring Iruka to her.
"There's another matter, Hokage-sama." – Hyuuga Hiashi said.
Tsunade steeple her hands together and looked at him, nodding to let him know that he could continue when she had sufficiently enough regarded him in silence.
"There is an inquiry as to Uzumaki's parentage."
Everyone in the room suddenly stiffened. Jiraiya – who had hidden from the clan council – also stiffened in reply to that. Tsunade narrowed her eyes and accusingly looked at those pearly white of Hiashi.
"Excuse me?"
Hiashi didn't vacillate and plunged on…
"I think it's time we stop being petty with our own misgivings. I happen to have a document that not even Sandaime-sama was aware I had. It belongs to one Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto." – He said as he took out a folder from inside his khaki haori, custom clothing for the Hyuuga Clan Head.
Tsunade wrenched it out of the solicitous ANBU official who was there to see no one got too close to the Hokage without his knowledge. She tenderly opened the document and began to read, what she found was nothing short of fantastic. It was a deed, with a birth certificate that indicated Naruto's parentage, filled two weeks before Naruto's birth. Why was it filled out earlier, it was anyone's guess; but Tsunade had an inkling that news of the Kyuubi's rampage's destination was Konoha and Minato had known it. He had taken precautions, a man like him always did something like that in case whatever he planned on pulling to stop the bijuu would not work. There was also a letter from the mother… Uzumaki Kushina?! This was just getting better and better!
The woman was aware of her beloved's plan. In the letter she had asked her child to pardon her for allowing it. It was clearly a letter meant for Naruto. Tsunade hated Sandaime-sama – who must have known about Naruto's parentage long before he retook his office – and Hyuuga Hiashi for denying Naruto his heritage. Surely, the kid could have wanted some level of comfort… something to tell him he had been wanted even in the face of such hatred and disapproval coming from the villagers.
"Why didn't you give this to its rightful owner?" – She asked in a low voice. It was clear to those present that she was trying to reign in her fury.
It was not Hyuuga Hiashi who responded, but Nara Shikaku who nervously ran a hand to his hair.
"Both Hiashi and I went to Sandaime-sama to see about Naruto-kun's living quarters. It isn't that we claim complete innocence on this, but he said that as the current Hokage he would protect Naruto-kun from assassins and the like."
"What the hell are you talking about?" – Tsunade shouted, the thin reign on her temper broken.
"What Shikaku is trying to say Tsunade-hime is that Sandaime would not have anyone taking over the care of young Uzumaki Naruto." – came an old voice from the left.
Many were shocked to see the Nara matriarch walk slowly and gracefully into the room, followed by another woman who was blind evidenced by a large white gauze that covered her eyes and not her forehead; indicating that she wasn't from the Branch Family, but the Main House.
"I am Nara Yen. This is my sister Hyuuga Inga. We have come because news have reached us of Naruto-kun's evolution. Inga here has been blind since one of the older coots tried to breed the sharingan out of her whilst still alive." – She said explaining to those who hadn't been aware of the possibility of inbreeding or the part where they could've been misinformed in a low voice carefully enunciating every word that came out of her mouth.
Hyuuga Inga nonchalantly looked at Hiashi with a nod and Hiashi nodded his head in deference.
"About Naruto? Was it a conspiracy?"
"Sandaime's beliefs were centered in that Iwa-ninja didn't need to center their hatred on young Naruto-kun should it leek that Namikaze had a child and that this one was his only heir. As it is, we tried – Inga and I – to tell him it was a mistake and that he'd live to regret it. Alas, he died before he understood what we meant." – The woman said with a tone of regret in her voice.
Tsunade bristled and cursed her fool of a sensei for being an idiot. Things wouldn't have been so bad for Naruto if there had been someone there to guide him a little. As it were, it would be a long time before Naruto overcame his social shyness – it was there under a veil of brashness and bravado that everyone mistook for arrogance – and his issues with trust. A ninja had to be cautious but not overtly so, like so many of her damaged ninja. Examples varied from Hatake Kakashi to Mitarashi Anko. But those two became like that due to circumstances surrounding their upbringing rather than whether or not they were cherished. As it were, she wanted to know what to do now.
"What do you propose then, Nara-san?" – She said as she let out a mournful sigh for her little troublemaker sitting outside the chamber feeling out of sorts with herself.
"An alliance between the Hyuuga's and the Nara's to protect young Namikaze-san. As it is, the political world in our village is changing and there is no doubt that when old fools get selfish and irrational in their quest for monetary means; it is best to be prepared." – It was Hyuuga Inga who spoke in a low cultured voice.
"Now hold on a second!" – Yamanaka Inoichi said wanting to help out as well.
"Yes?" – Nara Yen responded, but Jiraiya flinched knowing the younger man had dug himself a grave when he intended to speak.
"Why only the Nara and Hyuuga? Why not all of us join to take care of Naruto-kun?"
"Mendokuse. You're such a troublesome man, Inoichi. Yen-san isn't suggesting all of us join because it could bring unfriendly ears to the issue whether we knew of it or not. As it is, I propose that in addition to the alliance in between Namikaze Naruto and the two clans Hyuuga and Nara isn't enough. I think two other clans should be there as well, if only because they have experience in what Naruto-chan needs at the minute. By forming an alliance, we're not only trying to protect her from what's to come; but also to train her for the not so far future. That is not only inside the village's politics, but the outside as well. I think the Inuzuka and the Aburame clans should also join in." – He said as he straightened up in his chair.
Jiraiya decided it was fine time he revealed himself. The other participants were surprised to see him there, but the two old women weren't as was Tsunade.
"I agree. An alliance between Inuzuka, Aburame, Nara and Hyuuga clans to train and protect Naruto from those who wish to hurt her and in turn hurt us is a good idea. And I will tell you why. I have picked up on information that others wouldn't think relevant, but it is. Sandaime-jiji was an old sentimental fool that believed it was for Naruto's best interest that his parentage not be known to anyone. It is best, that all of these here and now swear an oath never to divulge this again, though."
The same ANBU official – loyal only to the current Hokage – presented those there with a scroll and a knife. Those present from the bigger clans knew where this was going. Those from the lesser clans were scared and confused as to what would this mean to them should they not comply. The revelations of Naruto's parentage had affected them deeply and they weren't aware of their own respective feelings for the cause. This seemed to be going too fast for them.
The ANBU official presented them each with a blade that each of those clan Heads and representatives had to slice their wrists in a manner alike when a man who wanted to die did and sign the scroll with their blood. The scroll was designed in such a way that the blood of those who really didn't want to sign them would run off the scroll whereas those who really did want to sign would stick to the paper in reminiscing of a summoning scroll. It was to be expected that even those who were unsure of what they really wanted, would want to sign whether or not it conflicted with their best interests. However, once the ANBU official recollected the scroll with all the signatures of all the clans there, he would escort those who still looked as if they weren't really there. They would not remember being taken out, just that they signed a scroll that meant their deaths and that of their own clan members should they do something that was the opposite of what the contract dictated.
"Are you aware of the truth behind the Uchiha massacre?" – Jiraiya asked with a serious look in his eyes.
Many shifted in their seats feeling uncomfortable.
"Itachi isn't the murderer, is he?" – Hiashi flatly stated in the end.
Tsunade was shocked of this new information concerning the Uchiha. She hadn't known anything like that, but then she reasoned that as she was outside of Konoha at the time; she wouldn't have been told about that.
"The Uchiha grew tired of being second best, or so I was told by Jiji. They were going to throw a coup against the reigning Hokage, overthrow the Fire Lord and make Naruto the fierce weapon that Danzo so desired. A conspiracy was hard to find between the leader of the Uchiha, Uchiha Fugaku and Danzo. So Sandaime took the easiest target and dispatched his soldiers against the Uchiha."
"And Itachi?" – Akimichi Chouza inquired feeling hurt build inside his heart. His son's injuries at the retrieval mission of Uchiha Sasuke two months prior would've been avoided if he had known something about that.
"He is posing as our undercover agent in an organization recently formed not twelve years ago by his predecessor, Uchiha Madara; Akatsuki."
There was a tomb-like silence. Many were digesting the new tidbits of information that had been fed to them and were none too happy to learn that the whole shindig was a mistake Sandaime made. In a way, they could not fault the older Hokage for it. He had virtually no political sway on the Uchiha since their youngest prodigy had pledged himself at the service of the Yondaime's legacy. And Danzo had always been a thorn they couldn't purge themselves of. Things were beginning to sound rather daunting.
"Akatsuki. The red dawn? What is their purpose?" – Aburame Shibi inquired softly.
"As far as I know, at this moment; is to recollect all the nine bijuus whether they are in their released forms or inside a jiinchuuriki. Further than that, I'm still trying to get into it. We have not had contact with Itachi-kun for awhile now. When he came to Konoha four months ago, all he had said was that the time to confront them is not upon us yet. But in three years, they'll come for Naruto. It is our duty to train Naruto in preparation for that. He thinks he can give us one year more aside to those to recollect our forces before the war begins." – Jiraiya said.
Things were quiet for the minute being. Many were digesting the probabilities of war.
"Is this our only threat?" – Inuzuka Tsume asked roughly. She had thought this was not all that was on the surface.
"Actually, news from our latest scuffle with Orochimaru in conjunction with Suna and Oto has reached the Mist and Iwa as well. Our spies have informed me that war is imminent. It isn't time to rest on our laurels yet." – Tsunade informed the clans then.
Their faces turned white. Things were much greater than they supposed. It was Nara Yen who said…
"Then… in the case of Uchiha Sasuke, we MUST seal the sharingan to prevent another case in which he runs and goes traitor on us. He is an enough able shinobi that he doesn't need the sharingan to be even better. We are protecting Konoha and the future of Konoha."
"Further thought of the punishment for Sasuke would be determined in a month's time. Everyone is in accordance?"
There were lots of agreed calls, and the alliance between the four clans was formed.