This chapter came quickly, and yet, it felt like it took forever. I hope you guys truly enjoy it. I know I cried...Not, but still I thought it was a decent chapter. :OD
Disclaimer: I am just a fan. I do not own Naruto
Chapter 15: To Tell or Not To Tell: Legacy of the Yondaime
Naruto lied in the hospital bed staring at the ceiling. How many times had he been here before? Though it depressed Naruto to learn that he still was not strong enough to save Sasuke, lying in this hospital bed staring at the ceiling, he felt a twinge of nostalgia. They had given him the room he visited so often growing up. He chuckled a little at the thought of having V.I.P. status at the hospital. He even thought the Sendiame might be laughing with him from where ever he was, but what else could you expect, after having that enraged old man storm in here with an unconscious, bloodied, child, screaming to any and all who would hear, that if he died so too would the medical staff that allowed it. A tear slid down Naruto's cheek. How many more precious people would he have to loose before he gained the strength to protect them. He wished Master Yoshikawa were here. He would have an answer; he always had an answer, and even if it was not one you wanted to hear, he would be right.
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"We are not giving up" Sakura said to Tsunade, after team seven, had finished debriefing her about the events that took place on their mission. "Very well, you are to remain on stand by until Naruto is healed and you are ready to take on your next mission." She told them. "Dismissed," came Tsunade's command. Yamato lingered behind while Sakura and Sai left to their respective living quarters, both agreeing to meet up later to visit Naruto. Once they had gone, Yamato continued the debriefing. "You were right about Sai. Danzou had assigned him a secret mission. Under Danzou-sama's orders, Sai, acting as Anbu, was to assess and eliminate dangers to Konoha. He joined team seven as a means of completing his mission; he was to eliminate Sasuke Uchiha to prevent him from becoming Orochimaru's vessel."
"I could never stand that man. He is overbearing, and his methods are brutal and barbaric. And yet, at the same time he is just thinking of Konoha's well being."
"If you are talking about Danzou-sama, you might want to reserve your judgment until you have seen this," Yamato told Tsunade handing her the envelope they had retrieved from Sai's room within Orochimaru's compound.
"What's this?" She said opening the envelope. Shizune's eyes widened with shock, at what she glimpsed over Tsunade's shoulder. In her hand was a list of all the Anbu agents loyal to Konoha's Hokage. "How did that bastard get a hold of these top secret documents," Tsunade thought angrily
"Shizune, go to file storage and change out all the guards and passwords immediately!" Tsunade shouted.
"Hai," Shizune said bowing.
"NOW," Tsunade roared furiously as she gazed ferociously at her. Feeling the intensity of her gaze, Shizune leapt back, mouth wide opened and bugged eyed. Yamato laughed uncomfortably as Shizune bolted from the room, which he thought she did for fear of her life, rather than in loyal obedience.
"I really can't stand him! The outside threat of Orochimaru and Akatsuki is bad enough, but now I have to be twice as cautious to avoid sabotage from the inside as well!"
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"It is very unlike you to fail in the completion of a mission," Danzou said to Sai slamming his cane on the ground.
"I have a request sir."
"A request," Danzou asked curious.
"Yes, I wish to remain with team Kakashi for a while longer."
Danzou stared incredulously at the genuine smile that graced Sai's face before answering, "Tsunade has already talked to me about that. I trust you haven't forgotten, Sai, emotions lead to hatred and hatred leads to war."
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Kakashi was laid up in the hospital rereading the third installment of Ichi, Ichi Paradise, when Jiraiya came in and told him the account of team sevens adventure.
"They found Sasuke."
"Yes, and it would appear that your former pupil has grown to be very strong too. He even fared well against Naruto."
"He was that powerful." Kakashi asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes he was. Of course, Naruto had sustained heavy damages from Orochimaru and the Kyuubi and was not fully healed, but either way, from what I hear, Sasuke was very impressive."
"And Naruto," Kakashi questioned Jiraiya further.
"Although you can still tell that these events have affected him, who ever found him, has trained him well. He has taken everything that has happened in stride. He truly has grown these last six months."
Kakashi, who was due to be released the next day, decided he would pay Naruto a visit. He was after all, still one of Naruto's instructors and team members.
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Sakura stood under a tree outside Sai's house waiting for her newest team member to wrap up whatever it was that he was doing. Sai was finishing a portrait of his new team, when Sakura had arrived. He quickly finished the last few strokes needed to complete the portrait, and set it aside to dry, before he leapt out his window to join her.
"It's about time you got here! Hasn't anyone ever told you that it's rude to keep someone waiting, especially a girl." Sakura chastised him as they started off to the hospital to visit Naruto.
"No," was all he replied before taking out a scroll and scribbling on it before placing it back in the pouch he retrieved it from.
"What are you writing?"
"Oh, aagh, it's nothing; I was just writing down an errand that I wished to accomplish later on so I wouldn't forget." Sai said quickly. Sakura just shrugged and they traveled the rest of the way to the hospital in silence.
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"Come to visit Naruto," came a voice from inside a room Sakura and Sai had just passed. They doubled back and entered to find Kakashi sitting up in his bed reading.
"Kakashi-sensei I thought you were released," Sakura replied startled to still find him here at the hospital.
"I was supposed to be released earlier today, but I was asked to remain for one more day. If you came to see Naruto, he is sleeping."
"This is Sai, our new team mate." Sakura said introducing him to Kakashi.
"Tsunade has already informed me about him," Kakashi said as he nodded his head at Sai in greeting.
"How do you know Naruto is sleeping, Kakashi-sensei" Sakura asked curiously.
"I asked one of the hospital nurses how he was doing and she checked for me. You should come back tomorrow and we will all go visit him together."
So this is the infamous Hatake, Kakashi Sai thought as he stood quietly beside Sakura.
"Hai," Sakura replied as she exited the room with Sai.
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Jiraiya leaned against a wall in Naruto's room watching the boy rest. "You look a lot like your father" he thought to himself, when Naruto came too.
"How long have you been here old man?"
"Not long."
"What brings you here, research," Naruto asked playfully.
Jiraiya stood straight up feigning indignity. "Hmh, and here I was concerned for my student and thought he might be bored, so I brought this book on the principles of sealing, but now I see that his mind has become besieged with nothing but disrespect for his Master and has no time for books. I guess there is no point in giving this one to you now. "
Naruto perked up in excitement when Jiraiya pulled out the book and tossed it to him.
"Thank you Jiraiya-sama. I was going out of my mind staring at this ceiling all day. At least I can further my ninja training, even if it only involves theoretical knowledge."
"When you are ready, we can practice some practical application."
"That would be great!" Naruto said excitedly.
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Sakura, Sai, and Kakashi waited patiently as Tsunade gave his chart one last look before dismissing him.
"All your test results show that you are completely recovered. You are free to go Kakashi."
"Hai, thank you, Tsunade-sama," Kakashi said jumping out of bed.
"You can return home and rest. Team seven is on standby until Naruto is fully recovered." Tsunade said making to leave.
"When will that be," Sakura asked before Tsunade departed.
"In about two days."
Jiraiya met Tsunade at the door. "We need to talk," he said to her discretely.
"We will talk, later. Right now, I have more pressing things, like the well being of my patients and the running of the village." Tsunade said passing him and heading to the room of another patient. How long would they argue about revealing to Naruto the knowledge of his parents? They had been arguing this topic since his return from Heaven and Earth Bridge. She had protested under the argument that now was not the right time. He had been through enough, and the blow of learning that his father had in part been the cause of his suffering, she felt, would send him over the top. Jiraiya stood firm in his belief that a perfect time would never come, and that he was more than capable of dealing with the truth. She did not agree, and had wrestled a promise from Jiraiya not to tell Naruto until they had discussed it further. She wondered how much longer she could avoid the topic before Jiraiya cornered her, and what she could do to take this one burden from Naruto.
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The visit from his team was a happy distraction for Naruto, but it reminded him just how restless he felt, so he decided to slip out the window and visit the roof of the Hokage's office. He had spent many nights there in his younger years. It offered the best view of Hokage Mountain and his dreams. Not to mention, it was a good place to ease drop on the happenings of Konoha. Well, as long as you were capable of masking your chakra. Naruto laughed as he leapt from roof top to roof top; how many times had he been caught before learning that one useful and much underestimated technique.
Tsunade and Jiraiya had been stubbornly arguing back and forth for hours, both unable to come to an amicable agreement to the current issue between the two.
"It would appear we will not be coming to any kind of agreement," Jiraiya said calmly.
"You're damned right!" Tsunade said slamming her hands down on the desk. "I told you, with all that he has been through, now's not the right time. Why can't you see that, you STUBBORN OLD GOAT?" she finished yelling.
"Because, you are not thinking clearly, you are to busy being a mother hen. This is not something you can protect him from! It is something he will have to deal with eventually, unless, you are planning to keep him in the dark for the rest of his life." Jiraiya said finishing his argument.
"I just might!"
"You shouldn't even joke about that Tsunade. I have kept my promise, and I have not said a word until we discussed it further, but it is clear we won't be reaching any agreements on this issue. He is my responsibility, not yours, and I say we tell him."
Tsunade rounded the desk and squared off menacingly, grabbing Jiraiya by the collar. She was about to say something when she was interrupted.
"Tell me what?" a voice asked from the balcony.
Tsunade spun on her heals startled, releasing Jiraiya. "Naruto, what are you doing here? Better yet, why are you not in the hospital resting? I did not clear you for discharge." Tsunade said in a voice of outrage trying to avoid the question.
"Tell me what?" Naruto repeated.
"It is nothing that you need to concern yourself with at the moment you just go back to the hospital before I get really angry," but Naruto did not budge.
"Tell him Tsunade, you can't avoid this any longer, and he deserves to know." Tsunade glared angrily at Jiraiya as she sat down and rifled through her desk. Naruto waited patiently. She dug out a small box and a letter addressed to Naruto when Shizune came running into the office unannounced. She was about to inform her that Naruto had gone missing from the hospital, when she spied him in the center of the office, quickly and quietly she exited.
"This is for you Naruto," Tsunade said defeated. "It was to be given to you by the Third, when you had passed your Chuunin exams and proven yourself mature and capable. Of course, you know what happened that day, and after that, the time just never seemed to be right."
"What is it?'
"A gift from your father that last thing he could ever do for you. It is his legacy to you as well as an explanation and apology." Jiraiya chimed in saving a very uncomfortable Tsunade from having to explain.
"My father…, legacy…, explanation…., apology…, for what," Naruto stuttered.
"For being unable find another way to save the village, and for leaving you," Tsunade said sorrowfully.
"At the time we thought it was best for you not to know your parentage," Jiraiya continued.
"Best, BEST! It was best for whom; because it certainly wasn't best for me!" The words escaped bitterly from Naruto's lips as he fought back his tears. Tsunade and Jiraiya remained silent allowing Naruto to regain his composure.
"Do you know who my mother was as well," Naruto asked dispassionately after reigning in his emotions.
"We do," Jiraiya said somberly.
"And what was your reason for keeping her a secret?"
"She would have led you to your father, and as I said, we couldn't let that happen," Jiraiya finished.
"What possible reason…" Naruto started but Jiraiya cut him off.
"Your father was a very powerful ninja. He used that power for the prosperity of the village and for what he felt was the greater good, regardless of the consequences it brought upon him."
"Consequences like what?"
"Like a great deal of enemies who would strike out at him anyway they could. He married your mother in secret to keep her safe. Only a few privileged people knew to attend. It was one of Konoha's most tragic of days, when the happiest moment of their lives came. You were born during one of Konoha's darkest hours. The day the Kyuubi attacked. Your father was frantic. Your mother had lost so much blood and the village was in turmoil. The Kyuubi was at our gates. Many good men and women had lost their lives that day. Your mother was one of them. She died giving birth to you. Her dying wish was for your father to save the village that had given her the loves of her life, but he wasn't powerful enough to defeat the Kyuubi. So he did the only thing he could think of. He used a forbidden jutsu. The jutsu sealed the Kyuubi away in a newborn child. A child he loved very much and wanted to see grow to be a strong and descent man as well as a great shinobi, but the jutsu's price was his own life. He asked the greatest man he knew if he could watch over you and to give you that box when you were old enough to understand, but life is fickle, and the days we have on this earth unperceivable, even to the mightiest of beings." Jiraiya could speak no further and Tsunade finished.
"Your mothers name was Uzumaki, Kushina and your father was known to the village as Konoha's Yellow Flash the Yondaime."
The enormity of this revelation left Naruto speechless, his head swam with so many emotions that the world spun and he stumbled back. Jiraiya helped him to a seat. Naruto closed his eyes, fighting back the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. Anger, sadness, joy all battled for a place in his heart.
"Naruto, Naruto are you okay," Tsunade's voice came gently.
"I need to go."
"Naruto, I know you will need some time, and you can have it. I will tell team seven."
Naruto left the Hokage's tower the same way he came.
"Well that went better than I thought," Jiraiya said firmly. Tsunade gave him the angriest stare she could muster under the circumstances, and Jiraiya followed Naruto's exit shouting back, "Don't worry I will make sure he is okay."
"YOU BETTER OR ELSE!" Tsunade bellowed after him.
Next Time: Chapter 16: Haguru's Return: A Master's Farewell