(AN: Glad to see that a lot of people are enjoying this story so far! I Hope this chapter keeps it going!)
"Speaking"
'Thinking'
"Kurama (or other Tailed Beast)"
Chapter 4: The Six Miru Hito
Ino sat at the front cashier desk of the Yamanaka Flower Shop with her elbow resting on the counter and her cheek squished up against her palm. She had half-open eyes as she flipped lazily through page after page of her latest fashion magazine. Her shift in the shop had brought only a few customers her way, bringing her to absolute boredom. The stereo next to her played relaxing elevator music through the shop, slowly coaxing Ino into a very quick nap.
It had been quite a day for the Yamanaka so far. Running into the loud-mouthed Naruto was a very nice treat to her usually average day, though seeing him so out of sorts was a bit depressing. Then there was Sakura, who left a bittersweet taste in her mouth with her stupid question about Sai. She really hadn't wanted to go there, let alone talk about it. After Ino had left the coffee shop, she wandered the streets lost in her thoughts about her ex. Who she could talk to it about? Not her mother, for sure; being a psychologist, she would probably turn it into a therapy session. Sakura and the other girls were also out, since it would probably turn into village-wide gossip. Ino eventually returned to her home, giving up on the thoughts of a vent buddy for the moment.
Thus, here she sat in her family's shop, waiting for SOMETHING to grab her damn attention. She was just about to fall asleep when her prayers were answered. The door behind her leading to her home creaked open loudly. She turned to look over her left shoulder with still-lazy eyes; it was her mother.
"Going somewhere, Mom?" Ino asked lazily, seeing she was dressed very professionally.
Closing the door behind her, Mrs. Yamanaka slipped on her dress shoes, also picking up her purse.
"Yes honey, I've got to run to the office. I just got a request from Lady Tsunade herself to see a patient immediately for some evaluation." Mrs. Yamanaka walked over to the coat rack next to the supply room.
"A personal request? That's…. rare! Have any idea who it is?" Ino asked, now very interested.
It was very strange for Tsunade to make random personal requests like this. So Ino's interest was definitely piqued, freeing her from the cold clutches of boredom.
"No idea," Mrs. Yamanaka stated happily, pulling on her coat. "I'll tell you all about it when I get home, though. This being a request, I'm sure it will be interesting!" she said, growing excited herself.
Ino's mom was uniquely different from her daughter and late husband. While Ino and Inoichi specialized in braking down the mind for interrogation and information gathering, Mrs. Yamanaka specialized in the reconstruction of it. She loved helping people piece their lives back together and helping them through their problems. It gave her joy in doing so. Thus, at hearing of this special request she couldn't help but wonder with delight at what laid in store for her.
"Please do!" Ino said, giving her a happy smile while watching her stroll to the shop's front entrance.
"But please don't be so giddy like you usually are with patients… it gets really awkward," Ino stated blandly, rolling her eyes playfully.
"Oh hush, hush, Ino! I can't help it if I enjoy my work!" Mrs. Yamanaka replied, grabbing the handle to the front door and pulling it open, sending a soft chime from the bells through the store.
"Now I must get going, or I'll be late," Mrs. Yamanaka said with a soft smile.
"Ya, ya get out of here, he-he," Ino said cutely, a loving smile gracing her face. "Have a great day, love you!"
"Love you too, sweetie!" Mrs. Yamanaka said, pulling the door close behind her and heading off towards the hospital.
Ino turned her attention back towards the magazine in front of her, but became too lost in thought to read a single word.
'Who on earth is so special that Lady Tsunade would send an urgent request to Mom!?' Ino asked herself with a puzzled look. 'And why the hell would they need an evaluation?'
Ino turned the pages slowly, lifting her vision to stare at some flowers that were by the front entrance.
'The only person I could think o-…' Ino stopped, letting her mouth drop open slightly as her mind flashed to a fellow loud blond.
Ino closed her mouth, growing a small grin.
'Well, Mom…. you do love your nutcases…. Let's see if you can handle him, he-he,' Ino thought happily, brushing her bangs to sit behind her ear while thinking of the blond male. A slight blush reached her cheeks.
'That should be an interesting story when you get home.' Ino happily turned her attention back to her magazine, never losing her slight pink tint and wide smile.
-Konoha Streets, Konoha East Side –
The streets of Konoha bustled with people as the late dinner rush arrived. Young couples and families walked casually through the streets, enjoying each other's company. There was a soft mumble across the moving crowd as casual conversation was made back and forth. It left a soft calmness in the streets, keeping the relaxed murmur of voices in the air.
This was instantly broken as a yellow and grey blur rocketed through the streets, weaving and jumping in and out of gaps in the crowd of people.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Naruto shouted, clenching the box from Sakura in his right hand while pumping violently with his left arm trying to increase his speed.
"MOVE! MOVE! MOVE! TSUNADE WILL MURDER ME IF SHE FINDS OUT I WAS LATE!" Naruto hollered through the crowd, finally breaking through the last bunch of people.
Looking up from his dead sprint, Naruto could see light at the end of the tunnel as the large Konoha Hospital came into view.
'YES! I CAN DO THIS! I WONT BE LATE!" Naruto yelled to himself happily as he rocketed up the flight of stairs.
Rushing at the front entrance doors, there was barely enough time for them to mechanically open before he squeezed by without breaking pace. Rushing through the front waiting room and dodging nurses walking by, Naruto skidded to a stop at the front desk with a loud squeak, leaving a trail of smoke from his shoes in his wake.
The nurse at the front desk stared at the man in front of her with wide eyes as he tried his best to catch his breath. Naruto rested his hands on his knees and kept his vision on the floor. Sweat dripped from his nose at a steady pace.
"(Pant)… Appointment (Pant)…. 6 O'clock (Pant)…. for Uzumaki," Naruto huffed out, gasping to try and catch his breath.
'Man I'm out of shape!' Naruto thought, wiping his brow with his sleeve.
The nurse glanced to the clock next to her on her desk, seeing it was 5:59. She turned her attention back to Naruto, who lifted his head to look at her.
"Never try (Pant)…. and run 3 miles (Pant)… in 5 minutes (Pant)…. it's stupid!" Naruto huffed out while giving the nurse a tired look.
"Riiiight," the nurse said questioningly, turning to look at the planner in front of her for Naruto's appointment.
She flipped the book open and carefully looked over the page. Finding what she was looking for, she tapped her finger on the information.
"Ah! Here you are. You are to be seen in room 208, which is upstairs and down the hall!" The nurse said while putting on a smile, turning to look at Naruto, who was already on his way.
"Thank you!" Naruto called over his shoulder, finally able to compose himself.
Naruto marched his way to the desired room of 208, stopping just in front of the door. The door was made of a slick wood with a nice red tint to it. There was no indication of whose office it was; the only information being the large 208 on the upper left corner. Naruto stared at the door, building himself up to enter.
'Alright, here we go…I RUN THIS SHIT!' Naruto roared to himself, swaying from one foot to the other with a confident look. 'No doctor is going to tell me if I can be a ninja or not! I'm not "mentally unwell," I'M FINE!'
Naruto stepped forward, grabbed the handle, and flung the door open, causing it to crash into the hall wall. Stepping into the office, he jumped into the heroic pose he had done for Tsunade earlier.
"LISTEN HERE, DOC! WHY DON'T YOU DO US BOTH A FAVOR AND PASS MY ASSESS-" Naruto stopped hollering, realizing he was the only one in the room. A sweat-drop appeared on his head.
Naruto looked left and right, analyzing the room before confirming he was the only one there. He clutched his fists, growing angry with embarrassment.
"I RAN ALL THAT WAY AND THERE'S NO ONE EVEN HERE!" Naruto yelled, turning on his heel to pull the office door shut with a loud slam.
Turning, Naruto stomped his feet over to the chaise lounge located next to the lone desk. He was mumbling curses to himself as he dropped down with a flop, setting his present on the coffee table next to the couch. He crossed his arms and leaned back to rest against the cushion as he scanned the room.
'Who the hell's fucking office is this, anyway!?" Naruto thought to himself in anger, looking for any clues around the room as to whom his therapist was going to be.
The office was the off-white that all hospitals had on their walls. It had always made Naruto feel uneasy and gave him the urge to burn the whole place to the ground. There was a single window, located right next to the couch Naruto was sitting on, that had a beautiful view of the village. The one desk in the room was in the left hand corner, covered with pictures of family and friends. On the wall opposite to the desk were frames holding different certificates of education and training. There was a lone plant next to the office entrance, roughly the size of a small bush. It was in much better shape than Naruto's plants back home.
"Humph," Naruto grumbled to himself, taking in the atmosphere of the room.
Turning his attention back to the two photos on the desk, Naruto leaned and observed them closely. The first picture was of a little girl with shoulder-length blond hair and bright blue pupil-less eyes. She was holding a bouquet of flowers with the children's swing set from the park in the background. Naruto squinted his eyes at the picture. He swore he had seen this girl before, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.
'Maybe we went to the academy with each other back in the day?' Naruto thought, shrugging to himself as he turned to examine the second picture located next to the first.
It showed a young blond man who seemed to be in his early twenties. He had bleach-blond hair that he wore in a ponytail with the same pupil-less blue eyes as the little girl in the first picture. He was standing on what seemed to be a beach, where he was giving a cheesy thumbs-up to the camera. Naruto squinted his eyes again, leaning in close to the picture.
'Where the Hell have I seen these people before?!' Naruto thought, growing frustrated that he could feel he knew who these people were but couldn't peg them by these old photos. "Ah, man! This is going to drive me crazy!"
Naruto was cut from his thoughts as the office door slowly opened. Naruto quickly switched back to his prissy mood, looking towards the doctor. He jumped to his feet off of the couch, pointing his finger at the mystery person.
"HEY! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE-" Naruto shouted, as the door fully opened to reveal a beautiful woman. "Ma… king….. me… wait…" Naruto trailed off, his eyes growing wide while his cheeks grew a blush.
The woman standing in the door had to be in her late thirties or early forties. She had long brown hair that reached the middle of her back. She wore it down, with a small red hair pin holding her bangs to the side. Her eyes were a soft hazel that popped with the slight makeup she wore. She had on the usual white robes all the doctors whore when they were on duty. Even with the robes on, Naruto could see she was very beautiful. She was carrying a small cardboard box and a manila file in her hands, though Naruto didn't pay much attention to what she was carrying.
"AH! Good, you're here already, Uzumaki-San. I'm so sorry for being late; I had to change into my robes and grab your file," she spoke, walking towards her desk as the door closed behind her. "I hope you weren't waiting long?"
"Ahhh…welfkgn," Naruto mumbled, unable to articulate proper words.
She sat herself down into her desk chair and spun to face Naruto, placing the box on the floor and lifting the file she carried. She flicked it open and read it quietly to herself.
"So you're the patient Tsunade wanted me to see so urgently, eh? Well, I see here that you haven't ever been to any other therapists before, so I guess we will have to do a full evaluation with no short cuts." She spoke quietly to herself as Naruto continued to stare at her with an open mouth.
"If I read her note right, this is to see if you are fit for duty, correct?" she asked sweetly. Naruto didn't answer.
"Well, I guess we should get started then, eh? The quicker we get this done, the quicker we can see if you can be a ninja again." She smiled at Naruto, pulling out her notebook and pen from her desk to jot down what she saw fit.
She started to write down the basic information such as the date and time as Naruto continued to stare. Finally, pulling his mouth shut and shaking his head violently, he was able to compose himself.
"M…ma'am?" Naruto said quietly, afraid to speak loudly for some reason.
"Hmm?" she hummed sweetly, looking up from what she was writing in her notebook.
Naruto gulped.
"I…I'm happy you know who I am… but… w… who are you?" Naruto asked, staring at the woman blankly, trying his best not to show his nervousness.
"Oh! I'm so sorry, Uzumaki-San! Where are my manners?" she stated loudly, waving her hand in front of her face, clearly embarrassed.
She stood from her chair and leaned over her desk, placing a hand down for balance. Lifting her other arm and outstretching her hand gesturing for a hand shake, she smiled.
"My name is Ezra Yamanaka!" she stated happily.
Naruto leaned forward on the couch and grasped her hand in his, shaking firmly. He had a concentrating stare on his face as he looked at the woman.
"Ezra….. Yamanaka… Ya… ma… na… ka…" Naruto said slowly, contemplating the name before his eyes shot open, letting go of her hand abruptly. "YAMANAKA!" Naruto hollered, shock written on his face.
Naruto studied Ezra's face as she looked back with wide eyes at his sudden outburst. The gears were turning in Naruto's head as he finally was able to put the dots together. Her jaw line, her complexion…her body, Naruto blushed. Naruto flung his eyes to the picture of the young girl on Ezra's desk, now realizing who it was. He shot his vision back at her just as quickly. Extending his right arm out in front of him and pointing at her face, Naruto hollered.
"YOU'RE INO'S MOM, AREN'T YOU!?" Naruto screamed, causing Ezra to wince from the volume.
"Yes I am he-he!" She spoke softly, which threw Naruto off because the only other woman to ever talk to him in this tone was his mom, Kushina.
Naruto didn't spend much time thinking about it, though, as the knowledge of her being a Yamanaka set in.
'Wait… if she's a Yamanaka….. who specialize in mental torture….' Naruto's face grew even paler then it already was. He began to look around the room for the quickest means of escape. 'I GOTTA GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! THIS LADY'S GONNA MIND CRUSH ME!'
Ezra watched with concerned eyes as Naruto flung his head in every direction, clearly searching for something while sweating bullets. She finally caught on to what he was probably freaking out about. She giggled loudly, causing Naruto to stop his flailing and look at her confused.
"HE-HE! You don't have to worry," she said happily, giving Naruto a reassuring look. "I'm not like my daughter, who specializes in mental torture. I like to build the mind up, not tear it down."
Naruto relaxed at the information. With her soft tone and innocent demeanor, he couldn't help but trust her. Naruto smiled back
"Well, that's really nice to hear!" Naruto said loudly.
Ezra smiled again, deciding to bring the conversation to what he said before.
"You were in the same graduating class with Ino, correct?" Ezra asked, sitting down and beginning to write in her notebook.
"Uh… Ya! We are both a part of the 122nd graduating class, nicknamed the Rookie 9," Naruto stated, settling back into the couch, lowering his voice again. "We are a lot older now, but some of the elder ninja still call us the rooks, haha," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head softly.
Ezra looked upon Naruto with soft eyes, returning the bright smile Naruto was giving her. He just seemed to radiate whatever mood he was in, whether being joy or complete sorrow. She began to write this information down, urging Naruto to continue.
"Are you still close with the other rookies?" Ezra asked, jotting small scribbles into the notebook.
"Are you joking!? They are my closest friends! That's still not even counting Lee, TenTen, and Kakashi-Sensei," Naruto said, a large smile on his face as his arms flung around, emphasizing his every word. "They are basically my family. I would do anything to make any one of them happy! I would lay my life down to protect them."
Ezra smiled, listening to Naruto. She was happy Ino had a friend like Naruto.
"Do you feel they would do the same for you?" she asked, glancing up to look at Naruto with a lifted brow.
Naruto turned his attention towards the window overlooking the village. The sun was starting to set just above the great stone walls in the distance. The buildings glowed with the reds and purples of the sunset. It was a beautiful view. Naruto looked upon it with no emotion on his face, seeming to be silently enjoying it.
"I think they would," Naruto spoke softly, a whisper so low Ezra had to strain to hear him.
Thoughts of his friends popped in his head as he continued to look out the window. The last two were Sakura smiling wide at him and Sasuke giving a sly smirk. "I know they would, actually," Naruto said confidently, returning to his normal tone of voice.
Naruto spun his vision to look back at Ezra, who was smiling wide at him. She was just staring at him, having stopped writing. She hummed to herself softly before turning back to the notebook to continue writing. Naruto raised his brow at her while crossing his arms at her actions, jutting out his lower lip in a playful pout.
"What?" Naruto asked blankly.
"Huh?" Ezra looked from her writings with a confused look.
"Why did you look at me with that look and then hum like you knew something?" Naruto asked, leaning forward with squinted eyes.
Ezra smiled, giggling softly to herself, looking Naruto in the eyes happily.
"It's just that you are very close to your friends from what I can tell. Makes me happy Ino has someone in her life like you." Ezra spoke softly, flicking the few strands of hair that had fallen out of her face.
Naruto blushed at the compliment, not used to being so openly acknowledged.
"Thank you… but I wouldn't worry about me needing to sacrifice myself for Ino, haha!" Naruto said, pulling his hands behind his head and linking his fingers together.
Ezra gave Naruto a confused look, not understanding what he meant.
"What do you mean? Do you not get along with my daughter?" she asked, with growing concern on her face.
Naruto opened his eyes wide, shaking his hands in front of his face along with his head.
"No, no! Ino and I are great friends, I swear!" Naruto squealed, trying to correct his mistake. Ezra let out a sigh of relief at hearing this. "I just mean that she's a super cool and badass ninja! She wouldn't need me to swoop in and rescue her!" Naruto smiled widely, seeing how happy this information made Ezra.
"I'm happy you say that, Naruto. I will think of those words to keep me from worrying when she's out on missions," she said softly. Obviously, she deeply loved her daughter. "She also thinks very highly of you, as well."
Naruto looked at her baffled, not believing what she just said.
"What do you mean she 'thinks highly of me'? The Ino I talk to always belittles me like I'm a bother!" Naruto stated, crossing his arms again with a flustered humph.
"Oh, that's just her defense mechanism when she's uncomfortable with someone, but trust me. When it's only me and her and she talks about her friends… all I hear are great things about you." Ezra tilted her head to the side happily.
"Wow….I didn't think she thought anything good about me!" Naruto stated, a baffled look on his face. Crossing his legs and leaning against the coach, Naruto sat thinking about this new side of Ino.
"Oh, you would be surprised…" Ezra said in an "I know something you don't know" tone.
"And what do you mean her defense when she's uncomfortable? Why the hell would she be uncomfortable around me!?" Naruto asked, raising one eyebrow high while he squinted his other eye.
Ezra looked at Naruto blankly, a sweat drop forming on her head.
'Wow…. he really has no clue, does he?' she thought to herself. 'His understanding of woman is almost as bad as his father's!' she thought jokingly.
"Oh, don't worry too much about it." She said softly with a loving look.
'I know you will find out eventually, knowing my daughter he-he,' she thought in a sweet tone.
Naruto huffed, once again turning to look out the window. He stared out the window with solid blue eyes. Those eyes brought memories of old friends to Ezra's mind. She studied his face and his body. She thought he was almost a spitting image of her old crush.
"You know… You look just like your father… It's kind of scary, really," Ezra said sweetly, returning to sitting in her office chair, crossing her legs. "Very handsome, if I do say so myself, and I know I'm not the only one. (Cough) Ino (Cough)"
Naruto's eyes grew wide at this sudden complement, spinning to look at her quickly. Naruto did not registering the name between her fake coughs. He stared at her, his head whirling at all the new questions that came to mind at the mention of his dad.
"Y…you knew my dad!? You knew Minato!?" Naruto asked loudly, looking from one of Ezra's eye's to the other.
Ezra sweat dropped again at how Naruto didn't catch her blatant attempt at showing Ino was interested in him.
'Oh…. whatever…. She'll just have to tell him…. while she's beating him with a cardboard heart or something! Because if she isn't flat out blatant with this guy…. I doubt he will get it, haha!' Ezra thought in laughter.
"Well of course! I knew Kushina, as well." Ezra smiled. She turned and pulled open a drawer next to her, lifting out a framed picture holding a fairly old photo.
She turned it over and extended it for Naruto to take. Naruto leaned forward, grasping the picture tightly so as not drop it. He stared at the picture with wide eyes. It was an old academy photo with Graduating Class 107thPrinted on top of the photo. Looking closely into the group of 13 year olds in the photo, he could see Minato and Kushina standing off to the side. Next to them was a girl who Naruto could plainly see was a younger Ezra.
"We were all a part of the same graduating class. We stayed friends for a long time after as well." Ezra smiled, leaning forward to take back the picture.
Naruto handed over the picture while his eyes twinkled with delight at the new development. He had finally found someone who could tell him stories about his parents and help him feel more connected to his roots.
"That means you have tons of stories! Stories you can tell me!" Naruto said happily, a wide grin across his face as he bounced with a giggle.
"Oh yes! Tons!" Ezra said with equal happiness, feeding off of the emotions Naruto was emitting. "Although, this isn't the place to be going down memory lane, he-he!"
Naruto's mood dropped slightly, not wanting to be denied more information about his family. He quickly went back to smiling though, figuring he could come talk to her later now that he knew who she was and knowing where she lived.
"Well, I guess you're right," Naruto said softly. "But can I come by your home sometime? I would LOVE to hear about them!"
Ezra finished writing down her note and looked back up towards the ecstatic Naruto.
"Sure! I would love to talk to you about them sometime. It would be fun!" Ezra said happily.
'I know Ino would like to have you over as well, he-he,' she thought with a dark laugh.
"Cool! Thank you very much!" Naruto said, putting on his widest smile yet, completely overjoyed that he would get to hear about his parents' lives outside of being a ninja.
"Of course! Now, Naruto, I hear you're quite the talented ninja! Might I hear some of those great stories I'm sure you have?" Ezra asked with a sly smile, reeling the oblivious Naruto into his evaluation.
"Sure!" Naruto stated loudly, giving her a thumbs up.
Ezra was able to get Naruto to talk about basically his whole life after that. They spoke of his countless battles and all the training he'd gone through over the years. They talked of Ero-Sennin, and how much he respected him and missed him. She learned Naruto could play guitar and liked to write music in his free time. This surprised her momentarily. Naruto briefly touched upon Sasuke and the promise he made him and thus, why he was so eager to get back into action after the past six months. He needed to become Hokage and keep Sasuke's promise alive. He talked about the conversation he just had with Sakura a little while ago, pulling out his new jacket and talking about how cool it was. Naruto's stories touched her… he was a wonderful man. He was a little banged up… but he could find his old self again with time and effort.
The appointment Naruto had been dreading turned into an enjoyable hour long conversation.
Ezra finished writing down the last of her notes and closed her notebook. She looked over to Naruto, who was once again looking out the window at the now dark village, lit only by small beams of moonlight. She coughed to get his attention.
"Well, I would say… I have all I need to give a proper answer to lady Tsunade on your condition," Ezra said softly, not wanting to pierce the calming silence in the room at the moment.
Naruto looked away from the window to give Ezra a genuinely confused look.
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, confused. "You haven't asked any questions or run any tests yet."
"What do you mean, Naruto-San? We've been doing your evaluation the entire time," Ezra said calmly.
"All we've done is talk about stuff…. You haven't, like…. asked me anything that can help you tell if I'm mentally well," Naruto said, watching as she smiled at him, confusing him even more.
"But that's what we just did," she said, trying not to laugh at the look Naruto was giving her. "I learned about your past and your dreams. I learned about how you feel about the people around you and how much they mean to you…. I even learned about your current mental state with the way you spoke and how creatively you talked of your stories."
Naruto stared at her, realizing she had been playing him the entire time. She had tested him in subtle ways with her questions and comments… she was good. Naruto was impressed.
"Well…. damn….. That was…. painless," Naruto said with a slightly shocked look on his face. "I expected you to like…. probe my mind with some jutsu, or something."
"We could still do that if you want, Naruto-San," Ezra offered, getting an evil grin as she wiggled her fingers menacingly.
"Uh…. no thanks," Naruto said with a whimper, shivering in fear.
"Oh, too bad…. Maybe next time!" Ezra said cheerily, returning to her sweet tone and smile.
Naruto relaxed as well before realizing that meant she had the answer to whether or not he would be allowed back.
"Wait… so if we're done…. That means you know if I can be a ninja again!" Naruto jumped onto his feet as he filled with excitement. Ezra looked at him casually, not affected this time by his mood.
"Yes…. yes I do." She casually got up, placing her notebook onto her desk. She leaned down and picked up the box she had brought in with her. Naruto watched her, his fear growing with her sudden loss of emotion.
'OH NO! She's going to fail me…..please don't fail me!' Naruto pleaded to himself as he gulped.
Walking around her desk, Ezra carried the box over to Naruto and extended it forward for him to take. Naruto took the box from her and, returning to sit on the couch, placed it on his lap. He studied the box, reading the For Safe Keeping written on the side. Naruto's eyes widened, realizing it was the same box Tsunade had carried out of her office earlier.
"I was told to give this to you when I made my decision," Ezra said, standing right in front of Naruto. She waited for him to open it.
Naruto turned his attention back to the box, wondering what lay inside. He nervously reached for the lid.
'What the hell is in here!? An "I'm sorry" letter from Tsunade for not passing!? A permanent ban from the Konoha Military?!' Naruto was freaking out as he lifted the lid with shaky hands.
He opened the box to see there was nice, sparkly, purple cloth wrapped on the inside lining the walls. There seemed to be a foam insert under the cloth, protecting the object that sat in the middle. Naruto pulled the object from the box, looking at it with a huge smile spreading across his face. Tears welled in the corner of his eyes.
The box held a spotless, brand new Konoha forehead protector, with a long black cloth as the straps. Just like his old one.
"Welcome back, Naruto-San!" Ezra said, extending her hand out for a congratulatory handshake. "You passed!"
Naruto shot from his seated position, enveloping Ezra in a huge hug as he bounced and hollered in joy.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" Naruto cheered, finally letting go of the bewildered doctor.
Once set back down on her own feet, Ezra flattened out the wrinkles Naruto had just put in her robe. She watched him dance around the room, holding his forehead protector out in both hands like it was Simba from the Lion King. She laughed.
"Calm down, Naruto-San, he-he!" Ezra laughed out, grabbing Naruto's shoulders to stop his bouncing. "I'll send the paperwork to lady Tsunade, ok? Why don't you head home and relax. I'm sure you will have a busy next couple of weeks, now that you're reinstated." She let go of Naruto now that he was calmer.
"You got it, Mrs. Yamanaka! I'll head straight home so I can get up early to get some missions!" Naruto spoke with joy as he tied his new forehead protector to his head. "Thank you SO, SO much, Mrs. Yamanaka! This busy day just turned out to be worth it!"
Naruto bounded to the office door, flinging it open. He dashed down the hall, chanting to himself that he was "back."
Ezra sighed to herself, listening to his voice and loud jogging down the hall.
"NARUTO!" she called loudly, but somehow still in a sweet tone.
The sound of running and chanting stopped for a second before the sounds of steps grew louder, indicating that he was running back to her office. Poking his head back in the room from around the corner, Naruto smiled.
"YESSS, MRS. YAMANAKA! Naruto yelled loudly, joy still clear in his voice and written all over his face.
Ezra pointed towards the box on her coffee table with a cute smile.
"You're forgetting your present from Sakura," she said quietly, trying to hold back her giggles from the boy's antics.
Naruto grew wide eyes and dashed in the room, grabbing the box and returning to the entrance of the door with a blur.
"Haha, thanks... That would have sucked, huh?" Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head above his headband, embarrassed. "Thanks again, Mrs. Yamanaka! Have an awesome night!" Naruto turned towards the door, ready to take off again… but was stopped.
"Wait! Naruto, before you go!" Ezra said quite loudly, causing Naruto to look over his shoulder one last time. "Call me Ezra, please." She wore the most loving smile she had shown all evening.
Naruto stopped his jogging in place for a brief second before giving her an equally sweet grin.
"You got it, Ezra-Sama!" Naruto said happily, before taking off down the hall again, leaving for good.
Ezra giggled slightly to herself. She turned and picked up her notebook on her desk as she walked to the door. She flicked the light switch down, casting the room in darkness, before she pulled her office door shut with a loud click. Turning to her left to look the direction Naruto had just taken off in, she sighed.
'What a sweet boy… my daughter has good taste,' she thought in a cute tone. 'Now if she would just get over that other boy….. Oh, well…. time heals all wounds, they say.'
And with that final thought, she turned on her heel and started walking to the doctors' lounge in the opposite direction.
-Hokage Office-
Tsunade's office was quiet, the only sound being her pen scribbling on paper. The room was covered in darkness from the lack of sun through the windows. The only light source was a desk lamp that illuminated the small papers on the wood desk.
(Knock) (Knock) (Knock)
The front door to Tsunade's office clacked, causing her to look up from the last bit of paper work that needed tending to before heading home.
"Come in!" Tsunade called loudly, leaning back in her chair and waiting for whoever it was to enter.
The door creaked open ad Shizune walked in slowly, holding what seemed to be a letter in her left hand.
"Ah! Shizune, what is it?" Tsunade asked in her usual confident tone, as Shizune walked up to the front of her desk.
"I just got a letter from Ezra Yamanaka, milady. It seems to be a report on something… should I save it until tomorrow?" she asked, holding up the envelope for Tsunade to see in the dim light.
"No, just give it here; I'll take a look at it real quick." Tsunade spoke with an emotionless tone, reaching out for the letter.
Shizune nodded and handed over the paper. She gave a quick bow before turning to leave the room. At the sound of the door closing, Tsunade started breaking the glued seal. Lifting the piece of paper from the envelope, Tsunade turned and dropped the envelope it in the trash can next to her desk. Unfolding the letter lazily while angling it in the light from her lamp so she could read….she smiled.
Dear Lady Tsunade,
I have just finished my hour and half long session with Mr. Uzumaki Naruto. I have run my questions and subtle methods of testing by him. With this being said, I am very happy to report Mr. Uzumaki passed with flying colors! He showed great character and willingness to understand his surroundings. His memory was spit spot and he showed no falter in his mental psyche. He does have his quirks that should be looked out for until he is fully well again, but no real problems. I have promptly given him his new headband and signed the paperwork for his reinstatement. I am honored that you personally requested me for this task, and hope this news gives you great joy.
Until Next Time
-Ezra Yamanaka
Tsunade refolded the letter and placed it on her desk softly. She spun in her chair and stopped herself to stare out the window over the dark village. She still had the large smile on her face.
'Well…. starting tomorrow… things are going to get a lot more stressful around here,' Tsunade thought, closing her eyes slowly. 'Welcome back, kid.'
-Yamanaka Residence-
The front door to the Yamanaka house creaked open slowly. Ezra walked through the door into the entrance hall closing it behind her. Pulling off her jacket and hanging it on the coat rack, she sat down on the small step to unbutton her shoes. She smelled something delicious in the air, which meant Ino was cooking.
"Welcome home, Mom!" Ezra heard from behind her.
She turned to look over her shoulder and saw Ino poking her head around the corner from the kitchen at the end of the hall.
"Hello, Sweetie," Ezra called, turning to continue taking off her shoes.
Ino walked back into the kitchen to tend to the dinner she was cooking.
"I made your favorite, Mom!" Ino said loudly enough to be heard throughout the house.
Ezra walked around the corner, taking in a deep breath to savor the smell.
"Curry, huh!? Thank you Ino, that's very sweet," Ezra said happily, walking over to the cabinets to pull out the plates and utensils.
"I figured I'd make this for you since I get to hear how the appointment with Naruto went!" Ino cheerfully replied as she added the spices and seasonings to the sauce.
Ezra stopped gathering the materials for the table a looked at Ino baffled. She gave her daughter an up and down look with a raised brow from over her shoulder.
"How did you find out it was with Naruto-San?" Ezra asked.
Ino shrugged, not looking away from stirring the meal.
"Lucky wild-ass guess," Ino said sweetly, as she smiled to herself. "Plus you seem emotionally exhausted, and Naruto definitely has that effect on people."
Ezra laughed out loud at that, turning to walk towards the table with the plates, cups, and spoons in her hands. She handed the plates to Ino on her way by.
"Yes… he definitely does, doesn't he, he-he!" Ezra laughed, placing the materials on the table and distributing them to the proper places.
Ino walked over to the table and placed down two plates filled with curry and rice. She wiped her hands on her apron before pulling it off and placing it on the counter next to the sink. She returned to the table where both women sat down to enjoy their dinner.
Both clasped their hands together with smiles on their faces.
"Itadakimasu!" They proclaimed in unison. (Itadakimasu-I gratefully receive)
Ezra instantly grabbed her spoon and dug into her favorite meal, humming with pleasure at the delicious flavors. Ino, however, didn't touch her food. Instead, she chose rather to place her elbows on the table next to her plate, leaning her head on her hands as she stared at her mom sweetly. She waited for her mother to notice her gaze.
Ezra looked up from here meal with puffed out cheeks, noticing Ino staring at her with a wide grin.
"Whauft?" Ezra asked with a full mouth, growing uncomfortable under Ino's gaze.
Ino leaned further over the table, growing an even bigger smile.
"SOOOO...! How did the evaluation go?" Ino asked excitedly.
Ezra swallowed the large amount of food in her mouth with an audible gulp. She lifted her napkin to her mouth, patting her lips lightly before placing it back on the table. She closed her eyes and grew a serious look on her face. Ino was about to burst with anticipation, feeling whatever her mother was going to say was going to be good! With a deep breath, Ezra spoke.
"Can't tell ya!" she said calmly, opening her eyes to give Ino an evil look.
Ino slammed her head on the table, shocked and thrown off by the answer. She lifted her head, showing a bright red mark on her forehead, and shot her arm out, pointing angrily at Ezra.
"What the hell do you mean, you 'can't say'!?" Ino hollered, frustrated. "You told me you would tell me all about it!"
Ezra smiled at her daughter, laughing internally at her actions.
"I can't tell you because it was a special request from the Hokage… meaning…" Ezra lifted her fingers to her lips, pulling them across to signify a zipper. "It's sealed."
Ino slumped down into her chair with anger as she grabbed her spoon and pulled her food in front of her.
"That's bull!" Ino hollered, beginning to stuff her face with food to help keep herself calm.
Ezra watched her daughter, giggling to herself. Watching her daughter so upset that she wasn't going to get any information on her crush amused her. Ino had no idea that her mother knew of her fondness of the boy, but she had known for a few months now. She had known when, during a conversation they had, Ino complimented Naruto… Ino never complimented people. So Ezra had been waiting for Ino to make her move, but she never had. Come to find out, Naruto had locked himself away for a while, only returning to the world recently.
Ino continued to smash her face with food, mumbling between bites how bull shit it was she couldn't hear about the appointment. Ezra giggled again; she would throw her daughter a small bone.
"He plays guitar…" Ezra said softly, causing Ino to stop shoveling down her food.
"W… what?" Ino asked, giving her mom a confused look.
"Naruto…. he plays guitar… says he writes music as well…. Interesting, no? And you don't have to worry…. he passed… He's a shinobi once again."
Ino stared at her mom blankly, not knowing how to respond to the information. Ezra picked up her spoon again, preparing to finish her meal.
"That's all you're getting from me, though, so hush it!" Ezra said evilly, taking a bite of her meal and moaning again at the taste.
Ino also returned to eating her meal, much slower than before. The table drifted into silence with the sound of spoons hitting plates and the awkward hums from Ezra with every bite being the only breaks. Ino drifted to her thoughts with the lack of conversation.
'He plays guitar!?... Naruto!?... The Naruto…. Since fucking when!?' Ino thought to herself, scrunching her face as she thought. 'And he writes music…. I wonder if he sings. Wait... I wonder if he would play and sing for me!?'
Visions of Naruto playing his guitar while singing sweetly to Ino in the moonlight made her heart flutter, bringing a pink tint to her cheeks. She continued to daydream about the blond man as she finished her dinner silently. She must have completely spaced out after finishing her food, because she was finally pulled from her thoughts by fingers snapping in front of her face.
"EY! Ino, are you in there!?" Ezra called loudly, trying to get her attention.
"Huh? Oh sorry, Mom… must have spaced out," Ino said in a whisper, blinking to regain her focus.
"You think!? You've been sitting there for 30 minutes," Ezra sighed out. "Listen, I already did the dishes while you were in La-La land, so I'm heading to bed."
Ino blinked, looking at the table and realizing all the dishes were gone, the table wiped clean.
'Wow… I really did space out,' Ino thought, shocked that it was even possible for her to be completely oblivious to the world around her.
"Ok, Mom… good night…" Ino said softly as Ezra leaned down and placed a quick peck on her forehead.
"Night sweetie, Love you," Ezra said, making her way to the stairs and walking up to retire to her room.
Ino stood up from her seat, pushing it under the table with a slightly loud screech. Turning, she walked out of the kitchen, flicking the light switch off. She walked down the hall to the front door, turning the bolt to lock the door. She reached over and flicked the switch to turn off the front porch and hallway light. Ino was now in complete darkness, with the only light being the moon pouring in through the small window next to the door. Ino stopped and looked out at the moon, letting the dim light glow over her.
'So you're a ninja again, huh, Naruto?' Ino thought to herself, growing a small, loving smile. 'Let's hope we get teamed up soon…. I wouldn't mind helping you pick up a couple more of those pieces.'
Ino hummed a tune to herself as she turned to walk towards her room with a sway in her hips. She was ready to let her dreams wash her away to thoughts of her fellow loud blond. She could feel in her bones that the next couple of months were going to be exciting.
…. if only she had a clue.
-Naruto's Apartment-
The front door to Naruto's apartment creaked open with a slow swing. Naruto walked in, dragging his feet tiredly. The events and high emotions of the day had finally caught up with Naruto, making him feel exhausted. His eyes were half open and his mouth hung agape slightly. He un-pocketed all of his belongings onto the counter next to the door, pulled his forehead protector off and placed it on the counter. He reached out, plugging in his phone to charge with a small ding at the recognition of the electricity from the socket. He then leaned down to unbutton his sandals. He flicked them off of his feet lazily, not bothering to see where they landed, then strolled to his room.
He entered his room and tossed the box holding his new outfit into his closet floor, too tired to hang it up properly. He was just going to wear it tomorrow, anyways. Still standing in front of his closet, Naruto reached up and unzipped his grey jacket. He shrugged his shoulders and wiggled his arms, letting it fall to the floor with a ruffle. Putting his foot under the jacket he lifted his leg up quickly, kicking it into his closet lazily. Reaching forward, he slid the closet door closed. Naruto's stomach growled loudly, causing him to look down with dead eyes.
'Foooooood…' Naruto thought to himself slowly.
He turned towards his bedroom door and walked through the trash-littered floor. He marched like a mindless zombie through the hall with a slouch in his shoulders and his arms hanging lifelessly by his side. He was way too tired and hungry to care.
Reaching the kitchen, Naruto continued his lazy march to the front of his fridge. He stopped and stood in front of it for 5 minutes, doing nothing. He eventually blinked a couple times and realized he was in the kitchen. He looked at the fridge with seemingly lifeless eyes.
'Fooooooood,' Naruto thought, reaching forward to grasp the handle.
Naruto yanked the door open. As he stared inside with dead tired eyes… he saw that the fridge was barren. The only thing inside was a month past date carton of milk that he, even as tired as he was, wasn't stupid enough to drink.
'No fooooood,' Naruto thought with no emotion, blinking slowly at the cold, empty box.
Naruto shut the door with a grumble as he turned to the cabinet above the stupid empty fridge.
He reached up and pulled the two cabinet doors open. This was the spot where he kept all of his beloved cup ramen… it was completely empty. Naruto let his arms fall back to his side loosely as he looked at the cabinet blankly. His left eye twitched.
"WHERE THE FUCK IS ALL MY FOOD!" Naruto shouted towards the heavens.
'You don't have any, idiot! Remember?" Kurama stated, rolling his eyes. "That's why you left your house in the first place."
Naruto looked down at the floor with sad eyes.
"Oh ya…. that's right huh…" Naruto said quietly before flinging his head back towards to ceiling. "FUUUUUUUUUUUCK! I'M TOO TIRED TO GO THE DAMN STORE! NOW I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MORNING!"
Kurama laughed to himself, receding back into the subconscious of Naruto's mind. Naruto grumbled curses to himself as he walked lazily back to his room. Flopping on his bed face first, Naruto turned to look out his window, his face half-buried in his pillow. Despite his hunger and fatigue, he looked out at the bright moon with excitement.
'Well… it all restarts tomorrow,' Naruto thought, taking a deep breath. 'Time to get back to it! Look out world, the Blazing Angel of Konoha is back and ready for action!'
Naruto let his eyes fall heavily as he drifted off to sleep, pumped for tomorrow for the first time in months. He had the feeling his life was about to get exciting.
…If only he knew.
-Unidentifiable Location-
Six figures cloaked in shadows sat around a large wooden table. There was no light in the room except for a lone candle sitting in the center of the table. The dim light did little to brighten the room, leaving the figures' faces unseen. They all sat quietly, waiting for someone to speak.
"Why have we all decided to gather after all this time?" one of the shadowed figures spoke with the deep voice of a male. "Is it time to gather the pieces?"
"We should! The day of the black moon is only six months away!" another figure spoke, this time the voice of a female. "If we don't have all six pieces by then, we will miss our chance!"
"Oh, hush! You know we won't miss our deadline." Another female voice spoke out, though hers sounded to be younger. "You must be stupid if you think we would!"
"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING STU-" the first woman yelled back, but was interrupted.
"ENOUGH!" A loud voice rattled throughout the room. "Please be quiet while I speak."
The two women stopped their bickering and focused on the second man who had yelled. He held a deep voice, but spoke softly. Even in the dark, the others could see he held himself with proper posture and pride. It was obvious that he was the leader.
"Yes, sir." Both women spoke in unison, calming themselves and sinking into their seats.
The man placed his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together. He raised his vision to look out at his five followers.
"To answer your question, Jurobii…" The Leader spoke out softly, referring the first man to speak. "I have indeed asked you all here so we may begin gathering the Six Gifts of The Sage of Six Paths."
The other five figures smiled at this. They were all happy to know that they were finally going unleash their plan.
"We will begin to gather the six Miru Hito (The Beholder) of Light, Darkness, Wisdom, Strength, Purity, and Sin." The leader spoke softly, almost like he was an older man. "We will gather all six powers and then on the night of the Black Moon…. we will get what we desire."
"Excellent!" A new voice chimed in, this being the one of a young man. "When shall we start?" he spoke in a sinister tone.
"Tonight," the Leader spoke again as he slid a photo out over the table for all to see.
It was a picture of a small girl, no more than seven years old. The members of the table looked at it without emotion.
"She is the Miru Hito of Purity…. the first piece to our puzzle," the leader voiced.
The group of people smiled wide at this information.
"Kira, Haru!" The Leader spoke out suddenly, with a confident and loud tone.
The two females who had been bickering before snapped to attention.
"Yes, Sir!?" They said once again in unison, with a nervous tone in their voices.
"Bring her to me…" the man uttered softly, pointing to the picture.
The two females looked at each other and smiled wickedly. One leaned over to grasp the picture to take with them.
"Gladly," one of the females spoke out as they both stood from their seats. With a turn, they both silently walked away into the darkness of the room.
"What about us, old man?" Jurobii spoke out.
The Leader slid another photo across the table for them to see. This picture held what seemed to be a criminal mug shot of a young man. He looked to be in his twenties, with a prickly, unshaven face.
"You three will fetch the bonding opposite of Purity… you will fetch the Miru Hito of Sin." The Leader ordered.
The man next to Jurobii leaned forward and picked up the photo as he spoke out.
"It will be done quickly, sir." The man slid the photo into his vest pocket.
With that, the three men stood up and walked away just as silently as the women, Kira and Haru, had.
Alone at last in the room, the Leader sat quietly. He pulled out four more pictures, laying them out on the table in front of him. He stared at each photo for a couple of minutes before moving onto the next. He did so until he reached the fourth and final photo. Leaning his shaky left hand forward, he picked up the picture. In the dim light provided from the candle it could be seen that his left hand had been taped over for some reason. Holding the photo up to his face he studied it, a small wicked smile creeping over his face.
"Ah… I've heard so much about you, boy… I hear you hold great power…? I hope to test that rumor…. The great Miru Hito of Light." He giggled to himself, gripping the picture tightly and causing it to crinkle. "We will meet soon…. Uzumaki Naruto."
The candle on the table blew out. The room was cast into pitch black darkness….. there was a sudden silence. The room was now empty.
END CHAPTER 4