I've re-edited this since I wasn't satisfied from last time. (And then re-edited because I read Stephen Kings Book: On Writing.)
On with the show!
Naruto quickly found himself in the company of the Hokage alongside Tenten and Haku. Tension laced the air as a dimmed filter of light shadowed the office. As the silence went on Naruto could only imagine why the old man wanted to see him. To his left stood Konan and Ibiki and he wondered how long they had been there. From the rigid expressions of the adults the three of them could only guess. Tenten looked straight ahead as she tried to decipher the Hokage's seemingly unread able expression.
The silence became unbearable the longer they waited and Haku found herself fingering her pocket for her mask as if it yearned to be worn. Tenten seemed to be feeling the same after a while, as her hand inched its way to that one familiar pocket.
Across from them the Sandaime Hokage sat calmly with his fingers laced, though his thoughts elsewhere. After all this time he couldn't believe Konan was back, and from the look of things he already had an idea of why. It was either an unecpected coonicidence or she had finally found what she wanted... Hopefully, she didn't recognize what stood in plain sight. The Hokage cringed under the shadow of his hat at the thought. If he played his cards right than he could easily remove her before things escalated.
He tapped his pipe on his desk tobegin and garner everyone's attention. He needed to play this smoothly if he was to put the situation in his favor.
"Ibiki-san, I'm not quite certain you understand the abnormality of the situation and what it could mean but I expected a report, not..." Konan scowled lightly and said her name. "Konan." he finished.
Konan narrowed her eyes at him as she settled herself. Two could play that game. She would pretend not to know him as well, the bastard.
Naruto and his friends eyed him as they wondered how abnormal the situation was.
"Is there any specific reason why your genin are here?" Hiruzen questioned gently, his eyes grazing over all of them.
Ibiki nodded and stepped forward glancing at Naruto and then Konan.
"Konan-san requested them to be here. We encountered her during our mission in Wave country while we were protecting Tazuna-san and dealing with two missing-nin by the name of Zabuza Momichi and Kimimaro—he has no surname as far as we have learned."
Haku clenched her fist which wasn't missed by the Hokage.
"They are in custody and in process of being interrogated by Anko-san and her subordinates."
Hiruzen's brow rose as he silently urged him to continue. He was interested to hear what Ibiki had to say about the mission and hear how his favorite blonde had done, however his calm demeanour had nearly broken at the sight of Konan. So when Ibiki mentioned her involvement he couldn't help but clench his teeth.
"Konan-san aided us when the ANBU and I were separated from Naruto, Tenten, and Haku who were engaged in fighting Kimimaro and his sensei, Zabuza," Ibiki said.
Konan nodded in agreement before she continued in his place.
"I rescued them after Naruto-kun," Hiruzen's brow raised again before he nodded and listened with narrowed eyes. Konan continued, "He was impaled judging by the wound nearing the bottom of his lower right abdomen. No lasting damage. I took him and the other genin to a safe place where we awaited the end of the battle so Naruto-kun could heal."
Naruto nodded as he tried remembering what happened. All he could remember were segments of blurs. One flash in particular was just before he was knocked unconscious. Haku held the barrier between them and Zabuza and Kimimaro the best she could until a crash and Zabuza's sword... then black. Naruto narrowed his eyes and wondered if it was actually his sword or not. A shard? Sighing to himself, he gave up. It didn't matter now.
Hiruzen nodded again as his old age seemed to get the better of him as he sighed. Rubbing his eyes he tried contemplating everything they said before he glared at Ibiki.
"Could you tell me why genin were facing A-rank nuke-nins? I believe that's why I sent out those ANBU in the first place. In fact," Hiruzen whistled a bird call and several ANBU landed before him.
"Hai, Hokage-sama?" They said in unison.
Tenten bit her lip and flicked her eyes over to Konan for a split second while the Hokage questioned the ANBU. From what she heard back at the camp it would only serve to try and expose Naruto's heritage but why to the Hokage? It didn't make sense. Tenten frowned in thought. If Konan was Naruto's mom than why didn't she just take him to the doctors to get their blood checked before going to the Hokage... Unless she already had some blood from earlier...
While Tenten sat in thought, Haku turned to Naruto, stared gently at him and shrugged, offering a small smile. She didn't have anything to say.
Naruto turned to meet Konan's as he opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. He couldn't think of anything to say, even though he felt he should have. He didn't know why but he just felt looking at the woman that he should say something. Turning his stare down to the floor in thought Konan smiled and walked over to Naruto as she kneeled in front of him. She let him see all of her face while Naruto tilted his head in bewilderment.
The Hokage narrowed his eyes again and motioned for the ANBU to withdraw and observe. His voice caused everyone to shudder under how cold it shivered in their ears.
"Konan-san. Please, if you would, leave my genin be."
Konan merely smiled up at Naruto, ignoring the Hokage completely. She didn't care at this point. She was going to tell him and she would see what would happen after.
Naruto stared back down at her as a glimmer of a smile came to his cheeks. Something about her just made him smile, he couldn't pinpoint what it was, but he just felt content with her smiling at him. The woman was stranger to him. They were strangers one another.
"Naruto-kun, do you know who I am?"
Tenten's eyes widened and her thoughts went back to her earlier statement. Well, she wouldn't have to tell anyone now, it seemed.
Tension filled the room again while the Hokage motioned to the ANBU quietly.
"Again, Konan-san, remove yourself from Naruto-kun or I will have you removed."
Naruto stared to the Hokage and shook his head to the old man before glancing back to Konan. He wanted to know what she was talking about.
"You are? Konan-san?"
His voice softened as she took his hands into hers. Konan smiled softly again as buds of tears made it to her eyes. She was finally going to do it. Konan shook her head and wiped her eyes.
"I'm your-" her sentence cut off mid-speech as an ANBU appeared just behind her. His hand grasped the back of Konan's cloak and she reacted accordingly.
Konan maneuverered with the ANBU's hand still attached as she removed his legs from underneath him as if he were a puppet falling from its master's hand. Quickly, Konan turned back to Naruto before she hugged him, a smile shallowly gracing the surface.
"I'm your mother, Naruto-kun."
Naruto eyes widened and his blood went cold. What did she say?
"I-I'm sorry?"
Konan nodded and hugged him tighter. She knew it would be hard for him to believe and even harder for him to accept it. Konan knew it all. The pain of being alone, and the pain of being accepted and how long it took. It hurt.
It hurt so much.
Naruto's mind sat transfixed on that one word as his eyes turned to Haku. Her eyes said the same message and he found himself unable to stand anymore. Soon he found himself kneeling on the floor with Konan still holding him. "Mother". "Mother". That word chanted in his head. Naruto tried to look at the woman holding him so close as doubt thundered his mind.
"How?" Naruto said. His voice sounded gruff, yet so shy and his form stood strict in her arms.
Konan just chuckled while she took in his scent. She wished she could have seen him grow into the handsome young man she stood before now. All the years she missed, Konan mourned.
"I've been searching for you ever since you were born," she started. "Do you remember about the Kyuubi attack? How it nearly destroyed this village? Heh, how Minato-kun defeated it by sealing the beast in you?"
Naruto nodded as he wondered what she was getting at, he already knew about the Kyuubi being inside him. Then his eyes widened and his breath caught short of a regular pulse as if he had taken a punch to the stomach.
"W-what are you talking about?" Naruto asked.
Soon he found a hand stroking the back of his head.
"I'm talking about your father and the burden you bear. Konoha was attacked by the kyuubi two weeks after you were born. On the day of the attack you were the only option we had to seal with that could take that huge amount of chakra."
Everyone in the room could hear the pain in her voice. Pure stress revealing itself as those buds of tears dropped and met Naruto's cheek as Konan touched hers to his.
"I didn't want to give you up but Minato-kun wouldn't sacrifice anyone else's child. I tried to convince him otherwise that it would kill you and it would leave you a hollow life! He didn't listen and I was right about it killing you."
Konan's already tear ridden face scowled and Naruto's eyes widened again along with everyone else as tears gentled down the slopes of his cheeks.
"Your heart stopped beating the moment the seal attached and Minato died. I remember it so clearly it burned in my mind until it was engraved. I tried reviving you with all the medical jutsu I knew. But your heart wouldn't beat again..."
Konan pulled back and gazed at her son, her light, and wiped her eyes with the black cloak.
"Kyuubi saved your life," Konan said. That got a rise out of the Hokage as he stood to his foot with his eyes wide in disbelief. Even he didn't know the full details.
"He saved you. I don't know why or how but after I exhausted all means of my ability your eyes turned red and suddenly your heart beat again."
Ibiki watched on and his hostility from before turned from one of anger to one of confusion and maybe, just maybe sympathy. His skills as an interrogator couldn't pick up any hints of lying or false emotion while she broke down.
Everyone watched, awe-struck while realization after realization struck through each of his shinobi's heads and although Hiruzen sat miffed at his reluctance to go against Naruto's wishes he couldn't help but to at least allow Konan the luxury of meeting her child. However, that didn't mean he was happy with Konan because of things that happened post Naruto's birth.
Hiruzen would let it pass for now, if only to bring some semblance of happiness to Naruto beyond Haku and Tenten.
Haku teared up, hands over mouth, and a small smile on her face as she watched the scene unfold. Naturally, she wasn't happy to learn about Naruto's burden, or the circumstances, or... No she was happy to learn about them. Haku hated the burden on Naruto's shoulders for causing him such pain. Looking back she did see his skin heal at extraordinary rates, she did see the flaming red chakra burst and explode on the bridge over at Wave, so Haku could only smile, hoping that he could learn to continue to bare the burden.
"Sochi, do you believe me?" Konan said, her eyes red and puffy from crying.
Naruto could feel Konan's arms shiver from the emotional distress, and he nodded letting her see his soft smile echo an uncertain belief. Honestly, Naruto didn't know what to believe. Emotionally, he felt attached to Konan just from the story itself but he didn't know how to react or come to terms with the fact this woman was his mother. He wanted to believe, he desperately wanted to, and it showed on his face. His arms constricted and he tried to hug her back, despite the awkwardness he felt. Gone for all his life and she comes back saying she "found" him, heh, Naruto didn't know what to believe.
"If it means anything the files to your birth have been archived in the building. Where it is, Minato-kun mentioned it was in a safe place in the Hokage's office so I know it must be here somewhere," Konan said.
She pulled back and glared over at Hiruzen as Naruto glanced over at the aging man to see his piercing stare harden and turn to ice.
"Hokage-sama, I need access to Naruto-kun's birth-certificate."
Hiruzen glared as he narrowed his eyes and Naruto flinched. Regardless of whether that stare was directed at him, this was a whole new side to the old man that Naruto had never seen before.
Staring coldly back at Konan he merely nodded as he thought about the implications. Naruto's sensitive past and his upbringing allowed for him to be much more... open to things such as this, gullible almost, but not quite. Persuasion by a woman he barely knew. His mother yes, but still a stranger. Regardless of that fact Hiruzen knew Naruto would question things if only to challenge and not hurt himself in the process in case he actually did believe.
Good thing, he could use that.
Moving over to a picture clinging to the wall, Hiruzen removed and placed it on the floor and Naruto narrowed his eyes as Haku and Tenten joined on either side of him, both careful to give him and Konan room. From that it was obvious Tenten knew and if Haku did than he didn't doubt it if the soft smile on her face gave any indication.
Naruto watched as the old man opened a hidden compartment in the wall and a safe just behind that. Hiruzen pressed and opened the safe before he reached in and grabbed a file. In it Naruto could tell was his birth certificate and Konan's proof. Widening his eyes, Konan gave him a gentle smile if then for Konan to reach out and pluck the file away from Hiruzen eliciting a small glare from him. When the folder opened and the birth certificate met shaded light, Konan squinted as she read. A few moments later and she could easily assess the envelope as the one she signed.
Haku and Tenten looked over her shoulder and smiled at Naruto's name though Haku noticed something in the writing, or more exclusively the name.
"Naruto Namikaze," Haku whispered to herself. Looking it over again Haku reached over before gently tapping Tenten on the shoulder and pointing it out as Tenten's eyes widened.
Konan seemed to hear them because her voice came out like a soothing chime in the tense atmosphere.
"The Yondaime was a man named Minato Namikaze. Your father."
Naruto's eyes widened again as more shock entered his system and he felt whatever strength entering his legs leave again as he slumped to the floor, his back arched and his head down. It made sense, Naruto thought. The Yondaime wouldn't sacrifice anyone else's child, not after all the stories he heard about the Yondaime from people who claimed knew him. Physically speaking he looked almost exactly like him. His blonde hair spiked and shining with his tanned skin, the only thing that came to mind when it came to differences had to be the frame of his face but looking at Kona—er, his mother's face he guessed he must've gotten that more from her side.
Naruto looked at the certificate again and thought about it. Naruto Namikaze, eh? Huh, whoever thought his last name wasn't actually Uzumaki must've been crazy if they didn't know about this... A light bulb lit in his head.
"Why is my last name Uzumaki?" Naruto asked.
Konan's eyes lit up and her face flushed from embarrassment at the question before she quickly smiled and shook her head.
"No, Naruto-kun, I only have a first name, but I suppose you could say that my last name at one point was Namikaze," Konan said.
Naruto's head tilted in confusion.
"Then where did Uzumaki come from? Please don't tell me I got Uzumaki just because that's what the dart landed on."
Konan and the others chuckled lightly, even the Hokage surprisingly. He tried to crack a smile and chuckle a bit but the only thing that came out were small beads of sweat above the tip of his brow. Stress and overloading emotion were giving Naruto a hell of a time and Naruto knew that if this kept up he would be shot for a few days.
"No, I wouldn't do that! Uzumaki was a cover name given to you to protect you from people who wanted to hurt you, enemies of Minato-kun and Konoha. But that also applies to the inside doesn't it?" Konan said, uttering the last part to herself.
Hiruzen's voice cut through their conversation like a spear through flesh.
"That's not entirely true, now is it, Konan-san? I will let you admit that you are his mother. I'm not so cruel as to let Naruto never know, but I won't have you telling lies when you know how things went when you named Naruto, and then the subsequent name-change to account for that."
Hiruzen had listened to the the conversation carefully and once Konan started getting into fields he knew she would twist, he would take over, and he did.
Konan growled and Naruto looked confused as did Haku and Tenten. Ibiki just stood off to the side as he let the drama pass. The conversation with Anko later would splendid.
"Name-changes or not, it does not matter now. The purpose is still the same whether or not he would have had my given last name or that woman's name. I only tolerated it because we had no choice. If I was able to go back to the past and rectify that mistake I would! But things don't work out that way. Do they, Hokage-sama?" Konan said cooly.
She glared at Hiruzen like a panther ready to strike as she stood and took Naruto's hand. Naruto just looked at the never ending flood of information before he screwed his eyes shut and before anyone could question what happened. Naruto disappeared with Haku and Tenten behind him.
Konan felt the hollow air between her hands and she found herself looking down to see a cold wooded floor and an empty space where her son once stood. She glared back over at the Hokage. Her stress ran high as sweat gathered on her forehead and she concluded this day wasn't going well for her. Earlier she had to watch her child cry behind a mask for hours. Now she had to find him again because of Hiruzen's damned mouth complicating things. Konan scowled.
"Now that the children are gone I would appreciate it if you would explain why you are back. Concerning your affiliation with certain sources, I can't say with a sound mind you are here purely for the sake of your son. Even then I am skeptical of the commitment you give. From the report Ibiki-san gave me he said your personality is skewed and your intent unintelligible."
The Hokage went silent while he let the silence linger.
All nonsense wiped away from his face while his hands weaved together. Konan eyed him carefully as she tried to keep her expressions limited, now that Naruto was gone; ANBU were in the room.
She had to be careful.
Konan thought back to her friend and allies back in her... organization and the tales they would tell her about if she actually did meet her son. Most resulted in the situation she was in. Rejection. Expulsion. Execution, if she wasn't careful. But, the situation also strayed to an unknown variable, all of which had been spoken of as a possibility to which it had been. Naruto hadn't rejected her. The soft look in his eyes screamed confusion border lining an upset sorrow and an even larger hopefulness Konan found refreshing. He accepted it. If anything it would just take time—Konan understood that.
"ANBU… Leave."
Steel eyes narrowed before leaving without a trace and Konan's own narrowed as soon as the ANBU left to let the Hokage know her feelings.
"Now. Speak," Hiruzen said.
Konan watched the Hokage stare at him with little hidden contempt as she soon refreshed her face to an unemotional facade her friend Nagato was so used to.
"I am here because my son is alive. No restriction will disallow me from being with him," Konan began.
"Oh? And if I do recall that restriction was placed because? If I do recall it revolves around the death of your husband and the subsequent near destruction of this village. Even the condition your son has been afflicted with."
Konan growled inwardly and clenched her fists. Right to the point it seemed.
"No. Naruto-kun's seal has nothing to do with my affiliation with Akatsuki."
"Yet you don't deny the other claims?" Hiruzen questioned.
Konan glowered and shook her head at the old man. She had nothing to do with the Kyuubi attacking and neither did Akatsuki. If anything Nagato helped along with Tobi. They both fended the beast as long as they could.
"Yes, I do deny those accusations, since there isn't any proof. I said the same thing before and I will say the same thing now. Minato is the one who put the Kyuubi inside Naruto-kun. I was inside the village nursing Naruto when the Kyuubi attacked."
Konan's voice kept an expert calm, the twinge of her brow started as the only thing showing emotion.
"Then when it's all over I hear you yelling for me to be exiled and worse I hear Naruto's dead! Do you realize the pain you and you alone made me feel because you feared my allies?!"
Hiruzen sat and stared evenly at her. He had reason to exile her.
"Ibiki-san, what do you remember on the day of the Kyuubi attack? I believe you were near Konan. Did you by any chance see her?"
Ibiki started at the question and stood straight. The whole time he had just been listening to the conversation, trying to decipher all the information to come to his own conclusion. And when his genin left he felt inclined to follow but a subtle look from the Hokage stopped him from making a retreat as he just leaned against the wall and listened. He didn't know a lot about the subject so his mind racked to think of that day. He remembered walking near the Namikaze estate but no he couldn't remember seeing Konan before. No doubt he would remember her if then.
Ibiki shook his head and sighed.
"I wasn't aware Konan-san was even married to Yondaime-sama at the time. Only now... er, is she Yondaime-sama's wife?"
Hiruzen looked down and nodded.
"Yes, she married Minato-kun a year or two before the Kyuubi attack."
Konan nodded and crossed her arms. Where was he going with this?
"What does this have to do with my allies?" Konan arched her brow. "Minato-kun and I had known each other outside the public's knowing to avoid suspicion. My allies provided intel vital for the village," Konan said coolly.
Hiruzen directed his gaze back to her and he nodded. They had provided intel almost invaluable to the village. So he invited Konan in, provided them a place of safety, but that intel she spoke of became worthless when they betrayed Konoha... she struck the heart of Konoha by infiltrating and seducing Minato to gain their trust and when it was too late her ally struck and left the Kyuubi to attack their home.
The only thing that didn't add up was that Konan was checking on her son, unless she came back to do something similar, Hiruzen mused.
"As far your information is concerned, I thank you for the short joint venture and the profit we wrought from that agreement but there is no place for traitors here," Hiruzen said.
Konan just stared at the man before her, sitting in his chair with a smug smile of satisfaction painted on his aged skin. It took her a moment and a lot of back tracking to come to the decision she was about to make seeing as they weren't making any progress. She only needed to offer her terms since she long knew this would happen, though she loathed that it did. She sighed, hope seemed too much to trust in, it seemed. Since the beginning she wished it wouldn't come to this however the situation seemed out of reach unless she did this. So before she came into Konoha she wrote a treaty of compensation where in it states her terms for staying, just in case.
Reaching into her cloak pocket, Konan dug through the contents like the labyrinth it was as she felt the scroll roll into her hand. Hiruzen rose a brow, Ibiki not far behind as they watched Konan close her eyes and settle the scroll down on the Hokage's desk as though she were admitting defeat, to which she wouldn't admit.
If anything, she wanted to stay with Naruto. There was no defeat in that.
As she fingered the scroll open she closed her eyes and flickered out of the room to find her son.
"Hokage-sama," Ibiki said. "Would you like for me to retrieve Konan-san?"
He waited for an answer if only to be greeted by silence. His brow raised again in curiosity as he sighed. Whatever was in that scroll made the Hokage's eyes widen and his jaw drop and after a moment the Hokage collected himself enough to give him a concerned glance.
"No… I need you to have your students give an evaluation of their skills to assess where they are now. This is a part of her agreement and I am inclined to oblige. Go find your students and have them meet at your usual training ground for an overall team and skill evaluation. If Konan is already with Naruto-kun, Tenten-chan, and Haku-chan than have her watch on the sidelines as your administer. I will be joining shortly."
Ibiki merely nodded and though his mind sat in turmoil over it all he bowed.
"Why?" Ibiki asked.
In the Hokage's hand the scroll fell to his desk before he stood and faced the outside, not in response to his question, no, but from the text on that scroll. Game changing statements that ultimately made his job easier and consistently more strained because of it. Tired eyes glared against the suns blissfully cool stare as he looked back.
"According to what Konan-san left me, that is a part of the terms she has set so I wish to be there to fulfill my part and observe, but do so, tomorrow."
"Hai."
As Ibiki disappeared Hiruzen turned around in his seat and peered out to the setting sun. He chuckled. Like the moon Konan appeared without warning and under dark but almost poetic terms. Now he awaited the time when the sun, as Kushina, would come back after all that had happened and above elegancy. The sky seemed to rest the sun and raise the moon overhead. If he had to compare the sky itself to anything than Minato was the sky. Not only because he was a beacon to something greater a barrier for its people but the portal and lover to the sun and moon.
He still wondered how he managed to deal with those two—how he used to deal with them, Hiruzen corrected. Though he frowned. Minato was probably turning in his grave at the things Konan tricked him for with Kushina never being the wiser.
Naruto sprinted through allies and shadows of Konoha's lower district. He rounded corners and flew down several walkways while Haku and Tenten kept pace. Frowns marred their faces, yet, rather, they weren't directed towards Naruto. Moans racked and shattered the silence by the whores on their backs like a fire in a deep cavern. An abysmal mist of contempt left laden in the air filled their nostrils along with the poor smell of piss and cheap sex. None of them liked therun down area and made sure to avoid this place as much as possible, but with the revelations before, Naruto wanted to take the fastest route to Ichiraku's, despite the area's less than reputable prestige.
It played as an eyesore to all their eyes with the buildings being boarded over and the paint that perhaps at one point looked new now rotted and chipped off from time's passage. Shadows casted down giving them the impression of night where it should've been just the setting sun but due to this part of town's streets being so narrow the buildings only allowed fleeting light to be viewed like a movie scene overhead as rays of light danced like an aurora.
Pretty, but undeserving.
Naruto, Haku, and Tenten sprinted further through the streets to finally jump out into open ground before putting on their masks. They walked for a while in the sea of civilians bustling around them until their feet glided to a stop in front of Ichiraku's. Inside three familiar voices chatted among themselves and a moment later Naruto spotted Anko talking with Ayame like she was an old friend as Teuchi added his own comments every now and then.
"The installments for the new room were huge, not to mention expensive, but I'm hoping by the end of the day we can have it nice and ready for our newest guests!" Anko smiled sweetly, eyes screwed shut like a fox.
The trio sat down on either side of her to gain her attention and a gasp. Both Teuchi and Ayame stared at the three of them with eyes widened and jaws open to amazement while Anko merely stared. Both Naruto and Haku raised a brow as Anko switched between looking at each of them while Tenten merely stared back, waiting.
"Naruto-kun, Haku-chan, Tenten-chan! You're back!" Ayame cheered.
The three nodded and braved small smiles.
Suddenly, Anko snatched their attention away from the cooks before she started although no use of her usual cheer.
"How are you three doing, eh?" Anko asked.
Naruto and the others exchanged glances before Naruto answered, "We're fine Anko-nee, ano, is something wrong?"
Suddenly, Anko grimaced and she explained.
"Ibiki mentioned what went down over there in Wave. Though I don't think he was being completely honest. He seemed on edge when I saw him when he was dropping off the prisoners... Zabuza and Kimimaro..."
The trio turned and watched her talk as she stared down at the counter in front of her. The mood of the room fell and Anko's excited act before seemed non-existent when she turned to look at each of them again.
"When did it happen?"
Haku tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
Naruto's thoughts sprinted through his memories and what she could be referring to. He looked to Anko's sombre gaze and suddenly, it clicked.
"Just outside the village," Naruto answered.
Ayame and Teuchi looked to one another before they stopped fiddling in the kitchen completely. Concerned, they leaned on the counter and listened.
"They were a couple of Zabuza's lackey's. I don't know what they wanted from us but they managed to get the jump on us for a second, or at least that's what I remember." Naruto grimaced and shook his head.
Tenten furrowed her brows as her pupils jarred into Anko's.
Tenten continued for him, "We strung them up and interrogated them when we were told to practice the techniques Ibiki-sensei taught us. They were resistant and we were forced to use methods I'd rather not talk about."
Her eyes lingered over to Ayame's own widened ones and she noticed the young cooks hand gasping over her mouth while Teuchi merely scrunched his eyes shut and shook his head. Anko nodded and continued.
"So I'm guessing you made your first kill then? Hard isn't it? It passes in time, but despite what some say about how it gets easier... They're full of shit." Anko shook her head and smiled sombrely.
"As far as I'm concerned I still remember the bastard I killed. Drove a kunai straight through his chest. But the worst part—the part that makes me quiver at night is the explosion of blood I'm sure drenched me. Heh... Popped his cherry."
Anko tried to chuckle at the memory to lighten the mood she caused however the joke fell dead at everyone's saddened expressions.
Naruto sighed then smiled as he chuckled. Haku and Tenten turned their heads to address his lightly smiling face when he raised one hand.
"Let's get off this topic then. Yes we made our first kill. No we're not happy about it. And I don't doubt it will get any easier but I'm glad you care Anko-nee," Naruto said, a small bead of sweat down falling down his face.
Anko looked over to him and shook her head again.
"Here!" Anko said as she raised her hand as well. "One miso-ramen, please!"
Surprised, the two cooks looked to one another and smiled softly before shrugging and walking into the kitchen, but not before giving the genin a soft pat on the head, and to their chagrin a peck on the head from Ayame as she walked back too.
Anko smiled as she watched them leave. Once the lovely sounds of chopping and water churning sounded loud enough Anko leaned over and weaved her fingers together.
"I don't suppose you three have anything to say about that blue-haired woman Ibiki mentioned?"
She pierced Naruto down to the depths of his soul with her stare.
"He said something reminiscent of her being your mother, yet they were going to be confirming it later. Well, now it's later and I'm going to guess something bad happened... Is that about the gist of it?"
Naruto closed his eyes and nodded. Yes. 'Damm it... Unless a blood test proved otherwise, Konan knew things only the Yondaime's wife would know.' He thought to himself.
"And I'm assuming you are here because it was a shock to your system?" Anko leaned over to him.
Naruto nodded again.
"Heh, Naruto-kun, I don't know this woman, nor do I think I have any right in this matter since I'm not blood related to you, but if she really is your mother, I say give her a chance. You know, the only reason I say this is because I grew up without parents. Haku-chan and Tenten-chan probably feel the same," Anko said, looking to the two.
Haku nodded lightly, but Tenten frowned.
"No. My parents aren't people I want to meet," Tenten turned her stare to the counter as she leaned on the counter.
"And before you ask, I've seen their files. They are not good people."
Naruto and Haku nodded sadly. As far as Tenten's past went she was an orphan with no parents. Some would spout that story without knowing, mind you. Like any other child she wanted to know when her eyes befell the question "who was her parents?". After years of searching, sometimes with Naruto and Haku she requested the Hokage's help and to her surprise he pulled out a file within five minutes.
Naturally, her happiness soared.
Yet the Hokage's usually grandfatherly facade seemed barely that, if anything it seemed more somber if Tenten had to say. When Tenten opened and fingered through the many files... She left in tears with crushed dreams. Her mother... a prostitute... her father... some construction worker with a family of his own. From then on she didn't talk about it. Only Naruto and Haku knew—they were her true family.
Why did the Hokage give her the fell she sometimes asked herself? Often she opted not to question it and shook her head, beridding herself of those thoughts. Perhaps he felt every child had that right. A right to know.
"Ah," Anko said.
"Well-" As she started again, Naruto cut her off thought without ill intent.
Naruto held his hand up.
"Why do you want me to accept Konan-san? She may be my biological mother, that won't ever change, but how can she be my mother when I've already grown this much?" Naruto's voice shadowed a whisper closely as he continued. "And don't get me wrong... I want a mother. I just..."
Naruto clenched his fists and he wondered why? Why couldn't he accept it?
Soon, small hands curved around his shoulders "I know I'm saying this suddenly. Trust me I was surprised when Ibiki-san told me about this and I know this is a shock though I don't think there is any other way to say it. Your mother may or may not be this Konan person. Blue hair? You don't have it? Evidence? Everyone has evidence. Whether or not she's your mother is up for you to decide regardless of blood. Hell, if she is your mother than you can expect to be treated like royalty and get the full experience. So will Haku-chan and Tenten-chan too, I'm guessing."
Naruto dropped his head and sighed as he breathed in Anko's scent like a calming agent, her words played in his ears like the best symphony, and his insides felt warm like whenever he was around family. Turning right, then left, he eyed his best-friends and his 'sister', if she was his mother than she would be adopting quite a few of them he imagined. He scrunched his brow at Haku's blush and he shook his head. Scratch adopting.
It would take some time getting used to it he supposed. Kaa-san... that was a name his heart was shocked to say. Kaa-san.
A hand grabbed his shoulder and he felt the wind sift through the door, grasping them as they ventured through. He turned to see Haku close, er, closer than before. At first he sat flustered when she whispered in his ear.
"No matter what happens, no matter the secrets unfolded to us, I love you, alright Naruto-kun?"
The hand on his shoulder softened and the warmness soon left in a flurry as Haku sat back in her seat. He smiled. 'I love you too.' He thought.
"Order's up! Four Miso-ramen on the house!"
There's a poll regarding something in the future for A Path Paved In Ice. Check it out.
Comment Responses! I saw someone doing this and thought, huh, that would be fun!
Here's the queue:
setsuna911: i must say i'm interested by how you will make konan takes her decision about akatsuki, will she leave to protect her son or will she works to get the kyuubi without killing him? i'm waiting for those answers in your next chapters
Roan(Me): Oh! Oh! Me too! Wait a minute! :P That's happening next chapter!
: Nice story overall.
At the start of the story I wondered why Haku was already with Naruto but the reason that she was abandon by Zabuza escaping Hunter-nins
I like that you Konan as the mother of Naruto its rather original not seen it a lot
and the age difference between her and Minato is not that high(I guess).
Roan(Me): Correct! Thank you! And this is fanfiction! Who says she's even the canon age in this one, hm?
bloodshound: interesting indeed. i wonder if konoha will be interested in preserving kimi's bloodline. is he still sick in this one? still, zabuza abandoning a useful tool. that was quite stupid of him, especially since she came back to haunt him.
so, if gato isn't really dead, does this mean wave is still screwed?
wow, konan huh? wow, that's a twist. is she Kushina, or does kushina not exist in this one?
pity no ones done a brain scan or something on susuke. he has even less of a bond to the village now than his canon counterpart.
Roan(Me): First things first... Gato is dead. And Kushina does exist in this one, but her role is complicated and not in a bad way! Kimimaro does not have the sickness but if you're saying that you want me to make him sick than I can-it would certainly amuse me to do so.
Windninja1000: Great chapter, can't wait till the next chapter!
Roan(Me): Me too! :D
the next illusion: Glad the updates are returning, really enjoy this fic. Didn't think that the realisation that naruto has a relationship with haku and tenten would make sasuke angry enough to straight up attack him, but the surprises like that keep it interesting
Roan(Me): Honestly, I never intended to flame Sasuke but I did want some kind of drama in there but seeing Naruto with two girls I wouldn't find it far-fetched that he would get angry, seeing as he likes one of them. Also there should be more frequent updates in summer.
kishin1: I really enjoyed the new chapter. I am a little confused with Konan being Naruto's mother, however I think you will be able to explain it properly and I wish to see how you do explain it. I'm assuming that it will have to do with the power or chance thing that you mentioned earlier in the story (I honestly forget what exactly it was that Haku said but you get the idea). I really hope to see another update soon. This story along with "Making Uzumaki" by PsyckoSama are my two favorite NarutoxFemHaku stories that I have read.
Roan(Me): Well thank you! I remember talking with you before in a PM and as far as sayings go... Maybe? :P
Strife666: it's been awhile since this was updated, thanks for the new awesome chapter.
Roan(Me): Yeah, I know... Sorry! And thanks! ^.^
Twelve Tailed Wolf Dragon: ... I will make 150 accounts if I must, it shall be done.
Roan(Me): lol Have fun! Not quite there, but who knows? Maybe I'll reach it this chapter!
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See ya!