7 - The Results

Naruto stood quietly on top of his father's head looking down at the village that he both loved with all his heart and hated with every fiber in his being. He loved the village for the many people that he's grown close to. Mostly revolving around the rookie eleven and team Gai, though there were a few others outside that group, Anko, Iruka, the Konohamaru Corps, Teuchi and his daughter Ayame, some of the ANBU who when he was younger protected him from the civilian mobs. The bookstore owner who had slowly warmed up to him over the years even allowing him to read some of his comics for free when the store had slow days. The scroll lady also warmed up to him, mostly because he did chores for her for free rather than her putting out money for a D-Ranked mission, he still did things for her after he became a genin earning him more than his fair share of free storage scrolls. These people earned his affection, most of the village were simply indifferent to him now he was just another person going about his life to them, and he was happy about that it meant that he earned enough recognition that they see him not as a stain to be rubbed out but as a not so welcome addition to the village. However, it was that measly one percent of the merchants and other civilians that he hated with a passion, it was these people that had made his life hell since he was an infant, it was these people that denied him his godmother, it was these people that sent likeminded Chunin, Jonin, and ANBU after him with the intent to kill him. It was these miserable wastes of humanity he wanted to reveal to the world in general as the true monsters, they were the same in every village. People with a power base that feared someone who had greater power than they, let's face it Jinchuuriki are pretty much chakra batteries we got more power in our little finger than they in their entire body.

Naruto knew it was because of this fear that lead to bigotry and in turn lead to his life being miserable. It was only when he joined the Shinobi corps that he found people that truly cared, even his enemies showed more concern and respect for him than his own village. Orochimaru feared and respected his potential, the Akatsuki feared that he was growing too strong for them and that in turned earned their respect by trying to capture him at every turn well before the time. As he mulled everything over he thought about the Green Lantern oath, more specifically the original wording, "Let those who worship Evil's might," the whisker marked blonde snorted shaking his head. "Implying intent rather than acceptance."

He sighed closing his eyes letting the breeze cool him down instead focusing on anything else when he felt two slender arms encircle around his chest and a head lay gently between his shoulders. "Thinking Naruto-kun," Sakura asked.

"Yeah," he smiled looking over his shoulder noting his favorite rosette haired girl had her ring turned off.

"I just wish I was allowed in when they had those meetings if anything for emotional support," Sakura stated dropping her arms, Naruto turned to her. She bit her lip, "I want to make up for all the crap I've done wrong in the last eight years."

Naruto looked at her confused for a second, "Sakura-chan we've only been teammates for four years."

Sakura gently reached up putting her right hand on Naruto's chest right over his heart, "I'm talking about the academy too you goof," she stated softly letting some good humor drip into her voice. "Even without The Star Sapphire ring I knew you had a crush on me since we were six," she stated and smiled seeing him blush. "You should have made your move that first year you know, before Ino helped me with the bullies." She looked at him for second and notices a guilty expression. "What did you do?"

"Well I sort of convinced Ino to help you out," the whiskered marked blonde stated watching her eyes widen. "Most of the shinobi clan's I figure knew about who my parents were so they always encouraged their kids to help me out or play with me. I mean didn't you think it was strange I'd hang with Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji in just school but not outside of it."

Sakura nodded, "I always wondered about that."

"My choice I didn't want them to join me in becoming the village's pariah just by association," Naruto stated bitterly. "Same could be said for the girls like Hinata, you, and Ino. Though I didn't like Ino because she's bossy," he smirked hearing Sakura giggle. "But I did meet with them after school in secret even Ino it's how I knew to grow plants," he paused reaching up caressing her cheek, "I knew if took care of those bullies and trust me I wanted to with every fiber of my soul Sakura-chan I hated hearing you cry and I still do. They would have labeled you all sorts of things."

"What?" Sakura stated.

"Sakura-chan it wouldn't be just your bullies calling you names, the rest of the village would join in, I know they would have called you things like, 'Demon whore', 'Monster lover', and other hurtful remarks, they'd try kill you like they did me, hurt me by hurting or killing you," Naruto's eyes watered looking down. "I couldn't bare that, you already got hurt once by trying to be friends with me."

Looking confused, "When I don't remember that?"

Naruto nodded, "Inoichi probably did a mind walk to get rid of the week you spent in the hospital shortly after your sixth birthday," she blinked trying to remember that time. "I-I gave you a red ribbon for your birthday even got your mom's permission a good month in advance, she was actually surprised and asked me why I was going to such lengths."

Sakura however felt something cold hit the pit of her stomach as she subconsciously reached up to touch the fabric of her red headband that up until a year ago had been a simple red ribbon that Ino had given her when they first became friends, the same ribbon she tried to give back to Ino when they became rivals, only Ino had insisted on her keeping it. Now she knew why, "You gave that ribbon to Ino to give to me."

Naruto nodded seeing her face get paler by the second, he panicked. "Sakura-chan I'm sorry."

The rosette haired girl's eyes flashed in anger, grabbing his shirt collar, "Don't you dare apologize," tears forming, "you have nothing to apologize for." Sakura slumped into his chest her shoulders shaking with wracking sobs as the SS ring had found the memories that led to her hospitalization when she was six. Her taking the red ribbon from Naruto, wearing it the next day, apparently a group of kids had seen the exchange who told their parents who in turn told other adults, rumors begun to spread. Until finally three drunken men had cornered the girl as she was returning home from the academy and attacked her but didn't do any lasting damage ripping up the ribbon before leaving her. "I always wondered why my mom tried to keep me away from you," she stated softly.

"I didn't deliver the blow but I was responsible for you being in that hospital bed," Naruto said gently running his fingers. "Ino's dad suppressed the memory, I urged Ino to make friends with you I fixed the ribbon and gave it to Ino to give to you."

Sakura chuckled sadly, "If those idiots could have seen all that deception and misdirection they would have made you rookie of the year, you even fooled me. Why did you let me hit you?"

The whisker marked blonde smiled softly, "Pay back for every punch and kick they gave you, I wanted you to give me ten."

The rosette's eyes widen as she slowly lifted her head to meet his gaze, thinking back to the time he started asking her out on dates it was shortly after she started fangirling on Sasuke, "Y-Y-You knew I'd get annoyed by all the date requests, you knew I'd lash out," she stated and seeing him nod in response. Her heart clinched suddenly as more and more sorrow poured into her heart and mind, now she understood the SS ring when it meant love and loss. Naruto never had a crush on her in the academy the evidence spoke volumes; he loved her even back then. He willingly became her punching bag because he felt he deserved it because she ended up in the hospital, he managed to get her safety from more assaults by urging Ino to become her friend thus putting her in the safety of a Shinobi clan. He protected her all the while punishing himself for not being able to protect her, she now knew she how badly she screwed up. With the SS ring having cleansed her of her self-doubts with this revelation her heart now was in agony. She had punished and brutalized a boy that had loved her for eight years, shattered his heart four years ago when she asked him to promise to bring Sasuke back for her. She knew that now and it was taking all the SS ring's power to keep her from slipping into a sense of loss so profound that it was deafening. Shaking her head from side to side as more images came into her mind, of every mean, spiteful thing she did to Naruto in anger, every punch, every kick, and every hateful word uttered.

"You're not that person anymore Sakura-chan, please stop," Naruto gently urged seeing her face in anguish was breaking his heart. "I love you," he whispered into her ear holding her close.

It all shattered with those three simple words all the angst, the feelings of guilt, cold numb feeling that had rapidly been growing in her even as the SS ring fought to keep her sane. The embodiment of Love that created the Star Sapphire power let all the negative emotions fall away, as she slumped forward again into her Naruto's chest. Her breaths were shallow as her emotions stabilized. I thought you said I was free and clear of my doubts?

This has nothing to do with doubt this is all about misjudgment and lack of insight for the both of us. The Green Lantern is truly a unique individual you've chosen very well; you will bare very strong children for him. Sakura blushed deeply taking a few more cleansing breath.

She looked back up at him and before he could react she lunged at him capturing his lips in the deepest most passionate kiss she could muster. When they parted she gently patted his cheek three times, "this is for being an idiot," she murmured reaching up kissing him again.

"And that?" Naruto asked.

"For being the perfect guy for me," Sakura smiled. "I love you too, my baka."

XXX

Tsunade Senju, the fifth Hokage, the Legendary Sucker, the greatest Medic-nin of her generation, the woman with the largest rack in the elemental nations, Naruto's favorite granny, these were many of the sometime dubious titles the blond haired woman had, two earned a one way ticket to the hospital for most. She was currently waiting for the village council to return to session, after a day of deliberation on the village's most recent acquisition the seven-tailed beast that resided in the newest Uzumaki clan member Fu. She looked down at said girl who was glaring rather coldly at the civilian council while her clan leader was looking at the council as a whole impassively. But the blonde haired hokage wasn't fooled; she knew he had something up his sleeve. She had seen him talking at length with all members of Team Kurenai and Team Asuma the day before; it had come after a rather emotional encounter with her apprentice. This had cause her to blush slightly, she had watched the whole thing unfold on her viewing orb including much to her shame the hour long make-out session afterward. Now I know I've been alone too long when I'm watching my favorite kids make-out. Maybe I should give the pervert a chance. She groaned mentally at the thought four decades of denying the pervert's advances only to cave because she felt lonely, but that wasn't the real truth. It went back to what she saw in the encounter with her favorite kids, and how eerily similar her favorite brat was to her annoying teammate, the only difference was age and time. If I didn't already know Minato was descended from Great Uncle Tobirama I'd swear Minato was related to Jiraiya, at least partially.

"Okay let's get this session of the village council started, in our last meeting several of the civilian council members wanted to use Miss Fu Uzumaki as a bargaining chip to bring back Sasuke Uchiha to the Leaf, Naruto Uzumaki current clan head of the Uzumaki, vehemently refused to allow such a thing to occur, as such it will be put to a vote, if Naruto Uzumaki still denies the motion the Shinobi council will settle the matter," Tsunade explained.

"Then let's save everyone the trouble, Lady Hokage, I will not allow my clan mate to used in such a manner," Naruto stated coolly.

The fat woman from the last meeting glared at him but said nothing, as Mebuki Haruno stood. "Lady Hokage may I have the floor?"

"No she may not, the last time she spoke for anything was shortly after her daughter was punished for speaking with the demon brat," the fat woman stated.

Mebuki glared at the woman, "My daughter had been assaulted and stripped of her clothing in public because a little boy gave her a present for her birthday, a present they nearly ruined."

"Then she should have not accepted his gift and defiled herself," the fat woman snapped back.

Room dropped in temperature as a huge amount of killing intent washed over them all they all turned to see Naruto's eyes were glowing a brownish tint as his Green Lantern power mixed with the Nine-tails chakra. It was Mebuki who first spoke gently, "Naruto-kun please let the fat cow rant her words are meaningless Sakura would not want you to get in trouble for her sake."

Naruto's eyes close as he reins in his energy and nods to her as she turns back to address the floor, "This council has disgraced the founding members of this village for long enough, I wish to disband and remake it."

"You cannot be serious," Saito stated looking shocked.

The blonde haired councilwoman turned to him with a deadly look in her eyes, "Look what has been done to this village, since the end of the third war the one in which our allies and their families in the Hidden Whirlpool village were slaughtered, the Uzumaki clan is all but destroyed, the very clan to which we honor by placing their clan symbol on the backs and arms of very Chunin and Jonin. The very clan that wife of both the first and fourth Hokage's reside from. We shame the founders, we shame our allies, we shame our friends, and worse we shame the family we have lost by holding onto petty fear and grudges to two children who did not ask to have the biju sealed into them, it was forced upon them. Fu had the seven-tailed seal within her so the Hidden Waterfall village could have a glorified watchdog to protect their village. Our own fourth Hokage did not seal the fox into Naruto by choice, a faceless man kidnapped his son and forced at kunai point to choose between his son and the demon fox. Minato-kun chose his son and the end result was the faceless man ripping the fox out of Kushina's stomach and having go on a rampage through the village. Minato's returned and with the combined efforts of both he and Kushina sealed the fox inside their child just as the fox was about to kill him. They made the ultimate sacrifice for their son and their village, and what does this council do on daily basis you spit on their sacrifice, you tried to have him killed multiple times and the one time he tried to have a little happiness in his life by making a little girl, my precious little girl happy, you ruin it. It took my Sakura eight years and a lot of soul searching to find what she already knew," Mebuki had tears in her eyes. "What I had hoped would happen, the son of my best friend and my own daughter would fall in love."

Naruto's eyes widen in shock before Mebuki continued, "As such I make a vote of no confidence in the leadership of the civilian council."

"I second the motion," everyone turned to the most quiet individual on the civilian council and the most feared among them, his name Hiryu Nii he had defected to the Hidden Leaf from the Hidden Cloud some twenty years ago after his baby sister had been slated into becoming the jinchuuriki of the Two-tailed fire cat Nibi and when they denied him his familial rights to raise his sister, and took her to be raised as the villages weapon he left. Upon arriving in the Hidden Leaf he quickly set up a trading office which through various honest business practices gave rise to the village bank to which all businesses within the village had their money. So essentially this man was the second most powerful person in the Hidden aside from the Hokage and until this day rarely spoke up. He also never voted against Naruto, he just never voted for him either. "Long have I watched the duplicity of this council, I kept my mouth shut for two reasons I feared what Danzo would do if he found out about my sister," everyone looked at him confused. "My sister is the two-tailed Jinchuuriki," he stated watching as several of the civilian council members wince in pity or scowl in anger. "I want nothing of your pity and I scoff at your ignorance, I love my sister and would have gladly raised her. The third Raikage ripped her from my arms and put her in his shinobi orphans program determined to make her into his weapon, it was only A the current fourth Raikage that changed her, and it was Naruto himself that saved her life recently. I have kept myself out of your squabbling because I know reason for it, but now I will act. This civilian council is a disease only three of us have even the best of the village at heart the rest care only for themselves."

Tsunade stood, "All those in favor of the vote of no confidence in the council's leadership," she saw three civilian council members raise their hands and she saw all the shinobi council members raise theirs. In the end even with the six other civilians raising up against the motion, it passed. "Motion carries," she turns and addresses the now defunct civilian council. "You are hereby stripped of your stations as council members, you have ten minutes to vacate these chambers if you do not I'll have the ANBU come in and remove you to the I&T department for obstruction. Hiryu Nii, Mebuki Haruno, and Teuchi Naba, you may stay."

ANBU appeared and waited patiently as the ex-council members walked out of the building their heads hung in shame and embarrassment. Tsunade sat back down letting out a breath of air feeling shoulders being lighten, "Danzo dead, idiots on the council disbanded, hopeful optimism returning," she smiled slightly at her favorite brat. "You sure you don't want to take this hat now, brat?"

Naruto and the others gathered chuckled, "Nah, keep it warm for me for at another couple of year's auntie. I want to give Gaara some more time being the youngest person being kage, he deserves it."

Tsunade smile warmed a bit, "Auntie huh, I guess it's better than granny."

With a shrug he felt a pat on his shoulder turning he saw Fu smiling at him, "Well Fu now you can find whatever guy you like. But if they hurt I'll pound them into paste, believe it."

Fu giggled, "Aw overprotective you're so sweet."

Tsunade cleared her throat, "At any rate now onto business, Jiraiya sent a message stating for you and Sakura to meet him in Tanzaku Town before you guys can follow that lead, he currently added a new member to his spy network and had sent said member off from there, also I'm please to inform this council body that Orochimaru and Itachi are dead."

Naruto frowned, "So where did Sasuke get to?"

"That would be telling, kiddo," Tsunade stated poignantly looking at Naruto's headband. Naruto nod's hiding a smile. "At any rate that is two less problems to worry about for us, with Naruto and Sakura killing the Immortals, Kakashi and Naruto killing Deidara, Sakura and Chiyo killing Sasori leaves the Akatsuki with at least four known members left, Kisami, the Akatsuki leader, Zetsu, and a blue haired woman that uses paper as a weapon."

"Yes and all are extremely dangerous," Shikaku stated softly.

"I might be able to stop at least one possibly two if what I got from my ring is true," Naruto stated.

"Really and what did that little wonder tell you, Naruto-kun?" Tsume asked a feral smile on her lips.

"The leader of the Akatsuki is a member of the Uzumaki clan," Naruto said.

Author's Note: This chapter brings up points that I've made more than a few times, mostly in how people tend to overlook Sakura as a character. Her childhood was almost no different than Naruto's only she had a reversal of fate when Ino became her friend she had someone to bond with and incidentally had the protection of the Yamanaka clan. As such many overlook certain things about Naruto as well, his constant unwanted advances on Sakura brought her more out of her shell which begs the question and I might be over simplifying it, did Naruto in some way know she was shy and by constantly asking her out for dates was helping her break out of that shell. I found it strange the first of Sakura's flash backs was her meeting Ino for the first time and nothing before that like it was blocked out.

Many probably overlooked that I put the filler episodes in the second chapter, I see it like this the filler regardless whether people like them or not is still canon. I add this more for those against the Naruto/Sakura pairing and for the Naruto/Hinata because without those fillers Hinata has even small leg to stand on than Sakura does. Without the filler Hinata in the original series only interacts with Naruto a grand total of three times and all three take place during the Chunin exams where they would naturally interact as they are in the same space, cept the last one where they meet at training ground 7. The rest of the time Naruto is with his team pretty much, and for those that think Sakura is shallow at first, of course she is, she's a thirteen year old hormonally charged teenager at the start of the series when the hardships start kicking in that we see the real her start to take shape.

As for the civilians and how people perceive them in the other fics, while I am taking liberties on the civilian council it's deserved. The regular civilians during the actual series as far as I know haven't actually assaulted Naruto at least not in terms or degrees I read in other fics. Sarutobi in the second episode simply describes the villager's hate of Naruto as giving him extremely cold spiteful looks and telling their children to shun him. Yet in later parts of the series during flashbacks Naruto is often seen hanging around Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba. This brings up some glaring points; the council as a whole all know who were Naruto's parents. Which why I believe that the Shinobi clan heads had no problem with Naruto playing with their kids they knew who his parents were and probably felt delighted that Minato and Kushina's son was given some form of normalcy.