Title: The Everlasting Sins
Rating: Rated T.
Pairings: Canon pairings for Naruto, along with slight NaruHina near the very end of the story.
Genre: Adventure.
Summary: A sin lasts forever, even if other things do not. Naruto's debilitating disease doesn't, nor does his hatred. His past, however, forever continues to follow him. Smart, powerful Naruto. Rewritten in collaboration with The Sin of Justice, the original author.
Regarding Q&A: Any questions regarding the story can be asked via PM or review to either me or The Sin of Justice.
Beta: N/A—Help wanted.
Warnings: Language, violence, and moderate blood/gore.
Category: Naruto and Fullmetal Alchemist crossover.
Uploaded: January 13th, 2013
Key:
"Normal dialogue."
Thoughts—for everyone, including Bijū.
/Mental conversations./
Please note that Bijū cannot "speak" unless their host is inside of the seal, and please enjoy the story!
(Section Break)
/So you basically just want me to sneak out of the village? There's nothing useful here that I should take?/
/Nothing that you could,/ Kurama replied. /The only worthwhile things here in the village are top-secret scrolls in the Hokage Tower. You likely couldn't get a hold of any of them; we'll come back for them later on./
/I only need to pack, then,/ Naruto concluded.
/That's right. And you best do it right now, before dark. We want to leave immediately. If you can manage to steal one of your father's storage scrolls, we can even bring a few books,/ the Kyūbi told him. /Your family's out at the moment./
/Yeah, well, they're never really home, now are they?/ Naruto asked. /Even when they are, I'm sure Natsuki has only seen me once or twice. The missing food is probably a bit odd, but they probably almost forgot I'm here. I haven't talked to them in about four months./
/I know, kid. Go get your stuff. The scrolls should be in the Hokage's personal office./
/Thanks, Kurama./
The Kyūbi fell silent and Naruto sighed in contempt. I'm really doing this, aren't I? he thought. Leaving Konoha...
He walked over to the window and pulled back the dusty curtain slightly, gazing out onto the unpaved village street. He saw the villagers going through their daily lives, chatting away animatedly to shopkeepers and housewives. He saw the ninja walking through the streets, getting nods from appreciative citisens. He saw the children running around, laughing happily in a state of ignorant bliss. He saw himself in the reflection when the sun came out from behind the clouds, pale blonde hair and dark whisker-looking marks on his ghostly-white skin. His hand fell and the curtain swished back into place, casting the room into darkness once more. He turned, his clothes swaying in a nice, round shape and noticed his half-haphazardly packed bags.
I should probably go find Minato's office, he noted. The Hokage would probably use seals on it, though, so I'm not sure if I should just enter the obvious way. But what type of seal could prevent me from entering? Maybe a seal that's activated only by chakra that wasn't used to form it. Would they have used my chakra? Natsuki's most definitely—hers is tainted by the Kyūbi, though, so maybe it would work...
/Kurama?/ Naruto called. /Can you tell if there's seals blocking access to Minato's office?/
/Yeah,/ the Kyūbi replied. /You should be able to get in—they're not particularly complex, so they can be easily fooled. I would advise being careful, anyway. The Yondaime never knows if someone is going to betray him or not, so it's likely not accessed easily./
This could be problematic, Naruto pondered. Is that sealing scroll really worth it? Then again, there's probably more than just that. Perhaps money or information.
Taking a deep breath, he started the trudge toward his father's office.
(Section Break)
"Dad?" Natsuki asked. "Can I get this?"
The Yondaime looked over at his daughter, smiling softly at her enthusiastic face. He noted Kushina looking at some candles and walked over to Natsuki.
"What is it?" he inquired, looking at the worker after seeing the weapon in his daughter's hands. The shopkeeper looked very delighted at Minato's presence, but answered his question dutifully.
"It's a genuine sword made by a legendary craftsman. My son had tried his hand at swordsmanship and bought a very fine sword before learning that genjutsu was his talent. He had no need for it and figured that my shop could always use the money." The shopkeeper paused, seeing no visible reaction from the Hokage. "It was bought from the finest shop in Testu no Kuni, the Land of Iron. It was originally made for one of the famed samurai, but he was killed before he had the chance to pick it up. My son picked it up when he was on one of his missions."
Minato looked down, inspecting the sword. The edge was sharpened perfectly and there were no nicks or scratches. It looked like it was in pristine condition. The hilt had a fancy design of white and blue swirls. Where's the sheath? he wondered, glancing back up the shopkeeper. He straightened himself and asked him.
"It didn't have one when it was recovered," the shopkeeper answered sadly. "My son had planned on giving it to me after he came back from Sunagakure, but he never made it."
Minato looked pitiably at the owner. He looked down at his daughter, who was nearly tearing up. "It's alright. We can pick one up from the weapons store," he said. Natsuki's eyes lit up and were shining and the shopkeeper didn't look too unhappy himself. "How much is it?"
"70,000 ryō," the man replied easily. "I'm sad to part with it, but I need the money."
Minato nodded absently at the price, fishing out his money. "Here," he said as he handed it over.
"Thank you very much!" the shopkeeper exclaimed. After the duo finally walked away, he smirked lightly.
Konoha's full of fools. The Yondaime himself just bought his daughter a cursed sword. The Akatsuki will certainly be pleased with me, with that on my resumé. It's rather funny, actually, that a seal master didn't recognise the seal on the one side. In a few more years, I'll be able to join officially, even if as a newbie.
He brushed his dark hair out of his face, his black eyes flashing red. I need to get back outside of Konoha now. The Kyūbi will recognise my chakra soon, and my henge is going to fall. He sighed at the trouble it all caused. Madara'd better be grateful.
(Section Break)
"Damn it!" Naruto cursed, sweat running down the side of his head. "How difficult should it be to get a single scroll?"
/Kid,/ Kurama warned, /I sense three people coming this way. Maybe five minutes. Hurry./
"I can't, Kurama," Naruto puffed. "This seal just won't give up!"
/Let me look,/ the Kyūbi suggested. /I can't see it from inside your seal, but if you let me channel my chakra—/
/No,/ Naruto said immediately. /I don't need your help, I've said it before. Besides, since Minato, Kushina, and Natsuki are coming home, they'll recognise your chakra./
/The seal requires the chakra of the family, like I suggested earlier,/ Kurama said impatiently. /My chakra is spread throughout your sister's—if I use my chakra, the seal will open. All this fuss for a storage scroll is a waste anyway, so just let me do it./
That fox, Naruto growled internally, but nodded anyway. He felt the odd sensation of demonic chakra coming towards the surface and burning his skin in a tingling feeling. He pressed his hand against the seal quickly before the chakra consumed him or caused lasting damage to his arm. It released and the door popped open, dust flowing with it. He hasn't been here in a while, then, Naruto concluded as the Kyūbi's chakra receded. He noted that his mental link with Kurama became very weak and sighed. That was all the chakra he had? Is this office important enough?
He pushed the door open slightly and walked inside, his feet leaving light imprints in the dust. I'll have to wipe the floor quickly before I leave. Less dust isn't as suspicious as footprints. He glanced about the room, seeing many pictures of his family. There was another, smaller library on the wall. He took a quick look at the titles. Fuuinjutsu: Volume I. Advanced Elemental Manipulation. A History of Konoha. Legends of Our World. Ninja's Lives. /Should I look at them, Kurama?/ he asked.
/Go for it. Find the scroll first. We have four more minutes,/ he replied. Naruto nodded.
He set himself about the room, peeking here and there. Spotting nothing, he sat down on the chair by the mahogany desk. Its trim was beautiful and shiny, like it had just been made. He opened a drawer carefully and looked inside. Papers. He opened another. More papers. Shrugging it off, he opened another. Even more papers. He grew slightly nervous and opened them all. All papers.
"The hell?" he wondered aloud. He reached to pick up a stack. Glancing over them, he noted their authenticity and importance. These are files, he realised. Mission reports, summaries, and casualties. Not only that, but people, too. Medical history and the like. Family and friends, and their tendencies, as well.
/Three minutes,/ a voice reminded him. He gave a firm nod and swept up the stacks into a big pile. He looked around and finally spotted a small box in the corner. Running up to it and opening it enthusiastically, he was not disappointed. Grabbing three of the storage scrolls, he put the lid back on before carrying them to the desk. Opening them, he saw they were empty. Extras? he thought, then shrugged. Channeling as much chakra as his frail body could handle, the papers vanished.
"Yes!" he whispered softly before coughing violently, hands trembling in excitement. He quickly stole the books from the shelves and put them in the next one. He was extremely tired and sweaty when it was all done.
/Thirty seconds, kid./
Crap! Naruto cursed. He pulled off his shirt and fanned the room, making dust go everywhere. He coughed slightly, sneezed, and picked up his scrolls, careful not to leave any drawers open. Hopefully no one will come in here any time soon and see the empty bookcase.
He rushed out the door, closing it, and sped to his room. He collapsed on his bed, breathing heavily. I did it, he cheered mentally, raising a shaky fist in the air and letting it fall back down. That was insane.
/They're here. Good work./
/Thanks, Kurama./
(Section Break)
An hour and a shower later, Naruto plopped down on the floor, thinking hard. I have two or so hours left, he decided. I should probably find the safe in the house, as well as some prepackaged food.
/Kurama?/ he prodded experimentally. /Do you know what they're doing?/
/Yes,/ the fox responded. /Currently, they're eating dinner. They appear to have just started. Now would be a good time to gather supplies from around the house./
/Money and books?/ he guessed.
/Only grab the necessary books, like the ones I had you decode. The money's in the safe in your parents' bedroom. By the way, it appears your family went shopping today./ The Kyūbi smirked lightly, not that Naruto could tell. /Your sister bought something interesting./
/Oh?/ Naruto asked. /What was it?/
/A sword,/ Kurama replied. /That particular sword, the Taimou, or the Ambition, is cursed. Not to mention there's a seal on one side of the blade. It's rather well-hidden./
/A cursed blade? Curses exist?/
/Of course. Here I am, a living mass of chakra—well, kind of, anyway. I kind of have my own sticky situation here, don't I? Damned Hokage, taking my power./
/Don't sweat it,/ Naruto condoled mockingly. /Anyway, what about the seal?/
The Kyūbi stood silent for a moment at Naruto's taunt, but continued nonetheless. /It's a chakra-sucking seal, that much I can tell,/ the Kyūbi said. /It also appears that the soul of the Taimou isn't too happy about it being there. That's going to be one troublesome sword. It'll lash out at its owner eventually. Never liked that name, anyway. Ambition./
./It can also be substituted for the more likeable word "aspiration", though,/ Naruto said. /I suppose the sword just isn't happy. How did you come across it before?/
/Uchiha Madara,/ the Kyūbi spat. /My original captor had that blade. It was bloodthirsty and didn't obey. The Uchiha rid of it eventually, unhappy with a sword that didn't do his bidding. Angry, the sword became cursed, killing all those who have ever fought with it. However, the blade did obey one person back in the Land of Iron. I don't know what he did with it, but it was reported that the person it obeyed only used it in self-defence. The sword's soul could be gentle, but its anger is consuming it./
/And Natsuki has it now?/ Naruto asked. /Idiot'll probably get killed. Amaterasu knows that girl won't use it only in self-defence./
/Amaterasu, the sun goddess?/ Kurama inquired. /You believe in the gods or are just playing with words?/
/I don't know,/ Naruto replied. /They could exist. Now, however, they hold no meaning to me./
Kid's gonna get killed one day, thinking like that, Kurama thought. I suppose, however, that as long as he holds onto the possibility that the gods exist, they won't bring misfortune his way. /Well,/ the Bijū continued, /grab the money and books. The second storage scroll should still have a bit of room left. After they eat, grab something from the kitchen. We leave at nine./
/Got it,/ Naruto assured.
(Section Break)
"Hey, Dad," Natsuki chirped, looking up at her dad from her food. "Do you know kenjutsu?"
"A little," Minato admitted. "I'll probably have someone else teach you the basics, so you can make a style that fits you."
"I can make my own style?!" Natsuki exclaimed, nearly jumping out of her seat. "That'd be so cool!"
"You'll have to work hard, though," Kushina told her. "I used a sword when I was an active shinobi, so I'll monitor your work and make sure your style won't have weaknesses, okay?"
"Yeah!" Natsuki cheered, unaware of what her sword would bring. "When can I start?"
"Tomorrow, if you'd like," the Hokage said cheerily. "You have to go to the Academy first, though."
"Aww," Natsuki pouted.
"It's necessary for all shinobi to graduate. I did it when I was younger," he scolded lightly.
"By the way, Dad," she began, "I've been noticing flashes of yellow around the house. Do you know what's up?"
"No," he said, worried. Is there an intruder?
"I am feeling like we're forgetting something, though," Kushina reluctantly admitted. "Dear, I feel like it's something important."
"I can't remember," Minato responded. "What's yellow that could pop up around the house?"
"Your hair, for one," Kushina suggested. "However, I don't think you've been spotted around the house sporadically."
"Sporadically?" Natsuki asked.
"Randomly," Kushina replied absently.
"I can't remember at all," the Yondaime whined. "Maybe I should go check around, to make sure nothing happened while we were away. I didn't assign any ANBU here since I don't want anyone breathing down my shoulder at home, but maybe that wasn't such a good idea," he trailed off.
"Take Natsuki with you," Kushina told him. "I'll clean up dinner."
"Okay. Come on, Natsuki."
"Okay!"
(Section Break)
Hinata looked down at her feet, dully noting the sun falling. I should head home soon, so Father won't scold me for being out late. She swung her feet over the ledge of the Hokage Monument. It's so peaceful here, she thought. I wish I could stay here forever.
She let her side-bangs run into her line of sight as she lowered her head. If I stay here too long, though, the students will find me and make fun of me. Then I can't return here. She sighed, pulling her oversized jacket closer to her in the chilly evening air. I need to go.
She looked over the village one last time. The village was serenely quiet and smoke was rising from chimneys. The restaurants were bustling with people, but their noise couldn't be heard from where she was. The poorer part of Konoha was even lit up, albeit with bars. She let her breath escape her quietly, her nose hurting from the cold now. I just want a friend. Someone to stay by my side.
No one will ever be my friend, though. The Clan's made sure of that.
(Section Break)
Shikamaru looked up into the fading sky. Pushing himself into a sitting position, he looked over at his friend. "Hey, Chōji," he said. "Mom'll be finished making dinner by now. If it's not any bother to your family, you're welcome to stay over for dinner."
"Thanks, Shikamaru," Chōji answered gratefully. "I'm really tired out. The spar at the Academy today took a lot out of me."
"Troublesome, weren't they?" Shikamaru asked. "I pity you, though, having to fight the Hokage's daughter."
"Didn't he have a son, too?" Chōji wondered. "I've never seen him, but I heard that his wife had twins."
"He's probably not a ninja," Shikamaru said easily. "We don't see much of the civilian kids anymore, so we wouldn't know.
"Yeah," Chōji replied. "What's for dinner?"
Shikamaru laughed light-heartedly and told him.
"My favourite," his friend grinned, then laughed. Shikamaru's smile never wavered.
(Section Break)
"Listen up, Sakura," Ino taunted. "Sasuke's mine."
"No chance in hell, Ino," Sakura retorted. "Sasuke'd never fall for a wannabe like you."
"Wannabe? Wanna be what? I know you'd stoop low, Sakura, but to call me a wannabe? I would think you're the wannabe—always acting so cute and nice to impress him. I'd say you just want his affections, not caring if he saw the true you or not. We all know you're not cute or nice."
"At least I don't have a need to wear make-up," Sakura taunted back. "I'm good-looking naturally. I'd hate to think what would happen to you if I ever splashed you with water. As a ninja, why would you wear make-up? Sasuke'd never want someone who didn't take their studies seriously."
"At least I didn't need someone to save me from petty little bullies," Ino snapped. "If I hadn't been there, you'd be nothing but a small, whimpering child!"
"If I didn't become your friend, Ino, then you'd be a loner! You'd have grown up with no friends and even uglier!"
"Ino, Sakura, stop," the instructor calmly said. "We're in the middle of a test."
Blushing, the two sat down. Sasuke shifted slightly, a tad disturbed by how much his fans loved him.
(Section Break)
Kiba looked up at his sister. "It's no fair that I have to wait to be ten to get a partner," he whined. "I want one now!"
Hana looked down at her brother. "Stop complaining," she moaned. "I got one when I was ten. Besides, you're not studying to be a vet. You have more free time than I do. Go do something useful, like a race. Your stamina needs work, anyway, ninja-boy."
"I don't want to wait, though!"
"Shut up, Kiba," his sister threatened. "There'll be a batch of puppies, like there always is, around the time you're turning ten. You can get one of them."
"But what about—"
"No, Kiba. Go play with someone in your class."
"But Shikamaru's boring and Chōji's always eating. Sasuke's a jerk and there's no way I'm playing with a girl."
"Sexist like always," his sister huffed. "What about the Aburame in your class?"
Kiba made an odd grunt of disgust. "He's so creepy! I'll just go find a civilian."
"Good luck. If I were you, I'd just become friends with someone already, be they creepy or a girl."
Kiba pouted.
(Section Break)
Sasuke sat down quietly in class, answering the questions on his test. After the strange argument some of his admirers had, he finished and was excused until spars. He walked the grounds of the school, not really paying attention to where he was going. He bumped into someone and said a quick "excuse me" before continuing on his way. I need to gain power to find him, he thought. Itachi said something. Something I'm not sure of.
He thought back on the time when his brother was shielding him from the violent dispute his clan was having. The Yondaime himself was there, trying to knock out anyone there. He asked Itachi what was happening, but he got no response. It wasn't until later, after his entire clan was executed for treason (or what was left of them, anyway) did Itachi speak. "Sasuke," he had said, "I'm leaving Konoha. I love the village, but this peace isn't what I want. It may be peaceful here, but other places were at war like our clan was. I want to stop them, no matter the method."
I must find my brother, Sasuke vowed. I want him back home. My entire family was killed and he left! I want him back! Even if my clan committed treason, the children were spared. We were the only children, though. Itachi was a ninja, so I'm not even sure what happened. The Hokage knows, but he wouldn't tell me. Itachi also knows. My brother knows what happened. I need to know, too!
(Section Break)
Shino fondly held the little ladybug in his hands. So gentle, he noted. His own kikai bugs were conversing with it, interested. He wasn't sure entirely why, but let them speak. He sat with his back against the tree for a long while. It was almost dark now. We need to go, he wanted to say. He decided on taking the ladybug with him, his kikai bugs still chatting. I'll let the ladybug go in the morning. Somewhere safe, hopefully. I'll probably let her out on the clan grounds, he decided, opening the door to his house.
"I'm home," he called monotonously, taking off his shoes before stepping inside. Sometimes I wish I could just talk to someone, though. The Hyūga in our class seems like a nice enough girl, but I heard from Father that their clan doesn't like her. I should probably not speak to her. It is beneficial to the clan to stay silent. The Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka are out of the question as well. The Hokage's daughter has no interest in speaking to me. The Uchiha doesn't take time out of his day to speak at all, and the civilian-born children aren't interesting. The other people in the class are mostly irrelevant. The Inuzuka appears to not like me, either. Perhaps I will just stay silent until someone approaches me.
Yes, that seems like the most beneficial thing to do.
(Section Break)
Kakashi was rather happy. If one bothered to ask why (no one did, it was always the same answer), he would say that his teacher is still alive and well. His teammates might not be, but Minato and his daughter were fine. Gai hadn't bothered him in a long while, and all he had to do was train and take missions. He could even read Icha Icha!
Yes, he was happy.
Something feels a little bit off, though.
(Section Break)
Neji looked disdainfully down at his teammate. "You lost again, Lee."
"I can still win!" he shouted exuberantly, looking towards his teacher, who shrugged.
"You will lose," Neji answered monotonously. "You will never win."
"Give it up, Lee," Tenten called. "You can't beat a Hyūga."
"I will! I will beat him someday!"
"Give it up!" another classmate called. "It's annoying!"
"Class dismissed," the instructor called. "Lee, go to the nurse. Hyūga, good work."
Neji gave a cold nod and began walking home.
(Section Break)
"Uzushiogakure, huh?" Naruto wondered out loud. "I wonder what it's like."
/You'll find out soon enough. We leave in an hour and a half./
"Did you hear that?" Naruto asked softly.
/Yeah. Do you think that they remembered you again?/
"Perhaps," Naruto said distastefully. "Why tonight of all nights?"
/You've been a tad careless with who sees you lately./
"Am I supposed to care?" Naruto scoffed.
/Yes. They're coming into your room in about ten seconds, so you might want to hide your things, or perhaps yourself./
Damn it! Naruto thought urgently, looking at his sprawled-everywhere stuff. I won't have time to hide everything and myself. But I can at least hide everything.
Scrambling around, Naruto finally packed everything into the closet when the door opened. He froze and slowly turned around to face his father and sister. He noticed their agape mouths and wide eyes. "Hello Father, Natsuki," he greeted, a small and fake smile adorning his features. "How was today? Did you have fun shopping? I'm not really sure what it's like, since I've never been, but I assume it would be fun. I heard Natsuki bought a sword. Is she going to try her hand at swordsmanship? Getting her a teacher would be rather easy since you're the Hokage, right, Father?"
Minato stared at his son for a long while before finally speaking. It came out in a stutter. "Na-naruto?"
"Yes, Father?" Naruto responded politely. "Did you need something?"
"Brother?" Natsuki questioned. "My...brother...?"
"Yes, Natsuki?" Naruto asked. "Did you need something, too?"
"Where—where were you?!" she shouted, concerned.
He tilted his head slightly. "Where was I?" he echoed. "I was here, in my room, like always. I thought you knew that. I'm not supposed to go out in public, after all. I'm sick, remember? I'm going to die when I'm a mere ten years of age."
"You—" she began, but was cut off by her father.
"Naruto? How have you been? We haven't seen you in a long time!" he greeted.
Naruto clenched his fists. "I've been fine, Father. Absolutely fine. I've been reading, actually. I found some interesting books in the family library."
"Oh? Did you like them?"
"They were...entertaining enough."
"That's good," Minato enthused, smiling. "Would you like some dinner?"
"No thank you," he declined politely. "I already ate."
"That's too bad. You should come down to the kitchen anyway, though. Kushina will be very happy to see you!"
"That's alright, Father," Naruto said. "I'm tired, anyway."
"Are you sure? I could always—"
"What the hell is going on here?!" Natsuki screeched. "Dad! You just found my brother again! Why are you acting like nothing's happening?! And Naruto!" she yelled, spinning towards him angrily. "Why are you declining our offers?! We just remembered you and—"
"Maybe that's why," he suggested calmly. "You 'just remembered' me. You, my family, forgot I existed. The last time we spoke was four months ago. I gave up on hope, my dear sister. I gave up on you."
Natsuki took a step back, hurt by his words. "Naruto," she began, "I—"
"It is of no matter," Naruto interrupted coldly. "You are of no use to me."
"I'm your sister," she said, horrified.
"And I'm your brother. But that didn't stop you from forgetting, now did it?"
She took another step back, denying his words. "No," she denied, "I—"
"Forgot me," Naruto finished for her. He took no note of his father's reactions.
"I—" she tried to yell, but her father stopped her.
"Natsuki," he said gently, "I think we should go."
Naruto nodded coldly as the duo exited. Serves them right.
/Kid,/ Kurama began, /you sure you wanted to do that?/
/Yes, Kurama,/ he replied. /It takes a lot off my mind. It'll be much easier to go to Uzushiogakure now./
/Well, good,/ the Kyūbi said. /I've got big plans for you when we eventually come back here./
/What do you mean?/
/Think about it,/ the fox responded. /If that sword is absorbing your sister's chakra, then I can recover my chakra if we steal it!/
/Good point./
/Not only that, but there could be future teammates lying in the midst of Konoha. If you're going to be entering the Chūnin Exams, you need to give it your all. Besides, you'll only have maybe three years to train. Everyone else gets about six years./
/I need to get going then, don't I?/
/Most definitely. Kid, you're going to be a legend./
/Shall we get to Uzushiogakure, then?/
/If you get the food already, we can scram./
/That's good./
/Let's go, kid./
Naruto paused, then smiled broadly. I can finally leave Konoha.
(Section Break)
"Excuse me?" Naruto asked the man politely. "Do you mind telling me how I can get to Uzushiogakure?"
"Uzushiogakure?" the man repeated. "Kid, that place was destroyed. Why'd you want to go there?"
"My mother was born there," he replied easily. "I wanted to see the landscape. She said it was really pretty before she passed on."
The man looked pityingly at Naruto before telling him directions to the pier.
"Thank you," Naruto said, bowing slightly before running off. It's all too easy.
Taking a look around, he noticed a guy getting out of a boat. "Excuse me," he asked, "is there a way I can get to Uzushiogakure from here?"
The man looked at Naruto oddly. "You got money?" he asked gruffly. Naruto nodded and the man gestured to the boat. "Get in."
Naruto thanked him before the boat landed and handed him the cash. 20,000 ryō for a single boat ride is quite a bit. Oh, well. I got here, didn't I? To the ruins.
Looking around, he noticed nothing but half-destroyed buildings and overgrown plants. How do you live here?
/Check for seals./
"What?" he wondered softly. "Seals, huh?"
He walked over the crumbled ruins and tangled roots. He saw nothing but debris and chunks of rocks. Is there really a seal here?
He spot it.
It was big and round and covered by ivy. It appeared to need some sort of offering to open, from what he could tell. /Kurama?/
/Offer some blood and those decoded books./
/Wha—? Sure, I guess.../
He pulled his backpack off his shoulder and opened the second storage scroll, scanning carefully for his books. He pulled them out by focusing, sweat dripping down by the time he was done. He bit his thumb, wincing at the pain, and then swiped it over the seal and tossed the books over his blood. If I just ruined two books, I swear I will—
The wall crumbled away to show a long passage of stairs. What the? Naruto wasn't sure, but he thought it was the severe lack of sleep causing him to be so confused with everything. I should go meet this Edward Elric. Such an odd name, Edward...Elric...
Naruto collapsed, exhaustion closing in. Maybe I should just go to sleep...
Naruto, the Kyūbi thought, you're sure lucky you fell asleep. If you're extremely lucky, he'll even go out of his way for you. He then noted the short blonde coming up the stairs. Damn, this kid...
"Ahh, Kurama," Edward sighed, "it's been a while, hasn't it?"
Kurama glared mentally. Ed laughed. "Glad to know you still love me. Anyway, what are you doing here?"
Kurama didn't respond, and nor did his host.
Ed looked flippantly at the body. "Whatever. I don't have anything better to do, anyway. C'mon, here we go."
Kurama smirked slightly.
This kid is either really lucky or in for hell. Maybe both.
(Section Break)
"Minato?" Kushina questioned, seeing her husband come down the stairs from the kitchen. "Are you alright?"
Minato didn't answer. Kushina looked towards Natsuki for help, but she looked crestfallen as well. What happened?
"Natsuki? What happened?" she asked as she walked over and kneeled down next to Natsuki.
Her daughter shook her head before tears started to flow down her cheeks. Her head flew up towards Kushina's and Kushina could see her daughter's pain. "He—we—I..."
Kushina tilted her head slightly but embraced her daughter anyway. "What happened?" she asked again, gently stroking her hand through Natsuki's long blonde hair.
"Na-Naruto!" she wailed. "We forgot about him!"
Naruto? Kushina wondered, then froze. My...son...
Kushina looked up towards Minato, whose face was frozen in a mask. She herself could feel her eyes watering up and fall down her face. How could we forget? He's our son!
"Shh," Kushina consoled, "don't worry. Everything's all right. I'm sure Naruto is happy."
"No!" Natsuki screeched. "He's not! He was mean and—and cruel, and I—" she choked up. Her tears became too much and cascaded everywhere. Kushina hugged her tightly and glanced uneasily towards her spouse.
"Minato," she spoke, "how about I go talk to him?"
Minato shook his head slowly before leaning against the banister of the staircase. "It's no use," he said. "Naruto will never forgive us for this."
"Surely he would," Kushina replied, slightly hysterical. "He's our son! Why wouldn't he?"
"Kushina," Minato responded, "we forgot about our only son. We forgot he existed. We forgot about him because he had a disease, something he couldn't control. We didn't love him. We didn't nurture him. We didn't even speak, really. He's been living in our house his entire life and we continually forgot about his presence. How could he forgive us for doing that?"
Kushina's tears started anew and Natsuki was still wailing loudly. Minato slowly sunk to the floor and just sat there. "Kushina," Minato began, "I think that we should try to make up for it."
"Yes," Kushina choked, "we should. We should try to make it up. How, though?"
"We'll figure it out," Minato soothed. "Don't worry. We'll talk to him in the morning." He turned to his daughter. "Natsuki, you should get to bed. Would you like to sleep with us tonight?"
Natsuki nodded fiercely and Minato went over to pick her up. "Come on, Kushina," he said. "The rest of the dishes can wait until tomorrow."
Kushina nodded hurriedly and got up. The family began walking up the stairs, never once thinking about what would occur if their son wasn't there in the morning.
(Section Break)
"Glad to see your awake."
Naruto groaned and turned over in his bed, eyes fluttering. Edward's eye twitched.
"That means get up, kid."
Naruto's eyes opened and turned towards the short blonde. "Are you—?"
"Edward Elric?" he smirked. "Yeah. First name's Edward, last name's Elric. I assume your name's Naruto?"
Naruto sat up quickly, looking at him suspiciously. "How did you know that?" And why is his name backwards?
"Kurama told me," Ed replied. "So? I was right, wasn't I?"
Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah," he admitted. "Where am I?"
"You're underneath the ruins of Uzushiogakure, kid."
Why does everyone call me kid?
"That would be because you're a kid," Edward winked. "Anyway, my name's not backwards. I'd say yours is."
Naruto looked at him, disturbed. "You can read minds?"
"Nope," Ed grinned. "Humans are just very predictable."
"You're not human?" Naruto blinked, then noticed his stupidity. He's been alive since before Kurama. Why would he be human?
"I find that very offensive," he pouted. "I was human! I can't really say I'm human now, but I was human. I feel their emotions, too." Edward paused for a second. "Anyway, why are you here? What do you seek?"
"Seek?" Naruto asked. "Um, well..."
"Kurama said you had a disease." Edward looked at him. "So? Did you want it cured or something?"
"Y-yes! I mean, yes," Naruto trailed off, embarrassed. "If you could, I mean."
"Why wouldn't I be able to? Do you really think that lowly of me?" Edward fake-sighed. "I'm really hurt. You're mean."
"Sorry?" Naruto apologised, a bit confused. This guy is weird.
/Listen to him, kid,/ the Kyūbi interrupted. /He may be slightly insane, but this guy's smarter than me. Just be normal and you'll see the outcome./
/Sure thing,/ Naruto replied, still off-put.
"Kurama say anything interesting?" Ed asked. "I always liked him. Well, more so than some of the others. Especially Shukaku. That tanuki was always creepy."
Shukaku, a racoon-dog? Does he mean the Ichibi, or One-Tail? "He just gave me a bit of advice," Naruto responded. "Anyway, you can heal me, then?"
"Of course!" Edward grinned. "But what can you offer me in exchange?"
"Exchange?" Naruto inquired. "You want something?"
"Equivalent exchange," Ed chastised. "So? Do you have anything?"
"Well, I—" Naruto began.
"So that's a no," Edward frowned. "What about books? Anything?"
"I do have books, but I haven't read them yet," Naruto conceded. "They're in my backpack."
"Oh? They're in those scrolls, then."
He went through my backpack? "Yeah. Can you hand them to me?"
"No," Edward grinned. "I'd think you'd be more prepared to come and meet me. You collapsed on my stairs, asked me personal questions, and now want your stuff? Come on."
Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Well, I'd think someone like yourself would know the value of personal belongings. Besides," he put bluntly, "you're short."
Time seemed to freeze as Edward's grinned slid right off his face. "Excuse me?" he asked politely.
"You're short," Naruto said again.
Ed's arm was trembling, but he controlled his mouth. "I'll have you know," he grit his teeth, "that my height doesn't matter. I'm strong enough to destroy this world, and that's enough for me."
Naruto paused, clearly seeing where this was going. That was stupid of me. "Can I have my backpack now?"
Ed smiled, chuckling a bit. "Yeah, sure."
This guy's so strange, Naruto thought, but shrugged mentally. He reached up to grab the thrown backpack, opening it up and seeing the scrolls before pulling the one in the middle out. He quickly unrolled it and searched for the book he was looking for: Legends of the Past.
"What're you doing?" Ed asked. "Summoning one of your books?"
Naruto didn't reply but instead concentrated on his chakra, attempting to pull out the book. Edward glanced at the boy on the bed, himself sitting on a chair on the other side of the room. Silly kid, shortening his life span even more, he thought. Naruto's chakra eventually came up to the surface and was channeled into the scroll. Edward noted the sweat streaming down Naruto's face.
Just a little more, Naruto thought, panting. At last, there was a small poof and a small book appeared. Naruto flopped back down on the bed and held the book out. Interested, Ed walked up to him and pulled it out of his hands. This is is a story of legends, he noticed. Perhaps my own legend is in here?
He flipped through the pages, scanning over each one. At last, he noticed his name. Ahh, the story of the man who caused the entire world to be wiped out. While it might not have been everything, I can imagine how this could be a legend. I haven't heard this one. He glanced over towards the tired-out boy. He really wants to live, doesn't he? Giving me a book about myself that I've never seen. He's quite the clever one, especially for his age.
Edward got up and began walking towards Naruto. The Jinchūriki's eyes fluttered open to see the blonde approaching him. "What are you doing?" Naruto rasped. Ed smiled lightly and bent over, his hands over Naruto's heart.
"Healing you," he answered. "You're quite impressive. Finding me and giving me something worthwhile is a worthy task. Thank you."
Naruto's eyes finally shut and Edward's hands continued glowing red.
/Good job, kid,/ Kurama finally said, knowing Naruto couldn't hear him. Ed smirked slightly at the fox, but said nothing.
"I suppose I have a lot of work to do, now don't I?" he muttered. "Healing this is no easy task. Not only that, but he appears to have more desires. I'm no genie, but I'll see what I can do."
Ed's smile didn't waver.
(Section Break)
I apologise for the long wait. However, I hope it was worth it.
Thank you for everything! Your reviews, favourites, and follows certainly encouraged me. The Sin of Justice was debating whether or not to alert the people of his own story that I was rewriting it. He hasn't yet, but I hope he will.
Thank you for reading. If you review, virtual cookies. If not, that's fine too. As long as you like the story, everything's all good!
Shameless advertising: If you're a fan of Fullmetal Alchemist and Harry Potter crossovers, I have a story called Molten up. It's a bit drabble-y. I also have a Naruto one-shot called A Way to Win, if anyone's interested.