Hey guys! I'm sorry for updating this after almost a month, but I got a bit busy writing a one shot and due to exams. But nevertheless, here you go-
Chapter-38-Regret
'This presence….I can feel it….this is my Naru-chan,' Tsunade thought as she smiled, sniffing to herself before wiping her tears when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah, he is our Naruto. I know you must have lots of questions, but you better heal him quickly, his condition is serious Tsunade," Jiraiya muttered with a sad smile as Hinata and Tayuya stood besides him. Sniffing to hold back her tears of happiness, she started to use her mystic palm technique- accessing the damage with Shizune doing the same.
'Naru-chan…..as long as I'm alive, nothing is going to happen to you- that's a promise I made to Shina-chan all those years ago, a promise I thought I couldn't keep. But this time, being given the second chance, I intend to be there for you till I live….that's the promise of a lifetime!' she thought with determination while Jiraiya heaved a silent sigh of relief, backing up as he gave the two medics some space while Hinata continued to gaze at the unconscious blonde in worry; her Byakugan activated.
'Please be safe Naruto-kun,' she thought while Tayuya just stared at the blonde with a neutral expression on her face.
'So even the slug sanin is close to shithead huh? He sure has a bunch of people caring for him- this Hyuga, Jiraiya, Tsunade, the current Hokage and even the previous sandaime seemed to be close to him. That's really odd for a jinchuriki, especially for the one who hosts the most powerful bijuu to exist,' she pondered while Shizune had unsealed some emergency medical supplies she and Tsunade usually kept for emergency situations.
Meanwhile: Konoha: Konoha's General Hospital
"Jiraiya-sama left with Naruto-kun along with Hinata and that Oto kunoichi this evening," Kurenai spoke quietly, sadness evident in her ruby eyes as she stared through the open window, letting the cool breeze of the night circulate through Anko's room.
"I...I never thought this could happen. Itachi, he was someone Naru-kun looked up to. He considered him as his older brother!" Anko exclaimed, sitting on her bed as she clenched the white blanket tightly; a look of mixture of anger and concern on her face.
"Calm down Anko-chan, your condition will only get worse if you stay like this," Yugao said quietly, putting a comforting hand on the snake mistress's shoulder as she sat beside her bed.
"We can think over this later, I just hope Tsunade-sama can save Naruto-kun," Hana mumbled, leaning against a wall on the opposite side of Anko's bed; a forlorn expression on her face.
"Nah, he'll be alright. Not only do I have trust in Tsunade-sama's abilities, I also trust Naruto's regeneration abilities due to his own chakra and Ayumi too. What we do have to concentrate on is the mental damage he must have suffered," Anko verbalized with a sigh making Kurenai nod.
"She's right, he and Itachi were really close to each other. And for that bastard to backstab Naruto-kun like that, it must have crushed him," the genjutsu mistress sighed, gripping the curtain tightly as she contained her anger.
The room was silent, the moonlight dimly lighting the ward as the fire queens remained quiet; lost in their respective thoughts.
"So even you three don't know the complete details huh? Didn't you ask Kushina-nee or Kakashi? You did say that he was present there with Naruto right?" Anko asked, breaking the silence.
"We did, but Kushina-nee has declared what happened earlier as an S-rank secret. So right now only her, Kakashi and Naruto-kun know the complete story. Even the fact that Itachi and Kisame had entered the village comes under the secret, let alone Itachi attacking Naruto," Yugao uttered, her one hand on the hilt of her katana while Hana kept gazing at the shining full moon; concern reflecting in her eyes.
Mikoto's Room
'The moon is full today,' Mikoto mused absent-mindedly as she stared through the window, laying on the bed. All day her thoughts had been like a raging storm; shifting towards different subjects. She just wanted to confront Sasuke for once; she was almost sure that he would come back to her as soon as he sees her.
'It's a shame that Itachi-kun had to make Sasuke-kun suffer so much. Even though his intentions were good, I'm so gonna teach him a lesson for going so hard on his otouto. I hope we three can get together and form what's left of our large family,' she thought with a sad expression.
"I wonder what Naruto-kun is up to right now," she muttered with a smile, her heart filling with warmth that the blonde had matured so much since she had last seen him; he had grown so strong in such a short time. What had really baffled her was when she came to know about his Rinnegan and that Kushina had jumped into the future; if not deliberately- thirteen years ago to reach their present timeline.
She was joyous to meet her best friend though, and happy that Naruto had finally found his mother. At first, the Uchiha matriarch was a bit uncomfortable when she came to know about their...abnormal relationship. But after talking to Kushina, after seeing the smile on the red head's face- she found herself not minding it much then. If both Naruto and Kushina were happy, then she had no qualms on the matter. Besides, incest wasn't a totally out-of-place matter in the shinobi world and the DNA changes because of the Rinnegan more than made up for it.
Mikoto still had to see how strong Naruto was though. She was shocked, but giddy at the same time when Kushina had bragged about how her 'Naru-kun' was a genius, a rare prodigy just like Itachi; that he was around mid-jounin level at the present. She was not so surprised when the red head had also stated his biggest weakness of being easily manipulated- mainly by the enemy using his own emotions against him.
Considering the blonde's childhood, she knew that he would be emotionally unstable. Mental and physical scars could he healed; but it seemed that the blonde jinchuriki didn't have control over his emotions. She also didn't like how during the preliminaries, as told by Kushina- that Sasuke had said something foul about the blonde's mother. Naruto immediately lost control over himself and had almost crippled Sasuke. Well either way, Mikoto had to say that she was ashamed of her son for getting so low against his own teammate.
'But still, Naruto-kun did lose his calm there...what if it was an actual enemy on a battlefield? He could have lost his life for being so reckless,' she pondered with a frown while gazing outside.
It was quite common in the ninja world- enemies would try to rile you up, to make you go into blind rage and lose your calm. Statements like- 'Your mother's a whore!', 'Hey dude...last night I fucked your sister ya know that?', 'After you die, I would love to hear your slutty wife moan my name as I ravish her!'...these were common and many shinobi had lost their lives because they couldn't extricate themselves from their emotions during the battlefield; even if they were stronger than their enemies. Even now she remembered one useful thing Fugaku had said to her once-
'On a ninja's playground, you aren't a father or mother, wife or husband, brother or sister, friend or lover- you are an orphan, an emotionless tool trained to serve his or her village, a human tool without its own basic moral sense of what is right or wrong.'
And even though Mikoto didn't wholly agree with that statement personally- but following it did help her on many high ranking missions. She did not consider shinobi as tools, but neither does a shinobi lets his emotions come into play when they're fighting or on a mission.
Naruto did need to learn that lesson quickly, or it wouldn't be long before the Akatsuki would capture him.
"For how much longer is Kushina-chan going to keep me here?" the Uchiha matriarch mumbled to herself with a sigh as she stared at the ceiling.
Meanwhile: Konoha: Hokage's Tower
"I...I honestly don't know what to say," Hiruzen spoke with an exhausted sigh, sitting on the couch with Kushina sitting on her chair while Kakashi stood in front of the large window, gazing outside through it.
Apparently, after Jiraiya had took off with Naruto; Kushina had thought over the matter with Kakashi before calling the sandaime Hokage in- telling him everything that had happened before with Itachi and Kisame.
"Itachi and Kisame were working for me as spies through the Akatsuki. Then do you mean to say they were under Danzo's control the whole time?" the former aged Hokage asked with a frown while Kushina was lost in her own thoughts as ske kept staring off into empty space.
"Obviously that's what Itachi meant to imply," Kakashi answered, his jaw tightened.
"But it could be that Itachi and Kisame were under Danzo's control now instead of a month ago. That's a possibility too," the professor's eyes now sharp as he thought over this when Hatake immediately interjected.
"No, that's not the case here," his voice monotone when Kushina spoke.
"If both Itachi and Kisame were under that genjutsu Koto Amatsukami earlier today, then Naru-kun would have immediately noticed that they were under a genjutsu...just like back when Roshi of the lava release was during the invasion," her voice stern as she turned to the former Hokage.
"But why are you only referring to Naruto? You two were there too weren't you? Couldn't you tell with your Sharingan?" a confused expression on his face.
"Actually sandaime-sama, if what Itachi today said is true...then Sharingan is incapable of sensing that Koto Amatsukami," he stated in a lazy tone, but with a hint of seriousness in his voice while Kushina nodded.
"He's right. Neither I or Kakashi could detect any signs of a genjutsu on Roshi...or Uchiha Sasuke during the invasion while Naruto had immediately came to know that both of them were being controlled. It seems that Rinnegan is capable of detecting Koto Amatsukami, not surprising I would say considering it is the strongest doujutsu," a tired sigh escaping her lips.
"Earlier we were suspicious of Naruto that he could have been lying to us to possibly defend Sasuke with Roshi just acting as another victim to make his lie believable. But with now Itachi confirming the same thing, I guess Naruto was saying the truth," the copy ninja muttered, staring down at the speck of lights throughout Konoha during the night.
"If only Rinnegan is capable of sensing this Koto Amatsukami, and according to what Itachi has said today... Naruto-kun should've noticed this same genjutsu on both of them a month ago. Then this only points towards the fact that Itachi was most probably bluffing," Hiruzen surmised with conviction in his voice.
"It doesn't work like that, this situation is much more complex than that," she shot back in what seemed to be frustration while Sarutobi calmly listened in.
"Back then, the Rinnegan had just awakened and was on the first level. Do you remember what was written in Mito-sama's scroll (the one stating the abilities of Rinnegan in ch 3) whose copy you had given to Itachi?" the red head said, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. She just couldn't keep Naruto out of her mind for even a second, she was worried sick for him after all. And today's events had left her mentally as well as emotionally drained. Everything was going fine when this had to happen. Her 'Naru-kun' had finally woken up in the hospital and then immediately the following morning this stunt was pulled.
Sarutobi however nodded at her question, alreading thinking on what she was trying to imply.
"The ability to notice and see through genjutsu comes with the second level of the Rinnegan. Hence the reason why Naru-kun couldn't detect any possible genjutsu as strong as Koto-Amatsukami when he possessed level one," she uttered when Kakashi intervened.
"Also, Naruto had informed Kushina-nee here that when he had noticed the genjutsu on Roshi, his second level hadn't been unlocked yet. This means that even the pseudo-second level of Rinnegan was somehow able to sense the genjutsu," he explained while Hiruzen could honestly feel himself getting tired of this.
"This only further solidifies the probability that Itachi wasn't under control earlier today and was speaking of his own free will. What we aren't sure is if he was under control a month ago?" Kushina verbalized in a neutral tone.
"However, what you told me about what Itachi said today- it all seems pretty true and logical," Hiruzen began making even Kakashi now turn his head towards him, seemingly curious.
"The last time we met Itachi and Kisame was a month ago during the second part of the chunin exams where they gave their weekly report. But after that, as I told you before...both of them didn't report to me for a month and then they suddenly appear now. It's as if Itachi and Kisame really were in a genjutsu back then as they spied for us, and indirectly for Danzo too ofcourse. And then when they returned to their duties as a part of Akatsuki, it was as if the genjutsu had been dispelled and they didn't return after that."
"Dispelled? But how can a genjutsu as strong as Koto Amatsukami be dispelled? Do you mean to say that Akatsuki have a Rinnegan user in their group?" Kakashi asked quickly in surprise while Kushina just stayed quiet, her violet eyes now narrowed.
"I think you've read the reports Itachi gave to me Kushina. You know that Akatsuki's leader possesses the Rinnegan right? And that too on level three?" he questioned making Kakashi's lone eye widen in shock before he jerked towards Kushina to notice her nod silently.
"Then you should also know that Akatsuki usually hold meetings in which members are not physically present, but rather they meet through their holographic projections," the old kage uttered making her nod again while Kakashi just opted to stay silent and absorb the shock.
"What are you trying to say jiji?" she asked a bit impatiently.
"What I'm saying that, suppose when earlier Itachi and Kisame were under genjutsu and they were spying for us- the leader could not have detected the genjutsu through just holographic projections when they would meet," Kushina's eyes now widened as she immediately understood what he was trying to imply.
"You mean to say that sometime during the month, Itachi and Kisame must've met this leader physically where he had detected the genjutsu and then maybe could've dispelled it?" she asked in shock while Kakashi too stood there speechless. It all made sense actually, even if by a slight off chance Itachi and Kisame weren't under control when they were in the forest of death with Naruto- it was a definite possibility that they could've been under control before and after that event.
"Yes, and with level three of a doujutsu as strong as Rinnegan...it's definitely possible," he articulated.
"Still, these are all just theories. Even if most probably they are true, we'll just be moving around in circles talking like this. We need more evidence. If what Itachi today said is true, then we do know Danzo's aim. But if Itachi was lying...or bluffing, it confuses me greatly as to what he could possibly be trying to achieve by all of this," the copy nin sighed in exasperation.
"Itachi lying? No, this is the least of all the possibilities, there's nothing productive he's gaining from this- definitely nothing productive for us though. So far, all the things he has said work in the favour of Akatsuki. Telling us the secrets of Danzo, about this lethal genjutsu that Danzo is capable of using- he himself said that it would be much easier for Akatsuki too if Danzo was eliminated. No, I don't think he was lying," Kushina hissed with narrowed eyes as silence washed over the office.
"All those years ago, Itachi himself volunteered for the SS-rank Uchiha Massacre mission. He said that it was for Konoha, to prevent any more bloodshed and wars. And after that he had joined the Akatsuki and spied for us," Sarutobi muttered calmly making Kushina's pupil zoom out in shock.
"Jiji, d-don't tell me...," her voice trailed in mind boggling surprise while Kakashi too could feel his knees getting a bit weak over the gravity of the situation that the former Hokage was implying.
"It's a definite possibility now that I think about it Kushina. What I think is that back then Itachi was under the control of Danzo when he agreed for the mission. I was always a bit suspicious as to why Itachi would volunteer to kill his own clan, his own family...even if it was for the good of Konoha. But now that I see this situation from another angle, everything makes sense. The mission was given by the elders, me and Danzo. That war hawk too knew how much of a threat the Uchiha clan was becoming. So according to me- Danzo controlled Itachi, made him volunteer for the mission, made him kill his clan and deliberately left Uchiha Sasuke so that atleast one pure blooded Sharingan user remained in the village- it's pretty Danzo-ish to do something like this don't you think? After that Danzo made him flee from the village, join Akatsuki where his partner- Orochimaru was working too," he took a breath when Kakashi now spoke.
"And then when the genjutsu broke during the one month break as you said before sandaime-sama, Itachi probably felt betrayed by his own village and hence now is truly working for Akatsuki. It could be that by using this fact, the leader might have manipulated Itachi into believing it was all Konoha's fault that the Uchiha clan and his family was killed. Thus the reason why Itachi told us about Danzo's secrets and wants us to eliminate him. It serves both his as well as Akatsuki's interests too," an expression of agreement on Hiruzen's face while Kushina could honestly feel her head spinning from all these possibilities.
"Let's just stop with all these theories...right now, we have to prepare ourselves for all the possibilities," she verbalized with a serious expression on her face.
"As you two know, I have declared what happened earlier today as an S-rank secret. It also applies to Mikoto-chan, so don't tell her anything. I've already told the others who arrived later at the scene," Hiruzen blinked while Kakashi nodded silently.
"Are you sure this is the correct decision Kushina-chan?" the professor asked with narrowed eyes while she closed her eyes.
"Hai...if Mikoto comes to know of what happened today, she'll be devastated."
"But you should consider on telling her at a later time. I've already told her of the reasons we had to massacre the Uchiha clan and surprisingly she had taken the news quite well. You should trust in her, she's an S-rank kunoichi just like you after all," Sarutobi said with a piercing gaze when Kushina opened her eyes to glance at him, her head resting on the top of her seat before she shifted her eyes towards the ceiling; her expression turning a bit melancholic.
"I do trust her. It's just that I don't want to see her in more pain than she already is suffering through. She hasn't yet compelety coped with the fact that her clan is dead and that Orochimaru has Uchiha Sasuke with him. I think we should give her some time."
"And with Mikoto-sama by our side, we'll have a much better chance against Orochimaru and Akatsuki," Kakashi muttered as he now stood, leaned against the wall behind a sitting Hiruzen.
"Konoha already has a couple of S-rank nins here. Kushina-chan here, Mikoto, Jiraiya and now even Tsunade. Naruto too will become extremely strong within a few years. And considering the rate at which he's growing, it won't be long before he surpasses us all...even you Kushina," he spoke with a teasing smirk, hoping to lighten the tense atmosphere. Kushina's lips though curled upwards at that.
"Heh, and I'll be the happiest in Konoha when that day comes," she uttered with a smile while Kakashi too gave his 'U' eyed smile.
"And Kakashi here too has been steadily growing strong. It wouldn't be long before he reaches kage level too. Don't you think Kushina-chan?" Hiruzen spoke making Kakashi chuckle in embarrassment while Kushina nodded with a warm smile before her lips curled down a bit.
'Naruto...,' her eyes getting soft as she stared absent-mindedly at the copy ninja.
Tanzaku Town: Unknown Hotel
"How's he doing?" Jiraiya asked, after entering the room where Tsunade and Shizune had been operating on the unconscious blonde for sometime now with Hinata and Tayuya staying in another room.
A cold wet towel laid on Naruto's head, who was currently laying on a bed under a blanket with Tsunade holding his hand, gazing at his facial features with a soft expression on her face. Shizune though was standing beside Tsunade, resting a comforting hand on her mentor's shoulder.
"His condition is stable now Jiraiya-sama. He's just unconscious for now," Shizune uttered with a lost look on her face as she kept gazing at the blonde while Tsunade too seemed to be lost in her thoughts.
'They still can't believe he was alive all along,' the toad sanin thought with a grim expression when the door behind him creaked open again.
Turning his head back, he was not surprised to see who it was.
"I'm sorry...but I couldn't sleep," Hinata spoke as she entered the room, giving the sanin a light bow of apology. However, Jiraiya could clearly see the look of extreme concern for the whiskered blonde on her face.
"I understand Hinata...what about Tayuya? Is she awake too?" he asked in curiosity.
"Yes, we were talking to each other when I felt like I should check up on his condition. I just couldn't sleep without knowing that he was alright," she mumbled the last part quietly, oddly remembering her conversation with Tayuya in their room.
Flashback: Several Minutes Ago
Both of them were currently laying on their bed, the room dimly lit due to the street lights outside. Hinata for obvious reasons, was not asleep as she kept staring at the ceiling. A sigh escaped her lips as she shifted on her side, getting anxious over Naruto's health.
'Why did they have to put a visibility barrier? It's not like they're doing something secret in there. Now my Byakugan is useless. My Toyotama Byakugan will be able to see through it definitely, but I just used too much chakra in using Uzume and Shinto,' she pondered when Tayuya spoke.
"You should calm down you know, getting worked up over that shithead isn't gonna work out for you," Hinata's eyes narrowed as a surge of anger rose through her.
".- it's Uzumaki Naruto," she hissed with hostility taking the red head; who was laying on a single bed beside Hinata by surprise. She didn't know that the Hyuga could get angry judging by the soft expression she had on her face the whole day. But it was understandable considering it was pretty obvious that the girl liked that blonde; so naturally she would take offence to that.
Now normally Tayuya would retaliate with a raging fire that would make even the worst scums of the red light district blush; but considering she was looking towards making some friends- taking a new step in her life...
"Um, I'm sorry...Hinata," she apologized a bit awkwardly, not having the experience in apologizing to anyone.
The lavender eyed kunoichi could only sigh as she shifted her position to face the red head in the dark.
"No, I'm sorry Tayuya-san. I guess...I was just worried and frustrated over what had happened today. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that," her tone apologetic while Tayuya once again found herself stunned. No one had ever apologized to her for anything in her life except Kin. Now that really made her respect for the Hyuga go up a notch.
A strangely comforting silence ensued between them as both of them found themselves staring at the ceiling, lost in their own thoughts.
"Hey Hinata," she called while Hinata 'hmm'-ed to indicate that she was listening.
"What…why do you like shithe-Naruto so much?" she asked, correcting herself in between.
"W-Why do you ask?" Hinata stuttered, blushing in the dark while Tayuya turned her head towards the window through which the light-greenish light was coming.
"I'm…just curious," she muttered, her facial features now loosened up instead of being knit into that usual scowl. The Hyuga heiress however sighed quietly as she put a hand over her heart.
"It's because…I-I just love him. Naruto-kun, as you know, is a jinchuriki and hosts the most powerful bijuu in the world. Ever since he was born, having no parents to support him whatsoever, he was scorned, hated and ignored by the villagers of Konoha. Almost everyone despised his existence, they wished that he would just disappear from their village. He never knew the meaning of love, he never knew the feeling of being loved yet…yet he never gave up. Even though he failed in the ninja academy twice because of teachers not teaching him anything deliberately, he never gave up. Well, I guess he did give up sometimes….but he would shortly motivate himself and stand up again. He just had this mantra of never giving up, something in him, one dream of his fueled him to never give up even when the things looked hopeless. He just had this iron faith in himself…it was like no matter how many times you would try to discourage him, he would just ignore you and keep trying until he achieved what he was aiming for," she inhaled deeply while Tayuya remained silent, not so surprised to hear his life….but the way he handled it, it was definitely admiring; but still….
"But still, there was something else more appealing in him that drew me towards him. His smile, his bright eyes, his cute whisker marks….I don't know, I just felt this strange attraction towards him on first sight. I wanted to be like him, I admired him in the beginning. But as time grew, as I watched him break through all the odds and still smile through them like nothing had happened…..I started to fall in love with him. I knew he inwardly hated the villagers, that he was putting a brave front and a fake smile….but what I liked was the strength to maintain that smile of his throughout the years. Aside from that, on first impression….you may see him as an annoying and loud shinobi, but when you get to know him, you begin to see him for the kind, gentle, passionate, brave and caring person he is," Tayuya kept staring at the window while curling a strand of her red hair around her finger, probably thinking of something.
"Tayuya-san….do you…do you believe in regret?" the red head kunoichi furrowed her eyebrows at the strange question.
"Why do you ask?"
"N-No….it's nothing," Hinata mumbled, her pearly eyes containing sadness while Tayuya had easily sensed the sorrow in her voice.
"Hinata, if you want to say something, don't fucking hold back. I know that I'm a complete stranger and a complete ass to be around, but still- I think I want to hear your story. Kin-chan did tell me that how both of you had become best friends over the month," Tayuya said with a light blush, all of this so fucking embarrassing! She was not used to opening herself to anyone except Kin.
Hinata's eyes though widened a bit at hearing that. From the outside, Tayuya looked to be a stuck up person just like her cousin used to be. But now she was getting to know the former Oto kunoichi. And Kin did tell her that how Tayuya was a really nice person once you get to know her. At first sight, she may be annoying and completely repulsive, but….
'She's just like Naruto-kun used to be,' Hinata thought with a sad smile. Closing her eyes, she bit her lower lip, not sure where to begin.
"Back when I and Naruto-kun were in the academy, I often saw him alone. I used to stalk him, getting curious to get to know the real him. And when he was alone, only then I could see the clear loneliness, sadness and pain he would feel almost every day of his life. What bothers me the most….," her voice begin to quiver as she began to remember the conversation she had with Naruto during the preliminaries.
"Then why do you stutter in front of me, why faint, why avoid me? If that's not fear then what it is? What makes you different from the rest of villagers and shinobi populace then? If you like me, then why never approach me?"
She couldn't forget what he had said back then, it suffocated her even now.
"I know you liked me right from the start, I know you followed me, I am not an idiot Hinata. I know you secretly cheered for me in the academy, secretly prayed for me, but why...why didn't you ever approach me, why didn't you try to at least be my friend when I was lonely, when I sat lonely by the swing. If I'm the one you like, shouldn't I be a source of comfort for you, shouldn't you be comfortable around me, shouldn't you be just yourself around me & forget all of your problems in the world!"
He had yelled at her angrily back then, it made her cry every time she thought about it. She would never forget the haunted look in his glossy eyes, the excruciating pain in them. It clenched her heart to know that she was the cause for the torment he had went through- that she could have eased his suffering and yet she didn't.
Tears glided down her cheeks before she quickly wiped them with her sleeve.
"I…I could've approached him, I could've become his friend. But because of my own insecurities, thinking of just myself, of my own problems and not his….I could never gather up the courage to speak even a single word to him. Just thinking that I could never do anything right, giving up on myself so easily….it angers me now! I should have tried more, I should have done more than just stalking and fainting in front of him. I….I just regret so much, I could have done so much to help Naruto with early on in his life," a quite sob escaped her lips while Tayuya just closed her eyes, listening to Hinata sniff in the silence of the room. Actually, she knew Hinata's story all along. Hinata being close to Kin, had once told of her life in Konoha with Kin doing the same. And these two-three days she had done nothing but listen to Kin's blabbering about how her life this past month had went in Konoha.
"Do you faint in front of him now?" she asked in a stern tone, her eyes still closed.
"N-No," Hinata replied while wiping her eyes, trying to control herself.
"Do you stutter in front of him now?"
"No, but Tayu-"
"Do you stalk him now?"
"I don't need to now, I can directly talk to Naruto-kun," Hinata spoke in confusion when the red head kunoichi mumbled quietly.
"Then there's nothing to regret now, what has happened is in the past now. You have come a long way since the academy as Kin told me, so quit worrying 'bout the lost virginity now…it can't be gained back," she spoke off-handedly making Hinata blush furiously as she buried her face in the pillow. Being a part of the royal main branch, she wasn't used to this obviously.
"Beside, you should be happy now that he has so many people now caring for him," Tayuya muttered, her eyelids closing as she felt herself getting sleepy. Hinata silently nodded as she wiped her cheeks, a smile grazing her beautiful features as she remembered how Naruto had so many people caring for him now, he even had his mother back now.
'Still…..one thing I failed to do, that's something I think I will regret for a long time. But…..arigatou Tayuyu-san. Kin-chan was right after all I guess, you really are a nice person once someone gets to know you…just like Naruto-kun.'
Flashback Ends
"Jiraiya…," Hinata was snapped out of her thoughts upon hearing Tsunade's quiet voice. Turning back, Jiraiya knew things were about to get messier if the aura being emitted from Tsunade was anything to go by.
"How was Naruto's life? Who looked after him?" her tone was stern, her sharp chocolate orbs piercing through the toad sage as he averted his gaze. Shizune however, just by the sad look in his eyes could predict the answer. Just today they had come to know that Konoha's jinchuriki was Naruto all along, and if that look of sorrow was anything to go by….not much had to be pondered about the life of a jinchuriki.
"Tsunade….well, you see….," he trailed while Hinata too was gazing at the floor with a forlorn look on her face.
Resting Naruto's hand on the bed gently, Tsunade stood up as she walked around the bed towards Jiraiya, a threatening look in her eyes.
"I asked you something Jiraiya," this time the trio could feel her boiling anger.
"Tsunade-sama please calm down. We should…," Shizune trailed upon receiving a murderous glare from the slug sanin. Turning back to him, she narrowed her eyes-signalling the toad sage to speak.
"You know how the life of a jinchuriki is Tsunade. No one adopted him, and I was busy with maintaining the spy network outside of Konoha. Naruto was raised in an orphanage where-"
THWASH!
"He's NOT a jinchuriki you bastard! HE'S OUR GODSON!" she yelled in rage after slamming Jiraiya onto the wall, creating a crater while he just stared at anything but her eyes. Her elbow was pressed to his neck as she breathed heavily.
"HE'S MINATO AND KUSHINA'S SON! HOW DARE YOU CALL HIM A JINCHURIKI LIKE IT'S NOTHING!" both HInata and Shizune remained quiet as they watched the scene with wide eyes, stunned at Tsunade's outburst.
Closing her eyes, Tsunade breathed in deeply before opening them while Jiraiya was surprised to see the ferocity in them.
"Why….WHY wasn't I informed that he was alive?" she asked loudly, pushing her elbow deeper onto his neck while Jiraiya just kept his eyes on floor, knowing that he had fucked up badly. He had to apologize to Naruto, to Kushina…..and he guessed Tsunade was next in line.
"S-Sensei didn't want to tell you as you were already quite broken up over Dan and Nawaki's death. He thought that you would be unstable and felt that you needed a break outside of Konoha. H-He thought you wouldn't be able to take care of Naruto properly."
"And he thought than an orphanage would be a better option?" she growled loudly. Before he could say anything, she spoke again….
"What about Kakashi? What about those four….Kurenai, Hana, Yugao and Anko, what about them? Why didn't they adopt him?" she asked quickly, her heart clenching at predicting what kind of life her godson must have lived.
"Tsunade calm down first. It was all because of the council. They had gained too much influence ov-"
"The council? THE COUNCIL?" she screamed in rage while Shizune was thankful that a barrier had been set up around the room before they had started operating on Naruto.
Jiraiya however cringed at seeing the look of madness on Tsunade's face. Loosening her hold on his neck, she stepped back….her bangs shadowing her face as she pointed towards door.
"OUT Jiraiya…..just, get out before I do something I might regret! I need some space here!" she growled in a low tone this time while the toad sanin could only nod sadly, watching his teammate. Shifting his gaze, he glanced towards Shizune somewhat apologetically before walking towards the door, grabbing HInata's arm in the process to drag her with him.
I know! I know! Not much happened in this chapter too! But I had to clear up several things and build up some things! Don't worry though, Naruto wakes up immediately at the start of the next chapter after I do a small timeskip of about two-three days. And I hope this fic has kept you entertained from the beginning and that it keeps you waiting eagerly for the next chapter.
IMPORTANT!- Now a few days ago, I was just idly sifting through the initial chapters of this fic. One thing I did immediately notice was that how pathetic my writing skills were in the beginning of this fic. I was not pleased by the number of mistakes I found. SO I just wanted to ask you guys- Is someone willing to beta a few of this fic's initial chapters (first eight chapters)? Your help would very appreciated. I'm not doing it myself cause it will take some time and I'd rather put those precious hours for writing new chapters instead of beta'ing old ones. So please, I would be really thankful for your help. Thanks! :)
By the way, for those who haven't checked out the one-shot I recently published, I would appreciate it if you would do so. It's a NarutoxKonan though-'The Couple of Prophecy'.
So, I hoped you like this chapter. Please review readers and tell me what you think so far. And don't worry, I will keep updating this at regular intervals of about ten days from now on. :D
Ja ne!
N6023