'Phew'...Again a late update huh? I'm sure you guys are getting tired of the wait. -.-
Only thing I can say is that I would try my level best to update much faster than this. But oh well, here's the next chapter-
Chapter-39-Who to trust? My Instincts?
"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.
Two Days Later-Night Time: Around 3 AM
She moaned in a low tone as the sharp light rays from the street lamps fell upon her sleeping form. Her eyebrows scrunched up in irritation before her eyelids slowly lifted, revealing her groggy lavender eyes.
Her foggy vision slowly cleared for her to notice an empty bed in front of her. Now she remembered, not being able to sleep due to constant worrying for Naruto's health, she had quietly sneaked into the blonde's room.
Tsunade and Shizune would sleep in their room while she shared hers with Tayuya with Jiraiya having his own room directly in front of Naruto's. So sitting beside him, at some point she had dozed off while just staring at his face.
But now coming to the sight of an 'empty bed', her mind began to work in full gear with her grogginess lifting off instantly.
'Where is he?' abruptly standing up, the chair falling back as she began to panic when suddenly she noticed a shadow beside her from the corner of her eyes. Snapping her head back, her breathing hitched in her throat as the Hyuga heiress stared at the back of the one she loved the most in the world.
There he was, standing in front of the wide window, gazing outside with the greenish-yellow light rays falling on his form, resulting in the shadow she had just noticed. There he was, perfect as ever, mesmerizing her as always, his sun kissed hair shining under the bright rays of the outside lights of the gambling town. She wished she could capture this sight, she wished she could always be there, watching his back; noticing how perfect he was to her.
Her lavender eyes started to become glossy as she bit her lower lip, trying to stop the tears of happiness.
"Na-Naruto...," her choked voice trailed when she noticed him visibly stiffen up as he turned his head back.
'Beautiful...,' she thought, staring at his glowing face as it reflected the light. Though upon noticing his haunted eyes; her heart clenched upon seeing the sadness, pain and hopelessness in them.
"Hey," he spoke in a low tone, a smiling creeping onto his face when Hinata began to slowly walk towards him, her eyes never leaving his oceanic blue orbs. Reaching him, Naruto gazed at her in confusion when she slowly closed the gap between their bodies, hugging him tightly as she pressed her head onto his chest.
The blonde stood there in surprise for a second before he wrapped his arms around her form, resting his chin on her head while she tightened her grip on him.
"I was so worried about you. W-We thought that we were gonna lose you," she muttered with a sniff while he sifted his right hand through the strands of her dark blue hair, his eyes closed as a sigh escaped his lips.
"I'm sorry Hinata-chan," he murmured, hugging her tightly as the duo stood there in silence for several seconds before she pulled back, wiping her eyes.
Gazing into his eyes, her eyes grew soft. There was nothing left of his usual brightness, happiness, determination and those small sparks of innocence and mischief. That look didn't come with just physical injuries, a look like that was sported by a person who had suffered emotional pain and mental trauma.
'What happened to you? What happened to those beautiful eyes of yours?' she mentally questioned, not being able to bear all these negative emotions being radiated out of his body language and his eyes.
"Hinata...," his voice trailed when she asked.
"A-Are you okay?" her voice soft as the Hyuga heiress rubbed the whisker marks on his right cheek, a concerned expression on her face. His lips curved down while his blue orbs softened as he slowly averted his gaze. The blonde pulled her closer as he shook his head, closing his eyes as a single stream of liquid slid down his cheek.
Lifting her hand, Hinata gently wiped the lone tear while he shifted his gaze back towards her. The gloss in his eyes due to the confined tears shimmered when he suddenly hugged her again, burying his face in her neck.
"Naruto-kun?" she asked, rubbing the backside of his head lovingly as he just stood there, holding her close to him.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked calmly, in a soft tone when he pulled back.
"No...I...I can't," he answered in a hoarse voice while she nodded, smiling at him.
"As you wish. I don't know what happened back there in the village with you, but I do know for sure that you would be able to handle it. You're the strongest person by heart that I know of, you're Uzumaki Naruto...you never give up," she spoke with a serene smile, his eyes widening in the process as the blonde stared at her in surprise. Several seconds passed as he continued to stare at her like that.
"Y-You don't have to stare at me like that," she muttered with a cute blush on her cheeks, now twiddling with her index fingers in embarrassment- old habits sure die hard.
His widened eyes getting soft, Naruto grabbed both of her hands into his as he lifted them to kiss her palms making her blush furiously at the intimate gesture.
"Arigatou...Hinata," he muttered, smiling at her warmly while she too smiled back, albeit a bit shyly.
"Oooh, what a cute couple," they both snapped their heads to notice a certain cloaked person sitting on the bed.
"You!" the blonde exclaimed with narrowed eyes as he immediately pushed Hinata behind him, standing in front of her protectively.
"We meet again...Uzumaki Naruto," she spoke in a serious tone making his eyebrows scrunch down in seriousness when Hinata, in a swift move; was now standing in front of him.
"Who are you? And what do you want?" she asked in a hostile tone, her Toyotama Byakugan blazing in a threatning way.
"Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked in surprise as he stared at the back of the Hyuga heiress, surprised at the boldness and the determination in her voice. He turned his head upon hearing a whistle from that cloaked woman.
"Wow, this ascended Byakugan sure is something. You must be glad considering it was Naruto here who gave you this gift," she chuckled making them raise their eyebrows in confusion.
"What do you mean? I never gave Toyotama Byakugan to Hinata-chan here, nor do I have the ability to do such a thing . She acquired it herself, it was because of her own hardwork," he said making her scoff while Hinata gazed at the blonde in confusion, deactivating her Byakugan.
'The way they are talking...it seems Naruto-kun already knows her. Who is she anyway? And what does she mean by Naruto giving me the Toyotama Byakugan?' she pondered, loosening her stance.
"Heh, you think she acquired the next unknown level of Byakugan just because she did some hardwork? Then what about the past Hyuga who have done more hardwork than her? Why couldn't they achieve it?" she asked in amusement making Hinata look at her while the whiskered blonde stared at her with a grim expression.
"Then are you saying that it happened for a reason? That somehow I'm the one who's involved in awakening her Toyotama Byakugan?" he asked making her nod while Hinata clenched her fist as she stood beside him.
"Yeah. But if you're thinking that she reached the next level because of how you inspired her, how you affected her...then you're still wrong. Her Byakugan did not ascend because of emotional or mental stress, in fact...no matter the condition, for a Hyuga to reach the next level of Byakugan by himself...or herself, is not possible," she stated taking both of them by surprise while Hinata was getting a bit anxious.
She had considered the fact as to why she was the only one to achieve something like the Toyotama Byakugan which not even the greatest prodigies of the Hyuga couldn't. Was there something special in her? She, a heiress who couldn't even beat her younger sister? Obviously, she couldn't find the answer, nor could her father or the elders of her clan. They just termed the fact as the pure blood of the Hyuga clan flowing strongly through her veins. And she just accepted the fact as it is too.
"Why don't you stop talking in circles and get to the point?" he asked in an annoyed tone making her chuckle.
"Impatient aren't we? Alright, the answer...is your chakra," she spoke, her tone suddenly turning from amusing to serious.
"My chakra? What has my chakra got to do with her Toyotama Byakugan?" he questioned with a confused expression while Hinata too found herself perplexed.
"You should by now know that you're chakra is special Uzumaki Naruto. It can do much more than just give off a peaceful feeling and heal someone. You don't yet know the full extents of your own possessions," she remarked as the duo continued to stand in silence.
"You remember the time when you talked with this girl during the preliminaries of the chunin exams a month ago?" she asked making them nod.
'How does she know this? Was she spying on me the whole time.'
"Back then you poured chakra throughout her body to prevent her from fainting didn't you?" this time her question was more of a statement making Naruto inhale sharply in shock while Hinata blushed in embarrassment as she remembered that moment.
"So you mean, back then...it was because I applied my white chakra? And that's why she was able to unlock the second level of her Byakugan during her match with Kankurou and Zaku?" he couldn't believe it, just because of a simple thing, just to prevent her from fainting, it had led to something impossible! Something this big!
"Correct. It was your chakra that somehow unlocked the second version of Byakugan, and what was left was to just awaken it, which she did while facing a life-death situation. Your chakra, is not ordinary. It's the exact replica of the one possessed by the Rikudou Sennin," she said making his eyes now widen in surprise while Hinata stared at her in confusion.
'Rikudou Sennin?'
Naruto however, having heard of that name from the scroll written by Mito Uzumaki, was surprised to find himself being associated with such a legend.
"Surprised I see. You see, the spiritual and physical essence of your chakra is so strong that it affects anything it comes in contact with, whether it be healing injured muscles or tissues, giving off a serene aura or straight off pulling out a sleeping power from within a person. You having the Rinnegan is not what makes you special. It has already been awakened by some people in the past. What makes you truly special Uzumaki Naruto...is that white chakra of yours," she explained, silence engulfing the trio as both Naruto and Hinata sported serious expressions on their faces.
"Still, how do I trust you? You may be bluffing here," he spoke in a cold tone making Hinata glance at him.
'Just like him,' he further added bitterly.
"I have no reason to lie to you. I even helped you during the invasions didn't I?" she asked in an innocent tone.
"You did nothing but whisper some puzzled trash into my ears back then," he muttered making her sigh when Hinata elbowed him lightly.
"That's rude Naruto-kun. You did tell me that how there was this strange ice-element user who had helped you during the invasions," she spoke with narrowed eyes while he just stared at her.
"Did I ever tell you how cute you look when you are angry?" he asked with an innocent expression.
Hinata's frown dissolved right on the spot as she blushed furiously, turning her head away from him.
"How cute. You sure are a charmer Uzumaki Naruto. Where'd you learn tricks like that? Did Jiraiya taught it to you?," the woman asked making him look at her.
"It's not a trick or anything like that. I just said what I felt," he shrugged, deepening the blush on Hinata's face while the ice user chuckled.
"That's another part of your charm I guess," she muttered before standing up.
"So, how do you feel about your current situation? After what happened a few days ago with Uchiha Itachi, I imagined you to now have a darker approach towards life, but you seem...fairly normal to me," she articulated making him glare sharply at her, leaking some killer intent in the process.
"You have no business regarding my personal life. I don't even know you and nor do I wish to discuss anything with you," he uttered in a crisp tone as the woman stood there unmoving while Hinata's posture went a bit rigid.
"You're in no position to threaten me Uzumaki Naruto. But also, do not take me as an enemy. I'm someone you can call as your alias, to help you in time of need. Just because one person has broken your trust doesn't mean that everyone will do so. You have to follow your instincts," she spoke calmly.
"Don't just stand there and spit bullshit on my face!" he exclaimed sharply, anger seeping into his voice as the blonde clenched his fists.
"You don't know what I've went through. So don't you dare lecture me like you know everything! You think it's easy but it's not! I don't wanna hear any words of wisdom right now, especially from a stranger!" his voice got louder as he yelled in the end, his eyes getting red in the process.
"Naruto-kun, calm yourself, you're involuntarily leaking my chakra," Ayumi spoke softly, making his anger dissipate a bit immediately after hearing her soothing voice.
"Naruto...," Hinata muttered softly, grabbing his forearm as she tried to calm him while the blonde took deep breaths.
'Hmm...it seems I was wrong. He is mentally affected, and that subject seems a touchy one for him,' the cloaked woman thought as she stood there silently.
"I'm sorry if my words hurt you," she verbalized in an apologetic tone, bowing a bit making the whiskered blonde and the lavender eyed kunoichi look at her in surprise.
WHAM!
The door was suddenly slammed against the wall, its hinges vibrating under the pressure. The trio snapped their heads to notice a slightly panting Tsunade standing there at the entrance, an expression of mild panic on her face before it turned to a serious one in just a second after noticing some cloaked stranger standing in the middle of the room.
"Who are you?" she demanded in a loud voice, leaking tons of killer intent making Hinata's knees tremble while Naruto too found himself difficult to withstand such an aura.
'Tsunade...the slug sanin?' the blonde thought in immense surprise.
"Ah Tsunade-sama, you're back. Do not worry, I'm not here to hurt anyone. I just came here for a little...chit-chat. But I think I should be taking my leave," the woman said as her body began to turn into ice making Tsunade's eyes widen.
"We'll meet again Uzumaki Naruto. Until then, remember to follow your instincts."
"Wait!" the medic exclaimed, dashing towards her to grab her cloak.
'Damn it!' she cursed inwardly when her now frozen form fell on the floor, shattering into ice pieces while Naruto stared at Tsunade.
'Where am I anyway? And what is Tsunade, one of the legendary sanin doing here?' he thought with a serious expression while Hinata stood there silently, contemplating on what had just happened.
Tsunade however, turned towards the duo, her chocolate brown orbs widening upon noticing Naruto standing with Hinata, his oceanic blue eyes staring into hers with confusion.
Silence fell upon the trio as Tsunade continued to stare at him, her eyes still wide before they softened.
"Tsunade-sama! What is ha...," Shizune trailed when she entered the room, scanning her surroundings before her eyes fell on the standing blonde's figure.
"Naruto...," she whispered while the blonde jinchuriki felt himself getting uncomfortable by their stares.
"Is there something on my face?" he asked awkwardly, taking a step back while Hinata smiled upon seeing tears now streaming down Tsunade's cheeks.
Naruto however had no idea what the hell was going on. Why was a woman like Tsunade, a legendary sanin, crying after seeing him?
"Hey um...Tsunade-sama, is something wrong?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head when suddenly he found himself being hugged to death.
The blonde began to panic as he started to struggle when he heard sniffing sounds come from the blonde medic hugging him.
"N-Naru-chan...," her quivering voice voice entered his ears as he stopped struggling, a confused expression on his face when he noticed a black haired woman standing by the door; wiping her tears while she seemed to have a smile on her face.
'What's going on here?' he thought when Ayumi spoke.
"I think you forgot the little fact that Kushina mentioned to you about a month ago. Tsunade's your godmother Naruto-kun," she said making his eyes widen.
'Of course! How could I forget such a thing?' he thought in surprise, mentally slapping his forehead. But still, there had been so much going on with him recently that he just found himself getting mentally burdened. But still...
Tsunade had her eyes closed as she tightly hugged her godson, her heart leaping with joy at finally seeing him awake, at finally seeing life in those blue eyes of his.
'He's grown so much, it's hard to imagine that he's just a twelve year old kid,' she thought, rubbing his back fondly when her eyes opened in surprise as Naruto pulled out from the hug forcefully.
"Naru-chan?" she questioned with wide eyes, wiping her tears while Hinata looked at him in concern. The blonde currently had an uncomfortable expression on his face as he backed up against the open window.
"I...I'm sorry. But...," the blonde trailed as he pushed himself off the wall, walking past her to grab his ninja sandals by the bed.
"Naruto...please wait," Tsunade called him, turning to look at him; hurt clearly visible on her face while he just walked towards the door in a hurry- ignoring her.
Walking towards Shizune, he offered the black haired medic an apologetic look before leaving the room while the trio stood there, surprised and confused at the blonde's behaviour.
'This is a hotel...this is not Konoha. Then where am I? I guess we were sent by Kaa-san to search for Tsunade-sama and get myself healed by her. But surely Hinata-chan couldn't have brought me alone with her, who are the others in this mission?' Naruto's mind raced as he walked through the corridors.
"Going somewhere?" he turned his head to see Jiraiya standing at the end of the lobby, staring outside through the window before the toad sage shifted his gaze towards him.
"Ero-sennin...," the blonde murmured as he smiled weakly at his godfather.
"You okay gaki?" he asked as the blonde lowered his head.
"I...I need some time alone," the blonde muttered as he clenched his fist while the white haired sanin walked towards him.
Putting a hand on his godson's shoulder he spoke with a serious expression, "Don't do anything stupid Naruto."
"Understood," Naruto uttered in a low tone while the expression on Jiraiya's face softened.
"I know what happened is tearing you off from the inside right now. But...," he paused before putting his right hand on the blonde's head affectionately.
"I have faith in you," Naruto's eyes widened as he lifted his head to see the grinning face of the toad sage. The blonde inhaled deeply to stop the fresh incoming of tears. Not trusting his own voice, he nodded quietly as the blonde started to walk past him, down the stairs.
Sighing to himself, Jiraiya stared out through the window before he turned around to walk towards Naruto's room.
Upon reaching the room, he was not so surprised to feel the tension in the air. Tsunade was sitting on the bed, her face resting in her palms as she sobbed silently while Hinata was staring at her in sadness whereas Shizune was trying to comfort her sensei; wiping her own tears in the process.
'She looks so vulnerable now. It's just like when Dan and Nawaki died. What happened here?' he thought with a grim expression.
"Tsunade, what happened?" he asked in a stern tone making the blonde medic lift her face as she quickly wiped her tears.
"I think he hates me Jiraiya. I think he's blaming me for the childhood he went through," she spoke, her voice trembling while the white haired sanin sighed.
"You idiot, he may be twelve years old...but his maturity far exceeds the level than you can possibly expect from him. I told you before, he already knows that you were unaware of him being alive all this time," he verbalized as silence filled the room.
"Then it's because of him isn't it?" she asked, her tone holding a certain threatning edge to it while Jiraiya nodded.
"Yeah, I don't know what he's planning. He's already corrupted Uchiha Sasuke, and now Naruto too finds himself on the edge," he elaborated making Shizune look at him.
"You think Naruto-kun too could turn out like..."
"No, I trust in him. He wouldn't go down that path. That's one main thing which seperates him from Uchiha Sasuke," he articulated before turning towards the quiet Hyuga heiress.
"Isn't that right Hinata?" he asked with a smile making her nod, a serious look on her face.
"Hai, I trust Naruto-kun. He would never turn out like Sasuke-san," she verbalized making him smirk while Tsunade gazed at her with a surprised look in her eyes.
"Hinata, who was that cloaked person just now? What did she say to you two?" the blonde medic asked.
"Well, she was someone Naruto-kun met during the invasions," now this little tidbit of information made Jiraiya narrow his eyes.
"Now why wasn't I informed of this?" he asked making the heiress look at him in surprise.
"Naruto-kun didn't tell you? But he did tell me about meeting this cloaked female who could use ice element and that she somewhat helped him in attaining the second level of the Rinnegan," she verbalized ticking off some alarms in Jiraiya's mind.
'That description...could it be? But why would they come out after so many years? They haven't been seen in action since the Rikudou Sennin's era. No...it could be someone else too,' Jiraiya thought while Tsunade found herself getting lost in her own thoughts.
"There was this...one other thing she told us," Hinata started as she bit her lower lip, catching the attention of the other three present in the room.
With Naruto: Tanzaku Town
Currently we find the blonde jinchuriki walking through the filled streets of the Tanzaku town, though his mind was not on the various festivities or any other items on sale.
"Oh sorry," he apologized in a low tone after bumping into someone.
"Hey handsome, wanna have a good time?" lifting his head, he noticed a young woman wearing an exposed dress as she gave him a seductive smile- it was late night after all.
Glancing at her for a second, he smiled at her weakly- not understanding what she meant as the blonde just quietly walked past her without saying anything, a forlorn expression on his face.
'That bitch! Who does she think she is hitting on my Naruto-kun like that?' Ayumi thought in irritation and anger as she cursed the woman while the blonde continued to tread through the town.
"Naruto-kun?" the whiskered blonde sighed upon hearing Ayumi's concerned voice as he continued to walk through the crowd.
'Yeah Ayumi-chan?' he asked mentally in a neutral tone, making sure to filter his voice of any negative emotions.
"How are you feeling?" she asked softly while his lips curled downwards.
"Just like how I used to feel when I was a kid. But I can handle it...I have been handling it since I was a child after all, it's second nature to me now," Naruto answered while the bijuu's heart clenched at that fact.
"I thought everything was going to be fine when Kaa-san came back, when I thought 'he' was with us...but now, I don't know. The whole of Akatsuki is after me, even if I've improved drastically since the chunin exams, I'm probably still no match for any of them,' he stated in a dejected tone.
"Don't discourage yourself like that Naruto-kun, you're not like that. All we need to do is train you, make you stronger," she spoke as he went quiet, not saying anything while she too decided to give him some space. She knew that he would have to handle this himself, she could heal the scars and cuts on his flesh, but not the scars on his heart. They can be healed slowly, and only by love.
Naruto continued to walk in silence as he reached the outskirts of the town, now slumping against a large tree in an isolated area.
"You alright?" Ayumi asked in worry as he panted to himself a bit.
"Don't worry, I'll be alright. It's just that two major injuries, one after another has probably put a strain on my body," the blonde answered as he closed his eyes, now sitting with his back resting against the tree's trunk.
A few minutes went by as he sat there, taking comfort in the nature's silence and peace with only the croaking sounds ringing through his ears.
"You are naive Naruto-kun."
What Itachi said back then rung into his mind as he kept his eyes closed.
"If someone shows you a shred of pity...even a hint that they care for you, if they share a smile with you, if they teach you something...you immediately trust them blindly. The world of shinobi does not work like that, it is not as bright as you think. You let your emotions guide you, and that's why..."
The blonde's closed eyes shut, he began to clench his fists as those images started to haunt him.
"That's why Naruto-kun, no matter how strong you get physically...as a shinobi, you will always be weak."
Naruto grabbed his head as he tried to clear his mind.
'I can't! I can't give up! I will not lose myself like this!' he mentally chanted as the blonde desperately tried to strengthen himself.
His eyes snapped open when he felt himself being hugged.
"Don't worry Naruto-kun, remember that I will always be there by your side. You don't have to let yourself suffer like that," a soothing voice entered his ears as the blonde's eyes softened while he hugged the warm figure back.
"Ayumi-chan...," he sighed, his head resting against her voluptuous chest as the blonde closed his eyes.
"You've endured so much alone when you were a child. I already promised you. You would never be alone. I wouldn't let you suffer alone like this. Our souls are bonded together, not just by any seal, but by love. Don't let hatred and revenge consume you Naruto," she spoke softly, rubbing his scalp with her nimble fingers while he wrapped his arms around her waist making her smile sadly at him.
"I...I don't know who to trust anymore," he muttered in a choked voice making her sigh.
"Don't let this feeling consume you. These things happen in life Naruto-kun, believe me...I've lived long enough to see that. I know when something like this happens, you have a darker approach towards life. Everything seems like shit. The same happened with Uchiha Sasuke. He chose his path, and now you have to choose yours. Don't ever forget that we are with you, don't let yourself stand alone when we are ready to join you. Let us help you. I'm saying this because I only want what's best for you. Please don't forget us. You've already made the mistake of trying to do everything on your own," Ayumi verbalized in a low tone, pulling him towards her.
Half a minute passed as Naruto didn't say anything. Looking down, she noticed the blonde snoring lightly making her sigh.
"Baka," she muttered before her lips curled into a fond smile as she gazed at his face. Lowering her head, she kissed his cheek before lifting her head back to gaze at the moon.
"I won't forget you," she lowered her head back at him upon hearing the blonde's voice, who now had a peaceful expression on his sleeping face making her smile.
'And I wouldn't let you.'
A Few Hours Later
Currently we find Tsunade sitting on a tree's branch, gulping down some sake as she found herself lost in the painful memories of her past.
'Dan...Nawaki...,' she thought, her cheeks a bit red due to the sake as her eyes were filled with sadness and pain. She usually found herself immersed in her past whenever she had a bad day or it was just one of those moments where you feel yourself getting down. But after receiving Orochimaru's offer a few days ago, she didn't know what to do.
And also, it had crushed her heart today to see her godson behave like that. He clearly was disturbed, and she was just like some sort of a stranger for him- unable to offer any kind of comfort to him. And it was the true bitter fact. Where was she when those villagers were treating him like the Kyuubi reincarnation? Oh yeah, probably far away from Konoha drowning in her sorrows, gambling and losing money like the legendary sucker she was.
'His eyes...they looked so hollow and haunted. So much has happened while I was just wasting my time here. Uchiha Itachi, what's your real story? Last time I heard, you had killed your clan in one night except for one. Now you, supposedly working as a spy for sensei, help Naru-chan achieve the Rinnegan...which I still don't believe. All that Jiraiya told me, it's just so confusing that I don't know what's really going on. I think I can understand the situation Naru-chan is currently in. But I can't help him unless he lets me in...which he probably now wouldn't,' she thought, taking another swig of her dear sake as a sigh escaped her lips.
'I want to help him,' the blonde medic mentally stated, currently staring at the crescent shaped moon with a sad expression on her face. What Jiraiya had recently said to her flashed in her mind...
"Tsunade, don't blame yourself. It's just that considering the situation he's in, don't be surprised if he runs away from you, doesn't trust you or refuses to acknowledge you as his godmother. I'm presuming that he will have trusting problems from now on, Kami knows it's a miracle the way he easily places his trusts in people even after the way he lived his childhood."
Tears again welled in her eyes as she thought of the childhood he lived. The things she had imagined for him when he was about to take birth, the things she wanted to teach him...she wanted to do so much for him. But she agreed with Jiraiya, after what her boy had endured, it's completely expected that he would act a bit paranoid in the presence of strangers like her. If she would have been in his place, she definitely would've done the same.
'You take a mango from a sack and it comes out to be an unripe one, you think all of them are not ripe. One girl ditches you or rapes you, you think all of them are sluts and run from love. One boy ditches you or rapes you, you think all of them are pigs and despise their existence. One close person misplaces your trust, you think all of them are like that and don't trust anyone from then onwards,' she thought with a sigh, drinking her sake. And judging by the way he ran from her earlier, he was going to behave exactly like that.
Though she didn't blame him one bit, it was normal human behaviour after all. But she would make sure to heal him, it was her role as his godmother and a legendary medic. She wouldn't let him destroy himself or take on the dark path like Orochimaru did.
"Yo! Can I join you?" looking down from where Tsunade heard the voice in confusion, her chocolate brown orbs widened in disbelief.
Standing down there was the object of her thoughts, a hesitant smile on his face as he gazed at her with those bright blue orbs.
She was stunned speechless as the blonde medic continued to stare at him, as if not believing her eyes. Not hearing anything from her, Naruto chuckled to himself softly.
"Well if you are busy, I can come later Tsunade-sama," he said in mock sadness making her snap out of her trance-like state.
"No! O-Of course Y-You can come!" she exclaimed, patting on the branch beside her with a bright smile making him nod. Using chakra, Naruto jumped to land on the branch, his trenchcoat flapping with the wind as the whiskered blonde bent to sit beside her.
She looked at his face with an ecstatic smile, finally being close to her godson, but still there was this look of confusion in her eyes. Both sat there in silence as Naruto gazed at the moon, the light cool breeze of the wind setting his mind at peace.
Both didn't know what to say while Tsunade glanced at him frequently, wanting to see his face, her godson's smile...everything that she had missed for twelve years of his life. Even now her hands were itching to take him in a crushing hug, but she didn't want to possibly scare him.
"So, you're my godmother huh?" yeah, pretty stupid question, but he had to start the conversation somehow.
"Yeah," she nodded with a smile, now staring at him as he glanced at her, offering her a smile before looking back into the sky.
"Naru-chan, do you...do you-"
"I don't hate you," Naruto cut her off as he glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, a smile on his face while Tsunade lowered her head.
'Thank Kami...,' she thought, putting her hand on her heart as she wiped her eyes.
"I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier Tsunade-sama," he uttered in an apologetic tone making her eyes widen.
"No no! You don't need to apologize for anything Naru-chan! What you went through...I understand. I'm stunned that you can still smile like this after what your life has been."
'You have no idea of his true smile Tsunade. It's so bright and heartwarming. If you had known him more, you would've seen that he's forcing himself to smile...for your sake,' Ayumi thought with a melancholic expression on her face.
"And even now after what happened with Itachi...," Tsunade immediately regretted her words as Naruto visibly stiffened at the mention of the Uchiha.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, putting a hand on his shoulder as he quietly nodded, now staring at the greenery around them.
Naruto sighed as he sat their quietly, feeling comfort in Tsunade's warm presence.
'Look at him...he looks so much like his father. Only twelve years old, and yet so mature,' Tsunade thought with a small smile as she looked at him.
"So Naru-chan, I heard you have the Rinnegan. What's the story about that?" she asked him with a grin while he clenched his fist whereas she mentally face palmed herself.
'I'm such an idiot! Itachi was the one who gave the damn bloodline in the first place!' she reminded herself as the whiskered blonde turned towards her, smiling at her.
"Well, it's a long story. But man, Rinnegan sure is awesome," he spoke with a small grin making her smile. His grin fading, Naruto leaned towards her as he rested his head on her lap making Tsunade stare at him with widened eyes before they softened as she put a hand on his shoulder.
"I was so angry at you in the beginning...," he spoke, catching her attention.
"I asked myself, why weren't you there for me? Couldn't you have atleast checked on me once? The villagers yelled at me that I had no parents, that they ran away from me because I was a demon. But I had hope that atleast I may have some other relatives," he uttered quietly, facing the greenery in front of him.
"But no one came. I continued to stand alone as no one came. But then suddenly, after one event at the chunin exams...my whole life was turned upside down. People who love me, as if like a miracle, started coming out. I just wish that atleast one of them had come sooner, then maybe...maybe they would've taught me who to trust and who to ignore. Maybe they would've taught me how to control my emotions. Kakashi-sensei says that under normal circumstances I should've turned out exactly like Gaara...if not worse. That I could've been alone, living only for myself just like him. But here am I he says, with lots of people being my friends. Then is my quality of trusting others a gift...or a curse?" he asked in a sad tone when his eyes widen as a few droplets of some warm liquid fell on his cheeks.
Turning his head, he was surprised to see Tsunade staring at him, her chocolate brown eyes hazy as tears fell off her face onto him.
"N-Naru-chan...I'm so s-sorry. I wish I wasn't lied to...I wish I...I wish I could be there for you," she muttered through choked sobs, carressing his cheek. Gazing at her with sad eyes, Naruto sat up before hugging her tightly while Tsunade eagerly accepted it.
"I already told you...I don't blame anything on you. We didn't have control over what happened to us Tsunade-sama. In fact, I 'm beginning to like my godmother, she's pretty cool!" he exclaimed with a grin making her chuckle as she sniffed in her tears.
"Now that I realize, I have an awesome sannin for a godmother! And she's the best medic in the world!" he spoke, his bright grin making her smile as she wiped her tears.
"Your ability to trust others is what makes you unique Naru-chan. The fact that you are still willing trust others like me after what happened, is the proof that you're special," she verbalized softly making him rub the back of his head as he blushed in embarrassment.
'It's because someone came and adviced me to follow my instincts. It's because another person told me to keep my precious people close to me,' he thought with a small smile.
"Aww...is my little Naru-chan blushing?" she asked with a teasing grin making a vein pop on his forehead.
"HA! You're blushing too!" he pointed out making her giggle as she lifted her sake bottle, taking another swig of it.
"It's because of this Naru-chan," she articulated making him sigh in irritation.
"Stop calling me 'Naru-chan'...I'm Uzumaki Naruto dattebayo!" he exclaimed, pointing a thumb at his chest making her laugh.
"Dattebayo, dattebane! You sure are Kushina-chan's son! For your information my little Naru-chan, I've known you since you were inside Kushina-chan," she said making him blush as he coughed at the double meaning of the sentence.
'The hell does she mean?' he thought while Ayumi began to smile perversely, her perverted streak coming alive.
'Come to think of it...you haven't fucked Kushina since the final chunin exams right? You must be hungry for her, ne Naruto-kun?' the female bijuu asked making his cheeks turn redder.
"Shutup you pervert!"
"I just wish Kushina-chan was here to see how much her baby has grown," Tsunade murmured with a sad sigh making Naruto look at her in confusion.
"Huh? What do you mean?" he asked making his godmother look at him in sadness.
"I guess they didn't told you, Kushina-chan, your mother is dead Naru-chan," she uttered making his heart almost stop as the blonde's eyes widened in shock.
"What is she talking about?" Ayumi asked in a stunned tone while Naruto was thinking if Itachi had gotten his hands on Kushina. Unrestrained rage began to flood his system as he narrowed his eyes.
"What are you talking about? Who did this? How could've Kaa-san died?" he growled in panic making the blonde medic avert her gaze.
"Naru-chan...it happened twelve years ago, when the Kyuubi attacked. She was killed giving birth to you," she spoke making Naruto facevault.
"The hell!"
'What is she talking about? Didn't ero-sennin or Hinata-chan told her about Kaa-san being alive and her being the current Hokage of Konoha?' he pondered, staring at her saddened face with all his anger being flushed into the flowing wind.
Slowly a small mischievous grin crept onto his face as he stayed quiet.
'Oh she's absolutely gonna love the surprise when we reach Konoha.'
I know...I know, not much considering the time you had to wait for this update. But still, had to be done. But atleast you know where the Toyotama Byakugan came from. :)
Interaction between Naruto and Tsunade may be lacking, but I would like to have your thoughts on this. Also, just to clear up something, Tsunade is NOT in the harem.
In the next chapter, we charge into a one week timeskip and Orochimaru with Kabuto comes into play. Also, remember that in this fic, Orochimaru came to Tsunade to get his arms healed which were destroyed by Kushina's to the molecular level, so keep that in mind. :D
And lastly, please review. Because the alert system of FF has been experiencing some problems, last chapter didn't even receive much hits...let alone reviews. So those who do get alerts for this, try to review this chapter everyone. It's a request...but still, don't feel obliged to. :)
LASTLY, check out my profile for the updated info section for this fic. It's important that you read it considering there are some things stated there which haven't even been revealed in the fic so far. So make sure to check it out! :D
Till next time!
N6023