Blind Sight

By

LigerJager

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

Scroll 4: Stumbling


Whatever they had wanted him for he hadn't counted the events of the day to turn out as they had. When they came for him he had been maybe anticipating just a few of the senior members and not, well, the entire council, nor the verdict.

What he thought would happen was nothing like what actually did. And what did was a twisted nightmare from which he couldn't escape. After it ended, he wished it had never been. However he had spent the first three hours of his allotted time in shock and numbness.

The ragged boy just stood there eerily devoid of any expression on his normally expressive features just staring out of the gates to the Hokage Tower entrance where he'd been summarily dumped after he'd been dismissed. His unusually blue eyes somewhat dulled in the bright light of the afternoon sun.

Thoughts, emotions and feeling washed through him. Shock had temporarily frozen his ability to move.

He could only tell it was that time of day because of the natural warmness that fell upon his exposed skin and he was very familiar with it because he spent a majority of his time outside soaking in the perpetual rays. After having lived in the small cell for so long, he'd almost forgotten what the outside world was like. What the sun had felt like…A simple caress of a nearby breeze…The sounds of everyday life.

All of it almost seemed like a distant dream or a fabricated memory from his once vivid imagination. Now it seemed so…meaningless. He couldn't find any joy within himself to savor the newest sensations his awareness brought him.

And as he stood there the sounds that he'd so longed to hear for his own reached his ears. A child's voice speaking in wonder to someone, a parent most likely, and being answered in a tone that made jealously blossom in the orphan's bosom.

All that had been denied to him simply because of the decision of one man crashed through his mind like a herd of stampeding cattle. Beneath his frozen façade, emotions began to storm and rage. Black and terrible were some and heart wrenchingly cruel were others. He'd once bottled and tamped down a good deal of them in hopes…in hopes that, all that he'd dreamt of was not in vain.

He had hoped that he would one day be able to regard both of the remaining Sannin as something akin to family, but those hopes were dashed. He had maybe four precious people left in this village and of those four, two were civilians and one a child. The last…he'd almost begun to doubt the sincerity of the claims from that night. The one that seemed so distant now, the one where he was first acknowledged verbally by the one physical roll model that was within reach.

Once upon a time he'd dreamed for what he had never had. And for a time it seemed almost like it would come true.

Now…now it was a laughable passing thought from a naïve mind whom had finally been broken by the cruelties of his circumstances. He'd been denied everything, his goals, his dreams, his home, his livelihood, his purpose…everything.

Stripped like some criminal, of anything that had value to him. He'd done nothing wrong.

He'd carried out a mission, with four others, and succeeded in completing the main objective. Of course the subject of the entire episode had hardly come quietly and he had been force to use some extreme measure to ensure that success.

But that was to be expected, especially in a life and death situation.

He'd been brushed a few times by passing shinobi and civilians, too busy to stop or take notice of the boy. Shaking himself out of his stupor, the orphan in every sense of the word stepped out in freedom.

…And promptly pitched forward as he tripped on his own sandals.

Cursing at even his inability to appear normal, the young teen struggled to pick himself up. Weakness overcame his emaciated body and dogged his every effort as he continued to rise…And how he hated the feeling.

He knew that there was a street in front of him and he knew that if he kept at least one of his fingers along the walls, that he would eventually be able to make it to a nearby ally which would take him away from the wagons and foot traffic and send him through a shortcut that would take him near his apartment.

Feeling around the hard packed dirt he began to search out the wall. It hadn't taken very long as at least someone had thought to give him a small break and leave him within a foot of the said wall.

Just as he'd righted himself, another body brushed into him roughly and nearly threw him off balance. Just wanting to get away and not caring, he started forward only to once again have his path obstructed by something. This time it felt as though someone was grabbing the tattered remains of his jacket.

"Excuse me."

He was barely restraining the panic as well as annoyance at being hindered once again. The teen had a limited period left to him and who knew what would happen within the allotted time he had.

"Uzumaki?"

The voice sounded somewhat familiar but not overly so. Naruto couldn't immediately place it, until he held the offending appendage and met a familiar brace of bandages. Something just clicked then and the realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Hyuuga…"

And he wanted to be anywhere but there. To not be seen here by a former comrade, in disgrace.

"Hyuuga Neji."

He bolted.

A gavel rapped loudly, cutting through the noisy chatter and effectively lowering the din. Not since that now infamous day fifteen years prior had they met in full semblance. The only change this time was the gathering had been called by the Hokage and not the senior representatives.

"Council members, I have called you here today because of an issue that has come up several times since the announcement of my successor."'

The noise rose and died. Curiosity had their attention acutely trained upon the seemingly youthful woman. After all, the issue most likely pertained to the village's main source of income and it was even rarer for the problems to be brought to their attentions. It wasn't their legal jurisdiction after all.

"Exactly how many times has this issue been brought to your attention?"

One of the braver councilmen ventured. It was only after it became apparent that none were going to expound upon the statement that the man spoke out of turn.

Shrewd amber eyes scanned the room, taking in expressions and anticipating the bombshell she was about to drop. She and Shizune had debated the merits of informing the ruling civilian legislative body and came to an accord. Since every life would be affected it seemed that duty demanded her to once more take up her mantle and do the 'heavy lifting'.

"Exactly…eighty-nine as of this moment."

Now extremely curious, another voice spoke up. It came from one of the clans this time.

"What is the issue in question, Hokage-sama?"

Again the medic paused. The wisdom of revealing such information was…delicate at best and could cause numerous headaches for her position in the future. As it was, the amount of last minute paperwork was driving her up the wall.

Taking a deep breathe, she seemed to decide on a course of action. For better or worse, they had to know what their decision had wrought…if they could comprehend what she would be hinting at.

"I regretfully inform this council that a majority of the veteran forces have turned in resignations."

The sound level rose immediately. Many debated between themselves. It wasn't until the ninja clans and various elders began to take into account what the others were saying that the general picture emerged.

They began to realize as a whole the idea the woman was painting. Over the years the relationship between the military leader and them had been…non existent. She was formal and only saw them during meetings which were few and far between.

"If I may, which of the elite squadrons have turned in paperwork?"

The courtesy of the question directed her way by one of the prominent clan heads, caused the noise level to plummet. The silence was almost stifling.

"All of them."

For some reason he hadn't been able to visit the memorial. In fact, it had been almost a decade since he last saw the carved rock. The atmosphere just didn't have the same feel.

It almost felt like he was being frowned upon. That he had earned the disapproval of the dead for some reason. And nostalgia about the past became harder to recall.

He first started noticing the drop in routine about six months after the banishment of his ex-student. Then he started to become flaky, distracted by other issues. Days became weeks, weeks became months until months finally became years.

Now he found himself beginning his day making his way towards the stone and then becoming sidetracked by something else. It felt as though his desire to remember had dropped as well.

He couldn't understand why… and they called him a genius.

Tsunade thoroughly enjoyed the cushions of her office chair. It had been a long day. The council had been up in arms over the statements until she had read them every name from the compiled list.

As each name, well known and not, service record and division was made explicitly clear as was their importance, the debates became more heated and volatile. Those taking the hint from the Hokage as to the source of this sudden epidemic amongst their ranks, had become more verbose in their arguments against the chosen candidate.

Those, mostly from the civilian quarter, had to be argued down as they didn't fully understand the significance. And those in favor of their choice began to complicate the issue by throwing in irrelevant comments.

Mandates and courses of actions were finally decided upon, though the candidate issue still left many unsatisfied. Though the late hour was telling as to the difficulty of the negotiations.

A polite knock at the door alerted the woman that she had business to take care of. What she hadn't expected was who it was.

"Umino-san, I had expected you much earlier." The Hokage kept a civil tone, though the folder in the man's hands caused her to frown in aggravation. She didn't need more paperwork.

"Hokage-dono." Was the equally emotionless, slightly icy reply. "I have come to turn in my resignation as a shinobi of the leaf."

"As have about eighty-nine others before you," she hadn't known the man personally and he had made himself scarce ever since she had taken office. What she did know was that she had done something to gain his disapproval and a very cold shoulder.

Had he felt the inclination to put in the extra effort, the man would have shrugged as it was… "I felt handing it into you personally would have more satisfactory results…and would be much more expedient."

She looked over the file and almost whistled. This man was something else. However, she 'd have to tell him the same thing she sent to every other ninja with paperwork.

"Request denied."

:Tsudzuku:

A/N: I'm tired.

Enjoy.

LJ 7/7/2008