And here's Chapter 19. Sorry for the wait but I had to think hard for this one. Hope you like it. Readers, Reviewers, Thank You...Business as Usual by The Eagles.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
"Could you repeat that? I believe I had something crazy in my ear."
Homura sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He could tell this wasn't going to go well.
"We wish to talk to you about your status as a shinobi of Konoha as well as your duties as the son of a Hokage. You have rights and privileges…"
Naruto narrowed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.
"…that I don't want. I'm no longer a Konoha ninja, so there is no 'status' that you speak of. As far as my lineage…"
He gave them a smile and laced his fingers behind his head as he looked at the ceiling.
"…I'm an orphan, a parentless child. I never knew who my parents were. We thought we knew at one point, but it was a decision of this council that the conclusion we came to could not be right. Therefore, I've given up all searches and have decided to just use the name given me by the Sandaime Hokage."
Homura rose from his seat and rested his hands on the table, leaning forward.
"That was a mistake! A terrible, grievious error on our part! We are willing to make amends to right the wrongs of the past."
Naruto locked eyes with Homura and the elderly man gulped silently. Those eyes were not kind. The blonde spoke slowly and with a low voice.
"There are so many sins of the past that not all can be totally forgiven nor bought off, councilman. I suggest you let someone else speak before I get up and leave."
Homura huffed and sat down in defeat. Koharu stood next, trying her grandmotherly charm.
"Naruto-san, surely you can't begrudge us everything that was done to you. You have to understand extenuating circumstances…"
Temari snorted and Koharu turned her attention to the blonde girl.
"Something you would like to add, young lady?"
Temari suddenly felt very self-conscious but cleared her throat to speak anyway.
"My village was just as bad as Konoha when it came to the treatment of my brother. The only difference is that my father tried to have Gaara killed on multiple occasions. But there was still resentment and fear, anger and mistrust, when he became Kazekage. And there is still some form of it in the older crowd today. The big difference is that we never denied the heritage of Gaara."
Koharu narrowed her eyes at the girl.
"Are you implying that we willingly denied the heritage of this young man?"
Temari turned her chin up in defiance.
"Can you deny the charge?"
She reached over and grabbed Naruto's face, framing it in her hands as she turned his head in all directions.
"Look at him! He has the body structure and hairstyle of his father and the facial structure of his mother! He's an amalgamation between the two. How could you not see it?"
She leveled a glare at the entire council.
"The reason is…you didn't want to, because that would have meant acknowledging him as someone of importance."
Naruto fidgeted and Temari cut her eyes to look at him. He blinked and gave her a sly grin.
"You can let go of my face now, dear."
Temari blushed slightly and pulled her hands away slowly as she turned forward in her chair again.
"Sorry."
"Don't worry about it."
Koharu looked upon the scene the two had made, a small smile on her face. She had never seen the boy so…at ease with another person. She decided to take the grandmotherly approach again.
"You must care for him quite a bit to stand up to a foreign council like that. That takes bravery. I remember being that in love at one time…"
Homura snorted from his seat and Koharu glared down at him, hushing him up. She turned back to the two blondes with a smile again.
"What you said is true, young lady. We did deny his heritage for the longest time and that is quite possibly one of our most terrible mistakes. We drove away a son of Konoha in our ignorance. But we wish to make amends now. We wish to fix our mistakes. Will you not let us try?"
Naruto tapped his index fingers on his crossed arms and sighed heavily. Koharu was a master at using her age and grandmotherly act to get what she wanted. Not many could say no to her when she made a request. But most weren't him…
"You were all there on the night of my birth. Why didn't any of you help me? Why put me in an orphanage? Why deny me a small measure of happiness? Why make me be alone?"
Koharu's eyes grew saddened and she suddenly looked and felt her age.
"Sarutobi knew what your life was going to be like. He may have been an idealistic fool, but he was also a realist on some points. He knew that if the world knew of your true heritage, then they would come running to either kill or kidnap you. You're the last of the Namikazes and the Uzumakis, and while you may deny your heritage on one side, you cannot deny that their both clans' blood flows through your veins."
She sat back down in her chair gingerly and leaned her head on her hands.
"There wasn't much we could do. The villagers all knew who you were, even if they convinced themselves differently. It was hard to miss you. No one else has the blinding hair color of Minato or the exuberance of Kushina. It was too hard to see you and be reminded of who and what we had lost. I'm sorry, but it's the truth."
Naruto just stared at the elderly woman with a bored expression on his face. He was not going to give in to whatever they wanted.
"Anything else you have to say?"
Koharu, seeing she had made little to no ground, shook her head and waved her hand.
"No. There's nothing else. Someone else can speak if they like."
Naruto looked around to each council member and found that none were willing to speak up. He smirked and patted Temari on her leg.
"Well, if you have nothing else to say, then I'll just…"
"I'd like to know about your new abilities."
Naruto froze halfway out of his seat and met the eyes of Aburame Shibi. The sunglasses-clad man just stared back impassively. Naruto scowled and flopped back into his seat.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Shibi pushed his sunglasses further up his nose and cocked his head slightly.
"My son has informed me that you have gained certain…abilities…that could be beneficial to Suna and her allies. I just wish to know what you are capable of."
Naruto's brow furrowed and he vowed revenge on Shino for his big mouth…although he was sure that all of his friends had told their parents about his feats and the entire village knew by now.
'Oh well. It was bound to come out sooner or later.'
"What do you wish to know?"
Inoichi spoke up, now quite intrigued.
"Ino spoke to me last night about something you called 'the green'? What is that?"
Naruto closed his eyes and groaned loudly. Temari reached over and squeezed his arm for comfort. Normally it would calm him down, but he was too irritated at the moment. He had to remind himself that he represented Sunagakure in this situation and he couldn't afford not to be diplomatic. He was already riding the border for rudeness and had he been anyone else, they would have tossed him out on his ear.
He stood from his seat and walked to the large, plate-glass window. He pointed to a patch of dirt in the main pathway of the market district, one where grass had not grown in years due to the amount of traffic.
"See that patch of dirt?"
The council members all stood and looked at where he was pointing. Naruto closed his eyes and felt the source flow through him as he directed it on what to do. The councilmembers' eyes all grew wide as the street erupted into chaos when fruit trees of all types burst from the ground, sending merchants and shoppers scurrying for cover. Naruto opened his eyes again and smirked.
"That's a small sample of what I can do with the 'green'."
He heard several whisper that it was Mokuton and shook his head in a negative.
"It's not Mokuton. It's something else entirely."
Nara Shikaku, his interest now piqued, focused his entire attention upon Naruto.
"If it isn't Mokuton, then what is it? There aren't any records I'm aware of that mention someone just being able to draw on such a power without having Senju blood in them."
Naruto just continued to look out the window as several people cautiously approached the trees. He noticed, with some dissatisfaction, that there were several extremely ragged looking people that were upon the trees in a second, picking them clean.
"It was…a gift, you could say. No…it's more like a responsibility that I now shoulder. Just one more in my life. It started out with me delving into some scrolls I found and ended with me being the guardian of this power. That's all I can tell you."
Shikaku scowled and started to say something, when he caught the stern look Tsunade was giving him. He sighed and muttered under his breath as he returned to his seat. The man simply hated not knowing all the pieces of a puzzle when one was presented to him. Tsunade motioned for everyone to return to their seats while Naruto remained standing at the window, still watching the people below.
"Naruto, we need to get this going again. Return to your seat please."
He sighed and crossed the floor, plopping down beside Temari again. He gave her a weary smile, promising to himself to make this up to her later tonight with a night on the town. Casting a bored look around the room, he offered himself up for more inquiry. Tsume, surprisingly, was the one who spoke up.
"That red panda that you had draped around your neck when you entered the village…where is it and what is its purpose? Is it a summon or a familiar?"
Naruto cursed mentally and shook his head. It seemed that almost all of his secrets would be divulged here. He gave a start suddenly and looked around the room.
"Temari, where the hell is Sanzoku? He didn't come in with us."
She merely shrugged and crossed her legs again.
"I dunno. That rat doesn't do anything that could be considered normal. He's not very far off, that's for sure. Want me to call him?"
"Yeah. He seems to respond quickly when you bait him."
Temari grinned and rose from her seat, walking across the room to the door while the council watched with interest. She cracked the door and poked her head out.
"SANZOKU! GET YOUR FURRY ASS IN HERE!"
The council all winced at the volume of her voice and several quirked their eyebrows until they heard the voice of the summon.
Keep it down, you psycho bitch! I was trying to take a nap!
She glanced down the hallway and saw him on one of the benches. Giving him a smirk as he waddled up, she cracked the door more to allow him inside.
"About time you showed up. Where the hell have you been, fleabait?"
Waiting for you to finish your little soiree. I hate meetings.
The council all leaned forward over their table to watch as the red panda waddled into the room and climbed the back of Naruto's chair to rest on his shoulder. Tsume smiled as he wound himself around Naruto's shoulders and yawned loudly. It reminded her of Akamaru when Kiba was younger…
"Sanzoku, was it? Might I ask how Naruto came in possession of your contract? I've never heard of a raccoon summon."
Sanzoku lazily looked up and blinked before yawning again.
The raccoons wanted him, so we contacted him. Not like he had a choice in the matter. It was like Jiraiya with the toads. There is a purpose to him helping us and vice versa. It's an arrangement that benefits both sides.
Tsume grinned and nodded. She could understand the 'you scratch my ears, I'll scratch your's arrangement.
"How are you able to stay in our realm though? I was under the understanding that summons could only stay as long as their chakra remained."
I performed a blood ceremony of sorts under the supervision of Tsubasa-sama, the Raccoon King, so that I could remain with Naruto and guide him. It doesn't hurt that he rarely needs our help in battle, although I'm always happy to help.
Hiashi focused his eyes on the summon and tried to find any deception.
"Would you harm Konoha?"
Only if Konoha tried to harm Naruto or me. I don't take kindly to deception or such things. I only put up with Temari because the boss likes her…and she's not a bad chick besides.
Temari crossed her arms in a huff and looked away as she mumbled.
"Love you too, you overgrown plushie."
Sanzoku was growing weary of all the seemingly mindless questions and propped his head on top of Naruto's, yawning again while he nestled into the bristly blonde plumage.
Is that all you need of me, councilwoman? I see no point to these questions.
Tsume frowned and nodded her head. She had just been curious. Tsunade, seeing that this was merely dissolving into a grilling of what Naruto could and could not do, rose to her feet.
"If there are no other questions or anything of the sort, I'd like to call this meeting to a close. We have accomplished nothing."
Homura slowly rose to his feet and locked eyes with Naruto.
"I just have a few more things to say and then they can go if no one else has anything to add."
Naruto stared with bored eyes, resisting the urge to yawn as Sanzoku snored into his ear. Homura leaned against the desk and sighed heavily.
"We messed up, Naruto. We really did. There were so many different and better ways we could have handled your situation, but the sad truth is we didn't. If I could go back, I'd fix it. But I can't. Do you still deny your blood relation to your father and mother?"
Naruto nodded his head solemnly and Homura groaned to himself.
"You wish to stay in Sunagakure? What of your parents' house and land? What of their bank holdings? What about their history? Do you wish to leave all that behind?"
Naruto could see the man trying to subtly guilt trip him again and remained steadfast.
"Why should those things matter to me so late in life when they were denied to me back when I needed them? I know what I need to know and that is enough. I owe no allegiance to Konoha anymore beyond what our alliance with you dictates. I only agreed to this meeting because my Kage said that it would probably benefit me, but all we've done is beat around the bush."
Homura looked to Koharu as she stood, her bones creaking wearily.
"What about your dream to be Hokage, Naruto? Did you not promise Sarutobi that one day you would take his position?"
Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly and mentally thanked Temari when she placed her hand on his arm and squeezed slightly. He didn't really know what he would have said if she hadn't been there as a calming presence.
"That's a low blow, councilwoman. Yes, I promised JiJi that I'd take his hat from him. I couldn't do that when he…passed on. Some dreams just weren't meant to happen. Even I realize that. I have other dreams now."
Koharu looked at him sadly and put her hands behind her back.
"Is there nothing we can do to convince you to come home? Nothing at all?"
Naruto looked at Temari and smiled as he laced his fingers with hers. She smiled back and he squeezed her hand.
"Suna is my home now. I have everything there that I could ever want. You couldn't offer me enough of anything to come back to Konoha now. Is there anything else?"
The council all shared looks and shook their heads. They had nothing else if he just couldn't be convinced. They couldn't force him or that would nullify the treaty with Suna…and they knew Gaara would act against them immediately, if Temari didn't kill them all first. Before anyone could move, Tsunade called their attention to her.
"Since the council is gathered, I have one last portion of business to call to attention. Uchiha Sasuke."
Everyone, including Naruto and Temari, took their seats again. Tsunade looked around the room with hard eyes. You could almost cut the tension with a knife…
"Uchiha Sasuke is one of our most recognized criminals. I stopped you all from leaving because I want to determine his sentence as soon as possible."
Naruto ground his teeth, but kept his mouth shut. As unfortunate as it was, he had no say anymore in Konoha business, a double-edged sword in this case. It was a privilege to even sit in on this at the moment. He and Temari would just have to keep quiet. A quick glance at his girlfriend found her in a similar state of distaste.
Tsunade wasted no time in going for her verdict.
"I say we should execute him. He has been nothing but a thorn in our side since he left, and even before then he was bad news. All in favor?"
All but Homura, Koharu, and surprisingly, Hiashi raised their hands in favor of execution. Naruto expected it of the two elders, but Hiashi? Tsunade was apparently of the same mind.
"Care to explain yourself, Hiashi?
The Hyuuga head nodded and stood from his seat.
"Everyone knows of the animosity between the Hyuuga and the Uchiha. Sadly enough, every one of them is either dead or has gone rouge. But Konoha simply cannot lose that power if it can help it."
Shikaku snorted and lazily leaned his head against his closed fist.
"Oh, I dunno. Seems we've done pretty well without them for some time now."
Hiashi glared at the man, who only looked back boredly.
"While it is true that we have not had any true Uchiha here, it can be argued that Hatake Kakashi's Sharingan is one of the most valuable assets we have. He is constantly bringing in new jutsus and forms to share with his fellow ninjas. This is invaluable in keeping ahead of the other villages. The Sharingan is a valuable commodity."
Akimichi Chouza grunted and leaned back in his seat. The normally easy-going man was suddenly the center of attention.
"What about loyalty being a commodity? If I remember correctly, that boy would have sold his soul to the devil for a fucking Twinky if it would have gained him power to kill Itachi. He's tried several times and each time his bid has failed. He's a traitor and traitors don't get special consideration, no matter who they are. If you treat one special, then you have to give them all that option."
Everyone around the table nodded in agreement and Homura leapt to Hiashi's defense.
"But what of the powers of the Sharingan? If we were to take samples from Sasuke and selectively breed willing women with his DNA, we could have Sharingan wielders who are loyal to the village. There are ways to go about this."
Tsunade was mortified that he had even dared mention that. That was something Danzo would have gone for, had the old bastard not passed on of a…heartattack. Yes, a simple, dignified heartattack…
"I can't believe you suggested that, Homura. Impregnating women to get those eyes? That's ludicrous. We might never even see them come to maturity, since there are special situations that activate the eyes. And what of the famed 'Uchiha Madness'? No, we won't do that."
Koharu remained seated and spoke quietly.
"What of the curse seal? It could have tampered with his mind and that could be the reason he left."
Naruto could no longer keep his mouth shut.
"You're grasping for straws now. The fact of the matter is that Orochimaru could have laid cookies that said 'Power for free, this way' on the ground and Sasuke would have followed willingly. He was always unstable."
Homura glared at Naruto and set his jaw.
"I'll thank you to keep your mouth shut here, Uzumaki. You don't really have a say in Konoha matters anymore, seeing as you're a shinobi of Suna after all. Be glad we even tolerate you here."
Naruto narrowed his eyes and rose from his chair, thoroughly sick of being cajoled to and then talked down to like he was five.
"Listen here, you old goat. That man in prison right now is one of the most unstable, dangerous people alive. He deserves to be executed for all his crimes against Konoha and her allies. He tried to invade Sunagakure! He should have got the death sentence there and his head mailed back to you here! It was only dumb luck that saved him when we fought."
Hiashi snapped his head in Naruto's direction.
"You mean to tell me you tried to kill him when you two fought?"
Naruto gave the Hyuuga an incredulous stare, as if the man had grown two heads.
"Hell yeah! He was trying to kill me. He's just lucky the feedback from his Raiton jutsu didn't fry his ass. I overloaded my Fuuton jutsu as much as possible to overcome his."
Hiashi gave a short laugh, which startled everyone in the room.
"Not willing to take a beating to make a point anymore, Uzumaki? I must say I'm impressed. I didn't think you liked to kill."
"I don't. But I like dying less. I have too much to accomplish to let someone like him take me out."
Hiashi nodded and tucked his hands inside his robes.
"Tell me, why do you think he deserves the death penalty?"
Naruto scoffed and gave Hiashi a hard look.
"You tell me why he doesn't deserve it."
The head of the Hyuuga clan sat for a moment before nodding his head and turning to Tsunade.
"I would like to change my vote to death. We need to send a message to our missing ninja abroad and those who would become them that we will not tolerate such endeavors. Uchiha Sasuke will be our prime example."
Tsunade nodded and turned to the two eldest on the council.
"It's just you two left. We need a unanimous vote for the death penalty. Tell us why you don't think he should be executed."
Koharu bowed her head and stood, looking out over the council.
"I believe it to be a valuable waste of resources. The Sharingan has long been a contingency of Konoha and it should remain so."
Naruto snorted.
"Even when they're a den of traitors and murderers?"
Koharu glared at him from her seat.
"You were asked to stay quiet, Uzumaki-san. Do not have us remove you and Temari-san from these preceedings."
Tsunade slammed her hand onto the desk.
"As the one who Sasuke attacked I believe he has every right to sit in on this meeting, if for no other reason than he is the one who brought him down so we could even entertain the thought of trying him. Don't mistake him for a bystander in all this."
Homura fidgeted in his seat for a moment before making his thoughts known.
"Hokage-sama, I believe that your close proximity to Uzumaki-san has made you somewhat…lenient…toward him and his opinions. Perhaps if he were removed from the room we could discuss things in a more civil manner."
Tsunade laced her fingers and rested her chin upon them as she gazed about the room.
"My relationship with Naruto is not in question here. Nor are my issues with this village's need to put kekkei genkais on a pedestal above others. We are here to decide whether or not Uchiha Sasuke should be put to death. You two are the only thing saving him at the moment. Prove to us that he shouldn't be put executed."
"The Sharingan…"
"…Is inconsequential. It has not been in this village for years now. The Sharingan is not a factor in this currently. If that is all your requirements for him to live, then he is already at death's door. Other arguments?"
Koharu and Homura whispered amongst themselves for the moment and decided to turn the tables on the others.
"Convince us instead that he deserves to die."
Tsunade smirked. Their desperate ploy would not work. Perhaps when they heard the list of his crimes…
Shikaku, Chouza, Tsume, and Hiashi all stood, letting Shikaku speak first.
"When Sasuke first turned from Konoha and went to Orochimaru, our children followed him. They were nearly killed trying to retrieve him. They fought with opponents far better trained, the bodyguard of Orochimaru himself, and came out on top, but not without nearly dying."
"My son drained his body of all its nutrients and almost died to hold back one of Orochimaru's guards, just to retrieve one unworthy genin."
"My son was willing to commit suicide to kill one of Orochimaru's guards, just to retrieve one unworthy genin."
"My nephew almost laid down his life to ensure that one of Orochimaru's guards would not join the fight with the others, all for one insignificant genin."
"My son fought a battle of wits with a girl who could control the oni themselves and sought to draw out his soul until Temari-san came to help him. All in the name of Konoha. Not for the sake of power."
Tsunade nodded her head to the four and they sat down. She turned to the two elders and gave them a questioning look.
"Is that enough to assuage you?"
Homura sighed heavily and closed his eyes.
"They went on your orders, as shinobi of Konoha. Death is a reality in our profession. They were to retrieve Uchiha Sasuke and failed."
"Tell me, councilman, what is the price for betraying one's country?"
Homura turned to Naruto, surprised by the question, but gave a textbook answer.
"The price for traitorous actions against one's country is death."
Naruto raised his chin slightly, his eyebrows raised in question.
"What then, councilman, have we all been arguing about?"
The room went silent and all heads hung in silent introspection. Koharu's quiet voice broke through like a rock through glass.
"Death."
Homura let out a slow deep breath and nodded his head.
"Death."
Tsunade let out a sigh of relief and sat back heavily in her chair.
"Death."
The rest of the council members murmured the word in turn, fully realizing the implications it might have. Tsunade declared the decision final and the members all filed out of the room one by one. Naruto and Temari stayed behind, their heads bowed low.
"Jiraiya, you can come out now."
A shimmer was seen by the wall and the Toad Sage emerged from his spot by the door, his face grim. He crossed the room to where Tsunade stood and nodded to her.
"This won't go over well, you know. The civilians will more than likely protest."
Tsunade gave him a grim grin.
"Then they can protest all they want. I am Hokage and what I say goes. They have no say in military matters. Besides that, he serves to die. Betrayal should not be taken lightly. Everyone thinks that Konoha will welcome back its missing ninjas with open arms like nothing ever happened. No…this is the price of betrayal. Death."
Jiraiya nodded and turned to where Naruto stood with Sanzoku around his neck and his arm around Temari's waist. Tsunade smiled at the couple.
"I'm sorry that this was all a waste of your time. I hope you plan to stay for a while though."
Naruto smiled and nodded his head.
"Yeah. We were kind of hoping you'd let us stay for a while, kind of like a vacation. There are a lot of things I'd like to do while I'm here."
"Everything is on my bill, you two. Enjoy yourselves. Now get out of here. I have an execution to plan. Jiraiya, you stay."
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As soon as they were outside, Temari kissed Naruto on the cheek and leaned into his side.
"You did great in there, babe. Gaara would be proud of you."
Naruto grunted, still staring forward. Temari frowned and laced her fingers in his.
"Are you ok with all of this?"
She felt and heard him sigh as they searched for a restaurant.
"That council meeting was a complete waste of time as far as I was concerned. When it came to getting a dangerous criminal off the streets and out of everyone's lives though…I think we had a very good day."
She cut her eyes to the side and frowned slightly.
"Naruto, are you ok?"
He stopped in the street and turned his head to face her.
"I don't know. Sasuke deserves to die. I would have killed him in the heat of battle if I had only had a little more power. But an execution…I dunno. It just doesn't seem sporting."
Temari chuckled and pulled him along again, in search of sustenance.
"All the more reason for us to leave before they execute him. I don't want it on your conscience. Now come on, I'm starving."
She walked a couple of steps and then stopped.
"I just remembered something. Where the hell is that staff of yours?"
Naruto grinned and held his hand out over the ground. His staff erupted from the earth and into his waiting hand. He thrust it back into the ground and it seemed to dry up and wilt away.
"It goes wherever I go. Don't want to give away all my secrets."
Temari just sighed as he gave her a cheeky grin before taking his arm in hers.
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Despite Naruto's protests, Temari eventually convinced him to take her to a decent restaurant, although he had to admit once they'd got there that the food was excellent. After an enjoyable meal, filled with laughter and loving looks, they stepped outside and planned their next move.
"Well, we've already seen the Hokage monument…and the bottom of it."
A quick slap on the arm from Temari made him grin.
"I guess we could go visit Iruka, unless you want to go do your own thing. I'm sure you know where all the sights are here by now, Miss Ambassador."
Temari looked around to see what section of the district they were in.
"I was kind of hoping to go shopping, especially since Hokage-sama is paying for everything. I can meet back up with you at your parents' house later. Or at the hotsprings. A nice dip would be lovely."
Naruto chuckled and pecked her on the lips before turning to walk away, throwing a look over his shoulder.
"I'm going to visit Iruka at the academy. I'll see you tonight."
Temari smiled wistfully as she watched him walk away before entering the door of a clothing shop.
'Oh, you'll see me tonight, alright.'
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Naruto reached up and rubbed Sanzoku's ears as he walked the streets, trying to ignore the adulation and happy smiles the people threw his way. In his younger years, he imagined that this is what he wanted but after seeing it…it only sickened him. The knowledge of his birth was the only thing that made these people even look at him. The only ones he smiled at were the children, too young to know what his name meant. To them, he was just someone their parents said was near-royalty and that they should respect him.
Naruto couldn't begrudge them for that. They were, after all, only children.
Sanzoku leaned into his hand and cracked an eye open, keeping his voice low so no one could hear them speak.
That was quite a shindig back there. I'd never have imagined they would put the Uchiha to death.
"Nor would I. I would have imagined he would have gotten life in prison or some bullshit like that."
Sanzoku nodded his head.
How do you feel about it though? Does it feel like its finished? That it's over?
Naruto sighed and turned a corner, aiming straight for the academy. He could see the small arch announcing its presence in the distance.
"It won't be over until he's dead and in the ground or burnt to a crisp. I have a bad feeling about all this. He should be killed immediately, not made a public spectacle. Sure, a public execution looks better, but there are too many things that could go wrong."
Such as?
"His little flunkies could break out and save him. He might have other allies who would come to his rescue. He might somehow overpower the seals put on him by Jiraiya. There's lots of shit that could happen."
Sanzoku puffed himself up and smacked Naruto with his tail.
You're being pessimistic and worrying over nothing. Konoha has agreed to execute him and Tsunade seems like the kind of person who would go through with it no matter how unpopular a decision it is.
Naruto smiled as they walked through the arch and into the schoolyard.
"I guess you're right. We won't be around to see the execution anyway. They usually have at least a one-month reprieve to allow the condemened to sweat it out. Mental torture at its worst, but it's no less than what he deserves. Let's see what Iruka's up to."
As Naruto wandered down the halls of the school, his memories of the place flooded back to him. They weren't very pleasant, but he did have some fond ones. Ditching class with the guys, torturing poor Iruka on a daily basis, skipping class to paint the monument…yeah, he had some fond memories. He found his old classroom and heard Iruka giving a lecture on the other side.
He hated to crash the man's class but the kids could probably use the distraction. He smiled wistfully as he thought of his students back home. They probably missed him by now. Most teachers didn't teach like he did after all.
He slid the door open and Iruka froze immediately upon hearing the sound, years of being a ninja sharpening his senses. Unless it was an emergency that door shouldn't be opened…he turned, expecting the worst, and blinked when he saw…
"Naruto? What are you doing here?"
Naruto grinned and stepped inside.
"Just came to see how you're doing, sensei. Are you still giving those boring lectures? I thought we discussed this back in Suna."
Iruka grinned back, but caught one of his students waving his hand frantically out of the corner of his eye.
"Iruka-sensei! Is that really Namikaze-sama?"
Naruto frowned and Iruka winced. He knew Naruto hated to be called Namikaze, as it left him feeling very bitter toward Konoha. Naruto's frown was swept away immediately and he grinned at the cadet. Can't help it that the child is ignorant of those facts after all.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, not Namikaze. You've been misinformed, young man. I'm a chuunin teacher in Sunagakure so the 'sama' isn't needed either. You can just call me Naruto-san, ok?"
The boy cocked his head to the side in confusion. He seemed to speak for the whole class.
"But I thought your name was Namikaze. My dad says that your dad was the Yondaime Hokage, so that would make you a Namikaze, right?"
Naruto's smile slipped a little.
"My name is a touchy subject, boy. I'd just suggest you do as I say and call me Naruto-san, alright?"
The boy nodded and Naruto smiled at the kids again.
"So, what has Iruka been teaching you all? Boring history and theory no doubt."
Iruka coughed into his hand and sent a mock glare at Naruto, who just shrugged him off.
"I'll have you know that those are vital parts of a ninjas development. Not all of us can be powerhouses like you, Naruto. Just because you're on par with most Kage doesn't mean the rest of us are."
The kids' eyes went wide and demands permeated the air.
How powerful are you? What can you do? Show us a move!
Naruto put his hands on his hips and gave them all a hard glare.
"Be still."
The kids were immediately quiet and Iruka gave him an appraising look. There weren't many who could command such a presence or respect from the children. Perhaps he should look into some of Naruto's teaching practices.
Naruto looked around the class slowly, locking eyes with each student.
"You should all respect your sensei better. Iruka is a good teacher. He taught me after all and look where I am today. Don't speak out of turn and don't disrespect your sensei."
"Naruto, you did plenty of that when you were a student of mine."
The blonde groaned in exasperation, causing the kids to giggle as he turned to Iruka.
"Man, now look what you did. I had them ready to kiss your ass for eternity and you had to go and ruin it."
Iruka waved off his former student's glare and the two smiled at each other before Naruto turned back to the class.
"Now, raise your hand and I'll call on you to ask a question. You first."
Iruka watched as Naruto mystified the class with his answers.
'Yep, definitely going to have to take up some of his teaching style.'
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Temari had just come out of the clothes shop with a…surprise…for Naruto, when she found herself surrounded by four girls of varying hair color. The blonde sighed and closed her eyes.
"Alright, what do you want?"
Ino grinned and flipped her ponytail back over her shoulder.
"Why Temari, I'm hurt that you would think we would want anything from you. We just happened to be walking by and saw you and thought we'd have a friendly chat. Just a friendly little chat."
Temari snorted and shifted her bags to a more comfortable position. She knew where this was headed.
"I'm sure. If you'll excuse me, I need to go put these bags away."
Sakura smiled and held her hand out.
"We're free the rest of the day. Let us help you carry them. Hinata invited us back to her house for tea anyway."
Temari cringed on the inside but nodded her head, silently swearing to kill Hinata when the chance presented itself. She knew somehow that this was the quiet girl's fault. TenTen tapped her on the shoulder and she turned to the girl with a blank stare.
"Temari, how are things between you and Naruto? Are they hard or is it all easygoing?"
Sakura and Ino giggled until Temari threw them a glare. She was not having fun at the moment. Hinata saw her uneasiness and cleared her throat.
"Maybe Temari would like to just be alone. She and Naruto don't have much alone time in Suna I believe."
Temari threw the girl an appreciative look until the other three shook their heads.
"Nonsense. They have plenty of time while they're here. Besides, Temari needs to spend a little more time amongst us girls. She's always coming and going, she never has time to relax."
"Actually, I was planning on going to the hotsprings with Naruto this evening."
She rolled her eyes when the four girls sighed dreamily. Sakura clasped her hands together.
"That sounds so romantic. I wish I could have a guy sweep me off my feet like that."
They didn't catch Temari's smirk.
'You could have if you'd just opened your eyes, dumbass.'
Ino snapped her fingers and began to push Temari forward.
"I have a great idea! Let's go to the spa and have a girl's day. You said you're meeting Naruto this evening, correct? Come on, we have so many things to ask you…I mean, share with you."
Temari sighed and let herself be dragged along. At least she would get a free spa treatment out of the deal. She couldn't remember the last time she'd pampered herself.
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Temari leaned back against the wall of the sauna with her eyes closed. All in all, it hadn't been a bad evening. She had a couple hours before she was supposed to meet Naruto and the girls hadn't grilled her too bad. She cracked an eye open slowly and cursed herself when the eyes of all four girls met her's. Sakura sidled up alongside her and propped her feet up on a stool.
"So, Temari…how is it having Naruto as a boyfriend?"
"It's good. He treats me like a princess most of the time. I have to remind him that I'm not royalty."
Ino rested her elbows on her knees and cupped her chin in her hands.
"How's the sex?"
Temari spluttered and stared wide-eyed at the girl while the other three glared. TenTen smacked the girl in the head, making Ino glare at her.
"Ino! You didn't have to be so abrupt about it!"
"What? I wanna know! It's not a hard question."
She turned back to Temari with a grin.
"Well?"
The other three, having had the question on their minds, leaned forward as Temari groaned in defeat. At least it was girl-talk. If any of them ever told anyone…she'd chop them into such little pieces that no one would ever find them.
"Ok, fine. It's great, ok? It's awesome."
Ino squealed in delight and plopped down in front of her on a stool.
"Details, details! How big is he?"
Temari jerked her head back and crossed her arms under her bosom.
"I'm not telling you that!"
TenTen gave her a pouting face and poked her bottom lip out.
"Aw, come on, pretty please? We'll keep it a secret, we swear. Wait, he's not…tiny, is he?"
Temari scoffed in indignation.
"No, he is not tiny. He's…perfect for me."
Sakura grinned, seeing a little prodding was needed.
"So he's tiny."
"He's eight inches, ok! You happy now?"
TenTen and Ino whistled appreciatively while Sakura giggled. Hinata just poked her fingers together and blushed, thinking about what it might have been like if she and Naruto had gotten together. Temari huffed and sat back against the wall.
"Anything else you'd like to know?"
TenTen grinned slyly and slowly brought her head around to face Temari.
"Yeah. Ever tried anything kinky? Like roleplay?"
Temari blanched. She didn't like where this conversation was turning.
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Naruto yawned as he and a frazzled Sanzoku left the classroom, waving goodbye to Iruka. He scratched the poor red panda's ears, trying to comfort him. The kids had been all over him when they discovered he could talk and all the girls insisted on hugging him like a toy. Sanzoku was not pleased but Naruto forbid him from biting or crushing any of the kids.
He had stayed to talk to Iruka after class and had enjoyed himself immensely. Sanzoku had lounged on the desk, trying to rest up from his day of being fondled. He didn't even put up any resistance when Naruto lifted him from the desk and draped him around his neck like a scarf.
Naruto had swung back by his parents' house to get his robe and a towel; totally perplexed by the appraising and coy look Hinata gave him. He chalked it up to a weird girl thing. He certainly got enough weird looks from the girls in Suna.
He smiled at the receptionist and paid his way in, asking if she'd seen Temari. The girl informed him that she was down the hall and to the left and that she had hired out one of their private baths for their use. Naruto thanked her and went on his way. Sanzoku hopped down and curled up on the bench outside the door, saying he would keep watch. Naruto knew he was just going to take a nap.
He stepped inside the bath and was met by Temari standing at the edge wearing a long robe. He smiled at her and she gave him a smirk as she undid the sash on her robe, flinging it open. His jaws dropped when he saw what she was wearing.
Temari thanked TenTen silently as Naruto looked her up and down. The girl had forced her to go back to the shop and but something a little more…risqué than the nightgown she'd bought. She let the robe drop and turned around, bending over and looking over her shoulder with a mischievious glint in her eye.
"Oh doctor, I need some help taking my temperature and not just any thermometer will do."
Naruto grinned and kicked the door shut behind him as he began to shed his own clothing. Tonight was promising to be very fun. He waggled his eyebrows and whistled.
"Well, helloooooo Nurse!"
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Tsunade waved the guards aside as she and Jiraiya, followed by the entire council made their way to Sasuke's cell. They found him chained to the wall, his shirt in tatters, his head hung low. He looked up when they saw him enter and he chuckled.
"So, come to free me, eh? I told you, Hokage-sama, your council couldn't waste my talents or my birthright."
They all remained silent as he stood to his feet and shook his head.
"Tell Ibiki that he's getting old as well. It felt like someone's grandmother was trying to work me over instead of an interrogator."
Tsunade smirked, making a mental note to tell Ibiki what was said. The man had a month to work after all.
"I'll pass that along to him. But we're not here to release you. We're here to tell you what your sentence will be."
Sasuke's smirk died down slightly.
"What then? Community service? A slap on the wrist? Or confine me to my clan house for a few months before putting me back on light duty missions?"
Tsunade snorted. She was going to enjoy his shock immensely.
"Your sentence is death. In one month, we will publicly execute you by beheading."
He stood still for a moment before snarling and lurching against the chains.
"You can't do this! I'm an Uchiha, one of the last! You can't kill me! The Uchiha can't die!"
Tsunade rushed forward, planting her fist in the boy's stomach. He spit out blood and fell to his knees. Tsunade caught him on the way down and whispered in his ear.
"We warned you in Suna that things had changed here. Your name means nothing now. Your blood means nothing. Your eyes mean nothing. You betrayed us all for paltry power and now you'll know the price of betrayal. You have one month to think on your sins and try to find some peace with the Kami."
She rose from her kneeling position and walked past the council. They turned one by one and followed her back out. Sasuke finally found his voice and screamed after them.
"You can't do this! I haven't killed Itachi yet! My vengeance is not complete!"
Jiraiya stopped at the door, his one hand resting on the frame. He turned back to look at Sasuke, who still had fire burning in his eyes.
"Now you know how it is to be at the mercy of someone on a whim. I believe you told my student one time that you spared him on a whim and that you would take his life on a whim. His life meant nothing to you. Know now how worthless your life is to the rest of us."
Jiraiya walked out the door without a glance back. If he had, he would have seen the maniacal glint in Sasuke's eyes.
'They'll come for me. Someone will come for me. My vengeance is not complete. I cannot die until he is gone from this world!'
The guards shivered when they heard the insane laughter coming from the cell. What kind of man could laugh when he'd been told he was going to die?
Ta Da! Just on a note, Naruto had to be diplomatic while in Konoha to a certain extent. He's mellowed out a lot from being a teacher and knows that he has to look good for Sunagakure. Don't want to make your boss look bad. Look for more insanity next chapter. Let me know what you think.