As promised, Sakura never told anyone the full details of her trip. The team she rescued never saw Fox or Raven thanks to their quick thinking. Sakura only told Tsunade all the details of her trip, including the fact that they both seemed so familiar. Tsunade had been thinking the same thing when she first saw them that day in her office. The two puzzled over their identities for hours, without result.
Tsunade opens the door in front of her and is greeted soft music and laughing voices. The lighting in the building is neither too dim, nor too bright. Food and drinks are plentiful, so Tsunade decides to help herself to a bottle of saké. Not that she doesn't have her own, but free saké is free saké.
The party is in full swing. The music weaves itself through the gathered crowd as easily as wind flows through a prairie. The bass is up and the beat is exciting. It wasn't Tsunade's idea, but now on the anniversary of his death, a party is held to remember their blonde hero.
Tsunade looks down at the saucer before she pours some saké, and swirls it around slightly. Once again the person she gifted her necklace to is dead. The necklace itself may have been destroyed, but apparently its curse didn't disappear with it. Depression nags at her constantly, but she pushes it back down. Naruto wanted to be the Hokage, so until the day she retires she will put up with the insane amount of paperwork that comes with it.
Tsunade's eyes rise from the clear liquid in her hand and looks around the large room. Thanks to the three years spent with Jiraya and the ability to easily make friends, the blonde had contacts in every nation. Some of them are so high ranking that they have personal guards, while others travel in small groups for the protection that comes with numbers. Every Kage is present, and most of the ninja of the Hidden Leaf is there to show their respect for the unpredictable blonde knucklehead.
Although the music is upbeat and entertaining, there are very few smiles. This is a day in remembrance of Uzumaki Naruto, whom she and Gaara were hard-pressed to announce dead exactly five years ago. Tsunade tips back the saucer and swallows the harsh liquid in one gulp. She winces slightly but the taste doesn't stop her from refilling it. She gazes into the clear depths of the liquid once more until a conversation catches her attention.
"Do you ever wonder who Tsunade-sama's shadows are?"
"If Naruto were still alive, I would be willing to bet that he would be one of them. Especially considering how much he learned from Jiraya-sama."
Silence dominates the conversation for a moment.
"I must admit, I don't think I could see Naruto in a position like that one. With all that bright orange, any ninja would be able to see him from a mile away. Besides, none of the sannin were shadows. Although, I must also admit he was our most valuable asset during the war. I'd be willing to bet the Uchiha kid would be a likelier candidate than Naruto was."
A new, more familiar, voice joins the conversation as Sasuke himself butts in. Tsunade turns to see what Sasuke's reaction will be.
"The dobe was better at hiding than he let on. Don't ever underestimate him, because that's why he always seemed so unpredictable."
Sasuke walks away from the low ranked ninja and melts into the crowd. The two men shiver before they retreat into a different section of the party. Tsunade feels tears well in her eyes but she blinks them away. She and Sakura had been wondering about her guards as well. Would the gaki have been one? She tips back the saucer once more before she places it on a table and sits in one of the uncomfortable chairs.
She is curious about her ex-guards as well. Who were they? Sakura's descriptions of them brought more questions than answers. She looks around the room at the people assembled. Are they in this room right now? She closes her eyes and rubs her forehead with her fingers.
When she took up the position of Hokage, she had trouble finding suitable ways to fix certain issues so she set them aside to puzzle over later. When she walked in the next day there was a hand written list of suggestions that included reasons why each suggestion was given. She had been ecstatic and since the very first day, she set documents aside so that her mysterious benefactor could give advice. The advice was always well thought out and somehow managed to satisfy all the parties involved. For the last fourteen months, her benefactor hasn't been active. Does this mean that her ex-shadows were somehow connected with this?
A loud bang draws every guests attention to the main entry. A man is standing in the open doorway with a sadistic grin on his face. "I hear that there is a party for the demon brat, so I thought I would drop by to give my thanks that he's finally out of my hair." More than one outraged comment is directed at the man because of his rude statement. Tsunde makes her way to the door and sees the other Kage flank her sides with her peripheral vision.
"Would you care to repeat that statement?" She asks.
The man smirks. "Sure." Other ninja in similar clothing to his jump into the room through the windows. They simultaneously weave through several hand signs, and before anyone can stop him, every person in the room falls to their knees at the weight that is now dragging them down. "This is my own jutsu. I call it weight multiplication. It makes your body feel four times as heavy." The man smirks. Every one of the room's occupants glare at the man as they struggle to fight the strange technique. Tsunade sends chakra to her muscles for the strength she is famed for, but even then she is only just able to remain standing. She looks out the corners of her eyes to see the other Kage having similar problems.
"Now, now. I wouldn't want any of you to leave the party early. Tsunade here is my guest of honor after all, and I wouldn't want you to miss her last party." The man takes out a senbon needle and holds it delicately. Tsunade doesn't miss the subtle hint in his threat. She knows he intends to kill her. He looks down his nose at the blonde Hokage. "It was nice meeting you." He says with a smirk, and lets the needle fly.
Tsunade closes her eyes in acceptance. The people that she was closest to are gone, so she prepares herself to meet them. The sound of metal on metal catches her attention. "My lady, one such as yourself should not give in so easily to a single jutsu. Just because it's s-ranked, doesn't give you any sort of reason to give up without a fight." The familiar voice shockes Tsunade, causing her eyes open to quickly.
Golden hair cascades down a slim back and ends at the woman's waist. Tsunade tries to reach out and touch it, but the jutsu is still in place, keeping her hand where it is. The young woman turns her head slightly to reveal her raven shaped ANBU mask. The girl is still wearing her standard ANBU gear and is holding two fans it a defensive position between Tsunade and the intruder. The light bounces off the fans, revealing the fact that they are actually made of sharpened metal, rather than delicate silk as she first thought. Sakura's descriptions of the blonde's blades were perfect.
A deep chuckle draws Tsunade's eyes away from the girl to the fox masked male standing behind the intruder with a kunai pressed firmly to his throat. The man is also still in his gear. "I win this round." Says the woman to Fox in the voice that Tsunade finds so familiar.
"I don't think so." Answers Fox. "I got the enemy."
The intruder snarls. "Who the hell are you two?" He demands.
Raven shrugs her shoulders. "We're the ones about to throw your ass out of the party and into a jail cell." She replies.
The intruder barks out a laugh. "And my grandmother is really a man named Doug." He replies sarcastically.
The blonde giggles with mock delight. "That's perfect! Hey Fox, we should name our first daughter Doug in honor of this guy!"
"No." Says Fox determinedly, without missing a beat.
The blond sags. "Spoilsport." She mutters.
Tsunade hears her and the smallest smile tugs at the corners of her mouth.
"Making fun of me? I'll kill you!" Shouts the man kicking backward with incredible speed. Fox releases the man to dodge the blow. The intruder regains his balance faster than Fox does and attacks Raven.
Tsunade watches silently as Fox jumps in front of Raven and counterattacks. The two of them exchange blows, and the man seems unable to land a hit on Fox. "Stop toying around." He says angrily, after realizing that Fox isn't going all out.
Raven looks at her relaxed partner. "If he wants you to go all out then that's his problem, just remember that we need him alive so ANBU can question him." She tells Fox.
Fox drops into ready position with new deadly grace. The man seems to realize his mistake, because his eyes widen with easily distinguishable fear. The mans hands blur as he begins to weave through signs for a jutsu. He is quickly forced to stop when Fox appears in front of him in a miniature cyclone of ravens. "You lose." Mutters Raven before Fox uses the back of a kunai to knock him out.
His body lands on the floor in an undignified heap. Fox seems to become a blur, and other 'thunks' are heard around the room as the other intruders bodies make contact with the floor. When he appears again and puts his hand on Raven's arm in an intimate and protective way.
The jutsu holding the guests is released. Tsunade and the other guests stand. The guards surround their kage and two ANBU take the leader intruder away. Raven and Fox talk quietly off to the side. Tsunade notices Fox's hair for the first time. His dark hair is pulled into a low ponytail at the base of his skull. A thrill of familiarity runs through Tsunade. She looks closely at the two. She can almost taste their names, but the masks hide just enough for her to not be sure.
"Who are you?" She demands quietly. She wants their identities now. The party has already tested her emotional state. This new development is nothing more than an annoyance. The scattered whispers around the room stop and all attention is turned to the two.
The blonde bows. "We're just two loyal Konoha shinobi." She says.
Tsunade hears several sounds of disbelief come from around the room. She grows suspicious. "I know every ninja in this village and you two don't fit any of the descriptions of those ninja."
The blonde shakes her head and the raven haired man answers. "That's because we are listed as deceased in the archives you possess." He tells them.
"I already know that." Spits Tsunade impatiently. "It's impossible. I have a very trustworthy ninja working in the morgue. There is a very little chance that he would make a mistake such as that."
The blonde rubs the back of her head. "There are many different ways to use a shadow clone. I toyed around with the technique for a while until I found a way to keep a clone even after it died. It's not something that should be used more than one time tops, or the caster risks mental decomposition because of the backlash that comes with it."
"What kind of backlash?" Asks Sakura, who appears next to Tsunade.
The blonde shrugs. "The casters body thinks it is dead so it all comes down to mind over matter. The caster has to make their body realize that it is still alive, otherwise they die of organ failure."
Sasuke pushes his way through the crowd to stand in front of the duo. "So both of you have died, but are not dead?" He asks cautiously.
The blonde nods her head. "That's right." She tells him.
Tsunade rubs her forehead. Confusion, anger, hope, and sadness all make themselves known to her. "We should go to my office to discuss this further." She says. "You other Kage are welcome to come, and I want Sakura to join us." She tells them.
Raven clears her throat. "If you don't mind, I would also like to invite Uchiha Sasuke and Nara Shikamaru."
Tsunade spares a glance at the two of them. Shikamaru still looks bored, and Sasuke looks surprised underneath his emotionless mask. "Very well." She agrees.
As soon as they arrive in the office Sasuke activates his sharingan and whirls around to look at Fox closely. "You remind me of Itachi. The way you move, and the feel of your chakra is too familiar." He accuses
Tsunade shivers with a mixture of excitement and fear. He's right!
"No." Says Fox. Sasuke seems to deflate at the negative answer, and Tsunade furrows her brows. No?
The blonde punches her team-mate on the arm. "It's not nice to lie." She reprimands him. He chuckles before he reaches up and pulls the mask away from his face.
Sasuke pulls in a sharp breath when his brothers face is revealed. Then he rapidly pales. Had his brother made a joke? The blonde sees the younger Uchiha's reaction and snickers. "'Tachi, I think you put teme-chan into shock."
The comment brings Sasuke out of his thoughts. "Who are you?" He asks the girl with a frown. The only one that ever called him 'teme' was Naruto...
The girl shrugs. "I don't want to tell you, but I will say that I do know all of you better than you know me." Sasuke glares at the mask.
From the back of the party Shikamaru sighs. "So troublesome." He mutters.
Sasuke turns and glares at the Nara, but Shikamaru just shrugs it off. "If you don't know by now, then you are ignoring the facts. They've been there since the beginning. If you can't see them for yourself, then you are truly blind."
Sakura stares open mouthed at Fox. She shakes her head. Not Fox. Itachi. She looks at the blonde. Her eyes narrow in anger as the pieces of the puzzle slowly fall into their places. She curls her hand into a fist and lunges at the blonde. Her wrist is quickly caught by Itachi before it can go anywhere near the her. "Raven." Warns Itachi. 'Raven' sighs, but also removes her mask.
Sapphire blue eyes sparkle. "Hiya Sakura-chan." Says the blonde, smiling sadly at her old team mate.
Sakura pulls her hand away from Itachi. Naruto holds her hands up in a peaceful manner. "Relax Sakura, and I can explain." The pink haired girl doesn't listen to her team-mate and lets another punch fly. Naruto frowns and slips an object out of each of her sleeves. She sweeps her arms up revealing her hand fans. She angles them up at Sakura's fist and releases a gentle wind while she dunks down, underneath the fist. The move results in Sakura overextending her arm and crashing into the wall in front of her. Naruto winces at the sound the impact makes.
Naruto offers her hand to her team mate. "Are you alright?" She asks.
Sakura ignores the girl and stands on her own. "Release that stupid perverted justu and fight me." She growls at the blond.
Naruto shakes her head. "It's not a jutsu Sakura. Give me a moment to explain."
The pink haired girl ignores the blonde and attacks her again. Sakura yells at the blonde as she throws chakra-laced punches at her. Naruto is purely on defense, and not one attack hits her. "The Naruto I know wouldn't pretend to be dead. The Naruto I know wouldn't do that to us." Sobs Sakura. The fight continues until she finally collapses to the ground. "He wouldn't."
Naruto bites her lip. "The Naruto you know is only partially real. He is a front I've had to use to hide my true self away."
"What do you mean?" Asks Tsunade.
The younger blonde looks at her grandmother figure. "I'm not supposed to exist. Or rather, no one is supposed to know that I exist. The year I turned seven I already knew all of the academy material. Itachi took me in with the Uchiha's blessing, but was just barely older than I myself was. Sasuke wouldn't remember me because we never came into contact with one another at that time. Itachi had a habit of talking out loud while he studied, and I learned very quickly. We became ANBU together when he turned thirteen. At the time I was eight. By the time I turned ten, we were assigned as the Hokage's shadows. Itachi, as everyone knows, discovered the Uchiha rebellion and was forced by the council to murder them. I was already aware of the situation, and was against it, but the council had our hands tied in the matter. He had to leave, and I was left alone in Konoha and had to take up a false identity for the extra protection it would provide. No one would suspect the dead last to be the Hokage's shadow. The Third knew my identity, and wanted me to live as normally as possible given the circumstances of my childhood. On the day the Old Man died, he ordered me away because he wanted me to help Gaara. After that I went with Ero-sennin to find Baa-chan. You guys should know the basic story after that."
Itachi jumps in now. "We were able to keep in touch using letters. I had to pretend to die in order for Sasuke to join the war while I stayed in the background to get rid of Kabuto. I was, at the time, very sick and it was only by luck that the Kyuubi knew the cure for my ailment. Sasuke found me halfway through my plan and I had to pretend to be under the control of the re-animation jutsu. At the end of the war Naruto and I discovered another organization that could rise up and become a threat. That's when she was confronted by Shikamaru-san."
All eyes turn to Shikamaru. He sighs. "I remembered Naruto hanging out constantly with Itachi when we were young. They used to cut through Nara land to get to the woods. I was also aware of Naruto's true gender. When she started using a disguise I figured there was a reason so I kept it to myself. I confronted her that day because I had a feeling something big was going to happen. Whenever something happens Naruto always seems to be involved. Sakura confronted us about the conversation, and Naruto acted upon it. It was no surprise to me that she decided to leave that day. Nor do I blame her for that decision. I've always known that Naruto has loved Itachi, and to have her own best friend turn her away because of who she loved must have been devastating. It was the perfect reason to leave. Sakura knew and rejected them without a moment of hesitation, so Naruto must have been partially afraid that the rest of us would do the same. After all, Naruto's friends are her only living family."
Tsunade looks away from the lazy genius to her pink-haired apprentice. "I want the whole story from that night. Now."
=D =D =D =D =D =D =D
Here it is, exactly as promised. All the reviews have been awesome, so I hope this chapter can keep the ball rolling in the same direction.
I'll update again in two weeks!