Author's Notes
Phew! That last one was kinda long (~18 pages - and this one is ~16!). I'm thinking I like the longer chapters though – please let me know if you prefer the shorter ones. I'll try the long-ish ones for a couple more times. The main disadvantages being longer times between updates (since it takes much longer to write and edit especially), but I find it allows for a more complete "chapter" as opposed to small snippets and scenes. I suppose I write the kinds of stories I prefer to read.
Chapter 3: Unleash the Rage
Naruto watched with a grim satisfaction. Evidently, seven years really was a long time. Gone were the traces of the fan girl along with any mock anger. Only a supreme urgency regarding the situation at hand. Sakura didn't bother wasting any time or even acknowledging Naruto's presence. For the first ten minutes, there was a singular focus on Shikamaru's condition.
"That Iwa nin slashed his throat with a kunai." Naruto stated, but it wasn't necessary. He figured a medical ninja like herself would be more than capable of figuring it out herself.
Finally, after the rough patchwork was complete, she faced Naruto. He saw the whirl of emotions in her eyes and braced himself for an almost nostalgic beating. But instead, all he heard was "Help me carry him to the hospital."
Not that he missed her. Certainly not. It was better this way. He had moved on, and evidently so had she. How uncharacteristically professional, he thought dryly. Well and good for the both of them. Naruto picked up the man's body and stood up. The situation was just getting worse and worse. The hospital was right next to the Hokage's tower, and given Sakura, she wouldn't let him escape easily. If he tried to leave now, it would become infinitely more difficult for him to get close to Kakashi.
There was another thing that bothered him. If he and Konosuke were given the same target, what are the odds that Tatsuro did, too? Fairly high, he assumed. That bugger really bothered him. Something was off-putting about his character, his past, and his connections to the current Tsuchikage and Tomb operations directors. It may very well have been a plan to get the three contenders to eliminate each other, with only the strongest emerging for the title. If that were the case, it would only be a matter of time before Naruto would have to kill another Iwa nin.
Unless Konosuke was in on the entire operation. Naruto pushed the pit in his stomach down. This whole thing stank to high hell. Someone was making a power grab. And he was hundreds of kilometers away from... from home.
The two had been silent for the entire run. When the hospital became visible once more, Sakura sighed audibly. The tension was relieved: Shikamaru was still alive, albeit barely, and they were now in easy access to advance equipment. In all likelihood, he'd be perfectly fine after a couple weeks of rest. And, it was for these exact reasons that Naruto became nervous. He now had an expiration date: whenever the Jounin woke up, his cover would be ruined. The deep wounds would probably put him in a deep coma, couple weeks long.
Stopping in front of the door, he handed the body to three doctors. Turning around, he met six pairs of eyes. This was certainly not what he expected. The Godaime Hokage, Jiraiya, Ino Yamanaka, Chouji Akamichi, Sakura Haruno, and his target: Hatake Kakashi. His right arm tensed as he thought about for half a second. Two hiraishin jutsus, that's all it took: one to kill Hatake, and another to escape. His fingers wrapped around the special, seal-marked kunai as he prepared to seize his opportunity.
"Naruto?"
He froze. How could he forget that voice? Tsunade. He needed to initiate a cover story immediately. He had three weeks before anyone could deny it, and by that time he'd be long gone. He smiled widely. "Baa-chan."
It was as if some benevolent kami had set the world right. Her Naruto was back. How she'd dreamt of those words for weeks – almost the point of hearing it sometimes. Yearned for that stupid grin again. And to see him wearing her necklace still after all this time... It was too good to be true. Her body moved on its own. She had planned for some faux brawl that ended with some name calling and perhaps some close to the line insults, but there would be time for that later. She needed this. And she knew he needed this.
She wrapped him in a tight hug quite unbefitting of a Hokage.
"Naruto." It was the barest of whispers. Several seconds later, she felt the hug return with full force.
She broke the hug finally, wiping the barest of tears from her eyes. Her eyes eagerly took in his image. "Seven years. Seven years. You're, what, twenty now?"
"Nineteen." Naruto replied quietly. "Birthday is in a couple months." He smiled, embarrassed.
It all happened quite suddenly. Tsunade's fist was concentrated with a large amount of chakra. She was crouching, aiming her fist at the ground. For Naruto, it seemed like slow motion – his mind, racing ahead of his body, knew what was coming. He had an eighth of a second before it reached him. In a fluid motion, Naruto quickly moved three paces to the left, dodging the groundbreaking attack that left a deep ravine in the ground.
'His speed… like the Fourth.' It seemed to be the general thought the crowd shared. If Tsunade was surprised, she certainly didn't let it show. Instead, she appeared to be quite content with continuing her rampage. "No contact. No messages. No idea where you were for seven years. And now, without warning, you just show up?" Another chakra-powered punch. Naruto used a Shunshin jutsuto avoid it. He couldn't afford to display many of his abilities now, but Tsunade seemed unrelenting. A single punch and it would all be over. "So?" She paused. "You're just going to stand there?"
Naruto replied with cheek. "You're grown even older and slower, Baa-chan." He grinned.
Another chakra filled punch, but as soon as he dodged, she brought down her foot, anticipating where he'd run. He had no other choice; a golden flash appeared, and Naruto vanished, reappearing right behind the Hokage. To her credit, she chuckled. "So I have. It's good to have you back, you little brat. Come – let's go to my office; no doubt we have much to discuss."
It was a rather awkward departure, as Ino and Chouji were dropped off at Shikamaru's room while Sakura, after quickly reporting the procedures she had performed along with filling out the incident report tailed along with Jiraiya, Tsunade and Kakashi. If Naruto was worried about awkward silences, he soon found out he didn't have to be.
Tsunade and Jiraiya were filling him in on all the exciting recent developments – such as new hot springs (to which Jiraiya received a prompt fist to the face) and more appropriately, new shinobi procedures that had been instituted. Tsunade had been busy reevaluating and reshaping the medic ninja program that the Sandaime had famously denied her out of practicality; channeling Naruto's essence and stubbornness, she decided to make it happen anyway.
Jiraiya for his part had been working on a new book series, though Naruto suspected he'd been doing more than just that. Regardless, his new... research kept him coming back to Konoha more often than before. Kakashi, on the other hand, resumed ANBU duties for clandestine missions.
Sakura alone was entirely silent.
"I like the new hairstyle, Sakura-chan." Naruto smiled.
She stopped in her tracks and stared into his eyes meaningfully.
Expecting her to say something, Naruto waited, but after about thirty seconds, she simply shook her head and continued walking. Shrugging, they continued on their way to the Hokage's office.
…
"Ah, the sweet smell of paperwork," Tsunade began as she opened the door to her incredibly messy office. But as soon as she closed the door, Naruto could feel the atmosphere change, and he knew it wasn't just because a silencing seal had been activated.
"Start talking." Tsunade said in a not-so-sweet demeanor.
"Tsunade's been worried senseless. For the past seven years, every day, all she's done is think of you." Jiraiya paused to take a look at Naruto's face. It had changed more than he expected. "She loved you like a son."
Naruto nearly snorted, but had the senses to silence his objection.
"Where did you go when you escaped from the hospital?"
"I wandered around, for about two years. I couldn't decide where I wanted to go. I roamed through Mist country, Sound country, Grass country. Just picking up odd missions, doing anything to stay alive. I met various shinobi, picked up some jutsus here and there. I even thought about visiting Inari and his family again."
"The Great Naruto Bridge." Kakashi filled in, for those who were unfamiliar.
"But it didn't seem to make much sense. So I moved on. Eventually, I settled down in Iwagakure."
Everyone was noticeably concerned at this statement. Naruto himself thought about lying, but there was no point. Tsunade was a fantastic medical ninja, and she could easily analyze a variety of samples – hair, clothing, dirt – all of which would confirm all his activities, from sleeping, the soils he walked on, even where he took a dump. No, he'd have to cut it close if he wanted to make his story sellable. He'd tweak small details.
"I was never indoctrinated as a ninja there. But they were more than pleased to have me. After all, I'm the one who killed the Yondaime – indirectly, at least." He added.
Silence greeted him.
"The village loves me. They worship the ground I walk on. But more importantly, they see me for me. Even still, I never became a ninja there. This whole system." He looked around, gesturing vaguely around him. "I fucking hate it. War, pain. Heroes on one side, enemies on the other. The cycle is endless. Anyways. I stayed there for about five years. During that time, they trained me. I completed assignments for them, and in exchange they provided me with housing, food, and training. The agreement was fairly clear: I was free to go and come as I pleased, to pick the assignments I wanted, and negotiate the terms of my stay freely."
"Why'd you go?" It was Sakura. "How could you just… leave?" Her fists were trembling.
"I told you. I hate Konoha. I hate the shinobi system we've devised. I despised the civilians, and they loathed me. It seemed stupid to stay."
"What about Sasuke?" She stood up.
Naruto, still sitting, looked up, nonchalantly. "Oh, is he still alive?"
"You… You aren't Naruto." She left, slamming the door behind her.
"We tried to brief Sakura on the probability of your death, you know." Kakashi gave Naruto a hard look. "She never gave up on you. Refused to accept your death."
"Guilt does funny things to people. Her precious Sasuke-kun tore a hole in my chest the size of a grapefruit. She's surprised that I don't care for him?" Naruto spat. "I see she hasn't shed her obsession yet."
Kakashi shook his head. "You mistake her. She asks about Sasuke because she knew how much he meant to you. She yearns for the Naruto that was unrelenting in his drive to be Hokage. The Naruto that she knows still exists."
"Hmph. Well, I hate to break it to you, but that boy's been dead for seven years."
Kakashi, strangely enough, smiled at this. "We've all been under the assumption you've been dead. Yet here you are, alive and well. You really think we're going to give up on you so easily?" Naruto had nothing to say to this, so he chose to remain quiet. "So why'd you come back?" Kakashi asked after a long silence.
"I grew weary of the same place. I actually completed another tour – came through Kiri, visited Suna, and thought I'd stop by, just to check things out. That was when I saw an Iwa nin I recognized chasing Shikamaru. I was curious, so I followed. Sakura can tell you the rest just as easily. It was pure caprice, really. Nothing but sheer luck."
"What do you know about Akatsuki? Jiraiya jumped in.
"Enough to know they're a threat."
Jiraiya's eyes widened. "You've been killing them off. It all makes sense. The constant travels, going around – you just said you visited Suna not too long ago. Orochimaru was there. And Kiri before that. I'm right, aren't I?"
Naruto shrugged.
After the small silence, Jiraiya continued. "They have all but three of the bijuus now. You, Killer B, and an Iwa nin called Roushi."
Naruto chuckled. "Your spy network is really pathetic in Iwa, isn't it?"
Jiraiya wasn't pleased. "Perhaps... Why?"
"Roushi-sensei was killed years ago... They gutted him like a fish. And for that, I will do the same to each one of them."
A larger silence took hold after that.
Despite the news that Akatsuki was only 2 bijuu away from their ultimate goal, Jiraiya was pleased. He was seeing bits and pieces of the old Naruto, still buried deep inside. He was sure the others were seeing it, too. No sooner had he thought this when Tsunade picked up on it.
"Come back home, Naruto." Tsunade began. "We miss you. We can take down the rest of those Akatsuki fuckers, and you can be safe."
Naruto looked around. Two Sannin and Kakashi. Tsunade may have already requested ANBU backup. As if on cue, four ANBU members arrived in the background, hiding in the trees. It may be cutting it close. He had yet to master elemental manipulation, and was still a little worn out from his fight with Konosuke. The Akatsuki kills took months of preparation, research, and investigation into their specific techniques. Naruto ensured that in each combat he had the upper hand.
Here the situation was reversed. The enemy knew a fair amount about it. He was outnumbered. And, if he tried to escape now, it would make assassinating Kakashi fairly difficult in the future. That is, unless he managed to just kill the man now and flee. Reorienting the objectives made the mission fairly easier.
"No thanks. I'm doing just fine by myself."
Tsunade pretended she didn't hear him. "Furthermore, we have a couple things to offer you. Like your inheritance."
Naruto's brows narrowed. "You know who my parents were?"
Jiraiya jumped in now. "And training. You don't have access to many of the techniques that you'd be naturally compatible with. Like elemental manipulation."
Naruto's eyes widened, and Jiraiya caught it.
"You're a wind user, aren't you?" He had Naruto's full attention. "Just like your father. Is that why you went to Suna? Get an increased understanding of elemental manipulation? They can't help you. They specialize in long-range tactics. That's not what you need. You're a close combat fighter."
Naruto stood silent, simply absorbing all the information that whizzed by him. They knew of his parents – knew them intimately, possibly. They knew his elemental affinity, and they claimed they could help him train. And they had his inheritance. Naruto was tempted to just ignore it. After all, it was just another part of his past that he claimed to disregard. Was it even worth taking it? But his curiosity piqued at that moment. Some of the questions he was searching for his entire life lay right in front of him. And in return, he just had to temporarily ally himself with Konoha.
It would be easy. Stay with them for a month or two. Reclaim his inheritance. Find out about his parents. Get stronger, and leave, after assassinating Kakashi, of course.
"Naruto?" Tsunade brought him back to reality.
"Two months. That's it."
…
The three were silent for sometime after Naruto left.
"Not a ninja... What a load of bullshit. He's special ops for Iwa, isn't he?" Tsunade shattered the tea cup.
Kakashi nodded. "They used to have a program called Tomb – a secretive, underground dirty work squad not unlike Ne here. That'd be my best guess."
"They'd get along with Danzou just fine, I'd bet." Jiraiya grumbled.
"What do you want to do with him?" Kakashi asked.
"Fuck what the little bastard says. He's here on a mission. And I'll bet anything he's here to assassinate someone." She saw the smirk in Jiraiya's look, but the man held back the unspoken statement. Tsunade-hime, knowing your luck with betting, he's not here to kill anyone at all. She preferred it that way. She truly, truly hoped she was wrong this time. But then again, knowing her luck... "We need to find out what that is. Under no circumstances are we to let on that we know he's lying. Lay low, act normal." He may almost be her long-lost son, but she'd be damned if she was going to let him kill a Konoha citizen.
Jiraiya nodded. "I'm going to Iwa for the next month; let me see what I can dig up on our orange-loving ninja."
Tsunade nodded. "His objective places him here for the next two months..." Tsunade thought about it for some time before coming to an evil conclusion. She grinned. "We'll get him to stay for sure."
…
"You okay?" Ino approached Sauka.
"I hate him. I hate him, Ino. Fuck that bastard." A single tear fell from Sakura's cheek. She refused to give her former teammate the satisfaction of knowing she had been crying. She refused to expend anymore energy on the asshole. No, she'd ignore him forever. Never again.
The blonde girl hugged her tightly. "No, you don't. But he is a bastard. Come on. Let's go home." A sleepover. A nice, relaxing sleepover before they Jounin exams. That's exactly what they needed. They'd snuggle, they'd cry it out, and Sakura would never again be bothered the arrogant s.o.b.
Ino directed them away from Naruto. Sakura didn't need to see him again. They'd go straight home. As she approached her friend's house, Ino noticed the glaring problem in their plan: Naruto was standing there.
"What are you doing here?" Ino quietly spoke.
"The Hokage has assigned me to live with you." He spoke to Sakura, ignoring Ino's presence entirely.
Sakura seemed shell-shocked.
"What!? Why?"
Naruto ignored the platinum blonde. He had no business with her. "Sakura-chan," he walked towards her. "Are you alright?"
"Answer me, Naruto baka!" Ino raised a fist to him, but before the blow could land, a shadow clone was restraining her with one hand, and holding a kunai to her throat with another.
Naruto, for one, acted like nothing happened and ignored Ino's existance. He didn't even pause in his movements. As he approached her, a single hand lifted Sakura's chin up, wiping away her tear. He looked into her emerald eyes. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan." She quivered, just for a moment, and Naruto internally smiled. 'There's my in.' His new plan? Get Sakura to sympathize with him and spill the beans on everything related to Kakashi. She and Kakashi had been doing two-man missions during the past couple years, and she had the closest assessment of his abilities of anyone in the village. Sakura held the key to the completion of his mission. It was too easy, really.
He'd just fake empathy for a couple weeks. Get close to her. Get the information he needed, and leave her broken. He'd made the decision in four seconds, only because three of those seconds required planning his housing situation. That's when the Hokage intervened.
She actually mandated him to stay with Sakura. He couldn't be trusted on his own, she said. And Sakura's location was monitored by ANBU; not to mention it was close enough to the Hokage's Tower. That made his decision all the more easy.
He spend the fourth second on one word: "Sure." It was a simple decision that just took four seconds; three to think, one to accept. What could go wrong?
SLAP.
Sakura slapped him across the cheek, but not very hard. Certainly not with a chakra filled punch. "What are you doing here, Naruto?" She spoke quietly and quickly; she clearly still cared about him, only confirming Naruto's suspicions.
He ignored her question completely. He needed to weave an empathetic story while he had her attention. "I wanted to tell you, Sakura-chan. I wanted to tell you more than anyone. But, I couldn't. For me to participate in the Iwa training program, they kind of made me swear to secrecy. They put a seal on my tongue. Until I was out of their program, I couldn't say anything. To anyone. God, I wanted to tell you. You most of all."
Ino interrupted once more. "Why are you here, fucker? And let me go!" Naruto's shadow clone gripped her tighter, causing her to breathe difficultly. She didn't have enough air to talk, and he began a chakra tap. With the thumb of the shadow clone pressing into her forearm tightly, he paralyzed her chakra system with the Kyuubi's chakra. Ordinary non-Jinchuuriki found the Kyuubi's chakra poisonous, disabling their own chakra system until the foreign chakra was flushed out. It would be rather annoying if she used some troublesome jutsu.
He continued, as if she never spoke. "I missed you. So, so much. When I left, you were the only thing that kept me wishing I didn't leave. You have to understand it was tough for me. I never wanted to, but…" He hushed his tone more. "Akatsuki is an extremely dangerous group. They won't stop until they kill everyone close to me. I couldn't stay around. I had to get stronger. But more importantly, I had to get away from the ones I loved." The lie came surprisingly easily. It wasn't entirely false. He did think about her. From time to time. But certainly not as often as he made it out to be.
"Why are you here, Naruto?" She asked again, without the slap.
"Baa-chan assigned me to be with you. She said she couldn't officially trust me to be on my own, and your house is close enough to the Hokage's Tower, and is surrounded with ANBU. As the Hokage's apprentice, she said you'd be more than willing. I'm sorry. I know this is tough for you."
She sighed. "Let's go inside."
Naruto left a baffled Ino go. She had never felt so weak, so helpless. Why couldn't she use her chakra? She felt sick, like she needed to vomit. Quietly, she entered Sakura's house.
"Ino-san, do you require an escort to your house?" Naruto asked politely.
Ino didn't understand. "I'm… staying." She was still breathless. For some reason her body was having difficulty breathing properly.
"Ah, I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding. Tsunade-sama has entered me in the Jounin Exams, as Sakura's teammate. We need to spend today and tomorrow strategizing for the exams and working on our teamwork. This, as you can understand, is confidential." He gave an eerie smile.
Ino didn't even have the energy to respond. Nodding, she began to wobble back to her own house. A shadow clone appeared beside her, and they both vanished.
"I only helped her get back to her own house. She seemed rather tired." Naruto responded to Sakura's look of worry.
"You drained her chakra."
Naruto mentally shrugged. She was a medical ninja, after all. It couldn't be helped. "No. Merely injected some of my own."
Sakura was exhausted. This was a mentally draining day. She didn't know what to think of Naruto, and now she was teaming up with him? She'd sleep on it. Her brain couldn't process it all tonight. "Sleep on the couch. Good night."
…
Sakura stared at the back of Naruto's blonde, spiky head. He was nothing like the blonde she used to know. Their strategy session had been quite serious. Informative. Intelligent, even. He was currently cooking dinner. And perhaps most of all, he hadn't been honest with her yet. Not a single word that spewed out of his mouth yesterday had anything even remotely resembling the truth.
"Did you get your inheritance?"
Naruto turned around, smiling slightly. "No, not yet. Ero-Sennin says I will receive it in a month; he's off doing more research."
"You can trust me, you know." She approached him; his arms were still busy holding two pots. She grazed her thumb across one of his whiskers lightly, and he took a deep breath in.
"Sorry, Sakura-chan. That spot is kind of sensitive."
She touched another whisker. Same reaction. "It's all the whiskers, isn't it. I know."
"Know wh-what?" She kept stroking his whiskers on his face. He had the strongest urge to swat her hand away. That was a private spot… after all, it was the Kyuubi's signature.
"The Kyuubi. I know."
Whatever Naruto had been expecting, it certainly wasn't that. Naruto moved away from her, setting the pots on the table. "Who else knows? From… our group." The "our" came out slow and rusty.
"Most everyone in the Rookie 9. Tsunade thought it would be appropriate. We thought you were dead, you know. She wanted to honor you as a hero to Konoha. They – they even put you in the Academy textbooks." She laughed at the last part slightly. "You convinced the Fifth to return, saved many lives."
"If you know about the Kyuubi, then you know why I left Konoha." Naruto returned to cooking; he was almost done.
Sakura shook her head. "I know. I know what the villagers did to you. I understand. But the Naruto I knew was unbelievably determined. He certainly wouldn't have given up because of that. Especially not when people had finally begun to acknowledge him."
Naruto turned around, finally setting the plates on the table. "Don't pretend to understand, Sakura."
She continued, undeterred. "Neji knew first, of course. Knew it from the fight during the Chuunin Exams. When we told him we thought you to be dead, he cried. Said your eyes were better than his, and that you were the one to give him light. Gave one hell of a speech in your honor. And Lee-kun? You were the one to defeat Lee-kun's rival. You beat Neji. He ran Kami knows how many laps around Konoha for you."
Naruto rolled his eyes. The classic you should have stayed speech he'd been expecting. He quietly finished setting up the table and began preparing his meal, placing food on Sakura's plate first.
"You inspired Hinata unlike any other. God, she loved you so much. Constantly nervous around you – couldn't even have to confidence to speak without stuttering. You should see her now. When we told her you died, she changed completely. All because of you. And Konahamaru. Imagine, losing a grandfather and a best friend back to back. He was a mess for weeks. He really loved you as a brother, Naruto."
Naruto finished placing the food on her plate and moved to his own.
"But even ignoring all of that. You still had Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Jiraiya-sama, Tsunade-sama. They care for you like a son. You have no idea how relieved they were – how terrified they were that you had died. And me. You had me, Naruto."
Naruto was getting irritated. This speech was so goddamn long. "So what, Sakura? What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry? That I'll never leave your side?"
Sakura didn't seem bothered by the outburst. "Trust."
"What?"
"I want your trust. The thing about trust, is that it takes years to build, but it can break in an instant. The trust that empowered you when you were here. The trust that made you the best ninja I know. I want it back. And trust starts by reciprocation. So, you are going to start by telling me everything. Not the cock and bull story you concocted last night. I've come up with a neat little lie detector. If you're wondering, I drugged you last night. You're going to answer my questions truthfully."
Naruto mentally face-palmed himself. Tsunade's apprentice! Of course she wouldn't have left a trace. Still, it wasn't all over. Truth serums had their drawbacks. Most lie-detector mechanisms relied on sensing disturbances in perspiration levels, heartbeats, and other usual telltale signs. But to an experienced liar, these wouldn't even take place. He just had to figure out how her technique operated.
"What do you want to know?"
"Are you going to stay here permanently?"
"I haven't decided."
Sakura paused. "You're lying. Tell me the truth."
Naruto raised a brow. "I'm not lying."
"Yes, you are. Tell me the truth. I'm not going to ask nicely next time."
Damn. He couldn't figure out how the jutsu worked – he was certain he hadn't even blinked. He looked at her straight on. No sweaty palms. No twitches. He was an extremely proficient liar by now. "I intend on going back to Tsuchikage after finishing off Akatsuki." There, it was out.
She seemed to ponder his latest announcement. "Did you attack Shikamaru?"
"Define attack." Naruto was nervous now. He wasn't really sure what was going on, how she could know any of this, or where she was going with this line of questioning.
"You know damn well. Did you do anything to him with malevolent intent?" 'Smart ass…' That much about Naruto was still the same.
"I saved him from that Iwa nin!"
Again, a pause. "Yeah, you're telling the truth there. But you're not answering my question."
"No, I didn't harm him in any way."
"Lie."
This wasn't going well. This wasn't going well at all. Whatever game she was playing, he was ending. Now. "This line of questioning will only lead to unhappiness for everyone. There are some things about me you don't want to know. Let's get one thing straight here. I want to be able to trust you, Sakura. I really do. But there are some secrets, which I reserve to myself and myself alone. And if that means you can't trust me, then fuck it. I don't need your trust."
She paused. Now that was the truth. It felt refreshing to hear Naruto's blunt honesty again. Sakura abandoned her interrogation and instead chose to silently eat dinner. If the food was good, she didn't say anything.
Her silence irritated Naruto all the more. He had never before been so angry with her. Perhaps it that she saw through his bullshit story he fed her last night, maybe it was the direct line of questioning she posed, or more likely it was that she could tell exactly when he was lying, and he couldn't understand how. Whatever the reason, he was royally pissed. "A-And why the hell do you even care that I left? So you can't trust me as much, so what? You never gave two-shits about me!"
She dropped her chopsticks. "No." She said quietly.
"Always with Naruto-baka, let's look after our precious Sasuke-kun. Naruto stop trying to overshadow Sasuke-kun. Sauke-kun, Sasuke-kun, it's really a wonder you even know my name at all!"
"No, it wasn't like that Naruto." A little louder now.
"Oh that Uchiha prince – that poor tragedy. Last survivor of the clan. A-And now you know about the Kyuubi, it's time to pity me? What, you just move from sob story to sob story?"
"No! Naruto I never – "
"Am—am I just the latest fucking trend? The coolest fab to be with?" Naruto was so angry he was stuttering involuntarily. It was true that not all of his anger was directed at Sakura, but she was representing everything he despised about Konoha. The blatant hypocrisy of the civilians and their pathetic attitude when it came to anything unknown. And now here she was, pretending to understand... Pretending to care.
"NO!" She was crying now, tears falling on her nearly untouched plate of food. Suddenly, she stood up and left the table. She paused at the entrance to her own room. "You were always an idiot, Naruto. But you were my idiot. Now you're just an asshole. Go fuck yourself."
Naruto was furious with himself. He kept replaying those words in his mind. How was he ever her idiot? How could he have lost his cool? It must have been years since he fucked up this bad. She was his only ticket to getting information on Kakashi. But the stranger part was that he wasn't even that bothered that assassinating Kakashi would be more difficult now. No, the real reason he was angry was… he made her cry. And that's what didn't make any sense. She was nothing. A stupid shadow of his past that didn't matter. Why did that bother him so much?
…
"How are they doing?"
Kakashi shook his head. "Fighting, mostly. Naruto's changed unbelievably. But deep down, he's the same old Naruto, even if he doesn't want to admit it to himself. He wants to hold on to this new image of himself. Sakura's upset with him for that. It's gonna take a while before Naruto becomes comfortable here, if at all."
Tsunade nodded. "I see. Well, that's why they're on the same team for the Jounin Exams. Sometimes the best remedy is beating the crap out of someone."
"It's overkill, sending Naruto in there. If he's killed several Akatsuki members, there's no doubt he's probably ANBU level."
"Of course. But we need to know exactly where, and the sooner we know, the better. This will be an easy way to peg Naruto's abilities. Besides, I've seen the plans Shikamaru drew up. They're clever. The test will go on, even without Shikamaru."
"And Naruto's allegiance?"
Tsunade smirked. "Not my problem. After all, he's not a shinobi anymore is he? If he wants to maintain that cover, then he'll have to go along with my plans. Either that, or, we have an actual honest conversation."
"You're forcing his hand."
"I'm the damn Hokage. I'm protecting my village. It's up to him whether he wants to be within that umbrella of protection or not. If not, I'll kindly inform Iwa that their precious asset has... turned on them."
Kakashi winced. Tsunade was no pushover. He briefly wondered whether she'd follow through on such a threat.
…
"Konahamaru!" Sakura smiled, wiping the tears away.
"Is it true? Naruto-nii is back!?" Konahamaru was accompanied with many others – including most of the Rookie 9, Gai's team, and some senseis.
"It's true!" She smiled. Konahamaru was still adorable, despite entering his teenage years. She remembered the first time meeting him. Right before the Chuunin Exams when the kid called Sakura Naruto's girlfriend, and then proceeded to talk about her forehead. Since Naruto's departure the two bonded over their sorrows. "But I have to tell you something."
Naruto watched from the shadows of the building above, keeping his chakra level incredibly low. 'Great… This is the part where she tells everyone I'm an asshole. Troublesome.'
"What?" He asked.
"I'm not sure you'll be able to beat him now! He's become a fantastic ninja." She smiled, ruffling his hair.
"No way, he's going down!"
'Why… Idiots holding onto a romantic past that never really existed…' But Naruto was incredibly grateful. His tension released rapidly. He had to leave. He needed to think…
"Eh? Where's Naruto nii-san?" Konohamaru and Sakura stared at the empty room before them.
…
The village really was beautiful. He spent an hour roaming through the streets freely. He had never before been able to do so; during his childhood, he'd constantly be at risk of villagers attacking him or harassment from some Chuunins. Now? Only a select few shinobi knew he was back. Most of the civilians still assumed he was dead, and with seven years of growth separating him he doubted any would even recognize him. Sure, the news would spread like wildfire among the shinobi community, and eventually the civilians, too. But his skills were long past the point where Chuunins would bother him.
He pushed those thoughts aside, choosing to focus on a Genin describing to his shinobi family the Chuunin Exams and how tough they are. Across the street kids were playing. The thing unique to Konohagakure no Soto was… the life. The visible, ever-present feeling that the place was thriving.
Unlike most villages, which were actively hidden and camouflaged, the Leaf's military dominance allowed its hegemony and deterrence to be sufficient protection. Which meant that on the home turf, they could relax. They didn't really need to bother with concealment; civilians and shinobi could live in openness, together.
The other striking feature was the abundance of nature. Covered in forests and beautiful plant life, the village allowed larger wildlife. It was not uncommon to see deer or even some bears roaming about the forests. Not to mention the sounds of birds chirping in the morning, greeting everyone. Naruto stood, closing his eyes, and just embracing the smells of the forest. It had indeed been a very, very long time. None of them were in Iwa.
Iwagakure maintained survival-mode at all times. All buildings were hidden deep underground. Seeing sunlight was rather uncommon, even. As for wildlife? Other than the occasional reptile, it was highly unlikely. Konoha was its exact opposite in so many ways. He roamed the forest barefoot, enjoying thoroughly the feel of the soil. So soft and moist. The grass blades caressed his blistered feet, soaking them in a soft, dewy heaven.
For the past couple days he'd been so focused on his mission that he'd entirely neglected enjoying himself. Leaning back, he closed his eyes and took deep, slow breaths. God, the forest was beautiful. And quiet. Meditation was a wonderful thing, Naruto decided long ago. It helped him sort through the whirlpool that his mind was.
By now the Konoha forces would no doubt have reported this back to Iwa and there would be political scramblings going on. Naruto could imagine what those would entail, having been next to the Tsuchikage for many of them. Naruto knew he had a family. He had to find the drop site and return its contents to his family.
He owed him that much.
…
"Where did he go?"
"I don't know – his chakra tracer just… just vanished."
"What?" Tsunade gripped her teacup a bit more tightly.
The ANBU gulped, knowing full well the capabilities of the female kage.
"Where was he last before his signal was lost?"
The man hesitated, for just a moment. Every man was guilty of it once in a while. Couldn't he just cut the kid some slack? A shattering of a teacup brought him back to reality. Nope. The Uzumaki was on his own. "The red light district, Hokage-sama." He quickly responded.
Whatever answer she had been expecting, it certainly wasn't this. Tsunade scratched her head, genuinely confused. She had always prided herself in being able to read men, and Naruto definitely didn't strike her as the type to… well, as the Jiraiya type. It just didn't make any sense. A kid with his good looks? Certainly capable of getting some in other ways. Just go to any bar. She was interrupted from her thoughts by a cough.
She turned, realizing the ANBU was still standing there. "Yes, well…" she began. "Let's give him a few hours then." It didn't sound very Hokage-like, and though she'd never admit it, she didn't really know what to do. The exams were tomorrow. So long as he showed up to Sakura's house tonight, he wasn't going to be in any major trouble, she supposed. Besides, how was she supposed to get mad at him for disabling a chakra tracer? Technically, she shouldn't have even placed it on him.
"Should I go then, Hokage-sama?"
She nodded. "Call Haruno Sakura on your way out please."
It wasn't a moment later when the cherry blossom poked her head in. Tsunade raised an eyebrow. No one responded that fast. Not even Jiraiya when she told him she was naked. "Were you waiting for me?"
Sakura had the decency to look sheepish.
"What's up with you?"
"Nothing. You called?"
"I have an odd request for you."
Sakura looked up, switching her focus from her feet.
"I need you to go to the red light district and find out what Naruto is up to."
Sakura seemed fairly shocked. "Naruto is… he's in the." She stopped. Then, turning to a whisper, "red light district?"
Tsuande nodded. "That was the last location his chakra tracker registered him."
Sakura shook her head. "All men are the same."
"It would certainly appear so. Anyways, what was it you came to see me about?"
Sakura paused. Was it the right time to bring it up? This was finally a point in her life when things were seemingly getting put together, back into the right place. Was it even worth it? Well, no use in stalling – she really should just go for it. As she opened her mouth to speak, Shizune burst in.
Sakura sighed. 'Dammit. Kami-sama what have I done?'
"Sakura, I'm sorry, but I'll have to cut our discussion short."
And with that, she was booted out of the Hokage's office and into the red light district.
…
Naruto woke up to sunlight hitting his face. Frowning, he got up feeling like he had a massive hangover. Side effects of poisoning were so… troublesome. But this… this wasn't his apartment. Naruto tried to remember what happened last night to no avail. 'Did I black out? How?' No, this certainly wasn't the poison… this was an actual hangover.
He must have gone out last night. Sitting up, he looked around to find a rather familiar room. This… this was Sakura's apartment. His face paled. Did he find her in the red light district? Did she see his apartment? More importantly, how could he have gotten drunk? He never drank on missions – it was a rule of thumb. He tried lifting his hand but found a rather large bruise on the back of his right palm. A bruise left by a thumb tap.
Thumb taps were pressure points that forced the opponent to freeze; it required pressing down fairly hard, leaving a bruise. The clues were beginning to fit together. But who could have gotten close enough for him to allow them to do that? Looking at the desk, he found a condom… used. 'Well, it was the red light district.'
The door opened and he found Sakura, dressed in an incredibly provocative outfit. The tight red dress caressed the curves of her body perfectly, and with every step her chest seemed to bulge even more. The back of it had a bunny's tail on her ass, in a soft pink that matched her hair. "Finally awake, I see." The harsh tone presented a huge disconnect from the voluptuous clothes and the slight blush on her cheek. "Now where's the key?"
Naruto regained his cool. "What key?"
"The key to this ridiculous outfit, dumbass."
Naruto thought back. "Oh. That outfit." It was starting to come back to him. He had realized Konosuke would also have chosen the Red Light district to try and maintain a low profile. Naruto had made it out of his apartment last night and was watching from the top deck of a strip club, when Sakura showed up in the club, and was mistaken for a dancer. They rushed her into the bunny outfit and forced her to dance. Naruto, chuckling to himself, must have placed the sticky glue seal on it.
It was an old relic from his prankster days – without the specific key, the clothes would stay on forever. Even better, any attempts to take it off would only cause further nudity, leading the dress to be more and more… revealing. Sakura, apparently, had learned her lesson after the first attempt. A large gash revealed most of her stomach, turning what used to be a dress into a two-piece. No doubt she had attempted to take it off.
But the key… no matter how he tried he couldn't remember it. "Tell you what. You fill me in on what happened last night, and I'll probably remember the key."
"You don't remember?"
"Someone must have drugged me. I don't drink on…" How was he supposed to explain he was on a mission right now? "I don't drink." He finished.
Sakura shook her head disbelievingly. "You were the most drunk I've ever seen someone last night. Demanded… interesting things."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What things?"
Sakura unwillingly blushed. "It doesn't matter! Naruto, the exams are in a couple of weeks. Can you just please give me the key? Or are you going to make me fight in this?"
Naruto's curiosity as piqued more than ever. Red light district. Naruto drunk. Sakura in that dress. There weren't too many things that could have happened. The only question was how far?
…
The next day Naruto finally found Konosuke's drop site. The package had the standard Tomb seals around it. After all, the man was nothing if not a by-the-book straight arrow. Using a reverse summoning, he sent the packages back to his former best-friend's house with a note explaining everything that happened.
'There's been a set up. Konosuke and I were sent after the same person, and I suspect someone within Iwa is making a power grab. My cover has been blown, so I've been pretending to be a fisherman, but I don't know how long it will last. Be carefull – if there is a coup happening, you aren't safe. I've sent back Konosuke's drop site packages; it's the right thing to do.'
He stared at the note. Good enough. With a poof, everything was sent back to Iwa.
It took him a moment to get used to the birds chirping. It was sunrise, after all. With the familiar sounds guiding him through the forest, Naruto made his way back to Konoha. Opening the door, he found Sakura making breakfast in a matching pink apron. He couldn't help but chuckle. How many years he'd spent imagining a scene so similar to this? Sakura making breakfast for him. It still seemed surreal.
Sakura gave him a hard look, her emerald eyes piercing into him. "Four in the morning. Gone. No note." The unstated accusation hung in the air. Were you thinking of leaving again?
Naruto sighed. "I... I had to take care of my friend. Konosuke."
"The Iwa nin?"
Naruto nodded. "His family will never get his body back. They won't ever get to hold a funeral. So I had to find his... belongings, and send them back. I owe them that much."
She turned around and, thankfully, pointed the skillet away from Naruto. "I'm sorry about the other day."
Naruto blinked. Wasn't she supposed to be mad at him?
"I meant what I said. I want your trust, and it starts by reciprocation. So I'll start with myself." She placed the pan down and laid some eggs down onto his plate. "What do you want to know?"
Naruto snorted. "This game worked so well last time," the sarcasm dripped out. She stared at him patiently, and he realized she was actually waiting for a question. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"
She smiled. "Trust. I'm not the one who's been a missing nin for the past seven years."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "What a stupid phrase. I wasn't missing – I'm not misplaced, like I'm some lost pet. At least have the guts to call me what I am. I'm a deserter. I've been working for Iwa. But you knew that already. How?" He said, finally turning serious.
"Tsunade-sama told me you've been working for an undercover branch of Iwa called Tomb. She said I was meant to keep eyes on you."
Was she stupid? Why would she tell him that? Perhaps she was just naïve. No doubt Tsunade wasn't; this was supposed to be kept in the strictest confidence. And yet, here Sakura was acting like a child all over again. He was the enemy, didn't she see that? Either way, she had piqued his interest and raised the stakes. He wondered if he could get information regarding Kakashi out of her.
"It's true, isn't it." It wasn't really a question.
"Yes, I've been doing missions for Iwa."
"So... You're just here on a mission. If they hadn't sent you here to kill someone, we would have never even seen you, right?"
"No, you wouldn't have."
She quietly finished her breakfast. "Well, at least you're telling the truth this time."
"What, you've drugged these eggs, too? Seriously, Sakura? You can't just keep drugging me whenever you – "
"You idiot." She spat. "You think I don't know when you're lying? There was never any drug, just your being a moron."
He sat quite docilely and finished his breakfast after that. He wasn't sure if she was lying then or now. But one thing was certain: Sakura was no amateur. It was quite obvious now why Tsunade had sent Naruto to stay with her. Knowing her, she and Tsunade had probably figured out a way to neutralize any visual tells of lying. He observed her face with a piqued curiosity. He smirked. Very well – if she wanted to play, then he would play.
"Are you seeing someone?"
Her tea sprayed out inelegantly across the table. Flustered, she quickly grabbed a towel to clean up. "Idiot. Why does that matter?"